Newspapers / Bennett College Student Newspaper / Nov. 16, 1990, edition 1 / Page 2
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PAGE TWO THE BENNETT BANNER Friday, November 16, 1990 Editorials Involvement is the As apathy runs rampant in society, it begins to affect Bennett’s phenomenal women. It’s difficult to sweep under the rug, so when apathy rears its ugly head, involvement is scarce, performance is stifled and awareness is fleeting. Whatever happened to getting invol/ed, participating, joining in and active input ? Bennett offers a variety of activities, athletic teams and organizations which could enhance a student’s college experience, but where are the students? Some of us perform the trivial task of signing our name to the roll but disappear when the work begins and a little rain falls. However, when the organization is being honored for achievements, these dead-weight students are the first to get in line for a group picture. Debbie Allen states, “We got big dreams, we want fame, but fame costs and right here is where we start paying for it, through sweat.” We want to see a little sweat, feel some pounding hearts, witness those great minds at work and share in some exciting victories. When it comes to homework, tests, employment (on or off campus), holding name of the game an office or being a member of an organization, is your performance up to par? Are you giving 100 percent? We’re disgusted with the “I don’t care. I’m getting by” attitudes that many of us possess. It depresses me to see Bennett Belles who have been here six years or more and still are not graduating, because they don’t care. Apathy. Some of us are not even aware of the prevalent issues which affect us. We have not learned our history, nor do we know where we are headed. We begin our climb on the corporate ladder, reach a certain point and bump our heads on “the glass ceiling.” We can’t say then that we don’t care because stagnation leads to defeat and we find ourselves falling into self-pity. You may not be one of the apathethic, but apathy affects us all. Those of you who have captured the right spirit have the responsibility to help your fellow Bennett sisters toss their apathetic attitudes in the garbage. So, we ask, where are the phenomenal Bennett women? If you are out there, stand up to be counted! (Erica Salter) Dear George: the real Ajnerica is a caring country, filled with love and always willing to help. When a small country is in trouble or simply wants its independence, America is the first to jump in. However, this same America leaves her homeless dying in the streets and allows her hospitals to turn away the sick because they lack the proper insurance. There seems to be a slight problem. America needs to get her priorities straight. The latest crisis America has submerged herself in is the Persian Gulf Crisis. Even though America was asked to help, she should not have been so quick to respond. It is wonderful and quite noble to help those in trouble. However, America has her own troubles. America’s youth are dying in the streets. AIDS is running rampant and killing off America’s population. America’s citizens are livmg on the streets and committing crimes just to feed their offspring. America, wake up, please. The current administration is spending billions and billions on defense. How ever, if these present situations continue, America will have no citizens to de fend. America has sent men and women to the Persian Gulf to offer assistance. crisis is at home and these people are dying in accidents before they even have the chance to assist. Now, let us suppose a war does occur. Will these new veterans face the same fate our Vietnam veterans now face? Will they have to live with post-traumatic stress syndrome? Will their Veteran’s Administration hospitals be closed? Will they be refused jobs because they are disabled? Will they become homeless and live under bridges? Will they be treated as heroes or as parasites feeding on society? Is there an answer, America? America is destroying herself in more ways than one. Her citizens are dying at home and abroad. America must bring her children home and use her money to help her own help themselves. America is destroying her resources and rob bing other countries of theirs. America has become greedy and selfish. America is not helping the people in the Persian Gulf because she cares. America wants to make sure she protects the oil she receives from the Persian Gulf because she has basically wasted her own. America is not one person; she is all of us. America, we must look in the mirror and “make a change.” (Kimberly Buck) Letters to tke editor Three C’s are keys to success Never take ’em to court opinion by Rehan Overton If you have ever been the victim of a petty crime or civil dispute, think twice be fore you decide to take “The People’s Court” commenta tor’s advice — “You take ’em to court” — and file a com plaint or suit against anyone. I didn’t and found out the hard way. It happened to me last school year. After failing miserably to settle a com plaint with a local beautician about an unsatisfactory hair session, I decided to file suit against her in small claims court. Believe me when I tell you that all is not fair in love and justice. From the begin ning, I was informed very candidly that my chances of receiving any monetary res titution, even if the judgment were in my favor, were zero to none. “Don’t even count on the defendant shovidng up for the hearing, but it’s still worth a try,” said the court regis trar earnestly. She felt sorry for me. “That’ll be $39, please.” My belief slowly be gan to fade. I must admit that my ex perience with the local judi cial system was a somewhat disheartening revelation about the whole American idea of due process. I surmised that the reason our local and na tional courts are backed up with untried and unheard cases is that they are bogged down in paperwork and un necessary technicalities. It seemed as if I was always filling out depositions and obtaining affidavits, paying to have this filed and that