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example . . .
The class of 1956 is an extraordinary senior class—one from which
the remainder of us can learn.
First, the leaders which the class has produced have shown a ma
turity that exceeds the common degree. (The president of the student
body merited the esteem of the most frequent rule-breaker; the social
standards” leader has been an example of sensible attention to a Salemly
attitude and appearance; the May Day week-end was the product largely
of one artist’s convictions, concern, and imagination; the yearbook
speaks for itself and its editor; the newspaper contained editorial chal
lenge for students on every level of interest.)
Certainly there is room for praise and inspiration here.
But it is the class as a whole—the class which gave the Senior
Follie.s—that should point up the needless, immature grouping of the
other classes into solid, implacable social groups.
Cliques are never entirely abolished—for there are, and rightly,
natural tendencies toward grouping around the girls of one’s own social
interests, or economic background, or general attitude toward college.
But on a small campus, for better or for worse, the most workable
sized group is the class—maybe outdated on a large university campus,
but still instituted and a center of loyalty here.
The class of 1956 appears to be composed of strong individuals, each
one of whom has friends but is not willing to let “her crowd” push her
around. Aside from the cooperation on the Senior Follies, observation
and association with individual members of the class pronipts one to
feel this way.
The remainder of us can learn this one more thing from the seniors.
Independence—freedom from the dictates even of one’s friends—is basic
to the growth of a group .or groups into a cooperative class of in
dividuals.
The Salemite feels that, in keeping with a policy oi broadening stu
dent interest, newspapers from other colleges and universities should be
made available to Salem students.
According to the present system of exchange, the Salemite receives
one daily paper (The Daily Tar Heel from the University of North
Carolina) and a number of weekly papers. The weeklies which come
with regularity are The Davidsonian, The Old Gold and Black (Wake
Forest College), The Pioneer (Catawba College, Salisbury), The Guil-
fordian. The Lenoir Rhynean, and The Technician (N. C. State).
Occasionally copies of The Sweet Briar News, The Clarion (Brevard
College), The Comenian (Moravian College, Bethlehem, Pa.), and The
University Hatchet (George Washington University) are received.
Beginning this week, copies of these newspapers were placed in the
libi>ary, along with the city dailies.
Whether your interest is in an individual (he may have been elected
to something, or you may know or be a dance sponsor) or whether you
are curious about what really takes place on other college campuses—
take time to have a Ibok at these papers.
And if we are not exchanging newspapers with a school in which
you have an interest, leave a note in the Salemite office. We will be
glad to find out if they are willing to begin such an exchange next year.
Letters
(The folowing paragraphs are ex
cerpts from a letter written to Miss
Byrd by Nancy Gilchrist Millen,
former member of the class of
1957. Nancy, an active member of
the Salemite staff and participant
in a number of extracurricular acti
vities, left Salem after her sopho
more year to marry Press Millen.
They are now in Houston, Texas,
where Press is serving in the Air
Force. Editor.)
1 guess this is the time of year
when I most miss Salem! I can
just picture the way it is right now
with the cherry trees in blossom
and everyone possessed by that old
bug, spring fever. Everyone will
be using the saved-up chapel cuts
to take sunbaths. I would so love
to be able to be back for just a
little while !
I’m studying now, too, on two
correspondence courses in English
from U. N. C. Each assignment
requires a minimum of five to six
hours of study, but I have yet to
finish anywhere close to the mini
mum !
1 was slow'ed up quite a bit on
my studying and other things two
weeks ago by an unexpected hap
pening. A dull pain which I’d had
in my side all day suddenly got
acute about 2 a.m. We didn’t know
any doctors or anything about any
hospital.
We were heading for one we had
seen and passed another one on the
way. We saw a sign saying “em
ergency room” and turned in at
that one. We took pot luck and
got the surgeion on duty, who hap
pened to be a wonderful doctor,
hie operated a series of tests which
proved it to be appendicitis plus
several complications.
So now' I’m the proud possessor of
a lovely six inch scar and tales of
“my operation” to discuss with
other old ladies in my old age!
An open letter to the Students
and Faculty of Salem College.
