Newspapers / Bennett College Student Newspaper / Sept. 21, 1984, edition 1 / Page 2
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PAGE TWO THE BENNETT BANNER FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1984 Writers are doing something right Blowing your own horn may not be an ideal practice, but sometimes it’s the only way to get attention. This paper may seem small, but it has led to some large accomplishments for Banner reporters past and present. • Six of our 13 reporters last year received internships in the communica tions field this summer. Perseverance, solid character and luck played a strong part in their finding these jobs as did the stories they wrote for this paper. The other seven reporters had previous commitments or did not apply for internships. • Dee Evans, our new editor, was one of three finalists across America in an internship contest sponsored by the National Association of Black Journalists. • Yolanda T. DuRant, last year’s editor and now a graduate fellow in English at Wake Forest University, recently landed a part-time job as an obituary writer for The Winston-Salem Jowmal and Sentinel. In short, size and success are not synonymous. In terms of the quality of writing, we encourage you to compare our product with any other college paper published in North Carolina. We believe that our copy has a vitality which you won’t often encounter in other colleges’ publications. Bear in mind that, in contrast to newspaper staffs at many colleges and uni versities, our people are not paid. Many have already taken the required jour nalism courses and are working on behalf of their careers. We feel this issue contains some of the best work we’ve ever published. We particularly call your attention to Dee Evans’ interview with Pres^ent Miller, Alaina Cloud’s harrowing story about the victim of a mugging and Tricia Hairs ton’s sensitive portrait of a teenage mother. These writers deserve your attention because their work is good. (Michael Gaspeny) “black” and “white Readers have often been curious about why we don’t capitalize “black” when the word is used as an adjective or noun to denote race. Is our refusal to do so a grammatical error or, even worse, an unconscious result of racism? In both cases, the answer is “no.” This paper, like most others in the United States, is edited according to The Associated Press Stylehook, a kind of bible for journalists. Rule 3.13, under the heading of capitalization, states: “Capitalize the proper names of nationalities, races, tribes, etc.: Arab, Caucasian, Eskimo. However, lowercase black, white, mulatto.” Sobran misunderstands blacks a column by Vicky Dunn Call it reporter’s instinct, or simply a nose for foul news, but even though it was summer, I couldn’t resist dig ging up a little gem for the young ladies of Bennett Col lege and for the world. Unfortunately, only the former will read this essay, but it is just as well, as I have confidence in you all to spread the word. I just wondered, and seri ously doubted, if many people knew or understood what Baltimore journalist Joseph Sobran meant when he said in a recent column that “You can hardly even call Amer ican blacks a race. The word ‘race’ used to mean something more than just generic makeup . . .” Readers? Hello, readers? Recover from the shock and let’s go on to the really dis- Lettcrs to tlic editor: gusting parts. Sobran made this and numerous other ille gitimate accusations against us. He indicated that the si multaneous rise in black crime and black illegitimacy was more the fault of whites than blacks. I know that re captured your attention, but wait! Sobran means that white paternalism is more a threat to these blacks than is white racism. In other words, a con tinuous pat on the back ad vances one downward as quickly as a swift kick. This is possible. Still, Sobran has his facts a little confused. He noticed the “instant hostility of young blacks, so different from the good humor of older blacks,” and questioned its cause. It is not, as his head line implies, that blacks are losing ground, but that too little ground is reaching too few people. Also, the ground that so many blacks have de pended on as being unshak able for so many years has begun to recede. Education, the cornerstone of American prosperity, is more widely available to mi norities than a decade or so ago, but well-meaning (ha!) patrons have expected less and less, and therefore have received less and less. This is evident even at our own institution. These patrons tried to “do something” about the wretched condition of the in ner cities in the ’60s. Sobran truthfully says “(these) hu manitarian crusades . . . (and) reforms have back fired.” We can agree on that point. However, Sobran and his crusaders did not realize that one does not wage war with a condescending atti tude. I believe Kipling re ferred to it as “the white Message from Taylor; sober truth from NAACP To the Eklitor; There will always be problems involved with being Student Gov ernment Association President. It will take time and a lot of effort to turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones. I put all problems into my cabinet’s hands and leave it to them to carry the ball from there. It is foolish to make decisions oneself on matters that affect people. I always talk things over with my cabinet, but I make it clear to them that I’m the one who has to have the final say. Once I have decided on a course of action, I do my best to sell my ideas to my cabinet, I was voted on by my peers to lead. If I let a lot of other people make the decisions I should be making, then I’m not worth my salt. I believe in getting things done. I cannot waste time calling meet ings. Someone has to call the shots around here and I know that it should be