Newspapers / Brevard College Student Newspaper / Nov. 20, 1985, edition 1 / Page 2
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Page 2 For The Love of ‘^Rambo^’ by Kim Ormand One thing I can do is give credit where credit is due. _'he recent October withdrawal from the World Court is what Mr. Reagan has been teaching the American peo- )le about foreign policy since he became president-and even before, as a candidate. We live in a world of enemies so we must be cruel and heartless. We mustn’t be bothered with trivialities or niceties such as the law or other commitments. Others use terrorism so we must use the same thing. America won’t take it anymore. These have been Reagan’s themes and for the most )art have matched the national mood. Americans were ired of complexity and frustration. As usual, they long ed for the easy way out-the simple frontier myth, in which a man tough enough could set things right on his own. They longed for “Rambo.” But of course this is a myth. No one man can shape world events as he wishes-a world where the religions, the superpowers, and the economic dependency of the various countries are intermixed. Basically the presi dent has managed to face some reality; he dealt pragmatically with the TWA hostage-takers. But in erms of the World Court-he has not come down to earth. The International Court of Justice (World Court) is an integral part of the United Nations whose purpose is to serve as the principal judicial sections of the U.N. It is to jrovide advisory opinions of legal issues requested of v }y the various sanctions. It has served as a purposefu institution for the U.S. for the past 40 years in terms of ;rying to build a court and a system of international law. Why then did the United States walk away? The Work Court decided an issue against the American position. I held that it has the jurisdiction to hear out Nicaragua’s complaint about U.S. sponsored terrorism. According to the State Department it “would endanger our vital na tional interests” to remain in the Court. And so we walk ed out. This action strikes out at an institution that has stooc for all America supposedly believes in: law. How sac that fear, anger, and the ever-increasing “Rambo” doc trine will allow such damage to be done to the ideals anc ultimately to the American people. Letters To The Editor Dear Editor, Hey! What is it that people think about surfing and surfers? People think we’re insane party animals who are always into drugs. I know you’ve heard this before, but we’ve got an undeser ving bad image. I know this is true because many of the students at Brevard College, are from a terrific surf ing state-Florida. Why do surfers get such a reputation? Many surfers I know around North CaroUna are clean-cut, hardcore surfers who would rather get tub ed rather than get drunk or ston ed. This “party image” is really getting on my nerves. Surfers are just like all the other athletes around the world. Instead of jog ging in the snow, surfers paddle out into the line-up with full wet- suits on in 40 degree water- freezing cold water that eats through every bon^in our bodies. I have been surfing for about two years and most everyone I talk to has no clue about surfing and tend to believe that all surfers are stereo-typed into “Jeff Spicolis.” This is pure rub bish. I don’t care what anyone says-nobody can really surf in top form when they’re drunk or ston ed. No one can do that. They might try, but I would guess that they would end up getting nosed by a board or drowned^ I have to admit it. Surfers are hardcore and unique. Surfers are one of few athletes who would pry themselves out of a warm bed and climb into a cold, clammy wetsuit just to catch the dawn patrol at 4:00 a.m. This is not in sanity; it’s called dedication to a natural art. Surfers are pure athletes who are just awe stricken with the ocean. Surfers are not waste products who just need some good waves and a cool buzz. Rubbish, pure rubbish. Buck Rowlee The Clarion To the Editor, There are a few students who make Brevard College a dangerous place. These irrespon sible individuals believe that tampering with fire alarms and fire extinguishers is somehow amusing. However, short sightedness and stupidity prevent them from realizing just how dangerous this really is. The fire alarms on campus are activated so frequently that no one is apt to heed their warning. Also, the unwarranted use of a fire alarm is immature and by all rights, a crime. The shocking thing is that if there was indeed a fire, the fire department is liable to hesitate in making the trip from fear of finding a false alarm. Let’s say for example that there is a fire on your dorm floor. First, you quickly activate your hall’s alarm, but there will be no firemen rushing to the rescue. You then race valiantly to the nearest fire extinguisher. Alas, someone has discharged the flame retardent material in the name of fun. Yippie! Later, the dorm is damaged, if not completely destroyed by the flames. Some residents lose all of their personal belongings and perhaps even their lives. Is that funny? Laugh it up. It could be you! Sincerely yours, Chris Crowder Dear Editor, The writing of this letter is to give the students of Brevard Col lege the Student Government Association’s feelings about the “No visitation ” policy which was imposed in the dorms from Oc tober 23-30. Although the per sonal opinions vary, the SGA as a whole felt it may have taken the same action. However, the SGA was not asked its opinion of the matter. The SGA feels it should have had some input on the deci sion, even if that input was ig nored. The SGA feels responsible for all aspects of student life. If we are to represent the students fair ly, the opinion of SGA should be received by the faculty and ad ministration on such matters like closing the dorms. SGA hopes that the