Page Four
THE BENNETT BANNER
FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 1978
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Disco: Lively and Here to Stay
by Dotty Brown
“Pure, good sounding, good
quality music with a lively, up
tempo used to replace live enter
tainment by playing the records
back-to-back, with the intention
of keeping the crowd dancing so
as not to miss the live entertain
ment.”
That is what disco is, says Rich
ard Bowling, owner of the Cosmos
Clubs.
The DJ’s of Washington, D. C,
are often quoted as saying, “Music
reflects the time in which we
live.” If this is true, then what
can today’s music have to say
about us? Kspecially the disco
sound. What does the dsico tell
us about the people who listen
to it, buy it, and produce it?
Some people feel that disco is
here to stay, that it is the life
blood of young adults. On the
other hand, there are those who
feel that disco music is a passing
fad.
Of course no one can honestly
say what today’s music is all
about; or where it’s going, if it’s
going anywhere. But, the opinion
and theories of persons whose pro
fession deals largely with music
or those persons who deal directly
with music daily may prove to be
more valid than that of the aver
age person.
Interview with Bowling
In the quiet, dimly lit dining
area of his club and restaurant,
The Cosmos, Richard Bowling
speaks of the disco as though he
had rehearsed and said it many
times before. “Before we can dis
cuss disco or disco music we must
first define it,” he said. “The word
‘disco’ is derived from the word
‘discotheque,’ which is simply a
place where records are played for
entertainment. Now the connota
tion of the word ‘disco’ is used to
Seniors Recognize Inspirations
by Joyce A. Bass
There’s an old chche that says
“Behind every good man, there’s
a woman.” Well, in this particular
situation, we want to instill the
idea that, “behind every success
ful student, there has been an in
spiration.”
Graduation is slowly nearing
and the rooms in Player Hall are
beginning to take on that “bare
look,” as seniors begin to pack up
in preparation for the end of a
four-year journey. Now, looking
back, was there anything or any
one who contributed to this climb
upward, who at this moment in
time, should get the pat on the
back? Several members of the
Class of ’78 said “yes” and named
names.
Many of the seniors said that
persons outside their particular
disciplines had played major roles
in molding their lives as students
at Bennett.
“Miss Georgie Latimer and one
of her sayings will always be with
me. She said to me once, ‘Don’t
let other people determine whether
you will smile that day.’ ” said
Kathy Johnson, a special educa
tion major from Winston-Salem.
Pamela Dalton, a social welfare
major from Winston-Salem said,
“Dr. Dorinda Trader has been a
source of inspiration. She is an ex
ample of strong determination.”
“To me. Dr. Charlotte Alston is
an, inspiration. She lets you know
what responsibility is all about.
To her, your obligations come first
and all else is trivial,” said Angel
Bynum, an early childhood edu
cation major from Tarboro.
A senior for Elberton, Georgia
and a political science major, Ma
tilda Allen said, “Mrs. Amy Reyn
olds fits my idea of an inspiration.
She believes in helping you when
you need help. She doesn’t show
favoritism and I can relate to her
on a friend to friend level.”
Other senior class members
looked within their major depart
ments and found that their “push”
to go on had come from that area.
Audrey Wall, an early childhood
major, from Landover, Maryland
said, “Mrs. Mary Scarlette is my
type of lady. She is well-versed
in the field of education. She gives
her everything in the classroom.
She has helped me through many
stumbling blocks. I wouldn’t
have made it without her. She’s
alright with me.”
“The entire Physical Education
Department pushed me on,” said
Etta Cox, a health, physical edu
cation and recreation major from
Miami, Florida. “I found it easy
to relate to each of them on a stu-
dent-to-teacher level and a per-
son-to-person level.”
Janice Minter, an intermediate
education major, from Cleveland,
Ohio said, “Mr. Jimmy Faison has
inspired me to continue. He has
been a friend as well as an in
structor.”
“Mrs. Carrie Shute with her un
derstanding and kind personality,
has really given me inspiration in
the field of education,” said Viv-
ette Outen, a early childhood edu
cation major from Gastonia.
There were other seniors who
were asked to name their sources
of inspirations. Many replied that
various members of their fami
lies or a personal desire to have
an education kept them going
when nothing else would.
And in many ways, this inner
push was a part of each senior.
