| Summary: | page 2 the concordian editorials September 10/ 1982 WWT nlS CHURCH II V \ ^ Op WflU —****-^ /iA/) /A] ir. ir v TueoAuBcM 16 Too -ADVANCE t> T OH NO, Not" A Bif. MlCrMT Be Too Most of us know that the campus pastors handle a sizable portion of the counsel-ing at Concordia. And most students would agree that these men are both highly compassionate and competent in their fields. However, all the competence and com-passion in the world worv't erase the hesitation one might have in bringing before a male a problem which one might more comfortably bring before a female. No I'm not saying that certain problems are, by design, gender-specific but instead that each of us is inclined to - because of conditioning or our upbringing - discuss certain con-cerns with either a male or a female (whatever the case may be). Where, then, are the students who desire female pastoral counseling to turn? I am aware that a young woman, an ordained pastor, was recently hired to a residence hall director/counselor position and may be well able to handle some of the problems suggested above. However, I do believe that Concordia needs to hire a woman in the position of a campus pastor. Our current two-man team is obviously overworked-organizing worship services, counseling lines of students daily teaching classes. A three-person team would alleviate the overload and a female team member would add a new dimension and greater versatility to the team. Yet another (and, perhaps, the most important) reason exists for Concordia to have a woman in this position. Concordia College, as does the rest of the American society, needs female role models in non-traditional careers. In recent years, the col-lege has made some advances in placing women in administrative and other stereotypically non-female positions. However, equality in the ranks is not yet in sight. A female in a position as much a part of student life as the campus pastor posi-tion would certainly-help in approaching this goal and would perhaps inspire many highly-motivated (yet insecure) females to pursue that non-traditional mission in life regardless of whether it would have been acceptable for a female to do so ten years ago. Please note, I am not advocating the replacement of a member of our current pastoral team; however, in light of the task overload, the need for female role models and the benefits of an added dimension to the staff, a supplement - a female supplement —would be most appropriate. Speaking Out by Dr. Verlyn D. Anderson, Librarian letters: The Ylvisaker Library is symbolically located at the geographic center of Concordia's academic campus. In addition to occupying this physical center, the library is the information retrieval and research center for the majority of our students and faculty. It is to this center that more than 12,(k)0 people come weekly to research and study. As many of these library users have already found out this year, the Ylvisaker Library does not have the quiet surroundings that encourage study. Why isn't the library the place where students and faculty can go to find this environment? It is my thesis that the creation of this environment is primarily the responsibility of the users. The librarians are NOT study hall monitors. Each constitutient group, to use President Dovre's term from last week's "Speaking Out," has a primary responsibility for providing excellent library services to our community. It is the respon-sibility of the administration through the physical plant services to provide the building and its fur-nishings, the heat, lights and janitorial services. In addition, the administration provides an adequate budget, which allows the librarians to purchase and contract for library materials and services. It is our responsibility as librarians to provide ac-cess to these materials for your research and study. With the advent of the computer-generated assistance, these materials may be on the shelves of the Ylvisaker Library, in a library hundreds of miles away or in a computer data base in California. Yet all are available to you as a user. The new on-line catalog is an example of the librarians' reach beyond our building to provide improved library services. Of course, the faculty gives the library staff countless hours of assistance. They suggest book, periodical and non-print purchases, warn us of their research assignments and gently point out areas where we can improve our library services. It is also the librarians1 responsibly to provide for a variety of study atmospheres within the library. This is done by suggesting different study options for each library area. These include librarian-assisted research in the reference, cur-riculum center and circulation areas, group study where talking is allowed in the conference rooms and in the North Reading Room, absolute quiet in the study carrels of the book stacks, informal quiet reading on the mezzanine level and a subdued nqise level in the catalog and entrance areas. What then is your responsibility as a library user? Your responsibility is to choose to study in the area of the library that is appropriate to your study behavior. Your choices directly affect the library's study environment. If the library is to function pro-perly, it cannot be a social center, but a research center. There are many places on campus where people can find an unrestricted social climate. The library should not be one of them. It is the only place designated on campus for quiet study. Is it possible to learn to respect this? My observation as a librarian who has worked with Ylvisaker patrons for more than two decades, is that many American students at Concordia do not seem to have developed the ability to separate their study and their non-study times. Is it so dif-ficult to study when you are studying and relax when you are relaxing? I am often impressed with the ability of many of the foreign students to separate these two activities. While most of them do an excellent job of knowing how to study, they also know