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THE TWIG
JANUARY 31, 1980
THE
MEREDITH
Editor
Assistant Editors
Managing Editor
TWMG
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Sports Editor
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Business Manager
Circulation Editor
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Cartoonist
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Faculty Advisors
COLLEGE
Mary Katherine Pittman
Darla Stephenson
Kristy Beattie
Kathy O’Brien,
Carmen Warren, Marlene Barnett..
Beth Giles, Ann Earp, Kelley
Stone, Jill Allen, Jadile Duong
Regine Nickel. Ann Stringfield
Darla Stephenson
Paula Douglas,
Lorri Whittemore,
Peggy Willifrd
Leslie Landis
Margie Snell
Suzanne Barr. DeboraiTBartlett,
Sonya Ammons, Susan Jones
Ann Beamon
Ann Earp
Dr. Tom Parrgmore,
Mr. BUI Norton
Condemnation lacks support
Editorial
Will we be drafted?
We’ll know by February 9.
By that time Carter will have
made his decision on whether
to include women in the draft.
If the present situation in
Afghanistan dosesn’t alter
significantly in the very near
future, the draft will be
reinstated and women can no
longer expect to be excluded
solely because of their sex.
According to a recent
article in the News and Ob
server, Defense Secretary
Harold B. Brown maintains
that serious legal problems
would arise if only one sex
were registered. The equality
women have demanded in the
job market, educational
systems, and domestic
relations also extends to the
battlefield. Or does it? The
question to be considered is
this: how “equal” do we want
to be? Does the fact that
women are wearing hard hats
and using blow torches
necessarily mean they should
put on helmets and carry
machine guns? Where does
the madness stop? Certainly,
women who desire active
military service should be
granted the right to engage in
combat alongside men, but
enforcing a full-scale draft on
the 16 million women in the
registration age category
would be a grave error. The
majority of women would
oppose such action and the
internal conflicts arising over
registering women for the
draft would be far more
serious to national stability
than the Afghanistan conflict.
If, on February 9. we
find that Uncle Sam wants us
too, how will we face the
draft? Will we accept it as a
necessary means of procuring
armies and military per
sonnel, or will we rebel? It’s
our future.
MKP
by Regine Nickel
World reaction to the
Soviet-propelled, so-called
Afghan revolution was sur
prisingly unanimous. The best
proof for this the reaction in
the United Nations in New
York. After the Soviets had
predictably vetoed a
resolution of condemnation in
the Security Council the
resolution was sent to the
floor, where it was passed
with overwhelming majority,
one-hundred and four coun
tries voted for the denun
ciation of the Soviet move,
with only 18 to counter the,
measure, and 30 abstentions.
But this condemnation of
the action is as far as a
common, coordinated action
goes. The State Department
had to realize this in quite an
unexpected way. When Un
dersecretary of State Warren
Christopher toured Europe
early this year every
government in the European
Community and NATO was
sympathetic, but no govern
ment, except for the British,
readily, instantly, and - most
importantly - publicly backed
all United States’ proposals.
namely economic sanctions
and the boycott of the
Olympics.
Even today, three weeks
further into the Afghan crisis,
the situation has changed
little. Britain’s Margaret
Thatcher remains this
country’s only unquestioning
European ally. Explicably,
her emphasis on the so
overwhelmingly bleak
situation in the field of in
ternational affairs gives her
government the opportunity to
make a strong foreign policy
stand, thus belittling ite dif
ficulties at home, where the
powerful steel workers’ union
is crippling the national
economy.
America’s leaders calling
for the United States to
resume the leadership of the
free Western nations, once
again, have hit some sensitive
nerves on the continent. Most
members of the European
Community want to work with
the United States, but not
under the United States.
France is the bluntest, frankly
adhering to a foreign policy of
its own. West Germany, the
Benelux countries, Italy, and
Spain are more com
promising, but still adamant.
This ‘lack of cooperation’
has two reasons. Firstly,
Europe has many more social,
economic, and cultural ties to
communist Europe. Secondly,
President Carter’s foreign
policy has been so flexible that
some leaders still prefer to
wait and see, and in the
meantime do their own thing.
The Third World countries
are in similar situation only
in their reaction is Europe
seen as a close ally to the U.S.
The old prejudices of
European and American
imperialism resurface in their
leaders’ statements. Basically
Soviet aggression is con
demned, but the United
States’ suggestions are not
being adopted to any great
extent.
