| Summary: | Letters to the editor An outsider looks at Concordia from the inside, discerns an unsettling personality Dear Stranger, Here they were. These people I had been looking for so long, ruining my poor eyes, wearing down my index finger, turning page after page of material. And now in front of my very eyes, quoted in this old travel ac-count, these people stood at last.located in this wide world, like a hidden treasure long searched for. This discovery would be, a milestone in the story of psychology and soci-ology. 'Sfnce long ago, we've had to find examples of duality of personality, not on an indivi-dual scale, but as a social institution. Surprisingly, such an exciting discovery had to be made in the United States of America in the most common-place average little town in the Middle West. I couldn't wait to see the last remnants of a species quoted in ancient books. These remnants were described at the very beginning oft the Christian Era as, "Whited Sepulchres which indeed appear beautiful out-ward but are within full of dead men's bones, and all of unclean-ness." So I crossed the Atlantic Ocean and I've been here for five months living, [with cour-age], among the best chosen specimens put together as a test group. I'm just emerging now from involving and demanding work; taking notes and being a mute observer. But, now I am able to release the information which I've been gathering for the past five months. Before presenting this excep-tional thesis to the sociology department of my french uni- 'Indian Week' appropriation low compared to Senators' salaries This letter is not to the editor of the Concordian as it is to the student body of Concordia. There's a matter which I feel should be brought to your attention, concerning the self-appropriation of salary by the" Student Senate (former Appro-priation's Board, to those who haven't yet been informed of the change in name). Personal-ly, I've been disappointed in the actions of the Student Senate this past year. I realize the awesome responsibility of their positions, yet I feel the awe-someness should have produced a sense of humility and respon-sibility. In the very few times that I have experienced working with the Student Senate, 1 have not seen evidence of either of these attitudes. I have some questions to put forth: Why should $2000 of our money [we each contributed $35] be spent on only 16 people? Is the money spent as salary truly representative of the whole student body? If you agree they [the Student Senate] should get salaries, are you aware of the number of complaints against them? Are you aware that an organi-zation who sponsors Indian Week--a week not just for Indian students, but a week planned for the Concordia community in which awareness and sharing happens and each of us can grow, was appropria-ted less than half of what was asked for? You, the student body are getting cheated out of a speaker from Arizona, a chance to participate and inter-act with those dancers who would come to a Pow-wow, and a chance to sample some good Indian food, an opportunity to experience a culture that has in the past been almost wiped out entirely. We want to share our culture with you, but we can't unless we have the money to sponsor a week of awareness. I propose that the Student Senate re-eval-uate themselves and their criteria for appropriating money. Ifs a question of 16 people or 2600 people. Sincerely, Carol Bauman versity, impressed by the ideal of Concordia Christian Genero-sity, I decided to share- this piece of knowledge with the students of Concordia, and I dedicate it specially to those who have been my subjects of study for five months. First, how to describe this duality of personality? It con-sists of a relation between the behavior of the individual, and his inner thoughts. Since adults (staff and facul-ty) don't exhibit signs of this diametric dichotomy of person-ality, we could inter that many Concordia students are suffering from late symptoms of puberty, emphasized in a menichean ideal of both the good and the evil they equally experience and transcend in their one individual person. Actually, it takes longer for a Concordia student to become a man or a woman. The heads of the college know this very well, and they have to protect "in loco parentis" these children from the dangers of their immaturity. Does sex make a difference? I've noted a bigger number of females struck by the symp-toms, but in the test group, male samples entirely reveal all of the main observations. (I repeat, the specimens were carefully chosen.) To get a chance to observe the duality of behavior of a group, you must be in a very strategic position. My situation in the group studied was ideal in this regard: that of a discrete person supposedly not under-standing English very well. Very quickly you notice that the most exciting occupation of the group is to decide what is definitely wrong about a poor absent person. If this person happens not to be absent anymore you observe then the most radical change of opinion and subject. How come these people, who can say the words that- are written on the bathroom wall, cannot tell someone they don't like the color of his socks? Is it a vocal defect? No. It's a social impossibility, a