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FEATURES
Black Coalition fails in attempt to halt vet school
By DAVID SQUIRES
KDDIE MARKS
Staff Writers
I>espite threatened legal action to
force construction of a proposed
school of veterinary medicine at
predominantly black N.C. A&T State
University, final approval has been
given to place the schod at N.C. State
University.
The North Carolina Alumni and
Friends Coalition, a group founded in
1973 to strengthen historically black
universities, nas tiled suit in the
Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals
.seeking a restraining order to prevent
construction of the school at N.C.
State.
‘‘We’re asking the court to have the
vet school constructed at A&T,” said
Lawrence Cooper of Durham,
chairman of the coalition. “We feel
that putting the school at A&T would
give them a major program. N. C.
State doesn’t need it because they’re
already established.
The suit has been turned down once
in a lower court. Cooper said.
Although the appeals court has made
no official decision, he said the
chances are not good for a favorable
ruling
“I understand the judge is going to
turn it down,” Cooper said. “The only
By JOYCE B.\SS
Staff Writer
For those who were fortunate enough
to see the drama production “Down
Home,” that enjoyment will be
equaled or intensified this year by a
second production under the direction
of Lee Greene, Assistant Professor of
the UNC English Department.
This year, the drama production
will concentrate on the 1925 era and
follow American life as it affected
Black American art. At the same time
the play will emphasize how
European immigrants influenced
Black culture
“'Rie production will show how this
culture emerged as a unique way of
life,” said Greene.
Greene said that the idea for the
production stemmed from the English
8-1 classes on Black American
Ijterature. He said that the script,
props and music are all original and
were designed especially for the
production.
“Basically we will look at the
history and art of this period in
regards to changing Black American
musical forms,” said Greene, “We
also intend to include some aspects of
the Marcus Garvey Movement and
how it influenced that period.”
Although the basic ideas behind last
year’s production, “Down Home,”
and the upcoming production are the
same, there is a significant dif
ference
"The difference between last year’s
production and this year’s production
is that this production will con
centrate on one aspect of American
Ijfe and it will use one group to
illustrate life in that period," said
recourse would be to appeal to the U.
S. Supreme Court. We don’t have the
time or the money to do that.”
The UNC Board of Governors
Committee on Educational Planning,
Policies and Programs gave final
approval to the N.C. State site at its
meeting Sept. 23. Committee member
John Sanders said the full board
probably will give official approval to
the project at its Oct. 13 meeting.
“A vote by the full board is just a
formality,” Sanders said. “The board
already has $9 million in the budget
for the school. All they have to do now
is ask the legislature for another $22
million to complete the project.”
Construction of the school should
begin at N.C. State in February,
Sanders said. The first students would
be admitted in 1981.
The vet school site has been debated
since 1974. Tlie Board of Governors
has been under pressure from of
ficials of A&T and the Department of
Health, Education and Welfare to
locate the school on the A&T campus
to promote desegration of the state
university system.
In November, 1974 A&T Chancellor
Lewis Dowdy told the board that
racial considerations should be a
factor in locating the school.
“By locating the vet school at
Greene.
Drama productions are not one-
man shows. In order to convey the
type of life-styles that were led during
this period, a cast is needed. And
Greene says these cast persons are
not solely from English 84 classes.
“"nie actors, actresses and dancers
come from outside the Humanities
Division. At present we have cast
• members from all areas of student
classification. We have several fresh
men who are playing leading roles in
the production. This year we will have
a fuller orchestra, which will make it
more of a full-scale production than
before. There is no competition for
parts. Everyone makes a con
tribution,” Greene said.
He added that although casting is
complete to a certain point, there is
still a need for singers in a group
scene, and for persons who have
artistic abilities to build sets.
Costume designing is also an area
where help is needed. The costumes
for the period will include the popular
“zoot suits” and “flapper” style
evening wear for the ladies.
