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VOL. 72. NO. 14 WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 1980. Leap-year Day credit to Caesar Editor's note: The only thing more confusing than the English language is our calendar; the bissextile (Leap-year Day) is a good example of this. So, after extensive research with Mabel Zoe Wilson, this essentially correct story was written to confuse you even more. Once upon a time in Rome, Julius Caesar found spring wasn't arriving until May, when it should have begun in March. He thought, "Well, if I don't fix this, some year soon we'll just have to skip spring, and that will really confuse the populace." So he solicited the help of an Egyptian astronomer, Sosigenes, to solve the problem. Since, astronomers didn't have much to do in those days, Sosigenes gladly accepted. He based the new calendar on the length of the seasons instead of on lunar phases, and came up with an accurate year's length of 365!4 days, one day less than the Roman's calendar. "Well done," Julius said, "but what about spring,' which doesn't arrive until darn-near summer?" Sosigenes had the answer: Make the year 46 B.C. to be 455 days long (this is truth!). With the blessings of Julius Caesar, he inserted 23 days between Feb. 23 and Feb. 24, and two extra months before December. This not only put the seasons where they belonged but changed the first day of the year to Jan. I. „ So, previous errors being corrected, steps were taken to prevent their recurrence. Remembering that the year had. an extra quarter of a day, Caesar directed a day be inserted between Feb. 23 and 24 every fourth year. This day became knows as the "bis-sexto-kalendae" because it was the sixth day before the new month. Thankfully, that term has been shortened to "bissextile." Anyone born on the bissextile was ordered to celebrate subsequent birthdays on Feb. 23. Later, the extra day was moved to the end of the month. For a job well done, the Roman senate rewarded Caesar by naming a month in the new calendar "Julius," or July. Sosigenes, presumably, also was justly rewarded. The name leap year probably, derived from the Old Norse hlaupa ("to leap") because the Old Norse, smart people that they were, noticed whenever an extra day was added the festivals seemed to jump dates. Recently, a new calendar has been proposed by Willard Edwards of Honolulu to simplify the current mess. The perpetual calendar would have 364 days so the year may evenly be divided into quarters. A semi-existent day, which would not have'a date, would fall after Dec. 31, and the quadrennial leap-year day would be placed after June 31. Although this plan has been introduced to Congress a number of times, it always has failed. —Eric Hookham V < k F^BRURRY 1 1 r 1 -i 1 3 \0 17 & 4 II 78 25 V \ 5 \l 19 26 \ • — •ei 7 13 to IT \ 1 u 28 I 8 15 % V i 9 J i MARCH i £ 3 4 '9 10 ii l& / i i V t 6 13 £4 7 /4 21 1 8 15 ft. h*: S>doi Law threat to entrance exams Director answers critics College entrance examinations are being criticized again, and the director of Western's Testing Center and Western's Registrar have mixed feelings about it. Last month consumer activist Ralph Nader released a study critical of the Educational Testing Service (ETS), a non profit-organization which administers the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Specific criticism includes: -ETS tests exclude a disproportionate nember of minority applicants who are capable of succeeding. —Previous grades alone predict future grades twice as accurately as ETS tests. —That test scores affect admission. "College Entrance exams are biased against minorities, but only to the extent that the education system is biased against minorities," Western's Testing Center director Don BJood said. Western's Registrar Eugene Omey agrees. "I believe the socio-economic background affects how someone will do on a test. As for the test scores affecting admission, Omey disagrees. "It's a disservice to say test results by themselves are the big determiner. No college uses test results by itself." Omey said. At Western, SAT results for admission are used very little. Any resident who graduates from high school with a 2.5 grade-point average (G PA) and passes the Washington Pre- College Test is accepted. It's the non-resident who applies at Western who must submit a GPA along with a SAT or American College Test (ACT) score. The SAT or ACT is also used for residents whose GPA is beneath 2.5 but applies, for admission. Omey* agrees that the tests alone are' not always a proper indicator of the student. "A GPA is a much better predictor of grades than test results," he said. One result of the mounting' pressure