• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_1968-05-02_Vol33_No46_03

THE WESTERN CAROLINIAN Page 3 The Cat's Paw With only two more chances for THE PAW to speak out with great wisdom, maybe it's finally time to look back and see how the infallible predictions came out. PREDICTIONS That WCU would pull out of the Carolinas Conference - we did. That the spring athletic teams would perform with great success - they didn't That there would be a non- Greek candidate for President of the Student Body - no soap. The IFC did set its foot down and did make a mistake. The Student Senate did try to work harder - and succeeded. The Student Union (University Center) did open, The new dormitory did not get close to completion. A new Cullowhee business opened, And a new President was named, but not after an interim term by anyone, Percentage- 70. It gives THE PAW great comfort to know that everybody on campus either knows or thinks they know his identity. So for all those knowledgeable persons, all five of us extend a friendly thumbing of the nose, By The WmiUbs* PAW And to continue a spirit of good will, this week will have nothing bad to say - it's past due for some favorable com-< merit. Now we all know nothing's perfect, and that's why we capitalize on the imperfections and flaws - so people can know and do something about. it How much has been done? That's for you to decide. First, on student matters: Elections haven't been exactly controversial this year, but the top two student officers were elected with good taste. Even a few experienced, competent Senators managed to get back Into office. Incidentally, hats off to the Day Students - the most efficient part of student government this year. Secondly, it's obvious that the Greeks are the most important minority on the campus, They have their undemocratic, backbiting faults, but they continue to be the most significant social and service groups and more important, still stress their leadership aspects in campus affairs, This year has seen another new fraternity charter- ' ed, and the only local sorority go national with an excellent organization. Finally, the University ©enter opened with its few drawbacks and many advantages. Students have enjoyed it and TAKEN ADVANTAGE of various functions and facilities there. Moving to the Administration of the University, and to a few areas that don't get a good word often enough, First, enough can't be said about the merits and fine lead- Sights And Insights By Jerry Conner Last Chance For Those Unanswered Questions To Be Answered Call Or Write Action Answer 293-7267 Box 317 ership Dr, Reid has shown us during his administration. He leaves a brilliant record, Next, uie reorganization of the University Administration gave Vice-President Newton W. Turner his place at the top of academic affairs, a position he fills with competence and progressive thought Thirdly, Business Mi.nager James Kirkpatrick deserves a gold medal for cooperating with everybody that needs a question answered. Furthermore, his staff in the Accounting Office are the unsung heroes of the whole staff. Librarian Peter Hart has proved that the campus will now have a library facility that it can be proud of. Finally, no good word without one for the social deans, They've probably been cussed more by people who don't realize their positions than any of the other administrators, All three of them have demonstrated again this year that they know their jobs and are willing to serve. Now this is no new approach by the Cat's Paw, Just some credit where it's due. Think about it and just maybe you'll find something good to say sometime too. If you can't, think of the last Board of Trustees meeting. Everything there came out gooder'n snuff. The only thing better will be the Paw Awards, CRTTICOSCOPE *•*» Attention students: Look what is happening on campus. This is your opportunity to have a say in just how you like your courses. Too often you complain about how bad this professor is and how little you gained from that course. The question arises, how can I do anything to alleviate this situation. The answer is simple, Fill out your Course Evaluation Forms. Although the results will not cause that professor to be hired they will put a bug in the ear of those officials that hire them, They need to know how effective their professors are in conveying information to the students and how well the students absorb it Needless to say each professor can get an idea for himself, on how well he is getting across to the student Surely, they will realize the value that a survey such as this makes. Next on campus in the up coming week is spring festival. This year the theme has been chosen as Catamount Carrousel. All too often students ask where is the money for the activity fee going. It goes for entertainment, and special events such as Spring Festival. Last year, a large sum of money was spent to entertain the students. The response was very little on their part. You constantly complain about the lack of something to do or the lack of attractions. Well, we have them and it is up to you to get out and support these events. One of the key words to the entire week is FREE, That's it April 29 through May 4 costs the students nothing. How many v\ ill show up? Maybe a few for the concerts; the dances, a handful; and the play, a few. What do you do? Just sit in the dorm or go home. Then the next week, you come back and say "When are they going to have something to do around here'."' That's it Last Monday night we had a dance sponsored by the University Center Board. The dance was a tremendous success. The Band, The Embers, captivated most of those that attended. The turnout, the same as usual. From about 4,000 students on campus, only a few hundred attended. I realize that we all have studying to do, but if you plan ahead for events like this, you can go. I want to see an extremely large turnout for every event That includes the dance on Saturday night. Very few times do the