ALUMNAE QUARTERLY FALL 1972 m m* THE ALUMNAE QUARTERLY VOL. 51 NO. 1 oondenb© ] Frodo Lives., .at ASC by Barbara Murlin Pendleton '40 and Carey Bowen '62 ) Letters to the Editor Building a Better Mousetrap 4 by Carey Bowen '62 Lest We Grow Complacent 6 by Carey Bowen '62 Agnes Scott in the World 10 by )ene Sharp Black '57 News Section 15 Last Year was a Very Good Year by Barbara Murlin Pendleton '40 18 Class News Photo Credits Pages 8, 28 Silhouette Page 12 — Virginia Brewer Page 13 — Memye Curtis Tucker Page 14— Ken Patterson Page 23 — Tulane Alumni Association Page 28 — Collage by George B. Bowling Front Cover: )udy Brantley '63 Inside Back Cover — Osborne Travel Service whimsically pictures the ASC stu- dent carrying the sign of hope- Editor/Barbara Murlin Pendleton '40 that "Frodo Lives" and that the Managing Editor/Carey Bowen '62 spirit, the value, the special op- portunities offered by the private, Design Consultant/ lohn Stuart McKenzie liberal arts college will endure Member of American Alumni Council Published four times yearly: Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer by Agnes Scott College, Decatur, Ga. Second class postage paid at Decatur, Georgia 30030 by Barbara Murlin Pendleton '40 and Carey Bowen '62 Editorial Frodo Lives... at ASC In J.R.R. Tolkein's modern/medieval epic about problems. In the fiscal area Agnes Scott is in the evil and good, power and annihilable war and the black, but it is not an easy task (See page 15). struggle to preserve life in his imaginary Middle Over a hundred private colleges have gone under Earth, the protagonist Frodo must conquer and closed their doors. But the picture is not all seemingly insurmountable obstacles to return grim Princeton has reversed a $1 million deficit the ring of absolute power to its dark place of in 1970-71 to a surplus of $32,000 in its $80 origin and thence destroy it. Physically million dollar budget in 1971-72. Alumnae and wounded, emotionally scarred and no longer friends of Agnes Scott have been a major source innocent, Frodo is nevertheless undefeated. He of income in past years and we depend on them completes his mission and, in the final chapter, in an ever-increasing way for their understanding sails away with some of his companion Ring- and gifts. bearers to a "brighter land" west of the sea. In the area of admissions our article on the The popularity among the young of Dr. Alumnae Admissions Program seeks to let Tolkein's trilogy and his hobbit* hero Frodo alumnae know the problems of the single-sex inspired the button manufacturers once again to private college and what steps Agnes Scott is cash in with button-pins boldly proclaiming taking to provide as large a pool of well- "Frodo Lives." The students and older idealists qualified applicants as possible. (See page 4). wanted the world to know that they knew Frodo In the United States students by and large lived through his perilous journey and saved his have become cynical about the Establishment, land for those who would follow, or perhaps that but in some colleges, including Agnes Scott, good, imagination, beauty and bravery could students are continuing to work through the triumph in a world fraught with evil. And we want means available to effect the changes they feel the Alumnae Quarterly to wear this sign of hope. are necessary to their intellectual growth. The Using the symbolic statement for a more young women at Agnes Scott today believe in specific idea, though no less important, we too the validity of a liberal arts education and the would like to announce our optimism and our concept of a single-sex college belief that noble things can triumph — that the The immediate concerns of these students spirit, the value, the essence of the private are those dealing with the realm of the mind: college will survive. We believe that the the academic ability of the students, the quality opportunity to experience and learn creativity, of the work, the relations between students and appreciation of ideas, sensitivity to the worth of faculty members, the kind of classroom human values, the basic qualities of mind that experience which fosters creativity and allow a person to adapt and contribute to imagination. (See page 6). civilization — indeed, the special advantages that Although in this issue of the Quarterly we a college such as Agnes Scott can offer- describe some of the obstacles and challenges will endure. faced by the private, liberal arts, single-sex In this issue of the Quarterly we have delineated college, our tenet is that this institution and others some of the major concerns of the private of her ilk will