against the entrance exams has been a new "truth-in-testing" law enacted in New York. It requires test-makers to release the answers if an individual request is made. The answers are only released to people who have taken the test. Fourteen states and the federal government are also considering smiliar legislation. Washington state is not among them. Bo*th Blood and .Omey are opposed to any sort of "truth-in- testing" laws. Blood said that if the answers are released to students, then the test is no longer usable for that student or any others. "One form of a SAT cost $20,000 to prepare," Blood said. "In New York, the ETS has cut back from giving six to two tests per year. This makes it harderfor kids to take the test and the sessions will be larger." Nationwide, the SATs are a required entrance exam for a fairly large number of colleges and universities. Many private institutions in Washington require the SAT. Blood, who has directed the Testing Center for 15 years, said the main reason tests are given is because sometimes other criteria for admission are .needed than a GPA. "Always when people criticize tests, I can see some have legitimate reservations in the use of scores. But what are we going to use instead ?" Campus religious groups lose lawsuit —James Huntington A federal judge Wed nescfaydis-missed a suit filed by campus religious groups seeking to overturn Western's recognition policy. U.S. District Court . Judge Donald Voorhees ruled the recognition policy, which limits the use of campus facilities by religious groups to twice a quarter and charging them to rent, is legal. Mike Dittman, Western student and lead plaintiff in the suit, said the decision probably will be appealed. That appeal probably would be filed in May. The religious groups filed the suit in district court.Oct. 12 claiming the policy violates the First Amendment freedoms of speech, assembly and religion. The attorney general's office argued in December that the state constitution forbids free use of state facilities for religious purposes and the federal constitution requires a separation of church and state. The recognition policy allows free use of campus facilities by recognized groups if their purpose is for other than religious worship or instruction. Voorhees, in his decision, said: "there can be no question that the university is interfering with the exercise by plaintiffs of religious beliefs, sincerely held by them. The question which must be addressed by the court is whether the state has sufficiently justified - that interference. "The university's current policy goes far to accommodate religion but avoids the very real danger Oi establishing it," he said. Voorhees dismissed the suit, saying: "prior restraint in this*instance is justified not only by the state's interest in avoiding establishment dangers but also by its interest in avoiding entanglement problems." The suit was filed by Campus Christian Fellowship, The Navigators, Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship and Campus Crusade for Christ, along with 14 individuals. It was filed against Western, University President Paul Olscamp, Jack Smith, AS activities adviser, Kevin Majkut, adviser to the AS Activities Council, other administrators and trustees and the Associated Students. If appealed, the case would go to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. —Gary Lorentson
Object Description
Rating | |
Title | Western Front - 1980 February 29 |
Volume and Number | Vol. 72, no. 14 |
Date Published (User-Friendly) | February 29, 1980 |
Date Published (machine-readable) | 1980-02-29 |
Year Published | 1980 |
Decades | 1980-1989 |
Original Publisher | Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA |
Publisher (Digital Object) | Digital resource made available by Special Collections, Western Libraries Heritage Resources, Western Washington University. |
Editor | Eric Hookham, Editor, Gary Lorentzon, News editor, Shellee Nunley, Assistant news editor, Leita McIntosh, Opinion editor, Steve Valandra, Head copy editor, Beth Herman, Copy editor, Bruce Whiting, Copy editor, Lori Johnson, Copy editor, Leslie Kelly, Arts & entertainment editor, Sue Borter, Assistant A&E editor, Craig Bennett, Sports editor, Lynn Keebaugh, Assistant sports editor, Rick Ross, Photo editor, Tom Haynie, Assistant photo editor |
Staff | Sue Mitchell, Production manager, Dave Imburgia, Business manager, Becky Krieg, Advertising manager, Frank Shiers, Cartoonist, Reporters: Mick Boroughs, Mike Brotherton, Glenda Carino, Connie Compton, Mark Connolly, Debbie Doll, Liz French, Bill Gibson, Kevin Helppie, Diane Hill, Tracie Hornung, Jim Huntington, Barb Jarvis, Lori Johnson, Cindy Kaufman, Charles Loop, Todd Mason, Nina McCormick, Chuck Mingori, Mary Norvell, Shellee Nunley, Fred Obee, Andrew Potter, Jeff Porteous, Grace Reamer, Harry Senica, Gary Sharp, Kevin Stauffer, Paul Tamemoto, David Thomsen, Rox Ann Thompson, Karen Wallace, Bickie Wetherholt, Lew Williams, Rudy Yuly |
