Page Two
THE TWIG
February 16, 1967
What Now, Astros and Phis?
Rush Week ’67 is now history; the decorations have been removed from
dorms and Ihe court, and Astros can go back to wearing blue and Phis
yellow, Approximately $200 of student activity funds have been spent
on construction paper and punch, and many hours of time and energy
were devoted to various Rush activities. For one week ahnost every
Meredith upperclassman fanatically sang the praises of her particular
society. On Friday all conflicts were resolved as freshmen and transfers
chosc to follow the blue or the yellow.
Now that the week has passed, it would seem appropriate to evaluate
the pUicc of societies on this campus and what cach plans to do now that
it has been fortified with new members. In other words, what is the purpose
of spending so much time and money to win Rush If the societies are to
sink back into oblivion after coming to the fore during one week of the
year? Rush is exciting and it is certainly fun for all involved, but should
the primary emphasis of the societies center on one week out of the entire
school year?
Both societies do have service projects—the Astros work with the
students at the Governor Morehcad School for the Blind, and the Phis
with the children at the Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Center. Also
the societies were responsible for the campus United Fund drive. Each
society has monthly meetings, yet fall meetings are usually concerned with
Rush plans, and spring meetings arc taken up with installation of new
members, election of the next year’s officers, and early plans for the
following year’s Rush.
As a result of the way Meredith societies were set up in the early years
of the school, every student becomes a member of one of the two societies.
While sororities arc frowned upon because of the ill will which their selec
tivity supposedly fosters, there is something to be said for the principle of
selectivity as opposed to automatic membership. Not too many people
could be expected to exhibit undying enthusiasm for an organization
which wants them primarily as a number for winning Rush.
Whether the lack oE drive within the two societies is caused by their
structure, by a simple unconcern for a group which one automatically
joins, or by a feeling that societies are obsolete, there is a problem here.
If societies are to continue to exist, there seems to be a need for additional
reasons with which to justify their existence. Simply saying that they
promote fun, fellowship. Rush Week, and one or two service activities
appears (o be a rather small basis for two groups which involve every
Meredith student.
Competition between the two societies for the library fund, for example,
could benefit both the school and the societies. Pride in society member
ship might be promoted by setting up small activities, such as campus
and dorm beautification, in which small groups from a society could par
ticipate. Surely nine hundred students could easily come up with other
ideas which could be handled effectively and beneficially by the societies.
As long as we have societies, let’s do something with them,
MIH
Man to Man
IVhat a piece of work is a
man! How noble in reason! How
infinite in faculty! In form
and moving how express
and admirable! In action
how like an angel! In apprehension
how like a ^od! The beauty
of the world!
—William Shakespeare
Two problems which are probably the most terrible causes of unrest
in the world are war and racial prejudice. One thing that both of these
problems have in common is that they do not honor cach human being
as something wonderful and grand.
If these problems are ever to be overcome, people must consider and
judge each individual with a respcct and open-mindedness that is due
every person. A person’s color or background then could never be the
basis for hate.
If people respected humanity itself and the potential of every man,
how could there be wars?
Man cannot love man and hate races. Man cannot love man and
advocatc war. PAL
MEMBER Associated Collegiate Press
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iJi
For God's Sake Be Human
'The Twig' Wants
Aspiring Journalists
Now at the bcginnitig of the
brand-new semester, this is your big
chance to serve on The Twig. You
have a wide selection of positions,
including columnist, copy editor, or
reporter. I’he qualifications for a
copy editor include not only being
able to read, but also being able
to recognizc grammatical mistakes
made by ignorant reporters. Along
the same line, reporters are nosy,
curious busybodies, who confusc
copy editors by writing with a maxi
mum of such mistakes. Columnists
express their personal views for and
against attitudes and events at Mere
dith, and, if interested, should sub
mit preliminary material to the Chief
Leaf. How about being a branch on
The Twig?
P. S. Twig staff members have the
scoop on Meredith activities before
they actually happen, So if you want
to be in the know—GO TWIG! I !
FOUNDERS’ DAY
(Continued from page 1)
After Dr. Massey speaks, Mrs.
William C. Friday will present a
tribute to Miss Ellen Brewer, re
tired chairman of the Meredith home
economics department. A portrait of
Miss Brewer will be presented to the
college by the Meredith home eco
nomics chapter.
PARENT’S DAY
i (Continued from page 1)
ideas of students who wanted their
parents to meet their friends and
the parents of their friends infor
mally. Plans for the day were de
veloped by the Student Activities
Board, under the direction of Par
ents’ Day chairman Cindy Griffith.
