Newspapers / St. Andrews University Student … / Dec. 8, 1986, edition 1 / Page 2
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Wlance Vol. 25 No. 3 Decembers, 1986 St. Andrews Writer’s Forum Fall Season a Success by Stephen Skinner The autumn 1986 season of the Writer's Forum under the direction of student Rob McLean and Writer-in- Residence, Ron Bayes, proved a success and certainly a delight for those able to attend on Thursday evenings. The season's seven guest forums featured nine readings by such distinguished writers as poet Ethyl Fortner, Japanese poet Hiroaki Sato, dramatic poet Anna Wooten and her husband Tom Han kins, former SA student Bobby Price, poet Gene Grace and his Friday Afternoon Club from the Uni- veristy of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The season's guest forums ended vi^ith a visit from famous publisher and poet, James Laughiin. (See this issue's feature story by Belle CrennerGironda about Laughlin's visit to St. Andrews). The season began with a double reading. Present at the forum were Ethyl Fortner (whom the Fortner room in the LA building was named after) and her good friend, poet Glenna DeVolt. Mrs. Fortner, the more seasoned of the two, read poems from her four books written throughout her lifetime. Herpoems, with a broad range of subjects and ’ ideas were truly astounding. Especially interesting was the fact she was brought up by her grand mother, and herpoems in dedication to her grandmother were ever-so heartwarming. Hiroaki Sato brought the works of Japanese poets to the campus at the second forum. His translations il lustrations the lifestyles of special groups of Japanese people and ad ded a sense of Japanese fine arts and culture to the Japanese- American Business and Fine Arts Festival here on campus that week. The third forum of the season brought Anna Wooten and her hus band Tom Hankins to St. Andrews. Anna's dramatic monobgue was especially effective as well as amusing. The monologue dealt with the devil in seven different human situations such as: SATAN the scholar, SATAN the psychiatrist, SATAN the poet, SATAN the attor ney, SATAN the politician, and SATAN the southern lifeguard! Beyond a doubt, Ms. Wooten's was the most unique reading presented during the season. As a student, I found Bobby G. Price as perhaps the most entertain ing poet to visit with the forum this fall. Bobby presented poems that were more on a stuclent's level. I could easily relate to his ideas and the feelings I pulled from his reading expressed many of the thoughts I've had since I began college here in September. He brought out a string of "progressive" poems that seemed to move poetry into new directions, full of imagery and a lot of action. It was fortunate that a former student could visit the forum and share poems from his published books. Sally Buckner visited the forum a few weeks ago and presented poems which will be included in a new book to be published by the St Andrews Press. The book, to be en titled "Strawberry Harvest," is scheduled for release this month. The poems revolve around a variety of ideas. Many originate from the places she has lived, such as: Raleigh, Nags Head, and "Holcombe County," a geographically fictional town in the rural Piedmont of North Carolina. Her poems deal with the search for integrity, the mysteries of God, explanations into life and death, and the ironies found in every day human life. Gene Grace and the Friday After noon Club entertained the forum on October 23rd at Pate Hall. This club is based on the campus of UNC- Chapel Hill and consists of roughly 65 members. Present were Grace and several other members of the club. Grace's poetry revolved around a military company from Foi Bragg, North Carolina,which is fighting a battle in a foreign country His poetry was vividly interesting, b centered on too few topics and feelings. Last, but certainly not least, Jame Laughiin, a well-known publisher and poet (perhaps best known for being the first to publish Ezra Pound and William Carlos Williams) delight ed a full house crowd in Pate Hall with a lecture on the life and times of Pound. He followed this the next day with a reading of his own poetry. All of these poets provided dif ferent readings with different ideas and all were truly respectable on their own. From the years of poetry shared by Ethyl Fortner to the cultu ral arts in poetry illustrated by Hiroak Sato, and from the "new age" of poetry shared by Bobby Price to the informative, yet highly entertaining evening with Mr. Laughiin, the 1986 Autumn schedule at the Writer's Forum was a tremendous success! (Note: The final Writer's Forum for the fall season will be an Open Mike held Dec. 4th. SCRC's Request To See Contract Denied by Dave Snyder Not all money paid by stu dents for "board" is spent on food service, according to the Student Consumer Rights Committee. This newly-formed, 25-member campus group is asking for the right to view the food service contract between SAGA (Marriot-owned) and St. Andrews, but its request was denied by Dean Bill Loftus. During the interview in which Loftus denied this request, he in formed members of the group "that not all board money goes toward food service," says Brian Green, a group member. Green said that Lof tus denied them the right to see the contract because it would not be helpful, is long and boring, is a pri vate contract between St. Andrews and SAGA, and because it would set an unfavorable precedent. (Note: Dean Loftus told the editor of THE LANCE, on Nov. 19th, that he did not say that not all of board mon ey goes toward food service but rather that not all board money goes to food. Other "board" expenses include cafeteria maintenance, utili ties, etc.). According to Green, there is a contradiction when the school refunds the full amount of board for students not on food service if not all board money is spent on food ser vice. "But we don't want to make a charge based on what one person tells us. Admittedly, we can only speculate until we see the contract,: says Al Ripley, another group mem ber. "Only by seeing the contract can we truly know the limitations and obligations of the person who pro vides us ourfood service," he adds. The group bypassed the food service committee set up by S GA president Henry Ogden. "Every thing the food committee is doing is positive and constructive, but we feel it needs to address the central issue — how our money is being spent — by seeking the financial documents involved," says Ripley. "We just want to make sure this ave nue is pursued. We don't want to usurp any of the food committee's prerogatives." Heidi Jernigan, chair of the food service committee, disagrees. "First of all, not once did any mem ber of NCSL or SCRC approach the food service committee with their concerns. They did not take advan tage of the proper and already estab lished channels. However," she says, 'Iheir focus is too narrow. There's much more to quality food service than money. Making money the central issue will be detrimental to what we are trying to accomplish as a committee." A request to see the con tract raises constitutional questions. Ripley asserts that 'Ihe only thing we're asking for is our right to see how our money is being spent." Recently, a student at the University of South Carolina won the right through the Freedom of Infor mation Act to see contracts between the school and its visitiing professors. These contracts revealed the extra vagant amounts being paid by USC to attract big-name personalities.The judge in the case ruled that no pub lic institution has the right to withhold information as to how public funds are being spent. Because St. Andrews is a private school, the law is applied differently. At question are not con stitutional rights directly, but con sumer rights. The Consumer Rights Com mittee plans next to request the con tract from President A. P. Perkinson, Jr. and Dean Tom Benson. If their request is denied by these two, their tentative plans include taking their case to networi television con sumer advocates and involving students' parents as the tme con sumers. (Editor's Note: On Nov. 18th, Dean Loftus told me that he was prepar ing a memorandum addressing the requests of SCRC which wouid in clude figures on how monies for board are spent. On Nov. 20th, Greg iVlinns, a member of SCRC, received a copy of the completed memo. As of November 20th, SCR C had expanded its interests to in clude ail coilege financial matters which directly affect students and the way in which "their" money is spent.)
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