Page2-The Compass
EDITORIALS
Elizabeth City State University
An
Editor's
Sermon
Most of us are very familiar
with a topic that many preachers
use to deliver a sermon. I would
like to borrow their topic just for
awhile and preach my own
sermon.
Brothers and Sisters, we are
gathered here today to hear what
thus saith an Editor and staff
who have been through it all. My
staff and I are somewhat like
Job. Our patience paid the price.
Let’s dig into our text just a
little bit and bring you up to date.
You read this paper only seeing
the finished product. Most of you
are not aware of what happens
before it reaches this stage. To
some it may appear to be
professionally done and to others
it may mean very little.
Whatever your opinions may be,
this leads to the topic of my
message today: “If It Ain’t One
Thing-It’s Another.”
This year the Compass has had
to leap many high hurdles. We
have had to perform tasks under
unorthodox and insane
circumstances. But all in all, we
did all that could be done to
present our University with a
paper.
Before any paper can be
printed, an Editor and staff must
ask with what shall we print a
paper. Realistically, dreams do
not pay for the production of a
newspaper. Money does!
As Editor I asked myself the
very same question- with what
shall I print? Naturally I
answered “with money” and
sought for the source of my
needs.
After searching for the
supplier of my needs, I submitted
a budget request to the Student
Activities Finance Committe in
care of the Student Government
Association. To add to your
knowledge, a percentage of your
StudeiWAc«vi|ie» J^etosnn
t.hJ prtd*tffl!rof«ouf p$pey.- In
esftnce you have a little stock in
the Compass,but not that much.
From my request submitted I
was granted, first, half of my
original request. This was
history. Never in the past years
had the Compass received such
an outstanding amount t^work
with. $2450 would have enabled
us to produce a bi-monthly paper
for one semester. This would
have assisted us in acquiring the
experience needed in our
profession, but you know “it it
ain’t one thing- it’s another.”
After several other meetings of
this committee, the $2450 wich
initially was given was what-
“swept away!” Five hundred
dollars was the amount decided
by the Executive Board of the
SGA for an allocation for the
Compass. This amount can
produce only ONE issue of our
campus newspaper.
Consequently, I had no choice
but to take the $500 and be
satisfied. The entire ordeal had
been as if I was a “Sinner in the
Hands of an Angry God.” Maybe
Jonathen Edwards, when he
wrote about the wrath of the
Almighty, knew that I would one
day have many trials and
tribulations placed before me.
As I close this sermon, let me
say once more-“if it ain’t one
thing it’s another!” Right when
the staff and I thought we would
be able to print on a bi-monthy
basis, our dreams faded away.
We might not have print twelve
papers but we did print a second
paper while some thought it
would be impossible. Despite the
unsuccessful efforts of evil
forces, we maintained our
composure and performed in a
professional way. I, myself, must
agree with Keith Pringle when he
sings “When trials come on
every hand, I feel like going on.”
No inatter how hard attempts
are made to stop the publication
of the Compass, our staff will
stand its ground. Even next
semester if the same problem
arises, we will be ready to face
battle. We truly can say that as
journalist we are on the
battlefield and will fight for any
cause. The Compass has been in
existence since 1960 (long before
any of us were here) and it will
continue to be printed even: Jf|ien
some of us are gone.
Amen.!
COMPASS
Algie H. Mabry, Jr.
Editor-in-Chief
Rick L. Jones
Executive Editor
DaVia Purnell
Associate Editor
James Howard
Production Manager
GaryW. Savage
Sports Editor
Michael Emmert
Copy Editor
Mike Moore
News Editor
Charles Berry
Julius Hunter
Staff Photographers
Rick L. Jones
Kenneth Lanier
Adverting Staff
Dr. Anne M. Henderson Senior Advisor
Mrs. Diana Gardner
Faculty Advisor
Letters, columns, and articles
published in the Compass reflect
the views of the authors, which
are not necessarily shared by the
rest of the newspaper staff.
