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The Compass
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( CAMPUS NEWS )
Getting involved: Political awareness
raised by Students for Jesse Jackson
^ T
Area students shine
during Science Fair
By Johnny Reid
You wouldn’t think fruit flies
would figure into the educational
process.
But for Chrissy Rodriquez, a
batch of fruit flies, some vials,
chemicals and a plumber’s T,
added up to an award-winning
science experiment.
Rodriquez’s experiment was
one of 150 exhibits on display at
the Eiastem Regional &ience
Fair and Energy Expo, held Fri
day, March 11, at ECSU’s Vaug
han Center. TTie Manteo High
School senior’s experiment mea
sured the fruit flies’ response tc
several stimuli-light, gravity,
and various chemical sub
stances.
“It was fun to work with these
fruit flies,” said Rodriquez, after
explaining to a group of inter
ested bystanders how the fruit
flies’ choices demonstrated posi
tive and negative attractions. “I
learned a lot from them. The ex
periments helped me leam how
to use the scientific method to ob
tain logical results.”
Sponsored by ECSU, East Car
olina University, and the North
east Regional Education Center,
the Science Fair featured the
work of about 400 area students,
grades 6 through 12, who have
won in local competitions within
their schools. Fair winners will
advance to the state competition,
where they will compete to win
scholarships to college, accord
ing to Dr. Tumage, Chairman of
ECSU’s Department of Biol^.
“■nie Science Fair gets bigger
and better each year,” said Tum
age. “The 150 projects on display
are in three different areas, bi
ology, earth science, and physi
cal science.”
Tumage said the Fair is “a
continuation” of the science de
partment’s efforts to enhance the
science development in this re
gion. TTie program has been “ex
tremely well organized and well
presented,” according to Tum
age.
Included among the displays
were experiments demonstrat
ing: “TTie Effect of Centrifugal
Force on Plant Sprouts,” “Varia
tions in Germination from Micro
wave Radiation,” and “How EIx-
citement Affects the Color of
Fish.” About 100 students won
awards in the Fair.
“The Science Fair is one of the
finest events we have on the
ECSU campus,” said ECSU’s Dr.
M. A. Alam, who is on the 1987-88
Science Fair planning commit
tee. “We hope that some of the
students will come to our univer
sity.”
ECSU faculty and administra
tion members presenting awards
at the fair were: Dr. Thaddeus
Beasley, Dr. Katherine Hodgin,
Dr. Edward lanni, and Dr.
James. H. Townes. Dr. Jimmy
Jenkins, Chancellor of ECSU,
gave the welcoming speech.
Corporate sponsors of the Fair
were: Animal Crackers, Ltd.
Carolina Telephone and Tele
graph Company, Texasgulf
Chemicals Company, and Weyer
haeuser Company.
Certificates were printed Cour
tesy of Burroughs Wellcome
Company. Judges refreshments
were courtesy of Winn-Dixie,
Elizabeth City.
D
Although these future science majors didn’t receive
any awards, they put on a fine show. The group, from
Pitt County, presented a skit about electricity during
the Eastern Regional Science Fair and Energy Expo
held March 11 in Vaughan Center.
Students learning
about the power
of their votes
By Monique Thomas
“In North Carolina students at
black colleges have the power of
30,000 votes,” said ECSU senior,
Gary Rann. “But they have to
register and vote.”
Rann is one of the student orga
nizers of ECSU’s Students for
Jesse Jackson Committee-an or
ganization dedicated to getting
students more politically in
volved.
“We’ve registered 500 student
voters out of 1600 students at
ECSU,” said Rann. “There are
1000 students on campus, and 600
commuters. We’ve registered
half the students on campus.”
SFJJ members agree t^t their
aim is to get students more politi
cally involved and aware.
“Before we got involved, you’d
hear students complaining about
minute issues, like the food in the
cafeteria,” said Rann, “but now
that they’re more involved, you
don’t hear them complaining
about little things. TTiey’re talk
ing about real world issues that
affect all of us.”
SFJJ members agree that they
are trying to get students more
politically involved and aware.
But they are also serious about
helping the candidacy of presi
dential contender Jesse Jackson.
“I support Jesse Jackson be
cause I believe his platform is
feasible,” said Cyntto Burrus,
ECSU senior, and one of the stu
dent organizers of the commit
tee. “In light of the Rainbow Co
alition, I think it will work.”
JESSE JACKSON
high school-
sterling (S.C.) High School
CLASS OF 1959
COLLEGE:
Univefsity of Illinois,
North Carolina Agricutturol
And Technical
State University
1963
Chicago Theotogical
Seminary
The Rainbow Coalition is a
group of minorities, including
blacks, Indians, Hispanics, Jews
and farmers, who have been ig
nored by the political system.
Jackson’s highly effective na
tional campaign is seeking to im
prove the opportunities for mem
bers of these, and other, groups.
SFJJ was especially active
around Super Tuesday. The
members organized phone
banks, and distributed fliers
around the city, urging students
to vote.
The organization also helped
sponsor the February 18 visit of
Jackson’s son, Jonathan, to
ECSU. The younger Jackson ai
dressed the ECSU family durij|
an assembly commemoratioj
Black History Month.