executed. By the time I had realized that I would not see justice served to the fullest, I had paid out more than half of what I was hoping to get back. I have yet to receive any restitution or compensation. Having spent a great deal of time and money to stand up for my rights, I had my belief that justice prevails over wrong shattered like a piece of fine crystal. I’ve learned that our judi cial system is not and cannot be perfect. How can it be when rapists and murders go free everyday or when the innocent elderly and working- class families lose their lives’ savings in a savings and loan scandal and the American taxpayers are left to foot the bill? How can it be perfect when justice has become “just us?” We are all humans, prone to error. In the larger scheme of things, we are mere mortal servers of a higher power of justice. Our form of justice is only a minute allusion to the true justice that is far beyond our realm of rea soning. Raw novel tells truth To the editor: The three C’s of Bennett were presented to the students as a cV'iaUenge from 'the pnesident Gloria Seott. The three C’s stand for confidence, capability and commitment. Miost of our pheno menal women have already ac quired these qualities. I wiU refer to -aiem as the three keys to success. It is a fact that every individual must have confidence, the belief that one is capable of doing what ever she wants. We should always say to ourselves that “I will do it. Where there is a will, there is a way.” I would say to my fellow Belles “Where there is a wiU, there is an ‘A’ because it is our desire to achieve the best in whatever we do. Various people have already walked the path that you and I travel today. Fear is a part of all of us. Faith can make each step firm and steady, and The Father would not let us fall. Everyone has obstacles in her Ufe. All of us are trying to climb the mountain, and we are facing a lot of difficulties. Should we ask the mountain to get out of our way or say to the mountain I shall conquer you some day? Let us put the three C’s of B'ennett into practice by saying, “I am confident that I will be at the peak of the mountain in the not too distant future.” We should seek the path of be coming successful women through confidence, capability and com mitment. I would refer to these three words in sho'flt clauses as foUow; I will do it, I am com petent and 1 wUl never fail to achieve it. If we have these three clauses in mind as we walk to our various classes, then it would help us to cope with our lectures. We would be aware that we are going to classes for a purpose of becoming soiccessful women in our lifetimes. Fellow Bennett Belles, let us rise to this challenge and prove ourselves as the phenomenal women of Bennett. I conclude with a poem from Frankie Davis Oviaitt. Let Me Be Father, let me ever be a portrait painted just for Thee, A sculpture fine on which to look or, just a poem for Thy Book. A flower grown for Thy bouquet, or — of Thy sunshine, one small ray — That aU who cross my path may find one life that’s lived for humankind. Annie R. M. Carrol a review by Cassandra Miller EVa’s Man By Gayl Jones Random House, 1976 177 pages Bennett sisters, I have dis covered a novelist! Her name is not as common as Alice Walker or Toni Morrison, yet she ranks right up there with them. Her style is unique and possesses depth. May I intro duce Gayl Jones! She illus trates the type of insight needed to deal with a deli cate controversial subject of today. A young African- American woman writer, she concerns herself with the deep, dark psychological as pects of relationships. Rela tionships between men and women on all levels — emo tional, spiritual and physical — hold a special attention in her vmting. The subject of male-female relationships has been examined before many times over. Sometimes under the veil of love and then there is the arena of violence. Alice Walker opens up in The Color Purple, Toni Morrison sets the stage in Song Of Solomon and Gayl Jones comes alive in Eva’s Man. Eva Medina Canada is our narrator. From the age of 5 to 43 we see and hear her world. You will feel her pain and helplessness, speak her words and fight back. Gayl Jones makes it impossible to be a distant reader. Eva tells her story from the psychia tric ward of a prison where she is serving time for a horrible crime. Whether it be a crime of passion or hatred is to be determined by you. But you will find yourself un doubtedly on Eva’s side, crime or no crime. Eva has been attacked for so long and sees no other way but to strike back. Her surroundings in the world take on a frightening state: “There, rankness is the norm and male assumptions are devastatingly raw. Every look, whisper, shout, and touch is a violent attack. It is a world where access to a comb, a telephone can become the ultimate symbol of civili zation and of human caring.” Eva is damaged, terrorized and lonely. Women in this story serve as the only source of stability, comfort and love in Eva’s life. Men are a prob lem ! This novel is such a must read that I don’t want to give too much away. Gayl Jones also has another novel, Corregidora. I have yet to (see page 3) ^ennetl Editor Salter Associate editor Rehan Overton Reporters Angela Alston, Dawn Collins, Kimberly Dargan, Jacqueline Davis, Era Hardy, Kimberly Harper, Monica Hawkins, Terrilynne Jenkins, Florence Kennedy, Cassandra Miller, Lacy Pugh, Elizabeth Richardson, Olivia M. Rowe, Moneca Surida, Kimberly Urquhart, Brooke Walker, Kenyetta Wilson Faculty adviser Michael Gaspeny Opinions expressed in essays, columns and letters to the editor belong to their authors, not to the staff of the Banner, whose ideas appear in the editorials at the top of this page. Send letters to the editor to Box 2, campus post office. All corres pondence must bear a handwritten signature and must be acknowledged by the author. Letters are subject to editing according to newspaper style and demands of space. No anonymous letters will be published.
Bennett College Student Newspaper
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