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The Compass
Opinion
Page
n-i
n'
Court rules
censorship ok;
students lose
America’s student newspapers were the big los
ers in the Supreme Court’s January 13 ruling
that limits the protection high school journal
ists are entitled to under the First Amendment.
The case that brought about this Supreme Court rul
ing involved the Hazelwood East High School Spec
trum. In 1983, the principal of the Hazelwood, Mo. high
school deleted two pages of the student newspaper be
fore distribution because he felt that the material was
“inappropriate and unsuitable” reading for teenagers.
The articles were on teenage pregnancy and the impact
of divorce.
“We hold that educators do not offend the First
Amendment by exercising editorial control over the
style and content of student speech in school-sponsored
expressive activities so long as their actions are rea
sonably related to legitimate pedagogical concerns,”
wrote Justice Byron R. White, in expressing the major
ity view.
We concur, however, with Justice William J. Bren-
: nan, Jr.’s dissenting view.
: : “The mere fact of school sponsorship does not . . .
license thought control in the high school,” wrote Bren
nan. “The young men and women of Hazelwood East
expected a civics lesson (in their journalism course),
but not the one the court teaches them today.”
; There are many reasons, in fact, why this ruling is
disturbing.
. First, this decision is a mandate on contitutional hy
pocrisy. Its message to students everywhere is: yoi^
rights as citizens of this great country do not begin until
you reach adulthood. In light of this ruling, it would
appear necessary to rewrite the textbooks now being
used in the civics and journalism classes of our public
schools, particularly the passages that guarantee “lib
erty and justice for all.” The idea that educators must
teach the principles of “freedom of the press” when
this “freedom” does not actually exist is ludicrous.
Secondly, who will be there for the students to assure
them that the school administrators who “exercise edi
torial control” — in other words, censor — are acting in
such a manner that is “reasonably related to legitimate
pedagogical concerns?” The fact is that the Supreme
Courts has just given school administrators carte
blanche to censor. While there are some school princi
pals who can handle unlimited authority, there are
many others who can not. In fact, the ruling will reduce
some student publications to an existence that borders
on mendacity.
Finally, the ruling in this case is indicative of the ul-
tra-conservative nature of today’s Supreme Court. In
handing down this decision, the court ignored pleas
from First Amendment advocates from the field of
journalism and law, and dealt a disheartening blow to
the rights of students — especially student journalists.
Following the announcement of the court’s decision,
Mark Goodman, executive director for the Student
Press Law Center in Washington, said, “School news
papers are often the only avenue young people have for
expressing their views, and this opinion says school of
ficials can cut off that avenue whenever they disagree
with what the students are saying.”
We agree.
February I2,
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Witnessing the dream
In what seems to be a retrospect of an earlier time,
an Elizabeth City resident watches as marchers move
through the streets in celebration of the late civil rights
Photo by Calvin Nonj
leader, Martin Luther King, Jr. Many members of the
ECSU family participated in the march, which began at
ECSU and ended at Knobbs Creek Park, January 19th,
Guest columnists
Freshmen: consider abuses of hazing
before pledging blood, sweat, tears
By Martin Carter
If you are a rising sophomore
at ECSU who is contemplating
pledging a Greek organization:
consider this:
Hazing on our campus happens
yearly, and is denied yearly.
Hazing is a tradition of physical
and mental abuse which defeats
the entire purpose of brotherhood
and sisterhood. In past years the
Greeks of ECSU have had inci
dents of broken arms, legs and
ribs during the pledging process.
Hazing isn’t just practiced at
ECSU, but at virtually every col-
ege that has Greek organizations
in America. And the abuse isn’t
always physical. Potential pledg
ees have had money extorted
from them and been forced to
break off relationships with
friends — as prerequisites for
going on line.
Incidents like these are part of
the pledging process known as
“underground.” Since the abu
sive practices take place without
the knowledge of the graduate
chapter, they cannot be mon-
itered.
Although many of ECSU’s
Greek organizations have dis
played responsible leadership in
the past, some campus Greeks
feel they have no responsibihty to
anyone but to themselves, and to
their psuedo community good
will. They expend much energy
maintaining a certain public
image, but do little or nothing to
maintain true brotherhood and
sisterhood.
Hazing is a tradition of reckles
sness and irresponsibility. Out
siders can do little to prevent it,
and Greeks who disagree with
these illegal practices are often
strong-armed into submission.
