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12A
Cljarlotte
UMOTA
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1997
Have something you want
to get off your chest?
The Post is looking for original editorials
for Umoja. For more information, call 376-
0496.
WORD
AROUND
CAMP
Scholarship
opportxmities
• The Graduate School of
Biomedical Sciences at Baylor
College is offering students a
chance to study the newest sci
entific advances. Eighty stu
dents from around the U.S. will
have a chance to study cloning
and gene therapies as part of its
Summer Medical and Research
Training Program. SMART stu
dents receive a salary and are
eligible for dormitory housing.
The program is open to college
sophomores and juniors. For
more information call (713) 798-
5915.
• College students interested
in a career in medicine apply for
the Honors Premedical Academy
at Houston’s Baylor College and
Rice University.
Participants will earn nine
credit hours and will work with
physician while taking science
and communications courses
during the six week program.
Applicants must have one year
of college biology and a 3.0
cumulative grade point average
and at least a 2.75 GPA in the
sciences. For more information,
call (800) 798-8244.
• Nominations are being
accepted for the James B. Hunt
Citizen Awards to be presented
to one bigh school student from
each of North Carolina’s 100
counties.
Scholarships worth $5,000,
$3,000 and $2,000 will be pre
sented for use at any college.
Nominations forms are Sal
able by calling Wake Forest
University at (910) 759-4696
and must returned by Jan. 12,
1998.
Qualifications:
• North Carohna high school
sophomore or junior.
• Be community oriented. ^
• High moral standards
• Be a proven leader.
• Demonstrate ability to moti
vate others.
• Show effective communica
tion with the community.
• African American are
encouraged to apply for the John
B. Ervin Scholars Program at
Washington University in St.
Louis. Ten fi^shmen will receive
the renewable scholarship for
full tuition and an annual
stipend of $2,5(K) for four years.
Qualifications: Apply for fresh
man admission; submit an Ervin
Scholars application; submit two
letters of recommendation and
write two original essays. For
more information, call (314) 935-
68(X).
• Malcolm Pimie, a local envi
ronmental consultant firm, and
the United Negro CoUege,^^d
have developed a scholar^ip
program for students interested
in the environmental field. The
program is open to college
juniors majoring in the environ
mental field'. Students will
receive tuition scholarships
worth $3,000, paid summer
internships and assignment of a
mentor in their chosen field. Six
scholarships will be awarded.
For more information contact
Sylvia A. Bailey, Program
Manager, The College
Fund/UNCF, 8620 Willow Oaks
Corporate Drive, Fairfax, VA
22031.
• Four $500 scholarships will
be awarded to local high school
seniors by the Lincoln Bank of
North Carolina for its “Peace
Begiivs at Home” contest.
For more information call Tim
Reilly, 365-2880 or Teresa Little,
332-9034 extension 3028.
For more information about
any of the information in Word
Around Camp, call Jeri Young
at 376-0496.
Can we talk?
PHOTO/PAUL WILLIAMS III
Above Time Out Youth’s Shelton Sandifer (left) makes a point during a recent discussion of homosexuality at Livingstone
College while Mike Rogers looks on.
Students hear other side of gay issue
By Malcolm Plummer
FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST
SALISBURY - A group of
Livingstone College students
had a chance to talk openly
about homosexuality recently.
Last month, members of
Time Out Youth, a Charlotte
organization that provides sup
port for gay and bisexual
young people, participated in a
panel discussion.
’The session was organized by
Livingstone physical education
instructor Shelly Hamill. The
discussion marked the third
time Hamill has had TOY
members talk at Livingstone.
“Every time that Tve invited
them they have been very
effective,” Hamill said.
“Students need to be exposed
to individuals who prefer their
own sex to the opposite sex. I
think that students get caught
in their own heterosexuality
and ethnocentricity. A pro
gram like we’re having here
teaches students the under
standing of stepping out of
self.”
The audience, comprised
mostly of Hamill’s human sex
uality class and other stu
dents, got a chance to hear and
respond to the life experiences
of the gay and lesbian adults
and teenagers.
“This is a wonderful, safe
place,” said TOY, board mem
ber Connie Vetter. “We’re here
as a haven for people who have
no place to go for support.
We’re here to educate people
about our lifestyle and to dis
pel the stereotypes.”
'The discussion was at times
heated.
When asked by an audience
member about the comparison
of the gay rights movement to
the civil rights movement,
tempers flared.
“The movements are identi
cal,” panel member Jim Votsch
said. “Gays may lose their jobs
just like black people do. like
blacks, we’re are being killed
for no reason. Let’s face it. We
need to look at the big picture
- there are a small group of
powerful people who want to
make it harder for me as a gay
man to get eipployment. It’s
always easier for women to be
accepted as gay than men.”
Votsch,, an ordained Baptist
minister who is gay, was asked
several questions by students
who wondered how he dealt
with homosexuality and the
ministry.
“This minister really sur
prised me,” English major
Marcia Commander said.
“Never would I have thought
there would be a gay minister.”
Overall, Livingstone stu
dents thought the discussion
was positive. Homosexualify is
not a topic often discussed at
the school, which is affiliated
theAME Zion Church.
“It was aU right,” said sociolo
gy major Charlie Gray. “It was
a good discussion. To see peo
ple go in front of an audience of
people they don’t know takes a
lot of guts. I don’t know that
they go through the discrimi
nation that they go through.”
Tonda Taylor, TOYs founder
and director, says the panels
are positive because it gives
students a chance to talk with
gays and lesbians their age.
“We have some gutsy kids
who are willing to go out and
speak,” she said. “We almost
always have a panel of youth.
