m
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Dorm rooms excluded from policy
Robinson and Christopher Lynch, menders of ECSli’s
Dance Troupe, practice outside (ijrtrn a warm spring
1. Other meiTfcers of the troupe are SR»8a Moss, Heks
|,^J(^e$sa J»;k$on and Metyis GI8^.
New SGA leader
seeks 'pride, unity'
By Beverly Johnson
“When I set goals, I like to see
them carried out,” said Renel Sample,
the newly elected President of the
Student Government Association, for
the 1990-91 term.
Sample has two major goals for the
year—“campus-wide pride and fam
ily unity.”
He has several plans to implement
these goals. For example, he hopes to
see classes competing “as teams”
throughout each semesterin suchareas
as grade point averages, trivia con
tests and different sports.
“This can hopefully bring us to
gether as a Viking family,” Sample
said.
Sample also hopes to improve
communication with the students
about activities and events.
“By utilizing signs displayed in the
high traffic areas on campus such as
near the cafeteria and in the dorms on
a regular basis, students will be made
aware of the activities throughout each
semester.”
Sample promised to work for a
successful homecoming that will
encompass students, alumni, and the
community, “and to try to keep activi
ties scheduled on weekends.”
At the same time he wants to stress
academic excellence, have more uni
fied family meetings and promote the
Big Brother-Big Sister program on
University to ban smoking
By Cindi Blount and Ucbenna
Bulliner
At their March 13 meeting the
ECSU Board of Trustees passed a
resolution to ban smoking in all build
ings on campus, with the exception of
private rooms in dormitories.
The ban will take effect “as soon as
we work out all of the disciplinary as
pects,” according to University attor
ney Alice Bynum. “The main thing
we still have to work out are the pen
alties for those who violate the ban.”
Possible penalties include “first
going to counseling, second a repri
mand, and possible suspension from
work after a third infraction,” Bynum
said. The Smoking Resolution Com
mittee will meet “next week” to iron
out all the details about the new ban,
she added.
Bynum said the University will
not have “designated smoking areas”
outside. “If people are taking a break
and smoking outside the building, that
looks inappropriate and unprofes
sional on a college campus.”
Bynum added that she hopes the
University’s smoking ban will influ
ence some smokers to try to quit.
The Board of Trustees passed the
resolution because of the complaints
from administrators and students about
“the smoking problem on campus “
including students who said they felt
sick from being exposed to smokers,
she said.
‘That could cause a possible law
suit,” said Bynum.
B y num also pointed out that smok
ers in offices were at risk for setting
valuable or ineplaceable papers on
fire.
“This policy will ehminate a lot of
health problems and have positive
effects on the University’s insurance
premiums,” said Bynum.
B ynum predicted that other schools
will also implement “no smoking”
poUcies. ‘Two other schools, N.C.
Central and N.C. A & T have made
inquiries about our actions, to ask
how we went about doing this.”
Bynum said the living areas of the
dorms would be excluded from the
ban because “of the difficulty of po
licing them.”
ECSU students were generally in
favor of the no-smoking action; how
ever, some University employees
opposed it.
“People with health problems are
irritated by smoke in the classroom,”
said Cindy Bishop, an ECSU sopho
more, who has asthma. “I’m in favor
of the rule. They should ban smoking
everywhere.”
However Bishop said she had no
problem with instructors smoking in
their offices. “As long as the student
could ask the instructor to put the
cigarette out, if it did cause irritation.”
“Being that smoking is becoming
more unpopular, I think this policy is
overdue,” said Renel Sample, ECSU’s
newly elected president of the Student
Government Association.
“Smoking in the classroom is a
health hazard to all the students,” said
Dennis Blount, a junior, “and instruc
tors should have some consideration.”
But Blount said he could under
stand instructors and other University
employees smoking in their offices,
as long as instructors would show
consideration for students who were
irritated by the smoke.
Faculty members interviewed had
mixed attitudes about the Uni versity ’ s
action.
“I think the University hasn ’t gone
far enough with this policy,” said Dr.
Robert Thome, a professor in the
Department of Language, Literature
and Communication. “They ban
smoking from office buildings, class
rooms and utility buildings, all except
the dormitories. And that is wrong. If
you’re going to ban it, ban it totally.”
Thome, a smoker, said he was in
favor of banning smoking. “I think a
please see BAN page 5
New video to promote ECSU
campus. “It’s all about everyone help
ing each other out,” he said.
Sample said he sees his term “as a
constant challenge to keep things going
smoothly.
“From observing and learning from
previous SGA presidents, I can see
that it’s important to keep the moral of
the university up as much as pos
sible,” he said. “I’ve seen the past
three presidents’ different styles and
realize one must be academically and
socially motivated in order to provide
an overall good atmosphere on cam
pus.”
A native of Philadelphia, Pennsyl
vania, Sample believes he has made a
wise decision to attend ECSU. “It’s a
safe and friendly environment,” he
said.
He is a senior business major who
decided to stay an extra year at ECSU,
in order to serve as the SGAPresident.
He won the election with 62% of the
vote, defeating Deborah Jacobs.
“I didn’t even tell my mom any
thing about my campaigning, just in
case I lost.” he said. “However, after
the elections, I went home and told her
I would remain an extra year here as
the SGA President. She was extremely
proud of me.”
Several ECSU students who sup
port Sample said they have faith in his
ability to carry out his goals.
please see Renel page 5
Photti l»v Rkluirci Mrlittifc
Renel Sample, SGA President for 1990-91, promised an improved
Pl3cement office and better out-of-state incentives during his campaign
speech.
