INSIDE
Viking hopes
hinge on power
liitters
page 7
Living in the U.S.A.
ECSU's
African students
page 4
No. 4
rirfiilation 2000
Faith In his heart:
A portrait
of
Cliarles Foster
—page 4
Simply Heavenly: a review
—^page 6
The Joy of Teaching
—page 5
COMPASS
mam
ELIZABETH CITY STATE UNIVERSITY
Elizabeth City, N.C. L
Tuesday, April 23,1991 I
It's Spring!
liiiBiMJil
Catherine Doxey displays her youthful exuberance by running
toward a blossoming tree on a recent spring afternoon on campus.
She is the daughter of ECSU senior, Lisa Doxey, and husband,
Marvin, of Currituck.
Vandals strike ECSU;
police have ’no leads'
By Renee Knight
and Mark Morris
“Oh my God! Look at my car!”
exclaimed freshman leshaBattle when
she discovered the Volkswagen she
got for her sixteenth birthday vandal
ized on the morning of March 15. The
car’s windows were broken out, the
paint was scratched, and her belong
ings had been pulled from the car and
thrown throughout the yard.
Battle’s car was one of eleven
broken into and defaced during an
early morning vandalism spree that
left the floor in Williams Hall flooded,
the student victims angry and ECSU
police baffled.
“Between the hours of 2:00 and
4:00 a.m.unidentified persons broke
into Williams Hall, breaking window
panels in several doors and detaching
a water fountain,” according to Offi
cer Wilbert Shannon.
“I opened the east-end door, notic
ing the window panel of the radio
station door was broken out,” Shan
non stated in his investigation report.
Window panels on the doors to
rooms 100, 107, 119 and 123 were
also broken.
When asked to comment on the
vandalism and subsequent investiga
tion Dr. Leon White, Vice Chancellor
of Student Affairs, referred The
Compass to Roger McLean, Vice
Chancellor of Business and Finance,
"'ho directed The Compass to his
assistant, A.C. Robinson.
Robinson could not be reached for
Comment.
ECSUPolice Chief, George Moun-
Budgetarv ax bites deep
Budget woes to cost ECSU $700,000;
cuts expected in teaching positions
By Mark Morris
The budgetary ax will bite deep
into ECSU’s operating budget for the
fiscal year due to the General Assem
bly’s recommended $59.2 cut to the
UNC system.
ECSU’s share of the proposed cuts
will be about $700,000, according to
Roger McLean, Vice Chancellor for
Business and Fiscal Affairs. The cuts
are based on school “size and enroll
ment,” he added.
The cuts will be made in service
areas, support staff and academic
teacher positions, said Chancellor Dr.
Jimmy Jenkins.
“It’s certainly going to hurt us,”
said Jenkins. “With less staff, it will
be a lot harder to maintain our normal
level of building readiness. More im
portantly, teacher effectiveness will
be reduced as well by the larger class
loads.”
Jenkins said some instructors may
have to teach up to 14 semester hours
next year. He also mentioned that
classrooms will be more crowded.
making classes tougher for students.
The p’oposed $59.2 million cut is
part of$371 million in reductions de
signed to ease the state out of a finan
cial tight squeeze.
“What we have to realize is that the
state is in tough economic times right
now,” said State Senator Marc
Basnight (D—^Dare County). “We cer
tainly didn’t want to raise $800 mil
lion in taxes.”
Basnight, Chairman of the Base
Budget Committee,predicted that each
school in the UNC system will take a
five percent cut in their budgets for the
fiscal year.
Jenkins said he was displeased with
the way cuts will be distributed.
“Right now it looks as if the Gen
eral Assembly will determine how
they will be rationed,” said Jenkins.
“I’d rather see each school’s chancel
lor make those decisions.”
UNC System PresidentC. D. Span
gler is currently lobbying to get the
decision-making power concerning
cuts into the hands of the chancellors.
“I hope to get the chancellors from
each school the ability to make the
decisions,” Spangler told The Com
pass, “but right now it looks like the
decisions will be made by the legisla
tors.”
According to Jenkins, the cuts will
hinder progress at ECSU.
“It means we cannot expand with
new programs that will make us more
diversified,” he said. ‘That makes it
harder to attract new students.”
Jenkins said the Incentive Scholar
ship Program hasn’t been cut, but
added, “However, that’s still tenta
tive.”
Students in the UNC system have
protested the proposed cuts to educa
tion.
On April 10, about 600 students
from UNC schools demonstrated for
about an hour outside of the state-
house and then stormed into a com
mittee meeting where lawmakers were
discussing the issue, according ioThe
Virginian Pilot.
