Volume 1
'LI
A STUD3]}''T GOVER';'XEI'’'T '\"ETfSL3TT^)H
December 13, 1962
PERfitlANSNT FIIE
Do Not Remove
)
"umber 3
An epidemic may soon strike the Sion Campus. There Is a contagious dis
ease which always appears around this time of year; and, once started, it '
catches everyone with low resistance--it is called apathy. Other names for
the illness include "disinterest" and "passiveness", and the final diamosis
all adds up to ,"I really care."
The path of apathy follows a yearly cycle that goes som.ething like this:
Everyone hits the campus after summer vacation with a real bang. A few stu
dents read the handbook and spread the news about the tyrannical new rules,
fhe T^’reshmen are thoroughly indoctrinated with the "evils" of the brickwall
playpen and the spirit on campus could set off a- Niki missile. New classes,
new ideas, new rules, new faces, old gripes in new forms all add to the fer
vor of the Student Body* and soon tension builds to the point where even the
smallest new complaint or ideals strong enough to light a fire in the rain.
^^11 sorts of events take place, such as boycotts, marches, protests; honest
Initiative promotes worthwhile campus projects. This get-up-and-go is espec
ially apparent on the part of SG officials. Officers and committee members
burn' the candles late as new ideas tick away in their heads and they enthusi
astically make plans to revise everything and anything. ifork! >fork! Work-!
There is action, or talk of it, inspired by a stream of enthusiasm and aware
ness. This^is the real point--awareness. And whatever form it takes-this is
not evaluation-action indicates awareness.
And then--5'jTIj\J^! Along comes vacation and in the grand exodus homeward,
most of the spirit is packed right up into suitcase corners and carted away.
Upon return to campus, vacation hangover takes hold and then the symptoms of
the disease begins to appear. All of a sudden no one seems to care what hap
pens about the anythings and the everythings ,-at least not actively. The main
topic on campus becomes; who is dating who? Interest in doing gives away to
interest in griping and giving up. ISven some of the SG officials have to take
vitamins for energy enough to keep them believing it is still worth the time
and trouble. But some of the. candles are blown out and the new ideas go no
further than the file marked ,"Maybe next year" The perfect conditions are set
for an apathy epidemic.
UTiat is the reason for this change? Loss of faith in action? Loss of
interest? Staleness? Lack of energy or time? The realization that exams are
coming and work on term papers is long overdue? Cold weather? Maybe a combin
ation of these and other germs are what breed apathy. Unfortunotely, we have
yet to discover a cure and it seems that prevention requiring individual care
and safeguarding on the part of the student is the only way to combat it. I’/hat
can we do to keep our Student Body members from turning into apathetics? Per
haps we can give,free "booster" shots in the cafeteria.--CT
SSNJiTE NEWS
i\s the result of a bill passed by the Senate on November 28, the Freshman
Board of Control will be re-established next fall to'help with the enforcement
of Elon traditions and Freshman rules and regulations.
Other bills passed at the meeting included a bill to levy a fine on stu
dents who neglect to pay their &udent ^vernment fees on time, and a bill for
Office^^°^^^^^^°^ money for an adding machine for the Student Government
Lumpkin, chairman of the Judicial Committee, presented the Bill
on Student Government Pees as recommended by his committee. Under this law
students who do not pay their Student Government fees within two weeks after
notification by the President will be fined '**:2.GG.
A new bill presented in the Senate by Senator Melvin Shreves oallc? •PnT*
establishment of a Student News Bureau. The Bureau, if established, will be
sending news releases on students to their home towA Swspapers
Iffairs! considered by the Committee on Academic and Campus'
Another bill now under consideration is one which calls for each senptnr
to prepare fifty copies of the legislation whloh he preseiis i^threrour "aoh
and, this will enable the representative! ?7ieep
files Of bills and will help clarify the contents of legislations to the votor.
A bill to be presented in the near future calls for replacine- the Sturp-i q
Rffes'^f”o?der'r°^^^^^^ the Senate with a system based on Robert's