SPOBTS
Vikings:
Sitting pretty
at 4-1
—page 8
INSIDE
ECSU grad
struggles to give
hope to ghetto
youth—^page 3
Celebrating
African
Soul
—page 2
Boyz N The Hood:
Film & soundtrack reviews—page 6
Special Report:
Howyour studentfees are spent
•nIoI
THE COMPASS
V01T52, No. 1
Circulation 2000
ELIZABETH CITY STATE UNIVERSITY
Elizabeth City, N.C.
Thursday, October 17, ft
Welcoming Haley
Pboloby JadoB RfMimw
‘Convocation speaker Alex Haley poses with Miguel Purvis,SGA ,
; President (left); Joynita Robinson, SGA Vice President (center): and
Tonya DeVaughan, Miss ECSU.
By Rodney Moore
ECSU Chancellor Dr. Jimmy Jen
kins appeared before the Senate Judi
ciary Committee Sept. 19 to offer
testimony in support of President
Bush’s nominee to the Supreme Court,
I Judge Clarence Thomas.
“I believe we need an Afro-Ameri
can on the Supereme Court,” said
I Jenkins, in explaining his decision to
; speak out on behalf of Thomas.
“Clarence Thomas can act as a sym-
t bol for Afro-Americans as well as a
; role model for our children and grand
children.”
' When asked how Thomas will help
I minorities if he is confirmed, Jenkins
said, “His views will force us to be
come less dependent on race specific
' assistance. This is not to say this as-
, sistance wasn ’ t a noble gesture at first,
but the method by which we achieved
' it may have caused more problems
■ than it has solved. Judge Thomas and
I l)oth believe that self-help is the
answer to our problems.”
Jenkins appeared along with three
, other presidents and chancellors of
Historically Black Colleges and Uni-
' versities. Dr. Julius W. Becton, presi-
, dent of Prairie View A & M Univer
sity, Dr. Wesley McClure, president
' of Virginia State University, and Dr.
• Talbert Shaw, chancellor of Shaw
^ University in Durham.
Jenkins admitted he has taken some
criticism for his stand with Thomas.
“I have already taken some flack
from some of my friends in the Demo-
' ciatic Party as well as some of my
%ughan concedes race
By DeAnna Rudisill
ECSU professor Robert L.
Vaughan will not call for a run-off
®fter losing the three-way race for
tnayor of Elizabeth City by 12 votes.
Shortly after Vaughan entered the
face, ECSU Chancellor Dr. Jimmy
Jenkins informed him that he would
have to either resign his University
IWsition or withdraw from the race
^ause of a UNC system policy that
prohibits professors from running for
apolitical office where the annual fee
exceeds $5,745.
The mayor receives $6,780 annu
ally.
In the letter informing Vaughan of
^ policy, Alice C. Bynum, legal
distant to the chancellor pointed out
Greeks, Student Affairs end war
over Fall Homecoming schedule
By Crystal Sturdivant
and Mark Morris
When Student Affairs scheduled
Coronation and the annual Greek step
show for the same night, it set off a
storm of controversy at ECSU.
Pan Hellenic Council members
were demanding more cooperation
from Student Affairs, the Student Gov
ernment Association was asking the
Pan Hellenic Council to be more
cooperative and most of the student
body felt left in the dark.
Student Affairs changed the sched
ule in an attempt to improve students’
performance on midterm examina
tions, according to Dr. Olive Wilson,
Acting Assistant Vice Chancellor for
Student Affairs.
The 1990 step show raised $9,000
for ECSU, however Greek organiza
tions only received $ 100 apiece out of
that money. With this memory linger
ing, Greefe decided last Thursday to
move the step show from the campus
to the auditorium of Sheep-Hamey
Elementary School in Elizabeth City.
One Greek said that having the
step show off campus would demon
strate to Student Affairs that Greeks
could carry out step shows without the
administration “babysitting” them. “A
token of S100 is not compensation for
the practice, time, entry fee and the
outfits purchased for the event,” the
Greek added.
Dr. Leon White, Vice Chancellor
for Student Affairs said that if money
was the issue with the step show, then
Greeks were taking “a selfish ap
proach.” Added White, “It’s not pos
sible to go through life like that”
On Sunday Oct. 13, Florence Hin
ton, president of the Albemarle Pan
Hellenic Council learned of the
Greeks’ decision to move the show
off campus. Hinton also learned and
that the Albemarle Pan Hellenic
Council was listed as the event’s
sponsor on the contract between the
Greeks and the Elizabeth City-Pasquo-
tank County School System.
