Campus Editorial
February 10,1993 page two
—Letters to the Editor
Last Thursday a jury awarded
17-year-oId Shannon Moseley's
pareots $105. 2 million in a case
against General Motors. Moseley
was killed in a car accident in
which his GM pickup truck ex>
ploded upon impact due to its
"sidesaddle" fuel tank design. It is
terrible that Moseley died in this
accident, but what is worse is the
fact that GM is upset that they had
to pay this amount to the family,
and it is this fact that disgusts me.
I just can't believe that a major
corporation
like GM
would whine
over owning
up to a mis
take they
made, espe
cially since
this mistake
took a life and
has the poten
tial to take more. Between the
years 1973 and 1987 GM manu
factured 4.7 million of these
Chevrolet/GMC C-K series trucks
and if these tracks aren't re
called GM could end up paying a
lot more than what flie Moseleys
are rewarded.
When lives are lost in a situa
tion like this GM takes it as a
lesson learned, but what do the
families of Oiose whose loved ones
died see it as? The money awarded
is not going to fill the void of lost
life, but it will be a harse reminder
to GM that a mistake was made-
one that should be coirected as
soon as possible.
I realize
some people
will say that
sure, GM needs
to recall those
trucks and the
Moseleys were
due some
money, but
$105.2 million.
Well, you put
yourself in the Moseley’s shoes
see EDITORIAL pageseven
I wish to express my appre-
ciadon to the Association for
Black Awareness for bringing
Dorothy Spruill Redford to our
campus and to encourage any
one who did not hear her to view
the video prepared by the media
services people in the Carlyle
Campbell Library. Ms. Redford
is an excellent speaker who is an
example of what just one person
can accomplish.
Congratulations ABA!
Anne C. Dahle, Meredith
alumna and Direaor, Re-entry
Program, ContinuingEducatlon
Department
Student describes
freshman year
In high school, there are cer
tain norms that we all try to fol
low. We wear cool clothes and
always try to be part of the “in- -
crowd.” I’ve always prided my
self on my ability to just be my
self in spite of what everyone
else may have been doing, but 1
learned the hard way that in the
effort to be my own person, I
became someone whom 1 never
wanted to be. It is my hope that
my story will save at least one
freshman Jrom making the same
mistakes that I did.
I came to Raleigh ftx)m a very
small town (I graduated with only
95 other people). Though I was a
cheerleader, editor of the year
book, dressed right, etc. I never
had any close ftiends. High
school just wasn’t my thing. For
me, leaving home was more than
just being away from my some
what-strict parents; being at col
lege signaled my becoming the
truly “cool” person I always
thought I as. I planned to make
lots of fiiends and meet lots of
really cute guys - to be what I
never was in high school.
I'.irtofflttingininvolvedlook-
ing right. I wanted stylish hair -
long, full, very feminine; Mom
said my hair looked better short,
so,ofcourse,Ikeptitlong. There
was never a dme when I wanted
to get it cut, even when my father
complainedincessantly about its
being in my face. Long hair was
“in"; boys likedit, and all the popu
lar girls had it. I wanted to be
popular, too, especially with the
guys.
Meredith College was a far cry
from the colleges that my high
school peers chose; most of them
enrolled (together) at the local com
munity college or the University of
North Carolina at Wilmington,
which is only a thirty minute drive
from my high school. My first few
nights at Meredith were spent try
ing to be the life of my suite. I
entertained my new friends and
eageriy expressed my desires to
get out and party as soon as pos
sible. I had never drunk alcohol in
high school (I never got invited to
parties), and I was anxious to try
those mystical beverages of free
dom. Luckily, ray suitemate had a
boyfriend at N.C. State, so on my
first Friday of adulthood, I met the
guys of Bragaw Dorm.
Every weekend for about a
month, I was at Bragaw, getdng
drunk off wine coolers and “hook
ing up” with whoever was willing.
I definitely popular with the guys.
They never asked me out on dates,
but they did enjoy my company
from time to time.
After the infamous Cornhuskin’
party, my friends and 1 started go
ing to fraternity parties every week
end. For the rest of the semester,
without fail, I could be found on
fraternity row, drinking beer G had
progressed beyond those “virgin”
drinks) and hanging out with the
guys, any guys, as long as they
were cute and willing.
Shame and embairassment pre
vent me from going into great de
tail about the rest of my first year at
Meredith. Suffice it to say that I got
hopelessly drunk at least once ev
ery weekend and also spent at least
one night of every weekend with a
boy whom I had just met. Some
how, I managed to make a cumula
tive grade point average of 3.5 and
to inaease the amount of my schol
arship. 1 worked hard during the
week and worked it off on the week-
see LETTERS page seven
-orrecticm...
vf itcbell Brown and Leigh Anne P»lunson's pressed verse for the Alma Mater
JK>uld read: Where the cause of women's freedom finds its source anden^gy/ And
Kir sisters from all cultures come to unite. / To forge a land of free thinkers and a
world were wrong’s made right. /May thy banner alma mater ever wave! We
ipoloeize for our error.
Meredith Hui.ild
Mditor in Chtrf
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