EDITORIALS 12
DECEMBER 14, 1992
Hypocrisy: The more things change,..
By Amber Fewell
Ink Stc^ Writer
I left home quite happily in Au-
gnst. I had been showered with
pcaise during the months that I knew
that I was headed to Chapel Hill for
the dubious honor of being a Tar
Heel. My scholarship money as
sured me a free ride at the Univer
sity, so I sat back and vacationed the
summer before I was to embark on
my “renuirkable” journey.
Aside from the gushing of my
teachers and the silent pride of my
father, I was also anticipating my
entrance into the prestigious Uni
versity of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill. After all. it was really where I
had wanted to go all of my life.
Ignoring my friends’ taunts
ibout going to a “white” school, I
prided myself on being the only
African-American to go to UNC
from my county. Besides, I had
every right to be there, too.
I heard many fabulous things
during C-TOPS and Pre-0. I saw
that UNC was a tolerant place, and
proud of its great diversity (exhib
ited in the entertaining games and
stimulating workshops C-TOPS
gave us). I saw that my older broth
ers and sisters were an invincible
unit and they were all on the look
out for us youngsters coming into
“The Yard” (as indicated by Pre-
O’s bvely discussions).
Yet my first few days of classes
and the following weeks exposed a
really different Carolina.
I saw a largely segregated cam
pus with very few fnendly faces
priding me on being one of the parts
of Carolina’s “beautiful diversity.”
In addition, 1 saw the dreaded cliques
that I saw throughout my high school
years. I heard the petty comments
that I thought only came out of
ignorant mouths.
I felt unwelcome (pohaps un
necessarily, but nevertheless, the
vibe was there) at many places on
campus, and was often “reduced”
to remembering my lowly fresh
man status.
I did, however, see the Carolina
that I had hoped for and had antici
pated in the “unifying” events that
have marked my first year here.
In the well-organized and moti
vational meetings of the Black Stu
dent Movement, I saw black people
coming together and working things
out
The marches and other protests
in which I participated, such as for
the free-standing black cultural cen
ter and for the housekeq)ers. I saw
...the more things
stay the same
By Cbroada Blocker
Ink Stc^ Writer
As I began to ready myself for
the new adventures I would un
dertake, I began lo wonder if go
ing off to college was what I really
wanted. I mean, there were some
awfully good schools in my area,
why not attend one of those?
I wanted to experience a new
environment, and Carolina offered
that to me, not to mention a schol
arship.
I arrived at the University with
illusions of a perfect Ufe.arul that’s
where I went wrong. I never gave
myself a chance to see the imper
fection in something I thought
would be perfect
Now, I’ve (q>ened my eyes and
as a freshman at this prestigious
institute of higher learning where
the black students are grossly nrus-
rqvesented.
I found it where the black stu
dents axe grossly misrepresented,
I fotmd it very exhilarating to be a
part of the unity here. Until, that
is, I realized that in some cases die
unity only lasts as long as the meet
ings, (m-rallies, etc.
It is utterly amazing how hypo
critical soflK of the students on this
campus are.
This does notin any way imjrfy
that this behaviw iscategorized only
by blacks, but African-American
students concon me the most
Why is it that certain people will
go out of their way to avoid their
fellow brothers and sisters?
Maybe it’s because some black
people just aren't worthy enough.
Or is it that some people only ^)eak
when it benefits them, and every
one else be damned?
I wonder.
I know that many students have
come to this campus with different
perceptkms of what college would
be like.
Some have prospered in this
sometimes apathetic envirorunoit,
whDeothers have dropped their pre
conceived notions of an ideal
“happy” world and coped. People
always say that college is the “real
world” and in some ways it is.
College certainly prepares you
for the cold shoulders and dosed
doors many of us will receive in
the future.
Many stuitents are tiught that
college will test every academic
bone in their body, but are disillu
sioned about the rigors of main
taining a social life in college.
Sometimes, weasstudcaits feel
that college is the ultimate test of
life, and after we pass this test,
things will only get better.
Maybe for some of us this is
true, but for many of us this is just
the beginning.
WiU our deciMOTS not to prac
tice commOT courtesy be reflec
tive of the kinds of lives we’ll
live?
When we tose our atnlity to
care ^xwt the troubles of (^hers,
we lose our ability to truly care
about ourselves.
Do we want to create a cokl
and scrupulous legacy for our fu
ture gennations to inherit
I ask you, what happens to a
people thu can no longer give a
dsnn about one another?
total unity and strength, the essence
of Black Power.
A revolution has been started
hea«. and it must continue on many
levels. The mann^ in which we
treat each otho- is a perfect place to
begin. I would like to feel comfort
able in the places supposedly “wel
come for all” black students, but I
don’t
I would like to say hello and
smile at evoy sistCT or brotho" that
I meet on campus without the feel
ing that I am being sized-up for
criticism, but I often find that I am
unable to.
I realize that this place is no
nightmarish hole or some kind hell
that I can never escq)e from; actu
ally, I love it very much here.
I have learned valuable life les
sons that I have carried hcrnie with
me (such as not expecting too much.
never be too anxious about things,
and always speak to your sistm
and your brothers). I have also met
wondoful people.
The way in which people oper
ate on this campus, especially those
in the black community, seems quite
hypocritical to me. I do not under
stand how people can say one thing
so fervently and act in a completely
oi^site matuier.
It would be so much better for
newcomers like me to see that
people here actually do care about
each otha, instead of suspecting
someone is stabbing another in the
back.
Perhaps I’m overeacting, but I
can’t help pointing out the problem
when I know that in the end it will
bring us all down.
, JMf Jhtiiii v#
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