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Guilfordian —
Opinions
Apathy Reigns
Letters to the Editor
Good Guys
Dear Editor,
The article by John Cox, "The
Cold Hard Facts," Guilfordian,
November 6, 1985, is an in
teresting description of the "bad
guys" of the world at this time in
history. Each of us should study
to assess for ourselves what we
consider the "facts" to be since
such varies according to whom
you ask. In this country
American Indians, Black Pan
thers, Puerto Rican "freedom
fighters", etc. might have dif
ferent ideas as I assume different
groups in Russia would also.
My main interest however is
not in "facts" but to what we
should devote our energy once we
have a sense of the facts. It seems
a fact to me that both the Soviet
Union and the United States have
sufficient explosives to blow all of
us into pieces. In those cir
cumstances it seems inadvisable
to focus on telling the world how
evil the Soviets or the Americans
are. Rather, each should be look
ing for ways to defuse the situa
tion. To use what I think is an ap
propriate analogy, if our
down the street had
imough nitroglycerin in their
home to blow all the homes in the
block into dust, and we had a
somewhat equal amount, neither
of us with anywhere to go to get
away from the threat, I would not
keep telling my neighbors, nor
people in my house how terrible
the other people were. I would be
looking for ways that would be
advantageous to all for reducing
tensions. The last thing I would
do is to try to increase the
paranoia on either side.
For specific ideas to try, I uould
turn to books like Getting to Yes,
by Roger Fisher and William Ury
(Boston; Houghton Mifflin Co.,
1981) and Beyond the Hotline:
How Crisis Control Can Prevent
Nuclear War (Boston: Houghton
Mifflin Co., 1985), both authors
being a part of the Program on
Negotiation at Harvard Law
School John W. Burton's Global
Conflict : Domestic Sources of In
ternational Conflict (England:
Wheatsheaf Books Ltd., 1984)
distributed in this country by the
Center for International Develop
ment, University of Maryland
and other publications of the
Center contain many sugges
tions. Other sources have lots of
suggested strategies.
In closing let me say that it is
easier to damn the dark and evil
therein than to light a candle but
the world is desperately in need
of people to light candles. The
candles are to be glimmers of
hope for a world in which many
are in poverty, under oppression,
subject to terrorism. All of the
people in these circumstances
are not victims of the Soviet
Union although many may be. If
each of us can bring some relief
from poverty, oppression, ter
rorism, our combined efforts
may be the impetus that saves
our world.
Cyrus M. Johnson
Halloween
Dear Editor,
The Binford House Council
sponsored a Halloween party for
the children of the faculty. We
sent out invitations to each and
every faculty member, twice, ex
plaining when, where, etc. In
cluded in these invitations was an
R.S.V.P. We received four
responses saying that eight
children would attend. However,
come time for the party, only two
faculty members came, with a
total of three children. (We ex
press our thanks to those two
faculty members who par
ticipated. )
We were a palled to discover the
apathy of the faculty. To think
that we bought $17.00 worth of
candy, cider, and doughnuts,
believing that we would have
some sort of turnout, really blew
our minds. Just where is that
Guilford faculty enthusiasm?
You have disappointed us. Come
on professors and professoret
tes...Show that ole' Guilco
spirit!!!
Sincerely,
Binford House Council
Trashed
Dear Editor,
As a member of the Student
Union and a co-chairman of the
dance committee with Sue
Bentley, I and the other members
must plan dances for the student
body. Recently, Sue and I tried to
organize an Autumn formal for
November. After two weeks on
the phone calling hotels and
private ballroom facilities, I had
to tell the Union there would be no
formal because of Guilford Col
lege's reputation at the hotels in
the area. It is difficult to sit on
one end of the phone while the
sales manager of the Marriot ex
plains to me that Guilford is pro
hibited from formal activities at
their hotel. A hotel that could
take us was being used for the
Binford Formal on December 7.
