Page Four
THE S A L E MIT E
October 30,
Pe^iO-Hdl Pi4>6>d4l
By Dean John W. Shirley
(originally printed in the Tech
nician of N. C. State College.)
Though I had, like most Ameri
cans, followed the news of Russia
and its allied states in newspapers
and magazines and in popular
books, several aspects of the society
I. found there had completely es
caped me. I question whether any
one can truly appreciate what Rus
sia is and what Communisnj means.
We had been briefed for tw'O
days in New York by specialists
in the Soviet; we had evening semi
nars throughout the whole five
weeks in Russian history, Russian
political theory, and Russian edu
cation, given by members of the
exchange specifically selected ^ for
their knowledge of and previous
experience in Russia.
We were all afraid of being
brain-washed—of being confused
by false accounts by Russian edu
cators. Part of this newly, more
acute perception is reflected in my
personal reaction during the five
weeks. Each member of our group
constantly checked with others and
gave himself a soul-searching an
alysis of his own impressions. We
analyzed the theories propounded
in the ministries in comparison with
what actually went on in class
rooms. We questioned intently
every Russian w'C met, from Rec
tors and Ministers to janitors and
school children, taxi drivers and
elevator operators.
I personally found that I went
through three stages during my five
weeks. My first week in Moscow
w'as spent in an attitude of per
sonal fear. I was somewhat afraid
to walk alone through the Kremlin
or in Red Square. I feared the
secret police, and looked over my
shoulder for people who might be
tailing me. I arranged traps in my
hotel room to see if the secret
police had gone through my papers
or had X-rayed my films. I even
looked behind pictures for secret
microphones. But when I dis
covered (or at least thought I dis
covered) that no one was interested
in bothering me, this personal fear
relaxed, and I assumed some of the
more objective attitudes of an
American, who w'as making a free
and open investigation of a strange
new' world.
The second stage came during the
second and third weeks. I was
greatly impressed by the material
poverty of the people by our stand
ards—l)y the crowded living con
ditions, the lack of cars and fine
clothes, the dull and prosaic foods.
At the same time I w'as profoundly
touched by the friendliness of the
Russian people, by their anxious
ness to talk with Americans to
assure us that they had only peace
and friendship for us, though they
felt our government w'as out to
make war with them. They were
obviously hard-working, almost
puritanical in their austere life, un
complaining, and optimistic about
the future. They seemed free and
happy; they loved their children
deeply, and were determined • that
they would have a finer, happier
life than their own generation had
had. They evidenced frank, honest,
intelligent, warm and friendly at
titudes of all of us.
Had I returned home at the end
of the third week, I fear I would
have been forced in honesty to have
given a glowing tribute to the
Russian people, and to the Com
munist government which had done
and was doing so much for the wel
fare of its citizens. But somehow
about the start of the fourth week,
T began to change my attitudes.
The fundamental purposes of the
alike; there seemed to be no dis-
society became more apparent. No
^single episode, no single person,
made this impact on me, but the
massive, uncritical affirmation of
the people began to be felt. Every
one thought alike; everyone felt
sent, no individual variation. There
was no place in this society for
controversy or individual opinion.
The whole society seemed dedicated
to wiping out internal or individual
conflict. The individual had no
meaning; the group meant every
thing, and the individual had been
tailored to see life not through his
own eyes, but through the collective
eyes of the society. Then the whole
massive weight of the society seem
ed to become apparent to me. Here
was Carlyle’s “Everlasting Yea” in
actuality, and I wanted nothing
more than to shout “NO” with my
full power.
I am saying only that the USSR
is a Communistic nation. I had
known this, but I had been in
capable of believing it. Like most
of us, I had assumed that Com
munism was a political philosophy;
that the Communistic party domi
nated the Soviet Union, but that
the people were like us, living under
a different form of government. I
was discovering that Communism
was not a political philosophy; it
was a way of life and a way of
thinking completely antagonistic to
everything that a person of demo
cratic instincts and training holds
dear. When I left the Moscow air
port, I was convinced that these
two philosophies could not live to
gether in peace in a single would.
I still am not completely sure. I
recall the apparent absolutism of
the Nazi philosophy in Germany,
and realize that many of those peo
ple have been reconverted. But I
seriously question if the Nazis were
as effective in molding their people
as the Communists have been. Fas
cism was an emotional unification;
Communism is intellectual, and
therein lies its chief danger. It
may well be that if we go Com
munist our people will be happy as
the Russian people are; I can only
know that in large part our gene
ration could not be.
One other aspect of the society
which I had not expected impressed
itself on me: Russia is an oriental
nation, not an occidental one. I
had known that racially the Slavs
had intermingled with the Tatars
and Mongols, but I had been taken
in by the veneer of western culture
and dress that has dominated Rus
sia since the time of Peter the
Great. But it is obvious to an
acute observer that in fundamental
culture—in music, drama, dance,
architecture—the Moscow culture is
essentially oriental. This is reflec
ted in the brightly colored exterior
of St. Basil’s Cathedral on Red
Square, in the marble interiors of
the old cathedrals of the Kremlin,
the marble interiors and elaborate
chandeliers of the Moscow Metro,
in the marble halls and ornate
towers of the University of Mos
cow.
It is likewise reflected in the turn
of mind of the modern Russian.
