Newspapers / Bennett College Student Newspaper / Sept. 21, 1984, edition 1 / Page 3
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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1984 THE BENNETT BANNER PAGE THREE Student mugged in Manhattan by Alaina Cloud Muggers can strike any where, at any time. Michelle Watkins (ficti tious name) knows because she was abducted at gunpoint and mugged in Manhattan Feb. 27. She arrived by bus at the New York City Port Author ity terminal at 3 a.m. and learned that the connection to her home in New Haven, Conn. would not leave until 7 a.m. The inhabitants of the ter minal scared Michelle, who was then a student at Vir ginia State University. “All I saw was the bums sleeping on the floor and the benches. I was the only sober person in the whole place,” she recalls. Wondering what she was going to do for the next four hours, she felt relieved when two neatly dressed, handsome young men approached her and began a casual conversa tion. One wore a sweatsuit, the other a nice shirt and attractive jeans. The talk turned strange. One man asked if the guys in Connecticut had .38 caliber pistols. She felt confused. When he repeated the ques tion, Michelle heard a very loud click. She looked down and saw the gun. “Let’s take a walk,” he said. She was shaking as the men led her to an alley where they enlisted a prostitute to watch for the police. “They already had all my suitcases, but I hid $200 in the small zipper part of my pocketbook,” she says. They took her to a sleazy diner and made her buy them breakfast. The customers i Coming to college: Freshman Andrea Murphy (third from left) arrived at Bennett with a “support group.” (photo by Keith Miller) Get recommenilations the right way Everybody needs them, but few people know the right way to get them. Recommendations — your career depends on them. If you are collecting rec ommendations, be sure to fol low these steps. Make sure that the teacher or authority figure you want to approach is familiar with your skills. Nothing looks worse than a generalized rec ommendation which could ap ply to almost anyone. Why? Because it looks like a lukewarm response. Be certain the writer of your recommendation has a favorable opinion of your work and character. Choose a teacher, for example, in whose classes you have ex celled and with whom you have a good rapport. Remember in some cases it’s possible to do fairly well in a course without truly impressing your teacher. If you are uncertain about a teacher’s attitude toward you or if you don’t completely trust the teacher, do not request a recommendation. Equally important is the protocol for getting recom mendations. Give your source plenty of time to write the recommen dation. Approach the person at least two weeks in advance of the due date and even earlier if possible. Teachers and authority fig ures are busy people. Give them time to work you into their schedules. Never ask for a rushed or overnight recommendation. Such a request marks you as inconsiderate and could affect the evaluation. Don’t expect your source to serve as your secretary. Along with the recommen dation form, provide a stamped, addressed envelope. Make sure that the due date is fully explained. Since some companies and graduate schools ask for spe cific factors to be stressed in recommendations, don’t ex pect your source to guess these factors. Describe them to the person writing the recommendation. After a reasonable time, check back to see if the recommendation has been mailed. As in all successful trans actions, clear communication and good manners are the keys. Treat your source like a princess or prince. If you treat her like a mule, you’re likely to get kicked in the career. knew what was happening and looked at her with disgust. “They [the abductors] even asked me if I wanted to eat and made me order some thing. I saw this Puerto Rican man come over, and I thought he was going to help me, but instead he just shook his head,” Michelle says. After her nervous meal, the men walked Michelle around Manhattan. There was snow on the pavement, and she was wearing a light jacket. In an alley, one man fondled and tried to kiss her, and she got angry. “I pushed him back and said, ‘What do you want from me? You have my bags, and you made me buy you break fast. Now let me go.’ He grabbed my neck and banged my head against the wall.” One man mentioned the other might rape her and she broke away and ran to a car which was coming down the alley. “The guy [driver] was white,” she says, “and I asked him to help me. He shook his head and screeched off.” One man grabbed her and began to abuse her again, but the other stopped him. Soon she thought she was going to be shot. “Now you might think New York is nice and fun,” one man said. “But this is the street. This is my life. Now I want you to walk in front of me and keep on walking. Port Authority is around the corner.” She started off, waiting to be shot, but when she turned around, her abductors had gone with her bags. Thankful, she entered the terminal and caught her bus. Reaching home, she was nervous and couldn’t think straight. “All I was worried about was telling my boyfriend that the muggers stole his box [radio]!” she recalls. How can a woman protect herself? Inez Rovegno, chair person of the physical ed ucation department, says: “Sometimes there is nothing you can do. Try to prevent it from the start, and even sometimes this isn’t possible. Travel in well-lit areas and walk with awareness.” Women should take self- defense courses, according to Rovegno, who teaches this subject. “Ten years ago, you never found self-defense courses,” she says, “but we can’t rely on our brothers and fathers to protect us.” “Don’t be fooled by the way a person dresses, and don’t trust anyone you don’t know,” Rovegno added. Dream becomes real by Karen R. Taylor It was once a dream, but now it’s a reality. Rhonda Chapelle Jackson has gotten what she wanted. She’s Miss Bennett. A senior English major from Chapel Hill, Rhonda dreamed of capturing the title ever since she arrived on the quadrangle. “Ever since my freshman year, I dreamed of being Miss Bennett so that I could repre sent the whole student body,” she says. “My dream has come true, and I hope that I can live up to the expecta tions of my Bennett sisters.” Whenever she enters a room, Rhonda gains attention because of the warm, friendly image she projects. She’s beautiful, talented, energetic and poised. She has been highly visible in campus organizations ? Wfm. More people have survived cancer than now live in the City of Los Angeles. We are winning. AIWERICAN ^CANCER fSOOEIY* throughout her career here. She has been freshman class president as well as a mem ber of the judiciary board. She belongs to the Ben nett Scholars Program, the Performing Arts ComDany, the Bennett College W.I.T.S. and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Talent and intelligence got her where she is, and she has resolved not to let her title and the attendant hoopla turn her head in vain directions. “I hope I will continue to keep my priorities straight and keep a steady, good grade-point average,” she says. Rhonda has perceived a dif ference between her and the former Miss Bennetts. “I saw that there was a likeness between them [her predecessors]. They all have a submissive type character ^^atcking Micliael and a very dainty disposition. I, too, feel that I am a lady of quality, but I am a more outspoken person,” Rhonda observes. She views her role as serv ing as “a representative for Bennett College. I see myself keeping up the ideals of Ben nett College. I also see myself as a person my peers feel comfortable around.” She has many plans for using her new office. She wants to start a tutorial pro gram, a scholarship fund raising drive, a voter regis tration drive and an organi zation for campus queens that will encourage them to dis play their intellectual gifts. She wants her coronation to be an event that involves the entire student body in stead of a gala for the new office winners. “I want everybody to feel special,” she explains. MJ craze hits by Avanti Allen During the last year, a hyp notic man has entered the lives of many Belles. They knew and loved him before, but that love has become adoration. The Michael Jackson craze hit here last spring, and it hasn’t abated. Michael’s image on teeshirts, buttons and posters has become vastly popular. One Jackson fan confesses to owning 20 buttons bearing his picture. “I wear all 20 of them at the same time be cause I love the man. He has a special place in my heart,” states sophomore Valarie Jones. Many women have deco rated their jackets with the star’s face, and they are wall papering their rooms with MJ’s countenance. A survey last spring found Michael gazing from the walls of one out of P'^ery three rooms in Player Hall. The sequined gloves, white socks, short pants and zipper jackets have become trade marks of the mega-star, and stores throughout Greensboro are specializing in these items. Most Belles love Jackson’s attire, but would not wear it themselves. “The way he dresses is really unique, 'and it fits him perfectly, but I would not wear it,” observes sophomore Brenda Vinson. “It’s too flashy for every day attire,” says sophomore Alvita Williamson. One student condemns Jackson imitators. “I hate people who try to dress like him because they aren’t really him, claims sophomore Karla Williams. Naturally, Jackson’s fans love his musical ability as much as his appearance. Jun ior Wendolyn I. Abel believes MJ helped establish a prece dent: “He was one of the first blacks to do a video. His video has gained numerous recognitions.” Junior Sharon Highsmith stresses Michael’s musical ac complishments. “Jackson is a great musician despite his age. He has won many musi cal awards, and I respect him for that,” she says. Will the love for Michael die, or is it here to stay?
Bennett College Student Newspaper
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Sept. 21, 1984, edition 1
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