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