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About The Grantonian (Portland, Ore.) 19??-???? | View Entire Issue (Oct. 28, 1966)
2 THE GRANTONIAN October 28, 1966 ^Jurnoul marL concern Teachers contemplate values o/ Chaucer middle English master . And gladly wolde he lerne, qnd gladly teche.” So wrote Geoffrey Chaucer, a four teenth century writer of English prose, about a contemporary teacher. &o twen tieth century teachers “gladly teche” Chaucer’s works? Should Chaucer be taught now? Do students understand him? Do teachers prefer the original Middle English version or do they like to teach a modern translation? Ten English teachers tried to answer these and other questions last week. “The great thing about Chaucer is that he deals with people. What’s more interest ing than people?” queried Edward Bas- araba. He considered student reactions “gen erally favorable,” and added “. . . there are unfavorable ones, but these people would react unfavorably tc anything.” Students should understand Chau- Seventy-five people out of a possi bility of over three thousand stu dents, teachers and parents, is a dis graceful showing. When our social studies department goes to the trou ble of securing state-wide political candidates to speak to us oh the is sues of their campaign, it doesn’t seem a fair, return to have a mere 75 people appear to hear the candidate. When politicians’ time is at such a premium it would seem almost a waste of his energy to appear before such a small gathering of mostly non voters. Where were the students who are studying American government and political science to whom these speakers would be beneficial? Twenty-one years of age may seem a long ways off, but as each year slips by more quickly than the previous one, the realization will come hard and fast. The time to prepare for the responsible privilege of voting is here and now. The main reason against the pro posed lowering of the voting age to 18 is “not enough teenagers know anything about politics and about what is going on in the world.” This recent display of apathy will certain ly not help to change this opinion. Being a responsible citizen is all a part of growing-up, maturing. Part of this responsibility is listening to the candidates, and reasoning out the issues. cer . .if I’m teaching it,” stated Allen Transue simply. He prefers a modern translation, and finds -stu dent reaction generally “«. . not too favorable,” although “some students are extremely enthusiastic.” One teaches Chaucer because “He has a beautiful, benign, tol erant, open attitude toward life,” accord ing to Mrs. Marjorie Hubbard. One must “absolutely” use a Middle English ver- James Conover Sion, she asserted. Believing “It’s the first major work in our language’s history,” James Conover is in favor of teach ing Chaucer’s works. “. . . most of them (the students) liked it,” he continued. A combination of origi- al and a modern translation should be taught, he. feels. “No, I think it has a low interest rate for the students,” stated Thomas Piennet, answering whether he thought Chaucer should be taught here. “.. ..one of the old Information on causes, effects checks imminent drug addiction by Cynthia Barrett What causes non-medical drug addiction? “Ignorance of the dangers involved,” answers the founder of Narcotics Anonymous. All teenagers should realize the causes and effects of addiction. Pleasing sensations and relief of fear and worries are the chief reasons that people take drugs, according to William R. Martin, Director of the Na tional Institute of Mental Health, Addiction Research center. Since obtaining drugs for non-medical purposes is illegal, the source of supply for most addicts is a hoodlum “pusher.” Usually this person introduces the addict to drugs and supplies him until he is hooked. This is how he recruits customers. Two general types of addiction-prone people exist, according to Mr. Mar tin. They are those who take the drug to feel “high” and those who take it to free themselves from worries or inadequacies. Before the drug-consuming person realizes it, he can be addicted. From two to thirty doses of any given drug can cause it. The addict then depends either physically or psychologically on the drug. There áre two major types of drugs, narcotic and habitual. An addict develops physical dependence on narcotics, which include opium and the derived drugs morphine and heroin. Barbiturates and cocaine are habitual drugs, causing psychological dependence. When an addict tries to break the habit, he suffers from withdrawal illness. Nauseau, chills, muscle pains and vomiting are symptoms of the disease. Rarely does death result, according to Mr. Martin. However barbiturate addicts may die from*withdrawal illness. “Mainlining” heróin causes the strongest case of addiction. Injecting the drug into the vein is the extreme of drug practices. Voluntary breaking of any of the drug habits is virtually impossible, however. First step in addiction treatment is to separate the addict from drugs. After acute withdrawal sickness is over, however, some remnant of the psychological dependence remains. 