PAGE FOUR
THE BENNETT BANNER
Friday, December 9, 1988
J. Scott shares skills, recollections
by Taundra S. Woodard
From her days as an under
graduate student in the 1970s to
her position as a staff member
today, Mrs. Julia Scott has proven
herself to be a vital asset to
Bennett College.
Having been here for more than
15 years, Scott has seen the
college change for better and
worse. She recalls that when she
was a student the A.C.E.S. pro
grams were administered more
strictly than they are now.
“Letter grades were assigned to
A.C.E.S. and there were no
bonuses,” Scott said. “There were
very few excuses that would be
tolerated for missing the programs
and even fewer waivers for jobs.
Besides the A.C.E.S. programs
becoming more relaxed.”
According to Scott, curfew was
much tougher: “If you missed
curfew, you had to go before the
House Council which was com
prised of all the dorm presidents
and the student government pre
sident.” A member of the council
her freshman year, Scott also
says that if a young woman was
found guilty she was not given a
menial task to do. Young women
were assigned kitchen duty or
they did yard work. Another rule
that was strictly enforced was the
idea of dressing for breakfast. No
one was allowed to enter the
cafeteria in rollers or pajamas,
Anyone caught breaking the rule
was given demerits which limited
privileges.
Scott recalls one Sunday when
males visited dorm rooms.
“I don’t remember what the
exact occasion was, but it was
one Sunday that men were al
lowed into the rooms. They still
had to go to the front desk and
ask for the young woman and
she had to come and get him,
but they were allowed in the
rooms. Of course, the doors had
to be left open but it was still
nice,” according to Scott.
One of the big events on cam
pus when Scott was a student was
the Humanities Festival. Sorori
ties and artists from the campus
and the community had booths
to display their works and to sell
food. The festival usually lasted
from about 9 a.m. to 3 or 4 p.m.
There were shows with perform
ers like the Manhattans and
Tavaras in the gym and on the
lawn in front of the student union.
Instead of Belles going to More
house, Morehouse men wx)uld
come up every year for a party
and dinner, with the choir. Al
though choir members were the
only ones who could attend the
dinner, the men from Morehouse
would stop by most of the dorms
to visit their Bennett sisters.
Scott also spoke of programs
in the chapel that were not reli
gious. She recalls, “One year a
group of ex-prisoners came to the
college and spoke about their ex
periences in jail. It was a really
interesting program.” Scott re
members some of the celebrities
that came to the campus during
her undergraduate years. John
Amos of “Good Times” visited
the campus and it was rumored
that Mabel King from the sihow
“That’s My Mama” had a daugh
ter that attended Bennett for a
short time.
According to Soott, one of the
things that hasn’t changed is Fun
Night: “Fun Night was just as
boring when I was here as it is
now.”
Scott also says, “As the 70s
wore on, there was a decline in
activities and they just never
picked up again.”
Having been at Bennett under
two administrations, Scott has
noticed some changes.
“Since Dr. Gloria Randle Scott
took office, the Founder’s Day
activities have increased in length
which brought the college more
publicity,” Scott said. She also
thinks that President Scott has
started moving the college toward
a more modern era with new
equipment.
“I’m spread out working as a
library associate and working with
the audio visual machines,” says
Soott.
Scott feels that she owes much
of her success to the wonderful
instructors that she had at Ben
nett. Instructors like Mrs. Mary
Scarlette, Dr. Ray Treadway, Dr.
Alma Adams, Dr. Amy Reynolds,
Mrs. Christina Bizzell and Mrs.
Mary Crawford helped to develop
her personality and speaking
skills.
“Dr. Georgie Latimer was an
excellent English instructor. She
always corrected me. I had to
drop the South Carolina accent
and learn to speak clearly,” Scott
also said.
Scott first came to Bennett
College in 1973 as an undergrad
uate majoring in elementary edu
cation with a minor in library
science. After graduating in Dec
ember, 1977 and deciding to make
Greensboro her home, the native
of Sumter, S.C. came back to
Bennett to pursue her career.
When she returned in 1978, she
was an audio-visual assistant to
Mr. William Alcom but in 1983
she was moved to Holgate Library
where she became a library asso
ciate in charge of the Instruc
tional Materials Center.
Scott is able to talk easily with
students, faculty, and staff mem
bers alike.
Ms. Addie Harrisin, a technical
services librarian, says, “Mrs.
Scott has one of the most pleas
ing personalities of anyone I’ve
ever met.”
Abbott: from page 1
to represent London’s Hack
ney North district last June.
