Meredith
Herald
Stiff
Editof!
Vanesu Goodman
Business Manager
Beth Hackney
AdvertUng Manager
Meredith Gnidin
Sarth CtmpbeU, Lindsay Lutz,
Melanie W^er
Layout Editor
Cannel Swanson
Staffi Anne Camril Mustain, Elizabeth
Mowe, Kathy Svenson
Photograpy Editor
Kun Cook
Staff Lori Lamm, Sharon Wells.
Kimberiy D. Gagne
Entertainment Editor
Staff: Anne CairoU Mustian
Features Editor
Kim Alien
Staff Sharon Graves, Mimi Broome,
Julia Toone, Christy Porter
Sports Editor
Nancy Jackson Weatherly
Staff Deanna Harris, Melanie Eisele
NewsEdiu>r
Elizabeth Almond
Staff Leigh Ann Capps, Martha Ann
Bnv/lty, Kelli Everen
Copyeditors
Lou Anne Stephenson, Helen Farrar,
Christy Porter
Adviser
Bob Koercho^berger
The Herald ofRce is located in the
basement of Jones Chapel. Address
correspondence to: TV /feniU,
Box xl33, Meredith College, Raleigh,
NC 27607-5298. Phone (919) 829-
8599. Advertising rates available upon
request
Editorial Pottcy
The Meredith Heraid is published weekly
by the students of Mer^th College
during the academic year. The paper is
fund^ by the college and through
advertising. The Herald will not print
material containing personal attacks,
insults, ridicule or litelous statements.
All letters to the editor must be signed
unless discussed with the editor.
The opinions expressed on the editoral
page do not necessarily reflect those of
the college administration, faculty or
student body.
The Herald welcomes criticism and
will respond promptly to any submitted
in writing and signed by the writer.
Subrnteskm PoUcy
The Meredith Herald welcome articles
and letters to the editor from any
student, faculty member or
administrator. We will print articles and
tetters, but we adhere to these guidelines;
1. We require all articles/letters to be
in the Herald drc^ box located in 114
Heilman by noon on Fridays.
2. We require all articles/letten to
signed by the writer and to include
his/her title, if representing an
organization. This should be in the upper
right hand comer of the first page.
3. We ^uire all aiticles/letters to be
neatly written or typed and double
spaced on a SS space line.
4. We require all writers to count the
number of words in the article/letter and
place it on the fint page.
5. We reserve ttte right nM to print
material that:
(a) functions u advertisement;
0>) does not those of dte college
adminlsiratioii. fiuulty or student b^y.
The Herald wdcomes criticism and
will re^ood prompdy to any submitted
in writing aad aiiitBd by the writer.
editorial
A Campaign of Merit: A thing of the past
"Jim Broyhill: Take a closer look. "
asks Gov. Terry Sanford in a commercial
blasting his opponent’s voting record in
Congress. “It's the big lie technique," says
Democratic Sen. Alan Cranston of Cali
fornia, responding to the ads his chal
lenger. Republican Rep. Edwin V. W.
Zschan, has been running on his votes on
terrorism and drugs.
It is all around — negative advertising
being used more and more these days by
political candidates as a means of getting
elected to office.
Negative advertising is obtaining the
use of air time to denounce an opponent's
charaaer orvoting record, etc. During the
last decade 'mud slinging' advertisement
use in campaigns has surged and has
caused various changes in the way elec
tions are perceived.
When Senator Jesse Helms and former
Gov. Jim Hunt squared off during the last
senatorial campaign in North Carolina, it
was one of the most expensive races for
the Senate in history.
Mostofthe money spent was on televi
sion commercials. These air spots were
not used by the candidates to tell of their
platform or character, but were used to
tell the public of their opponent's faults.
Both candidates develop^ a media stra
tegy designed to case doubt and skepti
cism upon the other.
It is now 1986 and again we are in the
midst of another heavily contested sena
torial campaign between Senator Jim
Broyhill and former OovernorTerry San
ford. Their raceoveral! has been relatively
quiet, but now in the Hnal weeks of the
campaign negative television advertising
has been coming out of the woodworks.
Why is television such a dynamic force
in elections and why does negative adver
tising seem to have mass appeal to the
viewers? •
Pollsters and media consuhants for pol
itical candidates have done research and
found that it works in their favor to attack
their opponent on the air.
There has also been conclusive evi
dence which shows that people are more
inclined to remember negative advertis
ing, even If they disliked the ad. Whj^
According to Ed Metlman, a Democratic
pollster, whether the viewer can appre
ciate the ad is not the question, the only
thing that matters is that the information
Is absorbed.
