Good News of "Godspell" Shared by Audience and Cast
Not long after Shakespeare had seen
his inspired works staged, the theaters
in England were closed because some
folks felt that theaters were ungodly.
That epoch of Puritan history is dead
and gone. How dead and gone was
shown during the first week in April
when the Chowan Players made our
theater a most godly place of
celebration.
I suspect there are yet some stuffy
folks who feel that our humanness is a
curse and any impulse to feel good
about our condition should be
squelched. Such folk wouldn’t feel quite
right about Godspell; there everybody
has so much fun with “the good news”
of Matthew.
As for me, I use a double dose of
such joy every day. Granted, my
rejoicing is over what man can do with
music and dance and words. Granted,
I’m moved — deeply moved — by the
efforts of the cast and crew to make me
feel good. But the play, even though its
story and wisdom are almost too
familiar, also restores that deep sense
of hope for mankind represented in
Christ by presenting that story and
wisdom in a new and fresh way.
Oh, this theater was godly. And our
impression of mankind didn’t suffer in
the display of human ability.
Note the ability of the musicians: Dr.
James Chamblee led Donald Grulke,
Glenn Davidson, Rhett Coates, and
Barbara Gosnell through a wild variety
of musical types, all of it so well done
you wanted to separate it from the
action on stage. You couldn’t, because
the cast were also performing with
surprising quality (well, I was sur
prised, expecting immature voices);
and they were dancing Marla Hunnings
routines, which were delightful
(remember the strobe Ughts and the
Vaudeville skit?).
Now, I like Penny Jones, but even if I
were objective I think I’d appreciate
her performances with the uke, har
monica, and recorder — nice additions
to the musical delight of the show.
And consider the acting: every
member of the cast had individuality,
yet all individuals yielded to the
identity of the group, a bunch of street
bred kids improvising stories from
Matthew.
Joe Mayes, obviously, was the most
prominent character, and Bernard
Ingram is always a show-stopper, as is
the New Joysie Becky Brasie. Each
character had his or her moment of
prominence, but the characters were
appropriately subordinated to the
stories, and you could enjoy focusing on
any one of the characters at any time.
In group scenes or actions, I found
Cohn Steele the most intriguing and
energetic and was frustrated that I
couldn’t watch every one all the time.
But consider the play too, an in
teresting presentation created by
Theatre Maximus in New York.
Produced during a particularly tense
period of Counter-culture feeling — the
era of hippies and Viet Nam — the work
parodies our culture’s interest in
material things; in a city’s vacant lot,
where nothing belongs, is a Pepsi sign,
a toy baby carriage, a laundry basket, a
toilet, and other paraphernalia of our
everyday lives — the Utter of our
existence.
Our attire is made to look absurd:
tennis shoes with pompons, kneepads
with leotards, jackets with shorts, hats
with feathers, stripes with polka dots —
all suggest the meaninglessness of
things in this Ught of spiritual
necessities.
Even our sense of what a play should
be is violated: Joe Mayes, as Jesus,
calls players by their real names; the
musicians are on stage and in sight
rather than in the pit; actors slither off
the stage, making the limits of the stage
extend into the audience so that the
audience becomes a part of the fallen
world.
The actors, playing members of an
improvisation troupe, act the roles of
actors; the world they create is not the
real world or even its stage replica: it is
merely a play and nothing more, just as
our material world is artificial and
momentary when set against spiritual
realities.
Thus the play’s form fits its Christian
message: lay not up for yourselves
treasures on earth, for there are much
more important treasures of the spirit.
This is the most ambitious thing
Sandra Boyce has attempted as
Chowan’s drama coach. Her success, I
think, is impressive. — KEN WOLF-
SKILL.
Volume 12 Number 9
Chowan College, Murfreesboro, NC 27855
April 8, 1981
' l'\ y f !" *
Bookstore
Expansion
Being Eyed
By JENNIFER WICKER
“Possibilities for expanding the
bookstore are still being explored, and
we are not sure when the remodeling
will be done,” according to Ben Sutton,
business manager.
