March 27, 1953
Page two
Editorial
ARE WE LOSING OUR
DISTINCTIVENESS?
The trend these days is to become a
member of the crowd, to be like the
average person. Most of us like to think
of ourselves as being average college
girls. Sometimes we justify our aca
demic work by saying, “well, I’m an
average student; that’s all I want.
In our social and personal relation
ships, we hear so many girls saying,
“Other girls do thus and so; so can I.
College girls everywhere else do these
things; why shouldn’t I do them at Mere
dith?” But should we strive to do those
things that everyone else is doing?
Should Christian young people yearn to
be average? Shouldn’t we want to be
above the average? Since Meredith is
a church-related college, it seems that
one should be able to see the differ
ence in the conduct of Meredith girls
and of other college girls. If an outsider
were to spend some time on our cam
pus, would she be able to detect any
difference in our student body as a
whole from another girls’ school that
wasn’t church-related? The observer
might notice that our standards are set
higher, but would she be able to see
this standard in the attitude and con
duct of the Meredith girl?
Each year more and more laws and
regulations are being amended or done
away with. The new regulations per
mit more freedom. Is this freedom
going to be the cause of lower standards
and conduct on the part of Meredith
girls? Certainly, we should seriously
consider the effect before we propose
new regulations. The overthrow of
many of these laws is tending to make
Meredith girls more like the average
girl. Most of us seem to like this.
We like it because we are afraid of
society. We are afraid that our friends
from W. C. and E. C. will laugh at
us when we tell them .that we are al
lowed to do only certain things; we
are afraid of the comments our Caro
lina and State friends will make when
we tell them we have to be in at a
certain time at night.
Meredith girls have been different
in the past, and it is my opinion that
they should remain that way. We know
that the Christian life calls for living
above the average, on a higher plane.
If we are the Christians we should be.
we won’t mind being different. We
should be proud that we are different,
that we are not in the average group,
if it is the Christian way to be otherwise.
Nancy Hall.
Dear Editor:
Recently we observed the week that
is set aside each year for particular em
phasis on religion. This time of empha
sis holds a unique place on our campus
because it gives us an opp>ortunity to
j-0.think our ideas and actions con
cerning Christianity. It is good that we
should do this because we become sur
rounded by so many other pressures
of college life that often our relation
ship to religion is pushed into the back
ground, and yet it is perhaps a sad
indictment on our lives if it requires a
special week for us to give attention to
that which can make living so mean
ingful.
If we think of our theme for Reli
gious Emphasis Week, “What Doest
Thou Here; . . .?”, we may be forced
to re-evaluate our emphases. What is
the most important thing in my life?
Why was I placed here at all? In the
light of such questions we begin to won
der about ourselves.
Perhaps my focus is wrong, or may
be I am failing to be equal to what my
opportunities have made me able to be.
I am often tempted to put off until
another time the reaching for my ideals.
It is extremely easy for me to be care
less in living up to what I represent.
This leads us to examine the value
of Religious Emphasis Week and to real
ize that it has no place as a sudden
spurt of energy that soon collapses.
The only way in which it can be ef
fective is for each of us to look at our
selves in comparison with the ideals
that our acceptance of Christianity de
mands of us and to find in this special
week more devotion to them and more
courage in growing toward them.
Sincerely,
Brooksie McGee
Mcatbo
Ptoocioted Cblle6iciB FVess
EDITORIAL STAFF
Editor Doris Perry
Assistant Editor Joan Langley
Managing Editors Marjorie Blankenship,
Nancy Brown, Becky Calloway
Feature Editor Ann Ipi^k
Art Editor Ann Bruton
Music Editor Betty Miller
Sports Editor Lorette Oglesby
Columnists Bobbye Rice, Alyce Epley
Reporters Celia Wells, Louise Edge,
Joyce Stephens, Leah Scarborough, Eve
lyn Boone, Georganne Joyner, Ruth
Jeanne Allen, Nancy Hall, Barbara White,
Betty Smith, Pat Eberhart, Mary Whis-
nant, Betty Hockaday
Typists Joyce Phillips, Janne Dawson,
Mary Ann Casey, Joyce Brown
Faculty Sponsor..: Dr. Norma Rose
BUSINESS STAFF
Business Manager Ven^ia Stallings
Advertising Manager Shirley West
Advertising Staff....Mary H Askew Barbara
Bullard, Becky Barnhardt, Martha Snow,
Barbara Propst, Sara Mangum, Peggy
Bennett, Nancy Carpenter
Circulation Manager Jams Witherington
Pntered as second-class matter October 11, 192^
at Raleigh, N. C„ under Act of March
8* 1^79 Published semi-monthly during the months
of October November, February, March, April, and
Ma?: monthly during the months of September,
December, and January.
