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Friday, March 1, 1985
BENNETT COLLEGE, GREENSBORO, N. C.
Vol. XLVI, No. 5
-I
I
Celebrating a “Victory”: Students flocked to thank a certain Mr. Jackson for his contributions to the United Negro College Fund.
(photo from Public Relations Office)
Choir treks south for spring tour
by Bernice Scott
Evelyn Sims
What’s the difference be
tween a good choir and an
exceptional one?
Consistency and a strong
performance on the road, ac
cording to Dr Charlotte Als
ton, who has directed the
Bennett College Choir for 10
years.
After five months of prep
aration and numerous per
formances, she’ll discover
whether this year’s group
will rise to the occasion when
the choir appears in six Geor
gia and Florida cities during
spring break. Alston hopes
that this year’s singers, most
ly experienced members of
the spring tour, will match
the accomplishments of last
year’s choir, one of the best
that she has conducted.
“This year’s choir is also
good,” she says, “but it re
mains to be seen as to wheth
er at the end of this year, I
can truly say, ‘That was an
outstanding choir.’ ”
Augusta, Orlando, Cocoa
Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Mi
ami and Atlanta are places
that mean pleasure, but the
choir will be transacting seri
ous business instead of hav
ing fun in the sun.
The choir is one of the col
lege’s leading public relations
ambassadors, attracting pros
pective students, making new
friends and rekindling the
spirit of alumnae. The sing
ers stay in the homes of spon
sors and Bennett graduates.
A source of optimism for
Alston has been the perform
ance of a quartet which will
be featured on the tour. So
pranos LaLeza Harris and
Teresa Morrow and altos
Tracey Watts and Linda
Rivers received praise from
professional musicians who
attended a recent choir ap
pearance in Fayetteville.
Audiences in the Deep
South can also look forward
to selections from the music
of Nathaniel Dett, a brilliant
composer who once directed
the Bennett choir.
“Dett’s music is something
I want the choir to be known
for,” Alston says.
The director, well known
for her hard work and the
precision of her singers, is as
demanding of herself as she
is of her choirs.
In terms of quality, she be-
Heves, “We’re holding.”
“I have not been able to
work out the strateories that
would permit that elevation,”
she adds.
Alston, who wasn’t trained
in choir direction but rather
in music theory, had to spend
the first few years as director
in mastering technique. She
recalls that period of appren
ticeship to craft as a self-
conscious phase in her pro
fessional life. Now she feels
free.
“You have to have that
total abandonment,” she ex
plains. “You have to have
time to rid yourself of that
shvness.”
She has arrived at a maxim
for getting the best from her
students: “If you have to
stand on your head to do it,
do it!”
The choir will be accompanied
by Mr. Fred Mason, Jr. The sing
ers are: Soprano I, Josefa Bethea,
Jeanna Bridges, Cynthia Brooks,
Mary Dickerson, Anna Harring
ton, LaLeza Harris and Jean
McCall; Soprano II, Constance
Blackwell, Tammy Crawford,
Freda Harris, Audra Henning,
Carol Holiday, Odette Johnson,
Jeaninne Lewis, Camille McCoy
and Teresa Morrow; Alto I, Ale-
thea Adams, Xanthe Cooke, Eve
lyn Fulmore, Monica Johnson,
Jade Osborne, Kimberly Stanfield
and Tangee Stitt; Alto II, Natalie
Bennett, Karen Fisher, Shirley
Jackson, Linda Rivers, Audrey
Speights, Tracey Taylor, Kimberly
Tyson and Tracey Watts.
The Spring Tour Schedule:
March 2-3, Augusta,' Ga.; March
4, Orlando, Fla.; March 5-6,
Cocoa B'each, Fla.; March 7-8,
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and Miami;
March 9-10, Atlanta.
Facility is funded
by Mardell Griffin
An anonymous donation
made Feb. 13 to the Greens
boro Urban Ministry will
fund renovations to the home
of local street people.
