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Editorials
Poor Exercise In Democracy:
Elections A Farce
By SANDRA WILSON AND BEVERLY COOK
BENNETT BANNER
Spring Fever
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Roving Reporter
The election of student officers
for a new year should be one of
the most important endeavors that
a student body undertakes. This
year, however, Bennett elections
were hurriedly handled before
many of the students realized
what was going on. Therefore,
there was a durge of complaints
about the election and results
when it was all over. This could
have been alleviated if each stu
dent had taken an interest in the
events that led up to this situa
tion, For instance, how many stu
dents know the procedure by which
the candidates on the final ballot
were chosen? This seems like a
useless question since there was
a nominating committee; yet,
names appeared on the final bal
lot which could not be properly ex
plained. However, another elec
tion was scheduled, but did not
take place. Because of the unfort
unate death of Dr. Martin L. King,
many plans were dropped-includ-
ed was that election.
And speaking of the Nominating
Committee, how many students
were aware that this committee
was comprised of seniors who
will not be enrolled in college
next fall? Are the best judges of
By SIIUROM \ BO'VE
His eyes flashing fire as he
stood in the pulpit yelling at the
top of his voice. If we did not
know that Bennett is a Methodist
school and that the college chap
lain is a Methodist minister, one
would think he had stumbled into
the 17th century and was being
addressed by the Puritan terro
rist in religious life. Cotton Ma
ther,
The speaker talked about the
ills of protest when we as a group
know that protest, whether racial
or non - violent is an effective
weapon toward a meaningful end.
It leaves us inclined to ask; What
is the Negro heritage? Is it the
native African or the modernized
“white man’s” African?
We are always being told to be
discreet and orderly abouUhings,
but our elders actions speak quite
differently. What we were forced
to endure at that Sunday Vesper
By DIMPLES \RMSTRONG
Have you ever watched fire
works at night? Unnoticed before,
they ascend to immeasurable
heists and attract everyone’s
attention with a sudden tremen
dous burst of energy; then quiet
ly dies away and is never seen or
heard from again.
Well, that sudden “burst of
energy" type of vitality struck
the Interdormitory Council dur
ing the week of April 22-26. Nev
er before this school year has the
Council displayed such matchless
entertainability as it did during
its sponsored C.A.P. week. Hav
ing C.A.P. (character, appear
ance andpersonality)as its guide
lines, the Council put its re
sources to work as it sponsored
some very interesting activities.
who should govern, those who
will not be affected?
Some provision for lowerclass-
men to take part in the process
was provided at the Student Senate
nominating meetings, but if the
recent showing was any example
of this idea in practice, there is
a discrepancy somewhere.
This is clearly a case when
students should speak out in their
own behalf. The power to deter
mine who governs should be in the
hands of the students.
Why the elections were not car
ried out as they have been in the
past is a matter of speculation,
but one thing is sure, the elections
were a complete farce and a dis
grace to any institution or indiv
idual familiar with the democratic
process. As fate has it now, it is
too late to hold another election—
not with the coming final exami
nations and goodness knows, how
many of us have to write term
papers and such. But if we allow
ourselves to repeat the same
course of action next year as was
taken this year, then, fellow Ben
nett Belles, consider yourselves
powerless and useless in any type
of student affairs.
service was by no means educa
tional or constructive. Why should
we be forced to waste our valua
ble time listening to someone
stand and talk at the top of his
voice delivering so vehemently
his own private opinions. The
purpose of the ceremony was to
christen the children of two fam
ilies, Not only was the sermon
itself in bad taste, but it was also
very much out of place.
Did our speaker defeat his own
purpose? It is indeed a sad day
when an instructor tells his stu
dents that unless they have an
“A” average, don’t bother to
come to see him about his lec
ture, This is not only a disgrace
to the principles of democracy,
but a blow to the ideals of educa
tion as well.
Not only were the co-eds em
barrassed by so rash an action,
but the families of the babies as
well.
Here’s a summary of them:
When was the last time you at
tended a “Hen Party?” Yes, the
Council sponsored one of those
Tuesday night. Wednesday’s As
sembly turned out to be an Inter-
dormitory Spring Fashion Show,
There was no water splashing or
table tennising Thursday at the
weekly Fun Night-the Council had
a better idea: A Co-ed Dance,
F riday night, while some of our
belles enjoyed the company of
A&T’s ROTC units, the others
took part in and watched a talent
show~another Council Project,
Interdorm Council, we applaud
you—take a bow. It is our hope
that you, unlike the typical fire
works, will not drop out of sight
and action. Keep the ideas rolling
I.e.!!!
RESOLVED; Should Chapel At
tendance Be Compulsory?
I don’t see why the non-resident
students shouldbecompeledtogo.
After all we have our own individ
ual churches which we attend.
—Billie James
May we can tolerate the Ves
pers every other Sunday, but I
don’t see where we benefit from
chapel programs duringtheweek.
—E, White
I don’t like it, and force never
accomplished anything but hostil
ity, —C. Gooden
I don’t mind going on Sunday
but week day chapel is totally un
necessary. —S.K. andC.H.
It’s pure hogwash, and Georgia
style at that! —B.J.
Frankly I think the students
would attend more often and with
more interest if it were voluntary
instead of a compulsory thing.
