VOL. 11, NO. 9
North Carolina Wesleyan College, Rocky Mount, N.C.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23,1996
l^iition cut
draws praise
by Clinton
New author
Dr. Chris LaLonde, professor of English at N.C. Wesleyan, signs his recently published book
during a booksigning at the campus bookstore on Feb. 7. The book sold out during his visit (Photo
by Karolyn Bruan.)
CAB announces activities
for this year’s Spring Fling
By GREG PURCELL
Spring Fling, the highlight of
every spring semester, will be
held the week of April 8-13, spon
sored by the C^ij^pus Activities
Board.
The exciting week will start
on Monday with “60’s
Rock...When the Music Mat
tered,” a multi-media presentation
by Barry Drake.
Tuesday will feature the an
nual Sigma Phi Delta Talent Show
as well as a movie by the Cam
pus Activities Board.
Wednesday will have the an
nual Pi Epsilon Tie Dying event
as well as another movie spon
sored by the CAB.
Friday is Gladiator Day with
such events as Keg Racer.
Saturday will conclude the
week’s events with Band Day.
Featured bands this year are the
band formally known as Spinning
Jenny, FunkAMatic, and
Anthemeum.
Updates and features on the
events that have been planned will
be presented in future issues, or
call the CAB Hot Line at 985-
KAB4.
By MOLLY McCLUSKEY
When President Bill Clinton
mentioned North Carolina
Wesleyan College this month in
his address to the National Asso
ciation of Independent Colleges
and Universities, it was with a
chuckle as well as praise.
“1 don’t know whether they
did it by containing costs or pray
ing to God or both. But I think it
is a good thing to do wherever
possible,” he said.
The fact that Wesleyan was
recognized by the President did
not go unnoticed by students.
“It’s pretty impressive. How
ever, if we can cut costs, why
can’t he?” laughed Kristy Alston.
All else aside, Wesleyan’s de
cision to cut tuition was, as col
lege president Dr. John White
said, a “bold one.”
With the exorbitant costs of
colleges, one freshman remarked
of the cut, “It’s a good thing. I
don’t feel as though I’ve gotten
my $14,000 worth out of this col
lege.”
Room and board, books, and
the required meal plan for all on-
campus students have only added
to the financial anxieties of edu
cation.
“I think it’s great that they’re
doing this,” commented Ashley
Allen, a freshman. The general
attitude was similar. Students
thought it great that such a small
school could be acknowledged by
the President. The feeling of pride
that showed in students at White’s
inauguration two weeks ago ap
peared to return.
Student fear still lingers, how
ever, of an increase in tuition. As
Clinton King pointed out, “The
kids whose Wesleyan Awards are
greater than the $2,000 tuition cut
are stuck.”
The delegation of the Wes
leyan Award is the reason for the
tuition cut. As White has said, no
one will be paying for someone
else’s scholarship. But despite
White’s promise that no student
will pay more and some might
actually pay less, the doubts lin-
ger-
The Financial Aid Office says
that the financial aid discrepancy
will be awarded in loans which
will have to be repaid.
“If they can actually do it (the
cut), it’s great,” King said. “How
ever...”
NCWC’s tuition cut — how
ever worded, rearranged, or made
politically correct — was enough
to impress the President, who rec
ognized NCWC out of all the
smaller universities and colleges.
Karolyn Braun was reported
as saying, “Yahoo! Go,
Wesleyan!” But that comment
could not be confirmed at press
time.
^ Leaders * series gets underway
Tlie leaders in the Making Senes begw 'on Mon«
day and will go through April 25.
The series include leadership woiicshops, pro^ams,
and experiences. Multiple sessions are offered for va
riety and to meet individual needs, said Sigrid Bonner.
The series concludes with a reception and the award
ing of certificates of completion.
Reaction mixed to proposals
By COLLEEN DeBAISE
Targeting thousands of college
students worried about tuition
costs. President Bill Clinton em
phasized his support for educa
tion in the State of the Union ad
dress.
“Today, higher education is
more important than ever before,”
Clinton said during his Jan. 23
address before Congress. “We
should work hard to open the
doors to college even wider.”
Clinton enumerated a number
of proposals during his speech.
many of them surprisingly costly
at a time when a Republican-con
trolled Congress seeks to curb
government spending.
Proposals include;
• A new merit-based scholar-
(Continued on Back Page)