no-no. You are meaning the person wasn't right in his choice. Golly Gee! You suggest to someone he is not right? You offend then the most hallowed of his rights: the right to be right on every occasion. It's a family heirloom passed down from generation to gener-ation of good thinkers. So, to avoid crucial and insoluble conflicts of opinion and avoid jeopardizing other's ego, people strive to trffnk the same, to be the same. Stranger, you must know that there's only one way to think, one way to be; so try to behave as the majority, otherwise you would be in danger of being called a weirdo. For the reassur-ing thought exists in the brains that if someone doesn't think or behave as I do, "There's some-thing definitely wrong with him." Surely every morning, during Chapel there's a bunch of Concordia students who pray "Thank God, you didn't make me weird," Then, concerned withjdeas of tolerance, you will console yourself with the gener-ous thought of President Carter, "We Americans are proud of such individuality and diversity (page 4 of "Why Not the Best"). You poor ingenious foreigner who believed racism could only be the product of some weak brain, a fruit of neurosis and mental backwardness, you will Perennial latecomers irritate Caf workers Dear Editor, We have a complaint to make on behalf of all Cafeteria (Concordia Food Service) em-ployees. Why does it seem necessary for Concordia com-munity members to be late for everything including meals? The cafeteria is open no less than one hour for any meal, yet there is almost always at least one person who comes sneaking in the back door of the ca* and expecting us to service hi.n or her though it means the entire crew must work a few minutes longer to do it. More often than not, students will come running to meals at the last couple of minutes when they have had VA hours to eat and the Normandy is open. Breakfast is the worst. Sure we admit that Norm is not open, but students have two hours and 15 minutes to get breakfast. We have 600 people eating break-fast and average 120 the last 10-15 minutes. The door is shut at 9:30 and yet we are still serving at 9:45, while 5 or 6 people sneak in at 9:35. - We do not feel that this is fair to us. It is rare that any caf worker gets to goto chapel (and sometimes we are even late for class) simply because of the inconsiderate behavior of these students. Also, there are certain teach-ers who find it necessary to let kids out 15-20 minutes early from 8 and 8:30 classes so that they get breakfast too. Students with 7:50 classes have 35 minutes to get to breakfast before class. Don't give us that old complaint about how early you get up; we have probably been up longer than you have. To those of you who find it so difficult to get out of bed before 9:20, and expect us to serve you at 25 minutes to 10:00, lunch starts at 11:00 a.m. Wait until then and let us get done with our work. Suppertime is another one. Why is it necessary for 100 people to. come at the last 10 minutes to eat? If you are in a class that never gets out at 6:00, tell the instructor to let you out on time. We are tired of complaints having to do with the speed at which WE SERVE YOU. You don't seem to realize that when you have to come at the busiest time of day to eat, it is not our fault that you have to stand in line. Don't come up to us and tell us to hurry up because you have class. There is no meal served at the Commons when we do not have a slack period of at' least 20 minutes when no one comes. If you are so rushed, come then instead. We are simply asking to be treated fairly. So what- we are paid to be here- but we do have schedules to keep. It }s time that you realize we are here as a service to you, but not as personal slaves. Thank you. * Peter Trier [Checker] Gary Peterson [Dish Room worker] hear pronounced in the most casual way racist words in tne mouth of the well-bred, middle-class student. Other advice to the stranger: the majority are rich, and look rich. Actually, as Christ said, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God." Concordia .College drains the money out .of these poor students so they can make it to paradise. However, they will still think rich, act rich, smell rich. And when they give something away, it is because they don't want it anymore. But I prefer to think my test group was too small for an adequate sampling. Now I'm making an appeal to everyone who didn't recognize them-selves in this description to help me prepare my next study, "How to survive Concordia and Stay Yourself." My P.O. number is 2211. But please don't damage one of your last "Time" magazines to cut this reader's quotation, " I f countries were people, France would be a "whore", or tell me things like "Frenchie go home." Some people already did and I decided I'm not interested any-more in pathologic behavior Elizabeth Bisson French Student MCXIG4N MIL WGG OPGN9GVIGN D/4Y9/1WGGK, 11dMTO1,3O/1M 9UNDdY-THUR9D/1Y, 11dMTO11PM GNJOY "SOUTHOfTHG BORDGR " DGCOR dNDCOMPLGTG 9IT-DOWNDINNG B/INQUGTSdND P/4RTIC9G1TGRGD dNYWHCRG. DOWNTOWN fVIRGO DML 293 - O19. ' .inn i mimunmiuiiw JK -» • dUTHGNTICMGXICdN DINING r r. ,'r-'.i FEBRUARY 18, 1977 THE CONCORDIAN PACE 3
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