PAGE SIX
THE BENNETT BANNER
FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 1979
Security: constant problem
Dr. Gwendolyn O’Neal will be leaving us at the end of this semester. We wish
for our Bennett Sister only the best in all of her future endeavors.
Dr. O’Neal leaves Bennett family
by Joan A. Walker
Dr. Gwendolyn S. O’Neal,
assistant professor of Home
Economics is leaving to join
her husband.
She is a graduate of Ben
nett College, class of January
1970. She received her mas
ter’s at the University of
North Carolina at Greensboro
and Ph.D. at Ohio State
University.
While in college she thought
she would like to do some
thing in merchandising or re
tailing. Dr. O’Neal went
through what some seniors
are going through now, find
ing a job after graduating
from college.
She says she “always ran
into luck, was always at the
right place at the right time.”
The year she ^aduated was
also the same time the direc
tor of the Home Management
House was leaving. Dr. O’Neal
was asked if she would like
to hold this position. She had
no idea she was going to teach
clothing later on.
Drawing back in her chair,
her voice becomes soft when
she speaks of missing the stu
dent and teacher relationship.
She thinks this is a “big plus”
for Bennett.
She feels she will never find
another job that has more ac
ademic freedom “in terms of
the way we prepare and run
our own classes.” She added
that Bennett is also very flex
ible in its hours as long as
classes are met and office
hours are kept.
Dr. O’Neal devotes her time
to family, friends and stu
dents. She enjoys working
with student organizations,
but she is so busy that she
can’t give as much time as
she wants to.
Outside of work hours she
is involved in her member
ships on the Board of Direc
tors of the N. C. Home Eco
nomics Association and serves
as chairman of the College
and University Professional
Section of the Association.
Since she is such a busy
person she too needs time to
relax. After a hard day’s work
she finds reading relaxing be
fore sleeping. She is inter
ested in both fiction and non
fiction and is a member of
several book clubs.
She has an indispensible
sense of humor and is very
enthusiastic. Her future goals
are to publish some of her re
search this summer, to be a
master teacher, developing
her own material, which takes
time and to work toward the
writing of a book on clothing
as non-verbal communication.
She feels there is very little
on bookshelves on clothing as
non-verbal communication.
by Donna Meacham
We’re all familiar with the se
curity problems we have here on
campus. In the past we’ve had
“visitors” on campus who have
peeped in, broken in, hidden in,
and carried things out of our
dorms.
Because this is a college cam
pus, these problems don’t set us
apart in any big way. Most all
college campuses experience some
security problems, however small.
Our problem is made unique by
many factors, the least of which
is not our gender. Here we are, six
hundred young females living in
what is essentially one square
block in an urban setting, yet.
The fact that our campus is
private property is no deterrent
to, nor could it be expected to
thwart the efforts of, the hundreds
of thoroughly red-blooded males
who seem to view riding through
campus as the fulfillment of some
kind of fantasy.
When you get a situation like
this, there’s not much that can be
done in the way of control. That
is, it’s not feasible that every male
who comes on campus be made to
establish his sanity and/or good
intentions in some way.
So, how to keep out the weirdos?
How to keep out the neighborhood
vagrants who also happen to have
red blood and ready access to our
campus?
It’s impossible.
For this reason, it is most al
ways necessary to learn of an in
truder’s presence by surprise. And
that’s always unpleasant and most
certainly unnerving. One former
Bennett student in such a situation
defended herself against an attack
by an unusually insistent burglar
on his second “visit” to the cam
pus in the wee hours of the morn
ing of January 10, 1946; she shot
him.
Estelle Watson, then 20 years
old, fired a .38 caliber pistol
through a closed door as the man
attempted to break into the dorm
itory at about 5:50 a.m. He was
found at 6:30 by police on the far
side of the brick wall on the Gor-
rell Street side of campus, badly
wounded. He was taken to L.
Richardson hospital, where he died
soon afterward.
It seems that the same man,
who was wearing nothing but
shoes, had appeared at the dorm
at 3:00 a.m. and attempted to
break in, but left when a student
awoke and saw him. He later
came back and broke out a win
dow on the south side of the dorm.
After failing to gain entry, he pro
ceeded to the north side, where
he again tried to get in a window.
Undaunted by a second failure, he
went to a side door which he tried
to force open. It was here that
Estelle shot him with a pistol that
belonged to her dorm matron. She
was, incidentally, cleared of all
charges following an inquest.
Police said the man had a record
for vagrancy and assault on a fe
male prior to the incident.
