the
COLUMNS
in this issue:
archives
the CECIL W. ROBBINS HBRARY
LOUISBURG COLiEGC
TftW
IM7549
Vol. XXVII No 3
Louisburg, N. C. 27549
Interview with artist Barry Bailey.
Interview with Charles Smith, new drama director.
November 1979
Mike Cross lights our way
by Stuart Parrish
A shadow loomed over the
front row seats. The stage was
dark; the house lights were out. A
few tentative notes from a violin
came through the big ring side
speakers. The bow was drawn
back, and the lights came up on
Mike Cross, fiddling furiously,
tapping time against the mike
stand. He'd finish a tone, shake
off the applause with a smile and
"whoop" and dash for ariother
instrument. Back and forth like a
bird feathering a nest, he went
from tune to tune. Six and
twelve-stringed guitars to his left
and his right; two violins rested
behind him, and he, like a whirling
dervish, never let the music die
away.
We witnessed two cases of
astral projection, the possession
of ^ local boy by an Irish brogued
minstrel, and a gospel tent finish,
where he clapped and sang an
a cappella encore along with his
fans. A chain of children, moved
by the spirit held their hands in the
air and brought them together to
the tapping foot on stage. They
circled the auditorium and grew in
number. The songs were familiar
to my neighbors. Mike would play
"Knobby" and smiles would break
into applause. The song "Chicken
Hawk and the Buzzard" soothed
several people, all waiting for their
special tune.
The tunes are all special. Mike
Cross is special. Deep inside an
easy going, friendly fellow that I
sat with in Dicks Drive-in, there
looked an entertainer. He is
special as an entertainer because
he let someone like me sit there at
Dick's Drive-in with him.
He stops in his show to do
requests when he hears them, and
he goes and goes. He is our
spokesman, for he was no more
ambitious of fame and fortune
before his freshmen year than we
all are. He keeps a place in
Carolina hearts because we know
he's never far from home in his
performance.
I recognized some of his songs
as those my grandmother sang
and also accompanied herself on
, harmonica. Although his music is
original, the lines are familiar to us
in an almost subconsious way. He
has returned to the happiness of
childhood in his songs. A mind
has matured, but not imposed on
his soul. The wide-eye shining
face of Mike replaces the face we
may too often see in the mirror.
That is his mission, to be our
happiness when we have lost it.
Highlights during Fall Weekend included a Mike Cross concert and a special
production of the play "Our Town.”
H. E. W. financial aid program
By Debbie Barnes
News Editor
The Department of Health,
Education and Welfare has
adopted a new program that, yyill
provide approximately $6.2 billion
to students this year to help
defray the cost of postsecondary
education.
There are six Federal Financial
Aid. Programs: the _Basic Edu
cational Opportunity Grant
(BEOG), Supplemental Educa
tional Opportunity Grant (SEOG),
College Work-Study (CW-S),
National Direct Student Loan
(NDSL), Guaranteed Student
Loan (GSL), and Health Edu
cation Assistance Loan (HEAL).
All of these programs _(except
College Work-study), set limits on
the amount of money you can
receive and the number of years
you can receive it. These
programs are offered here at
Louisburg except the Health
Education Assistance Loan
(HEAL).
To be eligible for financial aid
under these programs, you niust
be enrolled at least part-time in a
college, university, or technical
school.
Each program falls into one of
these categories; grants, loans, or
employment. Grants are gifts of
money that don't have to be
repaid. Loans are borrowed
money that must be repaid with
Interest. Employment allows you
to work and earn the money you
need. To be eligible for aid you
must fill _ out an application and
submit it to the Financial Aid
office. Then you must reapply
every year. You must, meet, the
requirements for citizenship.
Undergraduates may apply for
any of these programs.