Smoke Signals. Friday, February 13, 1970—Page 2
EDITORIALS
BOOT HI UL ???
Suggestions for better publications
IMuch has been said recently about
the lack of student participation in
the student newspaper and annual.
Editorial comments seems to have
placed the blame on the students. I
feel the basic problem does not lie in
the students, the staff of either publi
cation, or in the graphic arts depart
ment.
The organization of both publica
tions is the cause of much discourage
ment and wasted effort. This still
is not the root of the problem only
the resulting cause of deeper disor
ganizing .
Some say the student body doesn’t
care. Not many people care to join
a loosing battle. Still others say the
Graphic Arts Department uses the
publication to “blow it’s own horn”
so to speak. 'From the outside this
can appear true.
The policy of having the advisers
come from the Graphic Arts Depart
ment appears sound when first sug
gested. Of the entire faculty it would
be logical to assume that these men
would be best suited for the thank
less task.
With the printing of both newspa
per and annual centering around the
graphic arts building, graphic arts
faculty serving as advisers, and the
graphic arts students doing the print
ing it would appear that this is a
monopoly.
This very appearance fosters the
alienation of the rest of the school.
Faculty and students tend to shy away
from participation because what’s in
sidelMcSweeny Hall seems to be a big
dark secret.
Additional faculty advisers need to
be added outside the Graphic Arts
Department to both publications, (and
not just the English Department) This
would help in exposing more students
to the opportunities of working on the
staff.
This letter was written not in an
attempt to cause a great debate, but
only to air some of my own ideas as
well as some of those expressed to me
in the past few weeks.
I am proud of Chowan College and
the school of graphic arts and am for
one happy to be here. Through better
communications we can have a bet
ter campus. The responsibility of a
better organization of the publications
is held by the administration and facul
ty. This is the way it should be.
—FRANK GRANGER
TUB
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I Letters to the Editor
What will happen next?
Open Forum
It seems everytime there is a hair
of a noise a call down is given, some
times there doesn’t even have to be
noise for a person to receive one.
This looks to me foolish, childish, and
in no way for college students to be
treated. (Maybe we are still in the
third grade, since a note goes home
after three calldowns saying, “Billy
has been a bad boy IMrs. Hayes and
if it keeps up I will be forced to send
him to the office.”
Some things deserve some form of
punishment, but giving a calldown
everytime a slight noise is heard cer
tainly isn’t the answer. When per
sons receive calldowns because the
head Resident or Assistant is feeling
bad, it makes them mad, and so they
try to create a disturbance. Some
residents think giving a calldown is
a funny game. Fairness should be
exercised to each individual and the
same rules, even though they aren’t
fair, apply to everyone. So far this
hasn’t been shown and until it does
there will remain a disliking for this
system.
This system needs questioning. I
can’t see my friends being treated
unfair because they are on the wrong
side of the fence.
— DAVID “SNAKE” [MAYO
jToq rnqny rups^or the feminine look
(Men, how many times have you
walked behind a girl and began ad
miring her only to notice that she
had runs in the back of h'er hose?:
Don’t blame the girl. She has to go
to Chapel and the cafeteria.
Something definitely should be done
about the chairs in the cafeteria and
the seats in Columns auditorium.
I think it’s time the school did some
thing about it. I know I can’t afford
a new pair of hose every time I eat in
in the cafeteria or sit in Columns
auditiorium.
[Maybe if enough girls complain
about this, the chairs could be refin-
ished. It’s something that needs to
be done.
So, men, if you want to see lovely
legs unmarred by hose with runs,
support the girls and help see that
something is done about this.
-JULIE HOSKINS
Talk-ins prove to be successful
You the administration are to be
commended for the time spent
on the talk-ins on Tuesday night, not
only for the time spent in the talk-in
itself, but for the time spent outside
in preparation.
The student body needs to get in
volved and the talk-ins help them do
exactly that. Each person gets a
chance to voice his opinions as well
No Smoking
In a variety of ways, social pressure to
quit smoking cigarettes is building up.
Item: Word is out that TWA will hence
forth have a smokers-only section and it
follows, a no-smoking section — on its giant
Boeing 747s.
Item: The Executive Board of the World
Health Organization adopted a resolution
calling on those who attend its meeting not
to smoke. Said the WHO, “no organization
devoted to the promotion of health can be
neutral” on the cigarette question.
If things keep on, a fellow’ll soon have to
sneak out behind the barn. — Texarkana
(Tex.) Gazette
as hear the thoughts of fellow stu
dents and professors.