So, ladies, learn never to take
your safety for granted. As it
stands, we are by no means iron
clad against crime; in fact, we’re
extremely susceptible to most
types. Augment our security
force’s efforts, no matter what you
may think of them, with your
own. Keep your side doors locked.
Don’t taunt or talk to weird guys
—they sometimes go on to prove
how weird they really are.
After you’ve done these things,
then keep a big stick behind your
door, if that makes you feel safe.
And promise yourself that if a
situation arises where you have to
use it, you won’t get stage fright.
And if all else fails and the situa
tion permits, remember: A good
run beats a bad stand any day.
Photo by Myra Davis
Mrs. Montez Byers assists Dean Chelsea Tipton in cutting the cake for the library’s 40th anniversary celebration.
Individuality: the secret of success
by Hattie Purnell
An identity truly is one of the
most important things which a
person must acquire and maintain
before she can emerge into today’s
society.
Graduating from Bennett Col
lege each year are so many young
ladies who don’t ever find their
true identity. Some enter Bennett
College and begin to live in some
one else’s shadow, being very un
realistic, illogical and irrational
about themselves and their future.
Then there are those few who
enter with their own identity and
struggle to maintain it even
though pressure may be applied
by their peers. These are the stu
dents who have been able to keep
their own identity throughout it
all.
Webster defines the word iden
tity as “the condition or fact of
being the same: sameness: the
condition or the fact of being
some specific person or thing: in
dividuality; the condition of being
the same as something or someone
described or claimed.”
Having your own identity en
tails an individual setting her own
goals, choosing her own friends.
making her own decisions and be
ing able to evaluate her own ac
tions. Being strong enough to pro
mote one’s own ideas, and goals
openly, is not always the easiest
thing for quite a few to do within
one’s own peer group. But those
who cannot are the people that
will always find themselves being
used or influenced by the stronger
people who have their identity
pretty much together.
Living in a college environment
is one of the hardest places to
maintain one’s personality, and
also one of the hardest places to
acquire an identity. Peers can
easily influence one another and
it happens in many instances.
But once again the individual
must be strong enough to resist
the decision of the majority, trust
her own judgment of a particular
situation or her feelings. A college
experience helps to mold a young
lady into a woman, only if she
develops within herself, not be
coming a replica of someone she
admires or associates with.
This transaction helps her to
develop her potential, create her
own beliefs, implement her sug
gestions and relates these things
to others through her poise, grace,
educational background, and
adolescent development.
Therefore you can truly under
stand why it saddens me to realize
that quite a few young ladies
graduating from Bennett College
are unable to stand alone before
their peers and uphold their true
beliefs.
In most instances the majority
carries the most weight, and rules
the land. But in this particular
instance the majority are the un
identified people, people who can
not function without the support
of their peers, or make decisions
for themselves, and who don’t
know what their fate will be after
Bennett when they shall have to
stand alone, or who will conform
to another group of peers to sur
vive. These are the persons who
will always be followers, never to
realize that if only they would re
examine themselves more closely,
they too could possibly be leaders.
The minority here is very im
portant for these are the persons
who graduate with confidence in
themselves, aggressiveness, and
ambition, who will always be the
individualists. These will be the
strong women of our time, making
a place for themselves and fulfill
ing their career goals.
So seniors of Bennett College,
take a look at yourself and how
you have fared in four years of
constant pressure. Consider your
values, recognize your weaknesses
and decide just which way your
life is turning.
Rising sophomores, now is the
time to take a long look at your
selves. Beware; be positive in at
titude and actions. Do what is
“you,” and only what you as a
person feels is best for yourself.
Always be an individual—first,
before you are a part of the
crowd.
Frye speaks at annual senior vesper
state Representative Henry
Frye was the guest speaker
for the Annual Senior Vesper
Convocation held in the chapel
on Sunday, April 22.
The program opened with
an organ prelude played by
Katie Dodson, ’79. Following
the prelude and processional
hymn, the invocation was
given by Marion Johnson, ’79.
The Old Testament reading
was done by Brenda Tyson,
’79; the New Testament read
ing was done by Venessa
Lane, ’79. Following the read
ings, Marion Johnson gave
the prayer.
Next, Patti Winston, ’79,
addressed a few remarks to
the audience. Then, following
a hymn, Representative Frye
addressed the audience.
Francis Gaines, senior class
president, spoke a few final
words to the audience. This
was followed by the reces
sional hymn and postlude,
played by Katie Dodson.
Music for the program was
provided by the college choir,
directed by Ellen Warren, ’79,
and the senior ensemble di
rected by Beverly Randolph,
’79.
The program was followed
by a reception in the Student
Union for the speaker.