Page 55 - TheGoldBug1970-71

<, December 14, 1970 The Gold Bug Page 7 Letters to the editor: Christmas, S.L.C. and Chapel Chapel explanation Help wanted some inside information. But even if they do, they take a should have made the decision makers definite and unquestionable stand on this oolicv bv To the Editor, To the Editor' leuina'tbem make a decision, Dr. Ensor has not Lately there has been some misunderstanding One of the serious problems in college and even expressed a public opinion about the 24 hour about the purpose of the new chapel program. Some university life today is the lack of attention to the open house that Iknow of. By not even giving people have complained that the services are too personality needs of the students. Suicide is the Christian, some that they are too humanistic, and second most common cause of death on the cam- , the proposal to Dr. Ensor [hey let the decision some that they are too weird. Others probably don't pus, topped only by automobile accidents; but those makers off easy - which they should not have done. come at all because the word "chapel" turns them who have studied the subject believe that half of the The most shameful thing the SLC did, though, off completely. Therefore it-seems fitting now to latter are "concealed suicides", thus suicide ac- was to let down and betray the trust of the student review the rationale behind the new system tually leads the list. Dr. Howard A. Rusk of the New body. The SRC proposal, as we ~ll .know, would As Mr. Schwing wrote in the last Goldbug issue, York University Medical Center collected allow complete section autonomy within the 24 hour this college "is in no way obligated to provide us estimates that 90.000 students each year will framework. To quote the letter again: "We feel that with a religious atmosphere in which to pursue a threaten suicide, one in ten will make the attempt, the original SRC proposal is the optimum open spiritual oneness with God." However, the college and that there will be 1,000 actual deaths resulting. house policy.i.The SRC policy was also support.ed does recognize that many persons, if not all, have Beyond this, he calculates that. among six million overwhelmingly by students." (my emphasis) spiritual needs which need fulfillment, and in students, "some 600,000 have-emotional problems "Supported overwhelmingly by students" a~d yet recognition of this, the college supports the student- for which they need professional assistance." The the six student members of the SLC saw their way run Religious Life Council. (in a similiar manner National Institute of Mental Health finds that "the clear to go against all these stud~nts and say let's the college supports the SGA, which it also is not factor of human isolation and withdrawal" appears "aquiesce." Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I was obligated to do.i Last year the RLC and other to be critical: and the colleges recognize the serious always of the opinion that the student government concerned groups were faced with the problem that problem created by these "loners" and are trying (which. I suppose. has members on the SLC) was student interest in the chapel services was virtually to provide help but admit (in hundreds of letters to supposed to represent the students at the ad- dead. A poll was taken to determine what students us from deans) that they do not have adequate ministrative Ievel. I thought the SGA's purpose, the desired at chapel, and a committee of interested solutions. SGA on any campus, was to present,. ,!r try to students was formed to completely revamp the This waste of some of the nation's finest young present the students' ~iews to the administr-ation. entire program for 1he coming year. people is intolerable. Since for every actual death, Maybe those assumptions are no .longer true, or The Chapel Committee is made up of students nearly a hundred have felt so desperate as to maybe they're just not true on this campus who are concerned about religious worship on threaten it, much light could be thrown on the The SLC somehow read the minds of the campus. The members were purposefully chosen to by learning what factors enabled. decision maxine people and they 'did two things provide a varying representation of religious subject the thev decided for the decision makers by not fortunate ones to work out of their difficulties and beliefs, and it was hoped that the services they keep going. letting them rule on the 24 hour proposal and even organized would appeal t.o the whole campus. It is With the help of a friend who is vitally interested worse, the student SLC members betrayed the very important for the students to realize that the in this subject, the American In~titu~e of Family student body by not even trying out the 24 h0l:'r services now being offered are part of a long range Relations is carrying out a nationwide study of policy on the decision makers. They were so afraid experiment to determine just what type of worship of a little word that they didn't even try. This is my service students desire here. what is being done and what could and should be point. Regardless of how th~y felt the. decision ,Each one is different in form and content. They done. We need to hear from as many students and makers would react-it was their duly, their duty to are not designed specifically to replace a Christian former students as possible who have faced such a worship service, and therefore they are not crisis. What pulled them out of it? Was it aid fur- f~:~ren~utt~e~!c~~~~~~i~ t;o~i~~ P\~~S~d~'~~p~to~:~ Methodist or even necessarily Christian, i.e. Christ- nished by the college or university? or other overwhelmingly by students." The student organization? centered. Understandably though, Christians form community or reading? Just or by <_l friend? or members of the SLC should have voted to present religion? how did they save the largest percentage of those students who are the 24 hour policy to the president bec~use that's concerned and involved with religious worship on themselves? what the students wanted. It was their duty to We will not publish the names of any individuals campus. . present that plan to the presi.dent. Not ~ne, not ~ne So far, considering the number of students off or schools: the information will be handled of the six student members tried to do this by voting campus Sundays, chapel services have been much statistically and anonymously -.If you can call the against the compro~ise-they all "acqui~s~~~." Not attention of your readers to this study and ask for better attended than last year's, indicating only were they failing in the responsibilities en- reasonable student support for the new program. volunteers who will write their experiences to me Dean Zepp, other local clergy, and faculty mem- rvpersonat": at th.e above addr.ess, it may con- ~e~f~~~ ~~cth~~in~~IJ~~~n~!