Point Blank by Larry Keith
The Gospel
According To
Witherspoon
The consequence of a student losing his religious faith “weighs
on my mind and soul,” says Dr. Loy Witherspoon, but he considers
it a “risk worth taking,”
Thus, the teaching philosophy of the amiable and often controversial
professor of religion:
“I want a student to raise questions about his faith,” he says.
“1 want him to base his beliefs on the answers he can find for himself,
not the answers that have been provided too often by parents or grand
parents.”
Yet, there is another side of Dr. Loy Witherspoon, a man whose
childhood was lived at the Methodist Children’s home.
He counsels. He must restore doubts he himself may have caused
a student to raise.
“I have often looked on my dual role as a conflicting one,” he
admits, I take an approach in the classroom which seems to differ
from that taken as a counselor.”
It a paradox does exist, it is grounded by the man’s own deep felt
Christian sentiments.
“You might call me an optimist. I have established my own be
liefs and I feel that I can help students establish theirs. I like to think
that a student will leave my classroom with a strengthened faith.
If so, I am not going to worry for him despite what he may learn through
science or philosophy courses.”
What about the other student, however, the one who asks the
questions and finds no sufficient answers?
Dr. Witherspoon, the man, worriers, a worry he tries to conceal
in class. In private discussion, the worry causes him to bow his head
and wring his hands.
-It Isn't Sunday School
“Teaching approaches differ,” he says. “I tell my students not
to expect a Sunday school lesson. I hope that as we prod through
a course the student will begin to see how he can rebuild his faith.
“I hope I’m not doing a job of tearing faith down, I want no atheists
or agnostics on my conscience. But I do see evidence that this can
occur from the students’ reactions to my lectures oi' the textbook,
“This is problem that weighs on my mind and soul. I don’t show
it in class, I firmly believe that is is a risk that is v'orth taking.”
The students listen, read and question. They raise doubts and they
learn that there is much that is mythical, and not exactly unique,
about Jesus Christ and his teachings.
Dr. Witherspoon laughs and caUs himself very liberal.
“There are two areas where my beliefs are hardly traditional,”
he says.
“I give a different view to the term ‘virgin birth’ as appUed to
Christ. I’m not willing to say that I don’t beUeve in it exaclty but,
well..., ” and he falters.
He was more committal on the other, the foundation upon which
Christiania has spread.
“I do not doubt that Biblical references to the resurrection have
been misinterpreted by many. The resurrection was not of the dead
body. Indeed, the scripture leaves much reason to doubt that it was.”
-He Expects No Thunderbolts
Dr. Witherspoon has often said in the classroom that a thunderbolt
might pierce the heavens and strike him down. He doubts it though.
His background is cme of devotion to his work and his faith.
He considers himself a teacher, notapastor, and it is the teacher’s
charge to instruct not to indoctrinate.
“I always wanted to teach,” he says, “and I never really gave
much thought to the idea of being a pastor in a church.”
Such an experience is in his background, though. Before obtaining
his doctorate in New Testament studies at Boston University, he
was associate pastor for three years at Myers Park Methodist Church,
“It was both a rewarding and frustrating experience,” he recalls.
“1 really never intended to do it, but when the government told me to
come home from the American University in Cairo, Egypt and either
become a pastor or join the armed forces, there was no doubt in
my mind which I should choose.”
Dr. Witherspoon has concluded that “my own Ufe can best serve
the Church as a teacher,
“Christ taught us that we should know the truth and the truth
shall make us free,” he emphasizes.
“And 1 believe it.”
THE CAROLINA JOURNAL
Published weekly mi Wednesday except during holidays.
