Archives Collection
The Cecil W. Robbins Library
Louisburg College
Louisburg, NC 27549-7704
Vol. 49 No. 8
The Student Voice of Louisburg College
May 1, 1990
County Fights Illiteracy
by Lisa Turner, Staff Writer
SG A Election Results
There is a new woman wander
ing around on the third floor of
Taft. Her name is Marjorie Starrs,
and with the help of Louisburg
College, she has her own office.
Marjorie Starrs is the presi
dent of the Franklin County
Literacy Council. It was estab
lished with combined efforts
from the local branch of the
American Association of Univer
sity Women, Louisburg Baptist
Church, and Vance-Granville
Community College in May
1988. The project is a nonprofit
organization whose goal is to
reduce illiteracy in Franklin
County.
With the help of tutors, this
goal is being accomplished.
Tutors are volunteers who can
read and write and who desire to
help others learn. Their purpose
is to increase the individual’s
ability to read and help the indi
vidual reach his or her goals. The
volunteer must complete twelve
hours of training which is taught
by certified trainers of the Laub-
ach method. Volunteers pay the
training cost which is approxi
mately $ 12.50. Training sessions
are held frequently at designated
areas, such as the Louisburg col
lege Chapel.
Currently, a half dozen Louis
burg College faculty, staff, former
faculty, and a number of alumni
are involved with the Franklin
County Literacy Council. Tutors
and students are found with
cooperation from local radio and
TV stations, newspapers, and
referral forms distributed at
social agencies, businesses, and
the library.
Many students have already
been tutored. At the present
time, sixteen individuals are being
helped. The difficulty of teaching
the illiterate is usually based on
the individual’s age, reading
experience, and attitude.
According to Ms, Starrs, most
of these students’s reading skills
do not exceed the fifth grade
level. In addition the students
may make excuses about having
difficulty.
One difficulty for the student
is finding time to learn while hav
ing the responsibilities of a job
and family. Unfortunately, the
literacy council cannot provide
child care services because of
their limited budget.
There are sixty-six literacy
councils in North Carolina.
Compared to other councils,
Franklin County’s is smaller.
However, it is quickly growing
thanks to help from the com
munity, schools, and county
commissioners. For instance,
calls for help are increasing and
there is a waiting list for those
who need to be tutored. Also, a
video is in the works explaining
the Franklin County Literacy
Council and how people in the
community can help. The coun
cil is making so much progress
that it has received compliments
from the state director.
Unfortunately, illiteracy exists
throughout the United States.
by Ron Hasson, Associate Editor
Graduates
Page- 4
President Bush indicated recently
that he believes that 100% liter
acy is possible in the near future.
Marjorie Starrs feels that is
unrealistic; however she says,
**we certainly can get closer to
it.”
Mrs. Stalls has many long-
range goals for the Franklin
County Literacy Council. She
says, ”1 would like to see them
expand into the work place such
as having classes at individual
business sites. I would also like to
see them find money to hire a
full-time director, help more
students, and continue to make
progress.
At the present time, eight to
ten volunteers would be greatly
appreciated. Anyone interested
in helping should contact Marjo
rie Starrs at the Franklin County
Literacy Council office, Taft 312.
Close to 200 students partici
pated in the election of the 1990
SGA Executive Board on May
18th. Ballots were cast during
lunch and dinner outside the
cafeteria and results were posted
later that evening. The only con
tested race, for Treasurer, was
decided in favor of Tony Butler.
The other winners, Robin Wiley
(President), Ahmed Selim (V ice-
President), and Angela Richard
son (Secretary), ran unopposed.
Voter turn-out was twice as
good as in the past few years. At
one point, the ballots ran out
during a lunchtime rush. Annette
Partin, advisor to the SGA, said
the increased participation was
"still not good, but it [was] a lot
better than usual.” The ballots
were counted under the supervi
sion of John Houser, Elections
Committee Chairman.
According to the SGA Consti
tution, all students are members
of the SGA. If you would like to
make suggestions, ask questions,
or find out how you can get
involved with next year’s student
government, contact the 1990-
91 executive board. Their box
numbers are Robin Wiley -
2310, Ahmed Selim - 2549,
Tony Butler - 2685, and Angela
Richardson - 2847.
Steel Magnolias
Production a
Blooming Success
by Traci Latta, Features Editor
Easter Egg Hunt A Farce
by Melissa Leigh Aderhold
Students woke up Wednesday,
April 11, to find that the major
ity of the Easter eggs put out for
the hunt had been found.
According to a student who
did not wish to be named,
approximately five students went
out around 4:00 a.m. and col
lected a large portion of the eggs.
Students who came later found
eggs with obscene notes, pieces
of glass, cigarette butts, and spit
tle in them.
Charles Johnson, Director of
Student Activities, was told
about what had been found.
Johnson said that little could be
done about it. Johnson went on
to stress that the grand prize had
yet to be found. Annette Partin,
Assistant Dean of Students, who
was told at the same time as John
son, expressed disappointment
but concurred with Johnson that
nothing could be done.
Over four hundred dollars of
student money was spent on this
activity. With five people partic
ipating, this means that about
.6% of the student body was
involved. The suggestion was
made by Dean Partin not to
advertise the Easter egg hunt next
year in order to avoid these kinds
of problems.
Later in the day the grand prize
was found by Josh McLamb.
And at the time of this writing,
several prizes had yet to be
claimed.
Comedy, drama, laughter,
tears... All were to be found April
10, in the world famous Barter
Theatre’s production of Robert
Harling’s Steel Magnolias. The
one-night performance was held
in the Louisburg College Audito
rium at 8 p.m., and the cost of
admission was $8. All proceeds
of the evening’s performance
went to benefit The Educational
Foundation Programs (E.F.P.) in
conjunction with the Franklin
County branch of the American
Association ofU niversity W omen
(AAUW).
Set in Chinquapin, Louisiana,
Magnolias is the story of six
Southern women and how tragedy
brings them together. All the
action in the play takes place in
Truvy’s Beauty Salon over a
period of two years. The main
focus of the play centers around
the character of Shelby (Dixie
and ultimately dies.
Before Shelby’s unexpected
and untimely death, the audience
gets to see not only the life of
Shelby, but the lives and rela
tionships of the other women as
well. The other four ladies are
Truvy (Katherine Gay Wilson),
owner of the beauty salon; Ouiser
(Florence Anglin), the town
eccentric; Annelle (Judy Ches-
nutt), Truvy’s new assistant; and
Clairee (Patricia Guinan), the
widow of the former mayor.
As in all adaptations from one
medium to another, there are dif
ferences between this stage play
and the recent film version; yet in
Magnolias the changes are very
subtle. Some of the lines were
switched off between characters,
but they were few and far
between. All in all, the women
gave spectacular performances.
The audience was kept in stitches
SEE “STEEL”, PAGE 8