Newspapers / Gaston College Student Newspaper / Aug. 1, 1972, edition 1 / Page 2
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Page 2 The Gas Light August 1972 Ctttonal The Rebirth of the Democrat Party by Mrs. Helen Marvin “It was a catastrophe- the Democratic Party died in Miami Beach!" “It was a glorious triumph for democracy and the Democratic Party!" Of these two impressions of what went on at Miami Beach the second week in July and what it portends for the Democratic Party, which is the more valid appraisal? Or is neither realistic? Does the truth lie somewhere between the dire pessimism of the first statement an4 the euphoric optimism of the latter? Quite possibly. On second thought, however, maybe the two statements are not really as contradictory as they appear Could it be that the Democratic Party, like the fabled phoenix, has been reborn to rise again out of the ashes of Chicago ‘68? If one belongs to that nebulous group which President Nixon hails as “Middle America" and has routinely staked out a position noticeable to the right of center in the Democratic Party, then Miami Beach must, indeed, seem at this point to have been a catastrophe. It would appear to such an analyst that the party of his ancestors has committed suicide by veering too sharply to the left under influence of anti-establishment dissidents out to wreck the traditional system which has been so good to them. Even more to the point is the unorthodoxy of the newly elected standard-bearer George McGovern, whose “radical" views pose such a threat to the status quo. Paradoxically, George McGovern doesn’t seem to fit the billing. Middle-aged and folksy, Protestant and rural, and a native of a midwestern farm state, he should have been an ideal candidate for Southern Democrats (if they couldn’t have one of their own!); yet it is George McGovern the man who provokes bitter opposition from these same Democrats. They blame him personally for the almost certain defeat which they feel awaits the party ticket from the Court House to the White House, come November. (One could remind them, however, that similar prophets of doom were mouthing the same forebodings about Grover Cleveland in ’92 and Harry Truman in ’48!) McGovern’s failure to win support from party regulars results, in large part, from his having staked out a firm position on issues which they feel are anathema to their own values and interests. Ironically, this position is the basis for much of his support from other groups within the party. In recommending closing of sacred tax loopholes, confiscatory estate taxes, a sharp reduction in military spending, and a re-ordering of priorities, McGovern has drawn the fire of large numbers of his party’s traditional financial supporters and campaign organizers. Unless he can woo them back into the fold this could be his undoing in November. Scorning two of the major elements in the traditional coalition which has supported Democratic candidates since FDR first put it all together in ’32 (labor and the big city political machines), McGovern, after a slow start last winter was carried rapidly forward to victory at Miami Beach largely by the efforts of a new (and to many a highly suspect) brand of political activists- the Johnny-come-lately’s and one-shot politicians who had ignored the customary route to party power and are expected to fade away from party involvement once this campaign has ended. That these political upstarts should supplant as convention delegates many of the party regulars who have supported the cause for years with their money and their leadership was the final blasphemy. As political novices these new activists were not expected to show much clout or skill in the political jungle of convention politics. But they ran the convention with a no-nonsense dedication to purpose and displayed a political adroitness that even the old pros were forced to admire. Moreover, they stamped out a platform which concerned itself with controversial issues like busing, abolition of capital punishment, stronger controls on handguns, and minimum annual income which party platforms are routinely expected to ignore. Small wonder, then, that from the traditionalists’ point of view the party appears doomed, as well as its chances for victory in November. On the other hand, from the perspective of those forces which put together and pulled off the “Miami Miracle", as well as from some segments of the party regulars like this observer, the prognosis is much more encouraging. The convention did indeed mark the end of the OLD Democrat Party, with its frequently apathetic mass base and often unresponsive and undemocratic power structure. But the Democrat Party is not dead. Because of what took place at Miami Beach the second week in July the Democrat Party now has a brilliant future. This convention, remarkable open and harmonious, has laid the foundation that will assure the Party’s success. It did this by demonstrating that democracy CAN work - given the desire and opportunity - even though at times it can be an exhausting, tiem-consuming, vacillating and utterly confusing process. This convention was not only the most representative but the delegates were also the most affluent, best-educated, and best-informed (according to a pre-convention survey) of any group of delegates to a presidential convention in our history. Even the atmosphere was different from that of conventions in the past. Despite wide differences in opinion and socio-economic background, the delegates were a congenial group which worked well together. One could sense the respect which each delegate seemed to have for his fellow delegates as human beings, regardless of age, from any rough-housing or physical violence. The delegates also endured marathon sessions