4
THE GUILFORDIAN
Letters
>■ continued from page 2
or practice will not eliminate it if there is still a
demand for it. Only social change, help for the
poor and sick of our country as well as an increase
in our awareness of reality, will eliminate this
demand. We need to look at the negative impact
of our constitutional rights and not say "why are
these things allowed?" but instead "why do people
want these things?" Removing the rights of Ameri
cans that allow certain Americans to perpetuate
evil can also remove the rights of those who want
to perpetuate good.
In the mid-80s, Frank Zappa noted that we had
two parallel trends in our society: a paranoid fear
of "The Evil Empire" and a constant trend of
eliminating civil liberties byway of lawsuits and
government regulation. He noticed the irony in
this: "In 20 years, the evil empire will be us, if that
hasn't already happened."
Recycling efforts
foiled by adverts
To the editor:
It's nice to know we're doing something to
protect the environment We recycle (some of
our cans and newspapers, anyway, when we feel
like carrying them all the way to Bauman on
Sunday afternoon); we protest the eastern route
of Painter Boulevard (by sending postcards to
Greensboro politicians whose names we barely
recognize in hopes that they care about the out
of-town student vote); we don't litter very much.
But we do tolerate the unnecessary destruction
of trees, including some endangered old-growth
forest, caused by redundant bulk advertising
methods carelessly employed on campus.
On Friday, January 31, there were five events
being advertised by table tents in the cafeteria—
in other words, there were 325 8 1/2" x 11 "paper
ads in the cafeteria. (There are seldom fewer than
130.) Since there is only one student entrance to
the cafeteria, as many people would have been
reached with only five ads. Not enough? Even
with one or two flyers in each residence hall and
academic building, each ad campaign would be
65-80 percent more efficient.
The unnecessary waste generated by campus
organizations, however, pales in comparison to
that generated by local pizza delivery vendors.
While they, too, could save themselves money
and us trees by substituting a few well-placed
posters for thousands of redundant flyers, the
problem lies not in their ignorance but in our
passivity. It is (arguably) reasonable for these
businesses to distribute their menus once per
semester; there is no excuse, however, for the
practice of distributing the same flyers to hun
dreds of rooms every few weeks. Once is
enough—we know they exist, we know their
phone numbers, we know the quality of their
food (assuming we're interested in the first place).
Why, then, did I receive, last semester, more than
half a dozen identical flyers from Rome Italian
Garden, and from Rico's, and from Amore's, and
from Domino's and over 40 identical flyers from
Pizza King?
We have a campus newspaper. Since you're
reading this, don't even try to suggest that mate
rial in The Guil/ordian doesn't reach people—
it reaches every responsible member of the Guil
ford community. We have public places, with
walls and bulletin boards that can accommodate
posters. We have phone books, and hungry col
lege students are quite capable of using them. We
do not have, and our planet does not have, enough
extra trees to accommodate the irresponsible
indulgence in extravagant advertising this cam
pus tolerates. You may not prefer oxygen to
pizza, but is it too much to ask that the pizza
vendors—and the coffeehouse planners, and the
leam-in organizers, and the interest groups, all of
whom have necessary and important messages —
make their pitches in a sound and economical
manner?
If that's not too much to ask, boycott Rico's,
boycott Rome, boycott Amore's, Domino's and
Pizza King until they get a clue—it will not take
them very long. We could, likewise, boycott
interests on campus that want only kill too many
trees; but better yet, we could join them and make
an impact on the way information is circulated on
this tiny campus.
Or, we could not worry about it, or let someone
else worry about it. After all, aren't we already
doing our share? We recycle, we oppose Painter
Blvd., we don't litter very much.
Mike Livingston
Carl Beehler
Hobbs uniqueness
threatened
To the editor:
I would like to express my concern for the
future of our hall. Hobbs has always been a tight
knit community due to the special factors that
other residence halls lack. Our hall has become
so close because of the way we work together.
It's not just because friendships are built while
learning how to work together to wash the pots,
or to decide who cleans the bathroom on what
night. It's because whatever happens the job gets
done. And it is the caring and concern over the
atmosphere in which we live that creates our
unity. Work jobs are part of the history of Hobbs
and the reason that Hobbs was established.
I am concerned about the future appointment
of hall directors as well. Because our hall does
not have an R.A. position, this decision seems to
be setting a precedent that in order for someone
who loves Hobbs to lead Hobbs she must leave
Hobbs.
Each hall has its special feature. Shore is the
quiet hall for women, Milner is the men's hall,
Bryan is the co-ed suite hall, English is the quiet
hall for men and Binford is the co-ed hall. Mary
Hobbs has been known to all as the work jobs hall
for women. For years it has been this way and
there have been no problems. One year should
not ruin this for the future residents.
We have had problems with the jobs this year,
but things have been worked out, that's the nature
of our hall. Last year, along with Katherine
Schnorrenberg, I applied to be the work checker.
The residents of this hall did not vote me in but
instead chose Katherine. They knew something
that I did not; it was that Katherine really cares
about this hall, or she wouldn't have stayed here
for so long. She has done what she can, no one
could have done more. This is not the whole point
though. We all have a great deal of respect for
this hall, just like Katherine, and to see it change
would be a shame. If our kitchen were to be
closed down, an R.A. put in, or if someone who
doesn't know what we are about and has not lived
here for a length of time and can't see why she
should fight for our traditions is elected, Hobbs
would not be the same. That would kill a piece of
me and every other woman that lived here, alumni
who have lived here in the past and everyone who
has come in contact with us and our community.
