Meredith College - Oak Leaves Yearbook (Raleigh, NC)

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WE OFTEN HEAR THE CHARGE THAT POLITICALLY ACTIVE STUDENTS, SUCH AS THOSE WHO HAVE FROM TIME TO TIME VOCIFEROUSLY AND VIOLENTLY PROTESTED THE INDOCHINA WAR, DO NOT KNOW THE SCORE; THAT THEY FAIL TO APPRECIATE THE OLD VALUES THAT MADE AMERICA POWERFUL; THAT THEY ARE HOPELESSLY CONVINCED OF ULTIMATE SOLUTIONS FOR AGE-OLD PROBLEMS. THERE IS MUCH TRUTH IN THESE ALLEGATIONS. WE OF THE PRESENT GENERATION ARE TOO PRONE TO THINK THAT WE ALONE HAVE A RENDEZVOUS WITH DESTINY, THAT WE SHALL OVERNIGHT REMAKE THE WORLD. BUT THOSE WHO WOULD IMPUGN THE QUESTING SPIRIT OF YOUTH MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, AL- THOUGH SITUATIONS CHANGE, THE FORCES ACT- ING ON HISTORY ARE ALWAYS THE SAME. ADVER- SITY KNOWS MANY FACES: FOR OUR PARENTS IT WAS THE MASK OF ECONOMIC INSECURITY, FOR US A DIFFERENT CONTENANCE. THOMAS JEFFERSON, A REVOLUTIONARY IN HIS OWN RIGHT, SAID IT WELL: EACH GENERATION MUST MAKE ITS OWN WORLD. FORGIVE US THEN, IF OUR CAUSE IS DIFFERENT, IF WE FORGET MAN ' S LONG RECORDED TALE OF SUF- FERING, GRAPPLING WITH THE CHALLENGES OF LIV- ING AND SUPPOSE THAT WE ARE UNIQUE. BUT GIVE US OUR STRUGGLE. DO NOT DENY US THE FIGHT, EVEN IF YOU ' VE HEARD IT ALL BEFORE. CAST INTO THIS MASSIVE WORLD, WP OF LITTLE PHYSICAL WANT FACE ALMOST INSUPERABLE PRES- SURES FROM THE MERE ONWARD MARCH OF CIVILI- ZATION. WE SEE MAN BECOMING A SLAVE TO THE TECHNOLOGY HE HAS CREATED. THE ENVIRON- MENTAL MONSTER HE HAS CALLED FORTH IS BUT ONE HORRID EXAMPLE OF THE STIFLING CORNER INTO WHICH MAN SEEMS TO HAVE PAINTED HIM- SELF. OUR WORLD IS SO BIG, SO RICH, SO POWERFUL AND YET ULTIMATELY SO FRAGILE. WHO AMONG US CAN COPE ADEQUATELY WITH THIS CONTRADIC- TION? CIVILIZATION SEEMS TO HAVE NO ANIMUS OF ITS OWN; IT FOLLOWS SLOVENLY IN THE WAKE OF TECHNOLOGICAL USURPATION OF FREEDOM AND DESTRUCTION OF NATURE. WHERE IN SUCH A WORLD IS THERE A PLACE FOR THE INDIVIDUAL? SUCH BASIC QUESTIONS ABOUT EACH PERSON ' S ROLE ARE NOT RADICALLY DIFFERENT FROM THOSE PONDERED BY STUDENTS THROUGH THE AGES. BUT OUR WORLDS ARE NOT THE SAME AND OUR AN- SWERS WILL BE DIFFERENT. AND THE ANSWERS ARE NOT EASILY COME BY. WE SEND OUR FEELERS INTO THE ENORMOUS WORLD OF SENSES, ALL THE WHILE WALKING THE NARROW RAIL OF INDIVIDUALITY. BUT EVEN THOSE WHO DEVOTE THEMSELVES SO COMPLETELY TO CAUSES KNOW THAT EVERY CRISIS IS WITHIN OURSELVES. DEMONSTRATIONS OR POLITICAL AWARENESS, OR RELEVANCE -THESE ARE ONLY THE OUTWARD MANIFESTATIONS OF THE PERSONAL STRUGGLE THAT EACH OF US MUST WIN: SELF REALIZATION AND SELF SATISFACTION. -CRAIG WILSON REPRINTED FROM THE TECHNICIAN NOVEMBER 6. 1970 «r-»

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. . . fhe stifling corner into which Man seems to hove painted himself. ' ■