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THE COMPASS
Friday, December 7, 1990
THE OPINION PAGE
THE COMPASS
Editors:
News Craig Avondo
Sports Mark Morris
Advertising Manager Darryl Brown
Production Manager Craig Avondo
Circulation Manager Stone
Staff Artist Kevin Cruz
Photographers EricJones,
Jackie Roundtree, Renel Sample, and James Sims
Staff Writers Pablita Batiste,
Cindi Blount, Dennis Blount, Uchenna Bulliner, Sharon Chappell, Lav-
enia Dameron, Wanda Jordan, Eric Jones, Tonya Moore, Becky Over
ton, Miracle Perry, Kimberly Robinson, Rebecca Smithson, Chukundi
Salisbury, James Sims, Tymekia Troy, Kenneth Valentine, Jr., Tarsha
White, Cheryl White and Albert C.F. Woodley
The Compass is published by Elizabeth City State University students under
the direction of the Department of Language, Literature and Communication, Dr. Anne
Henderson, Chairperson, and Mr. Stephen March, faculty advisor.
The Compass welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be sent to ECSU
Box 815, Elizabeth City, NC 27909. All letters must be signed and include the writer's
address and telephone number. They may be edited for length, clarity, and taste, as well
as accuracy and grammar. Because of limited space, not all letters can be published.
Launching
The Phoenix
Congratulations are due to the members of the Pickwick
Society for having the initiative and vision to approach
Chancellor Jenkins about financing the publication of a
literary magazine.
The Chancellor, too, deserves praise for appropriating $2,500
for the school’s literary magazine—and for somehow always
managing to make time to talk to students who want to see him,
despite his demanding schedule.
The University’s lack of an arts publication has long been an
embarrassing blemish on its record—a suggestion, perhaps, that
we have at times emphasized image over substance, rhetoric over
action. (Undoubtedly, administrators have found money for far
less meritorious projects, on numerous occasions.) Moreover, the
lack has deprived gifted students the opportunity to express
themselves.
The new magazine will not only correct this imbalance; it
should also serve as a highly effective medium to market the
University to prospective new students. And the opportunity to
see their own work in print will encourage the creativity of
ECSU’s talented writers.
It has taken a SACS accreditadon visit and a centennial celebra
tion to provide impetus for this important step. But the results
produced by the students prove that we can, and must, take the
initiative in improving our University. It takes more than new
buildings and fine phrases to make a tmly excellent school; there
must also be an involved student body that knows that there is
something else in life besides expensive clothes, Greek organiza
tions and M-TV.
Now that the magazine has been funded, students must take the
leadership role in writing, editing and producing it. And a funding
mechanism should be put in place to finance the publication on a
regular basis. One suggestion would be to use student fees for
support. Students should not have to depend on the Chancellor’s
generosity to keep the magazine afloat, in a dme of budget cuts
and hard dmes.
The students’ suggested tide for the magazine is The Phoenix,
the mythological bird that created itself anew out of its own ashes.
We hope this image will also epitomize the student body’s
commitment to improving our campus as we cross the threshold
to our second 100 years.
a
Dear Liz:
Last night I did something I’ll never
forgive myself for. It all started with a
pleasantevening ataparty. I metrr^any
people and flirted a little because I Was
starved for attention. Most impor
tantly, I had sex with someone I met
that night. It was so intense and pas
sionate that the hotel room seemed to
echo “more, more” in my ears. After it
was over, I felt dirty, cheap and dis
gusted. I think it was my desire for his
lustful body that drove me to such
madness. That night I broke all the
rules. The experience was pleasing,
but I was disappointed in myself.
Please tell me that I am normal.
Lusty
Dear Lusty:
O.K., you’re normal! All of us at
one point, will rebel against every
thing we’ve stood for. You’re not all
alone. You have just described what
happened to 1,000other girls last night.
Everyone has a breaking point and a
different set of morals. Some women
do this as a hobby. Obviously, it’s not
your thing, but now you know your
limitation when it comes to quick sex.
It only lasts for one night and the
consequences left you in worse shape
than you were before. The thing to do
now is pick yourself up, brush your
self off and move on with the lesson
that you’ve learned from this experi
ence.
Liz
Dear Liz:
I don’t have a boyfriend and I’m
looking for an eligible man to become
close to. So far, the only luck I’ve had
is with a homeboy from my old high
school. He cares for me, I can tell.
