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THE TWIG
March 9, 1951
DICTATORSHIP OR DEMOCRACY
A surer sign of spring than the first
robin on the campus is the beginning
of the weekly meetings of a group
called simply the “Nominating Commit
tee,” whose work will make itself
known in subsequent weeks by the
presentation of many candidates for the
various offic-es which must be filled.
Just who are the students who serve
on this committee, you may ask, and
why cannot nominations for these of
fices be made in open meetings of the
student body without such long de
liberation?
The answers to these questions are
as simple as they are democratic: the
students working on this committee,
whose chairman is the college chief
counsellor, are the major officers who
must choose and consider with care
those who must fill their positions ade
quately next fall. Included in this con
sideration are the names of all students
who are felt, after due deliberation,
to be qualified for the office, both in
character, leadership, and previous ex
perience.
“Dictators,” you may think at first,
“who are naming their successors and
leaving out others who deserve to run
for office.” This accusation which, to
do credit to the campus, is seldom heard,
falls rather flat when you realize that
in each organization there are surpris
ingly few students whose work and
qualities of leadership justify nomina
tion for office. The committee must
therefore sift names to find even two
candidates to run for each major of
fice. The choice in each case is then left
up to the vote of the student body as
a whole.
An explanation at this point is due
the freshman, whose ballots count as
only half-votes; this lowering of vote
value is not a reflection on your voting
intelligence, but a recognition of the
fact that having been on the campus
only a little more than one semester,
you have neither participated in extra
curricular work nor have known other
students as long as the sophomores or
upperclassrrien have.
“But,” you may still argue, “wouldn’t
it be easier to discuss the merits of the
various nominations in student body
meetings, rather than to restrict dis
cussion to a chosen committee?” Hav
ing to consider all sides of every pos
sible question in an open meeting would
not only be time-consuming but would
also embarrass the candidate whose
name is under consideration. Such a
practice would in time lapse into a pop
ularity contest between candidates
whose previous experience would have
little or no bearing on the voting.
The work of the Nominating Commit
tee on the campus, then, is a sincere
effort to present the best two candidates
for the students to elect to each office
to be filled by popular vote; if in any
case students feel that a candidate
worthy of office has not been nomi
nated, student petitions may be filed.
In most cases, however, the major of
ficers who work on the committee are
well aware of the merits and value
of every member in their respective
organizations, and make their nomina
tions accordingly. N. W.
A CONTINUED GROWTH
Two weeks ago last Thursday, many
people think our committee began its
work. In a way they are correct if they
consider that work begins when a com
mittee meets, for not once during that
significant week did the five of us get
together in an official capacity. Never
theless those “many people” mentioned
above are wrong—for we were hard at
work from February 19-22.
One cannot look back over that week
without considering the capable “un
dercover work” done by Sally Massey
and her large committee. Everybody
appreciated the special music by the
choir and Miss Donley which helped so
much in creating a worshipful atmos
phere for the services. There were
many others—too numerous to name—
without whose help the week would
have been less effective. Dr. Adams
himself was, of course, the most out
standing contributor. Those who heard
and responded to him must have felt
that here was a dynamic Christian per
sonality well worth knowing. This fact
was evidenced by the large number who
came to him for personal conferences
and who left these conferences with a
clearer understanding of the applica-
to the Cditor DoillS
“CLOSED MINDS”
I wonder . . . are Meredith students
merely a group of “philistines,” resist
ing all attempts to broaden our scope, to
increase our cultural experience, and to
enliven our intellectual curiosity? Are
we in college to defy advancement
along these lines? It seems to me that a
student attending college merely to sit
in class is wasting her time and her
parent’s money. A college education
consists of class work, to be sure, but
it also consists of supplementary in
terest of college calibre. Without this
supplementing, our college career is a
miserable failure. We do not have a
college education. That degree is ut
terly void of meaning, and we have
proved ourselves inadequate. The mind
of a college student should be curious,
searching, grasping. If it’s not, then
that mind is fraudulent—a mere pre
tense.
In high school, the student in many
cases, concentrates on having fun and
doing the least amount of work possible.
After high school we are faced with a
decision—one pertaining to the contin
uance of our academic education or the
ending of it. The fact that we elect to
go to college is proof that we are in
terested in education and that we, of
our own volition, desire to develope
our minds. If this is not true of every
student at Meredith, it should be. It
follows then, that every opportunity of
fered towards this desired development
should be snatched up and assimilated.
Why, then, are campus groups, en
deavoring to bring something of real
worth to the students, openly refuted?
