PAGE 2
THE DECREE
MONDAY, OCTOBER 22,1973
We Made It
Bock 0. K. !!!
For several weeks now there has been a problem
existing on campus which must be solved. It concerns not
only me but just about anyone and everyone in the
Wesleyan community. The problem is our campus
transportation—the buses. There are just a few recent
incidents that I would like to call to the attention of
everyone concerning these buses. About four weeks ago
now the Wesleyan Soccer team left on a Saturday morning
for High Point, North Carolina to play their first game of
the season. I had about ten people on my bus, there were
about six people and all the equipment on the second bus
and there were nine or ten people and the coach on
third bus. We were all cruising along just outside of
Greensboro when the second bus began to die and I mean
that’s exactly what it did. The first bus with the coach in it
didn’t notice and kept going. So I pulled over and collected
everyone in bus #2. That gave my bus a total of 16
passengers and all the athletic equipment. That was a real
neat ride. The coach finally missed us and doubled back to
take part of the burden, but it was still crowded. The two
buses started back for Rocky Mount, and didn’t lose sight
of each other until Wake Forest, but we figured that was
alright because Coach was behind us. Just outside of
Rocky Mount it started, this beating sound on the bottom
of the bus. We had lost a recap on a four lane by-pass. So
we just went slow, about 30 MPH, till we got back to
campus. We all did get back. Then I decided I’d better
wait around and tell Mr. Horne what had happened to my
bus, but his bus never came either. Instead they had to
walk back. Yep, that’s right, their bus gave out too. Flat
tire behind the campus I believe. Now that’s a great
record 3 out of 3. But I’m not through. The trip to
Lynchburg was equally exciting since the brake lights on
the blue bus didn’t function and almost caused a wreck
between the buses. We made back in one piece that trip
too. Then there was our last road trip to Pembroke.
Nothing had changed. The brake light on the blue bus still
didn’t work, and on the way back on a four lane
inter-state, cruising at 65 mph, the same bus that lost a
recap before lost another recap on the same tire. Who said
riding those old buses wasn’t exciting? But we made it
back ok.
Now the real problem is who is at fault? The coaching
staff won’t let the players drive because it isn’t safe. Is
riding the buses safe? We can’t afford to charter a bus, so
we just patch up the old ones. What is the solution? Well I
hope someone upstairs tells me before the next away game
because I don’t know how many more times I’ll be able to
say “BUT WE MADE IT BACK OK!!!”
Fuel Shortage: Be Prepared
OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF
NORTH CAROLINA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
Editor-In-Chief Charlie Rogers
Associate Editor Tom Hardison
Advertising MGR Phillip Frazer
Business MGR Charlie Rogers
Circulation MGR BobLauranzon
Sports Writer “Smokey” Cameron
Typist Peggy Verkler
Photographer Jay Van Hoose
Adviser Mr. Bruce Van Blarcom
Columnists: Tom Hardison
Reporter: Donald Williams
Business Address: Box 3056, Wesleyan College
Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27801
PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY WESLEYAN STUDENTS
Opinions Published Do Not Necessarily Represent
Those Of Wesleyan College
WASHINGTON, D. C.-Mil-
lions of words have been
spoken or written about the
fuel shortage this year. Even
so, there’s too much of an air of
complacency abroad in the
land. It doesn’t appear that the
full impact of the situation has
sunk into the public conscious
ness yet.
It’s true we did manage to
squeak by this summer without
the dramatic gas shortages,
which almost developed. It’s
true we got by in tobacco
curing season—by the skin of
our teeth. But the worst may
be in front of us. With winter
coming on, the stage is being
set for a fuel shortage which
just may drastically affect the
lives of millions of Americans,
including us in North Carolina.
And we just must do all we can
to get ready.
The experts at the Interior
Department, who are close to
this national problem, now
refuse to give assurances tht
there will be enough heating oD
to go around this winter or
enough gas next summer—if
the winter is cold.
Gasoline, fuel oU, kerosene
and propane aU come out of the
same wells. They’re manufac
tured products—refined from
crude oil. And when our
refineries are already operating
at capacity, the increased
production of one product
automatically cuts down on the
production of others. A short
age of one fuel is tied in with
shortages in other fuels.
These shortages spill over
and affect naturd gas, too. Last
winter, many local natural gas
distributors had to use propane
to supplement their supply of
natural gas, even though the
winter was mild. But, that
helped create this year’s
propane shortage, and now
these same distributors prob
ably won’t be able to get the
propane they’ll need in a pinch.
What propane we have will be
desperately needed for agricul
tural purposes.
The fuel shortage, which has
already drastically hurt many
jobbers and service station
owners in the Second Con
gressional District, may rapidly
become a crisis the likes of
which we’ve never known
before. It may not become so if
it is a mUd winter, if American
companies succeed in buying
enough refined oil from abroad,
if none of our dangerously
overloaded refineries breaks
down, if Europe has a mild
winter and doesn’t compete for
the oil we need, and if the
stormy politics of Arabia don’t
interrupt the oil flow,
doesn’t compete for the oil we
need, and if the stormy politics
of Arabia don’t interrupt the oil
flow.
But there are too many “ifs.”
The potential for disaster is
here. In fact, a recent govern
ment-wide study asserted the
disheartening news that there
is “no possibUity” American
refineries will be able to meet
the national needs for distillate
fuels this winter—and that
includes diesel fuel, as well as
No. 2 heating oil.
The only way out is to import
at least 6^ thousand barrels of
oil a day. Unfortunately, the
Interior Department’s consid
ered opinion is that all the
dollars in America can’t get Iiut
550 thousand barrels a day
from foreign lands this winter
— at best. So, we start off way
behind.
It’s going to be a bad
situation, and the real question
is—just how bad will it be?
America must face the facts
and be prepared. Even with a
Mandatory Allocation (or dis
tribution) Program, the crisis
will still be upon us.
For reasons of expediency,
America has allowed its
domestic oil industry to decline
for seventeen years—despite
many, many warnings. Now we
have an instant shortage, which
really isn’t “instant” at all. To
make it worse, we aren’t using
our coal properly, even though
we’ve got more of it than any
other country—enough to last
us hundreds of years.
What can we do? Conserve!
Conserve! Constructive con
servation measures are desper
ately needed^NOW. We’ve
never really tried to conserve
energy. Instead we’ve used it
lavishly, without regard for the
consequences.
All you smokers
who plan to quit
someday:
V
Can you
throw away that pack
right now?
It’s not easy, is it?
In 20 years, after 146,000 more cigarettes,
you think it’s going to be easier?
Don’t kid yourself.
Quit now. You’ll never get a chance like this again
U.S. Department of Health, liducaiion, and \Xclfare
This space contribute as a public service.