Page two
THE TWIG
January 24, 1958
THE TIME OF BEGINNING AGAIN
Even the cliche, “All I know is what I read in the papers,” does not
reach the truth among the majority of our students. The fact is that very
few of us bother to read the papers. Neither do we take the time to listen
to worthy news broadcasts or generally keep abreast of current affairs. It
has long been a sore spot with the college that while we students rank
fairly well on national tests in most fields, we fall sadly behind in current
events.
The trouble is that we don’t take time with things outside of our im
mediate realm of activities. If we take the paper we are more often aware
of the doings of Dennis the Menace and what goes on in the “Good
Morning” column than anything else. If we listen to the radio it is the
“five minute summary of late world news.” If we pick up a new book it
is either Caleb My Son, which is short, or parts of Peyton Place, which
are spicy. Louis Armstrong, because he is more date-worthy, receives
a better following than Louis Untermeyer. In defense of our laxness we
plead time until we remember the last three hour gab fest with the suite;
then we plead mental fatique, which, according to the psychologists, is
non-existent.
The unfortunate thing about it is the fact that we don’t really want to
be “out of it.” If we don’t know what’s going on chances are we will try
to pretend we do. Our schedules are busy, and it does take effort to keep
aware, but it isn’t an impossibility.
Next week we wilt be employed in only the necessities of eating, sleep
ing and cramming for exams. Then, with a sigh of relief, we can clear
out the conglomeration of classes, special reports and work hours to re
arrange them. Now is our chance to talk the suite into subscribing to the
paper, to begin to listen to the morning news as we dress for class, and
to learn how to pronounce “camus.” It is for us a blessed time of be
ginning again. Let’s make the most of it. N. J.
Letters to the Editor....
To the Editor;
Upon entering chapel the other day—along with all the other days—
the noise which reached me at the door was ear piercing. This noise didn’t
subside until the person presiding had been standing for several minutes
and for what seemed to her, I am sure, almost an hour.
Especially on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, something must be
done to eliminate the fuss and bother of getting to one’s seat.
Something on the order of the following might help:
Could the speaker wait a few minutes longer before going to
the stage?
Could classes be dismissed a few minutes sooner on those
days?
Could late comers sit in the balcony? Or
Could we try stopping our conversations the moment we
enter the auditorium?
The latter, I am sure, will keep the noise from reaching the ears of the
speaker and would lend to a more worshipful attitude.
Let’s give it a try and see how we like it!
Barbara Hazelwood
Lou’s Remarks
By LOUISE WHITE
It is a scientific fact that every
hour contains sixty minutes and
that every day contains twenty-
four hours. The strange thing is
that, while this simple fact holds
true throughout kindergarten, ^ade
school, and high school, science
goofs when college days arrive. It
is impossible to convince a Mere
dith student that she has as much
time in January as she had in Oc
tober. There are just not as many
working hours.
In October, classes proceed as
usual. Lessons are assigned, papers
are written, and term papers rear
their ugly heads. Still, there is time
to spare — time for bridge games
and dinner at Gino’s — time for
listening to^ records and going to
the movies. Then January descends
after a long October-like interval
and the flurry of Christmas. And
when January comes, time goes.
There is no time to eat, sleep, or
go to class, much less to run around
town having fun. Meredith girls do
the very same work that has been
assigned all semester, and in the
meantime the hours disappear. It
would be interesting to sit up one
night tp see if there is not some
January monster who crawls from
his lair each year and gorges him
self on the precious time of college
students. Surely he must exist, and
if he could be captured, what a
cheer would go up! A losing race
against time is seldom fatal, but it
leaves scars upon the runner.
To the Editor;
The recent demonstration in the dining hall was most impressive—
embarrassing, to say the least. Before this, we had supposedly proved
ourselves to be mature college women by our reaction to a much more
perplexing situation. How is it that we let such a petty annoyance—a
result of our own negligence—cause us to act so thoughtlessly?