The Albemarle Pan Hellenic Coun
cil held a call meeting on Monday
OcL 14 in ECSU’s Science Complex
to address the issue. In that meeting
the Albemarle Council made it clear
that they did not intend to sponsor a
step show off campus.
“I would be embarrassed if the
Greeks did not participate in our
please see Greeksp.9
Overcrowding blues: planned dorm
won't ease Wamack students’ plight
Jenkins testifies
for court nominee
Clarence Thomas
friends in the civil rights movement,”
he said. “Later on these same people
have to acknowledge that they were
wrong.
“To move in the way that Judge
Thomas wants us to move will hurt at
first. It is like we are addicted to these
social programs. Like an addict we
will have withdrawal pains at first, but
they case as lime passes.”
Jenkins said that Thomas “is march
ing to the tune of a different drummer,
but his rationale behind it is sound,
and therefore I proudly break ayvay
from the pack and join him in march
ing to the same tune.”
The Chancellor was asked by the
White House to make a five-minute
presentation on behalf of Thomas.
“Although I do not agree with J udge
Thomas on all the positions he has
taken, those areas we do agree on far
outweigh those areas on which we
may disagree,” Jenkins said.
“He will not only remember his
roots, but will be a strong spokesman
for problems evolving from racism
and illegal discrimination,” the Chan
cellor said.
Jenkins pointed out that he is not
alone in supporting Thomas, who has
been opposed by the National Asso
ciation for the Advancement of Col
ored People.
“When all of the facts are clearly
known I believe you will find that a
majority of Afro-Americans, as well
as other people who have the best
interest of America at heart,
support...giving Judge Thomas an
opportunity.”
that Vaughan could petition the ECSU
Board of Trustees for relief but, at the
time, he chose not to.
Later Vaughan discovered that his
name had not been removed from the
ballot, and through the encourage
ment of “hundreds of phone calls”
from supporters he decided to re-enter
the race.
Had Vaughan won the race he
planned to request that $1,380 of his
annual income be put aside for a des
ignated fund so that he would not
exceed the $5,745 maximum annual
fee allowed for professors running for
public office.
According to ih&Virginia Pilot/The
Ledger Star, Vaughan had an “excel-
By Rodney Moore
and Mark Morris
The University plans to break
ground on a new $4 miUion dormitory
this fall, but the dormitory won’t be
completed in time to ease the plight of
approximately 30 ECSU students who
are sharing a room with two other
roommates in Wamack Hall.
ECSU officials say the campus’
overcrowding stems from the closing
down of Butler Hall this past summer
for renovations.
“Last year we were able to use half
of the building, which gave us room
for a little over 60 people,” said Ken
neth Roberts, ECSU’s Housing Di
rector. “This year we don’t even have
that”
“Plans are in design now for the
renovation of Butler (Hall)” saidRoger
McLean, Vice Chancellor for Busi-
Compass
places 1st
in contest
By Albert C. F. Woodley
The Compass, ECSU’s student
newspaper, lias won its fourth con
secutive first-place award in The
Colombia Scholastic Press Associa
tion’s annual contest.
The award, for general excellence,
was for all issues published during the
1990-91 academic year.
In commenting on the award, one
of the judges wrote, “The Compass
offers superior writing and reporting
leadership. The Compass is a highly
enthusiastic newspaper, as evidenced
in its complete content. It is a “people”
publication in offering, in a very fair
way.”
Judges singled out the following
stories as examples of excellent, in-
depth reporting, “Middle East Crisis
hits home at ECSU”( Dec. 7th, 1990),
“Budget woes to cost ECSU
$700,000” (April 23,1991.)
In the feature category, judges
mentioned Mark Morris’ story, “The
Joy of Teaching,” (March 1, 1991)
and Becky Overton’s,“InThe Shadow
of Saddam” (OcL 11,1990).
The Compass received especially
high marks in the section of the con
test dealing with news coverage.r/ie
Compass received a perfect score, ten
out of a maximum of ten points, on
“accuracy, fairness, and completeness
in news coverage.” The publication
also received a perfect score on its
effectiveness in covering the institu
tion and on ethical and objective
content.
JudgespraiscdTheCompass's arts
and entertainment coverage and its
editorial page.
“The Compass demonstrates a
solid opinion leadership in respon
sible and responsive editorials,” one
of the judges wrote, citing “Launch
ing the Phoenix,” (Dec. 7, 1991 is
sue), as an example.
ness and Finance, “Actual construc
tion should begin in November or
December.”
McLean said that he hopes the work
on the 65-year old building will be
completed by August 1992. However,
an architect who visited campus in
September for a preliminary look at
Butler told a Compass reporter that he
doubted that the 65-year old dormi
tory could be renovated by then.
