FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 1978
THE BENNETT BANNER
Page Three
Letters to the Editor
Belles Concerned Over NAACP, Pride
Dear Editor:
Bennett College was the host of
a N.A.A.C.P. on the weekend of
March 31-April 1. It seems strange
that there was very little pub
licity for the conference and zero
support from the faculty and staff
of a predominantly black wom
en’s college. For us, the students,
it was truly a disgrace for our
poor support; and as for the fac
ulty and staff, it has permanently
scarred their record with the
N.A.A.C.P. and with me as a stu
dent. Although it seems that they
could really care less. But they
really should for I’m sure that
during their day and time the
N.A.A.C.P. was the backbone of
Negro advancement, and sup
ported all black-oriented busi
nesses, and schools in their strug
gle to grow and prosper.
When they asked our school to
host the conference, we accepted
gladly. Obviously it must have
been for the publicity. Because
when it came down to the plan
ning, and carrying out the plans
and promises made, there was no
staff or faculty support. When the
leaders needed some necessary
equipment, or some trivial ma
terials for the conference, no one
was there to aid them. Of course
there were a few students there
who tried to help and assist in any
way possible, but they could only
do so much without the approval
of a staff or faculty member.
It is truly a shame and it brings
tears to my eyes to think that we
as a black institution, which I
am sure has asked the N.A.A.C.P.
for aid in some form or fashion,
or at least gained something from
their struggle, turned our backs
when they called on us for our
support. Such a small favor they
asked, only that we sponsor their
conference that would in turn
benefit us. It should have been an
honor. It really seemed to me such
a trivial favor to ask of your own,
after that particular organization
has done so much for so many of
us. Maybe not on a personal level,
but they certainly have helped to
“bring us thus far on our way.”
The faculty and staff always
complain that students don’t en
gage in worthwhile activities, that
we don’t know how to budget our
time, and that we don’t know our
priorities. Should our priorities be
put upon A.C.E.S. programs con
sisting of faculty recitals, or some
unknown group of strange people
playing chamber music, or should
they be put on the N.A.A.C.P.’s
plea to gain student and faculty
support in the struggle of the
plight of today’s black youth? Tell
me, which is more important to
you? Well for me it is certainly
not a faculty recital; neither is it
to sit an hour listening to chamber
music. But I guess that the fac
ulty and staff do not agree with
me, because not one of them was
present at the seminars and work
shops that were held.
Let us not forget from which we
came. Let us not feel so secure in
our present status or position that
we feel that we can turn our back
on the hand that once supported
and still supports us, for we never
know when we may need that
hand again.
Upon arrival at Bennett we are
always reminded that we are
proud black women. We are to
walk with our heads up high, for
we have progressed and will con
tinue to progress. We are sup
posed to be tomorrow’s leaders.
Yes, the black woman as well as
the black race as a whole has
definitely come a long way. But
who helped to throw the first
blows at society to make us black
and proud? Who organized in a
strong group, to benefit their peo
ple so that we would be heard?
Who has struggled long and hard
to see that blacks have equal
rights? Who fought so hard for
desegregation, and higher levels of
education for blacks? Who has
taken more cases to the federal
courts to fight for civil rights?
And who has made it possible for
an institution such as Bennett to
survive and function freely as
the institution chooses to?
Who? I will teU you who. It’s
an organization that was in ex
istence before we students were
ever thought of, and over the
years it has grown and prospered.
And from this growth we as a
people have prospered too. There
should be pride whenever its
name is spoken from our lips.
That organization is the National
Association for the Advancement
of Colored People, better known
as the N.A.A.C.P. So why is it
that the faculty and staff of Ben
nett College, who are predomi
nantly black acted as though they
had never heard of the organiza
tion? And tell me how it is that
the Bennett College staff and ad
ministrators did not have the time
to welcome any of the officers to
Bennett College nor did they
attend any of scheduled activities.
Why also was there so much fric
tion between our college leaders
and the leaders of the N.A.A.C.P.?
I cannot and will not ever be able
to comprehend the injustice that
we rendered to our own organi
zation.
But to top everything off it was
really ironic that we as a college
did nothing to make them feel
comfortable nor let them know
that we were interested. Yet we
received from the N.A.A.C.P. a
trophy and a certificate with
which the organization thanks us
(Bennett College) for our cordial
attitude and our outstanding
achievements for a college chap
ter.
Maybe some of our past
achievements are commendable,
and as a college chapter we have
progressed and have contributed.
But as for the campus as a whole,
we have done nothing to deserve
a trophy or a certificate. As for
our cordial attitude, half of the
faculty and staff did not even
know or care enough to take time
out to let the organization know
that they knew that it still ex
isted.
Only a few students are able
to say that they helped to make
the visitors feel comfortable, but
at least there was some type of
representation from the students.
Faculty and staff where were you?
Maybe you need to take time out
to be aware of things that happen
on the college campus, your col
lege campus. We as students take
time out; we are aware, we have
to determine our priorities. So
faculty and staff tell us, exactly
where do your priorities lie?
Signed
Ashamed
Dear Editor;
What has happened to our
school spirit as compared to that
of the enthusiastic 50’s? What has
happened to the forces that moti
vated students toward excellence?
Why have our students become so
apathetic? What about self-respect
and respecting others?
It appears that as each year
passes our students are showing
more and more apathy. Where do
we begin to start a re-awakening
to our campus involvement? How
can we limit the negative atti
tudes and complaints? Where
would we be today if we had a
“Gung-Ho” attitude throughout
the year.
We return each Fall term with
revived faith in our planned ac
tivities toward achieving our
goals, but somewhere during the
passage-of-time we seem to falter
and fall.
