The Compass
November 3, 2000 3
Editorial
Poetry
“FA” (Forced to Attend)
by Stacy Brock
Editor
1 walk into the building after missing one of my classes and
immediately I’m bombarded with questions from my professor
about my whereabouts. My first thought after I was questioned
about my attendance was that I’m glad that they care, but why
am I being badgered for not showing up to class. 1 didn’t go into
detail about my absence because if I admitted that I didn’t show
up simply because I didn’t feel like coming I would have been
lectured even worse, so I just said something came up and I was
unable to attend.
This is a true story of a young man named Many, picked to
attend and live at ECSU and commute.
There are students, who after many years of schooling arrive to
class late (if they arrive at all) and unprepared, and there are
professors who actually use class time to demand these types of
responsibilities from adults, understandably because it is
required that they do so according to the attendance policy
implemented in 1995.
However, such a policy and such a lecture, especially when
repetitive, are cumbersome to professors who would much
rather lecture on prepared academic material than preach about
the importance of timeliness and submitting assignments and to
students who pay thousands of dollars to acquire skills that will
hopefully prepare them for their field of study.
In order for students to act like the collegians they are, they
must be treated as such. Teachers in an elementary school, for
example should enforce the importance of attendance and
assignments because children need that type of instruction, but
in college, a higher institution, where by now students the
importance of a quality education, such a policy is ludicrous and
unnecessary.
If a student wants to pay thousands of dollars to habitually
miss class and assignments, then that student’s grade should
reflect that student’s attitude about their attendance and
education. There is no need to force students to take their
education seriously because students who want to learn will be
in class and will get their work done.
The Compass
The Compass is published by Elizabeth City State University students under
the direction of the Department of Language, Literature and Communication,
Dr. Velma Blackmon, chairperson.
Editor Stacy Brock
Assistant Editor Amanda Parker
Copy Editor Inger L. Parker
Arts & Entertainment Editor Michael Fournier
Sports Editor Clayton Mercer
Photographers Staff
Office lUlanager Detra Stith
Advertising Manager Brian Gray
Staff Writers Antonio Barrow, Abrian Carter, Sharon Gorgani,
Chi’Mur Knight, Derek Lyons, Heather Malone,
James Polk, Laquisha Tisdal, June M.Yuiska
Advisor Dr. Nqwainmbi
The Compass welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be sent to ECSU
Box 815, Elizabeth City, NC 27909. All letters must be signed and include
the writer’s address and telephone number. They may be edited for length,
clarity, and taste as well as accuracy and grammar. Because of limited space,
not all letters can be published.
Twenty-two hundred copies of this publication were prfated On recycled paptet at a cost of 45i each, ^
Elizabeth City State University
is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association
of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate degrees.
If We Must Uve
If WE MUST liVE, IeT US livE In peace
For whAT shAll we paIn iiN war
ThE PAST hAS shoWN T^AT WAR's WGRlh is Null
Anc] not t[tE REASON IVIAN hAS IVIAcIe It tIhIs FaR.
If WE MUST livE, Iet US livE In TRUrh
For a liE hAs Been Inown to dividE
Two MEN ANcl A Ue is AlwAyS SpliT
But In trut^, tIiere are no sidEs.
If WE MUST livE, Iet us livE In Iove
For hATE causes aH It toucIies to fAll
TIhE hATE of ANOrflER will NOT Ma!E hiM A fRiENd
But In Iove we are fRiENds to aU.
If WE MUST livE, Iet us livE In ChRisT
For wiihouT ChRisT we aH are TkROuqk
A woRld wirhouT CkRisT is soon taIen AWAy
But wirh ChRisT youR whoU worW is MAdE new.
— Terrence DAvis
flNTED:
s
The Compass Wants
Your Poetry!
The Compass wants to feature
student poetry in all issues. Please
follow the guidelines mentioned
below when submitting work;
• Due to space limitations, poems
should be 50 lines or less;
• All manuscripts should be typed
and brought to Room 111,
Johnson Hall or sent to The
Compass, Campus Box 815;
• Please enclose your name, phone
number, major, classification, and
manuscript title on a separate
sheet.
The Compass reserves the right to edit
work in cooperation with the poet.
“Experimental" and innovative
poetry is welcome!
Numbers You Should Know...
Emergency 911
Campus Police 335-3266
ECSU Infirmary 335-3267
Student Counseling 335-3273
Elizabeth City Police Dept 335-4321