2 UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN Monday, November 20.1967 For new grading A KU administrator one described progress at this school as "ahead of many and behind a few." Straight out of the administrator's hand-book on "What to Say about Your University," and yet certainly true. The University has proven itself to be a leader in many fields with its vigorous and innovative programs. But KU may be falling seriously behind in one field—that of grading systems. Today's universities face the contradictory problem of turning out a well-rounded and fully knowledgeable man in an ever-increasing society of specialists. The student, taking an average of four to six courses a semester, ranging from anthropology to calculus to art history, finds himself perhaps familiar with much, but rarely knowledgeable on anything. In response to the student's desire to take subjects outside of his own field without ruining his grade average or overly taxing the student's time for his major courses, colleges and universities all over the country are adopting systems to take grade pressures off of the student. The most publicized and wide-spread system being adopted, of course, is some form of pass-fail scoring. Many universities, Kansas State included, are adopting a limited form of pass-fail, usually for one course a semester. Others are throwing pass-fail up for all non-major subjects. Other universities have alleviated the pressure problem by a unit system, in which the student must take courses in perhaps eight out of a field of ten areas. Therefore, if the student doesn't need the university to reaffirm that he is a mathematical dolt, he can skip the math unit. And another solution, adopted this year by Haverford College, completely eliminates all freshman-sophomore grades from the student's permanent record, using them only for guidance purposes with the college. KU, needless to say, still follows the strict requirement and grading system. The harsh mathematics requirement alone has no doubt kept many a student from a College degree, and other students have been kept from a degree only because of one or two required courses totally outside of their field of talent. But an even greater number may have struggled through the requirements, in a barely-keeping-the-old-head-above-the-water manner that necessitates slighting every course but the nasty one. The student, with aid of a tutor and, if he is so fortunate, a good set of files, passed the course; but in the process gains only mediocre grades and mediocre benefit from courses in his major field. The great college opportunity to develop one's skills with the help of experts is lost forever. The fact that American colleges everywhere are revamping their grading systems to permit more unfatal experimentation proves the traditional do-or-die attitude has serious flaws. KU students need a break too. Betsy Wright Editorial Editor Letter to the editor "Your great-granddad joined the Wait in '67, huh?" said the neighbor. "I don't know exactly how long our folks have been here, but at least since my father says he can remember. He must have been born in the Wait." Most families made small campsites beside their place in line, although the tents had to be moved every few months about fifteen feet farther down the line. "You know," said the first man, "the legends save that maybe in my son's lifetime, his family can get its IBM cards." The two men paused in their talking, thoughtfully. The Christian myth "Sure would be something to be alive the day we got through this line within a line and got our ticket within a ticket. Then we could join the real Line." They sighed, longingly, and looked in front and in back of their place in line, both directions extending infinitely, while one of the men gave silent thanks that good 'cl granddad back in '67 had the good sense to cut in line. Like a painting showing sharp perspective, the line of tired, milling people disappeared in a distant vanishing point beyond the horizon. "Well, the Wait could be a lot worse," commented one of the men. "After all, suppose when our families reach the end of the Line someday that they're sold out of basketball tickets . . ." Apropos to the Nov. 16 Kansan feature "Youth Repelled by the Church," I'd like to relate a story. This story is true but I've left out some specific details to avoid embarrassing anyone too much. (Names have been changed to protect the innocent)? To the Editor: An African student, who had been educated in a mission school in Africa, came to America to study. Being very religious he wanted to join a church. The minister of the church the student was interested in said he required a letter of reference in order to admit him as a member. The African student complied willingly and in due course the letter was delivered to the minister. Some time lapsed, the student asked again about membership "Our tent has held up pretty well," mentioned one man to the family in line behind his. "Especially considering that it was great-granddad that first swapped for it back in '67." and was told by the minister that the letter had been lost! Well, the African student was naive, and thinking that things like this happen sent home for another letter with the same result. Finally it dawned on him that his color was the reason for all the hedging on the minister's part. How do we stand? That was a northern church. The insidious thing about this kind of prejudice is that it is so hypocritical. The minister, serving his congregation no doubt, had to lie to hide the fact that he was intolerant and un-Christian. The Hill With It by john hill The church has conformed to Now the student vowed that when he returned home he would do his best to drive out all the good missionaries who represented this kind of church. A chilly wind scattered tumbleweed near the long, thin line of humanity that stretched out infinitely on the barren Kansas plain. We can and must take a stand when we hear statements like this, as Christians, as church members and as Americans. "Hell, not!" said the driver. "That's the pool the city gave the niggers." society and taken no stand. We as individuals have conformed to prejudice and haven't taken a stand. Holland, Mich., grad. student One last story; when I first arrived in Lawrence I had a dead battery out on the edge of town on 23rd street. I asked another driver to give me a push and I asked him about a swimming pool on the hillside. I had seen a sign on the fence that read: Admission—25 cents, so I wanted to know if I could swim there; was it a public pool? 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