Every hall on campus is special, and that includes
us. Please don't change that.
The things that have gone on in Hobbs since I
moved in have changed my life. They have
taught me to care and understand. It has taught
Letters
me how to resolve conflicts and most of all I have
gained so many new friends through living here
and working together to become the unified hall
you see now. If any woman in the future is denied
the feeling that I have gotten since I began living
in Hobbs, it would be a terrible loss.
So it seems that the decision has been made to
place a woman in Hobbs to be the 1992-93 hall
director who has no idea of what Hobbs is to the
students living here. I hope that this will clear up
the problem for not only her but other people who
think Hobbs is just another hall. Some have
called us "a sorority" and "seclusive," but we're
not. We are just like any other hall, we fight for
our rights to be who we are. If we changed would
we still hold the type of community, the love, the
trust, the companionship that we had? Maybe,
but it just wouldn't be the same. I think that the
women who live in this hall know what's best for
the future of this hall. The Quaker community is
built upon consensus.... What's this?
All kegs encourage
excessive drinking
To the editor:
My dear readers, it is once again I, the master
of thumb-biting, and today I am addressing the
keg issue. As I see it, there is some absolute
stupidity at work in this process. A perfectly
good plan to ban kegs was shot down, and I want
to know why! I have said before, and I shall
again, that the only reason to have a keg is to get
drunk. We as a campus need not encourage the
ludicrous idea that "since students will get drunk
anyway we are just keeping it safe."
That's crap, people! Yes, a lot of immature
people will get drunk no matter what is done, but
that does not mean we should make it easier for
them. If one cannot get a buzz off of a six pack,
they do not need a buzz. A keg may be cheaper,
I agree. But cheaper still is to not drink. I am
sorry, but this keg policy being discussed cur
rently is a joke. I say no kegs. I say that if people
want beer, let them blow a lot of money... Don't
make it cheaper to get wasted. And furthermore,
do not tell me you want to have a keg but not so
you can gel drunk. I am not enough of an ass to
believe that.
If you want to get drunk, dandy; stay in your
room, get drunk and do not leave. But do not
waste our Senators' time by making them discuss
something whose whole purpose is to save you
money. That is idiotic and I am pissed off. The
Senate could spend a lot more time helping the
women of the campus, or taking care of impor
tant issues. It is time to stop discussing the keg
policy and just say no kegs allowed!
Insensitive comics
shameful, insulting
To the editor.
We are writing this after just leaving the come
dians that were brought to us by Union. To say
the least, we are outraged.
It doesn't make any sense to me why this
college wo ild bring a man here who makes jokes
about homosexuals, the unemployed, democrats,
arabs,pacifists (andus personally, though I didn't
hear exactly what he said about me as I left), and
all the other people he insulted.
This man was not funnyl He was insulting and
crude. Union should be ashamed of itself for
bringing this person to this college. One would
think that he would have been sreened before he
was allowed to come here. It was even refer
enced that he was recently on a cable comedy
show. Didn't Union know beforehand what he
joked about? Couldn't they have known that he
is disgusting?
Union should be ashamed. And we should be
ashamed. Our friends and we should not have
been the only ones who walked out on him. We
all should have.
David Eyre
Devah Waterman
Protests contradict
commitment to
open community
To the editor:
Elizabeth Fellman
We would like to offer a dissenting opinion to
the recent furor created over Residential Life's
appointment of Toiy a Hodge as Hall Director for
Mary Hobbs Hall, 1992-93.
The controversy resulted when Miss Hodge
was chosen as H.D. for Hobbs, even though she
had never been a resident in the hall. Protesting
residents felt Toiya was not best for the job,
because she had never lived in Hobbs and had not
experienced its sense of community. Posters and
banners immediately went up, all agonizing over
the supposed changes thatToiya's presence would
bring. Disgusting rumor-mongering ensued, and
the glaring protests seemed to represent every
resident of Hobbs, which was not the case.
Some of the protestors' fears included the
disruption of the community due to an "outsider"
becoming a leader, the closing of the dining room
due to college financial considerations, and the
end of the cooperative work-job system. The
latter two seemed to be very legitimate concerns,
but Res. Life dispelled those fears, in writing, in
a memo addressed to all Hobbs residents. Yet in
a forum later held with residents and members of
Res. Life and the administration, those fears were
again voiced. We do not feel the first concern
was legitimate. The concerned residents stated
that their protest of Residential Life's decision
was not a personal matter involving Toiya and
the other candidates. Our question is, how can it
be taken as anything but personal? The other
concerns about changes in Hobbs were laid to
rest in writing by Residential Life, but the protest
continued. At the aforementioned forum, the
very first question asked of the Res. Life mem
bers was about their criteria in choosing Toiya
over the other candidates.
So why all the fuss? Residential Life, a staff of
trained professionals, chose who they thought
would fulfill the hall director position(s) in the
best manner. So we should welcome Toiya into
our community in the Quakerly fashion and not
barrage her with judgments before she is given a
chance.
Ben Rose
The following is an excerpt from the Guilford
College statement of purpose: "The college de
sires to have a 'community of seekers," individu
als dedicated to shared and corporate search as an
important part of their lives. Such a community
can come about only when there is a diversity
throughout the institution—a diversity of older
and younger, a diversity of race and origin, a
diversity of beliefs and what is valued among
individuals. Through experiencing such differ
ing points of view, we seek to free ourselves from
bias." We feel the key word here is "diverse."The
Mary Hobbs community is not a sorority.
The Hall Director position includes many cam
pus-wide responsibilities, not just those tied in
February 7, 1992
>• continued on page 5