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COMPASS
A TRIBUTE TO DR. CARTER
Dr. Thomas E. Carter
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By Thomas Montague
If this article seems out of
the ordinary because to the
fact that it is written from a
personal point of view, then
its purpose has been served;
because the man that I am
writing about is an unusual
man. In fact Dr. Thomas E.
Carter was one of the most
unusual men that I have ever
met.
Because of the way he
managed to divide his time
among so-many activities,
Dr. Carter was many things
to many people. To those in
volved in the administrative
process at Elizabeth City
State University, he was the
man that would always get
that important report finish
ed well before the ever
present deadline.
To those involved with the
countless committees on
I campus in which Dr. Carter
was an ex-official member,
he was the one who would
always make that pertinent
comment or suggestion that
would always save countless
Staff 1978-79
Editor-in-Chief Sylvia Peele
Associate Editor Carolyn Britton
Managing Editor Jerry Renfrow
Business Editor Alan Brent
Feature Editor Helen Knight
Sports Editor Holly Moaney
Sports Gayle Plummer
Cartoonist Lola Yelverton
Photographer Alan Brent
David Carpenter
Miss Compass Faith 0. Long
Advisors Mildred Allan
John T. Williams
James J. Worsham
hours of deliberation.
To those, like myself, who
were involved with student
religious activities on cam
pus, Dr. Carter was a father.
Regardless of how busy his
schedule was. Dr. Carter
always managed to devote
more than ample time to his
role as advisor to Religious
Activities, a post which he
was never officially ap
pointed! In fact. Dr. Carter
devoted so much time to that
position that during my first
two years at ECSU I thought
that he was hired to be the
religious advisor and that his
job as Assistant to the
Chancellor was just an
honorary post.
It was only after I became
more involved in the inter
workings of the university
that I realized this man was
probably the “most impor
tant administrator on the en
tire campus.”
Only then did I begin notic
ing his sleek, green sedan
parked in its familiar spot
beside the library, long
before any of the other ad
ministrators had arrived and
long after they had gone
home.
Only then did I begin to
realize that Dr. Thomas E.
Carter was a special human
being.
In spite of his many duties
and responsibilities,
whenever Dr. Carter met
anyone on campus, he was
never too caught up in his job
to offer a greeting or a smile.
In fact, I cannot recall a
single time approaching him
when he did NOT smile.
Dr. Carter’s decision to
leave ECSU in favor of a
teaching job in Virginia,
came as a shock to all of us
because he seemed as much a
fixture on the campus as the
buildings themselves.
Although we were sad to
see you leave us. Dr. Carter,
we were glad to know that you
are finally getting a chance to
do something to bring joy into
your own life; you have cer
tainly brought plenty of it into
our lives. I am certain the en
tire university joins me in
saying without reservation
....WE LOVE YOU!!!!
A Special Report:
Thorpe Questioned
A Compass reporter con
fronted Chancellor Marion
D. Thorpe with questions
raised during a Compass
“rap session” and got some
answers...
By Godfrey Lamb
During a recent Compass
meeting, students brought up
various questions which were
felt could only be answered
by the Chancellor. I was
assigned the task, accepted
it, but was not expecting to
get direct answers. But the
Chancellor asnwered all the
questions, direct and off the
cuff.
The questions, which were
big deals in the minds of the
students, included the shiney
new busses and vans on cam
pus while student organiza
tions and other needs went
without money, the crowded
dormitories and the old
promise of a new one,
damage fees and “social ac
tivities” in the dormitories.
Having talked, it seems
something is really being
done about campus facilities,
to improve them, even if it
can’t be done today. At least,
he didn’t give me any run
around.
Here are my questions and
the Chancellor’s answers.
REPORTER: Flyers recent
ly were circulated concerning
Co-ed Visitation. The regula
tions are okay, but will
students be expelled if rules
are violated?
THE CHANCELLOR: Co-ed
visitation began several
years ago under the combin
ed responsibility of student
government and dormitory
managers. It was said,
“Students do a better job.”
This failed. There were many
problems. Complaints were
received from parents, the
community and alumni. The
major problems concerned
people who were not students
here. Dr. Horton (Vice
Chancellor of Student Af
fairs), with consent of the stu
dent leadership, suspended
student visitation to assure
protection of students.
Now, beginning October 3,
we have more personnel to
maintain constant patrol.
This is not primarily to catch
violators, but to protect
students, to make them
morally and legally safe.
Even so, we will depend on
students to make it work.
Concerning expulsion, let
me describe the three court
process. One, The dormitory
court will hear cases for less
serious offenses. Two, The
student court will receive the
more serious violations.
Three, The Joint Council on
Student Affairs, made up of
one to one faculty-student
representation, will hear and
recommend action on cases
passed on to them, the most
serious violations.
Expulsion? Probably not.
Suspension is more likely and
probably would be handled
through the Joint Council.
REPORTER: What about the
people from off campus,
wandering souls coming into
the Men’s Dorms, high school
boys in the halls?
CHANCELLOR: There is no
way to keep everybody off
campus, even with stepped up
security. This is not to say we
don’t have student violation,
but so many are not our own.
Some others are going to slip
in.
Cont. in, next edition