The Compass
Thursday, April 18, 2002
5
ECSU ADDS TWO NEW DEGREE PROGRAMS
THE “OTHER” EASTER STORY
Elizabeth A. Martins
Bondgirl69 @ collegeclub.com
&
LaVonda Whitt
dionzareshea@yahoo.com
At its meeting on March 6, the Board
of Governors of the University of the North
Carolina System voted in favor of the
establishment of two new bachelors degree
programs at Elizabeth City State University-
one in Mass Communications and the other
in Aviation Science.
The School of Arts and Humanities,
which encompasses the Department of
Language, Literature, and Communication,
will offer a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass
Communications.
A committee was formed to recom
mend that there be a new degree program,
which was approved by Dr. Velma L.
Blackmon, the Chairperson of the Depart
ment of Language, Literature, and Commu
nications. Once the recommendation had the
approval of Blackmon, the proposal went to
a Planning Committee. After that, the idea
was later presented to the Board of Trustees.
From the Board of Trustees, the proposal had
its final approval by the Board of Governors.
According to Blackmon, the
department’s new Communication Studies
Program will enable students to concentrate
on studying Mass Communications and its
specialty areas.
“The students who are in the communi
cations studies are no longer required to take
Shakespeare, Literary Criticism, History of
the English Language, English Literature,
and American Literature, but they will be
able to take courses that will steer them in
the direction of the Communications
Master’s or career in communications,” said
Blackmon. “Students will need courses in
Communications Law, Communications
Theory, Communications Management, and
other courses that will make them more
marketable as they pursue a degree.”
The Mass Communications program
will also increase internship opportunities for
students and better prepare them for profes
sional media careers.
“Hopefully we can sponsor additional
internships for students where by they will
be more prepared going into the internships,”
said Blackmon. “They will have more
courses under their belts in the field of mass
communications. Students will better able to
go into Management and other different new
media courses. They will be better prepared
to go into industry as coimnunications
professionals, such public relations special
ists, media specialists and technical writers,”
she added.
In order to accommodate the antici
pated number of students who will be
majoring in Mass Communications, many
changes will take place.
1. Johnson Hall will be renovated and
refurnished. Moore Hall, which currently
houses the School of Business and Econom
ics as well as The Department of General
Studies, will make provisions for the faculty
and staff of the Department of Language,
Literature, and Communications. The
Department will temporarily operate out of
Moore Hall during the construction at
Johnson Hall.
2. ECSU is seeking new faculty mem
bers. Prior to January, the University had
posted openings for faculty positions. A
committee was formed to help review
prospective applicants. The committee
included Mr. Shawn Smith, Language Arts
Instructor and Director of the University
Players, Dr. Venus Deonanan, Spanish
Professor, Dr. Samuel Moore, Language Arts
Professor, and Mr. Stephen March, Language
Arts Instructor and Advisor for The Phoenix
Magazine.
There will be a new program that will
offer a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in
Aviation Maintenance Management with one
of three concentrations. Computer Science,
Business Administration, and Electronics.
Students with a B.S degree in Aviation
Science can pursue a career in Air Traffic
Management, Air Craft Manufacturing, Air
Craft Operations, Maintenance Facilities,
Safety and Aviation Weather Reporting.
According to Dr. Carolyn Mahoney,
Dean of Mathematics, Science, and Technol
ogy, the program has been in the making for
about a year.
“We started thinking about bumping
this up as a major program about a year ago”,
said Mahoney.
In designing and developing, and
implementing the Aviation Science degree
program, the department of Mathematics,
Science, and Technology collaborated with
Elizabeth City’s Coast Guard to better assist
students and expand their academic opportu
nities.
“We’re pretty excited about the Avia
tion Science Program,” said Mahoney. “We
think that being in Elizabeth City with the
Coast Guard Base, and that being that the
Coast Guard Base here in Elizabeth City is
one of the largest Coast Guard bases in the
nation, the new program will be well aligned
with what students want to do. We had a
wonderful opportunity to partner with the
Coast Guard and collaborate with them,” said
Mahoney.
“I would recommend this program to
students who are interested in the whole
aviation science industry, anything that has to
do with airplanes, military, civihans, delta
airlines, and American airlines. This is a
very strong program of preparation for that,”
said Mahoney.
The course guidelines for the new
programs will be featured in the 2002-2004
ECSU Catalog.
SISTA 2 SISTA
LaTonya Raynor
PumpkinS @hotmail.com
Ladies, hojjefully the experiences that
you have encountered at Elizabeth City State
University have inspired you to reach
aspirated goals and stand for what you
believe in. During your matriculation,
obstacles have caused you to stumble. In
your future there will be more obstacles that
will cause you to stumble, but you must get
up, shake the dust off, and keep going.
Through it all we must strive to become that
pillar of strength. Sometimes our goals do
not follow through or we fall short to sin.
Sometimes we use bad judgment, we get
used, or our friends let us down; but little do
we know, these are the things that stabilize
our foundation. Living for you is what is
important now. Focus to not let others and
things drain your energy. Become women of
strength by using entropy to improve your
self. Some of you might think that is easier
to say than to actually do it. However, it can
be easier to do if you make it a statement and
McKeith Cordell
mckcordell @ hotmail .com
The Easter Holiday or “holy day” is the
most cherished and beloved Christian
holiday besides Christmas. For over 2,000
years around this time of year, Christians
celebrate Jesus’ resurrection following his
crucifixion.
