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Times-Advocate, 1986-07-02, Page 4Tuns-AdvOcadJuly 2,_ 1906 Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 18111 Amar ed 1924 imes - vocate Servin South Huron, North Middlesex & North Lambton Since 1873 Published by l.W. fedy Publkations Limited Published Each Wednesday Morning at Exeter, (Mario, NOM 1S0 Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386. U.\ Phone 519.235-1331 N.. LORNE EEDY Publisher jIM BECKETT Advertising Manager BILL BATTEN Editor HARRY DEVRIES Composition Manager • ROSS HAUGH Assistant Editor DICK f ONGKIND Business Manager SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada: $25.00 Per year; U.S.A. $65.00 C.W.N.A., O.C.N.A. CLASS 'A' Staggering statistics As university officials and students keep up their constant clamor for more funds from the public coffers they may get a less charitable response from beleagured taxpayers who read the re- cent report of a team of psychologists from the University of Western Ontario. Stephen Wigmore and Riley Hinson studied the drinking habits of a group of male and female students at that institu- tion and their findings are rather stag- gering, both literally and figuratively. It was found that 37 percent of the males drank alcohol at least three times weekly, 55 percent had more than 14 drinks and 27 percent had more than 35. The Ileums for the females were somewhat lower, but appeared extreme- ly high. Only three of the 125 students inter- viewed had managed to go an entire month without booze. The cost of the drinking habits of the students in dollars and cents is obvious- ly high and in some cases must'reach $35 to $50 a week. It's difficult to suggest that taxpayers and parents should be helping to pay part of the education costs for students who have that amount of cash to squander. The cost in performance is also ex- tremely high according to the psychologists. Thirty percent of the students indicated they skipped classes because of their drinking habits and 40 percent blamed booze for lower school marks. Even more frightening is the fact that.46 percent of the drinkers admitted they drove vehicles following their binges at student and private establishments. While few of the students expressed any concern over their drinking habits, the study team found that -"a con- siderable number are experiencing a personally unacceptable level of alcohol- related problems." The statistics would appear to back the opinion of the psychologists over those of the students and indicates quite convincingly that university students do indeed have a problem that deserves im- mediate correction. Historical perspective The trouble with news coverage of most hot topics is that it fails to provide a historical perspective of the issue in question. Such is the case of the current dispute between doctors and the govern- ment over the right, to extra bill in Ontario. Listening to the outspoken leaders of the doctors, one would think the issue here was not extra billing but their sav- ing us from a government ruining the health care system. Leaving aside the fact that Bill 94 has nothing to do with the government telling doctors how to run their practices, there's the history of the whole medicare system to be taken into account and the fact that the medical profession has ttied to stop the system at every step along the way. Medicare came to Canada only after the government of Saskatchewan and Premier T.C. Douglas won a tough bat- tle against striking doctors in that pro- vince. When the federal Liberals in- stituted national medicare in the 1960's, successive governments in Ontario, pressured by the medical profession, dragged their feet in making the medicare truly universal. Today we in Ontario still have among the highest health insurance payments of any pro- vince in the country. We are also one of only three provinces in the country where extra .billing is still in effect. There haven't been many stories of the medical system faring apart in those other seven provinces. Doctors want to be free enterprisers and one can understand that. But what movers of the original medicare system realized is that you can't have a really "free enterprise" system in medicine. Someone in need of quick medical care is hardly in a postion to bargain with his doctor about the fee. The public must be protected just as we don't allow farmers in times of war to sell their grain or meat 'at whatever price the market will bear. (How much would a doctor who had been. without food for two weeks give a farmer who came along with a steak?) Medicine has long since ceased to be a free enterprise system. We regulate the number of doctors who can graduate. We have for many years provided public money for hospital construction and operation. Through those hospitals we provide doctors with many of the tools they need to operate their business. At the same time we reward doctors with the highest income of any profes- sional group. If doctors are being persecuted as they say, there are a lot of other people in society who'd likle to be as persecuted. • What the