FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 1978
THE BENNETT BANNER
Page Three
West Indian Scholar Visits Bennett
Dr. Bradley Niles had a luncheon with foreign students.
Photo by Joyce A. Bass
First Miss Bennett College to Be Elected by Students
For the first time in the history
of the institution, students at Ben
nett will nominate and elect a
“Miss Bennett College.” The proc
ess will take place during the
Spring student government elec
tions.
The selection of the college’s of
ficial hostess is the result of two
years of study and discussion by
a special committee appointed by
the student government associa
tion in 1976. The final approval
was given by the college’s Execu
tive Council in the fall of 1977.
“We don’t want the purpose of a
campus queen to be interpreted as
a beauty or popularity contest,
but as a public relations function,”
explained committee spokesman
Myra Davis, public relations of
ficer.
“In our committee discussions,
we recommended that our Miss
Bennett College serve as official
student hostess at campus func
tions and that she represent the
student body at off-campus af
fairs,” Miss Davis said.
Numerous requests have been
received in the Public Relations
Office for Bennett to have a rep
resentative at Homecoming events
of surrounding colleges and uni
versities. More significantly. Miss
Bennett will represent the college
at alumnae or church functions.
She will also be on hand to wel
come college guests and to help in
the recruitment effort.
“Miss Bennett will play an ac
tive role in the Pre-Alumnae
Council,” said Miss Davis. “She
will assist in generating of campus
support for the United Negro Col
lege Fund and represent the insti
tution at the annual Pre-Alumnae
and Alumni Council Conference.”
She noted that the selection
process is very important and
by Joyce Bass
The Bennett campus was recent
ly honored with the presence of
a visiting scholar from the Min
istry of Education of Barbados,
West Indies.
Dr. Bradley Niles charmed
Bennett students with his interest
and views on education for the
black American and black Car-
ribean.
Dr. Niles said that the Phelps-
Stokes Fund chose Bennett Col
lege as his host college and he was
quite happy with the selection.
“This is the second all-girls
school that I have visited since I
began my travels. The first school
was an all-girls school in Japan. I
was there for three months,” he
said.
Dr. Niles said that the Phelps-
Stokes Exchange program is “a
should be done with caution.
“Miss Bennett will set the image
of Bennett Belles. When she
speaks before an audience, she
will be viewed as a Bennett stu
dent. Therefore, it is important
that the person elected be articu
late, appealing and poised.”
The nomination process is sim
ple. Each class is asked to nomi
nate two candidates from the up
coming junior and senior classes.
Candidates must have a cumula
tive academic average of at least
2.50 to qualify. Nominees will then
be interviewed by the screening
committee.
This committee will coordinate
a week of activities preceding the
election in order to acquaint stu
dents with the nominees. Such ac
tivities might include speaking
before the students in the resi
dence halls or chapel and a Coffee
Hour where students might meet
with the candidates.
“At first some of the committee
members had misgivings about
the selection of Miss Bennett,”
Miss Davis said.
“They felt that women might
allow personal prejudices and
jealousies to defeat the public re
lations function. But most of the
committee members felt that
Belles are special people and
would view this in the sense it
was created.
“We hope the selection will be
based on appearance, academics,
extracurricular involvement, per
sonality and personal interests.
These are the important consid
erations.”
Dean Has Suggestions
To Reduce Probations
(Continued from Page 1)
sistent practice,” according to Tip
ton.
In other attempts to curb the
rise in academic probations, Tip
ton suggests restricting student’s
extra-curricular activities so they
will have more time for aca
demics. He would also like to im
prove instruction through the de
velopment of faculty through the
encouragement of faculty mem
bers to continue their education on
a graduate level, through work
shops, and through travel.
A greater use of Bennett’s for
eign students for “international
understanding” is also suggested
by Dean Tipton.
An increase in library hours and
resources and improvement in the
consortium system are Dean Tip
ton’s other suggestions.
