2 • BENNETT BANNER • APRIL 20,2001
OPINION
OPINION
OPINION
OPINION
OPINION
Monya Tomlinson
Editor
Where’s your school spirit?
What’s thin as gravy in the cafe on mystery meat day and as
scarce as extra weave glue at a hair show? You know the answer!
That’s right - school spirit.
It seems that everywhere I turn on campus, I see signs of dimin
ished morale ranging from students wearing pajamas to class or
empty meeting rooms and events.
Sometimes I don’t feel my sister Belles truly feel any pride in
their institution. 1 thought its time someone investigated.
1 posed some questions to
my lunch buddies one day:
“Where’s the school spirit?
Why isn’t anyone running
for office in student gov
ernment? Why aren’t you
representing Bennett?”
One of my genius friends had a good answer: “My spirit is at the
bank, along with the money my parents pay to keep me here!”
■‘I'm not allowed to have school spirit because 1 didn’t fill out the
proper form and get it stamped 60 times first,” shot back another
philosopher. But the most poignant response came from another
one of my meal partners. "We feel like ‘Why bother?”'
1 can’t say that my cohorts don’t make good points. Sometimes
life at Bennett can get frustrating. I worry about our morale when
a whole week’s worth lunch table di.scussions can be centered
around what’s wrong with Bennett.
The lack of school spirit is disheartening because it shows that
so many have little pride in one of few places in the world made
just for them. School spirit does exist on Bennett’s campus, but it
needs to be rejuvenated. We need to have more events like Nubian
Nuance. We need a bookstore that has new Bennett apparel and
paraphernalia. Maybe we should start a pep club.
To answer my friends’ comments: You should bother to have
school spirit because, over 100 years ago, those people bothered to
meet in the basement of that church so you could get an education.
You should bother to go to events because somebody is paying for
you to be here. You should bother to represent Bennett proudly
because you are Bennett. Now about that gravy in the cafeteria—
that’s something we shouldn’t have spirit about.
The opinion expressed in this column is that of the author and does not
necessarily reflect the opinion of the entire Bennett Banner Staff.
The Bennett Banner
The newspaper is produced by and for the
Phenomenal Women of Bennett College
EDITORS
MONYA TOMLINSON Chief Editor
LA’SHAINNA CAMPBELL Associate Editor
SHAWNTEE ANDERSON Managing Editor
EDITORIAL STAFF
TAMARA PHELPS Features Reporter
BRENT FORD Reporter
SHANTE DAVIS Reporter
ROCHELLE CLARKE Circulation
SHERNETTA VEASEY Classifieds
KIESHASTOUTE Sports
ELIZABETH ROSS: Reviews
ADVISERS
Dr. LONA D. COBB
CHARLIE ATKINSON, News & Record
The Bennett Banner is a laboratory newspaper pub
lished twice a month during the academic year, except
during months with College recognized holidays or Col
lege vacations. The newspaper is produced by and Jor
students at Bennett College. The newspaper office is
located in Shell Hall C2.
Student Opinion Poll:
BeWespeak
What happened to the school spirit?
Photos By La’Shalnna Campbell, Associate Editor
STEFANIE BELL
CLASS: FRESHWOMAN
MAJOR: MASS COMM
HOMESTATE: NC
“Administration, school offi
cials and old fashioned rules
killed any spirit students and
faculty had. ”
TIQUITTA HALL
CLASS: JUNIOR
MAJOR: FASHION MERCH.
HOMESTATE; WASH. D.C.
“School spirit has deteriorated
because of lack of student
interest in activities. If you keep
treating us like children we will
show a lack of school spirit. "
CHIFFON CURTIS
CLASS: SOPHOMORE
MAJOR: FASHION MERCH.
HOMESTATE: WASH. D.C.
“School spirit went away with
the admission of people who
should not be here. Everyone
thinks that they are too good to
show spirit. “
mtm
mu
1
..--s.-
'J
AMBER LOVE
CLASS: SOPHOMORE
MAJOR: MASS COMM.
HOMESTATE: CALIFORNIA
“iMck of motivation and hav
ing pride for the school
destroyed the school spirit. ”
TIFFANY SAMPLE
CLASS: JUNIOR
MAJOR; ACCOUNTING
HOMESTATE: WASH. D.C.
“People are just tired of being
here.... ”
INGRID BRAXTON
CLASS: JUNIOR
MAJOR: PSYCHOLOGY
HOMESTATE: NEW YORK
“How can we have school spir
it when we don't do anything as
a school?”