Page Two
THE PILOT
MAY, 1956
I
COLLEGE HAS COME
A LONG WAY"
DR P. I- ELLIOTT
The year 1956-57 is the Golden Anniversary year of Gard-
ner-Webb College. The college has come a long way since those
simple and sacrificial beginnings. However, the Golden Anni
versary year should not be purely for rejoicing at the progress
made. This should be a time for stock taking, readjustment,
and apprasial of cargo and equipment for more permanent and
more extensive sailing. The students, faculty, trustees, pa
trons, and alumni should re-examine not only the philosophy
of the school, but the practical avenues open to it.
There are many problems facing the college. The press of
the material and the immediate is ever upon us, which calls for
getting about the business of marriage and making a living
at once. It also intensifies the demand for the short cut and
vocational skills. It is- likewise reflected in the too early
specialization inherent in almost every curriculum. On the
other hand, demand for college training is skyrocketing en
rollments, and therefore standards of admissions are being
strengthened. The danger of children who want college train
ing not get|;ing it is real.
Facing these problems, pressures, and cross currents,
must Gardner-Webb adopt the principle of assembly line pro
duction, or must she be selective? Must she emphasize first
quality or quantity? As she tightens her admissions policies
must she select only on the basis of scholarship and money, or
must she be morally as well as scholastically selective? Must
she try to compete with larger and tax-supported schools, or
should she remain small and highly efficient as well as
selective?
These are not simple questions simply answered, but upon
their answer hangs the destiny of the institution. We cannot
evade the issues, but courage to meet them is not enough;
there must be a wisdom to guide it, for
“There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.”
NEXT YEAR'S PILOT
This month the Pilot is being issued by Bill Kincaid, new
editor, and his prospective staff, under the direction of the re
tiring staff.
To this incoming staff we extend our best wishes and en
couragement as they assume the responsibility and privileges
of gathering and issuing the Pilot. To those of you who will
return to Gardner-Webb next year, we would remind you that
the Gardner-Webb Pilot can be a successful publication only as
you, the students, cooperate with the Pilot staff in making it
so. The purpose of the College newspaper is to record ac
curacy, yet entertainingly, the events, activities, and other
items of interest to the students.
"THANK YOU"
We wish to thank the student body of this college for
electing us to the offices of Editor and News Editor of the
“Pilot” for next year.
We realize that much work and time goes into this pub
lication, but with the help and co-operation of all our asso
ciates, we hope to continue to uphold the standard set before
us.
Our congratulations go to Jerry Keeter and the 1955-56
staff of the Pilot for the swell job they did this year.
Service on the Pilot is voluntary, and one who joins and
stays active the entire year is indeed a great help.
Bill Kincaid and Frances Causby
COMMENCEMENT
What Is Your
Psalm Of Life
Ed. Note: This article was taken
from THE BREEZE of Cowpens
Hish School and we feel that it Is
very appropriate for our sophomores
who are leaving this campus for
When we think of Psalm, we re
member the book of Pslams in the
Bible. They were sung long ago In
the early churches. They were a light
and an inspiration to those people.
Have you ever wondered, if you
were a light to someone? Would you
desire to have someone follow in
your footsteps?
All our lives we are being watch
ed by others, someone is setting an
ideal by us. The way we walk, talk,
stand, sit, there is not just one par
ticular thing, but every little thing.
Do we remember the person we
looked up to when we were very
young? We used to love to copy
everything there was about him. If
he wore a pink shirt to school. Mom
just had to get us one. In fact he
was just tops in our book.
Step by step everyday, someone
is coming along to one day take our
place, we should leave with him the
best we have to offer and make his
life a more purposeful one.
—Norma Hayes, Editor.
A Psalm Of Life
JOHN ROBERTS
The Tired, Retired Editor Speaks
Last year at about this time I assumed the editorship of
the Pilot. Now the time has come for me to give the reins to
another. I came into office with mixed emotions—humility,
and little insight concerning newspaper work. I now depart
with mixed emotions, greater humility, and the relief that my
job is finished. This job has had its moments of stress, fren
zied toil, anxiety, and little satisfaction.
Throughout my tenure I have tried to make this paper
serve as the voice of the student body. This has been my aim,
yet it seems as if I have failed. The Pilot as far as I can see
serves no useful purpose, for it represents Gardner-Webb Col
lege, yet' not its students. This to me is one of the factors
which defeats any student newspaper whether here at G. W.
or anywhere else. A school paper should be a independent
organization; that is, the editor should have the say-so as to
what goes in the paper so long as it offers constructive criti-
cizm, challenges undue prejudices, and most of all, prints the
truth at all times. In other words, a student newspaper must
have freedom of the press unless it is to be just a pamphlet
with a lot of pictures, a few feature articles, cartoons, and a
few editorials every now and then concerning some phase of
school life.
