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Friday, September 20, 1985
BENNETT COLLEGE, GREENSBORO, N. C.
VoL XLVII, No. 1
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Symbolic start; Freshmen Tracey Wilson of Rochester, N.Y. (left) and Nancy Leath of Burlington (center) chat with Pre
sident Miller after the matriculation ceremony, the first convocation of the year, (photo by Keith Miller)
Opening impressed frosh
by Bernice Scott
One hundred and ninety-
two freshman and new stu
dents saw their names en
tered in the official registrar’s
book during the Caremony of
Matriculation, highlighted by
an address by President Issac
H. Miller Jr. Sept. 12.
This traditional ritual wel
comes the new Belles, and
many of the new students
were warmed by this cere
mony.
“I thought it was very in
teresting,” said freshman
Annette Hunter. “It made me
feel important.”
Freshman Joycelynn Rich
ardson said, “It made me feel
like I was joining the family.”
Not only were the fresh
men impressed with the idea
of the ceremony, but some
commented on its organiza
tion.
“It was a different exper
ience because normally things
just kind of go, but this was
well-organized,” said Pamela
Bames.
Sandra Henry said, “The
ceremony could have been
shorter, but it was nice be
cause we were welcomed offi
cially into the school.”
The ceremony’s traditional
value was also important to
some.
“I feel that it brings every
one together,” said Sarah
Brunson. “It’s tradition . . .
Something like that should be
kept alive.”
“The ceremony was unique
because it was something I
had never experienced before,
and I’m always open for new
experiences,” Brunson said.
President Miller addressed
the student body with com
ments concerning survival,
vival.
“We hear continually the
implication that for blacks
enough has been done,” said
Miller, “but it’s time for you
to learn to paddle your own
canoe . . . Don’t be too satis
fied too soon with too little.”
Miller went on to discuss
Bennett’s role in the advance
ment of black people.
“Bennett College remains
an institution devoted to the
advancement of black people,”
said Miller. “We are in a very
serious business of trying to
survive.”
Trip enlightens teacher
by Evelyn Sims
The Pilgrimage to Africa:
Call it chapter 99 in a real-
life novel, “The Enlighten
ment of Dr. Alma Adams.”
She spent 10 days this
summer in the West African
nation of Senegal as a mem
ber of the National Confer
ence of Artists, and she des
cribes the experience as a
“mind-buster.”
A delegation of 350 Afro-
American artists met African
counterparts in a convention
whose theme was “Negritude
Reexamined” through a joint
exhibition of art. But the trip
involved more than aesthe
tics: it included a grim visit
to a fortress where slaves
were once imprisoned and an
absorbing tour of a city
where exquisite tapestries are
made.
The Senegal experience was
a revelation to Adams. “It put
things in perspective for me
as an Afro-American artist.
It put me in touch with my
roots. When I got off the
plane, I kissed the ground,”
says the chairperson of the
visual arts and humane stud
ies department.
She found such a strong
link between black American
and African artists at the
show that “it was almost im
possible to tell who from
whom” because symbols are
shared by blacks around the
world.
Adams believes that it’s
possible for a white artist to
make a visual statement from
elements of black culture,
“but the artist wouldn’t have
our sensitivity” to archetypes.
“Those people are our
ancestors,” she explains. “The
basis of your art grows out of
your experience. There was a
definite connection that we
could feel and that we could
sense. It was all so natural.
The old sayings, ‘we were just
made to be together’ and ‘it
was a marriage made in
heaven,’ are true. I was just
so happy to be there.”
Senegal, a former French
colony, was the site of inter
national slave trade that be
gan with the arrival of the
Portuguese in the 15th cen
tury. Adams visited Goree Is
land, a one-time way station
for slaves being transported
to America.
“The Africans were treated
like cattle,” Adams says.
“The rooms in the slave
quarters were about as big as
my office, and the traders
packed 150 people in each
room. They separated the
women from their husbands.
Those that got sick from the
[wretched] conditions were
shot. If the slaves got sick on
the trip over, the crew threw
them overboard and let the
sharks eat them.”
Exposure to Goree appalled
the artists: “People were cry
ing. Grown men broke down
and bawled. When you go
there and come back, you’re
never the same.” The artists
held a ceremony to honor
their ancestors.
