CAMPUS 3
All Hail the Queen: Miss BSM Takes Crown
By Jacqueline Charles and
Renita Mumford
Ink Stc^ Writers
Maleikka Hardy will always
remember the ninth of October.
Not just because it was her 21st
birthday, but also because it was
the day she made history by
becoming the University’s fifth
black Homecoming Queen in a
row.
“1 was nervous and excited,”
Hardy said of the minutes
following the annoucenemenL
And when her name was
finally announced, Hardy said, “I
was so surprised. 1 couldn’t have
asked for a better birthday
present”
Although Hardy described
running for and becoming queen
as “a good experience,” there
were a few heartaches, which
made the road to Kenan Stadium
far from smooth, she said.
Once it became known that
Hardy was one of the entries for
Homecoming Queen, the senior
political science major from
Charlotte had to deal with both
campus attitudes and the Daily
Tar //ee/editorials and articles
downplaying her qualifications.
Black Women United:
On Its Way
To a Comeback
ByTee Omolodun
Ink Staff Writer
After two years of
hibernation, an organization
dedicated to uniting black
women at the University is on
its way to what jsomises to be
an exciting comeback.
The organization. Black
Women United (BWU), is a
group dedicated to bringing
together black wom«n fealty,
staff and students.
“It’ not a sunwrt group,”
said Countess Hughes, Hinton
James area director, “It’s more
like a talk group.”
On Oct. 29th, BWU
sponsored a reception in die
Wilson Library Assembly
Room, where it horased several
outstanding black women on
campus. About 50 women
attended the reception.
Working along with Hughes
to revise BWU, are Asst. Dean
SibbyAnderson-
Thompkins,Asst, Housing
Director Monique Wiggins and
Associate Dean RosalindFuse-
Hall.
Among the organization’s
many purposes are to respond
to the needs of black women on
campus and to fostar a more
harmonious relatiwiship among
black women.
“It is necessary to put an
organization together that will
get black women to act and be
more sisterly toward each
other,” Hughes said. “It’s
important wherever you go to
cannwt with people who are
similar with each other.”
Sophomore Kami Chavis
agreed.
“I think ithas the potential to
be a great organization and that
It’s something that’s greatly
needed to promote unity among
black women,” Chavis said.
When BWU was founded m
1978, it was just a group of
black students and faculty
members getting together to
discuss social issues potinent
to black students at the time.
Eventually .the group developed
an organizational format and
sponosred various events such
as mother-daughter banquets,
budgeting and stress
management workshops.
Butin 1991 the organization
disintegrated from lack of good
leadership.
BWU will have its first
meeting at 8 p.m. Thursday in
the first floor lounge of Hinton
James Hall.
Maleikka Hardy
“It just got so political,” said
Hardy, who was crowned Miss
BSM on Sept. 17 during the
Black Student Movement’s
Coronation Ball.
“It almost took the joy out of
homecoming, except for my
friends and members of the BSM
who were very supportive,” she
said.
Despite the smirks and
disapproval of some over her
selection. Hardy said that both
titles “are an honor."
“Being Miss BSM is allowing
me to be the representative of an
organization that has been very
important to me since I got here,”
she said.
While Hardy plans to use her
position as Miss BSM to become
more involved with the Black
Student Movement as a whole,
she’ll use her title as
Homecoming Queen to help bring
the community together. She
plans to do this via her service
project - Community Day.
“It will be an opportunity for
the Univesity, Chapel Hill and
Carrboro communities to get
together for a day of fun,” said
Hardy, who is planning the event
for the latter half of the Spring
semester.
“It will be a chance for people
in the community to come on
campus and enjoy campus. You
don’t see too many people from
the community on campus and
it’s right here,” she said.
Among her many other
involvements. Hardy is also a
member of Ebony Readers/Onyx
Theater, the president of the
Carolina Union and a member of
the Honor Court
Editor’s Note: When Hardy
ran for Miss BSM, she was
among six lovely young ladies
biddingfor the title. The following
is a profile of the contestants
who ranfor Miss BSM .Their list
of activites range from
participating in the BSM’s dorm
activation program, to the
president of a sorority.
Vying for the title were:
JOVANNA BROOKS-FOX
AGE: 22
HOMETOWN: Cary
MAJOR:Speech
Communication
MINOR: Recreational Services
Jovanna is a vocalist for the
UNC Jazz Band, a manager at
Granville Towers East and
programs cultural events for
Granville and the campus.
CAMILLE GADDY
AGE: 21
HOMETOWN: Raleigh
MAJOR: Mathematics
MINOR: Business
As the BSM on-campus
coordinator, Gaddy acts as a
liaison between the BSM and the
Office of Student Affairs. The
president of the New Generation
Campus Ministry, Gaddy is also
aseniorclassmarshal, amember
of the National Student Board for
New Generation Campus
Ministry. Gaddy also tutors local
elementary and middle schools
students.
TONI HALE
AGE: 20
HOMETOWN: Westbury/Long
Island, NY
MAJOR:Business
Administration
Hale is liaison between BSM
president John Bradley and the
senior class marshals. Hale is
also a sub-group coordinator, a
fioor sergeant for the Dorm
Activation System, an Opeyo!
dancer, and a volunteer at W.G.
Pearson Elementary School. A
member of Crossroads, Hale also
volunteers for the Business
Symposium and the Bicentennial
Celebration. Other activities
include being a senior class
marshal, the adviser for the Black
Business Student Alliance and a
member of Carolina Women in
Business.
ANGELA RAY
AGE: 21
HOMETOWN: Fayetteville
MA.IOR: RTVMP
Ray is involved with Upward
Bound, Speech departmental
performances, Ebony Readers/
Onyx Theater, the Lab! Theater,
and Project Uplift. Ray is also a
Minority Adviser, a Student
Recruitment Committee
volunteer, a Campus Y volunteer/
Richfield Action Project and an
Edgemont Community Center
drama coach. She was also a Pre-
Orientation Counselor and a
Summer Bridge tutor.
APRIL C. TURNER
AGE: 21
HOMETOWN: Charlotte
MAJOR: RTVMP/Drama
Presently president of the
Theta Pi Chapter of Alpha Kappa
Alpha Sorority Inc., Turner, like
her fellow candidates, is very
involved.
Turner is a Residence
Assistance, a dancer with Rafiki
Ngoma and Obakunle Akinlana
African Dance groups, a
chairperson for the Performing
Arts Committee and
Programming Coordinator in
Morrison. April is also a Sauti
Mpya Editorial Board member
and active participant in the state
and local arts community.
In the past. Turner has served
three years in Ebony Readers/
Onyx Theater and for two years,
she was Artistic Director (Artist
in Residence). She also was on
the Editorial Board for the Black
Ink and is currently the
Bicentennial liaison for the BSM.