PAGE FOUR
Editorial Opinion
Final Examinations--
A Measure of Knowledge
Are final examinations a fair indication of a student's
knowledge, and are they worth the time and last minute
effort put into them?
These questions arc continually being pondered by
educators throughout the country. However, of late, the
issue has hit the nation's college newspapers mainly
through the efforts of an Indiana Daily Student editorial
campaign,
At Penn State, as at most of the other colleges and
Universities, ii would take a radical change in the educa
tional policy to eliminate final exams. This change is not
evident at present, but it still warrants consideration.
In order for a student to get the most benefit from
finals, he should carefully review the entire course ma
terial considering practical application wherever possible.
In addition, he should consult related material to get a
better working knowledge of the course content.
But how many do this? Most students end up cram
ming into their heads last minute facts which they will
lose in a short time. In other words they are working for
a grade and not for knowledge.
In some courses, students are justified in saying that
it is no use to study for examinations. These are the true
false and multiple choice—or more aptly, multiple guess
exams—which frequently include ambiguous questions.
Many students count on a skimpy knowledge of the course
and a lucky day to pass such exams.
It seems that essay examinations would be the solu
tion to the problem, except in very technical courses. This
type certainly would make students study more thorough
ly and consider the course in a broader aspect.
But complete elimination of final examinations in
favor of term projects and papers would be much better.
One plan could be to assign these projects to be completed
by the end of classes ,thus eliminating the two weeks of
final exams. Another system could turn over the finals
period to free time to complete the tern projects.
A trend is now appearing to assign more term projects
and we hope it continues with the end result of elimina
tion of final examinations altogether.
A , Student-Operated Newspaper
55 Years of Editorial Freedom
01It ?WI! Tollegiatt
Successo? to The
Published Tuesday through Saturday morning during the University year. The
Daily Collegian Is • student-operated newspaper. Entered as second-class matter
July 8. 1034 at the State College, Pa. Post Office under the act of March 3, 1879.
Mail Subscription Price: $3.00 per semester $5.00 per year.
DENNIS MALICK
*MI°.
Editor
Member of The Associated Press
and The Intercollegiate Press
Managing - Editor. William Jaffe; Assistant Editor . Catherine , Fleek; Patine
Relations Direetor, Lalli Neubarth: Copy Editor, Roberta Levine; Sports Editor,
Sandy PattwerAssistant Sports Editor, John Blatt: Photography Editor Martin
&herr: Member. Zandy Slosson.
Local Ad Mgr., William Hess; Ass't Local Ad Mgr.. Chester Lucilot Credit Mgr.,
Murray Simon: National Ad Mgr.. Nancy Froebel: Classified Ad Mgr., Sara
Brown: Co-Circulation Mgrs.. Loretta Mink, Richard Ritzinger; Promotion Mgr.,
Darlene Anderson; Special Page Mgr.. Alice Mahachek: Personnel Mar.. Dorothy
Smeal: Office Secretary, Bonnie Bailey Meyer: Research and Records, Margaret
Dimperin.
STAFF THIS ISSUE: Night Editor, Polly Dranov; Copy Editor,
Cordie Lewis; Wire Editor, Elaine Miele; Assistants, Phyllis
Pack, Lynne Bordonaro, Larreen Doorley, Karen Miller, Dean
Billick, Jack Karl.
GOOD FOR \W e i:NOG...AIi
'Ai NAVE TO NO IS LEAN
A UTILE TO ONE SPE....
I
4
Free Lance, est. 1887
GEORGE McTURK
Business Manager
I WANT TO BE
ALL LOVE!
SEE. NOW 711 E LOVE WILL
A CHANCE. TO SPiit.
GET
.VER TNE HATE!
60) 6W!
5-cgrtz.,
THE DAILY COLLEGIAN. STATE COLLEGE, PENNSYLVANIA
t• .
Freshman Hits
Lack of Aid
To Education
TO THE EDITOR: President Ei
senhower's State of the Union
Message before Congress clearly
indicates a shortcoming in the
government's attitude towards ed
ucation.
In his address the President
stated that the government does
not plan any school support pro
grams. He emphasized that the
responsibility of solving the school
problem rests with the local gov
ernments.
The educating of an individual
from the first to the 12th grades
is one of the most important in
fluences in his formal education.
Without a good sound basis not
only in science and - mathematics,
but also English and history, one
planning a college education is
definitely handicapped. We cannot
deny also, that 'a solid elementary
and secondary education is an as
set even to those who do not go
on to college.
With this importance of educa
cation in mind, we must realize
that the lack of proper facilities
or a sufficient number of teachers
tending to lessen the quality of
teaching methods is indeed a se
rious problem. The problem can
not be solved by avoiding it. We
must be able to look into the
fUture.
Though school systems are op
erated locally and overcrowding
may not be as serious in some
areas as in others, within a few
years, • however, the localism of
the situation will develop into a
national problem. School build`
ings cannot be erected overnight.
Obviously the federal govern
ment is blind to this. If the local
communities do not start to elimi
nate the problem the national
government should take the ini
tiative. If the national govern
ment is not able to finance a fed
eralized school system at least it
should supply an incentive for the
local governments to do some
thing.
Such a solution might be that
the federal government donate a
dollar for each dollar the local
communities give for the school
system. Whatever the solution is,
it requires the participation of
the national government and it
must be started in the very near
future.
•Letter cut
Gazette
TODAY
Farm Youth Alumni, 9 p.m., 211 HUD
Grad Student Association Square Dance,
8:30 p.m.. Hillel Foundation
Lecture, Dr. J. Coert Rylaaradam, 8 :30
p.m., Chapel
TOMORROW
AIM, 7 p.m., 203 HUB
Chapel Service, J0:55 a.m., Schwab
Chess Club. 2 p.m.. HUB cardrootn
Circa Literary Staff, 7 208 Bourke
Concert,. University Symphony Orchestra,
3 p.m. Schwab
Grad Student Bridge, 7 p.m., 212 HUB
Jr. Class Advisory Board, 7 p.m.,
214 HUB
Lutheran Student • Association, 6:30 p.m.,
Lutheran Student Center. 412 W. Col
lege Ave.