At Thies, Adams watched
the world-famous Senegalese
tapestries being woven. It
takes 375 days for five artists
to complete a work which
sells for about $7,000. “The
design quality is just extra
ordinary,” Adams observes.
The tapestry-makers do not
like for tourists to take pic
tures of their work for fear
that their designs will be
copied. But Adams, who tra
veled with two cameras, man
aged to take photos which will
be converted into slides to
show her students.
Daily life in Dakar, the
capital of Senegal, dazzled the
professor. She saw brilliantly
colored clothing, “trees that
looked like beautiful pieces of
sculpture” and throngs of ag
gressive hucksters shoving
articles at tourists. Adams
learned to be forceful with
the street vendors and to do
(see page 3)
Cafeteria improves arrangements
by Avanti Allen
With a new year come
many changes. This is espe
cially true in the dining hall,
now managed by TWM Ser
vices, Inc.
According to William Mc
Gee, chairman, “TWM Ser
vices, Inc. has come to serve
as a management consultant
to Bennett.”
The changes include a
new salad bar that contains
over nine items, a larger var
iety of beverages and juices,
and more of a variety in the
meals. Students now have a
choice of two entrees.
“College students are the
hardest to please. That’s why
we try to offer more of a var
iety,” Nathan Crosby, new
assistant director, stated.
A menu board has been put
up so that students will know
what is being offered in ad
vance.
Mrs. Myra D. Jones still
serves as manager of the din
ing hall while Mrs. Eula H.
Willis is still serving as sup
ervisor. Other personnel
changes have been made
amonff the dining hall staff.
A new emnloyee of the
month program has been im
plemented. The winner will
receive a plaaue and a small
bonus. The employee’s name
will be placed on a plaque that
will hang in the dining hall.
From the contests an em
ployee of the year will be
chosen. The program will be
held for eight months.
New serving hours have al
so been created to fit the
needs of the students and em
ployees. Breakfast is served
from 7 to 8 a.m. M’onday
through Friday. Brunch is
served buffet style on Satur
days and Sundays from 9:30
to 10:30 a.m. Dinner is served
from 5 to 6:15 p.m. Monday
through Friday and from 3 to
4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sun
days.
Both McGee and Crosby
stress the importance of
working around the schedule
of the college and serving the
students’ needs.
A Food Services Committee
has been formed. Crosby
stated, “This committee is
valuable to all colleges and
universities. This is where
any problems that may arise
can be ironed out.” The com
mittee is comprised of the
president of the college, the
dean of students, the student
government president, the
presidents of each class and
Miss Bennett.
Stress is being placed on
buffet style serving. “It al
lows students to chose what
they like and can also help
eliminate waste. The more we
can keep the cost down, the
more we can do for the stu
dents,” stated Crosby.
McGee plans to offer a spe
cial menu in the dining hall
at least once a month. For the
month of September a buffet
style picnic was held on Labor
Day. According to McGee,
“The first three events will
be experimental to see exactly
what the students like.”
Plans are for the placement
of rules governing the dining
hall on an information board
outside the dining hall. The
staff is expecting the full co
operation of the student body.
Both McGee and Crosby
would like to cut down on the
traffic coming in the kitchen.
They are asking that all ques
tions and requests be made at
the serving line.
Many students have praised
the work of TWM Services,
Inc., which also operates the
snack bar in the coffee house.
Laurrie Murphy, senior
pre-med major, sees the new
arrangement as offering
better service, a higher qua^
lity of food and more of a
variety than in the past.
“TWM serves in a very pro
fessional way.”
“It’s an improvement. I
particularly love the juice
selection and the salad bar.
As a member of the Food Ser
vices committee, I plan to re
lay all student concerns,” says
SGA President Evelyn Ful-
more.
Dazzling locale: Dr. Alma Adams gained some sharpened perspectives during
a summer stay in Senegal. She found that Afro-American and African artists
have a shared vision.
Dean has departed
Dean of Student Affairs
Phyllis F. Ethridge has left
the college for Dillard Uni
versity.
She will serve as vice
president for student af
fairs at the institution in
New Orleans.
Bullock on NBC
Ednita W. Bullock, head
librarian, was a contestant
on the game show “Wheel
of Fortune” this summer.
The show was taped July
30 and will be aired Oct. 10
on station WXII (Channel
12) at 7:30 p.m.