LIBRARY ARCHIVES . CALIFORNIA FOLY TECHNiC STA Mustang Daily UNIVERSITY LIBRARY September 28,1979 California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo VoL 44, No. 3 Students WOWed in first week BY CATHY SPEARNAK Dally Editorial Aaatatant “1 don’t like the fact that we have to buy our own When David Copley came to Cal Poly two weeks ago, he sweatshirts. Also, I lost my meal ticket and had to pay $2 didn’t know what it meant to be a “ WOWie.” to get a new one,” said the counselor. But after experiencing the school’s orientation Holmgren isn’t the only counselor who lost money program—Week of Welcome—the 18-year-old animal during WOW. One counselor wh'o asked her name not be science major said he is proud to have survived “WOW used because she didn’t want to be a “ spoil sport” said she week ’79.” lost over $60 entertaining her WOWies. 1 This year Cal Poly’s WOW program introduced over “Their meal ticket doesn't provide all their meals, and 2,500 new students—often called WOWies—to the when we had a few dinners over at my house 1 was em­ University. This is about 200 more than last year. barrassed to ask for donations,” she said. “At first I was scared and I wanted to go home. After WOW I liked Cal Poly and I’m glad I’m in it. I’m trying to Writing exam figure out how I can stay here six years,” said the en­ thusiastic freshman. Copley said the orientation not only helped him get Test is required through first-week rough spots such as registration and departmental advising, but helped him adjust to school BY JOE STEIN socially. Dally Stall Writer “ When I came here 1 didn’t know anyone, but now 1 see The exam most Cal Poly students have to take to someone I know everywhere 1 look,” said Copley who graduate will probably be ready Jan. 17, said English comes from King City. instructor Dr. John Harrington. In addition to specified tours on campus including the Harrington and others representing Cal Poly’s seven administration building, library and University Union, schools and one division are working on a writing Copley said counselors took his group of 19 WOWies on a proficiency exam that freshmen, sophomores and juniors few unorthodox tours of their own. will need to lake and pass before graduating. A trip to the water slides, Cuesta grade (“ We never Students with at least 90 units but no more than 134 found it” ) and the “ sewer tour”—a mucky march through units at the end of summer quarter 1979 have to pass the town via San Luis Creek—were a few of the schemes test to graduate, said Harrington, unless they take junior- devised by his two WOW counselors. But Copley said the level composition or literature courses listed as satisfying “ weirdest” thing his group did was trekking through the proficiency requirements as mandated by the CSUC graveyard at midnight. system’s board of trustees. Students must get a “C” or “ My counselor screamed when she stepped on a fresh better in these courses to qualify, said Harrington. grave,” he remembered. According to Dr. David Grant, Poly’s associate dean of Hanging in there... Despite the seeming hardships of surviving WOW, academic planning, the Trustees told the administrators of Copley said the program helped him prepare for campus the 19-campus system to. develop their own writing proficiency programs “several years ago.” Grant could Magician Stan Greene’s attempt to life. “ When WOW ended I was scared of losing my group— not recall exactly when, nor could the date of the Trustees’ break Houdini’s escape time from a but now it’s like everyone’s a big WOW group,” said the policy directives be obtained from CSUC officials in Long straight jacket failed despite cheers dorm resident. Beach from a large library lawn crowd during “ I like the spirit of the whole thing. Everyone’s out to Grant, however, said students should not be shocked to Thursday’s activity hour. Greene wil! be help the new students and everyone has a good time,” he learn of the proficiency requirement. “ It was in the last catalog,” said Grant, “ but we haven’t performing a magic show this Sunday in said, adding "1 get personal enjoyment out of meeting new people. 1 feel I’m able to be of some help to them.” implemented it yet. It hasn’t been something that’s the Cal Poly theatre. Bob Walters, program counselor and advisor to the sneaked up on us.” program, said there were approximately 100 more Preparing the English placement test, said Grant, did counselors than last year. not leave Poly administrators enough time to develop the “ 1 thought it (WOW) was exceptional. The counselors proficiency exam. ■ ...... seemed to be more supportive than in preceding years,” “ The expectation was that as soon as we got that under said Walters, who revamped the WOW program at Cal way (the placement exam), then we’d pick up this junior- Poly to its present form several years ago. level exam," said Grant. “The counselors took the opportunity to be more in­ Harrington, the English intructor who is coordinating volved than just being a counselor,” he said. the certifiction of students in writing proficiency, said it Holmgren and his co-counselor, Berni Brownlee, were - * would be impractical to require students to take the exam two counselors who took that opportunity. The 21-year- or to enroll in the necessary courses. old said the sewer tour was his group’s favorite WOW “ It would be very difficult,” said Harrington, “ for a activity. student who has, say, two quarters to complete his “ My group went totally bananas. Everyone got into it. education. What if he fails (he exam?" At first a few of them were apprehensive about walking “ Imposing” the exam, said Harrington, “ is too late in through a creek, but everyone had a great time.” the game. It isn’t that (seniors) don’t need it. It’s that they But Holmgren said he felt a lot of responsibility goes don’t have enough time.” along with the futv. He said alcohol has been a problem in Although, said Harrington, students will be charged $10 the past. He said counselors have to watch out for this apiece to take the exam, the revenue will not pay for the because alcohol is not allowed in the WOW program exam’s cost to the campus. Holmgren said alcohol was less of a problem this year. “ There's a considerable cost beyond what that $10 will "No one brought up any mention of where the parties bring in.” said Harrington. were. They seemed to enjoy everything we did without it." The professor could not estimate how much ad­ Although he and Brownlee had their share of fun during ministering the exam would cost. WOW, Holmgren said he was exhausted after the week Harrington also expressed frustration in coordinating a He said he averaged four and a half hours of sleep per certifiction program without money from the Trustees. night during WOW. "The Trustees did this in a difficult way,” said There are some things Holmgren said he would like to Harrington. "They mandated it, but they didn’t fund it.” see changed about the program “ There isn’t any catch-up for students built in.” Galerie’s map exhibition is a pleasant surprise Like an expensive gift wrappped in brown paper, the is a hand-colored copper engraving of the Ancient premier showing in the U.U. Galerie this fall is an unex­ World—Europe, Asia and Africa—made in the year 1500. pected surprise. One thing the display shows is a remarkable im­ The dry title, “ What’s in a Map?" may discourage non provement in surveying techniques over the years. A academics. And the hanging's understated appearance comparison between two maps of Sweden and Norway, may not draw crowds of novelty-seekers. one made in 1631 and the other in 1719, indicates an obvious increase in accuracy. Commentary by Jill Hendrickson Overall, the maps reflect historical changes. For example, in one map of King George’s military and naval — ---------------------- - operations in New York during the Revolutionary War, But there’s more to this traveling exhibition from the the Hudson River appears as the North River. Smithsonian Institution than immediately meets the eye. The least complicated but most novel map in the The display's beauty lies in its integration of history, collection sums up the multi-functional value of maps. It is geography, graphic technology and art. The student who an 1880 color-coded street sweeping chart of Washington considers map-making a form of punishment inflicted by D.C., showing clean-up routes in the nation’s capital. social science professors may change his mind after in­ As the display proves, maps are more than playthings of specting this presentation. bespectacled history buffs and bookworms. They speak a The 24 maps reflect a 300-year progression of the dif­ universal language and simplify daily life. ficult task of scaling down cities, nations and the entire Skeptics who do not believe map-making has any globe to a viewable size. relevance to their own Iiv6s might stop to think how they Historians estimate western map-making dates back to found their way to that last big party at an unknown the middle to late 1400's. The oldest map in the exhibition address. Somebody probably drew them a map.