Page 6 The Carolina Journal Wednesday, February 21, 1968
Exams
Before
Christmas?
A question which often comes up in student conversations and
discussions Is that of whether or not it is preferable to have
exams before Christmas.
At last Sunday's Consolidated University Student Council meeting
this ^estion was discussed at a level at which some change might
be effected. The Consolidated Council plans to hold a general
referendum on all four campuses of the state University system to
fmd out just how students, and faculty, feel about such a possible
change in the academic calendar.
The obvious advantages of taking exams prior to the Christmas
holidays are (1) a longer vacation—possibly three to four weeks;
C2) t^e elimination of exam worry from this winter break; and (3)
elimination of the shorttwo week period of classes between Christmas
break and exams.
Excepting a few minor variations, all four state campuses are
on the same academic calendar. Therefore, any change in exam
schedules would affect each campus.
The question to be put before the students and faculty of the
Consolidated University will be worded along these lines: “Would
you prefer an academic calendar which would provide for exams
before Christmas vacation?”
A change such as this one must be approved by the Board of
Trustees of the Consolidated University. The Consolidated Student
Council wishes to learn the preference of the various campuses
In order to lay valid information before the Board of Trustees should
a change be desired. The Council hopes to hold the referendum
sometime in the next four weeks.
We urge you to consider this matter carefully and prepare to
voice your opinion during the upcoming referendum.
Barnstormer
Hassle
Has Effects
The Barnstormer critic -Barnstormer staff exchange of opinion
which has filled these editorial pages of the Journal recently has
not been without its effects.
Last week John Lafferty, Journal Sports Editor and Larry Logan
met with representatives of the literary magazine in Vice Chan
cellor Bonnie Cone’s office to discuss their varying opinions on
the whys and wherefores of a college literary publication.
Interest such as this is a healthy part of campus life—one that
can result in improved campus activities.
It Was Hostetter!
The Campus Character Contest in last week’s Journal was suc
cessfully met by ten guesses—and exactly ten guesses were de
livered to the Journal box.
So obviously, one either knew definitely who the handsome young
man was, or he had no idea whatsoever.
John Hostetter has certainly undergone a metamorphosis!
A Journal Apology
The Journal Staff regrets an error which appeared in this column
last Wednesday. Bobbe Berry is the new Fine Arts Committee
chairman. Bemle Hnekel, who was given that position on these
pages, is in actuality the chairman of the Coffee House Committee.
THE CAROLINA JOURNAL
GAYLE WATTS
Editor’s Special Consultant Jillison Clary, Jr.
Feature Editor Rodney Smith
- -J°hn Lafferty
Photo Editor Fred Jordan
CartoomsL Geraldine Ledford
News Editor Ron Foster
STAFF: Patrick McNeely, Kay Watson, Rodney Smith, Carol Haywood,
Parry Bliss, Monte Zepeda, Joe Davidsonj Steve Jones, Arthur
Gentile, Linda Craven, Tommy Harmon, Sandy Griffin, Wendy
Kleinfield, Frank Sasser, Sonia Mizell, John Byrd
ished weekly on Wednesdays by the students of the University
irth Carolina at Charlotte.
REPRESENTED FOR NATIONAL. ADVERTISING BY
^ National Educational Advertising Services
^ C A DIVISION OF \ ^
H READER'S DIGEST SALES A SERVICES. INC. ^
\ I 360 Lexington Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017 | |
A Dialogue With
John Hostetter
BY ROD SMITH
John Hostetter is a little ec
centric. A senior Egnlish major
John is hard to describe, but easy
to recognize. His long hair and
bright clothing distinguish him
from the average student. John
has become well known for his
JOURNAL
FEATURE EDITOR
RODNEY SMITH
bouncy manner, timely comments,
and frequentappearances at dances
with the Studs (oris it the Oranges,
or is it the Minority). John plays
rock music with a dynamic de
livery. The native of Hanover,
Pennsylvania, also writes songs
and poetry. At the last perfor
mance of the Green Garter, Mr.
Hostetter stole the show with a
lyrical love ballad he wrote. Mr.
Hostetter performed at Myrtle
Beach with the Studs and is pre
sently appearing with the Para
gons, a local group.
Hostetter, complete with beads
and smile, responded to the ring
of the doorbell. The interview
took place at this apartment he
shares with two others. The liv
ing room was decorated in an
eastern motif. A large stereo sys
tem, complete with albums,
thoroughly overshadowed the T.V.
set in the background. In a state
of semi-darkness with a Jimmie
Hendricks album in the back
ground, the interview began:
Journal: To begin with what’s
happening with you right now?
What’s the band doing?
Hostetter: Not much is going
on right now. The band isn’t.
I’ve been playing with the Para
gons lately, but there’s not much.
It’s been hard to put across our
kind of sound in this area. I’m
writing a few sounds now and
then, whenever the motivation hits
me.
Journal: Will you graduate this
year?
Hostetter: Hopefully.
Journal: What are your plans
for the future?
Hostetter: Oh, I don’t know. I
guess just bum around for awhile
and try to get exempted from the
draft. I’s a sole surviving son.
I’ve got lots of things up in
the air right now. There’s a pos
sibility of something in Atlanta,
but you can never tell what will
happen tomorrow.
