Pi'.GE 2 GARDNER-WEBB COLLEGE, THE PILOT, MARCH 2, 1971
Responsible Citizen
Key To Effectiveness
A Group Leader Speaks
Last month’s encounter group
sessions came at a crucial
tinie in the development of
Gardner-Webb. A four-year
student government and its cor
responding constitution are
being formulated and will as
sume leadership next fall.
Having taken an inward look
to examine those needs which
surfaced during encounter week
the student body has a unique
opportunity to provide for their
fulfilment i n the new SGA.
This is an opportunity to
create a vital responsible SGA
which in reality governs the
student body and not in name
only. Soon to be released to
the student body for consider
ation and approval, the new
constitution can provide the
strong foundation for this nevvf
SGA.
It is, however, too optimis
tic to believe that a new con
stitution will solve all the pro
blems which confront us. As
Ben Franklin said, "Our con
stitution is in actual operation;
everything appears to promise
that it will last; but in this world
nothing is certain but deatli
and taxes.” Nothing is certain
about the new SGA constitution
lasting either.
Everything hinges on the in
dividual student and his atti
tude toward his student gover
nment. Constitutionalism can
not exist without wide support
among the people who subscribe
to it as the guide for their
government.
The most important ingred
ient in an effective government
and in productive change is the
individual student. He must be
responsible, active and aware.
First, he must be responsible
to those in office. They should
have his support when they are
conscientiously performing
their duties and his censure
when they are negligent.
He should also be actively
participating in the key deci
sions being faced by his re
presentatives and should com
municate his opinions to them
for action.
Last, he should be constan
tly aware of his role witliin
SSB’s Clark
Leads Group
Harry Clark of the North
Carolina Sunday School Board
was present at the February
12 meeting of the student en
counter group leaders. In open
ing remarks designed to give
insight into possible courses
of action Clark outlined the fol
lowing processes in group re
lations.
First on Clarks list was a
description of freedom as room
to grow. Freedom, he explain
ed is limited only by freedom
itself as it belongs to others.
Deciding where the bounds of
freedom end comes as a re
sult of the second process given
by Clark, responsibility.
Communication was given as
the key to understanding the re
lationship between freedom and
responsibility. More than a
structure or method, commu
nication was defined as a way
of life which is a continual
process involving listening and
hearing in depth.
the college family and how 1
can most responsibly and eff
ectively function as a student
and citizen.
George Bernard Shaw once
laid down the following process
for producing responsible citi
zenship. In a radio address he
said, “i^very person who owes
his life to civilized society and
who has enjoyed since his child
hood its very costly protections
and advantages should appear at
reasonable intervals before
properly qualified jury to justify
his existence, which should be
summarily and painlessly ter
minated if he fails to justify it
and it develops that he is a
positive nuisance and more
trouble than he is worth. No
thing less will really make
people responsible citizens.”
We certainly hope that Shaw
was wrong and that it is poss
ible for Gardner-Webb to have
a responsible and truly self-
governing student citizenry.
GEt FRED, I'D LOVE TO JOIN YOU IM
ENCOUNTER TODRY, BUT 1 HRVE
SET RSIDE THIS RfTERNOOM
FOR RCTORLIZfiTION FIND
SELF DISCOVERY
What You
To Bring
One outgrowth of Chi
Fmphasis Week was the con
tinued existence as a group of
student group leaders who were
chosen by the faculty from each
academic department. These
students felt obligated to seek
courses of action which would
bring answers to the many
questions and problems which
arose during encounter group
sessions.
On Thursday night of that
week after the somewhat stormy
evaluation session the students
present elected a temporary
committee to serve as a focus
group for planning and ar
rangements. A meeting of
the group was also set and was
held Friday, February 12.
At this meeting a concern,
that responsible involvement
of the student body in evalua
ting and adopting the revised
student government constitution
and in studnet government it
self was expressed.
With this in mind the
committee of eight agreed on
the following statement of po
licy and action which can be
taken by students in the
weeks ahead to being about
responsible change.
