Olijf (Enllrgiatf
Letters To The Editor
NOVEMBER 3,1977
The Student’s Voice
Editor’s Reply
We have talked to Bob Hunt, read his letter, and
considered the facts and rumors that have surrounded
the incident which resulted in Bob’s dog being taken
away from him.
As we see it, there is little doubt that being deprived
of the guide dog will profoundly affect Bob’s lifestyle ...
We understand he unduly punished the animal. We
therefore feel an obligation to consider both sides of this
unfortunate affair.
We can sympathize with Dr. MacLean’s and Mrs.
Michael’s concern. Perhaps they acted with what they
felt was good cause or maybe they should have in
vestigated the situation more thoroughly before they
acted. The consequences of their action should find
them at least disturbed. On the other hand they may feel
no regret at what they consider to be justified action...
We understand the dog had a physical ailment. Was
the organization which provided the dog to blame? Most
likely they were not aware of the animal’s condition.
Students might also have been partially to blame
with their petting and interruption of the dog’s attention.
It’s natural to want to pet the dog, but the students in
their well-meaning ignorance have caused at least some
of the problem.
There is nothing that can be done now. The affair is in
the past and we are left with our regrets and sympathy.
The most we can do is to help Bob.
Album Notes
What do top studio musicians
like Tom Scott, Larry Carlton,
Victor F'eldman, Chuck Rainey,
and Steve Gadd have in com
mon? These superb musicians
(and several others) all play on
the new Steely Dan album en
titled “Aja” (pronounced Asia).
Steely Dan has evolved into a
two man group consisting of
Donald P'agen and Walter
Becker and whoever else they
need to do a particular song.
Fagen and Becker hand pick the
musicians for each song. The
musicians are uncompromising.
Recording sessions with Steely
Dan are almost legends now
with musicians spending five
hours on a short phrase and
whole songs being scrapped
because a few notes were “not
quite right.” From the opening
notes on the album you can tell
that each note is exactly where
it’s supposed to be, right on
schedule. It’s precision with a
capital “P”.
With all of this going for it, 1
can’t figure out why this album
is so mediocre. After repeated
listening, the disc just fades
away and becomes background
music. Maybe it’s too smooth.
Maybe the vocals are not ex
pressive enough. But for some
reason the album just does not
bear repeated listening. Steely
Dan did prove one thing on their
way to the Number 3 spot on the
Billboard charts: that music can
be funky without being disco.
(Album provided by Super Hits).
—Kevin Lorenz
As It Seems
The time has come for a little
evaluation. The time has come
to assess the situation, to look at
things and see what there is to
see, to explore the normal run of
things and find what there is to
be found. Where are we? Fall is
once again hard upon us, a
virtual backlog of work stands
glaring at most of us (a creation
that most of us acknowledge yet
few claim as their own), the desk
chair creaks a bit more than it
did at the opening, the pen
supply has deteriorated once
already, mid semester is a
memory, and ten weeks (or
there-abouts) have been passed
by. What are we left with, but of
course, homecoming. What
more need be said? That
esteemed weekend is joyously,
once again upon us. What is
homecoming? What, beyond the
crowning of the queen, the
dance, the luncheon, a bunch of
old fogies, a gang of young know-
it-alls, and a whole lot of work on
the part of so few to reach so
many, is the reason and the
purpose of such a seeming
mess? What do we do is usually a
relatively easy question. It's
why we do it that merits our
consideration here.
Homecoming presents us with
opportunities. The opportunities
are varied, but they all seem to
lead to one end, that being a
coming together of many as an
expression of community. That
seems to be our common bond.