Drinking Age Battle Not Over Yet
Those whojttl^nk a national 21-
year-old drinking age will
become a fact by 1986 may soon
have to think again. Though
federal legislation seems bent on
forcing the states into adopting
higher drinking age laws by
withholding 10 per cent of their
federal highway tax money if
they do not a number of
observers think some states
will not comply. They will be
forfeiting a large sum of money if
they refuse-a total of $22 million
for Wisconsin in 1986 and 1987, for
example- but some analysts say
the lost highway taxes will still
be less than projected losses in
taxes and fees associated with
liquor sales.
For students, however, the
point is justice, not money. Bob
Bingaman, spokesman for the
United States Student
Association, says the law is
patently wrong-headed and
student associations across the
country are gearing up to make
their state legislatures
understand that.
“On a gut level, I think it is a
civil rights issue,” Bingaman
says. “How can you tell this age
group, ‘You can vote. You can
sue and be sued. You can marry.
You can serve in the military,
but you can’t drink.’ It’s
absurd!”
Bingaman says his group and
others are considering a
constitutional challenge to the
law in court. The 25th
Amendment reserves control of
alcohol to the states, and critics
see the coming battle over the
drinking age as a states’ rights
issue.
At the U. of Texas-Austin,
Rodney Schlosser, student body
president, says he expects the
battle to break there in Jan. “I
don’t want to let the whole world
know about all our bullets before
we shoot them,” he says, but
suggests the students’ general
plan of attack will include
lobbying, educational efforts,
and the drafting of positive,
alternative legislation.
Schlosser points out that
Minn.’s traffic fatalities
increased four-fold after raising
its drinking age to 19. Teens had
no trouble getting liquor, but took
to the dangerous and boring
privacy of their cars to drink it.
It was only when Minn, passed
stiff driving-while-intoxicated or
DWI laws that traffic fatalities
began to decrease. This is the
type of legislation Schlosser has
in mind.
At the U. of Wisconsin-Eau
Clair, students are trying to
mobilize the support of private
business in fighting the new law.
Students have blanketed the
supermarkets in town and many
bars with petitions, and they are
stumping for a public awareness
club called “I am driving.”
Participating bar owners agree
to provide free, non-alcoholic
drinks to club members who, in
turn, act as chauffeur for the
drinking members of their
group. Memberships cost
nothing and participation is high.
Meanwhile two researchers at
Boston U. are lending their
support to the under-21-year-
olds. Research by Robert Smith
and Ralph Hingson in the School
Holiday Food Fantasies
by Dreena Birdsall
Staff Writer
I am going to speak frankly
about one of the most disgusting,
vulgar four-letter words in the
English language, D—I—E—T.
Obviously, the root word is
“die,” as in to die of hunger,
probably a “pig” Latin
derivative.
Have you ever noticed how the
lean, lithe lovelies partake of
goodies? They move toward the
hors d’oeuvre table with the
grace of a swan and slowly reach
with those slender, elegant
fingers and take one, I mean one,
teenie, weenie cocktail sandwich
gand*^a^^ (ggpatBy on ^eir
naiiS^. ExHdmg^he*charft»*t)f
ballerina, they move to their
respective seats and proceed to
take itsy, bitsy nibbles on a
morsel that would not satiate a
malnourished hummingbird.
Pee-Yuke!
By contrast, we, the true
gourmands who really enjoy the
taste of food, carefully position
our chairs near the festive board
so we may plop any edible nugget
in our mouth. We are very
careful to remove those clever
little tidbits that cling to our
plump little faces and spend the
entire evening “pigging out.”
The next morning, when that one
little button groans with the
stress of swollen flesh beneath it,
and guilt shrouds us like the
Grim Reaper, we chastely vow to
“go on a diet” right after a six-
course breakfast.
j One of my lifelong fant^ies^Hs
to actually salivate at the
thought of cottage cheese, wheat
thins and carrot curls instead of
chocolate eclairs, cheesecake
and apple pie heaped with
mounds of ice cream.
