lit*
Newspaper of the Students of IfMeredith College
VOL. LII, NO. 1.5
MEREDITH COLLEGE, RALEIGH, N.C.
FEBRUARY 9, 1978
Communitu Forum Series
Urbanization violates hnman rights
by Kristy Beattie
Is not owning a television
or the “right” kind of clothes a
violation of one’s human
needs? Many people seem to
feel this way, as Mrs. Roberta
Spohn pointed out in her
discussion of Urbanization:
Urban Decay, Human Rights,
and the Quality of Life. Mrs.
Spohn, who is Commissioner
of the New York City
Department for the Aging,
was the guest speaker at the
third session of the Com
munity Forum Series on
Human Rights.
All of us, Mrs. Spohn
began, share some common
feelings. We all struggle with
death and loneliness; we still
look for heroes; we want
ourselves to be unique. All of
us also have a need for per
sonal limitations and social
government. This personal
and social government,
though largely unwritten, is
the center of our daily in
teractions. Yet many times
this center breaks down. In
racial demonstrations for
example, shared values
disappear. Employing the
example she used throughout
her discussion, Mrs. Spohn
showed how the shared values
on private property seemed to
die when the lights went out in
New York City this fall.
Bushwick and South
Bronx in New York City used
to be nice places to live. Now
they are devastated. Is this
urbanization or urban decay,'
Mrs. Spohn queried. She feels
that the destruction is not
urban decay and went on to
explain that we have reached
past our peak in urbanization.
The northeast is experiencing
a decrease in people she ex
plained. The economic base is
moving out of the city, and in
many ways the cities will
never recover from this
spread into suburbanization.
The fires, the looting, and the
destruction are not then, so
much a matter of urban decay
as they are of human needs.
What do we mean by
human needs? We all have
basic universal needs such as
the need for adequate food, for
love, and for personal safety.
Yet, in the United States
today, no one really goes
hungry; no one need go
without clothes. Indeed, were
you to look at New York City
as an immigrant of fifty years
ago, you would have seen
nothing atrocious. So why do
these conditions surest
outrage today, questions Mrs.
Spohn. What human needs are
being met?
For the person in the city,
political rights, freedom of
speech, of religion and others
are rather abstract and
removed from them. What is
not being met is their stan
dard of living. Someone has
what they do not have, and so
they feel that their needs are
not being met. This attitude
reflects a shift in society. Mrs.
Spohn said that during the
depression, when her father
did not work, he thought he
was a failure. Her mother
thought he was a failure. It
was not society’s fault but
their own. They still believed
that they could have richer
things by their own merits.
Mrs. Spohn accused the
television of creating myths
about what humans need to
survive in life. Every child, no
matter how poor, has been
indoctrinated by television,
she said. There is an enor
mous difference between what
is shown on television and
what these children have.
After a while these people
start feeling that their needs
are not being met because
they do not have these things.
Thus, when the lights went out
in New York City, the prople
went for, not the necessities,
but the “goodies” of society.
Thus, Mrs. Spohn con
cluded, these human rights
are something to which we
must give a lot of thought.
Human rights at the con
stitutional level may be im
portant, but for much of the
underclass, satisfying human
needs is more a question of
can they buy a Pinto? Are they
getting their share? And will
they be able to see their kids
make it?
The first discussant for
the session was Dr. Doris King
of the history department at
North Carolina State
University. Drawing upon
history to make her points.
Dr. Kings raised some
questions. Are we willing to
pay the price for the perfect
society? Dr. King discussed
Edward Bellamy’s book
I.ooking Backward, the major
theme of which is equality.
Bellamy said that there will
never be the perfect society
until we get away from per
sonal property myths. Dr.
King concluded with the
question; Do we really want a
perfect society enou^ to
think in terms of that kind of
-News News-
Room deposits due
Students are requested to
remember that room deposits
are due Feb. 15, 1978 for the
1978-1979 school year. Any
questions regarding the
deposit or housing should be
directed to Dean of Students’
office.
