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A STUDENT PUBLICATION OF FLORA MACDONALD COLLEGE
Volume No. 7
Flora Macdonald College, February, 1959
No. 6
FMG Breaks From Tradition-New Electoral System Proposed
have sensed a need for a new
jsystem for electing leaders. The
feeling of the students was not
due to any particular point; in
stead it seemed to be a combina-
/tion of many points. There was
definitely a feeling of inade
quacy of the old system. The
main objection was the long-
drawn out procedure. Before
the end, students ceased giving
thought as to the importance
of the office and the girl best
for it. Our system was more like
'a popularity contest. Even
though the boy or girl might
be quite capable, he or she was
not necessarily the “best” for
(the jab. It was the feeling that
talent remained undiscovered in
the not so popular people. Many
times one might painfully un
dergo the run of every office,
perhaps ending with a minor of-
1tice, perhaps being a good: fol
lower. All in all, our system
lacked democracy and' was gen-
teraUy outdated. We needed a
more mature, up-to-date system,
for electing our officers.
I Realizing the feelings of the
majority of students, the coun
cil decided to naake a study. Per
mission was secured to include
(our present ixi the 1958-
59 Handbook witJi the under
standing that possibly a new
system would be used for the
next elections.
Last May a committee was
appointed by the Student Coun
cil composed' of Betty Barnes,
Della Evans, Sandra Abbott,
Jeanne McRae, Elizabeth Clark,
Chm., Jeanne Flournoy, Ex-of
ficio, and Miss Hawse, Advisor.
For a long while the students ] The committee began its work
' immediately by putting up sug
gestion boxes, sending out quesi-
Itionnaires, writing for informa-
ition from other colleges, study
ing the systems of other col
leges and tlhrough general con
versation with students.
Through the study the com
mittee came to realize the need
tor a complete “overhaul job.”
The need for a system which
would cause enthusiasm and
thinking on the part of each
student was felt.
With the combination and
compilation of the many ideas
gained from investigation the
committee devised a whole new
system. The final copy was car
ried! to the executive committee
and to the students.
The proposed system is quit©
different from our present sys
tem, It was the desire of the
committee to propose a good us
able system whidh covers oui;
needs as far as possible.
COMMITTEES
Although there has been no
formal questioning about the
new committees set up in the
electoral system, the group
whidh worked on the revision
fedt it wise to explain the rea-
ison fo£- setting up these com
mittees in the new system.
The group felt it wise to have
superviW-on of the entire elec
tion, so that in the event of a
major issue, it couldl be refer
red to this committee of three
comp»ed of the president of
the Student Association, presi
dent of Day Students organiza-
(tion and a member from the
senior class at large.
The coordination of the day I Thistle and Skirl. These editors
student activities and boarding' at a previous meeting with their
students activities should help
to make a stronger unity be
tween the two. Tlie represen
tative from the senior class, who
will be appointed by the coun
cil, will better represent the
students in the elections. These
three, who are juniors or sen
iors will have a background of
experience with elections and
will be better prepared to meet
'the problems and view them ob
jectively.
THE BALLOT COMMITTEE
The ballot committee which is
composed of the retiring presi
dents of the Student Associa
tion, Christian Association, Ath
letic Association, Senior Class
and the vice president of Stu
dent Association and the Editor
of the White Heather. This com
mittee is the “working” commit
tee, that is it is responsible for
registration of students, for
preparing the student poll and
voting blanks, and for tabulat
ing the results of the poll and
voting. The ballot committee al
so provides information about
each candidate for office. It is
also this committee which de
cides the amount of campaign
ing which will be allowed. Those
wttio wish to withdraw from the
contest or who wish to enter
must go through the ballot com
mittee.
PUBLICATION BOARD
The Publication Board is an
other addition to electoral sys
tem. It is the coordinator of
ail campus publications comr
posed of the retiring editors of
the White Heather, Pine and
respective staffs decide upon
suggestions for nominees for ed
itorship. At a special meeting
of the Publications Board, the
nominees are selected from all
suggested names. If a student
wishes to- nominate someone, he
must make the suggestions to
the Board members before nom
inations are made.
The publications editors know
the most effective and capable
workers on their staff and there
fore are in better position to
judge the persons with the great
est potential as editors.
REGISTRATION
In all political elections citi
zens must register before vot
ing for the candidate of their
choice. Those who are really in
terested in the welfare of the
countiy and in the leaders of
the country will pre-register in
order to have the privilege of
casting a vote.
Therefore, the Electoral com
mittee felt, after studying and
comparing other college sys-
tems, that it our new system of
elections is to be democratic,
that students should register be
fore nominating or voting for
someone. Citizenship in any
comxnunity as weM as in a col
lege community is a privilege
and at the samie time a respon
sibility. If we as students do
not accept the responsibility
which citizenship carries with
it, such as voting, then we have
no just right to criticize our
leaders.
