Guilford Life
Students Discover Alternative Way of Life at Celo
by Jan Naugle
While most Guilford
students were nestled cozi
ly in bed, Jeff Bentley,
Kendra Berger, Eliza
Blake, Eric Bozymski,
Donna Crane, Leslie Fit
zgerald, Seth Hassett, Vic
Johnson, Anne Jonas,
Vicki Lyatt, Jan Naugle,
and Tom Kiddle were on
the road early Nov. 7 to the
Arthur Morgan School, a
junior high boarding
school of eleven students,
in Celo, North Carolina,
where students and facul
ty work together to solve
problems and create their
own mini-community.
The idea of a school in
which students could not
only learn basic subjects
but have week-long hikes
in Ihe surrounding moun
tains. help bui 1 d a
greenhouse, and iake such
varied elect ives as music,
massage, cooking, lie
dying, and dance was
originally taken from
Ernest Morgan's ideas of
creating a school with an
atmosphere in which
creativity. investigation,
and self expression could
thrive.
His son. Arthur Morgan,
founded this North
Carolina school twenty
five years ago based on
these values. Arthur
Morgan explained how-
Ernest and his wife were
appalled at the way some
public schools were being
run in that they "beat out
all of the creativity and
imagination of kids." Ar
thur's enthusiasm for the
school was illustrated in a
story he told of an in
troverted, insecure stu
dent who came to the
school and "suddenly
discovered she was
somebody."
Constance Buch was an
invaluable aid in describ
ing the function and pro
cess of the school. She ex
plained how the students
live in homes with house
parents, how chores are
assigned and scheduled,
and other details of the
system.
The AM S students
shared their ideas as well
Kevin, a ninth-grader
from New York, prefers
AMS to public school and
explained, "In public
school they make you
think. Here they en
courage you to think."
Many students com
mented on the freedom the
school allows and the
respect given to individual
opinions.
"It's a blast!" Matt,
another ninth-grader sum
med up.
The Guilford group ar
rived just in time for a
hearty home-cooked lunch
then divided into groups
with AMS students and
staff for various work jobs
including wood-cutting
and gathering, roof repair,
and gardening. After the
chores were finished,
students exchanged
; .■ - v . : - . ' ■" . -- . . - \fvsr,
: - ' '-'V* ; • ' I *
stories and ideas with one
another, played on the
large log see-saws ad a
tire suspension toy.
Dinner and clean up was
followed by a moonlight
walk to "the saddle"
where hours of songs and
talk around a fire was only
temporarily interrupted
for a few rounds of "ghost
in the graveyard."
Freshly gathered eggs
tempted the palate after a
chilly night in sleeping
bags.
Most of the Guilford par
ticipants heard about Celo
through Eliza Blake,
president of Quaker Con
cerns, who instigated the
excursion. She wanted to
because she had been to
Cleo and liked it but had
not gone while school was
in session.
"It was pretty obvious
(the people at Celo) were a
really neat bunch of peo
ple, and they would be
very receptive to our com
ing." Eliza said, and she
thought the Cela group and
Photo: .lan Nniiglt
go the Guilford group
would be a good match.
"And it was." she added.
Tom was impressed by the
maturity of the kids. Anne
mentioned the encourage
ment to be an individual
and the importance of
everyone the school stress
ed as strong and positive
assets.
9
when he relayed how
much he valued the
school's non-competitive
attitude. "Put forth your
best effort," he said, "no
matter how small. [This]
is what matters."
The Guilford group left
for home and brought with
them various parts of the
experience. "I came home
aching!" Eliza laughed.
Anne kept the memory
of the "love and friendship
i the group I shared."
Vic spoke lor everyone
when lie said. "It made
you feel good to be helping
someone else." and the
overriding question on
each person's mind calling
the sharing, the moun
tains. and the laughter
seemed to be. "When can I
go back?"
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