Why are the members of these groups
reduced to begging and imploring their
fellow students to attend? Why are the
minds of our student body closed—
shut tight against anything and every
thing of cultural or intellectual bene
fit? I’d like to know why. I’d like to
know if Meredith is composed of college
students or misplaced high school girls
who have no idea why or for what pur
pose they are attending college.
Diane Newton.
tion of Christian principles to their own
problems.
In case some people might not have
understood why Religious Emphasis
Week was so short this year, perhaps
an explanation is in order. Arrange
ments had to be made for getting a
certain speaker far in advance; un
fortunately, many unforeseen things can
come up at the last minute in such a
situation. Dr. Adams found only a few
days beforehand that he would not be
able to give us a full week. Anyone who
knows the large programs which the
man carries on in Richmond knows
that unexpected events could easily oc
cur which would demand his attention.
Thus the week, slow in getting started,
seemed to end rather quickly.
Beginning Tuesday morning, Mrs.
Ream, faculty adviser, and the five
girls composing this committee whose
task it was to analyze the program as it
progressed, took out their little note
books and started working. Interested
in considering which parts of the pro
gram should be continued or modified
in later Emphasis Weeks, we criticized
the mechanics, the values received, the
degree of the accomplishment of the
purpose, etc. With the help of Sally
and her “committee,” we came to some
conclusions with suggestions for next
year. Perhaps the most obvious one was
the better spacing of the hymns for the
services.
Another aim of the committee was
to decide on some methods by which we
could continue the theme “Understand
ing the Christian Faith” throughout
the rest of our school years. Out of the
suggestions which we have received
came one which we have already be
gun working on. It was that we obtain
books from the Baptist Book Store
once or twice during the semester on
religious themes. These books would
help acquaint us with books, writers,
and thoughts in the field of religion.
The real responsibility for “continua
tions” lies with the individual student
who should continue to think about
and grow in an “understanding of the
Christian faith.”
By DOTTIE
Though strange to relate, it might
be possible that there are some non
conformists in our fair community who
are provoked to mind insanity every-
time they turn on their radios to hear
some news, a little good music, or some
just plain jazz, only to hear the ominous
hum of the gather^ crowd and a sports
announcer describing in vastly dra
matic tones how some near-sighted
basketball player has made a basket
with one of the opposing team’s heads.
While there is no doubt that a large
segment of our population listens to
these accounts, (all well and good) at
the same time it is hard to imagine why
they need the simultaneous descrip
tions or perhaps it gives the game a
three-dimensional quality. Somebody
ought to pass a law.
Oh yes, today’s complaint reminds
us that several people got to see some of
the Southern Conference games, notably
Kitty Pool, Mary Whisnant, Lucy Sta
ton, and Joanna Wilson.
Last week’s beautiful weather gave
several of our members spring fever, a
strange phenomenon producing mara
thon walks to town in the nice spring
air, lively bouts at jumping rope, and
several vigorous games of indoor hop
scotch, ultimately terminating in sore
muscles, aches and pains. Several of
the d. s. girls have formed an inter
mural hop-scotch tournament. It is un
derstood that one has to “jump around
pretty good” to produce any threat of
rivalry for our competing champions—-
so one of them declared as she fell in
a heap.
It would seem that approximately
“4/3” of our d. s. population is doing
student teaching; Mrs. Taylor, Marilyn
Rosser, Becky Stevens, Cora Lee Saw
yer, Betsy Miles, Anne Marie Morton,
Joanna Wilson, Eleanor Cothran, and
Macklyn Humphrey. This situation has
changed topics of conversation from
“My Last Date,” and “How Can I Do
This Homework” to “Undone Lesson
Plans,” “Day by Day Descriptions of
Reading Groups,” and “You Should
Have Seen My Little Willie When He
Crossed His Eyes and waved His Hands
in My Face!”
It comes to our attention also that
the Mrs. Club had “a time” at their
valentine social. Barbara Horner, Mari
lyn Rosser, “T” Childress, Alice Cham
pion, and Helen Norwood, all with hus
bands, were among those present. The
club serves not only as a point of ex
change for hints on how to combine
housework and homework, but also as
a social organization. Orchids to them.
Well, I must go find my piece of
glass, as the hop-scotch tournament is
about to begin.
See you again, Dottie
HERE AND THERE
In Other Papers
—Carolyn Massey
By PHYLLIS NOTTINGHAM
With spring just aroiuid the corner,
and, on some days, running in the other
direction, other colleges in the state
are also busy with spring elections.
“The Daily Tar Heel” has been break
ing into a rash of headlines recently
over the disqualifying of most of the
candidates nominated for campus of
fices in Chapel Hill, because of an acad
emic requirement clause of their new
elections law which demands a “C”
average during the last three quarters
of work.