—Carolyn W.
Personally I like it, it does al
low me to get a couple of hours
of restful, uninterrupted, peace
ful sleep! It’s unbeatable so don’t
knock it! —Time Saver
By DAR'VIN PRIOLE\L
The Bennett ideal is the tradi
tional idea on what the Bennett
Belle should be, how she should
act, and what she should do. It is
important that each Bennett girl
strive to meet the standards of
the Bennett “belle”, a perfect
young lady. However, this ideal
should also include a young lady
who can think for herself.
The college woman of the past
usually married during or direct
ly after college. The college wom
an of today is more ambitious and
has to be more aware of the life
around her. She must be able to
understand the people and the
problems in the world, and know
how to cope with them.
Bennett prepares the “Belle”
intellectually; but is she prepared
to exist otherwise in this compli
cated world? Is she able to make
decisions and think for herself?
I think it’s unfair plus the time
is inconvenient, Sunday Vespers
should be in the morning instead
of the afternoon. —JohnettaC.
It’s fine if it’s worthwhile, but
so often the topics discussed and
the speakers used are a waste of
precious time, —E.C.
It’s a fine sedative and not hab-
it-forming either, —Wise
Definitely not, since I’ve been
going to chapel I’ve only enjoyed
three programs. —Disgusted
I think it’s necessary some=
times like on Sunday, but it’s a
waste of time during the week,
—Marinetta
All I have to say is one word-
NO- that’s why I use up all my
cuts every semester.
—Chapel - cutter
If you ever attended any of
those dull, draggy, uninteresting
chapel programs that they call
educational, then you wouldn’t
have to ask my opinion about it,
—Anonymous
I don’t mind going once a week
but to have to go as often as four
times a week is pure foolishness,
—P. Banks
A sorespot with many belles is
the early curfew hour. Once this
year a one-thirty curfew was
granted. Was this curfew a test?
If it was, we feel that the students
reacted as mature young women.
At that time each student had a
chance to make the decision on
how late she should stay out.
Some girls came in at 10:00,
some at 12:30, some at 1:30 and
some of the girls didn’t go out at
all. Many girls went out only be
cause they knew that a chance to
stay out until 1:30 was rarely
granted. However the important
thing was that the students were
able to make up their own minds
and use their own judgement.
Although we respect the Ben
nett ideal of yesterday, we feel
that added to the old ideal should
be the ideal of today, a young
woman who can think for herself
and use good judgement.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 196S
Dorm Talk
By WINONA GRIFFIN
Some time ago, in the middle of
the night, a student in our dormi
tory became suddenly ill. It was
not until the following evening
that she received any medical at
tention. This prompted a series of
frustrating and angry conversa
tions concerning the lack of ade
quate medical attention at Ben
nett College. There have been any
number of cases in which girls
have been terribly ill, often, in
the early mornings or late at
night. But, who plans to get sick?
At any rate, they failed to get
prompt attention, if any at all
It is a bad state of affairs when
the students of any school cannot
irely on its medical staff for ade
quate medical attention. There
exists in some dorms total dis
trust for the school medical staff.
Many girls have expressed the
desire to by-pass the school
nurse and doctor even in cases of
severe Illness, Instead, they
would much rather go directly to
one of the local hospitals.
The problem of inadequate
medical care is not one that can
be blamed entirely on the medi
cal staff. One person- on duty
twenty-four hours a day is not
enou^ assurance for a school
even as small as Bennett College,
Nor can one lone person be ex
pected to meet the needs of over
six hundred girls.
The complaint concerning med
ical attention is a very serious
one. Its solution, however, is a
very simple one. Either our pre
sent medical staff must be in
creased sufficiently to meet the
needs of the students, or an en
tirely new medical staff must be
hired. In any case, the welfare of
the students should be the major
concern of any college, Bennett
then, must show its concern for
the students by answering the stu
dents’ pleas for adequate medical
attention.
Students Honored
For Achievement
A t Annual Spring
Convocation
Bennett College has a student
body that consists of “scholarly
scholars,” But there comes a
time to stand aside and applaud
the advancing columns of those
who stand out in achievements.
Well, that’s just about what
happened in the fifth annual Spring
Honors Convocation. This event
honored those students achieving
an overall 3.0 average for the fall
semester of the 1967-68 school
term.
After the procession of schol
ars, the student body was enlight
ened by Dr. Richard Bardolph,
professor of history at the Uni
versity of North Carolina at
Greensboro, whose speech was
centered around today’s Ameri
can,
Dean Chauncey Winston pre
sented the Honor Students to Pre
sident Isaac Miller, who in turn
presented the certificates of
merit to each. Miss Aretha But
ler received a gold key that was
symbolic of her participation on
every Honors Convocation since
she became a student at Bennett,
Also receiving gold keys were the
first semester graduates Edrice
Glass, Cherie Jones and Eleanor
Mitchell.
Later, tlie Honors Committee,
headed by Mr. Edward Lowe,
feted the Honorees with a lunch
eon in the school dining hall.
Vesper Sermon Leaves Coeds
Embarrassed And Angry
Interdorm Council
We Applaud You — Take A Bow
The Bennett Ideal Of Today