FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1982
THE BENNETT BANNER
PAGE THREE
Regulations need updating
I
I
K
Sgt. Thressie Mitchell’s innovations have improved the performance
of the security staff. He’s concerned, however, about solving recent
breaking-and-entering, vandalism, and theft cases.
Mitchell improves security staff order
by Wanda Edwards
Sgt. Thressie Mitchell has used
his knowledge of criminal justice
to stop crimes on campus and
open up the lines of communica
tion between fellow officers and
the student body.
Mitchell came to Bennett last
October with a concept of re
educating his staff. He says, “I
have some good officers to work
with. The only problem they had
was no one to lead them in the
duties of a campus police.” The
security staff has eight officers
including Mitchell and he feels
that they are doing a terrific job.
Mitchell has established com
munication with the A&T Police
and the Greensboro Police Depart
ment. He says, “We’ve made prog
ress with solving crimes; however,
we have to continue to work on
it because crime is on the rise in
this area. The lines of communica
tion between student and officer
have been established. Instead of
an officer answering the phone,
they have young ladies answering
the phone. This person is called
a student-dispatcher. This pro
gram allows all officers to be on
patrol on the campus. It also gives
the student time to get to know
the officers and see what their
job is all about.”
Mitchell has kept a log of all
the crimes that have occurred on
campus in the last four months.
Among the crimes are breaking
and entering, vandalism and tres
passing. There have bee_n a total
of 21 breaking and entering of
fenses with a property loss of
$2,914. Nine cases have been
solved and $1,315 worth of prop
erty was recovered. Six people
were caught for trespassing, but
only two were arrested. Two peo
ple have been arrested for break
ing and entering. Mitchell says,
“These logs are open to the public,
just so they will know what kind
of job the security staff is doing.”
There has been a pressing prob
lem of thefts in dorms. The secur
ity staff is being called in on all
these crimes because the directors
can’t handle the situations because
of so many thefts. Mitchell feels
that if the girls see that campus
police are involved, then perhaps
the thefts will cease.
Another new function of secur
ity—the transporting of students
to the hospital—has been a big
success. Overall the security staff
has transported 40 students to the
hospital with 15 students being
taken in January.
Mitchell is scheduled to return
to his post at Duke University at
the end of January. Whether he
returns depends on whether or not
Bennett hires him on a full-time
basis. Mitchell says, “I have en
joyed it here. I’ve gotten involved
in my work because it’s a new
experience. I have direct responsi
bility here whereas at Duke I was
only a small figure in a large
place.”
Mitchell has accomplished some
of his goals. He has opened the
eyes of the security staff as to
what their responsibilities are and
what procedures the staff should
follow. Mitchell hopes to see his
other goals reached soon.
by Wanda Edwards
For there to be a future for
Bennett College, the administra
tive staff must realize that the age
of dependency is gone and the age
of independency is here to stay.
For me, Bennett College is a
home away from home. But like
home, Bennett has its problems.
One major problem that concerns
me greatly is the fact that I’m told
what not to do and what to do.
Over the Christmas holidays, I
received a memorandum from the
office of Mrs. Scarborough. It
stated that I was to wear dresses
on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sun
day. I could understand wearing
dresses on Sunday, but I couldn’t
figure out what difference it made
what I wore to class on Tuesday
and Thursday. Surely, it’s not to
impress my instructor, for he has
the same view that I have. I am
here to learn ... to get the best
education possible. I’m not going
to learn any more with a dress
on or pants.
Also attached to this memoran
dum was a slip of paper which I
was to fill out listing all the peo
ple’s names and addresses that I
was to visit over the semester. My
mom saw the slip and told me to
tear it up. She said, “Wanda, I
don't know where you are all the
time. What right does Bennett
have to know where you are?” My
words exactly.
There was a dorm meeting in
Cone Hall and one of the things
discussed was bed-check. I was
taken back by the fact that my
dorm director and her assistant
were actually going to check my
bed after curfew. What difference
does it make where I sleep? If I’m
Letters to tlie editor:
in my eight o’clock class, then
everybody should be satisfied.
Bed-check is for those people
who have a mental or physical
problem and should be looked
after closely. I have neither and
although I appreciate the thought,
I could actually do without being
awakened at 12:00 p.m. or 2:00
a.m. just for the authorities to see
if I’m in.
It seems that Bennett is spend
ing its time caring about some
thing that doesn’t exist. The au
thorities didn’t seem to care when
we had no hot water but they
cared whether or not we were in
the dorm using cold water. Ben
nett didn’t seem to care when
there was a fire alarm in Cone
Hall and the director didn’t call
the fire department but they cared
whether or not we slept that night
in Cone Hall, afraid that any
moment it would burst into flames.
I could talk about the number
of hours we can take each semes
ter and the fee that is charged if
we go against Bennett’s policy or
about the number of cuts allowed
in each class and if we use up
our cuts, we are dropped from
class whether we have an “A” or
“C.”
I could also talk about the self
regulating hours which we all
must have even though some of
us are 21 and 22 years of age. BVt
I won’t say any more about these
problems because just my say is
not going to resolve the problems.
It’s like we are little children
again and must run to mommy
and daddy for what clothes to
put on, where to go, and when to
be back.
