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Two of Five Fail English Proficiency
For the third semester in a row a higher percentage of students failed the spring English Proficiency Examination than ever before in the history of the examination.
Out of 407 students taking the examination, 162-39.8 per cent failed. There were 245 students- 60.2 per cent—who passed the examination.
Last fall 31.9 per cent of the students taking the examination failed it. This was previously the highest percentage of failures. The next highest percentage of failures was in the spring of 1958 when 31 per cent of the students who took the examination failed it.
All students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, School of Nursing, School of Education, and
School of Journalism are required to pass the English Proficiency Examination before graduation from the university.
The next examination will be given June 20.
David Dykstra, instructor of English, said yesterday there has been a higher number of failures in the past in the spring examination than in the fall examination.
"More students take the examination in the fall, which means that there will be a higher total number of failures. Many of the students who fail the examination in the fall take it again in the spring. This higher proportion of repeaters will have an effect on the percentage of failures," he said.
Fall Failures Repeat
Mr. Dykstra also attributed the higher percentage of failures this year to the new English Proficiency Examination exemption rule which went into effect last fall.
All who pass English 2H with an A or a B, or English I and II with grades of A, or English IH with A or B and English II with a grade of A, are exempt from the proficiency examination.
"The new rule takes the better students out of the examination. This means that the percentage of poor English students taking the examination is higher and, therefore, the percentage of failures will be higher." Mr. Dykstra said.
All examination papers will be turned over to the Writing Clinic in 112 Strong D. Any student who
took the examination and particularly those who failed it may go to the clinic for counseling from 3 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Each examination paper was graded by a minimum of two and a maximum of four readers. If either of the first two readers failed the paper, it went to a third reader. Each paper required two passing grades or three failing grades.
"We gave the student the benefit of considerable doubt in requiring one more failing grade than passing grade to finish the paper," Mr. Dykstra said.
"Also, if a paper had two passing grades and two failing grades, it was considered a passing paper. However, this situation did not arise often."
Each student was required to write two essays from a choice of 25 subjects for the four hour examination.
The topics ranged from current and campus events to personal experiences and politics.
Subject of Interest "We tried to provide a subject
Wednesday. April 29. 1959
Daily hansan
that could be associated with the interests and backgrounds of all of the students." Mr. Dykstra said.
The compositions were graded on organization, paragraphing, specificity, relevance of content, grammar, usage, punctuation, and spelling.
Mr. Dykstra said that neither grammatical construction nor thought content was given preference in the grading of the paper.
"Both factors are important in any paper. However, if a paper had worthwhile, specific content and was written in unusually incorrect grammar, it was failed. A minimum standard of grammar is really fundamental to any paper," he said.
In explaining the reason for giving a proficiency examination, Mr. Dykstra said:
"One of the purposes is to require students who are not exempt from the examination by good English grades to demonstrate that they can write acceptable prose at least once during the two years before their graduation."
LAWRENCE, KANSAS
56th Year. No. 136
POSSIBLE CHOICE—Robert G. Billings, Russell senior, points to a possible location for one of the senior gift choices. Billings is chairman of the gift committee, which has suggested a trophy case, a diorama, and new furnishings for the Kansas Union. With Billings is Larry L. Dunlap, Salina, vice president of the senior class. See page 2 for an editorial offering a write-in choice for a class gift.
Seniors' Coffee Boils Tomorrow
After four years of waiting the seniors will have their chance to leave something to the University, and if this year's gift selection coffee is anything like other years' there should be a rip-roaring time trying to narrow the choice down to one gift.
The 10 a.m. coffee tomorrow in the Kansas Union Ballroom may produce an assortment of suggestions for the class gift to the University.
Three Nominations Made
Suggestions made by the gift committee are a trophy case for Allen Field House. furnishings for the Kansas Union addition and a diorama for Dyche Museum.
The seniors may vote upon one of these choices or write-in their own choice upon the ballot.
Some class members favor establishing a loan or scholarship fund for worthy students.
"I feel that we should give what the class wants to give," he said.
Bill Witt. Garden City, senior class president, said:
Against Grade Award
"I am rather against a scholarship because 1.200 seniors would be contributing to one or two individuals. It is a temporary and intangible thing that only one or two people would benefit from. Perhaps we could give something like this at our 25th reunion," Witt suggested.
Program events at the coffee include a class progress report, a treasurer's report, information about graduation and the class picnic, and the discussion and voting on the gift.
ASC De-feathers 'Fowl'; Destroys Official Roost
"Fowl" magazine, the one-issue humor publication by and for students at the University of Kansas, was given the axe at a meeting of the All Student Council last night. It is no longer the official humor magazine.
In other action the council provided that members who miss more than two regularly scheduled meetings without a written excuse or four regularly scheduled meetings with or without a written excuse will be dropped from the council and replaced.
