PAGE 2
THE
TWIG
MEREVITH
COLLEGE
the twig
Tdbn.ULa.fiy 16, 1975
A big thanks
to Dr. Weems
An important step in the realization of women’s rights as per
sons was taken this past week in the North Carolina Legisla
ture when Dr. John Weems, the only male among 14 women,
formally endorsed the Equal Rights Amendment, As women who
are striving to be given equal opportunity, we at Meredith
owe a great debt to Dr. Weems for this heroic deed which
will undoubtedly bring him various criticisms from those
who are opposed to the Amendment.
Realizing the risk of criticism, Dr. Weems spoke up for
something he believes in — treating women as persons and not
as objects and offering them equal opportunity. Upon taking this
risk. Dr. Weems showed his commitment to the importance of
Meredith College as an educational institution for women. We
all owe him a very big “Thanks” for his constant belief in and
support of our attempts to be recognized as thinking, creative,
and active individuals.
JFS
BVU activities
challenging
Black Awareness Week has been an enlightening and chal
lenging series of activities which helped to stimulate both
whites and blacks to a better understanding of themselves and
each other. It is rare that such a week at Meredith can bring to
gether different peoples, as this past one has, to frank discus
sions of their cultural similarities and differences, and the
Black Voices in Unity are to be commended for their striving
to make the week an impressionable one.
Although the week’s activities evoked a variety of responses
from the white students at Meredith, they did at least bring about
a response, Whetherpositiveornegative,theseresponsesbrought
us into an awareness of our situation at Meredith, whether we
be white or black, faculty or student, male or female. When this
type of awareness is encouraged, personal growth can take
place, and when personal growth takes place a community
growth can develop. Black Awareness Week was not, I think, a
stress on black separatism; it was rather a stress on what we
as people must continually strive for if we are ever to relate as
human beings to each other. Human relations and communica
tions involve everyone, not one race or another. The last line
of the song we sang in chapel is one which we must all heed—
“March on to victory.” The victory here is one which I think
was stressed in the week— it is a human victory, not a black
or white one, which we must achieve if we are to continue as
brothers and sisters in one world.
JFS
Commitment needed
The problems in making the Honor Code a reality at Meredith
were stressed in the panel discussion at the February meeting
of the faculty. Perhaps the inconsistencies which are pre
sently causing problems can be cleared up in future recogni
tion of the importance of making the Code understood by fresh
men and transfers at the very beginning of their existence at
Meredith.
The Honor Code is a way of life which must not merely be
stressed in student orientation meetings in August; it must also
be stressed by faculty and administration in their dealings with
students. It is by its very nature a way of life which must be
acted and not told, proved and not taken for granted. These
statements do not mean to imply that faculty and administra
tion are not doing their jobs in emphasizing the Honor Code
or that students are being oblivious to it; it is to suggest that
the success of the Code will depend not entirely on one faction
or the other. If Plagiarism is the problem at this school, then
plagiarism is what we as a community need to work on, not
merely what the Judicial Board or the English Department need
to stress.
If we are to realize the personal responsibility of the Meredith
Honor Code, we must ALL take the res[X)nsibility of making it
work. It is time we quit letting the Judicial Board be the bear
ers of the life-styles we, ourselves, must learn to accept. This
responsibility involves not only academic honesty, but also per
sonal commitment to the rights of others -whether it be in
ol)serving quiet hours in the dorms or in (mmingin on time at
night. Whatever the situation, we are, like it or not, responsible
for our actions. An Honor Code such as ours can mean little
without this individual obligation to make it work.
JFS
Newsbriefs
(Co.itinimd 'rom Page 1)
Letters to the editor
Dear Editor;
This is a letter of disgust.
For four long years the sen
ior music majors have suf
fered under the abuse and
inadequate facilities provided
by Meredith College In the
Wesley Norwood Jones Audi
torium, or more commonly,
the Music Building. How of
ten have music students been
deprived of practice hours and
even lesson times by the sche
duling of various events by ei
ther on or off campus groups
in either the Recital Hall or
the Auditorium? Such incon
veniences would not be ne
cessary were there a Fine
Arts Building for music fa
culty and students. As it is,
all practicing must cease dur
ing any meeting, lecture, or
other event -- practice time
that is paid for additionally
by the music student. Although
this situation has been worse
in the past, the fact that it
exists at all shows a definite
need for some immediate
change. Not only is this un
fair to the music students but
also to the college commun
ity as a whole, who use the
same auditorium for such e-
vents as Cornhuskin’, Stunt,
and REW. Granted, we have
a new auditorium in the Col
lege Center, but it is not
equipped with instruments for
musical performances and
definitely cannot seat the en
tire student body.
As for inadequate facilities,
Meredith’s Music Department
must be number one. However,
the blame should not be plac
ed on the music faculty—ttiey
are the only advantage Mere
dith has in the field of mu
sic. True, Meredith has sev
eral good pianos and the two
Austin organs. However, even
these instruments feel the ef
fects of an inadequate heating
and cooling system within the
building. Check out a few of
the practice rooms tor good
pianos. The number is low.
Try room nine with the Wur-
litzer organ that was add
ed due to practice overload,
or even the Kilgren organ.
What organ student does not
shrink at the thought of practic
ing on that “thing”? Or what
about the dead accoustics in
the auditorium itself?
We have heard rumors that
a new Fine Arts Building is
in the possible future for
Meredith. But exactly how far
in the future? At the rate that
the music department is
growing, can Meredith really
afford to wait for three, four,
five, or more years to improve
on the disastrous situation?
We think not. It is our hope
that one day in the very near
future, Meredith will have a
far better place for its grow
ing number of music students
to practice, to learn, and to
perform.
