Page 60 - TheGoldBug1965-66

4 The Gold Bug, Apr. 1, 1966 Students Extend Selves - Act In Blac'k Belt Teaehers Will Help! IC~lIege Curriculum Pilgrimage of Concern To the Editor: and off the campus, and, finally, Given. Frank Look ThisbYS;~~;~:~~f!~,four ~,i:~~:l~yl~t~~ ~;t~~C~~~'dh~~~~~~i~~~a~ft~=sio\~e~t\'e ~.~c~~::d Because students too often do on the precedural standards to Western Maryland students, of the program, Mr. Beverly the news that this. too had been ~~; i8:eO::~\~~e~~:s:0~~t~:d ~:g~s1dC~~p~~s~::!~~~~:o:~~~:~~ At Initial Meeting ~~:,a~~ll rt~cc~~~~;:a~~e~y~e~t ;~~:~\ew!~ t~o~dl'o~d:~:tne:~ de~~~.~~g~~:o:.:~~u!~:nt:\ked to guidance roles and because of will show the attitude of the A uniquely stimulating stu- travelled to Lawrenceville, Vir- morning at 9 o'clock. many people who complacently the great and immediate impcr- framers towards students. Too dent-faculty meeting was held ginia to participate in a voter The county we worked in is listened, saying "yes" to every tance of students' rights, I often in the past, students' rec- Thursday night to discuss registration campaign. right on the North Carolina bor- sentence, not 'really absorbing want br-iefly to tell the students erda had on them both the ace- changes in the college currtcu- Although we were contacted del'. Brunswick County, (part anything they heard. We also about the current efforts being demic and disciplinary perform- lum. The sixteen students and by the YWCA, .we actually of what is known as the Black talked to people who showed a made on their behalf. In 1960 ance of the students, and such an equal number of adults, in- worked under the local NAACP Belt of Virginia), is an ex- I:'elluine interest in our project the American Association of records were handed out to eluding several interested (!!) of Brunswick County, which tremely rural area, most of the and seemed to comprehend how University Professors beg a n whomever wanted to see them, non-teachers, ser-iously consld- organized the drive., The SCA inhabitants being small farm- their voting could bring about a working on a policy regarding whether it be a prospective em- ered such progressive proposals sponsored the four of us. ers. There are approximately change. One verY' aid woman I the academic freedom of stu- ployer or the F.B.I. Under the as: interdepartmental, ttre-re- Our headquarters was St. 22,000 residents, 59% Negro, spoke to, who had never voted, ~:;t~d~i~:~r::i~~\~~ree~~~!= ~~; d~::;:I~~ea~; :~c:r;sca~,~~:~ ~~~~~dec~~:s~!jo~e~!~deinc~~~:~ ~o~~~geC:il:i~', s~p;~~~~ ~,e~~~ ~~th~:t!~s t~~em~~~~.i!;.~~ne;ig;i ~~~u::~d~~I s~:e ~~~~~dl~~i~~:i~~ tors, have also been engaged in be kept separate and aece.ss to only pass-fall grades are grven ; Episcopal Church. We found t?em have. n.ever exercised their ':von'! change thtng's for n:e but formulating such a policy. The them would be set forth In an giVIng colloquium courses for it to be small in many ways, t-ight to register and vote; con- It might for m.y grandchildren Western Maryland chapter of explicit policy statement. An, credit over a full semester. It and received little support from sequent.ly, the local government and that's the Important thing. the AAUP, whose membership other example that is highly was also revealed tha~ the rae- the student body for our proj- is entirely white. I'm just the beginning." comprises about 80'i'lo of the relevant these days. The state- ultv has .been devo~mg much eet, The school situation is an ex- 'We met one farmer who full-time faculty, has devoted a merit provides fol' student free- consideration to a swttchover ~ There were 24 students from ample. There are two public several years ago, realized the sizable chunk of time both this dom to invite _and to hear ~ny !he .thrce-s~mester system, fa.cIl- five coUeges: WMC, Boston Uni- high schools--one Negro and necessity for Negro representa- r:a~u~;:s~~:: il~ev~!