Newspaper Page Text
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Middle Georgia
College
Vol. 33 — October, 1964
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Middle Georgia College
Cochran, Ga.
RAT WEEK
The traditional “Rat Week' 1
at M. G. C. went off as well
as could be expected. After all,
the sophomores were in charge
of it weren’t they?
Monday night, September 28,
the freshmen all became rats.
They had to buy the rat cap
and wear it constantly. If a
rat’s door was opened in the
middle of the night he might
be seen quickly putting on his
rat cap. Some even wore them
in the showers. Of course we
know this was only to keep
their hair from getting wet?
On the first night of rat
week, the thrill was so great
that all of the rats suddenly
got hungry and decided to
stroll to the “Brazier”. The
sophomores wanted to go so
they were allowed to tag
along. All this was the be
ginning of rat week.
Throughout the week you
might have heard things such
as “Rat carry my books!”, “Rat,
carry my tray!”, or “Rat, can
you quack like a duck?”
Then came the climax! Rat
court! Bc.y, was it nice. But
when I say the word court, I
say it in a very questionable
tone. It did contain all of the
necessary court officers. There
was the honorable judge —
Herbert Adams. Also the pro*
secuting attorney — Keith
Bailey, and the defense attor
ney — Bob Mathis. There was
even the court clerk — Darlene
Tedder and of course the
twelve honorable members of
the jury whose names I won’t
take up good space to mention.
Now, I ask you these ques
tions. What do you think about
a court: whose judge used a
king-size Royal Crown cola
bottle as a gavel, whose pro
secuting attorney spouts nur
sery rhymes and whose defense
attorney uses Playboy mag
azine for his reference guide,
Although I won’t say there
isn’t a lot of valuable informa
tion in that certain periodical.
®ive careful consideration to
this next question. What about
those poor innocent rats being
tortured before hundreds of
people? It was like being
thrown into a den of lions that
eat rats for breakfast, dinner,
and supper. The victims were
subjected to such punishments
as sitting on icebergs, hitting
each other with eggs, and hav
ing starch sprayed into their
hair. One rats’ punishment
was so terrible it hurts me to
write it. He was embarrassed
to tears. Believe me, the
S.P.C.R. (Society for the Pre
vention of Cruelty to Rats)
Will hear about this. What
punishment? Ask someone!
N#w I ask you, do you, the
readers of this historical docu
ment, believe “Rat Week”
should take place again? Un
doubtedly! And more power to
the sophomores of next year.
M.G.C. Salutes Its President
RAT COURT
The night was supercharged
with fear and suspicion. The
trees towered above the cold
damp ground in eerie silence.
Suddenly two small) animals
quietly scurried into, the bleak
building, with a quiet pitter-
patter. More followed, and
then more, and then with a
greai noise of scurrying feet
the auditorium was filled with
rats, for this was Rat Court.
The lowly -beasts made all
kinds of unhuman sounds until
suddenly all was quiet. The
great masked marauders had
motioned for silence with their
terrible weapons.
Court was in session, and
the trials for justice began.
The presecuiing attorney
opened with a short speech
filled with puns and rhymes.
He was followed by the at
torney for the defense who
did the same. Both speeches
were followed by an ominous
hissing which came from the
much persecuted rats.
Many rats were' tried and
sentenced in this day cf justice.
All were convicted and sen
tenced to horrible punishments.
Some of the punishments were;
face flouring, egg wearing,
hair starching and throne sit
ting. All of this was in the
best humor until three poor
rats were sentenced to sing.
This went on with much hila
rity until they decided to dedi
cate a song to their beloved
superiors. It was an old ditty
called “Oh Sinner Man You
Ought to be Praying.” During
which they were uncerimon-
iously thrown past the throne
and off the stage.
The big night ended finally
as two male rats, with icicles
on their posterriore and chat
tering teeth, were perfectly
matched with two female rats,
smallest boy had the tallest
girl and. vise verse. And so en
The only hitch was that the
a note of fun and frolic, the
rats ended their week long or
deal with only a few mishaps
and a great urge to become
sophomores.
A new president, who be
lieves in a closer relationship
between students and faculty
for better understanding of
Middle Georgia’s problems,
comes to the school with the
opening of the fall quarter.
He is Dr. Louis C. Alderman,
Jr., a native of Douglas, who
came to Middle Georgia from
Henderson College, a branch
c-f the University of Kentucky
in Henderson, Kentucky, where
he had been president since
1959
Dr. Frank Dicky, a former
president of the University of
Kentucky and now Executive
Director of the Southern As
sociation of Colleges and
Schools, said Dr. Alderman de
veloped the Henderson branch
“from its very beginning and
has done a superb job in every
respect,” He pointed out that
Dr. Alderman’s ability to work
with young people and staff
members “is most unusual.
Perhaps his greatest strength
is his unique ability to work
with community groups.”
Dr. A. D. Albright, the exe
cutive vice president of the
University of Kentucky, de
scribed Dr. Alderman as in
telligent, energetic and af
fable,” and as a “bright young
man with even more promise
for the future.” “'He has ideas,
he added.
Before Dr. Alderman became
President of Henderson Col
lege in Kentucky, he served as
Instructor and Assistant Pro
fessor of Biology at the Uni
versity of Georgia, Rome and
Savannah Centers, and as Di
rector of the University of
Georgia Centers at Savannah,
Rome, and Columbus.
Dr. Alderman believes that
junior colleges play a vital role
in the educational system. “In
a state with a population the
■ size of Georgia,” he said, “it
is a means of providing edu
cation for more people. One-
fourth of the college students
in America are e'nrolled in
two-year colleges.”
Dr. Alderman stated that
while at Middle Georgia, he
would like to see the college
‘become a cultural center for
this part of the state.” He
added that in order to do this,
we should “make our library
a depository for collections of
rare books, strengthen the fine
arts department, present a
concert series, have a better
physical education program,
become concerned about stu
dent appearance on campus,
expand the intramural pre
gram, have outstanding speak
ers and convocations, and have
at least one big band for stu
dent campus activities.” The
college has “reached a size
where it should have more of
these things,” he remarked.
“An institution like a college”
he said, “should represent the
very best in every phase of
activity. This should be true
not only in the instructional
program, but also in the social
events we have, in courtesy on
campus by faculty and stu
dents, and of good taste in
dress, behavior, and action. All
publications should also repre
sent the very best we can
achieve, he declared.
He critized “student apathy”
concerning extra-curricular ac
tivities, and said students
“should take more responsi
bility for their &wn activities.”
He also urged organizations
such as the Student Council
to take a more responsible at
titude. “They must take an
interest,” he said.
The president, an innovator
who will attempt to create “a
new image” of Middle Georgia
College, visits the student cen
ter twice a week for an in
formal visit with the students.
From the visits, Dr. Alderman
learns directly about the stu
dents’ problems and their ideas
without going through admin
istrative channels.
He urged students to make
suggestions at any time for
improvement and maintenance
of the student center or other
facilities.
Dr. Alderman graduated
from Douglas High School in
1941, and received his bachelor
of arts degree in biology from
Emory University in 1946. In
1949, he was awarded the M.S.
degree from the University of
Georgia, and the Ed. D. in
college and university admin
istration from Auburn Univer-
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