December 12,1979
Compass
Pages
The Best and
The Brightest
By MAYO CALDWELL
Traditionally, Christmas is
a time of happiness and
celebration, however, for the
students here at ECSU,
Christmas should also be a
time for introspection and
rededication to our growth
and survival.
These are troubled times
and we need to check our
selves out - objectively. We
need to ascertain our
strengths and our
weaknesses. Along with the
Christmas partying, we also
need to ask ourselves
questions such as, Where are
we going as race and how will
we get there?
In the fifties and sixties, we
black people were primarily
concerned with gaining our
constitutional rights: equal
employment, voting and
educational opportunities.
We took pride in our
blackness. We claimed that
blackness represented
strength, love and beauty.
Indeed, our color was per
sonified with attributes other
than what “Mother Nature”
originally intended for it to
be.
Now, in order for us to
survive the technologically
mercurical eighties, being
black will not ensure our
survival. We must strive
towards becomming “the
best and the brightest.”
How do we become “the
best and the brightest”? Is
there a new “best and
brightest” pill that will in
stantly sharpen our in
tellectual skills? The first
question is the nucleus of this
editorial. The second,
however, is an elementary
attempt at satire (via World
Literature 101).
Firstly, we need discipline.
Discipline can be simply
defined as putting your wants
before your needs. Black
students should put a higher
on studying than on dancing
and partying.
Frankly, we have enough
“slam-dunkers” and Sunday
evening bomb-catchers. We
need more chemists,
mathematicians, geologists,
biologists and doctors.
Why should we have to
depend on white scientists to
find a cure for sickle-cell
anemia?
Along with discipline, we
must develop our cognizant
capacity to its maximum
potential.
Theoretically, on a more
superior level, the brain is
similar to a computer. If you
feed garbage into it, garbage
will come out. Likewise, if
you feel positive ideas into the
brain, positive ac
complishments will be
manifested.
If you apply yourself to
achieving realistic goals and
give reaching that goal a high
priority over your wants. If
you began to read and digest
all of the information th it will
positively effect the oi tcome
of your achieving thi; goal,
this process that
psychologists call ac
commodation (new lei rning)
will be implemented.
During slavery, guidance
came from slaves who wore
brave, daring and physically
strong.
Ministers King, Young and
Abernathy led us safely
through the physical
struggles of the sixties. They
were the “ideal” leaders for
those times because they
provided us with the spiritual
inspiration that we needed to
survive the physical con
frontation.
But, brothers and sisters, if
we are to survive, prosper
and compete as a proud race
in the future, we must be led
by, “The Best and the
Brightest.”
We need support
Dear Editor:
The editors from eight
black universities convened
to plan strategies toward
fulfilling the implementation
of ideas that will enhance
nation-wide communication
with our own constituents at
black universities. The
reason for the meeting was
simple - to help preserve our
black universities and
colleges AND OUR
HERITAGE.
We organized at the third
annual National Organization
of Black Universities and
College Students (NOBUCS).
This year’s meeting was held
November 8-11 on Howard
University’s campus in
Washington, D.C.
The eight editors and a few
concerned on-lookers joined
in a “think-tank” planning
group session. During this
very harmonious session (no
arguing) we came up with
certain variables that con
stituted a realistic strategy
aimed at curtailing apathy
that exist on the college level,
especially in the area of
journalistic communication.
At this meeting we whole
heartedly decided to initiate
the programs we devised in
the “think tank” session. Our
resolution passed at the
general assembly meeting
with all the schools voting
unanimously YES.
We can only accomplish our
objective with your help. We
know that many editors did
not have the funds to make
the trip, others did not hear
about the NOBUCS meeting
do what you can to help.
Mr. Rodney Sprauve of
Hampton Institute received
the honor of being the
Chairperson for this year. He
will supply you with more
indepth information yery
soon. Please assist us. We are
all in this together.
Thank you,
Mr. Geoffrey K. White
Kentucky State University
ECSU needs change
Elizabeth City State
University is an outstanding
university. It offers many
opportunities for ambitious
young people.
The University has good
things about it, but yet some
things could be worked on to
improve our school.
To make the University
better for students, it needs
improvements in such areas
as new dormitories for men
and women, registration
procedures for new students
and the food in the cafeteria.
Dormitories on any college
campus should be similar to a
person’s home environment.
The environment that a
student lives in will constitute
the way a person will function
in that environment.
The dorms for men and
women at ECSU need im
provement. For an example,
the rooms in the men’s dorms
are smaller and in some
cases are to crowded for
three people.
In the women’s dorms, such
things like light switches,
sockets and doors need to be
repaired. The University
personnel should take these
things into consideration.
I think if these things and
other things that were not
mentioned would be im
proved, the University would
have no problem with
students dropping out of the
University.
Registration procedures for
each semester and for en
tering freshman should be
improved. The University
should take in consideration
that the freshman students in
particular do not understand
the procedures of registering.
People who do not know
things get restless and give
up. This what happens to
freshmen who come to
register for a new year or who
are registering for another
semester. The University
should especially work on this
area.
The food in the cafeteria
also needs improvement. The
school should take in con
sideration that students
depend on good meals each
day. This also harms a
student’s brain from func
tioning well in college.
If a student has a terrible
lunch or breakfast, that
student will feel restless
during the day and will tire
quickly. I feel that if the
University gets enough
complaints from the students,
they will do something to stop
these complaints.
ECSU can be improved if
the students as well as the
administration complain
enough. The areas that I have
talked about should be acted
upon as soon as possible.
The University should take
in consideration that a way a
University is run and they
way each department is run,
will determine student’s
attitudes and opinions. If they
will consider this, ECSU will
be a much better place for
both the present students and
the students of the future.
signed,
A Concerned Student
Peace Corps active on EC campus
Gayle A. Plummer, a
student at Elizabeth City
State University and Mr.
William Pierce, Director of
Career Counseling and
Placement were among
representatives of 33 colleges
and universities who con
vened in Atlanta November
13 -16, as quests of the Peace
Corps.
Concerned that ony 4.9
percent of the volunteers wo
go abroad with the Peace
Cnrne tr^nm mltmiiib:-
publics, Deputy Peace Corps
Director William G. Sykes
invited the students and
supervisors to Atlanta as part
of an initiative to increase
involvement of minority
members.
“As a black American, I
am very concerned about
getting more Black, Hispanic
and American Indian men
and women into the Peace
Corps,” proclaimed Sykes,
of the Maryland Department
of Human Resources in
Baltimore and continues in a
non-paid post as president of
the Maryland State Board of
Education.
“You can play a unique role
in providing underdeveloped
countries with skilled
American manpower,” he
told the 100 representatives
from 11 eastern and southern
states. “You can also help the
people of the Third World
understanding of American
society...”
Ms. Plummer is majoring
in English with a con
centration in News Media at
ECSU and was chosen by the
school to be its campus
representative for the Peace
Corps.
Each representative who
attended the Atlanta con
ference is from a school or
other organization which has
a contract from the Peace
terest in helping Third World
countries.
Campus Location
On campus, Gayle will be a
contact for others interested
in getting information about
the Peace Corps and can be
located at Elizabeth City
State University’s Ridley
Center in Room 115 between 1