N.C. ESSAY
Freeze Put On Student Funds
Tuesday, May 14, 1974
DEBT, From Page 1
the budget will approve its release. The
reserve lies in the fact that the school
collected more out-of- state tuition than
was anticipated. Sokoloff said that they
probably would release the money, but it
would require some serious pleac^g on
the school’s part.
"Die problem of the foundation’s debt is
near solution according to Sokoloff. He
. .the foundation *s debt
is near solution. . . ”
said that the school would have to require
payment of the debt soon in order to
balance its books by the July 1 end of the
current fiscal year. Sokoloff said that it is
unlikely that the foundation can raise the
necessary money in so short a time and
that they would probably resort to
borrowing the money from the Nor
thwestern Bank.
The foundation already has a $150,000
loan with the bank which was negotiated
last year to cover the foundation’s
operating expenses. Sokoloff said that
this should not affect the possibility of
receiving this loan since the bank and the
foundation have a good relationship. T^e
$150,000 loan, and the $90,000 loan, if
taken, will be paid off wiOi money raised
during a $2.5 million fund-raising drive
scheduled by the foundation for this fall,
Sokoloff said.
Si’ *•'
1972 Beaux Arts Ball
Qiancellor Ward Tells of His Career
By SONNY LINDER
Essay Staff Reporter
It was rather refreshing in a relaxed
sort of way, to walk into the office of the
highe^ ranking official on campus and to
find, instead of plush furnishings and
ultra-artsy paintings, a simple room with
only a desk, chair, a few unobtrusive wall
sculptures, a small coffee table and red
curtains.
‘7 was in Washington,
D. C.f at the time
conducting a concert. ”
ITie calendar on his desk was open
revealing many notations and phrases,
such as “TO MIAMI” in hastily scribbled
script. Chancellor Robert Ward was on
the telephone with Winston-Salem
•Journal reporter Jim Shertzer, suc-
cessfuly declining to comment on his
questions, yet managing to sound
diplomatic and helpful.
I began the interview with Ward by
asking him how he became associated
with NCSA. “The first president of the
school, Vittorio (iiannini, and I were
very good friends. My two sons, Tim, and
Mark, had attended the school durine its
first year,” Ward re^nded.
“Mr. Giannini died suddenly in
November of the second year. A little
Defore Christmas, I got a call from Phil
lianes (trustee). I was in Washington,
IJ C.,at the time, conducting a concert. I
was definitely interested l:^ause I felt
the school was very important in what it
was trying to do.
Greatest Love
‘At the time, I was on a Guggenheim
Kellowship in Maine. I had just gotten to
a place where I was going to spend all my
time composing, which is my greatest
love. At the time, I was heading a small
publishing firm of music publications.
When I got the call, I had been turning
down many job opportunitites in order to
have time to write.
■‘But 1 felt that if this school worked,
that it might become a pattern for the art
education for most of this country.
■'My five children were still in high
school and junior high at the time.
Suddenly, the arts were pushed aside all
over the country because of the Sputnik
and its resulting technological onslaught.
I felt that for the talented students,
particularly in high school, that NCSA
would help this imbalance. As a matter of
fact, it was the only school that interested
me.
“I’ve been asked to work for other
institutions, but I’m not that interested in
administration, although I’ve been in
volved with it one way or another for
most of my life.
“So 1 came here—with only one
provision; that my life as a composer
could not fall by the wayside. You see,
there are all sorts of time problems that
one faces in this job. I felt that this was
my social obligation to the school, but I
also need time to devote my energies to
composing.
“Now I have to leave. More than a year
ago, I made it known to the board of
trustees that I would give them whatever
time was needed to find a replacement. It
was last spring, I think.”
StUl Nearby
Next year Ward will continue to live in
Winston-Salem. “I love the school and
this part of the country. My wife and I
bought a lot near the school, about a
fifteen minute w^k away, on which we
plan to build a home in the next couple of
years. We also own a home in the
mountains, near Sparta, and will be
spending a lot of time there.” The Wards
property in Winston-Salem is a wooded
lot near Washington Park. “My wife and
I love a lot of trees.” Ward added.
. ./ saw it as getting
right in there and
getting organized. ”
Ward was then asked to comment on
the new chancellor and what he might be
facing.
“Everyone is an individual, each with
different qualifications from the other. I
would hope that, in a new man, the school
finds someone whose qualities are dif
ferent, some better, some worse, than
mine. There were some difterences
between Giannini and myself. He would
I , T • « f 4 1, • '.* ^ l ■ I . ; 1 \
-1 i';' 1 > . .... I
. .catch up on a lot
of lost
composing time. ”
stand up and give an inspirational, im-
passionate speech on the spur of the
moment. That I just don’t do. In fact,
some of the students have been quite
fr^k in voicing this difference to me.
“When I took over as chancellor, I saw
it as getting right in there and getting
organized. Also, I felt we should get a
‘whole school’ feeling of community,
harmonious, and that’s something you do
in lots of small meetings.
Policies Developed
“When I got here, there was no student
government association, no faculty
council, no newspaper, no advisory
board. Dr. Giannini was sort of running it
out of his pocket. My feeling was tnat,
as the school grew, policies had to be
developed, and there was a need to define
the corporate image of the school.”
“To be honest, when I arrived, I was
very worried because Dr. Giannini was
looking rather worn-down and drawn. I
had known that he had a history of heart
attacks. I told him to get away and to get
some rest, which he didn’t do. Instead, he
wrote an opera which he never saw
produced.
“I feel that the position of the school
now as compared to seven years ago can
be seen in every department-plays,
opera, music, design, and visual arts. We
are now capable of a very high level of
achievement, centered all in one place
and at every age level. I’m sort of sorry
to be leaving and not to be able to witness
what will happen in the next few years. I
hope my successor will realize the rich
opportunity for better and better artistic
achievement.
“Of all the people who we considered
as a potential candidate for chancellor,
none was a bad candidate. I honestly felt
the school couldn’t go wong with any one
of the five people considered toward the
end. Each would be able to bring
something different, but all were capable
with different strengths. And the com
ments by everyone of the people on the
search committee were very com
plimentary.”
Ward’s description of the NCSA faculty
ranked them as a group “highly capable,
and at its best, highly creative.”
Faculty
“There is each year some change in
faculty. I feel sad when this happens
because I feel that each member has
real and strong qualities to offer here.
But if those qualities are not within the
context of the school, or if the faculty
member is just not pulling his own
weight, then it may be time for him or her
to leave.”
Ward then spoke of his plans for the
future. “Right now, I am working on an
opera based on “Hedda Gabler,” by
Ibsen, for the New York City Opera. And
I also have a number of commissions,
small ones, that I want to finish but I’m
not ready to announce them yet. I just
want to catch up on a lot of lost com-;
posing time.”
The chancellor went on to say that he
felt that the reason he wrote music was
two-fold: audience demand and personal
satisfaction.
“Over the years, the people have
. .1 also need time
to devote my energies
to composing.**
seemed to like my work. Also, I have
come to accept the verdict of the
audience, although sometimes I may
disagree with them”
Ward Legacy
My final question was what he felt his
legacy to the school will be once he has
left.
“I suppose that fundamentally I feel
the school is new in a position to make
possible for its students and for its
faculty the achievement of what they
want to do and do it expertly.”
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