INSIDE:
Campus fashions: a look
at what’s hot
—page 5
Equal rights for women?
Hit Broadway play
to be performed
at ECSU
—page 3
VIEWPOINT
Michael Jackson’s
new video
—page 2
X-rated
—page 3
w
/T-
The
Compass
iSTtS
SPORTS
Coach Little on the
Vikings:
“I’m optimistic.”
—page 7
Lady Vikings—on a roll!
—page 7
ij October IS, 1987 — Vol. 2^No. 1
Elizabeth City State University, Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Circulation — 1,500
By Steve Smith
The entire ECSU University
iamily gathered in Vaughn Cen-
er September 8 at two p.m. to
vitness “an historic occasion.”
C. D. Spangler, Jr. President of
he UNC system, spoke to the
jICSU University family for the
irst time since he assumed his
wsition in March. Spangler’s
jisit to ECSU marked the first
^me a president of the UNC sys-
em had ever spoken at the cam-
lus.
“Most of you know I have taken
t very special interest in ECSU,”
•pangler said. “I admire the fac-
ilty and the staff, but my over-
^ding concern is for you, the stu-
lent.”
J Spangler called education “the
Host important event in which
^pciety can be engaged. No other
:ure foundation can be devised
for the preservation of freedom
and happiness.
“Ill-educated people are ba
sically disenfranchised,” Span
gler said, “and denied the chance
to fully participate in the nation’s
life.”
Spangler said that education is
not only a means for upward mo
bility, it has also made the nation
strong. “Never has the future de
pended so much on the kind of ed
ucation we make available to our
young people,” he added. “I be
lieve ECSU can meet our goals.”
Spangler hailed the new Incen
tive Scholarschip program as “a
major new academic effort,”
which has won support through
out the state. “The General As
sembly has given the program
acclaim,” Spangler said. “It
won’t be easy, it will place great
demands on us all, but nothing
really great comes easy.
“I won’t lie to you, life is tough
and often uncompromising. But if
you are tough on yourself now, it
will be much easier later. Where
education is concerned, no sacri
fice is too much.”
Spangler said that although
ECSU accounts for only two per
cent of the enrollment of the UNC
system, he believes the campus
merits the expense because
Northeastern North Carolina
needs a university like ECSU.
Calling the plan “a unique ven
ture with much promise,” Span
gler said that ECSU is “slated to
move to a higher level of service
and excellence.”
Spangler praised the contribu
tions of former ESCU Chancellor
Marion Thorpe and former UNC
system President William Fri
day, saying they put the elements
of the program in place.
“I feel like I’ve been given a
Where education is concerned, no sacrifice
is too much. ”
-CSU Chancellor Jimmy Jenkins appears with C.D. Span
gler, President of the UNC system, during Spangler’s Sep-
ember 8th visit to the ECSU campus. ^
“I’m concerned about all stu
dents regardless of the size of the
campus,” Spangler said. “If we
can make significant qualitative
improvements here, then we can
make them elsewhere. If we are
successful here, we will help
other campuses, by providing
them with the findings.”
Spangler said that the “whole
venture was taken with you, the
student, in mind — to make you
as competitive in the job market
as any student on any other cam
pus.”
“When you move from here
and get those jobs, you will have
the ability to meet those chal
lenges regardless of color, gen
der or what side of the tracks you
grew up on.
“I want to assure you that the
plan we have developed is sound
and it will succeed.”
Spangler said he envisioned the
ECSU campus becoming more
involved with both the commu
nity and the public schools. “We
care deeply about our public
schools,” he added.
baton in the last leg of a relay
race,” he said, adding that the
work of others had given him a
head start.
“I could drop back, or I could
take the lead and extend it. I as
sure you that if I rested on my
laurels I would do you an injus
tice. Nothing wilts faster than
laurels rested on.
“Chancellor Jenkins and I will
do more,” Spangler said, “we
promise you that.”
At the end of his speech, Span
gler, who was wearing suspend
ers, grinned and unbuttoned his
shirt, revealing a Viking T-shirt
underneath. “God bless you,” he
said.
He received a standing ovation.
“We want to thank the Presi
dent for that dynamic presenta
tion,” said ECSU Chancellor
Jimmy Jenkins. “We join hands
with him and his administration,
and thank him for sharing his vi
sion with us.”