in order that each person who wanted to express himself might be heard. These are the reasons - apart from the candidates who were nominated - that the 1972 Democratic Convention was a history-making event which surely heralds the dawn of a new day not only for the Democratic Party but for the Republic as well Buur my auq m jtsiiiilll I I I I I I I I I rnmmmmmmm t Nobody's Indifferent To Gaston's Sign by Gwen Mayo The first question returning students and faulty members ask about the new information sign is, “What on earth is it?” or “What’s playing today and when does the bos office open?” But one thing can be said with certainty: everybody sees the sign. However, whether they read what is on it is the more important matter. The sign came here as the result of combined efforts by Mike Dawley, Richard Couch, and Horace Cline, who is dean of student personnel. The sole purpose of the addition to the campus is to inform students, staff, and faculty members of coming campus events. Dean Cline has informed THE GAS LIGHT that Mike Dawley first pointed out the need for an information sign to the S.G.A., and later he, along with Cline and Couch, spent about three months looking at possibilities and deliberating as to the feasibility of purchasing such an addition to the campus. After choosing a style that they thought was suitable for the campus needs, the committee submitted their ideas and proposal and received the approval of the Student Senate, the college architect, and the Board of Trustees. The approximate cost of the sign was $2100, including installation , and letters. Cline pointed out that the sign is being paid for through student activity fees. The student senate committee is responsible for information being displayed on the sign. Cline says that with the completion of the student center in the future, the location of the sign may be changed. A few disgruntled opinions are that the deep woods might be an excellent place for it. Miss Norcross Joins Art Department by Pam Sides A graduate of Scripps College in California and Pratt Institute in Brooklyn is the newest member of the Gaston Art Department. Miss Pam Norcross, who calls Missouri home for the remainder of this month, will arrive on the Gaston Campus around the first of August. Miss Norcross holds the Master of Fine Arts Degree in Printmaking, according to departmental chairman Frank Creech and will teach her specialty in addition to Painting, Art Appreciation, and 2-D Design here. Printmaking says Creech, is the process of reproducing images, plate or lithograph, etching, engraving, and calligraphy. With the addition of Miss Norcross, Creech expects (he .i^rt Department, which has consistently been one of the most energetic groups on campus, the students will receive many new advantages. He says, “We will now have more than one section of some courses and smaller classes which will result in more individual attention. We will also have greater freedom in scheduling classes throughout the day. Without increased enrollment, these changes will give us a very strong position for a two-year school.” Last year graphics was taught for the first time, and while the students turned out what Creech termed “superior work” this course is the one area in the department where students have not been fully prepared to go on to art studies in a four-year school. DO-IT-YOURSELF CONSTRUCTION — Members of the Manpower Development Training Act, such as Terry Darby, left, and Richard Parks, are helping with the construction of the Art Department’s newest structure. VirtuaUy all of the work is being done by members of the college family. Art Department Plans Do-It-Yourself Construction The last time the Art Department felt the need to expand, the students, instructors, and other interested personnel from the college pooled their resources and built the needed construction. Now the department needs more room, and Creech and Benedict Construction Company again submitted the low bid. Construction is already underway on the new building additions. The new additions are actually a total college project. Brick masonry expertise was needed, and the bricklaying class, which falls under the Manpower Development Training Act and Dr. Babb’s general supervision, will provide the skills and labor necessary in this area. Creech explains that the class needed a real life project, and he just happened to know of one. By coincidence, the project happened to be in the area of art. Roland Ball, another Gaston instructor, has already drawn the plans for the new structures, which will be built by Creech, Benedict, art students, and anyone else they can corral. James Kinard, also a Gaston instructor, will be in charge of the electrical work. One of the buildings will be an eleven by fifty foot home for the ceramics classes and the other, which will be twenty-seven by twenty-four feet, will house the sculpture classes. Both are basically open-space structures and will be built at a cost of less than $1500 each. In other activities in the Art Department, Creech announced that his fall the classes in design, printin, art history, and art appreciation will be taught in Room 18 of the old Vocational Building. Creech said that the changes were being made in order to allow the department to accommodate more students more effectively, “The only way we can judge how well we are doing is by the work our students do at a four-year school,” he commented. “So far they have done excellent work, but we want to improve, and the only ways we can do this are by expanding our teaching space and adding to our departmental personnel.”
Gaston College Student Newspaper
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Aug. 1, 1972, edition 1
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