radical doctors are doing is undermining the respect society holds for doctors in general as skilled, wise people in whom we can put our faith. If doctors can be so self-centered as to close emergency wards for this "hardship" the government is imposing on them, how long can we continue to think them wise? Blyth Citizen teacher Makinga life, something that will enrich the other person's whole being. Out of this enjoyment will come a desire to motivate students by making lessons interesting and challenging. I had a history teacher in high school who used to show sports car films occa- sionally, something that was totally unrelated to his subject. I suppose a more orthodox teacher could sneer a little and look down his nose at this breach of the rples but I tell you, I can remenmer a Over the last twenty years in the teaching business I've often thought about what makes a good teacher. What makes one person have better contact with children and young people than others? What creates that unique at- mosphere in the classroom that makes students want to learn and keep on learning all their lives? I've come to the conclusion that r— • there are just about as many dif- ferent styles of getting a subject across as there are people in the teaching profession but also that there are a few common threads which are characteristic of high quality teachers. Highest on that list is a genuine concern and caring for one's students. Students soon become aware of teachers who are will- ing to take a few minutes to listen to a personal problem for a few minutes after school, who are the first to take on extra -curricular coaching or responsibilities, and who take the time to put a friend- ly personal remark on a test paper instead of a sarcastic com- By the Way by Syd Fletcher ment which can hurt for years afterward. Second on that list has'to be a genuine enjoyment of teaching itself; getting a kick ot(t of show- ing somebody else a new side of lot of his history lessons as clear- ly as if they were yesterday. I think he provided an air of ex- citement, of uncertainty to each day which made us want to come back and find out what was going to happen next. If a teacher can provide some of that excitement to learn' g, whatever his/her method f then perhaps the job has successful. ( • • "TENT CATERPILLAR SITUATION'S EASING - ONLY ONE IN THE YARD TODAY" Their berets all fit Readers may recall that several columnists and the editor of this newspaper recently extoll- ed the merits of the month of May, suggesting it rated highest of all 12. • However, judging from the smiles the writer has en- countered in the past week or so, it may be more correct to suggest that June is in fact the most en- joyable month of the year for the majority of people. Those smiles, of course, were being worn by the many young people in the area who we've been lining up for graduation photos. Their teachers have ap- peared a bit more haggered, but it can be assumed that somewhere beneath those fur- rowed brows and glassy eyes are the beginnings of some giant smiles that will blossom even fur- ther as the realization dawns that the school •year is indeed completed. Among the graduations the writer covered this year was that of the Huron -Middlesex Cadet Corps and it was very im- pressive. It was the first time I had attended that event and brought back a few memories of the days when conscription was in vogue and all the males at the local high school were handed a cadet uniform and put through their paces by Eugene Howey, Fred Meek and Glen Mickle. As the old army gag goes, there were only two sizes of uniform available: too big and too small. Nowhere was this more evident than in the issue of berets. Half the crops had them pinched tight- ly around the uppermost part of their scalps, while the others had them drooping down over their eyes; explaining in large part why many couldn't see their feet to know whether or not they were in step. The cadet activities were car- ried out during the school activi- ty period at the end of the day so the uniforms were worn during all the class time. It was general- ly a dishevelled lot that ended up out on the parade grounds, because cadet day also signalled the noon -hour activity of (something akin to rugger) out on the playing field because Batt% Around ..with The Editdr participants knew they didn't have to worry about getting their school clothes ripped and mud- died; that ignominious treatment was reserved for cadet uniforms. The annual inspection was also carried out in June so that signalled some extra parade time and additional days on which uniforms had to be worn. Those of us who sat sweating in those itchy wooi garments could probably notdescribe the discomfort to today's cadets who are issued summer cottons when the temperature dictates. While there were many students who enjoyed the cadet activities and remained part of the corns past the conscription period of grade nine and ten, there was ample evidence that it was something held in con- siderable disdain by many others so the, general level of perfor- mance was always diminished by the