E D I T O D I A L
Resources available but
worship services denied
t>ear Students, Faculty and Administrators,
I am writing concerningthe“Letierto the Editor"that appeared in the February 13,1986
issue of the Meredith Herald.
1 would like to apologize for allowing this letter to be printed for several reasons.
I apologize to the persons mentioned in the letter for the content. Statements were made
that were detrimental and caused public embarrassment.
I apologize also for not following the Editorial Policy which I wrote myself. I feel the
Policy is a tremendous asset.to the paper and I did not adhere to the guidelines when I
allowed the letter to be printed.
I exhibited poor judgment as Editor and realize that because of my poor judgment
persons were hurt. It is not my intent to harm others through the paper. I regret printing
anything that varies from the guidelines I set for the paper and myself. 1 take full
responsibility for this editorial decision.
Crnihia L Church
Editor, The Meredith Herald
Aside from the view of Johnson Hall,
one of the first sights a visitor sees upon
entering the Meredith College campus is
the chapel. The tall steeple is a symbol of
the erected faith this Baptist institution
was founded upon. However, when it
comes to religious services on Sunday,
the college ignores the spiritual needs of
the students.
Although many students have found a
home in Raleigh's churches, some stu>
dents are unable or inhibited to attend
worship services ofl' campus.
These problems often stem from either
not having transportation to the churches
or because the students feel uncomforta
ble in a place filled with strangers. For a
smalMown girl, a big-city church can be
intimidating — so much that the student
doesn't go at alL Therefore, her worship
experience is limited to (he time when she
visits her home or attends Convocation
on Wednesdays.
The ten o’clock Wednesday worship
seems to be the alternate source of a Sun>
day service: But is it?
It's wrong to assume that this time is
convenient for all. Unfortunately, many
times grades come first over worship —
at least during the weekdays. I know my
mom has said, **Praying won't help you
pass a test or class. VouVe got to study."
And, many people take the ten o'clock
time just for that. There are also those
who work and even have classes at other
colleges. So — why not have services
when everyone can come? Does Sunday
sound familiar?
The issue of having Sunday worship in
the chapel was brought up over a year
ago in The Twig: and now the Meredith
Herald has tackled this — more indepth
this time — because we see the lmpo^
tance of providing students with religious
services, religious outlets.
• Most of the students at Meredith were
brought up in homes which participated
in weekly worship on Sundays. And whe
reas many colleges provide services for
students on Sunday, Meredith doesn't.
When I asked Kelley Milstead, Mere
dith Christian Association President.
about services on campus, she said. “I
don't think it’s a good idea." Milstead
added that **Meredith doesn't have the
resources to have the services."
I think a chapel is a good resource. A
building doesn't have to have the title
"church'’in order to hold services. It's my
understanding anyway that a church is
not a building but the gathering of people
in a common place to worship God. And
for "preacher" resources, the Southeast
ern Seminary has stated they could pos
sibly provide interns.
So there it is. We have the facility, the
desire from the students and the possibil
ity of a seminary student preaching —
free.
Since the Southern Baptists are so
hip on preaching the word to all, it's a bit
ironic Meredith is refusing this service on
Sunday. You never can have too much
reli^on. can you? And what if only ten
people show for the services, at least that's
ten people who want to learn, who want
to hear. Cynthia L Chun h
Editor. The Merdith Herald
Opinion
Like most Meredith students, my mem
ory of my first visit to Meredith's campus
is a vivid one. I remember walking around
the lake with my student tour guide in the
fall when the leaves had just reached their
height of beauty. 1 was enchanted by the
full color of the leaves and the free-
flowing water in the lake. To me, the
amphitheater summed up the essence of
Meredith*s character. I was so impressed
with the lake area that it was the first
image conjured in my mind when Dr.
Brewer assigned my 111 English class to
write a descriptive paragraph on “a place."
Today I wonder how many potential
freshmen are affected by the lake the way
I was. Of course, the leaves still turn bril*
liant colors in the fall and the Dogwoods
bloom every spring, but the water no
longer runs free. The lake is stagnant and
dirty and overgrown, with plant life. 1
hope Meredith students and people in the
Raleigh community do not think the lake
as it exists now is a reflection on Mere
dith's image as I once did.
The lake area is a retreat ground. Peo
ple throughout Raleigh, as well as Mere
dith students, retreat to the lake for sun,
fun, relaxation, meditation, romance, exer*
else and much more. 1 can't help but think
that most people are (or were) drawn to
the lake by its beauty and peaceful sur
roundings. Everywhere you look it's green
—and brown. The cloudy mud and scum
in the lake masks its potential beauty. It is
a problem worth note since the lake area
seems to be a direct reflection on Mere
dith.
Before the drought set in. it was a Sun
day ritual for me to grab a blanket, a
Frisbeeand all the sticks I could find fora
fun afternoon at the lake. I would spend
hours tossing sticks into the lake with
hopes of turning my water-shy puppy,
Sandy, into a brave dog-paddler. As
weeks passed and the water became more
and more dirty, I soon regretted my
endeavors to make Sandy a swimmer.
Af^er diving into the water, Sandy would
paddle back to shore and shake slime all
over me. Once out of the water he looked
much more muddy than he ^er did
sandy.
As a senior, my interest in the lake may
be selfish. I would like the lake to be
naturally blue and not temporarily dyed
for graduation. I would like the water to
sparkle and shine just as the anxious
redpients of degrees will be shining as
they stride across the island to accept their
diplomas. 1 want to be proud on my gra
duation day and not ashamed of my
surroundings.
I hope the building and grounds com
mittee will recognise that this is an impor
tant issue instead of a petty detail. I firmly
believe Meredith’s outer appearance is
directly related to its inner ideals. Some
people do read a book by its cover (par
don the cliche).
Betsy Short
Interim Editor, The Merdith Herald
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February 28,1986 - 5