Page 24 - TheGoldBug1967-68

I n ~ . PAGE 2 THE GOLD BUG NOVEMBER 17, 1967 In Loco Parentis: Letters A Stifling Tone TO THE EDITOR; Two years ago a group of highly The dress code at Western Marylandis outdated, hardly in responsible students Including the line withth~ nmes. In a recent meeting, the·GOLDBUG editorial President of the SGA and several staff voted 10 - 2· to abolish the dress code. It is the GOLD fraternity presidents established a BOO~Sopinion that its vote is indicative of the student opmion position paper requeSting an In- vestigation of the Greek organiza- It is high time,that the governing b~t. which controls the dress tions' worth to the college com- code (rU1IUX'.naa it that.it is too women's.Oouncn and-the Dean munity. 'The President of the Col- of Women)allow the WesternMarylandwomento be women. lege countered with an apparently The parental tone o_fthe dress code points to a larger par- ctacesune committee whlch, It Is ental 'tone, that blasts and supercedes every facet of life on the rumored, studied the sUuaUon.lt , Hill. This parental tone does not smack of the sage who wisely was to have reported Its findings advises his younger. Retter. it smacks d the irate mother who the following January. Unfortun- findings ately, the "committee's" beats ti:l~ child in the grocery'store. The sage shares his wisdom, were never publicized and the steps 'back, ani watches' the~youngergrow. The younger will, at aboUtion movement lost much of Us ttnas. make .mtstakes, and most certainly will' have growing Impetus with the departure of the pains, But the mtetakee and the pains will produce an individual seniors who had stimulated the con- with discerning powers and a liberal mind. all of which seems structlvedissent. to be rather"congruous to the goals of a liberal arts education. Those few of us who withdrew The GOLDBUGStaff ___________________ ~~mst~o~;~yni~~~~ t:;~h:o:;:!!~~~ Two Student Positions Administrative Stand of a strong Independent sector of our student body, are now amused Most college students regard themselves as young adults, quite capable You can read the editorial by the many trivial and Inanerules set by the "sudden alarm" taken by tbe of managing their ownpersonalUves .•andtheyare quick to resent any in- Dean Laidlaw and smUe, or cry, up for women, which have been Greek societies over the astonish- stitutional or parental control. AdUlts generally support colleges and or nod your head and go back to thrown in my face, have made me lng proposition that they should not UI!Jve_rstt1esin their efforts to malntain those controls which are neces- sleep. You can recognize the tlght- question what and who I am, as Inhabit the new dormatortes terore sary to accomplish ttwir educational objectives. There are several re- (:: ~:e~:/~~l~t~ri~e=h:o~~: ;l~lla~S:e~:u:::e;~t~i~!~;~~;:t f~:s~I~:n ;~i~e~ndependents have cent .studtes ,(Colorado state University and Penn State, to name two) on this Issue. All the studies come to about the same conclusion In com- paring which group (student, administrative, faculty, or parent) Is desir- ~~~h:::llc~rl!~Z:e~~ew~I:;; ~t~: ~;~;IIu:~ ~':~"d~t~~~i~es~:~ SU;::fo::~:~:;:~~:~a~::~t~:: ous of the most controls on student life outside the classroom. In sum- pressed, If you can find them. You act, dress, and relate to other or sororities Is to givetoour "un- mary and rank order, mygeneralizationsnfthisresearch would be these: can sympathize with the unenviable people, and I have a right to be fortunate" independents a long- 1. Students feel that there should be looser controls on their Ufe. task of placating students without "me". The college, however, does overdue break. They should have 2. Student personnel staff members are next In line for agreeing with liberalizing restrictions ~~~~~~i~~~~l:C~.Ch angered them n~ :~: ~e~r:e~kirt to class, to ~a~:~:~~:~g~oo:~:~~~;~~:~t:~: 3. Faculty members tend to favor control of student life outside the classroom (although they, are in favor of more academic freedom) m~~:r P!~a~ ::~n%o~s::~~ ~~::~~ :~p:r 'lit~r;o;;~' e%.~f:t~t.