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Editorial Page THE SKYSCRAPER April 8,1964 the minm B i MIL ll II I ill) IIII I I. II is an organ instituted to present the views of the campus, the city and the world concerning the students, to promote awareness and to mold public opinion on all issues affecting the college of the tOth century. Sounding Board Victors Will Win Strength in Unity Ever since Eve ate that apple in Eden, man has bitten more than he can chew. And, generally speaking, after taking that first bite, he seldom finds time to reach the core. Now, The Skyscraper chose to taste the apple by presenting a view about the powers and functions of the SAC. In turn, some students took a second bite by expressing their contrary opinions in letters to the editor (opposite). The question that still confronts the student body, however, is what to do with the remains of that half-eaten apple. The Skyscraper's opinion, because it suggested the abolishment of the SAC if it could not function effectively, cannot be discarded as spoiled fruit. Yet the SAC, as it now exists, cannot be placed on the market and sold for top value. The only way to reach the core of the fruit is to remember that the SAC, can only be effective through the united effort of council members. The Skyscraper, therefore, presents the platforms of the SAC can didates, confident that the student body is capable of selecting able officers yet convinced that individual victors must merge platforms to unify the SAC* The Skyscraper Staff All the World's a Stage' Shakespeare Plays on Why the 400 candles? Why the festivities? The western world has more vital concerns than a birthday celebration for a long-buried Eliza bethan. Yet hordes of lords and commoners are converging on Stratford and U.S. devotees of the Bard are planning festivals, a scholars' conference and White House-Folger awards. AdfJrBSSfid Perhaps all of this isn't idle revelry in honor of a ghost. It may be important to Western Man pre cisely because William Shakespeare, born April 23, 1564, addressed himself not to one historical and geo graphical locus but to Man, to issues important to him whether Elizabeth I or Elizabeth II occupies the Eng lish throne. Modern Man is haunted by the possibility of loss of his world through global atomic destruction. Centuries before the crop of atomic mushrooms, Shakespeare portrayed the loss of a world in Antony and Cleopatra. A pillar of the world loses all that is bounded by lavish Egypt and magnificent Rome for love; but not even the most famous romance of the ages can totally quench the sense of loss at the end of the drama. Space Age Man projects his interest even beyond the earth into the unknown of the mind and the universe. Yet long before satellites probed space, Shakespeare treated man's fascination with the unknown. His witches in Macbeth, ghosts in Macbeth and Hamlet, and references to the power of Fortune or Fate have meaning for every Man of the '60s striving for knowledge or mastery of things beyond him. Though fascinated by the unknown, Modern Man still channels much energy into mastery on earth. Shakespeare did not write against the background of world wars and terrifying weapons, yet he based several dramas on the power struggle. King Lear, a drama n I f ingratitude, begins with the struggle for power in DtiSt Li a kingdom; in Julius Caesar the effort is to gain world power; and the history plays touch the funda mental question of legitimate rule and the consequences of its violation. In addition to the power struggle, achieving har mony in heterogeneous societies is an issue facing Man in this era. Shakespeare speaks to the Twentieth Century on this question also. Romeo and Juliet il- Ktmnnla hastrates the harmful results of irrational prejudice, dllUygiG Othello presents the tragedy of a man living among a strange race in a foreign culture, and The Merchant of Venice outlines the strained relationship between Europeans and Jews. This emphasis on the problematic is not to suggest that Shakespeare weighted his work toward the grim. His comedies, characters such as Falstaff and Juliet's nurse, and the love sonnets refute such an inter pretation. But in all his writing, whether he wore the comic or tragic mask, Shakespeare's concerns are Man's concerns. Why all the fuss this year? It's just Man taking an artistic look at his life. Mary Etta Talarico Man Drama on like St dcraper Vol. XXXIV April 8, 1964 No. 13 All-Catholic 7Vie Skyscraper is published semi-monthly, September to May inclusive except during exam and vacation periods, by the students of Mundelein College, 6363 Sheridan Rd., Chicago 26, III. Subscription rate is 2 per year. Entered as second-class matter Nov. 30, 1932. at the U.S. Post Office, Chicago, III., under the act of March 3. 1897. The Skyscraper is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Catholic School Press Association. Attacks Editorial Congratulations to the Sky- soraper for this year's version of its annual Salute to Spring: a rap at the SAC. Upon analysis, how ever, the facts presented in your editorial prove to be far from ac curate. You thought we had a student government. You were mistaken. SAC stands for Stu dent Activities Council. The SAC does not purport to legislate, ad minister or judge. It is a council for, a coordinator of, student ac tivities. You contend that the SAC does not function as an organ of responsible leadership. Yet a look at the actual organiza tion of the SAC shows it to be quite adequate to fulfill its stated purpose, indeed, excel lently equipped to direct such collegiate activities as are for the common good . . . and to exercise leadership in planning for the intellectual, religious, cultural and social development of Mundelein students. Your comments on the standing committees of the Student Activi ties Council show that some clari fication is in order. These commit tees were created for the purpose of assisting the SAC in the han dling of student affairs in spe cific areas. The House Committee has the authority to request new or improved student facilities and services. It also functions to im plement the acquiring of these facilities and services. The Skyscraper contends that student members of the Concert- Lecture Committee ha /e but a small voice in choosing the Concert-Lec ture programs. In reality, the student members of the committee have equal representation with faculty. They are fully empow ered to recommend the Concert- Lecture program for the year and also to veto any suggested program. Your article bemoans the fact that the Academic Affairs Commit tee is merely an advisory body. Does the Skyscraper honestly believe that the student members of the SAC have come to Mundelein to construct a curriculum rather than to utilize one? If so, would you suggest that the SAC pay their salaries as staff members in the of fice of the academic dean? The Skyscraper states that only the president and one or two others are functional coun cil members. I find it difficult to believe that the Skyscraper has kept a record of the mem bership of each SAC committee since last June. If so did it find that two, or