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Friday, April 5, 1985
BENNETT COLLEGE, GREENSBORO, N. C.
Vol. XLVI, No. 6
Ball at new spot
by Yolanda Lloyd
A tradition that is over 30
years old will continue with
the April 13th President’s
Ball, but the gala has a new
location.
Years ago it was held in
the dining room and in the
past few years it has been
held in the gym, but this time
it will be held at the Bland-
wood Carriage House on
McGee Street.
Wondering why this event
will occur off-campus? One
reason is that a public facility
will attract more students.
The public relations of
fice coordinates this event
with a budget of $2,000. This
budget will provide the ball
with refreshments from the
home economics department
like finger sandwiches, nuts,
punch and cake and enter
tainment in the form of ca
sino games and a DJ instead
of a live band.
“There won’t be enough
room for everyone to sit
down. We want everyone to
get up and dance and have
a good time! That’s why we
have a DJ this time,” says
Myra Davis, public informa
tion officer. “You don’t need
a date or even a long gown
for this occasion. It’s semi-
formal, but you do need to
obtain your admit card in the
financial aid office by April
9th in order to get you and
one guest in.”
“Some girls aren’t going
because they don’t have
dates,” says Davis, but don’t
worry. Once again the broth
ers from Morehouse College
in Atlanta will be there. Only
this time you get to choose
whom you want.
There won’t be any ad
vance dating arrangements
done until the weekend of the
ball and that’s all up to the
individual! Last year we had
36 men from Morehouse and
some ROTC members from
A&T.
“I’m not going unless I
have a date and he is tall,
dark and handsome with
some big bucks,” jokes junior
Andy Chan.
Probably the highest per
centage of the girls going will
be freshmen, since this is
a first-time experience for
them.
“The girls should be old
enough by now to find their
own dates! That’s what this
ball is for — socializing and
having fun,” says Davis.
If you do attend the ball,
make sure that you don’t
bring any alcoholic beverages
or any illegal substances into
the facility.
If you haven’t decided to
go, think again. It might be
something you’ll regret.
Company coming
by Karen R. Taylor
After months of promoting
the college and appearing at
high schools and colleges
across North Carolina, the
Bennett College Dance Com
pany will soon be giving
its annual on-campus
performance.
On April 14, the home folks
will get to see a troupe whose
strength is cohesion, accord
ing to Ms. Susan King, com
pany director and physical
education instructor.
“We all work together pret
ty well,” King says of the
versatile nine-member group,
which dances to popular and
contemporary music.
The dancers are freshmen
Dwan Harris, Judy Law
rence, Valencia Lee and Mi
chelle Roberson, sophomore
Trayce Faulkner, juniors Al-
lyson Berry, Deirtra Evans
and Khadija Ward and senior
Denise Green.
The company compensates
for a lack of classical train
ing with a strong emphasis
on energy and style. Each of
the performers has a variety
of talents, in addition to that
key force—ingenuity.
The students do most of the
choreography, a matter that
King stresses.
“I am more comfortable
when the students do their
own choreography,” explains
the director. “This way they
can express themselves
more.”
“I enjoy taking part in the
planning,” Faulkner says.
Discipline is the key to
dance, which sometimes bor
ders on a vocation for the
company members. Some stu
dents are surprised by the
amount of work dance de
mands and fear that falling
in love with dancing can seri
ously compromise grade-point
averages.
“One has to be flexible,”
says Berry, a veteran per
former. “I enjoy modern and
African dance. I enjoy watch
ing the professionals. I like
to dance. Dancing helps burn
frustrations and tone mus-
(See page 3)
Senior Day Delight: Newly-robed Gail Ingraham, a senior from Detroit, is feted by Linda Johnson during the banquet
following the afternoon ceremony. The annual ritual is the last stop before exams for prospective graduates.
(photo by M. Davis)
“Inspiring” speech ilighligiits Senior Day ceremony
by Margo Gilmore
An appreciation speech by
Florentia Spires received a
standing ovation on Senior
Day when 109 Belles received
their robes.
“. . . I see evidence of
progress, the spruce of suc
cessful performance and the
sparks of a great promise for
the future,” said Spires.
She observed that the class
of ’85 talks about achieve
ment now instead of low
morale, proof that academic
challenge has been accepted.
