THE TWIG
-Newspaper of the Students of Meredith College , ? ■ ■
VOL. LI
MEREDITH COLLEGE, RALEIGH. N.C.
SEPTEMBER 1» lOTS
NUMBER 1
Singer-humorist to perform
by Carolyn Morton
Mike Cross, musician and
humorist, will be performing
at Meredith’s Continuing
Education Auditorium on
Sunday, January 30, at 8:00.
The native Carolinian has
received praise from local
critics. Bill Morrison of The
Ralei^ News and Observer
said, “Michael Cross writes
novelty songs that would
make Jim Stafford green with
envy.” He is, as the Raleigh
critic noted, a “master story
teller, master musician.”
The Chapel Hill
Newspaper described Mike
Cross as “a delightfully funny
man. The audience keeps
coming back for more.”
As a child in Lenoir, N.C.,
Cross was asked to leave the
church choir because he could
not carry a tune. Since then,
he has proven himself not only
a talented singer, but a
talented guitarist and fiddler
as well.
Rush week brings
fewer Phis, Astros
by Rosie Bowers
As a result of Rush Week
for Phi and Astro service
clubs, 50 to 75 girls picked up
applications for Astro
membership, while 54 filed for
Phi membership.
Last year’s totals were:
150 Astro and 105 Phi pledges.
Martha Claybro^, Phi
president, felt that “a great
deal of apathy toward the
societies had been present all
week, * even at . the . Phi-
sponsored entertainment.”
Astro president Cheryl
Koob believes that the present
^application system will result
in a stronger organization.
/ i^ew Astros will be announced
later as applications are
evaluated, she said.
Both the Phis and Astros
had approached Rush Week
with the main interest of
gaining active members in
contrast to previous ob
jectives of acquiring the
greater number of new
members.
Until this year, rush
activities of both societies
were designed to encourage
all freshmen and transfer
students to make a choice
between the societies on
Decision Day.
This year, however, the
emphasis has been placed
more on maintaining active
membership in the two
societies.
The Phis have moved to a
point system whereby a
member must maintain a
balance of four points per
year. Credit is awarded for
participation in fund raising,
service projects, and other
means of involvement.
Astros, on the other hand,
have chosen to use a selective
system whereby any Meredith
student may apply for
membership. Applicants are
selected on the basis of in
terest by the approval of a
committee consisting of of
ficers and class represen
tatives. Members are
reviewed at intervals by a
committee to determine
active contribution to the club.
Cross learned to play the
guitar while attending the
University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill. He soon began
writing songs and performing
them to receptive. Chapel Hill
audiences. His music has
taken him as far as New York
City and Nashville.
In 1974, Cross and his
wife, Laurie, moved to
Atlanta where he began his
first year of law school. He
later decided to delay his law
career and try his luck at a
music career.
“Child Prodigy,” his first
album, was released in the
summer of 1976 and has been
received well.
Mike Corss is sponsored
by the Concerts and Lectures
Committee, and his concert is
open to the public free of
charge.
Mike Cross, a CaroUnian singer-humorist, will perform Sunday at
8 p.m. in the CEA.
RSW awards funds to 6 groups
by Miriam Victorian
The Raising the Sights of
Women Executive Committee
. (RSW) beaded by Dr. Sarah
Lemmon, has announced the
approval of six r^uests made
for funds by various Meredith
organizations and depart
ments.
First, the National
Association of Art Education
was awarded $470 to attend a
national conference in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Also, twelve psychology
students were given $860 to
enable them to go to an
Eastern Psychology
Association meeting in
Boston, Massachusetts.
A third - group, the
Meredith gymnastic team,
was able to attend a clinic held
in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida,
over the Christmas holidays
through a grant by RSW of
$948.
