Newspapers / Elizabeth City State University … / May 1, 1976, edition 1 / Page 2
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Have Scholars Become Extinct? By James Finch There is a concern that on college campuses the scholar is an extinct creature. One who has failed to adapt and has been ostracized out of existence. One may by chance perceive a descendent of what is left of the scholar, but he is in the shadows and can be seen only on rare occasions. On visiting a college campus one can easily discern members of fraterrtities, sororities, athletic teams and various clubs but the scholar is not recognized. The members of these organizations have the popularity and prestige that is denied the scholar. The scholar must come out of the shadows and take this rightful place. In the past, the scholar has been labeled as an elusive and studiously dazzied fellow, wearing large spectacles. This stigmatizing is false. The only stigma that characterizes a scholar is his sincere, and ever present desire for knowledge which he puts into active use. In all other aspects, a scholar is like any other person. There are some who profess to be scholars but are mere grade getters. Many schools have become aware of grade inflation. Students have A’s but cannot read or write with proficiency. Grades are the results of seeking knowledge and not the aim. Higher grades are not necessarily a sign of more able students. It may represent only lower standards. It is time for the scholar, especially on black campus, to rise from his obscurity to his rightful place on the college campus as a leader. Those students who are serious about their studies shouldn’t hide their dedication for fear of criticism. There are many scholars on black campuses and it is due time that their abilities be utilized. Page 2 THK COMPASS May, 1976 STAFF 1975-76 Editor-in-Chief Melvin Norman Associate Editors James Finch Joyce Terrell Feature Editors William Holley Sylvia Peele Managing Editor Harold Renfrew Secretary Ozella Barner Typist Janet Graham Reporters Faye Smith Diane Moore Photographer Terry McCarty Miss Compass Vanessa Myers Faculty Advisors: J. T. Williams J. Worsham letter To The Editor To the Editor: Whenever young people go to college, they tend to leave behind their towns and the people who they know and the people that they don’t know. As a young man, when I write something I enjoy seeing it read by the public and to share my ideas through a mass media. There are some people who try to do this because they know there is a possibility that we could be made a fool of by people who get their kicks by embarrassing a person for money. Money makes people do silly things. What we write in a newspaper stays in print even until the year 1999 -- if we last that long. But we should not worry about what people say after we have something printed. In most cases they do this so we won’t write any more or stop what we are doing. This is a free country, so we’re told. In order to do this, they would have to take time, sit down, and think. Whatever anyone can’t do, they are envious of others and try to bother and harrass the person that tries to do something. It’s like getting an education. Students will laugh at a person who makes mistakes in class, but when the teacher or professor asks them for their ideas, they don’t have answers. So therefore, the shoe would be put on the other foot. It seems like the fear of public embarrassment and humiliation has stopped creativity all down the line. Ronald Wood A Failure Of Politics By James Finch Faith in our political system and government is at a historical low. The public is frustrated of politics and bureaucratic government. Factionalism, lack of ideology and lack of party leadership have disrupted our political parties. The Republican elephant is reluctantly being led to his burial ground and the Democratic donkey is being put out to pasture. David S. Brader in his uncompromis ing book, “The Party’s Over: A Failure of Politics in America,” stated that, “Whatever the fate of our political parties, for America the party is over.” Our political parties are dying.- How can America allow this to happen? In America political parties have a peculiar status and history. Political parties were not mentioned in the Constitution. Although not mentioned, they arose in the first generation of our nation to meet a need. Political parties served as a unifying and clarifying force between the conflicting groups and interests in society. They were the link between the people and the government. Through this institution the needs and demands of society were voiced. Today the parties have failed to carry out their rOle. For this reason, the American citizen feels that he has lost his control of what is happening in politics and government. He feels that voting is futile and politics a mere charade. As America reaches its two-hundredth birthday, it is confronted with a most important election. Many people have chosen not to vote, not to become involved in corrupt politics or the bureaucratic monster. These people are justified in not wanting to get involved. American political parties have failed the people. But can we allow this institution to die? To revive our party system is an enormous challenge but one that we must meet. The eighteen and twenty-one-year old voters have shown antipathy and even cynicism toward poUtics but they are a part of the generation that must face the bulk of this challenge. Without them the process of renewal would be impossible. In this bicentennial year we must meet this challenge or forsake America’s future. The Party’s Over By James Finch By now everyone is probably aware of the changes that are taking place in institutions of higher education. Federal and State funding to our colleges and universities have been cut; admission standards have risen and academic discipline made more stringent. During the past few years thousands of young people have been flocking to our institutions of higher learning. For some, they have become havens from the cruel world. With the economy in its present state of instability, ascertaining a job is a formidable task. Rather than face the harsh world of competition, many have sought college as a refuge. Dropouts and veterans have also found the world too unbearable. To the latter, Uncle Sam has become their Prince Prospero. Now things are changing and like the “Red Death” in Poe’s short story, “The Masque of the Red Death,” society has come into the part and spread death throughout. The party has come to an end. Things have changed. The laxity of the past is coming to an end. Many students will not be coming back next year and it will be extremely hard for dropouts to be readmitted. To stay in, one must be in good financial and academic standing with the university. Tuition has risen. Quotas have been placed on freshmen classes. ECSU is 30 per cent over its enrollment budget. The result of bloated enrollment and budget shortages can be easily seen at ECSU. Qosed-out courses, awkward schedules, packed classrooms and extra students crammed into dormitories are visible results. For tiiose among us who have “come to college for a season and not for a reason, ” it must be made known the party’s over. SGA Praised The Student Grovemment Association with four executive officers, appointed officers, and legislature members have played a vital and important role in the affairs of students. They have set up rap sessions and student body meetings for students but everything else must have been more important because they fail to show up. If you can’t come out and find out what’s going on yourselves, why then should the few members of S.G.A. run around and try to find you. They haven’t heard anything constructive from the student body this year on their efforts to put more organization, effort, and time into the Student Government Association, than ever before. They function for all students at Elizabeth City State University. If all of the organizational leaders would do their part and lead towards the same goal, maybe, our school would be or get on the right track. To those of you who didn’t know who the S.G.A. officers were, they were: Sundra Bray - President; Brenda Linyear - Recording Secretary; Linda Miller - Corresponding Secretary; and Melvin Norman - Treasurer. Some new things that were implemented by S.G.A. were: establishing of a Pep Club; a Finance Committee; purchase of a car for taxi purposes; newsletters; a Student Exchange Day, and a Legislative Committee. They have brought guest lecturers to our canppus as: Howard Lee, former mayor of Chapel Hill; H. M. MIchaux, representative of the North Carolina General Assembly; David Matthews, poet; William Marshall, who played Dracula; and a Production of “Life of a King.” The S.G.A. hosted a Student Leadership Conference in early April of which delegates from other schools and ECSU students were participants. They went to conferences in Fayetteville, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Chapel Hill, and Asheville, North Carolina. At these conferences we gain a better insight of how the North Carolina University System works or operates. To help you to develop your social life a little better we tried to please you by getting groups as: Blue Magic, BCS; Mighty Majors; Millie Jackson; and other local bands. Now they are planning on Donald Byrd and Poison for our Spring entertainment on May 1, 1976. They even sponsor Black History Week, got buses to take us to games, and last but not least set up office hours for us to come in and talk over any problems that we were confronted with. This is where we fail to realize that they were here to help us.
Elizabeth City State University Student Newspaper
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May 1, 1976, edition 1
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