A special thanks should go to Dean
Lewis for his time planning the talk-
in. This shows his concern for the
improvement of Chowan College.
Being involved is what it’s all about.
So once again, “Thanks.”
—DAVID “SNAKE” [MAYO
Editor’s note: On Jim Dewar’s exam
last fall he asked his students to write
a letter to “Smoke Signals” editor giving
reasons for the need of conservation of
our natural resources in the Dismal Swamp
area. The following was one of his best
letters.
Dear Editor:
Our natural resources are an invaluable
asset to this counrty. However if we
do not take care of them and use them
with a little restraint, instead of treating
them with no respect at all, we may
wake up one day completely devoid of them.
When America was first settled the new
comers were amazed at the amount of
its natural resources. For centuries Am
erica has been thought of as a rich
country-rich in natural resources-but after
ages of men carelessly plundering and
destroying them are we beginning to run
out?
This is a (^stion we all have to face
and we are(|aced with it directly when
we consider "jhe drainage of the Dismal
Swamp, located here in northeastern North
Carolina and southeastern Virginia.
The Dismal Swamp is a very important
area. It is the home of many kinds
of wildlife as well as the producer of
a great amount to timber. Cypress, black
gum, juniper, and water ash are among
the many kinds of trees found there.
Rare birds, poisonous snakes, deer, fish,
bear, racoon, opossum, and many other
species of wildlife co-inhabit the area.
It seems that we have to seriously con
sider the worth of these resources before
we can consider robbing them of a home.
Of course we are students today, and
we think we have more important things
to worry about, but in a very few years
we will not be students any more. We
have got to keep this in mind and pre
pare for the future. Someone of this col
lege community may some day be in
the position fo deciding whether or not
we should drain the Dismal Swamp and,
due to our democratic ststem of govern
ment, we will all probably have a hand
in the decision. It is something we must
all contemplate and I hope we will be
prepared to make the right decision when
the time comes.
Thank you, ■■
Bobby Hodges
sruofNF NewsPA^n of Chowan coiltct
Editor Pauline Robinson
Associate Editor . Julie Hoskins
Business Manager Larry N. Matthews
Advisors
s
0
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Dear Editor,
In the last issue of “Smoke Signals”,
I saw several articles relating to your
lack of staff members and student parti
cipation. As editor of the school yearbook,
THE CHOWANOKA, I too face the same
problems. The staff began with twenty
students, now which has dwindled to about
ten. Many excuses were offered to me
such as lack of time or academic problems.
However, I feel that if I can maintain
a rather high academic average, plus
participation in other events both academic
and non-academic, so should they. Some
how it has left me with the impression
that many people are just not interested
when it comes to a little effort.
Not only have I had problems with my
staff, but in many other areas. It appears
that quite a few people on campus, stu
dents as well as faculty and administra
tion, feel that they are doing a favor by
submitting to such things as having their
picture taken or writing one short para
graph. They do not seem to realize that
the yearbook is about themselves and
their activities.
In the past two weeks I have tried to
have club pictures taken. Instead of noti
fying me that the club will not be able
to keep the appointment, they fail to show
up.This puts a terrific strain on me
as well as other staff members. We have
had to reschedule the whole system at
least twice.
After I have been confronted with all
these problems, when the annual is re
leased I will have twice as many. For
two weeks, I will hear nothing but com
plaints from many people. Most likely the
same who would not co-operate in the
first place. I realize that I will make
some mistakes, but a majority of them
are out of my control.
It is my suggestion that many of you
take the time to ask yourself what you
did for the yearbook before you ask me
what I did or did not do for you.
Carol Gunter
Editor, THE CHOWANOKA
Our vocal neurosis
Dr. Morton Cooper, a speech therapist
at UCLA, says, “Most people speak too low.
It’s the vocal neurosis of our culture.” Non-
scientific people probably assume they talk
softly because of frequent parental repri
mands about loud talking.
Few people read aloud today. Fewer sing
around a piano in the parlor. Not many
quote poems or significant passages of prose.
Impressions of the Non-Politicization
of The American Historical Association
By PROF. BARRY M. COHEN
The golden AmericE^n eagle emblazon^
on blue had seen happier events in its
time-luncheons, teas, dances, and gay
parties. Yet it had also witnessed more
somber occassions, for the grand ballroom
of the Sheraton-Park Hotel in Washington
had been one of the many scenes of the
sit-in conference of April, 1960; and it
had l)een the scene of the April, 1965
nationwide teach-in on Viet-nam. Once
again debate on the war in Viet-nam was
to fill the ballroom, this time at the annual
meeting of the American Historical Asso
ciation on the night of December 28, 1969.
