PAGE * — THE COUGAR CRY, OCTOBER 1, 1972
Editor’s
Since this is the first edition
of the Cougar Cry for this
school year, I felt that this
would be the place and time to
write about some of the organi
zations at Wilkes Community
College that need student sup
port. These clubs and organi
zations have been originated
for the student with the pur
pose of extending to the student
a feeling of being a part of the
college life.
The Wilkes Community Col
lege Student Government Asso
ciation has scheduled freshman
election for the second week in
October. Information on the
election can be foimd in the
coliunn “President’s Notes”
found in this publication. The
S. G. A. acts as an impartial
mediator between the student
and the administration. The
SGA also approves charters for
organizations and allocates
funds for publications and stu
dent affairs. The association
conducts hearings for student
violations. It provides leader
ship in student affairs and in
the development programs for
the betterment of the college.
If your talents are rooted in
the journalistic field, the col
lege has two publications, one
of which you should find re
warding. First is the year
book, The Collar, which is a
Comer
portrayal of the year’s events
both by pictures and written
word. It is compiled and edited
by a staff of students imder the
supervision of a faculty advisor.
The second publication is the
school newspaper, Cougar Cry,
which is published monthly. It
furnishes students with current
information on school happen
ings. The Cougar Cry staff
meets at 1:00 every Tuesday in
the Conference Room.
Wilkes Community College
also has several nationally
chartered clubs which may in
terest you. One is the Circle
K which is a service organiza
tion sponsored by the local Ki-
wanis Club for college men.
The purpose of the club is to
develop future leaders and citi
zens whose philosophy is
founded on freedom, initiative,
the American and Canadian
heritage, and unselfish service
to others.
A sister organization to the
Circle K is the Keyetts. Its
purpose is to assist the Circle
K in group projects on the
campus and in the community.
The main objects of the Key-
ettes is to encourage participa
tion in group activities and to
promote good fellowship and
high scholarship.
Phi Beta Lambda is an or
ganization for students enrolled
in one or more business
JABIES LARKIN PEARSON, N. C. POET LAUREATE
' ^ ml
courses. Last year this club
co-sponsored WCC’s first home
coming, along with the SGA.
Black Organization for Student
Services
The college also has charter
ed the S.N.E.A. which is a stu
dent branch of the National Ed
ucation Association, the largest
professional teacher organiza
tion in the world. The main
goals of the Student National
Educational Association are to
develop an interest in better
education and in better profes
sional methods and attitudes. It
helps prepare more alert stu
dents today for better teachers
tomorrow.
Wilkes Community College
also sponsors a Veterans Club
which is open to any student
who is a veteran of six months
of active duty in the armed
forces of the United States.
This club’s purpose is to pro
vide information for incoming
veterans concerning VA bene
fits, assist them in finding liv
ing quarters, and to focus their
efforts and opinions for the
benefit of the college.
Last year the Black Organi
zation of Student Services was
formed and chartered by the
SGA. The main purpose of
BOSS is to help incoming
Blacks adjust to their new en
vironment.
The college also sponsors a
cheerleading squad for which
tryouts have just been conclud
ed.
Wilkes Community CoUege
fields basketball and golf teams
which compete in intercollegi
ate competUion.
Times, dates, and places
where these meetings or try
outs are to be held will be pub
lished in the student informa
tion bulletin which can be
found in the Commons area
Monday afternoons. This note
to club advisors or officers: In
formation concerning meetings
should be in the Student Per
sonnel Office by 4:30 on the
Friday before publication.
These clubs and organiza
tions are here for you, the stu
dent. They were organized to
get you involved in the college
life. So join now and add
something to the college atmos
phere.
TERRY JACKSON
On The Way
To Class
By KAREN WILES
“Did you see what I saw?”
The Thompson Hall entrance
near the Instructional Media
Center of Wilkes Community
College was adorned with very
impressive works of art.
“Oh, I’m late for class. I’ll
look on the way home.”
I hope everyone found the
time to observe the eighteen
exhibits selected from the
works in the thirty-fourth An
nual North Carolina Artists
Exhibition at the North Caro
lina Museum of Art.
The North Carolina State Art
Society provided the funds for
the traveling show and offered
it absolutely FREE as a service
to you, in cooperation with the
N. C. Museum of Art, W.C.C.,
and the Northwest Art Gallery.
“I missed the exhibit; maybe
next time.”
Are you waiting for the next
time to find your mood and
personality in a work of art?
Pay attention to the displays
at W.C.C. for there may not be
a “next time.”
College Scene
Sign on Donn Door. If I’m
studying when you enter,
wake me up.
-Oak Leaves.
G>Uege Honors Poet Laureate
On 93rd Birthday
PARTICIPANTS IN RIRTHDAY PARTY
On Sunday afternoon, Sep
tember 17, the staff, and stu
dents of Wilkes Commimity
College, along with members of
the community honored Mr.