My first thought was, "No, can't
use the Sheraton, we'll wreck it
and jeopardize Binford's for
mal." It is truly unfortunate that
we cannot have more formals
because the students "trash the
place." Yeah, it is outrageous to
think that we are such a party
college that no hotel wants us
back, yet, isn't it fun to get off
campus, specifically in the
winter when Sternberger and the
Alumni Gym do not provide the
same atmosphere? Isn't it fun to
get decked out in the taffeta, silk,
and cumber bunds? And isn't it
fun to go with a date no matter
what? Now seriously folks we
can't get away with breaking fur
niture, defacing walls, ripping off
exit signs, and drinking alcoholic
drinks publically on the Guilco
campus, so what gives us the
right to do the same at a hotel?
The December 7th Formal may
be our last chance for an off
campus dance for a while so let's
not jeopardize future formals by
destroying other's property.
Libby Clark
How many things can you find wrong with this picture? \wn „, ,.# ~h„..„
Beer Gut v. Opportunity
BY BEER GUT AND STUDY
HOLIC
There was a lecture this week
on the Mediation in China which
no one showed up to. Luckily,
student funds were not used to
pay for a hired lecturer. What is
needed to bring a Guilford Col
lege student to the many ac
tivities? A student mentioned, in
conversation, that in order to
have a successful function, large
quantities of beer should be pro
vided.
Why do people come to college,
when they could use the money
they spend on tuition to buy large
amounts of beer. Is the focus of
coming to college to enlarge one's
mind or to enlarge one's beer
gut?
When one talks of gaining ex
perience ai college, one must not
confuse it with merely attending
classes. Which is only a portion of
what college is about. It is the
extra-curricular activities which
broaden one's horizens -eg:
organizations, lectures, art ex
hibits, theatrical productions and
oh yes, parties.
One More Time II
Being co-editor and run the service a service for
photography editor of the Ouilfor- students. For you.
dian, and work checker of my When you grow up, you will
dorm, I am an extremely busy realize that you are busy enough
person. Alot of work is involved in with your iob or jobs, without
ordering supplies, doing layout having to deal with the conse
and checking up on other people's quences of some asinine and ir
work. These are all respon- responsible college prank, not
sibilities that I willingly and unlike the damage done to Mary
knowingly took on with the job. Hobbs dorm at their last party,
But when little things happen, which by the way, has been left
like a trash can disappearing, or unaccounted for; Simple con
the enlarger breaking (thanks sideration is such a key concept
Quaker, for letting us use yours?) and recently I have found sur
creates an enormous amount of prising little of it from inebriated
extra unwanted work, of which I "grown" college students,
have no time for anyway. For more examples of asinine,
Last Thursday evening, so- irresponsible and inebriated
meone found it fun, perhaps students, see letters to tht
hilarious, to steal the license editor.?
These extra-curricular ac
tivities provide a necessary
background for life after college,
as having a roommate may teach
one to co-exist with someone
apart from yourself; so do the
many activities of college life
enhance your later abilities to
relate with the outside world.
Lectures provide an insight to
the national and international
scene. Art, concerts, and the
theatrical productions keeps one
in touch with our cultural
heritage. Organizations provide a
chance to acquire social skills,
useful for the working and social
environment. Parties, not to be
confused with drinking binges,
are times of relaxation and com
munication between groups and
individuals.
Unfortunately, Guilford is
presently suffering from a
chronic disease known as
APATHY. It is discouraging to
see a student body with so much
potential at a college which offers
such choice opportunities, literal
ly, wasted.
Sure there are days when each
photo by Holly Hobbs
of us has "no time." But that isn't
the case with everybody every
day. It seems that most students
are under the impression that ac
tive club members have large
quantities of free time. However,
in actuality, these students are
not only full time students but are
also working to support
themselves. Is it really that im
possible for you to attend a thirty
minute meeting three times a
month? Simply being there would
increase the quantity and quality
of the activities offered at
Guilford today, as well as to ex
pand the student's mind.
Suggestions for Organizational
Activities:
1) For the Student Union:
2) Your favorite club/organiza
tion:
3) Departmental activities, eg,
lectures, parties, plays, etc...:
PLEASE send any suggestions
to the Guilfordian.