PAGE TWO
EDITORIAL
The Guilfordian would like to institute a new program aimed
at keeping the community aware of issues of general concern.
We feel that a great deal of research and writing is being done
by Guilford students and faculty in areas that would be
enlightening to other members of our community. Papers
written in Economics, Sociology, Geology, Political Science, and
many other academic areas could be shared through the
Guilfordian instead of merely graded, filed, and forgotten.
These papers would have to be condensed and edited to meet
newspaper requirements, but we feel this rich source of
information should be utilized.
We will begin next week with a two-part paper on Strip
Mining which we feel is especially timely in light of President
Ford's recent veto of strip mining legislation. We encourage
any member of the student body or faculty who has written a
paper of community interest and would like to have it
considered for publication to submit it to the Guilfordian.
Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor:
I write this letter today, not
as a student activist, but as an
appeal for the student of
Guilford College to open their
eyes to the "system." (The
system being Dr. Grimsley
Hobbs - President, Dr. Cyril
Harvey-Academic Dean, Fa
culty Tenure and Promotion
Committee, Department
chairman, and Mr. Bruce
Stewart-Assistant to the
President.) Recently I had the
opportunity to organize a
petition that would appeal to
the system for the rehiring of
Dr. Raleigh Bailey, who is now
employed as Assistant Profes
sor of Sociology and Anthro
pology at Guilford. I formally
gathered a petition, consisting
of over one hundred students"
favoring the retention of Dr.
Bailey, and presented it to Dr.
Cyril Harvey. After discussing
this petition with me for over
one hour, Dr. Harvey strongly
urged me to "plug into the
system" in my attempt to get
Dr. Bailey rehired. Trying in
vain, I found that there was no
receptacle |to plug into. This
resulted in my plea to the
student government of the
Urban Center. Knowing of my
individual interest in this
matter, they appointed me to
the student sub-committee of
the Faculty Tenure and
Promotion Committee, the
very committee that was to
determine Dr. Bailey's fate, as
well as clarify procedures for
working in the system,
contacting the chairman of
this Student Sub-Committee,
Mr. Carl Wright, I was
refused admission to this
meeting. The reason? 1 knew
nothing of the procedure's and
policies of the Studetn
Sub-Committee, one of the
main issues to be discussed in
this meeting. In conclusion, 1
hope the students of Guilford
College can see that Dr.
Bailey's case was reviewed
without Dr. Bailey present to
defend himself, behind closed
doors, in a meeting of which
student supporters of Dr.
Bailey were barred from
attending, and in medival
fashion. If this is the
"system", trying a man
without him being present, no
representation, no chance to
defend himself and malice,
what has become of justice?
Dave West
Dear Editor:
Jim Baxter's recent letter in
The Guilfordian impressed me
with its sincerity and
eagerness for understanding.
The part that moved me most I
want to comment on, but not
before 1 mention a related
concern: Because of my
lifelong interst in "the word"
in genreal and in "words" in
particular, I am led, even at
the risk of being accused
of nit-picking, to express my
dislike for the use of the
, adjective "gay" as a synonym
for "homosexual." This has
bothered me from the outset,
not just since adoption for the
recently organized Alliance at
Guilford.
Perhaps I can explain my
feelings about this by going
directly to Jim's statement
"that there is a tension about
the subject of homosexuality,
that some people are at a loss
to know how to handle." I
~ agree with that. I am also
sympthetic with the statement
that "we are, all of us,
struggling with the question of
ur identities and the problem
of ambiguity in our lives."
Now the word "gay" has been
used for a long time to mean
cheerful, colorfu, radiant,
joyous (heitsr* bunt, strah
lend, lustig; German word are
often very expressive --
especially where in this case
the word "gay" may also be
translated as lebenslustig,
suggestion the pleasure-in
living connoted by "gay").
What I do not like is the
restriction of the use of a word
so rich in meaning. Indeed, I
believe this is particularly
unfortunate here because of
the associated meaning of
flott: lively, buoyant, fast,
frolicsome. Whether it is a
valid association or not, i am
afraid that the word "dalli
ance" suggests itself as a
substitute term for an
organization described as
"gay-"
Finding one's identity is a
serious business. That is not
to say that it cannot be fun.
However, when we reflect
long enough we discover that
"finding" one's identity is
only part of a process - that
while seekig to find, one is
also "forming" one's identity.
