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Friday, April 18, 1986
BENNETT COLLEGE, GREENSBORO, N. C.
Vol. XLVIl, No. 6
South Africa trip enlightens Miller
by Laura Nelson
“When I saw real need and
hunger black people have for
education, I needed to come
back and tell our young people
how lucky they are and get
into those classrooms and
take advantage of education.”
These words expressed Presi
dent Isaac H. Miller, Jr’s.
main concern after his trip
to South Africa.
In March, Miller, along
with 11 other presidents from
black institutions, traveled to
South Africa to visit the edu
cational system of the coun
try and to propose some ideas
for making the system better.
The trip was sponsored by the
U.S. Department of State.
Miller said the blacks of
South Africa do not have ade
quate access to educational
opportunities, thus being
handicapped in gaining high
responsibility jobs and high
pay. He spoke of the high
rate of illiteracy, poor nutri
tion and poor health condi
tions. He named these as the
main problems of the blacks
along with their inadequacies
in the fields of math, science
and engineering.
Miller’s desire to help vic
tims of apartheid is intense.
He enjoyed his trip, “but the
beauty of the country con
trasts so greatly with the
ugly features of apartheid.”
He felt a very strong sense
of racial kinship with the
people and their problems be
cause they are so similar to
the ones blacks here have ex
perienced. “We have a role
to help them have a place
under the sun,” he said.
Miller and the other presi
dents visited Capetown, Pre
toria, Johannesburg and one
township. Crossroads. Presi
dent Miller spoke of the pov
erty in Crossroads as nothing
like he has ever seen in the
U.S.: “crowds of people with
nothing to do all day except
just stand around.” He des
cribed shantytowns as “just
something propped up where
they call home—just living.”
Asked how he felt about
the South African govern
ment’s refusal to allow out
side sources to report on the
unrest in the country, Miller
said the government was ex
periencing pressure from the
outside world towards its im
morality, and along with the
pressure from the inside, the
government will open up.
There is a similarity be
tween the educational situa
tion in South Africa and that
of the era of segregation here,
according to Miller. He urges
that teachers from South
Africa come here to study
our school systems and re
ceive help in curriculum deve
lopment. He suggested that
some instructors go to South
Africa to train teachers. He
also mentioned the possibility
of Bennett scholarships for
some South African women.
One problem for blacks of
South Africa is that they are
not prepared for technology.
Miller said one thing that
needs to be acknowledged is
how involved black Americans
are in the struggle of black
people around the world for
dignity and opportunity. He
said people should have a
broader outlook on the whole
situation. Miller related Ben
nett to his trip, saying, “It
makes sense for our students
to learn from and about inter
national students just as they
learn from us. That’s one of
the principal lessons I learn
ed.”
“I saw so much that I need
to go back and see it all again
to understand it a little
better . . . It’s just too big to
comprehend in such a short
time,” said Miller, who hopes
to start an international stu
dies program on carnpus.
Laughing wistfully. President
Miller said, “I wouldn’t mind
going back to teaching for a
while as a visiting professor.”
Miller’s discontent with
what he witnessed firsthand
clearly marks a turning point
in his life.
THE PRESIDENT’S
COLLEGE PARTY
April 26, 1986
David D. Jones Student
Union Foyer
10 p.m. until 12:30 a.m.
SEMI-FORMAL AFFAIR
1
Key ceremony: Proudly wearing their caps and gowns seniors Frederlcka Watson and Karen R. Taylor talk witti Presi
dent Miller during the annual Senior Day activities, (photo by Otis Hairston)
Ceremony stirs seniors
by Vennessa McLaughlin
“There were times as a
student I felt I would not be
robed on Senior Day” stated
Phyllis Jones.
Jones, a senior accounting
major from Fayetteville said
“when I robed my big sister,
as a sophomore, I saw Senior
Day for myself a far-off
dream that may never come
true.”
Jones said, “During all the
humdrum planning I talked
with another senior who is
not supposed to graduate un
til December, and she was
more excited than I was. I
knew I had to be missing
something. Not until then did
I see the significance of par
ticipating.”
After Senior Day was over,
Jones had a change of atti
tude about all the events lead
ing up to graduation. She is
excited and ready to march.
Karen Fisher, senior class
president, stated, “I’m ex
cited!” “I was excited before
Senior Day and I’m still ex
cited about all the events yet
to come during Senior Week.”
The senior class upheld a
tradition that had diminished
through the years. It gave
as its present to the college
a magnolia tree dedicated to
the late Dr. Lloyd Milton
Harris, biology professor.
Fisher stated, “We hope by
planting the tree we will re
institute the forgotten tradi
tion. It has been a while since
one was dedicated.”