‘The S1.6 million we have to work
with is a shoestring budget for what
we have to do,” the architect said.
“August of 1992 is an unrealistic
completion date.”
Tlie University plans to raze and
rebuild the left hdf and renovate the
right half at an estimated cost of $1.8
million, McLean said. The school
plans to borrow the money through
long term bonds.
In the meantime, Butler Hall is
closed for the 1991-92 school year
and the housing department has t^en
measures to alleviate the overcrowd
ing in Wamack Hall. Roberts said that
the number of Park Street apartments
occupied by men has increased from
five to nine, opening up housing for
sixteen male students.
Park Street apartments, 12
townhouses owned by the University,
are normally reserved for seniors. The
apartments have two bathrooms, a
kitchen, and are one of two campus
residential facilities wired for cable
TV.
Roberts also said he hoped that the
housing crunch would be relieved
when some students complete their
course work in December.
In the meantime, however, about
30 ECSU students must cope with
living in cramped quarters.
Jermaine Jones of Rocky Mount,
N.C. and Tony Pittman of Tarboro,
N.C. share room 118 in Wamack Hall
with Freddie Hawkins of Roanoke
Rapids, N.C.
“It’s crowded as hell,” said Jones.
“I have not brought down my winter
clothes yet, but I know there will not
be enough room for them.”
“The University should not try to
grow so fast that it can’t provide the
facilities for all of the students,”
Pittman said.
Both Jones and Pittman agree that
the main problem with three in a room
is that there is not enough room for
everyone’s belongings.
“It is real hectic if all three of us
have classes at the same time,” says
Jones. “It is almost impossible for us
to do things like get out clothes and
iron all at the same time.”
please see Crowdingp.9
Photo by Jackie Rountree
Frederick Hawkins (left), Jermaine Jones (center) and Brandon Carson are three of about 30 Womack Hall
residents who must cope with living in cramped quarters this semester. ECSU officials say the housing
crunch is due to the closing down of Butler Hall this past summer for renovations.
At ECSU:
Chimes make ringing debut
please see Vaughan pA please see Award p.9
By Julie W. Osmon
If you’re walking across the ECSU
campus and hear the school’s Alma
Materchiming in the air, it isn’tcoming
from the Music Department.
That song, and oAers, are currently
being played on a carillon, a special
computerized system that broadcasts
from the Moore Hall tower. The caril
lon chimes on the hour and the half
hour, according to Dr. Floyd Robin
son, a Professor in the Music Depart
ment “It plays the school’s Alma
Mater daily at 12:01 and 6:01.”
The carillon was the brainchild of
Robinson and ECSU Chancellor Dr.
Jimmy Jenkins, and was funded by
Centennial Commission appropria
tions. The project cost $19,500.
“The Chancellor and I had heard
bells ringing on other campuses,” said
Robinson. “We wanted to install bells
as part of the Centennial Celebra
tion.”
The carillon has apre-programmed
tape with thirty other selections, but
the University now only plays four of
the thirty songs, including the Alma
M^ter and the Westminster Chimes,
Robinson said, adding that he hopes
to add new tunes, including a selec
tion of hymns.
The University Carilloneers, Dr.
Rachael Gragson, Leonard Ballou and
Dr. Karen Brown will present “a con
cert” on the carillon during Home
coming Week, Robinson said.
Gragson and Brown are both instruc
tors in the Music Department Ballou
is an assistant vice chancellor and the
University Archivist
The carillon was installed on Sept
13. The system is made up of the
carillon, a keyboard instrument and a
computer. The carillon is a 49-note
range bell instrument that can be
played like an organ. The music can
be recorded into the system’s com
puter by an artist, and played back
automatically, according to Robinson.
The artist may also perform on the
instrument live.
The carillon system “gives the
school and the community a different
atmosphere,” said Robinson.
Most ECSU students and faculty
agree.
“The chimes provide a traditional
feel that seems appropriate to an es
tablished campus,” said junior Gary
Brinn.
“The chimes, ringing out on a cool,
autumn day, have a dreamy quality,”
said Stephen March, an assistant pro
fessor in the Department of Language,
Literature & Communication. “They
give the campus a touch of class.”
Not all of the reaction to the chimes
has been positive, however.
‘They wake me up in the morn
ing,” said freshman Natasha Worelds.
“I like to be awakened by an alarm
clock, not chimes.”
The carillon will be moved to the
new Mass Communication and Fine
Arts Building when it’s completed,
according to Robinson.