RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA
September 25,
■ :i
IM
i
Si.-
THE BELLES
OF ST. MARY’S
Published in thirteen issues during the
school year, September to May. Monthly
for September, December, January, March,
and May; Semi-monthly for October, No
vember, February, and April, by the stu
dent body of St. Mary’s Junior College.
Second Class Postage paid at Raleigh,
N. C. 27611. Subscription rate $1.00 per
year.
BELLES STAFF
Editor-in-Chief Jane Lang Darden
Assistant Editor Rebecca Stallings
News Editor Patty Irving
Feature Editor Rebecca Stallings
Head Typist Lillian James
Circulation Head Becky Crittenden
Exchange Editor Linda Longing
Subscription Editor Ann Tyndall
NEWS STAFF
Anne Buddenhagen, Anne Justice,
Anne Little, Linda Longino, Flea Magee,
Susan Midgett, Mary Mikel, Claire
Spinks, Debbie Turner, Betsy Valiant,
Laura Warwick.
FEATURE STAFF
Betty Ward, Kay Turner, Ann Tyn
dall, Mary Zaytoun, Carol Harrison.
TYPING STAFF
Susan Clay, Jane Eggleston, Carol
Harrison, Sarah Hoss, Tempe Ann Lampe,
Joan Graham, Ann Justice.
CIRCULATION STAFF
Susan Clay, Cathy Foltz, Mary Har
per, Shirley Reeves, Betsy Valiant, Court
ney Cochran, Lynn Dawson, Neale Tur-
hngton. pj^Q-poGRAPHER
Barbara Olschner.
PROOFREADER
Chip Dodd.
ADVISOR
Mrs. Robert Gunn.
STATEMENT OF
POLICY
Any article must be turned to the
editor-in-chief or other editors. It
must be typed or legibly written, and
the maximum length is two typed
pages. All articles must be signed.
The right is reserved not to publish
any article written in bad taste. The
Belles is happy to extend this opjwr-
tunity to the students; please use it!
Assembly Schedule
Sept. 29 —Mr. Henry Witten — rais
ing money for SMJC
Qct. 1 — Mrs. Bailey — Scottish His
tory
Oct. 6 —Presidents of Beacon and
Circle
Oct. 8-Cold Cuts Induction
Oct. 13 — Dcxiley Foundation — Air
line Stewardess from Eastern Or
ganization of Overseas Steward
esses
Oct. 15-Mrs. Scoggins trip (arch
eology)
PRESIDENT PISANI’S LETTER TO
ST. MARY’S
September 9, 1970
TO: The Belles Box 73
From: President’s Office, St. Mary’s
Junior College
Dear Girls:
Our Belles editor has asked me to
write a letter to the student body in
each issue this year. I have agreed to
do this. There are several things I
want very much to share with you
all. However, I feel it more import
ant to address myself to subjects of
concern to you.
Therefore, I invite any member of
the St. Mary’s family to make known
to me any subject she feels would be
of interest for this letter.
This could lead to dialogue in open
meetings with students. I cannot help
hut feel it will open up communica
tion and thereby enrich life at St.
Mary’s.
A letter invites an answer. Sub
jects covered may evoke disagree
ment. If so, fine! Honest, construc
tive reaction is always welcome.
The Belles encourages student par
ticipation in the publication of the
newspaper. It encourages students
outside the immediate staff to write
news and feature articles. Students
may express opinions about situations
on and off campus. They may express
legitimate complaints and may make
suggestions for improvements.
This year The Belles encourages
articles which explore the world be
yond Hillsborough Street, NCSU,
and Chapel Hill. It is felt that articles
on contemporary issues would be of
interest to the students. The Belles
also invites replies and rebuttals to
the articles it prints.
For openers in this first issue I
want to make some observations about
the honor system at St. Mary’s and
its implications.
Traditionally the honor system or
code has been at the very heart of
the way that life is lived in this com
munity. Lying, cheating, and steal
ing have been and are abhorrent in
this place. Trust has been placed in
each girl to report herself for viola
tions of the code of this school. Fur
ther, the honor system requires a girl
knowing of her fellow student’s vio
lation of the code to “show the girl
her fault, explaining to her why she
should report herself, and if necessary
to report her.” I believe it is at this
point that some members of this com
munity encounter difficulty.
The label of “tattle-tale” is one that
no one wears proudly. An informer is
generally characterized unfavorably
in movies, dramas, in our society gen
erally. While there is no sense of the
“tattle-tale” or informer intended in
our system, the implication is there in
the minds of some students.
These implications notwithstand
ing, we must go all the way with the
honor system, or abandon it. Admit
tedly, there are imperfections in this
system. Like our democracy, it does
EDITORIAL
In his letter to the student body, Mr. Pisani discussed the honor system.
