Page Two
THE TWIG
May 11,1967
Mtreditk Coll ege
Raleigh, N. C, May 11, 1967
Purpose of the Press
Whal is the purpose of a newspaper?
Some students treat the college newspaper as they do a chapel talk.
Just as they listen to the opening words of the speaker before settling into
a brief nap or a period of concentrated study, they also glance quickly at
the headlines of the newspaper before tossing it aside. For others, who line
their wastebaskets with an unread printed page, a newspaper can be
nothing more than a handy paper towel.
However, for some others, it can be a meaningful link between stu
dents, faculty, staff, and administration. It is, in esscnce, the only vital
means of communication in the Meredith community, and, as Mr. Coffer
explained in his address on the Honor Code, "There can be no community
without communication.”
We, the 1968 Twig staff, ask only for a chance to communicate as we
gather and interpret the news of the college. However, communication is
a mutual, two-way process that also involves a student’s reaction to that
which is reported. By encouraging dialogue and communication, we hope
to stimulate botii writers and readers alike to follow Shakespear’s ad>
vice, “To speak what we feel, not what we ought to say.”
UL
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Case Closed?
As is evident in results, the student government this year has centered
its efforts in making Meredith more realistically like the “outside world.”
That is, they have sought to fulfill one of the official purposes of the
college, “to prepare for intelligent citizenship.” These attempts have
further integrated Meredith into surrounding communities so that gradu
ally it is ceasing to be the “island off Hillsboro Street.”
For example, Directions ’67 brought a much-needed intellectual chal
lenge to the campus and an awareness of the problem of automation, which
we face. The recently considered filing system will hopefully motivate
qualified and interested students to seek responsible leadership. Delegates
to both the State Student Legislature and Model United Nations acquired
a knowledge and understanding of the process of true self-government.
However, in practicing what they have learned from others, the students
have failed in one respcct. Recently, the Legislative Board defeated by
a large majority a proposal to Initiate geographical representation on the
Board, as is done in federal systems. The bill would allow for each of the
representatives to be elected by her hall; therefore, she would be directly
responsible to those who elected her. The hall proctor would serve in a
more judical role and would continue to be elected by the entire student
body.
The reasons for the enactment for such a bill are, of course, evident.
Besides being more democratic, the plan would, enable more students to
participate in government, thus allowing for a wider exchange of ideas and
a fairer ratio of representatives to constituents. A representative would be
responsible to one specific group and, therefore, the ambivalence of at
tempting to serve the entire student body, who elected her. would be
eliminated.
Hopefully, the defeat of this one proposal will not end the Progressive
Era in our student government on campus. Now that student leaders have
assumed their positions for next year, perhaps the “new blood” will re
consider the proposal and recognize its value. However, the bill has been
defeated and the case is closed—or is it?
LJL
The Power of Suggestion
As new student leaders have taken office recently, a general desire for
study of some major college policies has been brought into the open. In
the past, many of us have sighed wistfully, “Oh, for a weekday without
chapel,” or “What if we didn’t have.Saturday classes. . . never pausing
to think that considerations of such measures might be made. However,
v/e have noted this year an openness to suggestion in the current adminis
tration of the college and have instigated within the student government
some study of these two Meredith traditions. It is encouraging to note
that no one has advocated hasty and wholesale abolishment of either daily
chapel or of Saturday classes. The movement is for a re-evaluation of both
to sec if they are accomplishing the purposes for which they are intended.
Could we not approach in a similar manner the possibility of altering
the college calendar? We have complained about the substitution of an
Easter break for a spring vacation and are daily lamenting the prospects
of being on campus until after the first of June. This scheduling issue
arose last year, with the result that the beginning of fall semester was de
layed one week later than usual. Now, in mid-May, with exams still two
weeks away and our one short semester vacation far behind, it seems that
another solution to the calendar problem is desirable.
It would be needless to qualify a statement that students would like
more holidays and an earlier commencement date; they undoubtedly
would. Some colleges have met this problem by starting classes earlier in
September; others have decreased the number of class days per semester.
What is best for Meredith can be determind by students, faculty, and ad
ministration working together toward the best interests of all. The cal
endar for next year has already been drawn up, but evaluative study now
could lead to improvements in the future.
NEW LEADERS
(Continued from page 1)
tions while at the college. If the
guest violates a rule, her hostess will
not be liable for her penalty, but a
letter will be written to the guest’s
college informing them of her of
fense. As Carolyn McGrady, chair
man of the Judicial Board said,
“This is for the protection of our
students from an irresponsible
guest.” In order to facilitate the
work of the secretary of the Judi
cial Board, ‘the sophomore repre
sentative will be responsible for han
dling parking tickets and pink slips.
The Student Activities Board,
headed by Patsy Burks, also has
many new ideas. With the initiation
of weekly meetings, the Student Ac
tivities Board plans to broaden its
program, One of the main aims for
next year, as Patsy stated, is “to
have better and more personal rela
tionships between students and fac
ulty.”
