Newspapers / The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.) / March 27, 1989, edition 1 / Page 3
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3 Exposure of a Different K by Rich James If you leave behind that poor man in the ditch, you leave your church behind too. Rev. Renty Pinck ney, SL John African Methodist Episcopal Church As wet and cold weather covered the Southeast during spring break, most students were skillfully plot ting how to maximize their suntans before Monday morning. Sunshine was certainly on the minds of eight een Guilfordians, but their skillful plotting was directed toward install ing insulation, dry wall, carpet and even an outhouse. This determined crew made up the annual Spring Break Community Development Project to St. John's Island South Carolina. Any lack of exposure to the sun was made up by exposure to the island's unique culture. The island is one of a cluster of "Sea Islands" ssoutheast of Char leston. Two cultures exist there. The islands are home, and have been for 200 years, to freed planta tion slaves and migrants from the Carribbean Islands. Until the 1960's the islands remained isolated poor farming communities, many with Choir Records Successful Tour During Spring Break Performances by Vic Johnson This year the Guilford College Choir, led by choir director, Ed Lowe, took their annual spring break tour down south to Florida where the sun shines and oranges grow in back yards. When they got there, the sun wasn't shining, but, if that affected the spirit of the choir, it never showed in any of the performances, which made up one of the best tours the choir has ever had. Senior choir member Shawn Daugherty says, "The choir has just blossomed in talent. The past two freshman classes have been exre memly talented in their musical abil ity and seem to be very receptive to Ed's demand for responsibility and discipline. This year's tour was exceptional. It's been 16 years since Ed has wanted to do Jesu Priceless Treasure, and this is the first time he's had a choir capable of doing it well." Daugherty feels that the real strength of the choir lies in its direc tor Ed Lowe. "I think Ed is the energy and the primary reason the choir is where it is now. Ed achieves excellence in choir. Anybody who enjoys singing would do themselves a tremendous service. I think my ability is ten times greater that it used out electricity or water. The people speak their own dialect—gull ah—a voice of their African and Carrib bean heritage. Home to the "gullah," the islands are vacation land for a growing afflu ent white community. Students who were returning for the second time were surprised by the rapid develop ment which occurred in their absence. What was once woods and farm land was now shopping centers and re sorts. With all the beach property in private hands, many of the native islanders have never seen it. Here, the ocean is a privilege of wealth. The Guilford group was there to help combat the chronic condition of poverty for the native islanders. They worked through Rural Mission and ecumenical organization which serves the community by inviting groups to help with building and reconstructing homes. The week began with an immer sion into the vibrant religious life of the islanders. Service at the A.M.E. church was nothing like Quaker Meeting. It was a three-hour dia logue between the choir, minister and congregation, filled with wailing to be. When I return from travelling, I will be joining a singing ensemble and taking private lessons. It has absolutely inspired me," says Daugh erty. But to have a successful choir and tour, a good relationship among the members is equally as important as musical ability. Sophomore Ritchie Eanes says, "On this tour, generally, the attitudeof the choir members was exceptionally good. One of the most enjoyable moments was when we were on the bus and everyone was telling jokes. There was really a sense of close friends. This was in the middle of the week, so you know, instead of being ready to strangle one another we were having a lot of fun." Eanes continued, "Everybody worked together. There were times when morale got down, people were getting tired, and their spirits were low, but I'd say that we were able to keep the spirit of the choir up most of the tour." It wasn't an easy task to undertake. "There were ups and downs," says freshman Leigh Kemp. "I didn't feel like I had a real break. It took a lot of endurance and things got tense some times. The bus rides were long and I didn't get much sleep. The perform ances I loved. Just getting to know gospel hymns, spontaneous testimo nies, and an ecstatic get-up-and -dance sermon by Reverend Pickney. Reli gion solidifies the community and their form of worship reflects a blood line to the ritual celebrations of Af rica. On Monday, the hard work began. The group worked on two main proj ects which they dubbed the "con struction" and "destruction" sites. The construction site was the home of William Freeman, a man permanently bedridden with a stroke. Half of the group worked all week to make his home livable so he could return from the hospital. Combining work and play, the crew repainted and carpeted the living room, replaced the insula tion and dry wall of the kitchen and bath and constructed a sturdy out house. "Once you build an out house," said Chris Chickering, one of the architects of the impressive priwy, "you'll never look at one the same again." One of the neighbors, Mr. Arling ton Mason ("call me 'Slim'"), would often visit and tell stories about the island. How he came to walk with a continued on page 4 everybody was great It was very interesting staying with hosts." When the choir wasn't staying in hotels, they were hosted by families in places like Atlanta and Tampa. Some of the hosts were alumni who gave interesting perspectives on Guilford. Some were friends or fami lies of choir members, something Kemp feels brought the choir even closer together. But what really held the tour to gether was the organization which was headed by Kim Strable, who visited all the places before the tour began and coordinated all the logis tics. "I am grateful to everyone who participated in its planning, making all the arrangements, and working out all the details that make for an intense performance," says Ed Lowe. "Of the 16 years the choir has toured under my direction, this tour ranks very high, in terms of quality of performances, esprit de corps, atti tudes, and camaraderie," says Lowe, "I commend the students for the level of maturity in which they handle themselves and the degree of con centration and discipline they brought to each performance. For me, this particular tour will always stand out in my mind." 'jfi ■ i , s -V T* lllPr*^^ .^ JSE&, % * .^mWM^BmI^H^H^I Students destroy house on St. John's Island photo by Rich James Come Hear Dr. Tom Regan Speak On Animal Rights 8:00-10:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 28 1989 Leak Room Duke Memorial Hall Sponsored By: Tfxilosopfiy CCu6 'Project Community forevergreen CoCCege Democrats Japanese Film Festival by Sail Morgenstern A good crowd turned out to view "Ikiru" last Wednesday. This week should be even better. Kurosawa's 1970 film, "Do desukaden," is a remarkable movie based on shugoro Yamamoto's "The Town Without Seasons." The film focuses on characters who must deal with everyday life in a slum-ridden village. These inhabitants face the News reality of life amidst devastating conditions; they also have additional traumas to endure, leading them to retreat into a world of fantasy to make life endurable. "Dodesukaden" explores love, anger, affection, laughter, and fan tasy all the ingredients for a won derful film. Don't miss this one -- Wednesday, March 29th at 8:00 in Stemberger. Admission is free.
The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.)
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March 27, 1989, edition 1
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