Cllntmrrfirut iflaily Ctlampua
Serving Storrs Since 1896
Susan A. Okula Editor-ln~Chief
Mark A. Dupuis Managing Editor
Robert S. Kravchuk Business Man.c~.Jer
Tony Cronin Steven D. Hull Senior Editors
John Hill lll ........................................................ .. News Editor John J. Kwolek .................................................. .. News Editor Mark Gould ....................................................... ..Sports Editor Marla Roiiiash ................................................... ..Sports Editor Kathe Rogers ................................................ ..Features Editor ."-nics Sch:-mlwri .......................... ..Features Editor I uz Sherniai . . .............. .. Magazine Editor
l\' l in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Xssistant News Editor
, '- ' "'l l)t‘l ic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. _\_55i§[an[ Sports Editor l. i.. K anipaun .......................... .. Assistant Features Editor Staff
Donna Liss ............................................. ..Advertising Manager (‘onnie l’ackm-rl .......................................... ..Editorial Assistant l'‘ J V"--" . .. .................................. .. Chief Photographer '”-""l “W ii.-I» ................................... ..Circulation Manager is u-h;i..-- Ht-nu ....................................... ..0ffice Manager Ken H.n'l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Promiction Manager ‘In ;-. SH oi .‘ ...................... .. ‘ dvcrtisir tainager Subs.a""0n ». lea: $10 per yr Sc :ov-d-ela oaid -v. Sr Qrrs, Ct.
06268. “ii; i ‘=le«..' lav ln'0UQn F-noay utwnn «est. -. school year.
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focus
New times
The Daily Campus begins its 80th year of publication with several innova- tions we hope will add to its editorial quality of past issues.
We will continue to provide the best possible UConn and local news, fea- tures. and sports coverage in the coming months. All local aspects of the approaching election and the ongoing campaign will be covered by staff here as was Jimmy Carter's recent Groton campaign stop. _
A look at our first three issues gives a good idea of new Daily Campus features this year which we hope will be of interest to students.
We are initiating two columns in the Arts and Features section dealing with topics new to our pages on a regular basis —— health advice by local medical authorities. and science issues. Good health is. of course, essential to the academic and social success of UConn students.
Science issues and problems of
general interest have never been examined at regular intervals in the newspaper. although UConn is the home of several physical and biological
organizations to submit news on their activities for our Local Notes section. These club announcements will be run on a regular basis according to the volume of material we receive.
In addition to our regular writers on the editorial page, we invite any student, professional, or classified UConn worker to submit guest opinion columns or letters to the editor for publication.
The sports department had added a feature called More Sports, which will give sports fans a little more to read about than UConn events.
The Daily Campus will pick up a little levity mixed in with a few set-imic issues with our new cartoon. Jusm M’-"ler Again, the invitation is open to students for submitting ideas for possible strips.
Finally. the Daily Campus, as Con- necticut’s largest student newspaper, provides students with a qualification that is almost crucial in today's competitive job market — experience.
We are looking for writers. reporters and business staff to complete our staff this year. Work for the Daily Campus.
notification ol unclaimed deliveries to Connecticut Daily Campus, 121 North Eagleville Fload. Box U-8. University d Connecticut. Storrs. Ct. 06268. '
7
'0ll,TlAT'S <J’EClAL A690’
EOF THE INTEKDR
departments.
We encourage all UConn clubs and
OUR MOKALE ATALL!’
DECORATl0N DIWON IF ll-MT
UConn wants to drop you
By CARL CONETTA
During the summer. UConn students were tiotified that the add/drop period was cut from nine to four weeks for this year. Any drops made after the second week would appeai on the student's record as either a withdrawal or. in the case of multiple drops. a failing grade.
Stiffening of add/drop regula- tions can only reduce further students‘ chances of completing a worthwhile education here. We can grasp the impact of these changes when viewed in the context of the severe educational cutbacks here over the past few years.
Last year over 200 professional and staff positions were frozen at UConn, l"‘Sl Illiw ow - (.'IU\v ' 'ng 'n;i:i;,- -.~'
II] VI "
.-L5.
Last semester Vice-rresident for Academic Affairs Kenneth Wilson admitted "We have in- creased class size to the point where we no longer have enough large lecture halls to extend the practice further." The immediate result is increasing numbers of students are being “closed out" of desired courses.