Dear Friends,
I don’t know if I will see every
one of you during that mad rush
for exams that precedes the short
est way home, so I take this op
portunity to thank you for the ex
perience I have shared with you
in college life.
It is hard not to be sentimental
when you look back but I will try
my best to avoid it, especially when
the joyful events are in absolute
majority.
Although I have gone through
Clerical Rohes, Or The DeviVs Cape
orientation, rules ending in call-
downs, and exams with you, that
only blends perfectly with concerts,
snowballs, and holiday trips. These
are some of the outstanding feat
ures of my year and still they don’t
mean as much as the daily life to
gether.
In class or chapel, walking to the
post-office or the graveyard, in our
rooms or in Cozy we have all felt
at home at Salem.
1 hate to say good-bye aind 1
dread that day coming in only two
weeks when I will have to. But
I’m also looking forward to a sum
mer in ^our country and the next
year at the University of Lund,
Sweden, when I will draw from my
experiences and be welcomed and
rushed by my friends there.
Good luck to you all and Salem.
Malin Ehinger
To the Student Body:
It was brought to the attention
of the Student Council this past
week that the student body has a
false a^uniption concerning the
penalty for overuse of the over
nights alloted to one girl. It was
assumed that the penalty was auto
matic — that overnights would be
taken from the next semester for
over-use.
But the Student Council has no
set, automatic penalty for this of
fense. Just as with every other
offense—whether due to coming in
late, having an illegal car on cam
pus or over-use of the overnights—
each case is handled individually;
and each penalty is given on the
basis of the circumstances involved
and the individual interpretation of
the particular case by Student
Council. We feel that this is the
only fair way to handle the cases.
Also it should be stressed that
a second offense is always con
sidered more serious than the first.
In other words, if a girl breaks a
nde once, receives her penalty from
Stee Gee and then purposely breaks
the same rule again, we feel that
undoubtedly the first penalty was
either not severe enough or just
not effective. It is then our pero-
gative to find some new method of
making the girl abide by the rule.
If there is still any misunder
standing concerning either the
overnight rule or the second of
fense penalties, please see me or
some Stee Gee rnernber.
Thank you,
Judy Graham
Student Government President
By Margaret MacQueen
Now you may say that a preach
er’s daughter has it made getting
in shows free, going to camp free,
getting a television set and new
Mercury for Christmas. But be
lieve me it is not all it’s cracked
up to be. Prominent among dis
advantages are ideas that preach
er’s children should be angels, va
cations shortened by weddings and
funerals, dates’ reactions, hated
church conferences, family re
unions, and summers at Montreat.
Top of the list of disadvantages
is the attitude people take in think
ing that preacher’s children should
always be good. All my life I ve
come up against, “What do you
think your father would say if he
saw you doing that?” or after mis
sing a foul shot in a basketball
game when an emphatic damn is
sued forth, hearing, “Shame on you
and you’re a preacher’s daughter
too.”
.Although to me smoking brings
up no moral question, some people
in our congregation think women
are headed straight for hell if they
take out a cigarette. Consequently,
if 1 smoke one cigarette 1 have to
go through my little routine of
locking myself in the bathroom up
stairs and then afterwards practi
cally chug-a-!ugging mouth wash
and spraying the bathroom with
Air-wick.
One of the worst handicaps
about a father with clerical robes
is interrupted vacations and plans
by weddings and funerals. One
June day when my brother, Donny,
w'as five. Daddy promised to take
us to White Lake to go swimming.
We were bustling around upstairs
getting our bathing suits and towels
together w'hen the doorbell rang.
Donny hurried down to answer it
and found a young man nervously
pacing up and down on the front
porch and a dressed up young lady
in the car. We overheard this con
versation.
Young man. Hey, sonny, could
you tell me where I can find a
preacher to marry us?
Donny. W?ll, the Baptist preach
er lives just on the other side of
town. I’ll be glad to tel! you how
to get to his house.
Young man. No, I’ve already
been there and he’s out of town
on a convention.
Donny. (hurriedly) The Metho
dist preacher lives just around the
block. , ^ ^
Young man. I’ve been there too,
but he has a funeral.
