Newspapers / Fayetteville State University Student … / Jan. 31, 1975, edition 1 / Page 2
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PAGE 2 THE VOICE JANUARY 31. 1975 THE VOICE EDITORIAL PAGE 1 /// t f 'V MR. PROLIFIC FSU CHANCELLOR CHARLES “A” LYONS. JR. What Is A Man? What is a man? Avoiding the extremes of a pessimistic naturalism and an optimistic humanism one must seek to combine the truths of both. There is within a man a two fold composition, something of a dichotomy. It is his physical and psychological components that allow him to achieve his goals. This distinguishes man as the miracle and mystery that he is. All men vary in dif ferences, therefore the beauty lies not in becoming one but in seeing each other for what he is or is not. Dr. Martin Luther King was a contemporary example of what is meant by in dividualism. He saw fac tionalism among the leaders, in difference in the educated group and passivity in the uneducated. This is what began his challenge against the system of segregation in Montgomery, Alabama. Segregation and degradation were the two words blacks knew only too well. After several incidents occurred on the buses con cerning the discrimination E. D. Nixon, Ralph Abernathy and Dr. Martin Luther King, who was then serving as pastor of a local church, set up a mass meeting. People from every segment of Negro life were present to discuss a boycott of Montgomery buses. When speaking to the people, Dr. King related to Thoreaus ESSAY ON CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE by simply saying, “We can no longer lend our cooperation to an evil system.” Being a member of the NAACP and the Montgomery Improvement Association, King stressed the idea that the use of violence in the freedom struggle would be impractical and immoral. Other members said there was a need for a more militant approach. King borrowed the words from Mahatma Gandhi and replied with, “The non-violent resister is willing to accept violence if necessary, but never to inflict it. He does not seek to dodge jail. If going to jail is necessary, he enters it ‘as a bridegroom enters the bride’s chamber’.” Martin Luther King at tended meeting after meeting with white leaders concerning the bussing situation only to leave feeling despondent and pessimistic. by Cheryll Mass FSU Freshman As the situation grew worse, “city father” em barked on the “get tough” policy which resulted in a series of arrests for minor and after imaginary traffic violations. King was arrested for speeding until Ralph Abernathy could get him out on bond. After the “get tough” policy failed to stop the movement, a flood of threatening telephone calls and letters bombarded the King house. Late one night Dr. King sat at his kitchen table and prayed, “I am here taking a stand for what I believe is right.” On the evening that Dr. King’s house was bombed he addressed the angry black crowd that had assembled outside. “We must meet violence with nonviolence.” When the opposition discovered that violence could not back, they resorted to mass arrests. Once again. Dr. Martin L. King was indicted for illegally boycotting the buses. The penalty was 1500 fine, court costs, and 386 days at hard labor. Dr. King told his friends, “I would rather be in jail ten years than desert my people now. I have begun to strug^e, and I can’t turn back. I have reached the point of no return.” He knew he was a con victed criminal but he was proud, for he was joining his people in a non-violent protest against justice. He was proud because this was the crime of seeking to instill a sense of dignity and self-respect within his people. On June 4, 1956 it was declared that the city bus segregation laws of Alabama were unconstitutional but this was just the beginning for Dr. King. Bombings continued and spirits in the black community were deflated to say the least. One night at a mass meeting, Dr. Martin Luther King broke down for the first time in public “Lord, I hope no one will have to die as a result of our struggle for freedom in Montgomery. Certainly I don’t wan’t to die, but if any one has to die, let it be me.” Dr. Martin Luther King, the apostle of non-violence, marched on his stride toward freedom believing in his cause all the while only to be stopped by a fatal act of violence. My name is Monte Cor vette Baker, from Laurin- burg, N.C., and a junior here at Fayetteville State University. I find this to be an op portune time to voice my opinion concerning a highly productive individual, our Chancellor, Dr. Charles “A” Lyons. During the last three years I have read articles, listened to significant speeches, observed his per sonality, and listened to public opinions for and about Dr. Lyons but recently I received the privilege to interview him personally. The reasoning behind this article is to open our students’ and the public’s eyes to how productive our chancellor has been and will be in the future. Many students propose the questions “Where is our chancellor, what is he doing, I wonder why we never see him talking with students, is he an introvert publicly?” Students have shown little initiative in securing reliable answers to their questions but I will inject facts