First, work fora responsible
constitution, by: (1) carefully
reading the proposed con
stitution when it is distribut
ed, (2) submitting ideas or
suggestions for changing the
document as instructed on the
attached instruction sheet; (3)
carefully reading the revised
Can Do
Change
document as it is affected by
step two and mak e a presonal
decision on its value; and (4)
vote your convictions, based
on study and information re
ceived, on ratification day.
Second, work tor a respon
sible student government by
Ol) making sure that res -
ponsible, mature students who
are of unimpeachable inte
grity are nominated for each
office; (2) makii^ sure you
support your candidate in his
campaign; (4) being sure to
vote on election day; and (5)
insuring that your officials
perform their duties after
they are elected.
Finally, work for ac
creditation by : Q) telling
the good points of Gardner-
Webb instead of only the bad;
(2) remembering that we have
a new involvement in the school
through a responsible four-
year contitution and student
government; and (3) making
no statements which are based
on rumor or hearsay.
We believe that the above
steps can lead to progress
in achieving the goals of the
student body. The names of
the Temporary Committee of
eight follow as signatures of
endorsement of this state -
ment.
They are : Jerry Ruppe, Janet
Whisnant, Robert Livingston,
Jeff Cranford, Phil Pear -
son, Beth Rodgers, Micki Mc-
Swain and Chairman, Tim
Frazier.
OPKIONS EXPRESSED IN EDITORIALS ARE EXCLUSIVELY :
THOSE OF THE EEITOR AND NOT NECESSARILY OF THE ;
X ADMINISTRATION, FACULTY OR STUDENT BODY OF GARDNER !
The last scheduled event
of Christian Emphasis week was
the evaluation meeting on
Thursday evening. Present
were student group leaders,
outside group leaders, faculty
and administration representa-
Many comments were ex
pressed by each of the above
groups of people. Some were
perhaps too emotional, but
all were an indication that the
week’s events had unearthed
a condition that should not be
tolerated a t a Christian in
stitution. Namely, fear and
mistrust was present bet
ween students, faculty and
administration. We owe a
debt of gratitude to the coun
selors who came to help
us gain a better understand
ing of ourselves as individuals
and as a college.
In reading the evaluations
which were given in written
form by certain of the coun
selors, the following evalua
tion by the leader of group
ten so impressed me that I
would like to share it with
you as a whole.
Students expressed openly
their resentment and hostility
regarding the following: (a)
The strict (in their judgement)
rules regarding long hair and
beards) (compulsory chapel at
tendance; invasion of privacy
of dorm rooms.
(b) The lack of communica
tion between students and ad
ministration particularly with
regard to student government
and student participation in stu
dent- administrative commi-
(c) There was much feeling
of fear. Over and over again
the subject of the student pre-
siaents who were dismissed
seemed to come up. The fear
of a “letter in the box” say
ing “pack your bags” was much
in evidence. 'RieysegBsAal
most paranoid ilU8ul 11.
- (u’j Tliery lUlfsiderable
feelings about the president be
ing gone so much raising money.
Students felt buildings and
money were more important
than they.
Students felt good about the
following: (a) The student-
faculty warmth and personal at
tention. Almost unanimously
there was appreciation for the
personal attention they do re
ceive from the faculty.
(b) The over-all general fri
endliness and integrity of their
fellow students. There is con
siderable pride with regard to
the general integrity of their
fellow students.
(c) Although they resented at
first having been required to
attend religious emphasis week
activities they were gladforthe
experience. Some even were
glad it was required since it
turned out to be something they
appreciated,
(d) They were pleased with
getting to know one another
more personally. They dis
covered persons with diff
erent opinions are still per
sons and must be treated as
such.
(e) They greatly apprecia
ted the fact that they were
taken seriously and were heard:
My personal observations are
as follows; (a) The students
Gardner-Webb College
The Pilot
.Toff rranfnrd
Advisor
Photographers. . .
! ! ! . ! .... .Ed
Terry Knight
Mr. Bill Boyd
Brown, Phil Swanson
Reg Alexander
Reg Alexander
Sue Austin
Sylvia Bridges
Patsy Bumgarner
Dianne Copeland
STAFF
Carrol Garrett
Hank Harrison
Samala High
Robert Hunt
John Taylor
Jerry Keller
Mel McCurry
Lynda Mingoia
Ronnie Sams
Dawn Spainhour
Donna Turner
Box 289, Boiling Springs,
Telephone 434-2211
N. C.
Students Comment
Christian Emphasis Week is
over now, but the effects, good
o r bad, linger with students.
