Page 4 - TheGoldBug1971-72

SEPTEMBER ncounter From the Editor For the student, New Year's resolutions begin in September, wheri. we are, c?n- A Letter frcm the President fronted with all of the problems left behmd in May. Last year brought a lot qf_ changes for the better. The student go¥ernment association took a long, serlous'Iook at its I appreciate the invitation of the Editor to "academic" here in its broadest sense. effectiveness, or lack of it. Twelve hour write for this first issue of The Gold Bug a Unless you take full advantage of every open house was instigated in the dorms brief word of welcome as we begin the l-05th opportunity offered and attempt to reach after a lengthy process, and all women are year since the founding of Western your highest potential, you will be untrue to now able to receive key privileges. The Maryland College. yourself and the college. But as we all know cafeteria menu was brightened con- Some of you are entering the college for W.M.C., particularly as a residential siderably with the addition of continental the first time, either as freshmen or tran- college, offers a high quality educational breakfast, ice cream, and the American sfer students. To you everything will be program within a social framework. caviar, peanut butter and jelly. new, 'and it may take you sometime to Students, faculty and staff are all a part of What lies ahead? Hopefully this year will familiarize yourselves completely with all this framework working, living and playing see more improvement along the lines aspects of the campus, campus life, the together in activities both curricular and suggested by three departed seniors, Jerry faculty and the somewhat different ap- extra-curricular. We are the W.M.C. of 1971- Hopple, Mike Weinblatt, and Glenn proach to education in college than you have 72 and together we will set the tone of the Hopkins. Last April they began a campaign been accustomed to in high school. Let me, college year to which I referred above. to establish a communications center at however, assure you of one thing--each Each of us has it within his power to help WMC, where the sundry as well as the person on, the faculty and administrative make 1971-72 a great, mediocre or poor year necessary facts about this place would be on staff is deeply interested in you as a person depending upon how each of us gives of his file and available for anyone to. have. The and your success at W.M.C. Naturally you best both in and out of the classroom . Gold Bug expressed regret last year that all .may relate' mOTe easily to some than to May I once again remind you that I three men were graduating before they others, but of the interest of all in you as a reserve each Monday afternoon for students could boost their idea into a reality. The person seeking an education at Western only. You, of course, are free to make an most frequent complaint (or maybe it's just Maryland, there can be no question. This we appointment with me at any time, but on a comment? Sometimes it's hard to tell) believe to be one of the hallmarks of a Monday afternoons I will make no ppoint- around here is that so many people are relatively small college and W.M.C. is ments with anyone but students. Please feel apathetic. The question remains, were dedicated to it. free to come in and talk about anything you those mass meetings last spring about the Those of you who are returning as ha ve in mind or even only to become better need for broader communication lines-just a members of one of the upper classes have, I acquainted. way to let off steam, or will the idea blossom believe, a greater responsibility to both This, as you know, will be my last year as into reality? yourselves and the college, because president, and naturally I am hoping it will What happened to the Renaissance inevitably you are in a position to help set be one. of my best. With your full movement? It had a fervant band of the tone of the 1971-72 college year both cooperation it can be-not for my sake followers last March, and then suddenly it academically and socially. After all the particularly but for your sake and that of faded away. It was known as a "movement chief purpose of any college worth its salt is Y01..frAlma Ma ter. of conscience and committment," seeking to give its students an opportunity for Lowell S. Ensor to do away with oral comps, get 24 hour academic growth, and I am using the word President open housing, better student represen- tation, and 'improve Union Street con- be revived? Black students question their role ditions. Will Renaissance that the SGA un- After all the scrutiny derwent last semester, it should be able to start making headway towards betterment. To the Editor: We question: If we laymen only get regular reports from It should be obvious to even the most socially 1. the true effectiveness of student represen- apathetic students that there are numerous tatton through the SGA. the floor representatives, the SGA would be inequities existing on this campus which require 2. the utility of the comprehensive examination taking a giant step forward. Elections were immediate attention. We, the black students of system. also a bone of contention last year, with not WMC, -because of our minority status have 3. the arrogant dictatorial attitude of the ad- many people putting their name into the become extraordinarilly conscious of these ministration toward student affairs. race: If it is time for Western Maryland to iniquities and have determined that it is from 4. the parochial, insular, and restricted approach move towards an all-college government, within our ranks that the impetus for- change regarding recruitment rather than four separate groups of class should come. As we are the scapegoats for 5. the sincerity of the administration's com- society as a whole, we are willing to spearhead a mitment to acquiring minority professors, and officers, there's no time like the present for much needed transformation to equitable and thus providing a true liberal arts atmosphere. finding out. social recognition. of the students. We have for 6. the college's policy regarding the hiring, Hopefully, good ideas never die. But it's too long allowed our own desires to be super- firing, and payment of campus employees. twice as bad when they fade away. ceded by the capricious and arbitrary edicts of 7. the discrepancies.between the wages of black our beaurecratic administration. The time has and white employees. come for us to seize the responsibility heretofore 8. the limited representation of black students on ~o\.'\)rou 6 assumed by our institutional overseers. Con- campus. sequently, we have consolidated. We consider 9. Finally, we question the inevitable, OM ourselves an autonomous, but not separate I detrimental, consequences disposed upon group. It is our intention to promote not only the students who publicly espouse their opposition to interests of the black students, but also the in- administrative policies. terests of the WMC students in general. I The Black Students of WMC • • • , • ~ I """""," «•••. , .'. ~... ~.......•