For those of us who are willing
to accept things as they are, let
us continue with our education in
hopes that one day Bennett will
realize the age of dependency is
gone and the age of independency
is here to stay. For those of us
who can’t and won’t deal with the
pressures, let us come together as
one and let our voices ring loud
and clear that we will not stand
for the mistreatment of our rights
any longer.
If necessary, let us sit in the
hall of the administrative building
or on the steps of the President’s
home in order that we might be
heard. The rules and regulations
that we are governed by do not
let us be the people that we were
meant to be. We have to shy away
from the truth instead of speak
ing out. We are afraid that we will
be alone in our struggle to es
tablish a new code. If we have to
be alone, then let us stand alone.
Being alone is a start and we have
to start somewhere.
My Bennett sisters, I beg of
you. Go to your dorm directors.
Tell them your grievances and
they will in turn tell Mrs. Scar
borough. If Mrs. Scarborough
doesn’t have the right answers,
then take your problems up with
your SGA president. It may take
some time for changes to be made
but then it took five years for
World War II to end.
Students ignore library allocation
(From page 2)
To the Editor:
“I can’t use this stuff. It’s too
old.” “This old library doesn’t
have anything in it. I am going
over to UNC-G.” “I don’t use the
library. Ain’t nothing over there.”
The library staff has heard
these comments and many similar
ones in the past. This year, for the
first time, the Student Govern
ment Association was allocated a
small portion of the library’s book
budget to allow students to help
select materials to upgrade and
update the library’s collections.
From the comments that we had
heard in the past about the li
brary’s inability to meet the mate
rial needs of students, we were
certain that this project would be
most successful and we would
have to place some titles on hold
until the following year.
Can you imagine the response
that we got from this venture? So
far, it has been a complete flop!
Not a single request card was
submitted. Well, you say, students
didn’t know about it. Not true.
Ms. Karen Dixon, SGA president,
was informed about the project in
September and an article about it
appeared in the November 13, 1981
issue of the Bennett Banner.
It’s not too late to rectify this
gross oversight, students. Submit
your request to Ms. Dixon by
Feb. 10, 1982 so she can forward
your request on to the library.
Ednita W. Bullock
Colston kept welfare
Of students in his mind
(From page 1)
would be a valuable resource
and that he would be sensitive
to the needs, objectives and
problems concerning a pres
ident,” he added.
Some of Dr. Colston’s other
achievements include service
on the board of trustees of the
Princeton Theoloj^ical Semi
nary, board of directors for
Galiaudet College, the United
Negro College Fund and John
son C. Smith Theological Sem
inary, and chairman of the
Department of Education at
A&T. He later worked with
A&T’s community college
program and the University
Foundation.
Whether as an instructor or
president, Dr. Colston always
kept the student’s welfare
foremost in mind, according
to Miller. He possibly influ
enced more lives as an educa
tor than he would have as a
medical specialist.
“His absence will definitely
be felt by the Bennett family
and all those he made contact
with,” concluded Miller.
Dear Cl aire:
Belle blind to bad fellow
Dear Claire,
I have a close friend who I
think is making a terrible mis
take with her male friend. I know
the guy she is dating very well
and I know he’s not capable of
loving, much less caring for her.
She thinks the world of him and
I’m afraid she’s in for a big let
down. What advice would you give
a lady who’s blinded by one-sided
love?
A Fool’s Game
Dear A Fool’s Game,
Your friend needs to re-examine
herself and her values. She may
know this guy cares nothing for
her but is afraid to admit it to
herself for fear of realizing that
she made a terrible mistake. This
lady should carefully and slowly
look in the mirror at herself now
and how she was when she first
started dating this guy. Are there
changes there that even she doesn’t
like? For someone to mean the
world to you means that you are
willing to accept that person as he
is. Talk to her about her friend
and if she loves him that much
she would have already learned
that he isn’t capable of love.
Dear Claire,
I am attracted by one of my
instructors. There’s nothing excit
ing about him in class but I feel
that once outside the class, he may
be a fabulous guy. I think he’s
attracted to me too but may think
I’m not mature enough to handle
the situation if it arises. What
can I do to let him know that I
can handle the situation or should
I remain just a student in the
class?
No Wrong-Doing
Dear No Wrong-Doing,
You should remain just a stu
dent in the class. Nothing can be
accomplished by your dating your
instructor especially if he’s a Ben
nett instructor. If the administra
tion finds out about it they will
claim you seduced him or put a
gun to his head to make him take
you out. It really wouldn’t be
worth the trouble of putting your
education on the line. You can
surely find someone else to be
attracted to and it won’t be haz
ardous to your health.
Dear Claire,
My girlfriend is in love with
my boyfriend! ! ! She hasn’t actu
ally said so but I can tell by her
actions around him and the way
she talks about him. I think if I
went home for a weekend, she
would try something with him.
Should I confront her now or wait
until she makes the fatal move?
Too Patient
Dear Too Patient,
If you are sure and I mean ab
solutely sure that your girlfriend
is in love with your boyfriend,
then confront her. She has every
right to know that you are not
going to put up with any foolish
ness about your boyfriend. Let her
know that you love him too and
you are not going to part from
him. Tell her in a way so that if
you value your friendship you can
continue to be friends. She prob
ably will appreciate the truth.
Dr. Perry V. Mack, director of development and member of the science faculty,
is taking a leave this spring. Accepted into the National Institute of
Health Extramural Associates Program, he will spend five months in residence
In Washington, D. C. The problem promotes minority participation in
NIH-related research.