Page 9 - TheGoldBug1974-Jan1975

ll....At\O CLw..t:;Gt t,t'l.flY In this issue; Professors Art dept. News Sports Volume 52 Number 9 Thursday, Oct. 9, 1974 Alex Haley 'The story of one, saga of all' Cindy O'Neal Alex Haley is a living Rosetta Stone. His the sounds as the uncracked code in what would be heretofore uncovered code has bridged historical the discovery of his true heritage ...and not just his generations to a time and place suspended in an ow_n,but universally of the Black American. unchanging lifestyle. He brought his story to an Alumni Hall audience on Mon. Sept. 30.: Roaming the halls of the UN at quitting time, Haley is the famed author of The Autobiography Haley must have presented an amusing picture to of Malcolm X. His writing career developed while observers as he walked up to apparently African he was stationed in the South Pacific as a member delegates and spoke his repertoire of strange of the Coast Guard in World War II. Practicing by words, hoping someone might recognize the writing letters, he soon earned the title of most language. Unsuccessful yet undaunted, he found prolific corespondent from his shipmates when someone expert in the field and was to find that mail call would leave him with 30 or 40 letters every despi te his Tennessee accent, the sounds he spoke time. Then, establishing a service to his needy were recognizable. The excitement of discovery coworkers, Haley set up interviews and an index came when through sounds and the similarity of card catalogue so that he could write letters to 'the definitions the expert was able to pinpoint the girl on land' for everyone. (The effect of his letters tongue as Mandegan from a tribe off the Gambia proved positive with the next shore calll) He River. Haley went to Africa the next week. continued his voluminous writing in other fields after he left the service. Speaking for a moment to all aspiring writers, Haley met the tribe; spoke with a tribal grtote Haley insisted that "it isn't talent-what you have to (old man who does nothing but tell the story of his have is self discipline." He says it takes doing all tribe nonstop for days). And finally at one point in the 'extra credit,' more work than normal, and he the scribe's tale Haley recognized the story of his explained it took him eight years of constant ancestor 'The African' who never returned after he writing before he sold his first article to a small went out one day to cut wood for a drum. It was at magazine. After the Coast Guard, Haley went to that climatic point that the tribe accepted him, New York and worked with Reader's Digest. He at this symbol of all the Blacks in the US that they had that time did a story on Malcolm X and became never seen. Women rushed up to him that he might so favorable known that Malcolm X chose Haley to place his hands on their children so to say "we are help write the story of his life. you and you are us." After working with Malcolm for one year and not necessarily winners to tell their story ... " He obtaining bushels of notes, Haley moved upstate Haley writes of this entire search in Roots. He s~ys this is "the story of one, saga of all ...a Black New York to write the book. After he returned with says that histories are traditionally written by the slice of human dramaf Roots is to be televised on it and after the two men made initial edits, Malcolm winners, and that "now it is time for those who were ABC in 1976. X cloistered himself with the manuscript for three days of personal first editing, prophesying to Haley, "Brother Idon't think I'm going to live to see this in print." He was shot two ~eek~ later. Homecoming -'no little feat As Haley puts it, a series of miracles helped him to put together Roots, the history of a people, to be published this time next year. While working on a Bob Davis somewhat less than successful interview of Julie Well, that big weekend of Fall semester is here when one Demetnos Mallios vied for the coveted Christie for Playboy while she was in England again. Yea, I know it's a little early this year, but title, many have commented that the student body filming 'Far From the Madding Crowd' he took the because our faculty is in such great need of a rest feels much more comfortable withthe more con- time to feel the fascination English history has to and our administration is so responsive to student ventional female contestants. offer. It was in the British Museum that he saw the desires ( a Fall break"), Homecoming festivities Later Saturday evening when you have dinner in Rosetta Stone. will be held this weekend. . the cafeteria, please be quick about it; the Digressing for a while, it is important at this point Let's start from the beginning. Two concerts Sophomores have to come in and decorate. That's to meet the childhood of Alex Haley. He lived in a were originally scheduled. Thursday night was to right, the members of the class of 1977have elected to hold this year's Homecoming Dance in Englar Tennessee town of 500 people, half Black and half feature "Little Feet, a group that toured this Ballroom, popularly known as the cafeteria. The White, 50 miles north of Memphis. "Beyond that, summer with "Three Dog Night," and John Mars" was his attitude and the attitude of those Sebastian was to headline Friday evening. Well music, provided by "Southwind", will begin at nine around them, for indeed all they knew or needed "Little Feet" turned cold and cancelled out. So, ou; o'clock and continue until one o'clock. Tickets will was right there with them. As a boy Haley grew up concert schedule will feature only John Sebastian be four dollars per couple. One personal comment bathed in family stories passed down from old on Friday night at eight o'clock in Alumni Hall. about the dance: Many upperclassmen have ladies sitting in the cane bottomed chairs of their Sebastian who used to be the singer/ songwriter petitioned and hollered about this event being held in the cafeteria. But don't despair, the Sophomores front porch. Thinking little of it as a child, in other with the "Lovin Spoonful" , is known for his easy tell us that there are many, many advantages words taking for granted something very rich as so going lyrics and melodies. All indications are that having the dance in the cafeteria - you can walk to to often people are wont to do, Haley uncuriously the ~vening will offer some really fine listening assimilated his ancestory into his being only to mUSICto those who attend. Thanks to "Little Feet" it. )(Isn't it nice we have a small campus") for just So that's about the whole rundown recall it later. making tracks in another direction, the Sebastian Homecoming 1974. If you're tired of gigifs and The stories all bega.n with "The African" ... the concert will be free (0 students and somewhere African slave who escaped four times from his around two dollars for guests. This figure had not section parties, and you've looking for something Virginia plantation only to be caught the final time been determ!ned at the time of this writing. . with a little more class, come on out. If you're not come on out tired of gigifs and section parties, by a professional slave catcher who gave him the anyway. Everybody has worked really hard to put choice (as an example to all the other slaves) of For Saturday, the fun continues. Beginning at being castrated or losing a foot. 'The African' twelve-thirty in the afternoon, Westminster's main this weekend together, and a spendid time has been choose to loose his foot and began at the same time street will be the scene of the annual Homecoming guaranteed for all who attend. the tradition of family almost nonexistant in the Parade. This year's entourage promises to be at slave history, where people were generally sold too least equ_aland perhaps surpass the parades of past soon to form any family ties. years, With many campus organizations planning to The stories Haley heard as a child exemplified enter floats or similar displays. the oral tradition. Common to the stories' The Calendar and Schedule Committee is currently vocabulary were strange sounds used to define such The parade will arrive on Hoffa Field at one concepts (according to the stories) as guitar and thirty, just In time to see the WMC Terrors hosting seeking student comment concerning the self scheduling river; strange sounds, the key to another tongue, Moravian College. The Terrors will be trying to get another land, and certainly by this time, another back to their winning ways, but Moravian always exam procedures that were instituted last spring. Par culture. offers a strong challenge. It should be a good ticular ccincerns are in the area of administrative pros While Haley was flying home from England, the contest. idea of the Rosetta Stone and the implications of the Half time entertainment will be provided by the and cons plus honor code aspects. Contact Alex Ober or code kept blending in his mind with the idea of the WMC marching band and the crowning of the 1974 any member of the C&S committee. strange words and sounds he recalled from his Homecoming Queen. While not quite as much ex- boyhood. Through comparative thinking, he saw citement surround:S this contest as did last year's,