Martha Bone
MEMBER
Associated Collegiate Press
EDITORIAL STAFF
Editor Nancy Joyner
Associate Editor Nancy McGlamery
Managing Editor
Assistant Editors Marcia Allen, Lillian Brandon, Bobbie Conley, Bob Early
Feature Editor Mary Ann Brown
Music Editor Joyce Skillman
Drama Editor Susan Moss
Sports Editor Stuart James
Photographer Nancy Craig
Columnists Margaret Paris, Juanita Swindler, Louise White
Reports Lela Cagle, Lelia Davenport, Cynthia Denny, Lynda Evans,
Joy Goldsmith, Sue Matzner, Janice Morgan, Sally Newton, Annabel Ray
Faculty Sponsor. Dr. Norma Rose
BUSINESS STAFF
Business Manager Barbara Hazelwood
Advertising Manager Joyce Ann Foster
Circulation Manager Linda Jenkins
Assistant Circulation Manager Frances Thomas
Mailing Editors Diane Stokes
Chief Typist Emily Gilbert
Advertising Staff Alice Allsbrook, Betsy Moore, Liz Millikin,
Edie Bowen, Shirla Griffin, Babs Howard, Rose Daniels, Frances Fowler,
Typists Harriet Hill, Teenie Huskie, Mona Fay Horton, Doris
Marlene Clayton, Betty Stanford
Faculty Sponsor Miss Lois Frazier
Entered as second-class matter October 11, 1923, at post office at Raleigh,
N. C., under Act of March 8, 1879. Published semi-monthly during the months
of October, April, and May; monthly during the months of November, December, January,
February, and March.
The Twig is the college newspaper of Meredith College. Raleigh, North Caro
lina, and as such is one of the three major publications of the institution—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 college 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 Secondary Schools. The college holds membership in the Associa
tion of American Colleges and the North Carolina College Conference. Gradu
ates of Meredith College are eligible for membership in the American
Association of University Women. The institution is a liberal arts member of
the National Assciation of Schools of Music.
Subscription Rates: $2.95 per year
The Twig is served by National Advertising Service, Inc., 420 Madison Ave.,
New York 17, New York.
CURTAIN CALL
By SUSAN MOSS
Look Homeward Angel, adapted
from Thomas Wolfe’s novel by
Katti Flings, is the newest hit play
on Broadway. Many novels lose
their identity and force when they
are transferred to the stage, but
Wolfe’s novel survives because its
primary contribution is a group of
“magnificent characters,” Time de
clares. No attempt has been made
by playwright Frings to preserve all
that is in the novel. The play is a
simpler, smaller piece, yet vivid and
impressive, critics say.
Mrs. Frings, a tousle - haired
mother of two children, first became
interested in Thomas Wolfe about
ten years ago. “He was a playwright
who didn’t know how to control
limself,” she maintains. “His char
acters are tremendously theatrical in
the sense of depth and perception.
More than that, he seemed to know
so deeply what his characters were
feeling—a great help to me.”
Look Homeward, Angel as a
play is less autobiographical than
the novel. Eugene Gant, who repre
sents the youthful Thomas Wolfe, is
not so much the protagonist as the
rather self-centered novel would
have him. He is more just a part of
the fascinating, believable Gant
family. Jo Van Fleet is extraordi
narily good as the well-meaning,
family-exploiting mother. The drink
ing ruin of a father with a sense
of values for all his violences is
adequately portrayed by Hugh Grif
fith. Eugene, the young Wolfe, is
splendidly played by Tony Perkins.
The play conveys the idea that
youth is a bursting of bonds and a
simultaneous bondage to dreams
for almost every true writer.
The Silver Chord by Sidney How
ard will be the Spring Production
of the Playhouse. The three-act
drama explores the problem of an
overly possessive mother who re
fuses to let her two sons marry and
live their own lives. When the eldest
son, David, brings home his new
bride the bitter conflict between
mother and daughter-in-law begins.
There are four parts for women
and two men’s roles. Tryouts will
be held at the beginning of second
semester. The Silver Chord will be
presented Friday and Saturday
nights, March 21st and 22nd at
8:00 p.m. in Jones Auditorium.
