The Midterm Malady
Much lias been written, spoken,
and thought alxnit the current spread
of apathy among the nation's college
and university students; not enough,
unfortunately, has been written alxmt
college and university professors.
We refer to the growing tendency
among UK professors to disregard
midterm grades completely and to
give the student any kind of mark
whatsoever merely to satisfy the requirement.
We cannot deny that many students are neither interested in midterm grades or concerned about themselves enough to get them from their
advisers. Several devoted professors
have expressed concern over the
apathy of many UK students about
midterm grades.
This should not excuse the professors from turning their heads on giving honest midterm grades. They have
an obligation to the University Registrar's Office to follow the preclassification procedure. Processing the
grades is a long and tedious job; it
would be much more humdrum if a
deluge of unrepresentative grade reports from lackidasical professors began pouring in.
Ideally, professors owe students
the most honest grade they can give.
Some have a practice of lowering
midterm grades so that the student
will be inspired and work harder;

unfortunately, this has often backfired and discouraged the student,
too. Others are not so methodical
and put down any grade on the student's record, the idea being to satisfy the professor's whims.
We can see no reason whatever
(other than sheer laziness) why any
UK professor would want to give a
grade not representative of the student's work in a course. There have
been several instructors who have
openly derided midterm grades and
have said they would not give representative ones because they didn't
mean anything.
Although we understand a professor's right to voice his objections,
failure to abide by this rule reminds
us of a
crying because he
has been made to wash his face.
maelstrom of
The
preclassification caused a j;reat hue
and cry from UK professors and students because it was unworkable.
Yet many of those who sounded off
did not give honest midterm grades
to their students. Many criticized out
of ignorance.
satisfactory preclassification
A
system will never be achieved if professors don't participate in it wholly
and unstintingly. We hope the attis
tudes of a few begrudged
who resent change won't become
prevalent on campus. They don't belong here.
first-semest-

er

grade-giver-

To Avoid Cheating
The exposure of fraudulent traffic
in graduate theses and examinations
reveals further spread of deceit in
contemporary morals.
The cynical participants in the
conspiracy of deception are not the
only blameworthy subjects. The uni- vcrsities themselves, and their oh- vious lack of personal attention to
students, are also at fault. A graduate
should never accept more stu- dents than can be closely supervised.
And the society that places so high
a premium on the academic degree
-- as opposed to an education-mu- st
share a large part of the blame. It is
the same society that may at times
show an unaccountable aversion to
intellectuals-t- he
original, critical, and
experimenting minds.
This curious inversion of learning
and its symbols is even more pro- nounced at the undergraduate level,
of the students are enthusiastic
They have been well
taught that "you can't get anywhere

these days without a college degree."
Ve should like to propose a new
and different type of institution which
would award degrees without reeiuir- mg study or anv other tvpe ot aca- (jeniic enlcrpris'e. Cheating would
tiierdore )C r(.nd(.rt.tl unnecessary,
Thcre W()ul(1 jx, ft ftw tiasscS) l,c.
on how to
al()nj, in lift, Thm, wou(1
UI.limited cuts, however. The after-schom)on Wf)ua ,)C (icvoted to free or
org;inizej ri.crt.ation, or occasionally
to a big game in the stadium. This
nmUvr in

mid-mornin-

ol

institution would hire the best young
athletic talent available to entertain
its students and alumni,
At night there would be a gay
round of fraternity parties, pop rallies,
. . . Students would be free to study
jn their leisure time.
It would be a wonderful way to
get a degree for the student who
y
doesn't wish to be bothered with
ting an education. And the
tion to cheat would be completely
removed. Atlanta Journal.
get-Man-

tempta-collalx)rator-

s.

The Readers' Forum
Amore
To The Editor:
I have been keeping up with the
stories written by the members of
your women's page staff all year long.
Needless to say, I am getting a little
fed up with their ideas of love, courtship, and marriage.
According to the women's page
writers, there seems to lx' a rigit
way to date, court, marry (or what
have you) a girl. The young college
gentleman must be kind, appreciative,
understanding, gullible, easy to get
and naive as
along with,
well-like-

d,

hell.

Just for the record, "young college
gentlemen" are not like that. They
do not fall for every little innocuous
college coeds
line that these
feed out. They usually follow their
own methods.
so-call-

So that your women's page writers

can get in tune with the times, let
me give them a man's formula or two
for love, courtship, or what have you
at the University of Kentucky.