Last fall over 3,800 course requests were denied - a 35 per cent increase from the previous year. Given the implementation of an “austerity budget," the figure should be significantly higher this year.
Chances of admittance to aca- demically necessary or desired
courses have dwindled. The guid- ance students receive for choos- ing courses is no longer merely inadequate. but virtually non-ex- istcnt. UConn does offer limited ‘vocational’ counseling through the Counseling and Testing Cen- ter. where six professional staff members serve l6.000 students.
The only recourse open to students who desire guidance in selecting courses is their individ- ual faculty advisor. And with professional course loads increas- ing up to 50 per cent over last year. the teaching staff is finding it practically impossible to set aside adequate time for advising students.
Dean ofthe College of Arts and Sciences Julius Elias insisted last -« ar that changes in the add/drop , :'.)CCdUl‘C will curb student aca- demic meandering and enhance
the “academic excellence" of UConn. Quite to the contrary. The
changes in add/drop will put students under greater stress to piece together a coherent and satisfying course of study. Be- yond that. it will academically penalize students for UConn's failure to provide adequate coun- seling ' "vices and a sufficiently broad rang. of course alterna- tives.
The move to restrict add/drop and its rationalization portend a new phase in the attacks on education. “Academic Excel- lence" is fast becoming the battle cry of school officials as they
administer educational cutbacks.
While administrators advocate the need for “academic elitism" and “academic excellence." they are making it more and more difficult for young people to attain and complete a university education.
Admissions ceilings have been implemented or are being consid- ered for a number of UConn programs. including the health. business. engineering, and edu- cation professions.
A tuition increase and fee hikes have reduced the percentage of UConn students from families earning annual incomes below $10,000 from 29 per cent in 1971 to l0 per cent in l9j75.
The number of minority stu- dents admitted to UConn in 1976 is about 145 - down from a "high" of 244 five years ago. The changes in add/drop are a varia- tion on this same theme reserved for those who are able to sur- mount the stumbling blocks to admission.
Given the miraculous transfor- _' mation of last year's state budget
deficit into a $20 million surplus. the administration may generate a better cover for cutbacks by arguing “academic excellence" than it could by pleading “auster- ity."
But it had better also cover up those murals in the Student Union depicting “Your State University - The American Dream of Peren- nial Opportunity" - before some- body gets the wrong idea.
I
You will gain experience; we will gain
new ideas.
Maybe he should be in Washington D.C.
By JIM FITZGERALD
A jobless friend phoned from Las Vegas and l was surprised because a week earlier he had been living on welfare in Mich- igan. He explained he was pre- tending to be a state legislator so he could show the world how easy it is for a phony to get on the public payroll.
“Right now I am on a junket," he said. “I am attending a seminar on the danger of Asian crickets to the Michigan sugar beet. The first meeting was held last night in the Sands Hotel. under a crap table. I even made a short speech. I suggested that next year's seminar be held in Hawaii. No distance is too far to go in the interest of one of our state's most important products, the sugar beet."
My friend has obviously been inspired by Kirby Holmes. the Michigan legislator who recently pretended to be poor so he could show the world how easy it is for a phony to get on welfare. Holmes defrauded the state out of $941 in welfare payments. He grew a beard and wore old clothes and told the Social Service Dept. he
drcii. The dummies believed him.
When his cover was finally blown. Holmes proclaimed loudly that his masquerade had proven any common cheat can get on wclfaI'c.
My jutiketitig friend admitted his desire is to duplicate Holmes‘ success. flip side. He wants to gain the reputation and image of a legislator. He wants to be so coiiviiiciiig he can draw a legisla- tor's salary without even winning an election. He phoned me be- cause lie knows iiewspapernien keep a fascinated eye on the legislature which is usually the best show in town.
My masquerading friend should establish an office in his basement at home. It should be staffed by his wife and assorted relatives. The whole thing can easily be charged to the tax- payers.
At this point my friend ex- pressed amazement. “Gee." he said. “I think there are more crooks in the legislature than there on welfare."
“Watch it," I cautioned’ him. “what you just said makes sense. You go around making sense. no
wasjobless and needed money to one will ever mistake you for a legislator."
pay the rent and feed his chil-
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