VALUES OF VOTE
points placed on votes in the
election of officers, quoting
from the system:
“Each student must indicate
her ballot her first choice
on
and may indicate her second,
third, and fourth choice of those
nominated for the office. A first
choice vote will receive four
points; a second choice vote will
receive three points; a third
choice vote wUl receive two
points; a fourth choice vote will
receive one point. The nomin
ee receiving the highest num
ber of points shall be elected
to the office.”
The puri>ose for the points is
to show where the majority of
student support lies. For ex
ample, a candidate can win an
election mainly on second choice
votes which give three points
even though her opponents have
divided among them the remain
ing first choice votes. There may
be divided support in the first
choice votes, but tlh© point sys
tem shows more people are will
ing to follow one person by sec
ond place selection than any of
the other possible three candi
dates io first choice.
The voter does not have to
s^ect a second tlioice; it is his
decisioD,
EUGIBIUTY rOR OFFICE
The eligibility to bold an of
fice is still based on the grade-
point system, that is in order
to hold a student council posi
tion one must have an 84.5 grade
average. This is not stated in
the new system of campus elec
tions but is statedi in the col-
Three New Faces
by Marion Davis
Since the beginning of second
semester three new faces have
been seen on our dorm halls
and in addition, one which was
familiar to us last year. We all
remember Dewitt Dukes, a jun
ior from MabUe, Alabama, and
we are happy to have her back
on campus.
Betty Lou FutreU', a Presby
terian and a junior transfer
from Campbell CoUege, hails
from Lucama, North Carolina, as
a home ecs'juomics major. She
is very much homesick for Camp
bell where she has a brother in
school'. She says it’s so (Afferent
here, especially ^e to its de
ficiency of male students. Her
cSl^mient: “I never knew men
were such a vital part of me; so
far I have liked my classes.”
If you see her around apparent
ly ia a daze, you can be sure
she is thinking of the good old
days at Campbell. She is room
ing with PauUne Hewett on
Vardell II.
The Conservatory has had an
addition with the coming of
Virginia Woods, a church music
major from Susquehanna Uni
versity in SeMnsgrove, Pennsyl
vania. Ginny, a sophomore, was
bom in Roanoke although she
has lived in many different
places and' has even traveled
abroad. Her father is a chaplain
at Fort Bragg. She thinks that
Flora Macdonald is “fabulous.”
For one thing, the rooms are
larger and nicer here and the
conservatory doesn’t close at
5:00 p.m. as was true at Sus
quehanna. She rooms with
Elaine Evans, also on Vardell II.
Twinkle Bums is the sole
newcomer to the freshman class.
This is her first semester in
college. Since graduation from
high school last spring, she has
workedt first in Memphis, Ten
nessee, and then in a hotel in
Dillon, her hometown, until
three weeks prior to her arrival
here. Being a business student,
she lhas already become ac
quainted with the business de
partment and Ukes it. She has
found a friendly atmosphere
here and likes the girls, especi
ally “the Crew.” One tihing she
has noticed is the many dating
rules but no one to date. She
says she has a good class sched
ule with no first period classes
and would like to have more
breakfast cuts. She shares a
room with Meredith Davis on
Morgan III.
We all want to give these
girls a big welcome to our cam
pus. We want them to feel at
home and hope that they will
grow to like F.M.C. more and
more.
Some have questioned! the | lege handbook.
Last In Conceii Series - February 20
On Friday evening, February
20, 1959, the last in the concert
lectures series will be presented.
Varel and BaUly with their
Qhanteurs de Paris offer a nov-
iel concert program which they
describe as a light-hearted jour
ney through French song. Sonjg,
/they remind us, was the first
medium wh,ereby man madd
known to the world his hopes,
fears, loves, tragedies, and phil
osophies. So, starting with the
close of the Dark Ages, these
two experts in the writing of
songs present their own enter
taining, melodic picture of
French life.
Beginning with the days when
wandering minstrels sang of
wars, heros and the glories of
the Church, they take their lis-
(teners on to the gay, witty, and
artificial court life of the Louis’
and then to the romance and
drama of the 19th century. Fin-
!ally, in our own time and
through fflieir own compositions,
Varel and BaMly give us the es
sence of contemporary French
music of the people with their
songs of the cafes and bistros,
their satire and vignettes of
daily life and their great “joie
de vivre.”
France’s joyous troubadours,
Les Chanteurs de Paris, made
their first American concert
tour in 1958, a tour which was
gay and successful. During that
jtour they sang in some of the
following colleges and Univer
sities: University of Notre
Dame, South Bend, Indiana;
Texas Christian University, Fort
Worth, Texas; University of Tex
as, Austin, Texas; and others.