However, I can’t bring myself to talk
to him because he’s so much unlike
my last friend. I realize I can’t have
everything just perfect; but I do have
preferences. He is still pushing me.
What should I do concerning him?
Available yet Choicy
Dear Choicy:
There’s nothing wrong with being
choicy, but there is everything wrong
with being lonely. You sound like
you’ve been sitting by the fireplace
waiting for “Prince Charming” to ride
up on his white horse and “lake you
away.” Just because we desire a mate
with the characteristics that please us
does not mean that we are desiring
what’s best In high school, everyone
was developing their own minds and
personalities. Get to know him for
who he is personally. This young man
could make you very happy if and
when you decide to break the mold
Melvin Satchell
“Yes, I thinkthey should invade
because we should not sit and
wait for them to make a
decision. We shouldn’t waste
any more time. We should just
get it over with.”
Talk of ECSU:
Do you feel that the United
States should invade Kuwait and
drive Hussein out?
by James Sims
Darrin Stewert
“Yes, they should have
invaded a long time ago,
because gas should not keep
going up the way it is.”
Crystal Gibbs
“Yes, because I feel that by
stalling and waiting they are only
wasting money. Also, the more
time they take, the more time they
give the enemy to prepare for
when they do attack."
Sabreena Watson
“No, because war is not going
to solve anything, it will only
start a third world war and cause
many families to lose their loved
ones.”
Guest Columnists
Today’s ’real man’ must respect God
By Bruce Copeland
There are many things to be con
sidered in defining the ideal man. To
many people, the ideal man is one who
supports his family. To others, he is
one who takes control of any given
situation he is put in. My definition of
the ideal man consists primarily of
four things: the responsibility he has
for his family, the responsibility he
has for his people, the resonsibility he
has for his own existence, and the
acceptance and appreciation he has
for God.
The ideal man must be one who
takes proper care of his family, in
cluding wife and children, as well as
his parents, when they are in need. It is
very important that a man not forget
those who raised him, and to let few
things come before the needs of his
mother and father, people who are
more than worthy of what he can do
for them.
With regard to his immediate fam
ily, the ideal man should not only
provide a substantial income for his
wife and children, he should also
provide the love and attention they
deserve. Too many people think that
as long as a man is putting food on the
table, he is doing his job. This is a
misconception that unfortunately a
great number of men and women have
accepted.
TTie ideal man is also obligated to
his people. By this, I don’t mean that
a Black man should just be concerned
with Black people and hate everyone
else.
I feel that a man should tend to the
needs of his people first, however, and
after that has been achieved, he can
focus on the necessities of others.
I think it is just natural for a man to
assist in the survival of his people and
that it would be foolish not to. If a
man’s own people do not flourish,
then how can he be proud of himself
and of his own achievements? It is a
duty and hopefully a pleasure for a
man to further the advancement of his
people as long as he does not hinder
someone from another race or group
in doing the same.
The ideal man should be happy
with himself and pleased with who he
is and where he is in life. Never should
a man be so preoccupied with the h ves
of others that he lets his own life fall
apart.
The ideal man should never be
content with just existing. He should
continously do everything he can to
better himself and get the most of his
life.
Certainly, it is vital that a man not
be selfish and neglect the rest of the
world, but society has not allowed
men to “be men” and still provide for
themselves. So many men feel they
must take upon the role of the earth’s
savior and set aside what they want
and what they need. The ideal man
should be able to take care of his
responsibilities to others as well as to
himself, for if his own life is a tfav-
esty, what can he possibly do for any
one else?
The most important factor in defin
ing the real man is acceptance and
appreciation of God. Encompassing
all of the previously mentioned re
sponsibilities into one’s life, a man
might not realize the importance of
God. He may be so caught up with
“being a man” that he becomes carried
away with himself and forgets where
the strength and very essence to be a
man come from.
Without a stfong bond with God a
true man can not exist, for God is the
one who provides man the tools he
needs to assume this role. The ideal
man must and can do a number of
things for others and for himself, but if
he does not give God the respect and
gratitude He deserves then he is not an
ideal man.
(Bruce Copeland, a native of Day
ton, Ohio, is a freshman majoring in
business administration.)
Letters
Time window for U.S. attack is Jan.-March '91
democratic country defends the right
of survival of a small state but as an
issue of securing cheaper oil for the
large oil companies which have prof
ited so handsomely from the sky
rocketing price of petroleum and its
products. But that may be another
issue that could be discussed in a fu
ture letter to the editor.