Sure, it's a time for graduates
from the year one to return, a
time for catching up, a time for
reuniting with old friends, but it
is our common bond of purpose
that casts a special light on the
occasion for the alumnus and the
attending student. It’s a time to
show a little pride in where we
are or where we’ve been, and, of
course, it's fun. Like most events
of this type, it’s a celebration
with all of the prescribed
festivities. A lot of time has been
invested, more time and effort
will be needed to achieve a
successful event. So let us be
free to experience and enjoy to
the fullest degree, our existance
as collective community, joined
together in celebration, for, as
ten weeks are no longer our own,
so come and go the opportunities
before us.
George Murphy.
To theEditor:
"once upon a time there was
young man who was .year
accident and as a result
blinded. In trying to put the
pieces of his life together agam,
Se resumed his college career.
This young man
been totally independent, and he
was determined not to let
blindness take away his right o
be a fully functioning individual.
He began by renting an
apartment near the college
campus. He then undertook the
task of spending six 'veeks 'n
New York obtaining a guide dog
for the purpose of mobility^ He
felt that a guide dog would be
safer than a cane because of a
balance problem due to a leg
injury received in the accident.
After returning from New
York, a new chapter of his life
opened. The thought of at
tempting to leave his apartment
and walk up to the college on the
first day was a strange but
fearful challenge. Crossing busy
streets with the aid of only four
senses was a fearful, exciting
adventure, but one he undertook
with courage. The first couple of
weeks were extremely difficult
but with the patience of the
students and faculty, life settled
into an exciting intellectual
growth and new and meaningful
friendships formed within the
college community. When the
first year of college passed, the
young man had achieved
academic excellence and was
coping well with the unusual life
he was forced to live.
Many people on the campus
did not understand blindness and
would not approach the young
man, and those who did would
pet the guide dog not knowing
that it distracted the dog. But
yet, rather than appear rude to
new acquaintances by asking
them not to touch the dog, he
often overlooked their petting.
Many people do not realize
that one should never distract a
guide dog when he is in harness,
because he is a tool rather than a
pet.
An unfortunate event oc
curred, however, in Hines Hall a
couple of weeks ago which will
change the lives of both the man
and the dog. As the young man
was leaving the second floor of
Hines Hall, the dog failed to stop
for the stairwell to let his master
know that he was approaching it.
The young man nearly fell, but
fortunately someone behind him
caught him before he fell. As the
dog reached the crowded first
floor corridor, he became ex
cited at the prospect of “pet-
ters.”
He led his master into two
concrete benches in the corridor
which caused his master to fall
to the floor and injure his hip.
It had been stressed at the
New York training school that
the dog be corrected when he
failed to do his job properly. The
correct procedure is to violently
jerk back on the dog’s leash and
make the dog rework the par
ticular problem. But in a state of
anger and pain, the dog’s master
pulled him to the floor and used
incorrect procedures to
discipline the dog by hitting the
dog several times.
Two faculty members, Dr.
Jerry MacLean and Mrs. Connie
Michaels, witnessed this in
cident. As the young man lay on
the floor, MacLean walked over
and asked a very intelligent
question “Is not the dog
trained,” to which the young
man replied very politely, “Sirr-
would you please just go on and
leave me alone.” Then the
professor stated that he would
have to report the incident to the
Humane Society. At this
moment, the young men ex
ploded and rudely told the
professor that he could do any
_____ thing he wished. The
young man hobbled away.
MacLean carried through with
his promise and made a report to
the Wilson chapter of the
Humane Society who in turn
called the National Humane
Society in Washington, D.C. This
organization called the school
from which the young man had
received the dog, and on Thurs
day, Oct. 27, a representative
from the school flew down and
told the young man that on the
basis of the two complaints
received from MacLean and
Michaels, he was taking the dog
back to New York.
The fact behind the matter
was not adequate reason to
justify the removal of the dog.
The fact is the resulting
publicity that the New York
school received was bad
publicity since the school
depends upon private donations
for its support. The decision was
made without consulting the
young man.
The young man felt that
MacLean’s only concern was for
the dog.
