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THE WESLEYAN DECREE
Wednesday, May 8, 1963
Editorials
We Are Valuable
“Professors value students more highly than stu
dents value themselves.” This statement by Dr. Jack
Teagarden, who deleted it from a recent survey
conducted by a Wesleyan psychology student, jolted
many members of the chapel audience to full at
tention on May 2, 1963. The survey conducted by
random picking of subjects—students and faculty—
to fill out a questionnaire represents the prevalent
attitude and vievi^point at Wesleyan. Many students
do not value themselves highly enough to aspire or
to achieve anything other than mediocre goals in
their studies, community participation, relationship
with others, et cetera. Being fully saturated with the
idea that they are not worthy or capable of assuming
their role as mature adults in a college community
or the larger “outside community,” these students
prod along shrugging off any motivation or possible
jolter of their apathy. This apathy is not quite the
humility that is desirable in men who attain the wis
dom and maturity to realize their limitations and
inadequacies as well as their potentialities.
As Dr. Teagarden pointed out professors have stu
died extensively maturing by their studies and ac
quiring the knowledge that they can obtain only
a minute portion of all knowledge. They have the
humility to discern the essential worthiness of each
individual or lile personified in this individual; to
value highly this portion of humanity for what he
may gain for himself and man in general as well
as place a high premium on the benefits they as
professors will derive from his fellowman by asso
ciation and assimilation of the knowledge of both.
Students therefore are needed and valued by pro
fessors who are constantly as “lovers of wisdom”
seeking to spark a response in them to their love.
Also, by association with the students, the professor
is constantly challenged to study—to extend and
intensify his knowledge.
—S. B.
Were They Fair?
We are going to mention this subject one more
time, then (for our own safety) no more.
The Student Government Association elections
held recently represent a dark spot on the records
of those responsible for them. Granted the elections
stirred up a little interest in the SGA, but that en
thusiasm has run its course. Having to repeat the
same election three times seems a mighty difficult
way to create interest.
The points in question are these: Why does the
date for SGA elections conflict indirectly with spring
holidays? Why is the list of eligible candidates not
posted sooner? Why are no campaigns held or
speeches given to acquaint the students with the
candidates?
The time at which the elections were held indeed
conflicted with spring holidays. The SGA Consti
tution sets a definite time for these elections; since
spring holidays will start on or about the same date
each year, is a constitution change not needed?
Eligible lists were posted on the day the holidays
started, and elections were held two days after the
holidays ended. The point is that the student body
did not have time to give serious thought to the
merits of each eligible.
Neither was there time available for the presen
tation of campaign speeches by the candidates and
their supporters. How many students knew the can
didates for president well enough to know how
qualified they are to hold office? More knowledge
than mere facial recognition is needed to be able
to vote wisely. Competition and campaigning is a
vital part of any election, and it should be so for
ours.
We strongly recommend that (a) the dates for
SGA elections be changed so that the student body
may give its full attention to them; (b) eligible lists
be posted a minimum of two weeks before elections
are held; (c) adequate time be allowed for cam
paigning and speech-making.
Some colleges don’t even have elections . . .
—J. G.
—Mr. X
LITTLE MAN OJM CAMPUS
'‘If YOU KgCALL, FHYLU6, I WAI?N£l7 yoU APOJT CUTXim
THOJ OJP EN6lNgE=f:(N6 aJILPlNS/''
Letters To The Editor
(The editor reserves the right to accept or refuse to print
any material submitted. Letters printed represent opinions
of the individuals and not those of The Decree staff.)
Editors, Wesleyan Decree:
“It is a sad comment on the
dccline of individualism in Ame
rica that the critic has no
friend in court. He is tagged
‘contnovensial,’ the worst that
can happen in a conformist so
ciety.
“The ‘controversial’tag makes
him by definition a ‘flawed’ per
sonality, not group-adjusted,
one-sided, ill-informed, frustrat
ed and motivated by ill will.
Epithets may therefore be
Club Wins
Top Award
At the annual convention of
the Garden Club of North Caro
lina which has just been con
cluded in Charlotte, the Rocky
Mount Garden Club was pre
sented an exquisite silverbowl
and certificate ais winner of the
Marjorie Doub Silver Bowl
award for a Civic Beautifi
cation Project undertaken and
completed in one year’s time.
Their winning project was the
landscaping and planting of
free-form flower beds on the
grounds of Woman’s Nash Dor
mitory of Wesleyan College.
The greater part of the work
was done by the women them
selves with Mrs. Jasper L.