Rarely do I go out to do discus
sion by myself or just with
other board members. We
always try to take along youth.
It makes it easier to get people
to open up.”
According to Taylor, the
group does about 48 panel dis
cussions a year. Each time,
Taylor includes youth who are
new to the panel.
“We have no set repertoire of
answers,” Taylor said. “We
don’t have trained youth.
Sometimes the discussion does
get a little tense, but that’s
when people are most open.
They usually turn out to be
positive for both students and
panelists.”
Eric Currie, a 22 year-old
criminal justice major, agreed.
”I don’t have anything
against gays or lesbians,”
Currie said. “I was able to get
things from their perspective.”
Parents key to success for student
By Lauren Kendall
THE CHARLOTTE POST
A professor once told me “If
you think education is expen
sive, try ignorance.”
This saying is true and every
time I think the road to excel
lence is becoming too hard I con
sider this saying.
One of my biggest accomplish
ments was graduating fium high
school and entering college.
When I was in high school, the
thought of attending college
seemed like a major goal. By my
senior year in high school this
goal seemed more realistic, and
high school was unforgettable
because I knew my prom was
approaching and I would finally
be graduating. I was excited
about the prom but nervous
about filling out college applica
tions and waiting for the arrival
of acceptance or rejection letters.
I decided to go away to college
because I wanted to get a sense
of responsibility, meet new peo
ple and get out of New York. I
wanted to leave the city because
I did not feel the environment
would be conducive to my stud
ies. All my friends would be
home and I would feel like I was
in high school aU over again.
When I started receiving
acceptance, letters I was excited
and proud. I decided to go to
Johnson C. Smith University in
Charlotte because I felt comfort
able when I visited. Smith was
a wise choice because the profes
sors are kind and caring and
most of the students are like
family. I am also grateful to
have loving parents who have
stayed in my comer.
When I was in the fourth
grade, my parents separated. I
was devastated, but as I got
older I realized that it wasn’t
that bad. I was fortunate to
have parents who showed me
unconditional love. They were
encouraging and supported me
throughout my childhood as well
as adult years.
If my mother saw me getting
off track, she would let me know.
She constantly would teU me to
stay focused, work hard toward
my goals, and strive for excel
lence in everything I did. My
mother was open and honest
with me and gave me the guid
ance I needed to make the prop
er decisions in life.
My father was also an inspira
tional factor in my Hfe. He was
the best father any daughter
could ask for. Instead of walk
ing out of my life after they sepa
rated, he was active in my life
and my brother’s life daily. He
didn’t allow their separation to
hinder his ties with his children.
LAUREN KENDALL is a
junior at Johnson C. Smith
University.
Holiday
means
income
for many
By Cheris Hodges
r/ffi CHARLOTTE POST
The chill in the air
means one thing,
December is near. And
December brings the apex
of the holiday season,
Christmas.
For most students,
Christmas break is a wel
come event. The rush of
finals is over. It’s time to
rush to the mall and pick
up gifts for special friends
and family members. How
are students supposed to
buy these gifts without
asking mom, dad and the
grandparents for the
money?
It’s simple. Get a job.
This year, more retailers
are hiring seasonal i
employees. This puts stu
dents - or anyone with a
pulse for that matter - in
a great position to make
some quick cash.
“About a week ago, I was
desperate for some help,”
Cooper’s Watchworks
manager Alicia Laumark
said. “But just this week, I
hired one high school and
one college student.”
One look around
Eastland Mall shows that
many retailers have hired
college and high school
students for the holiday
season. West
Mecklenburg High School
senior Robin Mitchell
cashed in on the job rush.
Mitchell works in Lynn’s
Hallmark store in
Eastland.
“This job is for i
Christmas (money),” she
said.
Mitchell, who has
worked in the store for
almost a month, said the
job was easy to find and
she has the freedom to set
her own hours.
Stanley Norfleet, a
junior at Vance High
School, said he took a job
at Footlocker in Eastland
“just to have money.”
“I can’t be broke,” he
said.
Norfleet said that the
store’s business has
picked up with Christmas
closing in.
“It’s a lot busier now,” he
said. “We’ve hired one
new person in the last two
weeks.”
Johnson C. Smith
University senior Bryan
Ferguson has cashed in on
the Christmas season job
rush, but for a different
reason. “I took this job (at
Victoria’s Secret) for gas
money.”
Retailers are still hiring
or expect to do more hir
ing for the 1997
Christmas season.
Gadzooks assistant man
ager Melissa Beaver said,
“'Christmas gets extra
busy and (we) will have a
lot of new people on staff.”
For high school and col
lege students looking to
make an extra buck, head
out to the nearest mall
and fill out an application.
Just like Uncle Sam,
retailers want you.
Black MBAs host annual scholarship awards dinner tonight
By Cheris Hodges
THE CHARLOTTE POST
The National Black MBA
Association will host it’s sec
ond annual Scholarship
Awards Ceremony and Dinner
tonight.
Scholarship awards will be
presented to Johnson C.
Smith University Talia
Clemons and Isaac Mance, a
graduate student at Wake
Forest University’s Babcock
School of Management.
The awards are valued at
$1,000.
Students were judged in part
on essays. This year’s topic
was the problems brought on
by the federal governments
drop in aid to colleges.
Mance, who is a second year
graduate student in market
ing, said he was “very sur
prised to obtain the scholar
ship due to the competition.”
Clemons agreed.
“It was a hard topic to write
on,” she said.
JCSU president, Dorothy
Cowser Yancy will give the
keynote address.
The National MBA
Association is an international
group whose goal is to
increase development oppor
tunities for African Americans
in business.
The dinner will begin at 6:30
at the Adams Mark Hotel.