Killinger Explains Why
REW Theme Is Relevant
By FRAN TREXLER
He kept saying “For God’s Sake
Be Human” 'all week, so we de
cided to ask him why. Dr. John R.
Killinger, main speaker for Mere
dith’s Religious Emphasis Week,
endeavored to answer why in a
number of ways.
The question Dr. Killinger was
asked first was why this particular
theme was chosen for REW and
what relation it has to the area of
theology and literature. In explain
ing the theme which he personally
suggested, Killinger said, “The
theme puts the emphasis where it
ought to be, not on the ‘Inhuman
ness of religion’ with all its fluff (of
traditional beliefs).” By way of fur
ther explanation Killinger went on
to say that it was only at the human
level that one began to realize who
he was. “God wants man to be
human, but man must begin with
finding himself, ndt with religion.”
Religion will come after the initial
search for self-meaning.
Literature and Theology
Next the question arose as to how
literature is related to theology. Dr,
Killinger says that the good artist is
sensitive, concerned with human
values, and attempting to bring his
reader nearer to humanity, which
will, in the proccss, acquaint him
with theology. "iTheology shouldn’t
spin out of itself, but should be re
lated to experience,” he said. He
seemed to be placing human ex
perience at the core of theology.
Dr. Killinger was then asked the
role of religious emphasis weeks on
the college campus and their mean
ing for students. Again his answer
reflected the necessity of finding
humanity through finding one’s self.
He said that the type of REW would
depend on the type of school, but
that a school’s being related to a
denomination was a poor excuse
for sponsoring a REW, In essence
Dr. Killinger said that a religious
emphasis week is a time for em-;
phasis on certain values, a time for
Integration of the self in view of all
the new ideas and theories tossed
around in the hurried world of a
college campus, a time for personal
evaluations and decisions, a time
to stop and to think.
In reply to the question of
whether or not modern literature
has lost its sense of moral aware
ness, Killinger casts votes in both
directions. He said that if one spoke
in the context of the “common mo
rality,” namely in tones mindful of
the Ten Commandments, then the
answer would be a definite yes. “But
if one means by moral awareness
that which is basically right and
just, the answer must be no, for the
simple reason that if a writer has
lost this sense, he would not be an
artist; that is, the core of being
human is being ‘moral,’ and his
sense of morality pushes on and
makes the artist.”
Kiliinger’s Book
Also mindful of the human theme
in Christian theology was the next
question asked of Dr, Killinger on
the argument of his book, The Fail
ure of Theology in Modern Litera
ture. Killinger was also asked to ex
plain how he came to hold this
particular position. Dr. Killinger re
plied that several books had been
written on the “good” theology in
modern literature, and he thought it
was about time to have some dia
logue on the subject. He wrote the
book with the contention that no
systematic effort had been made to
produce a “good theology” in litera
ture. He said that “theology had
expired as a serious occupation for
the writer of popular literature.” He
feels that modern literature is
merely reflecting the thought trends
of the people.
One of the most pertinent ques
tions asked of Or. Killinger con
cerned his thoughts on the obligation
of literature to reflect the Chris
tian theme. Killinger’s answer was a
merry-go-round of yeses and nos.
On one hand he said that it is im
possible to state what the Christian
position is, and that we can’t ex
pect the arti&t to portray the Chris
tian position if he is not Christian.
He felt, however, that the “Chris
tian writers” could have treated
some of their central theological
themes in a better fashion. “Chris
tianity is not a passionate, central
concern for most writers today,” he
said, “so there is not much of a
Christian theme reflected.”
On the other hand, Killinger felt
that the artist was prophetic be
cause he was more sensitive and
not “mesmerized” by the dreams in
life. The true prophetic artist is one
who puts his perception of life in
a primary position. “We must see
the good and bad sides of life,” he
said, “and it is not immoral to see
the bad side because it points to
ward seeing the good. Modern lit
erature really tells the truth,” said
Killinger.
Through this truth man is led
again to the humanity of man and
thence to the “core” of Christian
theology.
OPINIONS ON REW
(Continued from page 1)
type of thing.
Carolyn McGrady: REW shows
me that religion belongs in the con
temporary world as well as in that
of the ancient Jews.
Suzanne Carpenter: This REW is
making me realize that things I
think aren’t so weird and may be
coped with by a good Christian at
titude. I feel, as do others that I
have talked to, that Killinger is talk
ing directly to me.
Of the people interviewed, some
expressed little real interest in REW*
but there was a decided voice of
approval for Dr. Killinger and the
program as a whole.