Constitutional arguments are hot over
the question, so all Meredith students,
whose eligibility by a “C” average is
an old tradition as a requirement for
office, are duly warned not to chuckle
over the naive attitude of Carolina
students. Carolina will reach the lib
eral rules of Meredith in due time.
Down at Clemson the cadets have
held an election to find out the favorite
school—girls’ school, that is—of the
student body. Limestone led in popu
larity, with Winthrop, Coker, and
Miami trailing in that order. Six votes
were also received for Citadel—a sig
nificant trend of opinion, no doubt.
And, from the “Appalacian,”
Employer: Yes, I advertised for a good
strong boy. Think you can fill the bill?
Applicant: Well, I just finished whip
ping the nineteen other applicants out
side the door.
Barney’s
Blarney
Spring is here! The sportcasters have
quit worrying about basketball and con- ,
centrate on which southpaw rookie is
going to be striking out what veteran
outfielder. The fashion editor is ^shing
that “Milady will be wearirng frivolous
veils and flowers in shades of blushing
bridal pink to luscious sophisticated
royal purple.” (That’s a description of a
“hat”.) Little boys forget Hopalong Cas
sidy for Buck Rogers, as their kites
swirl higher and higher. i
But one doesn’t need these “signs
of spring” at Meredith. Like an epi
demic has struck, ordinary, sensible
girls become wistful bundles of energy
who don’t want to do anything re
motely constructive. Slow walks to the
gate in the lingering twilight take the
place of after-dinner gab-fests. The
porches are crowded every night with
boys waiting for their dates rather than ‘
just on week-ends. The sun decks be- ^
gan to blossom with optomists anxi
ously looking for sun rays. Blondes
get blonder, and brunettes get light
streaks—sun comes in bottles now.
Dignified seniors forget their troubles ‘
and skip along as gay as the little girls
that they student teach. Sneak into a
room, and one is likely to catch the
occupant trying on last year’s bathing
suit to find out how much she can eat
for supper. No one wants to wear that '
“old” suit that she got for Christmas
another time. Fashion magazines be
come the most popular magazines on ,
the hall if bridal magazines aren’t
counted.
On days like this, someone should
tell those people in the library that it
isn’t doing them a bit of good to sit and ,
look at pages when their brain is filled
with the world Outside. Don’t stay
there. Spring is here!
Mcmbet
Pbsocided GDfle6icite P»«s$
EDITORIAL STAFF
Editor Nancy Walker
Assistant Editor -...Beverly Batchelor
Emma Lee Hough
Pat Smathers
Barbara Schettler
Associate Editors.,
Managing Editors..
Jean Taylor
Art Editor Sally Clark
Music Editor Jane Slate
Sports Editor Joanne LaRue
Photo Editor Elsie Williams
Columnists (Micky Bowen
/Dotjlelms
Reporters — Doris Perry, Joan Langley,
Elizabeth Hamrick, Anne O’Quinn, Phyl
lis Nottingham, Rosalyn Poole, Jean
Wrenn, Marie Edwards, Doris Cham
pion, LeGrace Gupton, Allen Hart, Ann
Seagrove, Betty Ann Highsmith, Barbara
Austin, Pat Eberhart, Celia Wells.
Chief Typist Joyce Bailey
Typists—Daphne Bordeaux, Euva Sentelle,
Jean Johnson, Lucyann Liddy, Kathleen
Chriscoe.
Faculty Sponsor Dr. Norma Rose
BUSINESS STAFF
Business Manager Martha Hare
Advertising Manager Barry Barefoot
Circulation Manager Martha Smith
( Lucyann Liddy
 Dot Thomas
I Jeanne Ramsey
Staff..
Entered as second-class matter October 11, 1923,
at postoffice at Raleigh, N. C.. under Act ot March
0, 1879. Published semi-monthly during the months
ot October, November, February, March, April, and
May. monthly during the months of September. De
cember. and January.
Twig is the college newspaper of Mere
dith College, Raleigh, North Carolina, and as such
is one of the three major publications of the insti
tution—the other two being The Acorn, the literary
magazine, and The Oak, Leaves, the college annual.
Meredith College is an accredited senior liberal
arts college for women located in the capital city
of North Carolina. It confers the Bachelor of Arts
and the Bachelor of Music degrees. The coUege
offers majors in twenty-one fields including music,
art, business and home economics.
Since 1921 the institution has been a member
of the Southern Association of Colleges and Secon
dary Schools. The college holds membership in
the Association of American Colleges and the
North Carolina College Conference. Graduates of
Meredith College are eligible for membership in
the American Association of University Women.
The institution is a liberal arts member of the
National Association of Schools of Music.
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