Newspapers / Bennett College Student Newspaper / Nov. 14, 1980, edition 1 / Page 3
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1980 THE BENNETT BANNER PAGE THREE Xlie Dean’s C orner Dean gives Reasons to excel About this time each year we salute and honor those students who have per formed well while matricu lating at Bennett College. The 29 honorees participat ing in the Fall Honors Con vocation are sophomores who have maintained a cumulative academic aver age of 3.20 for two semes ters of work; juniors, 3.30 for four semesters of work; and seniors, 3.40 for six semesters of work. Fresh men normally are not in cluded in the Fall Honors Convocation since they will not have earned a cumula tive average by that time. Given the internal and ex ternal environmental forces which might impact nega tively on the student’s abil ity to excel, these students who made it should receive the highest commendation. These students have excel lent minds, are disciplined, organized and seem to have a mature sense of purpose. During my 17 years of academic administration in Myra Jewel George higher education, I have encountered many students from varied disciplines and backgrounds who have raised such questions as, “Why excel?” “What is the use?” “How will higher grades help me reach my objective?” These questions invariably lead to a rather lengthy explanation. Of course, the earning of grades is not an end within itself. More importantly, there are many by-products resulting from a student’s high academic achievement. First, one who excels tends to develop a keen sense of setting priorities. The technique of priortiz- ing will have a lifelong ef fect on the student in the world of work and the world of leisure. Secondly, high academic achievement can’t help but provide extra knowledge and understand ing of life. As an example, a student who excels in ec onomics would in all prob ability be able to better cope with family economic problems which beset many of the American families and, indeed, many families all over the world today. And too, the academic com munity is rapidly turning towards a test-oriented so ciety. Soon there will be test requirements to enter many marketplaces. Already, the National Teacher’s Examination is required to get a teaching position in most states. The Graduate Record Examina tion is required to enter major graduate schools. Law schools and medical schools and so forth have their specialized tests for admissions requirement. Since these tests normally examine one’s accumulation of general and specialized knowledge and test-taking skills, it is reasonable for me to belive that the stu dent who excels will have an excellent chance to rate high on these examinations. Finally, to excel is self motivation for more accel eration. This is to say that a student who becomes aca demically successful will feel good about herself and develop self esteem which will have a very positive effect upon her for the rest of her life. So, we salute the honorees of the Honors Convocation and challenge other students to work towards it. It is well worth your while. Magubane’s pictures tell a true story Karen M. Heck Peter Zwekibanri Magu- bane is an excellent photo journalist from Soweto, South Africa. His black and white photographs are ones no viewer could easily forget. The title of Magubane’s work is “A South African Child from Birth to Death.” He cleverly uses actual events to his advantage. Magubane captures the rarity of a new born entering the world. He also emphasizes the mother gritting her teeth to help the infant along. Magubane’s camera goes on to illustrate young children being baptized and being fed with a breast and a teaspoon. On film he manages to show crowded classrooms of South Africa. He is also able to re produce the eagerness to learn on each student’s face. Like youngsters all over the the world, they love to play games. Soccer is shown as the most popular sport. Enthusi asm is written on their faces. As the photographs pro gress the mood drastically changes. The children are old er. Desperate frowns take the place of jovial grins. Play grounds become battlegrounds for racial equality. Adoles cents are now courageous leaders. With this new leadership comes violence. With violence comes pain. Faces are cut. Tears are shed. Blood is ev erywhere, but the fight still must proceed. Death is sure to come and it does. Magubane’s pictures can only be called chillingly real istic. May his artistic eye for life never be harmed. Talent pays off Jeanette Hatch Three of Bennett’s talented Belles have been accepted into the 1980-81 Star Child Dance Com pany of Greensboro. They are: Sunsan “Cricket” Smith, Joan Walker, and Venetia “Nini” Thomas. Venetia is one of the two direc tors of the dance company and has been with Star Child for over a year. Last year she directed the five-member company as well as taught classes in dance for Star Child. The Star Child School of Per forming Arts has been in existence for three years under the direction of Mrs. Deborah Bryson and Ms. Debbie Smith. It is a non-profit, federally tax exempt organization, and is presently housed at the Hayes-Taylor Y.M.C.A. Star Child seeks to help cultivate and expose those who may have talents but do not have the proper surround ings or professional people to ex pose or encourage them. Star Child offers classes in Mod- elingi, Dance, Drama, Art and Music for which registration is presently opened. They also have touring companies in the areas of Modeling and Dance. Fall season opens for A&T players “TP” breaks the chart Pamela Y. Pate Teddy Pendergrass has done it again with his latest release entitled “TP” featur ing Stephanie Mills. This al bum is predicted to go plati num or gold. Side one starts with a tune called “Is It Still