To the Editor
The dumplings of America
must unite against demeaning
apparel names such as queen
sized pantyhose, designed to
suggest chubby is regal, or
larger fashions versus petite.
The numbers ever jump from a
chunky 14-16 to size 32 as if to
suggest a person
metamorphosed into a whale!
As the holiday season
approaches and visions of tables
laden with mouth watering
delicacies fill our heads, take
solace girls. Do not ruin those fun
filled days and nights nibbling on
celery^stick^and sip^injg gp ^iet
;Soda. i!^%se
Vienna^- sa«Sa^ sfinger^^arfnd
reach for the creme filled
pastries that dribble down your
chin on that first bite.
Remember, we still have Jan. 1st
to make that firm resolution to
lose those pounds!
The Compass welcomes letters
to the Editor. Letters must be
typed and double-spaced and
must include the name of the
author, a number, and an
address where the writer may be
reached
of Behavioral Science suggests
that raising the drinking age has
no effect of overall traffic deaths
or on the drinking habits of
teenagers.
Smith and Hingson studied
fatal crashes in the three-year
period after Mass. raised its
drinking age from 18 to 20 and
compared those patterns with
N.Y. which did not raise its legal
drinking age. They found N.Y.
fatalities declined almost as
much as Mass. There was no
reduction among 16- and 17-year-
olds, the group primarily
targeted by the new law.
The Boston researchers have
serious reservations about the
conclusions Congress drew from
the study it looked at in drafting
the 21-year-old drinking age law.
That study looked at statistics
from nine states which raised
their drinking ages and found a
28 per cent reduction in single
vehicle, nighttime crashes (those
most associated with alcohol).
But the survey found only and 11
per cent reduction in overall
crashes-a percentage
statisticians say could be
accounted for by chance
variation. As Hingson puts it:
“They have suggestive data but
not conclusive evidence.“
The Smith-Hingson study
included an opinion survey as
well, and from the answers to
those questions, they conclude
that attacking teenage drunk
driving through such punitive
legislation may simply foster
cynicism toward the legislative
process and a disregard of law
enforcemnt. At best, raising the
drinking age to 21 would reduce
fatal traffic crashes by 2 per cent
or 1,500 lives a year.
Ironically, solid data exists to
prove that mandatory seat-belt
^d~9irbj^4«w^r-|VhiG^ C«ngcess
percent or a minimum of 15,000
to 20,000 lives. Also, says
Hingson, passive restraints do
not require enforcement to be
effective as do both higher-
drinking-age and DWI laws.
Letters should not exceed 500
words. The Editor reserves the
right to edit letters for spelling,
grammar, and newspaper
syntax, but not for content or
meaning.
As President of the Senior
Class, I am very elated at this
moment because we are on the
road of success. As Dr. Jenkins
once said,“...excellece without
excuses.” We the Senior Class
would like to use that motto as we
strive for success. As I look back
on my predecessors who have
guided many Seniors to the
mountain of success, I see a new
beginning for the Class of ’85-a
beginning that calls for
cooperation, participation,
understanding, and the ability to
do one’s best regardless.
Now you, yes you and I must
work together, for it is my basic
premise that the class of ’85 will
go down in history as a class that
exemplifies true Viking spirit. So
far this year, the Senior Class
has given a function that was
very successful and we are
hoping to have one more activity
before the semester is out.
We are on the right road and
we are asking for all to get on
board and ride with the Senior
Class. We are hoping to take a
very nice trip next semester, so
please Seniors, get involved by
paying necessary fees and
working hard.
Let us remember that I am at
the helm for you, the Class of ’85.
Please work with me.
Yours in Viking Spirit,
Anthony L. Ford
President
Senior Class
In order for us to cover more news
that affects ECSU and the community,
the COMPASS staff encourages its
readers to respond by submitting
"Letters to the Editor."