And not only are there these
two sides of the coin, there is
also th cutting edge of the
process that while one is
finding and forming one's own
identity, this is not taking
place in a vacuum; one is
helping or hindering others in
their search for their own
identities. When we consider
the cutting edge of our own
search, then we may perhaps
want to consider the serious
ness of our words and actions
with possible consequences
and not be too carefree about
how we enjoy ourselves while
"finding" ourselves. Nor
should we be premature in
labeling our identities.
(Sometimes I even wonder
whether we ever can know
exactly who we are at a given
moment only who we have
been.) The sincere search,
with a loving regard for
others, seems to me to be of
the utmost importance. This
involves our total person with
all our feelings and desires.
1 am all for openness and
respect for differences in
feelings and desires. This
does not have to mean
indulgence and often means
refusal. (I believe that
Socrates expressed his love for
Alcibiades according to the
greater wisdom of his years
and did not act from lack of
feeling.) Somewhere I read
recently the expression on the
part of a respected thinker of a
fear that our youth may not be
learning the art of suffering,
of coping with temporary
deprivation, of making neces
sary sacrifices today for the
good of tomorrow. Instant or
promiscuous gratification of
desires, too hasty acceptance
of a role, unwillingness to wait
until one knows one's own
feeling and desires (to be
accepted unashamedly but not
necessarily indulged) and the
feelings and desires of others
very well before labeling
oneself or others and acting
accordingly -- all this
impulsive behaviour can have.
The Guilfordian notes with
sadness the passing last
Thursday of Ellen Johnson,
daughter of Dr. Cyrus
Johnson of the Guilford
College Faculty. We wish to
express our deepest sympathy
to the Johnson family for their
tragic loss.
or may" already be having
deleterious effect on the
human race. So let us t&ke our
alliances seriously and not too
hastily.
In closing, I want to reassert
my appreciation for the
sincereity expressed in Jim's
letter to the editor. His appeal
"SPEND SENSIBLY, SAVE YOUR MONEY,
AND CUT DOWN ON HIGH PRICED
FOODS."
CLASSIFIEDS
WASHINGTON - The na
tion's first "mornig after"
birth control pill has been
given formal approval by the
Food and Drug Administra
tion.
The agency said that the
drug DES is usually effective
in preventing pregnancy if two
25-milligram tablets are taken
twice a day for five days,
within 24 hours and no later
than 42 hours after "unpro
tected" intercourse.
Because of concerns that
DES may cause cancer when
taken over prolonged periods,
the FDA said that it will
require patient brochures and
labeling which stresses that
the drug should be taken only
in emergencies.
The Guilford College Choir
sang this past Sunday at the
First Friends Meeting of
THE GUILFORDIAN
Editor .....David Green
News Editor Jon Hlratsuka
Managing Editor Bob Johnston
Sports Editor Pat Townsend
Photography Steve Causey, Tommy Lo
Staff Leslie Zeidin, Lucy Swan, Susie Rice, Angela
Lantz. Steve Mathis. David Scott, Tnhv Gearhart
Sara Dalcher, Charles Thibaut. Annette Green
The Guilfordian is published weekly except fo
examination periods and vacations. The Guilfordian is not
an official publication of Guilford College, and the
opinions expressed herein are soiey those of the authors
and editors. Office: Room 223, Cox Old North, Phone:
292-8709. Mailing address: Guilford College, Greensboro,
North Carolina 27410. Subscription rates: 54.00 per year,
52.50 per semester, distributed free of charge on the
Guilford College campus.
for tolerance and acceptance
can not be easily ignored. I
join him in his appeal for a
careful and continuing study
of our respective feelings,
recognizing the importance' of
the control we may or may not
use in expressing them.
Mary Feagins
Greensboro. Members of the
meetin expressed their happi
ness at having the choral
group sing and give them
inspiration. Next Sunday, Ed
Lowe will take the choir to the
Springfield meeting, located
outside of High Point.
For Sale - 1974 Vega
Hatchback Auto/R/H $1950
1974 Pinto Runabout Auto
R/H $1950
Call 299-4169 or 272-2985
You think you got
problems?? I'm moving to
Alabama and don't know
when I'm coming back - when
things are this bad, you know I
can't afford a cat. If you can
help us and can give a good
home - please call Laura at
274-0960 or contact Lucy Swan
through the Guilfordian.