Appalachian State University - Rhododendron Yearbook (Boone, NC)

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Preface By J. Braxton Harris Consider the plight of the edi- tor of a college yearbook. He must capture the essence of one of the most complex institutions which society has evol- ved. He must package that es- sence in a mean- ingful and attrac- tive format, using the highly sophis- ticated and some- times delicate tools of com- munication available to him. Uppermost in his mind all the while must be his audience, which is not only diverse to begin with but which will continue to change with each passing year. It turns out to be no mean undertaking. Furthermore, the editor - unlike General Motors - is unable to recall his yearly production for the correction of any defects which become apparent after publica- tion. Now, this piece is not intended to be an apologia for yearbook editors. It if turns out that way, that will only be because reason and fairness compel a certain amount of compassion in view of the enormity of the undertaking. As with any human enterprise on the grand scale, the rewards of editorship are likely to consist of both grandeurs and miseries. Look first at the nature of the institution. The American college is probably the biggest enterprise on the face of the earth today which operates without a clear and commonly -accepted notion of its overall purpose. The persons who fill the central roles in American colleges and universities - faculty members, administrators, trustees, students - are not in agreement on the goals of the institution. Yet the yearbook editor must take a position on those goals if he is to determine whether to give a greater or lesser play to the football team, the instructional laboratory, an off-campus internship, the co-curriculum, the faculty, student social life, residence hall life, the individual student, the community, sororities, and hundreds of other features of the collegiate scene. What is the essence of the college experience? Having taken a position on the nature of the essence which he wants to capture in the yearbook, the editor must now look at the tools of communication at his disposal. Photography? Yes. He needs clear, fresh colorful kaleidoscopic, and arresting pictures from the lens of -a photographer who must shoulder his way into the ranks of the artist if he is to be what he must be - an artist photographer. Pictures, the folklore tells us, say more than thousands of words. What about the word? The editor must never forget the power of words. Ill-chosen words have doomed political and personal fortunes. Words well-chosen have earned immortality for some persons. Words even paint pictures of their own. Read again (and see) the opening lines of Thomas Gray ' s Elegy Written in a Country Church-Yard: The Curfew tolls the knell of parting day. The lowing herd wind slowly o ' er the lea. The plowman homeward plods his weary way. And leaves the world to darkness and to me. Only a bit of imagination is needed to picture this pastoral but somber - even moribund -- scene. Consider, too, the power of a few well-chosen words to describe a position on even the most complex of issues. Emerson was able to choose words so well that he needed only twenty of them to stake out his position on the nature of man and the nature of the universe as follows: Our faith comes in moments; our vice is habitual. There is intelligence and good will at the heart of things. So, like Emerson, the editor must select his words with prudence and with clarity of mind. In addition, the editor must use the tools of management. He is not going anywhere unless his staff follows him. Carl Sandburg once said that the drum major who turned a corner when the band didn ' t became a has-been leader. The editor must remain in a position of leadership if he is to determine - or even to know - the final product. Assuming, then, that the editor has identified the nature of his institution and has skillfully applied the tools of his trade in portraying the essence of the college or university, an important task remains. He must identify his present audience and - because yearbooks are hoarded •- his future audience. Ideally, he will form a relationship with his audience much as has Norman Cousins with the readership of his revitalized Saturday Review. He will talk to them, listen to them, and work for them. Like the campus playboy, the yearbook editor has a varied band of followers. While he may think of his audience as consisting primarily of students, he soon learns that other groups are vitally interested in what he writes and pictures. Faculty members, administrators, trustees, former students, and friends of the institution all consider themselves to be a part of the larger family of the college. Nor do students remain students forever. They go on to become parents, faculty members, trustees, or at least old grads. The day they receive their yearbook, students begin to wonder what they will think of it twenty years later. The editor, therefore, must decide for whom he is capturing the essence of the college or university, ever mindful that the institution, the reader, and the yearbook will live on into the indefinite and uncertain future. Despite his best efforts, the editor can hardly predict how his product will be received. Some ill-chosen word, some cherished value ignored or desecrated, may like an errant shell exploding over one ' s own troops in time of battle, rain down indignation upon his head. The editor usually feels quite lonely and exposed in such a time of stress, and his sense of alienation may leave him poking around earnestly, along with Thomas Wolfe, for the lost lane-end which leads into heaven. So, dear reader, support your local yearbook editor and receive his efforts with calm felicity and forbearance. The vicissitudes and the vagaries of life are such that you, too, may one day enjoy both the grandeurs and the miseries of editorship. J. Braxton Harris Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Professor of Higher Education

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— ppRhodo Ihoto The Land The Rhodo photographers picture the beautiful iand of the Blue Ridge . The Land, terra firms - that which shapes identities of men, that which confirms or denies success of civilizations. What is history if not a tally of man ' s struggles with land -- his attempts to claim, conquer, and control it? And what is man ' s future but a cloud formation of questions on matters of environmental integrity? For all practical purposes, man is grounded on this earth, lunar landings notwithstanding. Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. And though man has challenged the land and natural forces with some success, the fact remains that he always returns to the land. The land has heated, housed, and fed this beast, man, for more years than he can record. Man has the perfect landlord and an open lease. How he chooses to act environmentally will determine whether this lease remains a godsend or becomes a gallows. In a certain natural sense, the majestic profile of Grandfather Mountain represents the landlord of the Blue Ridge. The aged gaze, the rugged features of the face and its full visibility make the Grandfather a bastions of permanence in a world of turbulence and change. From his vantage point the landlord can watch high hill farmers prune and spray their apple trees. He can count the jack-pines bowing to the wind; he can follow crystal creeks from early bubbles to Big Toe Rock. He sees morning leap frog across blue and green mountain peaks and watches its backside slide into night. He plays with morning mists and heavy fogs; he blows them to far valleys and dales. His chosen song is nature ' s tune accompanied by dulcimer and country fiddle. He sings of life and beauty. He sings of day and night. Long may he sing. Long may he gaze. Tater Hill With some huntin ' and drivin ' up around Rich Mountain, one can find Tater Hill -- a small community where some real mountain folks live in harmony with God ' s country. Mountains, valleys, dirt roads, and the lake remain virtually untouched even as they weather each season of the year. The Grandfather - a place for all seasons Summer - the Highland Games. Fall ■ Hang Gliding Exhibition and Competition. Winter - Frozen water falls and 160 mile- per-hour winds. Spring - Flora and fauna again abound. Campers and hikers prowl the rocks and ledges. Truly a place for all BA seasons. 7 Photo Essays