Page Two
THE SALEMITE
October 18, 1957
Snaclz SUafi
“Good men must not obey tlie laws too
Avell," (Emerson)
Therein lies our problem, when is it right
to act as your conscious guides you, regardless
of the regulations? When you don’t believe
you have done something wrong, have you
really committed an offense?
Does a personally justified disregard for a
code corrui>t the basis of our society?
Is there a place in our campus life when, as
maturing, well-mannered young ladies, the
final decision should, be left to the disgrcssion
of the individual?
Because of the form set by society, the
school must rc(pii'-e that all parties be chape
roned ... an unchaperoned party may be re-
s[(eetable . . . you are under ohlivation to
leave an unchaperoned party . . . why leave
when you don’t feel that anything is wrong
with it . . . the danger is that such an affair
may get out of control, then there is reflection
on the institution and the person . . . the same
thing may happen in a public place where no
supervision is required . . . the practice of self
determination is not feasible in places where
there are so many different personalities and
where it may get out of control . . . where is |
the “good” man Avho does not have to follow
the rides . . . who is qualified to pass on the
“goodness” of his peers . . . “action from prin-
cipl(‘, the preception and the performance of
right changes things and. relations” (Thoreau)
. . . ])remeditated cheating is not acting from
principle ... is it right to impose the same
penalty on a group when several different,
situations are involved ... it is impossible to
separately consider each person when a large
numher is involved . . . there are times when
matters should be clarified and no punishment
should be administered . . . regardless of the
situation when a rule is broken there should
be a penalty ... if something isn’t eleaidy
stated in black and white there can be no
{Eije ^alemite
Published every Friday of the College year
by the Student Body of Salem College
OFFICES—Lovirer Floor Main Hall
Downtown Office—304-306 S. Main St.
Printed by the Sun Printing Company
Subscription Price—$3.50 a year
Editor-in-chief . .
Associate Editor
. . Martha Jarvis
Mary Ann Hagwood ' garet Taylor.
News Editor . Locindo Oliver
Feature Editor Jeo" Smithermon
Faculty Advisor - - Miss Jess Byrd
Business Manager E"'® Mitchell
Advertising Managers; Ann Brinson, Patsy
Gilmour. ,
Circulation Manager Mary Hook
Pictorial Editor ..- Ann Fordham
Asst. Business Manager Peggy Ingram
Cartoonist — *nis Ira
Headline Editor Mary Jo Wynne
Columnists: Margaret Mac Queen, Sue
Cooper, Rachel Rose, Shan Helms.
Proofreaders Rachel Rose, Eleanor Evans
n^sfs M. G. Rogers, Lillian Hollans
Re-write Editor J-^y Golden
Circulation: Mary Scott Best, Peggy
Huntley, Libby Pittard, Gertie Barnes,
Churchill Jenkins, Sara Lou Richardson.
Missy Allen, Nell Wiggins, Bebe Daniels,
Catherine Cline, Henrietta Jennings, Mar-
justified reason for punishment
oral principle is known by all.
Nibble awhile!
.the geii-
-M. J.
RnJjck Wall
(Ipportuuity came. It shows just beyond
the brick wall which surrounds me. T had a
October 24 will mark the twelfth anniversary ot the issneing of the
United Nation.s Charter. This date is known almost everj'where as
United Nations Day and will be celebrated this year by special school
programs, new postal stamps, and even a bicycle race in Mexico.
Eighty-two flags wave on the tall poles at the United Nations head
quarters in New York, and a great number of people from many count
ries are involved in the work of this orga.nization. These questions are
raised in the minds of many people.
What is the United Nations? The United Nations is a living, grow
ing organization which deals with the real, immediate, and crucial poli
tical and economk: problems of today’s world, ft is important to realize
that the United Nations is not a form of world government nor is it a
super-state. The United Nations is first a charter or code of conduct
for cooperation among the sovereign nations of the world and second,
a practical machine throu.gh which eighty-two member nations can put
this code into effect.
What is the aim of the United Nations? The main purpose of the
United Nations is to prevent dispute among sovereign nations from
errupting into war and to promote a peaceful community of these nations.
There are, however, a number of varied purposes of the United
Nations aside from this major aim of world peace. These include the
settlement of disputes by the International Court of Justice; government
of trusteeship nations; disarmament; and the improvement of economic
and social conditions throughout the world in areas such as health, food
and agriculture, education and science, labor, and monetary regulation.
These inirposes and aims are administered by the various divisions of
the United Nations.
What does the United Nations add that we haven’t had before? At
least four essential things have been added to our standard practice of
diplomatic relations. First, the charter of the United Nations represents week-end.
the only agreed code of behavior which almost all the nations of the
world have agreed to observe. Second, the United Nations offers a
world meeting place, a neutral ground on which nations may debate
Jkround the Sqitiiare
By Margaret MacQueen
Shan Helms
During a religion classes’ discussion on
“Noah and the Ark,” junior Erwin Robbins
asked “Mr. Johanson, rvhat happened to the
fish during the flood? They couldn’t have
drowned because they can swim.
Jane Pendleton will leave for the Tobacco
Queen Contest Friday. Jane, who is interested
in seiving, has made some of the clothes she
is. wearing in the Festival. The Queen will
be announced tomorrow at the V. P. I.-Va.
game, and she will preside over the Tobacco
Ball tomorrow night.
# ^
The Choral Ensemble will try out for an
appearance on the “Perry Como Show” on De
cember 2 . . . Good luck, Ensemble!
