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Friday, November 19, 1982
BENNETT COLLEGE, GREENSBORO, N. C.
Vol. XLIV, No. 4
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Voters attain change
Victory over Indifference: Belles responded to the challenge of the
Nov. 2 election by voting and working at polling sites. (Left to right)
Gloria Harvey, Hazel McQueen, Denise Green and Monica Jones got involved.
(photo by Theresa Roy)
by Deborah Lewis
Election Day 1982 marked
an increase in political aware
ness on this campus accord
ing to respondents to a
Banner poll.
A reaction to Reaganomics
propelled many Belles to the
polls, and their votes contrib
uted to the defeat of Repub
lican candidates. The power
of sisterhood and the renewed
strength of the NAACP were
instrumental in combating
apathy.
Evelyn Wright, a junior
home economics major from
Georgetown, S. C., says, “I
feel that the students have
finally realized that their
vote counts also. Some stu
dents helped motivate other
students, and in return, we
have more Democrats in the
House of Representatives.”
One student expresses grat
itude toward her Bennett
sisters. “A great number of
people were very elated about
the outcome of the 1982 elec
tion. This seems to be the be
ginning of the era of serious
political awareness. I tip my
hat to my Bennett sisters who
contributed to this affair.
Let’s keep on sticking our
necks into the political arena
and weeding out the bad ap
ples,” says Lynn Powell, a
political science major from
Washington, D. C.
Junior Sonia Wheeler, a
pre-pharmacy major from
Memphis, cites Reaganomics
as the reason students took
this election seriously: “The
outcome of the election was
overwhelming. It was in the
best interest of the students
to vote this year because of
Reaganomics — contrary to
previous years, where stu
dents seemed nonchalant.”
Sheila Dockery, a sopho
more biology major from
Laurinburg, foresees change,
as long as students keep par
ticipating in elections: “I feel
that more black students are
wanting to get involved in
politics. ... If students do
get involved, I feel that a lot
of good changes will come
about for our race as a
whole.”
A freshman, who hadn’t
YMTF packs authority
by Rosellen Durham
“Role model” may be too
mild a description for Mrs.
Loretta Fellers, who, as a
member of the Youth Motiva
tion Task Force (YMTF),
spread the gospel of success
Nov. 9-11.
“Authority” is probably a
more accurate term for the
vice president of the National
Achievers noted
by Rosellen Durham
Twenty-nine students were
recognized for academic ex
cellence during the twenty-
first annual Fall Honors Con
vocation Nov. 11 in Annie
Merner Pfeiffer Chapel.
Three seniors have main
tained a 3.40 average or
above for seven semesters of
work. The women honored
are Wanda Dick, Rose Nelson
and Vickye R. Johnson.
Eight juniors have kept a
3.30 average or above for five
semesters. The list is com
prised of Donna M. Allen,
Leslie Monique Barr, Joan Y.
Davis, Sue E. Douglas, Yo
landa T. DuRant, Jennifer S.
Jones, Angela Wilkins and
Cheryl B. Williams.
Eighteen sophomores have
accumulated a 3.20 average
or above. These achievers
are; Geena D. Bounsell, She
lia P. Dockery, Zanyah Gail-
lard, Tonya L. Horton, Cas
sandra D. Jones, Blanche J.
King, DeMorris Norris, Lin
da G. Rivers, Lydia R. Rober
son, Robbin R. Rowe, Carrie
A. Scott, Michele D. Sims,
Rosa M. Singletary, Maria
Streeter, Sharon Timmons,
Christiana J. Tumaku, Lynell
M. Wellington and Lisa A.
Williams.
The audience received a
fiery and provocative speech
by A&T Chancellor Edward
B. Fort on the importance of
remembering the long and
anguished struggle for
equality.
Fort stressed that the
struggle has only just begun.
Alliance of Business and a
former administrative aide to
Lyndon B. Johnson during
the Kennedy years.
Fellers’ mission is to gain
jobs for the disadvantaged,
and her main interest is the
acquisition of power for
blacks.
According to Mrs. Jacque
lyn Jeffers, director of career
counseling and coordinator of
the task force, “The YMTF
is designed to motivate stu
dents and provide them with
insight into the realities that
exist in the working world.”
