The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 5, 1985 - Page B13 Student-teacher relations more personal in RC By RACHEL GOTTLIEB The University of Michigan is huge, Ann Arbor weather is frigid, and receiving an 'A' in a class is an up-hill pattle. But Residential College students don't have to worry about grades or braving the arctic climate. In fact, sometimes RC students wear their pajamas to class. Established in 1967, the RC is a four- year degree-granting program within the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. There are approximately 750 students in the college, which is devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. "IN THE early days of the college, Its reputation of radicalism turned a lot of people off," said John Mer- sereau, the outgoing RC director. But "today the RC is the jewel of undergraduate education," said the new director, Elizabeth Douvan. RC students are required to live in East Quad for two years, and most of their classes and their professors' of- fices are located right in the dorm. The educational philosophy of the e stresses interdisciplinary learning And analytical thinking. The classes are specifically designed to teach the students to think analytically, said Razelle Brooks, the assistant to the director of the RC. THE GRADING is also different in the RC. For the first two years in the program, students receive 250-word evaluations by the professors and the word "pass" or "fail." The evaluations are permanent on the transcripts. Evaluations state the goals of the course, how close the student came to meeting those goals, and what the student's strengths and weaknesses are. Students may only opt to receive grades if they are juniors or seniors, or if it is for a class in their concen- tration. "THE EVALUATIONS have not in- terfered with admission to graduate, law or medical schools," Brooks said. "In fact, sometimes they help because they say more than grades." The RC has seven concentration programs: arts and ideas, social science, comparative literature, creative writing, drama, inter- national studies, and individualized concentration, and all courses have honors sections. Students can also elect a concentration program in LSA. To graduate from the RC, students must meet the RC requirements. Unlike LSA, all students must take two intensive courses in a foreign language. Before being placed in a class, students are tested for reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. The RC has its own language lab, language tables, and coffee hours. A room is designated for each language during lunch time and people are encouraged to eat in the room of their language of study. Only the foreign language is permitted to be spoken during the lunch and the coffee hours. Students may opt to eat in the cafeteria. "LOTS OF our kids get jobs in which bilinguality is a very important component," Brooks said. "Students are encouraged to study abroad. Half the students going to the junior year in Aix-en-Provence in France this year are from the RC, and we're one- twentieth the size of LSA," she said. Students are also required to take one class in the practical arts. The RC offers print making, sculpture, ceramics, and photography. Or students may play an instrument with the RC Chamber, sing with the RC Singers, or take part in the RC Players production for one semester. The classes are smaller with sizes rarely exceeding 20 students, and the faculty have their offices in East Quad so they are more accessible to the students. "STUDENTS TEND to enjoy greater freedom and more contact with the faculty," said Herb Eagle, a professor in the RC. "They attach themselves to Ann Arbor as a home because they become involved." "The RC attempts to create a small liberal arts college with the advan- tage of a large school," Eagle added. "There are quite a few students who want to improve community life within the RC even after they move out of the dorm," Douvan said. Although no cuts were made in the RC budget this year, "we want to find other sources of funding to put into programs," she said. "But the college has very loyal alumni who contribute annually to the fundraising drive," Brooks said. Mersereau will be returning as Ac- ting Chairman of the Slavic Depar- tment in LSA, but he said he hopes "that the new director will have a honeymoon with the college that will be to the college's advantage." "I am absolutely and completely thrilled and delighted with the choice of my successor," Mersereau added. Pilot program c{ By CHRISTY RIEDEL At a university as large as Michigan it's easy for a student to get swept up into the mainstream and start feeling lost among the crowd. But the Pilot Program is a mini-school within LSA. The program, housed in Alice Lloyd, began in 1962 and is said to be the oldest program of its type in the country, and involves about 95 percent of Alice Lloyd's 600 residen- ts. DURING A University expansion, there was a concern that many students would begin to feel lost and over- whelmed. The Pilot Program was born to offset that con- cern, said Gigi Bosch, administrative director of the program. "The Pilot Program is a living-learning experience which combines a residence program with an academic program," Bosch said. Instructors are graduate teaching assistants who live in the dormitory with the students and act as Resident Fellows, the equivalent of Resident Advisors in other dorms, Bosch said. STUDENTS CAN take a variety of classes in the program, which meet in the dorm. Classes are small, averaging from 15 to 22 students per section. bombats LSA size The program has no academic requirements and allows students to participate in as many or as few of the classes as they please. THE PROGRAM offers several different types of cour- ses: Pilot Seminars, which revolve around topics designed by resident fellows and cover a variety of cultural and social issues, mini-courses, which deal with topics of personal interest to instructors and students, and regular courses, such as English 125, a course required of all freshmen. Students feel that classes gain an added value because they are designed around a professor's special interests. "The teachers want to be teaching the class .