Newspaper Page Text
PAGE TWO
Letter To Editor
Huffman Criticizes Paper:
Praises Student Government
What would most college newspapers do for editorials if
they were deprived of the chance to dig out and exploit the
minor faults in leading campus organizations? In respect to
recent editorials criticizing our SGA this seems especially ap
plicable to the West Georgian. This objective view of the
West Georgian by no means contents the supression of the syn
chronism between criticism and editorials. Probably most pro
gressive individuals will agree as well as support constructive
‘criticism when applied conscientiously.
Herein before the “ole reliable" editorial criticisms have
appeared to promenade in and around certain issues and policies
resulting in vagueness and confusion for those students not aware
of the present editor’s tactics.
With regard to overall campus events, the “West Georgian”
exemplifies ample coverage with the ironical exception of SGA.
This attitude could possibly result from political jealously hang
ing over from someone’s past.
The most recent editorial stated that the present SGA was
lacking in leadership qualities. Those who have taken the time
to read the editorials for the past eighteen months can sum
marize this expression as having become an editorial theme. The
question that immediately comes to mind is what has the editor
catechezed toward the recueration of the conditions so vividly
illustrated in his columns.
Our SGA is far from perfect, but it is still further from the
picture recently given to the students. Many long and tedious
hours have gone into and will continue to be an integral part of
the SGA’s effort to collect, formulate, and execute the policies
designed to the bertterment of the student body majority.
An excellent example of intuition and consciousness of an
objective was displayed by our SGA executives at the annual
SUSGA convention in Biloxi, Mississippi. Our previously elected
student executive leaders returned from the SUSGA convention
with honors for our student body president and prestige for
West Georgia College as an institution.
Wayne Seabolt, having won the election for Georgia’s state
vice-chairmanship, has thereby placed himself and West Geor
gia in a key position regulating the student governments of col
leges and universities throughout Georgia. In this position, West
Georgia will become the focal point from which all state level
student government activities will be correlated and directed.
Previously, this position of vice-chairman has been dominated by
the larger schools in Georgia, namely Georgia, Emory, and
Georgia Tech.
My congratulations especially go to President Seabolt on his
new office. He now fills the office held by two previous vice
chairmen, R. G. Culpepper, (University of Georgia Law School)
and David St. John (Emory Law School), who are to be com
mended for their terms of office.
This is but another step forward by our student government
in their continuing efforts to have West Georgia recognized as
a growing institution with plenty of potential.
Without going into any detail, it seems to me that if the
few supposedly VlP’s on our campus would get off their duff
and convert their captious attitudes to the benefit rather than
degradation of our SGA, there could be a great deal more ac
complished; and the result would be a lot less to criticize.
Charles Huffman
Celeta Estes
“Thanks For The Memories"
Bob Hope never ends a show without his famous theme
song, “Thanks for the Memories.” As these last moments of
another nearly completed year steal away, I too would like to
say thanks for the memories.
Thanks for the memory of contagiously excited freshmen
who crept in quietly one fall night and soon filled each campus
corner with the mingling of ambition and frivolity which is
typical to the novice student.
Thanks for the smile that lighted the face of a student as
I passed. That was the day that yearned for just a hint of
encouragement.
Then there’s the teacher, busy with his own problems, who
took time to speak and call even me by name. We talked for
only a moment, but I learned.
Thanks, too, for the senior about to leave our campus for
a much bigger place. Like a mother who hates to see her
youngsters leave home, w r e too hate to see the seniors go. How
ever, they came here to learn to make their own way they
learned, and they must go.
Thanks for the memory of basketball and baseball games
where school spirit brought us all together on a common ground.
Lastly, thanks for the most cherished memory of all, the
memory of the individual student who did his work conscientious
ly, concerned himself for others, studied just to learn, took his
share of the work to be done, accepted a responsibility, and
remembered to be thankful for his opportunities.
THE WEST GEORGIAN
IITTI F MAN ON CAMPUS
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MENTS* FAIR TESTS, CON<SiP£RAfiC>N& HELP
OUTLOOK
By
jNo<‘l Brown
Letters to the Editor ordinarlv would be answered in the
following edition, but since this is the last edition of the year,
Charles Huffman’s letter carried in this paper must be answered
now.