Photographer | Rick Ross |
Faculty Advisor | Harris, Lyle |
Article Titles | Leap-year day credit to Caesar / Eric Hookham (p.1) -- Law threat to entrance exams / James Huntington (p.1) -- Campus religious groups lose lawsuit / Gary Lorentson (p.1) -- Editorials (p.2) -- Satire (p.2) -- Comment (p.2) -- Free speech (p.3) -- Letters (p.3) -- Bits & pieces (p.3) -- Student draft group recognized by AS / Jeff Porteous (p.4) -- More food, books and rooms considered in expansion plan / Fred Obee (p.4) -- Lorentson lands editorship (p.4) -- China immigrant back for U.S. visit / Michael Connors (p.5) -- Some Israelis pursue Nazi criminals / Debbie Doll (p.5) -- Days of rain-soaked bus patrons might cease / Jon Larson (p.6) -- Senate debates faculty salary / Cindy Kaufman (p.7) -- Senior evaluation essential for degree (p.7) -- Arts & entertainment (p.8) -- Major Barbara shows poverty as worst sin / Andrew Potter (p.8) -- Classified (p.8) -- Coming attractions (p.9) -- Huxley teacher wins snail eulogy contest / Kevin Stauffer (p.9) -- Vikings hold off UW comeback / Lew Williams (p.10) -- U.S. hockey team wins despite odds (p.10) -- Bennett's benchmarks / Craig Bennett (p.10) -- Randall's rim draws national attention / Chuck Mingori (p.11) -- Coulter seventh at Trail's end (p.11) -- Official announcements (p.11) -- A.S. gears up to attempt at research group on campus / Michael Connors (p.12) -- AS funds new bicycle map / Andrew Potter (p.12) -- Carter, Reagan with N.H./ Gary Sharp (p.12) |
Photographs | Gary Lorentson (p.4) -- [Western theater students] (p.8) -- [Jamie Chestnut, Miriam Lewis, Bruce Borntrager (p.9) -- Jan Johnston (p.10) -- Chuck Randall / by Rick Ross (p.11) |
Cartoons | [Carter and Kennedy] / Dwane Powell (p.2) -- [Presidential caucuses] / by Dwane Powell (p.12) |
Subjects - Names (LCNAF) | Western Washington University--Students--Newspapers |
Subjects - Topical (LCSH) | College newspapers--Washington (State)--Bellingham |
Related Collection | http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/261544388 |
Program | Special Collections |
Geographic Coverage | Bellingham (Wash.) |
Object Type | Text |
Original Format Size | 41 x 29 cm. |
Genre/Form | Newspapers |
Digital Reproduction Information | Bitone scan from 35 mm silver halide, 1-up negative film at 600 dpi. 2011. |
Identifier | WF_19800229.pdf |
Contributor | The digitized WWU student newspapers are made possible by the generous support of Don Hacherl and Cindy Hacherl (Class of 1984) and Bert Halprin (Class of 1971). |
Rights | This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact Special Collections, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103. USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to Western Front Historical Collection, Special Collections, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University. |
Format | application/pdf |
Language | English |
Language Code | Eng |
Description
Title | Western Front - 1980 February 29 - Page 1 |
Volume and Number | Vol. 72, no. 14 |
Date Published (User-Friendly) | February 29, 1980 |
Date Published (machine-readable) | 1980-02-29 |
Year Published | 1980 |
Decades | 1980-1989 |
Original Publisher | Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA |
Publisher (Digital Object) | Digital resource made available by Special Collections, Western Libraries Heritage Resources, Western Washington University. |
Editor | Eric Hookham, Editor, Gary Lorentzon, News editor, Shellee Nunley, Assistant news editor, Leita McIntosh, Opinion editor, Steve Valandra, Head copy editor, Beth Herman, Copy editor, Bruce Whiting, Copy editor, Lori Johnson, Copy editor, Leslie Kelly, Arts & entertainment editor, Sue Borter, Assistant A&E editor, Craig Bennett, Sports editor, Lynn Keebaugh, Assistant sports editor, Rick Ross, Photo editor, Tom Haynie, Assistant photo editor |
Staff | Sue Mitchell, Production manager, Dave Imburgia, Business manager, Becky Krieg, Advertising manager, Frank Shiers, Cartoonist, Reporters: Mick Boroughs, Mike Brotherton, Glenda Carino, Connie Compton, Mark Connolly, Debbie Doll, Liz French, Bill Gibson, Kevin Helppie, Diane Hill, Tracie Hornung, Jim Huntington, Barb Jarvis, Lori Johnson, Cindy Kaufman, Charles Loop, Todd Mason, Nina McCormick, Chuck Mingori, Mary Norvell, Shellee Nunley, Fred Obee, Andrew Potter, Jeff Porteous, Grace Reamer, Harry Senica, Gary Sharp, Kevin Stauffer, Paul Tamemoto, David Thomsen, Rox Ann Thompson, Karen Wallace, Bickie Wetherholt, Lew Williams, Rudy Yuly |
