OCTOBER 4,1968
PAGE 2
Editorial: Commentary |j||||
PROBLEMS PROBLEMS
We thought we'd take up all the old MAC gripes in this column. Here it is traditional
to editorialize about them. Complaints become cherished as they gain the respectability of
age. In order that each student may see his or her favorite beef in print, I deal with the
chief ones in this week's package deal.
Let's begin with the cause of last year's only student rebellion, the famous 6:30
insurrection. It happened in May just as the Sorbonne students were fomenting revolution
across the ocean. What was the cause of the Montreat uprising? The war? The draft?
Defense contracts? Lack of student-faculty communication? Protest over a controversial
speaker?
No, it was none of these. The action was a demonstration against (shudder) poor food
S'ervice. Perhaps we should elaborate for those students who are new to Montreat-Anderson.
Believing in the old dictum "a healthy mind in a healthy body, " many students decided they
were fed up. They objected to violation of their meals by foreign particles.
Strenuous protests were also directed at too small glasses of milk. Who wants rickets?
Further, short breakfast hours increased bitterness. Irritated by these and other offenses,
students took the only possible course of action.
Rather than fast, since many of them were already emaciated from improper diets, the
rebels decided to march to supper at 6:30, the cafeteria's normal closing hour. The angry
militants were orderly enough. Luckily, no NACE or other police controls were needed.
Finally, the approximately 200 agitators sat down to cold suppers. But, the moral victory
was theirs. How will the Establishment figures who ate at 6 o'clock be able to face
their children in later years?
No one knows. But any Montreat-Anderson alumnus can point with pride to his Sundays
at this school. Every student is in church from about II to 12 o'clock. Is he motivated
by piety? No, overcuts are the spur that goad him out of a warm bed.
Church attendance is required at Montreat-Anderson. It makes no difference whether
you're an unclean infidel or a Franciscan friar, you're expected to be there. The points
for and against required church and chapel have been batted back and forth many times
before. We'll spare you any further discussion.
Permit us to add this reminder, "be in church or transfer." And John Calvin will bless
you real fine.
If he doesn't, Carrie Nation will. Standard Argument Number three — The fifty-mile
drinking rule. That's how far the school has authority over the consumption of spirits.
This rule bothers rum-swilling, licentious, degenerate types.
It obviously wouldn't phase a member of the Elect. He accepts it as a matter of course.
It is of no moment to him« However, this same fledgling saint delights in playing sermon
and gospel music tapes at 7:30 in the morning. This tends to upset the pagan next door who
has been up until 3:30 preparing for a Bible test.
The sleeper may not even care for John G. Whittier's hymns. What's wrong with his
life that he won't let the light in?
Probably, he's just confused. MAC didn't do this. Some folks are just bent on
self-destruction.
Memo: Carl Sandburg on Billy Sunday: "I distrust anyone who never works anything but
his mouth."
Dear Editor:
I am writing this letter about the recent
decision to enforce the rule which requires
a student to have an overall 2.0 average in
order to have a car on campus. I can
understand the rule which keeps freshmen
from having a car on campus, but it hardly
seems f^ir to ask a person who has been at
attending Montreat for three or four semesters
perviously to take his car off campus because
his overall average doesn't measure up to
a certain standard. Some people tell us
that college is the place where we are on our
own and we have to make our own decisions.
Having a car on campus should be the
student's own responsibility if he feels he
can handle it and still keep up his grades.
I advocate a change of the rule so that a
person with a previous semester grade of
2.0 or over can have a car. Several students
have had one bad semester which has lowered
their overall average while the preceeding
semester they had a 2.0. These students
either had to take their cars home or park
them in Black Mountain.
Again it hardly seems fair for a person
who has worked all summer for several
summers and has made enough money to buy
a car, to be told that he is not allowed to
drive his car on campus.
I also realize that students are coming
to Montreat-Anderson College for an
education, but I believe each student
should be allowed to answer the car problem
for himself. Having a car makes it so
convenient to get around and get home on
holidays.
I hope much consideration is given to
changing the rule. This matter should
not be taken lightly.
John Mul lins.
Dear Editor:
Pray for "Rosemary's Baby'. " A thanks
to Harvey Davis for his splendid review of
the movie in last week's"Cavalier."
If Rosemary's baby is a personification
of the Devil, as many interpret it to be,
let that stand. At least, the pic recognizes
the existence of a satanic force in the
world, its insidious nature, and the zeal
of its followers.
Revelatory history as it is recorded in
the Bible does not answer the question,
"Where did the Devil come from?" (unless
you literalize some cryptic passages like
Is. I4:I2 citing one Lucifer or Day Star,
probably a symbol borrowed from Baal myth
to designate the evil King of Babylon.) The
Bible does, however, affirm unequivocally
the Devil's existence as a cosmic reality.
Sincer, therefore, our understanding of
the origin of "that pitch-forked, horned
creature" is almost altogether extra-biblically
based (Persian dualism and Babylonian
mythology), I see Rosemary's baby as one
fascinating, though not plausible, alternative
answer to "from whence the Devil?"
I say, pray for Rosemary's baby for in so
doing we are praying for that monster with
which we are all pregnaht - our own
distorted, evil-infused natures which need
redeeming.
R. Paul Kercher
Professor of Bible