FEBRUARY 9,1996 — THE DECREE — PAGE 3
Panelists’ comments belittled students
By MARCY STOVER
During the symposium ses
sion, “Clarity and Charity; The
Life of the Spirit and Liberal Arts
Education,” Sigrid Bonner and
Kelly Wilson painted a picture of
a place where sin abounds and
the evils of hell are running ram
pant. Of course, these two were
referring to North Carolina
Wesleyan College with their vi
cious insults.
Bonner said that as a Resident
Director at thi'; college she sees
widespread disregard for morals
regarding sex, drugs, and alcohol
use. Bonner further said that the
students she encounters have a
lack of respect for authority fig
ures and the rules of the school.
While I agree with Bonner that
some students drink, use drugs,
and engage in sexual relations
By JESSICA BROWN
A new president, a new per
forming arts center, and a new
vision have all arrived at
Wesleyan.
With the inauguration of Dr.
White, new senses of school pride
and spirit have taken hold. All
Wesleyan students, past and
present, have a college they can
(Continued from Page 2)
We don’t have to be mecha
nistic servants. We can be free.
But it’s easier to waver around as
Hamlet does, or to stay buried
under false security as Elliot’s
speaker wants.
If progress of the human race
is possible, don’t you think it re
sults from the individual’s abili
ties to reason, imagine, and love?
Don’t you think these abilities re
sult from his knowledge that he
is free to reason, imagine, and
love? Where do you think this
knowledge comes from?
Seinfield? Hamlet? Excellence in
Business Communications?
A lesson young people often
don’t want to learn is that this
knowledge is not inherent; each
of us will struggle just to learn
how to ask questions. This
struggle is what creates most of
the joy and progress in human
life. Not the arrival but the jour
ney. A liberal arts education helps
us back for the journey.
In our attempt to begin a con-
with various partners, I do not
agree that the solution to this is
religion, morals, or values. In fact,
I do not even believe that this is a
problem.
Wesleyan appears to me to be
a typical college. Perhaps drink
ing, casual sexual relations, and
rebellion are not desirable to au
thority figures, but it does not
seem to be the prevailing attitude
of every North Carolina Wesleyan
College student.
Another behavior of Wesleyan
students of which Bonner disap
proved was the “vulgar language”
used, and she suggested that stu
dents use “colorful language” to
express themselves. Bonner also
said that students at North Caro
lina Wesleyan College are more
interested in partying than study
ing.
Yes, this again is her opinion.
Opinion
be proud of. One couldn’t help
but feel proud during inaugura
tion week, with all of the events
to see and experience.
To hear about future plans, to
sing the Wesleyan alma mater, to
versation about NCWC and its
future, we didn’t ask all the ques
tions which we should have.
Where will we find our sources
of history in a post-Oliver Stone-
Intemeted world? Why doesn’t
this college have a decent foreign
language program? How has the
computer changed (and how will
it change) the teaching of reading
and writing? Nevertheless, the
voices that echoed through the
college during President’s Week
reminded me of our potential. I’m
grateful.
and I will agree that everyone is
entitled to have an opinion. How
ever, I am beginning to wonder
how Bonner can bear to be around
people whose priorities are so
twisted. I may be grossly misin
formed, but I was under the im
pression that partying is found at
every college and among people
of aU ages.
Perhaps Bonner believes that
the drinking is wrong because it
is excessive when compared to
the average lifestyle of, for ex
ample, a 45-year-old. However,
college is billed as the one and
only time in your life when you
can live life this way.
What Bonner did say should
see the history of Wesleyan in
the gallery. All of this brings new
hope to those who may have
lacked hope in the past for the
college.
Wesleyan is a great place. It is
a campus where, if one becomes
involved, everyone becomes fa
miliar with them. It is a college
where the president is not above
carrying on a conversation or a
game of hoops with a student.
This is where friends are made
that will last a lifetime, and lives
are shaped through education in
and out of the classroom.