* * *
The folloAving discussion was overheard be
tween a student and Erika Vohringer, new
foreign student from Chile, during Erika’s
first class under one of our “male professors”:
Erika: “My, doesn’t he talk strangely?”
Student: “Yes.”
Erika; “My, but I am getting sleepy.”
Student: “That’s alright. I sleep all the
time in here.”
Erika: “I think I will, too.”
The Juniors entertained their Little Sisters
at a surprise party Wednesday night. The
Little Sisters, asked to wear raincoats ovei;
pajamas, found the Day Student Center trans
formed into “Salem’s SneakaAvay.” Match
girls at the door welcomed the freshmen, who
entered, through a tunnel. Inside were found
tables with a red checkered table cloth and
bar bottles Avith candles; red and black crepe
paper streamers and cigarette girls.
Entertainment included chorus girls singing
songs from “Pajama Game,” a torch singer,
Ann IIoAA^es, dressed in a sleek red velvet
dress; and Erika Vohringer playing her ac-
cordian. Root beer and pretzels Avere served.
^ *
Strong Dormitory has completed plans on
redecorating their basement. The project,
painting the chairs red. and painting Calypso
murals on the wall, Avill be started next Aveek.
^ ^ ^
AA^'e hear Miss Roberts had a party for the
CleAvell girls last night . . . Sally ToAvnsend
was the only guest.
* *
. . . and Tola AAiarren received a A^. P. I. pin
their differences, Tliird, in the person , of the Secretary General, the
chance to go, to experience something outside Avorld has found a uniquely valuable servant of world peace. Fourth
of my immediate environs, Avhich Avould be of and finally, in the realm of public debate and public opinion, the United
value to me and. to my associates. j Nations has proved an enormous force for mobilizing world opinion and
1 began carefully preparing for the trip, bringing it to bear on a given issue.
It took time and study; but, T Avanted to be a What has the United Nations accomplished in promoting world
peace? The United Nations had a part in ending the fighting that came
before Indonesia’s independence. It had a part in ending the fighting
ill Kashmir between India and Pakistan, in ending the Palestine War,
in the Korean action and armistice, and more recently in settling the
Middle Eastern crisis last winter.
What is the role of the United States ip the^United Nations? The
United States is the most influential single member of the United Na
tions. We are in the very difficult position of being in the middle, and
we often have to reconcile opposing interests. We want to lead by
persuasion and must be careful to understand the interests of others.
This means that the policy decisions of the United States are much
more difficult to reach than those of a country who has only to speak
for itself. We must know hoAv to cope with countries who distrust all
Western Powers including ourselves. We must knoAv how to deal in
the United Nations with Soviet Communist power whose aim is to de
stroy our way of life.
On the eve of the United Nation’s twelfth birthday, the world can
o1)serve both failures and successes of this organization. Paramount
among the failures is the disarmament issue. In judging the United
Above the Avall^, I could barely see oppor-| Nations, possibly w-e should approach the problem from the view of
tuiiity shiiininff: but, 110110 of its i’bvs ontorecl ‘ u 4t r 1 tj 1
tl,« of the brielt wall ' I' ' ™ 'W-
I is a speculative question, but I believe the Avorld peace-as shaky as it
ns-is more stable because of the United Nation’s actions and policies.
Sound, silence, and
The clock chimed ten .
Avell informed traveler.
Now, I Avm.s ready to leave.
I came to the brick Avail and asked permis
sion to pass through its gate so I could reach
my goal.
I Avas startled. The Avail said, “Leav'e pakt
of your privileges behind and you can go.”
Blit, Avhy should I sacrifice my rights Avlien
1 seek education for myself and for others,
even though it is education beyond the class
room ?
Tlie Avail remained firm; it eould not change
from its pattern of the past.
1 argued, “consider me individually. Doesn’t
.the nature of my journey, and don’t the ac
counts that I would bring back Avith me con-
.stitute just ground for free passeage?”
“Pay the toll,” was the reply.
1 stood by my rights; 1 refused to pay the
exces.sive fee. 1 gave up the idea of the trip
a.nd walked away.
—M. J.
The cool Avet grass and the broAvn deep-
veined leaves crinkled under me as 1 turned
to vicAV the midget shapes of men chopping
and hammering on the gym beloAV the sloping
tree shaded hill. The small bushes and leaf
less lifeless maple made grotesque shodows on
the grass padded shopes. A small darting bug
flew on my paper and I brushed him aside.
The loAv monotonous drown of the machines
and the* occasional rough throaty bark of a
construction man could be heard. Then silence.
Then a burst of sound echoed in the stillness.
The high shrill Availing of the power saw cut
through the air like the drilling of a giant
tooth. A sound of iron clanking against hard
crusty brick—men were chipping rocky plas
ter from the old discarded stone. A Avheel-
barroAv grated and bumped across the uneven
gravel on the gymnasium roof. Hammers
clanked and the undulations filled the sky and
Avere bloAvn to me by the sharp chilling Avind.
Silence again, but not for long. A paint-
dabbed leaf floated dowm on the Aveather-worn
bench near me and crackled as it slipped from
my textbook to the ground. A workman
shuffled up the gritty cement steps and crun
ched through the acorn littered drive. Some
one coughed. The drills began their sIoaa'
piercing screams again. The hammers banged
and knocked; the thick knotty wood re
sounded. A symphony of sound blared forth
iron against wood, metal against brick;
crank against wheel, shout against shout,
breath against breath, and. then silence,
The clock chimmed ten, and the clanging
bell called me back to class.
—ErAvin Robbins