Donny. (desperately) Have you
tried the Episcopalian rector.
Young man. Yes, I have been
there too, but his wife doesn t
know w'here he is. t. ,, .
Donny. Well, come on in. Daddy s
a preacher.
We did not go to the lake.
Now that I’ve gotten to college
and had numerous blind dates I ve
found that being a preachers
daughter has drawbacks m this
field also. I get along beautifully
with my date until he finds out
I’m a preacher’s daughter.
he freezes up and thinks, Uh
oh, no fun tonight.”
He apologizes for saying damn
or hell, asks if he can smoke, and
makes a great issue over drinking.
I’ve now started replying to “What
does your father do?” with. Oh,
he runs a pool hall.’ The three
things I hate most are church con
ferences, family reunions, and
Montreat.
Church conferences are directed
by preachers who went to the semi
nary with Daddy and expect Mar
garet to know all the answers to
their questions on the Bible in
their classes. They are attended
by pious little busy bodies who
think playing tennis during these
same Bible classes is the unpardon
able sin.
Several Sundays out of each year
the “preacher’s family” is invited
to a family reunion by some mem
ber of Daddy’s country church.
Wooden tables are spread thick
with fried chicken, rice and era
and flies, and the grounds 'are
teeming with kin people and wail
ing babies. The conversations vaw
from Uncle Joe’s funeral to Aunt
Mattie’s last operation. Everyone
has to meet the preacher’s children
and comment on how they have
grown since the last reunion.
Montreat is to Presbyterians
what heaven is to most people. It
is their summer meeting grounds
and preachers and missionaries
flock there from all over the -world
Our family has spent the last week
of our vacation there (A-agnst
when most of the young people
have gone home) for the past two
summers. We stayed in an in*
where only old people are regis
tered and most of them are re
tired ' preachers and missionaries
who are content to sit and rock
play rook, and argue “Union and
Segregation” all day.
Everytime I walk out in shorts
the old ladies rocking on the porch
nearly rock off, and when we want
to play bridge there is a deathly
silence and everyone stares, for
bridge is not allowed.
One night when Daddy and some
of his nonconformist friends -were
playing, one pious old lady kept
walking around the table and
rvatching every more. Finally, .she
asked, “What in the world are yon
playing?”
Daddy looked up and said, "Lady,
we’re playing rook with bridge
cards.”
No, being a preacher’s daughter
isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, but
I wouldn’t change places with any
body in the world.
Salemite
B«yond the Square
Published every Friday of the College year
by the Student Body of Salem College
OFFICES—Lower Floor Main Hall
Downtown OfRce—304-306 South Main St,
Printed by the Sun Printing Company
Subscription Price—$3.50 a year
EdItor-in-Chief .Jo Smitherman
Assistant Editor Martha Ann Kennedy
Managing Editor Carol Campbell
News Editor Miriam Quarles
Feature Editor Marcia Stanley
Pictorial Editors Dottie Ervin,
Nancy Warren
Make-Up Editor Jeane Smitherman
Headline Editor Mary Jo Wynne
Assistant News Editor,
Mary Ann Hagwood
Faculty Advisor Miss Jess Byrd
Business Manager Ann Knight
Advertising Manager Martha Jarvis
Circulation Manager Peggy Ingram
Assistant Business Manager,
Suejette Davidson
Headlines Betty Jon Satchwell,
Ruth Bennett
Editorial Writers; Jane Bailey, Nancy
Sexton,, Sue Kuss, Margaret Fletcher,
Martha Goddard, Sissie Allen, Judy Gra
ham, Ann Pearce, Laura Bible, Jane Ros-
tan, Pat Houston, Noel Vossler, Nancy
WIilis, Jean Jacocks, Ruth Bennett, Lu
cinda Oliver, Nancy Walker, Mary Wal
ton, Gray Duncan, Pat Flynt, Sue Cooper,
Margaret MacQueen, Betsy Smith.
Advertising: Margaret Fletcher, Judy Gol
den, Ann Brinson, Janet Garrison, Joan
Davis.