SFJJ members say that tii^
organization is working for mud
more than the Jackson cam.
“That’s the name of the orgafi
zation,” said Rann, “but that’i
not what it’s all about. We hav(
other elections coming up in Efit
abeth aty. We have to utili^
what we’ve leamed for the Eliea.
beth City elections.” 1
SFJJ official Tanya Little sadi
that the organization has also^at
tracted interest outside Pasquo
tank County.
“We’ve had request from otba
people in other counties, se^iq
to use our organizational skills b
start new committees based ci
the levels of SFJJ,” said Ut^
the director of the organizatiotfi
publicity committee.
Currently, SFJJ is workii(
with the Rev. Charles Foster, j
his campaign for N.C. l^islat*
The organization has also partid
pated in Pasquotank Countj^
County Democratic Convention
and plans to send delegates fb
Jesse Jackson to the Democrati
Convention in Atlanta.
Jonathan Jackson challenges ECSU
‘We need strong
minds and bodies
for our campaign’
By Deborah Carr
“The Jesse Jackson campaign
will declare war on poverty, not
on the poor,“ Jonathan Jackson
told the ECSU family on Feb
ruary 18. “Having civil rights
with no economic rights is like
having the right to swim in a pool
with no water in it. The two must
go hand in hand.”
Jackson, son of presidential
contender, Jesse Jackson, spoke
at ECSU during the Black His
tory Month Assembly. He is the
Eastern Regional Coordinator
for his father’s 1988 presidential
campaign.
“We have a poor campaign
with a rich message,” Jackson
said. “We are in a struggle doing
the best we can against the odds.
Our coalition is expanding. We
must transcend race and creeds
in order to fight for economic jus
tice.”
Declaring that his father’s
campaign has “raised the hopes
of all oppressed people,” Jackin
added, “This is not Jesse Jack
son’s campaign, it’s the people’s
campaign. We need strong minds
and strong bodies to continue the
fight.”
Jackson cited a comprehensive
list of reforms needed to end
“economic violence” in America.
Jonathan Jackson, son of presidential hopeful Jesse
Jackson, gave an inspirational and provocative speech
to ECSU’s students and faculty in Moore HaU Audito
rium, on Feb. 18. PhotobyMattbewCoates
Photo by Richard Mclntire
. I.
^UDioir
PHOTO PRODUCTIONS
0 & P ENTERPRISE
PHONE: 335-7688
501 Caldwell Street
Elizabeth City, NC 27909
EUGENE O’NEAL
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• OWNER • PHOTOGRAPHER
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“Thirteen milUon Americans
have no health care,” he said,
“and 38 million have no health in
surance.
“ The South has the hardest
workers and the lowest wages, as
well as the most toxic waste
dumps. Farmers have lost their
land, students can’t get loans,
and hospital workers can’t afford
to go to the hospital.”
Jackson pledged his father
would work to end discrimination
against lower-income workers,
the poor, and farmers.“If we can
bail out Chrysler, we can baU out
the family farm. They have fed
us and fed the nation. It was poor
policy that took their land from
them.”
Jackson said the government
should spend less money on the
military and more on education,
including working to establish a
$600 billion educational fund.
“We need to put an end to the
arms race, and put more focus on
the human race. Education is sa
cred. It’s the backbone of our de
mocracy. This is what we have
fought for, and we must not abuse
that right.”
Jackson called for a war on
drugs, describing the drug trade
as a $150 billion industry. “The
government wants to build a mis
sile that can shoot down other
missUes, but they can’t even stop
a plane of cocaine flying in from
South of our borders.”
Images of King
This pencil drawing, by art
major Vickie Strickland,
was displayed on stage
during Jonathan Jackson’s
presentation.
Photo b; Richard Mclntire
“At the height of the drug inter
diction, Reagan cut the U.S.
Coast Guard budget by $100 mil
lion,” continued Jackson, “then
he made a television commercial
telling people to say ‘no’ to drugs.
There must be some priority to
attachment to the purse.”
Jackson said that although la
father has never held an electa
office, “he has given his life fti
service. He had spent 25 yea
working in the public secto
proving his leadership skills. H
has fought for open housing ai
the right to vote, and he bi
fought for economic justice.
Jackson, 22, and a 1987 gra
uate of A & T University, said I
had “fond memories of’ ECSI
“Two years ago you all camej
wir homecoming and beat us,
said.
Jackson praised ECSU s(
dents, saying they were “in tk
privileged seats. The real cl
lenge is what wiU you do,
what are you doing? You
training to become leaders
role models. You can strive tol
what you want.
“ I challenge you to fulfill ti
work of generations that ha]
died to help make your opportiH
ties possible.”
During the Black Histor
Month Assembly, the Universi
Choir performed two selectioi
The choir was directed by Prrfe
sor Billy C. Hines.
ECSU Chancellor Dr. Jimd
Jenkins, and Carl Jones, Sfl
President, also addressed the 3
dience.
At the end of the program tl
ECSU family held hands ai
sang, “We Shall Overcome.”