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Friday, December 5, 1980
BENNETT COLLEGE, GREENSBORO, N. C.
Vol. XLII, No. 5
Dr. Baird initiates change
Dr. Marshena Baird offers innovative approaches for reading instruction.
She already has some ideas in mind for the college.
(Photo by Myra Davis)
Shelly J. Coston
On Nov. 13 Dr. M. Baird pre
sented the Norfolk, Va., 6th
Southeastern Conference of the
International Reading Association
with her research concerning
developmental reading.
Dr. Baird stressed a need for
instructors to stop insulting, the
student with basic reading skills.
“With the structure of education
today it is believed that the in
telligence is related to one’s com
munication abilities (reading,
speaking and writing),” she said.
“The purpose of reading and the
student’s attitude towards reading
need to change. Instead of teach
ing to locate details, the informa
tion the reader obtains should be
related to what she is presently
learning and how to decifer com-
True liberation discussed
Yolanda DuRant
The true liberation of today’s
woman was the subject of the
lecture given at N. C. A&T State
University by Lyvonne Sewell, a
follower of Elizabeth Claire Pro
phet. Prophet is the spiritual lead
er at Summit University in Malibu,
Calif.
Sewell, one of Prophet’s stu
dents, spoke of her personal be
liefs and practices. Sewell said
that blacks today are wrapped in
a “success cult vibration” because
they have “made it.” She stated
that leadership in the black com
munity represents material things
and does not deal with the real
self. In commenting on the Klan-
Nazi trial she said, “In Greensboro
there is a feeling of fear and
injustice because of the trials,”
which is bad because fear is a
destructive force.
Sewell says that people, espe
cially women, are being manipu
lated and brainwashed into nega
tive actions. She believes that the
body of the woman, which is also
the body of the mother, is being
filled with poisonous materials.
The food and drinks that are put
into the body have so many dif
ferent chemicals in them that we
have no possible way of knowing
what we are taking in.
She said that there is also a
whole lot of subliminal manipu
lation where the whole idea is to
manipulate an idea into someone’s
subconscious so that one can like
or either dislike something. This
is done a great deal through the
communications media. Clothing
designers are designing see
through blouses and splits for the
purposes of overexposure and
seduction. Women must stop
manipulation by becoming aware
of it and by depicting the divine
woman. Sewell said that black
men look for a mother fig^ire in
black women because they need
someone to nurture them and be
sensitive and strong for them.
Black men would be more enticed
by what they could not see, not
by seeing too much of what is
there.
Sewell stated that women are
putting more harmful chemicals
into their bodies now than ever,
including cancer-causing birth
control pills, alcohol, and mari
juana. Marijuana increases genetic
damage, sterility, is harmful to
the lung:^, and stops one from
being creative. Marijuana also af
fects tissues and cells in the bodies
and stores itself into the fatty
tissues and the organs
Sewell closed her lecture with
a statement on the ERA—Equal
Rights Amendment. She said that
many people are for ERA because
they really do not know what the
(Continued on Page 5)
Role and Soope to aid college in its mission for the 80’s
Toyie Winton
Bennett College is now in the
process of a Role and Scope Study
which will assist in redefining the
college’s mission and the direction
in which it should proceed in the
1980’s.
Dr. George Breathett, Director
of Planning/SDIP, has been ap
pointed as chairman of this study
committee. Dr. Isaac H. Miller,
College President, will serve Ex
Officio. A major outcome of the
Role and Scope Study will be the
development of a long-range plan
for the college. It is anticipated
that this plan will cover a five-
year period, rather than the usual
ten-year period. The five-year
period was decided upon because
of the tremendous changes now
taking place in society as a whole.
Bennett College is being assisted
in the Role and Scope Study by
the Education Improvement Pro
gram of the Southern Association
of Colleges and Schools. This will
strengthen *he study since the
Southern Association is our re
gional accrediting agency.
The following Role and Scope
Study Commissions have been ap
pointed and are now in the process
of formulating preliminary re
ports. The cor'f ^sions are as fol
lows: Comm ssion on Christian
Higher Education, Commission on
Liberal Arts/Career Education,
Commission on Single Sex Versus
Co-Education, Commission on Or
ganization, Management and Gov
ernance, Commissions on Women’s
Studies and International Dimen
sions for Women’s Colleges, Com
mission on Curriculum, Commis
sion on Student Services Devel
opment, Commission on Plant
Management and Development.
The representatives from the
Southern Association were on
campus on Oct. 30-31, 1980 to
conduct a workshop and meet with
the several commissions. Dr. Edsel
Godbey and Dr. George Rolle rep
resented SACS. They conducted
one general meeting of the Role
and Scope Study.