In another congressional campaign,
Democrat David E. Price began broad
casting two 30-second ads last week that
criticized votes taken by his opponent.
Rep. William W. Cobey, on farm credit
and Social Security. Price has used Cobey's
voting record before in his press confer
ences, but he feels that television makes
the message sharper.
Negative advertising doesn't always
work to the advantage of the candidate.
Some feel that negative advertising
could cause voters to lose interest in polit
ical campaigns altogether.
Curtis Cans, director of the Committee
for the Study of the American Electorate,
believes that negative advertbement is to
blame for the 12 percent decline in prim
ary turnout for the last midterm elections,
in 1982 which he predicts will probably
happen again this year.
Negative advertising has also altered
thinking in the minds of some voters.
According to an editorial in The
Washington Post, “There used to be a
saying In our business [media] that you
would never find anyone who would tell
you they liked a negative ad. This year for
the first time, we Ye finding people who are
saying, *Hey, that's interesting.' It's the
positive ads they're more (^nical about."
1 think what's happening to our system
of elections with the implementation of
negative advertising is really sad. What
ever became of straight campaigning on
the issues affecting our nation, states, cit
ies. and so on?
I wish we could turn back the hands of
time where candidates blew their own
horn and allowed their opponent to blow
his.
I am more interested In finding out
where each candidate stands rather than
how creative he Is In criticizing his
opponent.
Vanessa Goodman
Editor
letters to editor
Who has time
for spirit?
Dear Editor,
After reading your editorial (October
23,1986), I was outraged at your opinion
of us, the student body. I don’t know
about anyone else, but I came to Meredith
first and foremost, for an education. If it
offends you that I miss certain activities to
finish my homework or get some well-
needed sleep, then I’m sorry. Do you
think that my teachers will take it Into
consideration that I’m failing my classes
because I'm showing some school spirit? I
understand that there should be an equal
balance between schoolwork and extra
curricular activities. However, when it
comes down to a choice between the two
— and it usually does — then I choose
schoolwork.
I'm not getting on a soapbox by saying
that I have so much work to do —
everyone does. What I’m saying is that
Mer^ith is an educational institution,
and the extractuiicular activities are a
choice for us. You make it sound like it is a
requirement that we get involved, and we
lack school spirit if we don’t. Has it ever
occurred to you that maybe, after a full
day of classes, we are too tired or have too
much work to do to participate?
Allison Hilton
To All Meredith
students and faculty
that timp^ o£ yearag#|i lime for
Comhuskin* Spirit Competition
Sonsoied by the Astras f» tfie Mtildple
'£lerosis Society. This jrear^ we w^Uke
to invite Meredith's factdty to pad^pate.
Beginning Monday, November 3 Jars will
be in the cafeteria for eachclass along with
a new jar for our faculty. Donate pennies
and greenbacks to your class' jar to add
points and donate silver to otiliier jars to
subtract fixtm th^ total score. It's always
a stiff competition so START SAVING
YOUR PENNIES NOWII! Help us raise
money for Multiple Sclerosis and make
this the best com^tition eved!! The com^
petition wiU end on WEDNESDAY. NOV.
5 at6:l5 pm. v
. . , Thanks,
SGA OFFICE HOURS
Donnu Wilson. President
9-10 MWF 2-3 TH
Bettie Shipp, Vice President
2 3 MW II-I2TH
The otTice is located on the second floor of
Cate Center.
MEREDITH ENTERTAINMENT ASSOCIATION
Dorcas Hostetler. President
Elizabeth Homthal. Vice President
Julie Hicks. Secretary
Jennifer Steifel. Treasurer
Office Hours 9 a.m. • 5 p.m weekly.
Omce Phone 829-8599
MRA OFFICE HOURS
Monday: 9K)0-10:00 - Beth C.
10:00-12:00- Kelly
12:30- 1:30-Reid
1:30- 3:00- Beth K.
3:00- 4:30 - Aileen
Tuesday: 9:30-11:00 - Mary Kathryn
11:00“ 1:00 - Aileen
I^K)- 2:00-Gladys
3:00- 4:30 - Aileen
Thursday:
Wednesday: 9:00-10:00 - Lisa
10:00-11^)0-CLOSED
FOR
WORSHIP
Friday:
11:00-12:00-Kay
12:30- 1:30-Reid
2:00- 3:00 - Sheny
300- 4:30 -
9:30-11:00- Maty Kathryn
11:00- 1:00-Aileen
1.00- 200 - Gladys
200- 3:00 -
3:00- 4:00 - Lisa
4:00- 4:30 - Aileen
9.-00-1000 - Mary Kathiyn
10:00-MOO-Joan
11.00-1200-Kay
2 Meredith Herald OctotDer 30,1986