Newspapers / Meredith College Student Newspaper / Oct. 9, 1969, edition 1 / Page 4
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Page Four THE TWIG October 9,1969 Meredith Welcomes Traude, Pirjo Womens College Has Place, Says Dr. Elizabeth Koonfz Traude Pichler (left) and Firjo Kantalinen lalk over life in their native countries. By GENI TULL One good thing about attending a college with 999 other girls, you can find variety in the student body. We can pick out girls outstanding for their distinctive characteristics. Some are known for their clothes, others for their beauty, many are noticed for their exceptional abilities in the fields of music, art or writ ing. Still others are renowned for their wit or qualities of friendship. Yet this year Meredith boasts two dorm students who are known for their hometowns. Some of us are from towns so small and insignifi cant that we claim the nearest city when someone asks, “And where are you from?” But these two students are from towns located outside the United States, and if only we could pronounce them they would be on everyone’s lips. Hailing from Tikkurila, Finland, is freshman Pirjo Kantelinen. Pirjo is enthusiastic about her new sur roundings and friends and she en lightens us on her own home. Pirjo has studied English for seven years in Finland and has spent much time in England, so our speech was not much of a barrier to her. Yet, she still complains that some times she can not understand every thing she hears, and has to consult her dictionary. Meredith's other foreign student is Gertraud Pichler, a junior from Wolfsberg, Austria. Traude, as she prefers being called, has had less in struction in English — only four years. But although she too meets with difficulty on occasions she has managed to get along quite well. With our difficulties in our own foreign language courses, not to mention our native tongue, we can envy both of them in their lingual accomplishments. Traude came to Meredith on a scholarship provided by the Rotary Club as a part of its International Living Program. She is a 'Home Eco nomics teacher in Austria and is studying here to better educate her self so that she can return home to help Austria. Because of friends in New York, Richmond and at Meredith, Traude has seen much of the Eastern United States since her arrival in mid-Au gust — more than some of us Americans have seen. Pirjo came to the United States to learn about American life and to better her English, she says. Earlier, Meredith sophomore Elizabeth Trip lett had visited Pirjo’s family in Finland. Pirjo’s father had always promised her that she could go to school in America for a year and hearing about Meredith from Eliza beth, she decided to come here. For her career, Pirjo hopes to use her linguistic talenis in some type of in ternational service. Both girls have comments to make about some of our customs. Amazed by the American practice of “blind dating,” Pirjo and Traude point out that in their hometowns, they date only boys they know. Traude states that our clothes, in comparison with Austria’s, are mod. Mini skirts arc just becoming popu lar there and the simple date-dress we wear is uncommon. “Grub- clothes” are unheard of! Pirjo points out that our clothes are less fashionable than those in Finland. Finland skirts are much shorter than most here and she is amazed that some American girls wear bobby-socks! Pirjo reports that in Finland it is perfectly acceptable to call a boy for a date, but Traude tells us that no such thing occurs in Austria, Both girls note that American popular music is common in their countries. In Austria, says Traude, sometimes that words are translated into German. Austrians, however, do not see many American movies whereas Finlanders do. Finland also has many American TV shows. Aus tria’s TV is quite different, accord ing to Traude. Not all the homes have TV, for one thing, and the viewing doesn’t begin until the after noon. And bliss!! commercials are saved until the end of every pro gram. As far as foods are concerned, Traude says that basic dishes are common to both Austria and Ameri ca, although methods of prepara tion differ. Two foods were new to Pirjo — peanut butter and corn! By the way, she likes peanut butter! Used to the lax mores in Finland, Pirjo feels some of our rules for freshmen are unnecessary, but Traude thinks the rules at Mere dith are very just. Both girls are somewhat confused over the standards of weights and measures, because in Europe the meter system is used. Pirjo laughs, “Usually I just ignore them!” Both girls comment that religion seems more important to Americans than to Europeans. Traude explains that we “work at” our religion, whereas Austrians, partially because of a hated church tax, don’t work at theirs. Furthermore, each girl re assures us of the prestige the United States holds abroad. Despite our po litical blunders, they note, the United States is still seen as a power- Alumnae Association Holds Fall Meeting On Saturday, October 4, 1969, the Meredith College Alumnae As sociation held its Fall, 1969, execu tive committee and council meetings. Mrs. William Simpson, the former Edith Stephenson, presided. The executive committee consists of the association officers and com mittee chairmen. The council is made up of the association officers, the committee chairmen, the chapter presidents, and the class agents. From 9:00 until 10:30 a.m. a program entitled “A Look at Mere dith — 1969” was presented. A panel of three students; Cindy Griffith, Jane Kiser, and Lou Pearce, along with Dr. E. Bruce Heilman, Dean Allen Burris, Mr. Joe Baker, Mr. John Kanipe, Mr. John Hiott, Dean Marie Mason, Miss Mary B. Josey, and Dr. Roger Crook, and Mrs. Lib Reidar, alum nae trustee, were present. The ad ministrative members briefly dis cussed their roles on campus, after which they conducted question-and- answer periods. MERLE NORMAN COSMETICS THREE STEPS TO BEAUTY 146 NORTH HILLS PHONE 782-0255 ful nation and respected by most European nations. As for Meredith, both girls say they are impressed by students and faculty alike for their friendliness and eagerness to help. When asked how she likes her life here, Traude exclaims without hesitation, “Oh, very, very much!” The girls will return home dur ing the