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■THE WEST GEORGIAN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3,1984
2
-Opinion
THE
WEST GEORGIAN
West Georgia College, Carrollton, Georgia
Editor Managing Editor
Don Stil well Angela Webster
Advisor
Joe Cumming'
News Editor Advertising Manager
Ris Cowan Andy Crawford
To a better future
Congratulations to Robbie Green and Lee Jones, co
editors of the 1984 Eclectic.
After months of “It’s on its way,” and “It should be
here any day now,” the annually-published student
literary magazine finally arrived last Wednesday.
Green and Jones did a good job of including different
varieties of work. It appears that submissions were
judged fairly.
However, only about one out of every 12 students
received a copy of the magazine, since just 500 copies
were printed.
It is a shame that for a college of this size, so few
copies of the once-a-year publication were printed.
Perhaps the administration should consider allocating
more funds in the future.
There was, however, one area in which this year’s
Eclectic was lacking: art. Although there was no art
editor for this year’s magazine, it seems that surely
some students could have been found who would liked to
have submitted art work to the Eclectic.
Perhaps next year’s editors, Brian Baker and Dan
Williams, should begin looking for an art editor now so
as to make next year’s Eclectic even better. Good Luck.
Moue.s of
Letters to the editor—
Dear Editor:
The Campus Chronicle
(September 28) published an item
concerning G. Gordon Liddy’s ap
pearance here October 4th. This ap
pearance is sponsored by the College
Program Board and is costing over
$4,000.
The Campus Chronicle item
details Liddy’s positions leading to
that of General Counsel to the Com
mittee to Reelect the President
(CREEP) then says “the rest is
history.” It is the absence of any in
dication what that history involves,
that concerns us.
Liddy is a convicted felon who
planned and participated in the
Watergate burglary and the break-in
of the office of Daniel Ellsberg’s
psychiatrist. He is the only partici
pant of the Watergate burglary and
cover-up who has not admitted
wrong-doing. He is a lawyer who,
while working for the president of
the United States, repeatedly ad
vocated breaking the law and did so
in a number of different ways. His
crimes were described by the judge
at his sentencing as “sordid,
'lispicable. and thoroughly reprehen
sible.” Liddy’s autobiography
details his suggestion that columnist
Jack Anderson be assassinated
(Itecause of something he wrote) and
Liddy’s willingness to personally do
the job.
The Campus Chronicle item said
“Liddy is widely acknowledged as a
man of integrity, strength and will”
who “inspires the courage and drive
to go beyond self-imposed limita
tions.” What was not said is that this
information comes directly from.
Liddy’s own publicity agency. We
feel it is irresponsible of the Campus
Chronicle to print such information
The Staff
Sports Editor Jimmy Espy
Fsaturss Editor Brian Bake
Photo Editor Warren Hogg
Business Manager Marty Sanborn
Office Manager Nikki Ovies
without indicating the source and
feel the truth about Liddy also needs
to be printed.
We are concerned with the kind of
example such an “inspiring”
speaker sets for students. The
money spent bringing in a convicted
felon, an unrepentant criminal, a
disbarred lawyer might better have
lieen spent els where.
Carole Seyfrit
Pick Conner
, Rodney Coates
Marc LaFountain
Department of Sociology
Readers respond to Cumming's column
Dear Editor:
In regard to your guest editorial
last week in the West Georgian, I feel
that I must reply for myself as well
as my fellow Greeks. I disagree with
the generalization that Greeks
represent a kind of intellectual dead
weight in the classroom. Greeks do
not come to college to participate in
sororities and fraternities first.
Greeks come to college to recieve an
education and while doing so enjoy
social comradeship as you so
described. I resent the fact that you
have made such an accusation.
Greeks do a lot more than study, this
it true; for example, raising money
for various alturistic projects, pro
moting the name of West Georgia
College nationally as well as offering
a type of extracurricular entertain
ment to students that will keep the
spirit of college alive. I do not think
the student body realizes that WGC
calls on sororities and fraternities’
first to promote various events held
at the college such as, “A” day at
WGC, participating in Blood Drives
to raising money for WGC.
