Responses to then, now and the future
Bemadine Ward
Features Editor
“Just walking around down
town and going to classes, every
thing looks beautiful to me. I
don’t know if it’s an unconscious
effort to make things beautiful
because I may be looking at it for
the last time.”
The above comment was made
by Vivian Lucas, one of six stu
dents interviewed—six very differ
ent students, with one important
fact in common. They are seniors
and this is their reflection, their
looking back, and their projections
for the future.
Louis. . .
Louis Newsome, a pharmacy
major, was lying down as I entered
the room. At first I was a bit hesi
tant, wondering if he would give
straight answers because I rarely
saw his serious side. I proceeded.
“How does it feel at this very mo
ment to be a senior?”
He smiled, sat up a little, and
said, “I feel a little frightened and
a little excited because I’m getting
into the world. I guess the dominat
ing feeling is excitement. I really
think it’s been worth it, generally
because the job interviews I’ve had
have been encouraging.”
Louis Newsome; a frightened and excit
ed feeling,
“What strikes you so much
about Carolina, Louis?”
“Now that I’ve been here. I’ve
found that its more prestigeous
than I thought it was before. You
talk to grad students about why
they came here and they’ll tell you
the program they’re in is one of the
best in the nation. And you look at
all the people who have graduated
from here and are now senators,
famous authors, etc., and that im
presses me.”
Vivian. . .
For a time, she considered
going elsewhere for an education;
not anymore. She said, “I can t
say what it’s worth right now for
future plans, but I can say that it s
worth it for the experiences that
I’ve had.
“I feel like I’m getting thrown
out somewhere. Not necessarily to
the world, but right now I feel like
I’m in oblivion. I’m just waiting for
God to move for me because I
don’t see what I can do but wait
to hear from grad school, or find a
job, but I don’t want a full time
job now.
“I must say this because it’s
the most important thing that has
happened to me since I’ve been
here. I’ve met some very wonderful
people here during my years at
Carolina, but the most wonderful
one of all has been Jesus. He’s all
right—anytime.”
Evelyn. . .
You’d never know that Evelyn
Bullock, as a freshman, used to
think, “If I had to do it all over
again. I’d go to a predominantly
Black college. . .I’d be lost and nev
er be able to keep up. . .I’d never
have a friend other than the ones I
know from Durham.”
None of this has proved true
for this special education major. As
I entered the kitchen on fourth
floor James, looking for someone
to interview, there she was, sur
rounded by her sorors (AKA’s).
The last thing she said was “I’ll
especially miss my sorors.”
She told me that little things
used to frustrate her, but that she
learned.
“I used to get so frustrated
with little administrative things I
had to do like waiting in line and
registration, and so I learned how
to take short cuts. I don’t think
I would suggest Carolina. But if
someone asked me. I’d say make
yourself known, leam how to
manipulate, just get in the middle
of things. I would tell that person
to remember why he is at Carolina
because we all tend to forget.
“Pm glad to be graduating,
sure. But I think about after
May 15 I’ll be really independent
with a job, and my crutch will be
gone. You know what I mean? It’s
just like the apprehension I had
when I came from high school to
Carolina and from Carolina out
into the big wide world.”
Herb. . .
Zoology major Herbert Fcirrish
is from Hillsborough and speaks
very quietly and chooses his words
very carefully.
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“If I had to do it again. I’d
definitely do it differently. I’d
change my attitude toward getting
my work done, my priorities.
“All I can say is, you need to
be able to do things on your own
without somebody telling you. You
can easily loose sight of your pur
pose for being here.”
Annette. . .
Annette Johnson smiles and
laughs easily, and is understandably
happy to be graduating. The advice
she gives it a reflection of her ex
periences.
Annette Johnson: knowing who the light
people are helps.
“I would advise students to
know professors better. A lot of
times I think this would have
helped me. This goes for advisors
too. I don’t really see where my
general college advisor helped me,
he was impersonal.
“It’s to your advantage to
know how the school system works
and who the right people are. It
makes things easier and quicker.
and Chick. . .
Robert (Chick) Watson is in
terested in grad school, and con
siders Carolina as a “stepping stone
in life, personally and occupation
ally.”
Chick is an RTVMP major,
and as he puts it, “Folks look sur
prised when I talk about something
besides beer, sex and Southwestern.
“I don’t regret it. I know that
I’ve gotten more out of college than
the average student, through my
relationship with teachers, extra
curricular activities and through
pursuing my interests-physically
and mentally.
“I’m disappointed in my ma
jor because it lacks a high degree of
competitiveness as far as the work
we put out. We compete with
teachers via course objectives, tests
and projects rather than competing
with ourselves, which would bring
about a more personal develop
ment. The courses are centered
around grades. We’ve gotten caught
up in a grade system so we don’t
learn anything.
“UNC isn’t hard, but I’d be
naive if I were to discount the
effect of racist teachers. They’re
either paternalistic or they just
alienate you. In either case, they
place limits on what you can do.
“Any failure here was largely
my fault. Between God and charis
ma, you can maintain a 3.0. I’m
honest with my teachers as far as
what I need and want from courses.
Rather than going to teachers at the
last of the semester, I prefer to go
at the beginning and all through
the semester, so I can develop a
certain rapport which makes them
conducive to helping me.”
Solution applauded
Allen Johnson
Associate Editor
In an era in which Blacks
have consistently complained con
cerning the lack of representation
afforded by the Yackety Yack, a
36-page, neatly packaged solution
arrived on April 26.
The solution was entitled
Ebony Images, a “mini-yearbook”
produced by a committee of Black
students who set out to reflect in
pictures and text a year of Black
life at Carolina.
“There are a lot of problems
that we experienced due to the
time element,” notes mini-year
book Editor Paula Newsome, “but
considering the time constraints
and limited resources, we think we
did pretty well.”
As far as the Yackety Yack is
involved, Newsome says, “I defi
nitely think that the Yack will be
come more responsive to the Black
community now. They even pur
chased a book from us although 1
don’t know if it is because they
w'anted to look at the competition
or because they wanted to see what
facets of the Black community
they are excluding.”
Newsome adds that she feels
the need for a Black yearbook will
continue in the future.
“I feel more a part of the
Black community,” she explains,
“than the UNC community.”
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