Newspapers / Elizabeth City State University … / Oct. 1, 1977, edition 1 / Page 2
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Page 2 THF. COMPASS October i!)?7 Role Of The Student Paper An Editorial A student newspaper is perhaps the fastest way to spread detailed news on campus not only to students but also to faculty and ad ministrators. The problem has not been whether the paper has the right to exist but rather what the paper prints when it does publish. The question is where does freedom of the press end and responsibility of the press begin? Freedom of publication is the right—within legal limitations—that any potential newspaper editor has. But there are very practical limits to this freedom. Emotionalismf and sensationalism provide the reader with excitement for the moment. Yet for many readers, however, there will always be that doubt whether the editor is publishing ob jective reliable facts or manipulation of the news to get increased readership or followers. It all boils down to news judgement. If the student editor looks for information about current events which are interesting to most students without having rely on sensationalism or the soapbox, his paper will truly be a newspaper. However, this is NOT to say that controversy should be avoided. A newspaper that steers away from con troversial news is not doing its duty to his readers. But more important than just covering controversial news is how such news is reported. In terpretive news stories are greatly needed in a student newspaper. But they should be balanced and fair. This means that suCh'stories are not argumentative—both sides are told and the reader should not be able to tell which side of the controversy the writer himself is on. Opinion also definitely has its place in the student newspaper—but not in news stories. It belongs in signed editorials and by-lined columns. Sometimes a student writer can have a fresh angle to an old problem—or perhaps just an insight or analysis of a situation in the news that deserves to be shared with the paper’s readers. One pound of honey contains the essence of two million flowers. m fM l*r JUfM STAFF 1977-78 Editor-in-Chiet Harold Renfrow Associate Editor Sylvia Peele Feature Editor Carolyn Britton Managing Editor. Carol Minor Business Manager Cleveland Bullock Photographer Alan Brent Secretary Roberta Brown Reporters — Lola Yelverton Lillie Vaughan Jerry Renfrow Charles Boone Daniel Dunn Gary Rodgers Thomas Graves Wanda Cherry Lucy Curmon Typists Linda Reddick Anita Whitehurst Flora Gibbs Annie McQarin Gwen Price Alexis Denkins Advisors J.T. Williams J. Worsham Well-researched, sound arguments can have a great effect not only on students but also on faculty and ad ministrators. However, using a newspaper as a pressure device to change ad ministration policy is no real victory at all. It is, instead, a wedge. Editorials are much more effective when logical reasons convince both students and administrators of a need for change. The faculty advisor to the newspaper should be just that. He should be available to advise an editor on questions of ethics or libel. But the final responsibility for running the newspaper should rest with the editor. In the long run, then, ^uccess for the student newspaper should not be measured by the sensational impact it may have on campus. Instead, the editor shbuld use his right of freedom of the press to be a reliable imformation service to students, faculty, and administration. -Anonymous An Open Letter By Shirley Walker Welcome back up perclassmen! Also welcome aboard new students. I hope this year will be filled with a lot of exciting experiences. Although, every now and then we will be confronted with some problems; hopefully, it will be only a few problems. I hope that each of us will find our place here, at Elizabeth City State University. Let’s get involved in whatever you feel com fortable in. Each one of us are entirely different. Some are talented in many respects. Whatever, talent we have, let it be known to the people. Don’t let your talents go to waste. God has given each of us a talent and it is up to us to show off our talent. Some of us do not know what our tal ents are. Get involved with various clubs and activities. Discover who you really are. Be proud of yourself, because you are the one who have got to live with yourself. It is fun to be involved socially; but, let us not forget the number one purpose for us being here. We are here for an education, so it is im portant that we put great emphasis on grades. Whatever subject you may be taking, do your best. Don’t Many students complain and criticize, but very few of them care enough to try to do something about the things that they oppose. There are many who do not like some of the things that they ex perience. But, only the very few do something con structively about it. When speaking of con structive actions, I am not referring to different in dividuals getting together with their coterie, and openly utter boisterous dissatisfactions and definaces; nor, am I refering to a chaotic gathering of the masses. Such action have little or no effect on the im plementation of possible steps necessary to solve the immediate problems. In every organization or bureaucratic structure, there is a prescribed manner or procedure which one can ameliorate a given situation, The individual should use diplomacy and tack in their endeavour to bring about change. They should proceed through the correct channels and abide to the given regulation governing their actions, to produce desired outcomes. By going through the proper procedures, you show that you are really concerned. In most cases your efforts will be rewarded, by the en dorsement of amendatory actions. In some cases amendatory action may not be pQssible or practical. If so, then your are entitled to and will get a good explanation as to why not. If failure is the end result, you should then be somewhat content, knowing that you did all that was possible. And remember in unity, there is strenghth. Letters To The Editor The worst thing I have experienced since enrolling here at Elizabeth City State University has been the impact of negative students attitudes—about school ac tivities. As freshman, I have found that the only thing most students do is put down and criticize this institution’s organizations. For example, they criticize the cheerleaders, the football team, fraternities, sorority, and even the Student Government Association. Some students are forever saying things like “I am not going to the game, because we are going to lose anyway,” or “this school isn’t nothing.” Unless we, the student body, pull together and try to make it something, this school will be nothing. We have got to be a functioning part of the university, con tributing whatever we can to make it better. We have got to put our hearts into it, to make it something to be proud of. There is a strong need for unity. We all know that we are here to get an education, but school spirit and unity are a part of the learning ex perience. Getting involved in sports, academics, and social events can enrich our lives and prepare us for the working world. We, the students, should support our school and stop complaining about the things that we feel that are not right. Improvements can be made by the “doers” not the “talkers.” So I urge you fellow Vikings, do your part. By Lillie M. Vaughan Dear Editor, I am writing my letter in regards to the campus cafeteria. For students staying on campus the cafeteria is their main supply for food. As students we eat in the cafeteria three times a day, and twenty-one times a week. Lately, I have noticed that the cafeteria feeds others. The ones who do not p,ay for their lunch, those nasty flies. Many times I have to pass the salads by because the flies act as^if it belongs to them. The other food would be just as bad except the servers try to fan the flies away. The salads are unguarded so the flies take over. And it’s not just or dinary house flies who share our meals with us, but it’s those big green blow flies too. So on behalf of the students who eat in the cafeteria, perhaps someone can do something about those flies. -Anonymous except a “C” when you know that you can do better. Do your best at all time, even if you may think that the course is irreverent. ce^T ■ We sometimes say "carry coals to Newcastle" to mean taking something where it is already plentiful. The French say "to carry water to the river" to mean the same thing.
Elizabeth City State University Student Newspaper
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Oct. 1, 1977, edition 1
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