Photographer | Rick Ross |
Faculty Advisor | Harris, Lyle |
Subjects - Names (LCNAF) | Western Washington University--Students--Newspapers |
Subjects - Topical (LCSH) | College newspapers--Washington (State)--Bellingham |
Related Collection | http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/261544388 |
Program | Special Collections |
Geographic Coverage | Bellingham (Wash.) |
Object Type | Text |
Original Format Size | 41 x 29 cm. |
Genre/Form | Newspapers |
Digital Reproduction Information | Bitone scan from 35 mm silver halide, 1-up negative film at 600 dpi. 2011. |
Identifier | WF_19800229.pdf |
Contributor | The digitized WWU student newspapers are made possible by the generous support of Don Hacherl and Cindy Hacherl (Class of 1984) and Bert Halprin (Class of 1971). |
Rights | This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact Special Collections, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103. USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to Western Front Historical Collection, Special Collections, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University. |
Format | application/pdf |
Full Text | VOL. 72. NO. 14 WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 1980. Leap-year Day credit to Caesar Editor's note: The only thing more confusing than the English language is our calendar; the bissextile (Leap-year Day) is a good example of this. So, after extensive research with Mabel Zoe Wilson, this essentially correct story was written to confuse you even more. Once upon a time in Rome, Julius Caesar found spring wasn't arriving until May, when it should have begun in March. He thought, "Well, if I don't fix this, some year soon we'll just have to skip spring, and that will really confuse the populace." So he solicited the help of an Egyptian astronomer, Sosigenes, to solve the problem. Since, astronomers didn't have much to do in those days, Sosigenes gladly accepted. He based the new calendar on the length of the seasons instead of on lunar phases, and came up with an accurate year's length of 365!4 days, one day less than the Roman's calendar. "Well done," Julius said, "but what about spring,' which doesn't arrive until darn-near summer?" Sosigenes had the answer: Make the year 46 B.C. to be 455 days long (this is truth!). With the blessings of Julius Caesar, he inserted 23 days between Feb. 23 and Feb. 24, and two extra months before December. This not only put the seasons where they belonged but changed the first day of the year to Jan. I. „ So, previous errors being corrected, steps were taken to prevent their recurrence. Remembering that the year had. an extra quarter of a day, Caesar directed a day be inserted between Feb. 23 and 24 every fourth year. This day became knows as the "bis-sexto-kalendae" because it was the sixth day before the new month. Thankfully, that term has been shortened to "bissextile." Anyone born on the bissextile was ordered to celebrate subsequent birthdays on Feb. 23. Later, the extra day was moved to the end of the month. For a job well done, the Roman senate rewarded Caesar by naming a month in the new calendar "Julius," or July. Sosigenes, presumably, also was justly rewarded. The name leap year probably, derived from the Old Norse hlaupa ("to leap") because the Old Norse, smart people that they were, noticed whenever an extra day was added the festivals seemed to jump dates. Recently, a new calendar has been proposed by Willard Edwards of Honolulu to simplify the current mess. The perpetual calendar would have 364 days so the year may evenly be divided into quarters. A semi-existent day, which would not have'a date, would fall after Dec. 31, and the quadrennial leap-year day would be placed after June 31. Although this plan has been introduced to Congress a number of times, it always has failed. —Eric Hookham V < k F^BRURRY 1 1 r 1 -i 1 3 \0 17 & 4 II 78 25 V \ 5 \l 19 26 \ • — •ei 7 13 to IT \ 1 u 28 I 8 15 % V i 9 J i MARCH i £ 3 4 '9 10 ii l& / i i V t 6 13 £4 7 /4 21 1 8 15 ft. h*: S>doi Law threat to entrance exams Director answers critics College entrance examinations are being criticized again, and the director of Western's Testing Center and Western's Registrar have mixed feelings about it. Last month consumer activist Ralph Nader released a study critical of the Educational Testing Service (ETS), a non profit-organization which administers the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Specific criticism includes: -ETS tests exclude a disproportionate nember of minority applicants who are capable of succeeding. —Previous