The most important ingredient
to improve a student’s academic
standing according to the Dean is
that “she, herself must have a de
veloping desire to learn. There’s
not much a faculty member can
do without a student’s burning de
sire to learn.”
tremendous eye-opener.” “You re
ceive first-hand knowledge of col
leges and universities and what
actually happens on their cam
puses,” he added.
He said that there is a great
need for communication between
blacks. “The future of the Car-
ribean black is directly related to
that of the American black. We
must create a link and set goals
for ourselves. We must strive to
meet these goals,” he said.
Dr. Niles said that the area of
teaching is popular in Barbados,
especially in physical education,
early childhood education, pre
school education, hand-crafts and
geography.
Barbados is under the auspices
of the British government and the
education system is therefore dif
ferent from the American system.
“At the age of eleven, children
are given an exam to determine
which secondary school, grammar,
comprehensive or independent,
the student will attend. Parents
have some say in the decision
making, but it largely depends on
the performance on the exam.
There are five years of high school
and a student finishes at the age
of 16 or 17 and decides which uni
versity she or he will attend.”
Dr. Niles said that the Univer
sity of West Indies and North
American schools are among
choices students make.
“We’ve been having some prob
lems in getting to North American
schools because it’s difficult to get
past immigration procedures. The
schools that our students wish to
enter, such as dental and veteri
narian schools, are not making
spaces available for our students.”
Are there special programs for
women or all-women’s colleges?
Dr. Niles replied, “We have an
all-girls high school. There are
also three or four women’s or
ganizations that are active in our
area. We have the National Or
ganization of Women, the Jay-
cettes, and the Business and Pro
fessional Women’s Club.”
He said that some schools and
colleges are chufch-related and
others are supported by the state.
Dr. Niles, whose official title is
education officer dealing with
post-secondary education, had
some advice for students in re
gards to education.
“I advise students to take their
education very seriously. The
world is waiting for their guidance
and advice.”
He said he is making an appeal
to the professionals on campus
and off campus, that although
their jobs demand much time,
they should try to take time out
to assist young people in general
programs and in their studies. The
crucial period is during the ages
of 14-22.
Dr. Niles did research during
1975 which showed that in low-
income homes, both black and
white, among parents and chil
dren, the concept of education is
limited. Parents especially in low-
income families must go the extra
mile to let their kids know what
they expect of them in regards to
school work, according to Dr.
Niles.
“The parents must demand high
standards from their children. Re
gardless of what is said, education
is still the salvation of the under
privileged,” he added.
Dr. Niles said that he had thor
oughly enjoyed his experience at
Bennett.
“I’d like to thank the faculty
and staff who have been quite
friendly. To the president and
members of the administrative
staff, I say thank you also.”
Of the student’s reaction to his
arrival and appearance. Dr. Niles
said, “They seemed to have a posi
tive attitude. In 1969, black stu
dents were suspicious of foreign
blacks and vice-versa. Today, in
1978, many of thise barriers have
been broken. There is a closer link
and appreciation between Ameri
can and foreign black students.”
DEAN’S LIST
(Based on academic achievement for the Fall Semester, 1977-78)
The students whose names
appear below have been placed on
the DEAN’S LIST because they have achieved the academic aver-
ags indicated in terms of the 4-point scale for the Fall Semester
of the academic year 1977-78 without having any grades below C ,
Dropped Passing (DP) or Dropped Failing (DF), and/or incomplete
(“I”) grades.
