PAGE FOUR
THE BENNETT BANNER
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1985
Purple Rain percussionist is most likely to succeed
by Ellesia McCracken
Although the media em
phasized Prince and Sheila E.
after the mid-summer release
of “When Doves Cry” and
“The Glamorous Life,” there
were many exceptional tal
ents involved in the Purple
Rain tour.
Juan Jose Escovedo is one
of those talents. The 22-year-
old percussionist from Oak
land, Calif, has many attrac
tive qualities and a few punk-
rock attributes, such as the
blond streak on the left side
of his silky mane.
He wears a 2l/2-inch multi
diamond earring, a present
from Prince. His wardrobe is
packed with interesting at
tire, some of which he trades
with spectators after shows
for things he wants but can’t
find.
Although Sheila E. is his
sister and Prince a close
friend, he doesn’t try to
by Tricia Hairston
Ask students to describe
Dr. Marshena Baird, and
their comments range from
“awesome” to “zesty.” She is
a bright, energetic person
who represents the pride of
black women.
Baird, an' associate profes
sor of reading and education,
is committed to teaching
black people. “I believe that
as a black person, I should
give my people the very best
I have to offer,” she says.
Along with the Bennett
Scholars, Baird coordinated
the landmark October confer
ence, A Sociocultural History
of Black Women, which fea
tured authors Angela Davis,
Paula Giddings and Margaret
Walker.
Baird, who came here in
1978, is optimistic about the
student b^y. “I think they
want a lot for themselves,”
she maintains. “I honestly be
lieve every student is a dia
mond in the rough. She just
need polishing.”
The mother of three chil
dren whose ages range from
five to 14, Baird takes a tra
ditional view of education.
“I understand when par
ents tell their children to
come up to their potential. I
tell mine, too! Don’t be happy
with a ‘C’; go for an ‘A’. Par-
“shine on pveople” or put on
false airs. He is very down-
to-earth and seems to care
about his impact on people.
He has big dreams that he
is working hard to accom
plish. He hopes to have his
own band one day and to pro
duce other bands in an effort
to help rising young stars.
Right now he is involved in
the family and strives to help
them become a success.
Juan doesn’t do a lot of
partying. He likes to get ade
quate rest and exercise to
keep in shape and prepared
for the next evening’s per
formance. He enjoys eating
lots of fruit, grapefruit in
particular.
Although he plays percus
sion for his sister’s band
while on tour and also ap
pears in “The Glamorous
Life” video, he is an excellent
vocalist and enjoys singing
the work of Phillip Bailey,
lead singer for Earth, Wind
ents have seen more and want
the best for their children. Do
your very best. Push yourself
to fulfill everything possible.
God gave, you gifts to do
things with,” she advises her
own children and students.
What angers her most is “a
lazv person.”
She derives energy and in
spiration from nature. Hap
piness is “watching a baby
grow.” “I’m so awed by na
ture,” she explains. “It’s won
derful in all its dimensions.
It really trips me out! My
children make me happy,
too.”
Baird likes to discuss cur
rent events, and she’s still
pondering the significance of
the ’84 election for blacks.
“One thing I don’t think
was expected was that blacks
would appear to be separate
and apart from mainstream
America. Voting can give the
false impression that we are
anti-American. This isn’t
true. For example, Jesse
Jackson’s leadership was in
tended for everyone — the
Rainbow Coalition. The
image projected of us during
the election saddens me.”
But Baird isn’t despairing.
“We have demonstrated that
we as a majority could agree
on one thing,” she says.
“That’s positive. We cannot
get depressed. Depression is
and Fire. He not only takes
his music seriously, he also
takes it everywhere as is
proven by the portable Casio
stereo that sits at his head
board.
The most impressive qual
ity that Juan projects is his
willingness to remember
where he came from and the
hard times in Oakland when
he saw people with all the
things that he wanted but
couldn’t afford.
“Things are looking up,”
he admits, but he says he’s
far from earning the kind of
money he would like. He re
minisces about times when he
and his family played in clubs
for $25 a night three nights
a week. Yet he says, “It was
all worth it.”
Juan is the type of person
one would place on the “most
likely to succeed” page of
high school yearbook. One
day soon, he may be a re
nowned talent.
an enemy. Look towards the
positive direction.”
The plight of the people in
the Third World affects her,
too. “The famine [in Africa]
has been going on for several
years,” she says. “A lot of the
problems have to do with a
lack of water, farming and
practical methods. Ethiopia
was a great nation at one
time, a very proud people.
They are now humble and
begging.”
Baird believes that it is
crucial for America to give
advanced technology as well
as food to developing nations.
In terms of personal phil
osophy, Baird offers this
encouragement to everyone:
“Never give up. Even when
things look dark, keep going
and saying, ‘I will.’ ”
“There were times in my
life I thought the world would
end,” she adds. “Take one day
at a time. There will be days
of sunshine. Always evaluate
yourself in terms of what you
have achieved. Then strive
for what you have not
achieved. Be honest with
yourself and I think you’ll be
all right. Last but not least:
the future is yours.”
Everyone she touches is
lucky to know Dr. Baird, a
polished diamond shining
brightly.
The club scene: a
by Chandra Austin
Concealed between the pal
pitating nightlife of Atlanta
and the hypnotic pulse of
Washington, D. C., Greens
boro is hiding a vast array
of yuppie cocktail bars, up
town jazz clubs, tres chic dis
cotheques and traditional col
lege hangouts.
Side Effects, located at
2312 E. Bessemer Avenue,
has become an institution
within the Greensboro night
club scene. It has two disco
dance floors, a comfortable
lounge area and a full-service
bar.
