Page Two

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Scarlel’ and Black

GRINNELL COLLEGE
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‘ Last: Review Period

With the addition of groups 10 and 11 to the schedule
of classes this semester, an extension was made of the final
examination period. In previous years first semester classes
have ended Saturday noon, and exams have started Monday
morning. This year, with Friday the last day of classes and
Saturday the first day of final exams, the former review
period is eliminated

Final exams are ideally an opportunity for the student
to view each course as an organized whole. Tile only pos-
sible approach to this ideal is through systematic review,
rather than last-minute cramming. Although perhaps stuv
dents should start studying for finals weeks ahead of time,
they find it difficult while doing daily class work and pre-
paring papers due near the end of the semester:

On this basis. the most beneficial scheduling of the
tests should include a preceding review period of several
days. Although this approach is not always possible, it is
taken in a large number of colleges and universities. Under
Grinnell’s present school year, several days‘ review twice a
year cannot be fitted in. However. 'it is unfortunate that
no provision has been made for at least one day. Such a
compromise would not allow intensive review, but it would
permit something more than cramming.

It might be argued that the absence of exams on Sun-
day, near the beginning of the testing period, accomplishes
the same purpose as onecday review. However, a day break
after the tests have started effects differently those with
varied schedules. It is quite possible to have two exams be—
fore this break comes. During the second semester examina-
tion period, we have heard surprisingly little praise of the
Sunday break near the end of that period. Evidently. it
serves more to disrupt organized plans of study than to pro
vide opportunity for more review.

Obviously, the most difficult aspect of attempting to
provide for a review period is finding time for it in the
tightly-organized school year schedule. Certainly a dav
which makes it more possible for students to see in focus
their courses, and thus in tests give their professors a
more accurate account of what they know, has few days
which overrule it in importance. An examination period
based on cramming, only tests endurance. If a day for
review is considered one of the most important days of the
semester, finding time for it is not so difficult.

Although a threceday semesterbl all is pleasant, il‘,
is certainly not as important as performance on exams,
The purpose of the break is a chance for recovery from the
testing period, not an opportunity to leave the campus three
and one»half weeks after Christmas vacation. If necessary,
a semester break of two days would probably be sufficient
for recovery.

With the use of late Sunday afternoon for one exam.
the semester break need not be shortened much. This would
still give a short “breathing spell” Sundav morning, and at
the same time make possible a more even distribution of
exams for more students.

Is it necessary that the semester begin on a Mondav?
Isn’t it possible to even the number of class meetings by
the placement of Spring Day or by planning the last day
of classes accordingly -

Or. if the fall semester out dav is the onlv day which
can be manipulated, it would probably be of more value for
exam review than for study time during the semester:

Of course, the remaining alternative 7 adding a few
days to the total school year i would not be unpopular
with most students. They would probably even be willing
to pay the added cost which would accompany such a solu-
tion. Beginning the school year early has been suggested
by students as a means for a Thanksgiving vacation. Sure-
ly the review period should have precedent over that,

We trust the elimination of the first semester examina-
tion review period does not indicate a permanent solution
to the problem of additional groups in the class schedule.

—L. J. D.

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Lori DeLaY

 

STUDENTS PARENTS

Always A Welcome
at the

MONROE HQTEL

SCARLET AND 'BLACK

Sackclolh
And

Ashes

By Gene Thompson

Because i am always eager
for anything new and different
in the horrible routine of Erin-
nell meals, 1 usually take ad
vantage of the Fridayrnight rule
that allows the indie student to
eat at any table he likes. Makes
me feel like rm getting away
with something.

Last Friday I sat across from
a north campus housemother,
and after grace she suggested
that each of us relate our most
memorable experience over va-
cation.

Somehow l couldn‘t think of
a single thing that would be
“most memorable” and still
make good table talk. Or mate
rial for this column, eithcl: \

Actually, my whole Vacation
was pretty memorable, because
I was happy to renew my ac-
qualntance with the “outside
world." This is what l found:

Your car IS out of date un-
less it has a Spanoramic wlndr
shield, over 250 horsepower, and
two fins on the rear fenders.
The new cars are lower, longer
and generally larger than last
year's Detroit monszcrs, and
when you “enter the new world
of nutodynamics" (with a noise
that sounds like a slide whistle)
you're supposed to reel like
“1960 is already here."

(Over a thousand people, as
a result of their own or somcc
onc else’s holiday carelessness,
entered the world of autody-
namics with a crash instead
of a whistle, and they never
even saw 1957,)

The younger girls are sllll
squealing over n singer named
Presley, but the squeals are not
as loud and as long as they
were previous to Ed Sullivan’s
proclaiming him “a fine boy."
Ruins the picture, I guess.

In the domestic world of the
comlc strips, a man namedl
Shulz has been voted the out)
standing cartoonist of lhe year
tor his creation, “Peanuts.”

And David Crane, the rev- ,
erend burloon of Boulder l
Blull, is still humming little
old ladies and pregnant young
ladies and giving his young
wllc (patterned after Ginal
Lollobrigidal, no attention at
all. Good grace

Television has discovered ”the
key to success; not only bring.
back the old movies, but bring
back the GOOD old movies.

And the outside world has a,
wealth of good food and good
coffee u must have been there

all the time.

GLASSES

Made and Repaired in
our Laboratory.

One Day Service

EYES
EXAMINED

E. J. Jensen. 0D.

Optometrist

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January ll, I957

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\Proiessors Attend Meeting-s;

Present Papers And Speeches

Many faculty members
represented the school in
various ways over the Christ-
mas holidays. They traveled
to points North and East,
presenting papers and
speeches and attending con»
ventions.

On Dec. 29, William 5. Van-
derpool, Jr. (speech) was a
panel member at the Speech
Association of America’s annual
national convention in Chicago.
The founday meeting, Dec. 26-
29, included the conventions of
the Theatre Association and
several high school speech and
theatre groups.

Vanderpool’s topic was “The
Role of Speech in a Liberal
Arts College", with the panel‘s

general theme being the prob-
lens of teaching speech in

small colleges.

Also
convention

in attendance at the
were ‘Edward G.

Luck and Ned Donahoe (speech).

William T. MeKibbon (classi—
cal languages) presented a pa—
pel‘ at the annual meeting of the
American Fhilolcgical Associa-
tion, held in Philadelphia Dec.
28-30, His topic dealt with Ovid‘s
treatment of the slavery theme

in the “Ars Amatoria”.

Grace\Hunter' and Curtis Bl
Bradlord-ViEnglish) and Hel-
ena Percas and Beth Noble
(modern foreign languages)
have returned from Washing—
ton, Do, Where they repre-
sented the school at the three-
day annual meeting of the
Modern Language Association

Winston L. King, dean of the
chapel, has returned to Grinnell
from New York City, where he
attended the National Associa-
tion of Biblical lnstructors’ an-
nual meeting. King presented a
paper at the meeting on “Some
Ambiguities in Biblical Thee

 

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