Newspapers / The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.) / Dec. 11, 1987, edition 1 / Page 6
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-p. News "Forgotten Hostage" by Robert Jones The gruesome tale of Jerry Levin's hostage ex perience in Beirut was what the freshmen I.D.S. classes expected to hear in the convocation on November eleventh. However, they were all surprised by the talk that was delivered. Mr. Levin decided to take a more political ap proach to his eleven-and on-half month abduction and captivity and discuss ed the United States' in volvement in Lebanon. He also characterized his seizure as enlightening given that it changed his view of the government's policy toward the Mediter ranean. iVo one came to help, not even the U.S. Embassy In his lecture, the reporter from Cable News Network, along with his wife, "Sis," labeled himself as one of the "forgotten hostages" of the Lebanese crisis. Each told how Mr. Levin was one of the first Americans to be taken and one of the last publicized. Mrs. Levin added that our country's officials were un cooperative during the en tire affair. "No one came to help, not even the U.S. Embassy," she said. Despite the requests of the State Department for her not to do anything for the release of her husband, Mrs. Levin said she received help from two private citizens, Dr. Lan dan Bolin and Jesse Jackson who spoke on the Levin's behalf. With encouragement from close friends, "Sis" then took the initiative to press for Jerry's release from his Muslim captors. She traveled to Syria to discuss this possibility with, Dr. Beary, head of the Shiite Muslims. Soon after negotiations took place between the two parties, Mr. Levin's cap tivity ended. Mrs. Levin emphasized that all this was not due to official help from The United States, but rather to Mr. Levin's being a news reporter and a Jew. Syria, she said, wanted to prove that it did not hate Jews and also believed that a reporter would tell the truth. "A Spirtual Awakening" Mr. Levin told us that he had experienced something "that can best be described as a spiritual awakening" while he was a hostage. He explained to the freshmen that his ab duction had allowed him to get a better view of the ac tions taken by the United States in Lebanon. "U.S. policy has changed from discussion to blatant aggression. "We claim to be peace keeping," he observed, "but the U.S. policy has changed from discussion to blatant aggression." With this change in perspective, Mr. Levin also noticed a change in himself. He spoke of how the Shiite's capture brought him closer to God and taught him how to "love the sinner and not the sin." Levin added, "The cap tor's were doing God's work. They love Arabs, Jews, Christians and Muslims but hate their sins." South African Scholarships by Nadine Kernodle Concerned about the pattern of apartheid in South Africa, the Board of Trustees of Guilford Col lege has agreed to establish a program of financial aid that would encourage South African students to enroll here. Anthony Gurley, Direc tor of Financial Aid and Planning, has received a letter from the Board of Trustees instructing him to freeze the Board of Trustees Scholarship fund and give preference to South Africa in the use of its earnings, thereby creating, in essence, a South African Scholarship Fund. A committee, including Gurley, Larry West, Director of Admissions, Jim Newlin, Vice Presi dent of Finance and Development, and faculty and students who have not been named, will set up procedures for implemen ting the program. The committee is to determine the qualifications required of scholarship recipients, guidelines for admission standards, and how eligi ble students will be recruited. WRITE- A-THON by Eliza Blake On Thursday, November 19, the 18 members of Vanetta d'Andrea's I.D.S. 101 class saw weeks of planning realized in the Amnesty International Write-a-thon. This semester, all of the freshmen I.D.S. classes have participated in a group project, and for theirs this class decided to organize a write-a-thon, an all-day open letter writing campaign on behalf of two Amnesty International chosen political prisoners. Amnesty International is a non-partisan human rights organization that works for the freedom of prisoners of conscience. A.I. sends bulletins to its (con't on p. 34) Newlin says the fund could be used to send students to South Africa, but the original purpose was to bring South African students here. The idea is to encourage cultural ex change between South Africans and the college. One question with which the committee is grappl ing is whether a South African candidate's pat tern of education would be compatible with that of fered at Guilford. This is a concern the college has about students from any foreign country. A student unprepared by his academic background for American higher educa tion would flounder about in frustration, says David Stanfield, Director of Planned Giving. Gurley says that this program, when fully fund ed, will generate by to day's standards, roughly $22,000 a year, which is near the equivalent of two full grants. The selection committee has to decide how far to stretch the money whether two full grants should be provided or whether the funds should be more broadly allocated. Although the college is struggling with critical issues inherent in this Frankly Speaking " 6 scholarship program, Stanfield says it is com mitted to try to increase the opportunities for representatives from South Africa in the hope that they may return and provide community leadership that will help their country further its cause. ESCORTS by David Upchurch If you would like to have someone accompany you for your safety, con sider the Guilford College Escort Service. In order to use the ser vice, you dial 230-5064, (3) wait until you hear several short high-pitched beeps, and (4) dial the number of the phone you are calling from. Then hang up the phone and wait for the escort to call you to find out where you are and where you want to go. It's a good idea to wait at least five minutes in case the pager system is busy. If an escort has not arriv ed by then, call 299-3387 (Milner Coordinator) or 292-6112 (Guilford Securi ty) for assistance in get ting one.
The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.)
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Dec. 11, 1987, edition 1
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