October 1978
COMPASS
Pages
EDITORIAL PAGE
To the Editor:
A couple of weeks ago,
someone asked that I write an
article for the Compass. The
topic suggested was minority
students at ECSU. I accepted
the suggestion and began to
interview minority students
(ages 18-35), getting their
responses to such questions
as, “Why did you choose
ECSU?”, “How do you feel as
a minority student here?”,
and “Do you participate in
extracurricular activities?”
Most of the responses were
the same. They chose ECSU
for convenience. They had not
experienced any attitudes or
reactions connected with
their minority status, and
they (except for the football
players) had not participated
in extracurricular activities
due to the lack of both time
and communication. It seems
that off-campus and com
muting students find out
about meetings either after
they have taken place, or not
at all. For instance, last
year I discovered on a Tues
day, by word-of-mouth, that
pictures had been taken for
the yearbook on the previous
Monday!
Throughout my interviews,
however, something just did
not seem right. I could not
pinpoint the disturbance at
first. I just knew I was not
very interested in writing this
particular piece. Then I
realized the problem — the
topic was all wrong. ECSU is
striving for greater minority
enrollment and involvement.
That is fine. However, I per
sonally believe the only way
to be a successful minority
student is to forget you are a
minority and be a successful
student, period. By stressing
the minority issue, a definite
separation is being made.
Then a situation of “segre
gated integration” occurs.
The problems cited to me
by the students (lack of com
munication, organization,
and announcements) are not
“minority” problems, they
are “student” problems. We
should all think of ourselves
as ECSU students, not
minority or black students. It
is only by being a unified stu
dent body that we can achieve
the goals for which ECSU has
been, is, and will be striving.
I believe every student
should give their best efforts
toward helping ECSU and be
proud of the institution. After
all, it is your university.
If you think something
should be changed about
ECSU in order to improve it,
fine. Then make the sugges
tion and do what you can to
carry out this change. I have
overheard several students
complaining about the
university. I agree with the
cliche “words are cheap.”
Stop all that jaw-action and
do something. Otherwise,
stop complaining.
From doing this article, I
have definitely learned some
problems which need to be
cleared. They are all con
nected with communication.
Students (particularly off-
campus and commuting stu
dents) need an organized way
of learning about meetings of
various groups and organiza
tions. For instance, some
students do not even know we
have a school paper, let alone
where to find it or how to join
the staff. Now that we have
been alerted to some student
problems, let us see what we
can do to eliminate them. You
can help!
By Susan Fitzgerald
To the editor:
I must begin my letter by
saying I love ECSU. Prior to
coming here all I could hear
was people buzzing about the
great institution this school
used to be. They were always
saying how badly the school
has gone down. Well for those
non-believers. I’d like to say:
“Baloney, Fooley.”
Since my enrollment here
at ECSU, I’ve learned so
many valuable lessons, and I
don’t believe I would have ac
quired this knowledge at any
other institution. I have
grown to know and under
stand many of our problems
here, and I am trying
fullheartedly to add to the
solution. I only wish I could
share my enthusiasm with
more students here at ECSU,
and help them to realize the
future of our school is very
promising.
Before any of you go out
and say, ECSU “ain’t this”
this institution is made of the
student body, so if this univer
sity ain’t this or that, what
are we the students, saying
about ourselves? Our very be
ing means we know ECSU has
something to offer, and I
don’t believe anyone is here
against their will.
Let’s keep this in mind; be
for real and love our school.
Respect the reason we are
here, because it takes all of us
together to make it, and keep
it, one university under the
grove,” sho ’nuf under the
groove.
Lillian Vaughan
New Academic Program Cartoon Rap
Meets Needs Of Students
By Orlando Gregory
Elizabeth City State
University, in an effort to
ease the cumbersome prob
lems encountered by stu
dents during their first two
years of study, has instituted
the Division of General
Studies. The program now
provides an opportunity for
students to sample various
areas of study before becom
ing formally committed to a
definite major.
The new program enables
students to withhold decision
on selecting a major until
completion of their
sophomore year. This ap
proach gives a student the
chance to obtain valuable ex
periences necessary to make
a wise decision about a
major.
The Division of General
Studies under its director,
Mrs. Helen M. Caldwell, com
plements the curriculum by
providing a means whereby
students may improve their
basic skills. As a means for
meeting the specific needs of
the students who traditionally
enroll, ECSU has established
an academic Skills Center
which is designed to improve
the student’s basic educa
tional skills. A team of
specialists in mathematics,
reading, speech, and writing
provides direct academic
counseling to students in
laboratory settings.
Instructing and Counseling
at the Center are: Mrs.
Faleese Jenkins - Mathe
matics; Mrs. Deborah
Mosley - Speech; Mrs. Vivian
Armstrong - Writing; Mrs.
Bonnie Ghee - Reading.
Elizabeth City State
University is a pioneer in
establishing a Division of
General Studies, which en
compasses the first two years
of its academic curriculum.
Programs of similar format
are being considered by
several other institutions
throughout the country.
Of all the institutions in
terested in this type of pro
gram, Harvard University,
according to the March 1977
edition of Chronicle of Higher
Education, adapted its ver
sion of the program under the
name of Core Curriculum for
1978. ECSU, however, in
stituted its program during
July of 1977, one year prior to
Harvard.
Even though the program
has existed for only one year,
it already has been con
sidered a success by Mrs.
Caldwell. The program,
which is functioning on a
moderate budget, could be
greatly improved. “This pro
gram”, says Mrs. Caldwell,
“which certainly has the full
support of the administration,
will be very beneficial to the
educational careers of
students who enter. ’ ’
c
By Lola Yeiverton
Frankie, what happened? Wai it football? No man. I fell in the hole
in front of Vldr, trying to g^ aWay fh>m a lecnrity cop.