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ROTHINDA
Sixty-fifth year
SURVEY:
Freshmen More Materialistic LOS ANGELES, CA (CPS) - creased to an all-time high of 23.9 College students increasingly are percent, more than twice the interested in money, but they'll proportion recorded in the 1972 make it as businesspeople, not survey. computer scientists or engineers, For the third straight year, says UCLA's 20th annual survey elementary and secondary school of new college freshmen. teaching rose slightly to 6.2 The proportion of freshmen percent, although Astin adds "we planning to major in computer still have a long way to go" science and pursue computing before there are enough teachers careers has dropped by 50 per- "to meet the nation's current and cent in just two years. Only 4.4 future needs." percent of the Class of 1989 aspire Astin was surprised to discover to be computer programmers or students' social attitudes are analysts, compared to 6.1 percent going to extremes — sometimes last year and 8.8 percent in 1983. in opposite directions. Declining interest in computer Seventy-three percent of the careers parallels dwindling in- freshmen oppose increased terest in engineering. Ten per- defense spending, up 12 percent cent of respondents plan to from three years ago, and 73.3 pursue engineering careers, percent — four percent more down from 12 percent two years than last year — say the wealthy ago. should pay a larger share of taxes "Taken together, this decline in than they do now. student interest in technological But conservative attitudes are careers stands in stark contrast equally strong. Almost half of all to the growing national concern freshmen think homosexuality for increasing technological should be outlawed, and a record training in our schools and low — 21.8 percent — want colleges," says the survey's marijuana legalized. director, UCLA Professor By contrast, almost 53 percent Alexander Astin. of 1977's freshmen favored The decline, however, legalizing marijuana. corresponds with diminishing And while the Class of 1989 says demands for engineers in the job the rich should pay more taxes, market. members would like to be among Recent surveys by the College them. Placement Council, Michigan Seventy-one percent of the State and Northwestern all found freshmen say "being very wellAmerican businesses plan to hire off financially" is "essential" or fewer engineering and computer "very important." About the same number of science majors this year. But Astin says students' students agreed with the declining interest in high tech is statement that "The chief benefit "all the more remarkable" of a college education is that it considering the emphasis increases one's earning power." secondary schools place on In 1973, only 55.8 percent of computer education. He freshmen agreed with that speculates that as students sentiment, while just 39.1 percent become more familiar with of 1970's freshmen felt being wellcomputers in high school, they off financially was important. are "less inclined to pursue it as a Poorer students are finding it career and more inclined to view increasingly difficult to go to it as a tool for use in other fields." college. This year's survey Among the 200,000 freshmen showed a five percent drop in surveyed nationwide, business students whose parents make and teaching drew the most less than $15,000 annually. significant increase in interest. Now, only 15.9 percent of The proportion of entering students come from low income students aspiring to business families, while 24.5 percent of all careers — an area showing rising freshmen's parents make $15,000 interest since the 1970s - in- to $29,999.
Number Thirteen
Tuesday, January 28, 1986
Ethridge to studentteach in Korea said, if you want to studentAmy Ethridge soon will make teach in Asia, come see me,' " history for Longwood College. she recalled. "I thought it was a The senior will become joke, but I decided to ask about it apparently the first Longwood anyway." student to student-teach outside Gibbons confirmed that she the state of Virginia. In fact, she probably is the first Ix>ngwood will teach a long way from the student to student-teach in a Old Dominion. foreign country. "I've been here Ethridge will do her student17 years, and as far as I know, she teaching in Seoul, South Korea. is the first to even student-teach "I'm either a pioneer or a outside the state of Virginia," he guinea pig, whichever way you said. want to look at it," laughed the Because she will be overseas, English major from Bowling Ethridge will be excused from Green. attending her second set of She will student-teach at the "modules," a three-week Seoul International School, a program of mini-courses for private, English-speaking school Seoul, with eight million prospective teachers. "But I'll with students from more than 35 countries, said Dr. Robert people, is one of the world's still have to do the work. I'll be Gibbons, director of student largest and fastest growing taking my books with me." She'll in time for teaching. The school, which has cities. It will host the 1988 return Summer Olympics. It is a Commencement on May 17. 600 to 800 students in grades K-12, Ethridge, a graduate of is owned and operated by surprisingly clean city and crime is not a problem, said Dr. Adams, Caroline County High School, is Edward B. Adams, a cousin of the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dr. James Adams, I-ongwood's who was born in Seoul. Ethridge is undaunted by the Dwight Hicks, of Bowling Green. vice president for academic affairs. It was founded in 1973 and prospect of teaching in a foreign She is a member of the Longwood is accredited, which is required country. "I love traveling," she Ambassadors, u student publicfor state teaching certification. said. "The only place I've ever relations group, and Alpha Delta "Quite a few" of the students been outside the United States is Pi sorority. longwood hopes to continue to are American, but there are no Nassau. But I've traveled a lot inside the country . . .I'm sure it place student-teachers in foreign Koreans — they are prohibited by law from attending the school, will be fun and will be a good countries. "We already have a lot of interest in next year's senior Dr. Adams said. Many of the experience." "It all started when I saw a class for student-teaching students are children of embassy notice on the bulletin board that abroad," said Gibbons. personnel and industrialists, he said. Nearly all go on to college; many attend Ivy league schools. I.ongwood President Janet D. Greenwood visited the school during a college presidents' trip to the Orient last October that was sponsored by the American The New Student Government Association Association of State Colleges and is trying to put together a proposal for a Universities. Ethridge, 21, will fly to Seoul more workable visitation policy. This proFebruary 2 from National Airport outside Washington. She posal will be presented to the Board of will teach for the required 10 Visitors during their next meeting. Twentyweeks. She will teach high school English, which is what she plans three and one-half hour visitation will be to teach after graduating in May. During her stay, she will live discussed. with a Korean family in Seoul in exchange for tutoring their children in English one hour a Bring your support and ideas to the Virginia day. "I'll be riding a school bus or van to school every day with my Room at 12:15 on Thursday, January 30. students, so it'll be like being in the first grade again," said Ethridge.
SGA