Newspapers / Elizabeth City State University … / Dec. 7, 1993, edition 1 / Page 5
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The Compass Tuesday, December 7,1993 5 Education is for freedom, By Tim Edwards "Our system of govaronent doesn't work unl^ people are educated," U.S. Congressman Charlie Rose (D. 7th Dis^ trict) told the ECSU family on Nov. 18, in Moore Hall Auditorium. "If you live in a dictatorship, where you have no freedom, your level of edu cation may be important to you but it doesn't have a lot to do with how the country is run," Rose added. "A democ racy like ours demands that people be educated... enough to know their rights and responsibilities. H\ey can then make good judgements about a complex soci ety." Rose, featured speaker for ECSU's asr sembly commemorating American Edu cation Week, said those individuals who lack education can become "pawns used in a cynical way in the process of running govemment."The US. ^temof govern ment depends on educated people to make important decisions, said Ro^, like voting for elected leaders. 'The level of freedom we have estab lished in this country—^with some excep tions which weareworkingon—isgreater than any other government in the world, " said Rose. "Your ancestors, regardless of color, have handed you the opportu- necessary Rose says nity for education." Rose encouraged his listeners to "go into tite jwofession of teaching," adding, "there's no more noble thing you can do for your country than to teach your^ minds to be bright, and to lead them to paths of understanding." Added Rose, "I am proud to be associ ated witt\ this institution." Theaudiencelaughed after Rose' squip, "When I was asked about prayer in schools, I answered, 'aslong as they teach math, there will be prayer in schciols.'" At the beginning of his speech Rose praised U.S. Congresswoman Eva Clajrton, (D. 1st District), whose district includes die Albamarle area. "Many years ago when I went to Con gress for the first time, I remember Sam Rayburn, who was speaker of the house at the time, said, "SeiKl 'em up here and leave 'em here long enough to do some good.I'msendingthatthoughtouttoEva Clayton."In introducing Rose, ECSU Chancellor Dr. Jimmy Jenkins caUed him "A rising star and a mover and shaker in the House. Congressman Roseisamolder of what happens in the House," said Jenkins. At the end of the program Jenkins pre sented Rose with an honorary doctorate of law degree from ECSU ECSU students take letter to C.D. Spangler in support of Jenkins U.S. Congressman Charfe Rose hugs Alexis Edwards, a young member of th e ECSU family at the end of the National Education Week Assennbly- By Lavenia Dameron and Tarsha White A group of ECSU students and alumni traveled to Chapel Hill on Nov. 30 to presenta petition to C.D. Spangler, Presi dent of tlW UNC-system, in support of Chancellor Jimmy R. Jenkins. The students and alumni rode in three charter buses, according to SGA Presi dent Michael Myrick. The students made the journey in conjunction with a com munity support group for Jenkins, orga nized by Cornerstone Baptist Church. The group met with Spanglerfor about forty-five minutes. In that meeting Spangler refused to discuss Jenkins' job status, saying it was a personnel matter. Following the meeting, however, Spangler praised the group for being in terested in ECSU. "That's a positive thing," he said. "It shows they care about the universities." The students' meeting with Spangler came in the wake of a letter a group of 26 area citizens sent to Spangler. In the letter the citizens, all of whom are white, asked that Jenkins be replaced. The letter was accompanied by ^ppings of local news stories critical of Jenkins' administration. Jenkins has come ut>der heavy fire in local newspapers recently after a white professor in the math departnvent. Dr. Ccuol Odell, accused him of directing racist remarks at white faculty members during an August family meeting. In that meeting, OdeU said Jenkir^s informed white faculty members that "if you don't like the way we do things here, you can go somewhere else." Although many members of the audi ence later said Odell had misinterpreted theChancellor'sremarks,Odell'scluirges received wide coverage in local rrvedia. A story about the alleged statement ap peared in The Chronicle of Higher Edu cation, a nationally distributed publica tion about higher education. The CharKellor publically apologized to Odell, saying his remarks were misin terpreted. Many ECSU students, faculty aiKl ad- mirustrators have expressed concern and outrage at the heavy negative nnedia cov erage of ECSU, and the petition seeking Jenkins' removal from offi^. "Those of us who support CharKellor Jenkirts know him to be a man who has goneoutof his way to make thisoneof the riK>st integrated schools,arxistillacknowl- edge its historical background," said Myrick. Myrick added that the citizens who petitioned Spangler "are not only after the Chancellor; they're after the University because thisis the secorui larg est industry in Northeastern N.C. and because it's operated by black people." Lynn Jordan, an ECSU junior English major, is organizing an economic boycott of businesses that advertise in newspa pers hostile to ECSU. Tim Smith, a white sophomore praised Jenkins for his courtesy and warmth in dealing with white students on campus. "Chancellor JerJdns has been nice as pie to me," said Smith, "He always stops to talk and ask me how I am doing. This groupof'concerned citizens' isall wrong. They are barking up the wrong tree." Inan interview with T/ieComposs, Odell, who has been notified she will not be rehired next year, defended the news coverage of ECSU. "I am not going to drop this because I really bel ieve there are some changes that rwed to be made here," Odell said. Odell said that following Jenkins' com- rr«nts she began to examine the Univer sity more critically. "I began to see what the hiring and firingpattems were inother departments. It was beginning to look to me like there wasquiteatendencytobring white people in, keep them for quite some time, then dismiss them. This concerns me. If any body makes a decision based on the color of your ddn, I thir^ that's wrong." Dr. Jenny McIntosh, a white art profes sor, derued Odell's charges. 'Tve been here sixteen years arvd I've never experi enced racial prejudice." McIntosh added that instructors who only stay at ECSU a short time are usually doing it "at their own choice." Odell also accused her chairperson, Sohindar Sachdev, of discrimination and harrassment in the assigrunent of duties and aUocation of equipment. "I am the only tenure trackfacultymemberoncarrv- pus to get a zero raise thus year," she said. OdeU, who says her computer privi leges were revoked after she criticized the Chancellor, charged that the Univer sity does rK)t allow academic freedom. She has also said the University's math departnnent does not adequately prepare students for careers. Sachdev, Odell's departmental chair man, has vigorously denied all of Odell's complaints. "Our mathematics program is not as bad as Dr. Odell portrays, "Sachdev wrote, in a letter to SGA Presi dent Michael Myrick. Many white intructors have come to Jenkins' defense.The Faculty Senate, rep resenting the majority of teachers at Eliza beth Qty State University has declared its support for the Chancdlor.
Elizabeth City State University Student Newspaper
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Dec. 7, 1993, edition 1
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