Newspapers / The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.) / March 30, 2007, edition 1 / Page 4
Part of The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Page 4 FORUM Mar. 30, 2007 www.gmlfordian.com Greensboro. N.C. Remembering the Bryan incident For me, the Bryan incident hangs over the festivities of Serendipity this year like a cloud. I remember vividly, only two months ago, the week when many students were de manding dramatic alterations in the way our community functions. Different groups worked with different visions of what would make Guilford better, but energy for change poured forth in abundance — in the forums at New Garden Meeting, in the panel discus sions, in the walkouts and on and on. That desire seems mostly to have gone underground now. But, really, one important way to reduce the likelihood of more Bryan incidents, is for the large majority of you to focus your attention differently on how you consume alcohol and drugs. I don't want to say that alcohol or drugs are inherently evil. I also don't want to ask you to feel guilty about cultural behaviors and at titudes you have inherited. But, without the element of massive con sumption, I be lieve the Bryan incident would likely not have occurred — or at least not have turned so pro foundly ugly. Without that ele ment, verbal, sex ual and physical violence on this campus, along with vandalism, would decline substantially. We use the term "alcohol ism" in America to describe a disease. But, the suffix "ism" properly refers to a practice ("favoritism"), a state of being ("pauperism"), a characteris tic behavior ("heroism"), or a system of thought ("pacifism") — not a disease. I want to use the term "alcoholism" in a new way. So, needing a word for this disease (and with apolo gies to experts in medical ter minology), I would like to coin a phrase for the disease: "alco- holitis." The word alcoholism, to me, can now powerfully describe a cultural practice. characteristic behavior, state of being and system of thought that crosses most of the bound aries currently separating ath letes and non-athletes; liberals and conservatives. Southerners and Northerners, etc. Alcohol ism governs much of student weekend life at Guilford and on most of America's college campuses. But does it need to? We use the term "racism" to describe a destructive cultural mindset (also at work in the Bryan incident), and we work at Guilford to get beyond rac ism. Guilt about racism does us (us white people, anyway) little good in transforming our attitudes and behaviors. But, we find the word racism very helpful as a lens for beginning to see what's wrong with our culture. As the vast majority of you jump into Serendipity this weekend, please consider how alcoholism governs your priorities, your way of thinking and feeling. If you would like to have some conversation on this impor tant topic. I'd love to have some conver sation with you. That should be easy this particular weekend. To stake out a space for consider ation of al ternatives, I will be sitting in front of Founders during the afternoon on Friday (1-5 p.m.), and then in the evening down by the old apartments (7 p.m.- ?). If you feel as I do, let's spend some time together. If you want to explore the issues, please come talk with me and with each other. If I have made you angry, I would very much like to hear your thoughts. Thanks very much for read ing this piece. Scott Pierce Coleman Director, Quaker Leadership Scholars Program The word alcoholism, to me, can now powerfully describe a cultural practice, characteristic behavior, state of being and system of thought that crosses most of the boundaries Life support for The Quaker Low student initiative proves fatal for yearbook Sarah Blau 1 Staff Writer Yearbook club. The Quaker, died last year. Now, settled in its coffin with a frozen budget and a staff of zero, I wonder if this class will drive the last nails into Guilford's yearbook tradition. The yearbook's fatality re sulted from a lack of student initiative. "Since I've been here the dif ficulty has been getting people who want to work on yearbook. It's a student organization, and so it's up to students to step up and take control and create the book for one another," said Bill Woodward, associate dean for campus life. The Quaker's numbers have been dwindling for years ac cording to 2005's editor-in- chief, Angela Hunnewell '05. No yearbooks have been print ed since she graduated. Woodward, along with direc tor of student involvement and leadership, Adrienne Craig, advertised for a yearbook staff for the current year but uncov ered only a small interest from students. "We give the book away for free and there are still boxes and boxes of the last book that came out that nobody even wants ... so we're seeing that there's not even that much of an interest," said Woodward. I cannot believe students do not want these yearbooks. At least once a year, I pull out my old yearbooks to show new friends and remember old ac quaintances. The Quaker al lowed us to store our own memories in a hardback edition for ourselves and for future generations. The yearbook archive pres ents everlasting snapshots of Guilford's development over the years. Editions from the past connect our generation with prior generations. We can see the evolution of campus life, the annual Serendipity streakers, and even our cur is key to The Quaker. "Beyond interest, (students would have to) show that there is a dedication to making it happen and getting it together and self-preservation ... people from all different class levels," Woodward said. I asked why not make The rent professors as students. Do we want to cut off this treasure trove of history? No! Most of us enjoyed the ben efits of clubs like The Quaker without realizing that we need ed to take some responsibility for them. "A lot of people don't real ize what they're missing 'til it's gone, and nobody wants to step up when it's time," said Hunnewell. Now is the time to charge up the defibrillator and revive The Quaker. Woodward and Craig plan to advertise once again with posters and promo tions from Herff Jones so that next year the yearbook may be resurrected. But, Woodward stresses that student initiative BOOKFACTORY.COM Quaker a class for credit similar to the Guilfordian Practicum. Not having considered the op tion, Woodward said budgeting problems and finding a faculty member for the class would be the leading problems in start ing a yearbook class. So it seems the only answer is for current students to re alize that if we all want to be able to flip through a yearbook in 10 years and wonder where all those crazy people are now and give future classes the opportunity to enjoy our pre served antics, we have to put a little energy into reviving The Quaker. With interest and effort, we can turn this deceased club into a generator of eternal memories. Advertise in The Guilfordian For information about advertising in The Guilfordian and a rate sheet, send an e-mail with your contact information to GuilfordianAds@guilford.edu.
The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
March 30, 2007, edition 1
4
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75