Page 6
Black Ink
Sept. 27. 1984
Do you want to register?
by Shirley Hunter
Staff Writer
With the visit of former presiden
tial nominee Jesse Jackson to the
UNC-CH campus last week, the at
mosphere at the University seems
proper for last minute registration
drives before the November elec
tions.
But, for the second year in a row,
the Black Greek Council and the
Black Student Movement will add a
unique twist to the idea of the voter
registration drive. "Steppin for
Votes"--combination black Greek
step show-voter registration drive--
will take place 5:30 p.m. Oct. 4 in the
Carolina Union's Great Hall.
This year's program will feature
the seven black Greek organizations
on campus; Alpha Kappa Alpha,
Alpha Phi Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta,
Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Phi
Beta Sigma and Zeta Phi Beta.
Last year's program featured the
organizations stepping as a group
while this years program will have
each group perform four steps, then
steps together. Melody Barnes a BSM
coordinator, said.
In addition, the problems with
the Orange County voter registrars
last year have been cleared up, ac
cording to Wyatt Closs, one of the
BSM coordinators. He said that a
delay in registering students occured
because the registrars don't bring
enough registration forms.
He also said that not enough
registrars came to register students.
With the delay and too few registrars,
the step show did not get started until
late, to add to the problems, students
who were supposed to be registering
were watching the step show, Closs.
said.
Eighty people registered last
year, he said. "We easily could have
had 200 people registered."
"The chairman of the Orange
County elections board made it very
hard," he said. "She wasn't very
cooperative."
Margaret Parker the elections
board chairman, could not be reach
ed for comment.
Fred Evans of the BSM said that
the groups were working with Moses
Carey, and active participant in local
government, to avoid last year's pro
blems. He said Carey was arranging
to bring the registrars to Great Hall,
and that the registration would take
place before the step show as
scheduled.
Evans and Barnes said that they
would like 300 to 400 students to
register, but Evans added, "We are
just looking for a good number."
They said that the step show,
despite its appeal, was secondary and
the registration primary.
Barnes said that the show served
as a jump-off point to stress the impor
tance of everyone participation in the
voting process. "It is one of the last
chances people will have to register,"
she said. "We want to get to freshman
and all the other students."
The voter registration deadline is
Oct. 8.
Johnny Smith, BGC president,
said, "There's always a large turnout
for a step show, and it is a feasible
way of getting students out" to
register.
Evans added, "With the drawing
card we have, it should be
successful."
"There always a large turnout for
a step show and its a feasible way
of getting students out"
to register-
Johnny Smith
BGC President
ODETTA with Black Ink Managing Editor,
Rhonda Hubbard
Photo by: Denise Moultrie
ODETTA
(continued from page 1)
Sion," concludes Odetta. "If it weren't for the National Educational Television,
people might think that I was dead. As a matter of fact, somebody came up to
...me and said, 'I thought you were dead!' " Here, she lets out a hearty laugh
and says, "Not in this life," revealing her sense of humor.
But watching Odetta on stage performing her magic, all racial barriers
seem to disappear. Jeffrey Pavec of the Colorado Transcript say that "Odetta's
blackness is significant, indeed, the essential ingredient in her self
perception. She allows us to glory in her gift as if in her race. But she is not
unique and enchanting because she in black; she is a queen of song because
she is Odetta... Even the name Odetta transcends gender, nationality, and
ethnicity."
Odetta does express hope for our nation, saying that "hopefully it (racism)
will get better, and the nation will get better."
Another important aspect of an Odetta concert is the presence of
children's songs. Although she has no children of her own, she says that
children are very important to her. "I am a mamrid of children, I really owe lit
tle kids, and I often look at them and wonder what happened to us aduse all of
us were that beautiful at one time. Just beautiful in spirit. I think that when I
was little, it was too heavy and too serious, too much to learn. I think I make a
better child now than I did when I was a kid."
"When I go into the childrens bit, it lightens me up. I love to tease and fool
around, and flirt with them (the audience). I just let go, the lighter side of
myself... the humorous sick of myself," she admits.
The stage presence that Odetta possesses is one that is true to her
character. She talks with her audience, and establishes a rapport with them
that enables her to enjoy herself on stage, as well as letting the audience relax
by enlisting their help in sing alongs.
"Singing along with me is very important," says Odetta. Not only does the
audience participate, but when she talks, she is able to get a response. She
continues to say that there is something going on. My feeling is that the per
former has to be quite a gambler.-Now I'm a terrible gambler, even if we were
i playing with match sticks. I don't want to lose my match sticks. But when it
comes to a faith in your music, and my perception, and the things that I would
like to say and pass on, I have some kind of confidence there that I have in no
other part of my life. It's a need to share and pass on."
"I have run into a couple of performances when someone will say" sing we
didn't come to hear you talk!" As a general rule, speaking with her audience
does work. But why shouldn't it? Hearing Odetta speak is like hearing Odetta
sing, except the notes are not there. Her soothing tone is pleasant to listen to,
and in a sense, the mere sound of her voice is just as musical and melodious as
the notes that she actually sings.
To be sure that Odetta does not miss anything when she performs, she says
that she is "fascinated with what makes up an audience. There are times when
the audience is vital...you can hear people listening—it is charged. And then
there are some audiences that are like throwing your music down a well, there
is nothing coming back. Now on those evenings, it's like you reach into
yourself and pull all you got out of there, and it's totally exhausting.--But an
audience that jumps out of the woods and grabs you. That is a vital audience."
She further says that human beings have a language that goes beyond
words, a language that enables us to read others. She feels that this happens in
a performance between herself and an audience. "As that audience is vital,
energetic, and giving, both sides, the audience and myself, walk out of that
place different people," she concludes.
When asked about how she learned about herself through music, Odetta
immediately responds "oh--that's fascinating. When I sing, there is another
level. 1 don't think there are words to put into those things that I have learned
and the way that I have grown, and the ways that it has brought confidence to
me. I think of things, concepts and ideas, but I don,t know where they came
from. I think that while I am performing, it's almost like I am a receiver. Stuff--
good stuff, is coming. It's definitely through the music that I've grown up for
sure," she adds.
She has also learned the history of the American people through folk
music. She feels the need to focus on people, to find and see the positiveness
that exists, and finally, to pass it on to others." When we see that this country
and history is a shared one, maybe that will help encourage folks to get on with
their lives rather than try to keep folks out," she says.
She also points out that once people are confident about themselves, then
they don't have to knock others down and stand on top of them to "feel tall."
To Odetta, folk music provides a way to express more emotional areas
than classical, jazz, or pop music. Folk music, be it one song, or a thousand
songs, can show love, hate, fear, anger, frustation, and happiness,...all of the
emotions.
To this end, Odetta says that she is "useful" through the music that she
sings. ”I am singing this 'good stuff,' and if it soothes or helps someone on to
the next day, or if it acquaints them with something, I feel then that I have been
of use. I have served.--It gives me a feeling of worth."
This is Odetta. "the most glorious voice in American Folk Music."--The
New York Times.