Some facts not widely men
tioned are: (1) The dog is an
epilectic. Due to this fact, he
cannot be retrained. He will be
“put to sleep.” (2) The young
man, dependent upon the dog for
guidance to class, to obtain food
from nearby restaurants, and to
guide him to his friends house to
receive his daily insulin in
jection, is stripped of his in
dependence as a person.
This young man is, in effect,
confined to his apartment. He
has also lost his only constant
companion since his blindness.
This dog slept at his master’s
feet and was a good guide dog
despite the views of MacLean.
This young man was flourishing
as a college student until this
incident. Now his college career
and life are in doubt.
BOB HUNT
Dear Editor,
Hail to those who defend a
poor, helpless dog! It is a
horrendous that someone would
cause the discomfort of such a
lovable creature. We all know
that dog is man’s best friend.
And this dog was certainly doing
his best to be friendly to
everyone. Rushing down the
stairs to meet oncoming petters!
Trying his best to greet everyone
in crowded Hines Hall! Even
sacrificing the safety of his
master to be so friendly! (Did
his master collide with a bench
and fall? Oh well, dogs will be
dogs!) To punish this animal for
being so brave with his master’s
life would indeed be cruel. He
might even be so courageous as
to walk his master into a
manhole.
Inhumane treatment of
animals! Despicable! Let’s lock
up all blind people so these poor
animals can be free!
John Stone
The topic for
questions you should
your professors, C
produce severe
push teachers to the b2 'r
uncivilized response,
For example thp
most heard at regisint
haj to write a ter^p, '
The suppressed resp^^.
you never hear is,
«ducatir.
somewhere else. For b, ‘
sake, don’twasteyourS;
course that requires efforr*
One of my favorites is'■■■
do anything i„
yesterday?” The res.J
temptation is to say “0fiv,i
not; we wouldn’t dare ?
anything intelligent ^
you.” ^
A related question is y
will happen if I am notU
today?” The answer totliai-:
is easy: “You won’tbethen
One that is becoming at
creasing problem in ctr
courses is, “Is itOKillis
after the quiz?” That o®
always asked when theteac-
has planned a discussion#!'
assignment and hopes thalsir
ideas in the reading will ca;
fire. The question reflecis;
imbecilic mentality wliid
effect, says, “If itwon’tber
next test I don’t needtowif
with it.” An yet students c?
plain about the state
education today.
Then there are those questi:
which reveal an IQ level
somewhere below 40. Tte
include such gems as, “Di;
have to remember this?" li
difficult to avoid saying. '
you don’t have to do anytlii
including become educateo
pass the course.”
In the samecategorywewo.
put, “Do we have to know hoi
spell that,” or “Do we need
remember that date?” It wa
appear sometimes thatilliter<
is a red badge of courage.
A sure winner is, “Doweki
to use footnotes in our te:
paper?” Heavens no, myfc
you wouldn’t want metok:
that you read any books®
would you?
A student was oncerequirf;
do reports on outside reat
Appearing in the instnicr
office one day, he thrustfom;
a book and asked, “Is ttiisi*
OK for that report? I heard :■
say it was real good” H**-'
textbook for the course
There are some questions;
should never ask
professors.
DALE ADAMS
KEITHBRACKNELL
Co-Editors
CORBY BUSH
Cartoonist
SUZANNE CRUTCHFIELD
JANE ROEBUCK
PETER CHAMNESS
Photographers
RUSSELL RAWLINGS
Sports Writer
JOHN GAY
PENNEY SUMRELL
DEBBIE COX
FRED PEARCE
FREDCLARIDGE
News Writers
CHRISTIE WOOTEN
GEORGE T. MURPHY
FeatureWriters
TERRY BOSLEY
DEBRA JOHNSON
Proofreaders
MILTON ROGERSON
Advisor
The Collegiate is
week each regular semete .,
dents of Atlantic ChnsfanW ,
son, N.C. 27893.
herein are not necessarily
faculty or administratioD.