summer, taking a little bit of Meredith with them. But in re turn, they will have left us with a wider knowledge of other places and people. The most shocking fact of all is that no matter where your hometown is, you’re still a person very much like all the other people you have known. Wednesday Chapel On Moratorium In connection with the nationwide scheduled Vietnam Moratorium, the Student Government Association will hold a “talk period” on Viet nam at its regular SGA day in chapel Wednesday. Says SGA president Cindy Grif fith, the program will provide stu dents with the opportunity to discuss the Vietnam situation and air some of their views. The moratorium has been con ceived of as a day on which students and other citizens should take the day off from classes or business to “ring doorbells” for peace in Viet nam. Other Raleigh colleges have previously adopted the moratorium for October 15 through Student Government Action. Students are urged to take part in the chapel discussion. FRESHMEN!!! Want (he chance to show your hand in tlie journalistic field? Well, one place to start is tlic TWIG. The TWIG is your school paper and It needs your help. If you are interested in helping as a member of the TWIG stuff, contact Brooks McGirt on Second New Dorm or Helen Wilkie on 1'hird Poteat. Tiie next issue will he published oil October 23, so now’s the time to join! JEAN'S BEAUTY SALON 16Q6 Dixie Trail 782-0403 Open Tuesday-Saturday Two Stylists to Serve You Women’s Colleges a thing of the past? Not so, says one expert in the area of both education and women. The role of the women’s colleges in today’s society continues to be an important one, believes Mrs. Eliza beth Koontz, director of the Wom an’s Bureau of the Department of Labor. Mrs. Koontz, who spoke here re cently, says, “I think one thing the women’s college has is the oppor tunity for all the members of this sex to be perfectly honest.” She notes that this aspect leaves women “free to discuss things” with out being deterred by the presence of young men.” Young men, she adds, tend to make women dishonest because they are afraid of seeming “loo” smart or too opinionated. Another advantage the former president of the National Education Association sees in women’s colleges is “the opportunity to bring to the campus and to the group persons who can devote their interests to the purpose seen by the single sex group.” On the other hand, she ex plains, in co-ed institutions, things must be presented for both sexes. “In fact,” she says, “men are missing a great opportunity when they are not here to hear these things . . .” which can take place in a women’s college. “Sk>me men are continuing certain attitudes and are not aware of changes that have oc curred.” She continues, “For instance, many girls want the relationship to be different between the sexes, but they don’t have the opportunities to communicate their true feelings.” What all this leads up to in Mrs. Koontz’s reasoning Is woman’s In creasing importance in the labor force, as a skilled, competent and educated worker. Whatever subject she starts on she invariably ends up speaking of women’s rights in to day’s working society. For instance, on the matter of non-communication between the sexes she cites the example of the woman, who, dissatisfied with her life at home, constantly nags her husband for extra attention. “Se cretly he wants her to get a job so she could have a new interest,” she asserts, but both husband and wife are afraid of communicating their dissatisfactions. The man Is particularly handi capped in situations like these, Mrs. Koontz adds, because often a man feels intimidated by the idea of “a man who Is a man who is a man takes care of his family.” If the wife goes to work, she goes on, “it is say ing in effect, ‘OK, buddy, you are not a man’.” In this connection she says, “I J think the women are going to have ' to do something about this — they are going to have to stop apologizing for having to go to work.” On the other hand, Mrs. Koontz notes, the men who just want a ' housekeeper and cannot realize their wife’s dissatisfaction with this role. Asks Mrs. Koontz, “Did you marry a woman first of all to make a ' housekeeper of her?” She adds ve hemently, “You don’t need a col lege graduate for that!” Mrs. Koontz feels strongly about this idea of the woman finding ful fillment outside the home — if that’s where her interest lies, as those who heard her chapel speech will agree. But she does not kid herself. “Most wives are working today because /hey need to,” she notes and points out that figures show 50 per cent of middle class families would fall below the poverty line if the wife didn’t work. ' “This tells us something,” she i adds. I But she also realizes that with technological advances and also the fact that women today tend to have their children in a shorter span of time, there is more free time left to ^ the woman — free time which may be wasted and useless. “Some women have gotten Into a rut from which they don’t know how to es- ' cape,” she says and points to increas ing percentages of women alcoholics. Children are also affected, she notes, saying, “If the woman feels ‘locked in’ she may take it out on her children.” What can the woman do to escape the emptiness which Mrs. Koontz feels is liable to touch her? “Thank God for continuing education,” she exclaims. | And of course she returns to the idea of getting an education in the first place — a role for which she thanks both co-ed and women’s colleges, as both continue to have a place in her scheme of life fulfill ment for the women. // you eat sweets. What you eat in private you take up 2 seats! shoivs up in public! FACE IT, GIRLS! Your Studies Don't Need 100% of Your Attention Everyone needs o place to get away from it all— So— Get in the GROOVE—Do Your Own Thing Come to ELAINE POWERS FIGURE SALON RIDGEWOOD SHOPPING CENTER Or Call; Brenda Borwick 834-4308 or Lynne Moody 834-4309 COMPLETE 4 MONTH PLAN ONLY $9.50 PER MONTH UNLIMITED VISITS A little bit oj this and that A girl who eats vegetables and fish makes you big and fat. turns into a cute little dish.
Meredith College Student Newspaper
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Oct. 9, 1969, edition 1
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