April 20, 1976
A Spirited
Quaker
Hat
by Damon Hickey
My Quaker hat is haunted.
When I came to Guilford
College in Ihe fall of 1975, I
ihoughl ii would be fun lo
wear a Quaker broadbrim hai.
1 wasn't a Friend then, but I
like costumes and I'm ham
enough to enjoy wearing a
Quaker hat on a Quaker
campus. I didn't know the hat
would come with ghosts.
Since Quaker broadbrims
arc hard to come by
nowadays, unless you buy an
Amish hat, which isn't the
same. I decided to order mine
custom made by the Stetson
Hat Company, to the
dimensions of Nathan Hunt's
in the Guilford Quaker
Collection. I have the
uncomfortable feeling his
spirit was included at no extra
charge.
I noticed ii the first time I
was nasty to my wife and
daughter while wearing the
hat. I felt uncomfortable. I can
still be nasty, but il bothers
me more now. Gentle Nathan,
founder of Guilford College,
got into my head when his hat
got onto it.
Then on vacation at
Thanksgiving, we went to
Friends meeting in Virginia
Beach. I left my hat in the
meetinghouse library as we
went in. but an older member
of ihe meeting, who remem
bered real Quakers with their
broadbrims, stopped me and
whispered, "You should keep
your hat on!" I had been
"eldered." In the silence I sal
and thought about Friends
who had refused to remove
iheir hats, even in churches
and meetinghouses, except
when standing to pray. By this
ime, I had applied for
membership in Friendship
Meeting at Guilford. Was I
going to be a real Friend or a
pretend Quaker? The question
was larger than a hat, even a
Quaker hat. but it included the
hat too. I hadorderedit. I wore
ii. Nobody made me do it or
%-•Ill |j |H[iln
r rnH
suggested I should. It was
entirely my choice, and a
dumb one at that, made for
'he wrong reasons. But now
!he question was, would I take
it off in precisely the kinds of
situations where Friends used
io make a point of keeping
theirs on? I had lo put it on or
get rid of it. So I got up, wcnl
back out to the library, put the
hat on. and returned to my
place. I've worn it in meeting
for worship ever since.
The next ghost to visit me
was Dolley Madison, when we
toured the reconstruction at
the Greensboro Historical
Museum of her childhood
home. As we entered the log
Quaker house, the hostess
said. "Hats off!" I removed
mine with reluctance, resent
ful at being asked to take off a
Quaker hat in a Quaker house.
But Dolley's spirit came to my
rescue, reminding me that
Friends arc not offended when
others show respect in ways
different from ours. Showing
respect for Friends who have
gone before me was, after all.
what I was trying lo do by
keeping my hat on. Before we
left, I had told the hostess ihc
story of Quaker hals and we
each understood better the
other's way of honoring
Dollcy's memory.
William Pcnn's ghost came
to trouble my. spirit the
weekend President Gerald
Ford came to Guilford
College, when I was asked to
videotape his press conference
for the College archives.
Penn. along with other early
Friends, refused "hat honor"
Hh GrfMha
Photo by White
(removing ihe hat) to people in
power, li was part of their
testimony of equality, to
remind the rich, powerful, and
socially prominent that in the
sight of God. all are equal.
When Penn visited King
Charles II to ask for land for
the Pennsylvania colony, the
amused monarch removed his
own hat. telling Penn that it
was the custom when two men
were in the room and one was
King, for at least one to be
bareheaded. But other Quak
ers were beaten, thrown in
foul prisons to die. mobbed,
and ostracized for nothing
more than refusing to remove
their hats to judges and
government officials.
So how could I. after
wearing a Quaker hat every
day. leave it home the one
time I was going to be in the
same room with the President
of the United States? The
refusal of hat honor had cost
early Friends dearly, but it
contributed to the sentiment
for equality and liberty that
led to American independence
from the British crown. In the
Bicentennial year, could I
betray their testimony? So I
wore the hat, much. I am sure,
to the consternation of some of
those present. Mv only regret
is that they probably didn't
understand my intention, not
that people understood Penn's
either. I suspect Gerald Ford
was as amused as Charles II
was.