FROM THE
Conteniporarf Scene
By MARGARET PARIS
Trends in the literary field are as
much a part of a discussion about
literature as one particular book.
A term was coined in 1952 by John
Clellon Holmes to apply to the pres
ent generation — anyone between
the ages of eighteen and twenty-
eight. This term was not only the
title but also the subject of the ar
ticle “This Is the Beat Generation”
by this author which appeared in
The New York Times in this same
year. Five years have passed, and
Holmes now feels the philosophy
of this “beat generation” can be ex
plained as its heroes have been de
fined, its writers published. It is the
writers of this generation that pri
marily interest us; yet for some in
sight into the “philosophy” which
has produced these writers, I quote
from the more recent article of
Holmes, “The Philosophy of the
Beat Generation,” Esquire, Febru
ary, 1958. “Some years ago. Time
Magazine called them (our genera
tion) the Silent Generation, but this
may have been because Time was
not really listening. Others tried out
the Waiting Generation, and the Go
Generation, but all of these were
somehow inadequate. Now, with
the word ‘beat,’ we may have their
sobriquet at last. Everyone who has
lived through a war, any sort of war,
knows what beat means, not so
much weariness, as rawness of
nerves; not so much being ‘filled up
to here,’ as being emptied out. It
describes a state of mind from
which all unessentials have been
stripped, leaving it receptive to
everything around it, but impatient
with trivial obstructions. To be beat
is to be at the bottom of your per
sonality, looking; to be existential
in the Kiekegaard, rather than the
Musical Notes
By JOYCE SKILLMAN
The next concert in the chamber
music series will be on January 31
in our auditorium. The Amadeus
Quartet from London will present
the program at 8:00 p.m. This will
be a very fine concert, and I hope
all of you who will be here between
semesters will attend.
The Triple Trio has a very busy
schedule for the near future. On
February 3, they will journey to
Burlington to sing for the Rotary
Club Convention. The group will
sing on our own campus at the
Fashion Show to be given by the
SAI’s on February 28.
I hope everyone will try to at
tend the senior recitals this year.
One of the public school music ma
jors, Lynn Corbett, will give an or
gan recital on February 7, at 8:00
in the Recital Hall. Many months
of hard work go into the prepara
tion of these recitals, and anyone
who attends will be well rewarded.
So let’s mark the dates on our calen
dars, and make a point to be there
and back up these girls.
IN MEMORIAM
The student body experiences
deep regret in the death of Pa
tricia Ann Martin, a member of
the freshman class from Greens
boro, who was fatally injured in
an automobile accident on De
cember 30.
Having lived only four months
on the campus, Pat had made a
definite contribution. Her influ
ence was felt by all those who
knew her, and her classmates do
not find adequate words to ex
press their deep feeling of loss.
The Twig extends sincere sym
pathy to her family and friends.
That healthij
Ufc TsViU got * loV 4d
learn. hetP
»jerH !
ANY OLD BOOKS?
Something new under the sun in
the form of Meredith’s first book
auction is to take place Tuesday,
February 11, at 5:00 p.m. The pur
pose of this unusual auction is to
raise funds for the Colton English
Club, which is sponsoring the event.
Anyone having books of any
kind to give for the auction is asked
to get in touch with Frances John
son on Second Brewer — please.
Jean-Paul Satre sense.”
A book. On the Road, pubhshed
last September and called by the
New York Times, “The most beau
tifully executed, the clearest and
most important utterance” made by
a younger writer, by Jack Kerouac
can be mentioned here to further
explain the Beat Generation. Sig
nificantly, Newsweek, January 13,
1958, mentioned Kerouac as one
of the few writers under forty who
have attracted national attention.
Author Kerouac has used the term
“beat” to describe the young
Americans about whom he wrote,
those “mad to live, mad to talk,
mad to be saved.” He says that the
Beat Generation is basically a re-
hgious generation; however, as they
are “mad to be saved,” it is the ex
tremes which satisfy them, and this
includes the sanctity of monasteries
as well as the criminality of nar
cotics.
Perhaps, Kerouac may be con-
(Continued on page four)