With the completion of sets,
rehearsals will follow so that the
November 11 stage debut can be met,
“TTie only thing that will postpone the
opening night is some unforeseen
tragedy,” said Greene
T?ie cast members include “stars”
from last year’s production in ad
dition to many new faces. Some of the
returning cast are Skip Harker, Roz
Fuse. Gary Griggs and Ada Cherry
Writers assisting with the production
are Edna Brown and Stanley Brooks,
while music will be directed by
Sharon Wellington.
A&T,” Dowdy said, “we are confident
that more wWte students and faculty
would be attracted to our campus.”
Burleigh Webb, dean of the A&T
School of Agriculture, also was in
strumental in making the school’s
proposal in 1974. After last month’s
decision to place the vet school at N.C.
State, Webb said he is disappointed
but will accept the committee’s ac
tion,
“We made our pitch and we lost,”
Webb said. “Whatever we think of the
decision at this point in time is a moot
question because we are still part of
the university system.
“It’s very ^sappointing but there’s
no use crying over it now. If there’s a
system that affects me because I’m
black I can’t be talking about the
system unless I get out of it or correct
if from the outside.”
Webb said he does not think HEW
will pressure UNC further over the
vet school decisiai.
“I’ve seen communications to the
effect that HEW doesn’t intend to use
this issue as a prime argument. Both
schools were asked to submit a racial
impact statement as part of their
proposal and both schools did.”
Desegregation was not a significant
factor in the comparisons between the
two schools, Webb said.
The final weeks of preparation will
begin soon and the curtain will rise for
the second time on a Lee Greene
production. Will there be others?
“Last year was the first time we
attempt^ a production of this sort.
Hopefully, this one will be produced
more than once. There have been
discussions on the possibilities of a TV
airing and the possibility of taking it
on the road. Mind you, these are all
possibilities,” said Greene smiling.
Meanwhile, the cast is working
hard to polish their parts and the
orchestra is rehearsing to finalize
tempos. TTie production will take
place in Memorial Hall and admission
will be free. Parents, students and
faculty are all invited to enjoy an
evening with Lee Greene and com
pany.
“Even at capacity the proposed
school would have only 320 students,”
he said. “That wouldn’t significantly
change the racial balance at A&T.”
A vet school would make A&T more
attractive to white students, Webb
said.
“One of the problems black schools
have in attracting whites is in the
strength of their programs,” he said.
“The school could have nut A&T in a
position to make a difi rent kind of
contribution to the state
“If you only had one vet school in
the state, anyoi wanting to major in
veterinary mf^ '^'ine would have to go
to that school or go out of state. A good
example of that is Tuskeegee Institute
in Alabama, 'rhat school is also
predominantly black. But a good
proportion of the students at the vet
school there is white.
“A vet school would uefinitely help
A&T more than it woulf^ N.C. State.”
Cooper said cranmitr its made by
UNC to HEW last sprinf- i implement
a desegregation plan foi ae stetewide
university system will nrobably not
apply to the v?'t school ituation.
The desgrej -ion plan agreed upon
by UNC and HEW called for
strengthening of the programs at the
five traditionally black state-
supported schools in the system so
enrollment would begin to be based on
non-racial reasons.
The plan also called for giving
priority to traditionally black schools
when deciding where to place new
degree programs.
“HEW will not hold UNC to those
a^eements in this case,” Cooper
said, “because the decision to have
the vet school at N.C. State was made
before the HEW plan was accepted.”
Selection of the N.C. State site was
based on a report commissioned by
the Board of Governors in 1974. The
study rated both A&T and N.C. State
on a point system, giving 499 points to
A&T and 1050.76 points to N.C. State.
One of the most important reasons
given for favoring N.C. State was the
availability of land for the vet school.
A&T would have only 300 acres
available for the school and no land
for a research farm, the report said.
N.C. State has 1800 acres available for
the schoo and a 220-acre research
farm.
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Second production emphasizes Black Art