Rogers Hall School - Splinters Yearbook (Lowell, MA)

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Splinters Editor-in-Chief PRUDENCE ALLEN Literary Board MARTHA CHIGAS DEBORAH GALE CATHERINE COWLES JANET KENDALL LYDIA DESHLER SHERILL WICKWIRE Business Board M ariager-CHALLIS XAIALKER MARTHA BAKER SANDRA HALL MARIAN CROCKER SANDRA SHIPTON AMY VVHITEHEAD Art and Photography Edif0T-GAYLE DEBELL MARTHA FISHER LYNDA PRYOR Art Contributors BETH BULLOCK LAURA LocKvvooD DONNA CoRRooN LESLIE MAGGY DEBORAH GALE ALIDA MCILVAIN ISABEL KINNEY LISA STRASBURG JODI LANDWEHR KATHLEEN SULLIVAN JAN LAUNDON SHERILL WICKWIRE Faculty Literary Advisor Faculty Art Advisor MRS. BANKS S. VVORSHAM MRS. JOHN PERLOFF

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ff? I N- ' A It 4 ' l l ll if Q tipky' t 1 I J' f' 'gat' .v'- 4' 1 - 5 - 'L f 41 bf vi x ' ,ix -'qui 'f , . '46 W , ff., I 31 f f MQ 97,21 'Q ' A' I rn .ix ,il I Q 2 . -25.91 ..2Pfa'2-..r Ja.. f - f . ,. Fl ff'f ,. Inf-f ' 'ff R-,'I5Sf,' f 'l Six f ' 'I 17' Q. V - if 35. lg, L fig , ' . J - 1 'lux I 4 ' ,J f- 3 , 3. .' n -lfl ' ',j' e ' 4 - 'I 5 'f..- ,,, Z 1, .' if .--XJ ' 1 - - 4gg,,.,, . fl' , ' 7. ff.-. ' ke '2- 1 6 .:. ,,v T' Vol. 75 Literary, 1967 No. 1 Editorial When Americans converse, we usually stand at a regulated distance from each other. Without any trouble, we speakers can extend our arms so that the index fingers will neatly Ht into the listeners' ears. ln conversation, we maintain the proper arm's distance to talk at one another. Symbolically, American conversation is merely a physical extension of our thoughts that we poke into any conveniently distanced ears, which ironically cannot hear, for they are well-plugged. It seems, then, that we can hear only ourselves while we talk at everyone else. The intimate French conversations greatly contrast with the typical exchange system that we have adopted. Instead of isolating the interest of a few with our news, we manage to arrange a vast number of people in perfect spacial relationship, then, we poke our ideas and convictions into their deafened ears. Our image of the popular Party-person is the artful conversationalist who simply resembles a bicycle wheel that rotates his body about a group and consecutively extends his arms as spokes into the perfectly orientated ears. Or, taking another commonplace example, we walk toward each other on a street, we halt when our fingers can tightly plug ears, we poke hello, thank you, and how are you, then we walk on wondering who it was we greeted. We talk on and on with outstretched fingers, and for all our talk, We hear only ourselves. Italians do not poke and plug, they talk with their hands so people of all sizes can hear, question, answer, and then understand. We, on the other hand, try to poke someone who is just half our size. With the advantage of a longer arm we can stuff all that we want without fear of encountering a question. Shorter arms cannot poke back. lf an unconventional attempt to speak is made, we simply remind our listener that we must never shout at people out of ear-poking distance. We can turn from our small victim and let him pick from his ears the message, he, in turn, can poke words of love, freedom, justice, and Freud into some still smaller plugged ears. This poking-plugging tradition is so much a part of our conversational habits that it is instinctive for a small babe to fondle stuffed animals by poking deaf ears. Americans could move a considerable step back or a friendly step closer to talk at the targets of our conversation. We could put down the coffee cups and cigarette butts. We could unplug our victims' ears and set free our hands. And with close attention to international conversing habits we might learn the meaning of our talking, unplugged people will hear and will react. We might learn the truth of our meaning, unplugged people will question and will teach. We might even learn the art of talking to, not at, our fellow ears. PRUDENCE ALLEN '67