independents on campus get a chance to attend a formal dance at Western Carolina, This is your chance. Curls get a hold of those boys and make them take you to the Formal, You boys, don't wait till they corner you. Make plans now, ww| By Steve Gurmond The Film Critic ABOVE PHOTO SHOWS SEVERAL OF THE EXHIBITS AT THE STUDENT FACULTY ART SHOW IN THE UNIVERSITY CENTER. This column concludes another pleasurable year with the Western Carolinian and I wish at this time to answer the questions of numerous students who wonder what criteria I use as a yardstick when judging a film. The conscientious film critic's job is not, as many believe, the easy task of watching film after film while casually deciding which are good, which bad. Below are several observations on the characteristic and duties of good film critics, qualities which I try to emulate. The film critic must first of all decide whether a film has been released merely for entertainment or with a more serious intention in mind. If the film appears to be only entertainment, the critic asks himself if it is genuinely so, or whether it depends on asinine, cliched devices reminiscent of trite television comedies — the Doris Day-Phyllis Diller films -- or, conversely, lurid sensationalism and preposterous thrill devices such as the last James Bond stint, "You Only Live Twice". The film of more serious intention creates quite a different problem. The critic must decide what the purpose of the film was in the first place, and, secondly as well as most importantly, how effectively the purpose is realized. If the film is dealing with dope addiction, sexual frustrations, or racial conflict, does it do so honestly with a true awareness of the problem or does it gloss over the problem with such tricks as sentimentalism or clever evasion. This judgement, in turn, may be derived from several elements other than the most obvious essential of any criticism — personal reaction: an awareness of cinema history and current "trade" news aid the critic who should always be willing to give any shadows of aoubt to a film until proven otherwise. Any critic reviewing "Cleopatra" would naturally be more sympathetic to the artists who produced the film if he were aware of the notorious editing job that left a good deal of the film's best moments on the cutting room floor of 20th Century Fox's studio; and, any critic judging the effectiveness of a new war film might do well to remember "The Young Lions" or "GunsofNavaronne" as a basis for comparison. Reading Screen Plays The film critic also trie's to read the various sources for cinema screenplays, This ranges from lengthly works like "Ulysses" and "Far From The Madding Crowd" to slender novellas such as "Belle de Jour" and "Reflections In a Golden Eye." This does not mean, however, that the reviewer judges a film merely on its fidelity to or improvement over its literary source. A good film willlstand on its own two feet regardless of a knowledge of the book or play on which it is based. "In Cold Blood" and "Reflections In a Golden Eye" are examples of this fact Any viewer could applaud "Cold Blood" as an excellent film while the same viewer could not have appreciated "Reflections" without an awareness of the McCullers novella. Experience Helpful Any experience in the cinema or theatre is also helpful In judging a film. Those who have acted or directed in either media are usually more consciously aware of the carefully sustained performance or truly brilliant, original work of di rection. My past experience in the theatre has helped me immeasureably as a film critic. Unfortunately, like everyone, the film critic has his personal prejudices that are not always easy to overcome, I find it difficult to like any of Jimmy Stewart's acting, while , ' me same moment, I find it almc 5t impossible not to like anything Elizabeth Taylor or Ann Bancroft does. Hopefully, any personal prejudices can be sus< pended if the case calls for such. Finally, several studen-.s have approached me with a question that usually comes out as this: "You say you think this or that film is good or bad, but then you find faults with the good films and admirable qualities in the bad ones. Why is this?" Well, many film critics today are limited in their column space in magazines such as Time and Newsweek. They are writing essentially for a mass audience and only occasionally do you find a lengthy column on many films. It is the business of these reviewers to "yes" or "no" to a film with little or no opportunity to explore the film in any depth, Fortunately, the Carolinian has never restricted the length of my column so that I have as much occasion as I need to comment on the objectional as well as the outstanding qualities of a film. The critic who comments on a flaw in a good film does not mean any reader to take this as his entire judgment of the work. Indeed, if while mentioning flaws he has found in films like the "Graduate" and "In the Heat of the Night" the film critic stimulates his reader to feelings of awareness or logical disagreement, he has performed his task to his own satisfaction.

The Western Carolinian is Western Carolina University’s student-run newspaper. The paper was published as the Cullowhee Yodel from 1924 to 1931 before changing its name to The Western Carolinian in 1933.

• Creator
  • Western Carolina University
• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date original: 1968-05-02;
  • Date digitized: 2017-10-27
• Extent
  • Dimension: 15.75" x 11"
  • Pages: 8 pages
• Subject - Topic
  • College student newspapers and periodicals
  • Cullowhee (N.C.) -- Newspapers
  • Universities and colleges -- North Carolina -- Cullowhee -- Newspapers
• Location
  • Jackson County (N.C.)
  • Cullowhee (N.C.)
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Source Collection
  • WCU Students Newspapers Collection
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_1968-05-02_Vol33_No46
• Repository
  • Western Carolina University Hunter Library