Many of the freshmen who con
sider pledging their blood, sweat
and tears should have all the
facts, and understand their per
sonal reasons for pledging. Po
tential pledgees should under
stand that they have no voice
over what happens to them.
During the final induction proc
ess, Greeks who haze are often
under the influence of alcohol,
which retards their good judge
ments.
These individuals have proven
that they are incapable of self-
control and responsible lead
ership.
Although non-Greeks may not
have control over the Greek prac
tices and policies, non-Greeks
can question the organizatic
influence on campus - especii
when they are failing to exeri
responsible leadership,
pledgees can not only refuse to
mistreated during the pledgi
process, they can also rep
abuses to the graduate chapter
few individual acts of couri
would go a long way toward f
ting a halt to these abuses.
Black sororities and fraten
ties originated because of a gem
ine need for leadership, responi
bility, and true brotherhood an
sisterhwd. The Greeks who p€
petuate abusive practices of th
pledgees—either directly or b
remaining silent when they (x
cur—need to redefine their
lues if excellence is to be attain
and maintained.
NSU game: a ‘good show’ for Vikings
By Ernie T. Griffin
During the basketball game
Saturday night there were about
5,000 fans in the Vaughan Cen
ter. We were hosting the Norfolk
State, a team we had not beaten
at home in the past six years.
While we were warming tip the
gym was also warming up. *If
you were a Viking basketball fan
you should have known that it
was going to be a good show. Af
ter both teams finished warming
up, and the singing of the Na
tional Anthem was complete, it
was now time for the starting
line ups to be announced. After
the call of the starting line ups,
both teams took the floor. We
scored the first basket of the
game and the crowd went wild.
So ten minutes ticked off the
clock in the first half, and Nor
folk State was up by three
points. Coach C.J. Mackey
called time out to give his first
five a rest. After the timeout we
came out with two good de
fensive plays to tie the game at
26 with 2:23 left in the half.
Going in at halftime we were up
by one as we led 32-31.
We started the second half
with two crucial mistakes, and
Norfolk State took advantage of
them both, hitting three three-
pointers in their first four pos
sessions. We were then down by
eight points. Coach Mackey
called a time out to settle us
down and get us back in the flow.
We were climbing back into the
game slowly. At the five minute
mark in the second half we had
finally caught up with the Spar
tans, and we had taken a three
point lead. From this point on to
the 1:27 mark it was a see-saw
game with each team matching
basket for basket. Then Norfolk
State called a timeout to re
group. The score was 67-68. The
t
ball was in play and Norft
State had it with 28 seconds i
maining. We committed a fo
which sent them to the line foi
one-and-one. They made
first one but missed the secoi
We had the ball going up t
court when one of iny teai
mates was fouled. He went to t
line with a one-and-one situ
tion. He hit both free throws wi
:04 left on the clock. Norfo
State, with one last chance to t
it up and send the game in
overtime, attempted to inboun
the ball, but one of my teai
mates intercepted it. We final
beat Norfolk State, 72-69.
The Staff
Editor Robin Sawyer
Photography Director Richard Mclntire
Photographers Tanya Kenyon
Richard Mclntire
Leamond Pearce
Graphics Consultant Diane Patterson
Staff Writers Pam Brown
Lavette Washington-Bias
Deborah Carr
Lynne Chapman
Shawn Everett
Dwayne Collins
B B Monique Thomas
^ Tracy Godbold
Compass
^ 1 1 Travis Manuel
The Compass welcomes letters to the editor. n i, o
Please send letters to Box 815, Elizabeth aty Becky Overton
State University, Elizabeth City, NC 27909. Robm Pmcus
The Compass has been published by ECSU students Nancy Porter
since 1959 under the Department of Language, Sylvia Purvis
Literature and Communication. Dr. Anne Henderson, Johnny Reid
Chairperson. Faculty advisor: Stephen March. Mike Whitehurst
VIEWPOINT I How do you fppl
When do you think life actually begins?
James J. Hargett
Williamston, N.C.
— at conception. The halting
of the embryo’s development
would constitute murder.
Photos by Richard Mclntire
Coy Harveson
Elizabeth City, N.C.
— at conception. I’m against
abortions, in general, except
in severe cases where the fe
tus will be born with suffer
ing through out its life or in
the case of rape.
Dennis Blount
New York, N.Y.
Stephanie Edwards
Smithfield, Va.
i^f because Abortion’s okay Some p®
It IS killmg life that begins at pie are too young and it'
" ~ necessary. Everyone shoul
which a person’s traits and have a choice ^
everything that makes a hu-
man being are present.