James Larkin Pearson, the poet
loureate of North Carolina, on
his ninety-third birthday. The
hour-long party consisted of a
program centered around some
of his more popular works.
The program, narrated by
Mr. J. Jay Anderson, was open
ed with a welcome by Dr.
Thompson. Mr, Pearson’s
daughter, Mrs. Agnes Eller,
then recited her version of one
of the poet’s works, “Christ
mas Morning,” transformed by
Mrs. Eller to become “Birth
day Morning.” Two of Mr.
Pearson’s poems _were read by
Mr. Bud Mayes, and several
others were set to music and
performed by Miss Kay Miller
and Miss Janet Brookshire.
A highlight of the program
was a political skit based on
Mr. Pearson’s poems and fea
turing Miss Kate Anthony,
Miss Barbara Stone, Mrs.
Janice Campbell, Miss Janet
Brookshire and Miss Kay Mill
er.
Ballet students of Mrs. Mar
gie Canipe did interpretations
of Mr. Pearson’s poetry as the
poet’s own recorded voice read
in the background.
At the conclusion of the pro
gram, the audience stood and
sang “Happy Birthday” follow
ed by benediction, offered by
Dr. John Wayland.
The afternoon’s festivities
were climaxed with refresh
ments in the Student Commons,
Mrs. Violet Kellam was in
charge.
SGA JVErS
Freshmen class elections are
to be held the second week in
October. Freshman students
may become candidates for of
fice by filing a petition signed
by twenty-five students. These
petitions will be circulated one
week before the elections and
may be obtained from any
member of the Student Govern
ment Association.
The offices to be voted on are
President, Vice-President, Sec
retary and Treasurer of the
Freshman Class. Six Freshman
Senators will also be selected.
Any Wilkes Community Col
lege student carrying at least
ten credit hours or paying a
student activity fee wiU be elig
ible to vote in this important
election.
No Secret
The difference between a
curve and bulge is years.
-Times, Marshalltown, la.
MARS HILL
FESTIVAL
MARS HILL, N. C.—Ninety-
years-old Bascom Lamar Luns
ford, the man who originated
the concept of folk music festi
vals, was flat on his back in the
bed last week in Asheville re
covering from a stroke, yet
mention of his mountain music
festival Saturday, Oct. 14, here
at IVIars Hill College brought
sparks to his eyes and a cascade
of memories.
He said his energies would
be limited just to getting here
for the “frolic,” but to get here
he would.
Limsford does not organize
or perform at festivals any
more, but he loves to hear
others pick and siag. “I try to
sing a little sometimes, but my
picking days are over on ac
count of my fingers. Time is
the success of folk music and 1
can’t get the timing anymore.
I will say this about myself
though: I picked a banjo as
well as a banjo has ever been
puck—^that’s a word I made up."
He considered the annual
Mars Hill festival as a home
coming event. He learned bal
lad singing and to play the
banjo, as well as the fiddle and
guitar, as a child on the college
campus where he was bom
while his father was teaching.
This was a reason why, of all
the festivals that have sprung
up since he began them in the
1920s, the one here at Mars
Hill is the only one which he
allowed to bear his name; “Bas
com Lamar Lunsford’s Minstrel
of the Appalachians.”
Lunsford, who has an inter
national reputation as collector,
researcher and promoter of Ap
palachian folklore, credited his
musical upbringing in Madison
County as giving him the real
ization of the “value of the fine
tradition in mountain people.”
He said this realization lias
been the key to whatever suc
cess he has had and that he has
devoted his life in trying to
convey this realization to
others.
Lunsford said he began
establishing folk festivals as a
means of encouraging others to
learn to appreciate mountain
culture. The first was in 1928
with the Mountain Dance and
Folk Festival in Asheville,
which is still going on. Others
followed at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
at Renfro Valley, Ky., at the
North Carolina State Fair.
He has lectured and perform
ed at colleges, schools and con
cert halls from coast to coast
and Venice, Italy, and with a
band of local performers, has
given programs in Pittsburgh,
Dallas, Philadelphia, St. Louis,
Chicago.
One of the highlights of his
life, Lunsford said, was in 1939
when FDR invited him and his
group of friends to perform at
the White House for visiting
King Greorge VI of England and
his queen. “When we got back
everybody asked ‘What did the
queen say?’ I replied, ‘She just
sat there and patted her foot’ ”
Lunsford has mixed feelings
about the multitude of folk
music festivals, now. He is en
couraged by their popularity,
yet discouraged about some
that were less than authentic.
WWWC BROADCASTING
The Wilkes Cougar home
basketball games will be carried
live on WWWC for the 72-73
season.
Broadcast begins at 7:50, with
sports director Ric Ross doing
the play-by-play.
If you can’t make it to the
game, let WWWC bring the
game to you. Tune in to 1240,
the Wonderful World of Wilkes
County.