~~!;.a:e_: i~~n~s, ::~r:~~~n ther:~o~a;~ 4. Adults (your parents) favor more restrictions and fewer freedoms, act. It doesn't matter how hardthe cause the eoljege nas an lmage and l ment to organize (albeit less In summarizing the generalizations above, It should be clear that aQ- administration tries, it cannot must uphold this Image. After all, structured, one should Interject, ministrators and faculty members are In the middle (and we often ask understand; It is In another time what young lady would wear slacks than those other "groups") and "of what?"). Is the college protecting students from their parents, or and place, it still liveswhereexter- to a football game, or greet a vis- sponsor social events. is it protecting parents from their children's growing up? rats condemn, where a person Is itor In slacks, or smoke In front After the turmOil created by My experience with some parents would lead me to believe that they what he looks IIke,andwhereother of a parent? And Isn't U nice to see those of us who signed the petition would like the college to play the "in loco parentis" role. It would rather people can be judged. And If you all the girls in skirts even though several years ago, It was generally not. Two examples of questions parents have asked me (and my answers) feel pity for this state of mind, you ~~:~~:~!;blowing them up tn tbetr :::~de~e~:; ~hO:~~:~:e:,ni:~:~ will serve as Illustrations: 1) "Should I grant my daughter (who Is a sen- ior over 21) a #3 (unlimited) permission (for weekend overnights)?" :~I :llc:~s~~oc:.lY emotion that B~t what happened to my sduca- would reform themselves and allow My answer was an unqualified "yes". 2) "Why doesn't the college have The :righters are leaving now, not Uon. Among the time allotted for a choice for the freshmen other a rule restricting off-campus vistung between boys and girlS?" Myans- defeated but disinterested. Apathy studying and going to extra-cur- than acceptance or rejection. A wer to this one: "We feel thlslsa part of the students' personal life and usually it neither needs nor warrants our control, but we do become ~s th~ t~:t ;~r~it::~a~~:e ~oua~~~~ ;~~ul~a:;::::~t J:~S!:II~,,:~i~:tt~ ~~!~eTO n:e::~ti~~~~e,~t!:~~~: concerned if a student Is indiscreet In his (her) behavior In this sltua- I~ri~olvement~ and thosewhohave ~anq~:~of:~oat~;~~I1::::,t~:h~~ volve social, recreational and ac- Uon." been so long Involved have Ured over to Elderdicetogetsome money comodationallncentlves. Besides these expectations of parents,there Is the financial dilemma. of an exercise InfuUlity.Where are from the bank because I just found The administration Is correctln In most cases, parents and financial aid are paying for a good part of the the minds of the campus? They are out 1 was short. Believe it or not, ~~~t~n:.~: ~~~lr~C! :~:a:h,~s:;: cost 01 your education(approxlmately66%atWMC)and for all of you, the down at the coffee house (in slacks) I 1m(7,\! bow to dress myself and all ooUege (endowment and other Incomes) Is paying the remainder of sleeping off a drunk, they are laugh- th1s exercise in It hasn't really Im- out" to non-Greek students it the 'the cost (34%). How much should financial contribution affect college policy deCisiOns? Certainly some recognition Is owed to those who are ~~ t~e:r:::i:~.r:~~~~!I~~:~~ pr~:e~er:n~_~~:~ wa;Sal;y purpose po~c:o~:;: :~~:d~~; needs free- paying the cost. of getting caught? Why, they're al- for coming here. To allow people dom, creativity, and acompeteUve On the other hand, if It were -not for students, we would have neither ready caught. Caught, drawn and .to learn--that should be the col- spirit. As long as the fraternities college nor, of course, problems of policy. We should expect students to ask questions about matters of polley. After aU, we encourage them ~u:~~r:~~~~~ ~I~gg~dd~~: !~:lege's reason for existence, and ;~or~~,O~~I::rnh~!