Watt encourages
Belles to show pride
By DAMON FORD
ntORDMCUtoam
During most commencement
exercises in the Triad, graduates
could be seen holding up signs say
ing "1 made it through".
But at Bennett College, one of
two black women's colleges in the
country, there were no signs, no
decorated caps, no streamers and
definitely no beach balls being
thrown around during commence
ment exercises last Sunday.
Family and friends looked on
while more than 100 women
received degrees on campus lawn.
"'Thank you Jesus' sounds like
the best way to describe how I feel
today," said Paulica Musgrave, an
elementary education degree recip
ient.
A lot of the common shenani
gans of graduation may have been
missing, but the emotion and spir
it of the celebration was not lack
ing.
Senior class president, Keisha
Reed was overcome with tears
halfway through her speech, but
after a brief pause she was able to
continue her message.
"Through our years at Bennett,
we have been taught to be a phe
nomenal woman," said Reed.
Commencement speaker
Melvin Watt, U.S. Congressman
of the 12 District of N.C., left the
1998 graduates with some
thoughts to take with them.
"Love Bennett College. Always
remember the love, the secrets, the
magic here at Bennett College," he
said. "Show off your pride that
comes with being a Bennett Belle!"
He even had the graduates
stand while they waved at and
thanked their families for helping
them get through the rough times.
Watt, who also received an hon
orary doctorate in law from Ben
nett, was the first male in a number
of years to speak at commence
ment exercises. He didn't let that
fact or the prospect of Guilford
County being left out of the
redrawing of the 12 District lines
deter him.
"It's time for you to go ... go
make the best of (your degree),"
concluded Watt. '
Michelle Miller has already
taken Watt's words to heart and is
ready to use her degree in biology
in the Peace Corp this summer.
"I was in ninth grade and one
of my bio)ogy professors was a
Peace Corp volunteer. She really
touched my life and I think that's
what made me go into teaching sci
ence education and go into the
Corp," said Miller.
"I feel so relieved (and) I'm just
ready to rejoice and give God all of
the praise because without him,
this wouldn't have even hap
pened."
"It really makes me feel very
proud to see (Jan's) accomplish
ments and it lets me know that this
goal is attainable," stated Laila
Price, a Fayetteville State Universi
ty student who came to watch her
first cousin Jan Edwards receive a
degree in math from Bennett Col
lege.
Edwards finished her degree
requirements in December 1997
and will receive a masters degree
from North Carolina Central Uni
versity this December.
"She's wonderful, funny (and)
outgoing. She possesses all the
qualities that are necessary for suc
cess," said Price.
? ?
NAACP refocuses on civil
rights rather than finances
THF ASWWWfyfig
BALTIMORE - The
national NAACP board
ended a three-day meeting
pledging to Tight for civil
rights, particularly a Wash
ington state initiative that
would end affirmative action
in government hiring, con
tracting and college admis
sions.
The country's largest and
oldest civil rights organiza
tion agreed Saturday to
spend $50,000 to fight Initia
tive 200. The group also
agreed to hold its quarterly
board meeting in October in
Seattle.
NAACP President Kweisi
Mfume said the organization
is making the effort because
the 1996 approval in Califor
nia of Proposition 206,
which outlawed many of the
state's affirmative-action
programs, caught the group
off guard.
The organization suffered
through a $4 million debt,
which diverted attention to
fund raising from fighting for
civil rights. The group fin
ished two of the past three
years with more than a $2
million surplus.
Kwiii Mfvme
"We've reached a healthy
plateau and we can now
afford to look at civil rights
issues more closely," said
Julian Bond, who was presid
ing over his first meeting as
board chairman.
The group endorsed plans
to hold a million-youth
march in Atlanta in the fall
and support the Congres
sional Black Caucus' appeal
for President Clinton to
declare AIDS a national
emergency. The disease is
now the No. 1 killer of
blacks between the ages of 25
and 44.
Carver principal says statistics
on drop-out rates misleading
By DAMON FORD
THE CHKON1CLE Reporter
There are always two sides to
every story, says Carver High
School principal Daniel Piggott.
And Piggott says statistics about
his school's high drop out rates only
tell one side of the story.
A recent survey of schools
across the Southeast shows that
Carver High School has the third
highest dropout percentage (6.6)
behind alternative schools South
Park (9.0) and Independence (48.3)
last year.
The survey was done by The
Wall Street journal," which com
missioned SchoolMatch, a compa
ny that researches schools and
school districts for parents and relo
cating firms, to compile the listing.
Piggott says it's more important
to talk about the accomplishments
of his students.
"We put out some good stu
dents,'' Piggott said.
According to Piggott, the senior
class of Carver has won $1.1 million
in scholarship money this spring.
Seventy seven percent of their stu
dents will continue their education
after high school.
"(Students) are getting scholar
ships from all over," he said. "This
wasn't just started, it's tradition."
Piggott admits Carver is not per
fect, but what school is, he asks He
just wants his school to be seen fair
ly, which hasn't always be|n the
case.
# .v ,
Instead of worrying about what
is said and not said about. the
school, Piggott, the faculty and the
staff "work harder to be the best we
can be."
"We use these types of things as
stepping stones," Piggott said "I
definitely do not believe Carver is
one of the 10 worst schools in the
Southeast. We are a nurturing
school. We believe in our students.'
That confidence and work-has
translated into results, he says
Twenty two percent of Carver's
students made the honor roll every
quarter last year. Fifty six percent
have made the honor roll at least
one time. ?
j
Piggott is also quick to point out
the accomplishments of the school's
graduates
His daughter, Dionne, was the
only Morehead Scholarship recipi
ent among public school students in
the County in 1994. She's graduat
ing from UNC-Chapel Hill ' .this
year and will enter medical school
in the fall.
John Mark Oliver, a 1990 gradu
ate, graduated of Morehouse Col
lege and attended Chapel Hill's
School of Dentistry. ]
Nineteen eighty-nine graduate.
Erica Johnson-Brooks received a
law degree from Duke University in
1996.
These students and others speak
for the school's reputation, Piggott
says
"Carver is a good institution/' he
said.
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