Newspapers / Meredith College Student Newspaper / May 22, 1969, edition 1 / Page 2
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Page Two THE TWIG May 22, 1969 ^ Mfcpeditk College May 22, 1969 A Lesson It has been a long year for colleges and universities across the nation. It has been a year of change, of revolution, of turning aside from the old ways of doing things. For many colleges these processes have been quiet, orderly, and usually have involved reasonable changes that are beyond no one’s comprehension. But for other institutions, and of course by far the most publicized ones, the changes have not come so easily. Students march, riot, run nude across the campus, barricade the school president in his home, seize the administra tion building for use as a community love-in, camp-in, and wreck-in. They burn the student union and classroom buildings, ransack the school news paper office if that organization dares cross them, hold faculty members and administrators for ransom, and if the police are called in to clear the area, yell “Brutality” or “fascist swine,” while in turn continuing to destroy campus property and perhaps keep their fellow students from continuing their education. We do not agree with nor can we condonc the actions of these “students.” There can be no excuse for the willful destruction of others’ property, no matter how well-founded their grievances. In fact, we question the validity of student demands which name the complete demise of any and all rules which tend to keep them from “doing their thing.” No governing body, be it national or state government, or Board of Trustees can be expected to grant so many liberties and privileges to students who insist on throwing a temper tantrum and buring another building whenever things don’t go their way. What these students are working{?) for is, in a word, anarchy. They are very willing to destroy, but unwilling to make plans for replacing what they destroy with something else. And any sensible creature can realize the results of such a lack of government—especially as it was so graphically pictured in movies like “Lord of the Flies.” In reviewing current campus unrest, emminent historian Arthur Schliesinger, Jr., defended student agitators on a late-night TV show by saying that students have to burn and riot to get anything accomplished in way of change. It's sad, he noted, but it has to be. We take issue with Mr. Schliesinger’s remarks, for we know otherwise, from our own observations here at Meredith. This year has meant many changes, both social and academic for this school. And yet, not one of them was brought about by rioting or burning. Students, bringing their requests before the Trustees, found a body of men and women eager to hear and to act on these requests. Faculty and administrators continually have shown their willingness to cooperate with student wants and needs. Nor have these needs been unreasonable, but have reflected just and due considera tion by student government leaders and the student body as a whole as to the appropriateness of changes. Students at Meredith College have most of all, however, shown their willingness to work, even slave, for what they want—not by staging dramatic protest marches, but by sheer brain and leg power in endless committee meetings, discussions and studies. And, with a few exceptions, students have shown the still greater attribute of waiting patiently, realizing that nothing good happens fast. True, the changes are not through coming; but one must realize the tremendous progress of the past year in order to recognize “stu dent power” in its finest form. What is in the offing for colleges across the nation in the next year? More burning and demonstrating? We can only hope that dissatisfied stu dents everywhere will find a lesson in the story of Meredith and thousands of other schools like her—schools where students have “learned to labor and to wait.” RBM Quit Griping! EDITORIAL STAFF Editor Brooks McGirt Associate Editors Emma Ruth Bartholomew, Janet Morris Managing Editors Susan Soloway, Debby McShane News Editor Helen Wilkie Feature Editor Abigail Warren Copy Editor Nancy Ausbon Assistant Copy Readers Paula Tudor, Linda Haddock Cartoonists Rita Caveny, DeLena Williams, Dail Dickson Snoop Scoop Becky Brown, Lura McCain Columnists Percy Beane, Donna Williams Reporters Kaihy Oliver, Emory Farris, Alice Forney Edith Whilley, Suzanne Pomeranz, Ann Goodson, Susan Van Wageningen, Martha Stephenson, Nancy Barnhill, Carolyn Harrelson, Ann Bryan, Patsy Brake, Nancy Watkins Fiiculty Sponsor. Dr. Norma Rose BUSINESS STAFF Business Manager Calhy Moran Advertising Chief Ellen Webb Mailing Editor. Ruth Talton Circulation Chief Lynda Bell Typing Chief. Joj^ce Little Faculty Sponsor. Dr. Lois Frazier MBMBER Associated Collegiate Press. Entered as second-class matter at post office at Raleigh, N. C. 27602. Publithed eml>monihly during the months of October, November, February, March, April aod May; monthly during September, December, and January. Tkb Twio is served by National Educational Advertising Service, 18 East SOth Street. New York, New York. Subscription Rates: $3.45 per year. iVfe. OVh£.r Letter to the Editor Have you got a gripe? Do you have something you want to say? If you do, why don’t you write a letter to the Twig and express you opinion? Communication is important to any meaningful group. It is the only means by which constructive progress can be made. If you have an opinion, don’t tell only your suitemates or friends. Nothing is accomplished by simply rehashing the subjcct among a few people, Write a letter to the Twig! Who knows—a number of people may agree with you! Even if there is disagreement, at least you have lit a spark somewhere. Much has been accomplished during the past year by students and faculty members who have been interested enoueh to speak out. Let’s keep it up! ERB Dear Editor, First, let me suggest a heading for what I have to say, viz., “When a chapel is not a chapel or how to cut chapel without really trying.” Actually my remarks are really a long-overdue response to student contumely in these pages (cartoons, quips, and sweet-smelling bias), faculty contravention ipso facto, and the general antipathy of our quasi community concerning chapel. A chapel is not a chapel when it has become the all-too-convenient whipping boy for illegitimate and frustrated grievances. Most of the gripes I have heard are woefully inaccurate, e.g. (1) “Chapel lasts an hour three days a week. Last year it was thirty minutes five days a week. Now we only get three cuts (last year four) and still spend more time in chapel.” For the rec ord, on only a few occasions