Wis
om and
By Miche
e Hart
ccording to Bill Cosby,
author of 'atherhood, having children is
"surley t e most beautifully irrational
act two I .'pie in love can commit." He
should now, he and his wife
committed the act five times. His book
is an extension of his knowledge about
children, filled with fourteen enjoyable
chapters of anecdotes and stories about
his role as father to four girls and one
boy. Within the framework of each
chapter Cosby not only entertains, he
gives advice to parents and prospective.
The book begins at the
beginning--the decision making process--
to have or not to have children. He says
he and his wife had kids because they
were unable to project. They didn't
realize just what they were in for. Not
knowing, however, is universal. He
compares raising children to being on a
Last Month's Survey Results
by Michele Hart
Last month's survey on Air
Waves and Vibes produced six
interesting responses, and some good
ideas for other issues that you want to
see covered in the Capital Times.
Judging from the responses, radio
seems to be an important part of our
daily lives. No respondent owns less
than two radios, including car radios, and
one owns eight radios. You spend a fair
amount of time listening to the radio
according to your answers, anywhere
from thirty minutes a day to five hours a
day. In fact, one of you said that school
and studying takes away from 'your time
with the radio. You most often listen to
the radio at home or in the car.
Although you did have a
consensus on the importance of radio in
your lives, musical tastes and favorite
stations were greatly varied. Two of you
favor current Top 40 formats such as
WINK 104 FM, or WQXA QlO6 FM.
On of you cited WCMB 1460 AM as
your favortie station because you grew
up on the music of the 60s and 70s.
Philadelphia stations are the favorites for
another respondant because of the
"music they play." The relaxing
musical formats of WITF FM and
WMSP FM appeal most to two of you.
Even if you all listen to
different stations, you listen to the radio
for basically the same reasons: To relax
and to be informed and entertained. The
two of you who listen to the stations
with the softer formats listed relaxation
first as a reason for listening to the
radio. The rest of you listed the music
as th most important reason for
listeni and then news, weather, and
traffic pdates. Only one of you didn't
Don't forget to deposit surveys in the
Capital Times box in the stairwell off
, II 1.1
Humor from a
Book Review
dark continent where no one knows
anything.
Cosby continues on the theme
of not knowing how to raise kids by
comparing what his father didn't know to
what he doesn't know. He compares the
"old" style of his father's day, to what he
calls the "new" father of his time. He
gives the reader snapshots of his own
childhood intermingled with moments
from his children's growing periods.
Today's father, he says, are more than
just the breadwinners and disciplinarians,
now they take an active part in the
raising of a child from birth, through
adolesence, until the child moves away
from home and then back again, with its
mention the desire for news and
information as a reason for listening to
the radio.
You also feel that for the most
part, radio satisfies your listening needs.
For two of you radio helps you to hold
onto your memories through the music.
One of you, however, feels that radio
programing is too mediocre and
unadventurous, but you didn't really say
why.
When asked what role radio
plays in your lives, you all said it was a
very important role. In fact, one of you
really depends on radio each day. You
said: "I've always loved music. I really
get into it. I can live and die a thousand
times in one day. It's a great way in and
out of reality." For the rest of you
radio's role seems to be to inform you
and relax you.
The last question we asked you
in last month's survey. was what topics
would you like to see this paper address?
One of you would like to know more
about sororities and one of you wants to
know if there is any student interest in a
ski club, what it takes to get students
involved in things on campus, and how
other students feel about using aborted
fetuses for brain injections for people
with radiation sickness. Four of you had
nothing at all, according to the empty
space you left next to that question, that
you want the paper to address.
Thanks for taking the time to
answer the survey and if you have time,
fill out this month's survey.
Pudding Peddler
own children. Cosby takes the reader
from the delilvery room to adulthood
with laughter and tears.
The laughter and tears flow
naturally when reading this book because
Cosby is a great storyteller. He
skillfully combines the silly with the
serious. The advice he gives in each
chapter is subtle enough not to clash
with the humor or sound too preachy.
In the section entitled "They
Need Ventriloquists", Cosby describes
the effects of puppy love on a 15 year
old boy. The boy will suddenly lose
his concentration capabilities for
anything else in the world, his mouth
will always be half open, but no sound
will come out. Cosby says it is too bad
a string cannot be connected from the
boy's mouth to the back of his head. In
the very next sentence, when the reader's
chuckles have subsided, Cosby says that
Grades, Teachers, and
Attitudes
by Michele Hart
With enrollment topping the 3,000 mark this semester, and the
initiation of a new plus/minus grading policy, its time to look around and
discover how students and faculty are handling this term. For this
month's survey we want to know how you feel about your classes, your
teachers ( students), and your evaluation of the new plus/minus policy.
1. What is the average size of most of your classes? Are they too big, too
small, or fairl !ood?
2. Are you happy with your instructors/ students? Why or why
not
3. As a student do you feel that assigned work loads are fair? Why or why
not.
4. As a student do you feel your instructors are accessible and interested
in our needs?
5. As an instructor do feel that you are accessible for your students and
do you feel interested in your student's
needs?
6. Do you suppon the new plus/ minus grading system? Why or why
not.
7. Would you submit an unoriginal term paper (one you bought) if you
thought you could get away with it?
8. Overall, what issues do you feel need to be addressed by the faculty,
staff and students at this campus to make this a better institu
tion?
although children don't always pay
attention, a parent must always pay
attention, and give love from the very
start of the child's life.
Each chapter of the book, with
the blend of advice, observation, and
humor makes the book thouroughly
enjoyable. But the poignancy and the
laughter are not the only elements that
make the work good reading.
Fatherhood gives the reader a glimpse
into the private life of Dr. William H.
Cosby EDd, writer, stand-up comedian,
and television star. His love for his
children and his family life are evident
on every page.
Parents will find themselves
smiling page after page as Cosby takes
them through the life cycle of a child.
Even people with no kids wil enjoy this
book.