The Twig Is the college newspaper of Meredith
College Raleigh, North Carolina, and as such Is
of the three major publications of the institu-
Hon-the othe? two bei^g The Acorn, the llterarv
magazine and The Oak Lcaues, the college
Meredith College is an accredited senior liberal
arts college for women located in the capital city
of N^h Carolina. It confers the Bach^r of Arts
Sort the Bachelor of Music deCTees. TOe college
offers rnajo^ in twenty-one flelJs including music,
SIrt business and home economics.
^^inee 1921 the Institution has been a member
of®/he Southern Association of Colleges and Secon-
of the boutnern college holds membership in
fbJ^A^Sion of Amirican Colleges and the
Mooth^arolina College Conference. Graduate of
rtith CnUege are^ eligible for membership in
thi Ameri^an^ Assoaatlon of University Women
^ is a liberal arts member of the
National A^oclation of Schools of Music.
Subscription Rates: $2.45 per year
Dear Editor,
Meredith College needs to have a
more balanced academic life in the dor
mitories. Yes, I intend to preach, al
though my own academic record seem
ingly denies me that privilege. With
much sobriety, I realize that the temp
tation to forego serious academic work
in lieu of lesser gods is sometimes over
whelming. These momentary lapses are
opium to the serious purpose for attend
ing college ... to receive a liberal arts
education. I join many others who be
lieve that the dormitory atmosphere in
which we live is doing much to kill aca
demic growth. Please do not think I
set myself above anyone else with these
ideas. Rather, I attempt to speak of the
stumbling blocks that hinder us all,
from receiving the full benefits of aca
demic life.
Walk in a room—any room—more
than likely my room. Four or five girls
are sprawled on the bed. What are we
talking about? An editorial in the News
and Observer? What the speaker said in
chapel? A new poem that particularly
appealed to us? Heavens, don’t be so ar
chaic. Class is over, thank goodness.
Remember the chorus, “Hark the Mere
dith angels shout, twelve more days
and we’ll be out?” The feeling prevails
most of nine months in an academic
year. If studies are the topic of conver
sation, a moan from one of our fellow
disciples of learning will issue. If a
teacher is mentioned, often we’re won
dering idly about her past love life. Yes,
we like to study sometimes. Somehow,
though the radio, the gay bulletin
boards, pictures of boys, and the com
pany of others like ourselves who are
enslaved in mediocrity, find the atmos
phere in which we live void of aca
demic vitality.
Rarely is actual enjoyment on one’s
own cultivated in a dormitory room.
Required work is enough, we think. In
no way do we broaden ourselves in per
sonal educational growth—all on our
own. If we do, we find no one with
whom to share it. Poetry is rarely dis
cussed for the sheer enjoyment of poet
ry. If a suitemate is artistically minded,
she knows better than to attempt a dis
cussion on Humanism in Renaissance
Art. If a roommate enjoys Bach, let
her listen to it for two hours and the
suite might listen patiently, but usually
no one shares her enthusiasm.
And of course all of this unconcern
hinders a main objective of Meredith
College—to teach its students to speak
fluently and expressively. That is a
main benefit of education. “You see,
dear reader, I sorta look at it this way.
I mean—well, you know, it’s hard to
make the point I’m driving at to a
buncha stoodents. Well, okay. I’ll start
over.” We are missing the aim of edu
cation, when you consider that the
use of one’s native tongue is a yard
stick used to measure academic growth.
