Mississippi College - Tribesman Yearbook (Clinton, MS)

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Being able to form close friendships, like Karen Bronson and Charlie Johnson is one of MC’s assets. 20 Jokes abound concerning the dating life, or lack of it, on MC’s campus. One might get the impression that there was no interchange between the sexes. In order to get an accurate picture of the male-female relationship on cam- 1 pus, the opinions of an assortment of students were collected. From the male point of view, the sit- uation ranged from ' The girls are easy to get a date-just go to the Hederman- Gunter lobby” to the fact is girls walk around in wads— you never see a girl alone, and a guy would have to be pretty confident to make a move in a situation like that.” One male com- mented, I think most girls are anxious to get dates, but there is a lack of guys with enough confidence to appeal to Randy Follett and Susan Spruell enjoy a quiet moment in the Hederman Gunter lobby.

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The MC cafeteria is famous for its mealtime en- tertainment by Paul Hartford. The cafeteria is a great place to celebrate impor- tant events . . . like Debbie’s 18th birthday. that someone has moved your books, and you are now sitting in a very scenic spot-right under the window and on the floor. Having finally obtained a seat, the floorshow soon begins. At each meal the young ladies of MC present a fash- ion review for anyone who will stop to notice them. On occasion anything from satin gym shorts to formal attire is modeled. This is also the time when everyone gets to see the new engagement ring or finds out that your old boyfriend has just asked out your ex-best frined. Wal- ter Cronkite would have to work over- time to spread the news faster than it can travel in the cafeteria. It is this aspect of the cafeteria that draws students to it. If they get a little something to eat while there, it only makes them a little less hungry and so makes their bill at Ken ' s a little less extravagant. -Charles Dunn Killer’s Korner’’ was definitely the place to eat. Next, the student is ushered to the vegetables where a selection of every size, snape, and color of peas and beans awaits. On occasion you might detect the odor of carrots, squash, or spinach only to find that the last spoonful was served to the person who cut in front of you in line. The meal is topped off with a selection of bread which occasionally is fresh. At other times, the rolls make great paper weights. As you make your way to your re- served seat at the corner table, you find 19

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“TH-GRG’S TOO MUCH- INTGGRITY OH THIS CAMPUS TO HdM€ AW fUM DATING ...” the girls.” Another comment was, I’m not interested in dating just to have a date; it would be nice it you could af- ford to do that.” A more encouraging view of the dating situation was given by one student when asked his opinion, I think it’s fantastic; I ' ve never seen anything like it and never hope to again!” One senior gave this comment, I did have trouble finding a date as a freshman. I lacked confidence and also the Freshmen girls were snooty.” One of the reasons guys gave for not dating more was, I tend to shy away from women looking for a MRS de- gree.” The girls here are too religious for me.” Many guys gave money, or the lack of it, as being a factor in the dat- ing or non-dating situation. The aver- age cost of date, including a movie and food, was about $15 (and that doesn’t even include the gas). In reply to the money situation, one female commented Ballgames don’t cost any money.” Although most guys were generally satisfied with the dat- 4 ing situation, most of the girls felt there definitely is a dating problem: not enough of it, or more bluntly, Its the pits!” I don’t think much about it (the dating situation).” There’s not enough dates; some people you can go out with and have a good time and de- velop friendships, but other people have the wrong idea or think you do.” One female complained that if a girl ever turns a guy down for a legitimate reason, he’ll never ask her out again. In reply to that, a male said whether he asked a girl out again depended on how the girl turned him down. If she sounded regretful and hinted that she would like to go later, he’d call her back again. But, if she had to wash her hair or something, that was that.” Since liberation is slow coming to the South and to the Baptist, girls asking guys out is not done-except when so- cial tribe formals approach, and the girls get to take the ini- tiative. One coed reported, A lot of girls get turned down the first and second time around at formal time.” (It was discovered that duck hunting is a bad excuse for not going). Other girls said they didn’t mind having to do the asking. Some guys were afraid how they would feel if a girl asked them out, disregarding the formals. Various reactions from, It won’t bother me at all; I’d even let her pay” to I don’t know; I’d have trouble. I’d probably pay anyway, or at least my part.” It will probably be a while before equality of dat- ing responsibility is reached here at MC, just as it will be with other equalities. Regardless of sex, a recurrent complaint about the dating situation here at MC became obvious: because of the small size of the campus, everybody knows what everybody else is doing, and if a person goes out with someone twice, they au- tomatically become a couple and no one else will date either one of them. The amazing thing is that all of the students interviewed felt there was a problem, and that this prevailing attitude was erroneous and unfair, but few had suggestions as to how the situation could be improved. One senior male student, speaking from his years of observation, remarked, There’s too much integrety on this campus to have any fun dating . . His suggestion was that if people were more secretive in their dating life, fewer people would know and there would be less talk and hence less labeling. Everyone would then be freer to enjoy themselves. However, with the dating rate being what it is, any date is news, and it is virtually im- possible, short of wearing disguises and meeting on street corners, to date without others knowing. The only other sug- gestion for solving the problem was mandatory dating, which does have its possibilities. Steve Thomas and Jane Watkins share a couch in the Hederman Gunter lobby as they watch an exciting T.V. show. Couples Donald Richardson and Angelique McKeithen, Jackie Jones and Ray Massey, and David Oliver and Kim Bronson enjoy togetherness at Su- per Bowl Sunday in Hederman Gunter lobby.