“We want to make it painfully
obvious to them that these cuts are
hurting people.” said Beth Hamman,
a UNC-Charlotte student, told The
Virginian Pilot.
ECSU students have expressed
similar opinions about the cuts.
“I think we need to prepare for a
big change at ECSU,” said Leslie
Moore, a sophomore Elementary Edu
cation major. “I think ECSU students
should voice their opinions even if it
means protesting.”
Robin Davis, a senior business
administration major, said the Gen
eral Assembly sliould handle the
state’s monetary crisis another way.
“I don’t feel that the right thing is
being done,” she said, “because cut
ting education funds cuts education
quality.”
Spangler said he is still hoping for
the possibility of the General Assem
bly increasing taxes, although he added
that possibility “is not likely.”
Spangler added, “For years, the
Legislature has been a friend of the
UNC system. We realize they can’t
give us money they don’t have but
they still seem to want to help us as
much as possible.”
Students protest N&O article about ECSU
claiming it was a 'biased' view of campus
tain said the police staff has no leads
yet.
“I wouldn’t even begin to guess
who it was right now,” said Mountain
“I do believe that some students saw
what happened and refuse to tell us.”
Mountain expressed surprise at the
lack of student participation in the
ECSU Crime Stoppers Program.
The program, set up in the summer
of 1990, provides students with a
number to call anonymously if they
have information about a crime com
mitted on campus. The program of
fers awards up to $200.
‘The system worked out well in a
situation where someone broke a
window in Wamack Hall,” said
Mountain. “The person who called in
was rewarded $75.1 can’t understand
why we don’t get more calls through
Crime Stoppers."
This incident has left many ECSU
students feeling worried about the the
safety of their property. Other stu
dents say they worry about their per
sonal saf^ety.
Onestud&nttoldThe Compass that
he has felt this way long before this
semester.
“I think it’s ridiculous to have only
two officers on duty at night,” the
student said. “I don’t feel that the
protection of me or my property is in
the interest of security.”
Mountain said that the night per
sonnel has been increased from two to
three officers from 4 p.m. to 8 a.m.
"We try to provide protection of
life andproperty, which is our number
one goal," said Mountain That s what
we're here for."
By Tonya Moore
A March 7 article about ECSU in
The Raleigh News and Observer has
generated a great deal of anger and
controversy on campus—so much that
the SGA and cooperating students
have since mailed a response to the
editor of The News and Observer.
ECSULibrarian Micheal Williams
and Mark Morris, co-editor of The
Compass, have written individual let
ters to the paper’s editor, protesting
the article.
The March 7 article, “Elizabeth
City State lures white students with
scholarships,” implied that ECSU’s
black students have not done enough
to welcome minority students, and
that white students have a hard time at
ECSU due to their minority status.
The article, written by staff writer
Billy Warden, quoted only four stu
dents, two faculty members and Chan
cellor Jimmy R. Jenkins.
Two of the students quoted, fresh
man Anthony Tiller and Gregory
Anderson, are incentive scholars who
commute. Tiller was referred to as
“bright and lonely” and Anderson as
“wanting out”
Many ECSU students say the ar
ticle was biased, and not representa
tive of black-white relations on cam
pus.
“Once I read the article I was
completely disgusted,” said Rodney
Moore, an English major from Wash
ington, N.C. “It seemed Bill War
den’s attitude toward the school was
biased.”
“If white students don’t want to be
here, they should just leave,” said one
student, “ If they don’t getinvolved in
anything, then naturally they are going
to feel lonely.”
Junior Evelena Drayton said she
feels that all students should partici
pate in the activities offered and show
support for their school.
“If the situation was reversed I
would feel unwelcome, too,” she said,
“but I would make an effort by getting
involved.”
The article pointed out that ECSU,
a traditionally black school, “is be
coming more white,” adding out that
25.1 percent of the University is now
white.
“But fewer than ten whites Uve on
campus,” Warden wrote. “Most hail
from nearby towns and commute to
school, a situation that puts strains on
both whites and blacks.”
Warden’s article played up the
tension between black and white stu
dents on campus.
Teresa Holley feels that both black
and white students are at fault in terms
of the way they relate to each other.
Holley said that white students who
take classes with her detach them
selves from everyone else while some
black students fcel belittled by the
sight of a group of whites studying
together and making higher grades.
Therefore, blacks blame whites for
academic changes.
Several white students said they
felt that the article was unfair because
it implied that there is no white in
volvement in activities at the Univer
sity.
