OS
Editorials
Letters to the Editors
Abuse
Dear Editors,
This year I have the ques
tionable distinction of being a
campus leader. I am the editor of
"The Piper." I write columns for
the "Guilfordian." I am the presi
dent and originator of the
Women's Studies House. I work
with the Women's Center. I have
organized a lecture series concer
ning the roles of women in to
day's world. I participated in a
discussion of The Color Purple.
Next week I travel to Durham to
participate in a conference on the
"Common Differences" of black
and white women. I am in
telligent, strong, concerned, and
involved. I should be on top of the
world.
But I am not. Suddenly, none of
this matters very much.
Last week as I walked to class,
I stopped at Wilco to buy a soda.
As I entered a man was speaking
about a woman who might have
been his wife, his lover, or his
sister, or his best friend,
"Yep," he said, "I beat her to a
pulp last night."
"Well, that must've felt real
good," his companion replied.
They both laughed.
I did not look at them. I did not
raise my eyes or open my mouth.
1 could not satisfy them with leav
ing nor satisfy myself with reply
ing. I could not ask whether he
could remember that this woman
was a PERSON. I could not tell
him that such abuse is illegal. It
would not have helped to suggest
that he seek counseling. I bought
my soda and left.
Do you know how it is to stand
in open-mouthed horror? To
sense that you should be angry
and-feel only sadness? To walk
out without a reply?
None of my education, none of
my work and hope and promise
will stop this man or any man like
Lynch's Line
Going Home for the Holidays
By Janice Lynch
There are peculiar difficulties
in my family's communication
system. Not AT&T's or Southern
Bell's systems, but in my fami
ly's network of telephone interac
tions.
For example, every August my
sisters and I explain our
telephone code to my Father,
hoping to eliminate astronomical
bills. If I am calling from Mar
cian's house I say, "Collect from
Marcian." My Father should
refuse the call and return it on an
MCI number. Similarly, Michele
says, "Collect from the Pope
House," and Patricia, "Collect
from Techie." This is all wonder
fully simple.
Instead, my Father answerr.
with a stutter and when the
operator says, "Will you accept
the call?" he shouts, "Damn it,
I'm tired of this code, Janice"
and accepts the charges. On oc
casion he has been known to ac
cept and hang-up.
him. None of my books will teach
him how to think of women as
people. My male college friends
are sympathetic and sen
sitive—but they are atypical of
males in this country.
I've tried to minimize this inci
dent. Tried to remember that I
overheard only two men who
were not representative of all
men. When two men denigrate
two women the whole cycle
begins again.
Do you know how it is to stand
in open-mouthed silence?
Janice Lynch
Grenada
Dear Editor,
I was at first asked to write an
article concerning something
totally different but I felt that I
should write this letter to the
editor as a response to a question
that I have been asked at least a
hundred times in the past week or
so.
The question is "What are your
feelings about the U.S. invasion
of Grenada?" Being from Bar
bados is the main reason that
people have asked me this ques
tion and so here goes...
I personally feel that this
"invasion" was one of the
smartest moves that the United
States Government has ever
made but that is .my-personal
view! I do not know, or claim to
know "the real reason the U.S.
stepped in" but I challenge
anyone here on campus who
thinks that they know to come
forward and state these reasons.
I do know the facts, plain and
simple as to why my government
and the governments of five other
nations called in the United
States. In order to compare the
case at home with here I will try
to bring the whole mess to your
backdoor
Last year at Thanksgiving I
was in Munich, trying to call my
family. After getting to the post
office, completing forms to make
the call, and waiting thirty
minutes for it to be placed, I was
called to booth number six. When
I picked up the receiver the line
was dead. Apparently when the
German operator told my mother
to hold the line, she assumed the
connection was wrong and hung
up.
This year I called my Mother to
talk about Thanksgiving dinner.
"Mom, have you bought the
turkey?"
"No, Jan, I've decided not to
have turkey this year. The
toaster oven is broken and I don't
feel like heating the entire house
all afternoon from cooking the
turkey."
"But Mom, if we can't have
turkey we might as well just skip
dinner."
"I just thought I'd fix one dish
of everyone's favorite. Potatoes
for Dad, Spaghetti-O's for
You must try to imagine what
living in the CARICOM
(Caribbean Community) region
is like. The islands are small
places; most no bigger than the
size of Greensboro. There is a
large amount of travel and im
migration between these nations
which has led to an interlinking of
family and friends in the region.