Fellers filled that bill. She’s
a reality teacher. What she
has to say is powerful. “If
you go out of here half-
steppin’, you aren’t going to
make it (no matter if you’re)
black, white, blue, or green,”
she proclaims.
The graduate of Shaw Uni
versity in Raleigh offered stu
dents a persuasive plan for
finding career satisfaction.
She stressed the impor
tance of polished communica
tions skills and awareness of
current events. “Communica
tion in all forms and fashions
is very important for your
survival in the world of
work,” she insisted. Fellers
urged students to read every
thing in sight in order to be
come sophisticated and versa
tile because “when you’re
talking about being a good
employee, you’re talking
about being a well-rounded
individual.”
A graduate must also pos
sess flexibility so that she can
move with the times, and she
must have the willingness to
be mobile. Corporations ex
pect workers to relocate:
“You have to be able to pack
your suitcase and say,
‘Goodbye, momma.’ ”
Assertiveness and confi
dence are crucial in landing
(See Page 5)
planned on voting, received a
persuasive word from an
other student which changed
her mind.
Jennifer King, a sociology
major from Cleveland, states,
“I wasn’t going to vote at
first until I was encouraged
by a couple of the volunteer
drivers on campus. I think
the outcome of the election
was excellent because the
Democrats got back into
office.”
Junior Sandra Cunning
ham, president of Bennett
NAACP chapter, replies, “We
were helping the Greensboro
branch of NAACP with a vot
ing drive, to get people in
different communities to
vote, and transportation was
provided. The flyers that
were passed out to the stu
dents were very informative,
as far as who to vote for in
the election. The turnout of
the election represented the
hard work that the students
did.”
Some faculty and staff
members expressed delight in
the size of the student vote.
Mrs. Jacquelyn Jeffers, di
rector of the Career Services
Center, states: “I think our
students played a tremendous
Dart (in delivering votes).
We had about twenty stu
dents, from our campus, to
join forces with the local
branch of the NAACP, to
knock on doors, to get people
out to vote. Our registered
voters, here on campus, took
advantage of the free rides
to vote at the polls, and the
campus chapter of the
NAACP heloed to coordinate
all these efforts.”
Dr. Ruth Lucier, associate
professor of philosophy, ob
serves, “I was very pleased
with the outcome of our local
elections. The Bennett Col
lege chapter of the NAACP
worked hard to bring out the
vote against Eugene Johnston
because of his stands against
the position of the NAACP.
We supported Britt, but
weren’t at all certain he was
going to win, since he had
so much less campaign fund
ing than Johnston. But the
fact that partly through our
efforts, Britt did win, shows
that democracy can work at
the grass roots level. I was
very happy that the students
were involved in making the
election of Robin Britt
possible.”
Show goes sour
Honors Convocation: Sophomore Geena Bounsell receives the congratulations
of President Isaac H. Miller, Jr. during the Nov. 11 ceremony, which was
marked by a speech from A&T Chancellor Edward B. Fort.
(photo from Office of Publications and Information)
by Dee Evans
and Evelyn Sims
Popular singer Howard
Johnson’s Nov. 11 appearance
in Greensboro wasn’t “so
fine.”
It ended in an apology to
Bennett for failure to deliver
a promised concert and a can
celation at the A&T gym
which couldn’t provide the
power for his band.
Howard’s stop in town
lacked “juice,” but it did
cause a storm among Belles.
Johnson was slated to ap
pear on campus Nov. 11, ac
cording to Mrs. Edna Stan-
back, director of co-curricular
activities, and SGA President
Robin Dessaure, who planned
a rally to protest the concert’s
relocation at A&T.
Johnson’s manager sent let
ters to both schools offering
a free concert Nov. 11. Be
cause Bennett accepted the
concert first, the college
entered into a written and
verbal agreement with the
manager.
Stanback learned Nov. 8
that the concert had been
moved to the A&T gym,
which holds more people than
Goode Gymnasium.
Dessaure, angered by the
switch, organized a demon
stration. “Bennett College has
produced women who have
proved themselves in society,
and it’s not right for someone
to come in and not treat us
professionally,” she stated.
“It also questions the integ-
(See Page 4)