He said that the honor system encourages and develops self-reliance, respon
sibility and integrity. With this in mind, I would like to discuss certain in
cidents on campus which are direct breaches of the honor code. I am refer
ring to the stealing of food and ice which occurs in every dorm. Even though
there are sufficient warnings on the refrigerator doors that stealing is an honor
board offense, and there are names on the food and ice trays, there are excel
lent odds that there won’t be anything left when the owner returns.
Tills mav seem like a petty thing to write an article on. It is not the
food and ice themselves being stolen that worries me. Ice cubes are cheap.
It is tbe complete nonchalance with which it is being done. The “thieves”
seem to have no qualms about eating someone else’s hreakfast or lunch. If
you threatened to take them to Honor Board, they would probably look
puzzled and ask what they had done. Let’s get one thing straight; Stealing
is stealing. You can go before I lonor Board for five ice cubes as easily as for
expensive jewelry.
Another sad thing about the situation is that the old girls are as guilty
as anyone. Since thev arc the ones who have lived under the system before,
they are the ones who are supposed to be setting an example for the new
girls to iollow. Is the I lonor System letting us down because it doesn't
foster the qualities of self-reliance, rcsixmsibility, and integrity, or are we
letting the 1 lonor System down because we haven’t grown up yet? 1 L D
J
STUDENTS
not work perfectly. So, admitting our
system is imperfect let us examine the
alternatives.
One alternative is to abandon rules
and regulations entirely. If there was
no code of conduct in any area of
life, we could abandon the honor
system. It would be unnecessary for
Susy to tell Jane that she should re
port herself for a violation. One can
not violate that which is not. One
cannot break a law that does not
Thf BcJ)£-fin
exist.
To me this alternative is unthink
able. Such a community would be
demonic. When you bring a com
munity into life together on 23 acres
of ground — living together, studying,
eating —that community must have
order. The so-called total freedom of
a community without law turns out
not to be freedom at all, but rather to
be the breeding ground for an order
that is terrifying in the extreme. Read
history if you don’t believe me.
A second alternative would be a
virtual police state. In such an ar
rangement careful policing of the en
tire life of this community would be
carried out by external means. For
example, a matron for each hall
would conduct regular bed checks,
and spot checks on every conceivable
phase of dormitory life. Or, proctors
brought in from the outside would
rigidly watch each examination to be
sure that no one was cheating.
This would, to me, be equally in
tolerable. Such a system affords no
opportunity for a pierson to grow, to
develop self-reliance, and a sharper
sense of personal responsibility and
integrity.
Every detail of our honor system
may not suit every member of the
community. Indeed, no one would
claim the system is perfect, or that it
always works. However, faced with
the alternatives it seems the best
system under which we can live.
Part of any education is making
hard decisions and seeking inner re
sources to help cope with the prob
lem of living together. I pray that the
honor system at St. Mary’s may
strongly motivate us to conquer our
problems and to enrich the life of
each of us who claims membership
in this community.
Faithfully,
Frank W. Pisani
For the
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GIRLS REACT
COED EDUCATIOJ^
The times they are
and with them St. Mary’s. T5
the school has enrolled its ki*
student, Steve Lane. This
events has led to thoughts and
sions on the value of co-ed ^ ,
What do the girls here think a
an institution?
For the most part, the 8'^.
quick to reply in favor of sne|*
rangement. Many girls
qualify their feelings. Molo g
felt that co-ed schools are n
for everybody and that a Jy
out of high school arent r
the responsibilities that
She said they tend to
dating, not on studying- , (ph
that, at a girls’ college,
to study and budget your ^ . j|y,
Molly Bridger a greed withj'j^^( tlj
added, “two years is fi^^ ^onid’^
you get sloppy.” Other
went Tike this: “it broadens 7^
cation and makes you d’ ^ ji|
rounded,” “boys’ views are J
ent,” and “I’m looking ^
dressing up some.”
Perhaps the all-gu^
— — I'c
schools present an abnorm;
The major jwrtion of
voted to getting a “book gs
getting
Colleges should also
life, especially to live
van
people. Segregated sch^pgri^'
students of many useru
with others.
ief
SUNDAY
change^
.11 kg on^
This year there wu .^g at
dav morning church .^g an'
A.M. The change ‘ g;00
discontinuation of tu el
communion service ar
s
Iflf’’
communion service a ^j^g rn^
join the entire sch^* J-Iobg'k’.c
worship service. M|^'_ j cien'
CO
worsnip serviLt. ‘ J
phasized that for vah j. in
reasons the 9:30/VM-iva^ 1
changed, but that this jgjits
sidered the best so t e s jgy
have the remainder o
after the service.
icr i.w — toah®”A
Dates are still j Job,
There will
serMCC.
munion on ^ffiree
endar Sundays with ^
assisting. If ‘ to jy
sincerely ...fso^i
inb
would
other ciiuiLii,
to Mr. I lobgcKxl abo
would sincerely iicrsod ,ijg
other church, she i ^|jg c>