how to relax when they are not studying. They do not seem to confuse these two activities as many of the American students do. Perhaps mini-seminars that teach the separation of these activities should be available for those students who have dif-ficulty in distinguishing between them. I will volunteer to conduct such sessions. Is there any in-terest in these? What are your ideas for improving the library study atmosphere? To (he editor: In response to Dovre's article, I was, although not unexpectantly, disappointed that Dovre ignored the issues raised by The Extra Mile. His response consisted of generalizations which were intend-ed to reaffirm the numbing sense of serenity at Concordia. Dovre's idea that Concordia is and should be an undivided com-munity needs thinking. It isn't a content community. The sug-gested idea that Concordia is a homogenous community based on traditional values is mistaken, for many people sharply disagree with many basic presuppositions at-tributed to Concordia. Further-more, since Concordia is primarily a place of learning, the idea that Concordia should be a content, unified community or 'family* is wrong. If an academic community does not encourage a heterogenous environment, com-placency, conformity, and collec-tive mediocrity will result; it - becomes a shallow, stagnant sup-port system. The academy ought to be a place of dynamic, creative conflict where teachers and students both learn and teach, a place of individual spontaneity rather than sequstered morality. Furthermore, Dovre's claim that people gather here due to an "allegiance to certain values" needs questioning. A primary function of education is to ques-tion values, what one judges to be right and good. To leave Concor-dia without value education, i.e. questioning, doubting, and theorizing, is wrong! Not to do this is an example of the anti-intelleciualism which the Extra Mile reacted against. "However true (an idea) may be," according to J. S. Mill, "if it is not fully, fre-quently and fearlessly discussed, ii will be held as dead dogma, not as living truth." The academy has to be commited to intellectual in-quiry. The learning experience is not just technical training, but valuable in itself. As Blue Print 111 states: "The goal of an educa-tion is to help students identify and come to a conscious realiza-tion and responsible interpreta-tion of the general governing values'by which they live." In conclusion, is Concordia to be, in the words of John Stuart Mill, "a mere contrivance for molding people to be exactly like one another.(the mold) is that which pleases the predominant power in government"? Respectfully, Craig W. Peterson To The Editor: We would like to express some concerns over the operation of the Student Senate at the Sept. 5th meeting. What we observed left us LETTERS to page 3 the conoordian The Concordian is ihc official newspaper of Concordia College, published weekly Tor ihe Concordia College community. Opinions expressed herein are nol necessarily those of the college, administration, faculty or student body. Letters should be typed, double-spaced, and arc to be submitted by 5 p.m. Mon-day of ihe week in which they are to be published. Unsigned letters will be printed only upon prior discussion with (he editor. Letters must be limited to 300 words. The editor reserves the right to edit alt material submitted for publication. Advertising deadlines arc 5 p.m. Monday. The Concnrdlan offices nrt located in Ihe Knulson Student Life Onler. phone numbers: 299-3826. 299-3827. Editor Twila Schock Associate Editor Bonnie Jacobson News Editor Greg Ulland Arts and Features Editors Cassiette West JoAnn Berndl Sports Editor '. Steve Anderson Photo Editor Phil Elkin Production Manager Kevin Benson Graphics : . Jeff Voigt Advertising Manager '., Roll* Waller Business Manager Beth Carlson Paul J. Dovrc Chicken Feathers by Jan Lindholm I honestly believe the outdoor amphitheatre is a fabulous idea, especially the hill itself. It really shows true Cobber spirit, innovation, and a firm unwillingness to succumb to natural disasters, namely the topography of Moorhead. Does it matter that the college was founded in a cornfield? No! Does it matter that Kansas was pat-terned after our original landscape? No! Absolutely not! If we can1! have the natural hills of St. Olaf in Northfield, by golly, we'll build them ourselves! Just think of the possibilities. Look how this will improve the morale of the campus pastors. Instead of preaching to a level-headed congregation in the Centrum, they can give sermons on the Mount., They will be looked up to in every sense of the phrase. It can even lower the cost of tuition! As the highest point in Moorhead, the hill will be sure to attract avid skiers from all over the area, who will think nothing of paying a small fee for the unmat-ched thrill of swishing dowa its snowy slopes. And before we install the chairlifts, Paul Erickson can form a special mountain climbing ex-pedition to scale the cliffs. Greenland will be like swimming a bathtub in comparison. Who knows-maybe "National Geographic" or even the "Fargo Forum" might be willing to do a special feature on this daring feat. We could take bids for an exclusive (this also would lower the cost of tuition). Both the American and Norwegian flags could be planted on the top. It would be so exciting, so moving! - But we need a name. We just have to have a name. Everything on a campus has a name. Maybe we could call it the Frances Frazier Comstock Memorial Mountain or the FFCMM (which would go well with the FFCT) or maybe Hoyum Heights, or I know-we could call it Paul's Peak after either Dovre or Erickson. You could take your pick. In any case, we should consider ourselves quite privileged to be blessed with the 8th Wonder of the World. And when you get right down to it, this naming business shouldn't be too much of a pro-blem,' cause if we can make a mountain out of a no hill, we can do just about anything.^y^£JJ^,r >
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