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Februrary 23, 2011
www.fsuvoice.com
OPINION
The Voice, For students, By Students 7
LETTERSTOTHEEDITOR
What’s happening
on campus?
DEAR EDITOR,
My name is Shomika Edmonds. I’m a stu
dent here at Fayetteville State University. On
campus there are many great things that take
place such as programs, night events and bas
ketball games. I read The Voice Newsletter
and I realized there is no section that has a
list of the different events or games. A lot of
students ask when basketball games are and
maybe there could be a little section in The
Voice for a list of the games for the students.
Also, in the newsletter, is it okay to address
the issues of the Bronco Shuttle? A great
amount of money is being taken out of our tu
ition so we could have Bronco Shuttles. Since
my last semester of my freshman year, I have
not seen a Bronco Shuttle for the students. So
please address the issues so we can receive
a better understanding on why they are not
been provided for the students.
Shomika Edmonds, FSUstudent
Wanting
transportation
DEAR EDITOR,
This is my first year at Fayetteville State,
and I have noticed that the campus is ex
tremely large, and students are walking to
every class to buildings that are way across
campus. This is causing students to be late.
I’m proposing that FSU invest in a shuttle
system that takes students to and from their
next class. Of course there will have to be
stipulations with this, but I feel as if this is a
necessary commodity.
Ashley Collins, FSU student
er read up-on how everyone else thought it
was or find out if it’s a program that will be
returning next year. It would just be nice to
see a few more pictures of all the students so
actively involved, and to read up on some of
the events I may have missed.
Supriya Clark, FSU student
The Voice works
for this guy
DEAR EDITOR
Honestly I don’t read the student newspa
per that much because I am not on campus
enough to pick it up. I have read the latest
issue of the student newspaper in my mass
communication class and it was pretty good,
from what I read. All of the articles were for
college students and not a person in their late
30s. I feel as though everyone that contribut
ed to the student newspaper did an excellent
job. Keep up the good work and I will try my
best to pick up another issue.
James Jackson, FSU student
Pictures and
programs
DEAR EDITOR,
My name is Supriya Clark and I often
times find myself picking up a copy of The
Voice and skimming through to see new hap
penings on our campus. But anytime I skim
through the paper I don’t see many pictures
of organizations or just of students doing
things around campus. It always makes me
wonder about Fayetteville State and what our
campus life really is. I know that I as a stu
dent here have participated in multiple com
munity service events, and attended more
than my fair share of programs. But I never
really see pictures from those programs, nev
New to reading
paper and loving it
DEAR EDITOR,
Hello, my name is Kendra Parker and I
am a new follower to The Voice. Often times
we hear so much negativity and criticism; I
just wanted to take the time to say something
positive about Fayetteville State University’s
very own newspaper, The Voice. I recently
read The Voice, volume 2 issue 7, and the
only article that was interesting to me was
“Finding My Voice” by Alicia Bayat. No mat
ter how many times I read this newspaper, the
“Finding My Voice” section always entertains
me. My favorite article by Alicia Bayat thus
far was entitled “Fear.” That was a powerful
eye-opening article. Alicia Bayat writes for
the common folk and speaks on reality and
we need people to address real issues going
on in society. Every week I make sure I grab
a copy of the latest newspaper just to see
what Alicia Bayat has to say. Kudos to The
Voice, this section is phenomenal, and 1 think
the section should be expanded!
Kendra Parker, FSU student
One color,
one culture?
Is this the solution?
By L’asia Brown
FSU Voice
The phrase, color-blmd, has become quite
popular in this new day and age. Slowly but
surely, this generation is embracing diver
sity and globalization. Children are taught
different languages, cultures, and customs
at early ages. Debates about religious fi'ee-
dom, gay rights, race relations, feminism,
and other cultural affairs take place daily
on social media outlets like Twitter and
Facebook, where strangers from varying
backgrounds are finally able to cormect and
discuss. People from differing backgrounds
have lay triumphant claim to proudly being
color-blind.
These people, who belong to many dif
ferent races, nations, religions, and cultures,
believe that not seeing a person’s “color”
is the best way to maintain “fairness” and
“tolerance.” For these new color blinded
individuals seeing everybody in varying
shades of gray is the best method of view
ing the world and all its seven billion hu
man beings, right? Wrong.
A person’s skin color is an indicator of
several characteristics. Ancestry, ethnic
ity, culture, personal history, identity, and
even possible future struggles they face in
their respective nations. In South America
it is no secret that a “light skin” Brazilian
is more likely to marry than a “dark skin”
Brazilian. In Italy, darked hued models are
more likely to book runway shoes than their
fair-skinned colleagues. Even Black Ameri
cans can attest to the fact just being Black
in the US is a likely give way to the painful
history of slavery. In the I920’s before be
ing “tanned” was all the rave for the “white
Americans” dark Italians faced discrimina
tion. A visit to Without Sanctuary’s Web site
reveals several historical pictures of Italian
immigrants being lynched. Just by these
historical events along it is apparent that
Color is important. Color matters. Color is
unavoidable. The problem is not color, it is
intolerance.
Although I doubt “colorblinders” are part
of some conspiracy to deny humans of their
identity, they must realize that is exactly
what happens when a person’s color is ig
nored and they are thrown into a toy chest
like generic dolls.
A Black American, stripped of their
color, is just a transparent American. With
transperancy there is no telling where their
ancestors migrated from,, what role they
may have played in laying the foundation
for this nation, what skin products are best
for them, what hair products are best for
them, how they might react to a Confeder
ate flag.
A White American, stripped of their col
or, is also just a transparent American. What
part of Europe they came fi-om doesn’t mat
ter. Maybe they were 19"' century Repub
licans who championed religious, racial,
gender rights and helped give minorities a
voice, but who knows? Their level of un-
comfortableness when the word “cracker”
is said doesn’t matter because they’re trans
parent remember?
It’s the same with Native Americans, La
tinos, Asians, Arabs, Europeans, Africans,
and all other characteristics that make-up
the world.
So, if you proudly sported your color
blind shades before, take them off and
throw them away. See your fellow humans
for exactly who they are. Recognize their
color, appreciate their humanity, and learn
as much as possible from their unique his
tory, stories and experiences. But most im
portantly, see your own color. And love it.
WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
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