PAGE TWO
THE BENNETT BANNER
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1985
Editorials & Opinion Page
Semester has brought a harvest of events
Sometimes it’s a pleasure to summarize activities.
It’s hard to remember a fall that offered such a variety of experiences to stu
dents as this semester, and the strange thing is that the semester is only half
gone.
From political action to music to a coronation, there has been something to
appeal to everyone.
Jesse Jackson, accompanied by many Belles and Aggies, marched to the NCNE
building and gained assurances that the bank had divested itself of interests in
South Africa and that it would no longer lend money to the profiteers conduct
ing business with the government of apartheid. In addition, many Belles partici
pated in Black College Day in Raleigh.
In conjunction with Founder’s Day and Parents’ Weekend, Marilyn Thomp
son, a Hampton Institute Alumni, gave a remarkable recital. The weekend was
also highlighted by the crowning of Penny Hill as Miss Bennett and the corona
tion ball. Hill promises to be an especially gracious and articulate spokeswoman
for the Bennett family.
There have been literary successes as well. Alumna Linda Bragg’s novel
Rainbow Roun Mali Shoulder has been selected as part of a book exhibition to
appear overseas. Dr. Virginia Tucker had a guest column on the op/ed page of
the Sept. 29 Greensboro News and Record.
All these occurrences are signs that our community is moving forward on
many fronts.
What’s next*^ For entertainment and provocative ideas, don’t miss the Even
ing of Public Speaking. For spiritual beauty, keep the Living Madonnas in mind.
Use Seatbelt: the life you save will be your own
The state government has passed an important law to ensure public safety.
The use of seatbelts will be mandatory.
For now only warnings will be given, but in 1986, a $25 fine will be issued to
drivers and passengers who do not comply with the law.
It is estimated that many deaths will be saved. But many Americans will not
take advantage of this opportunity to save lives just as drunk drivers and habi
tual speeders are constantly breaking the law, destroying themselves and others.
Legislators have done us a great favor. Please take the responsibility of ad
hering to the law and buckle up as a safety-conscious driver should. Remember
that only the strong will survive. (Dee Evans)
Wbites sowed wbirlwind in Africa
a column
by Elfrida Mensah
It all began in the 17th
century when the whites from
Holland arrived at the Cape
of Good Hope—the southern
most part of Africa.
These people, together with
other white nationalities like
the British and French, be
gan to move inland in the
1830s, destabilizing African
kingdoms in their path. This
continued until the whites
claimed leadership and power.
In the early years of the
20th century, the black South
Africans began peaceful pro
tests, but these got them no
where. The response they ob
tained was the banning of the
two main African organiza
tions at the time—the Pan
African Congress and the
African National Congress.
Many blacks have been killed
in protests; many have been
imprisoned; and many more
have had to flee to neighbor
ing countries.
Since last year the black
South African students have
decided to use violence to get
the Botha administration to
do away with apartheid in
South Africa. Are these stu
dents to be blamed? These
violent riots and demonstra
tions brought about reactions
from different countries in
cluding the United States.
Many people have showed
their dislike of apartheid in
different demonstrations, and
not even arrests have stopped
them from proving their
point.
The Reagan administration
declared its policy of “con
structive engagement” in
South Africa. This made Pre
sident Botha announce the
abolishment of the “Immora
lity Act” (it was considered
immoral for whites to marry
blacks and vice versa). The
whites have total freedom
now since this act was the
only restriction on them. This
still does not give the blacks
their rights in all aspects of
life.
A few days ago. President
Botha, in a speech, committed
himself, for the first time, to
some form of universal suff
rage. This is a little step in
the direction of anti-apar-
theid. Yes! But is it a step
that is going to be built on?
There is no definite positive
answer to this question al
though most black South
Africans will be inclined to
answer in the negative be
cause of former experiences
with the leaders of their
country.
This being the case, the
fight and struggle for free
dom still go on.
Seeking Justice
Activism is returning
a column
by Vicky Dunn
I suppose it is my inquisitive
nature that sometimes makes me
want to experience life in another
era. When given a few spare
moments, my mind wanders to
two eras, the ’20s and the ’60s. I’m
sure that I would not be suited
to the life of a flapper, so I am
especially drawn to the latter.
Years throbbing within the
rapidly changing pulse of America
and the world, this time appeals
to many young people who
wonder what the heart of the
struggle is all about. Recently,
life has been serving up its own
set of crises and causes, giving
me a sense of the years I so dear
ly long for.
I always knew, though not with
such urgency as now, that the
role of committed black students
in social reformation was gaining
increasing importance.. I sense
among us not only a willingness
to protest but also to apply pres
sure to a wound that will other
wise cause ut all to bleed to death.
Fortunately, this wound is not
fatal! It has been infected, how
ever, with disregard for human
life, greed and economic instabi
lity.
Students at Fisk University, a
historically black university in
Nashville, have felt the infection’s
most bitter sting. Suffering from
low enrollment, as are many of
the traditionally black colleges,
the “Fiskites” have been forced to
make up for it in other ways.
Through charitable donations
fund-matching and sacrifice, the
Fisk family is regaining its foot
ing.
I felt that sense of family first
hand at the National Black College
Conference. Saciifice, the watch
word for the two-day conference,
plays as much a role now as it
did in the ’60s. Student Govern
ment President Juliette Williams
said that without sacrifice the
purpose of the conference and all
subsequent battles would be de
feated. We agreed that a $35,000
a year job with a black firm would
far exceed the benefits of a $50,000
a year job with a racist company.
