Letters to Editor
Both Pro and Con
SEAL OR STEAL?
Maybe some of you wondered what ever happened
to our new seal which we all so eargerly looked forward
to? There was a great deal of enthusiasm shown when
first mention of it was made ar^d many of us excitidly
awaited it. At last the design came out and was warmly
received and greatly complemented. It was surely a great
improvement over the old one (which really isn’t saying
a great deal—the old one being perhaps the most un
imaginative, uninspiring seal most of us have ever seen)
and its almost certain passage was eagerly anticipated—
but it pas! Imagine our bitter astonishment at such an
action! The Board of Trustees didn’t pass it! Why to many
legal matters involved.
Now we’ve heard some weak excuses before, but
this does truly take the prize. Do they mean to say that
after founding an entire college in nine short years, that
now they can’t even change the seal! It would seem that
the real issus is lack of creative spirit on their part. We
can onJy say that is sad. Lack of imagination, insight, and
creativity toward small issues can transfer to larger issues
and should this ever happen then may God truly help
*us.
“THE ELEPHANTS’ GRAVEYARD
Among the possessions of my recently departed
Great-Grandfather, I have chanced to run across scwne
notes which he had gathered whiJe wandering through
Elast Africa as a young man. These amazing documents,
which were given to him by a Zulu chief for saving his
village from a stampeding herd of wild impals, contained
an ancient, though sketchy, history of Zuluknd—once
called, in ancient times, Wesleyleland. Due to the de-
torated condition of these notes I was only able to de
cipher a small poiiion of them, which I have pieced to
gether here for your enjoyment.
Weslealand was named in honor of two great bro
thers Charlu and Jonu Wesleyleau — Botli fierce and
• valiant warriors who supposedly founded the Wesleyeau
code—^no one really understood it, but since they were
such great warriors, excelling in the writing of doctrines
(indeed, they were the only ones who even know how
to write anything), no on dared question this sacred
word.
The «euntry of Weseyaland was appartently run by
a council of chosen men—wise sages whose position was
so important that they were removed from the everyday
affairs of the country and allowed to live in a specLal
villiage all to themselves, the better to render their wise
and weightty decisions. Any decisions rendered were
handed down to the chief, who handed them to a lesser
chief, who handed them down to a managing council,
who handed them down to a people’s councU who hand
ed handed them down to the people. This system would
have been very effective except that, (due I suppose
to to gravitational farces), nothing oould ever be handed
up. Every week or so the pepole would present an ele
phant as a gift to the upper council, hoping that perhaps
these venerable sages could use the ivory tusks for mugs,
in order to better drink the nectar of knowledge upon
which they seemed to thrive. However, this must have
seemed to be a bother to them because the elephants
were always killed and thrown into a chasm known as
the Elephants’ Graveyard. Of course the stench was at
times xmbearable but the venerable sages would simply
walk away to their village and shut the doors, leaving
the people to bear the ^or. This greatly irriiaited the
people. It was evident that the higher council needed
thethe ivory—their decisions were getting worse and
worse—and yet, they kept instructing the lower council
to kill the elephants and dvimp them into the graveyard.
Wesleyealand stand! The people appealed to the manag
ing council to change the system but were told that the
chief had said that the doctrine of those two great war
riors, Charlu and Jonu, oould never be changed. This
was apparently the utter limit. The notes relate thiat there
were dire consequences but due to blood stains and
arrow holes in the paper I was not able to decipher the
rest.
It does se^ a shame fliat such conditions had to
exhist—^just think of all the wasted ivory—^but I suppose
one must not judge too harshly. After all, these people
were quite primitive and since we have no modeni
equivalMit of this sort of conditiOTis then I guess we
really shouldn’t let it bother us one way or another.
What has happened to the letters
to the Editor? Is everybody neu-
tral about Wesleyan life?
THROt/Oyy
4
MOOH'
A FINAL NOTE
—Northfield, Minn.-(I.P.)-The Board of Trustees of
Carleton College authorized recently the strengthening
and expansion of the voluntaiy religious program aft the
College, and at the same time adopted a resolution
abolishing the requirement of any regular religious
obeservance.
In their discussions the Trustees reaffirmed the im-
importance of the religious heritage of Carleton emphaiz-
ing the need to provide new and greater opportunities
for religious interest and expression.
Carleton s President John W, Nason, in commenting
upon the decision, stated, “Regular and required chapel
attendance was a natural part of the tradition out of
which most private colleges in America, including Car
leton, arose Culturaly changes in the twentieth century
have gradually led most independent colleges and uni
versities to modify their requirements for religious ob
servance.
“This has been due in part to the cultural diversity
of the student body in institutions such as Carleton, in
part to an increasing recognition within that diversity of
the value of voluntary religious activities. Religion as
an ^t of worship in contrast to an external form of be
havior must come from within. Some degree of encour
agement in the form of a requirement is helpful to many
individuals; it, is however, distasteful to many others.”