Who f s to blame for
registration hassles?
Arena registration and fee pay
ment will never be a simple pro
cedure. It would be nice if we could
just waltz right in, pick up our
checks, plop down the money we owe
and glide smoothly out the door. But
this will never happen.
With over 6000 students enrolled,
and many of them going through
arena registration and fee payment,
the two-day period will never be
without its flaws. But it could be held
without quite as much hassle as in
the past.
As one of Dr. Gordon Finnie’s red
vested helpers (“A through G can go
now”), I have closely observed the
registration and payment processes
for about two years now. After much
careful observation, personal ex
perience and discussion with others,
I can’t help believing that the pro
blem lies with the business-oriented
staff of the college.
I cannot recall a fee payment day
where at least one line wasn’t back
ed up halfway aross the education
center. Usually, there is one worker
who just hasn’t quite caught the
hang of her job, and hundreds of
students must bear the con
sequences.
This year, as I took a break from
my job to go pay my fees, I found
myself in the fourth line of the day.
“Sorry, your scholarship check
just isn’t here. Go check with X.”
Guest Editorial
West Georgia College is presently
buzzing with the catchword “reten
tion.” According to Vice President
Lewis only 22 percent of those who
enroll at West Georgia graduate
from here. Some obviously drop out,
but many transfer to other schools.
The faculty and administration are
therefore concerned about retaining
more of those who fail to graduate.
One explanation for this low reten
tion rate often given by faculty and
students is that West Georgia is an
“intellectual wasteland.” The im
plication is that because our campus
fails to create an atmosphere con
ducive to intellectual pursuits, many
students are forced to seek motiva
tion at other schools which they
perceive to offer more academic op
portunities. And one glaring symbol
of this complaint is that we have no
bookstore. We have a textbook and
souvenior shop complete with T
shirts, blue jeans, and pompons, but
because it has only a handful of
books that aren’t textbooks, it is far
from a regulation college bookstore.
No matter how good his English 299
teacher makes it sound, a student
cannot walk across canrous and buy
I would also like to make it clear
that sororities and fraternities stress
especially the importance of learn
ing. They do this by offering study
sessions, tutors, old tests and en
couraging good grades. We also
compete among ourselves for top
ranking grades at WGC. Contrary to
belief, we do realize that grades
come first at college due to the fact,
if one doesn’t make good grades (or
doesn’t learn well) one drops out of
school and one cannot participate in
one’s sorority or fraternity. I feel
that you underestimated the Greeks
in this respect. Generalization is the
tool of the ignorant, and Mr. Cumm
ing you certainly provided this state
ment with fact.
s Lisa Larimer
President of Alpha Gamma Delta
Dear Editor:
In response to Mr. Cumming’s
editorial of September 26,1 must say
that the generalizations made were
an inexcusable sign of narrow
mindedness.
West Georgian Policies
Letters
Letters are welcome from readers concerning topics of
general and campus interest. In order for a letter to be published,
however, it MUST be signed by the writer. Under certain cir
cumstances, names will be withheld by request, but the letters
still must be signed.
letters should be typed, double-spaced if possible, and must
include a valid mailing address or phone number for verification
purposes.
Letters are not to exceed 300 words and are subject to editing
for length, libel, clarity and/or style.
After 45 minutes of waiting at
least I made anew friend while in
line; we’ve promised to write.! 1
found myself face-to-face with X.
“Yes?”, she eyed me suspiciously.
“The lady down there said to ask
you where I can find out about my
scholarship check. It’s not there for
some reason.”
X sent me on to Y, who sent me on
toZ.
Z was my angel of mercy, and she
even smiled while explaining to me
that none of this was my fault. The
checks were never written, she said,
so I was getting a deferrment.
“Whew,” I thought. I’m one of
those people for whom Murphy’s
Law was invented, so I am always
relieved when something turns out in
my favor.
So back I went to X’s line to pay
my fees and get out of all that
madness. I had been in line for over
an hour and a half.
