Newspapers / Elizabeth City State University … / March 1, 1991, edition 1 / Page 4
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Page 4 THE COMPASS Friday, March 1,1991 FEATURES J s Kay Turner profiles on ECSU campus. Turner's mother and Grand mother both attended Elizabeth City State. The Turners Kay Turner of Owings Mills, Maryland is one of the many third-genera- tion students now attend ing Elizabeth City State University; walking in the footsteps of her parents and grandparents gives her a sense of stability. “Being a third generation student puts you at a greater advantage be cause it gives you a greater history and a feeling of safety,” she says. Kay’s grandmother, Mrs. Cleo Turner, says that she, too, felt safe in her new family. “When I attended Elizabeth City State Teachers College in 1939 the president knew every student,” she recalls. “There was a good relation ship between the students and the staff. That’s one of the reasons why Eliza beth City State Teachers College turned out the best teachers in North Carolina.” Kay’s mother, Gail Turner, gradu ated from ECSU in 1974. As a young person she recalls that she was not forced to attend ECSU but chose to because of its closeness to her home. That was the start of a family tradi tion. According to Kay even though they said she had a choice, she got the feeling that attending ECSU was a must. Today, she still retains her ties to her alma mater. “I’ve been to every Homecoming since I was four years old,” she said. “That should tell you something!” A junior Business Administration major, Kay says that her parents and grandparents told her many stories, mostly about the physical changes of the university. “There were no trees between Bias and Butler back then, but the pot holes were still there. It doesn’t mean any thing to hear about the pot holes until you fall in one. That’s literally follow ing in your parents footsteps.” f 1 >'5 *. ‘ ESCU a Kay also says that she takes pride in her family roots at ECSU. “Unlike some other students, I have a lot to look back on. I can say ‘my grandmother stayed here in Bias and so did my Mom and my father stayed in Butler.’” And the founders of ECSU may be just names and fading images in old albums to some students but, to Kay these now legendary greats resonate with life and meaning. “The people that are historical fig ures to us like John Bias and H.L. Trigg are mentioned by my parents and grandparents like old friends,” she recalls. According to Mrs. Cleo Turner, today’s students now have it good and don’t even know it. “We had to work and wait tables,” she recalls. “There wasn’t a student in the school who did not work while they were there.” Although Kay, her parents, as well as her grandparents, may have their differences about the University, there is a common ground that they can firmly stand on—the school’s sense of family. “Although being a third generation student doesn’t get you in school any faster,” Kay says, “It’s nice to attend a small college l^cause people (faculty and staff) know who your are. You’re not just a number.” Despite the college’s small size, it still delivers a quality education, Kay believes. “I had no trouble getting into Howard University and going on to get my Master in Teachers Education at New York University,” she says proudly. “When you graduated from Elizabeth City State Teacher College you could measure up anywhere.” Those are the words of Kay ’ s grand mother Mrs. Cleo Tumer who may not have realized that to the students of ECSU now, those are words to live by. family tradition University attracts three generations of loyal Vikings By B. Kaleema Overton One hundred years ago Elizabeth City State Normal School began with 23 students. Today, even though the current enrollment exceeds 1,700, ECSU is still afamily affair. And the University takes pride in not only planting the seed, but also in nourishing the entire family tree. Just like every family has a provider, Mr. Hugh Cale provided Elizabeth City State Normal School with one main ingredient for educational nurish- ment. That ingredient was the House Bill of383 introduced on January 17, 1891 .At a time when the "Negroes" in EasternNorth Carolina werefrustrated and considering going north to find realfreedom and equality, Cale said, "Not so. We will not leave, we will stay and fight for our rights." Cale's House Bill gave birth to anew kind of "Negro," inNorth Carolina— the educated one. When you plant a seed it must be nourished and it must have light in order to become a tree. In celebration of the 100 years of ECSU there's no better way to show you those years of excellence than to show you the forest we have produced through one seed planted in 1891. In this article we will feature those who have seen three generations o/ nourishment through ECSU’s "family affair." Cleo Tumer (center) chats in front of Bias Hall with friends Mary, Melba, Charity, and Nicia. The Longs standing from left to right: Mary Long and Dr. Ridley. Ridley was one of the University's first Chancellors. Being a third generation stu dent gives me a special feel for this article. There’s no better way for me to end this article except to feature my own family who has auended ECSU since 1922. My aunt Eula Speights of Eliza