Faye Jacobs
Marsha Wilson
Jackie Hardy
Nancy Brewer
Nanci Gill
Donna Salem
Linda Ross
Susan Derby
Dottie Sink
Angela Hanchey
Debbie Maddocks
Lynn Moore Arrington
Faye Lennon Jordan
t*******
Dear Editor;
As members of Black
Voices In Unity, we would like
to express our sincere appre
ciation and thanks to every
body involved in helping to
make our plans for “Black
Awareness Week” to mater
ialize. We hope the week’s ac
tivities were educationally
beneficial as well as enjoy
able for everyone. Our major
purpose behind the presenta
tion of this week was twofold;
to help others gain a better
understanding of our culture
and heritage, while we too,
learned more about it. The
promotion of a better under
standing of our cuiture is
evident in our theme, “Bio
graphy Illuminates the Black
Experience,” because it is
through a biography that we
learn about the people, which
makes it a lot easier to under
stand their movements, e-
vents, institutions, and, most
important, all the people them
selves and their heritage. This
realization can be presented
in a variety of forms; art, mu
sic, speech, etc. -- all of
which are basic forms of com
munication. Also -- thanks to
the faculty, administration,
and students who attended our
programs and who helped
make it a success,
Joyce Martin
Chairman, BVU
Important
IVotice
;■$ The Colton English Club
asks all faculty members
to contribute any extra
g books for the March 1 Book
Auction - club members
W will be checking faculty of-
i:-: fices through next week.
•gThe Auction will begin at
:;:;4;45 in the Court. Proceeds
will go to different club
projects, including the
$1 service project at Glen-
:$ wood Towers.
Statement made by Dr. Weems
in support of the ERA
.SiiidcMits will Ih- excused from
cl:iss*ss. l>‘adliiie fr>r signitig
ti[) and for f)ayment will i>e Feb
ruary If). See Vivian Craig or
Mr. White for payment and/or
qiusstions.
The struggle to establish
Meredith College indicates
that North Carolinians in the
1830’s faced the same issues
being presented today con
cerning the Equal Rights A-
mendment. It took almost 60
years from the time our school
was proposed before it was a-
greed that a college should be
founded. Educational oppor
tunities were not readily a-
vailable to women and basic
ally the same arguments were
used to suggest that women did
not need academic training and
were, in reality, better off
without it. Meredith College
has spent 74 years proving to
the State of North Carolina
and the nation that women have
great contributions to make
when allowed to do so. All of
society has much to gain from
these contributions, noi just
our women.
The framers of our Consti
tution, perhaps the most legal
document in the world, did not
see fit to grant the voting priv
ilege to anyone who was not
male, white, and a property
owner. It has been just under
100 years that the black man
was allowed this right of cit
izenship. It has been but about
50 years since women were
removed from this abrogation
of rights and granted the vote.
And, of course, it has been on
ly one year since the 18-year-
olds were granted this phase
of citize'nship. History will
show that granting of rights
is progressive. Double and
false standards inevitably e-
rode the' confidence of the gov
erned. In my opinion, we have
a distinct moral responsibil
ity to give all of our citizens
eejual protection under the law.
It Is an old, illogical and ir
rational idea that someone can
be protectedbyabridgingtheir
rights. Democratic principles
demand equal protection in ev
ery way.
I am totally convinced that
all of society, both men and
women, will benefit from aso
cial system that offers total
justice to all of its consti
tuents. Dr. Ralph Scales,
President of Wake P’orest
University, discussed this
matter with me. He wanted it
made clear that he stands with
us and feels that all citizens
with a concern for justice
should go on record. He feels
very strongly that the Equal
Rights Amendment should be
passed, emphasizing that the
amendment is for the libera
tion of men as well as for the
removal of discrimination
against women.
Women’s sights are being
lifted. Meredith College, as
an educational institution, is
dedicated to this specific pur
pose, The woman of today' is
intent on seeking self-fulfill
ment and being independent
and self-directed. Fifty per
cent of all women in the em
ployment range of 18 to 64
y'ears are in the labor force.
Nine out of ten women will
work some time during their
lives. The average work-life
expectancey of a woman in the
United States is 25 years. The
average work-life expectancy
of a single woman is 45 years.
The productivity of our 32
million women in the labor
force has much to do with the
high standard of living in our
country. Because of this con
tribution, women deserve to
tal justice, equal protection,
equal opportunity, and equal
responsibility. This can only
be accomplished by taking this
final step that is long over
due and passing the Equal
Rights Amendment to our Con
stitution.
EDITORIAL STAFF
P.ditor Janice Sams
Copy F.ditor Plleanor Hill
Feature Editor Renee Lindsey
Reporting Staff — Karen Britt, Claudia Denny, Joy Sea
born, Norma Heath, Catherine Stover. Susan Webster
Mary Owens, Barrie Walton. Gloria Smith '
Typists ...Deborah Phillips. Suzanne .Martin, Susan Webster
Faculty Advisers .... Dr. Norma Rose, Ur. Tom Parramore
Business Editor Libby Owen
Advertising Managers Deborah Phillips, Emily Johnson
Circulation Manager naine Williams
Staff ... Nancy Alvis, Lou Ann Roebuck, Candv Purvis
Faculty Adviser poisFrazier
Riiotograpnei
Member Associated Collegiate Press. Entered as
second-class matter at post office at Raleigh, N.C, 27611
Published weekly..,.except during holidays and exams.
THE TWIG is st.’rveu oy National Educational Advertising
Service, 18 East 50th Street, New York. Subscription Rates-
$3.70 per year.