4 THE PENDULUM
Thursdays September i, 1988
ui
Editorials
The Pendulum
Serving the Elon College community
' KATHY MEADOWS TOM COZART
Editor Managing Editor
Offices, 102 Williamson Ave., Elon College, NC 27244
Telephone (919) 584-2331
The Pendulum welcomes your opinion, limited to about 250 wor^if ^We. M
letters must be signed, and a phone number given for v^caaon. The d^d^ tor
submissions is 5:00 p.m. Monday. The Pendulum, founded m 1974, is published by
Elon CcJl^e students each Thursday during regular school terms.
Of this and that...
Train tracks pose
trouble for reader
The new trivial pursuit
Once again, it’s time for us to start thinking about the TXiesday in
November when we will, again, decide who we want to take over the
reins as president and vice president of the United States. And once
again, the important aspects of the candidates have taken a back seat
to more trivial matters.
Is it really so detrimental that vice-presidential candidate Dan Quayle
spent the late 1960’s-early ’70’s in the National Guard instead of trudg
ing through the bug-infested swamps of Vietnam? Will it make a
substantial difference in how he serves his country as vice-president,
if elected?
The answer to these questions is less complicated than the public
has been led to believe. For starters, a man’s military record, or lack
thereof, should not influence the voters’ decision. We cannot criticize
Quayle for enlisting in the National Guard, even if it was to avoid com
bat. Would he be a better man if he had gone to Vietnam and needlessly
killed men, women, and children?
If this is true, then we’re saying that the National Guard is not a
sufficient way to serve our country. Somehow I think this might in
sult all the men and women who have spent time serving the United
States in that manner.
And if it wasn’t enough to criticize Quayle’s choice of military bran
ches, there is now debate over whether or not he pulled strings to do
so. This whole argument can be summed up in two words - “so what.”
When opportunity arises, those who can pull strings do so. It may
not seem fair, but it constantly happens. Everybody in our society has
been taught to “look out for number one,” and that is one way of do
ing it. So, it’s hard to blame a man for making decisions that, more
than likely, prolonged his life and that we ourselves would probably
have made too.
But does it stop here? No. Instead of just presenting the question
to the public and asking Quayle to address it once, the media found
it necessary to dwell on it for at least a week. And if anyone cared
in the first place, they were sick of the whole issue when it did finally
quiet down a little.
Now would be a good time to stop quibbling over matters of little
or no consequence and start looking at the man’s politics. Why should
the American voting contingent be made to feel as if they aren’t smart
enough to hear the real issues?
By ignoring the important issues and inflating the small ones, it
would appear that the American intelligence level is being insulted.
If Americans can’t handle discussions about real politics, then what
use is the privilege to vote? A candidate should be voted on for his
stand on issues like foreign affeirs, taxes, education, and military spen
ding instead of petty deeds that won’t really affect how a man runs
his country. If such needless arguments continue, the next question
may be ,”From which side does the candidate let his toilet paper roll
- the top or the bottom?”
^ ^ I fethy Meadows-^Editor
tom Cozart - Managing ^itor
by Darren Cubell
DO NOT STOP ON THE
TRACKS.
That is what I find myself see
ing every time I drive through the
newly remodeled triple intersection
by the post office in Elon College.
The intersection of Williamson
Avenue, by Trollinger Avenue,
train tracks, and Lebanon Avenue
sounds bad enough, but when you
consider that this takes place in an
area of less then 40 feet, you start
to get a feel for the problem.
To be more specific, the trouble
is with: 1) The lack of options
besides stopping on the tracks. 2)
The confusion. For example, if
you are driving south on William
son Avenue headed towards the
central business district, you will
notice several problems.
The first is that you must change
lanes toward the left in order to go
straight. That’s fine if you are go
ing left. However, in normal traf
fic intersections you stay to the
right to go straight or to turn right.
This problem might be alleviated
by showing the proper lanes in the
form of overhead signs.
According to Don Wagoner of
the Elon College Public Works
Department, the N.C. DOT did an
extensive survey and found that a
much larger percent of the vehicles
were either continuing north on
Williamson Avenue or turning
right on to E.Trollinger Avenue.
Therefore, it was considered ac
ceptable to inflict the inconve
nience upon the people going north
on Williamson Avenue when a
vehicle makes the infrequent left
on to W.Trollinger Avenue.
If you have made it that far
without colliding with another car,
just be careful that the signal light
does not change red while ascen
ding the railroad tracks. If it does
and you find another car in front
of you stopped at the second light
along Lebanon Avenue, then you
are expected to remain 12 feet in
front of the tracks, hence we get
the DO NOT STOP ON TRACKS
sign. The theory behind this is in
the event that a train does come
through, you won’t find yourself
100 yards down the track.
But don’t worry, if you are driv
ing the 20 MPH speed limit and it
is not raining, you should see the
stop line.
In the interest of safety for
vehicles either traveling west on
Trollinger Avenue or east on
Lebanon Avenue, if there is a train
approaching you will notice an il
luminated sign overhead which
reads: NO RIGHT TURN,
TRAIN.
The same is true when traveling
in opposite directions along these
streets, but reading: NO LEFT
TURN, TRAIN.
So far the new signals have done
their job well, allowing traffic to
enter Williamson Avenue, as wel]
as slow vehicles down when ap
proaching the central business
district from the south along
Williamson Avenue.
Ironically, the school was buil
to face the train tracks, now it face:
the highway.
I guess some of us were use t(
things the way they were, an(
don’t accept change as rapidly ai
others.
Letters
to the
Editor
Warning: don’t believe the famous lies
An open letter to Elon
students:
At some point during this
academic year, someone will tell
you a lie. God forbid, you might
even pass along the lie.
It’s a lie that is told every year
- not just at Elon, but on the cam
puses of large universities and
small colleges across the country.
The lie is “there’s nothing to do
around here.”
At Elon, organizations such as
the Student Union Board, the
Liberal Arts Forum and the Resi
dent Hall Association work hard to
provide a variety of recreational
and cultural activities. The Office
of Campus Activities and the
Cultural Programs Office both
work full time coordination events
which will complement your
academic experience at Elon.
This fall’s activities calendar is
ftiller and more diverse than ever,
including films, concerts, plays,
comedians and magicians. Centen
nial events add even mote ac
tivities. i
i
Elon has nearly 60 organization
which cater to religious, political
recreational and social interests.
Student leaders who hav
become involved will tell you ther
is no excuse for being bored i
Elon. They will say there are n(
enough hours in the day to take ac
vantage of all that is offered o
campus.
Don’t listen to the lie. Be a Ir
ing example of the opportuniti
offered at Elon. Get involved!
Sincerely
Lauren Schepke
Office of Campm Activitie