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Friday, September 16, 1983
BENNETT COLLEGE, GREENSBORO, N. C.
Vol. XLV, No. 1
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Guitarist creates own personal style
Guitarist in Motion- Classical musician Spencer Burleson, who has studied and performed across America
anfEumpe ^ll g"ve an Oct 3 concert in the chapel. A noted composer and lecturer, Burleson is open to influences
as diverse as Bach, East Indian jazz and funk. He has created and recorded two film scores. The Mellon Foundation
is underwriting his appearance.
New coach joins faculty
by Dee Evans
Acclaimed classical guitarist
Spencer Burleson will give an
evening performance in Annie
Merner Pfeiffer Chapel Oct. 3 at
8:30.
He will also conduct an infor
mal lecture in Black Hall
Assembly at 2:00 p.m.
Burleson, who lives in New
York, was chosen by the Lyceum/
Mellon committee to launch the
series of cultural events.
Burleson is known for his con
tribution to the performance and
understanding of contemporary
music. He also has a very broad
traditional repertoire. “In my own
music,” Burleson says, “I try not
to write cliches ... I am Amer
ican, I’m black. I’ve lived in
Europe, I’ve been exposed to East
Indian culture jazz, classical
music, funk, avant-garde music—
when I write, I don’t deny any
thing. I can play Bach, too, the
way he wrote—I try to stay
open.”
Burleson’s portfolio includes
extensive travels and perfor
mances. He graduated from The
San Francisco Conservatory of
Music where he studied graphic
notation with Robert Moran, elec
tronic and tape music with Alden
Jenks and Ivan Tcherepnin and
performed with the San Francisco
New Music Ensemble, then di
rected by Howard Hersh.
Burleson has worked extensive
ly in Europe. He studied in Italy
with Alirio Diaz, performed at
the Autunno Musicale Festival of
Contemporary Music and for
Italian National Television. He
has appeared in many Spanish
cities and worked in France with
Cuban composer and guitarist Leo
Brouner, some of whose music
Burleson premiered in the U. S.
Burleson taught the first course
in America ever devoted to the
interpretation and performance of
contemporary music for guitar.
During 1978 and 1979, B'urleson
was a resident artist in the Visit
ing Artists Program, sponsored by
the National Endowment for the
Arts and the North Carolina De
partment of Community Colleg,es.
In the 1979-80 season, Burleson
was the musician-in-residence at
North Carolina State University
in Raleigh.
He was also one of 10 guitarists
chosen to perform in the First
International Guitar Festival of
Mexico.
Burleson has written and re
corded two film scores and
created the Collective Invention,
an ensemble for the performance
of contemporary chamber works
and electronic music.
He has given concerts through
out the U. S.
Burleson is also known for his
enthusiastic lectures.
Caucus to fight teacher exclusion
by Yolanda DuRant
She can be described as
both a new acquaintance and
a friend.
Cathy Mussington, new
faculty member, is also a
Bennett graduate. Mussing
ton, from the class of ’75, has
returned as a physical edu
cation instructor and coach.
Mussington says about
coming back; “I jumped at
the opportunity. I am a big
Bennett fan.” Also, she has
always wanted to give some
thing back to her alma mater
because it helped her “realize
her potential.”
Mussington will be coach
ing basketball and volleyball.
Basketball is one of her fav
orite team sports although
softball is her first love. She
will be concentrating on ex
isting programs but will be
looking at other compatible
sports in the future.
Mussington has a varied
coaching background, includ
ing work with the Greens
boro public schools, Living
stone College, Barber Scotia
College, and four years with
the Rochester (N.Y.) public
schools. Mussington has her
master’s in recreation admin
istration from UNC-CH. She
plans to continue her
education.
Mussington prefers college
teaching to public school
teaching because colleges
need stronger leadership to
“ensure marketable skills in
the work world.”
Mussington believes that
although dress and decorum
have changed since her days
as a Belle, enthusiasm is the
dominant mood of her stu
dents with whom she is eager
to work.
She feels a coach’s primary
duty is to motivate players.
She says, “The female athlete
is under tremendous pressure
not only to succeed in course
work but also to succeed on
th court, and it requires a
high level of skill and motiva
tion coupled with a positive
attitude. It then becomes my
responsibility to fine-tune or
train my athletes for the level
of competition they will meet
as well as motivate them to
do their best and to give 110
percent on the court as well
as develop a mature positive
attitude.”
