J/ot;ember 17, 1969
The N. C. Essay
Page 6
Rob?LRt.S
a part of their upbringing and society,
as, in life, it is a part of our own
majority. We may not use it in our
own homes, but we cannot deny its
existence or those human beings, both
good and bad, who employ it.
Mr. R. Dale Catlett and others
who object to this language have
completely missed the essence and pur
pose of Mr. Roberts. I too do not
wish to employ such expressions in
personal life, if for no other reason
than they indicate a lack of suitable
vocabulary, but if we are to study
a character we cannot eliminate part
of his being simply because it is
unpleagant. Perhaps Mr. Catlett
also failed to note that these men
whose language he denounces are rep
resentatives of the same men, men
much like ourselves, who gave their
lives in two World Wars, Korea, and
who are, right or wrong, doing so to
day in Vietnam. As an ex-Army
sergeant during the current conflict
I can state first hand that the
characterizations in Mr. Roberts
are correct. Their characterizations
are worthy of our theatre today, not
so much to accept or reject, but
study and in so doing to better know
our society and ourselves.
In answer to the complaints con
cerning the high cost per student
which is assumed by the state I can
only comment that such costs arise
from assisting highly talented
students through scholarships, as
does any college (although the per
centage of qualified students at
NCSA is obviously greater), and from
bringing some of the most highly
qualified professionals in the arts
to Winston-Salem. If this is not a
true cultural asset to this city,
then I do not know what would be.
In regard to Mr. Catlett's in
sinuation that the school is an
"establishment of hippies" I can
only remark sadly that he further
compounds his lack of intellectual
values. Many of my students at N.C.
School of the Arts had long hair and
beards and wore strange clothes. Yet
they also worked twelve to fourteen
hours a day and were, for the most
part, one of the most dedicated group
of aspiring young artists I have ever
encountered. If they protest the
'HG UELU FROm HGRE
51
Mikre FeRGrUSOfO
Again we face the decision of
what to do. As I write this, another
moratorium period approaches(it will,
of course, have passed by the time
you read this). My thoughts are
cloudy and uncertain as this time
draws near. But I feel a sense of
urgency about it, perhaps because my
own draft physical is scheduled for
Nov. 14th.
But beyond the personal concern,
I feel a sense of urgency because
it's time we did something about this
war, something real, something con
crete. Last time I dealth with this
situation, I wrote that I couldn't
condone a one or two day effort as
being a sufficient demonstration of
our vehemence concerning the war.
Today that feeling is even more pow
erful. Friends, it's past time that
we took an active, full-time stand.
Am I suggesting open, in the
streets revolution? No, because that
denies the very spirit of the mora
torium and our ultimate goals. And
taking to the streets isn't going to
solve anything for anyone. It will,
howevey, lose much for us all. But
we have to do something...NOW!
In past societies, art has had
immense political influence. It has
had the ability to motivate, to di
rect, to guide. We now have the most
incredible media facilities ever made
available to man; let's stop playing
with them and use them. What I am
suggesting, not demanding, is an all
out artistic/cultural assault on the
masses and the political leaders of
this country. We must show them our
concern at ever opportunity, we must
shove it down their throats, if nec
essary. We must fillibuster every
artistic media with our demand for
peace.
If it seems like sacrilege to
use our art for such purposes, then
we have no business being artists.
For is not the purpose of art to in
struct as well as to entertain? If
it hasn't been, shouldn't it be now?
If our art becomes a political
trip, it will be difficult indeed for
those in power to ignore us. And
that, my friends, has become our re
sponsibility , as human beings and as
artists. Our occupations must now
become a thrust at the king's stomach,
a demonstration so overwhelming and
hard-hitting that there can be no
doubt about our position. Our thrust
must be relentless.
At the same time, we must main
tain the highest quality of art. We
must be aware of our intentions as
well as our product and our concern
should be equal. We must make clear,
honest decisions. And you're right,
it won't be easy. It will most like
ly be the most tedious, heartbreaking,
and vexing chore of our artistic car
eers. And the most meaningful. That's
how I see our role. Kick out the
jams, irothers and sisters!
(Cont. from page 5)
evils of our society, and we need
only pick up a paper to find out
what they want, then the least we
can do is listen objectively and
not judge by external appearances.
While the young people of today may
often be unsure of their true pur
poses and their methods unusual or
occasionally, as in the case of
drugs, unwise, this last generation
must remember that their actions
are a reaction to the corruption,
greed, hypocrisy, and failures which
permeate the history of man. If the
students at N.C.S.A. are somewhat
more extreme in their so-called
"hippie" ways it is probably be
cause a study of the arts makes one
more aware of his surroundings. Yet
even if the school is truly the
establishment to which Mr. Catlett
refers, then the major fault lies
not with the school, but with the
parents of its students.
If Mr. Catlett and others in
Winston truly find Mr. Roberts and
N.C.S.A. so objectionalbe, then the
least they can do is to read and study
the play carefully before making
emotional accusations. The same
applies to the school. Let them
talk to the students with open minds
and obtain factual information before
attempting criticism. If their
opinions are then unchanged I would
suggest that they band together to
eliminate Shakespeare, Greek drama,
and the Old Testament from this
city. All contain accounts of acts
and situations which, by surface
evaluation, are far more morally
objectionable than anything in
Mr. Roberts or at N.C.S.A.
Iarmful
Drinking a lot of coffee and
then sitting in the sun can accel
erate skin-aging, according to Dr.
George Reader.
Sunlight reacts with the caffeine
inside the skin cells, he said, and
breaks the chromosome blueprint so
the cells cannot reproduce properly.
Dr. Reader, president of the
American Geriatrics Society, said
in an interview that the best chance
of growing old in good health is to
lead a tranquil life, do not sleep
more than eight hours a night, walk
to keep your weight down and go easy
on meat at dinner.
Those who face harsh stress and
those who come from poor families
where things have been tough for
generations have more illness, are
sicker when they get them, and die
younger than people raised in se
curity and comfort.
Dr. Reader said that food is
important because a high fat diet can
lead to hardening of the arteries
and heart disease. He said that
vegetarians live longer, even if they
switch to vegetarian diets after years
of normal eating.