Dr. Jose Ventura
Department of Business
Mr. Spangler
says thanks
Dear Editors:
Thank you very much for sending
me a copy of your newspaper. The
Compass. In that October 11, 1990
issue, you were very generous in your
support for me and my efforts to
strengthen our university.
I thank you for your words of sup
port. They mean a lot to me.
Dick Spangler
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Dear Editor:
The Middle East crisis came about
through the invasion of Iraq on August
2,1990.
Within days, Iraq had proclaimed
that Kuwait was a integral part of Iraq
and ceased to exist as an independent
nation.
I do not want to be a defender of
Saddam Hussein and his actions, but I
think a little history and analysis of the
situation is appropriate since very few
press reports have provided accurate
and balanced information.
It was only in 1923 that Kuwait
became an independent nation, thanks
to the then prevailing imperial power,
Great Britain. Kuwait until that time
had been an integral part of Iraq and
only its great petroleum deposits in
duced Great Britain to segregate it
from its other possession, Iraq.
Furthermore, Iraq had long stand
ing border disputes with Kuwait. The
outcome of the war between Iraq and
Iran did not provide Iraq with its most
desired goal which was a deep water
port in the Persian Gulf. Therefore, it
was only natural that it would turn
towards the weaker neighbor Kuwait
to get this access (as well as getting its
oil fields in the process).
The United States seems to end up
defending the wrong kind of political
system. If we analyze Kuwait’s politi
cal structure we have to recognize that
it was a feudal state without any
democratic governance. The A1 Saba
family has hundreds of years of dicta
torial and feudal tradition as do many
other governments in the gulf. It is
somehow ironic that the United States,
the most powerful democracy on earth,
would have to go and defend one of
the most feudal and undemocratic areas
in the world.
On the other hand, there is no jus
tification to use naked aggression
against any state, not even Iraq. Even
if it may have considered that it had
legitimate problems to resolve with
Kuwait, they certainly could have been
settled by conferences and negotia
tion.
Let us now look into the future.
There are two possible ways to re
solve the conflict. One would be set
tlement by negotiation with Hussein
and therefore leaving him in power as
well as leaving his significant military
apparatus in place. This would only
mean that a larger crisis would mate
rialize in a few years when Iraq may
decide the time has come to invade
Saudi Arabia or any other of its neigh
bors: Syria, Turkey or Jordan to get to
Isreal.
The other solution is of course a
military attack on Iraq through mas
sive air force intervention and a swift
destruction of Iraq’s military estab
lishment. The country is relatively
small and a preemptive strike could
bring a fast victory; the only kind of
victory the United States should aim
for. Though this may represent a mili
tary victory the anti-Western feelings
of most Arabs would generate a fur
ther resentment of the West and its in
fluence on the Middle East. A greater
hostility towards Israel may result.
The time window for that is only Janu
ary to March, 91.
In essence, America is now be
tween a rock and a hard place. Any of
its actions may have severe reper-
cusions on its foreign policy for years
to come. We are damned if we do and
damned if we don’t. It is also unfortu
nate that the majority of American
people see operation Desert Shield
not as an issue of principle where a
you had designed for your “knight in
shining armor.”
Liz
Dear Liz:
There is a nice young man whom I
happen to care for. He’shonest, charm
ing, and very real. When we’re to
gether, I can let go and be myself. Our
idas and experiences are so much alike
that it’s frightening. He U-eats me like
a lady should be treated and I like it.
So far, this sounds like “the joint”
right? Well, here’s the shocker: the
guy is ugly! a I do mean ugly. If I saw
him on the sidewalk. I’d walk away
from//.But he makes me smile. Right
now my feelings for him are in the
dark for 1 know my friends would
“dog me out” if they knew I liked him.
Any good advice?
Don’t Look
Dear Don’t Look:
One thing you can’t do is remake
his face. Outward appearance does
have an affect on our choice of a mate
in relationships. However, maybe too
much emphasis is placed on how a
person looks to determine how happy
we would be with that person. You
sound as though his personality brings
him out. Evidently, not out enough for
you to get closer to him, however if
it’s that big of a problem, forget it for
you don’t really accept him for what
he is. Most importanly, your friends
have no say so in who you choose to
love. Everything you do will not meet
up to their measurements, so what will
you do then? So start now making
your own judgement based on your
happiness, not the happiness of oth
ers.
« Liz