at the most three, people are totally and exclusively responsible for Ecumenical Week, Social Action Week, Political Action Week, two book exchanges, the Variety Show, all mixers and dances, Club Week, Who's Who voting, the Pledge Plan, etc., etc.? The Skyscraper wants Munde lein's SAC to move from an ad visory to a legislative capacity. Perhaps the Skyscraper doesn't realize that Mundelein students have come here seeking an educa tion, in all areas of living. This naturally includes exercising re sponsibility and leadership in stu dent affairs. It does not, however, include organizing a student-ad ministered institution which seeks the advice of faculty and adminis tration as a last recourse to ac tion. The solution offered by the Skyscraper is hardly consistent with its cry for increased stu dent responsibility. You sug gest that each of the activities sponsored by the SAC could be undertaken by individual clubs. Thus the Skyscraper advocates eliminating the SAC as a coor dinator for student activities. Who then would serve to origi nate and initiate the various activities and parcel them out to the clubs? None other, of course, but the Dean of Stu dents. Hardly an effective means to increased student re sponsibility. Thus the present organization of the SAC has been effectively uti lized in sponsoring and coordinat ing school activities and in in creasing awareness of individual responsibilities in various areas of our community leadership. This is not to say that the SAC couldn't have broadened its activities even further. No one claims its perfec tion. And yet we do find non- participation and lack of interest. Therefore, we might ask: do the individual SAC committees utilize their privileges and exercise their responsibilities to the fullest? Do they make themselves known to the student body as the places-to-go to present complaints and seek de sired changes? And to the real heart of the mat ter, is the Mundelein student will ing to crawl from her cocoon of non-involvement, to recognize her responsibilities in all areas of in dividual and community living, to utilize the opportunities of each moment, to commit herself to total living here and now? Patti Tighe Defends Council If, as your statement of purpose proclaims, you intend to mold public opinion, I would suggest that you begin by basing future editorials on fact, not hearsay. Your recent editorial Why the SAC, ? in a valiant attempt to be blistering and controversial, proved to be only shallow and inadequate. You denounce the value of an ad visory capacity without ever clearly explaining why such a power is undesirable. By writing policies for all stand ing committees criticized in the editorial, this year's SAC has given these committees a more than ade quate framework. The structure is now clearly there it is up to fu ture SAC's, committee members and in a very real sense all future students, to use these committees to their fullest advantage. Seen in the light of these facts, your hol low call to move to responsible legislation seems vague and ill- considered. You suggest that future Council members be capable of handling their responsibility. Doesn't the inauguration of programs such as Ecumenical Week, Political Action Week and Social Action Week indi cate a willingness to assume re sponsibility on the part of this year's entire Council? Surely you don't suggest that this work has been done by one or two members who have pro vided more than responsible leadership... Clearly the Skyscraper has mis interpreted the concept of the SAC and the powers it possesses. Your analysis of the situation was un fortunate at best. Marianne Littau Notes Difference I thought we had a student council not a student govern ment. There is a big difference and, consequently, to criticize the SAC according to the standards of a government is unfair. You said the SAC will not ex ercise its leadership in planning and directing collegiate activities, then you proceed to cite numerous examples where they have not only directed the annual activities falling into their domain, but where they have this year initiated new programs of widespread but defi nite benefit. You relegate all SAC func tions to smaller classes and clugs who could, possibly han dle isolated instances, but the question is, would they? They are geared only towards their members, but the SAC neces sarily includes the entire stu dent body. What one class wants to take on the head aches of running a book ex change or even of providing baby-sitters for the alumnae? You say that since the SAC merely expresses student opinion they are incapable of responsibility. Why not let them take over as sug gested? Then we could throw out the administration. Please re-ex amine the examples you cited as cases where SAC did not function as a government and I think you will find that they acted according to their structure as a council. It is quite true that the status of the SAC could be greatly improved, but I fail to see where that would make such a difference if the stu dent body remained indifferent and disinterested. (Note attendance at all SAC functions which are not strictly social.) Someone finally noticed that the SAC has problems that could be worked on and their immediate re action is it should be abolished. If the SAC has not done as much good as it could have, still it has done some good for many people at many times throughout this year that would not otherwise have been done. To me, this is reason enough for its existence. Peggy Parent Extends Invitation The Student Activities Council is sponsoring a week focusing on The Intellectual Life, Monday, April 20 to Friday, April 24. One of the highlights of this week will be the presence of Dr. Karl Stern, noted Catholic psychiatrist, on our campus, Tuesday, April 22. Other features will include panels, open discussions and just thinking ses sions designed to stimulate interest on questions such as: What is an intellectual? Are questions or an swers the most important element of an intellectual life? What makes for an inquiring mind? How im portant is it for everyone to lead an intellectual life? Does mar riage and a family mean the end of an intellectual life for most women? The SAC is not offering a cap sule solution for these problems. The solutions are up to you. All that the SAC is trying to do is to provide an opportunity for all of us to tangle with these questions. Committee for the week focusing on The Intellectual Life
title:
1964-04-08 (2)
publisher:
Women and Leadership Archives http://www.luc.edu/wla
creator:
Mundelein College
description:
Student newspaper for Mundelein College
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Newspapers
subject:
Religious communities--Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
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Students
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Universities and colleges
subject:
Women's education
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Mundelein College Records
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English
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Mundelein College