Other organizations
whose requests were granted
included the Renaissance
Singers who were allotted
$125. They will have composer
Alice Parker come to trainand
conduct the Singers in one ci
her original pieces,
in addition, the voice
department was granted the
New group enlivens childrens^ rhymes
by Kim Farlow
“Cottleston, cottleston,
cottleston pie
A fly can’t bird but a bird can
fly
Ask me a riddle and I’ll reply
Cottleston, cottleston, cot
tleston pie.”
Pooh Bear
The above is an excerpt
from the script of the newly
formed Meredith Children’s
Theatre Company. And should
you be wandering through
Jones Hall on any given
ternoon, you’re likely to hear
this and many more equally
bizarre rhymes.
The 12-member company,
which is headed by junior,
Sharon Holder, debuts
February 13. They hope to
perform seven or eight times,
including productions at area
churches, for the children of
the faculty, and on Parent’s
Day. The group is sponsored
by Alpha Psi Omega, the
honorary dramatic sorority.
On campus. Drama instructor
Nancy Truesdale serves as
faculty advisor.
Although a similar idea
was tried and failed three
years ago, a new addition of
one hour’s speech credit has
been an incentive this year.
Company members include
Beth Cobb, Kim Dale, Lynn
Dyson, Rita Blevins, An^a
Knott, Beth Leavel, Kim
Hewlett, Karen Mangum,
Beth Wicker, Shonta Horton,
and Suzanne Matton.
The company has recently
begun practice on their jointly
written script. Drawing from
all forms of children’s
literature, the players in
corporated short stories,
songs, poetry, and Dr. Seuss
into “A Surprise Party for
Eeyore.” The story, which
revolves around donkey,
Eeyore’s forgotten birthday
stresses friendship as the
principal theme.
“The story is basically
about Eeyore’s birthday party
where each animal tells a
little story for en
tertainment,” says Sharon.
“Some animals bring gifts
The newly formed Children’t Theater Company plans to debut
February 13.
and others don’t; when
Eeyore complains of his lack
of presents, the story
climaxes in a ‘bag dance’
where his friends are wrapped
as gifts.”
The performance ends
with company members
sponsoring a birthday party
for the audience, complete
with candy and cake.
Of the mechanics of the
production, Sharon says each
member will invent their own
costume and props. Brightly
colored leotards and tights
will serve as a basic costume,
complemented with exotic
make-up. Lighting, sound, and
setting will be taken care of by
Sharon, who also serves as
technical director.
The performance includes
a “story within a story” where
each animal assumes yet
another role during the telling
of various tales.
The production runs
approximately 60 minutes and
includes works such as Dr.
Seuss’ Horton Hatches the
Egg, various Silverson poems
including “Double Tailed
Dog” and “Flying Festoon,”
and Lewis Carroll’s Jab-
berwocky.
sum of $125 for a demon
stration and lecture on
creative accompanying.
Lastly, the mathematics
department was given $180 to
have an outstanding woman
mathematician come to the
campus.
Student reaction to the
effectiveness of RSW has been
varied. One senior music
major said she had “good
experiences” with RSW
programs, particularly with
the program which brought
Miss Parker to Meredith last
year.
Another student felt that
the organization was “a great
source of money for various
campus groups.”
However, she felt that
RSW had a “negative stigma”
because it focused “too much
on the past, and not on what
women, especially Meredith
women, can do in the future.”
Some other student
reactions included the com
ment from many girls that
they were “sick and tired of
hearing of women in this and
women in that.”
One sophomore related
that she felt the idea behind
the organization was good, but
that it “had not raised her
awareness.” Another second
year student felt that the RSW
programs were “not
publicized enough on cam
pus.”
Dr. Sarah Lemmon
agreed that there probably
was not enough publicity for
RSW’s special programs. She
added, nevertheless, that
“RSW is in charge of the Life
Directions Seminars, and
various courses focusing on
women, and faculty
workshops.”
The purpose of the
organization, she stated, was
to “reach out to both students
and faculty.” She expressed
hopes that it will be effective
in both of these areas.