Other new faculty this year
are Dr. Wendy Greene, assis
tant professor of English and
dirctor of the Audio-Lingual
Laboratory and Ms. Queene
Wiggs, chairperson of the
mathematics department.
Returning faculty are Mrs.
Vereda King, instructor of
business and economics; Mr.
Kofi Johnson, associate pro
fessor of social and behavior
al sciences; Mr. John Salter,
instructor of social and be
havioral sciences; and Dr.
Dorothy Harris, associate
dean of academic support
programs.
by Major R. Owens
Member of Congress
The “Disqualification Conspira
cy” is a threat to black educators
and ultimately black children.
The pressure for teacher certifi
cation examinations will become
the means for excluding blacks
from the field of education.
There is also a need for black
professionals to assert themselves
and make their voices heard in
the national dialogue on education.
As the new chairman of the
Congressional Black Caucus Edu
cation Braintrust, I invite you to
join me in an all-day education
workshop on Friday, Sept. 23.
The workshop, part of the CBC
Foundation’s Thirteenth Annual
Legislative Weekend, will address
the challenges we face in
education.
This session of the 98th Con
gress has been one of renewed
Students march
To tke reader .
Dear Readers,
A new year has begun with
new people and new prob
lems. I was happy for your
support of my column last
year.
I sincerely hope that your
problems will be minor even
though I am sure some of you
will have problems on a larger
scale. Either way I invite you
to write me and let me give
you advice on how to solve
these problems. I hope that
last year’s advice was instru
mental in helping you solve
problems and I hope this
year’s advice will be just as
helpful.
All letters printed in my
column will be completely
anonymous as well as confi
dential. Thank you for taking
the time to read this letter.
Send your letters in a sealed
envelope to Box 2.
Sincerely yours,
Claire
by Deborah Lewis
Three Belles were among
the sweltering crowd of
200,000 that marched for
jobs, peace, and freedom Aug.
28 in Washington, D. C.
The students returned with
distinctive views of the event.
Cheryl Dalton, an early
childhood education maj or
from Madison, felt the march
symbolized a rededication to
the civil rights cause.
She said the day provided
“a second chance” for blacks
to “get our act together be
cause the time is long
overdue.”
Dalton decided the impact
of the march was to encour
age “our elected officials to
see what they need to do con
cerning jobs, poor wages and
cuts in the educational
budget.”
Freshman Zodwe Sikakane
had a mixed reaction to the
event. She said the day was
important because “there
should always be a march to
bring national awareness to
the people.”
Sikakane drew inspiration
from Atlanta Mayor Andrew
Young’s statement—“We are
here not for justice but for
just us.”
But she was displeased by
the attitude of some of the
marchers: “Some people went
for their own personal com
mitments and exploited the
day.”
Junior Patricia Rembert
thought the march lacked
order. “I was real disap
pointed at the organization
because it was not the best
that it could have been,” she
said.
But, despite a few frustra
tions, Rembert is convinced
the effect of the march was
positive: “It gave us a chance
to reevaluate where we are
going and how we should go
about getting there. The
march gave blacks a chance
to reaffirm a commitment to
the black cause.”
activity and interest in the field
of education. The news media and
the Reagan Administration seem
to have “discovered” education as
a serious national priority.
While this attention is long
overdue, it presents black educa
tors with new dilemmas and
renewed concerns.
The Education Workshops
planned for the CBC Weekend
are forums where you can bring
your concerns about issues which
affect you, our children and our
communities. The forum will also
offer all involved the opportunity
to exchange information with
other elected officials, and col
leagues from all over the U. S.
Your active participation in this
process is vital to the success
of the Education Braintrust
Workshops.
My background as a profes
sional librarian, educator, and
former New York State Senator
places me in the unique position
of being able to see and integrate
many perspectives on the issue.
From my seat on the Committee
on Education and Labor I am able
to have a direct impact on legis
lation that concerns us as it moves
through the committee process.
I am looking forward to estab
lishing a coalition of black edu
cators dedicated to building a new
foundation for quality education
in America. The first step is your
participation. We look forward to
greeting you.
New Man to Know: Mr. James E.
Burl, director of institutional
advancement, is joining us after
13 years at Saint Augustine's.