Newspapers / Elizabeth City State University … / Dec. 7, 1990, edition 1 / Page 3
Part of Elizabeth City State University Student Newspaper / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
*^day, December 7,19^ THE COMPASS Page 3 FEATURES FfSU's first female drum maior: ’Music is my life' By Pablita Batiste Four years ago when she first came to ECSU Phyllis Price dreamed of being the drum major for the ECSU Marching Band. The problem was, the position of i dnim major had never been held by a j woman. So Price participated in the band as ; a flag gu"!- Then, this semester, she ; Died out for the position of drum major. The tryout wasn’t exactly a bed of roses. “I sounded like I was trying to sing when I called the band to attention,” she recalled. “I needed to project the base in my voice. It was a living hell being out there in the front. People were always testing me to see if I i could handle it.” Price was extremely thrilled when she was notified that she had won the position. “At first I couldn’t believe that I hadwon," she recalls. “I walkedaround I with a big grin on my face talking to myself” Price said she was grateful to cur rent band director Dr. Harry Callahan forgiving her the opportunity to prove ' herself in the position. “Being the drum major for our band has been my dream since my freshman year but it was all up to the band directors.” Price said two of the three march- ing band directors who have worked I atECSU since her freshman year were i “totally against a female drum major. “.../ feel a woman can do anything a man can do. All she needs is a chance.” Phyllis Price They did not believe that a female could handle the responsibilities. “But I feel a woman can do any thing a man can do,” Price continued. “All she needs is a chance. I just want to thank Dr. Callahan for giving me the chance to prove that I could handle it. My season as a drum major would not have been possible if it wasn’t for Dr. Callahan. He is a man who has a lot of dreams and a bright future here at Elizabeth City StateUniversity.” Price said she has received much encouragement and support from friends, especially male members of the band. “They really didn’t give me a hard time.” As drum major. Price goes over the songs with the members of the band, makes sure they know their songs by heart, practices conducting for slow and up tempo songs and learns the dance routine. “I keep the band pepped up in the stands during tMe football games. We perform chants and songs. “At first I was scared to lead chants, but eventually I got used to it, I feel the whole band should participate in lead ing chants in the stands.” A native of Durham, North Caro lina, Price comes from a musically inclined family whose members could play “just about any instrument there was.” She played the trumpet in the 9th and 10th grade at Hillside High School. “I didn ’ t want to play the clarinet or the flute, and my grandfather pushed for me to play the trumpet, so I chose that instrument,” she said. Price’s major is business manage ment with a minor in music. “ I started off as a music major, but my dad felt like it would be really hard to get off the ground as a music major, so I changed to business.” She says she regrets changing her major and when she goes to graduate school she will concentrate more on music. “Music is my life,” she said. “It’s in my heart.” Price said she is happy to be the first woman drum major in the history of ECSU. “I feel I will always be remem bered,” she said. ECSU Viking with 4.0 average sets his sights on med school Pboto by Jackfo RountrM i Phyllis Price, ECSU's first female drum major, proudly poses in her new drum major's uniform. Since she was appointed to the position, band members have been especially supportive. The Durham native plans to study music in graduate school. Photo hy James Sims 1 By James Sims ECSU tight end Stuart Squires isn’t just another jock with athletics on his mind. I Squires, a 21-year-old senior ma- Ijoring in chemistry and pre-med, has done something that athletes rarely do—maintain a 4.0 academic average throughout his three-and-a-half years atECSU. , He accomplished his average de spite the fact that athletes must spend Ifrom two to four hours a day in prac- itice and meetings, not to mention the time spent traveling to and participat ing in games. All of this is in addition to their classwork. ^ So how does Squires do it? “There really isn’t a secret,” he I says. “In college you always have I something to do. Every day after I finish practice I do my work. I do the I things that I need to do first. That way ,1 can enjoy the things that I want to do.” Squires said he has always been (motivated to excel. ^ “Since I was young I just studied until I felt comfortable with what I was studying. I hated taking tests and not knowing what was on them. It’s like I have a phobia of failing.” Being an athelete and maintaining a4.0 average takes both discipline and “keeping yourpriorities straight,” says “Every day after I finish practice I do my work. I do the things that I need to do first. That way I can enjoy the things that I want to do.” Stuart Squires Squires, who does most of his study ing on weekends. “When athletes come off the field or court, they have to do their work first,” he says, “then do whatever else they want to do. It’s not like the work is going to take forever to do.” As a child. Squires had nothing but sports on his mind. “All I wanted to be coming up was an athlete,” he recalls. “The only rea son I did good in school was because my dad wouldn’t let me play sports unless my grades were good.” Squires said he has been fortunate to have a good role model in his father, a general foreman for the Naval Air Rework Facility. “Dad never tried to put on a front for anyone,” he said. “The way he acted at home was the same way he acted on the job. If I did something he didn’t like he would tell me and he treated his employees the same way.” Despite Squires’ love of sports, and his success as a tight end for the Vikings, he says he has no hopes of going to the pros. “I think I have the hands to go pro,” he