What did you get out of this
experience, and did you really
discover yourself are quest
ions being asked. The “Pi
lot” was interested to find
tte answer to these questions
and discover, if students felt
they benefited from Christian
Einphasis Week.
Lou Clontz-“I think it would
have been better if we had
had a choice as to which group
we went to in the afternoon.
The group I attended was in
teresting, but they didn’t deal
with issues relevant to the av
erage college student.”
Jerry McLean-“I can’t say
that I discovered myself, be
cause I think I already know
myself and that wasn’t my pur
pose for going to the encoun
ter groups. But I did benefit
from this experience in that I
met many students Ineverknew
existed and I discovered that
a lot of people feel the same
way that I do about things and
I now have some new friends.”
Mike Thomas-“I thought that
Christian Emphasis Week was
really a great thing. My group
was a good one and our leader
was terrific. Almost everyone
participated in the discussions,
and there was real unity among
us. I hope we do it again
next year.”
expression of their feelings was
good (honest, responsive and
relatively free). So much
hostility was present that the
complete purpose of getting
to know one another and them
selves better was not as
thoroughly done as might have
been. However, we did get be
yond feelings regarding Gar-
Oner-Weob College to feelings
about themselves and one an
other for about 40% of the time.
I personally wish it could have
been more but an reasonably
pleased with the quality of per
sonal insight gained.
(b) The important work is now
to be done as was begun in
the Thursday evening session.
Students largely felt their ex
pressions of feelings would re
sult in nothing. I trust they
and the faculty-administration
wiU not allow this to happen.
(c) An open “ rap session”
with the president and other
administrators during which
students could express them
selves without fear of intimi
dation might reduce the amount
of tension on campus. Such
a session might be held sem-
esterly with various groups
of students.
(d) Serious consideration
should be given to a more clear
ly defined conduct code and
judicial process. Students feel
it is too general and too much
behind the times. The limits
within which they may express
healthy adolescent rebellion are
too narrow in my judgement.
(e) On the whole Gardner -
Webb students are responsible
They want reasonable lines of
communication and avenues
through which to express them
selves. There is no reason
to fear campus riot or demon
stration if student limits are
broadened a bit in the near
future. Students must take the
responsibility for a stronger
student government.
(f) In their zeal for building
a more secure Gardner-Webb
College, administration tends
to not take seriously the re
quest to be heard on the part
of students. It is quite easy
to hide behind God, God’s love
and the future of a Godly dream
and consequently not hear and
see what the people one wishes
to serve really are. This is
an extremely hard defense to
break through. I sincerely hope
the defense can be lowered en
ough to allow students to be
heard and understood.
(g) Somehow the fears of in
timidation must be reduced .
Reasons for punitive action
should somehow be more clear
ly understood by students.
(H) Students might reasonably
expect to have a part in the
enforcement of the code of con
duct. Some reviewing board
composed of student, faculty,
and administration should be
considered so that there would
be some recourse a student in
trouble might have.
(i) I have mixed emotions re
garding having been a part of
this experience. On the one
hand I’m excited to see young
folks expressing themselves
honestly and openly. I’m glad
to have been with such an ex
citing and responsive group of
students. Yet I fear that much
has been opened that may not
be followed through on. I hope
and pray that latter will not
come to be.
(j) Other encounter group se
ssions in the future would be in
order I believe. Perhaps fac
ulty and administration could be
participate in such at the same
tin.e students are. Separate
sessions for students, faculty
and administration could be run
at the same time. If it is good
for students surely it ca n be
good for faculty and adminis
tration to come to grips with
their feelings.
(k) I’d be glad to particpate
in such an experience again.
I commend those who planned
this experience and the adm
inistration for their courage in
permitting and participating in
it.
The above evaluation was
written by Marvin L. Gold, Cha
plain at Southeastern General
Hospital, Lumberton, N.C.