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VOLUME >(^NUIV1BER 3
“Together We Will Find the Right Direction
PUSHED BY THE STUDENTS OF ELIZABETH CITY STATE
UNIVERSITY
ELIZABETH CITY, N. C.
March, 1977
Author Of ‘Roots’ Speak At ECSU
Alex Haley
News In Brief
March 16-Apr. 18, 1977 —
“Painting and other
Arrangements in Art,” an
Exhibit by Camden High
School Senior, Larry D.
Walston, The Foyer Of The
G.R. Little Library and The
Viking Room Of The Ridley
University Center
—O—
Religious Emphasis Week
— Religious Emphasis week
will be held February 20-24.
There will be three worship
services, lectures and
discussion sections during
two of those days. Also, there
will be morning watch and
meditation periods.
Dexter Cromartie
Alex Haley, internationally
known author of Roots, world
traveler, lecturer, and for
mer student of Elizabeth City
State University will speak at
Elizabeth City State
University on April 3, 1977
under the sponsorship of the
lycesium committee.
Alex Haley was bom in
Ithaca, New York, on August
11, 1921, and was reared in
Henning, Tennessee. The
oldest of three sons of a
college professor father and a
mother who taught grammar
school, Haley finished high
school at 15. He did two
college years before, in 1939,
he enlisted as a messboy in
the U.S. Coast Guard.
Haley’s hobby had always
been reading books of ad
venture, and on various ships
during World War II, working
at sea until late into the
nights, he tried writing
stories. It was after eight
years when small magazines
began accepting some of his
stories.
By 1952, the Coast Guard
had created for Haley a new
rating — Chief Journalist. He
began handling U.S. Coast
Guard public relations while
continuing efforts to improve
his. writing.
In 1959, after 20 years’
military service, Haley
retired from the Coast Guard
and entered full-time writing
as a new career. He achieved
free-lance sales to such
magazines as Harper’s, The
Atlantic Monthly and The
New York Times Magazine.
Then he began assignments
for Reader’s Digest, and he
moved next to Playboy,
where he initiated the en
during “Playboy Interviews”
feature.
A succession of headline
personalities whom Haley
interviewed came to include
the controversial “Malcolm
X.” Soon, Haley undertook
his first book, spending his
pext two years interviewing
and writing The
Autobiography of Malcolm X.
Published in 1965, in eight
languages, that book by now
has sold over 5V2-million
copies. It was selected among
“The Ten Best American
Books of the 1960’s Decade,”
and other awards include five
academic honorary doctorate
degrees.
Since, then, Haley chiefly
has engaged in a long, in
tensive and challenging
research. Across eight years
and three continents, he has
pursued a few slender clues of
oral family hist6ry which was
repeatedly told through his
Tennessee boyhood by his
maternal grandmother.
Finally, Haley actually has
tracked his maternal family
back to a Mandigo youth,
named Kunta Kinte, who was
kidnapped into slavery from
the small village of Juffure,
in The Gambia, West Africa.
This enslaved youth —
Haley’s seventh-generation
forefather—was transported
to Colonial America in the
American slaveship Lord
Ligonier, which arrived in
Annapolis, Maryland on
September 29, 1767. Haley’s
resulting book, entitled
Roots, was published in
August of 1976 by Doubleday,
and subsequently worldwide
in 14 language translations.
Roots has been filmed by
David Wolper Pictures into
the longest television series
yet made in the United States.
It premiered in January of
1977 over the ABC Television
network.
Haley, who travels ex
tensively, maintains homes in
California and in Jamaica,
West Indies. He is a popular
lecturer in great demand both
in the United States and
abroad.
New Instructors On ECSU
Campus — Elizabeth City
State University has four new
instructors. Okon A. Etok, is
a native of Africa and will be
working with the Cooperative
Physics Project in the
Department of Physical
Science.
Mr. John S. Cooper,
principal of Trigg Elemen
tary School and Mr. William
Bunnell, principal of Sheep
and Harney Elementary
School are filling in the
vacancy brought about by the
death of Dr. Manley. John
Morrison, a part time at
torney.
No Make-up Days
As you all know, classes
were suspended from
January 20th till the 26th,
because of a water problem.
We have received official
word from Dean Holley
stating that we will not have
to make up those days. He
stated that he will leave the
responsibility of making up
the three days to the students
and faculty. He said that no
days will be added on to
Commencement, and no days
subtracted from Spring break
nor Easter Recess. Dean
Holley said that students
should be responsible enough
to make up those days
without any difficulties.
For those who were not
aware of the exact problem
that existed, here is a brief
review of the situation.
Because of severe cold
weather, some of. the city
water pipes had frozen. And
as a result of this, water
pressure was reduced here on
campus. In addition, one of
our water pumps had to be
replaced.
Mr. Kent, Director of
Housing, said, “This loss of
pressure r »Jted the second
and third iloors of the dor
mitories, Butler Hall
especially.” Pressure was to
great enough to push water to
the upper floors. Buildings
that were ground level did not
have that much of a problem.
Also, because our heating
system is based on steam, it
was slightly affected. Since
Elizabeth City State
University is one of the
biggest customers of Vepco,
the city’s water company,
our closing of school in
creased the water pressure.
Incidentally, the weatherman
stated that this was one of the
worst cold spells in duration
that we have had in a hundred
years.