THE GUILFORDIAN
Greensboro, NC
Seniors choose wrestler Ric Flair
♦Though the class of '9B wants him to speak at graduation, he has a prior engagement
BY JOHN CLINTON
Staff Writer
On Sunday, Feb 1, the senior
class gathered to choose the keynote
speaker for their graduation.
Each senior received one ballot
and contemplated the possibilities.
Among the choices were Glaxo
president Bob Ingram, Guilford's own
Carolyn Beard-Whitlow, and wres
tling superstar Ric Flair.
Bringing back memories of the
flap caused when country singer
Charlie Daniels addressed UNC-W
several years ago, Flair won the vote
by a landslide and as expected, con
troversy ensued.
Senior Mary Brandenburg, like
other members of her class, strongly
opposed the idea of Flair speaking at
Who: 27 out of 32 possible posi
tions are currently filled: 7 females, 2
minorities, 11 alumni, 50% +1
Quaker; broken-down into 8 commit
tees, 8 of which have student
representatives
College; they approve the policies.
istration implements; the President
answers to them
When; there are 3 scheduled annual
meetings: In Sept., Jan. and
extra meetings as desired
Where: meetings are held on the
someone and then approved bythe
full board twice before being invited
to join; there are no set requirements
for a nominee; appointments last 6
years and may be renewed without
limit; the board reaches decisions
on ail issues in the manner of Friends
by "seeking the sense of the meet
ing"
Election coverage:
profiles of both Senate
tickets
News pgs. 4&5
Zrue love is like ghosts, which everyone talks about and few have seen. —Jrancois, "Due de la Rochefoucauld
this year's commencement. "I'm
afraid of Ric Flair. I'm afraid of what
he stands for, and therefore I'm
afraid of him speaking at graduation, "
she replied angrily.
Some seniors thought that their
classmates were being extremely ar
rogant about having a professional
athlete/top-billing entertainer address
the greater Guilford community.
Senior Brian Lowit, who came
up with the idea and initiated contact
with Flair's entourage, thought that
the bleached-blond veteran would
make an excellent speech and that
his classmates were overreacting. "If
people are dumb enough to think that
he really kicks in heads for a living,
then screw 'em," he said.
Responding to those who
thought that Flair would have taken
Two new trustees named to board
♦William Burchette and Charlotte Roberts join the Guilford community
BY PHOEBE JEWETT
Staff Writer
President Don McNemar ex
pressed his delight in welcoming two
new trustees to the Board last week.
McNemar highlighted the "tremen
dous energy and vision" of William
H. Burchette and the "knowledge
and expertise" of Charlotte Roberts
as valuable assets they will bring to
Guilford.
Burchette and Roberts are
equally excited about joining Guilford
during the current period of growth
and restructuring and are eager to
benefit the community as best they
can.
Burchette, a '6B political sci
ence graduate from Guilford, brings
a strong background in business, par
ticularly law.
In 1993 he co-founded
Brickfield, Burchette & Ritts of
Washington, DC and Austin, TX, a
Since 1914, but never quite like this
The Guilfordjaii's
endorsement for
the Senate elec
tion
Forum pg. 12
the event as a joke, senior
Annaliese Pollack retorted,
"He'll take it seriously. He has
some very important things to
say. He would not come out in
wrestling trunks and scream
'Whoo!'" (Flair's ringside
holler).
Unfortunately, for Lowit,
Pollack, and a score of other
members of the Guilford com
munity, the brawny Charlotte
native will be unable to speak
at the May 9 graduation.Flair
has a prior engagement.
He is destined to be filmed
for Bay watch, the most popu
lar television show on earth,
during the weekend of gradua
tion. "Baywatch is the root of
all evil," laments Lowit
firm designed to deal with energy law.
Although he is known on a na
tional level as a representative of
rural electric cooperatives, Guilford
students may recognize Burchette
for his Hall of Fame sports status.
He was inducted into Guilford's Hall
of Fame in 1985, having been both a
quarterback and baseball pitcher.
Charlotte Roberts, a Quaker,
specializes in management and lead
ership skills.
She is president of Charlotte
Roberts & Associates, a consulting
firm that works with companies to
hone their learning and leadership
methods.
In 1994 she co-authored The
Fifth Discipline Fieldbook. Strat
egies and Tools for Building a
Learning Organization.
Roberts is known best at Guil
ford for the presentation she gave at
the opening faculty meeting of '97-
98. Held at the New Garden Meet
Guilford rock-climbing
class takes to the hills
Features pg. 7
■ L V . .. : i - V.
J§||§H
Flair will miss graduation for an appear
ance on Baywatch.
ing Hall, the presentation dealt with
strategies for adapting to change.
Carolyn Moore, interim director
of Institutional Advancement at Guil
ford, has met with both Burchette and
Roberts and is enthusiastic about
their appointment.
"I'm glad we have another
alumnus," she remarks, speaking of
Burchette. "He's interested in get
ting to know who today's students
are."
She adds that Burchette encour
ages the changing curriculum and
new computer technology, perceiv
ing it as a pursuit of relevancy in the
education Guilford offers.
In Roberts, Moore praises "ho
listic leadership skills, a knowledge
of Quaker processes, a good level of
profcssicnalism and a deep belief in
Guilford College." She foresees Rob
erts" contact with businesses as posi
tive future exposure for Guilford and
its graduates.
Lessons from a grandfather
include more than just the
curve ball
Sports pg. 14
February 13, 1998