PAGE No. 2.
THE DECREE
MAY 25, 1965
SditMiak .
TO OUR EDITOR
It is customary at this time of year to present an
e'litorial tribute to the outgoing editor. This tribute is
often leaded with trite phrases and platitudes. Such an
editorial would not do justice to Edward B. Lewis.
Ed gave this newspaper strength. Along with his tiny
staff, he stepped into a job about which he knew very
little, and, before he was through, he made the student
bod and the administration sit up and realize there really
was a college newspaper.
Believing that lack of communication was the basic
problem on the Wesleyan campus Ed used this newspaper
to smack the students, and oftimes the administration,
between the eyes to get their attention. What would it
take to make Wesleyan arise from its apathetic slumber?
Questions of race, sex, and the like? If so, then Ed would
use it if he thought itmight make the people here think.
Straight editorials, satiric editorials, fables, and p>oems
were printed in the Decree, and it was gratifying to see
the minds of Wesleyan students begin to stir and brush
away their cobwebs. The automatons started to read the
paper, to question, and finally to demand answers from
the administration which they had ignored in the past.
Ed also hoped to make the administration see that the
Decree was no longer just a rag that came out now and
again and said nothing. This he accomplished, by sincerely
questioning policies which he felt the student body should
understand. In doing so he may have opened a new era in
understanding and better relations between the students
and the administration.
To Ed this college owes a debt for making the Decree
into an integral power for the students’ best interests. To
Ed the staff owes many thanks for his clear and steady
thinking in our many hours of crisis. To Ed future classes
at Wesleyan will owe their thanks for making this school
much stronger.
We sincerely feel that the staff of next year’s Decree
will follow the examples set by Ed Lewis, and that in
doing so we will add to thehonor he has brought this
newspaper. TOM DAVIS
Poverty And Discrimination
Poverty in our community is the theme of a feature
story in the “Decree” this week. One looks at this headline,
P"zes at the nicture of a dilapidated house, and then turns
the t)age. And, that is often the way with us clean, “Chris
tian” people, not just at Wesleyan, but Rocky Mount, east
ern North Carolina, and in our “great” America as a whole.
Few bother to ask why such poverty exists. Even fewer
try to do something about it.
Admittedly, some emphasis has been put on this
issue. I^nnedy and Johnson saw fit to declare “war on
poverty.” A work corp was founded to give aid in de
pressed areas. Money is slowly being channeled to help the
poor. But, by-in-large the process of reform has been a
painfully slow one. The problem of poverty has been dis
missed as either unimportant or too expensive by the ma
jority of Americans. We, as a nation, deny the existence
of “such things” in our fine land. “I’m not poor — why
should I be concerned,” one asks.
Lets face the issue.Tliets really, honestly, declare “war
on p>overty.” How can we do anything, one may ask? One
very important answer would be another question. Whv
is there poverty? And a key to this answer is found if one
examines the prejudices found in America. Yes, the preju
dice placed against an individual because of his name, his
religion, his color, or because of the way he parts his hair.
The bigotry found is indeed one of the primary reasons for
much poverty. How can one be expected to support him
self decently when he has no opportunity.
Often in our society people with tremendous potential
are completely stifled in attempts at self-betterment be
cause of social prejudices. These same people end up in
the shacks, the rat-infested hovels not fit for animal habi-
tation^not because they haven’t tried for better things, but
because they haven’t had an opportunity in education or
employment.
Look again at the poverty story. Examine those pic
tures closely. Who knows, YOU might be living there if
your color were different. RCK
Proposed Staff For 65-66
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The Cafeteria, Revisited
As the school year at our beloved college comes to a
conclusion;^ and as one reminisce about his school, thoughts
of our wonderful cafeteria come to mind. Especially re
membered is the protest that occurred earlier this year
when the usually listless student body actually displayed
great unity. Almost to a man they protested against the
“so-called” food that was being served.
After the “strike” some improvements were made. A
food service committee was organized to meet with Mrs.
Vanderslice. As a result the quality and variety of the
food did improve. The serving-line was more careful not
to “drown” the food. Menus were posted and some of the
dishes were labeled.
But one wonders how long this improvement con
tinued. Admittedly one will grow tired of the day after
dav. eqting in one place, regardless of how good the food
is. Hov.'ever, it still appears that our cafeteria has again
lapsed into the same attitude that existed before the pro
test. The servers, with the exception of a few, manage to
mix the Dortions together sc that the result is often both
undesirable and undescribable. One can almost predict
what will be served at a specified meal. A Sunday night
neal still has only ore entree, either Tuna Salad, ham
burgers, or hotdogs. Often the same serving appears at
two very close meals.