Dr. C. Vann Woodward, 1969 president
of the AHA, historian of the New South,
foreseeing a large crowd moved the meet
ing into the ballroom and provided himself
with a personal parlimentarian in the face
of the upcoming uproar.
The radical historians led by Dr Staugh-
ton Lynd had nominated Dr. Lynd by peti
tion of two hundred members. Dr. Lynd
recalling his 1966 trip to North Viet nam
told the meeting, “We not only talk radi
cal, we act radical.” The establishment
candidate for president. Dr. R. R. Palmer,
French Revolutionary scholar, simply
established himself.
Dr. Howard Zinn, author of BLACK
POWER, attempted to gain immediate
attention for the radical-caucus Viet nam
resolution. The assembly voted this down,
in a test vote of nearly two to one. The
next day, a conservative historian, after
obtaining the floor, begged Dr. Woodward
for, “just five minutes.” By the time that
his request was resolved his allotted
time was up, and he had not spoken to
the issue. Both radical and conservative
enjoyed sharing the feeling of persecution.
Nobody would listen to them, but that was
the way they wanted it.
Dr. Lynd, however, did get the oppor
tunity to read the anti-war resolution in
his speech on his own behalf for the presi
dency of the AHA. Linking the Viet-nam
war with murder of the Black Panthers,
the resolution condemned both.
The debate over the presidential candi
dates was as concerned with this resolu
tion as with the professors themselves.
Dr. Eugene Genovese, who in 1965 made
himself a campaign issue in the New
Jersey governors’ race by saying that he
would welcome a Viet-cong victory, now
joined in opposition to Lynd and the radi
cal resolution. “I am not about to let
Professor Lynd lecture me on the war....
Put them down, and put them down hard!”
After Genovese’s speech the convention
voted 1,040 to 396 for Dr. R. R. Palmer.
The convention next turned to a discus
sion of constitutional amendments pro-^^
posed to discourage insurgents such as^^
Lynd. This time the radical floor leader
was Dr. Arthur I. “the beard” Waskow,
so named because of his beard-black and
waist length. He noted that the amend
ments would be a step away from demo
cracy by requiring that any future resolu
tions of Viet-nam would be submitted by
mail ballot to the entire membership.
The convention accepted this position. Al
though it was clearly an effort of the
establishment to protect itself, by inadver
tence, it succeeded in making the resolu-
tionary procedure more fully democratic.
Beard Waskow by skillful parlimentary
manuever obtained an adjournment until
the next day for consideration of the Viet
nam resolution, but not before the Walk-
Out-On-Rostow.
Dr. W. W. Rostow, advisor to President
Johnson, spoke on Monday, December 29,
1969. In protest to Dr. Rostow’s pro-Viet
nam war opinion some 300 persons walked
out of his speech. The WASHINGTON
POST devoted three pictures and a head
line to the walk-out, but only barely men
tioned the defeat of the Viet-nam resolu
tions. It was enough to make Vice-Presi
dent Agnew write a speech.
The defeat of the Viet-nam resolution
came that night amid cries of “kill the
Beard.” (The radicals had great fun yell
ing this, for no establishmentarian with
have known enough to refer to Dr. Waskow
as “the Beard.”) Hot-tempered conserva
tives attempted to grab the microphone,
but apologized later. The vote on a
simple anti-war motion failed 647 to 611.
The vote on the radical resolution failed
822 to 493.
What had happened? Despite a great
deal of name calling and debate, the his
torians had not endorsed the war, as both
the radicals and pro-war historians wished
to believe. They had simply refused to be
poUticized, and had decid^ to remain a
professional organization.
Pollution is a problem
even in Murrreesboro
By JAMES B. DEWAR, Jr.
In the pa« few years it has become
fashionable for students across the na
tion to demonstrate with protest marches,
shout-ins, sit-ins and various and sundry
other forms. The reasons for the demon
strations have ranged from international
to local campus policy.
Recently the students’ attention, along
with that of many concerned citizens in
cluding President Nixon, has focused on
environmental problems. To those who
would protest the present trend in the
destruction of our environment I would
have one comment - inform yourselves
and then put up a good fight to end the
dastardly things which are being done to
the only place we have to live. The pur
pose of tfiis article is to offer an opinion
of the impact man is having on his en
vironment.
there is a time-space relationship which
must be consider^ when the survival
of organisms i« at stake. The survival
of organisms, specifically man, is the fore
most concern when approaching environ
mental problems.
