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Friday, February 24, 1989
BENNETT COLLEGE, GREENSBORO, N. 0.
VoL XLX, No. 2
Defense: forewarned is forearmed
Self-Defense Expert; Business professor Dr. Robert Stevens is as proficient
in tlie martial arts as he is in accounting. The holder of two blacic belts, Stevens
advises students to prepare themselves for emergencies by following some
basic procedures and knowing the psychological profile of the typical assailant.
by Shavaughn Neal
You leave the department
store where you work late
one night and walk to your
car parked some distance
away. You unlock your door
and attempt to enter your
car, and someone grabs you
and forces you in. He attempts
to attack you. What do you
do?
You live on a college cam
pus and one night after a
study session in another dor
mitory you’re walking back
to your residence hall. No one
else is around. A man steps
out of the shadows and at
tempts to grab and attack you.
What do you do?
Both of these examples are
hypothetical situations but
nonetheless very possible.
Mr. Bob Stevens, an ac
counting professor with 19
years of martial arts exper
ience, says that certain mea
sures can and should be taken.
“There are common sense
Commitment is the key
by Cherryl Floyd
Faces in the chapel gazed
in silence as a towering figure
emerged from a background
of lit candles. The people were
gathered to commemorate the
life of the Rev. Martin Luther
King through the words of
Mr. Franklin McCain, section
leader for the Celanese Corp
oration in Charlotte.
McCain’s significance to the
occasion, though, was beyond
his successful job. He, along
with fellow A&T schoolmates
Ezell Blair, David Richmond
and Joseph McNeill are re
membered for staging the
famous sit-in at the downtown
Woolworth’s on Feb. 1, 1960
which sparked other revolts
across the South.
He knows that older people
accuse young people of being
pleasure-seekers.
“Your generation is con
cerned with the three Bs:
BMWs, Barbados and Boogie,”
he said, provoking laughter
from the audience.
Despite this popular opi
nion, McCain did admit that
older generations need young
people.
“We need your clever solu
tions to racial discrimination,
poverty and homelessness,
teen pregnancy and the high
school drop-out rate. Get so
angry and frustrated that you
want to think and develop
solutions,” he said.
McCain has noticed the
fading authority of black men,
whose enrollment on college
campuses has been reduced
by 34,000. Many are in jail
for homicide.
“Help us save an endang
ered species, not the great
whales, but black males,” he
pleaded.
McCain urged young listen
ers to start a revolution for
effective communication in
order that blacks’ needs be
fulfilled.
“Ask yourself, ‘What can
I do to keep my dream
alive?’ ” he asked. “The answ
ers are in your hands. Thank
you.”
A smile crept across his
face as the audience ap
plauded. However, he had not
finished his sp^h. He con
tinued an earlier statement
that his teachers had lied to
him about the things he
needed to be successful.
“Yes, they lied to me, but
they lied to me because they
loved me.” Now the speech
was done, and the towering
figure retreated toward the
lit candles.
At the ceremony’s end as
everyone held hands, singing
“We Shall Overcome,” it was
clear that McCain’s message,
directed toward young people,
had reached many genera--
tions.
ENJOY
SPRING
BREAK
Security measures taken
by Lorraine Patton
Security is an area of con
cern for everyone associated
with Bennett College. Re
cently an incident was re
ported that required the col
lege community to re-evaluate
its present security measures.
Cyn Sunday, Feb. 5, the ad
ministration held a two-and-
one-haJf hour campus-wide
meeting in the chapel to dis
cuss the matter of security.
During the following week,
this reporter interviewed
President Scott and asked her
the following question, “What
actions have taken place from
faU 1988 to this present day
to improve campus security ?”
Her response was, “The
campus security has been in
creased from two to three
full-time, night-shift members
which allows two officers to
be in the field with one com
manding officer in the secur
ity house.”
“The security is also being
reinforced by the use of
Kimber Guards and two extra
guards have been assigned to
the residence areas,” stated
Scott.
She went on to say that in
the very near future gates
will be put up to create a one
way leaving and entrance onto
the campus after certain
hours, and visitors’ passes
will be issued.
According to the security
staff and knowledgeable stu
dents, the following steps can
be taken to protect oneself
and her Bennett sisters.
Do’s: At night walk in pairs
or groups. Make sure doors
are securely closed and locked
whether coming in or going
out. Report all males on the
halls. Take and accept res
ponsibility for group safety.
Think of actions that may
have to take place up front,
should a problem arise.
Don’ts: Do not leave books,
tissue, etc., in the doors to
keep them from locking. Do
not engage in public displays
of affection because that may
invite trouble if actions were
taken in the wrong way.
