page 2 THE miQ APPIl 26, 19C THE TWIG RALBIQH, NORTH CAROLINA 27611 Editors-In-chief Senior Editor Staff Reporters Coluntnists Business f^anager layout Editor Layout Staff Photographer Advertising Manager Sports Circulation Managers Copy Editors Proofreading Faculty Advisors Emily Craig, Linda Sellers Lori Howell Chrlssy Murphrey, Shlrene Hritzko, Joanne Carswell, Dannie Ward, Felicia Stewart, Kathleen McKeel, Lauren F. Worthington Carolyn Dunn Kathleen McKeel Yvonne Siamaar, Faith We/fe Leta Hubbard Cinda Bedford Molly McQee Catherine McLeod, Stephanie Prevatte Joanne Carswell, Jenny Barker, Dannie Ward English 358 Mr. Bill Norton, Dr. Thomas Parramore, Dr. Donald Samson The TWIG welcomes comment and will give prompt consideration fo any criticisms submitted in writing and signed by the writer. ^ - - - The Importance of Hallmates In a few short months, dorm life brings many new influences into a girl’s Hfe. Suddenly Mother's good advice Is replaced by the advice of thirty or more hallmates. These new people become fashion coordinators, secretaries, dlet-and-health advisors, and gossip columnists. HallnBtes are probably the best fashion coordinators in the world. Personal opinions really m£rf(e no different when an Individual is dressing to Impress. Raiher, the overall opinion of everyone on the halt dictates the make-up to wear for a cert^n effect, the sash be\{ to complete an outfit (usually It will pick up one minute fleck of color from the outfit, maybe a single stripe or the polo man from a shirt), or the shoes to keep a sundress from being "too dressy for ladles' night." Hallmates also become secretaries for each other. Their phone-answering techniques range from polltci to sexy^ to annoye^ or downright mean. Messages may not always be conveyed, but for the most part these secretaries are quite helpful. Imagine, for example, that some pesky memb^ of the male race Is due to call. The usual procedure is to have a haiimate-secretary answer the phone and inform the caller that whoever he is calling has moved to Outer Mongolia. He probably will not call again. Hallmates are excellent diet and health advisors. A large rrajority of the women here are constantly on diet^ and hallmates usually have the ability to detennlne for these individuals the exact number of calories In the cafeteria's starchy edibles. These Gnest Editorial MEN ON CAMPUS I I mm. © Colteae Medio Service* Bo« 9411 BerkelcY, Co 9^709 Pro and Con Meredith College is an advancing women's college, adapting to the norms of society and changing rules and regulations as deemed necessary. One of the policies which I feel needs updating concerns n^le visitation. As the Meredith community grows, emphasis is increasingly placed on a woman’s active role in society and her position as a leader. In order for women to acquire such roles, interaction with men as well as women is necessary. This interaction and communication is a skill achieved through personal relationships as well as fonnal business relationships. As with any skill, communicating must t)e learned. I believe that college Is the opportune time for this. It is with these ideas in mind that I present to you some of my views in favor of male visitation. One of the major reasons that we should be allowed to have male visitation is the lack of adequate visitation facilities on campus. It is difficult to have a personal conversation at Cate Center when almost everyone else is there to socialize. The dorm parlors present the same problem. As a result, the girls usually resort to returning to the guys’ rooms. I have nothing against that, but I tjelieve the girts should share in this responsibility instead of depending on the guys to provide a place for conversation. Our rooms are our natural living environment - literally our ‘‘living rooms” whi le at school, and I bel leve that guys should be a part of our living environments. I am not speaking of open male visitation. The visitation 1 am advocating Is afew hours on Sunday afternoons - a regulated visitation period for male friends, brothers, and boy friends. I do not believe that such a short period of time would cause roommate conflicts, as communicating with your roommate and respecting her rights are of utmost importance. These are just a few ideas supporting male visitation. I tieiieve that the students of Meredith College, as well as Meredith as an advancing institution of higher learning, can benefit from such regulated male visitation. Susan B. Wrenn Business-Economlcs - French advisors always know the perfect exercises for weight reduction, as well as remedies for such minor ailments as sunburn or hang overs. Yet another common function of many hallmates is that of a gossip columnist. On a hsdl, there is such a variety of people that gossip from most any area of life on campus can be discussed. Hallmates are great sources for keeping tabs on who's dating who (as well as whether the relationship will end up with a house in surburbia, 2.3 kids and an American made ca^or if It will end within the next two weeks), which frats should be avoided at all costs, and which teachera would be the t)est to choose. Do a lot of these influences s(Hjnd familiar? Well, be sure to listen to their advice no\^ because a few years from now ^1 this advice and help will be costing an awful lot! Recently at Meredith Col lege a proposal has been made to allow male visitation in the dormitories on Sunday afternoon for two hours. Although at first glance the proposal seems harmless, a close examination of all aspects of the intended situation raises many objections to the policy on practical as well as doctrinal grounds. First, monitoring male guests would t>e almost impossible. The needed enforcement would present additional responsibilities for an already overtaxed security and advisory staff. Secondly, the privacy and rights of roomnnates and suitemates need to be considered. If your roommate has a male guest, so do you. The relaxed atmosphere of the dormitories vwuld be changed for all residents. Problems could also occur if both or all three roommates have male visitors at the same time. One student cannot demand that her roommate leave her own room. Thirdly, even though such a policy allov^ a girl to visit her steady, It also opens the door to unsavory characters who, after meeting the student at Ed’s the night before, want a tour of Meredith. With the admission of such undesirables to campus, vandalism and theft could t>ecome major problems. The doctrinal issue is not whether a Christian women's college should allow male visitors in the dormitories. We already have the privilege of choosing or refusing the right to entertain male guests in first floor parlors, along with many other places on campus. The guestlon is whether allowing its students to have male guests in their t>edrooms is in keeping with the moral atmosphere a Christian institution wishes to foster. Obviously, it is not. The most important objection to a more lenient guest policy is the injury that it would do to Meredith's tradition of a private community of women, a community valued by students choosing this school. This community isoneof the most tieneficiai aspects of campus life that Meredith College offers. In this tight-knit community, women learn to depend on one another; such learning in preparation for depending on women as financial, business, and emotional resources later in life. Certainly this is a valuable attribute that Meredith students would not want to lose. In conclusion, for this as well as the other reasons already noted, the traditional policy should not be revised. Felicia Godwin Major: English Joanne Carswell Major: Business Managemeni- English American Cancer Society 2,OOO,OOO^0^plc fighjing canc«r. This space contributed as a public service.'