PR
Director
by Kathy Fox Two years ago, the Public Relations Office changed; it became busier. The Artist and Lecture Series started to receive publicity from the office. The work load just about doubled. The reason was the new Public Relations director Tom Clark. A good PR man keeps aware of attitudes and reactions of the people, inside and outside of the institution. He gives the administration constructive criticism. He tries to "sell" the institution to the people. When the PR man feels the administration is ignoring his more important criticisms, and when he feels he is stretching the truth as he tries to "sell" the institution, it is time to leave. Mr. Clark's resignation is effective November 30, 1972. He says he leaves with no negative feelings. He has had good experiences and has met interesting people who care about the college. But he has also met those who do not care about the college or its people, those who are concerned only with their paycheck and their own survival. He feels an air of paranoia within the administration. Although paranoia is common to many colleges fighting for stability, this does not excuse certain Otterbein people who are concerned only with themselves. Mr. Clark believes there is a gap between "what we are and what we say we are ." He does not feel that "Otterbein is people" or that Otterbein is a "community spirit." He regrets the fact that every year freshmen find out that they have not exactly been told the truth. Some are treated more like kids after corning here than before when they were in high school. They are not seen as individuals.
Tom
Clark
"I'm here to protect you from yourselves. I didn't come to convert anybody. I came to make you aware of your own ambivalence." Such was the message from a person who appeared ambivalent himself. But I'll be back to that momentarily. Otterbein's morning with Mort Sahl presented a very frustrated figure who had much to say about everything and anything. He skipped from subject to subject trying to jolt some concern into a generally apathetic crowd, of whom he had been previously forewarned. And, like many before him who wanted to draw attention to a particular subject, he spoke quite candidly. But strangely enough, unlike most people, he backed his comments with facts. Sahl mentioned early in his talk that he had always believed
Resigns
Tom Clark, current director of public relations for Otterbein College. And. they find a lack of creative atmosphere. The lack of care from some of the administration and faculty "trickles down to the students," who in turn become involved with themselves. Lack of "community spirit" is emphasized by attendance at Lecture Series and theatre productions, and even more so by the governance committees that continuously lack quorums. And so we have a campus of people involved and concerned only with their group and with
Mort Sahl Urges Optimism by Dan Budd
October 13, 1972
Otterbein College, Westerville, Ohio
Volume 55 Number 5
in two organizations: the Catholic Church and the FBI. His later comments tied the two together. The Catholic Church, he said, is a Communist front that has been in operation for the last 2000 years. There can be no doubt as to the FBI's function concerning the two factions. But the FBI does not limit themselves to this. No, they still keep their "finks on the switchboards," their various informers, and can make available to anyone information on how to set up one's very own SOS (Students for a Democratic Society) chapter. But the semi-facetious remarks waned, and Sahl hit at the gist of his visit. "Be skeptical of your government. Be independent of your government," or it will swallow you up and become fascist. The let-down in student protest since
their department. People do not get involved but they do like to complain. One example Clark cited is the past year's yearbook. The main complaint is that it does not represent all of Otterbein. How could it? Only two students were willing to put it together. As stated before, Mr. Clark is not completely negative about Otterbein. But he is leaving with a f e e 1 i n g o f g e n er aJ disenchantment. Other good people have left for the same reason.
you did not have to be afraid of the draft and Vietnam, you got loaded and pulled the covers over your head." He also criticized the groups who -seemed to be concerned. They fail to get the facts, he said. These organizations also seemed to parallel government. Stay independent of them. "The first thing to do, is know not to join up." And from what this reporter saw, Mort Sahl practices what he preaches. "If you don't get busy, it's all over." Your parents have give'n up; they're working to re-elect the president. "No one is safe." If you don't care about what the CIA has done to Martin Luther King or Bobby Kennedy, they'll be after you in fifteen minutes. America has a choice. 1'hat choice is to stop the killing and get the military out. "Thomas Jefferson created the free man. Let's make a place for him to
Kent State bothered him. "When _ walk, breathe, and think."
Senate Begins New Year The Otterbein College Senate convened in its opening session for the academic year last Wednesday, October 4th. Among the actions of the Senate in this session were the passage ·of two amendments to the by-laws and the passage of a bill to include the College in Project Eguality. The Senate, beginning its second year under the chairmanship of President Kerr, approved with some discussion an amendment to lower the requirements for a quorum to forty per cent. The purpose of the amendment is to alleviate difficulties of obtaining quorums in meetings of the Senate and of its committees and councils. An amendment to require a two-thirds majority vote on actions made by the Senate when the 48 hour rule is under suspension was also accepted. Senate Bill No. 1, a recommendation for the College to join Project Equality, was also passed. Project Equality is a program in which the institution may systematically examine its policies and practices for discrimination against minority groups and which provides a plan to end such discrimination. President Kerr feels that the Senate, still in its infancy, is a significant addition to the school. He says that in having
the Senate the "really big advantage is that it brings together a diversity of points of view in the college community." The President is looking forward to his second year of chairing the Senate. l-lis only regret is that his r:osition as chairman does not allow him to participate in the discussion of issues before the Senate as much as he would sometimes like to.
Otterbein To Offer Evening Otterbein College will offer an evening, non-credit, continuing education program beginning Winter Term, according to College Academic Dean, Dr. Roy Turley. The program will provide college level courses in two general areas. General enrichment courses will be designed to explore topics of interest that satisfy the individual intellectual curiosity or to keep abreast of current developments in the community and the world. More specific skill courses will help the individual develop or improve his knowledge in an area related to his occupation.
Mort Sahl In spite of Sahl's urging toward optimism, this reporter cannot help but see Mort Sahl as a sort of Sisyphus. Sisyphus was condemned for eternity by the gods to push a stone up a hill,
only to have it roll back down. So if I may paraphrase what Albert Camust suggested concerning Sisyphus' condition, we must imagine Mort Sahl happy.