iVol. XXIII — No. 3
The Lance
St. Andrews Presbyterian College
October 12, 1984
To Sleep or Not To Sleep
David Tew
“I see this peaceful protest as a
step in the direction of gaining
respect from administration;” said
junior Hunter Wingate. “Mostly, I
see the student body as realizing that
a mature protest can stand strong.”
The “natural protest” Wingate
was referring to was a sleep-in held
on September 24 in the Wilmington
dorm main lounge. The point being
protested was the suspension of two
St. Andrews students for violating
the school’s cohabitation laws.
“In participating in the sleep-in
protest, it was on purpose to ques
tion whether the administration
followed due process in the
cohabitation case,” said Drew
Hayes, who conducted the forum
before the sleep-in.*A dialogue was
distributed to those in attendance
which brought up the question in
the Saltire, specifically the right to a
trial before a judical body, with
references to the rights granted the
accused of due process yet specified
that guilt or innocence was not the
issue. At the height of the meeting,
over one hundred St. Andrews
students were assembled, although
the great majority of them declined
to stay the night. The meeting did
last past midnight, thus some one
hundred students were technically
“cohabitating” past visiting hours.
This was the group’s form of “civil
disobedience”, and many students
and faculty felt it was a necessary
awakening.
“I am most impressed by our
display of concern and by the
mature manner in which this
demonstration of concern was
handled,” said senior Phillip Leist.
He continued, “Student apathy is
dissipating, and it seems that chan
nels for communication with the ad
ministration and the faculty are
open wider than any time in the re
cent past.”
Senior Brook Gustafsen sup
ported Mr. Leist by saying, “This is
the first time in my four years at St.
Andrews that I have seen students
unify over an issue we feel strongly
about. We must continue to stand
up for our rights, like in the respon
sible manner that has been
displayed.”
Dean of Students, William Lof-
tus, voiced the administrator’s voice
of the event. “I thought it was very
positive. Of all the ways to protest,
they chose the most constructive
one. It is always unfortunate when
students break the rules, and I
•didn’t approved of that, but I didn’t
stop it, though it is within my power
to do so; and there appeared to be a
very good and mature discussion,”
he said.
College Pastor Bob Martin
agreed. “I have serious questions
about the entitlement as “sleep-in”.
I didn’t attend because it was billed
as such, and thus inappropriate.
However, I have nothing but
positive feelings about the deter
mination to have a forum. It is a
tribute to the basic ideals of students
- how they reason things out
together. I hope for similar forums
and pursuits for other issues, such
as national selections, peach
movements, and community in
terests, rights, and needs. I am will
ing to believe the interest is here.”
Though invited to address the
group. Dean Loftus shared Martin’s
thoughts on the appropriateness of
being at a function that was in viola
tion of the school’s laws. “Plus,”
he added. “I needed to speak to the
Student Life committee first. But I
felt the meeting would be well run.
Anytime people get together for a
common concern - that’s good and
the last thing I want to see is a docile
student body. I feel like I wouldn’t
be doing my job.”
Though less than a dozen students
actually stayed the night, there was
a firm resolution among them.
“I’ve come to show my concern for
our rights,” said Freshman Sandra
Shaw. “I plan to be here for the
next four years, and I don’t want
any vagueness in my rights as a stu
dent in the future. I feel the action
taken was unjust and we, as
students, need to show concern so
that nothing like this happens in the
future. The administration needs to
know our concern for this
situation.”
Senior B.J. Tipton agreed. “I feel
that there is a definite vagueness
concerning the action that was taken
in the recent case. It is, as I see it,
our duty to peacibly protest the
coarse of action which has been
taken. After all, these are our rights
and we need to understand how the
executive power affects them.”
dr.
Thfc
ing.
the.
see
“ha
T!
whi,
strai
The'
Cem
Chur^
Light
miles i
The
Cemeta.
of the M(
corner o^
have life
Global Glance
Nicaraguan junta leader Daniel Ortega declared on October 3 in a speech
to the U N. General Assembly that direct U.S. military action in Nicaragua
will be “ready to begin” by October 15. Ortega also insisted that the U.S.
approve a draft peace treaty formulated by Colombia, Panama, Mexico,
and Venezeula, a group known as the Contadora.
Three Soviet cosmonauts finally stepped foot on sohd ground agam on
October 2 after a record 237 days in space. Senator Spark Matsunap
(D-Hawaii) is convinced that the Soviets are working toward a manned mis
sion to Mars. Matsunaga has proposed a cooperative program between the
U.S. and the U.S.S.R. to strive for a joint manned mission to Mars, but lit-
^tle support has been shown for this proposal. ^
The European Economic Community (EEC) continues to grapple with
financial difficulties. Overspending has forced the EEC to request that its
10 members contribute to a $750 million rescue package into to prevent the
EEC from defaulting on its financial obligations during the remainder of
1984.
Brown University students will be faced with an intriguing question on
their Student Council ballot this October 10-11. Approximately 700
students endorsed a petition requesting that the student body vote on
whether or not the campus health center will stock cyanide pills so that
students might have the option of suicide following a nuclear attack.
Reports from the university indicate that some students and faculty are fin
ding the question difficult to swallow.
Complied by Philip Leist