me. This represents my point of view about “good leadership.” Look around you. Someone you know is bound to be complaining about something. Stop and hon estly ask yourself if you have overlooked the truth. As stated in its constitution, the purpose of the SGA is to act in all areas of stu dent welfare and to be a liaison between the student body and the administration; to act as the polit ical and social representatives of the general student body; and to promote the element of change and new ideas inherent to any government. Nowhere in it does it state that a student in the SGA has the authority to approve anything which can only be approved by the administration. A lot of positive things and negative things are going to be said about the SGA throughout the course of this year. In the event, if there are any questions please feel free to ask and not assume. Karen R. Taylor To the Editor; Among the needs and wants of the black society, did you know that black people spend, according to rank: Ranh Item 1979 Purchases ftne (iJia nne^ Editor-in-Chief Dee Evans Associate Editors Avanli Allen Alaina Cloud Vicky Dunn Tricia Hairston Karen R. Taylor Adviser Michael Gasp«ny Opinions expressed in columns and letters to the editor belong to the author, not to the staff of the Banner. Send letters to the editor to Box 2. All mail must be signed by hand. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Wine, Champagne $360 Million Potato Chips Malt Liquor Rice Paper Towels Flour Salt and Seasoning Chewing Gum Canned Milk Salad Dressing Hair Conditioners Corn Meal Bleach Lard Cleaners Pickles Instant Potatoes Vinegar Dried Beans, Peas Barbecue Sauce 271 Million 165 Million 132 Million 100 Million 92 Million 82 Million 79 Million 72 Million 62 Million 62 Million 60 Million 37 Million 33 Million 32 Million 31 Million 24 Million 20 Million 18 Million man’s burden.” But the white man’s present burden is to open his eyes to his sameness to blacks, even the inner city muggers, and approach them with equality. Along with his denial that the black race should be deemed so, Sobran carries his burden even further. He says, “they live in dependency on constant infusions of money from the white community, but they have no real hope of owning their own homes, and many of them can’t even imagine such a prosnect. They live in dingy little apartments in dangerous neighborhoods where whites have given up on trying to maintain public order.” Here we go with this superiority again! Finally, he says that “what can’t be physically se cured is up for grabs.” This is absurd, and regardless of my naivete about big-city crime, I refuse to believe that my people take everything that happens not to be bolted down. I’ve heard all of these ac cusations many times before, but they still anger me. What angers me most in anyone, however, is ignorance. Sobran stuck his foot most deeply into his mouth when he denied the black race’s “so cial continuity, history, tra dition, and the expectation that continuity would indeed continue.” Instead, he calls American blacks “a social residue,” which translated and revised, means, “You are scum, peo ple !” Has he no knowledge of our past? Or better yet, our present and future? Has he no knowledge of Africa? Of gold? Of dia monds? Of Timbuktu? Of King? Of Jackson? Of you and me? 15 Million This information comes from the 19S2 Black Resource Guide. The B'ennett College Chapter of the NAACP Fritz, Ferraro cause confusion a column by Pam Gary If you are a chic-dressing blonde congresswoman, with a fashionable haircut, dubious tax returns and a husband with a shady past, then may be you too can become a vice presidential runningmate. The best-kept secret on the political scene this year ap pears to be the Mondale- Ferraro campaign strategy. Nothing has ruffled as many feathers in Washington since Watergate. Shockwaves have been felt as far as Atlanta. Mayor Andrew Young, a key supporter of the Demo cratic Party (at the cost of some of his hard-won popu larity) has made his frustra tion a matter of public record. The incident enraging Young occurred when Mondale’s campaign staff hastily con structed a political side-trip to a small town in Georgia and then abruptly cancelled it when it was discovered that there would not be enough well-known Democrats avail able to attend. Young tried repeatedly to reach Mondale but all he en countered was red tape. A few days later, while address ing a group of young black journalists. Young referred to Mondale’s staff as a bunch of “smart-assed white ^ys who think that they know everything.” Young later apologized for his choice of words but not their sentiment. Indeed it seems as though Young’s outburst typifies many Democrats’ feelings about Mondale’s inaccessibil ity as a presidential candidate as well as Ferraro’s unsuita bility as a candidate. Grumbling has emerged from the Democratic Party machine concerning Walter’s radical behavior—hiring Bert Lance, choosing a woman runningmate, and making his uneasy alliance with the press. Mondale and Ferraro have a lot in common with Jesse Jackson’s attempt to seek the presidency. They will have secured their places in history as Jackson did. Mondale needs to drastical ly change his image from the unsure, floundering, weak- willed projection that he has presented thus far and estab lish a more notable rapport with the press. Until he does, his campaign for the presidency will con tinue to be an exercise in futility. So far all the Mon- dale-Ferraro ticket has ac complished is securing a place in history for Ferraro as the first woman ever to run for the vice presidency.
Bennett College Student Newspaper
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Sept. 21, 1984, edition 1
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