Submit letters to Miss Robin Beamon
in the Modern Languages
Department of Johnson Hall.
They should be typed, or legibly written.
LIBERALS VERSUS BLACKS
by
Richard A- Viguerie
Most of them oppose busing
and reverse discrimination.
Sixty-four percent favor a
voucher system for education, 96
percent want more discipline in
the school, and 89 percent favor a
constitutional amendment to
balance the budget. Less that 40
percent support abortion-on-
demand, and a whopping 85
percent believe the American
economic system is, the best
system for industrialized
countries. Two-thirds are
“extremely proud to be an
American.”
Sounds like a pretty
conservative bunch, right? The
kind of people who should have
been at the forefront of the
President’s reelection
campaign? The group I’m
describing is black Americans.
In 1980, ABC News surveyed
black voters as they left the polls.
Despite the fact that the term
“conservative” has been used
wrongly in the past to describe
segregationists, fully 37 percent
called themselves moderates.
It is clearer than ever before
that the concerns of most black
people are given a low priority on
the liberal agenda.
Many liberal leaders seem to
be more interested in the
situation of blacks in South
Africa than blacks in South
Carolina or South Bronx. They
care more about how many
blacks play golf at the Burning
Tree country club than about
how many black kids go to
schools infested with drugs and
violence.
It is liberals in the Justice
Department who have worked to
destroy Alabama’s traditionally
black colleges, even though the
vast majority of blacks in the
state support them. It is liberals
who have tried to divert
discriminination-to causes like
busing and affirmative action.
Meanwhile, liberals have been
silent on issues that directly
affect many blacks-crime, for
example. A black woman has a
one-third greater chance to be a
victim of violent crime than a
white woman. Fifty-six percent
of blacks are afraid to walk
through their neighborhoods at
night. Asked if government
should spend more on welfare, 5J
percent sayno; but asked if gove
rnment should spend more to
fight crime, 73 percent say yes.
More than three-fourths say that
judges should be tougher on
criminals.
Another issue important tc
blacks is the traditional family.
Some 47 percent of black
children live in households
headed by women-a n important
factor in the extent of poverty
among blacks. That’s up from
only 21 percent in 1960.
While liberals ignore issues oi
real concern to blacks, govern
ment wages a silent war on the
aspirations of black people.
Zoning laws are used to prevent
the spread of multi-family
housing, thus restricting poor
blacks to ghettoes far from
potentials jobs. Licensing laws
keep blacks from interstate
routes. As the National
Conference of Black Mayors
recently recognized, the min
imum wage law is used to
prevent blacks from entering the
job market-exactly th e way it is
used in South Africa.
And what is the legacy of two
decades of social of social
programs to “help” blacks?
Since 1966, black unemployment
has risen from 7.3 percent to 16.7
percent. Despite an additional
$400 billion a year in social
spending, the percentage of
black families living below the
poverty level went from 29.9 in
1969 to 28.9 in 1980. Two million
blacks fell into poverty during
the Carter Administration alone.
In the antebellum South,
slave-owners prevented escapes
by keeping their slaves ignorant
and dependent. Today, the
welfare state uses the same
method to keep blacks down and
thereby increase political
support for the welfare s tate--in
effect, to buy votes.
Malcome X wrote in his
autobiography: “If (liberals^
wanted more to do, the y could
work on the roots of such ghetto
evils as the little children out in
th e streets at midnight with
apartment keys on strings
around their necks to let t
hemselves in, and their mothers
and fathers drunk, drug addicts,
thieves, and prostitutes.” Or
they could get “northern city
halls, unions and major industr
ies to give more jobs to Negroes
to remove them from the relief
and welfare roUs, which created
laziness and which deteriorated
the ghettoes into steadily worse
places for humans to live...”
Black people have victimized
long enough by the “party of
compassion.” It’s time f or them
to join in the movement to
restore power to the average
citizen--no matter his or her
race, creed, or color.