April 2 Apri
The Hammer
by Laurie Sherrill
We so rarely think of the juvenile delin
quent and of the gradual steps he climbs to
become the adult criminal. The problems which
burn the sanity from so many adult minds are
problems which have smoldered and struggled
for long years in the minds of children. Because
of this we need to realize how eminently impor
tant the understanding and channeling of the
frustrations of the young criminal are.
SMC Nostalgia
by Sidney Jessup
The St. Mary’s girls of 1899 were just as _
fashion conscious then as we are now. However,,
our tastes and styles have changed somewhat t
over the years. The girls then felt just as hbj,
erated with the fashions of their day as we doj
now.
A rriMF AS-YOU-ARE PARTY? . . . That’s what it looks like
t a?i metters of the St. Mary’s community gather to watch
the streak.
“The fashions of 1899 bring much variation
into vogue,’’ according to one 1899 St. ^ary
girl “First the skirts will be long, then sho t
tight, pleated and plain. Fashionable shoes vviU
at one moment require a pointed toe and
rounded one the next.
One must first understand the young per
son’s situation outside of prison. If he is from
Massachusetts his chances of coming from a
poverty stricken family are nine in ten. He is
probably a “status offender”; a nuisance to
adults. He or she may be locked up for such
minor offenses as breaking a curfew, drinking,
smoking, or reading a dirty book, offenses
which become permissible as soon as the chil
officially reaches required age. Some offenders
may be more serious minded and may, m sue
a place as Philadelphia, join together to commit
half of all the violent crimes taking place. If
the juvenile delinquent lives in a place like New
York he may find himself sentenced to an adult
prison and yet denied the right to a trial by
jury on the grounds that he is not an adult.
Streaking Fad Strikes SMC
. . t 1 4-V*rt+ /^1
by Athalia Cooper
On the average it will cost the state $5,700
yearly to keep each young person and in some
states it may cost between $10,000 and $12,000.
In other words, it would cost no more to send
the juvenile delinquent to an expensive prep
school with a $100-a-month allowance, psychia
tric care, and a trip to Europe than it does to
keep him locked up. And what good purpose do
these reformatories actually serve that we should
continue to support them? Young people are
subjected to humiliating rules (such as shaving
their heads to insure the detection of ticks),
abnormal living conditions (locked doors and
barred windows), and abnormal relationships
(no family and no contact with those of the
opposite sex). Disciplinary measures taken are
often absurd as well as extreme. Children may be
forced to wear a monkey suit and stand in a cage
for a month, drink from urinals, rub their faces
in their own feces, or have their fingers bent
back until they are broken. lit is difficult to be
lieve that a repentant and reformed attitude will
evolve from such degrading acts.
A unique hew craze has rip
ped across the country during
the past month or so; yep, you
got it, ace: streaking. Surpris
ingly, however, it hasn t hit
dear old SMC yet, except for a
few pitiful attempts down the
halls.
Institutions of higher learning
all over the country have had
streakers by the hundreds; even
North Carolina has been repre
sented exceptionally well. The
daring part-time nudists haven t
restricted themselves only to
schools, either. There’ve been
commendable attempts on air
liners, ships, on the beaches,
and numerous public sites.
There was even a streak at
Salem. Why, it may not be long
before Peace gets a few brave
exhibitionists, too.
Letter to the Editor
Those programs which do claim to be con
structive often involve the instruction of obsolete
skills or of skills which will keep the juvenile
delinquent securely anchored to the bottom of the
social and financial scale. Even if the child
is able to follow a new lifestyle inside the
walls, once out he or she returns to the same
environment to be influenced by the same people.
The rate of recidivism proves that the system
we now support is little more than a revolving
door for the juvenile delinquent.
SURGEONS OF TOMORROW . . . Melrose Whit
field and Anne Read prepare for their journey to
Duke Hospital with their anatomy class, April 4.
Dear Editor,
It is with deep concern and
disappointment that we wish to
call attention to the latest fad
— streaking — which reached
St. Mary’s campus March 13.
The so-called “school spirit”
which was exemplified was quite
ironic according to the objec
tives of St. Mary’s as outlined
in the catalogue — “To provide
the climate in which Christian
character with its strong em
phasis on concern for others
may develop in all phases of
life at St. Mary’s ... to en
courage high ethical standards
and firm moral intensity in all
aspects of student life.
Granlied, only a few shed their
clothes, yet the “curious” crowds
of enthusiasm and/or disbelief
support this conduct by mere
attendance. Each person decides
for himself whether he will sur
render his basic standards of
modesty to the current appeals
of popular culture. Yet, does
this “provide” the climate m
which Christian character with
strong emphasis on concern^^for
others, may develop or “en
courage high ethical standards
and firm moral integrity?’ We
strongly feel streaking to be
evidence of moral decay, and a
negative activity in the develop
ment of an individual, especially
on a church school campus.
Larry Christenson, author of
The Christian Family, provides
a helpful guide for those who
are sincere in their efforts to
love and please God.