Wesleyan is a chance for stu
dents who took a back seat in
high school to rise to the head of
the class. Everyone is somebody
important here, and everyone has
a voice.
Students should all be proud
of Wesleyan, because it is ours
for as long as we live. We will
forever carry what we have here
with us throughout our lives. This
college is a part of each and ev
ery one of us, and we can be proud
of our institution.
be a top priority in the lives of
North Carolina Wesleyan College
students is visiting the chapel or
church and having bible study
groups. To this I ask, what if you
don’t believe in God? Surely
Bonner realizes that not every
one believes in God. It was not a
prerequisite for entering this col
lege. Bonner claims that students
do not respect authority figures,
however, it is disrespectful of any
one to assume that everyone be
lieves in some higher being.
Wilson said that without mor
als there is no way a person can
be educated. Therefore, in her
opinion. North Carolina Wes
leyan College needs to take an
active part in reinforcing ethical
decisions and morality that is
learned through religion. Bonner
also shared these beliefs and said
that character should be built on
morals.
What is meant by the term
“morals”? I do not believe that
there are any universal moral
codes, although some may dis
agree. If there is not a universal
moral code for everyone to fol
low, then just whose morals
should the students of North Caro
lina Wesleyan College be follow
ing?
Should we be led by the United
Methodist Church on the issue of
morals? Or is there some other
vague source of moral guidelines
that these two were referring to?
Morals can come from religion,
family upbringing, and the cul
ture that surrounds a person. I
think it is myopic to believe that
everyone has come from the same
religious and family backgrounds.
What about diversity?
Wilson said several times that
Wesleyan has the reputation of
being a “party school.” I cannot
dispute that the Rocky Mount
community believes that to be
true, for it is not something I know
for sure.
However, I have never heard
that rumor, and every student I
mention this comment to laughs
at me for suggesting such an idea.
“If this is a party school, then
why does everyone go home or
to ECU for the weekends when
they want to party?” asked R.J.
Fomaro, sophomore and Resident
Assistant of South Hall. One stu
dent who wishes to be anonymous
said, “I don’t drink very much,
but I have drunk more at ECU
than at Wesleyan. There are no
real parties on the Wesleyan cam
pus.”
Nevertheless, Wilson spoke
about students coming into class
with hangovers and guys brag
ging about their latest sexual con
quests. Yes, students come to
classes with hangovers, but I have
never heard a professor complain
when a student makes it to class,
only when one does not. As far as
guys bragging about their sexual
exploits, I have been here three
years and nearly have perfect at
tendance for all three years, yet I
have never experienced this type
of behavior in any class I have
been in.
My real reason for being
shocked at the symposium ses
sion was that Wilson and Bonner
did not care what impact their
words had on the students who
attended. In addition to this rea
son, the symposium was a public
forum for the community to at
tend. It is conceivable that the
head of the Methodist Church
could have been sitting in a chair
in the back, or maybe an official
from another college or univer
sity.
I believe that Bonner and Wil
son showed only one side of what
students may be like at Wesleyan.
Unfortunately, whomever was at
the symposium may have carried
that information away with them
to be shared with countless oth
ers. On behalf of the students of
North Carolina Wesleyan Col
lege, I thank Kelly Wilson and
Sigrid Bonner for publicly de
grading the image of the North
Carolina Wesleyan College stu
dents.
Very Important...
Graduating seniors need to
make sure the Registrar Office
has your correct mailing address
so graduation information can get
to you in a timely manner.
Free Pizza!
After five years of checking and keyboard work, the
library staff can say with reasonable assurance that the
entire book collection is now in the online catalog (Yow!).
The question which remains is what do we do with
350,000 good quality 3x5 cards with printing on one side?
The library will buy the biggest pizza in town with all
the trimmings and drinks on the side for the person who
comes up with the most creative (and ecologically sound)
suggestion.
Please send proposals to A1 LaRose at the library.
College has reason for pride
A time for reflection