THE PILOT, Page 2
From
Your
Editors
Editorials Convocation:
Deborah Cravey & Melissa Brown
With Thanksgiving just
around the corner, the folks
here at THE PILOT feel it
necessary to show our appre
ciation for all those little
tidbits for which we should be
thankful.
First of all, we would like
to acknowledge those few yet
diligent lunatics who call
themselves THE PILOT staff.
Without their dedication there
would be no paper, and the two
of us would get much more
sleep.
Then, of course, there’s
the campus Security Depart
ment, who have made the publi
cations room a regular stop in
their nightly duties. In the
future guys, we’ll have to
offer you some coffee.
We would also like to thank
the Shelby Printing Company,
who so often meet our dead
lines even better than we do.
When it absolutely, positively
has to be there overnight...
An irreplaceable foundation
to our grandiose publication.
Dr. Bill Stowe deserves a huge
pat on the rear for doing what
he does so well. He guides us,
subsides us and most of all,
he knows just when to leave us
alone. We love you^ Doc.
Finally, our biggest thank-
you’s go to you, our faithful
readers. We are still over
whelmed by the marvelous re
sponse we have gotten from the
"Tell Os What You Want" cam
paign, and we encourage every
one to keep this flow of com
munication moving. Remember,
we hear you, Gardner-Webb.
Happy Thanksgiving.
The PILOT
Editors Deborah Gravey
Melissa Brown
Features “Flounder”
Sports Burt Wilson
Typeset R. Shawn Lewis
Ad Sales Kim Plemmons
Pam Warrick
Reporters Sandra Lynch
C. A. Smith
Marshall Pope
Sue Cottrell
David Hall
Cindy Scott
Robyn Lindsay
Advisor Dr. Bill Stowe
PILOT ADVERTISING POLICY
We reserve the right to refuse advertis
ing that which is detrimental to the Chris
tian nature and spirit of the institution.
The rates are $2.50 per column inch.
Editors Cravey and Brown
ask a provocative question: Do
students leave on weekends be
cause there is nothing to do
or vice versa? I would like to
pose cuad answer a different
question: Why are students
even here in the first place?
A few are here:
to answer the Lord’s call
before becoming ministers,
to get four years of minor
league experience before be
coming millionaire profession
al sportsmen,
to find Mr. or Mrs. Right
before leaving Mom and Dad,Sr.
to become Mom and Dad,Jr.,
to do what is expected of
them since it’s expected they
will come to college before
becoming adults,
to get a good job and a T-
top car.
I think all these students
are waiting for something
about which they share a set
of myths and illusions: Life
After School or L.A.S.
Now, most of these people
do not like school because
school has always been pain
ful, frightening, boring, all
three of these, or all three
and more. However, since the
nature of L.A.S. is that it’s
going to come but is not here
yet, people have to do some
thing while waiting for it.
It’s rough waiting around for
L.A.S. and being in school.
Sometimes students even have
to be here five days a week.
It’s only natural that people
need some time on weekends in
T.R.W., The Real World. So, on
weekends, they go away.
That is what I think.
Dr. Ichabod Paine, Ass. Prof.
of English and Acting Director
of the GWC Center for Ennui
Studies.
Dear Editor,
I have been disappointed to
find at Gardner-Webb that the
memorization of facts appears
to be more important in some
classes than analytical thin
king. In high school, I was
lead to believe that college
classrooms were places where
students were encouraged to
think for themselves. I looked
forward to leaving behind
fact-filled handouts and work
sheets, only to find that I
now take notes filled with an
overabundance of facts and
details.
I am pleased that a few of
my professors do encourage me
to think, to question, to ev
aluate, and to form opinions.
Their essay questions on tests
are written so that I am given
cin opportunity to synthesize
information and develop con-
epts. However, other profes
sors, I was disappointed to
find, don’t seem to be inter
ested in this level of think
ing. They play a game with the
students in which the students
must guess which iinimportant
bits of information should be
memorized and soon forgotten,
rather than concepts. In con
clusion, it is my hope that
future classes will provide
oppotunities for more deduc
tive reasoning.
Rodney Hamrick
Pro
To the editor.
Recently an article was
published in the school paper
concerning the rudeness and
misbehavior at convocation and
at the Staley lectures. The
ayticle claimed that students
were loud and rude to the
speakers and to the people
around them. In view of this
article I must say that I
agree with the writer. In his
letter he said that he found
the speakers to be interesting
and enjoyed convocation when
he could attend. On the other
hand students argue, "The
speakers are boring and put us
to sleep." To this I say,
"Grow up kids." Sure some of
the speakers may be boring,
but being rude and obnoxious
won’t solve anything. If you
feel the speakers aren’t what
they should be then write a
letter to the newspaper or
talk to the dean about it.
David Magnet
And Con . . .
To the editor.
What is the use of having
convocation? Most students
think it’s useless. The only
reason they go is because it
is mandatory. Not all, but
most speakers are boring. They
talk about issues nobody wants
to hear about. Students sleep,
read, talk, and study during
convocation. Shouldn’t that
tell the people in charge of
it something? Students doing
other things during this time
should get the message across
that no one wants to be there,
it is not imperative that we
have convocation to mcike an
nouncements . These can be put
in the "Scroll." What good
will convocation do for a
transferring student? It is
just wasted time. It will not
help them a bit at another
college. Maybe convocation
could be made optional, or
even having it once a month
wouldn’t be so bad. Something
needs to change about the use
less, boring hour held every
Tuesday morning.
Penny Sharts
continued on page 5
PILOT
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