Page 5, December 15, 1977
A Thought Before Qiristmas Parties
ELLEN VIOLETT
by Kurt Lassen
A college girl, deep into alcohol,
wrote a wartime love story, as she
puts it, “in a drunken haze!’It was
published to a national magazine
and she thought she was on her way.
She wasn’t. She was fortunate
enough to know she was in deep
trouble, that her life was un
manageable because of her
drinking. And she was fortunate
enough, or wise enough, to seek help.
Ellen Violett has had a highly
successful career as a writer for
television and has her first novel,
“Double Take;’ out in the market
place through a prestigious
publisher.
She might well have ended up on
the Bowery, or whatever drunk row
there was in any city, but she knew
she was in trouble with her drinking
and sought help.
“I think one of the most rewarding
things, at least for me, was being
with a group of young people a while
ago who had drinking problems. I
was transported back to my college
days and I could tell them what I
was and how I felt in those days!’
Ellen told us.
“You see, in those days there
weren’ t that many teenage
alcoholics and I know how I felt. I
went to a group thereapy meeting
and luckily there was one young
man there I could relate to. I got off
the liquor and went to work on my
life and it worked.”
would be nowhere today.. .. no
magazine articles, no television and
movie scripts and no novel. Perhaps
“no lifel*
Her novel, “Double Take!‘ deals
exciitingly with a girl who is mur
dered. “If it is agirl, there is always
the implication there that she was
doing something wrong. Did you
ever see a headline that read
‘Blonde Man Murdered?”
Talking to Ellen, one is impressed
that two things occupy her attention
deeply: alcoholism and the rights of
women to equal treatment in the
fabric of our lifestyle.
m working on a television
movie on the life of Bill Wilson, the
founder of Alcoholics Anonymous!’
she told us. “He was such a brilliant
man and I’m hoping it goes from the
writing to the screen.
“There are times when I think that
now that I’m older 1 could easily take
a drink and perhaps it wouldn’t
bother me now. Then, I look back
and I remember my days as a
teenager alcoholic and I pass ud that
drink.”
Teenage alcoholism has become a
major problem, as everyone knows,
Ellen told us. “Today there is more
help available than when I was
young, and being involved with it
helps me remember and , hopefully,
helps young people recognize that
there is a great, wonderful life
outjthere outside the alcoholic haze 1
knew when I was young.’
Women's
Today the teenage alcoholic has
somewhere to go. There’s Ala-Teen
and, for thosewho face alcoholism in
the family, there is Al-Anon, and for
every teenager in alinost any town,
village or city there is Alcoholics
Anonymous, which will steer them
in the direction which can answer
their need.
“I went on to Time Magazine and
then to Theatre Arts Magazine as a
critic and reporter, Ellen told us.
‘‘Then I got my first break in
television and wrote many scripts
for all kinds and I was the first
woman to write a script for “The
Defenders.”
Ellen frankly admits that had she
continued on her route of drinking
hard and steadily she knows she
Dormitories
Decorated
for
Christmas
by Georganna Rice
Christmas was in the air this
weekend when MaHall and
McGregor had open dorms. Each
hall selected an individual theme
and decorated their hall to compete
for the ‘most originally decorated
hall:
In MaHall, second floor did more
studying than decorating, but the
atmosphere made up for where the
decorations were lacking. Third
floor was a Christmas scene done
Charlie Brown style. Had you
in
Cars began
P^joto by Carl Hannloo
to line up for the tough competition present at the Second Annual
visited fourth, no doubt you would
have caught a glimpse of one of
SantaS elves (Tricia Watson and
Denise Crumm ( and put on a lew
extra pounds while browsing
through their various shops. Fifth
floor, was musically inclined with
several Christmas songs being
played while they awaited patiently
the arrival of Santa on the roof.
In McGregor Dormitory the halls
were of different assortments,
anywhere from a giftwrapped door
to the manger scene were on
display. The hall which stood out
was first floor. There the theme was
“an old-fashioned Christmas.” The
atmosphere seemed to have had its
proper effect on the judges too, for
they won first place for their dor
mitory. MaHall fourth floor won for
their dorm.
Montreat-Anderson College Auto Rally
2nd Annual 9IAC
Car Rally Held
Robert Hunt checks the blood pressure of Nancy Cherry at the Health Fair.
November 19
by Ranee Helms
On Friday, November 18, some eager motorists were reving up thier car’s
engines anxiously awaiting the start of the Third Annual Montreat Anderson
College Friendly Auto Rally. At 3:00 p.m. sharp the rally began under the
direction of the Recreation Skills one class members: Judey Anderson,
Kaye Beasley, Nancy Cherry, Tim Edwards, David Ford, Pat Howard, Robert
Hunt, Rick Haney, Bob Lake, Don McKenzie, Mandy Peele, and Diane
Wadwsorth. Fifteen cars left the starting line equipped with maps and in
struction sheets at one minute in intervals. Their assignment. . .to find the
shortest route to each of six check points and correctly identify the site with
the checkpoint on the map. These checkpoints were located over a thirty-three
mile area of Buncombe County with a few examples of sites being a pink
mailbox No. 866, a washed out bridge, a rotted treestump. Private Road - Do
Not Enter sign and many others. As one may see, the occupants of the cars did
not have an easy job. Each car leaving the starting line was occupied by at
least two persons, one having to be from the Montreat community, the driver
and his trustworthy navigator. Other passengers were welcomed also. After
the drivers had left. Matt Brooks provided comedy as to keep the excitment to
a minimum.
As the rally wore down to it’s closing hour the cars began to return to the
start-finish line located in between the Library and McGregor Dorm. When all
cars had returned, even the ones that had gotten lost, the winning car of
Eugene Davidson, driver and Danny Mangum, navigator, was declared.
Prizes were awarded to all participants which included dinner, car washes
and other various prizes furnished by citizens of Montreat and Black Moun
tain.