Angela Wright, a senior
from Phoenix, Ariz., saw
Senior Day and the dedication
of the Magnolia tree as just
another traditional ritual.
“It was nothing to get ex
cited about. I feel instead of
a tree they should have con
tributed the funds to start
a picnic area, with tables and
benches, so that students
won’t have to sit on the stairs,
the flag-pole and on the
walls,” Wright said. “Bennett
is not going to supply us with
this type of environment, so
we as students must initiate
these types of things our
selves.”
Dean Chelsea Tipton an
nounced the names of seniors
receiving caps and gowns.
The senior class did its class
song, “That’s What Friends
Are For.”
The address was given by
Mrs. Gladys Robinson, a 1971
graduate, who is presently
the executive director of the
Triad Sickle Cell Anemia
Foundation in Greensboro.
Her message to the senior
class was “Be Prepared.”
The dedication of the mag
nolia tree followed Mrs. Robin
son’s address. The senior class
led faculty, staff, students,
relatives and friends to the
front of the science building
where the dedication was
made by senior class parli-
mentarian, Stacey Goode.
The senior class selected
lavender and rose as its class
colors, and as their class
motto, “To whom much is
given, much is expected.”
Seniors reflect before graduation
by Mardell Griffin
Each young woman leaving the
school in May takes with her an
individual impression of the ins
titution and what it stands for.
The month before graduation
is often used for reflection by
seniors. The excitement they feel
at preparing “to go out into the
real world” is mixed with sadness
at leaving the college family. As
they prepare to go on to every
thing from medical school to
careers in special education, some
members of the graduating class
took time to share some of their
reflections.
“What was the most important
thing about Bennett or the thing
that affected you the most?”
“The different experiences at
Bennett have helped me mature,”
said Karen Fisher, senior class
president who is planning to at
tend medical school in Chapel Hill.
A native of Merritt, she plans to
practice pediatrics.
“The development of my leader
ship skills,” said Evelyn Fulmore,
SGA president who plans to study
pharmacology at Mercer Univer
sity in Atlanta and then pursue
a career in research.
“My reign as Miss Bennett has
given me opportunities to work
with students and people outside
of the school which have really
helped me grow as a person,” said
Penny Hill of Winston-Salem who
plans to attend school at Wake
Forest.
“The sisterhood,” said Wen-
dolyn Abel. “Because of its small
size, Bennett is like a family. It’s
like having 500 other people who
care about me when something
goes wrong.”
“Being away from home. It
really taught me to be totally
independent,” said Sharon High-
smith of Philadelphia, who is go
ing to attend graduate school at
Atlanta University in marketing.
“The faculty. I feel like I can
go to them for anything academi
cally or personally,” said Allyson
Berry, Miss Senior from Leesburg,
Fla., who is trying to land an ac
counting job with the federal
government.
“The leadership responsibilities
that were put on me helped a
lot,” said Francena Brown of
Sumter, S.C who is looking for
a computer science related job in
Columbia, S.C. “I’m more inde
pendent and strive a lot harder
for what I believe in.”
“My instructors. Some were
very inspirational, and they seem
to have a love for the students
and were concerned about our
well-being,” said Vicelia Howard
of Oakland, Cal. who plans to
attend summer school and then
look for a job.
“What do you feel is the most
important thing that you are tak
ing with you *’rom Bennett?”
“A sense of competence, confi
dence and pride in my people and
myself,” said Fisher.
“Tradition,” said Fulmore. “I
had never thought much about
tradition before. But the little
traditions, like big sister/little
sister, at Bennett are what make
it special.”
“Besides a wealth of knowledge
that I have gotten,” said Hill,
“Bennett has taught me a lot about
my culture and taught me how
to be myself, even when working
in a group. I can venture out on
my own.”
“The vast experiences,” said
Able. “The different cultural,
academic and social events gave
me the exposure and preparation
to face the real world.”
“From having to depend on
myself, I gained a lot of indepen
dence and self-confidence,” said
Highsmith.
“A lot of memorable exper
iences, happy and sad, good and
bad,” said Berry.
“My leadership qualities and
sisterhood,” said Brown
“Living with the young ladies
on campus has given me a dose
of the real medicine that is out
there,” said Howard.
“What is the best advice you can
give to a freshman?”
“To become involved in extra
curricular activities and work
hard in academics,” said Fisher.
“To make the most of these
years. A Bennett experience is
what you make of it,” said Ful
more.
“When you come to Bennett
have your priorities set,” said
Hill. “Take advantage of what
Bennett has to offer.”
“Have a good head on your
shoulders,” said Abel. “Know
your purpose when you get here
because there are a lot of things
to distract you.”
“Be patient,” said Highsmith.
“I noticed the past two classes
and even our class expected
everything when they wanted it.”