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to the They Might p Win two free tickets Be Giants concert April 18 Find the mock article and be one of the first three to call x8365 with the correct an- ,__________,swer. Volume XV, Number 9 Western Maryland College Thursday, April 8, 1997 WEIGHTED GRADES Revamped first-year student TO BE IMPLEMENTED orientation to take effect this Fall BY KATE HAMPSON important to recognize the amount Assistant News Eduor of work a student has put in and to For the past six years, WMC distinguish between the student professors have been grading stu- who has earned a plus grade and dents using pluses and minuses to the student who has earned a mi- The space-age class of 200 I can indicate how well the student is nus. look forward to a fun-filled Orien- doing. Yet, this has had no effect The faculty voted for the new tation program to launch them into on the students grade point aver- system to begin in Fall 1997; how- the WMC community. age. ever, Registrar, Barbara Shaffer, Entitled "The Odyssey Begins At the moment a B+ and a B- revealed that the computer system Here," the five days before the be- are worth 3.0, the same as a straight has recently been changed and that ginning of their first semester will B. However, a motion passed at until all the problems have been be an exciting introduction to col- the March faculty meeting will sorted out, the new system will not lege life. change this. In the future, students be implemented. "It is not SOme- The focus of orientation is an GPA's will take into account the thing that can be done in six overnight stay at the Four Seasons pluses and minuses they have re- months time, the computer can't Sports Complex. The new students ceived. handle it yet," Shaffer said. will leave the campus on Sunday The new grading system will be The new program will prob- evening and enjoy II hours of fun, as follows: A+ = 4.3, A = 4.0, A- = ably be installed over the summer returning to the college at 6 a.m. 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3.0, 8- = 2.7, of 1998 and weighted OPA's will the following day. C+ = 2.3, C = 2.0, C- = 1.7, D+ = begin that fall. The night will be packed full of 1.3, D = 1.0, D- =0.7, F = 0.0. There is some concern amongst activity: all-night music is being This year's orientation has kept faculty. The new activities address The new system has been students that their OPA will fall provided by WMCR, and there will many of the components of previ- the issues implemented for several reasons. when the new system begins. be movies, competitions and all ous ones, but there have also been dents have and concerns to that stu- brought Barb Out of the eleven colleges in the Much research has been done as sorts of games, ranging from various changes and modifications. Horneff, Associate Dean of the Centennial Conference, only to whether this will be the case and Pictionary to indoor soccer. The days are not so fully WMC, Swarthmore. and Washing- findings have shown that there will The swimming pool will be planned as they have been in the First Year Program, who is in charge of orientation. ton College do not use the weighted be very little change indeed. available and there will be oppor- past, leaving students more time to Successful events system. Statistics professor, Dick tunities to play sand volleyball, ten- adapt to their new environment. orientations that remain from former part of the As Dr. Carol Fritz, head of the Claycombe, found that if the sys- nis. basketball and lacrosse. Stu- There will not be events held very program include: "For Siblings Admissions, Retention and Stan- tem had been operationallast year, dents will also be able to use the late at night, in order to make the Only," a popular component of last dards committee, who put forward nobody who graduated in May new miniature golf course for a activities more practical for com- year's families' day, which helps the motion, explained, "We want 1996 would have fallen below a small fee. muter students. younger brothers and sisters adapt to bring WMC in line with the 2.0 and thus failed to graduate. The idea behind the event is to Members of the Honors Pro- to the changes that will occur at schools we identify with." However, the number of perfect encourage team building, to give gram will no longer eat lunch sepa- home. "Communicating with your Many graduate schools require 4.0's would have been affected. the students a chance to mix with rately but will have a reception later First Year Student," information for a weighted OPA, which means that For the fall semester of 1996, 100 others outside their Student Orien- in the afternoon. parents by parents, was also well WMC students often have to recal- students had a 4.0 average. If the tation groups, and to create a feel- The changes evolved as a re- received last time and will be re, culate their grades. Committee and new system had been in place only ing of class unity. sult of suggestions by students and faculty members also felt that it is Continued on page 7 Continued 011 page 5 Ground breaking for new science building on April 18 Funding for the new science center will be raised from public and private sources Even the building services staff groundbreaking. is cheering the start of construction President Robert H. Chambers of a $13.4 million science center and members of the Board of Trust- at WMC. Afterall, they won't have ees, as well as officials from the to turn over another supply room Continued on page 7 to the scientists. Space is so tight in the old sci- Inside ence hall that the college's micros- copy suite is housed in a converted Soapbox 2 janitorial closet. But the new, state- Staff Editorial 3 of-the-art four-story structure con- Letter to the Editor 3 tains more than enough space, in- Cyber-pom 4 cluding a ground floor home for 60 Seconds on campus 5 that high-tech lab and plenty of 6 Rimers of Eldrirch closets. New Organ 7 Although site work on the cen- Campus Safety Blotter 8 ter is slated for June, members of Rouzer damages 9 the community are invited to join They Might Be Giants 10 Above is the architect's rendition of the new science building that will stand connected 10 Lewis Hail oj Science. facuity, staff and students ofWMC Ira Zepp profile 12 Friday, April 18, for a public