The (lollcgiate
Briggs Petway
JohnPaca
Associate Editor jim Farthing
Business Manager
Sports Staff Guy Hyatt, Russell Rawlings, Leigh Taylor
Photographers Peter Chamness and Doug Hackney
Staff Writers ,
Ann Dixon, LaVee Hamer,Tricia Lough, Mary Kay Merkle,
Jackie Parker, Brad Tucker.
The Collegiate is published weekly by the students of Atlantic
Christian College, Wilson, North Carolina 27893. The views
expressed herein are not necessarily those of the faculty or
administration.
Poem: Be Still And Know
Fear of Flying
The flak is flying already. Editor for a week and I feel
like the enemy is in hot pursuit. Somehow I get the
impression that the readers feel I’m strangling the free
press. . , ,
Honestly, I’m not placing unfair rules and
restrictions on the newspaper. But, in the interest of
good taste, and with an eye on history, I cannot allow
obscene language in the letters to the editor.
Ben Jonson, one of England’s greatest social and
literary critics, said that good art appears strangely out
of place when all around it is vulgar. He used vulgar to
imply the mundane and common-place. But, if profanity
is not common-place, what is? I simply want the letters
to be readable when the trends in language shift back to
a more conservative bent, before it becomes liberal
again, etc.
In my own verbose way, I am saying that the art of
criticism, both social and literary, and the art of
informing are truly arts that the activist student should
acquire. Communication is an art, an art that every
college student has the opportunity to learn before he
graduates. If a person cannot,express himself, how good
was his education? And the failure to communicate is
not necessarily the failure of his instructors.
A writer must think of his audience. How well will
profanity express the idea to a group of leaders of the
Disciples of Christ? They have every right to ignore the
issue until it is express^ in a manner suitable to their
tastes. Will profanity impress the job recruiters? How
about the judge who doles out the traffic fines. Right or
wrong, the content of an argument means absolutely
nothing until the style is acceptable.
Granted, many good ideas have been presented by
poor stylists. But, did they impress the people that they
needed to impress. I do not need to impress the folks on
my side of an argument.
How about the good stylists — did their work last?
How about Jefferson’s work with the “Declaration of
Independence” and the “United States Constitution?”
How about Rousseau’s work on the French “Declaration
of the Rights of Man” How about Shakespeare’s jabs at
humanity? What about Jesus? What about every person
whose writings have affected the lives of men?
Some of the criticism may be well-aimed. Maybe I do
come off like a dictator. But, that is simply because I
have definite ideas about what constitutes good
journalism. One of my campaign posters said, “I’m no
politician. I’m a journalist.” I have no bones to pick. So,
why be afraid of me? I am no more prejudiced towards
non-Greeks than I am towards Greeks. I’m a senior, so I
will not run for another office. A good, readable
newspaper is my only purpose in being editor of “The
Collegiate." If ever I become bigoted and narrow
minded in whatever direction, I hope someone will ask
me to resign. But for now. I’m a student who just
happens to be the editor of the paper.
Briggs Petway
Auditions
For
ONE ACT PLAYS
In
Howard Chapel
October 21 & 22
7:00 P.M.
If God were only strong enough
To do just as WE please,
I’d fear your “G(^” no more
than I
Might fear a puppy’s sneeze.
You think that you can figure out
And tell God what to do.
You think that by YOUR
REASONING
His word is false or true.
You don’t see God’s truth and
law will stand,
Nor bend, or break in two.
And whether a thing is right or
wrong,
You think, depends on YOU!
There is no God Who does not
think,
Who does not feel or see,
Who does not know the thoughts
you think,
Though you may lie to me.
There is ONE God, and He alone
Must be our King and Judge.
His word is where I’ll take my
stand;
No man can make me budge.
A thing is so because it is,
And not because we let it.
So if you think to influence God
By reasoning — forget it!
Scorn me. Say whatever you
will.
I care not for all such strufe.
There is ONE God — Christ! And
He alone
Will guide and rule my life.
Larrv G. Pittman
Last year, a professor at ACC
whom I had come to think a lot of
lied to me and tried to make a
fool of me and thus disappointed
me and inspired me to write this
Letter To
Editor
Dear Editor:
For the past four years it has
been a pleasure and an honor for
me to serve the students of
Atlantic Christian College as
director of Financial Aid and
Admissions Counselor. I want to
take this opportunity to express
to the students my appreciation
for their part in the very
rewarding experiences I have
had in this service. I wish the
best for you in this upcoming
academic year.
Very truly yours,
Ben Casey
poem. I regret having to admit
that this poem was written
partly in anger, but
disappointment, frustration, and
sorrow were much more a part
of this poem than was anger.
This poem is in answer to the
ridicule I received
from
professor who said he cn.,w
.1» me, to.
could not change my
Larry G. Pittman
Bicentennial
The beginning of the Bicentennial remains manv
months away, but a steady flow of advertisements in one
form or another has lately been recalling history for the
purpose of either boosting our patriotism or draining our
pocketbooks.
One can only marvel at the dexterity with which our
so-called consumer economy changes products in
accordance with the styles of the time. Its remarkable
ability to provide for all of our desires is good and
obviously what we want; but some economists
Galbraith for one, have been increasingly concerned
with the question of who is really leading who — do the
products we buy determine what the economy produces
or does the economy, through manipulation
(advertising), determine what we buy?
Which ever way the question is answered is
unimportant here, for I am concerned with the activity
of the economy only as it relates to the purpose of the
Bicentennial. (On its own merits, the question is
immensely important.) The point is that if we become
overly concerned with the superficialities surrounding
the Bicentennial, we may lose sight of its real meaning;
and if it has no meaning save for boosting the economy
and arousing a fictitious sense of patriotism, we should
invent one.
Watergate’s juxtaposition in time to the Bicentennial
is rather curious because the implications of the crisis
force us to look upon the Bicentennial as it ought to be,
During the Bicentennial we should try to capture at least
some of the spirit of self-evaluation which the early
years of the United States so ardently acclaimed.
In a very broad sense Watergate was what Theodore
White called a breach of faith; in order to secure the
union’s well-being, the government had wrongfully
impinged upon the perogatives of the individual as set
up in the Bill of Rights. Consider this in conjunction with
the fact that the Bicentennial is the celebration of a cleft
that eventually lead a young nation to a question just
recently renewed in the ordeal of Watergate — how
much government should there be in order to maintain
individual liberties while at the same time maintaining
the security of the country? (Maintaining the country’s
security is, of course, only an indirect way of insuring
individual rights.)
Although the question of power in government is
applicable in many other circumstances, there is a
lesson to be learned from the healthy skepticism with
which the founding fathers approached it. Our
government has grown tremendously since those early
stages, and the Bicentennial calls for a renewal of the
doubting, but not cynical spirit that permeated the years
of the new republic.
John Paca
Copyrighted material removed.