visitation has served its purpose and that the students have realized the responsibility they have for themselves as well as others here at B.C. Sincerely, Linda Davis Do Students Have Rights? by Elizabeth Oliver Many people have asked me, in the process of writing this article, exactly what rights we as students have. It seems to be about the most controversial and two-sided issue on campus. While going to different dorms and visiting with other students, I got many responses and com plaints about how minimal our rights are here at the college. Students feel that many of the restrictions placed on them give them less freedom than at home. Some people feel inhibited by the constant reminder that Security or the Resident Tutors can enter their rooms at any time and legally go through your belong ings. While talking to Nancy Williams , the RT in West Beam, I realized several things which are of interest to the student body. First, private schools are under a law called “en locale parentus” which means that the administration is legally seen as the students’ “parents.” This gives the school the authority to go into the belongings of a student and search for anything, even without apparent cause. Next, the administration has the right to appoint anyone they wish to search the students’ belongings. This includes securi ty, maintenace, or for instance, the janitorial workers. Also in discussing students’ rights, I found that each RT has a dif ferent personality and, therefore, creates a different atmosphere in his or her dormitory. Some dorms are stricter than others, and the students feel they have fewer or more rights according to which dorm they live in. Students have come up with the question, “Do we have a right to complain about something an RT does if we feel it is wrong?” Yes, as students of BC, we do. Yet who will the administration believe, an RT who is an adult and has been hired to look out for the students, or a student who has been reprimanded? Most students feel that the adminstra- tion would stay on the side of the RT or Security. Wednesdav. November 20,1985 Rules. Who likes them? Nol rules would mean less work fori the R.T.s. I think the lack ofl order that would reult from nol guidelines for behavior would be I lot more of an impostion than I A RT’s View by Nancy Williams Undoubtedly one of the most talked about issues on campus is this business of rights and rules. Too frequently, we all think in terms of two sides: “their” side and the right side. I think we owe it to each other to stop and try to put things into perspective. Below are some of my thoughts as an R.T. about students’ rights and rules. Let me start out by saying that I believe in the goals and purpose of Brevard College. Derwin and I chose Brevard because we at tended a school not unhke BC and both had a very positive ex perience there. We believe in the value of a small college, church- related, liberal arts education. We believe that students have more rights and opportunities than they would have at a school without rules. The choices here are many more than at a place where everything is permitted. the guidelines are. Yetyoucan’tl talk about student rights without] talking about responsibilities. Being irresponsible disrupts] community living and may result | in the altering of privileges. Derwin and I try to create an I atmosphere of mutual respect in I the dorm. The better the! residents accept the responsibilty of living in a dorm, the greater] the sense of trust, sense of com munity, and privileges. Thel more our “dormites” assume I responsibility for operating the dorm within limits, the less 11 have to. The students have just as many rights as they will be| responsible for. i know that legally school of-1 ficials could do things that would tamper with the privile|es of| students such as entering a stu dent’s room with little or nol cause. But fortunately that is not | what Brevard College does. School officials do not enter I students’ rooms with no cause. Is f the school to blame for the law? And there are guidelines. It I seems there is security in know-1 ing what is expected from you. 11 think there would be less stress ini my life if every area of it had! some guideUnes. I wouldn’t have! to figure so many things out. Although I didn’t write thel guidelines, I feel certain that they I are intended to and do allow for a I lot of fun. College days are! memory-making days and I think I everyone should have a good I time. Most of the fun comes from| the fun of getting by with it. Some of the things we do, we I wouldn’t ordinarily consider if it| were allowed. I think the objective of thel guidelines is to promote an at-l mosphere of community. It justi so happens that when about a| hundred people live together ini close quarters, there has to bej some sort of guidelines. Everyone will not ever agree onl exactly what the guidlelinesj should be, but I think everyone! would agree there has to be some! and that someone has to bej responsible for seeing that thej guidleines are followed. About R.T.’s. First of all, nonel of us applied for jobs just to give! out points. We didn’t call up and! say,“Hey, I’d like to give outi points. Do you have any jobs I available making people mad atj me? Oh, and I suppose I couldj teach or coach on the side.” No. That’s not the way it happened. Most all of the R.T.’s are trained! in helping professions. A topi priority value is that of helping I others. None of us enjoy assign-j ing points or any other forms ofl discipline. It’s no fun giving! points to a student you’ve tried! really hard to reach out to. Andl the toughest times I’ve had atl Brevard so far were the times 11 cont. on page 3
Brevard College Student Newspaper
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Nov. 20, 1985, edition 1
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