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The CJuilfonScm
The Guilfordian maintains a free and independent policy from the
institution within the code of Journalistic ethics adopted by the Publications
Board and printed by and for the students of Guilford College. The Guilfordian
is published weekly except during holidays and exam periods.
JIM GARVIN Editor F.MILY HEDRICK . . . News-Feature Editor
PETE BAL'LANCE Business Mgr. TED MALICK Sports Editor
PAT ANDREW Managing Editor BEKI MILLS Circulation Mgr.
NEILL WHITLOCK Photographer
GENERAL STAFF MEMBERS: Nancy Thomas, Erras Davis, Jean Parvin, Craig Chapman, Bob
Price, Mark Lessner, Gil Hutchenson, Phil Edgerton, Bob Milan, Patty Lyman, Lucy Alexander,
Carol Adams, Danny Allen, Doug Reu, Carol Rice, Jani Craver and Betty Jo Guill.
"You're the only Negro I've seen that
can't sing . . ." The person who made this
statement has just found out that his
prejudice was unfounded. And a statement
like that shows that contrary to what some
people might think, Negroes have been and
are stereotyped at Guilford. It happens
very rarely and is quite subtle, but it's there
nonetheless.
Fortunately, with thirty-five Negro
students on campus this year, an
organization was formed with which the
black student can identify, BASIB. Last
year, there were only nine blacks on
campus, and many often complained that if
they didn't see another black person soon,
they'd go out of their minds.
* * *
Brothers and Sisters in Blackness was
the organization the Negro students
needed. Its purpose by now is known to
everyone—to aid the Negro student in
becoming more aware of his history,
culture and role in society. There are
similar groups at Wayne St., Detroit, at
Amherst College, Massachusetts, at Wake
The Publications Dilemma
It seems immediately apparent that in
this age of highly sophisticated
communications systems, any college
desiring recognition as "the most exciting
college in the Southeast," must maintain a
high standard of student publications. For
it is in this area, more than anywhere else,
"Welcome to the Great Society"
BASIB
Forest U., UNC-G and other colleges
throughout the country, so the idea is not
new.
But more important than making the
Negro student more aware of himself, is
BASIB's effort to get the white student to
know the Negro and his problems. Whites,
in fact, seem to have missed out on a whole
chapter of history by not recognizing that
the Negro has been in this country almost
since its beginning. Many white people
criticized the recent segment of the CBS
program OF BLACK AMERICA, saying
that some of the instances shown of
Negroes in history were insignificant. What
they failed to realize was that it's not a
question of their relative importance,
rather more a question of just recognizing
that they were there. BASIB does well to
concentrate on the white people to help
undo their prejudices.
So it seems that although our black
students should not be stereotyped, they
have been in the past. We heartily endorse
BASIB's effort to erase these prejudices.
that students are given the opportunity to
express their opinions, communicating
intellectually with their fellow students.
Unfortunately, these opportunities have
not obtained at Guilford in the past,
although this failure should not be seen as
one of the students, nor necessarily of the
present administration. It's simply that
with the package of problems handed
President Hobbs two years ago, other
problems have proved more pressing.
Now, however, the time has come for
Guilford to make a concerted effort to
establish a literary heritage at Guilford. A
literary magazine, plus plans to upgrade the
quality of the newspaper by providing a
journalism course to teach the elements of
good journalism is in the making. So with
the current effort to intensify the relations
between Bennet and Greensboro College, it
seems fitting that at least one journalism
course should develop.
And, lastly, the element of scholarships
exists. It seems overwhelmingly apparent
that if Guilford is able to afford athletic
scholarships for boys who will sit on the
bench for a major portion of their college
careers, it can afford half scholarships for
editors responsible for student
publications.
Guilford is in the midst of an academic
revolution, and student publications
should, indeed must, be swept along with
the tide if Guilford is to become "the most
exciting college in the Southeast."
THE GUILFORDIAN
-MARK LESSNER
Quaker Pulse
Gripes Geared
To Editor Garvin
Dear Editor:
In Guilford's recent Time Out
"speak-in," you were challenged
to defend your position as editor
of The Guilfordian. Your
statements were attacked by
several of the students present,
most of whom apparently had
no conception of what a
newspaper is, the work involved,
or the money required.