Spring Forum
Coming up:
“Sexual Values in In
timate Relationships”
sponsored by Meredith
Christian Association Spring
Forum, led by Ted Purcell,
campus minister at North
Carolina State University.
When: Feb. 21st, 7:30-9 p.m.
Where; Continuing Education
Auditorium. Please come join
us!
society?
Mr. William Ross, a
lawyer of Raleigh and a
member of the State
Greenway Commission, was
the second dicussant. Mr.
Ross feels that urbanization is
urban decay. He sees ur
banization as an expansion in
which human rights are
disregarded. Mr. Ross cited
several reasons for this ex
pansion, such as the American
belief in the right to speculate
on land and expansion as a
goal within itself. Yet people
fail to think through the costs
involved in this expansion, he
explained. Mr. Ross sees the
need for a new direction for
urban reform so that human
needs are better met. We must
REW Week
all take a part in giving it
direction, he concluded.
Discussion and questions
from the audience followed.
Students attended a midnight communion service during
Reiigious Emphasis Week.
Vannorsdall stresses
decision making
by Nancy Newton
Dr. John Vannorsdall,
Chaplain of Yale University
and former speaker for the
Lutheran program of the
protestant hour, was a guest
of the campus recently as he
addressed the student body
during Religious Emphasis
Week (REW), sponsored by
Nelson recognizes
doubt
by Mary Katherine Pittman
Dr. Stanley A. Nelson,
guest speaker at the Wed
nesday and Friday morning
convocations during Religious
Emphasis Week, offered
insight for the Meredith
student body in his discussion
on “Doubt.” Commending the
Meredith Christian
Association (MCA) for its
“facing the subject with
honesty and maturity.” Dr.
Nelson proposed that “we
have been conditioned to live
in a just world, yet doubt
occurs in the case of in
justice.” Dr. Nelson com
mented further on religious
presuppositions and their
relationship to accidents, that
“misfortune does not always
happen in direct relation to
something we’ve done.” In
summary. Dr. Nelson asked
the question: “If thU is a just
world, then why was the cross
necessary?”
Pope sings belief
by Janet Surles
British folk singer Dave
Pope sang in concert in Jones
Auditorium, Thursday, Feb. 2.
The Meredith concert was a
part of Pope’s second tour of
the United States.
Pope’s songs ranged in
style from folk to a rock form.
He was accompanied by John
Daniels on- the piano and
guitar, also the composer of
several arrangements per
formed at the concert.
Pope is involved in
evangelism and works with
children in the schools in
England. He hopes to convey
his views of Christianity
through his music.
Pope expressed a concern
and hope that his music does
not come across as “just
entertainment.” He sincerely
believes in the Christian
ministry. “I enjoy life now,
but it’s nothing compared to
the life with Him (God)
forever,” commented Pope.
the Meredith Christian
Association (MCA). Dr.
Vannorsdall spoke on the
REW theme, “It’s a Long and
Winding Road ... Who’s Going
With You?”
In addressing his thoughts
to the significance of events
which occur in each person’s
life. Dr. Vannorsdall
suggested that one would not
be the same person if certain
events, had not taken place.
Therefore, if one looks back at
the significant events in his
life, it is possible to see God’s
hand. “God does not take us
out of the world by protecting
us from hard decisions,” Dr.
Vannorsdall said, “but gives
us faith and allows us to make
our decisions even though we
possess the ability to fail.” He
continued to explain that God
does this because He loves us,
as seen in Exodus 33:12-23
where Moses does not see God
but sees where He had been
and has faith. God used an
event to strengthen the faith of
Moses. “God in his love does
not dictate events in our
lives,” continued Dr. Van
norsdall, “but allows us to
make decisions and act in
events with His support. This
helps us grow in our Christian
faith. Just as a parent lets a
child grow into adulthood by
making his own crucial life
decisions, so God does with
the Christian.”