X, meanwhile, was about to have a
fist-fight with one of her co-workers,
or so it appeared.
The lady had asked X for some
help, and X had glared at her and
said “Can’t you see that I’m busy? If
you want it done you’ll have to do it
yourself.”
Well obviously the woman knew
that X was busy. None of the ladies I
saw were sipping mint juleps or
painting their nails. But the worker
apparently needed some help from
Where's
the books?
a copy of Moby-Dick unless, of
course, it happens to be a textbook.
He can check it out at the library, but
borrowing a book is not the same as
owning one.
I presume the reason our textbook
and souvenir shop has no other books
is that it would lose money. The old
Braves Bookstore, which is now
Starship Records, apparently didn’t
sell enough books to stay in business.
But that was before the faculty knew
about retention. Now we would pro
bably work harder to motivate our
students to buy books instead of
Prince albums or Domino’s pizzas.
And besides, except for the first
week or two of each quarter, the
bookstore almost always has more
employees than customers. So I
doubt that it’s presently turning a
huge profit.
Another objection might be that
there’s not enough space in the pre
sent facility to stock books, that we
don’t have room in our “bookstore”
for books. Now obviously the tex
tbooks have to stay (though Alan’s
textbook supply outlet could help if
given the chance.). And I would be
the first to argue that a half a dozen
boxes of red and blue pompons are
Asa Greek at West Georgia, I re
sent being referred to as “intellec
tual deadweight in the classroom.”
For if I were not here for academic
purposes, I could not enjoy activities
associated with college, fraternal or
otherwise.
The incidents you have experienc
ed with Greeks are unfortunate,
however, I find it hard to believe that
no other organized group has totally
abandoned it’s interest every time a
member walks into a classroom.
It is the goal of Greek students to
develop a compromise between
academic and social activities, while
trying to better themselves in all
possible areas.
Greek students, contrary to the
beliefs of some, are not self-placed
upon a pedestal, therefore, we
realize that we are not perfect and
we do not claim to be.
It does seem odd, however, that
when the administration recognizes
a need for money, participation, and
assistance in programs and fun
draisers, that die people that they
approach for this help are the
‘Rnqel on apin'
X, who was older and, I assumed,
more experienced. But as far as I
know the woman never got any help.
Last Friday, I went to pick up my
check for working at registration
and fee payment. After being sent to
the fourth place, I should have
recognized an omen. My check was
being held. And by whom?
Yep X.
Apparently, the Business Office
keeps close tabs on those of us whose
scholarship checks still aren’t in, to
make sure we don’t skip town or
something. I think this is ridiculous.
Regardless of whether or not my
scholarhsip check was in and I
had already checked on it twice, as I
had signed on my deferrment that I
would the college still owed me
for two days of work.
X eyed me suspiciously again and
asked to see my ID. Of course I
didn’t have it, since in over two
years of working on campus I have
never needed my ID to pick up a
check.
X asked if anyone in the Business
Office could identify me. My room
mate was there and vouched r or me,
but I knew that her testimony didn’t
mean doodleysquat to X. I was right.
Finally, when another worker iden
tified me and I recited my Social
Security number, X let me have my
check.
I understand that precautions are
necessary since the college is handl-
also necessary for us to get our
hands up for the kick off on Saturday
nights at Grisham Stadium. And T
shirts of every shape and color im
aginable with West Georgia in
signias are also an inexpensive form
of publicity for the school. But if I
were a student pondering whether to
re-enroll at West Georgia for my
junior year, the fact that our
bookstore has more Tri-Delts visors
than books would help me to make
my decision.
The administration seems to be
appropriately aware of the necessity
of symbolic effects. For example,
our recruiters boast that we now
have computer terminals in every
building on campus. There are two
terminals in the Humanities
Building, but the seven hundred
students in English 101 (not to men
tion students in other classes) are
obviously not going to have access to
these terminals on a consistent basis
until we have more terminals and
more organized programs. Does this
kind of symbol make up for the
blatantly negative symbol as having
no bookstore on campus?