However, some of the
"gripes" aired (which, after all,
was the purpose of the event)
were, in my estimation,
legitimate. You stated that, yes,
The Guilfordian IS an "opinion
sheet" for Jim Garvin. Since you
failed to qualify this broad
statement in any way, we were
led to believe that the
newspaper, therefore, is yours
and only yours to do with what
you please. If this fact be so, I
suggest you start searching for a
new feature and news editor in
the very near future. I cannot
and will not work under the
condition that you or any editor
dictate which copy is printed.
On the other hand, such a
condition has not been the case
during my tenure as an editor.
Rather, it seems that any
person—be he student or faculty
member-can find a voice in the
publication, no matter what he
wants to say, so long as he is
willing to take responsibility for
its contents.
As for editorial policy, every
newspaper should take a stand
on issues. No pretense is made to
cover up the fact that you, Mr.
Garvin, are liable for the
editorial articles. Whether you
are accurate in your
data-gathering is another matter
indeed. Editorializing on a story
which has not yet been reported
is poor journalism; but then,
again, the second page IS yours
to do with as you see fit.
As to the other three pages,
the young lady at the Speak-In
(as I recall, a rather distastefully
arrogant freshman who
obviously knew painfully little
about newspapers) should take a
look at The Guilfordian of
previous years. The paper this
year, granted, has a long way to
go before it achieves any level of
excellence. But at least it
appears regularly; it has far
fewer typographical errors; it
carries some good photographs;
it attempts to carry pertinent
news and feature articles that
would be of interest to the
campus; and, most importantly,
it has some coherency in style.
We are hindered, however, by
our early deadline (Sunday at 4
p.m.), our lack of money and
our lack of experienced writers.
If the displeased students refuse
to write to us (every
letter-to-the-editor is printed—in
this way, each student can find a
voice if he so desires), they are
welcomed to establish their own.
If they, for example, plan to
publish a basic four-page weekly,
then can count on an
approximate SSOOO expense
using entirely volunteer help
who put in a minimum total of
120 hours a week.
If there are gripes about the
lack of good journalism in the
newspaper, try counting the
number of good, seasoned
writers there are on this
campus—not, I emphasize, the
Sensitive Poets who are "skilled"
Friday, November 8, 1968
only in writing Sensitive Poems
... I mean those skilled
reporters who can "bat out" a
hardcore news story under a
one-hour deadline.
Another criticism we heard
during Time Out was the lack of
news stories on the front page.
Coupled with the scarcity of
people around here who know
what a news story is, is the
rigidity of having only four
pages with which to work. One
can be only so versatile in a
newspaper of this size. Features
necessarily must be displayed on
page one; and, on the other
hand, some news stories must
appear on page three. We didn't
devise this necessity—our limited
size did.
Again, we admit there is
much room for improvement in
The Guilfordian. But it would
seem much more constructive
for the Speak-Out gripers to help
us write, lay-out the pages, or
advertise, rather than blindly
criticize what is not understood.
We are always open to
suggestions.
These comments also go for
you, Mr. Garvin. Fortunately,
you cannot run a newspaper
single-handedly. Therefore, it
seems that you must be content
for The Guilfordian to be an
"opinion sheet" for me and 998
other Guilford students. Your
hard work and loyalty to the
newspaper is to be commended
. . . but that does not give you
the right to make me, the other
staff members, or the readers a
whipping boy for your own
(biased) opinions.
Emily Hedrick
Eager Beaver
Offers Services
Dear Editor:
The October 26 letter to the
editor quoted as follows, "one
eager beaver requested, 'put me
back there as a cook. Let me go
back there and tell them how to
cook the eggs' . . . "I'd like to
see 900 eggs turned on this
young man and an hour be given
to him to cook them."
I would like very much to
have the opportunity to cook
the eggs. I have been a cook for
400 kids during past summers.
This means about 800 to 900
eggs every breakfast. I would
honestly like to prepare the eggs
my way for the students. I
believe that they would enjoy
them.
The letter of Oct. 26 implied
that I was a student who was
just sounding off without any
knowledge of what I was talking
about. This is not the case. I
have had experience cooking and
I honestly believe that the eggs
could be better prepared.
Respectfully submitted,
Your ace cook,
Neill D. Whitlock
NOTICE
Students desiring to have
their picture taken for this
year's Quaker may sign up in
the Quaker office in the
Student Union Monday.