Since man is a biological organism,
he is subject to the same stresses as
other organisms. As the time changes there
is a change in space. That is, a given
area today is not the same as it was a
million years ago. This change in space
occurs very slowly over long periods of
time. If an organism is to survive, certain
genetic changes must occur which enable
the population to cope with these changes
in the environment. This is known as adap
tation and the failure of a population to
adapt results in its extinction. The dino-
Aside from public speaking courses, few saurs are a classic example.
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15
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Herman Gatewtxxl
Malcolm Jones
ScYtoo I ?
bother to develop their voices. This is not
ably true with lawyers. Conversely, the
old-time lawyer, who spoke outdoors against
the wind and without amplifiers, usually had
a deep, musical voice.
But this is also the day of the incomplete
sentence, the slurred phrase. Words per se
are not precious to many of us. Fingers not
only walk through the “yellow pages.” We
talk incessantly “with our hands,” even on
the telephone. Most of us never bother to
put our thoughts into coherent units.
And a listener may have to decode even
when the sound of a voice is not indistinct.
Millions of conversations are raped with
“like,” in its new, bizarre juxtaposition to
everything, and “you know what I mean”
is almost as maddeningly repetitious.
This phrase is a vacuous crutch. The
listener doesn’t know what the speaker
means, and just as obviously, the speaker
doesn’t know either. The irrepressible, “the
thing about it is,” has become as impertin
ent as “23 Skiddoo” and “Tippicanoe and
Tyler, too.” — Raleigh (N. C.) News and
Observer
As long as the environment changes
slowly there is ample chance for the pop
ulation to adapt to these changes; however,
if the environment changes rapidly, there
is no chance for populations to adapt.
At present man is releasing into his
environment materials foreign to it and
at a rate which changes the environment
so rapidly that organisms cannot possibly
adapt. These materials include pesticides
such as DDT, which does not readily de
grade and continues to build up in the
soil to be washed into streams by each
rain. Thus the level of DDT builds up in
the soil as well as in bodies of water,
the oceans being no exception. Certain
organisms tend to concentrate DDT in
fat tissue so that when man consumes
these as food, he is taking in that poison
which which was originally designed to
benefit him
Pesticides are not the only pollutants in
the environment. A group of compounds
called photochemicals react in the pre
sence of sunlight to form a brown haze.
This haze which consists of nitrogen and
sulfur compounds, hydrocarbons, carbon
monoxide and other components is being
emitted from cars, buses, trucks, industry
and power generation plants. Motor vehi
cles are the major donors contributing
approximately 60 per cent of the hydro
carbons.
Industry contributes not only to atmos
pheric pollution, but also to the pollution
of water by releasing wastes at such a
rate and volume that the stream environ
ment is much altered to the detriment
of the biota. Industry and power genera
tion plants are causing the problem of
thermal pollution by introducing hot water
into streams which may raise the tempera
ture of the water several degrees. Since
most organisms are living near their max-
ium temperature tolerance, this can have
disasterous effects on the ecology of the
stream.
Raw sewage from numicipal areas dumped
into streams raises the bacterial count
dangerously high. There are approximately
five pounds of solid waste produced in
the United States per person per day!
Disposing of this is one of the major
problems facing cities. Coupled with the
problems of pollution is the increase in
the population which serves to multiply
the problem. As the population demands
more highways, supermarkets, shopping
centers, housing and industrial complexes,
the stress on the environment increases
and the available space dwindles. Thus
more people must live on less land.
Do not form the opinion that the problems
of the environment are restricted to the
large cities. One need only to be reminded
of the smell in the air or the belching
of smoke from local factories to well real
ize that, although Murfreesboro is a rual
area, it is not immune to pollution. Even
though swimming occurs in the Meherrin
River and even though the bacterial count
is above that designated as safe for swim
ming by the state stream classification
board, the Meherrin River is classified S(|^^
that the present level of pollution, as deter^^
mined by bacterial counts, is acceptable.
I challenge the idea that any level of
pollution is acceptable.
The environmental problems are ex
tremely complex and interrelated. The
solutions to these problems are not simple
and science and technology cannot supply
all the answers. The social scientist and
the environmentalist must co-operate to
approach solutions to these problems.
First we must stop compounding the
problems, that is - stop polluting our en
vironment. Then we must be willing to
spend the money necessary to clean up
that which has been done already.
are going to be called upon to make deci
sions concerning the above problems
by voting or by taking up placards ana
protesting. Therefore, prepare yourself for
making wise decisions by becomuig in
formed.