The $12,000 gift was an
nounced by Frank Miller, so
cial worker and co-ordinator
for the Urban Ministry Day
Shelter, 305 Asheboro St.
Renovation plans include a
new soup kitchen, dormitory,
offices, dining room, and
space for recently expanded
self-help programs for shelter
residents.
According to Marilyn Ciru-
lis, a Methodist minister and
associate director of housing
for the Urban Ministry, the
soup kitchen will be moved
two blocks from the Potters
House to the Asheboro St.
location. Potters House has
seating for 50. The new facil
ity will seat 300.
“This will keep people from
having to stand in line in the
weather before they can eat,”
said Cirulis.
The planned dormitory is
part of an incentive program
to help the street people re
enter the work force.
Currently, shelter residents
sleep on mats with blankets
on the floor. The dormitory
plan calls for beds, lockers
and showers. Residents who
accept jobs can move from
the open room with mats by
paying a small fee for dormi
tory facilities.
“This will be used as posi
tive reinforcement during
transition from street person
to working man and inde
pendence outside the shelter,”
said Miller.
Space will also be provided
for the Adult Basic Educa
tion Program directed at the
shelter by Toni Matthews.
Matthews tutors 15 street
people in basic subjects in
preparation for GED high-
school equivalency exams.
“They are now learning
how to write resumes, com
plete job applications and do
basic tax work,” said Mat
thews. “They work at their
own pace and may leave and
reenter the program at
anytime.”
Other services and classes
being implemented are: arts
and crafts. Alcoholics Anony
mous, Bible study, mental and
physical health screening and
treatment and job training.
“Bennett students who are
majoring in social services or
related areas are welcomed to
work internships in any of
our programs, and volunteers
are always needed,” said
Cirulis.
Intelligence characterizes SGA President
by Vicelia Howard
“It’s time we stop falling
into the Bennett College Oreo
syndrome. You know, our fel
low sisters that are phony,
snooty and black on the out
side and all hateful, mixed-
up, confused and white on the
inside.”
This is a quote taken from
a speech that Karen Taylor,
SGA president, addressed to
the student body Nov. 19.
You may know her as
“Popcorn,” the smiling and
joking young lady that almost
everyone admires. But be
neath her conviviality exists
a sharp mind and keen
conscience.
Robin Delago, a junior ma
joring in interdisciplinary
studies, says, “Karen is very
outgoing and intelligent. To
put it plain and simple, she is
the upcoming lady of today.”
That is saying quite a bit for
Popcorn but not nearly
enough.
Karen happens to be in
volved in many clubs and
scholarly organizations. She
is a member of the Bennett
Scholars and she wears the
red and white to represent
Delta Sigma Theta sorority.
Karen is the first student
in the history of the college
to become SGA president her
junior year. This is just one
of her many accomplishments.
To her, being the first to be
come SGA president as a jun
ior isn’t important, but she
does describe it as a learning
experience.
Karen states, “There are
very few disadvantages to
being SGA president. I don’t
seem to get enough time for
myself. Also Bennett does not
offer any type of financial as
sistance. The advantages out-
rule the disadvantages. You
are always recognized by
your peers. You get to meet
new people and other SGA
presidents at the different
colleges. Most important, I
get to represent Bennett Col
lege in a positive way.”
Mary Dickerson, a junior
majoring in political science,
feels that Karen plays the
role of being SGA president
very well. “I feel that Karen
is open-minded and intelli
gent. She impresses upon me
a person who possesses the
quality of a true Christian.”
Karen says that the stu
dent body, faculty and staff
give her much support. “I
just wish that the students
would participate in more of
the programs. I would like to
give a special thanks to Mr.
Guess, Dr. Ray and Mrs. Mc
Cormick. They have stood out
in supporting me,” Taylor
said.
Karen hopes to accomplish
many goals while she is in
(See page 4)