Mark Curry, a junior music major
from Suffolk, Va. said the article was
“messed up.” Curry is a drummer in
the ECSU marching band and says he
is having an enjoyable college career.
“Mikey” Wynns, an Elementary
Education major was also displeased
please see Reply p.6
Purvis new SGA head;
DeVaughan gets crown
SACS visit completed
By Kenneth A. Valentine, Jr.
and Cindi Blount
ECSU students elected Miguel
Purvis as SGA President, and Tonya
DeVaughan as Miss Elizabeth City
State University, in the April 5 elec
tion.
Purvis, a sophomore business
administration major, won with 48%
of the vote, defeating Jessica L. Bur
den (33%), Tara McCoy (14%) and
Raleigh H. Windley, Jr. (5%).
DeVaughan, a junior business
administration major from Clinton,
N.C., won with 39% of the vote.
As Miss ECSU DeVaughan prom
ised “to inform the students that being
Miss ECSU is not only a position of
representation, but also a position of
communication among the entire
Viking family and the community.”
In the Miss ECSU contest, Angela
A. Hager was first runner up, with
37%. Leslie Marsh was secondrunner
up with 11%. Tammy Hunt received
By Harold Sanderlin
. team from the Southern Asso
ciation for the Accreditation for Col-
®gesand Schools officially concluded
Its three-day assessment of and visit to
jhe campus on Friday, April 18. The
University will receive a prelimary
^Port of the team’s findings in ten
*«ys, according to Dr. Anne Hender-
director of the SACS self-study.
OnPriday, Chancellor Jenkins told
Compass, “I feel very good about
revisit In ourconferenceDr. Wesley
McCleure (the team’s director) praised
the University’s hospitality, transpor
tation, communication, refreshments
and accomodations.”
Jenkins said McCleure comple
mented the University on “its overall
administrative processes, adding
“We probably received the fewest set
of recommendations of any school so
far. That was a great complement to
us.” .
During the team s visit, members
please see SACS p.6 purvis all smiles at SGA Banquet.
8% and Rhonda Spivey received 5%.
Purvis, who ran an informal, re
laxed campaign, said, “I am looking
forward to my term, because I feel I
have a lot of support” She said her
immediate task is “to carry out the
remainder of the plans and activities
for Spring Fest.”
Purvis said she would focus on
improving student morale and cam
pus security during her term. She also
hopes to get more students involved in
student government.
“I want to make the freshmen and
commuter students feel comfortable
by planning events, forming commit
tees, so they will have a voice also,”
said Purvis.
Purvis, a native of Golden Valley,
Minnesota, hopes to become an “en
trepreneur” after graduation and own
her own car dealership.
She credited her mother with being
an inspiration in her accomplishments.
Students elected JoynitaM.Robin-
son Vice President of SGA. She re
ceived 72% of the vote, defeating
Andria Moore, who received 28%.
Sheila Lassiter was elected record
ing secretary of SGA, Tonya D. Cherry
was elected corresponding secretary
and Gina Riddick was elected Treas
urer. All ran unopposed.
Darlene R. Leigh was elected At
torney General, defeating Angela M.
Ore, 54% to 46%.
This election saw a greater number
of candidates than earlier years, ac
cording to the outgoing SGA Presi
dent Renel Sample.
An Emotional Tonya DeVaughn gets congratulated by Miss ECSU GO
BI , Alissa Robinson. Devaughn won the Miss ECSU 91 -92 crown with
39% of the student vote.
Tonya 'relieved' at win
By Cindi Blount
Although she’s won many beauty
pageants in her life, Tony a De Vaughan
never expected to be elected Miss
ECSU.
“I was overwhelmed,” said the
junior Business Administration major
firom Clinton, NC. “I never gave it
much thought I was shocked and
happy.”
^Vaughan won with a 39% plu
rality out of a race of five candidates.
Overwhelmed by the election out
come, relief best describes Tonya’s
feeling regarding her victory.
“The campaign pulled out the
strength in me and my opponents and
I thank them for such a competitive
race.”
Across campus during elections
students were frequendy greeted with
large orange signs with red and blue
streamers, the stencil letters spelling
out “IF YOU DO 4 ME I’LL DO 4
YOU—VOTE TONYA DE
VAUGHAN.”
DeVaughan plans to do just that—
which was her purpose for running for
Miss Elizabeth City State University.
‘The role of Miss ECSU is to rep
resent the university as well as the
students in events such as convoca
tion, candle lighting, and retreats,”
please see Miss ECSU p.6