explained. “But I just don’t have the speed. Maybe if I would have stuck with one sport growing up, I would probably have been outstand ing.” The son of James and Elitrous Squires, he also played basketball and bowling while in high school. In addi tion to football, he is on the Viking baseball team. A senior from Pamlico, NC Squires is majoring in chemistry and plans to go into research science. But his number one goal is to attend medical school and become a doctor. When he was growing up. Squires admits that it never really occured to him to be a doctor. “As a black growing up in a small, Northeastern N.C. town, I didn’t have any role models in the medical field. m Viking tight end Stuart Squires has maintained a 4.0 average during his 3 1/2 years at ECSU, despite his demanding schedule as an athlete. The Pamlico, N.C. native says he has always been motivated to excel. Although he loves sports, he has no plans to go pro. so I guess I never thought that I could become a doctor.” Squires decided to become a doc tor his freshman year in college, however, due to the influence of Dr. Koker, a chemistry instructor at ECSU. Koker told him that he should think about pre-med because he was doing so well in chemistry class. Later, Squires attended a pre-med program at East Tennessee State University, and that’s where his interest in becom ing a doctor grew. Squires has submitted information about grades and extra-curricular ac tivities to American Medical College Application Service, a service that sends the information to different medical schools around the country. He hasn ’ t yet decided on what kind of field he’ll specialize in. “I’ll decide once I get into medical school,” he said. “Most people who have hopes of becoming a certain kind of doctor change their minds once they get into med school and go through rotauon.” Squires’ younger sister, Kimberly, is a freshman at ECSU. “I feel good that she’s here with me,” he said. “A lot of freshman listen to hearsay, but by her having family here, she can always come to me and ask questions.” Squires said he has this advice for freshmen: “ECSU is a fine institution, but you’re only going to get out of it what you put into it.” English/News Media major plays football, then gets paid to write about it in The Pilot nglish/News Media Major James Sims pauses while workirig at the niputer in The Compass office in Johnston Hall. The Georgia native to do public relations work for a large corporation after graduation. By Krista Jernigan Many students have trouble handling school and one job, but junior English/ News Media major, James Sims, juggles classes, writing for The Com pass, being a starting offensive guard for the ECSU football team, and work ing for The Virginian-Pilot. “Sometimes I don’t have time to do all the required reading for the harder classes like American Literature and English Literature,” says the Augusta, Ga. native. Sims, a transfer from Miles Col lege in Birmingham, Alabama started out as a Business Administra tion major. But later he decided “I’d be better off in communications.” In the spring of 1990, Sims was looking for a job to earn some extra money, and he discussed the matter with Stephen March, advisor to The Compass. “I was looking at a couple of jobs,” recalls Sims, “One of them was load ing boxes on trucks.” March advised Sims that it would benefit him more to get a job in his major and he arranged an interview for him with Dan Jones, editor for The “When I first began writing for The Virginian-Pilot it was like I started out from a measly shack that's now been converted into a beautiful home.” James Sims Virginian-Pilot in Elizabeth City. After the interview, Jones hired Sims as a part-time reporter and office worker. “I write for the Carolina Coast section of The Virginian-Pilot,” Sims says proudly. “I write sports stories about the ECSU football team in jour nal form, and reveal the attitudes of thfc players during the game. “I try to make the reader feel like he’s right there.” Sims gets paid from $50 to $100 for his stories, depending on the length. He has learned to write his stories in “about a half an hour,” he says. “James does an excellent job of telling the behind-the-scenes story,” said Dan Jones. “His journals show a good use of personal detail and human interest touches.” Sim’s work for The Pilot isn’t al ways easy. For example, he had a story last summer in the sports section of The Virginian-Pilot about former ECSU student and currentNB A player Kenny Wiliams on forgery charges. “I had mixed feelings about writ ing the story about Kenny,” he re called, “because I knew him and it was about him being arrested, but writing the story was just part of my job.” Sims said he enjoyed writing about a sport he was also participating in. And while he isn’t satisfied with the team’s record, he feels the team was “better than last year,” and he sees a championship game in the future. The ECSU football team ended the season 3-6-1. According to Sims the football play ers who know about his job at The Virginian-Pilot have accepted his dual role without rancor. “Some players may try to do good in the game so I can write about them,” says Sims, adding that some of his teammates makecomments like “when are you gonna put me in your article?” Now that football season is over, James still works at the Virginian- Pilot office, typing news briefs and doing research. He plans to work for The Virgin ian-Pilot next football season also. “I’ve learned a lot and have be come a better writer since I started out here,” Sims says, “but I’m not think ing about becoming a journalist.” “I’d like to work in public relations for a big company, like Dupont, but r 11 probably have to start with a smaller company.” Sims said he is proud of his devel oping writing skills. “When I first began writing for The Virginian-Pilot it was like I started out from a measly shack that’s now been converted into a beautiful home.”
Elizabeth City State University Student Newspaper
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 7, 1990, edition 1
3
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75