None of us are nitwits; we wouldn’t
be at Meredith if we were. Few of us
are geniuses. Of the rest of us, some
study diligently for the dull purpose of
passing tests and making high marks.
Some really don’t care. Others of us
care very much, but we are hopelessly
led off the track by dormitory atmos
phere and narrow interests which we
share with our fellow students. Since
we often miss the deep thrill of real
academic study—of digging hard to
find an answer to a problem not neces
sarily required, or putting one’s heart to
task with lines of poetry that are dif
ficult to translate—we follow the line
of least resistance. Sincerely, we be
come members of a class that confide
in one another that “Education isn’t
just books! No sir! We gotta learn to
get along with people.” ,
Only we, ourselves, can do anything
about the problem. Unfortunately, most
of us acquire this maturity when we’re
past college age. Then we find that the
boy of our dreams isn’t enough, our
job isn’t enough —nor is the fulfill
ment of all our college dreams enough
—when a mind lies stagnant from lack
of use. Perhaps someday we’ll realize
the great treasures unfolding around us
in having the keenest intellect of the
ages preserved and available for us. In
the meantime, let’s gripe about those
boring chapel speakers and those boring
required concerts. And those classroom
buildings are terrible, aren’t they?
Sincerely,
A Student
In Your Easter Bonnet...
Heigh-ho-vacation, Spring holidays
are here. Also term papers, projects, re
citals, student-teaching problems and
what not. I trust everyone is caught up
if not, now is the time to put on
grey-haired looks. ^
Congratulations to new officers
it was a really a hard choice in most
cases—of course, the nominating com
mittee slipped up in giving us only one
candidate for two offices. I realize
they had a difficult time in choosing,
but out of 600 girls I can’t help feeling
there was more than one qualified per
son for each place. Perhaps no one was
disturbed except me, but I dislike being ^
forced into a vote. I hke the girls fine,
but it’s the idea of no choice that dis
pleases me. And too, the students had
the right to petition, but the committee
picked such an excellent slate for the
other officers. Surely they could have
found just two more capable persons!
At any rate we had a fine slate! More
congratulations to new Silver Shield i
members and K.N.S. honorees.
Well, sir! I wish you could see your- »
selves during chapel time lately. I had
heretofore listened to Pat’s expounding ^
on bad chapel behavior with half an
ear, but several times recently I have
peeked during the prayer—all I can
say is I hope no one else peeked, es
pecially guests-—too bad that man took '
pictures, but it’s good that he didn’t
show them, so the students could see
those who were putting on coats,
flipping pages of books, and whispering
to their neighbors.
If you see a pink cloud wandebing
around campus with a body under it,
it’s my suitemate Barbara Propst (who
has seen Merle for the first time in
eight months!). Please return her to
222 Vann.
No—it’s not a new homo species—
these blushing bits of walking beets
are only the members of Meredith’s
Royal Order of Sun Worshipers!
Plug: If you have any extra summers
on your hands, girls, why not try the
new refreshing summer-spenders—sold
exclusively to students by colleges—
i.e., summer school. Ah, come on now
—it’s not half bad—ask anyone who’s
tried one.
From Shakespeare to the dining hall:
“O throw away the worser part of it!”
To the lovelorn:
“For looks love and love by looks re-
viveth ...”
To the change Dean’s list require
ment rumor:
“Much ado about nothing.”
To strugglers of math problems:
“O cursed’spite, that ever I was born
to set it right.”
To empty heads at test time:
“And I must pause till it come back to
me.”
To receivers of test grades:
“If you have tears, prepare to shed
them now.”
To graduating seniors:
“It gives me wonder great as my con
tent.”
To freshmen:
“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomor
row creeps in this petty pace to the
last syllable.”
To me:
“O, fie, fie, fie!”
Golly, I’m sorry!
There must be some gossip or some
thing worth saying, but I can’t think
of it for the life of me. -
And so, in the words of Einstein (for
I have none)
“This is the end.”