Some of the plans of the Student
Activities Board are to improve and
to increase the number of mixers
with North Carolina State dorms, to
continue Directions ’67 through the
Concerts and Lectures Committee
with a student representative to this
committee, to improve orientation,
and to propose the possibility of a
coffeehouse on the campus.
The Nominations and Handbook
chairman, Hope Glover, expressed
hopes for changing the election pro
cedure. Much work has gone into
plans to institute a filing system
which would eliminate the nominat
ing committee except as an official
elections board. The committee
hopes that by next year it will be
possible for qualified students to file
for election and to run in a primary,
thereby allowing only two candi
dates to run in the election. Two
slates would still be used.
According to Jeannie Sams, SGA
president, orientation will be one
day shorter. The general culture test
will be omitted, and the campus tour
will be replaced by a map and a slide
tour. New plans are also being made
to improve the formal reception and
the mixer with the State boys.
The MCA has also made defi
nite plans for next year. With
student worship chairman and Mr.
Henry Coffer as Dean of Chapel,
the chapel program will include
more student participation and wor
ship services led by members of dif
ferent religions.
The MCA council members have
as President Susan Chapman said,
“committed ourselves to greater
awareness of students as person
alities and realizing ourselves as part
villain and part angel and working
from there.” An enlargement of the
MCA extension projects; the in
crease of international student shar
ing; the possibility of an ecumenical
seminar with Catholics, Protestants,
atheists and others debating; and
greater participation in cultural
events with other schools are also
on the MCA agenda for next year.
On May 21, homemade ice cream,
made and sold by the M. R. A. to
raise needed funds, will kick off the
year for their new council. The as
sociation also has definite plans for
orientation. A booklet with a map
of Meredith and floor plans of the
classroom buildings and library will
be presented to the incoming fresh
man instead of the traditional cam
pus tour. Parents will be introduced
to Meredith traditions through slides
and a tour.
Ocher plans of the M.R.A. coun
cil include a new equipment room
and a Play Day similar to the one
held this year. Lynn Dodge, presi
dent of the association, also said
that consideration should be given
to presenting two stunt nights since
“Stunt is like homecoming at Mere
dith.”
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THOUGHTS
ON
TRADITIONS
By JUDY KORNEGAY
The idea of doing away with one
or two days of chapel at Meredith
next year has provoked much
comment about the value of this
five-day-a-week institution on our
campus. After interviewing many
students, some faculty members, and
several members of the administra
tion, 1 have come to the conclusion
that perhaps it would be a good
idea for each of us to consider the
purposes of chapel and possibly re
evaluate our views about it.
One of the chief values and ap
peals of small, church-related, liberal
arts colleges is that they afford stu
dents opportunities and privileges
which it is impossible to make
available to those who attend larger
colleges and universities. The close-
knit community organization of
Meredith is one of its most dis
tinguishing assets, and the gathering
of the whole Meredith family for a
half hour of worship or meeting
each day is one of the traditions
that helps most to foster the com
munity atmosphere here. Chapel is
a time when everyone meets to
share school business, matters of
community or world interest, or
meditation. It is a privilege that we
are not only allowed to participate
in school government, but that we
also have a time and place to
regularly gather to tend to our af
fairs. It is a privilege that wc can
hear speakers from the Raleigh area
and all parts of the world because
this gives the Meredith community
the chance to relate to the outside
and makes the outside aware that
we arc a part of the ^frorld com
munity. It is a privilege that we
can take out thirty minutes of a
busy day for a religious message
which furthers the purpose of our
school, “to develop in its students
the Christian attitude toward the
whole of life.”
Chapel has many purposes other
than just to present several sermons
a week to a captive audience. It is
an invaluable part of our total edu
cations. The people we hear daily
in chapel give us varied views on
many controversial issues. Often a
chapel speaker helps us to form
opinions—opinions which we may
carry through life with us. We are
now having the opportunity to hear
speakers, many of them important
and distinguished people, whom we
may never be able to hear again.
Sometimes we fail to appreciate the
time, often unpaid-for time, in which
these people share their ideas and
experiences with us.
Chapel has great potential as an
instrument for student ideas and
participation. One day a week is set
aside for the voice of the student
body. Student Activities Board, to
have chapel. This time can be used
to present us with ideas and in
formation on topics which interest
us and are not a part of our regular
academic or religious educations.
The recent appointment of a student
Worship Chairman further increases
the student participation in our
chapel programs.
It is obvious that there is dis
content with our chapel system as
it exists, but it is important that in
our criticism of our chapel system
we realize that this tradition is an
integral part of our education. It is
our duty and our privilege to try
to improve our chapel with such
aims as getting belter speakers on
a wider variety of subjects, allow
ing more student involvement and
plaiining of programs, and possibly
beginning a system of evaluating
chapel on a basis such as the past
teacher evaluation. Our emphasis
should be upon improving the
quality of our chapels, whether they
be three, four, or. five times a week,
rather, than upon merely eradicat
ing thirty minutes required assembly
from the day’s schedule. •