St Andrews Presbyterian College - Lamp and Shield / Bagpipe Yearbook (Laurinburg, NC)

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mmam Hi Having tasted the delights of four years of C C, a century of basic sci- ence labs and countless other aca- demic mind-blowers, the SA student eventually begins to wonder just who is the guiding hand behind all this agony. Meet Dean Robert F. David- son, Dean of the College, the Big D. He is to be seen everywhere, whether dining with students in the cafeteria, striding across the causewalk with tie flapping in the breeze, or across the desk upon which your D notice rests. The Dean bears the ultimate respon- sibility for the academic concerns of the college and accordingly is vitally interested in the academic progress or lack of same for each student. 20

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A president, anv president, has the ultimately significant and sometimes unfortunate distinction of being the foremost representative of his institu- tion, whether it be a nation or a col- lege. His personality and character carry the image of that institution to the rest of the world, and more often than not judgments are made on the strength of that image. He must con- stantly be on top and ahead of the current school issues and controversies. His is the task of pulling together the various bits and pieces of the total character of the college, and then making decisions and passing judg- ments on the basis of his awareness of the particular ' s relation to the whole. At the same time he must enter- tain visitors, travel extensively and somehow come up with the millions of dollars necessary to keep the college alive. It is inevitable then, that when the machinery breaks down for any one of a thousand reasons, the first cries of anguish are usually directed at the president. Add then to problem solv- ing, money raising and decision mak- ing the task of simply keeping a cool in the constant flak of student criti- cism, and vou understand a bit of what it is to be president of SA. If it often seems shrouded in mystery from our point of view, it is usually because there are implications we never have to realize, and if he seems out of touch with student life it is of- ten because he is the victim of student prejudice or endless administrative duties. There are obviously few re- wards for his efforts, other than wit- nessing the coming of age of the in- stitution to which he has devoted so much energy, especially in his last year as President. It is only regrettable that he has had to give so much time to obtaining the materials needed for the physical plant that he could not maintain the personal contact that is so essential. Dr. Moore ' s retirement is a genuine loss to St. Andrews.

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I 1968 was a year of unprecedented growth for St. Andrews. The students and administration wrestled with problems that seemed to inevitably center around responsibility vs. rules, and for the most part the seekers of freedom prevailed. That they did is in manv cases due to the fact that the Deans of Students also believed that responsible freedom is a far better thing than a set of regulations. It is difficult to realize the constant ten- sion a dean must feel; Roger Decker is the only link the students have with the administration, yet directly an- swerable to the administration for every judgement he makes. When the students desire responsibility, the deans in turn have to bear that re- sponsibility with the administration. Sharing the headaches with Dean Decker is her Grace, Dean Over- holser, and Dr. Doris Hewitt, St. An- drews ' new guidance counselor, who with unending faith and eternal op- timism have been supremely instru- mental in effecting St. Andrews ' shift from in loco parentis adolescence to responsible maturity. ; ' Top: Dean Roger Decker; Left: Dr. Doris Hewitt; Right: Grace Overholser.