That extra “boost” was welcomed
and appreciated far more than
words can ever express. So, we
close the year with deep gratitude
and many, many thanks.
identify a certain type of place,
people, atmosphere, and music
combined to replace live enter
tainment.”
During a break in the conversa
tion, when Bowling paused to an
swer the telephone, it was very
easy to see how a person could
enter this club, melt into its at
mosphere and forget that there is
an outside world. Bowling jumped
back into the conversation as
though it had never been inter
rupted, saying, “Discos will be
around for a long time because of
recorded music. The name may
change, but ten years from now
people will still be dancing.”
Afternoon Delight
A disco club that is alive with
the energies of its inhabitants by
night, stands still, cold, and life
less by day. Rodney Barnes, pro
gram director, Afternoon Delight
Night Club, is a very business-
minded person. Before Barnes
says anything about anything, he
makes himself comfortable in the
compact office of the club. He
then fills his pipe with tobacco,
and nods to let me know that he
is ready to begin.
Barnes says that people began
to grow tired of hearing the same
local bands night after night. He
also said that the fifteen-to-
twenty-minute breaks that the
bands often took were of no ad
vantage. “People appreciate dis
co,” he says. “A lot of people will
come out to a disco just to be with
a special crowd.” He also men
tioned that disco is so popular now
that there are recording compa
nies who produce only disco rec
ords and distribute them to vari
ous clubs and discotheques for
promotion.
After a refill of tobacco and a
sip of soda, Barnes is ready to
continue. When speaking about
music in relation to people, Barnes
says that most things today are
symbolic of sex or sexual encoun
ters; so is our music. “Even disco,”
he said. “If you were to stop and
listen to the lyrics of many of the
latest disco tunes you will find
that the idea behind many of them
is sex oriented.”
In a very business like manner,
Barnes stated that the disco of the
’70’s took the place of the “Go-Go”
of the ’60’s, and eventually the
name “disco” will be changed, but
it’s all basically the same.
An Engineer’s View
Ron Schrank, engineer and
owner of the Lazy Moon Record
ing Studio, says flatly, “The whole
thing is a fad.” Schrank’s confi
dence in himself and his knowl
edge of music shines through his
cool exterior.
Schrank believes that the whole
concept behind the disco sound is
the beat. “It’s danceable,” he says.
This age of technology which we
are now witnessing is given a lot
of credit for disco music as far
as Schrank is concerned. Looking
up from the headphone feeds that
he was building, Schrank said,
“Disco would not have been pos
sible if it were not for technology.”
To point out the good qualities
of jazz, which Schrank prefers
over disco, he put down his hall-
completed headphone feeds to put
on a mellow album by Bob James.
After Schrank had resettled him
self in his chair, he went on to say,
“Jazz will go the extra mile to
give you the completeness of full
orchestration, whereas disco
makes use of sythesizers.” We
studied the album for a moment,
and then, as though he had given
it a lot of thought, Schrank said,
“One good thing about disco music
is that it brings younger people
into music.” Bob James’ album
played on, filling the studio with
its mellow completeness.
Summing Up
I have concluded from these in
terviews that people who are of
the “Disco Era” are lively, ener
getic, creative people, searching
for an “outlet” to call their own,
an outlet, which is, in fact, one
which brings together people who
share a mutual interest. That in
terest is to free themselves from
the cares and problems of the
world, even if that freedom ends
when the records cease to spin.
78 Graduates to Pursue Careers ttirougti HIglier Education
by Sharon L. Sanders
Joyce A. Bass, ISP/com
munications major, has been
accepted to the School of
Journalism at the University
of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill. Joyce will pursue her
master’s degree.
Cassandra N. Jones, ISP/
English major, has been ac
cepted to the Graduate School
of Public and International
Affairs (GSPIA) at the Uni
versity of Pittsburgh, Pitts
burgh, Pa., to Ohio State Uni
versity Law School, and to the
University of Pennsylvania
Law School.
Marilyn Hicks, ISP/biology
major, has been accepted to
Ohio State University. She
has been awarded a tuition
and fee grant with a teaching
assistantship from the School
of Biological Sciences. She
will pursue a Ph.D. degree in
zoology.
Olivia Penn, a home eco
nomics education major, has
been awarded a full graduate
fellowship from the Ohio
State University. She will
pursue a Ph.D. degree in edu
cational administration.