HONOR
YOUR
HERITAGE
precautions people need to
take,” says Stevens. “Never
walk alone at night and avoid
poorly lit areas.”
Stevens suggests that many
people perceive rai)e “as some
thing that happens in the
early hours, of the morning
as a woman foolishly walks
alone past some dark alley
way,” but “this is in fact not
the common rape scenario.”
Stevens maintains that most
rapes occur when a woman
feels she is in a safe environ
ment —' at home or in the
automobile. It is in these
instances that a woman
should exercise the most pre
caution.
Stevens, who has taught
self-defense at Bennett, also
expresses the idea that “rap
ists do not rape because of
sexual needs” but rather to
conquer feelings of insecurity.
In forcing submission and
assaulting a woman, the rap
ist gets a feeling of power.
The rapist attempts to gain
control with orders like “Don’t
scream” or “Close the door.”
If a woman does not have
a weapon, Stevens suggests
she do the opposite of what
the attacker asks. Stevens
says, “Rather than a cower
ing or submissive attitude,
she should assume a calm,
controlled attitude and tell
him what to do.”
The victim should tell him
of the consequences and that
she won’t yield without a
fight. Even the karate stance
in certain situations has
proven to be an effective
method of stopping a rapist.
Stevens adds, “It is one thing
to assume a calm, controlled
posture and quite another
thing to do so when unex
pectedly confronted.” To take
precautions a woman should
take the time to visualize an
attack situation in an effort
to prepare herself mentally
(see page 4)
Civil rights marchers remembered
by Betsy M. Peoples
February 1, 1989 emble
mized the 29th anniversary
of the Greensboro sit-ins.
The NAACP student chap
ter showed its appreciation
for the four freshman North
Carolina A&T students Ezell
Blair Jr., Joseph McNeil,
Franklin McCain and David
Richmond who carried out
the lunch counter sit-ins at
Woolworth’s. Their heroism
was a major event in the
American civil rights move
ment. Students from A&T and
Bennett had a peaceful march
from the Holland Bowl at
A&T to downtown Wool
worth’s.
“The primary purpose of
the NAACP is to hold things
together and to monitor un
just situations,” said David
Hill, president of the NAACP
chapter at A&T, “If Jesse
Jackson can be a committed
student, protest and rally,
then surely we can be the
same. We need to let people
know we are conscious of his
tory and not ‘his-story,’ ”
said Hill before a committed
crowd of marchers.
During the march, students
sang old-time spirituals
“Amen,” “We Shall Over
come,” The Black National
Anthem, “This Little Light
Of Mine,” “Sight Me Up For
The Christian Jubilee” and
“Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody
Turn Me Around.”
“Keep the torch burning;
we must continue to struggle.
We have a tendency to say
‘let somebody else do it.’ We
must do it. Gtet everything
you can while you’re here,
hang in there and excel,” said
David Richmond.
Tracey Lett, NAACP pre
sident at Bennett, gave in
sight to the role the Belles
played in the movement in
1960.
“The Belles were the ones
who held the seats for the
sit-ins, and when nobody
would let Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. speak, Bennett
College was there,” Lett said.
Following the march, four
A&T freshman entered Wool-
worths.
Use the library
Belles’ musical
favorites chosen
by Yvette N. Freeman
These are the results of a
music poll taken on campus:
Best R & B Album Nomi
nees: 1. “Heartbreak,” New
Edition; 2. “Don’t Be Cruel,”
Bobby Brown; 3. “Luther,”
Luther Vandross; 4. “Make
It Last Forever,” Keith
Sweat; 5. “Giving You The
Best That I Got,” Anita
Baker.
And the winner is: “Make
It Last Forever,” Keith Sweat
Best R&B Artist (Solo)
Nominees: 1. Bobby Brown;
2. Anita Baker; 3. Luther
Vandross.
And the winner is: Bobby
Brown
Best R&B Duo/Group Nom
inees: 1. New Edition; 2.
Guy.
And the winner is: Guy
Best R&B Song Nominees;
1. “Groove Me,” Guy; 2. Good
bye Love,” Guy; 3. “Super
woman,” Karyn White; 4.
“Piece Of My Love,” Guy;
5. “I Like,” Guy; 6. “The Way
You Love Me,” Karyn White;
7. “Can You Stand TTie Rain,”
New Edition; 8. “My Pero-
gative,” Bobby Brown; 9.
“Jam,” Guy.
And the winner is: “Jam,”
Guy
Best New Artist/Group:
1. Guy; 2. The Boyz.
And the winner is; The
Boyz.