Page 6
Black Student Reflections
to how Blacks felt about a
particular issue. Already on the
defensive for having been sub
jected to such a course, I
abruptly replied to the question,
"that I could not speak for the
Black race and the opinions
that I state are those of Alicia
Chandler, a person who
happens to be Black." I was
forced to repeat this statement
in several courses that I have
taken here. I often wondered
why was it that if a classmate
of mine was white, he/she
was never asked for his/her
opinion as a spokesman of
the white race. White students
were asked for their individual
opinions. However when I
was asked a question it was
not my opinion that was asked
for, but that of the entire
diversified Black race. Why???
A related academic problem
was in the area of course
content. I found very few
of. my courses including
material that was significantly
related to the black experience.
This is a problem I have had to
contend with during my four
years at Guilford. I
questioned and questioned
my English professor why we
(the class) couldn't read some
Black plays or poems
sometime, as to only reading
works by Anglo Saxon
authors. I really didn't appre
ciate this and found his
unwillingness to include works
by Black authors even more
insulting. Whenever the
opportunity presented itself
I wrote and read something
that was Blackl I have
found that only through indiv
idual initiative does the Black
experience become
academically relevant. I must
raise the issue as to whether
it is the desire of this institu
tion to perpetuate this idea.
Guilford has not developed
and to my knowledge is not
even attempting to develop
any type of Black curriculum.
The administrators and faculty
often suggest to those of
us wanting such exposure
to take a course at one of the
Black schools in the consort
ium. To me this is a means
by which the administrators
and faculty avoid fulfilling
their responsibility to Black
students. They are just
passing the buckl 1 If I
wanted to go to Bennett or
ABT University I would have
gone there. Since I chose to
go to Guilford I feel the school
should have made some
meaningful effort to establish
some type of Black curriculum
on location. Looking at
Guilford's curriculum today, I
still feel that Black studies
are still an area of considerable
need by both administrators
and facutly. For sixteen years
of my life I have been
subjected to reading about
the white man's history and I
feel that I should be given
the opportunity to choose
whether I want to take U.S.
History or Black History or
even Black Literature rather
than just English Literature.
At Guilford though, I didn't
have such a choice, but yet
I am expected to take a course
that has no readings of interest
to me and still make a passing
mark. And this I have donel 11
Nevertheless without this
option I feel there is a lack
of sensitivity by this
institution to my educational
needs.
This limitation of things of
interest to Black students is
not only apparent in the aca
demic structure, but it is quite
evident in the social atmos
phere here at Guilford as
well. It is very clear that the
majority are the rule at this
school and there is not a
great deal of concern or even
sensitivity about those needs
or those special interests of
Black students by the majority
white population at Guilford.
The only time I have witnessed
a concern about Black
student's needs is when Black
students have asserted them
selves to make these wants
known. Is it necessary for
Black students to protest and
raise hell in order to be
recognized? I ask you why is
it that a Black person has to
be present at a meeting to
assure that Black's needs are
not disregarded completely?
All the responsibility for making
sure our academic as well as
our social wants and needs are
met, has fallen completely in
the hands of Black students.
I constantly hear remarks by
those persons in positions of
planning these social events,
"that no Black persons were
present at a meeting to
express their opinions." I ask
these officials do we
(Blacks) always have to be at
a meeting to assure that our
presence on this campus is
taken into account? I feel that
any responsible person that is
in a position of administrating,
representing and planning for
the student body of Guilford
should make an effort to know
the needs and wants of the
majority as well as the minor
ities. Based on the visible
actions of such officials, that
have been in these positions
during my four years at Guil
ford, I assessed the situation
as having either of two
courses. The administrators
in decision-making positions
are unconcerned about the
The Guilfordian
Continued from 2
needs of Black students or
simply disregard their presence.
I wonder if any of the events
that have occurred during the
Journey into Blackness
weeks would have been
possible or even considered if
BASIB (Brothers and Sisters
in Blackness) didn't exist?
To BASIB: I extend my
appreciation for making it
possible to be exposed to
some Blackness during my
four years at Gußford. Thanks!
Tor the Cafeteria: Why is the
Soul Food Dinner limited just
to the Journey into Blackness
Week?
Guilford's seemingly
apathetic attitude toward
Blacks seems to have been
extended over to those in the
community, especially those
business merchants. My fresh
man year here the drug stores
in this area carried very little
or any Afro sheen, afro combs,
Black greeting cards or even
Black magazines. It was as
though Blacks didn't even
exist in the Guilford College
community. One thing that is
worth mentioning is that the
owners of these drug stores
were quite willing to order any
product a Black student
wanted since the stores didn't
have the particular product in
stock. In addition I must say
that this situation of Black
products in the neighboring
stores had changed to the
extent that the owners are
starting to stock these products
right in the store. Before this
effort though it was as though
Blacks didn't even exist in the
Guilford College Community.
