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Monday, April 23, 2001
The Compass
by: LaQuisha Tisdal
TalkofECSU:
What are your plans after graduation? Do you feel that
the University has prep area you for your desired field?
Why or why not?
Shaunte E>aines
English
"I plan to atttnd graduate school
and major in Si eech Pathology at
Old Dominion IJn Versity. The school
does lack certain resources and most
are outdated and in^dequate. I took
it upon myself to ullize those re
sources that were available to me. I
am fully prepared to en'-er graduate
school and the work force at large."
Akil Simmons
Computer Science
"After graduation, I want to leave Elizabeth
City and look for a long-term career with a
company. The preparation for me was average
because we are behind in a lot of technology."
LaKishia James
Biology Pre-Medicine
"I am not ready for graduate school, but I plan
to get more experience in the biology field. No, I
am not well prepared because if I was, I would
be more corifident and would have a clearer
focus on going to graduate school.
Kenya N. Bethea
Psychology
"After graduation I will attend gradu
ate school at either Virginia Common
wealth University or UNC Charlotte
studying social work or psychology. I feel
the University has prepared me for gradu
ate school, especially through the Ronald
E. McNair Program. This program al
lowed me to gain rewarding experiences
through extensive research and seminars."
The Misconception of Greei Organizations is Clarified
Inger Parker
frenchvanilla80@hotmail.com
It is about 8:15 a.m. on a Tuesday
morning in early March and "Brian,"
who wishes to remain anonymous,
walks into the dining hall. He seems a
bit sluggish, he has on the same clothes
that he had on the day before, and his
eyes are bloodshot. What was he do
ing last night? After he gets his break
fast, he goes to sit down next to one of
his friends. "Good morning," his fe
male friend says and Brain vaguely
responds. "Where were you last night,
I tried to call you," the friend says.
"I'm late for my 8 o' clock," Brian re
sponds and all of a sudden he has
enough energy to dash out of the din
ing hall.
During the same time, a young
woman is sitting in class, she is usu
ally bright and attentive. However, to
day she is nodding off in class. When
the professor notices her fatigue, she
asks her to read a section of a chapter
aloud. She attempts to read only to
begin slurring her speech. Eventually,
she can not even finish her sentence.
What happened to her? This same
young woman was in the computer
lab at 8:30 a.m. typing ? paper that
was due for a 10 a.m. class But when
April comes around, the young woman
as well as many other undergraduate
students, can be seen walking around
in her greek paraphernalia, while it has
been rumored that Brian "dropped
line." While the young woman is proud
of her accomplishment, Brian is ap
palled by the cruel and inhumane
things that he says happened to him
while he was "on line." "I was locked
in a dark room, stripped out of my
clothes, and beaten," he recalls. Is that
what the fatigue and poor studying
habits were all about? Is that what greek
sisterhood and brotherhood is all
about?
Both scenarios are common amongst
candidates for greek organizations on
college campuses, and they are espe
cially noticeable to non-greeks.
Many non-greeks feel that greeks be
lieve that if you are not a part of a
greek organization then you are be
neath them. Many non-greeks also
wonder why prospective members ap
pear to go through a lot of pain, suffer
ing and humiliation in order to join a
greek organization. Others wonder if
the true sister and brotherhood stop or
start after greek candidates receive their
greek status.
Torri Ruffin of Zeta Phi Beta, Shounte
Edmundson of Sigma Gamma Rho and
Oliver Hollev of Omega Psi Phi volun-
teerau ,o share their definitions of sis-
ler ana brotherhood discusi mings
about their respective organizations
and offer advice to freshmen and oth
ers interested in joining a fraternity or
sorority. Each strive to prove that they
are not how they are stereotypically
thought to be.
Torri Ruffin says that she joined Zeta
Phi Beta because of the way other Zeta
ladies carried themselves and because
they did things that sparked and held
her interest. "This organization is about
helping people, and I like helping
people. I knew I wanted to be a part of
something like this," she said. Some
examples of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority's
national programs that help people are
Stork's Nest and the Challenger Kids
Program. "The Stork's Nest Program
caters to unwed mothers and the Chal
lenger Kids Program sends 75 youth to
the United States Space Camp yearly,"
she said.
Ruffin believes that the initiation pro
cess of any greek organization is neces
sary and a tradition that prepares mem
bers for the real world. "This process
teaches you how to conduct yourself as
a respectable individual, it prepares you
to be a leader and how to function in
the general world. It strengthens the
individual emotionally, socially, men
tally and spiritually" she adds. Ruffin
admiib thai during the initiation pro
cess no one has easy, however, sh
says that hazing is uiegdi and cn^i. Zeta
Phi Beta does not practice hazing. "It
used to be a tradition. A long time ago
it was to test the candidates and see
how bad they really wanted to be a
part of that organization," Ruffin says,
"but it's not supposed to happen any
more."
Ruffin advises all individuals inter
ested in pledging a greek organiza
tion not to feel obligated to pledge a
certain organization because someone
in their family did or a friend pledged.
"Observe each organization and see
which one is about the same thing that
you are about," she says.
Shounte Edmundson, of Sigma
Gamma Rho, is confident that she
pledged her sorority for the right rea
sons. "I did not seek this organization
for its popularity. I pledged Sigma
Gamma Rho because I felt that these
ladies exemplified the true meaning
of sisterhood, they were small in num
bers but they were still individuals,"
she said. Edmundson explained that
her organization's founders were edu
cators, and that is part of her reason
for joining since her major is educa
tion. "We do a mentorship program
called Project Bookbag. This program
allows us to buy school supplies for
needy children," she expressed.
Edmundson defines sisterhood as
"truly feeling what your sister is feel
ing. Shv- also believes thai a sister
will approach another sister if she sees
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