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TWIG
Newspaper oj the Students of Meredith College
From Tho '^
Twiji Slaff^
VOL. XLVIII
MEREDITH COLLEGE, RALEIGH, N. C.
DECEMBER 13, 1973
No. 13
Weems to allow Sidney Abbott to spea k
on campus in March 18 evening lecture
Noting that he felt the
issue and decision was
“serious in many ways”, Dr.
John Weems announced
Friday, December 7, that
Sidney Abbott, the lesbian
author of Sappho was a Right-
On Woman, will be allowed to
speak on campus next March
in an evening speaking
engagement. Ms. Abbott’s
appearance here had been the
subject of much controversy
for several weeks, after the
Student Government
Association had worked
through its proposal for her
appearance with its Executive
Committee, Dean Burris, and
Dr. Weems.
The SGA had at first
proposed that Ms. Abbott be
engaged for one of the SGA-
sponsored Monday con
vocations, but agreed to
compromise on an evening
lecture format after hearing
administration objections to
the Monday convocation plan
because of the “required
attendance ’ policy.
When news of Ms. Ab
bott’s appearance leaked to
the student body, a group of
concerned students went to
President Weems with
specific objections to the
speaker on the ground that, as
a church-related institution,
Meredith should not sponsor a
lesbian’s appearance.
President Weems, after
noting their objections,
decided to present the
situation before a meeting of
the Executive Committee of
the Board of Trustees later
this month.
Last Friday, however,
after consulting with C. C.
Cameron, Chairman of the
Poll of college editors
reveals wide dissatisfaction
by Cathy Murff
In September and October
of 1973, Newsweek, Inc. and
the Associated Collegiate
Press conducted a poll to
determine college editors’
feelings in four major areas of
American life: political,
economic, social and cultural.
The findings, based on 268
responses to the question
naire, show a general feeling
of dissatisfaction with all four
phases of life in the U.S. and is
particularly with the cultural
aspects.
While nearly 64 percent of
the editors surveyed believed
that the American system of
government is not truly
democratic, the majority
disagreed with the statements
that American politics are
basically a dirty business and
need a thorough over-haul and
that politicians in general
work only for their own in
terest without regard for the
national interest. Moreover,
the greatest majority - 69
percent - felt that, though the
American political system is
not ideal, it has more to offer
our citizens than any other.
In the economic section,
almost 90 percent of the
editors felt that inflation is the
biggest economic problem
facing the U. S. today, but only
24 percent thought that
President Nixon will take
steps to improve the economic
situation in the coming year.
When questioned on the
American way of life in
general, only 59 percent felt
that this nation is superior to
others. Of the 32.1 percent who
answered “no” to this
question, the majority chose
England, Germany, Sweden,
Canada and Switzerland (in
that order) as offering a
better alternative. On the
whole, the respondents
seemed pessimistic con
cerning the economy in
general and inflation in
particular.
Questioned about the
extent to which the govern
ment is threatening our civil
liberties, 80.6 percent of the
editors felt that there was a
threat of too much govern
ment intervention. The
majority seemed to believe
that while society does have
the right to legislate
restraints on the use of heroin,
it does not have the right to
put controls on pornography,
homosexuality, marijuana,
and privacy. Still another
(Continued on page 3)
Societies
schedule
Rush
K;ilh\ nc'tw«UKl. Astro PicsKIciil
Scheduled for January 21-
25, Society Rush Week opens
the spring semester of
Meredith College. Both the
Astros and the Phis are
already busily planning their
activities for the week. Paula
Hartman and Gail Klutz are
directing the Astro plans,
while Beth Queen has charge
of Phi Rush.
Astro Day and Phi Day
fall on Tuesday and Wed
nesday, respectively, of Rush
Week. Each society on its
special day will decorate the
freshman halls and transfer
doors, along with the
cafeteria, in its colors. The
Astros will hold a Barn Hoe-
Down on Tuesday night, while
the Phis plan another Luau
with entertainment by the
Bearfacts for Wednesday
night. On Wednesday af
ternoon the Phis will hold a
reception for freshmen and
transfers.
Thursday, January 24, is
Cooperation Day. Cafeteria
decorations will combine the
blue and yellow of both
societies. The Astros plan a
floating refreshment period
that afternoon in the Hut.
Decision Day concludes
the week with the traditional
running in the court and
Decision Breakfast. Fresh
men and transfers wear the
colors of their chosen society
and declare their decisions
early Friday morning by
choosing sides of the court.
Board of Trustees, and Dr.
Roger Crook, President
Weems decided that it would
not be necessary to call the
Executive Committee of the
Board together. Weems stated
that, “after examination of
the college policy concerning
visiting speakers, passed by
the Board of "Trustees in
February, 1966, we feel that
this speaker falls within the
context of the intent of the
speaker policy.”
The 1966 policy states
that, “To insure orderly
practices in keeping with the
academic freedom and ex
cellence maintained at
Meredith College, the
following procedures are to be
observed in arranging for
visiting speakers, artists, and
other public presentations
under the jurisdiction of the
college: (1) any such
engagement shall be arranged
for by a duly constituted
college authority or by a
student organization through
its sponsor: (2) for other
engagements not included in
(1), authorization by the Dean
of Students is necessary; (3) if
college facilities are to be
used, such arrangement will
be listed in advance on the
college calendar; (4) at any
such meeting as described
above, the responsible college
official, or his delegated
representative, will be
present.”
“This is in many ways a
benchmark decision,” Weems
noted while explaining that he'
believed Meredith’s speaker
policy “probably needed this
kind of serious scrutiny for
clarification purposes.”
Dr. Weems also com
mented on the group of
students who came to him to
protest Ms. Abbott’s ap
pearance. “I was impressed
with their sincerity and real
interest in what is good for
Meredith College,” he stated.
In summation, Weems said
that, as president, he had the
legal right to prohibit the
speaker’s appearance, he felt
this had to be a “precedent
setting decision”, as Meredith
“possibly has never engaged
a speaker with as much
potential to challenge the
speaker policy as Ms. Ab
bott.”
Dr. Weems concluded by
stating that he plans to attend
the March 18 appearance of
Ms. Abbott.
Volunteers needed
to dig up the past
Students are urgently
invited to help in ar-
chaelogical excavations in
England next summer.
Deadline for applications is
February 1.
City center redevelq)-
ment, new road-building
programs and rapidly
changing land use are
threatening the disap
pearance of prehistoric
graves. Iron-age settlements,
Roman villas, fascinating
relics of mediaeval towns, all
over Britain. Aermican
students free from mid-May,
and with previous ar
chaeological experience, are
invited to join an international
team on a dig of the important
mediaeval city of Nor
thampton and the Anglo-
Saxon cemetery at Spins Hill
in Norfolk. Experienced
volunteers will receive free
board and lodging for helping
in this important work.
Other students without
(Continued on page 3)
I.iiula Keilli. Plii ProsidoiU