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Seasons Greetings
VOLUME XIX, NUMBER 4
NORTH CAROLINA WESLEYAN COLLEGE, ROCKY MOUNT,, N.C.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16. 1980
In memory of Whelette Collins
By Martie Barbour
Decree Staff
Whelette Collins was
murdered on December 3, and
it will be a long time before we
get over the initial shock of it.
Some of us will never be able
to forget about it.
But we need to remember
Whelette as she was before
this tragedy occurred. She
was a ga^ person; she cared
about others. Here at
Wesleyan she was a theatre
major involved in the
directing seminar and was
also a JV cheerleader. She
had recently been placed in
the English honors program.
She enjoyed art and dance.
She was only with us for a
short time, as this was her
first year at Wesleyan; but
she gave us so much.
Nothing will bring
Whelette back to us now, but
she isn’t really gone. She is
still in our hearts, and we have
fond memories of her that we
will be able to cherish forever.
She is in a much better place
now.
The following poem may
make it a little easier for you
to understand and accept her
death.
THERE IS NO DEATH
There is no death! The stars
go down
To rise upon some other shore,
And bright in heaven’s
jewelled crown
They shine forevermore.
There is no death! The forest
leaves
Convert to life the viewless
air;
The rocks disorganize to feed
The hungry moss they bear.
There is no death! The dust we
tread
Shall change, beneath the
summer showers
The golden grain, or mellowed
fruit,
Or rainbow-tinted flowers.
There is no death! The leaves
may fall.
And flowers may fade and
pass away--
They only wait, through
wintry hours.
The warm, sweet breath of
May.
There is no death! The
choicest gifts
That heaven hath kindly lent
to earth
Are ever first to seek again
The country of their birth.
And all things that for growth
or joy
Are worthy of our love or care,
Whose loss has left us
desolate,
Are safely garnered there.
Though life become a desert
waste.
We know its fairest, sweetest
flowers.
Transplanted into Paradise,
Adorn immortal bowers.
The voice of birdlike melody
That we have missed and
mourned so long,
Now mingles with the angel
choir
In everlasting song.
There is no death! Although
we grieve
When beautiful, familiar
iorms
That we have learned to love
are torn
From our embracing arms--
Although with bowed and
breaking heart.
With sable garb and silent
tread.
We bear their senseless dust
to rest.
And say that they are “dead,”
They are not dead! They have
but
passed
Beyond the mists that blind us
here
Into the new and larger life
Of that serener sphere.
They have but dropped their
robe of clay
To put their shining raiment
on;
They have not wandered far
away-
They are not “lost” or
“gone.”
and
Though disenthralled
glorified
They still are here and love us
yet;
The dear ones that have left
behind
They never can forget.
And sometimes, when our
hearts grow faint
Amid temptations fierce and
deep,
Or when the wildly raging
waves
Of grief or passion sweep.
We feel upon oirt| fevered brow
Their gentle touch, their beath
of balm;
Their arms enfold us, and our
hearts
Grow comforted and calm.
And ever near us, though
unseen.
The dear, immortal spirits
tread--
For all the boundless universe
Is Life--there are no dead!
J. L. McCreery
Bomb Scare at Wesleyan
By Martie Barbour
Decree Staff
Monday afternoon classes
were disrupted on November
17, as the result of a bomb
threat. At 12:45 Dorothy Grant
Students are urged
to take action
By Anthony Pierce
Two years ago, as a fresh
man attending a required SGA
meeting in the gym, a friend
of mine-Tim Perry-stood up
at the meeting and announced
that he felt there should be
tighter security provided on
campus.
He told us that his
girlfriend had been attacked
the previous semester in the
parking lot when she was
coming home from work. She
was saved because she
screamed and hollered, and
some students came to her
defense. The attacker jumped
in his car and fled from the
campus.
Tim said that he felt that
gates (or something to that
effect) should put at the
walls, because any creep
could come on campus and
wait in the parking lots, or
hallways, and attack anyone
coming from work, the
library, or just visiting a
friend in another dorm.
About half of the students
began “booing” and saying
“It’s lunch time,” or “Who
wants to be closed in like little
kids?” “We want to come and
go as we please.’
Now, here we are two
years later, and everyone has
their freedom to come and go
as they please. This includes
Kermit Smith.
Now, I am, by no means
knocking the security that we
have here on campus. I feel
that Sherry and her crew are
doing a very good job, and
they take their work seriously.
