Elon University - Phi Psi Cli Yearbook (Elon, NC)

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CALL TO GLORY Honors and Teaching Fellows Shine For 239 Elon students, college offers an extra benefit. Students enrolled in the Honors Program find the title “honors student brings with it much respect and a tew special privileges, but also a variety of additional challenges. To qualify for the honors program, a student must have graduated in the top 20 percent of his or her high school class, must have scored 550 points on at least one portion of the SAT and must have a minimum 1000-point total on the test. Finally, potential honors students must have a predicted GPA of 3.0 or more as determined by the Admissions Office. Students already enrolled at the college could achieve honors status through a strong faculty referral or personal data. Lamar Bland, professor of English and director of the honors program, reports the 1988 freshman class honors fellows possessed the highest average SAT scores of all entering classes in the past tour years. As a result, the college had to “raise selectivity,” Dr. Bland says. During 1988-89, seven percent of the Elon student body was involved in the Honors Program. Once a student is accepted to the program, he or she must continue to meet certain expectations, including maintaining an overall GPA of 3.0 and a 3.0 in the honors courses. These courses are designed to provide interesting and challenging courseloads tor gifted disciplines. While some honors courses are special sections of a standard course, others are specially designed for honors students. One of the greatest benefits of being an honors student is the early registration feature. Honors fellows can preregister immediately following the seniors, thus gaining a virtually guaranteed seat in desired courses. But the program has its drawbacks as well. Honors students often had to juggle major, minor and general requirements in order to schedule an honors course each semester. Additionally, many fellows were seriously challenged by their honors courses, struggling to meet the high expectations of their professors. It was sometimes difficult to be a constant “over-achiever. Some honors fellows bore an additional distinction — and an extra burden. These 29 freshmen were Eton's first crop of North Carolina Teaching Fellows. Elon was one of two private colleges in the state to play a role in the Teaching Fellows program, and those involved were pleased with its progress. Teaching Fellows receive a scholarship in exchange for their agreement to teach for six years in the state school system. Some of the perks of being a NCTF included group housing, Winter Term travel seminars, and a future semester in London. Regardless of the demands put upon honors students and teaching fellows, these scholars accept — and meet — the challenges. In the long run, they realize the honors tag will he impressive on transcripts, resumes and diplomas. It also encourages the scholars to realize their full potential. SO WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE REAL WORLD? Jill D. Hall and Marlena Dare use the time before Dr. John Herold’s Honors English class to read the paper. Honors fellows often find that they have little time to consider things outside of academics. 22 Academics and the Arts

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GETTING IN THOSE LAST FEW IDEAS ... Christina Chai, left, makes good use of the last few minutes before Math 165 class begins. THIS IS WHAT LIBRARIES ARE ALL ABOUT . . . Rob Simpkins, below, finds peace and quiet in the library. OMET1MES EVEN LABS CAN BE FUN . . . :ophomores Suzi Hood and Danielle Komegay show off a ew friend — the frog they’re dissecting for a zoology xperiment. Academics and the Arts 21

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IS THIS A NEW CURE FOR. WRITER’S BLOCK? A stuffed dinosaur named “Boomerwang” perches atop Clarinda Lofton’s head, top left, as the honors student works on the novel she’s writing. MAYBE SHE CAN LEARN FASTER THIS WAY . . . Teaching fellow Meli Coulson, top right, adopts an unusual study position in the hallway of West’s second floor. TAKING A BREATHER . . . NCTF Karalee Little, above, relaxes after a tough day of classes and an intense rehearsal with the Construction Company. SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO CUT LOOSE . . . Honors student Meredith Hoffman, left, finds that a funny hat and silly nose help to ease the strain of academic challenges. Academics and the Arts 23