Terry Marie Lewis, senior
business administration ma
jor from Washington, D. C.,
has been accepted to Atlanta
University to pursue a mas
ter’s degree in business ad
ministration with a concen
tration in marketing or fi
nance.
Gymnastics Classes Host 2nd Annual Ben-O-Lympics
by Ursula Joanne Joyner
The Bennett College Gym
nastics classes, instructed by
Joella Hendricks, sponsored
their 2nd Annual Ben-O-Lym
pics on Tuesday, April 25 at
8:00 p.m. in Goode Gym.
The students exhibited the
skills they learned through
out the semester. They did
routines on one or more of the
following apparatus; balance
beam, unevens, vault and free
exercise.
The students were divided
into two groups, the begin
ners and the advanced. The
students in the advanced class
were: Mondrell Jester, Anita
Taylor, Donna Simmons, Ber
nice Brunson, Charisse Rob
inson, Stephanie Wright, Jo
anne Joyner, Angel Blood-
worth, Annie Howell, Pat Car
roll, and Jackie Smith.
The beginners were: Teresa
Blakney, Angela Briley, Lu
cinda Brunson, Loretta Canty,
Rita Cobb, Jennifer Fennell,
Coretha Ford, Miranda
Holmes, Barb Johnson, Fran
ces Kay, Joyce McCloud,
Robyn McCollum, Swanda Mc
Cormick, Vanessa Morgan,
Beverly Randolph, 0 u i d a
Scarborough, Dot Sills, Rhoda
Blair, Andreze Bailey, Betty
Kirkland, Terri Ellis, Romona
Reid and Twinkle Richmond.
DST Salutes Dr. King
by Joyce A. Bass
It was a day for remembering
and with the aid of the Zeta Omi-
cron Chapter of Delta Sigma
Theta Sorority, Incorporated, of
Bennett College, members of the
student body joined in a me
morial service for the late Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr., April 4
in the Annie Merner Pfeiffer
Chapel.
Franzine Franklin, presided over
the program which began with
tributes and songgs dedicated to
the memory of Dr. King. Presi
dent of the chapter, Marva Vaughn
gave a stirring rendition of Dr.
King’s speech, “I Have A Dream.”
Members of the audience were
moved to tears at one point dur
ing the speech.
The Delta Sorority has had sev
eral functions throughout the year.
Several bake sales and college
dances have been hosted by the
group in efforts to raise money
for their scholarship given an
nually to an incoming freshman
student. Benefits from their ser
vice projects were given to the
United Negro College Fund and
national endowment fund.
Among their most recent service
endeavors were the UNCF Tele
thon, a Story-Book Hour, Hallo
ween Party for Mclver School
for Special Children, a clothing
drive, a spaghetti dinner, car
washes and, the climax of the
year, their Spring Cabaret.
The chapter is now collecting
clothes for needy Greensboro resi
dents and has had success in this
effort. The members are also col
lecting stamps in an effort to send
money overseas to needy children
for education purposes. Their
present service project is with the
Children’s Home Society of
Greensboro.
Delta Sigma Theta is a public
service sorority dedicated to the
ideas of service, scholarship and
high social and intellectual life.
The organization strives to pro
mote and encourage achievement
in education and scholarship
through involvement in academic
and community endeavors.
The members of Delta Sigma
Theta feel that the true gift to
mankind is that given from the
heart.
MILESTONES FOR BLACKS
A Calendar
by Sharon L. Sanders
**BE AWARE*=^
April 1, 1899—North Carolina Mutual Insurance Com
pany opened for business
April 4, 1968—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassi
nated
April 5, 1865—Booker T. Washington was born
April 6, 1909-—Matthew Henson first man to reach the
North Pole
April 10, 1947—Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s racial
barrier
April 11, 1883—Spelman College founded in Atlanta, Ga.
April 14, 1775—First Abolitionist Society in U. S. founded
April 16, 1862—Congress abolished slavery in the District
of Columbia
April 19, 1775—Minutemen defeat British at Concord
with black soldiers, including Lemuel Hay
nes and Peter Salem, playing key roles
May 17, 1954
May 24, 1854-
-U. S. Supreme Court ends segregation in
public schools
-Lincoln University (Pennsylvania)
founded
May 25, 1937 —Henry 0. Tanner, famous black artist died
May 28, 1942 —George W. Carver discovered peanut shell
could be used as fertilizer