Millsaps College - Bobashela Yearbook (Jackson, MS)

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' Communication is the key to community » The college should remind students that there is an intellectual and social communi- ty to which they are connected, both within the student body and the outside world. In order to function effectively in this commu- nity, the student needs to see the relation- ship between what he learns and how he lives. He should look for the underlying meaning of what he learns and seek to apply that knowledge to the dilemnas of everyday life. Millsaps seeks to build community from the moment that the student arrives on campus, and much preparation goes into making the transition from high school to college a smooth one. It was announced in October that, based on the findings of a study group, changes in Rush were being studied. After students expressed dissatis- faction with the decision, President Har- mon agreed in November to postpone any decision on Rush. In February, the Task Force on the Freshman Experience was es- tablished in order to present a recommen- dation for a restructuring of the freshman experience. The desired goal is to bond freshmen to Millsaps first and then to other aspects of the school. It is important in any community to have open lines of communication between all its Right: Cheerleaders Anna Stroble and Eric Bufkin. Above: Survivors of the Great Ezelle Fire. members. On October 27, a Call the Bluff student rally was held to protest the growing communication gap between ad- ministration and students. SBA President, Mark McCreery was quoted by the P W as saying, It is time to say no to a manage- ment style with no concern for our goals and objectives. The specific complaints dealt with the closing of the children ' s day care center and the rescheduling of Rush Week, but the underlying problem was that in which Continued on page 8

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Finding ethical solutions . . . the students were governed by the adminis- tration. The rally received coverage in the Jackson Daily News and the Clarion Led- ger, as well as being covered by local televi- sion. The Effective Communication Com- mittee was established to prevent a totally downward flow of communication from the administration to the students, and the All- College Council was established to give all interested people a chance to express them- selves. Both were designed in an effort to bring the students, faculty, and administra- tion together. Millsaps showed a committment to find- ing ethical solutions to community prob- lems when it held the Consultation on the Status of Minority Students. Its goal was to increase the number of minority students at Millsaps and enhance their experience — first by finding out why so few minority students were then present and then by finding solutions to the problem. A steering committee was established after the consul- tation to look into different areas of the situation. The consultation was made possi- ble by a grant from The Board of Higher Education and the Ministry of the United Methodist Church. One event which recognized the impor- tance of what goes on outside the classroom was the Alcohol Awareness Week held after the return from Fall Break. It was intended to promote alcohol education, de- cision making skills, and positive peer influ- ence. The week served as the highlight of a year-round emphasis on alcohol education by Millsaps and the importance it places on the individuals ' decisions of use or non-use. Truly educated people must gain per- spective by seeing themselves in relation to others. The organization known as the Cross Cultural Connection attempted to provide a sense of belonging for interna- tional and minority students by offering a forum for the exchange of cultural ideas, knowledge and values. CCC was responsi- ble for sponsoring such things as a Friday Forum entitled Slavery and Freedom: Comparing the United States with South Africa and the visit of Arun Gandhi. An initial sign-up list of fifty-six people showed how Millsaps students want to learn outside the classroom. Continued on page 11 Right: Study and conversation in the Bowl. Inset: Everyone enjoys the Blues Band courtesy of Black History Month. ■ fcMP