Despite less-than-perfect weather and problems in setting up on time, several hundred students showed up at the Kessler Campanile for Monday's Homecoming rally. Their message to the administration was clear--decisions that exclude parts of the student body from campus activities are simply not acceptable.
Undergraduate Student Council President David Skinner stated that the administration is now thinking about moving Homecoming to October 30. While that date (a Thursday) would force radical changes in this year's plans, it would allow Tech's Jewish population to participate in the festivities.
The rally also demonstrated that the fountain area is well suited to events of this type. With better preparation and logistics--including having everything ready to go as soon as an event is supposed to start--meetings like this one can be even more effective in reducing student apathy and getting people involved.
Those pesky GPAs
New information has come to light concerning the controversy over Georgia Tech's switch to using two decimal places in grade point averages. President Wayne Clough and Dr. Dan Papp, his Executive Assistant, are looking into the possibility of switching back to the old method of reporting one decimal place.
It was encouraging to see the Student Government Association and Interfraternity Council both concerned enough to take up the issue. However, since Clough and his top man were already working on it, these extra efforts were not really necessary. Better communication between student and administrative leaders would help prevent excess time and effort from being expended in the future.
There has never been a real need for two-place GPAs here. Although the HOPE office and the Board of Regents call for that format, Tech has had no problem going against the trend in the past. Cyber offered no choice but one-decimal GPAs. Two places came into use only because the BANNER registration system reports them by default.
The change has fouled up grade reports (which still give GPAs to one place, but now without rounding), taken away some students' scholarships, and deprived several seniors of the honors they have worked to earn. Switching back should not be hard, and Clough has put his support firmly in the right place on this one.
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Copyright © 1997 by Jason Waymire, Interim Editor and by the Student Publications Board |