'Carefree idiot’ tosses comments Phyllis Diller reveals image in interview by Barbara Earnest Honest and hilarious is one of the best ways to describe Miss Phyllis Diller, star of ABC’s “The Pruitts of South ampton.” Representatives of nine of the Portland high schools came to this conclusion after speaking with her over the telephone at KATU-TV studios. When asked whether any subject was off limits, she emphatically replied, “absolutely nothing!” From then on, the students asked anything and everything in be tween outbursts of laughter. The following are a few of the rapidly fired comments. Do you wear a wig? “Of course not!” What’s your image? “A carefree idiot.” Did you redesign your hair after the Beatles? “No! I was the first person to make hair important. I may change it some, just to be interesting.” Do you enjoy watching “The Pruitts of Southamp ton?” “I love it!” What is your annual income? “About a million this year, two million next year, and four the next.” What would you like to do most? “Help mankind. Right now I’m bringing cheer, but I would like to make a contri bution to world peace. I want to go to Viet Nam with Bob Hope this year.” Will you enter into California politics? “Never! The field’s too small for me.” How are your ratings? “Fantastic! They’ll only be going up.” Are you successful? “A successful person is a happy one and I’m extremely happy.” Do you do your own stunt rid ing? “No. I have two stand-ins, a girl and a man. In one of the Bob Hope movies I’m doing I run across the tops of cars speeding along a freeway. Do you think I’d do that?” skeletons we’ll never dust off,” is how he described Chaucer. “I think literature should be enjoyed,” he asserted. Charles Randolph, head of the English department, considers Chaucer perfectly un derstandable “... pro viding the teacher un derstands it.” he pre fers to teach the “Pr6- logue” section of Chaucer’s masterwork Thomas Piennet Canterbury Tales in the original Middle English and the Tales themselves in a “. . . good modern trans lation.” Taking a different stand was Mrs. Con stance Person. “Abso lutely!” Chaucer should be taught, she declared, maintaining “There is no one able to understand human nature better.” Chartes Randolph His reason being “It’s the best example of Middle English lit erature,” Ernst Cow an favors teaching Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. “The kids like him,” he stated. Chaucer should be taught, and in the Ernest cowan Middle English, ac cording to Mrs. Ruth Alcorn. Student re action is, in her words, “. . . definitely fa vorable.” Expressing the same view was Miss Sarah Smithson, with these reservations. “Lazy students don’t like it. Most of the others will... if it is presented in an in teresting manner,” said Miss Smithson. oetry Have you ever gone to a graveyard At twelve on halloween night Have you ever felt the cold wet touch Of a hand that radiates fright Have you ever been afraid to turn For fear of what is there Then you are not alone my friend I know what gives a scare It starts with a sense of eeriness And a touch of souls long dead It heightens with a casket squeak And the noise in your head For on that night the dead arise To follow unearthly ends And a graveyard’s not the place for you If you were I my friend. by Mark Black ♦ * ♦ I had to get home that Halloween night For they were out spooking and catch me they might. So back to the peace of my grave I sped, Now another whole year to nurture my dread. by Nancy Rouse ^Jlte (jjrcuito nian REPRESENTATIVES from nine Portland high schools met at KATU-TV studios to interview Miss Phyllis Diller, star of the television show “The Pruitts of Southampton.” The interview was handled over a conference telephone. What do you think of today’s teenager? “I think they’re the greatest. I have no use for the beatniks. I really feel sorry for them.” Concerning hairdbs, Miss Diller says, “It’s really simple. Anyone could do< it. Just comb your hair with an electric toothbrush.” What does she use on her “tweed” hair? A dog grooming brush. What else? Published weekly by the advanced jour nalism class of Ulysses S. Grant high school, room 203, 2245 N.E. 36th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97212. Phone 288-5975. Printed by Modern Typesetting company with a circulation of 3000. Second-class postage paid at Portland, Oregon. Sub scription cost $2.00 per year. Vol. 69, No. 8 — October 28, 1966 Editor............................. Barbara Earnest 1st Page Editor .. ..............Gayle Fleming 2nd Page Editor.................. Elaine Wolfe 3rd Page Editor........... .. Cecile O’Rourke 4th Page Editor................ Mike Hoffman Reporters........................... Cindy Barrett Bonnie Brown, Mike Cochrane, Casey Coughlin, Cynthia Eyans, Cynthia Froom, Mary Jane Hulett, Marilyn Leonard, Lorna Viken Business Mgr.......... i .’. .Marilyn Best Circulation .........-..j. X .Loma Viken Photographer............. Ôake fUgcoé Adviser...................... ».,••• .Willard MOrfii