After dancing to the top
R&B hits, one may enjoy a
strawberry daiquiri, play a
game of Ms. Pacman or con
verse with one or more of the
many eligible men.
Although Side Effects has
a minimum age requirement
of 21, the ages range from 19
to 55. Expect to get carded
on occasion, depending on
who’s at the door.
“There are a lot of nice
men at Side Effects if you
can weed out the riffraff,”
says a 23-year-old waitress.
“The majority of the men
here just want good conver
sation and will allow things
to just be Platonic. That’s a
change from most of the clubs
here.”
Ladies get in free on
Thursday nights until 11 and
Fridays are free to both sex
es. This is quite an improve
ment over the awesome $5
cover charge on Saturday
night.
Jazz is no longer a genre
of music appreciated only by
the older set. “College stu
dents are beginning to realize
the true beauty of jazz,” ex
plains a local jazz musician.
“Yenrof’s is the perfect place
to relax, eat and hear some
of the best music in the
Triad.” Featuring talent such
as Eve Cornelius and the Bill
Bright Quartet, Yenrof’s at
2200 Randleman Road serves
good down-home food and
drinks.
“The Tom Collins’ are es
pecially good,” says a Bur
lington woman who goes to
Yenrof’s at least twice a
week. “I don’t care for the
loudness you get at the discos.
I’d rather hear live mellow
music in a comfortable
setting.”
The clientele at Yenrof’s is
a welcome change from the
run-of-the-mill night spot
The crowd is more mature
and there is an abundance of
black professionals.
If the professional scene
becomes a bore, Greensboro
definitely offers alternatives.
One refreshing option is the
Ale House, a typical college
bar with plenty of beer, on
the comer of Smyres Place
and Madison Ave. On Tues
day nights ladies can drink
barrels of beer and hear the
best in turntable rock ’n roll,
just as long as it’s between
9 and 10.
Wednesday is men’s night
and more diverse since the
music is more of a cross-
section featuring many tunes
by the Police. Sounds too
good to be true? The Ale
House has two major pitfalls:
the cover charge is a dollar
and only one beer is given at
a time.
This spot has a good sound
system and a nice mix of
UNC-G students.
Another alternative to the
conventional nightclub is the
Rhinoceros, a private club, at
313 S. Greene St. Recently,
rock superstar Bruce Spring
steen stopped there to drink
and do a few songs. “We get
a creative mix of college stu
dents and downtowners,”
says a Rhinoceros bartender.
surprising array
The decor is a taxidermist’s
dream complete with a
stuffed rhinoceros over the
bar.
Instead of a disc jockey,
the Rhinoceros offers a gwd
old jukebox with everything
from Cyndi Lauper to Little
Anthony and the Imperials.
Live entertainment is also
offered Thursday through
Saturday.
Although the Rhinoceros
sells liquor, the atmosphere
is more suitable for drinking
a few beers, playing a game
of pool and shooting the
breeze on a Friday night.
To get the bdg city effect
from a small town, try
Dadio’s, which is located at
3404 High Point Rd. In order
to get in, a $10 membership
is needed. Ask someone with
a membership to admit you.
At first glance, Dadio’s
looks like an uptown spot
right out of a major metropo
lis. Its clientele has a robust
kind of energy. The music is
Top 40 R&B combined with
techno-pop. The music fits in
well with the light system,
which gives this club an
urban flair.
The drink prices are aver
age, ranging from $1,25 for
domestic beer to $4 for an
exotic drink. The minimum
age requirement is 19 and a
hand-stamp differentiates 19-
year-old b^r drinkers from
the 21 and older crowd.
Trevi Fountain, located at
709 E. Market St., entertains
an older clientele from 21-55.
However, this club is famous
for untamed fraternity par
ties from 2 to 6 a.m.
The sound system at 'Trevi
is of excellent quality, and the
music is comfortably progres
sive with an occasional tune
by Grover Washington Jr.
during happy hour.
The bar area is charming,
with oil lights, plants and
mirrors separating a two-
sided bar. Both dance floors
have enough space to accom
modate a moderate crowd,
and the men are eager danc
ers. The cover charge is $3,
which is reasonable, consider
ing the good time that’s in
store.
Miller—from page 1
tion of biochemistry here
now. If I weren’t president
of Bennett, I would like to be
a biochemist researcher for a
large pharmaceutical house,”
he states.
Sometimes people only see
the exterior of a college pres
ident. Miller would like to
convey more of the interior.
One of the things that he
hopes people can sense about
him is his compassion: “I
think most people know that
I try to work out problems
and I have a hearing ear even
if I can’t solve the problem.”
President Miller would like
to be remembered as a person
committed to academic excel
lence. “So many people come
to college because it is hap
pening. So many students
don't know what college is
supposed to do for them . . .
It is important for students
getting a liberal arts educa
tion to be able to compete. It
isn’t enough to make passing
grades but to excel so that
they can excel after life at
Bennett,” he says.
Despite the very busy
schedule, he occasionally does
find time to relax. “I like to
participate in the men's glee
club at church, and I like to
build things from electronic
kits. I have built a stereo and
an organ. I also like to garden
and to build things with
wood,” he says.
His public and private roles
merge in one activity —
buildjng.
FLORENCE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT ONE
Will Interview on Your Campus
FEBRUARY 7, 1985
Please Sign Up in the Educational Placement Office
if You Want to Have Your File Pre-screened.
EDUCATION MAIORS
Contact Your Placement Office Immediately
or
Call Our District Office Collect.
(803) 669-4141
319 South Dargan Street
Florence, South Carolina 29501
Rorenoe District One Is an Equai Opportunity Employer
Prof is shining presence