Newspapers / Bennett College Student Newspaper / May 1, 1987, edition 1 / Page 3
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FRIDAY, MAY 1, 1987 THE BENNETT BANNER PAGE THREE Life in Saudi Arabia Awards Day Gathering: Posing together are some of Bennett’s proud leaders, (left to right) Elizabeth Toyia Johnson, president of Bennett’s NAACP chapter, Carla Bannister, editor of The Bennett Banner and Anna Sumpter, leadership award recipient. (Photo by Sallie A. Hayes) Seniors reflect by Carla Bannister Seniors are reflecting on the past and pondering the future. The days before grad uation are stirring special memories of landmark exper iences. Patricia A. Hairston recalls her sophomore year when she spoke up in a chapel service. “Being a militant 19-year- old sophomore, I stood up during a meeting in the chapel and actually told Pre sident Miller that I along with the help of my Bennett sisters would make him tighten up security on campus. It’s some thing of a joke now because how can I make anybody do anything? Its been a growing four years for me and I wouldn’t trade them for the world, nor do I wish to do it again.” Yeshiva Colbert focuses on her freshman year. “All four of my years at Bennett hold special memor ies in my heart. One of my fondest memories would be the pleasure of serving as Miss Freshman 1983-84 be cause it provided me the chance to communicate with my peers both young and old, from all walks of life,” Yes hiva said. Senior class president Kathy Howell prizes her time here. “I consider my years spent at Bennett to be the best years of my life so far. I’ve encountered many things and tried a vast multitude of new ideas. Those I’ve liked, I’ve kept. Those I didn’t like, I lost. I believe that this, my senior year, was the most eventful, most intriguing year. “I give credit for this to my new-found attitude tow ards college and life. It took until my final year to dis cover this hidden feeling, but now that it’s here, I savor its offerings. I remember all those little experiences—the trips to the administration building, the professors who go by the book, and the ten sion at exam time have all contributed to my feeling held for Bennett,” Howell said. Alicia McCollum, Miss Ben nett talks about her unforget table freshman year. “One of my fondest mem ories was during pre-regis tration my freshman year, when the students along with the SGA president Kay Boyd boycotted pre-registration. At that time, we were disgusted with some of the administra tion policies and also the cafe teria. We refused to eat in the dining hall and register. During that time, a lot of the students developed close rela tionships, and I really felt a part of the Bennett family. Although everyone was not sure what we were boycott ing, the students as a whole still stuck together. The media tried to get a story from the event, but that was not our purpose. We were not striving to hurt Bennett College, just to improve it,” McCollum said. Tashima Harris centers on her sophomore year. Harris says, “I have had many fond memories while at Bennett, but one of them was the time I robed my big sister Linda Rivers at Senior Day my sophomore year.” LaLeza Harris talks about the sisterhood of Bennett. “All of my memories at Bennett have been very dear and fond. There are the many jokes cracked, the many tears of agony, the many friends (sisters) that help support you in that moment of agony. As I imagine it, Bennett was like the poem ‘Stopping By The Woods On A Snowy Evening.’ That poem to me seems to suggest the beauti ful atmosphere of an evening snow. However, the event that stands out is the ‘inter dorm 10-2 or 2-6.’ That’s when you, your roommate and a couple of neighbors get together and talk and talk the night away,” Harris said. Josefa E. Bethea remem bers the fun times. Her fondest memories in clude, “Crying in Barge 7 after my parents left me here. Those were my last tears. I may cry May 10 at approximately 4 p.m. I also remember being picked up in a limousine and taken to a very expensive restaurant for dinner for my birthday my freshman year. “It was funny one spring vesper I was sitting with the choir, and we were told to stay very still and a grass hopper was crawling up Jade Osborne’s leg. I was cracking up, laughing. Another fond memory was while on choir tour in 1985, the hotel we were staying in had a fire in the kitchen one evening. All of the lodgers had to come outside. Ma Tucker looked for each choir member, and we were all accounted for. While everything was total bedlam Dr. Alston serenely saunt ered from her second floor room, with roses she received that evening, and sat queenly in a folding chair in her robe until we returned to our rooms. I fondly remember running to Krispy Kreme with LaLeza Harris and pray ing that the hot doughnut sign was on.” by Beth Kilgore How would you feel living in a country other than the U.S.? Emily Rogers, a sophomore from Saudi Arabia, says she “enjoys living in a foreign country such as Saudi Arabia and will miss the country and way of life I have grown up in.” Emily was born in Chicago but moved to Saudi Arabia when she was IV2 years old because her father works for Saudi Arabia airlines. “Since the 10th grade I have gone to school in the U.S. and have become more familiar with living in the U.S. for long periods of time,” said Emily. Emily and her family live in Riyadh which is the capital of Saudi Arabia. She says the differences in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia are very dis tinct. “The weekday begins with Saturday and goes to Wed nesday. Thursday and Friday are days off which is equi valent to Saturday and Sun day here,” she explains. During the Saudi weekend Emily says there are certain hours of the day which are allotted for prayer, shops, stores and gas stations. All offices close during prayer periods. “Everywhere you go throughout the city, you will meet not only Saudis, but al so people from India, Hong Kong, England, France, Jor dan, Syria and Greece. Many by Thelma Copeland The Fifteenth Annual Con ference of the Southeastern Association of Educational Opportunity Program Person nel was held Feb. 15-18, at the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel in Atlanta. The confer ence theme was “Equality and Excellence; Building a Tradi tion.” In