My fellow students, we need to
ponder the above questions if we
are to return to excellence; and
excellence is needed to insure the
on-going future of black institu
tions.
We as students have a great re
sponsibility to Bennett and her
reputation as an institution of
higher learning steeped in the
practice of academic excellence.
Let’s spend this s-ummer think
ing and planning ways to abolish
this apathy. Let’s stop complain
ing about the lack of activities,
conditions, and other pettiness and
become involved to find solutions.
Thomasina Stallings
Dear Editor:
Everyone’s talking about getting
back to the basics in education.
Granted that it is needed in the
areas of grammar, reading and
computation. But on the other side
of the coin there is also the need
to get back to sound value sys
tems. Whatever happened to self-
pride and good manners in young
black people?
While it is noticeable in many
women on this campus, a signifi
cant number of students fail to
demonstrate such habits. It was
quite evident at the recent per
formance of the Morehouse Col
lege Glee Club. After nearly 18
years or more, some people still
do not realize that “there is a time
for all things.” And a formal con
cert is not the time to wear jog
ging shorts, jeans, head rags and
such. Nor is it the time to dem
onstrate one’s enjoyment by
screaming.
One really questions whether a
junior in college—the one in jog
ging shorts—knows what is ap
propriate attire. Well, it may have
been that she didn’t know (al
though common sense teaches
some things) or she just didn’t
care. Then, there are those peo
ple who do not know the mean
ing of punctuahty, those inconsid
erate people who walk in during
the performance. What about
those people who applaud after
each selection rather than at the
completion of the groupings?
A liberal arts education should
expose students to a well-rounded
college experience that is repre
sentative of life in the profes
sional world. While many students
fail to realize the purpose of
lyceum presentations, we must at
tempt to instill in them “the ways
of intelligent black women.”
Certainly, these may appear
trivial concerns in the face of de
manding academic and social chal
lenges. But college graduates find
themselves in a variety of en
vironments which demand knowl
edge of social etiquette. What bet
ter time to practice such behavior.
What’s wrong with finer wom
anhood? Is it something to be
ashamed of? I don’t think so. In
fact, it attracts more attention
than uncouth behavior and cer
tainly gains more respect. In the
future, let’s hope that instructors,
residence hall personnel, alumnae,
and sorority women will work to
bring some of the “finer things
back to the college experience.”
Is it really trivial? Don’t fool
yourself that it is. You set the
image of Bennett College by your
actions. This image follows you
when you apply for employment,
when the recruiters visit high
schools and when the president
seeks additional funds. So it seems
reasonable to assume that we
should all be willing to do some
thing about this public image. If
you are not able to comprehend
this relationship, then you should
question your presence here.
Someone must say to the neg
ative image bearers—^those who
Linda Smith, a sophomore
electrical engineering and
mathematics major at Ben
nett College, was recntly hon
ored as the most outstanding
freshman in the Electrical En
gineering Department at N. C.
A&T State University.
In addition to the trophy
she received for this accom-
do not know or who do not care
—that we can no longer ignore
their ignorance and callousness.
After all, the future of Bennett
College is affected. And that
someone is YOU.
Miss Myra Davis
Dear Editor:
Recently, Dr. CarolyH Payton,
Director of the Peace Corps and a
former Bennett graduate, ad
dressed the student body and
guests during the Women’s
Studies week of activities. There
were several remarks in her
speech which left me quite dis
illusioned. I am referring to her
attack on black studies.
Presently, I am enrolled in
every class offered on Bennett’s
campus pertaining to black
studies (Afro-American History,
Afro-American Literature, Har
lem Renaissance Honors Collo-
guium). I love these courses be
cause I am discovering all the
great accomplishments that black
people have made to make this
country what it is today. I am not
saying that all of it is good, but
at least I have knowledge of my
past and can feel proud of it.
Dr. Payton used the example of
teaching a class in black home
economics in which students would
learn how to clean chitterlings
and pick worms out of collard
greens. I think that was an un
fair example to dissuade students
from seeking these courses.
I do agree with her in thinking
that just a knowledge of black
subjects will not get you through
life; but I think that the great ex
amples of black leaders, both past
and present, will encourage stu
dents to strive harder to be suc
cessful.
When I first came to Bennett, I
found it unbelievable when sev
eral of my peers were unable to
relate to many of our present
black leaders. I cannot solely
blame them for not learning this
in public schools since many of
them come from places where
black studies are extracted from
the curriculum; but I do not un
derstand why they do not read
newspapers, magazines or books
that contain pertinent information
about our history. If they are too
lazy to read, then the television
can serve as a tool for becoming
more aware of what blacks are
accomplishing.
By learning about our past, stu
dents will realize that history is
constantly repeated. They will
learn that Dr. Martin Luther
King’s marches in the 50’s and
60’s were not the only non-violent
marches but there was a Silent
March in 1917 for the same pur
poses. They will also learn that
Purlie and The Wiz are not among
the first black musical broadway
plays, but Shuffle Along was the
first.
I get the impression that stu
dents feel that Afro-American his
tory is only for history majors and
Afro-American literature is only
for English majors.
I encourage Bennett students to
take advantage of the courses to
give them more knowledge of the
accomplishments and defeats of
our race. We are of a beautiful
race and should know our roots
and feel proud of being black.
Very Concerned Student
plishment, Linda received a
second trophy for maintaining
a grade point average which
qualified her for membership
in the 3.8 Club.
Linda, a Greensboro native,
is one of the first two stu
dents who have elected a ma
jor in Bennett’s new Dual De
gree Engineering Program.
Members of the freshman class boosted a “Look at the ’50’s” Day to lead
into spring.
photo by Joyce Bass
Belle Wins A&T Engineering Award;
Wins Second Award for High Grades