She received her master’s
decree in history from Cam
bridge University. She has
worked for the British Civil
Liberties Union, and she has
been a broadcast journalist
for “Good Morning Britain.”
Abbott has also led many
campaigns in Britain against
racism and has been actively
involved in women’s groups.
Her father and mother, a
welder and a nurse, were im
migrants who came from
Jamaica to Great Britain in
l‘-L
“Then in 1953,” Abbott
said, “Edmund Hilary climbed
Everest, Queen Elizabeth was
crowned and I was bom.”
MARC
(from page 1)
and are majoring in chem
istry, biology, computer sci
ence or psychology are eligible
to apply for the MARC pro
gram. Students are chosen on
the basis of overall and major
grade point averages 3.0' and
above, career goals, a letter
of recommendation from two
science faculty members and
a personal interview. MARC
scholars receive full tuition
and fees and a monthly
stipend.
Other elements in the
MARC program include sum
mer research orientation, na
tural science honors colloquia,
second-summer, off-campus
research, a thesis developed
from that research, student
travel to and participation in
regional and national scienti
fic meetings and a disciplined
curriculum enrichment pro
gram.
The Departmet of Natural
Sciences is very proud of the
students currently participat
ing in the program and is
constantly encouraging stu
dents to do their best.
EmLler
Chinese food and Charlie
Brown.
“Charlie Brown always
makes a lot of philosophic
statements that really make
you think,” she says.
Like Charlie Brown, Embler
makes her own philosophical
statement: “Always have an
open mind. People are people.
That’s the way it’s always
been.”
Readers name inspiring authors
by Joycelynne Hodges
Several black authors have in
fluenced the perspectives of stu
dents and teachers here, according
to an informal poll.
One of the most mentioned
writers was Maya Angelou, who
shows her appreciation for art
and life through her autobiograp
hical writings, “I Know Why the
Caged Bird Sings” and “The Heart
of a Woman.”
Stephanie Baines, a sophomore
from Raleigh, said, “Maya Ange-
lou’s poem, ‘And Still I Rise’ is
inspirational to me. Generally she
tries to get to the core of ideas
and makes her readers do the
same.” She also said, “In this
particular poem, Ms. Angelou is
saying that no matter how blacks
are treate'd, we will still rise up.”
Jocelyn Isom, a junior from
Fort Washington, Md., feels that
Angelou is easy to understand.
She said, “Ms. Angelou was the
most available to me because my
mom has some of her works and
a lot of magazines use some of
her poetry.”
Lorraine Hansbury, who wrote
the play, “A Raisin in the Sun,”
was mentioned by Norita Phillips,
a junior from Baltimore. Phillips
said, “The play shows how a black
family can overcome the obstacles
to rise to the top. Plus in some
of her other works her insight is
unique, yet real. Her work is not
sugar-coated.”
Carter G. Woodson, who created
the celebration of Black History
Week, which has become Black
History Month, wsis also cited.
An advanced sophomore, Vera
Edmond liked Woodson’s “The
Miseducation of the Negro.” “Be
cause of Dr. Reynolds’ class,” she
said, “I enjoyed the book. I found
the book to be helpful and bene
ficial for the whole black race.”
Dr. John T. MicDonald, director;
teacher’s education, said, “I con
tinue to read ‘Miseducation of the
Negro’ and i>onder it.”
Karla Williams from Kalama
zoo, Mich, had many authors
whom she is fond of. She said,
“I like Zora Neale Hurston and
James Baldwin. Ntozake Shange
who wrote ‘Betsy Brown’ is an
other favorite.”
But exposure to African-
American writers is not as broad
as you might think.
A junior from Washington, D.C.,
Tauye Simmons is too busy with
her classes to read for pleasure.
She said, “Really, reading takes
up a lot of my time. I don’t know
how to make time to do a lot
of reading, but if I had the time,
I would.”
Dr. David Pirmix, chairman of
the music department, said, “My
knowledge of Airiean-American
Literature is limited except that
which we encounter in the hu
manities class. It is an area, how
ever, that black students should
investigate as a sense of heritage.
It shows who you are in a sense.”
Dr. Carol Meeks, chairperson
of the communications depart
ment, expressed her feeling about
the importance of African litera
ture.
She said, “It is something that
everyone can learn more about.”
She also said, “In addition to
having political visitors or social
science speakers, perhaps some
noted artists could also visit
(campus).”