Freshmen 3.00 or above
Adenike Asabiokin Adejunmobi
Tonya Kristen Martin
Linda Faye Anderson
Edwina Bridgett Mitchell
Marchelle Kay Boatwright
Nora Nashay Mobley
Windy Yvette Brown
LaSandra Angelica Muldrow
Joann Butler
Estalinda Joyce Roberson
Felita Claybrooks
Beverly Ann Rumley
Alisia Dionne Coachman
Sharon Lee Sanders
Lenora Trina Dowe
Mary Jane Simpkins
Earlinda LaRue Elder
Tonni Yvonne Sullivan
Angel Elizabeth Ford
Sharon Elaine Tucker
Lisa Ann Johnson
Jennifer Gaye Wells
Sharonlyn Jones
Angela Marie West
Tina Ruth Jones
Donna Faye Wiley
Wanda Lynn Kincaid
Katherine Winston
Natalie Contessa Lowe
Sophomores 3.20 or above
Dino Michelle Bradley
Valerie Eileen Littlejohn
Angela Vernet Briley
Pamela Jean Morris
Cynthia Denise Brown
Barbara Gail Murphy
Sandra Marie Brown
Sheila Verna Purnell
Guila Betena Cooper
Yvette Ineatha Shelton
Melissa Lee Graves
Linda B. Smith
JoAnn Mecheal Harper
Julia Lee Williams
Debra Ann Hodges
Edwina Christine Wilson
Juniors 3.30 or above
Eva Ablorh
Edwina Michelle Hawkins
Dorothy Jean Brown
Linda Raye Hinnant
Bertha Kay Dolberry
Marcelle Angela Miranda
Veronica Siler Emerson
Debbie Cynthia Moser
Karen Jametta Ferguson
Hattie Lynetta Purnell
Franzine Karen Franklin
Cynthia Denise Robinson
Laureen Somone Gay
Deborah Denise Tillman
Seniors 3.40 or above
Anndreze Laytese Bailey
Kamala Manchigiah
Patricia Michelle Carroll
Swanda Elaine McCormick
Anita Ford
Rochelle Desiree Moody
Audrey Faye Forrest
Olivia Dianne Penn
Jennifer Fountain
Marsha Elaine Roebuck
Michelle Eileen Grandison
Vinette Ann Saunders
Barbara Lawanda Hamm
Jacqueline Juanita Thompson
Shawn Moretta Humphries
Sherita Thompson
B'arbara Angela Johnson
Marva Marie Vaughn
Cassandra Neomi Jones
SGA Needs Bennett Belle's Support
by Hattie Purnell
The Student Government Asso
ciation has recently been sub
jected to extreme criticism and
lack of support. The students
blame the Student Government
Association and the Student Gov
ernment blames the students. A
majority of the students don’t feel
that the SGA projects enough con
cern and interest in the student’s
ideas and gripes.
Renee Hall, a freshman from
Trenton, N. J., feels that more
emphasis should be placed on the
organization, especially for the
freshman. She also feels that stu
dent participation should be in
creased and that issues such as
curfew and coed visitation
shouldn’t be dropped. “But 1 sup
pose without student support there
really isn’t much that the SGA
\ ■
Vicentia Lipscomb, candidate for In
terdormitory Council president.
can do. So maybe the students
share the blame as well as the or
ganization because one needs the
other to function,” she said.
A business administration major
from Trenton, N. J., Niki Lane,
agrees with Renee; “1 feel that the
SGA should acquaint themselves
with the students, especially the
freshman. Because of the lack of
communication between the stu
dents and the Student Government
Association, students don’t know
where to take their gripes or con
cerns.”
With elections coming, many
students should be concerned
about whom they vote for and
which candidates are capable of
doing the job.
Karla Gary, a native of Ft.
Lauderdale, Fla., expressed the
need for more publicity. “There is
a great need for a personal ap
proach to keep students abreast of
the happenings with the SGA,” she
said.
Mildred Harris, a senior, when
asked how she felt about the SGA,
replied, “There’s nothing wrong
with the association; the fault lies
within the students. The SGA
could be more effective but they
really don’t have the support of
the student body. The student gov
ernment has a lot of good ideas,
but only a few students show up
to participate. We as students
should take a good look at our
selves to see what we can do.”
A junior, Karen Lewis, seemed
to know exactly what the student
body needs to do. “We should
think about what our late Presi
dent John Kennedy said and apply
it to ourselves: Ask not what your
SGA can do for you, ask what you
can do for your SGA.”