PAGE 6 — THE DECREE — NOVEMBER 8,1991
Student discontent
has better reasons
than ingratitude’
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(Continued from Page 4)
for members of the opposite sex
to be in a room after 11 p.m. on
weekdays and 1 a.m. on week
ends” denies one of the basic
goals of a college education.
There are many reasons to extend
visitation hours, the least of which
is “flagrant fornication.” One of
the best reasons to extend hours
is The lack of co-ed study areas
available on a 24-hour basis. By
extending visitation hours, stu
dents will be able to study with
each other and contribute to each
other’s education. To argue that
there is nothing else that two
people of the opposite sex can do
in a room by themselves is also
ridiculous. Believe it or not, some
of us just enjoy talking or watch
ing movies.
I was also baffled by the men
tion of “flagrant fornication.”
First, there isn’t anything that can
be done after 11 p.m. that can’t
be done before 11 p.m., hence
students will continue to have sex
regardless of visitation hours.
Secondly, what is meant by fla
grant? To the best of my knowl
edge, flagrant means conspicuous
or open. I have not heard of stu
dents having sex in the lobbies or
in the halls or in any other open
place, and even so, altering visi
tation hours would not stop it.
Third, it is quite simply no one
else’s business, except my
partner’s, what I do behind the
closed door of my room in regard
to sexual activity. Finally, while
I appreciate her concern for my
soul, I find the high mindedness
of her entire response demeaning
and disgusting. Michele should
realize that not all of us are as
perfect as she thinks she is.
It is important to note that the
manner in which the issue of
visitation is handled with have a
great impact on the future ability
of the SGA to motivate students
to seek change. The SGA has
done a great amount of work re
searching the issue and has al
ready submitted its proposal to
Student Life. Since this is the first
time such a significant policy
change has been requested, to turn
it down might possibly mean the
end of student involvement on this
campus.
To say “no” to the requested
changes would be to say, “We
don’t care what you have to say.”
Student Life must realize that this
is the model on which all future
attempts to reform this college
will be based. Those involved in
these changes have worked hard
to make certain that they have
gone through the proper channels.
Let us hope that these channels
do not let them down.
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Real freedom rests in Christ
(Continued from Page 5)
is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life through Jesus Christ
our Lord.” (Rom. 6).
The book of Romans spells out
clearly what it means to be free
from the rule of sin, from the
mastery of self, from the designs
of evil.
“There is therefore now no
condemnation to them which are
Christ Jesus, who walk not after
the flesh, but after the Spirit. For
the law of the Spirit of life in
Christ Jesus has made me fi'ee
from the law of sin and death.
For what the law could not do, in
that it was weak through the flesh,
God sending his own son in the
likeness of sinful flesh, and for
sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
that the righteousness of the law
might be fulfilled in us who walk
not after the flesh but after the
Spirit. For they that are after the
flesh do mind the things of the
flesh; but they that are after the
Spirit the things of the Spirit.
“For to be carnally minded is
death; but to be spiritually minded
is life and peace. Because the
carnal mind is enmity against
God; for it is not subject to the
law of God, neither indeed can
be. So then they that are in the
flesh cannot please God. But you
are not in the flesh, but in the
Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of
God dwells in you. Now if any
man have not the Spirit of Christ,
he is none of his.” (Rom. 8).
Freedom can only be enjoyed
as we choose life, not death. “That
you may love the Lord your God,
that you may obey liis voice, that
you may cleave to him, for he is
your life.” (DeuL 30). Freedom
means becoming a servant of
God, submitting to his plan and
purpose in our lives with a spirit
of continual gratitude and humil
ity.
This is not understood by the
natural mind. The natural man
cannot receive the things of God,
and cannot know anything about
this fi-eedom. The freedom I have
just explained is considered by
the natural man to be foolishness.
Only those whose minds have
been freed by God can truly un
derstand freedom. When Christ
really opens a person’s eyes, that
person then has the mind of Christ
and can judge all things. Only
then can a person have any con
cept of freedom. Only then can a
person correctly judge what is
happening around him (I Cor. 2).
Get a clue. Get a real life. Ask
God to open your eyes, your ears,
your heart so that you can be truly
free.
Michele Carpenter
Life is much more pleasant
when savored at an easy pace
(Continued from Page 4)
Blaking the leaves? Reorganizing
our spice cabinets?
In the research for my disser
tation, my first project was to find
out what I could abut the history
of the essay — that informal rev
eries such as you are reading now.
I allocated two months for this
part of my research, and two
months seemed like an eternity
because I was sick of being a
graduate student and wanted to
get on with my real life.
Immediately I became aware
that because no one had written
much about the informal essay, I
was going to have to start with
Montaigne and read my way
through 300 years of essays and
write my own history
I read and I read and I read.
Many of these writers com
plained about how much they had
to do which they really didn’t
think was important and how little
time they had for what was im
portant to them. Some had to work
in a bank when they’d rather gar
den. Some were politicians when
they’d rather build better mouse
traps. Some were mothers who
would rather be politicians. And
they aU wanted more time for
themselves.
Slowly I relaxed. I remember
the day I told my dissertation di
rector that I needed a year to fin
ish the first research step. She
smiled and said, “Ah, you’ve dis
covered the wonders of taking
your time.”
A couple of years later when I
was trying to finish the last ch£^-
ter, she advised me to go hiking
in the mountains for a few days
and just think. When I tell my
students to spend time thinking,
they look at me with despair, and
I remember the trciuble I had
learning to tell the difference be
tween procrastinating and allow
ing the brain to spin its web of
coimections.
Believe me, I plan to read those
books I bought, but I’ll give my
self some deck time to think about
them and talk to fiiends about
them as well. After all, the deck
is a modernization of the parch,
and what were porches for, any
way?
Chemistry Week celebrated
.North Carolina Wesleyan
College’s Science and Math De
partments this week celebrated
National Chemistry Week wdth
shows on Monday and Wednes
day.
Treating the celebration as
more Science Awareness Week,
the departments’ shows included
fun-fiUed presentations, demon-
sti'^ons, and magic tricks Govern
ing topics in chemistry, physics,
biology, and mathematics.
Monday’s presentation on the
Hardee’s Student Union patio in
cluded interesting demonstrations
in chemistry, physics, and biol
ogy.
Wednesday’s presentation in
Room 105, Gravely, added
“hands on” experiences in the bi
ology labs.