Spires provided several ex
amples of the progress by her
class and college. “Faculty
and staff are openly showing
support and concern for their
students,” she said. “We dis
covered that the opportunity
for greatness is inside each
of us. We recognized that in
order to achieve success, we
might be required to leave
our comfort zones . . .”
“Bennett College has
helped us to build determina
tion and to overcome the bar
riers that have been estab
lished for black women,” she
said. “A transformation
which most assuredly shall
result in this group of women
moving into those desired top
positions . . .”
Spires then moved into the
experiences that would al
ways be remembered by her
fellow graduates. These in
cluded the “Old Girls’ Net
work” better known as the
“Belle System.”
The senior biology major
extended thanks from the
seniors to President Isaac H.
Miller Jr., Dean Chelsea Tip
ton, the faculty and staff.
“We are very grateful to you
for indeed making it all hap
pen. We will see you at the
top!”
Several seniors showed
their exuberance for their sis
ter. Senior class Vice Pres
ident Avis Kimpson said,
“Spires was very good and
proposed an inspiring chal
lenge for the senior class as
well as the faculty.”
But Spires said following
the ceremony she received
many remarks concerning one
statement alone—“It saddens
me to admit that some faculty
and staff are still in a state
of shock by our confidence,
determination, and enthusi
asm ...”
“However, that was not in
tended to put anyone down.
I love my instructors, and the
majority of them are excel
lent,” she explained.
“Know who you are, and
where you wish to go,” said
President Miller in his ad
dress to the seniors. “Only
thoroughbreds win.”
Gospel according to Shirley Chisholm electrifies audience
Bearing Witness: Shirley Chisholm brought life and light to campus in March.
(photo by Keith Miller)
by Avanti Allen
“To whom much is given,
much is expected” was the
statement directed to Belles
by The Honorable Shirley
Chisholm, former Congress-
v/oman and the first black to
run for President of the
United States.
The congresswoman, de
scribing herself as bein()r a
maverick and unpredictable,
delivered the message in the
overflowing chapel to stu
dents, faculty, administrators
and city residents.
With her mission of peace,
prosperity and equality, Chis
holm stressed that the fight
for freedom and justice was
not over. “It saddens me to
think that we have to set
aside a certain time to cele
brate great black people,”
said Chisholm.
Chisholm took the audience
on a journey through the
black man’s life, past and
present to give an idea of how
blacks lack freedom.
“Blacks have a unique her
itage in that we gained
strength from suffering,
learned from oppression and
how to have an affirmed faith
from the Almighty,” accord
ing to Chisholm.
The time has come for the
need to awaken the spirit of
blacks of the past because “all
is not well in America,” cried
Chisholm, “in regard to the
economy and the treatment of
blacks.”
Chisholm talked of a sec
ond Reconstruction that was
not completely over. She de
scribed how blacks of the past
struggled for freedom and
only gained political freedom.
Limited rights were
granted to blacks. The rights
included political freedom but
there was also the denial of
an education, exemplified by
the Dred Scott decision.
Chisholm listed other
events which encouraged
blacks to think that freedom
was near.
After being briefed on the
black man’s struggle, the
audience was confronted with
the idea that the hour was
near for a change.
Her advice to her listeners
was to give something back
to better the race because, “if
we don’t, we may lose every
thing we have.”
“We have a legacy to be
quest from where we’ve
come,” stated Chisholm. She
urged blacks to stand tall and
to do the best possible for the
black heritage.
After delivering her ad
dress, the congresswoman was
presented with a Bennett
sweater and inducted as an
honorary Belle by Karen Tay
lor, SGA president.
Earl Jones, Greensboro city
councilman, presented Chis
holm with the key to the city
of Greensboro.
The program sponsored by
the Bennett College commit
tee on black history and the
division of student affairs
contained participation from
students, faculty and admin
istrators.
Participants included the
Bennett College choir; Mrs.
Doris Vincent, director of
career services; Mrs. Julia
Anderson, counseling center
coordinator; Deborah Jacobs,
senior; Dr. Phyllis Etheridge,
dean of students and Dr.
Isaac H. Miller Jr., president
of the college.
According to one student,
Anne Warren, a sophomore,
“Shirley Chisholm was an
outstanding speaker. The
quality of her voice kept the
attention of the audience. Her
message of the past and the
present was very inspiring.”