Cummingis and Mrs. A. L. Bran
don as co-chairmen. Valued as
sistance and supervision was
rendered by Mrs. Frances Mac-
Farland, resident counselor of
Nash Dormitory.
The Rocky Mount Garden
Club and several members of
the club furnished funds total
ing about $225 to buy new
bulbs and plants, but most of
the bulbs and plants (totaling
around 5,500) were contributed
by members of the Garden
(Hub and planting was done by
twelve members.
Results of tlieir efforts were
evidenced in the bunst of spring
bloom vsrhich beautified the
campus during the Easter Sea
son. Additional plants are be
ing added to the beds for con
tinued bloom in other seasons,
and two birdbaths were added
by the Garden Club HANDS
Committee and a friend from
California.
The bowl will soon be public
ly displayed.
tlirown at him witli impimity;
he may be misquoted and mis
represented, and what he saj^s
may be contemptiouisly dis
missed as requiring no refuta
tion whatever.” So spoke Vice
Admiral Hyman G. Rickover
in his Saturday Evening Post
article, “The Decline of Indi
vidualism in America.”
To offer “food-for-thought” as
the only comment upon this as
sertion is to attempt to extir
pate oneself from what is pro
bably the most significant pro
blem now eminent in modem
society; this, the conscientious
citizen of the Community can
not do.
To survey the entire nature
and every aspect of this situa
tion at Wesleyan would be to
compile a treatise; to attempt
bo limit the score of inquiry
to certain ispecifics would be
to compile one chapter of tlie
treatise, therefore limiting its
value because it has no com
parative relation. It is there
fore that we must speak in
generalities.
Shall we continue to stand by
and observe the persecution of
the individual at Wesleyan be
cause he refuses to sacrifice
his personal integrity in favor
of group “standards of pro
priety?” Are we to Umit our
concept of the Christian Com
munity only to tliose known as
conformists; is there no place
in the Christian (Community
for the free thinker, for the
inquiring mind, for individual
ity? Are we to deny anyone
the right to criticize, to com
plement, to speak without fear
of oppression, to discriminate
as among respect, lack of re
spect, and disrespect?
Let us all hope that after
thoughtful evaluation of this
question, each and every in
dividual may walk our halls,
shoulder erect and head held
high, feeling that he, “con
formist” or “non-conformist,”
is a valuable member of the
Wesleyan Community.
Respectfully submitted,
Bill Morris
SNATCHES
By BUTCH NICHOLS
Liberal Arts
Worms subservient to a “pro
fessed” cause
Will in time conform to “pro
fessed” laws.
Intellectual elephantic themes
Broaden and draw forth one’s
wormy dreams.
Forced to be engulfed in pea
nuts, tusks and gray
And trying to find out the
subtle way
Of relating all those big and
vague concepts
To things less general—and
inept
Though he may be at doing
this
He still goes Uirough and
with a hit or miss
Discovers through his love of
worms
That elephants are only terms
To rote off, at times, to bridge
that gap
Between to know and to de
sire to know.
So, our hero named “Acquies
cence” is,
As most profesisors tliink, a
whiz
When in actuality
Just knows that factuality.
Collins' Talk
Is Published
A Baccalaureate Sermon by
President Thomas A. Collins
has been printed in the May
issue of Pulpit Digest, a fore
most national journal for min
isters.
Tlie sermon, “What Our World
Needs” was delivered as the
commencement sermon at At
lantic Christian (Allege in 1959,
and was accepted shortly there
after for use in the current
issue. Dr. OoUins has had other
sermons accepted by Pulpit
Digest and other ministerial
publications. At present he pre
pares a monthly sermon for
the Carolina Cooperator, pub
lication of the North Carolina
F. C. X.
Pulpit Digest is an interdeno
minational journal for minis
ters, published in Manhasset,
N. Y., with Dr. Ralph C. Raugh-
ley, Jr., as editor.
Official Student Newspaper of
North Carolina Wesleyan College.
Printed bi-weckly in
Nashville, N. C.
TICKETS ON SALE
Don’t forget to buy your
tickets for the Spring Formal
soon. On sale today and all
week in the College Book
shop!
MEMBER
EDITOR
Susan Black
ASSISTANT EDITOR
John Gillis
BUSINESS MANAGER
Vann Massey
ADVERTISING MANAGER
Walter White
CIRCULATION
Cherry Gorham, Louise Kepley,
Susan Burkle
REPORTERS
Libby Wallace, Butch Nichols,
Bill Morris, Judy Thornlow
Ginger Nesbitt
SPORTS
David Reeves, Bill Roberson
PHOTOGRAPHY
Louis Womble