By Richard Mclntire
In an effort to attract new students,
the University has produced a $30,000
recmitment video,”Rising to the Fu
ture,’ which is being distributed to all
368 high schools in North Carolina.
The nine-minute video provides a
geographical, social, and academic
portrait of the University. It begins
with sunrise at the Elizabeth City
Waterfront, and shifts to a dormitory
bedroom, where a co-ed mshes to
prepare for a day at ECSU.
The video highlights the Incentive
Scholarship Program, provides infor
mation about the University’s majors,
and promotes the school’s new build
ings and plans for the Centennial cele
bration.
“I think the video is great,” said
ECSU Chancellor Dr. Jimmy Jenkins.
“It captures the spirit and the campus
wide involvement that is here. It helps
give visitors a view of what the Uni
versity is about.”
The video was produced as a result
of a directive from General Admini
stration, according to William Byrd,
ECSU's Director of Admissions. Byrd
said all sixteen schools in the UNC
system are required to have a recruit
ment video.
“Other admissions people have told
me this is one of the better recmitment
videos they have ever seen.”
Byrd said the video will “allow us
Graduation
ceremony
set May 6
by Albert C. F. Woodley
Elizabeth City StateUniversity will
hold its 110th Commencement on
Sunday, May 6, at 10:00 a.m. in
Roebuck Center.
About 195 seniors will receive their
degrees, according to Jean Sims,
Secretary to Chancellor Dr. Jimmy R.
Jenkins.
Nigel Travis, Sr. Vice President of
Human Resources for Burger King
Corporation, willbe the guest speaker.
Following commencement, a re
ception will be held in the University
Center.
Other events of the Commence
ment season include a Kindergarten
Commencement Thursday, May 3 at
7:00 p.m. in the G.R. Little Theater;
Chancellor’s Dinner for Seniors, on
Friday, May 4 at 7:30 p.m. at the
Chancellor’s residence; and a Senior
Class Reception, Saturday May 5 at
3:00 p.m. at the Kermit E. White
Graduate Center.
The ROTC Commissioning Cere
mony will be held Saturday, May 5 in
Moore Hall Auditorium. A reception
will be held immediately after the
ceremony in Moore Hall Auditorium.
‘‘...people have told me this is one of the
better recruitment videos they have ever seen."
William Byrd
to reach out” to other areas of the state,
including the Piedmont and the moun
tains. We now have a representative
in every school in the state, by way of
this video.”
The $30,000 price tag of the video,
produced by the Freeman Group of
Durham, included production, repro
duction and distribution, Byrd said.
Students who have seen the video
have praised its quality; however some
students believe that the video pres
ents an idealized view of the racial
mix on campus.
“Some things look staged in the
video,” said one ECSU student. “Some
of the scenes just don’t happen on this
campus.”
The video, which emphasizes the
feeUng of family on the campus, has
several scenes of black and white
students studying and working on
projects together.
ECSU officials denied that the
video presents a lopsided view of the
campus.
“This University is 21% white,”
said Dr. Gerald McCants, Director of
ECSU’s Academic Developmeili
Program. “You can’t j ust show blacks.
We’re part of the UNC system, whic^
is multi-ethnic. People read into the
video with their own personal back
grounds.”
Jenkins said he hopes the Univer
sity will have 2,000 students “by the
end of the Centennial Year.” ECSU
had approximately 1,640 students en
rolled in the fall of 1989.
ph«»U> bjr Richard Mclntire
ECSU junior Chukundi Salisbury (standing), English Instructor Velma Brown and Media Director Cornelius
Goodwin discuss editing techniques overthe University’s ‘state-of-the-art’ video equipment. The equipment
is part of ECSU’s new venture into TV production.
ECSU's videos of council meetings
praised by campus, city officials
By Chukundi Salisbury
On April 2 Elizabeth City State
University began taping and broad
casting its first television production.
Using the latest state-of-the-art
video cameras, ECSU’s Television
Committee taped a meeting of the city
council on the third floor of the Mu
nicipal building. A second council
meeting was taped April 16.
The meetings will be taped twice a
month, on the first and third Mondays,
and broadcast on Channel 19, at 7
p.m. on Tuesdays following each
meeting.
Council members, and University
officials have expressed highly posi
tive appraisals of the program.
“I think it’s one of the greatest
things to happen to the school, the
city, and the county,” said Council-
men A. C. Robinson. “It’s an oppor
tunity for people to see and get to
know the council members instead of
relying on The Advance."
“It (the television production) is
one of the greatest things since the
wheel,” said Councilwoman Leona
Morgan, an ECSU alumna. “It adds
dignity, expertise, and uniqueness to
our meetings.”
Councilman Jimmy Sutton said the
program “gives the public a chance to
be informed of the major decisions we
make.” Sutton is also an ECSU alum
nus.
The program was conceived by
Elizabeth City Mayor Sid Oman,
according to Roger McLean, ECSU’s
Vice Chancellor for Business anc
Finance.
‘The Mayor approached Chancel
lor Jenkins about the idea,” said
McLean, “and the Chancellor formed
the Television Crew Committee.”
Mayor Sid Oman said he is proud
to have introduced this program.
“I feel it gives everyone a chance
to participate in government,” said
Oman. “I also would like to say that
we could not have attained exposure
of this level without the help of Eliza
beth City State University.”
Thus far, officials estimate that the
University has invested about S15,000
in video equipment to use in the pro
ductions, with more purchases
planned, contingent upon funding.
“Our equipment consists of studio
quality television cameras and the
studio kits that accompany them ,”said
Cornelius Goodwin, the IJniversity’s
acting Media Director, and a member
of the Television Committee, “This
equipment is state-of-the-art and re
quires that only skilled technicians
please see TV page 5