Before Spangler addressed the
crowd, the University Choir
sang, “You Must Have That True
Religion,” arranged by Roland
Carter, with Billy C. Hines con
ducting.
ECSU dedicates
new $4 million
building Oct. 3
The family of the late Dr. Marion Thorpe joined tured above are (from left): Mrs. Marion Thorpe, Mar-
members of the ECSU family for the October 3rd ded- ion Thorpe, Jr., and Mrs. Pamela Thorpe Young,
ication of the new Thorpe Administration Building. Pic- Photo by Richard McIntyre
ducation: foundation of freedom,
appiness, C.D. Spangler tells ESCU
Despite gray skies and a chilly
wind, spirits were high at the Oc
tober 3rd dedication ceremony
for the new $4 million Thorpe Ad
ministration Building at Eliza
beth City State University.
“As chancellor I’m proud of
this day when we officially open
the doors of this building to the
public,” declared Chancellor
Jimmy Jenkins, during his ded
ication statement and presenta
tion of the building.
The building was dedicated to
the late Marion Dennis Thorpe,
who spent 15 years with the uni
versity as president and chan
cellor. Dr. Thorpe was the insti
tution’s sixth president, and his
15-year tenure with the univer
sity, beginning in 1968, was the
second longest in the school’s his
tory.
Thorpe’s wife, Mrs. Marion D.
Thorpe, accepted the certificate
of dedication from Levin D. Cul
pepper, Chairman of the Univer
sity’s Board of Trustees.
“You honor us very much,”
Mrs. Thorpe told the crowd, “but
you honor him even more. This is
a truly beautiful building. We are
very honored to participate in
this.”
Ms. Thorpe told the crowd that
she and her husband had always
believed in the importance of
community involvement in the
University’s progress. “He often
used the word ‘communiver-
sity,”’ she added. Ms. Thorpe
said she and her family and
friends were honored by the
building, as a reminder of her
husband’s contributions to the
school.
Mrs. Thorpe was accompanied
by her son, Marion Dennis
Thorpe, Jr., and daughter, Mrs.
Rueben (Pamela Thorpe) Young.
The new building’s architect,
Harvey Gantt, also addressed the
crowd, saying “I’m delighted to
have been part of the team.”
Gantt is the Mayor of Charlotte.
Construction of the new build
ing began in the spring of 1986,
and was completed this past sum
mer. In his dedication statement.
Dr. Jenkins explained that the
new building is the first step of a
long range constuction plan for
ECSU. “We plan to open bids on
Tuesday for a new ^.8 million
science building,” Jenkins said.
The new administration build
ing is something the administra
tion has wanted for some time,”
Culpepper said, after the cere
mony. Culpepper credited
Thorpe “for fighting to get the
project going,” and Chancellor
Jimmy Jenkins for “following
through” with the building.
See dedicatation, p. 8
Photo by Scott Yates
Levin Culpepper (leftj, Chairman of the ECSU Board of
Trustees, presented the certificate of dedication to Mrs.
Marion Thorpe during the ceremony.
Accident claims
lives of three
ECSU students
By Nancy Porter
A September 21 multiple car
accident has claimed the lives of
three ECSU students.
Two of the students died in the
accident, and a third student died
September 29 as a result of inju
ries sustained in the wreck,
which occurred on U.S. 17 North,
about a mile north of Elizabeth
City.
George Matthew Pledger, 21, of
Elizabeth City, and Sonja Yo
landa Murrel, 17, an ECSU cam
pus resident, were pronounced
dead on arrival at Albemarle
Hospital, according to Faye
Gray, Secretary at the Depart
ment of Motor Vehicles in Eliza
beth City. Pledger was driving
the car in which Ms. Murrell was
a passenger.
Tanya Hite, 19, of Elizabeth
City, died September 29 in Nor
folk General Hospital.
William McCaffity, 20, another
ECSU student, was seriously in
jured in the accident. He has
since been released from Norfolk
(General Hospital.
The four students were fresh
man and in the Greneral Studies
program, according to Mrs. Vi
vian Key in the Registrar’s of
fice.
ECSU held a memorial service
for Pledger and Murrell on Sep
tember 29 in Williams Hall Gym-
torium. Prayers were offered for
Hite and McCaffity.
ECSU Grospel Choir rendered
two musical selections which au
dience members described after
the ceremony as “beautiful and
fitting to the occasion.”