~1~~~~i;hl~t~chs~~~~e~ tribute toward saving valuable lives bers have contributed ably to the services and the We shall certainly be most grateful for any help one is bargaining with another over, say, a pie~e of work of the Chapel Committee. Obviously everyone merchandise he's trying to sell, he starts With a is not pleased all the time, but students are asked to you can give higher price than he thinks he might. get and then he try the different services, and to bear in mind the Cordially yours, works down until an agreement IS reached. He experimental nature of the program. Paul Popenoe, SC.D starts high and works down. To start with a !ow Sincerely, price and work up would result in a sale at the. first Charles Horn SLC criticized price or no sale at all ~nd tr-ying to get a higher price would be nearly Imposslbl~, or at .least an Christmas wish arduous struggle. The same pr-inciple applies her.e. If we try for the 24 hour dorm first-we might get l~. You can never tell. No matter what they say-I don t To the Editor: Dear SIrs, think the SLC is a mind reading act. Perhap~, and Peace on Earth! Thursday, December .1, I was blessed with hopefully so, the decision makers are more liberal than anyone knows. Then we ",:,ouldhave .the 24 hour In a short time we will all be singing these words another handout in my mailbox. I jokingly label all and signing cards that proclaim it so. Yet, no such "mail" as junk mail. But this piece I received ~~~;; t~~~h~:~op~o~fs:.taI~l t~~th2~u~~~~~n~~~~~~~ matter how warm and joyous the season, we are Thursday was junk mail in the truest sense of the definitely aware that peace hasn't yet taken over. word. It was pure, unadulterated garbage. The down after being presented to th.e president, then even be con- and only then should compromise We have an expanded meaning when someone now handout I'm referring to, of course, is the one mentions Kent State or Jackson State. The fact that concerning the proposed open house policy to be sidered. A wishy-washy person always gets the some of our young men will spend this Christmas or presented by the Student Life Council to President short end of the bargain. I say giv~ the 24 hour next in Vietnam or Cambodia or perhaps the Middle Ensor proposal to the president and let him ma~e t~e , East, amidst ambush and grenade, makes "Peace The students of Western Maryland found out decision-put him on the spot-that's what he s paid on Earth" a tough phrase. through this bulletin that they had been stabbed in for. If he turns it·down-O.K, we'll try something If Christmas and it's message are supposed to the back by the student members of the SLC. The else. But never, never compromise first. bring word of peace, why isn't it here? Why do men SLC has voted through the watered down proposal I'm a freshman here at WMC. One of my first still like to see each other dead? Maybe Christmas outlined in the bulletin because they were afraid of impressions was of people saying the SGA is a is a failure? Surely none of us like to think a.bout it what the president, alumni, parents and generally waste. To quote Jerry Hopple from the student that way. Since we have more important thmgs to the decision-making people of the college would say handbook: "The SGA is nominally the most do, like getting warm inside with Christmas plays about the 24 hour open house policy. They were powerful student organization on campus, but in and cards and trees and gifts and joy-to-the-world afraid of the word no. So they copped-out (if you will recent years the SGA has become mcreasingly sounds. We tie it all up in a nice tidy Christmas permit me the use of the cliche). As they ineffective. This will be a crucial year for the package that makes Christmas tim~ a big happy unashamedly admitted: "We aquLesced"." COP- student government." Yes, this wi.lI b~ a cruc!al few weeks. ~ OUT year and I think the open house polIcy IS a crUCial Through the centuries the true meaning of The students on the SLC performed an amazing decision that could decide the future of the SGA. If Christmas has been supplanted by traditions -such feat: somehow they managed to read the minds of the SGA betrays the trust of the students once, as it as Santa Claus and gift giving, Why? Possibly the decision making people and knew they would has done, then the students will never put their trust because Santa delivers the goods? Also Christ say no to the 24 hour policy. So, based on this in the SGA again and it will die. never did come through with that peace jazz "knowledge" of the minds of the decisiQn makers I urge1.he student members of the SLC to change anyway, did he? But also possible is the fact that and an absolute, quaking fear of the word no, they their votes, if it is not too late, to support the Santa had the easier task to do and didn't even give the people a chanco to come to a students, as is their duty, well ...Christ. ..maybe he can't do it by himself, huh? bona fide conclusion about the 24-hour proposal. In Let's have some strongJeadership. Without it, the Ah, just a thought... effect what these students did, by voting for the SGA will surely fade away. Sorry, compromise and voting against student wishes, Sincerely, Bob Bruckner was to decide for the decision makers-something David Iverson