This non-recognition by the
community of Black students
and other students is quite
apparent in the transportation
area also. I didn't really fully
realize the impact of buses
not running on the weekend
out in this area until my
junior year. Evidently Duke
Power Transit Co. doesn't
realize or simply doesn't
care that there are those
students at Guilford who aren't
fortunate enough to have cars
and without this bus service
we are cut off from the rest
of Greensboro. More impor
tantly though I wonder if
Guilford would have any real
impact on Duke Power's
transit policies, but it would
show me that Guilford cared
about the few of us who suffer
because we don't have cars.
This lack of recognition of
Blacks at Guilford is not just
limited to this immediate
community, but it is also
apparent in other areas of
Greensboro as well. It has been
my experience during my stay
here at Guilford that whenever
I went out to a club and told
people I went to Guilford they
usually remarked by saying,
"I didn't know Blacks went
to Guilford."
Guilford College is not only
a school, but it is also a
place of business. Just like
any other business, it seems to
. me that Guilford would try to
be appealing to as many con
' sumers as possible. However
based on the small numbers of
Blacks that have entered and
stayed at Guilford during
four years, this school seems
to lack that appealing factor
that interest Blacks to come
and stay here at this school.
Furthermore while on the
subject of business, I positively
urge the business office to hire
someone with a background in
human relations. Let me note
that I realize that Guilford
College is a business with bills
that must be paid and this
payment of bills is largely
dependent on the fact that
students pay the money they
owe the college. All this I
realize, but as a student I
did not appreciate being sent
letters that I felt were
threatening in the way they
were written because my
parent was delinquent in his
payment to the school. At
times I felt Guilford's actions
indicated they were the only
place my parent had to make
payments. Whether the
wording in these notices was
meant as an intentional
threat or not, that is the
way I veiwed them. This was
the case when statements as
the following were included:
If payment on your bill is not
made then your name will be
sent to the academic dean for
withdrawal from school;
You will not be allowed to
preregister until your bill is
paid;
Are the circumstances of not
being able to preregister or
being kicked out of school
suppose to make the money
for the payment instantly
emerge? Well if this is the
function of such notices
then they are not working
because if your parent doesn't
have the money at that time
then he/she just doesn't have
it. We who are subjected
to such maneuvers by the
business office are the ones
that suffer, especially since in
most instances Guilford
probably gets its money. Does
the business office care if
you miss out on the oppor*
tunity for enrolling in the
class of your preference
because they wouldn't let you
preregister? Do Guilford care
about your education or is
their primary goal to get their
money???
With all of the academic,
business office and
general life pressures that one
April 26,1977
is subjected to at Guilford and
other schools as well, I can
truly understand why a person
would drop out of school. The
person who said that today's
young people have it easy
didn't go to college!! Before
bringing this article to a
close I would like to ask the
board of trustees and any
other policy making body at
Guilford to remember that
people (students) are socially
interacting beings. For me
socially means in the class
room as well as at a keg party.
For the four years I have been
here these policy making
bodies have become more
stringent about enforcing
those rules which they feel
will help subside the partying
component of this interaction.
I guess they figure that the
enforcement of such rules will
encourage students to study
more and party less. If this
is the true intention of these
policy makers I don't appre
ciate this legal regulation of
my behavior. The occassions
when I want to engage in
either academics or partying
should be my choice not the
trustees, as long as it does
not annoy any other person
that lives in my immediate
environment. I am sure there
are other students as well that
are quite aware of the addi
tional rules that have been
applied as far as partying
is concerned. For me some of
the rules have dampened the
social atmosphere too much
and now Guilford is more dull
and boring socially than
ever before.
Finally in parting I would like
to recognize that I had some
good times here, especially
during my first two years. I
have met many new and diver
sified people that I consider as
friends. Then again I have
met those I have no desire to
meet or see again. Without
any hesitation I can honestly
say if I had to choose to
go to college again, Guilford
would not be my choice.
Furthermore as I leave here I
can state emphatically that I
would not advise another
Black student to come here
unless Guilford (not BASIB)
starts intitiating some
changes that have Black
student's interest in mind. For
the most part Guilford has
been an experience for me and
now it is too late to wonder
if it is an experience I could
have done without. Guilford,
Binford Hall and its residents
have been a part of my life
for four years and I leave this
school and the experience
that I have endured with no
turning back and with a
big smile on my face! ! !
Alicia R. Chandler
Class of 1977