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From Editors Desk . . .
SOMEBODY HELP US!
DRUGS, PREGNANCIES, VERENEAL DISEASES, AND
ALCOHOLISM ARE REALITIES! This is not a scare. These
problems exist throughout the country. Students on campus
know the seriousness of the “New Morality.” They have faced
up to the realities. But faculty, parents, and alumnae have
not. They would rather see these problems discussed behind
closed doors. “Bennett College has no such problems.” They
have persuaded the more idealistic students to believe that
all is well on campus.
Our college, small as it is, has its share of students who
need help that cannot be obtained from the classroom. No one
is saying that Bennett students condone drugs, illicit sex, or
alcohol. But services should be made available to those who
want them, if it’s only two. Campuses across the nation are
setting up referral services or health centers to help their
own. Just having someone to confer with could save the life
of a desperate student. It does not take much money to offer
a little guidance, comfort, or advice.
The Banner staff was attacked for running abortion ads
in its paper, not by students who benefited from the informa
tion, but by faculty members and trustees. Why? Can it be
attributed to close-mlndedness — Victorian ideas?
Must our students seek help out in the streets? Must they
turn to butchers in dark rooms or to suicide?
The Banner Staff is requesting that the Student Govern
ment take Immediate action in this area. We will continue to
press this issue until something is done.
A FRESHMAN VOICES CONCERN
“They can at least clean up the campus.” “Why don’t
they have more activities?” “Chapel needs to be livened up!”
These are just a few of the comments making the rounds at
Bennett these days. Many freshmen say that they were dis
appointed when they arrived, because the campus looked run
down. They have been complaining about the lack of activi
ties other than vespers on campus. Then they feel that the
Vesper service is boring. Yet, less than 1/3 of the freshman
class attended the freshman class meeting on Oct. 28 to voice
their opinions. It seems that we want changes at Bennett, but
are unwilling to work for them. We like to complain, but
don’t care enough to do anything about the changes we com
plain about. If this is true, we have a clear case of student
apathy.
Such apathy and lack of interest on a college campus,
shows immaturity and negligence on the part of the students.
Therefore we are not ready to accept the responsibility of
running the world when 'our generation comes to bat in the
very near future.
This is not directed at freshmen alone, it is even more
directed to the upperclassmen who will have to face this re
sponsibility sooner.
But we all complain about the world as well as our cam
pus which represents just a tiny segment of that world. We
talk of the conditions of the world, the crime, the pollution,
and the war. If we let apathy go unchecked on our campus,
as small as it may be, will not that same apathy spread to
the world? If so, we will never have a better campus or a
better world.
A Thought . . .
DARE TO BE AN INDIVIDUAL
BENNETT BANNER
NOVEMBER 18, 1971
Everyone needs to know
who he is and what he is
about. I cannot tell you nor
can the girl down the hall.
Maturity only comes to the
person who knows for her
self what her being is about.
So many of us get lost in the
crowd. We are scared to ven
ture out alone. We take
everything at face value. We
are scared to be branded as
an individual, because we
do not know what the term
means.
We run away from the
issues because it takes too
much energy and thinking to
work out a practical solution.
We follow everyone who
meets us with a “pro-Black”
theme whether there is real
istic logic behind him or not.
We are quick to point out
who is Black and who is not,
without really knowing what
being Black is all about.
When the students on this
campus find out who they
are and what they are about,
many of our campus prob
lems will disappear. When
outmoded faculty members
dare to undertake the unusual
our campus problems will
disappear. WTien the admin
istration up-dates its policies
our campus problems will
disappear. When the alumnae
redefines certain priorities
our campus problems will
disappear. Wlien the trustees
find out relevant campus con
cerns our problems will dis
appear.
Once we all find out what
life is truly about, then we
will be able to pull ourselves
up and make BENNETT re
spond to the needs of a suf
fering society.
lo
tc
PANIC CONQUERS LOGIC
Facts: A Bennett student
was stricken with meningitis.