Suggestions to have meal tickets have been turned
r*nwn for two rea>=rns. First, it would be too expensive^and
cp'-ond, it would damage school spirit not to have a forced
dailv meeting place.
The first reason does have some merit. Perhaps it
would cost a little more per meal eaten in the cafeteria
v-i+h meal tickets. But since many students already pay
for two meals oftimes (the one not eaten at school and the
one eaten somewhere else to get away from the “awful
cafeteria”) it would seem that in the long run it would be
fheacer to have a meal ticket plan. To the second sugges
tion that the cafeteria “meeting-place” helps school spirit
all that needs to be said is “BAH-HUMBUG”.
Will the students have to demonstrate again? Or will
by some miracle, the food improve without such drastic
measures. It seems that the first possibility is more likely.
It may not do any lasting good, but at least it shows that
we, as students, care. RCK
NEWS STAFF
Supervising Editor
Co-Editors
Feature Editor
Sports Editor
BUSINESS STAFF
Business Manager
Circulation Manager
Mailing
Tommy Inscoe
Bob Kirkman
Duffie Monroe
. Harry Zane
Tom Davis
Shelton Nickens
John Hendricks
Carolyn Moss
THE DECREE
Official Student Newspaper of
North Carolina Wesleyan College
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NEWS STAFF
Editor-in-Chief Ed L,ewis
Assistant Editor Duffie Monroe
Sports Co-editors , Steve Hall
Fritz Smith
Uyout Editor Marilyn Spence
PhotograjAers Tom Davis
Ray O’Kelly
BUSINESS STAFF
Business Manager Ronnie Brockenbrough
Circulation Manager John Hendricks
Mailing ... Carolyn Moss
GENJBRAL STAFF
Claire Anderson Jolly Alligood
King Fun Ho Dodie Waters
Tom Inscoe Aileen Parker
Alyce Nixon Bob Kirkman
Doug Windes Doug Groseclosc
Blaine Adatns
Letters To
The Editor
The Administrative Council
has been much too conservative
in their standing concerning ap
propriate college apparel for
Wesleyan students. We must con
sider that Wesleyan has a re-,
putatlon to maintain while not
forgetting that students at this
Institution must, at all times,
dress appropriate to those stan
dards established by the more
prominent places of learning. It
is my opinion that the Adminis
tration benefit the college com
munity by adopting a number of
resolutions which firmly es
tablish proper college apparel.
They are:
1. Proper school clothes may
be worn- in all areas of the col
lege between the hours of 8:00
a. m. and 11:57 p. m. during the
months of the academic school ’
year.
2. Clean socks may be worn
from the first week in November
to the last week in April. Such
attire is still inappropriate for
the remaining months of the year.
3. proper sportswear and
clean athletic attire may be worn
only betweea the hours of 1:44
and 10:35 p. m. and when the
temperature is above 75 degrees
Fahrenheit and/ or the humidity
is greater than 70 percent
cent,
4. Sweatshirts may be worn
only Monday through Saturday
during the academic school year.
Only short sleeved sweatshirts
or sweatshirts with the sleeves
removed, will be allowed on Sun
day and only between the hours
of 6:04 a. m. and 9:32 a. m.
5. Blue Jeans are inappro
priate on all areas of the col
lege campus except the Decree
office and the Retreat.
6. Athletic shoes may be
worn only between the hours of
4:37 p.m. and 10:31 p. m,, Mon
day through Friday, from the last
week in '’September ta the first
week In June. Athletic shoes
other than conoersc hummers
are inappropriate. Only wing-
tips and weeguns will be allowed
on Saturday and Sunday during
the above mentioned months.
7. Only pajamas and “baby-
doll” ( night gowns ) may be
worn between the hoiu's of 11:00
p.m. and 8:0Q a. m. Such attire
is still inappropriate for all
academic areas and the face-
teria.
8. Only coats and ties may
be worn in the snack bar and
juke box room Monday through
Saturday between the hours of
6:00 a. m. and 11;00 p. m. For
mal attire for men and long gowns
for women must be worn on Sun
day in these areas.
9. Bermuda shorts are for
bidden on all areas of the cam
pus, including the juke box room,
the snack bar and the cafeteria
on all days, no matter the tem
perature. Such attire is not per
mitted on any area of the campus
unless the student is participat
ing in an athletic activity. (See
al)Ove rules for prope r attire dur
ing such activities).
I strongly advise the Admini
strative Council to adopt the
afore - mentioned regulations.
They are certainly vital to the
reputation of Wesleyan.
You most sincerely.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
It has been a long and harrowing
season for the Wesleyan baseball
nine ( no pun intended), as in
deed every season has been for
every team ever fielded by Wes- ?
leyan College. Be that as it may.