Circulation; Betty Byrum, Mary Carolyn
Crook, Marian Harris, Merrie Jane Brown,
Meriwether Walker, Ronnie Alvis, Jane
Topping, Kay Hannon, Peggy Thompson,
Nancy Cridlebaugh, Pat Shiflet, Mary Jo
Wooten, Ann Brinson, Martha McClure.
By Carol Campbell
“What is your opinion of the
international situation ?”, asked re
porters of Louis Armstrong who is
currently in London on his jazz
tour. “Why I reckon it’s all right.
The last time I looked at it, it was.
Anyhow they’re still blowing and
they ain’t shooting”, he answered.
This, of course, was said in jest,
but on the other hand, how many
of us, if asked the same question,
could seriously answer with any
degree of intelligence? With the
world decreasing daily in size and
the constant threat of Soviet Rus
sia, it is suicide to remain ignorant
of the events that affect everyone
of us.
Let’s realize that although we
may not guide the country’s act
ions directly, we do determine our
nation’s future (and therefore our
own) in an indirect way by the
vote. And to intelligently choose
the men who do make the moves,
we have to know something of
politics and world affairs. This is
the inescapable duty of all those
who want peace and democracy.
The World
NATO stands for North Atlantic
Treaty Organization. It was set
up in 1949 and is composed of
fifteen free nations from the U. S.
to the Black Sea. It has a head
quarters in Rocquencourt, a mili
tary planning group in Washington,
150 air bases all over Europe and
guides the activities of 6.5 million
men in arms. Originally set up as
a mutual alliance against the mili-
taiy threat of Russia, there is now
a need to revise it’s purpose since
Russia is decreasing the military
threat and changing to diplomatic
and economic means of grabbing
satellites.
To meet these new Soviet tactics.
Secretary of State Dulles met with
NATO last week in Paris to see
what appropriate changes the or
ganization can make. So far a
committee of three, representing
Norway, Italy and Canada has been
formed to study the situation and
make a later report.
if; ^ ^
With the signing of a cease-fire
truce between Israel and the Arab
States to his credit, U. N. Secre-
tary Dag Hammarskjold returned
Suiiday to .New York and expressed
iToderate optiism about the Mid
dle East. The next day the month
long truce was shattered by an
other skirmish along the G.a;^a
Strip. Whether an all out w.ar is
the only way these two nations
will ever settle their disputes is
anybody’s guess.
* s}s *
Visit—Now that the Russians
have returned from England, an
other visit is in the news. This
tnme it is Tito of Yugoslavia which
is the Mediterranean country bal
anced between East and West. On
the first leg of his five day visit
to France, Tito called for new laws
to improve relations of the wotld’s
people.
The Nation
“I would be honored to accept
the nomination of Vice-President
again”, said Richard Nixon on April
26th. But Nixon is highly unpopu
lar among the Democrats and this
week the first Republican to speak
against him was Attorney General
Javits. He said that although
Nixon lias done a ‘remarkable’ job
as Vice-President, “he has been
bitterly partisan in some areas
which I think are subject to criti
cism”. The Republicans still feel
that Ike is indefeatable.
Jfj *
Integration in the Church was
given a boost when at the Quad
rennial Geneeral Conference of the
Methodist Church they elected ]■
Ernest Wilkins, a Negro, as presi
dent of the nine man supreme
court. Mr. Wilkins, a Chicago at
torney, is the first member of his
race to assume the highest lay post
in the church.
Entertainment
The 1956 Pulitzer Prizes an
nounced Monday by Columbia Un>"
versity: Novel ■— Andersonville by
Mackinlav Kantor, Play—Diary o
Anne Frank, Biography—Benjaim"
Henry Latrohe by Talbot
Poetry—Poems: North and Scat ,
A Cold Spring by Elizabeth Bishop,
History—Age of Reason by Bic
ard Hofstadter.
^ 5}i *
Seen off the coast of Peru
Ernest Hemingway who is
the star for the movie version o
his novelette. The Old Man
The Sea—one huge black marlin..
* * *
This summer don’t miss The
Ten Days... A gripping
of :the waning hours at Nazi
quarters before Hitler faces ^
truth of defeat and takes hi®
life, this is a nightmare of reaWy-