The student, who had been
away from the campus, be
came quite ill on the return
trip to the campus and was
taken to Cone Hospital where
she is being treated.
Rumors then began to
sweep the campus, starting in
Merner Hall where the stu
dent resided. Students who
should have reached the stage
in their lives where common
sense should govern over ig
norance, paniced before they
obtained the vital facts. The
first delegation reached the
President’s house and voiced
their concern. MENENGITIS
WAS ON THE RAMPAGE'
The group who had accom
panied the stricken student
on an off-campus outing, con
ferred with Dr. Miller on
Monday night. Having been
refused treatment at Cone
Hospital, they were concern
ed for their health. The
amazing fact is they
had c o n t r o 11 over their
emotions and were prepared
to hear the facts. But those
who gained knowledge, pure
ly by accident, went into
panic from the start.
After contacting the PROP
ER HEALTH AUTHORI
TIES, Dr. Miller went to
Merner to console them with
the facts and let them know
that the matter was under
control Did LOGIC prevail?
Oh No!
A dorm matron called her
girls down to the parlor and
proceeded to give them an
unprofessional, ignorant by
play of the events. Another
student, whose father hap
pens to be a physician, feels
that she needs to know the
facts about the ill student so
that she can give her father
a professional opinion so that
he can diagnose precaution
ary treatment for her. LOG
IC? Then another, has work
ed herself into a nervous
condition. LOGIC?
It is natural to get upset
over such occurrences, but
one part of becoming an
ADULT is the ability to con
trol the emotions. Such panic
could have had a crucial, dis
astrous outcome for the whole
city, as well as the campus.
It may have been to every
one’s advantage if the Health
Mobile had pulled on campus
to give everyone the
NEEDLE. Now that’s LOGIC.
Isaac H. Miller, says that
danger of the infection spread
ing to other students has ap
parently vanished. Anyone
who would have contacted
the disease from sophomore
Valarie Moore should have
shown symptoms by now.
Valarie is presently in
Moses Cone Hospital in in-
tensive care with meningococ
cal meningitis which is very
contageous.
The college informary made
available prophylactic treat
ment of sulfur tablets to all
persons who may have come
into contact with the infect
ed student.
Valerie Moore whose con
dition is critical, was to have
been honored during the Fall
Convpcation for honor stu
dents last week, as well as to
become an AKA pledgee. She
is a very active student lead
er on the campus. The en
tire Bennett Family is pull
ing for a quick recovery for
a “wonderful Belle.”
On Activism
On Tuesday, November 2,
1971, Jerry Walker, a repre
sentative from SOBU spoke
to the Bennett Family on
Student Activism. He stated
that student activism has
been ^a factor in American
life since 1960 when four
freshmen from A&T State
University held a sit-in at a
downtown lunch counter.
This was the first major ef
fort of Black students to
achieve desegregation, racial
equality, and justice.
He added that since that
time, students have played a
leading role in major activi
ties. In 1964, Black students
from all over the nation
started a massive voter reg
istration drive which enabled
Black people to gain more
political power.
During the years 1968 and
1969, Black Nationalism be
came very important; Black
people were proud of them
selves' and their African herit
age. Students began to ask
for courses in Black Studies
at colleges around the na
tion; they also wondered if
the over-all college curricu
lum was really preparing
for life outside the college
campus.
After a lot of serious think
ing, the students realized that
the ultimate goal of the Black
person is to find out who he
is, where he is, and where
he is going.
BANNER STAFF
CO-EDITORS
Janee Blue — Myra Davis
Managing Editor Diann Dawson
Feature Editor Cynthia McCaskill
Photographer Myra Davis
Sports Writer Elizabeth Hemingway
Circulation Editor ^..Myra McCoy
Copy Editor Shirley Francis
Advisor .. Barbara Proctor
STAFF
Reba Turner Perdita Jay
Priscilla Mungin Janice Hatch
Betty Brown Florence Jenkins
Renee Carrington Diana Wilson
Patricia Williams Sharon Cardoza
Sandra Neely Marcia Dunn