Journal: How do you account
for your popularity among the
students here?
Hostetter: I’m a dope peddler. No
really. . .People are jaded, you
know -
Journal: What kind of girls do
you like? You know for the kid
dies,
Hostetter: Green.
Journal: Have you ever embar
rassed anyone?
Hostetter: No, Well, possibly
my mother.
Journal: Are you going to be
ready to let it all hang out in
the Spring “Blowout”?
Hostetter: Oh, man, that’s too
much. That thing was just great,
but it would just be plastic to
plan one. If it happens again this
year, it’ll be great but things
were just right last year. It was
just everybody last year not just
me. I just happened to look the
strongest and stand out the most.
Journal: You think that to plan
something like this woud be to
betray the spirit of the thing, then.
Hostetter: Yes, you might say
that. There was a general outline
for the proceedings last year,
but things didn’t go according to
the plan.
Journal: I’ve noticed that you
neither smoke or drink. What’s
the reason behind this?
Hostetter: Well, I just never
started. It’s not hard to stay away
from these things if you’ve never
started. I really have no feelings
about it. I probably make up for
it by eating too much. I guess
everybody has hiw own vice.
Journal: Are you a follower
of national politics?
Hostetter: Nope, I don’t even
keep up.
Journal: No sense of humor,
then? Can you distinguish any basic
differences among the people
you’ve met in the south and the
people in Pennsylvania?
Hostetter: No, there are none.
People really aren’t that different.
I think it’s the weather. When I
go home the place is just as bad,
I hate to phrase it that way, as it
is here. It’s the same shallow
type of thing we have down here.
It’s just plastic suburban people,
you know. Maybe that’s just their
thing. I wouldn’t want them to
change. If they did, Pd probably
have to change too.
Journal: Would you care to com
ment on the atmosphere on the
Charlotte campus and the quality
of education you’ re getting there?
Hostetter: I’m hardly qualified
to discuss the quality of the educa
tion I’m getting, but, it’s a good
place. I really mean that. I’ve
been to Catawba and I can make
the comparison. The people here
have a lot of freedom that they
don’t realize. Whentheygetdorms,
they’ll have to start laying down
restrictions.
Journal: John, can you explain
ju.st what your “thing” is? What
is behind your mode of behavior?
What is it that makes you tick?
Hostetter: This will be hard. It’s
just me. I can’t even explain it
to myself. But whatever it is,
it’s harmless now and I want to
hang on to it before the plastic
people get at me and turn me
into a white collar stereotype. You
know, I just want to be comfor
table. That’s it. There is a cer
tain amount of discomfort involved
in my life, but it’s put there by
other people. You know, people
are really kinda rude. They don’t
even showthe minimum of courtesy
when they’re confronted with an
unusual looking character.
I try to live my life and let
other people live theirs. I’m not
interested in making value judg
ments, although I do catch myself
slipping sometimes. Look folks.
this is me doing value judgments.
I guess it’s mostly the people
I’ve been acquainted with lately.
They’ve had a great influence on
my way of thinking. I like for
people to leave me alone and I
feel that I should reciprocate. I
don’t owe anybody anything, ex
cept my mother. When I was in
Salisbury, I was a part of a good
scene, the vibrations were right,
I think it’s unfair for parents,
or adults in general, to look at
me and assume that Tm filthy.
That’s a value judgment. For not
this is my thing, but I may change
my mind tomorrow. I should have
that right.
Journal: You’ve mentioned your
mother several times—both in the
interview and previously. WTiat
sort of rapport do you share with
her?
Hostetter: My mother is really r
the greatest person I know, chrono- j
logically, she’s two generations '
away, but really she’s right on |
top of it. She’s quite a person.
Journal: What was the precipi
tating cause for your metamorpho
sis from your high school person
ality to your present mode of
being?
Hostetter: The only change is my
hair style. I never had the chance
to openly express my preference
and feelings before college. You
must learn discipline somewhere.
I may need some discipline now.
I may have freaked out too far.
Journal: Are you a religious
person?
Hostetter: Yes.
Journal: Which religion?
Hostetter: It doesn’t matter.
This gets pretty deep here. I
basically feel some sort of natural
attraction.' Maybe Tm a pantheist.
I can’t get into this every-Sunday-
go - to - church - and - forget-it-the
rest-of-the-week thing. You ought
to worship when you feel it, not
at some predetermined ^bpe on
your schedule. I’m basictfclly a
religious person because that’tthe
way my mother raised me. Tm
attrated to the three man philos
ophy. I do my thing, you do yours.
And there’s no overstepping into
each other’s. It has to be kind of
natural; Siddhartha and other Eas
tern works have had a great in
fluence in the formation of my
ideas. Really, my thing is just
as real as Christianity.
Journal: Is there anything you’d
like to add that I’ve omitted in
my interrogation?
Hostetter: I’d really like to get
into this love movement. It’s really
good. It may be too idealistic,
but the ideas are fine. I don’t
know what people should do, may
be just go around and kiss every- ,
body. You’ve got to realize that
other people exist, and they exist
for a purpose—not the same pur
pose as yours. That’s what the i
older generation just won’taccept.
Tm proud to be a freak. |
I
JOHN HOSTETTER