PAGE TWO THE BENNETT BANNER FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 1988 Bennett sisterhood: where has it gone? Bennett is known not only for its academic reputation but also for its sisterhood. A sisterhood where everyone sticks together and helps each other whenever possible. This is the sisterhood that has to day greatly diminished. The Belles of today do not help each other nor do they stick together, unless they are in line in the cafeteria. Only in certain groups or “circles” is there a sense of sisterhood, and to be included in these “circles,” one must look and act a certain way or go through the process of hazing. If a Belle chooses to do neither of these, then she is considered an “outsider,” unworthy of friendship or respect. Is this what sisterhood is about? It shouldn’t be. Sister hood is about caring for your fellow Belles and taking the time to help and even to speak to one another whenever pos sible. That kind of sisterhood is no longer present on the Bennett campus. It has been replaced now with the preoc cupation with such trivial matters as who one’s friends are, how one looks and how one “appears” to be, not necessarily in that order. As Bennett Belles, we should not be so quick to judge each other by our looks or our actions; both are us ually misinterpreted. Nor should we judge each other on the theory of “guilt by association.” If you should encounter a Belle one day who looks or “appears” to be mean and arrogant, remember that everyone has her good days and bad days. Don’t shun her or give her the evil eye. It may be that a certain situa tion has upset her; her mind may be on something or some place else or she may just not want to be bothered on that particular day. Perhaps the next day, she will be in a better mood. Whatever the case may be, try speaking to her. You never know but that it may bring her out of her bad mood and you may have even made a new friend. We also shouldn’t judge a Belle by the company she keeps. Just because you may not like a friend or group of friends of a particular Belle, that doesn’t mean that you have to dislike her. Sometimes, even the most contrasting personalities can get along. Right now, Bennett is in need of a new sisterhood, and in order to build it, we should realize that every Bennett Belle has a unique quality about her that makes her special. A quality not obtained by joining a particular soror ity or being a friend of cer tain people. It comes from just being bom. We Belles should take the time to get to know each other and find that special quality in each of us, because appearances can definitely be deceiving and actions can be misinterpreted. If we can’t do these simple acts, then the Bennett repu tation for sisterhood is in deed long gone with the former administration. Now that we are under new leader ship, we should at least at tempt to help President Scott in improving Bennett not only in its academics but overall. Not only should the college itself be improved and up dated, but also the students, and in order to do this, we have to work together by helping each other and look ing out for each other. That is what sisterhood is all about. (Yvette N. Freeman) Choose leaders on the basis of substance You can always tell when it is election time. Even before applications for candidates are posted, people promise us almost anything, try to woo us with candy, become unusually talkative, and an eternal smile becomes plastered on their faces. Those who have never spoken to you start saying “Hi” when you see them. The average campus election, whether it be for SGA or class offices, is, un fortunately, a popularity contest. Many times the outcome of an election depends upon whom you know and how well a candidate is known. This is the sad reality of campus elections. The key to electing a good officer is selection. If you look closely at the word selection, you will find election in it. Being selective is what an election is all about—choosing the best possible candidate for the job. It is important that as students we select leaders not for the amount of candy they pass out, or how flashy their campaign is or what sorority they belong to but because they are actually saying something. No issue is too small. If it concerns students, then it should be discussed. There are many student concerns that could be incorporated into the elections. For example, student parking, mandatory class attendance and the meal sche dules on weekends among other things could be addressed. Campus elections should be taken more seriously. Think of them as practice for the real thing—electing senators and the president of the nation. If you are able to discern a good leader on the collegiate level, then you will be able to do the same on a national level. (Crystal Sadler) Differences in sisterhood challenge Bennett students a column by Cherryl Floyd I anticipated nostalgia for my former alma mater, Spelmfm College, when I arrived at Ben nett. My first imprints in Bennett’s historical sands were engraved and guided by resounding chapel chimes. The picture of eminent buildings so poignantly stained with memories and of foundations that spilled Bennett’s significant past from cracks and crevices still overwhelms me. Tall, full trees whose branches seemed to welcome newcomers with outstretched arms draped the campus and conveyed beauty. Friendly voices directed me to appropriate offices and adminis trators since I was quite imfami- liar with my new surroundings. Had I decided to close my eyes then to soak in the atmosphere, I would have been quick to assume that Spelman and Bennett were one and the same. ’That, of course, was before I had time to observe the differences. The greatest difference is a wel come ease. The Bennett College atmosphere does not emphasize material wealth, although Spel- man’s certainly does. While a Spelmanite dons the latest fash ions and hairstyles to polish her cosmopolitan look, the Bennett Belle relies on her God-given tfdents and wits to radiate a sop histicated aura. Were there no such things as BMW’s, Gucci handbags, designer clothing or perfume, a Bennett Belle would still possess the raw materials that are her sophistication. Ben nett has warmly welcomed and received my inner self as a part of the whole “me” and has granted me an atmosphere