Newspapers / North Carolina Central University … / Jan. 31, 1961, edition 1 / Page 3
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Wednesday, January 31, 1961 THE CAMPUS ECHO Page Three LETTERS . . . Dear Editor; I read with concern your edi torial, “Christmas, Bah, Hum bug,” in the December 20, 1961 issue of the Campus! Echo. One concern is that your opinion of the Christmas season as one of commercialism and false senti ments is becoming ■ widespread. Another concern is that when such a question as the divinity of Jesus Christ is raised, often we of the Christian heritage either remain apathetic or simply acquiesce to your idea of a myth by our silence. There is a statement in Baha’i writings that says a miracle in the material realm is only truly meaningful to those who are present, and even those may at tribute an unusually bright star, a birth proclaimed as from a virgin mother as magic of some other force than God. To me, assuming these miracles as true, there is a greater miracle. The fact that a man of poor parents born in the slum area of Bethlehem, without writing a book, without traveling outside of his own coxintry, without radio or television, and without the most learned men of his day, could arise and present teach ings that have permeated, influ enced and inspired psychology, art, music, architecture, law, government and all the other various areas of human experi ence, is the miracle beyond the miracle. Further, it strikes me that long after great rulers of his time have been doomed to ob scurity, you and I and countless others find ourselves, sometimes unconsciously, performing deeds of kindness as he instructed. For nearly two thousand years our civilization has felt the perva sive power of this simple but dy namic man of Bethlehem. The ability of Jesus Christ to so influence the lives of indivi duals and society, unequaled except by other major Prophets of God, and his exemplary life, his inate knowledge, are but a few of the evidences to people of faith that Christ was truly a Messenger of God, the Direc tor of human destiny. If we, the_ questioning and searching in this age are dis turbed into a loss of faith, it may be that our rituals, tradi tions, and customs have become excessive and disjointed from the body of the message of Jesus. Could this not be why God punctuates the course of history with a Krishna, a Moses, a Zo roaster, a Buddha, a Jesua Christ, a Muhammed, a Baha’u’- llah—to guide faultering man kind back to the well of refresh ing truth, free from obscuring ritualism and tradition that grow with time? Could this not be why He Bends Messengersi progressively to reassert the eternal spiritual laws and add new social ones that will lead mankind onward intellectually and spiritually to ever greater heights? Such a view of the dynamics! of Christ in a lone-range, world encircling scope is worthy of re flection. Sincerely, J. K. Norris Christmas Joy Hampered Dear Editor, My joyous Christmas was im peded by the editorial, “Christ mas? Bah, Humbug,” in the last edition of the Campus Echo. T’is true that Christmas is a strange season, despite the world’s tur moil. For during this season, there is a more humane atmos phere present than at any other time of the year. The author called the birth of Christ a myth. So, what if it is just a myth. Look at the good it does. This is the only time of the year that some of the families are united. Christmas also offers a unique oneness. There is a lot of money spent for decoration, but preparation for Christmas creates a joy and eases tension; and things one treasures always cost. (continued on page 8) As I See It ‘REGISTRATION PROCEDURE RETROGRESSION’ By Harrison WilXoughby It was indeed a dark hour when the school’s administra tive officials decided to incorpo rate into the traditional regis tration process the idea if pre determined placement of stu dents in courses. This revolu tionary idea, instead of allow ing a student in the survey courses to choose the class time or the instructor he desires, will place him in areas where others decide for him. One reason given for this is that if no action is taken, the majority of the students will flock to certain instructors, leaving other instructors with only skeleton classes. Another reason is that this type regis tration will save much time and effort for the personnel in volved in the registration machinery. Weak Reasons Both of these reasons are weak with the latter being per haps the weaker. As I See It, nothing more than this makes a hypocricy of the school’s famed slogan, “self direction,” for in no other way is self-di rection more underminded than for one to be directed by some- m Salem refreshes your taste ■'3lr“Softens''every puff A Salem cigarette brings you the taste of Springtime... so soft and refreshing. Puff after puff.. .pack after pack... Salem smokes fresh and flavorful every time. Smoke refreshed... smoke Salem! • menthol fresh • rich tobacco taste • modern filter, too Created by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company one else. It cannot be denied that it is the business of the ad- muustration to 'strive to carry out the school’s operations in a more efficient manner; by thfa same token, it cannot be denied that when in its operation, the administrative gears should not mesh and grind up student’s rights. While this new procedure might seem to be of great ex pediency to the school it should not, nevertheless, herd students as if they were dumb sheep in to distasteful situations which possibly cut short their best per formance. In the case of to® many students crowding a favored instructor, this merely proves that he is a good in structor. That some instructors are the recipients of fewer students tseems to indicate that these in structors are incompetent or mediocre, and what student wants to bear the outrageous misfortune of being taught by this type instructor? This is hardly the place for incompe tence and mediocrity. The solu tion to this problem flashes like a neon sign. Students Most Important The notion that time-saving for high-officials is more impor-- tant than student satisfaction makes but a mockery of stu dent’s rights. A time-saving de vice which in its operation takes away individual freedom of choice should not be put into operation, for in its ultinuit^ analysis, it does more harm than good! The atmosphere of a col lege should not be centered around administrative expedi ency but aroimd the well-being of its students. I have always entertained the idea that the student’s well being should be of greater importance since he is, it will be noted, the college’s sole purpose for existence. Student Congress Ineffectual Invariably, when laws or acts are instituted that do not serve the good of the greatest number of people these laws or acts are held to be evil. It is then that a change becomes necessary. One wonders if the decision to im pose arbitrary class scheduling is a product of the brilliant minds of “city-hall” or did it go through the proper channels of being introduced to and dis cussed by the Student Congress. That arbitration has won is indicative that this noble body has done nothing, whereas stu dent’s welfare is supposed to be its chief concern. It is ac knowledged that the Student Congress is not to make laws to be passed which are distaste ful to the student body either. The new procedure will be carried out, it seems, primarily under the guise of progress. But bear in mind that what is pro gression to some is retrogression, to others. So the question glaringly ' stands: Is it more important to speed through registration day and to save certain instructors from embarrassment than it is to insure the right of each stu dent having a chance to ^oose that which he pays for? To those students who will suffer under this atrocity, the answer is obvious. But if the new way wins, then we must be aware that the academic ways are shifting, and to survive, it is imperative that we trim our sails accordingly.
North Carolina Central University Student Newspaper
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Jan. 31, 1961, edition 1
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