latter. It was therefore most in- teresting to watch the modern version of cadets who were per- forming because they had joined an organization on a voluntary basis. It had all the spit and polish one could imagine and the ears of the spectators were left ringing as the young men and women click- ed their heels and marched smartly through the various drills that constituted their pro- gram for the inspection. Exeter Legion president Jack Brintnell was certainly not over- stating the case when he told the audience they had just witnessed a very outstanding performance. The numbers suggest that the program is not extremely popular, but after witnessing the highly disciplined performance, I could recommend it most highly to any young people, and par- ticularly to those parents who may see the need for some disciplined activity for their off- spring. There aren't many who wouldn't benefit from being trained to give a snappy "yes, sir" in response to a reasonable command. The leaders and sponsors are to be commended for giving of their time, talent and support for the group. It obviously pays dividends! Getting it done Whenever I'm told to do a chore around the house that re- quires the use of tools, I accept the challenge cheerfully. Last Saturday, for instance. Elizabeth asked me, did I feel like. hanging that new picture in the hallway. 1 gave her my usual reassuring affirmation. In other words. I dropped everything and went to the cellar to fetch the toolbox. The picture was small and re- quired a 1, z inch finishing nail or something of that nature. I located a suitable nail but the lit- tle magnetic hammer I use on such occasions was not where it belongs. I remembered leaving it in the garage a couple of days earlier when Alexander and I were interrupted while working on a project together. As I opened the garage door to retrieve the hammer. I bumped into the lawn mower that had been left stand ' there and I remembered that a Small patch of lawn still needed cutting because I had been called away. It would only take ten minutes or so to finish the job, and the pic- ture could wait. 1 mowed around the newly planted gooseberry bushes and realized that they hadn't been watered for a couple of days. It had been dry lately and all the precarious vegetation around the house seems to depend on human intervention - in other words, on me - for survival. So I parked the lawn mower, uncoiled the garden hose and con- nected the sprinkler to it. While the young bushes got doused, I utilized my time by pulling out a couple of exceptionally sturdy dandelions that had sprouted next to the water faucet, and while I was at it I uprooted some unsightly crabgrass that had pushed through the gravel walk. there is nothing precarious about the weeds that grow on our property. I took the eradicated greens to the wheelbarrow and realized that it was still full of rocks that I had carted over from the stone fence as fill for the barrel that I was going to plant geraniums into. The geraniums! I had com- pletely forgotten to buy them in town. Well, it was only a 15 minute drive. Fortunately they were still on sale for a dollar and a half, and I loaded a dozen of them into the trunk of the stafOn wagon. While at the garden centre. I purchased 15 kilos of nitrogen •and three bags of sterilized sheep manure to give my fauna a fighting chance. This reminded me that I need- ed a pair of hedge clippers. And while I was in the hardware store, I had the foresight to stock up on cup hooks and carpet tacks. - You never know when you might need carpet tacks. I find hard- ware stores almost as fascinating as book stores. I can browse forever and find stuff I never knew existed. • While I was in town, I might as well drop in at the local bookstore to check if the reference work I ordered weeks ago had finally ar- rived. Since the clerk was busy with another customer, I looked through the latest arrivals. There I found this fascinating book by a chap with a Ph.D in something or rather who writes about plan- ning your life on a day to day basis. I quickly scanned the honk and decided to buy it. Not that I have problems organizing my time. I can take on all kinds of jobs, get them done and not lose track of priorities. But I was thinking of Elizabeth who might find the book fascinating. She is forever complaining about not having enough time. Maybe she'll enjoy reading this stuff and ac- tually benefit from it. I felt pretty good when I arriv- ed home having accomplished a fair amount. I tried to tell Elizabeth about the book I got for her, but as usual she was preoc- cupied with a number of pedestrian tasks. She mumbled something about tripping over a box, i flooded walk, the kids play- ing with the lawn mower... Over lunch 1 told Elizabeth that she should try to relax more. Why is it I asked, that I don't have any problems getting things done? Is it because I hate procrastination? Is it because I plan ahead? You realty should read the book I bought you... "When are you going to hang the picture?" She always changes the subject like that. "What picture?" I asked with my mouth full. r,