THE GUILFORDIAN
Greensboro, NC
Race dialogue continues at meeting
BY ELLEN YUTZY
World Editor
Tears flowed and tempers flared last
week at a faculty meeting called to discuss
race at Guilford. Students and staff mem
bers were invited to the meeting through
several campus-wide voicemails and en
couraged to share their perspectives and
experiences.
The meeting occurred last Wednes
day, April 15th, at New Garden Meeting
House and essentially consisted of two
halves one within the official faculty
meeting time from 3:45-5:15 p.m. and one
after 5:15. "The sense of the meeting was
that there were two meetings," said Adele
Wayman, Clerk of Faculty and Art Profes
sor. "The first meeting was a very difficult
one," but the discussion became "more fo
cused towards the end."
Santes Beatty, Director of African
American Affairs, concurs that there was
definitely a turning point in the discussion.
"After the first portion of it, my feelings
First Dick Dyer Memorial Awards given
BY EMILY DINGS
Staff mer
On Monday, April 20, at 8 p.m., the
late Dick Dyer received an honor he never
enjoyed in his lifetime. The First Annual
Dick Dyer Awards Ceremony, the brain
child of Senate president Molly Martin, com
memorated one of the most well loved yet
publicly unsung members of the Guilford
administration.
The Founders cafeteria glowed with
reverence for Dyer, whose untimely death
at the beginning of this school year grieved
the community deeply. Each table had a
small Shaker rocking chair at its center,
since Dyer used to praise the chairs that
"didn't need urging" to move. As Molly
Martin recollected, he stated that "Quak
ers didn't live a kinda, sorta life and you
shouldn't either."
Dyer was remembered as an impas
sioned and charismatic staff member who
redirected the lives of many wayward Guil
ford students. Marshall Lammers, who
worked with Dyer on the judicial and aca
demic boards, described him as someone
who dealt with "the dirty underside of Guil
ford" because he was assigned the task of
counseling students who were greatly
troubled and unhappy at Guilford.
The thanklessness of Dyer's position
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The meeting took place at the New Garden Friends Meeting House across the street.
PHOTO BY ELLEN YUTZY
were mixed," he said, adding that at the
conclusion he "felt much better about what
at Guilford prompted Molly Martin to cre
ate a ceremony to honor students, faculty
and staff who are not normally recognized
despite the devotion that they offer Guil
ford. "When Dick died, we needed a posi
tive way to keep [his memory] going," she
stated. She added that Dick's vibrant per
sonality demanded a tribute more alive
than a typical memorial. "It's important to
renew the energy of people who soared
because Dick picked them up," she con
cluded. Martin passed the idea along to
Senate vice-president Linda Johnson, who
then organized the event.
Awards were given for outstanding,
behind-the-scenes contributions to the Guil
ford community. Some awards, such as
the Most Hospitable Admission Volunteer
award, wait to a student who went be
yond the call of duty of his job description.
Brian Heagney won this award for adding
life to his campus tours by doing things like
baking bread for one of his groups.
The crowning award of the evening,
given to political science professor Bill
Schmickle, was for outstanding academic
and personal guidance by a faculty mem
ber. Molly Martin and Linda Johnson
praised Schmickle for his outstanding
teaching.
Johnson stated that although his skills
would befit Ivy League colleges, Schmickle
Since 1914, but never quite like this
had transpired."
Beatty had a lot of contact with the
should be praised for his decision to teach
at a small Quaker school.
Deborah Shaw, who was honored
with one of the "Hearts and Hands"
awards, commented: "It makes me feel
very humble and challenged to live up to
the standards that Dick set." Marshall
Lammers continued the praise: "When
Dick died, I worried about the institution
• Outstanding AACS Members: Casaundiia
• Penn and Michelle Otis
Outstanding Activism on Campus (Justice Club):
• Lamont Gavin
• Outstanding Justice Club Member Allison
Whitman
s MostWiingto Help (Admission Volunteers):
• Rob Mirchin
• Most Hospitable Admission Volunteer: Brian
, Heagney
• Most Active New Union Member Cassie
• Morgan
• OutstandngUnion Member
• Jenn Wingo
• The 100% Advising Award:
• Kathy Adams, Anne Glenn, Raymond
• Johnson, Deborah Roose, and Richie
• Zweigenhaft,
• Outstanding Effortto Raise Awareness about
• Sexual Assault Issues on Campus (Sexual
• Assault Task Force):
• Ryan Bek
• Biohazard Ultimate Award: Erica Leciak
Dick Dyer Awards
students who arranged the meeting and said
that after the meeting, "some students were
very upset, but continued to show how
strong and resilient they all are/'
Most of those gathered left when
given the opportunity to do so at 5:15 p.m.,
but many stayed for several more hours to
continue discussion of ways Guilford Col
lege can combat racism Beatty thinks dia
logue is a first step, but not a solution ''Rac
ism is the most prevalent disease in our
society, and you can't get rid of it by just
discussing it," he said.
The discussion began with Senior
Shawntay Stocks relating her experiences
with a professor. According to Stocks,
she was asked to respond to the found
ing of America for a history class. When
she chose to focus on the exploitation of
Native Americans and African slaves, the
professor told her she had missed the
point.
Stocks concluded by asking the fac
ulty to speak out at the meeting, and posed
please see RACE on pg. 2
more than ever. [The award ceremony)
was a wonderful idea. Dick's name be
longs up there with the presidents' and trust
ees .
Through the remembrances and an
ecdotes about Dick Dyer that surfaced
throughout the evening and the awards
given in his name, the Guilford legend s
bright torch blazed on.
Most Active New Club: •
Scrabble Club, Admission Volunteers •
Most Active Hall Council.
Rob Mirchin *
Most Active Resident Adviser •
Nikki White, Tyler Long •
"Hearts and Hands" Award .
Recognized: Brad McNeely, Janet •
Cochran, Max Carter, Ed Lowe, Carolyn *
Beard Whitlow, Jeff Jeske, Carol
Stoneburner, Pat Callair, Dawn •
Watkins, Judy Harvey, and Elgina *
Manuel, Honored: Mary Broos and
Deborah Shaw. •
Overal Outstanding Senator (Fal and Spring): •
Leslie Ale and Marshall Lammers "
Outstanding Leadership and Dedication by a •
Senior: AndyAhearn, Susan Allen, Brian *
Lowtt, Adam Lucas and Lamont *
Williams •
Outstanding Academic and Personal Guidance •
by a Faculty Member *
Bill Schmickk •
April 24, 1998