Despite having a few copies this
summer of the new Great Speckled
Greeks. However, some members of
this same administration are the ex
act ones who fire complaints against
the entire Greek system.
Asa Greek myself, Mr. Cumming,
I would think that you would
understand or at least try to ap
preciate our interests and efforts. It
seems obvious that perhaps you
have been removed from the student
perspective a bit too long, and your
editorial is evidence enough of this.
s Robyn Hollingsworth
Dear Editor:
Most Greeks on campus probably
could not tell the difference between
a tau and a tappa; a kappa and a
kegga; and a delta and a day.
Repeatedly, I have inquired of the
Greeks letters of their respective
fraternities or sororities. Invariably,
I was told that “alpha” (the letter)
stands for alpha; “beta”, for beta;
“gamma”, for gamma; and so on.
Such confusion prompts me to sug
gest that all Greeks would do well to
sign up for Dr. Rene Immele’s “In
troductory Greek” course, especial-
Letters should be addressed to the following- The West
w,s ' G ~ rßia <*>"•#•, c.toih“!
Advertising
The West Georgian is a full-size newspaper published every
Wednesday during fall quarter. Ad rates are *2.50 per column
inch for local advertisers.
The West Georgian reserves the right to refuse any paid
space due to.content or. in the school’s best interest. Deadline
for ad space is Friday, 5:00 p.m., before the next publication
date.
ing large sums of money right now,
but I don’t understand being treated
like a criminal for trying to claim
what is already niine.
I’ve tried to reason that X pro
bably has a lot on her mind these
days.
“Each of these kids think their
problem is the most important one
on the whole campus,” I can hear
her saying. Well X, at that moment
when you’re supposed to be helping
us, our problem is the most impor
tant one. The young man in your of
fice is showing you his fee payment
receipt and you are still doubting
him. The poor guy who is next in line
doesn’t even have a receipt, and
you’re having a field day with him. I
just want to pick up my check, and
you’re about to ask to see my birth
certificate. Give us a break!
Fortunately, staff members like X
are few. And I don’t want to insult all
the others those who are polite,
understanding, and above all pa
tient by saying that all of the col
lege’s Financial Aid/Business Office
staff are like that; the majority are
not.
But those who are like X give their
colleagues a bad name and students
a bad time.
We could all be a little more
understanding. This is nothing that,
with a little compromising on both
sides, can’t be worked out.
Mike
Tierce
Bird, the textbook and souvenir shop
also does not sell magazines. It
doesn’t even offer TV Guide or The
National Enquirer at the check-out
lanes. Because it has a magazine
rack, the Sing gas station offers
more current reading matter than
the bookstore. In fact, it also has
more books (excluding textbooks, of
course). The symbolic effect is once
more devastating. I simply don’t see
how this problem can be ignored, ex
pecially by those concerned with re
taining students.
Now I know that putting books in
the bookstore will not immediately
solve our problems with retention,
but it can’t hurt. Long before the ob
noxious little woman asked “where’s
the beef?” I repeatedly asked
“where’s the books?” And I’m still
asking. How can a college of six
thousand not have a true/bookstore.
Our desire to be the finest four
year college in the southeast is cer
tainly admirable, but if we consider
the bookstore to be an indicator of
our potential success, we seem to be
far from our goal. After all, our
“bookstore” can’t even compete
with the local Sing station.
ly if they insist on maintaining their
renowned Greek initials.
Several years ago, in one of our
well-attended faculty exhibits, I
displayed a small bronze figure of a
bosomy, broad-beamed, grinning
coed. I thought the bronze would stir
up the bull pen, because it was entitl
ed “Sweetheart of Tappa Kegga
Day”, but there was not even a
whimper. Surely Professor Joe Cum
ming’s guest editorial will finally
and deservedly rattle the cages. I
will award a copy of the “Sweetheart
of TKA” to the fraternity or sorority
that can prove Professor Joe is
mistaken.
Sincerely,
Henry Setter
Art Department
West Georgia College
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