I have received splendid, selfless, untiring co-operation
from the staff this year. Not only have the staff co-operated
well with me, but they have worked extremely well and pleas
antly with one another. I could not have asked for a finer
working staff. Nothing would have been possible without
them and I cannot thank the staff enough.
I am not concerned as to whether I was a good or poor
editor, only that I have tried to give the students a voice in
their college life and a newspaper which they would be proud
of.
I wish Bill Kincaid the best of luck next year and I hope
you will give him the backing he needs for he is a worthy editor
and if given the chance will represent you well.
Jerry Keeter
What an odd name to describe our college graduation exer
cises. Webster defines “Commencement” as a beginning, but
we are using it in reference to our year’s end festivities.
Thinking positivly, though, we should never consider any
part of our lives as ending, but rather regard every change as'
the beginning of something new. Commencement marks the
bginning of a new chapter in the life of every student leaving
Gardner-Webb College. That new chapter may be entitled
“Businessman,” “Housewife,” “Senior College Student,”
“Pastor,” or many another title.
What you do after leaving Gardner-Webb is of vital im
portance to you and to others, but of far greater importance
than what you do is how you do it. Concern yourselves,
therefore, with determining values. Economic assets, proper
ly used, are valuable, but the really important things are those
of lasting ,or eternal value. A world of philosophy supports
the adage, “You can’t take it with you.”
Learn to respect regulations for their true purpose and
value. They are important because they govern our lives.
Properly obeyed, they lead to contentment and happiness and
endless freedom; but broken, they lead to endless chaos and
regimentation. God’s laws are not flexible, and rules made by
man are worthy in direct proportion to their rigidity.
May you never cease to be restless and searching until
you find your purpose in life and set about accomplishing that
purpose. May you ever strive to better qualify yourself for
fulfilling that purpose, and may you find a supreme joy and
peace of mind and soul known only to those who know their
purpose and daily do it to the best of their ability and to the
glory of God.
WEIGH YOUR THOUGHTS
By JERRY KEETER
Life is real! Life is earnest I ,
And the grave is not its goal.
Dust thou art, to dust returnest.
Was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
In our destined end or way;
But the act that each tomorrow
Find us farther than today.
Art is long and time fleeting
And our hearts though stout and
brave.
Still Uke muffled drums, are beating,
Funeral marches to the grave.
In the world’s broad field of battle.
In the bivouac of life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife.
Trust no future, howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead past bury its dead!
Act—Act in the living present!
Heart within, and God o’er head.
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime.
And, dep>arting leave behind us
Pootprinfcs on the sands of time.
Footprints, that perhaps another
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeir« shall take heart again.
Let us then be up and doing
With a heart for any fate,
Still achieving, stiU pursuing.
Learning to labor and to wait.
—HWL.
The student council at Gardner-Webb College is a part of
the student body selected by the student body to represent it
It IS there to protect and aid the student body- Over the stu
dent council there is an administration, and over the adminis- i t ox j.
ration at Gardner-Webb College there is the board of trustees Would I Start
Therefore the council must represent the college administra
tion, the trustees, and its student body. Sometimes this can
be pretty confusing, trying to please three departments.
Think a little about it before you say that our student
government serves no useful purpose. Your council is trvinc
desperately to administer all problems in a just way So re
member, when you tear down your council verbally or other-
wise, you are making a strike against yourself. For you are a
® Student-Faculty Government and you elect the
officers to serve as your voice in government affairs.
We have griped about many things this year such as
why couldn t we have certain privileges, and why didn’t the
student government plan certain parties for us.
Your student government does serve a useful purpose, and
remember, you, and only you, can make your student council
a success. I would like to challenge the student body next
year when you have a pet gripe or some sort of beneficial
criticism, come to the council and talk it over. Be a part of
your student government and I’m sure there will be better
harmony and understanding by everyone.
Over Again?
“If I had it to do over, there
would be some changes made.” Think
of the many times people have made
this remark. But If we could begin
life again, I wonder whether we
would really live any better?
The question was asked: “Would
you begin your school days over?”
That is a rather hard question to
answer. I can say I would have
done this or that Instead of what
I did—But would I really? So the
more I think about it, the surer I
am that I would not begin even if
I could.
Since we can not relive yesterday,
let us each live today with tomor
row In mind.