First, Huffman stated that the "West Georgian” exempli
fies ample coverage with the ironical exception of SGA." Huff
man obviously is not aware of what he is saying. The last four
editions of the paper prove him wrong. Three of the five front
page stories in the March 9 edition pertained to student govern
ment. The lead story announced the election of the new officers
with a two column picture of the officers. The second lead was
the announcement of the sudent government book exchange.
The third student government story was the announcement of
the Sabin vaccine distribution. In the same edition the SGA
SOC budget report was printed on page 3.
The next edition, April 6, carried (with picture) the new
student government officers presiding at their first SGA meet
ing. The front page carried a picture of the Bill Black Combo
which was a big SOC activity for the quarter. The same edition
carried a story of the planning of the Luau and a free ad for
the SOC presentation of “Suddenly Last Summer.”
The next edition, April 20, again carried two front page
student government stories. The Sabin vaccine distribution and
a report of the second SGA meeting was carried as lead stories.
Page 3 of that edition carried the details of the SUSGA meeting
to be held at Biloxi.
The last edition, May 11. carried no student government news.
Wayne Seablot’s election as vice chairman of the Georgia SUSGA
was not announced until after the paper's deadline. Before the of
ficers left for Biloxi, 1 asked Seabolt who had won the Southwire
awards and he informed me that some final decisions had not
been made. No news was carried because there was no news.
Mr. Huffman refers to Mr. Seabolt’s election as “a key posi
tion regulating the student governments throughout Georgia.”
SUSGA is not a regulating organization but merely for the ex
change of ideas. Seabolt is receiving due credit elsewhere in this
edition.
Huffman implies that the editorials I have written for the
past 18 months have involved criticism of student government.
The truth is the first 18 editorials I wrote for this paper per
tained to national affairs, not to campus activities. Only this year
two quarters after Huffman's term as SGA president ended, did
I write an editorial relative to campus affairs.
Further refutal of Huffman’s letter seems unnecessary. I can
only conclude that certain SGA recent actions which cannot be
mentioned here make me hang my head in shame when I hear
the name student government.
Ill t Wml (fcortfan
PUBLISHED 81-WEEKLY SEPTEMBER . MAY
Publication of the Students of West Georgia College.
Prof. Answers
Plea for Unity
From SG \ Pres.
Dear Mr. Seabolt:
Please accept my humble
apology for taking so long to
answer your thoughtful letter
about developing a closer re
lationship between the stu
dent body and me as a faculty
member. I am grateful for your
interest. My only excuse for
taking so long to answer is
poor at best, but I have been
hoping that a bit of light would
strike and that I could write
i something meaningful. The
light has not struck, and 1 have
nothing really constructive to
contribute.
I am afraid that as any
school gets larger, close rela
tionship between students and
faculty in general outside of
sessions with advisees and ad
visors becomes less and
less except in clubs and oc
casionally when a faculty mem
ber has interests that interest
students and bring about per
sonal associations on campus
and sometimes at home the
faculty member having hand
picked students in for tea and
talk and that sort of thing. I’m
afraid close relationship between
faculty in general and students
in general does not exist in
large institutions. Maybe it can
not.
As for the local situation, the
only area where I think im
provement in faculty-student re
lationship might and should be
improved is through attendance
at public events, speeches on
campus, performances on cam
pus, musical and artistic events
on campus. The faculty is, in
my opinion, not leading prop
er support and neither are the
students. Here is one common
ground, one part of campus
life, one possible point where
there might be a pleasant meet
ing of minds. But there are
major difficulties. For instance,
I’ll not go to a rock-and-roll
session, and the student body
will turn out much less than
en masse to a long-haired con
| cert, the Beatles, of course, be
ing excepted. Neverthelss, I
think sombody willing to work
at it could improve things in
this area. Somebody must do
some leg and telephone work.
I regret any inability to con
tribute to the extent that your
interest deserves. I’ll try to do
better if you call on me again.
Sincerely yours,
Dice R. Anderson
* ''MBk
Mill
Letter To Editor
Cohen
Asks Why?
J
May 22
Dear Editor:
The Movie “Home From The
Hill” was scheduled to be
shown by SOC on Friday, May
15.
The Film was delivered to
the campus four days prior to
the scheduled showing, unused.
This was $25.00 of Student Ac
tivity money down the drain.
I think that students should
be asking S.O.C.’s leaders why
the film was not shown during
the four day period.
A1 Cohen J
MONDAY, MAY 25, 1964