Mt. Nittany Philateko Club, 2 p.m., 218
HUB
Newman Club, 7 p.m.. 217 HUB
Protestant Service. 9 a.m. Chapel
Penn State Bible Fellowship, 2 p.m., 214
HUB
Roman Catholic Mass, 9 a.m., Schwab
Rufus Jones Lecture, 8 p.m., 121 Sparks
SGA Committee on . Conter Integration,
5 p.m.. 217 HUB
Spring Week Committee, 6:30 p.m., 218
H
Swedenborgian Service, 10:30 a.m., 212
HUB
USF.. 9:30' a.m., 218 HUB
MONDAY
APhiO, 7 p.m.. and S p.m.. 212 DUB
BX, All Boards, 5 p.m., 212 HUB
Christian Fellowship, 12:45 p.m., and 7
- p.m.. 218 HUB -
Engineering Mechanics Seminar, 4:15 p.m.,
203 Engineering
Faculty Luncheon Club, noon, HUB dining
room "A" -
John R. Feick Lecture, 7:30 p.m., Mineral
Sciences auditorium
Rural Soc Seminar. 3:15 p.m., 214 HUB
—Earl La Kier '63
Little Man on Campus by Dick Sibiu
Pit‘ '.'
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I NM' CON'TRAZY I THINK HE'S AWONOERFLIL LECTURER---
,
TH6 cA
16 TH'ortY ,A 56 WHERE I CAN 66T ANY Mccistr 51.EEP:1'
Letters
Some Like Signs... Some Don't
TO THE EDITOR: I agree with
Robert Braziloski's article in
Thursday's Collegian that
"University officials are un
duly criticized for the erec
tion of the signs around the
campus."
It seems to me that every
time the administration takes
some action around here the
students have to make wise
cracks about it. For instance,
I thought the article "OK, Let's
Play with Signs" was abso
lutely ridiculous. After all, the
purpose of the signs is merely
to direct people to the right
buildings and not to make Penn
State a resort spot.
In my opinion, the signs are
a very much-needed addition
to the campus. As a graduate
TO THE EDITOR: Mr. Malick's
attempt at satirizing the ridicu
lousness of the campus bill
boards falls far short of its goal.
Instead of showing the com
mercial and gaudy effects of
these signs, the article insults
the students' intelligence. We
wonder how the mind of a
newspaper editor can run in
such simple channels.
Perhaps a better approach to
the problem is to eliminate the
silliness and discuss the im
practicality of the "eyesores."
The signs ruin the beauty of
the campus and maps are easily.
accessible.
Furthermore, the primary
TO THE EDITOR: Another
Penn State first! The new view
—We would like to thank the
person responsible for beauti
fying campus with blue and
white billboards which har
monize so well with the park
like surroundings.
Penn State is one of the most
secnic campuses , in the country.
Nov we have signs to tell us
so.
No other single feature
Collegian 'Supporters' Go Sarcastic
TO THE EDITOR: We are get
ting sick and tired of constant
ly hearing about the traffic
parking situation and the ad
ministration's WAR with the
Nittany boys. New blood should
be injected into the Collegian,
such as dealing with the physi-
WDFM Program Schedule
.SATURDAY
6:55 Weathergeope
'I:00 Hi•Fi Open Rouse
9:00 Offbeat
1:00 Sign Ott
SUNDAY
6:55 Weatheraeope
1:00 The Third Programme
11:30 The Week In Review
11:441 Siga
SATURDAY. JANUARY 16, 1960
111 .
~~~
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~~r
1
w.3c
ro • 4 t
student I arrived on campus
for the first time in September
and was never so lost -in my
life.
Upon asking one of the stu
dents• where I could find Grad
uate Hall, I got this reply: "I
never heard of it." Apparently
even the students don't know
where the buildings are. How
are visitors supposed to find
them?
I noticed that they are dig
ging deep holes for the signs.
Maybe they should also cement
them in so that some of the
more "mature" students can't
dig them up and transplant
them in front of some other
buildings.
—Barbara Bergstresser
Graduate Student
purpose of Penn State is to
educate the students and not
to sponsor sightseeing tours
through the University.
We can appreciate sarcasm—
if it is written on the college
level.
—David MacLellan, Donald
Macelady, Dennis Grubb,
all of '63
(Editor's note: We agree
wholeheartedly on your points
concerning • the impracticality
of these signs, that they ruin
campus beauty and that our
purpose is to educate:
dentally, Collegian carried an
editorial in Tuesday's paper
stating these very ideas.)
could have improved Univer
sity Park so much with so lit
tle, with the exception of neon
signs to guide visitors to our
campus landmarks.
What next? Commercial ad
vertisements along Pollock
Rd..?
—William Stephens, Chris
topher Dobbie, Daniel
MacMeekin, all of '62
cal fitness of the campus popu
lation.
We think we have a solution
to this mess. Abolish entirely
any, driving on campus except
to students , over 80 accom
panied by their parents and
burn Nittany to the ground!
--Stanley Lipkin,-133
Edward Oswalt. '62'
D _
MONAY
6;66 Weatberseope
7':00 Mitaterworks From France
. 7:30 Chilaren'e Corner
7:ss;News _
8 :00 Contemporary Coneenti!'
9 :00 ---.Music of the People
9:50 Campus and Religion
9:45 News and -Spoils
10 :00 Symphonic - Notebook
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