Dr. Baffour Agyeman-Duah
chairman of the division of social
sciences, is from Ghana. He said
that the students in addition to
reading African-American litera
ture, should read African litera
ture. He suggested “The Beautiful
Ones are Not Yet Bom” by Ayi
Kwei Arm ah whidh deals with
the field poUtios of modern Afri
can countries. “Weep Not, Child”
by James Ngugi deals with the
trauma of an African family as
a result of colonization of Africa.
He said, “The lihemes of both
types of literature converge. They
all have the same problems of a
struggle to overcome obstacles.”
Some other recommended books
are “Tar Baby” by Toni Morrison
and “The Color Purple” by Alice
Walker.
Election returns
Dukakis
by Joycelynne Hodges
Some ballots were cast en
thusiastically, others reluc
tantly, but most Belles voted
for Michael Dukakis in 1988.
Carolyn Lewis, a senior
from Washington, D.C., said,
“I have to vote for Dukakis
because I believe in some of
his ideas. He is for the work
ing class and for abortion
which is freedom of choice,
a part of our Ck)nstitution.”
Michelle Chaney, from
Queens, New York, also voted
for Dukakis. She said, “I
can’t have Bush in office. His
involvement with the Iran-
Contra Affair has not been
cleared up. Plus he might be
another Reagan.”
Kim Eatmon, a senior from
Capitol Heig'hts, Md., feels
that Dukakis is a good man,
but he has some weak qua
lities. She said, “He always
looks like he’s asleep or tired
or something.”
Other students voted for
Dukakis because of their poli
tical affiliation.
Felicia Williams from Cin-
backed
cinnati said, “I am a. Demo
crat and so is Dukakis.” She
also said, “It is a shame
though about his involvement
with those criminals. That
might keep him from the
office.”
Carol Lynn Bolden, a senior
from Durham, said, “Dukakis
is Democratic and that’s pro
bably the only reason why I’ll
vote for him.”
There were some students,
however, who did not vote
this year.
One student said, “Who
cares if I vote ? WTiatever
will be, will be. Dukakis just
ain’t gonna win.”
Norita Phillips said, “I
wanted to vote, but I became
lazy. I didn’t register because
I kept putting it off.”
Stephanie Alfred, from
Brooklyn, N.Y., said, “I’d vote
for (Socialist) Lenora B.
Fullani just to make a stand.
I know that she wouldn’t win,
but I like what she stands
for. I like that she’s a militant
black woman. We need a per
son like that in government
now.”
Bennett Players
by Taundra S. Woodard
Under new direction and with
enthusiastic new people, the
Bennett College Players are back
on the road to success.
Defunct for almost two years,
the Players have started off the
year strongly by completing two
productions which they inherited
from previous years, the play
“Hatt” and the Evening of Public
Speaking.
“Hatf was performed as a part
of the Presidential Inauguration
Week activities, and the Evening
of Public Speaking was Oct. 27.
Although both enterprises turned
out weU, the group is looking
forward to choosing its own pro
jects.
The Players have Ms. Carolyn
Cole, a published playwright and
producer, as adviser. Before she
left for New York to study at
New York University for her
Master of Fine Arts degree, she
realized that she would like to
give a year of her life to Bennett.
“Bennett is in a state of tran
sition. It needs people Who have
the energy and time without
financial burdens (such as a
family) to be here for President
Scott during her first most diffi
cult years,” Cole said.
Stephanie Baines, a freshman
communications major from
Raleigh, joined the Players as a
result of her lifelong interest in
enjoy resurgence
the theater.
“The Players is a way for young
black women to express them
selves in many forms, be it act
ing, directing, Ughting, or produc
tion,” Blaines said. It was this
interest that prompted Baines to
take on the responsibility of di
recting “Hatt.”
As a fund-raising activity, the
Players began a film series, Nov.
17. Admission to the movies is
$1. The proceeds will be used to
send the Players to New York
over spring break.
Cole, who came here to teach
speech and implement the theater
arts program, has enjoyed advis
ing the Players.
“Theater inspires creative and
analytical thinking, not fluff like
most people tend to think,” Cole
said, adding that “many people
don’t realize that television is also
a form of theater.”
Baines realizes that the theater
demands much time and com
mitment, evident during rehear
sals for the play which lasted in
many cases until 11 p.m.
“There were many evenings
when I was so tired after rehear
sal that I could not do anything
but fan into the bed,” she said.
The officers for the Players
are Wanda Davis, president;
Valerie Rice,; vice-president
Lorraine Patton, recording secre
tary and Jackie Griffin, corres
ponding secretary.