VOL. 9,N0.1
North Carolina Wesleyan CoU^e, Rocky Mount, N.C.
FRTOAY, SEPTEMBER 17,1993
m
Dean resigns
while college
on vacation
BELLEMONTE HOUSE GREETS VISITORS AT ENTRANCE TO CAMPUS
Bellemonte now houses offices
By KIMBERLY CURSEEN
The Bellemonte House, lo
cated in front of the main en
trance of Wesleyan’s campus, is
now the new home of the Of
fices of Admissions and Finan
cial Aid.
Bellemonte was originally
built by Dr. John F. Bellamy and
his wife, Ann Nicholson, active
Methodists, in 1817. It eventu
ally became the property of his
grandson, Joseph Bellamy. Then
in 1918 the house was acquired
by M.C. Braswell, whose heirs
donated land for the establish
ment of North Carolina Wes
leyan College in 1956.
Bellemonte House was not
originally in front of Wesleyan’s
campus, but was moved there in
1988 in honor of the Braswell
family and for its historical
value.
Bellemonte was once part of
a plantation that owned slaves.
Because of this, the house has
bothered some students who said
that because this campus consid
ers itself an equal opportunity
college, a “monument to slav
ery” is offensive.
“This shows me much of
nothing has changed here in the
Old South,” one student com
mented. “What is even worse, I
have to go there for Work
Study.”
Not all students and faculty
see a problem with the house. In
fact, the majority of people con
tacted feel that the house is a
historical monument and should
be preserved for that fact alone.
One student noted in defense
of Bellemonte, “The house, I
don’t think, is any problem. It is
a part of history and slavery is a
fact of history. It is a symbol of
creating Wesleyan.”
By CECIUA CASEY
As North Carolina Wesleyan
students moved into their rooms,
met up with old friends, and
found out how their summers
went as well as what was new at
Wesleyan, many were surprised
to learn that Dr. Charles Bennett,
dean of Academic Affairs, left
Wesleyan College during the
summer.
Dr. Robert S. Bussom re
placed Bennett as acting dean
officially on Aug. 1. Bennett left
the position on June 15. Wes
leyan President Dr. Leslie H.
Gamer said Bennett had dis
cussed leaving Wesleyan with
him so he was not surprised
when Bennett did decide to
leave.
Gamer asked Bussom, a fa
ulty member, to be acting dean
sometime between June 15 and
the start of July. Because Bus
som stepped up quickly there
were no problems created by
Bennett’s leaving.
“I am extremely pleased with
having Dr. Bussom as the aca
demic dean because he has great
respect from the faculty and
staff,” Gamer said.
“It was an honor to be asked
to serve in a position like this,”
Bussom said.
Garner said it could take up
to two years to decide on a per
manent dean.
“We are going to take our
time and not msh into getting a
dean,” he said. “We are going to
look at who we are as a college
so when we look for our dean
we will be able to understand
better who will fit the needs of
Wesleyan College.”
Bussom expressed a similar
goal. “Ifs critical that the col
lege develops a vision for itself
and accepts a direction that we
can work for, and then enter a
strategy that manages that vi
sion,” he said.
“We need to resolve some is
sues before we commit to a new
dean,” he added. “With a vision
and an active strategy, the col
lege will be able to accomplish
our goal which is to help stu
dents earn a solid liberal arts ed-
ucaticM.”
Bussom felt it was important
that he keep teaching ^d plans
to do so.
Local businesses visit campus
Every year businesses from
Rocky wlount come to Wes
leyan’s campus to introduce
themselves to the Wesleyan
community, and on Sept. 2 the
businesses opened their booths
to students and faculty in a
“Community Celebration.”
Among some of the represen
tatives were Pizza Hut, Chick
Fil-A, O’Doul’s non-alcoholic
beer, Westem Sizzlin, Days Inn,
Coca Cola, and Mary Kay.
There were not only booths for
businesses but also volunteer or
ganizations such as Habitat for
Humanity, a program that builds
houses for the low-income
homeless, who have expressed a
desire for Wesleyan’s students
to volunteer some of their time.
This year’s Community Cel
ebration featured a performance
by Thang’s Dojo, a group of
karate students ranging in age
from six to 40 who performed
some of their exercises and pre
cision routines.
Music was also provided by a
country music radio station.
KAYE GIBBONS
Award-winning novelist
to hold Wesleyan reading
Award-winning novelist and Nash County native Kaye
Gibbons will give the Third Eleanor Hoyt Smith Memorial
Reading next Wednesday at 8:15 pjn. in Russell Chapel, a
free program open to the public.
OibbcHis published her fourth novel, Charms for the
Easy Life, this past sping. She is also author of three
previous, highly-praised novels, Ellen Foster, A Virtuous
Woman, and A Cure for Dreams,
Bom in Nash County in 1960, Gibbons graduated from
UNC-Chapel Hill where she was recently awarded the
Distinguished Alumna Award.