The council also denied, after long debate, an amended Graduate School request for $250 to be used as travel grants to students with exchange scholarships.
Jim Austin, Topeka junior, and Terence Davis, Frontenac senior, the new president and vice president of the student body, were sworn in along with other new council members.
The original motion concerning the "Fowl" stated that it be designated an official humor magazine to be published at the discretion of the student body president.
The motion was amended to read that the section of the Publications Bill designating the "Fowl" as an official humor magazine be stricken.
The amendment also stated that any funds remaining in the magazine's operating fund be transferred to the ASC treasurer when current obligations are met. The amendment and the main motion as amended passed unanimously, thus abolishing
The program included the installation of the 1959-1960 Associated Women Student officers, a capping ceremony for new Mortar Board members, recognition of new Phi Beta Kappa members, the announcement of the AWS scholarship winner, new residence hall counselors, Jay Sisters, and the presentation of The American Association of University Women's award to an outstanding senior woman.
A presentation of "Our Fair Ladies," an announcement of women chosen by their individual houses as the most outstanding person in house activities, concluded the honors program.
Convocation Honors Coeds
A complete list of women honored yesterday will be found on page three.
Many of KU'S "Fair Ladies" were honored last night at the first annual All Women's Day Honors Night program in Hoch Auditorium.
Davis, vice president of the student body, said:
"Personally I would like to see no official campus humor magazine."
John Downing, Kansas City, Mo. senior and outgoing president of the student body, agreed with him.
"The trend across the country is to do away with these humor magazines," he said. "They're purely trash."
The motion concerning council attendance was passed by a 12-2 vote.
Any council member missing the specified number of meetings will be dropped from the council and replaced.
A motion concerning the Graduate School's request for $300 was amended by the council to $250. Members of the council debated whether the council had sufficient funds to grant this request.
After the final meeting of the old council adjourned and the new council met and nominated candidates for ASC offices. The new council will vote on the nominations at the next meeting Tuesday.
The motion, as amended, was defeated 11-7.
Nominations were made for candidates for All Student Council positions at the meeting. More nominations may be made at the next meeting of the ASC on Tuesday.
Chairman-Larry Blickhan, Prairie Village junior; Ronald Dalby, Joplin, Mo., sophomore; Lawrence Dieker, Westphalia junior; Frank Naylor Jr., Kansas City, Kan., sophomore, and Rudy Vondracek, Timkin junior.
Vice-chairman-Barry Ken Gray, Lyons sophomore, and Theodore Hall, Garden City junior.
Secretary—Sara (Sally) Carnahan, Topeka junior; Martha Rowe, Kansas City, Mo., freshman; Sarah Shaffer, Russell junior, and Mary Carol Stephenson, Pittsburg sophomore.
Treasurer--Diecker; Gray; Sharon Hagman, Pittsburgh junior, and James H. Henderson, Wichita junior.
Nominations will be reopened at the next meeting Tuesday.
Today's Kansan
Proficiency List Page 4
Jayhawker Trail Page 5
AWS Honors Page 3
Gift Editorial Page 2
Editor Barr Blasts Bar; Cries 'Foul' to Council
"Fowl," until yesterday the official source of campus humor, appeared today to be an ugly duckling and the source of official confusion
Bill Barr, Dodge City sophomore and editor of the magazine, adopted a "wait and see" attitude about whether another publication will be made.
He indicated he would confer with KU administrators today to see if the magazine could still be published.
John Downing, Kansas City, Mo. junior and past president of the student body, said the action was not meant to be a reflection on the staff members of the "Fowl."
He said it was the ASC opinion that humor magazines over the past years have been an insult to the students and the quality of the publications fail to justify the time and expense involved.
"It should be left up to the members of the staff as to whether the magazine is a worthwhile way to spend its time. The ASC shouldn't dictate how our time is spent," Barr said.
Barr also denied the charge that the magazine was unable to justify the expense of producing it.
"The magazine always comes out
in the black at the end of the year. It always leaves money for the next year's magazine to begin operation
There is no ASC appropriation or subsidy involved. The magazine is self-supporting.
Barr also questioned the ASC reasoning that the magazines were on a lower level than the KU campus should have.
"Why does the ASC consider itself above reading the humor that is spoken everyday on this and every other college campus?"
Barr had not heard about the ASC action until contacted by the Daily Kansan in the middle of the morning. He felt the Council should have notified him the magazine's future was under consideration.
"I don't know what to do with this next issue." he said.
Advertising space has already been sold and covers printed. There is a possibility Barr may be able to publish the magazine without official sanction.
Weather
Partly cloudy this afternoon. A little warmer tonight and tomorrow under partly cloudy skies. Low tonight in the 50s. High tomorrow 75 to 80.