ELLISON CLARY, JR., Editor
Frank Crooks Business Manager
Libby Holshouser Feature Editor
Donna Hughes Sports Editor
Geraldine Ledford. . . . Cartoonist
Nancy Kciiler, Fred Jordan Photographers
Staff: SaUy Hagood, Paul Boswell, Earleen Mabry, Corny Stilwell,
Frank CatMi, Jan Ballard, Patrick McNeely, Bobbe Berry, Carol
Haywood, Sandy Caudle, Rosemary Lands, John Lafferty, Gayle Watts,
Kay Watson, Carol Durham, Louise Napolitano, and Larry Keith.
Letters To The Editor
Thanks, Faithful 37! Do
Rest Know What Culture Is?
Mr. Editor:
On behalf of the University U-
nion, I want to personally thank all
of the students who went to see
the “Dukes of Dixieland” Yes
sir, thanks to aU of you—all
37 of you! And the really funny
part of it all is that most of the
37 were students who had work
ed very hard for the “Dukes”
and Schwingfest.” I overheard
some comments from the two
hundred plus public patrons who
went as to where the students
were.
It’s rather late to use the ex
cuses that have been used for
years, such as:
“I didn’t know about it.” There
was advertising in all the news
papers, on all the radio stations,
and posters were plastered all
over campus,
“I don’t want to go.” Is there
no pride among you students for
your University of North Caroli
na at Charlotte?
“I’ve already paid my fees, and
I’m not going to pay this school
to see anything.” Do you students
realize that out of aU the fees you
pay, only about $5.00 per student
taking over seven hours goes to
the University Union? Where can
you have the benefit of all the var
ious functions that the U.U. has
to offer for $5.00? (that includes
dances, lecturers, fine arts func-
It means appreciating the arts;
performing, film, and graphic.
There are art exhibits in the li
brary all of the time (and they
are FREE). It means seeing a
Fellini movie once in a while.
It means going to the opera co-
casionally. It means hearing ex
perts lecture on such controversial
topics as Viet Nam, birth con
trol, ESP (you should have heard
Tran Van Dinh, but if you missed
him, you still can hear lectures
this semester on the latter two
subjects—FREE).
For the first time in the history
of our new campus, the University
Union has had a full Executive
Committee and Program Board.
We even have a program director
for administrative advising. All
of these people and their committee
members have worked very hard to
make this the best year yetforyou
students.
Does all this work rate only
37 students?
Think about that folks. And
while you are at it, think about
who you want to set up your pro
gram for next year. Elections
for the Executive Committee and
Governing Board tor the 1967-1968
academic year will be held during
the first part of March.
37 Students!
Frank Jones
Chairman, University Union
Editorial’s Title
Was Well Suited
Add the doUar or two
you pay in addition and it’s still
damned cheap! These are but a
few of the excuses I have heard.
Pathetic isn’t it?
Why must it be that you students
are only interested in rock ’n roll
dances? Sure, I like the Tams as
much as the next guy, and we’re
having them again in April, but
you are young adults. You are in
college to broaden not only your
mind, but also your tastes.
Do any of you know what culture
means outside of the sociology
class? It means reading poetry
and understanding it. If you don’t
understand ityou listen to an expert
analyst (we are having three poets
on campus this semester—FREE).
Mr. Editor:
The CaroHna Journal in its Feb
ruary 8 issued contained an edit
orial titled “The Name Game.”
The title was well suited to the
information which foUowed, but
what information!
It seems the author decided to
play match-up with as many junior
high and high school mascots as
fit the names supplied by the
committee. We feel certain that
the match-ups could be completed,
by looking to other cities for
Bisons and Chargers, although we
doubt any Wild Boars could be
found. However, this match-up and
rejection can be carried to the ex
treme. We haven’t heard any rum
bles of discontent from Clemson,
LSU, or Princeton because Hamp
shire Hills chose the Tiger as the
mascot for their city league team.
All this brings us around to a
point which continues to mystify
us. Why do the majority of stu
dents continue to compare the
University with junior high and
high schools: We cannot understand
where these schools are more than
remotely related, other than the
fact that they may supply us with
additional students. Their colors
or mascots have nothing to do with
UNC-C. In fact it is our hope that
we will have broader support for
our athletic teams than just the
immediate Charlotte area.
