Severely handicapped class arrives - The Lowell

EDITORIALS,
Language department upsets Arena Day
Students who program their classes on self*
scheduling day, should be permitted to enroll in any
class whkh lias not been filled.
This, however, has not been the opinion of Ute
foreign language department for the last two
semesters. The department ha* been 'balancing' it**
classes at the scheduling tables in a unique way. which
altogether defeats Ihc purpose of having a selfscheduling
day.
The method employed by the department has been
a simple denial of a stuJcm's right U> sign up for a
• class whkh is still open, until other clabes which are
pot filling up as quickly, have been gircn a chance tu '
'catch up' In the ran for clmuie.
This is unfair.
One Dtembcr of Scroll, who wa$ having a difficult
time comma nkating w*th faculty in the FonHgn
Language Department, (elated the following dialogue
between himself an,*, a member of the department, to
the suifot THE LOWELL:
"Are these cli^v* closed?"
"No. well, not officially."
"What do you mean 'not officially'?"
"We're closing tip th*sc classes now. so that we can
give other students cc! ince to enroll in them later."
This Scroll member was told by the foreign
language department that certain classes were not to
be cro'-ed off ihc list In the auditorium, but were to
be kept officially iip-n. although, at the same time,
students were not being permiltrd to enroll in these
'open'classes.
One Shield member became extremely upset, and
later explained to THE LOWELL exactly what went
on that day.
"I tn checking Around for closed classes. bt:ausc
part erf the Job of a Shield or Scroll student Is to mark
off the classes in the auditorium when they close, so
tbat students entering the auditorium will know what
. U dosed and what isn't.
• . "Wltcn I wmt to the foreign language tables. I
wrote down a lot of classe. because they (the depart*
• meat) had them closed. Mr. Collis came up to me and
.' said that those classes weren't really closed. He said
they were sanng them for later to balance the enroll*
ment. "»T.d they would be opened »hcn certain other
classes were filled/"
Classes during mods 6. 7. 8. 9. 10 and 11 were be*
ing closed 'temporarily' to Fill up others given mods 2,
X 16.17. If. 19 and 20 which apparently were not as
popular. An info*mcc source told THE LOWELL
that classes taught by »clMikcd tcachen were being
'temporarily closed' i,i older to fill up others taught by
tcachen who 5re not as popular.
One student approached Ut? language tables and
,- . war denied her request to enroll bi an 'open* class.
Aiter explaining if she were not to be admitted into
the 'open* class, she would have to sign out of all the
classes she had already signed into and rearrange her
. entire schedule, a member of ihc Foreign Language
Department suggested that she dc just that.
"So I went to Dr. Htbish." the Shield member con-
- - * dnurd.** and said. ;The foreign language department
ts closing their cKrtcs before they're full, in order to
balance them out.' " Dr. Fibish said he would take
* care of it. ••,
"Later on, Ihc' (the department) wen st'U d -ing it.
Graffiti reflects
student apathy
Has anyone noticed Ihc increasing amount ol
graffiti around campus reccctiv? It seems thrt
graffiti and campus walls an inseparable, and unfortunately,
most students sces> to accept them as
being a part of the school mvironmeat.
Throughout the past screral yon, the administration
Ins addressed the Utter problem at
.Lowell quite persistently, due to its obvious unattnetiveuess
and potential hazard. But because a
-'student cannot trip on graffiti and hurt themselves
(as: they may with u empty soda ran), the problem
o! dirty vnlb bu not been brought to everyone's at-
•fcnHoo. ' ' -
•'}••'•'•'
; The act h that a majority of the graf fill Insulu
or degrades a specinc person, and even it there are
no nama mentioned,, the written comments are
often obscene and offeosrr\ It cood it could do for the California public school
system.
This resolution is labeled Proposition 37 and It
proposes instituting a state lottery.
More than one-third of the money from the lot*
tery would go to the public school system, with 50
percent returned as prize money, and 16 percent
being used to sustain the lottery program.
American* are finally acknowledging that
Amc?»-a\; public schooh ?rc in trouble; never*
Itwlcu, many Calitomians arc against this pro*
paul.
The lottery is opposed by Governor George
Dcukmcjian (a Republican). Lieutenant Governor
Leo McCarthy (a Democrat). The American
Ft jention of Tcwhcrs (as a statewide union), and
various church groups. Many others remain
neutral.
Reasons for opposing this program range from
doubts about the propose" operating structure to
an ethical objection to gambling, but these
arguments are not very convincing.
The state tottery has already proven successful at
An dimple of the bcreasbg aoovat of graffiti around
scribbling on public pro;.«rty.
Graffiti are not only offensive and unattractive,
but v-ostly as well. The school district does not have
extra money to spend In order to clean up after
senseless vandals who deface our walls and win*
dows.
Every year. Lowell conducts a "clean-up day"
rahing funds in 16 other state*. Concerning the
question of morality, a compromise must be made
between the lesser of two oils. Is it moral to derMMincv
|l«nttt|f«((| In lit* torin • •/ • Utttmy It at m*mn+
neglecting even a small part 6t r. students* cduc»-
Uon?
Another argument against the lottery is that It
would be most tempting to those v.no are feast able
to »'i»rd gambling tosses: the poor. This seems to
oe a poor argument; the decision to enter the lot*
tcry is one made by adults. Moreover, there is also
the possibility, however slight, that the entrant will
win.
A decision m.-dc in ignorance .& little more than
a ypicss. so here arc the facts:
• Our public school system is H dire need of
funds; California now ranks last among oil
Mates in the expenditure per pupil in pubiir
schools.
** There i\ currently no o*.!tcr feasible proposal
that would provide needed funds on a similar
scale as the lo'tcry.
* It may be anoJier frur years ocforc another
opportunity to revitalize the public schools
in such an efficient manner can b* offered.
Can the schools continue to cduca.c students
tuccrufully without a major new infusion or hinds?
We think not.
where students volunteer to clean up all the scribbling
on the walls, among other things. It is unfortunate
that not all the student population share
Ute feeling of pilde in a dean campus, and those
who do not certainly have no rif ht to wrjte the time
and effort of others by spraying mr^e graffM otcr
freshly scrubbed or painted wa'i*.
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