keeping with the con ference theme, the Bennett College Special Services Coun selor, Patricia D. Bethea, presented on the topic, “Women in Higher Educa tion: Bridging the Gap Be tween Helpers and Helpees.” In her discussion, Bethea pointed out that although many colleges are wooing ever-increasing numbers of women students to their cam- of our close family friends come from countries through out the Middle East, Africa and Europe,” she says. Emily says her parents are not Saudis like many people think. Her father is from Atlanta and her mother is from New Orleans. She also has a 25-year-old brother who is stationed in South Korea with the Air Force. Although Emily has been away from Saudi Arabia for several years, she still misses home. “I’m enjoying Bennett a lot this semester, more than the college I attended last year,” states Emily although she knew nothing about Bennett or North Carolina when her father suggested the college to her. Although Emily says Ben nett is too small, she is ad justing to the life and en vironment. “I sensed Bennett was a historical and special liberal arts college . . . and think I’ll graduate from Ben nett,” Emily pi’edicts. Emily doesn’t speak the native Saudi language, which is Arabic, fluently but can say the simple phrases used in the city and markets. “Most of the Saudis speak English, and in their school system they teach English as another language since the Europeans and Lebanese people speak French,” Emily said. “Besides English I speak French and Russian. My major is political science and I’m going to minor in French. puses, most lag behind in their hiring of women faculty and staff. Therefore, few colleges and universities are able to offer women substantial role models in non-traditional fields. The urgency of this deficit is dra matized by the realization that women are the most valuable resource of other women in higher educational settings. One of the key problems facing women regardless of their student, faculty, or staff status is that they often deter themselves from success. Many women experience a fear of success and its attend ing responsibilities or feel that it is “too late” to make meaningful career and life changes. I’ve taken Russian for two years and will probably con tinue and also start another language. I’m interested in woi'king in foreign countries and traveling in my field,” says Emily. Although Emily has close male friends, she says she doesn’t have a boyfriend in Riyadh. “Dating isn’t particularly allowed in an Islamic society so we usually go out to eat or play tennis,” Emily ex plains. She laughs when people ask about her house. “I live in a house in the center of the city. The neigh borhood has Saudis, British, Americans and other nationa lities. The majority of the houses are made of concrete and are surrounded by walls. To get to the house, you must go through the outside gate, into the garden and then you get to the house,” says Emily who likes the privacy. She says she doesn’t mind if people ask her about camels because many people still see Saudi Arabia this way and still assume the people live in the desert. “The natives (Bedouins) lived out in the desert, owned camels and goats . . . Now people live in cities that are very modern and have Saudi Arabian, European, American and Asian architecture,” says Emily. “There are still Bed ouins who live in the desert and own camels, but people in the cities don’t. No, I don’t own a camel.” Bethea offered some stra tegies for change which in cluded the suggestion that women utilize and preserve their most valuable resource —themselves—and go back to the basics, setting goals and planning for growth. She also suggested that women need to build bridges to other women regardless of their role and promote either forma! or informal organiza tions for women which can highlight the issues and achievements of women on the college campus. Bethea has recently com pleted the requirements for the doctoral degree in coun seling at the University of North Carolina at Greens- V^oro. Belles praise teachers by Kimberly Eatmon A good-natured sensitive human being is the type of instructor the students like to see working on campus. Maintaining personal rela tionships with students is one of the attributes the teacher should possess. Sophomore Jennifer Mc- Knight states, “I feel that a teacher should be interesting, respect each student, be well organized and ready to ex plain,” and feels that “Dr. Marshena Baird upholds all of these qualities.” Baird, associate professor of reading and early child hood education, was also re ferred to by another student, as having that extra touch, which makes her an asset to Bennett’s faculty. “I can talk to Dr. Baird one-to-one, compared to my other teachers,” says a fresh man, who asked not to be named. Teachers should also be concerned about students’ futures, a quality that Baird also demonstrates. “She (Baird) gives me in formation about my career and advice on things I can do and should not do to be suc cessful,” states sophomore Liane Bennett. A senior requesting anony mity comments that “My choice of a good teacher is a toss-up between Dr. Baird and Mrs. Linda Addo. They seem to have a special in terest in each student and I feel that that’s important.” Addo, director of the divi sion of social and behavioral sciences, was praised as being an expert on history. Sophomore Yenetta Bell says, “Mrs. Addo is knowl edgeable of her subject and stimulates the individual to learn. I’m very impressed by the knowledge she possesses.” Some of the other teachers that Belles spoke highly of were Miss Marcella Whidbee, instructor of English; Dr. Amy Reynolds, assistant pro fessor of education (read ing) ; Dr. Martha Gleaton, assistant professor of Eng lish and Mrs. Betsy Simpson, instructor of French. These teachers were liked because of their helping hands for the student. A male instructor that pos sesses a caring attitude was Dr. Perry Mack, professor of biological science. A student states, “Dr. Mack is very understanding and willing to explain the subject.” When it comes to giving apples to teachers. Belles award the fruit to helping hands. Bethea addresses group
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May 1, 1987, edition 1
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