- it's something they're really interested in," said Becky Felton, a sophomore in the program. Tutoring is also available to students throughout the week and the Mentor Program facilitates student/instruc- tor interaction independent of the Pilot Program. Through this program, students are assigned to Univer- sity faculty and staff members who they meet with throughout the year to discuss academic interests and social issues. Also, the dorm regularly invites speakers and holds debates, forums, and discussions dealing with personal and global issues, Bosch said. Wolverine Party and Deli Shoppes " One of Ann Arbor's largest selections of Imported & Domestic Beers, Wines & Liquors " Fresh salads and sandwiches made daily * Plenty of free parking, too! 600 S. Main (Corner of Main 8 Madison) 668-8505 400 N. Ann Arbor Rd., Saline, Mi. 429-4800 'U' alum broke baseball's color barrier (Continued from Page 3) FORMER MICHIGAN governor William Milliken and lieutenant governor Martha Griffiths also received diplomas from the Univer- sity. And Nancy Kassebaum ('56), a junior senator from Kansas, is one of only two women who sit on Congress' upper chamber. Outside the political arena, Univer- sity women graduates have climbed to great. places as well. Instead of making decisions that could affect the nation, Ann B. Davis made them for that notable clan "The Brady Bunch" as lovable Alice the housekeeper. BUT DAVIS DOES not stand alone as a tube star from the University. Gilda Radner, famous Saturday Night Live comedian, spent five years here, but "came up a few credits short of graduation," said Joel Berger of the Alumni Association. Another non-graduate, Madonna Ciccone, recently blasted her way to rock and cinema stardom less than 10 years after she dropped out of the University, leaving the School of Music and a full scholarship behind. In addition to the on-screen talents the University has produced, the school has several screen writers to its credit. John Briley ('51) walked off with an Academy Award for his work on Gandhi. AND LAWRENCE KASDAN ('54) gained national attention for his critically-acclaimed story of seven former University students who re- unite in The Big Chill. He also direc- ted Raiders of the Lost Ark, Body Heat, and several other box office smashes. Other graduates have gone on to produce some of TV's most well-loved shows, like Hal Cooper ('46), who brought us "That Girl" and "Maude," and John Rich, who produced "All in the Family." In addition to graduating newsmakers, the University has produced many who find and report the news. Mike Wallace ('39), who pioneered the field of television jour- nalism in the 1940s, is considered today the father of TV news. In print, Discover and Esquire magazines are both published by for- mer Wolverines - Leon Jaroff and Arnold Gingrich ('25). The Esquire's Daily Photo by DAN HABIB Former President Gerald Ford speaks at his alma mater. He was captain of the Wolverines football'team before he graduated from the University in 1935. editor, Betsy Carter, is also a Univer- sity graduate, as is New Yorker editor William Shawn. In addition, the University has produced numerous newspaper writers and editors, including Robin Wright ('70) of the London Times. FAMOUS PLAYWRIGHT Arthur Miller ('38) walked away with a coveted Hopwood writing award at this school. He went on to pen The Crucible and Death of a Salesman, becoming one of the finest writers of this century. And Judith Guest ('58) gained her reputation with the book Ordinary People, later an award- winning movie. On a less serious note, University graduate Nancy Willard ('58) took the Newberry Award for best children's book, while fellow graduate Chris Van Allsburg received the Caldecott award for best children's book with illustrations. And comic strip writer Cathy Guisewite probably scrawled some of her favorite Cathy strips along the borders of note-filled spirals during her time here. OTHER FAMOUS UNIVERSITY women include Madelon Stockwell, the first woman admitted to the University, in 1870, and Janet Guthrie ('60), who raced with the big boys down gasoline alley at the In- dianapolis 500 in the late 1970s. Although she had engine trouble and failed to finish the race, she paved the way for other women to compete in the previously male-dominated sport. Branch Rickey ('11) tread on some new turf when he put Jackie Robinson in the outfield for his, Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Together they not only broke the color barrier in baseball, but Robinson also went on to win the Rookie of the Year award. Rickey is now enshrined in baseball's hall of fame. Several other University graduates have also car- ved their niche in the sports world. Tom Harmon ('41) won college foot- ball's Heisman trophy the year he graduated, after leading the Wolverines to their only national championship. As a center of higher learning, the University has been sure to produce graduates capable of running a university. Aside from University President Harold Shapiro, Matina Souretis Horner, president of Rad- cliff, the women's college at Harvard, and Edward Jennings, president ofj Ohio State University, began their' climb to the top here. School pressures eased by 'U' counseling services -m (Continued from Page 3) socially-sanctioned activity, drinking It's a good on campus is sometimes a cause for place to start. . . concern. Peer pressure often adds to the problem, Briefer said. 63-1553d k"There are a lot of people who don't drink or who drink moderately. But there are people who have a strong need to belong, and if you re in a group that says it's okay to lose your mind every Friday and Saturday, well sometimes you fall into a pattern. It takes a strong person to resist that," Briefer said. NEW SEXUAL freedom that comes with leaving home, and no curfews also cause anxiety and confusion, Briefer said. "I'm talking about both sexes now," he added, and said, "Sometimes alcohol is used to make things a little looser." Counselors are also trained to treat people with eating disorders. Anorexia and bulimia are more com- mon among young women than any other age or group, Briefer said. ANOREXICS DEPRIVE them- selves of food while bulimics consume large quantities of food and then purge themselves of the food by in- ducing vomiting, taking laxatives, or exercising excessively. The counseling office operates a phone service called 76-guide with evening and weekend service. Peer counselors trained by the professional counseling office answer the phones. They also conduct workshops in the dorms to help students deal with problems before they get out of hand, and to tell students where to go for help. Counseling Center on Huron Street offers psychotherapy to students for a low fee, and to staff and the general public on a sliding scale. This is primarily a training agency, and each counselor's work is super- vised by agency professionals. The quality of the counseling is high, but patients who need the stability of long-term care are often encouraged to meet with private practicioners because of the frequent turnover of in- terns. Stop by or call UHS Public Relations (763-4384) for a detailed information brochure. Hl a Ao'Health Care PA tITHENON GYROS - FINE GREEK FOD HOME COOKED