Sewanee News, 1982

Sewanee News IggS^MfglJ MARCH 1982 tH******-* BEING A TRUSTEE (page 12) On &Off the Mountain Changing Calendars the new schedule violated a tradi- Split Culture Garrett, who maintained that the tion. Tradition would be a fitting old attitudes about Southern "After experimenting for fifty topic for these pages in some future Jeremy Bernstein, a physicist and provincialism are no longer correct. years with the winter vacation educator, widely known for his "The quicker we shed ourselves system, unique among American New Yorker articles and essays, of our regional sense of inferior- Liberal Arts institutions, the University of the spoke on a similar topic, "One ity," he said, "the sooner we will South, beginning September 18 Culture or None," as the Michael see the possibilities." next year, will have a long summer Sewanee is also natural ground for a Harrah Wood lecturer on January (continued on page 11) vacation from the last Thurday in brisk discussion of the liberal arts, 21. June to September 18, which will especially in this 125th anniversary The danger about which Bern- constitute the beginning hereafter year. Edward G. Ballard, visiting stein spoke is that the two cultures, Cetters of the scholastic term.'* professor and Brown Foundation scientific and non-scientific, will That somewhat restrained state- Fellow, was accommodating in his. listen to each other less and less ment was the first paragraph of a convocation address in January. with consequences not dissimilar story which appeared in the Ballard decried the artificial sep- to those mentioned by Professor Sewanee Purple in November, aration of the humanities and the Ballard. 1907. The debate over the latest sciences, which he said is a phenom- change in the academic calendar, enon of the Renaissance aggravated "Modem Apostle Paul" The December issue of the Sewanee eliminating what is left of Saturday by modern educators, who did not News included a story, "Bequests classes (see page four), makes that realize their folly. Thus we have a In a winter full of interesting from Afar," about recent gifts to 1907 story particularly interesting. dichotomous academic system, and speakers, the Rev. Bryan Green was Sewanee, and in that story we men- Two attitudes are conspicuous: the split has given rise to a weak a shining light. The Rev. Mr. tioned a bequest of more than first, that the winter vacation was secular humanism. Green, a scintillating Anglican evan- $95,000 from Miss Mary Marrs of an experiment, albeit of a fifty-year Said Ballard: "The place of the gelist, preached to large congrega- a Henderson, Kentucky. We noted duration, and second, though the medieval mighty is now taken by tion at the Ash Wednesday service that few clues existed about Miss schedule was unique among Ameri- those two giants, science and tech- in All Saints' Chapel. His sermon Marrs's connection with the can institutions, fifty years of prac- nology, the dioscuri of modem was from the Gospel reading about University. tice were not enough to establish a times, but they are set in a context Herod and the beheading of John Since December, however, some tradition. not of soundly considered values the Baptist. ("If you are a Bap- clues have been brought to our Tradition is a particularly in- defined finally by theology, but of tist," Mr. Green said, "you will attention. Mrs. A.B. Chitty tells us teresting phenomenon at Sewanee, a vague and dreamy humanism know the story from your Bible that Miss Marrs and her sister, as almost anyone can attest who which holds that the Renaissance reading. If you are an Episco- Juliet, visited Sewanee as late as the has occupied a classroom bench for was surely a rebirth of knowledge, palian, you may recognize the 1950s at the old Sewanee Inn more than an afternoon. The stu- of scientific knowledge, which will story from the movies.") (Elliott Hall) and became acquaint- dents in particular have become bring mankind up out of the ed with the alumni office's staff interested in traditions. Students medieval darkness to the light of Faulkner Round Table there. Their brother, William recently organized a Traditions modern gadgetry, especially of Rankin Marrs, was an alumnus of Week, the major event of which was television, nuclear reactors, and The Southern Comparative Litera- the class of 1893. Mrs. Chitty also a panel discussion of what Sewanee ture Association, holding an annual passed on to us the following letter traditions are. It was the students If the liberal arts are understood meeting in Sewanee for the second from Mrs. William Ogden Coleman: who waved the red flag about the "in a manner fitting our own time in recent years, attracted some / remember Miss Mary Marrs from five-day-week plan partly because times,'* said Professor Ballard, "we noted scholars, including Hugo Henderson, Kentucky, very well. I have hope of substituting