This is not the first instance
where the student body has re
fused to rise above the “Harry-
high-school” level. Consider the
“Rinky Dink” attendance and bas
ketball problems in the February
15 issue. But let’s stick to the
point, the name game.
We had out personal preferences
from the list, but no matter, all
we would like to see is the name
of an animal to allow selection of
a living mascot, one with a nice
alliteration (like Cougars). How
ever, if we become the Chargers,
we could get the Ajax White Knight.
Until the students of UNC-C
develop enough pride in their in
stitution to being to put some ma
ture thought into their activities,
well meaning, but pointless, edi
torials will continue to be written.
Dr. James F. Matthews
Carolyn CampbeU
Pineapple Bomb Was Real
Gasser; Saved Dull Week 6
Editor’s Note: This is the fifth
in a series of articles by former
Journal editor turned soldier, Ho
ward Pearre.
BY PVT. HOWARD PEARRE
FT. BRAGG, N.C. - Week No. 5:
review.
We just got back from a two-
So dat’s wot you do at ITT.
Until 23:30 you do dat at ITT. If
you’re lucky you ride back.
Week No. 7: Tuesday: Grenades.
Hot dog! KaBOOOOOM! Wouldyou
believe very loud noises.
week Santa Claus special. So we
learn the whole story over again.
Big deal.
Week No. 6.
If Week No. 5 was dull. Week
No. 6 made up for it.
Monday morning we made up for
it.
ITT. Hot dog!
ITT is individual tactical train
ing or, tor the uninformed, how to
move from one spot to another.
But ’tain’t as simple as all that.
In fact, it gets damn near compli
cated when somebody done sot a
obstickle between where you is
now and where you is got to get
sometime in the near future.
A obstickle is anything which
you gotta go under, over, around,
or through; beside, behind, before,
or in back of.
A obstickle is barb wire, logs,
electric wire, holes, mountains,
trees, sick automobiles, dead
horses, dense undergrowth, or
enemy troops.
Each recruittosses one grenade.
Correction. The first one might
“toss” it. After seeing and hear
ing what the pineapply bomb can
do, nobody else just “tosses” it.
Week No. 7: Wednesday: Gasl
The funist training al 1 week.
If you’ve ever had any experience
with tear gas or mustard gas, you
need read no further. If you haven’t
experienced the stuff, nothing I can
say would be a fair discription.
Nevertheless.
Eyes burn. Skin burns. You
DON’T breath. You exhale and
THEN start coughing. But nothing
comes in.
Each basic trainee gets the gas.
You march down to the champ
You march down to the chamber
decked out in protective masks.
You have three tests in the cham
ber.
You walk into the chamber with
mask on. Once in you must pull
it partly off for a second, put it
back on and clear and seal the
mask ( a process of breathing out
to clear the mask of gas and breath
ing in with the air vents closed to
seal it).
Having completed this you hit
the good one. Still in the chamber,
you walk up to a driU sergeant
( who, with mask firmly on, is
standing directly over the fume
box) and take your mask off. You
repeat your name, rank, service
lumber, and date of birth. “1946”
came out damn quick. I knocked
over another D.I. getting out of
ht door.
Third test involves going into
the chamber with your mask off
and putting it on. It gets on. Fast.
Finally you think you’re through.
Then. GAS!!!
No driU, this. Four DJ.’s dash
out of the woods with masks and
portable pressure tanks. This one
you ain’t ready for. You drop
your rifle. You drop your helmet.
You wind up dropping your mask.
You jump, dance, scream, cry
quietly, wave your arms and
shake your head. Half the com
pany breaks formation and runs.
(They are picked off by imaginary
VC.) You gasp and the D. I. shoots
you right in the face with the fire
extinguisher - looking tank.
And that’s what you do in your
fifth week.