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Friday, February 1, 1985
BENNETT COLLEGE, GREENSBORO. N. C.
Vol. XLVI, No. 4
The lights are out for the basketball team
by Dee Evans
The basketball team has
been discontinued this season
and possibly for years to
come.
Student apathy has forced
the cancellation of this year’s
schedule, according to the
coaches.
On Nov. 18, prior to the
first game, the final decision
of discontinuing the team
was made by Athletic Direc
tor Leon McDougle and Coach
Cathy Mussington. The team
started with seven women
and then the number kept
dwindling. The players came
to practice on an irregular
basis.
In addition, “their skills
were inadequate for competi
tive play,” says Mussin^on.
“It is not feasible for us to
spend thousands of dollars to
secure equipment, supplies
and officials if we do not
have an adequate number of
players,” she adds.
Both Mussington and Mc
Dougle were dismayed by the
low number of students who
tried out for the team, but
McDougle was not surprised.
“I saw it coming for the last
three years. The trend is not
only in small colleges but high
schools even with the cham
pionship teams,” says Mc
Dougle. He explains that
there is no more enthusiasm
sparked by the novelty of
women’s sports. He also said
that there is a loss of school
spirit and pride in public
schools.
Mussington, in agreement,
says, “the low motivation ex
tends from the home through
attitudes and social values.
The lady of the ’80s tends not
to be interested in external
affairs and is not group-
oriented, therefore, creating
a spillover of apathetic
attitudes.”
Sophomore business major,
Big scene for Black History Month
Quality and quantity char
acterize the campus’ cele
bration of Black History
Month.
A one-time candidate for
president, a leading drama
troupe, an art exhibition and
programs featuring student
participation highlight the
schedule* of 15 events, with
several presentations still to
be announced.
The most distinguished
guest is former Congress
woman Shirley Chisolm, who
will speak on either Feb. 14
or Feb. 15. The date, place
and time are pending. Chis
olm is the scholar in residence
at Spellman College.
Some old friends will be
returning when the Pin
Points give two dramatic per
formances Feb. 19. Last
spring, this innovative the
atrical group won accolades
here for its “1001 Black In
ventions,” a look at how the
world would stop turning if
it were devoid of contribu
tions by blacks.
The Pin Points will enact
“The Dope,” a musical com
edy about the stages we go
through under the influence
of love, in Little Theatre at
4 p.m. Students should pick
up complimentary tickets in
the humanities office.
“If He Were Alive,” a slide-
skit presentation showing Dr,
Key hhtory course
by Tricia Hairston
After a year’s absence, a
black history course has re
turned in time to meet the
needs of scholars eager to
know their past and of fresh
men in the Developmental
Program, which requires one
semester of this subject.
Mrs. Linda Addo is teach
ing Afro-American History
308. The first semester covers
the social, economic, political
and cultural heritage of
blacks starting from slaves to
the ’60s.
Addo has taught history
for many years at Bennett
and black history at Guilford
College and UNC-G. She feels
that the course is very impor
tant because there are some
things that American history
has not highlighted.
Mlartin Luther King’s how
words might be applied today,
will be given in the chapel
at 7 p.m.
“African Textiles and Tap
estries” will be displayed at
the Z Gallery, 107 S. Dudley,
across from the Market St.
post office parking lot. The
exhibition starts Feb. 3.
“Oh, my goodness, this is
going to be a beautiful show
of authentic African textiles
and a few pieces of sculp
ture,” says Dr. Alma Adams,
assistant curator of the gal
lery. “Unless you’ve got
money to travel, it’s the clos
est you can get to Africa.”
Headlining the calendar of
student-staged activities are
the annual Black History I.Q.
Quiz Bowl Feb. 12 in the sci
ence assembly at 7:30 p.m.
and “An Afternoon of Black
Public Speaking” to occur
Feb. 17 at 3 p.m. in the same
location.
The choir will perform
twice, offering “Black His
tory Through Sonir” Feb. 22
at 7:30 p.m. and “Gospel
Expo” Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. in
the chapel. On Feb. 26, there
will be a panel discussion on
the history of black music
at 10 a.m. in the chapel and
a presentation of student re
search papers on black com
posers as well as musical
demonstrations at 3 p.m.
no longer on hold
She explains, “It is impor
tant that we find out about
our past because it helps us
to understand the current is
sues and problems we have
to deal with today. Students
are surprised to find out that
in the Civil War over 5,000
blacks participated, and thou
sands of blacks were free in
some Southern states before
the war.”