Just as the Christians were celebrating
Christ’s resurrection during this time, the
ancient Saxons celebrated the return of
spring with an uproarious festival coimnemo-
rating their goddess of offspring and of
springtime, Eastre. When the second-century
Christian missionaries encountered the tribes
of the north with their pagan celebrations,
they attempted to convert them to Christian
ity. However, during that period, it would
have been suicidal for the early Christian
converts to celebrate their holy days with
observances that did not coincide with
celebrations that aheady existed. To save
lives, the missionaries cleverly decided to
spread their religious message slowly
throughout the populations by allowing them
to continue to celebrate pagan feasts, but to
do so in a Christian manner.
As it happened, the pagan festival of
Eastre occurred at the same time of year as
the Christian observance of the Resurrection
of Christ. It made sense, therefore, to alter
the festival itself, to make it a Christian
*
celebration as converts were slowly won
over. The early name, Eastre, was eventually
changed to its modem spelling, Easter. Many
people today have grown up believing
childhood fables and myths about Easter and
the meaning behind it, including stories
about Peter Cottontail, the Easter bunny trail,
and colored eggs. That’s only part of it. Yes,
the eggs and the bunnies do play significant
roles in Easter still. However, some accouter
ments of modem Easter celebrations have
German, as well as, ancient pagan roots that
pre-date Christianity.
The name Easter comes from the
Babylonian and Asyrian goddess of love and
fertility, Ishtar. Phoenicians knew her as
Astarte. From there Astarte flourished
through Europe becoming Ostara, the Aglo-
Saxon goddess of fertility, spring, and the
rising sun. Chrisitian missionaries later
realized at this time that Jesus’ crucifixion
coincided with the Teutonic celebrations in
the springtime.
These celebrations solely emphasized
the triumph of hfe over death. The Anglo-
Saxon myth went on to say that Ostara
turned her pet bird into a rabbit one day in
order to delight some children. The rabbit
then began to lay colored eggs, which were
given to the children by Ostara.
Two of Easter’s most known symbols,
the egg and the rabbit, have close relations
with the spring season. In many cultures the
egg portrays fertility and birth. Colored eggs
on the other hand were given as gifts in
Ancient Egyptian and Persian cultures at
their spring festivals.
In Germany, colored eggs represented
the sunlight of spring. The rabbit symbolizes
new life also, because it is the most fertile of
any animal. German children believed that if
they were good they would be left a nest of
colored eggs by Osterhase. Today children
would much rather have Easter baskets filled
with assorted chocolates.
One feature still active today is Easter
duty, which is practiced by Roman Catholics.
During this time each member is must
receive communion at some time between
Ash Wednesday and Trinity Sunday. Others
Easter traditions are displayed in other
religions. But as time progresses we can be
assured that Easter traditions such as paint
ing eggs, eating delicious chocolates, wear
ing new clothes, egg hunts, Easter meals and
religious assemblies will never fade.
(Information courtesy of North Ameri
can Precis Syndicate, Inc.)
AN ART MAJOR GRADUATES WITH HUMBLE PRIDE
"
invest in believing it. Women of strength
endure so much. This is what builds their
strength that people admire. Behind their
strength is the ability to overcome disap
pointments, anger, rejection, and frustration.
A woman of strength believes that she can
overcome obstacles.
A strong woman may appear to have
her priorities in order. She may even appear
to others as that woman who ‘has it together.’
In reality, the strong woman does not believe
that she can overcome.
Making the decision to become a strong
woman or a woman of strength is a choice
we face. Only you can decide for yourself.
The question is which woman is able to
understand and accept herself (the key to
self-actualization). Here is a little something
to help others decide which one they are. As
a final adieu, I say good luck to everyone,
whether your educational experiences
continue at ECSU or your entering the real
world. I express salutations to all collegians
in your journey to higher expectations.
Miss Quintina Clarice Speller
A Strong Woman verses A Woman of Strength
A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape...
A woman of strength kneels to prayer to keep her soul in shape.
By: Shannon D. Autry
lilbee77@yahoo.com
Quintina Clarice Speller, a 22-year old
Art major from Windsor, North Carolina,
will take the walk that many Elizabeth City
State University alumni has already taken on
May 11, 2002. Speller is the mother of a
four year-old daughter and is a part-time
employee of the University.
Though Speller said that she learned
about ECSU from her high school guidance
counselor, she says that her initial reason for
coming to ECSU was because it was “closer
to home.” She believes that ECSU has not
only prepared her for the art world, but it
also prepared her to communicate with the
general public.
Speller believes that ECSU has pro
vided her with an education, confidence, and
with acquired knowledge about people in
general.
“I have learned that you realize who
your friends are in a University’s environ
ment,” she said.
Of all of the courses in the Art major
curriculum. Speller said that the hardest class
for her was “Drawing.”
“I particularly didn’t care for the
exactness necessary to create in that class
and you have to be exact,” she explained.
However, she did enjoy painting
classes, because it allowed her more freedom
of expression.
“I can sketch out my picture and then
follow with my own flow to bring my
painting to life,” she said.
Speller gave advice to underclassmen,
especially those interested in art.
“Many people see art as an easy major,
but it is not as easy as it seems. You must
love what you do or success will not follow.
It takes time, dedication, and perseverance to
make a productive art career,” she said.
Through Speller’s matriculation
through ECSU as an art major, she has a
strong appreciation for two of her professors.
Dr. Scerbo and Professor Joyner.
“I would like to thank them for believ
ing in me,” she said.
Overall, Speller said that she had a
great college experience. She would like to
thank ECSU and bid it a fond farewell.