During the month of December,
commission reports will be com
pleted and the next phase of the
study ’Adll go into effect. After all
reports from the Role and Scope
commissions have been reviewed
and analyzed, a new long-range
planning committee will be ap
pointed using these finding as a
backdrop for their plans and
procedures.
61pass exams
Shelly J. Coston
Statistics from the Nov. 13 Eng
lish Comprehensive Examination
showed that of the 133 students
taking the test, 61.65% have
passed. This is an increase of
4.92% from the 79-80 fall statistics.
The statistics show that of the
major errors the most frequently
made were failure of subject and
verb agreement, verb errors, pro
noun errors, run-on sentences and
failure of consistency of point of
view. Other frequently-made er
rors were commas and comma
faults, diction (poor or wrong
word choice), awkward or inco
herent sentence or confusing of
words, capitalization and failure
to follow instructions.
The English Comprehensive Ex
amination is given during the fall
semester of the junior year and
a passing grade is required for
graduation. Those w’no fail the
test during the fall will have an
opportunity to retake the test
during the spring.
For those who have failed, a
course will be offered during the
spring semester which will con
centrate on gramar and sentence
structure. The spring statistics
reveal a higher percent of students
passing the test. Many accredit
this to the course taught last
semester by Mrs. A. Gillespie here
at Bennett.
plex grammatical construction,”
Dr. Baird added.
Dr. Baird began her teaching
career at the University of Mass
achusetts as a graduate reading
assistant. In 1973, she received her
Master’s in reading and in 1979
her Doctorate in administration
and development, both from the
University of Mass. She also has
a Bachelor’s in foreign languages.
Some of Dr. Baird’s future plans
include developing a workshop to
help those interested in her re
search. She says, “The workshop
would aim towards two points.
One is sensitizing reading teachers
to the fact that the basic reading
skills presently taught are unjust
to the students. The other point
is to sensitize students to the edu
cational process and how measure
ment of their abilities impact on
their future employment, intake
of knowledge and how they are
viewed by others.”
There are a few changes Dr.
Baird would like seen made at
Bennett. “From an informal sur
vey I took at the conference, I
learned that of the representatives
I asked, B'ennett is the only school
which offers only one hour per
week of reading,” she explained.
The other schools offer anywhere
from three-six hours per week.
“I’m still developing a course for
next semester. It is important to
me that I improve on my theory
and techniques,” she said. This
semester she experimentd using
a technique which required four
readings. The first reading con
sisted of a skim and scan of the
material. The second reading dealt
with finding the main idea. In the
third reading, the reader develops
her own conclusions, and the final
reading was a review of the
material.
The students here at Bennett
pose a tremendous challenge for
Dr. Baird and she enjoys working
with them. “Dr. Baird is a really
hard, but nice instructor. She
really wants you to know the ma
terial,” responded one student. “I
feel that she really tries to pre
pare us for the outside world,”
said another.
Rape prevention
Veronica McKinney
Ms. Lisa Abolasia, a Rape Coun
selor, visited Bennett’s campus to
inform sudents in the residence
halls about ways to prevent them
selves and other from becoming
rape victims. She gave students
many tips on rape prevention.
Abolasia is a worker and Coun
selor of the Rape Action, Preven
tion, and Education Center, which
is a group of concerned people
seeking to provide assistance and
support for victims of rape and
sexual assault. The services
include:
1. Emotional support for victims
and family or friends.
2. Referral information.
3. Companionship during hospital
and criminal justice procedures.
4. Transportation to and from the
hospital and police courts.
5. Speakers Bureau to address
school and community groups
concerning the issues sur
rounding rape.
6. Self-defense and rape preven
tion classes.
7. Information about hospital and
criminal justice procedures.
8. Training of companions to aid
rape victims.
She also stated that rape can
happen to anyone, anytime, any
place. Ms. Abolasia asked the
question, “What if it happens to
you?” She explained, “The imme
diate reaction is usually anxiety,
disbelief and fear. Every person
reacts to stress in a different way.
At this time, you must decide
about medical care, whether or
not to report the rape to the
police, etc. You don’t have to face
it alone. A family member, friend,
or Companion from the Rape
Center can offer assistance and
support.”
If any person is interested in
joining the Rape Center or needs
some help from the Center you
may call Rapeline: 273-RAPE
(273-7273) or the Office: 379-5229
(9-4, M-F). All information con
cerning the victims will be kept
CONFIDENTIAL!
w
student Government leaders from the local colleges showed their feelings
about the Nazi-Klan trial verdict by endorsing and participating in a march
held November 20. Pictured is Bennett’s SGA vice-president Linda Anderson.
(Photo by Shelly Coston)