Even more productive and econo
mically liberating would be the
formation of our own private
businesses.
Students addressed such
thought-wrenching questions as
“Does the black college sufficient
ly produce and prepare black
leaders?”, “Does the quality of
education at black colleges equal
that of white universities?” and
“Should black colleges and their
students openly denounce South
African apartheid, and to what
extent should this protest be
taken?”
I was asked, “Are there too
many black colleges?” and I
answered, “As long as there aie
uneducated black people in our
communities, No!”
Students at predominantly
black Tennessee State University
are questioning the state’s demand
that they up minority enrollment
by 50 E>er cent while predominant
ly white state institutions are
doing little to recruit blacks.
Spokesman David Mills denounced
such injustice and enjoined the
support and unity of his peers.
Dr. Manning Marable, keynote
speaker at the conference banquet,
awoke in us the desire for sound
education. He by no means pro
posed that it would solve all of
our problemis, but that it would
raise our awareness, the base from
which we can make a collective
stand.
At the Black College Day March
on Sept. 30, we were urged to
join the Free South Africa Move
ment.
My generation has its own
battles to wage and its own prob
lems to confront, but none that
are not related to those of our
global brothers and sisters. In a
way, though, we face them with
an international sense we were
never encouraged to have. “A” is
not for apple; “A” is for apartheid.
Classic novel concerns isolation
a book review
by I^ura Nelson
One Hundred Years of Solitude.
By Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Avon
Books. 383 pages.
This great novel by the
Columbian Nobel Prize win
ner tells the story of the
Buendias in their small. Old
World village of Macondo.
Mamuez writes of a Macondo
which is so new that “many
things lacked names and in
order to indicate them it was
necessary to point.”
The reader enters this mix
ture of fact and fiction and
lives with Jose Arcadio Buen-
dia, tracing the ascent of his
family. The story begins with
a trip through the mountains
in futile search of an outlet
to the sea and with the found
ing of Macondo. Time, one of
the novel’s themes, begins as
life in Macondo begins.
Jose Buendia and his wife,
Ursula, are the main charac
T4e3ie ftne U%i nn^
Editor Dee Evans
Associate Editors Avanti Allen, Bernice Scott, Karen R. Taylor
Reporters Alethea F. Adams, Carla Bannister, Tricia Hairston
Shonna Luten, Mardell Griffin, Penny Hill, Rhonda Wesby
Columnists Vicky Dunn, Elfrida Mensah
Reviewer Laura Nelson
Photographers Myra Davis, Keith Miller, Jill Royster
Faculty Adviser Michael Gaspeny
Opinions expressed in columns and letters to the editor belong to
their authors, not to the staff of the Banner, whose ideas appear in the
editorials at the top of this page.
Send letters to the editor to Box 2, campus post office. All corres
pondence must bear a handwritten signature and must be acknowledged
by the author. Letters are subject to editing according to newspaper
style and demands of space. No anonymous letters will be published.
ters. Both hold a major sig
nificance in their family and
village. Marquez creates a
flashback in the beginning of
his novel, giving the reader
an intimate look at Jose and
Ursula. One Hundred Years
Of Solitude, published in
1970, is full of fantasy. Com
bining myth and reality, the
result is a fairy tale for the
adult imagination. Marquez
cleverlv gives his characters
more life and reality than is
usual. He crives the reader a
chance to see that the idea of
solitude can be a verv real as
pect of someone’s life, and
this idea is the major theme
of the novel. The concept of
individuals existing in loneli
ness while surrounded by
others makes the novel seem
even more alive.
Each character deals with
solitude in his or her own
w'av. Jose, the natriach, finds
solitude in his far-reachin"
imatrination. There are times
when no one can penetrnte
his circle of solitude. Th^
Buendia children, evpn at
birth, exhibit the mark of
solitude. Marquez introduces
the fate of separation into his
characters’ lives and makes
this alienation the struggle
of their existence.
Yet, the victory of over-
coming the loneliness is
tainted with sadness, for the
loneliness is never escaped,
only accepted. The Buendias
experience death, disaster, re
volution and family discord
while trying to break through
personal conflicts of soul and
mind.
The only releases from the
clutches of solitude for the
Buendias are death and in
sanity. Marquez presents the
passing of events so wonder
fully that one may have to
stop to remind oneself of the
fictional nature of the novel.
Marquez gives readers a
chance to immerse themselves
in the solitude of others and
truly understand the meaning
of isolation.
Comprehensive
Examination
In English
Nov. 14, 7:30-10 a.m.
Science Assembly
How to live
with someone
who’s living
with cancer.
Wlien one penson get.s
cancer, everv'one in the family
suffers.
Nobody knows better than we
do how much help and
understanding is needed. That's
why our service and rehabilitation
programs emphasize the whole
family, not ju.st the cancer patient.
Among our regular ,ser\'ices
we provide information and
guidance to patients and families,
transport patients to and from
treatment, supply home care items
and a,ssist patients in their return to
everyday life.
Life is what concerns us. The
life of cancer patients. The lives of
their families. So you can see we
are even more than the research
organization we are so well known
to be.
.No one faces cancer alone.
yAMERKAN CANCER SOOETY'