The Carleton Trusteees also adopted a statement of
aims which says in part, that the purposes of the College
is the liberal education of the students and that Carleton
considers itself under the obligation to provide a varied
program of worship, inquiry and instruction so that each
studenit is able to face issues raised by religitvus and
philosophical interpretations of man’s relation to the
universe as knowledgeably and intelligently as possible.
President Nason indicatated that this statement of
aims represents a central aspect of what the College is
seeking to achieve. “This College is committed to the
liberal tradition of its foimders—a tradition which com
bines freedoom of belief with passionate concern for
ultimate value. Although a formal requirement in re
ligion has now been eliminated, we expect that all who are
associated with the College will continue to share our
conviction of the importance of religious and moral
issues,” he concluded.
Ed. Note: Well, at least we’re not the only ones who
have recognized a problem of this nature. Why can’t we
t^e some acticm?
THE DECREE
Official Student Newspaper of
North Carolina Wesleyan College
Printed bi-weekly in
T»rboro, N. C.
Circulation: 1,000
NEWS STAFF
Executive Editor Ed Lewis
Managing Editor Ray OlCelly
Associate Editor Ronnie Arrington
Feature Editor Jim McICinley
Layout Editor Marilyn ^>encer
Anistant Layout Editor Duffie Monroe
Sports Editor Steve Hall
Secretary Aylce Nixsoo
Pbotograi^r Ronnie Brockenbrough
M ■ H ■ K M
Business Address;
Box 3146
N. C. Wesleyan College
Ro^y Mount, N. C.
BUSINESS STAFF
Business Manager Bnice Sharer
Marilyn Shepard
Circulation, Subscriptiwi Manager Jerry Stockdale
On Campus Circulation Ray Robinson
GENERAL STAFF^^ Lamddin
Hm Traylor
Lynda Johnson
Jose Perer,
Dot^ Groseclose
Claire Andertoti
Caroline Sanders
Jayne Ward
Tommy Inscoe
King Jun Ho
Chris Taylor
Dale Pixley
Dodie Waters
Suzanne Barwic
Cherl Leslie
And they talk about the
Juvenile Class of ‘68! Last night
we witnessed the most adoles
cent display ever seen on campus.
It more appropriately should have
been an act committed by third
graders than “grown men and wo
men” in college.
The DISSENTER was burned.
Why? Simply because a few
immature students felt it did not
meet their standards for a pub
lication of this type. It didn’t
conting anything but pictures
and to them, was just a scrap
book with little or no meaning.
If anything, this display of
childishness only proved one
thing to me—the utter disres
pect of the upperclassmen in
general to their fellow students.
It is clearly understood that
the majorit/ of this year’s DIS
SENTER staff had little if any
thing to do with the production of
last year’s annual. But. in a
round-about way, they are taking
the responsibility and blame for
it.
What’s the matter you ‘ ‘ mature’ ’
people—don’t you have enough
consideration to think of those
who worked on the DISSENTER
and felt that this was an achieve
ment of their efforts? Don’t
you have enough respect for your
fellow students and respect for
your school. Believe it or not,
the DISSENTER represents Wes
leyan—so what do you do
you burn it. Does that sound
like loyallty and love to you?
Think twice Mr. Upperclass
man before you criticize the
Freshmen and their juvenile ways
first take a good look at your
self.
A Freshman
We would like to extend a
note of appreciation to Mrs. Rich-
ardis Vanderslice and to Mr.
Willard Felton for their cooper
ation and extensive help during
the Autumn Jubilee Week-end.
Also Jeff Shee, Jimmy West,
Becky Chambers, Debbie Neal,
Ann Van Wagoner, and Bill Bob
bitt—to sum it up , the dance
decorations were perfect.
Beverly Vincent, your commit
tee also did a fine job at North
Hall. Rita Abernathy, judg
ing partly by the number of
empty cups, your refreshment
committee did an excellent job.
Darnell Gates and Perry Lowry,
thanks so much for your service
at the door.
Bill Bobbitt , President of the
Monogram Club; Mike Pratt,
Ronnie Brockenbrough, and Ed
Schultz, the dance was well plan
ned, publicized, and successful.
Working with your club has been
quite an experience!
Complimentary remarks made
by the administration about the
behavior of the students during
Halloween can also be passed
along.
As for the gymnasium, per
haps It is just as well that the
location of the dance necessi
tated change. It only seems
fitting that the basketball team
should try it out first ( as' we
hear that they are now doing).
We just hope that the spirit
and support of the student body
continues throughout the year
on the same high key as with
the Beauty Pageant and Zodiac
reception.
And to you, The Decree, thank
you very much for pUbndzing
and covering the social events.
You’re doing an excellent job.
Sincerely yours,
Grace Markham, Chairman
of the Social Commission
Baxter Myers, Business Mana
ger.