grades alone predict future grades twice as accurately as ETS tests. —That test scores affect admission. "College Entrance exams are biased against minorities, but only to the extent that the education system is biased against minorities," Western's Testing Center director Don BJood said. Western's Registrar Eugene Omey agrees. "I believe the socio-economic background affects how someone will do on a test. As for the test scores affecting admission, Omey disagrees. "It's a disservice to say test results by themselves are the big determiner. No college uses test results by itself." Omey said. At Western, SAT results for admission are used very little. Any resident who graduates from high school with a 2.5 grade-point average (G PA) and passes the Washington Pre- College Test is accepted. It's the non-resident who applies at Western who must submit a GPA along with a SAT or American College Test (ACT) score. The SAT or ACT is also used for residents whose GPA is beneath 2.5 but applies, for admission. Omey* agrees that the tests alone are' not always a proper indicator of the student. "A GPA is a much better predictor of grades than test results," he said. One result of the mounting' pressure against the entrance exams has been a new "truth-in-testing" law enacted in New York. It requires test-makers to release the answers if an individual request is made. The answers are only released to people who have taken the test. Fourteen states and the federal government are also considering smiliar legislation. Washington state is not among them. Bo*th Blood and .Omey are opposed to any sort of "truth-in- testing" laws. Blood said that if the answers are released to students, then the test is no longer usable for that student or any others. "One form of a SAT cost $20,000 to prepare," Blood said. "In New York, the ETS has cut back from giving six to two tests per year. This makes it harderfor kids to take the test and the sessions will be larger." Nationwide, the SATs are a required entrance exam for a fairly large number of colleges and universities. Many private institutions in Washington require the SAT. Blood, who has directed the Testing Center for 15 years, said the main reason tests are given is because sometimes other criteria for admission are .needed than a GPA. "Always when people criticize tests, I can see some have legitimate reservations in the use of scores. But what are we going to use instead ?" Campus religious groups lose lawsuit —James Huntington A federal judge Wed nescfaydis-missed a suit filed by campus religious groups seeking to overturn Western's recognition policy. U.S. District Court . Judge Donald Voorhees ruled the recognition policy, which limits the use of campus facilities by religious groups to twice a quarter and charging them to rent, is legal. Mike Dittman, Western student and lead plaintiff in the suit, said the decision probably will be appealed. That appeal probably would be filed in May. The religious groups filed the suit in district court.Oct. 12 claiming the policy violates the First Amendment freedoms of speech, assembly and religion. The attorney general's office argued in December that the state constitution forbids free use of state facilities for religious purposes and the federal constitution requires a separation of church and state. The recognition policy allows free use of campus facilities by recognized groups if their purpose is for other than religious worship or instruction. Voorhees, in his decision, said: "there can be no question that the university is interfering with the exercise by plaintiffs of religious beliefs, sincerely held by them. The question which must be addressed by the court is whether the state has sufficiently justified - that interference. "The university's current policy goes far to accommodate religion but avoids the very real danger Oi establishing it," he said. Voorhees dismissed the suit, saying: "prior restraint in this*instance is justified not only by the state's interest in avoiding establishment dangers but also by its interest in avoiding entanglement problems." The suit was filed by Campus Christian Fellowship, The Navigators, Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship and Campus Crusade for Christ, along with 14 individuals. It was filed against Western, University President Paul Olscamp, Jack Smith, AS activities adviser, Kevin Majkut, adviser to the AS Activities Council, other administrators and trustees and the Associated Students. If appealed, the case would go to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. —Gary Lorentson |
Language | English |
Language Code | Eng |
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