“A Christian must establish
his own standards which prevail
in the world around him. When
a culture begins to disintegrate
morally, the people of God must
expect that the difference be
tween their way of life and
the World’s will become more
and more pronounced. If we are
not prepared to accept the dis
approbation which this may
bring, then we’d better ask our
selves if we are prepared to be
followers of Jesus at all.”
Sincerely,
Names Withheld
What’s happened to that old
SMC spirit? It’s true that St.
Mary’s girls are more modest,
genteel, and refined than any
one else, but it must be ad
mitted that we’re usually first
in fads. Take for example:
over-alls, blue-jean skirts, top-
siders, rugby shirts ... the
list is unlimited. It simply must
be that our blood is too blue
for streaking.
That’s O.K., though; because
our holding back can mean only
one thing: deep down, we’ve got
class. We are above such fool
ish exhibitionism; besides, it’s
too cold outside.
It appears, however, that St.
Mary’s girls may still be among
the most sought-after specta
tors. One night, one hall re
ceived a call from the “Bowen
Streakin’ Service,” with the
message that there could be a
mass streak at St. Mary’s on
one condition. The callee quick
ly asked what the condition was.
(Not that anyone wants to see
a bunch of boys over here, tor
menting the Pinkertons)! The
reply was basically this: the
more money we raise, the more
streakers we’ll get . . •
Now, now, girls, put those
wallets back up. It may be a
hoax. (But just in case, there
might be a rummage sale, a
bake sale, and some movies in
the near future. The money will
be contributed to some worthy
boys, uh, causes.)
Who knows ... it may be
even better just bo watch, or
at least read about these inci
dents. Why should we St. Mary’s
Streakettes, that is. Sprites,
run the risk of being revolted,
humiliated, or even corrupted?
(Heaven forbid)!
Yes, this has got to be one
time that we must ignore the
old cliches such as: Be your
self. Don’t be afraid to try any
thing once. Go natural . . .
The young ladies- of this time felt impelleil
to top off any outfit with a hat. The most popu
lar hats of this day were found to sail
hats, violet hats, rose hats, feathered hats, up
turned hats, and downtilted hats. (By the way,
the girls mention that the downtilted hat isj
going out of style.)
Below is an excerpt taken from an 1892
“Music” in which the girls state how nice i i
to live in a time that they are not confine^
by their clothing. The girls are all glad Ui
they have many liberated outfits which give thei«
greater ease at sports.
If she spends the summer in the moun
tains, does she ever suffer from a fall
caused by a very long skirt that has
tangled around her feet? No; the cos
tumes of the day correspond with the
sports. Take her on the tennis courts,
her skirt is always wide enough to give
her a quick and free movement, not too
long, nor too short, and not close fitting
like the cycling skirts. How comfortable
and graceful a girl looks on the basket
ball grounds. Tired of the dull, trying
colors of long ago, our girl rather likes
bright, joyous colors; red caps, pretty
ties and gay trimmings on her blue or
white yachting suit.
Even though styles have changed over tb®
years, girls of today seem to wear tlmir ha
the same way the girls of 1899 did. "^e gi
of the past described their modern day
style as being “loose, soft waves, straight loc
over the ears, or the moderate pompadour.
Since the girls of 1899 took many meticulo^
pains to be dressed properly, they expec^
their boyfriends to do likewise. They expect
their beau to be dressed in immaculate sail
suit and starch white linen before they wou
even conceive of dating him. Of course if
young couple planned on going bicycling, the ^
would be expected to wear something casu
such as golf stockings, knee-hreeches, brig
yellow shoes, topped off with a circle-brimm
cap! Can anyone think of a more appropri
outfit for bike riding?
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As many readers will have
already guessed, the above arti
cle was written before that fate
ful night of March 13, 1974.
The mass streak (I say “mass”
because over five people at St.
Mary’s can be considered a
mass) which took place, that
evening just has to be the most
scandalous event that this school
has ever known, not to mention
the most unique birthday pres
ent a president has ever re
ceived.
Also, it was probably the
first time ever that the house
mothers, the Pinkertons, and
several policemen have had to
watch, yes, simply watch, while
something went on of which
they disapproved. It must have
been pure agony.
The crowning glory of the
streakers’ night, though, was
when the boys joined in. Boys! ?
With no clothes on! ? On THIS
campus! ?
The “St. Mary’s Streakettes”
was right, after all.
St. Mary’s streaked . . .^
Whoever said that the im
possible can’t happen?
The Belles of St. Mary’s
Editor in Chief Margaret Stevens
Managing Editor Susan Gotherman
News Editor 1 Jt
Features Editor Barbara Urquhart
Art Editor Kathy Jordan
Photographer j^^^wnnn
Circulation Candy Bun"
Trudy Glass
Typist Kay Carpenter
Patricia Murphy
Margaret Williams
Jeanette Sanderson
Advisor Mrs. Catherine Barnhart
NEWS
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Athalia Cooper
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Johnson
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Debbie We^
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Kitty McKcnr'e
features staff
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Becky Davis Sidney ® ju
Dot Fitchett Laurie Sherr
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