This would be like living in
Greensboro and having your
family and friends in High Point,
Climax, Advance and
HICKSVILLE. Hicksville is an
"imaginary town that is near to all
of the others but will be my
"Grenada" (this might be a bit
much but bear with me).
OK, the old mayor of Hicksville
(Mr. Gairy) was a total beast
that was half cracked. He used to
go to town meetings (The U.N.)
and talk of U.F.O.'s and the town
was falling apart. Along came a
bright young fellow (Bishop) who
threw out the old mayor and pro
mised great things would happen
to Hicksville.
Because of the way that the
new guy went about removing the
old mayor the people that would
normally have aided Hicksville
(The U.S.) in its programs stop
ped their help. Lost with no fun
ding, Hicksville turns to another
source for its funding (Cuba).
Things start to happen in
Hicksville. Business is booming,
schools are being built, roads
repaired and they are building a
new "Hardees" (The new Air
port). The people in Greensboro,
High Point, Climax and Advance
are kind of worried that the new
"Hardees" might really be
something else but they are more
concerned that their "Hardees"
are going to run into a little com
petition.
Things seem to be going along
well. Reports from friends and
family state that things have
Continued on page 8
Michele, Pop Tarts for Tricia,
steak for Del, giblet gravy for
your Grandmother and pumpkin
pie for everyone's dessert."
"How about yourself, Mom?"
"Oh, I'll probably have some
pearl onions and peas. I didn't
think you'd be so upset, Janice.
Every time I call you and
Michele are eating turkey sand
wiches at Dolley's. If nothing
else, you should be tired of it. By
the way, what would you like to
have?"
"Maybe some butternut
squash. Or some sweet potatoes.
Could you make the stuffing
without the turkey. That would be
fine."
"Janice, there won't be enough
room at the table; how about
something smaller?"
"Sure—just get me a jar of
cranberry sauce. That will be
fine—l'll pretend the turkey's
underneath."
"Yes, and it certainly will add
color to the table. I'll see you
Thursday."
Guilfordian, November 16, 1983 -
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j Invasion n s.
Selection of Information
Crucial to Communication
A vacuum of knowledge stands out as the situation most conclusive
to formulation of rumor and gossip. These words singe our ears with
negative connotations, and an immediate defense of, "I don't gossip,"
leaps to our lips.
Being social creatures, human beings are terribly curious. The
drive to understand life and fellow beings' actions stimulates various
forms of communication.
Communication is an exceedingly complicated phenomenon which
tends to be crucial to most people's survival. Communication is
vulnerable to the parties wishing to communicate, to the capability of
their language, as well as their ability to listen and understand. Usual
ly, at least vague renditions of intended messages get communicated.
If all goes well, "vague renditions" spur some form of analysis and
further questioning-more communication. As long as this process
continues and the message becomes clearer, communication is in
good shape.
It is when people become satisfied with the judgement they
themselves form from "vague renditions," and lack of availability of
more specific information, that a breakdown in healthy communica
tion becomes evident. When a breakdown is suffered in such a man
ner, incorrect and often detrimental information is disseminated.
The necessity of constant analysis of information encountered from
various sources cannot be easily dismissed if communication is to re
main a relatively accurate, trustworthy, and healthy phenomenon. In
addition, close attention to possible personal prejudices formed upon
receipt of information must be paid.
Gossip, and rumors tend to be natural responses to events and peo
ple which affect society, but care should be taken not to create
judgements from information which cannot be justified in a more of
ficial way.
(Butlforbtan
Co-editors Susan Harvey, Donna Horton
News editor Michele Lynch
Features editor Iris VHvin
Sports editor Doug Drotman
Photography editor Brittany Plaut
Layout editor Wendy Harrison
Business manager Michael Gatton
Advertising manager John Roberts
Circulation manager Ellen Gilmore
Tracey Clark, Taimi Olsen,
Becky Gunn, Heidi Hall, Martha Hayworth,
Janice Lynch, Curtis Marshall, Amy Norman
Rita Marion, Sandra McLean, Tom Risser
Gavin Arneth, Tim Meadors, and Ann Shea
The Guilfordian reserves the right to edit all articles, letters
and artwork for taste, veracity, and length. The deadline for all
copy is 12:00 p.m. on Saturday preceeding the Wednesday of
publication. Materia! may be left on the office door upstairs
Founders, or mailed to Box 17717. The opinions expressed by the
staff are their own and not necessarily those of the paper or of
Guilford College.
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