World reaction to
America’s attempt to
organize world support" for
punitive measures against the
Soviet Union indicates
mounting of distrust among
the nations outside the Soviet
camp, allied or block free.
This is one aspect of the crisis
which should be looked into.
Letters to the Editor:
Careers and cherry trees
Dear Editor,
I would like to commend
the Office of Career Services
for the really wonderful job
they do for Meredith students.
The people in that office really
care ar^ really want to help
you make your dream job
come true. And the materials
and publications they
distribute us for free are
really good ones. Today in the
Fireside Lounge and I picked
up two Black Collegian
magazines - one issue on
engineering and the other one
on communications and sales
Stringspeak
by Ann Stringfield
Whenever some left
winger breaches the subject of
open dorms, someone on the
upper rungs of administrative
bureaucracy points out the
possibility of rape. Not
withstanding this highly
justified moral position, the
security guards have not
troubled themselves over the
flasher who has lately been
visiting campus. Obviously,
the guards tave formed an
alliance with administration
in an endeavor to furnish
Meredith with a learning
experience. In Meredith’s
undying effort to provide a
cultural atmosphere, they
have brought to campus
former prime ministers,
schizophrenics and, now,
flashers. And it is rumored
that Charles Manson will be
speaking on “Religion and the
^iopath” next month.
Flashers are purported to
be harmless sufferers of
psychological disturbances.
Any person with a psychology
course under their belt can tell
you that. So there’s no need to
worry if the flasher tries to
chase you around the fountain
or around the Alumnae House.
He’s just curious and you, too,
should have an avid interest
because now Meredith offers
credit for self-studies on the
flasher. Psychology students
will receive three hours credit
for any reasonable hypothesis
about behavioral motivation.
Advanced biology students
will receive only lab credit. A
physical education credit will
be given to any person who
can prove she spent at least
forty minutes per week
running from the flasher.
Since the flasher is relatively
easy to spot, only pass-fail
credit will be given.
For those who are in
terested, the flasher drives a
burnt orange Pacer and can
usually be seen between
Johnson Hall and the Alumnae
House after 5:30 p.m. on
weekdays. Attired in a
business suit, he is relatively
harmless and probably works
for state government.
In the event that the
flasher gets overly curious or
excited and accidently harms
someone, Meredith insurance
will cover the damages.
careers, and a Career
Newsletter. I’d also like to
thank The 'TWIG for always
running the Career In
formation column. Anyone
who is looking for a job
without making use of Career
Services is definitely doing it
the hard way and missing out
on lots of good possibifities.
Thanks again,
Marlene Debo Barnett
To the Editor:
Thank you for placing in
the last Twig my proposal of
the cherry tree project. A
number of students, faculty,
and staff have expressed
interest in it, and to them and
to those who have not yet
spoken to me I am grateful.
For those who wish to take
part in the project, I would
like to provide some specific
directions. Please get from
my bulletin board (outside the
door to my office, 110 Joyner)
or from the receptionist in
Cate Center a copy of the
Trees for Meredith form to
send to the person or persons
you think might be sending
you flowers for Valentine’s
Day. (If you are not sure they
will be sending you flowers or
some other expression of
affection, perhaps this form
might serve as a hint.) The
form provides information
about the project, asks the
names and addresses of the
recipient and the sender, and
indicates how to send
payment for the tree(s). All
you need to do is pick up one
(or more) of these forms and
send it as soon as possible to
the persons who you think
would like to give Meredith a
Japanese cherry tree for you
for Valentine’s Day. I shall
take care of everything else.
One other thing. I know
that it is customary for
females to receive such a gift
on Valentine’s Day; but it
seems to me totally ap
propriate for a woman to send
such a gift to a boyfriend, her
parents, or any other friend.
Or perhaps a hall might wish
to give Meredith a tree.
Perhaps you just might want
to give someone a present; I
shall be giving my son Devon
a tree. I hope others will join
me in the project.
Cordially,
D. C. Samson
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Food for thought
I saw a delicate flower had grown up two feet high, between
the horse’s path and the wheeltrack. An inch more to right or left
had sealed its fate, or an inch higher; and yet it lived to flourish as
much as if it had a thousand acres of un^odden space around it
and never knew the danger it incurred. It did not borrow trouble,
nor invite an evil fate by apprehending it.
Henry D. Thoreau
To recognize with delight all high and generous and beautiful
actions; to find a joy in seeing the good qualities of your bitterest
opponents, and to admire those qualities even in those with whom
you have least sympathy, this is the only spirit which can heal the
love of slander and of calumny.
F. W. Robertson