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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday, December 18, 1968
German I students dislike course work
By DONNA SHRADER
Kapen Staff Writer
The KU German department has received severe student criticism recently because of a dispute over teaching methods used in German I centering on a departmental exam given Dec. 10.
"The exam represents the pinnacle of dissatisfaction," said Robin Clouser, Hawertown, Pa., graduate student and German I lab instructor.
The most common complaint was that too much time was spent memorizing sentences and dialogues. "Conscientious
students are pushed beyond limit by the memorization and repetition of the course structure." Clouser said.
Several students reacted to the exam when it was given, others after it was over. One student reportedly "rolled up his exam, threw it in the instructor's face and walked out." Another, Clouser said, instead of taking the exam wrote a critique of the exam, explaining why he would rather take an "F" than take the unfair exam.
The problem, Eugene Norwood, chairman of the German department, said, was
the ambiguous wording of a question. It read "reconstruct 'the' dialogue," referring to the dialogue in the textbook. It should have read "reconstruct 'a' dialogue." he said.
Part of the problem could also be the textbook, Norwood said. "The text has proved too demanding, and it is unfortunate in this respect, but it would be unthinkable to change in the middle of the semester," Norwood said. The department does plan to use a different text next semester, he added.
"I have encouraged my dissatisfied students to talk to
people in the coordinator's office," Clouser said, "but the ones who have complained have come back frustrated. There does need to be some form of protest-student motivated protest, because the instructors have worked through the channels open to them, and the problem still exists." he said.
Jodie Wiersch, Leawood sophomore taking the course, said her roommate who has never taken German could have memorized the dialogue in the
textbook, taken the test and gotten an "A". "This is not creative German," Miss Wiersch said.
"The texts are selected as carefully as possible, but we have no way of judging effectiveness until used." Norwood said.
The course would not be recommended to anyone by most students currently enrolled in German I. Clouser said.
Some changes will be made next semester. Norwood said.
Seven seek Rhodes scholarships
Seven KU seniors face the fire of interviewer's questions today. Each is seeking to become a Rhodes Scholar, Aldon Bell, assistant dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said.
Each student appears before a state selection committee where two candidates are chosen to go to the regional committee. The regional competition takes place Dec. 21 when 32 Rhodes Scholars throughout the nation will be chosen.
"This year we have seven students in competition. KU is allotted a maximum of five candidates to send to the Kansas selection committee," Bell said, "and we are sending one student to the Missouri board and one to the Oklahoma committee."
Each Rhodes Scholar receives $2,000 a year, for up to three years of study at Oxford University, he said.
The five seniors appearing before the state committee in Hutchinson are John Coyle, Coffeyville; Joe Goering, Moundridge; Don Hedrick, Topeka; John Micheal, Hutchinson, and Clyde Toland, Iola.
Appearing before the Missouri state committee in St. Louis is Mike Kirk, Kansas City, Mo.; Charles Eberline, Bartlesville, Okla., appears before the
Oklahoma selection group in Oklahoma City.
The committee members on the Kansas selecting committee are Bell; Judge Welsey Brown, Wichita, committee chairman; W. D. P. Carey, Hutchinson; John Chalmers, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Kansas State University; Maj. P. L. Miles, Fort Leavenworth, and G. P. Haight, a professor of chemistry at Illinois University.
With the exception of the chairman, all members of the selection committee must be Rhodes Scholars.
Medieval plays center on Christ
IT'S ORANGE!
The 1969 Jayhawker is Orange!
The new Jayhawker is in the process of being printed and bound in Orange Bowl orange.
Distribution in Strong Hall: January 8,9,10
Opening last night, the University Experimental Theatre production of three Medieval plays center around the birth of Christ.
If you have not already paid for yours the Jayhawker will be sold in the Union.
The three plays, "The Annunciation," "The Coming of the Magi" and "The Second Shepherd's Play," are directed by Virginia Hirsch, Milwaukee graduate student.
Making her selection from many plays, Miss Hirsch first tried to choose plays relevant to the audience and plays with a Christmas theme. She said she wanted characters that a modern audience would enjoy and found one in King Herod.
Bring KU ID
The cycles will be presented at 8:20 p.m. through Friday and again Jan. 6-11.
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