Editorials
February 12,1998
'Smiling like a snow angel given by God'
“In three words I can sum up
everything I’ve learned about life:
It goes on, —Robert Frost
On that snow-covered morn,
as the sunshine shone forth with
chilly brightness, my only desire
was to play in its greatness, its
splendor.
And as I observed my new
wintry garden, with radiance so
fresh and so clean, I could swear
against all it called to me, pleading
for me to frolic in its untracked and
open arms.
I was five years old, and it was
a Saturday I remember, and I was
sure of the importance of my busi
ness.
Perhaps if Sarah, my very best
friend who lived two houses down,
could come out and play as well to
wrestle in the packable substance
fallen from the sky for what had to
have been put there for our plea
sure alone.
So I got dressed, with my
mother’s help of course, putting on
all the necessary equipment for my
mission.
My red snowsuit and woolen
black hat made me look like
Andrew Hludzenski
Pendulum Columnist
hluda7jO@numen.elon.edu
one of the cardinals that of
ten would eat from our back
feeder.
With worsted mittens and
moon-like boots I began my jour
ney by opening our big wooden
front door.
To my wonderful surprise,
there Sarah stood, smiling like a
snow-angel given by God, finding
her reason in this world, me, to help
fulfill our duty as playful children.
I would be her mortal, the one in
need of such guidance.
The task at hand, undeniably,
was to have as much fun as was
humanly possible. To have fun
until our cheeks had become more
rosy than the roses them
selves and we would have
no other choice but to
warm them, sitting on the
hearth of the fireplace.
We rolled and bur
rowed in the white mass
of delight for hours on end.
How lucky I was to be in
such wonderful company
within the product from above, al
though I now see it fitting that such
an angel be my companion, envel
oped in something that could have
only fallen from the heavens them
selves!
I didn’t know what love was,
nor did I care. I only knew she was
always there, always ready for our
next adventure together. She al
ways wanted to be with me as I with
her and that’s what made all the
difference.
But that would be the last day
we would play together, as she died
on that Thursday from what they
later found to be cancer.
How could a young child, let
alone my Sarah, have gotten can
cer? He took her away from me;
my snow angel was gone.
I didn’t play 4n the winter
weather again that year in hopes to
save the fresh snow for her. Even
today, as others mindlessly cast
angels into the powder, her symbol
holds greater meaning to me.
Each year, after a storm has
laid a fresh snowfall, I bring her
back to play with me in the snow.
I make her wings, her head,
and her body, lay next to her and
preserve the moment.
And with a playful whisk, I
send her away ‘til next year in order
to allow her to play with the other
children of December’s morn.
Today, I do know what love is,
and she loved to play in the snow.
Friends come and go, as change
says they should, and life will go on
after they part. You never know
how long a friendship might last or
what it may even turn into, but if
you can appreciate what you have
today you never have to live with
regret.
I miss Sarah, but I’ve come to
realize that she has taught me the
value of friendship and how to live
life to the fullest.
In college, you make friends
that may last for a lifetime, but as
James Dean once said, “Dream as
if you’ll live forever. Live as if
you’ll die today.”
Fighting the Norm: SNL loses MacDonald
Injustices happen all the time.
They’re everyday occurrences, but
they happen and people go on. Once
in a blue moon, a monstrosity will
occur that can’t go unquestioned, a
wrong that must be righted. Such is
the case with the situation concern
ing N orm MacDonald ’ s being fired
as "Weekend Update" anchor on
"Saturday Night Live."
Since his debut in 1993,
Ethan Pell
Pendulum Columnist
pelle6s0@numen.elon.edu
Norm MacDonald had stuck
by "Saturday Night Live"
through thick and thin. When
the show was undergoing many
changes and basically got a whole
new cast, MacDonald stayed with
SNL. It seemed MacDonald was
no longer on the backbumer. He
was going to show the critics that
he wasn’t as “stiff’ as they called
him. He could do Bob Dole like no
one else, not to mention an incred
ible Larry King, Burt Reynolds,
and Charles Kuralt.
MacDonald filled the position
as Weekend Update anchor when
Kevin Nealon departed from the
program. He had a way of deliver
ing his bits in a very blunt and dry
tone. With Norm, what you see is
what you get. Remember this one?
“Scientists have successfully
cloned a frog without a head. Next
they plan to clone a human without
a head for organ transplants.... not
to mention, to give me horrific
nightmares for the rest of my life.”
On Jan. 7, 1998, Norm
MacDonald went on David
Letterman and told the whole world
that he had been fired as "Weekend
Update" anchor on SNL. He was
told he was to remain on SNL to
appear in sketches, but
MacDonald responded to
that by saying, “I suck at
those.” According to
MacDonald, he called Don
Ohlmeyer, President of
NBC West Coast.
Ohlmeyer said, “I’m fir
ing you.” MacDonald
said, “Oh, that’s not good.
Why am I being fired?” Ohlmeyer
said, “Because you’re not funny.”
Shocked, MacDonald replied by
saying, “Holy Lord! That’s even
worse news!” Because MacDonald
went public. The New York Times
reports NBC officials are consider
ing removing him from the show
completely.
During his stint on "Weekend
Update," Norm made many jokes
regarding O.J. Simpson that made
it obvious he thought he was guilty.
It’s no secret that Ohlmeyer is close
friends with Simpson and many
feel that is why MacDonald was
fired. Ohlmeyer made an official
statement saying that he, “Resents
the interference,” but didn’t get any
more specific than that. Lome
Michaels, creator and executive
producer of SNL, was upset that
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Norm MacDonald announced Jan. 7 that he was fired from his
role anchoring "Weekend Update" on "Saturday Night Live."
Ohlmeyer fired MacDonald despite
his objections. While MacDonald
remains on the cast list, his future
with SNL is still unknown. Celeb
rities, such as David Letterman and
Chevy Chase have shown their sup
port for MacDonald during all the
ruckus. Chase was quoted in TV
Guide as to saying, “MacDonald is
the first guy since, well, me, to look
you in the eye and just say it.”
Despite all the support from
Hollywood, the viewers have the
greatest power. Ifit weren’t for the
viewers, NBC would be non-exis
tent. If you want to see Norm back
on the Weekend Update spot, there
is something you can do. There’s a
boycott and apetition on the Internet
that’s designed to save MacDonald.
You can visit the site at
www.cyberramp.net/~noel/
norm.html and sign an online peti
tion, e-mail NBC directly at
snl@nbc.com, or call their Viewer
Relations department at (212) 664-
2333. You do have the power to
right a wrong. If you love
MacDonald, and you’d have to be
inhuman not to, write or call and
tell those weasels at NBC we want
our "Update"* anchor back!* > « ^
Save
Norm MacDonald
Contact the following:
www,cyberramj>jnietf
~noel/norm.html
(on-line petition)
snl@nbc.com
(e-mail)
(212)664-2333 (NBC
Viewer Relations)