After the post office is moved to the
new Lakeside Student Center, the
bookstore may be able to use the area
where the post office is now, plus the
hall outside, with the approval of the
Board of Trustees.
“The bookstore is extremely
crowded, and the extra space would
give us 30-33 percent more room,”
reported Sutton.
However, there is one structural
problem, the wall behind the toilet
articles is a bearing wall, and steel
supports would have to be installed, if
the wall is removed.
Mrs. Aldeen Gatewood, manager of
the bookstore, said that she is “really
excited about the plans being made.”
She added, “The bookstore is always
anxious to meet the needs of the
students, and the expansion will im
prove our service.”
If the bookstore is enlarged, the soft
goods offerings will be expanded, and
the store will be able to take on new
lines, such as greeting cards, she said.
A traveling exhibit of new technologies in newspaper production spon
sored by the Rochester Institute of Technology was on display here March
17. An interested visitor was James B. Graham, Newswriting teacher,
shown here discussing new methods with Ralph Squire, coordinator and
director of RIT's mobile van.
,
Tutoring Assistance Offered
By BRIAN CLEMENTS
Special Services offers tree tutoring
assistance for those who need help with
their studies.
Ms. Betty Schide, tutor coordinator,
says the goal of Special Services is to
keep students in college; helping them
to graduate and/or successfully
transfer to another school.
Tutors are provided in any subject
area from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday thru
Pressures Mounting
To Destroy Privacy
Of Student Records
Thursday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays.
A schedule is posted in the office of
tutoring sessions.
The Special Services office is located
in the basement of Whitaker Library.
“Now that exams are close, students
may need extra help with their
classes,” says Ms. Schide.
To receive assistance students come
to the Special Services office to arrange
a convenient time.
By SUSAN CALHOUN
(CPS) — The days of private student
records may be numbered, according
to a variety of privacy law experts.
A number of the experts say that the
immense political pressure now
building to get around laws protecting
the privacy of student records may
succeed despite the opposition of ad
ministrators who keep the records, and
students themselves.
Most of the pressure comes from the
Selective Service System (SSS), which
has expressed interest in getting lists of
men who have (and have not) complied
with military registration laws.
The SSS, swears government lawyer
Henry Williams, “has no intentions” of
requesting information from schools to
help locate draft registration dodgers.
But the SSS has long made it known it
might ask schools to cooperate with it
later on. The SSS’ ambiguity has
pushed many administrators to
research the legality of such a request,
if it’s ever made.
Most contend student records are
protected by the Buckley Amendment
to the Privacy Act of 1974.
“The Privacy Act doesn’t apply to
colleges,” WiUiams flatly asserts.
“And if a college refused us in
formation, it couldn’t stand on the
Buckley Amendment.”
“Unfortunately, the Buckley
Amendment wouldn’t be very helpful in
this situation,” agrees privacy expert
Trudy Haydn, formerly of the
American Civil Liberties Union
(ACLU). “If the Selective Service were
to be refused by colleges, all Congress
needs to do is pass a congressional
statute overriding Buckley, and the
information will have to be given out.”
The amendment makes “directory
information” on a student — name,
address, birth date and place, phone
number, and major field of study —
public knowledge. The law, however,
gives a student the chance to object to
having his other records made public.
Upon objection, the school is prohibited
from distributing the information.
State laws protecting student records
are already under frontal assault in
California and Maryland.
The California General Assembly is
now considering a bill “mandating
school’s permission” to make student
records available to military
recruiters.
Marie Gerich, aide to state Sen. John
Schmitz, who wrote the bill, says the
measure was designed to alleviate
“problems” recruiters have in getting
information to students about military
careers.
“This could set a dangerous
precedent of cooperation,” warns Beth
(See Privacy, Page 2)
Talent Show Opens
Spring Festivities
By NANCY KEEN
Chowan’s spring festival celebration
will begin Wednesday April 22 with a
talent show. Contestants participating
will be judged and the best awarded
monetary prizes.