Like Ebenezcr Scrooge, I
await with dread the visitation
of the next spirit. These
Quaker ghosts make me
uncomfortable. Thev chide my
anger and pride, but lead me
into new embarrassments. I
am tempted to deposit my
troublesome headgear in the
nearest museum, but they
won't let me. So, like Scrooge,
I say to them. "As I know your
purpose is to do nic good, and
as I hope to live to be another
man from what I was, I am
prepared to bear you
company, and do it with a
thankful heart."
Study Languages!
IN THE SUMMER...SHORT
AND DELIGHTFUL! THESE
CLASSES WILL BE HELD IN
THE COOL OF THE MORN
ING. Spanish 100 - 8:00 a.m.
Spanish 201 - 9:45 a.m.
French 100 - 8:00 a.m.
French 201 - 9:45 a.m.
Graphic Epic of Watergate:
"All the Presid
a review by Bob Wells
"All the President's Men"
is a movie based on the book
by Bob Woodward and Carl
Bernstein. This monumental
film about the Watergate
Scandal is devoid of any sex.
violence or high speed chases.
A documentary - like
atmosphere is maintained
while the brillant cast leads us
on to newer and bigger
discoveries in the story.
Robert Rcdford and Dustin
Hoffman portray the Post's
young reporters. Bob Wood
ward and Carl Bernstein.
Their antics are often comical
as they throw jibes, but no
jabs, around their colleagues
and sources.
The cast is complimented
wonderfully by Jason Ro
bards, who depicts the Post
editor. Ben Bradlcc, as a
grim, stern, squire-like gen
tleman, whose presence
reflects the straight forward
reporting of his paper. Jack
Warden plays Howard Sim
mons, who guides and
encourages the young report
ers, turning in one of his usual
excellent character portrayals.
The scenery and setting of
this movie are the manifesta
tions of the real areas in which
the action occurred. The
gleaming white and blue
Washington Post news room is
an exact replica and its
trappings (the paraphernalia
which clutters desks and book
cases) arc old Post reporters'
scraps'. The events that occur
outside in Washington arc
often in a dark mundane
setting, in which white
Attention!
Attention all main campus
and urban center veteran
students. Saturday, April 24,
1976 is the date, and the
meeting will be held in the
Urban Center at 11 a.m.
Remember -- coffee and
doughnuts will be served! The
occasion is a brief meeting on
the pending GI Bill Educa
tional benefits. "You worked
for your country - now work for
yourself!" Contact Tom West
at 292-5511, extension 31 for
more information.
These courses will be held
in the Guilford College
Consortium Summer School,
on the Greensboro College
Campus. Sign up today and
get your language require
ment out of the way
"painlessly!"
columned buildings jump out
of nowhere. The contrast is
, more vividly recognized when
the setting changes from the
obscurity of Washington's
streets, to the eye stinging
brightness that the Post
newsroom evokes.
The end of this movie is
symbolic, for while Nixon is
being inagurated for his
second term, with a gun
salute, the typewriters of
Woodward and Bernstein
clammcr away. A teletype
report fills in the last few
events that lead up the
resignation and it is where the
period key is pushed adding a
note of finality to the movie
and the Nixon Era.
The only political action
shown which might cause a
few eyebrows to raise, was
then House Minority leader
Gerald R. Ford rc-nominating
Nixon. A comment by Jack
Warden on the "self-destruc
tive" nature of Hubert
Humphrey made up the other
applicable statement in this
political year. However, this
movie should be expected to
have minimal impact at best,
but the American people will
have the final say in this
year's Presidential election.
Finally, this was refreshing
and yet painful to watch.
Many suffered through the
Watergate Scandal and conti
nue to be haunted by it. Their
only consolation may be that
their suffering helped produce
one of the brighter movies of
this year. It is a must for a
fascinating and entertaining
evening.
Needed;oNe
hIM projectioNist
fw-NextseMester,
apply at UNION
Turn 'em
To the students, from Pat
Adelberger, R.N. I would
appreciate it if any students
who have crutches belonging
to the college and aren't using
them, would you please return
them to the infirmary? There
are at least three pair missing
- one is new.
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