concerning his whereabouts and what he is actually doing. Our chancellor has been here for a number of years politicing, compromising, and rectifying policies that would better our University. Did you realize Fayetteville State’s budget has increased from thousands to millions of dollars since the inauguration of our chancellor. It took his ability and know how with all his charismatic features to produce such a beneficial change. Are you able to comprehend the fact that as a university we have to be on a defensive stand always because people do not want to see Blacks in control of a large money making industry as we are here. With recession playing a major role in our economy that makes the University weak but FSU will never become incapable of producing because of intrepid leadership and concern from our seniority, Dr. Lyons. Yes, fellow students we have been “too pessimistic”, “too im patient” about our leader’s potentialities. While the public is criticizing, he is in Dallas politicing, and keeping our standards high and making us nationally known. While students are pondering over where he is on campus, our Dr. Lyons is shaking the president of the Ford Foun dations hand and thanking him for his thousand dollar contributions. THE VOICE STAFF Editor-in-chief Diane Neil Staff Writers Cheryl Mass Clararene Jacobs Darcel Rhodes Ron Williams Staff Artist Clemon Smith Typists Brenda Hester Patricia Williams Linda Campbell Advisor John B. Henderson Have you noticed the new construction in affect near the Administration Building? Yes it is going to be a gigantic one costing millions to build and facilitate and here again it takes a dauntless leader who knows how to go through proper channels, someone who knows how to really express himself and win hearts and minds over. Students this occupation does not entail for a maladroit and unreliable person, only a real ■ man that can perservere each and about every task in troduced. Finally FSU is able to move out of the Lilly Gym and play our basketball games in the Cumberland County Arena where we can increase our capacity crowd and make our budget protrude. Dr. Lyons again served as our upper hand in securing this business transaction for us. Only a small percentage of our students pay their full tuition therefore the majority are financial aid. Time after time students do not receive enough money to begin or continue school so they look to a reliable source for depen dency. Dr. Lyons personally struggles with every available resource to conjure up money for students. He publicly approaches the people of the community and state, to contribute money for students to further their education. Our chancellor is usually suc cessful in obtaining money support from our strong Alumni Chapters for education. He has intrigued communities to offer scholarships to those poised individuals to enter colleges of their choice. I have read and analyzed. Dr. Lyons has a unique power to influence people for the betterment of society and this should relax your mind to the point that God is closely working with him. We as students again should respect him fully and admire him because of this interrelationship with God. If he were doing anything wrong or trying to hurt people he would suffer consequences and his power would become dormant. I have only scratched the surface concerning the ef forts, concern and produc tivity our Chancellor has put forth. For him it is a seven day a week job but people seem to forget he has a home and a family. As do most children and wives, they would like to spend time with the man of the house, whom I visualize myself in his place answering his eight year old son’s questions of why he can’t play with him, take him here or there or just staying home sometime, being with the family. To seriously scrutinize the situation. Dr. Lyons is making a tremendous sacrifice for humanity putting his Godly deeds and principles first, the school second, and one of his most important assets last, I feel, his family. It takes someone with an open mind to understand his predicament and may I recommend that students especially initiate a fully pledged plan of optimism, encouragement and un derstanding toward our Great Leader, “for people with his character are in reality ‘rare’.” At any time our chancellor is available, he will converse with you. Make an appointment, discuss issues to benefit not hinder us all. We are supposed to be one big happy family, therefore, let’s together make the proper adjustments and support our leaders, our school and let’s continue to control the reins as we meet the challenges of today and tomorrow as BRONCOS. •detten Dear Editor. This letter is in reference to the hectic registration period engaged by the university family for the second semester of the 1974-75 school year. The major question is “What can be done collec tively to omit such hectic registration periods?” The alphabet classification system that was used the first semester of the 1974 registration period was of great success, and omitted the confusion and negative behavior on the part of many Continued on page 8 Foaj iobi « Studen'Vs oonn
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