that gives me the freedom to be myself. This personal freedom, though, has not fostered a sense of sister hood. The majority of us are so much about the business of “self” that we ignore each other and for get the importance of the uplifting of our student body as a whole. The thematic sisterhood that flows over the Spelman campus is seen only in little spurts here at Bennett. As young women who have come to a specific place, hope fully for a common cause, we must unite in a sisterly bond that fosters excellence and exaltation of the black woman minority. We may rely on the B'ennett adminis tration to help us or blame cam pus leaders for our daily boredom, but the campus will continue to be “dead” until we decide that we would like to do something about it. The main change should be an increase in weekend functions. Each weekend, many of us flock to our neigihboring college, A&T, return home, visit friends’ homes or simply find somewhere to go to seek refuge from the weekend boredom of campus life. Were there weekend activities, many of us would not need to find somewhere to go. We would be 7^e Fennell nnet Editor-in-chief Yvette N. Freeman Assistant editors Shavaughn Neal, Crystal Sadler Reporters Talinia Bell, Trudy Brocklngton, Tondalayo Clark, Usa Dandrldge, Cherryl Floyd, Tanya Goodwin, Toni Henry, Robin Jackson, Shawane Lassiter, Charlcie Pettway, Tish Richmond, Glen Smith, Kimmberly Waller, Tammy Winchester, Sara Williams Advisers Mr. Michael Gaspeny, Dr. Martha Gleaton Opinions expressed in essays, coiumns 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. Ail 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. content, sometimes happy, in stay ing. Of course, an increase in activi ties will call for dedication and willingness of designated leaders who will organize such functions. These individuals are vital for a reform of social life here at Bennett. It is not the only change necessary, but it is the major change necessary. The fate of our sisterhood could depend on it. Once we have formed a network of sisterhood among ourselves, perhaps it will be possible to net work with our present rivals at Spelman College, but only after we resdize that the greatest wedge between Spelman and Bennett is Morehouse College. The More house Man has come to be a possession (or is it an obsession?) that both Bennett Belles and Spel- manites claim as their own. Ben nett College is the official sister college to Morehouse though Spel- manites generally feel that this is ludicrous since the Spelman cam pus is closer to Morehouse. The issue is not all about which is the closer school—and it certainly should not be all about who the real sisters are. We are all the real sisters. Likewise, we are all a part of the mass of brown people joined at the nucleus by a specific purpose: to be, to live, to grow. Morehouse is included in this mass and shares this purpose. Therefore, it should not be the force which divides us. I realized our need for sister hood as I sat during earlier Bennett days and wrote the fol lowing words: Ours is a spirit which is not easily lynched or broken. We are effervescent, bub bling. Oiirs is a heritage which leaves room for us to exist in beautiful variety. It is only na tural that we are colorful, glow ing. Ours is a song that we har monize without ever stopping to see if we’re in tune—and we us ually are. Ours is a strength that tempts mountains to move as we master our uphill climbs. We are brown people, black women. If we allowed these words to shai>e our sisterhood, it would be easy to realize that the greatest difference between Spelman and Bennett could be the distance be tween Atlanta and Greensboro. Reviewer likes Spike Lee’s flic a review by Karen Horne “Comical,” “musical” and “satirical” are just a few words I would use to describe Spike Lee’s new movie “School Daze.” Lee based the movie on his experiences at Morehouse College. He takes a look at some very serious issues facing black college students today, such as fra ternity hazing, student poli tical protest and intraracial separation. The musical scene called “Straight and Nappy” is Lee’s way of bringing a very real and serious issue to every one’s attention. In the produc tion he uses the “Wannabees,” a group of sorority members called the “Gamma Rays they have light skin and long hair and wear colored contact lenses and act like they want to be white. The “Jiggaboos” are dark-skinned girls who have short hair and wear it naturally or in braids, and they don’t belong to a soror ity. I don’t think people can compare Lee’s movie to an other movie about college life because this is the first movie about black college life. I like the way Lee takes the tension about these issues and makes you laugh. The characters are fun to watch and the acting was really good. Dapp is a likable character because he is sensitive and wants to fight for what’s right. Dapp is the one student who leads the protest against apartheid and for divestment, but when the school administrators con front him with expulsion if he continues, the talk of di vestment protest ends. Lee then takes a closer look at the fraternity Gamma Phi Gamma and the treat ment of its pledges. He doesn’t really get serious about show ing any harsh hazing treat ments, but he makes the viewers aware that the treat ment they are getting isn’t right. The character Julian, the dean of pledges, doesn’t prove to be likable. He has an overblown ego and is a typi cal user all at the same time. He treats his “Gamma Ray” girlfriend Jane terribly and uses her undying loyalty as a means of getting rid of her so he can date other girls. Lee makes sure that the characters are extreme so the viewers can see them for what they truly are. I think this movie will prove that even with limited distribution and small bud gets, black movies are very much in demand. I have read some other reviews of Lee’s movie and noticed that white critics downgrade it and com pare it to other movies like National Lampoon’s “Animal House” and compare Julian to Groucho Marx. I don’t think that they are capable of reviewing the movie with open minds since they don’t understand it. I felt this movie is a definite “go-see” and a break from other silly college movies. Congratulations to everyone who participated in Senior Day Festivities