pass through the dangers, overcome liberal arts college, and we have the obligation the obstacles, and continue to perform her to our readers to probe the problems, to depict valuable mission. (After all, a hero cannot die.) the objectives, to restate the values and :: directions of this type of education. A hobbit is an imaginary creature smaller than a The times are crucial, but private liberal arts dwarf with large furry feet who lives in a colleges are struggling mightily with their hobbit hole. I Letters Summer Quarterly Evokes Response Although a Letters to the Editor column woman who raises ( hildren and does us and to the issues that are on our is hardl\ innovative idea the magazine an volunteer work, etc knows she's minds I think you share that goal, start has been eager to initiate one in the performing a valuable service, and it's and that what I say will be taken Alumnae Quarterly We believe that true that our society doesn't place seriously. That's why I am letting personal opinions from readers can onl\ any value on that service (e.g. you know aid us in creating .1 bettei more relevant financial reward, sine e women are Lynn Denton '63 periodii ,il. and perhaps the publication ol not even eligible for Social Security Philadelphia, these letter-, will stimulate other alumnae PA arter fifty years of housework) But to \ erbalize their ideas and reaction'. The editors were especially appreciative editorial I think there are fewer women who to the content', and approach of this letter and the time and thought Obviously, this type are satisfied by this role, given of the Quarter^ a that went into it as well as the concern oi is without column impossible wider range of choices, than Gene that motivated it Because of the length, communication from alumnae so we Morse implies. we were forced to cut a few very salient urge all readers to feel free to write us And if one is really concerned with points However, we hope that we theii responses to the QuarterK as well thrust that change in a community, why not be maintained enough oi the as then feelings about the College and or other alumnae will read and react in a position to use power directly, the \lumn.ie *\sso< iation I )ui onl) In response onlv to your preference : e g in professional work or in an request is th.it be< au.se or limited space news < ,1 alumnae rather than oi their ele< ted office, instead of always letters to the editor run no more than families, we heartily agree and can only trying to influeni e things from behind 250-300 words if possible In order to plead ignorance Many alumnae, either provide the kinds of a< tivities, literature. the si cues (whu h seems sometimes from modesty, conditioning, or lack of ' and inioini.iiion you desire we mum to be the Agnes S< ott ideal respect for their own activities, maintain an honest, uninhibited exchange is I don't think Women's Liberation accomplishments and thoughts, send of ideas with you Please help i/s children, or ev( saying that women have to 1 house news onl) oi husbands, between marriage and family and a grandchildren Can vou think of a solution' To the Editor career. In fact, I think that man> \s tor another method of presenting The Alumnae Quarterly arrived last women writers have suggested that alumnae news, we have not only tried tc week and I was upset by the approach an ideal situation would involve feature regularly one or two women in t. to the whole issue of the Women's ( lose human relationships jncl "Agnes Scott in the World" section, but ." "Movement To me it represented a satisfying work And this goes for have included the news column "Where very shallow handling of a subject men as well as women Women s It's At. hoping to incorporate short which I know many women are Liberation is trying to give both men news items about individuals or groups struggling with intensely — yet there and women broader experieni es th.it alumnae as well as campus events. But was no sense of personal questioning. the\ might be fulfilled in more ways again, we must depend mainly on bits and pieces acquired usually by accident It seemed more like: "At Agnes Scott that they traditionally are, for ~Edi we didn't want to be so subjective example, freedom for men to spend that we can't maintain a critical, more time with their children as * objective attitude." they mature. To the Editor: To be specific ... I was sorry to see I was glad to read Mary Ann's I finally got around to reading my that you used the term "Women's responses to the College and her Alumnae Quarterly, which arrived Lib" to refer to the Women's Liberation experiences now, after ten years.