MAY 22, 1970
THE BENNETT BANNER
PAGE 3
The Roving Reporter
Seniors Talk About Changes At
Bennett
As seniors approach the
termination of their days as
Bennett Students, they were
asked to reflect their views of
the following questions. What
changes have you seen at
Bennett during the 4 years?
What improvements would you
suggest in the future?
“There have been a drastic
reduction of social restrictions,
but there still need to be
improvements. We need a more
dedicated faculty and student
body.”
C.M.
“They put some steps in
fron of the gym so the girls
wouldn’t have to jump over the
wall. The curfew has changed.
Black students have been
added; but the overall
curriculum has not improved.
The faculty has not improved
at all.
Debbie Gailliard and
Lydia Johnson
proves an adequate measure.
Constructive criticism and
action are now the keys.”
Audrey Blaylock
“I’ve seen the coffee house,
a modern dormitory and
science building, and extended
curfews. 1 would like to see the
business dept, move out of the
basement of the administration
building, a general
improvement in the English
department, unlimited curfew
for seniors, and definitely more
telephones.”
Mary Greene
CATHY MILLNER
“The real changes have been
social. The administration has
begun to look at the students
more as adults, than was the
case 4 years ago. There should
be more unity among the
Blossie Hughes
MELVA COX
“I’d really like to see
students here optimistic about
drawing new students to the
college rather than running
them away.”
Melva O. Cox
“I think the student body
on this campus as well as on
campuses across the country
show a greater concern in the
curriculum and regulations to
which they are subjected.
Where a change is needed and
desired, griping no longer
JOHNSIE WILLIAMS
“In the past 4 years we seem
to be losing a lot of good
instructors and there seems to
be an increase in trying to get
grades other than studying. I
hope that there will be
established a social studies
library in Black Hall.”
Johnsie Williams
Ex-Belle Is A Doushnut
Dolly
Continue from Page 2
—Reprint from “The Knoxville
News-Sentinel
The girl the soldiers call
“Soul Sister” and “Black
Queen” clapped a helmet over
her Afro haircut, pulled a flak
jacket over her pajamas and
wiggled under the bed.
When the mortar shells
really started cracking close,
shrapnel ripping into the trailer
where the girls slept, she pulled
the mattress down on top of
her, clenched her teeth and
wited for the big boom.
What was a 22-year old girl
from Frogmore, S.C., doing in
a place like this?
Phuoc Vinh, South Vietnam
(her station) is headquarters
the 1st Air Cavalry Division in
jungle country north of Saigon.
The enemy regularly shells
Phuoc Vinh and other 1st Cay.
firebases where “Soul Sister
does her Vietnam thing.
LaVerne Smalls
occupational description is that
of Red Cross mobile recreation
worker - a “doughnut dolly.”
She takes games, charm and
conversation to American
troops in Vietnam’s
boondocks, one of only three
black girls who do this. She
doesn’t take doughnuts
because they don’t last long in
Vietnam’s heat, dust, rain and
war. It’s tough on a girl, too.
What’s it like, working
around all those men without
women?
“1 enjoy meeting the guys,”
she says, “I enjoy meeting all
of them, especially the black
guys. Because they don’t see
many black girls out here.
Sometimes with only white
girls coning out, the black
guys would never go around.
They felt as if they had
nothing to say.
“Now they come up and
talk. ‘What’s the latest dancel
love your natural hair. You’re
one of us. You look like my
sister. You look like my girl
friend. I’m glad you came!
“Some of the soldiers who
haven’t seen any girls at all in
months look at you funny.
They’re nervous. They stand
around. They’ll pass by. They
don’t say anything at all. Most
guys are kind of bashful after
such a long time.”
She said her family was dead
set against her coming to
Vietnam. One brother (she’s
one of 11 children) threatened
to call Washington to stop her.
But she was determined. After
graduating from Bennett
College, Greensboro, N.C. in
1969, she said goodbye to her
people in the tomato-growing
country around Frogmore, and
by July she was bound for
Vietnam.
education departments and the
social science and humanties
question of prejudice or
discrimination-as some would
like to refer to it as being-but
rather it is a question of our
treating our own people with
the respect due to them. In
other words, if a people, race,
nationality, or group, cannot
cater to its own, then who
will? Similarly, if a black
school cannot hire its own and
cannot treat its own with
dignity and respect, then who
will?
It would do well for
administrators to heed the
students pleas for more black
faculty members and to also
consider the suggestions that
were made in the meeting. One
important suggestion being
that administators and those
responsible for the hiring of
faculty members to go out and
seek black instructors rather
than simply wait for an
application from them. The
request is a simple one-hire
more black instructors and
keep those blacks that we
already have.
DIG, the literary journal
published by the C.C.C.C.C.
(Committee Committed to
Cultivating Campus Creativity,
alias English 127) is “hot of
the press” and ready for your
consumption! Look for
announcements as to the time
and manner of distribution.
from that matriarchal image
and are allowing us as students
to assume more personal
responsibility. Academically,
the students are becoming
more concerned with relevant
issues, and they are ahead of
the administration. I think the
school is lagging behind the
students, and they will have to
close the gap.”
Mary Shanks
“Since I came here. I’ve seen
the curfew change from being
restrictive to fairly liberal. As
far as the curriculum, I think it
has improved but not enough.
It is not yet totally relevant to
black students. There is less to
do on this campus now, than
when I came as a freshman.
This school does not attract as
many men as it used to. The
one thing that hasn’t changed
is the food. It is still bad.”
Carol Craig
GLORIA SMALLS
“Most evident changes are in
the student values and morals.
There has been improvements
in the curriculum with the
emphasis on black studies.
There is ddefmitely a change in
the interaction between
students.”
G. Smalls
“I have seen a more
progressive attitude on the part
of the administration, but
there is still a need for
communication with the
students. 1 would like to see
less conplacency among the
student body as a whole, more
involvement in contemporary
issues.
Myra Hedrick
“There has been a definite
change In ethical standards
concerning the difference
between right and wrong.”
Barbara Wiltshirre
“There is more freedom
now. In my freshman year we
couldn’t wear pants, now we
can wear anything we want.
There is no more family style
eating. I’d definitely like to see
this campus coed.”
Dianne Lacle
“I think Bennett is more in
tune with the times as far as
social standards are concerned.
I think they are moving away
THE FOLLOWING POEMS
THINK BLACK! AND DON’T CRY, SCREEM.
By Don L. Lee
a poem for negro intellectuals (if there be such a thing)
“I’ve seen a type of leniency
since my freshman year. For
instance, we received chapel
cuts if we did not wear hats.
I’d like to see no chapel at all.
But since it is church
orientated, there could be an
eleven o’clock worship service
on Sunday mornings for
anyone who wishes to attend.”
Juanita Spencer
ARE FROM BLACK PRIDE,
yr/own
moved
sharprazors fr/blk/hands
will
unnoticed
unlike yes
swinging
throughout the
among mid-night stars
terday
world
again
where
a people deathliving
everything iin
place
in
be born into
abstract realities
a
blk/self,.
as it was
hoping/looking
yes
for
u
terday &
blk/man-actions
will move
yes
from
action-livers.
as swift as
it will not be so tomorrow
&
black d.c. sevens
if we do.
blackmen,
AWARENESS
action-givers to the
BLACK
PEOPLE THINK
PEOPLE
BLACK PEOPLE
world
THINK
PEOPLE THINK
BLACK
PEOPLE THINK
unknown to
THINK
BLACK