Ignore them. Women are the
weaker sex. If you want something
from them, deprive them of it for a
while and then they will come running when you beckon.
2. Irritate them. Women love this.
This will make them know you like
them.
3. Heat them. By far the best
method, this is good for men who
have already committed themselves
and need to keep the wenches in line.
As you can see, I do not have a
very high opinion of women as intelligent beings. And I am having a

M holiday? You'll get a holiday:9

University Soapbox

Knowing The Candidates
By CAROLE MARTIN

Over and over again mass media
shouts, "Exercise your right to vote!"
Radio and television announcers warn
the public, "You are responsible for
the officials that are responsible to
you." Newspapers and current events
magazines condemn the American
public for its political lethargy.
Amidst this din, a West Virginia
newspaperman last week polled the
man on the street. A Democratic primary election is almost upon the
West Virginians, and it is one to be
closely watched by the party loaders
throughout the nation. Senator John
F. Kennedy (Mass.) will oppose Senator Hubert Humphrey (Minn.) for
the state's convention support. This
race is supposedly Kennedy's big test
after a mediocre bowing in W isconsin earlier tin's month. If the eyes
of the nation are turned toward West
Virginia, of a certain West Virginians
should exercise their rights and go

voting behavior. Previous polls have shown that a large
numlxr of citizens couldn't name the
vice president then in office.
A few weeks ago a television panel
reviewed for one hour mass media's
role in influencing public opinion. The
main fault of the mass media, one
panelist contended, is the masses.
This statement seems to make a great
deal of sense, in mow of the West
Virginia findings. For who can say
media has failed in trying to inform
the nation of current campaign ac-

to tin1 polls.
H;it to what avail?
According to the results of that
poll, only four of
the 50 citizens polled could identify
the two Democrats who have entered
their state primary. One of the four
was a high school freshman, not even
eligible to cast a ballot. It is a disgraceful showing, ou say? Rut wait,
one of the other ofi interviewees said
he knew the two candidates were
"Kennedy and Murphy," and some

ties as iti theme, altli "!'.;li it will be
s(ied up under a so;i an, I dance
routine sa'ice.
'I here are those who feel th unshould not
u
educated and n
because their ballot docs
vote,
more harm than one that is not cast
this in contrast to people who contend
that had officials are elected by those
who fail to vote. However, asserting
that a person who doesn't know the
candidates or what they stand for
sh uld go to the polls and play i cnie,
uiceuie, niiney, moo, is just plain
asinine.

.

man-on-the-stre-

et

could name neither.
Public opinion polling has become an important phase in the election process. And over the last 15
years results have shown that the
American public is not as aware of
candidates and issues as it necessarily
should be. There are still people that
don't know that Kennedy is a Roman
Catholic, even though the fact may
or may not have a bearing on an

individual's

tivity
major network TV program
brought to iconsin pi unary results
into an untold number of liing rooms
(and I am told bedrooms), pins interviews with the Deuioc latic aspirants
and intei pr tatiou of tli.it state's
ti( ih!s liv a note l election an.thst.
Ili.it same inluoik is planniiej an
A

et

i

,i

au

ana

m

nw

i

f

!e.

)

1

Ii

will

um-

poli-

I

What newspapers and the other
media (all will as the almighty
League of Women Voters) should
advocate is that everyone should
make it a personal necessity to know
what the parties and the candidates
stand for (a little more than just who
they are, brother). Then, by damn,
go out and Note!

1.

hell of a good time.

The Kentucky Kernel
UmM

KlMl'CKY
r

under the Ait of M irch 3, 1879.
holidu
and ennui.

iut;i

Bill

Neikimk, Editor

Siiwaht Hum m, ,S;r Editor
Cahole Maiui.v, Assistant Manuring Editors
Dick Wake and John Miichu l, Vhoto&rapliui
Sicaht Colueahh AM) 1'aul Dikis, Adn.iti.Anfi Manager
IUmhly Cahdyvei.i., Circulation
I'tiutY Ashley, liutiiusn Munancr
Hob IltiMxN, Hank Chapman, and Skip Tavioh, Cartoonists
Dob ANumsoN, Muiianing Editor
Tail Zim.no uman and
Akin, Society Editor
Alice

Staff Writers: George Smith, KeKKie Cordis, Lok.iii It.iiiey, P.ubb.e Mason, Itobert Omdorff. Jena
Schwartz, Chibta iin.ey, Heib Steeley, Newton Kixi.it r. Kutw.id Hediund, Michele KearniK. Sue
McCauley, John Fltzwater, Scoltie Heit.
Ileum U. Mtuitt DeiU, Bob Kroner, Norris Junmon,
Xonald MiKee, Mary Lucille Miller, James Laurence i'tikino, Jim Phillips, Nella Sharron Scott,
Allen Travis, Edward D. Van Hook, Eleanor ltuikh..id, Lcvtily Caldwell, and Tom Ltnnos.
1

Enamokfd

HSITY OF

Entered at the Post Ollice at I.ckiiiKtnn, Kentucky as xnoml class m.iltc
1 ulihsht d luui I iiiicst a Meek ilnrinu the regular m honl
i ,ir
SIX 1H.M.1.AHS A SCI It MIL UAH

Jim

Nolan, Seat Editor

iU DAY'S MOWS

SI AH
Ann Fike, Amociute

*