But let’s face it-How
many places can our security
crew be at one time? Anyone
at any time can drive in here;
and once in here, can wait
until the time is right for him
to do his worst. That’s
evidently what this individual
did.
Just think of the torment
our girls have been through
because students didn’t listen
and take things more
seriously. They placed more
importance in being able to
run off for beer all night, in
stead of in our own safety.
We must be more
responsible people. This is our
school, our home, our domain;
and we can’t have it torn to
pieces by crazed outsiders or
thieving insiders.
If you, as a student, are as
concerned about this as I am,
then take action. Report any
strange or unusual people that
you see; and unusual things
that you hear. Theft has been
on the rise lately.
Travel in numbers, or at
least with a man (especially
at night).
And, if you have any
logical ideas for a more
secure campus, go to the SGA
and voice your opinion. That’s
what they are there for. But,
do be responsible and take
action. Don’t wait until what
happened to Yogi, Dawn, and
Whelette happens to you.
received a call at the sw itch-
board from a male wiOi a
“heavy, muffled voice”
stating that a bomb had been
placed in the administration
building, and was set to go off
at 1:30 p.m., said Bill Garlow.
A second call was
received by Rachael Dor-
magan at 1:00, also at the
switchboard. This time the
caller said that he was not
kidding-the bomb was set to
go off. He wanted to be taken
seriously, because his attack
was directed toward the
school itself; he didn’t want ,
anybody to get hurt.
Bill Garlow was contacted
after the first call, as Pres.
Petteway and Vice Pres.
Kirkland were both out of
town on business. Garlow
made the decision to contact
the Nash County Sheriff’s
Dept, as well as the Nash
County dispatcher of
emergency services.
By the time these calls
had been made, the second
call was received, and
evacuation began. The four
resident hall directors, Mr.
Bachelor in operations and
maintenance, and Emma
Foster notified all classes that
a bomb threat had been called
in, and to evacuate the
building.
When the bomb did not go
off at 1:30, Milton Reams,
chief of detectives for Nash
County organized a search of
the administration building.
Reams was assisted by three
Nash County deputies, and
approximately eight volun
teer firemen, including A.D.
Saunders and Mike Madison,
from Wesleyan. Several
faculty members helped as
well. This search lasted for
about 40 minutes.
Emma Foster cancelled
the classes for the rest of the
afternoon, much to the
students’ delight.
This bomb threat, which
wasn’t taken too seriously by
most students, is a violation of
local, state, and federal law
and can end in an active
prison sentence if the caller is
caught. Investigators from
Nash County are working the
case at this time.
The awareness of the
real Christmas spirit
By Stephanie Frink
Have you noticed how
quickly the Christmas season
has come and how people have
joyously anticipated its
arrival? Have you noticed
how prices have increased for
Christmas savings?
Parents, are you aware of
the long Christmas lists that
your children have made out;
and have you figured up the
prices? Have you notic^ all
of the elaborate decorations
on the various homes in your
neighborhood? Have you
noticed our new Tarrytown
Mall and its renovations?
Well, I hope that you have,
because these are some of the
many ways that people get
into the Christmas spirit.
Practicaly all of us are
engaging in gift-giving as the
wise men did. We are all
caught up in the traffic jams;
rushing to buy that special gift
for that certain special per
son. But are you aware of
whose birthday it really is?
Of course, it is a season to
be jolly, but it is also a “Silent
Night” in Bethlehem. And a
great “Joy to the World” that
a Savior was born which is
Christ, Our Lord.
We must not get so caught
up that we forget to say,
“Thank you, God, for being
born,” or even “Happy Bir
thday.” Christ lives so that we
may live also. We have
Jierrn Christmas
eternal life in him according
to St. John 3:16.
Isaiah talks about this
great man by the various
names he called him (Isaiah
9:6) “For unto us a child is
born, unto us a son is given;
and the government shall be
upon his shoulders: and his
name shall be called Won
derful, Counsellor, The
Mighty God, The Everlasting
Father, the Prince of Peace;
and Timothy (I timothy 6:15)
took it up and said... the King
of Kings, and Lord of Lords.”
Truly today we can see
him in every aspect of our
lives, and we can call him
Wonderful, Counsellor, The
Mighty God, Lord of Lords, or
the Prince of Peace.
So let us be aware of the
real Christmas spirit; which
is reverencing Christ’s Bir
thday. As People’s Bank puts
it, “It’s His Birthday. Please
don’t forget it.”
Have a Merry Christmas
and a Blessed New Year!