Time after time it came home to
me that the University Professor
or administrator with whom I
talked, though he was dressed in
the same way I was, looked like an
American or German or English
man, and talked the same language
I was speaking, thought differently
from the way I thought. Part of i
this was the Communist philosophy |
which put up barriers we could not
cross; but part seemed to be a
quality of mind which reminded me
of mid-Asian or far Eastern people
1 have known.
It is my personal conviction that
much of our difficulty in political
negotiation with the Soviets comes
from this oriential twist, rather
than from the difference in our
philosophical approaches. It we are
to live in the same world with these
people, we must study and recog
nize how they think, and adjust our
speech, our actions, and our threats
and promises to their kind of under
standing and mode of reasoning.
Class Of 1959
Encounter New
E X pe ri e nces
By Susan Hughes
The Class of 1959 has now be
come a part of the “cold cruel
world” and are all working at some
new endeavor — be it teaching,
housewivery, or more study. It is
rather hard to keep in touch with
all the girls who graduate from
Salem, but we thought that we
would try and see what some of
them are doing.
Of course the education depart
ment has representatives in quite a
few areas. Ruth Bennett and Anne
Summerell are in Lansdown, Pen
nsylvania; Margaret Fletcher is
teaching Public School Music near
Albany, New York; Shirley Hardy
is teaching in Charlotte; in Raleigh
are Peggy Newsome, and Margaret
Taylor; in Winston-Salem, Martha
McClure and Sarah Ann Price; and
Faye McDuffie is teaching at a
Moravian Mission School in Alaska.
Those who are furthering their
education are; Jean Smitherman, in
the School of Journalism at the
University of North Carolina; Mar
garet MacQueen, also at U. N. C.
in the Classics (s^cifically, Latin);
Sue Cooper (Thue fwom Thelma)
is in the History Department at
Carolina; Mary Jane Mayhew is
using her scholarship for study at
Union Theological Seminary in
New York City; Joan Milton is at
the University of North Carolina;
and of course Frankie is in Frank
fort, Germany, studying organ and
harpsichord with her Fulbright
Scholarship. I heard that she is a
little bit homesick, even though she
lived with a good German family
for a while. She now has an apart
ment with a German girl.
Back in the United States, New
York City, Marcille Y'an Liere
holds the enviable position as page
at the National Broadcasting Com
pany (better known as NBC), and
Jane Leighton Bailey is working
for a Presbyterian Church in the
big city. Patty Kimbrough is also
part of the Salem delegation to
“yankee-land.” A little bit closer
home is Marilyn Schull, who is in
Washington, D. C. Ann Brinson is-
at home in Winston-Salem working
for International Business Mach
ines.
And of course there are the many
who got married, such as Camille
Suttle, Hila Moore, June Gregson,
Rachel Rose, and on and on. We
see Erwin Robbins once in a while
in the Dairy Barn, for she works
just up the hill at the Moravian
Music Foundation.
The latest bulletin as that Ann
riowes sprinkle and Dex have iv
new little boy, born on the six
teenth of October.
Sally Spangler,
Regional Singer
Sophmore,
Sewing Contes
By Barbara Altman
Nimble . fingers and beauty plus
enabled Sally Spangler to take top
prize this summer in the Singer
Sewing Machine’s national “Young
Style-maker” contest. Modeling
the green chiffon-over-taffetta
cocktail dress which she designed
and tailored, Sally first won the
Danville city contest and then took
top honors in a regional competition
in Charlotte.
National run-offs in New York
will determine whether or not Sally
wins again, this time for sweep-
stakes including $800. plus a trip
to Paris for her and a companion.
Room 7, Sister’s House, which
she shares with Gail Ogburn of
Smithfield, displays hints of Sally’s
isewing ability in blue gingham
' drapes and dust ruffles which she
made this summer.
Sewing, for Sally, is just like
swimming, “I can’t remember when
I couldn’t.” She began making doll
clothes, and “when I outgrew the
dolls, I made things a little bit
bigger.”
A sophomore and home economics
major at Salem, Sally plans a career
in the fashion world. “I'd like to
study design in New York one sum
mer before I graduate from Salem,
and someday I hope to combine Je
sign and modeling for what I
will be an exciting work.” Sal
is an active member of Dansalei
and is chairman of the Home E
Clubs “we’ll make it fit” alteratio
project. Her talents spoke fort
recently at the National Tobac
Festival in Richmond, Va.,
she attended as “Miss Danvill
During the four-day fete Salj
modeled fashions that were“S,
Spangler designs.”
A native of Danville, Sally d
make her debut this Christmas sa-
son at the Southside Virginia Dt-
butante Ball'.
A favorite of Sister’s girls enter
tainers, Sally’s night club act ii
which she does an interpretation-
complete with an accent — of"
Love Paris” is indicative of ti
hopeful eye on a third win i:
Singer’s sewing contest.
BAR
Fountain favorites for co-edi
"Want To Go
"When You
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CALL
Phone PA 2-7121
FOR ANY BEAUTY PROBLEM—CALL
Thruway Shopping Cantor — Phono PA 5-8081
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Every leader has ideals . . .
The ideals guiding Thalhimers are three
fold . . .
First, to serve you and our community
to the best of our ability.
\
Secondly, to contribute in every way
possible to the betterment of the areas
we serve.
Thirdly, to grow with our community)
reflecting its spirit of progress.