Beginning with the Afri
can heritage and the Ameri
can Revolutionary period, the
course will deal with slavery,
then the Reconstruction per
iod “and what it meant to
iDlacks, and the adjustments
and problems they faced dur
ing the 20th Century. We’ll
look into Booker T. Washing
ton, W. E. B. DuBois and the
(See page 3)
Carol Holliday, a first-year
player, was not really disap
pointed. “We weren’t pre
pared. I was hurt because
there was no team, but not
hurt because of no participa
tion. How can you call your
self a team with no players?”
says Holliday. She too, notices
the apathetic attitude among
the students because those
she talked to gave her the im
pression that they had better
things to do.
The college’s academic ori
entation contributes to the
low athletic interest. Muss
ington feels that if Bennett
offered an athletic scholar
ship, that could help recruit
more students into the ath
letic field. “There is a need
of revamping the budget to
include more money for
scholarships,” she maintains.
The faculty is not giving
up on athletics totally. They
are planning new strategies
and new ideas for new teams.
A stronger concentration
on volleyball will take flight
along with the idea of start
ing a softball team for the
spring. Sophomore account
ing major Michele Sherrod,
who plays volleyball, agrees
that softball will promote in
terest among Belles. “I talk
to a lot of people who said
they would be interested in
softball,” comments Sherrod.
McDougle’s opinion is that
it’s hard to regain a program
after losing a season. There
fore, concentrating on other
athletic areas would be rec
ommended. “I don’t think it’s
wise to continue basketball
until things have changed,”
he says.
Holliday agrees that until a
team is developed with play
ers who won’t half-step, then
Bennett should try to find
other alternatives. “It takes
discipline, motivation and
time to play sports. You have
to get spirit and morale up
before you can talk about a
team,” says Holliday.
Coach Mussington has de
cided to create a survey ques
tionnaire in order to “serious
ly scrutinize the interest of
students.” After evaluating
the results, she wants to plan
athletic activities on an intra
mural level, setting up invi
tational matches which are
not to be confused with
regular conference-affiliated
squads. Mussington adds, “I
hope that when the surveys
come out, we’ll get responses
that will give us a good pic
ture of the student’s ex
pressed interests.”
Mussington takes a strong
interest in the future of ath
letics because she is an alum
na. “I hope . . . the ladies will
all respond after seeing how
important this matter is to
the athletic department.”
The survey will be distrib
uted in early March.
Exterior Interior: Most people only see President Isaac H. Miller Jr. as the college official, p»rfonninfl such dutlM
as this welcome. But. as Pamela Gary shows, there's more to the man than meets the e^^
The President: behind the title stands a sensitive man
by Pamela Gary
The 18 years here have
been kind to President Isaac
Miller. His hair is a blend
of salt and pepper. His eyes
are alert and filled with the
understanding needed for his
job, and in his gaze, there is
an underlying glint of steel
barely noticeable unless he is
stressing a point.
The only evidence of time
passing and the daily stress
that he works under is in his
stance. His shoulders are
slightly rounded as if they
were used to carrying the bur
dens of keeping this school
afloat.
One of the major problems
facing Miller is money. In
this high-tech society, higher
education has become an al
most mandatory requirement
for getting a job. It is also
becoming a “luxury” that
fewer and fewer blacks can
afford each year due to
Reaganomics.
It costs about $5 million a
year to keep Bennett func
tioning. Tuition is presently
$4650, but the actual cost per
student is about $7000—a dif
ference of $2350.
“One of the most difficult
parts of my job is managing
to raise the additional funds
needed to run the enterprise
while keeping the price to the
student as reasonable as pos
sible,” says Miller.
The additional money
comes from thre? primary
sources—The United Negro
College Fund, the United
Methodist Church and the
alumnae. In order to keep
the groups abreast of the
rising costs. Miller travels
frequently.
Because of his hectic sched
ule, Miller does not get to
spend as much time with his
family as he would like.
“I would say that not more
than five to 10 percent of my
time is spent with my family.
I regret that is the case, but
being president of this insti
tution makes me a very public
person, and the public calls
on me a lot because of who
and what I am,” he explains.
Because of the proximity
of his job to his home. Miller
finds it almost impossible to
separate his private life from
his public life. “Even when I
am engaged in a social activ
ity for my own personal en
tertainment, I am often pro
moting Bennett College,” he
says.
Despite his dedication to
his job. Miller would not ad
vocate his career choice to
any of his children.
“The travel obligations
place a real strain on the
family, and I think that it
is important for both mother
and father to spend ample
time with the family,” he
says, adding that if a child
has a strong sense of service
then he would recommend
some other area of the teach
ing profession. “It takes a
certain kind of emotional
make-up to do this job. You
have to believe in your enter
prise because you have a lot
of ‘take’ and not that much
‘give.’ ”
Although Miller is obvious
ly fond of his work, he has
very defined ideas about other
career choices that he would
have liked to pursue.
“My background is in
teaching at the elementary,
high school, and medical
school level. I teach one sec-
(See page 4)