enn€ Friday, April 1, 1983 BENNETT COLLEGE, GREENSBORO, N. C. VoL XLIV, No. 7 t h I GLOBAL WOMEN BEARING GIFT OF WISDOM: Drs. Thelma Dean Njaka and Thelma C. Davidson Adair and Mrs. Geraldine A. Totten compare perceptions during the five-day Women’s Studies International Semmar, Mar. 20-24. Njaka is assistant director of animal health for the West Virginia department of agriculture. Alumna Adair (‘37) gave the keynote speech while Totten is coordinator of the Women’s Studies Committee. The Seminar stressed that women strive for knowledge, independence and flexibility. ”As I See It” Coalition inspires Belle by Joan Y. Davis I recently had the privilege of attending a conference sponsored by the Coalition of 100 Black Women in New Jersey. During the three-day conference, I came in contact with some of the most influ ential and successful women in the country. Often I found myself star ing in admiration and respect at the judges, lawyers, jour nalists, businesswomen, doc tors, and other careerwomen I met at the conference. These very beautiful and very intel ligent women were just the type of women I had been longing to meet and I loved every moment that I spent with them. There were many things I admired about the women I met at the meetings, but, most of all, I admired their unself ishness. They had every right to be cocky and selfish, but instead they were reaching back to help us climb up the ladder of success. They were giving back a portion of what they had taken and that made me respect them all the more. I left the conference feeline inspired and encouraged. I know things will be tough, but I am willing to work like the women I met worked and still are working. I want to reach my goals just as these women have. I want to taste the fruit of success just as they are and if I believe in myself as they believe in themselves, I can make it and I will. I wish all my Bennett sis ters could have shared this experience with me. You all might have gained something from it. Since you did not, think about what you have just read, get yourself to gether, and go out there for what you want if you know what it is. If you don’t, find out. There is a chunk of this world with your name on it, Bennett Belle. The only way you can get it is if you work for it. Students meet artists by Yolanda DuRant Dr. Alma Adams toured New York City with her Con sortium Art course during spring break. The seminar is a one-week course designed for students to discover whether or not they really want an art ca reer. The students meet art ists and visit museums and galleries. On the trip they met three artists — Yvonne Jac- quettee, Edwin Rath, and Romare Bearden. Yvonne Jacquettee, is a suc cessful painter who uses very large canvases ranging from eight to ten feet in size. She primarily does landscape scenes as pictured from air planes. Jacquettee’s work ex posed the students to impres sionism. Adams stated that Jacquettee’s great success is due to the right connections she made. Abstract and surrealistic art is the second type work they were exposed to through Edwin Rath. Rath does not make a living from his art alone. He is still struggling to make a name for himself with his art. The third artist participat ing in the seminar was Ro mare Bearden. Adams de scribed Bearden as one of the greatest Afro-American art ists in the world. Bearden, born in Charlotte, N. C., has achieved world fame with his work. His works were pro moted by Europeans. Beard en’s style of art is collages in which he creates each piece of the collage. He refers to his works as paintings be cause each piece of the collage is his design. The art students also vis ited The Metropolitan Mu seum of Arts where art from the Vatican was on display. They also got a chance to study the Rockefeller collec tion of African art. Women^s Seminar Seek advancement advises Adair other highlights of the trip were visits to The Museum of Modern Art, Frick Museum, the Whitney and the Guggen heim. They also visited the Studio Museum in Harlem. This museum is owned and operated by blacks. It is called the Studio Museum because it provides a place for artists to work. The artists work there for about a year and get a chance to exhibit their work. Some of the other activities the students enjoyed were ses sions with gallery owners and a visit to the Art Students League. Adams stated that “one les son all the students learned was that you really have to be dedicated to be an artist and work at it to make it.” The six-day trip was very successful for Adams and the 15 consortium students. The course ends with a final paper or project from each of the students. by Dee Evans “Women have not moved forward, but in reality wom en have regressed,” said Dr. Thelma Davidson Adair at the opening of the Women’s International Studies Sem inar Mar. 20. In Adair’s keynote address, “The Global Women: Op tions and Opportunities,” she stressed the great need for women to start advancing and make great contributions like their ancestors. Adair pointed out that the major problem for women in America today is the femini zation of poverty. “In reality the poorest people in America are women. Estimated by year 2000, not only will the majority of the poor be wom en, but the greatest percent age will be racial ethnic women,” she explained. Women are poor because men have moved into indus try and factories, leaving women to tend and take full responsibility for their de- psndents. This leaves the fig ures showing that “70% of the women in the country are dependent upon men as sole breadwinners in the family.” “For every job category, the majority of the women work in non-traditional roles such as agricultural work, and the technological work has been left for the men,” claims Adair. She gives figures saying that in the 21st century, 2.1 million of the jobs being cre ated will be for kitchen help, janitorial work, and fast food work and “they will all go to women.” Adair, however, does give four recommendations for women to gain future opportunities. Having knowledge of the past was her first recommen dation. “Know the oral his tory of your family and your self and tell it . . . know contributions that women have made,” she stresses. “Be a creator of the net works . . . it’s important to know the legal minds of wom en everywhere and find out who the persons are across the land trying to pursue common goals,” explains Adair as her second suggestion. Risk-taking is Adair’s third third option: “Going to a cir cus or riding a roller coaster is mild compared to the risk women have to take and most women are afraid.” She suggests to women that they should try to gain the highest possible level of work. “Results have shown that women who enjoy success, who have the highest self esteem and women who dare to say ‘I want it all’ are the most fulfilled and satisfied,” says Adair. In short, women need to take all the “vigorous tasks in the work place.” Lastly, Adair recommends that women develop a sense af stamina. Even though Adair pre sents some options to help women grab for opportuni ties, she still feels “the new vision of women is yet to come.” Adair, a ’37 Bennett grad uate, is a professor of educa tion at the University of City of New York, Queens College. She is also the national President of Church Women United in the USA. Miller tells seniors to persevere by Deborah Lewis The ability to accomplish great things will come from the perseverance that stu dents demonstrate, explained President Issac H. Miller, Jr. at the annual Senior Day ritual. Miller referred to President Reagan’s political slogan “Stay the Course” by saying “the college graduate today will need to stay the course . . . and show perseverance.” Miller examined the econo my and the future employ ment outlook. He said, “the cost of an education will tri ple if not quadruple and homes will do the same.” He explained that this is the age of employment for the highly technically trained.” The extent of a student’s success will depend on her (See Page 3) VISITING THE LAIR OF A LEGEND: Brilliant artist Romare Bearden's studio was one of the many major stops on the spring-break itinerary of consortium art students who trekked to New York under the guidance and instruction of Dr. Alma Adams and former Bennett professor Eva Hamlin Miller. The trip was an eye-and-soul opener.

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