~::~n~~~~: be:~~~ t~s tl~:~~io~w:ei~~:~sl~:~ ;~~~.ng a hghter overall subject ~~;~~~ll~::a;:ith.Universjty, ~~:re w~~te'int~~~~~ro~h i~egat~! ~ii~no~;n ~eers~~~~t~aJ~~~ig~1~~ tentative policy statement fol'- faculty nor the administration A second general meeting will When' we arrived Saturday school system, a Negro can at- voter registration. He has warded to us by the national would aet fairly if they tried to be held on Saturday, April 16, afternoon we were tired and tend Brunswick High only by since encouraged over one hun- AAUP. censor such guest speakers by ut 1 o'clock. All stuo.ents are apprecia~d the fact that little I'cquesting a transfer. Few do dred of his neighbors to register AAUP Sets Guidelines withholding campus facilities urged to come and discuss this bad been planned for us. Twen- f?r fear .of trouble and .1'10- and vote. Students at WMC would be ~or the sole pUTpose of ~revent_ most important topic at this ty-four hours later, however, we clal ost~aclsm. The Negro hIgh QUI' purpose in the campaign surprised to find out the degree Ing the appearance. o!. the afternoon-long workshop. became a little impatient with schoo.l IS s~verely over-crowded was to contact every Ncgro to which the AAUP statement speakers. The responSibility of , the apparent lack of organiza- and Ill-eqUipped, but last year home in the community, but seeks to recognize and to widen guarant~eing students' rights tion. The "orientation pro- when a new hi~h school was un- sometimes we found ourselves their exercise of freedom as ma_\rests WIth the faculty and the is cleaT: the .statement holds gram" was a local NAACP del' constructIOn, the County at the dool' of a white family. ture and responsible citizens. administration. Such a policy students to be citizens, not chil- meeting .on Sunday. Thanks to Council claimed they ~ad no On such occasions, we delivered ~~~~~~;: a:;;:iti~:~ o~o:~~de~~ ~~~t;m;~~wl~ea~~::tl;ar~Vh~~ ~~~\~~:;~~~Witi~~ ;;~i:;~~~:~i;.nd ~~: ~~~~;~;ss :.~d I~~r::!~~ ~ !~ll~t~~~~~~~~~~;~:~u~~f:~rn:.~~ ~:~t d:~s~~~~ti~ ~~t;o:ntr~~~ records, on student affairs on final draft will say. One thing Raymond C. Phillips, Jr. glean enough information to the pl'lvate, whIte BrunSWick we hoped they would come and I I Academy. Several ~onths lat- register on Saturday-we omit- ~-..-- er, the County CounCil allocated ted only the part about working . $28,000 of public funds to this with the NAACP. Undoubted- , same Academ~. No ohjection 'y, the most effective campaign was legally raIsed. would have been one which con- With county and town elec- ;acted every eligible voter in tions coming up this year, the t,he county, regardless of color, One half-farelD card local chapter of the NAACP de- 'JUt because of time and our was impossi- cided to or.ganize a campaign to ,ponsorship, this Negroes a~ ble. as many )'egister possible before the primaries We had been told at the be- in July. It was our job to con- 1'inning of the week to expect to isas good as another educate him as to the impor- the Negroes in the county. This find a great deal of fear among tact every eligible Negro voter tance of voting, and encourage however, did not tUTn out to be him to register. Most of the men and women we talked 'Ve divided into six groups the case. friendly to were ex- Monday morning and set out to tremely and seemed on Eastern cover our firgt district. Lucki- more ignorant afmid of their right to to utilize it. Iy, we were aided by local Negl'o vote than school students. They In several nreas, though, where high road, knew every They were on a white man's land, we did family in the area. home, nnd Negroes live as tenant farmers dcpcndable, perceptive, and experience instances when wc seemed decply concerned about could summon no one to the door thcir pr(lsent situation and even though we knew people thcir future. Through them were in the house. we discerned the attitudes of In the week we wer.e in Vil'- this generution of young Ne- ginia we became very aware of groes in the South. the absolute segregated atmos- For five days we canvassed phere in the arett. 'We heard the county. By Friday at one stories abo~t the "white" am- o'clock we had contacted a rna" bulance whIch was called to an jol'ity of the Negro voters in accident recent~y, only to turn Brunswick County, and had around when It .r~und out a promises from many of them Negro hud been lllJured. And to show at the Courthouse about the segregated Episcopal in Lawrenceville on Saturday Church in town whose minister to l'cgister. Of these appro:xi- 'Ialted the service and dismissed mately fifteen hundred names; the congl'egati~n when students· we felt that we would have ac- from the EpIscopal-supported complished a great deal if only St. Paul's tried to attend. five hundt'ed of these actually We confiscated Ku Klux did register. Klan posters around the coun- the tl'~'side. of Once Bill stopped A large percentage had never a "white" gBS station and asked at ]lCQplc we contacted to Florida l'ce:istered which voted before, for !