Good to Ya,” which was written by Valerie Simpson and Nick Ashford. This inspiring song tells the story of a man very much in love. The next song is “Take Me in Your Arms Tonight,” which has a Jamaican-sound with the brass and wind instruments coming through loudly. The last song on side one is “Can’t We Try,” which is a soft and flowing tune about a young man who lost his girlfriend and wants her back. On side two the first song is “Feel the Fire,” a tune written by Peabo Bryson. In this song Teddy and Steph anie give a portrayal of two people seriously in love. Next up is “TKO,” which has a lot of meaning and seems to be based on one of Teddy’s personal experiences. The final song on side two is “Let Me Love You,” a tune that has a dreary effect and the back-up singers, whose pitch is unpleasantly high, overwhelm the vocalist. This is still an outstanding LP for those of you who are Teddy Pendergrass fans. Teddy and Stephanie will be appearing at the Greens boro Coliseum Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. Jeanette Hatch The Richard B. Harrison Players of North Carolina A&T State University proud ly opened their fall season with the play “Mulatto,” written by one of America’s finest black writers, Langs ton Hughes. The play tells the saga of one black American family in the early 30s, di vided against itself by race and racism in the Southland. Colonel Thomas Norwood is the owner of a 1,000-acre plantation, which he seeks to maintain with the help of black sharecroppers whom he has exploited. The wife, Mrs. Norwood (who is deceased), has not produced any chil dren, while the black mis tress, Cora Lewis, has pro duced five children of mixed blood. These mulattos prevail, despite the diabolical machi nations of the white male chauvinists. The story’s plot is realistic, dealing with miscegenation. It is a story known to many black Americans but care fully shielded from white Americans. Clothing class works on new project Lisa Harris The Family Clothing 221 class, taught by Mrs. Q. H. Bell, is work ing on a renovation project. The purpose of this project is to help clothe the entire family on a limited budget. The students are taking old, worn, and used clothing that has been discarded and altering or renovating the garments. Alteration is the changing of a garment so that it is different, making it larger or smaller. In renovation one can change the entire character of the garment. Members of the class are also conserving funds by taking gar ments that belonged to older adults and reconstructing and or changing the entire character of the garment to fit today’s clothing trends and at the same time have a perfect fit. Mrs. Bell claims, “The students seem to be working hard on this project and enjoying it as well.” Dr. Ralph J. Bunche, undersecretary for special political affairs of the United Nations, was in 1950 the first Black American to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Xke President's C orner How to save Bennett On Sept. 29 students from several colleges gathered in Washington, D. C. to observe Black College Day. The event was designed to call attention to the need to maintain the institutions which for more than a hundred years have produced the black leadership of our nation. The demonstra tion was a good experience for the participants and many feel that a great deal was accomplished. One of the hazards of such a demonstration, however, is that the central and vital theme “save black colleges” can be so easily obscured in the extravaganza and the ex citement. It is for this rea son that Bennett College par ticipants were admonished “Know why you are going to Washington before you board the bus.” One of the abiding realities is that the historically black colleges are constantly under attack from many quarters and this is a situation which is likely to persist throughout the 1980’s. A wave of con servatism in America could generate retrenchment which will limit the resources tra ditionally available from gov ernment agencies and founda tions, and this trend must be carefully monitored. Demonstrations in behalf of black colleges must now come on campus, assuming dimensions other than pa rades, flag-waving, and slo ganeering. No strategy for institutional prosperity and vitality is more crucial than the demonstration that an essential mission is performed superbly by the institution. Nothing demonstrates superb performances more eloquent ly than the quality of a col lege’s graduates. Bennett women who go into the job market consistently well pre pared, self-assured, and armed with alternatives will eventu ally make it to the executive suite and in the process vali date controversy the worthi ness of Bennett College. Bennett College will flour ish and prosper as her grad uates embody the value of the “Bennett experience.” How then does the student help to “save Bennett College?” By giving herself to the rigorous pursuit of academic excel lence and high scholastic en deavor. The student must have ambition and vision, and then address with discipline and diligence the exercises and activities which lead to ones becoming well educated. The Bennett woman must make the difference for the future of our race; therefore she can ill afford to be casual about class attendance, the execution of assignments, the use of the library, the per fecting of basic academic skills, or the development of her personality. I strongly urge each Ben nett woman to strive for ex cellence and determine to make a difference. This will guarantee that Bennett Col lege is here in the year 2000 to serve another generation of young women.
Bennett College Student Newspaper
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Nov. 14, 1980, edition 1
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