beth City atended Elizabeth City Normal School in 1922, which was then a two year Normal school. She returned in 1924 and graduated from the four year college in 1928. “When I first attended it cost $2.50 per month. At that time the school wasn’t accredited. I had to return to school to get my degree, which I go in summer school.” After graduating from Elizabeth City my aunt Eula went on to teach 2nd grade in Williamston, North Carolina for 32 years and then in Bertie County for 15 years. “We were well prepared, lots of the teachers there (Williamston and Ber tie) graduated from Elizabeth City,” says Eula Speights, adding that there wasn ’t time to worry about any lack of socializing. “We didn’t get to attend student activities. Right after school we had to go home. ‘The students who lived on cam pus had curfews, were required to go to church every Sunday and could never leave campus without a chaper one.” You may ask yourself what is the difference between a 1928 graduate and a 1991 graduate, well it’s all in the heart. “Teachers back then were more serious about their work and more dedicated.” In I950my aunts Joyce andJustine Lx)ng (who are twins) entered the gates of Elizabeth City State College. According to Justina Long on of our major problems as far as educa tion is “there aren’t enough Black teachers. Teachers are seen as role models, students now are getting less than we did. If there were more Black teachers the students would be able to communicate better.” My twin sister, Krystal Overton is a senior Applied Mathmatics major and believes the school should remain predominately Black. “We only have a few HBCU’s and they are the link to the African-Ameri can future. I don’t think that anyone will fully realize their importance until , by lack of dedication, they are gone.” How does the 1990’s student compare the social life of the 1950’s and 1930’s is well worth looking into. “Well, now we defmately have more distractions socially, but the school’spotential is there. The school is what you make it, you have to take advantage of all of it’s opportunities in order to be sucessful.” The schools biggest weakness in 1990 is the lack of understanding, “Some of the faculty and staff mem bers feel that they know our problems because they were once students here. Cleo Turnergives a high key profile in a college photo. Turner is aformer student at Elizabeth City State Teachers College in the late 1930’s. Tumers daughter, Gail Turner and grandaughter Kay followed in her The Littlejohns For Sonja and Kevin Lit tlejohn and their cousin Shelby Streeter being sur rounded by immediate fam ily is the best feeling of home away from home. The Littlejohn’s have 15 graduates from ECSU, including aunts, uncles and grandparents. Sonja says to her this is defmately a family college. “At first I said that I’d never come to this college here but now I’m glad I did. I enjoy following tradition.” Sonja id not give her heart to ECSU bUndly. “Elizabeth City State University had to earn my pride,” she says.”It’s true I had aprior history of ECSU, but I still had to feel my way through and get adjusted just like everybody else.” A junior Social Science major from Roper, North Carolina, Sonja says her only regret so far is that cuitently ECSU doesn’t have a graduate pro gram for the Social Science Depart ment Her biggest concern is that the growing number of white students are now attending ECSU won’t measure up to those who put money back into the school. “It’s disgraceful. You don’t see African-Americans attending the pre- dominatly white schools and not giv ing back. They use us as a stepping stone, and they never look back or acknowledge us.” Sonja admits that although that is a problem it’s good to attend a small college “because you have that per sonal touch” that you don’t get at larger schools. “One of the greatest strenghts is the closenes that you are allowed with the faculty. My advisor, Mr. Riddick, really guided me in making my educa tion^ choices.” Sonja’s mother, Mrs. Betty Wilk ins LitUejohn, told her to study hard and know your instructors, Sonja fol lowed her advice and that lead her into a sucessful college career. “Elizabeth City State actually was more than I expected. At fu'st the social life of the campus seemed bor ing but it’s what you make it. It can’t be constant fun; we came for an edu cation.” Sonja’s grandfather, Pete Lit tlejohn, now deceased, graduated from ECSU in 1940, begining a tradition that has been followed 18 times over. Other graduates from the Lit tlejohn family include: Lora Wilkins. Ester Johnson, Clint Wilkins, Kennis . Streeter, E.V. Wilkins, Anne Streeter and William Littlejohn. Posing left to right: Kay Turner's mother Gail and grandmother Cleo beside another of Kay’s relatives. J because they were once stuaenisnerc. | i However, our problems today are Standing from left to right:Shelby Streeter, Sonja and Kevin Littlejohn, really almost a world apart from the Sonja and Kevin are brother and sister and Streeter is their cousin. Iri problems of yesterday,” said Krystal gll, the Littlejohn family has had 15 members graduate from ECSU. Overton.
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March 1, 1991, edition 1
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