~:n~';~I~:~- to question In the classroom. It is surprising but rewarding to see ap- path to the grill. They are not re- :~~ul~u~~an~::is b:ur:se~o= will assert its negative connata- pUcation of this In the total educational process. belling anymore. They are just the dress code fulfill this criterion? t1ons: a school lacking Intellectual However, students are not always entitled to their way. They have a right to make their views known. They need reasonable explanations. :~~u~e!rut~: sl;:~:~~:~~~~t~~~:::e~u=::~;t;:o:~: ~Ir:~t;:~I~thet1Ccon~I:~:,~~t;~;: At the same time parents have some expectations. The college Is at- if not by the admlnist- tempting to educate and In so doing assumes the responslblUty for con- Ing tbemselves of having risen abolished, then by the !i,tudents them- ~~~tge';o:~al:Yatl~:::~d:t:p~: above or sunk below, but no longer ration, trolling those aspects of "the personal"whIch affect "the academic", Applying these thoughts tothe matter 01extending cUrfews, the obvious C~I:: ~~~h:.vatch unwUllngly as S_.I_"_'_. __ :::St:::"::.:la..:E:..'~::::.' W:-u-d-:'m:-.=~~~~:::~~:::I~:..";,:::•..::H:::O!.:::fm:::an::....- questions arise. Is it really necessary, justified, or educationally sound? others fill their old places and then E 0 BOG Are we equipPed to Cope with the problems(for example, security) aris- ,1'0 "11 away, oo.oo"""th.""',- TH GOL ing from achange ofthIstype at this college? tory" and asking only to be left The other Issue concerning women, Is dress. In the last Women's alone. Council meeting the ma1ntopicwasthewomen'sdress code. Many points You can't beat 'em and you won't PUbl~~~a\i~!~~~~; ~~W~JX:;f;o:s!::mi!~~~!~g~OI~:;: 01 view were presented; these Included everythlng from ,,~t us wear join 'em, so you smile cynically Entered as second class matter at the Poat Office, Westminster, slacks anytime we want" to "We should have a dress code In order to and slide away down your rabbit Maryland 21167. under Act of March 8, 1879. present the kind 01 Image we wish to conveY". The question 01 protect- hole out of the vast mediocrity and PRICE S4.00 PER YEAR ing an image arose. Just what Is your Image of yourself - the young into whatever else there Is. adult that most of you feel you are? Certainly there should be a code to Jean Pfleiderer guide new students on how to dress for various occasions which they have not had the opportunity to experience until they come to college. When I came to WMC at the age 1- Furthermore, dress does Influence behavior and attitude as well as per- of 18, I felt ready, wlll1ng and able ..... Edit"'.I •. Chl.' .. formance. to assume the role of a college .. Mana&:ing: Editor. "••• In an effort to help women understand the different perspectives student. This role,l assumed,would ....... Business Manger from which the college must view their requests for change,lt was sug- Include accepting responsibillty for Sue Mason ..••• • News J;:dito. gested to the Women's Council last spring that they conduct a survey Don Elmes .. , Editorial Page· Editor Sports (on curfews, dress, conduct control, etc.) of parents, students, faculty, myself, scheduling my own time, Gordon Shelton.. _... .. • Advertie!ng Mana.ge, F. David Weber and administrators and compare the resulis of the dillerent groups. That making my CNlndeclslons,learntng Ca.rl wolfson, Joel Smith • Features Edit'"'' Counell vetoed the suggestion, althoughlunderstandthAisome members as much as I could In the four years Carol PleOlonkl.. •• "Happening Page" of the present group are Interested In such a project. allotted for me here (not that my Da.ve Harper.... • Greek Page Editor Mike Herr, KIDg,_' I agree with most administrators: the majority of students are hard- education will stopwhenI graduate). Assistant Editors: Cliff Willis, Lis .. Rensha.w Robbie Robbins, Bill Raj. Jeff worldng, serious, Idealistic, mature, responslble,waryafauthority, con- Now I am ajuniOr,2Qyearsold,and ~~::!:~~:~y~~~~!::~:~~~.~~~.~.~:~~.:.~~~.:~~.~~~.~l.~.~:.~~-~~.~~l~:~~:i;: cerned and involved. I could quailly each of these adjectives and 1 could I feel even more capable of taking further match each with a negative adJective, but it woUldnot hold the care of myseif,but I cannot give the Ar~ Editor: .... •••_ Becky Walla.ce weight, in my mind, of that which tspos1Uve. I have a lot of faith in stu- admInistration and its rules any .Typing Editor: • • K..thy Alexander dents and I like to thIn~ that I am working with them_ credit for my growth, except from a negative side. By this 1 ~ean that Dean E. LaIdlaw ".: ..1",