The grand opening of The Lakeside
Student Center will be held on Thursday
at 8 p.m.
On Friday there is also an “Anything
Goes” scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.
which will include various activities of
fun and diversion for our overworked
student populace. Following the frolics,
Thomas Cafeteria will serve “Dinner
On The Green” (in Squirrel Park) from
5-6:30. At 8:30 the movie, “The Blues
Brothers”, will be shown either in the
park or Lakeside Student Center.
Saturday’s setup opens with a lazy
morning with the squirrels from 10 a.m.
- 1 p.m. consisting of games and
bluegrass music by Victor Claibourne
and the Sound Masters. Following this,
Chowan’s choir and stage band will
entertain from 1-2. Also af-
terwards(6cheduled is a student
photography exibit on the green. Those
who choose to indulge are invited to
tickle their taste buds with some
palatable ice cream.
The annual event of coronation of
spring festival's queen will be in
Squirrel Park at 4 (or McDowell
Columns in case of rain). Selection of
the court is determined by student vote
held in Thomas cafeteria. The voting
for the queen and princess by SGA
election is to occur on Thursday, April
16. All will be introduced in assembly on
April 13 and 15.
President Bruce Whitaker will host a
dinner banquet for the spring court
from 6-7 in the president’s dining room.
Chowan has deviated from the
traditional spring festival dance affair,
and instead will host two impressive
bands in a SM hour rock-n-roU concert
starting at 8 Saturday evening.
SGA has elected to sponsor the
famous NANTUCKET from
Jacksonville, N.C., one of the south’s
biggest bands who’ve released three hit
albums: “Nantucket”, “Your Face or
Mine”, and “A Long Way to the Top”.
Band memt>ers include guitarist and
principal songwriter. Tommy Redd,
drummer Kenny Soule, vocalist Larry
Uzzell, guitarist Mark Downing, Eddie
Blair on sax and keyboards and Pee
Wee Watson as bassist.
Also performing will be the praised
TRICKS of Virginia Beach fame
recognizable by their new album
release “Turn a Trick”.
1,500 non-students and 500 student
tickets have been obtained for the
concert. Linda Owens, Director of
Student Programming, said another
1,000 can be provided if there is a
greater demand. Profits from ticket
sales will go to the Lakeside Student
Center she said.
Canrjpus Question — What Changes Would You Like in Visitation Policy?
Schenk
Bohr
Greer
Gorse
Cloninger
Stritt
Baxter
Hopkins
McClendon
Farmer
By KRISTA SCHLEICHER
Students were asked their opinion on what changes they would like to see in Chowan’s visitation policy?
ANGELA SCHENCK, Newport News, Va. — “I feel that there should be open dorms on weekends.”
KIM BOHR, Denville, N.J. — “There should be more visiting hours during the week.”
PHYLIS GREER, Aulander, N.C. — “There should be more privacy when a student has a visitor, and it could also be more
helpful for studying reasons.”
DEBBIE GORSE, Harriman, N.Y. — “I think it’s time for a new visitation policy, and weekend visitation would be a step in
the right direction.”
STU CLONINGER, Charlotte, N.C. — “The policy for being caught in the opposite sex’s dorm should be more lenient.”
STEVE STRITT, Ridgewood, N.J. — “There should be open dorms certain hours during the week and on weekends so it
gives equal amount of time for studying. ”
MARVIN BAXTER, Charleston S.C. — “If open dorms were approved, it would make the campus more outgoing.”
MARK McCLENDON, Raleigh N.C. — “Visitation hours should be from 8 p.m. to midnight, except on Sunday. People
should leave I.D.’s at the main desk.”
DARIN HOPKINS, Winston Salem, N.C. — “I’m all for coed visitations all the way! ”
KEITH FARMER, New Castle, Del. — “Make weekends open dorms permanently.”
- Photos by KRISTA SCHLEICHER