sound Dyserinck, director of the Institute just happened to see the article in values for the humanism of which I of Comparative Literary Studies at the Sewanee News. There were two speak and of healing the breach in Aachen, Germany. Sewanee News dear sisters, neither one married, our culture and in our universities In conjunction with the meeting, who came up every summer and between its scientific part and its the University co-sponsored a MARCH 1982 stayed for two months at my grand- humane and self-responsible part." round-table discussion of works by mother's home. She was Mrs. Vol. 48, No. 1 Leading up to his final arguments, William Faulkner. The moderator Kirby-Smith at Powhatan Hall. Professor Ballard said: "The most was James B. Meriwether of the Why they started coming there, I distinguished graduate of the University of South Carolina. Latham W. Davis, Editor do not know, but in those days, Heeler '68, Virginia college which I attended- Panelists were Calvin S. Brown, Brush, C Alumni Editor Sewanee was a choice and popular Sara Dudney Ham, SS'51, Assistant Thomas Jefferson by name—was Walter Sullivan, Eileen Gregory, place and also cool. They had no taught that the liberal arts are the and George P. Garrett. kin there, but were well liked and liberating arts, the arts of freedom. loved to come in the summers and From what were they to liberate Regional Resurgence always stayed with my aunt, Mrs. The Sewanee.News (ISSN us? It was said even down to my 0037-3044) is Hale, who ran Powhatan. They published quarterly by the University of day that they were to free us from The author George Garrett had were good Episcopalians and were the South, including the School of ignorance and prejudice. Thus, some pithy comments and hilarious Theology and the College of Arts and made to feel at home. the liberal arts are the civilizing stories in a separate lecture about Sciences, and is distributed without arts. By their means the intellect "The Southern Writer and Publish- charge to alumni, parents, and friends Rowena Kirby-Smith and emotions are disciplined, ing Today." of the University. Second class postage Buck Coleman is paid at Sewanee, Tennessee. and we are enabled to move from While the publishing industry Evanston, Illinois Distribution is 24,000. the caves of barbarism into the con- seems to have lost whatever respect Letters to the Editor: Readers are trolled and rational use of our and understanding it had for writers "Ethic: The discipline dealing with invited to send their comments and humanity. By their means we be- and literature, Garrett believes criticisms to the Sewanee News, the what is good and bad and with come free men, masters of our own there is hope. Part of this hope University of the South, Sewanee, intellectual and emotional arises from a moral duty and obligation. "(Web- Tennessee 37375. powers, new emphasis on the ster's New Collegiate Dictionary^ with the end result (ideally) that we small regional presses. Change of Address: Please mail the The Living Church for February can do whatever we want to do, "This is an opportunity to de- correction along with a current and we will velop 14, 1982, reports that the Rev. Sewanee News mailing label to the want to do only what a culture that does not com- JohnM. Gessell, professor ethics above address. we ought to do." pete on the national scene," said of (continued on page 1 1) News Martha McCrory, director of the 125 Years SSMC, praised the faculty and guest composers and said: "We To Remember feel that our efforts to encourage students in the field of composition The celebration of the 125th and to draw their attention to con- Anniversary has begun. temporary American music have Edward G. Ballard, Brown been outstanding, and, without Foundation Fellow and visiting question, very successful. I am professor of philosophy, helped simply delighted to see the Music initiate the observance with an Center so recognized for its address at opening convocation endeavors." of Easter semester. He spoke The Music Center will open its Close inspection of the eyepiece of incisively about the natural kin- twenty-sixth season on June 26. the University's Clark telescope re- ship, but poor relationship, be- Once again a series of weekend con- veals the instrument's quality. tween the arts and sciences. certs will be open to the public. (Photo: Margi Moore) Although we will not reach the The annual gala festival will be held climax of the 125th celebration July 29 through August 1. Further until next fall, a series of special information may be obtained by events is under way. writing: The Director, SSMC, Ten symposia, led by members , Tennessee 37375. of the University faculty and dealing with language used in various disciplines of the liberal arts, are being held almost weekly New Summer through April.

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