did the period extend to the full hour (REW celebration went longer). The policy statement handed out at the beginning of the semester indi cated clearly that “about half of the period will be used for most oc casions. This should allow time for brief relaxation and refreshment af ter chapel. Some meetings, however, may require the full time.” Actually, most of the assemblies were twenty to thirty minutes in length. More over, two additional “cuts” were granted during the year. (2) Some others have said; “The quality of chapel is lacking (bad news).” This is a difficult accusa tion to handle because of indivi dual tastes. Certainly many would agree that chapel this year has pre sented a variety of offerings — from wigs to warfare, drama to Spizz- winks. The record shows that stu dents had a hand in planning and/or participating in more than 60 per cent of the total chapel offerings this year — including the wigs and diamond “demonstrations.” Who then is really responsible for the quality of such programs? (Inci dentally, if the quality of chapel could be gaged by such dubious measurements as length of applause or frequency of Tom Parramore’s attendance, we could well count this past year an overwhelming success.) A chapel is less than a chapel when it caters to a double-standard requirement for the attendance of its congregation. Students are te- quired to come; faculty are only expected to be present. Such re quirement is troublesome to the community if it is arbitary, and such expectation is demeaning to all if it goes unfulfilled. A chapel is more of a chapel in an educational institution when it is a forum for ideas rather than simply an ersatz preaching station. Of the 28 religious type assemblies this year, only one offered a preacher qua preacher. The others attempted to explore in depth, and sometimes through humor, the con dition of man, the nature of God, and the call to commitment. Experi mental forms of worship were intro duced (with the use of banners, bal loons, folk and contemporary mus ic) In fact, unless 1 miss my guess, the top chapel presentations for 1968-69 would probably include: Grady Nutt, John Howell (REW), the “celebration” (REW), Tom Dunn (chaplain, Central Prison), and JOT (cartoon character) — all religious offerings. Finally, the way “to cut chapel without really trying” is to miss or default the opportunity to shape, or at least contribute to, what can be the most meaningful time of the week. Perhaps Bernard Shaw’s statement is apt here: “Some look at things as they are and ask why ‘why?’; others see things as they could be and ask ‘why not’?” Sincerely, Charles B. Parker, Jr. Looking Back at Commencement May 24, 1921 “On Thursday night, ten o’clock, May 12, all the Seniors gathered around their festal board and en joyed for the last time an exclu sive feast prepared for them by their. good Fairy Godmothers, Old Mother Hubbard and The Old Woman Who Lives in a Shoe. One would have thought that they were a group ofi fairies themselves; for they pre sented a very bewitching picture in their gay kimonas. However, those who witnessed this gala occasion knew from the way the cocoanut ' cake, punch and other goodies dis appeared (hat they were forty-three, very hungry mortals. After (he feast they sang their thanks to the donor of this treat, and with happy hearts disappeared to their respective ' places in dreamland.” May 26,1922 “Commencement time and the • Alumnae! Why, of course, for who ever heard of a decent Commence ment without Alumnae? If such a thing ever happened, it can not claim the honor of belonging to Mere-' dith’s history, for just as sure as Commencement time rolls round,^ these old walls of our Alma Mater wipe away tears of loneliness, put on that blissful mother smile, and say to us who are here, “Children, your older sisters are coming back, • my children who have gone far from home; rejoice with me at their re turn and give them a loving wel come’.” May 22,1925 “It is with mingled feelings that we view the approach of this com mencement, because it will in all probability be the last one that will take place in what has been ouri home so long. Next year Twenty- six will march through the daisies ' and ivy in quite different surround ings from these. Twenty-five should feel honored at being the last class to finish on the old site, no less than Twenty-six because she is to be thei first class to go out from new Mere dith.” May 6,1927 “The May Days are swiftly pass ing, and examination time is fast, approaching. . .. With Senior exams looming upon the new horizon we feel Commencement fast approach ing. However, according to the se niors, many things yet remain to be done. Let’s all put in and help them!” 1 — Movie Review — ‘Charly’-a Genius? By DONNA WILLIAMS Charly’s room is so bare that a viewer would not hesitate to call it stark, but he appears not to notice. Perched on a stool before a child’s easel-type blackboard, he seems un concerned by the insufficiency of the light emitted by the single sus pended bulb. He screws his face up, sticks his tongue out, and writes laboriously — TUESDAY—^WIRK —KLIN IK—with backward S’s and N’s. Charly is an adult physically; mentally, he is hardly mature enough to realize he is different. He knows there is much he needs to learn, but fortunately, he cannot comprehend the extent of his de ficiency. Without such anasthe- tic oblivion, it is doubtful that he would have attended night school so regularly, completed his assignments so diligently, and faced his teacher so cheerfully. It was the night school tcachcr, who took him to the clinic. She and her fellow psychologists helped, but the most hope that Charly had ever received was offered by a white' mouse named Algernon. Would the same operation that enabled Alger non to untangle the maze at a fan tastic rate have any effect on Charly? “Moving” is a word that is used' too frequently and indiscriminately, but I believe few will disagree when I say that is use in describing “Char-, ly” is more than warranted. A beau tiful love story is but a part of an absorbing plot. The characters, par-, ticularly Charly and his teacher, are human, yet inspiring. The entire film is enhanced by lovely and graphic photography of Boston. A ‘ “recommendation” is not enough to suggest how much I enjoyed Charly, and believe that there are' few who won’t. The opinions expressed io the editorials and columns of the TWIG do not ncccssariiy reflect those of the admiaistration, student body, or the eotire newspaper staff,
Meredith College Student Newspaper
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May 22, 1969, edition 1
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