Page 4
The Compass
December 12,2003
CAMPUS NEWS
Students encouraged
to drop tobacco use
Professor Joyner working with mixed media.
Professor
exhibits work
Jennifer Pride
Mary Lupton
mlupton@arsc.uscg.nul
Staff Writer
Alexis Joyner, professor of art,
currently has two sculptures, “Crowd
Control 2" and “Blues Repository,” on
display at the North Carolina State
University’s Talley Student Center. The
exhibit will be on display through De
cember 18.
“Crowd Control 2, was inspired
by my childhood memories of watch
ing older black women chasing away
crowds of unruly children,” Joyner said.
“It’s all about discipline.”
“The blues piece is about music
- just a place to store those kindsof
vibrations,” Joyner said.
Joyner, an accomplished sculp
ture, illustrator and visual artist, has
exhibited his work since 1977 through
numerous venues. Joyner’s works are
among the private collection of the
Schomburg Center for Research in
Black Culture, the New York City Pub
lic Library, and the Daura Gallery at
Lynchburg College.
“His work is in keeping with
primitive art, keeping in the guide
line of the African art work through
out the years,” said Kelley Mahaffey.
“His work is a good source of self.”
Joyner uses found and fabri
cated objects for visual interest in
his art while incorporating his family
values and religion into his style and
subject matter.
Among his many affiliations,
Joyner is currently a member of lo
cal art councils and area museums
throughout eastern North Carolina
and Virginia.
As an art professor at Elizabeth
City State University, Joyner teaches
3-D Design, Art Appreciation, Sculp
ture and Ceramics and is co-director
of the ESCU Art Gallery and adviser
for the Art Guild, the art honor soci
ety.
Joyner was commissioned by
t
“Crowd Control 2
ECSU to redesign the graduation
Mace, which was presented at the
1996 inauguration of Chancellor
Mickey L. Burnim. The Mace is car
ried by the graduating student with
the highest GPA of their class and
distinguished as the Bearer of the
Mace. Joyner was later honored to
see his daughter, Tarsha Joyner,
carry the Mace during her gradua
tion from ECSU.
New programs planned for campus television
Margaret Fisher
mdfisher@maii.ecsu.edu
Staff Writer
Future local programming for
W18BB TV is marked by Succesfest,
a bi-annual pledge drive for the cam
pus radio and television stations.
Talbert Grey, general manager of
radio and television, brought to a real
ity the idea of utilizing the television
station for the fundraiser, said Melba
Brown, director of television services.
“I thought (the idea) was terrific,"
Brown said, “because, to me, it’s kind
of like an obvious idea that was just
never brought forth... .It took Mr. Grey
to initiate the idea and say ‘hey, we’re
going to do it.’”
More programs are in the plan
ning. The goal is to introduce new pro
grams in 2004. Brown said she even
tually hopes to run local programming
daily from 10 a.m. to midnight. Cur
rently, public bulletin board announce
ments are aired on the station.
“It’ll be a work in progress,” she
said. “With the onset of the new year,
people will see an increase in program
ming on the station.”
Brown would not discuss any
programs in particular, but mentioned
general programming plans. She
hopes to offer gospel, ministry and mo
tivational shows in the mornings, edu
cational programs in the afternoons and
campus and public affairs events in the
evenings. Sports and entertainment,
including music videos, are planned for
nights.
Brown runs the station alone,
with the exception of students and
Successfest volunteers hard at work.
other volunteers. One way imple
menting local programming can be
accomplished is by enlisting the aid
of volunteers. High school and col
lege students, as well as interested
community members are encour
aged to assist and learn.
“We have an asset,” Grey said.
“We have volunteers.” Grey said that
volunteers of any age bring in good
ideas.
Grey is moving his efforts into
the community by working with the
Elizabeth City Area Chamber of Com
merce and downtown merchants. Vol
unteers can help by videotaping area
businesses. They can also learn
about their community and have the
opportunity to be creative, he said.
Grey also hopes to expand the
Photo Courtesy of ECSU-TV Channel 18/22
market. The current market size is
about 34,000 people. W18BB
reaches area broadband residents
and Adelphia Cable viewers. Grey
hopes to expand into other cable
television services in area counties
and Hampton Roads.
“(Elizabeth City) is the perfect
setup for the university,” he said. “The
city is large enough to be an impact
on the state (in the arena of learn
ing) and small enough to fit our needs
as a radio and television station very
comfortably.”
W18BB-FM can be viewed on
local broadband channel 18 or
Adelphia Cable channel 22. For fur
ther information about the television
station or to volunteer, call Melba
Brown at 335-3985.
Jennifer Fueston
jwfueston@mail.ecsu.edu
Staff Writer
On average, forty-five people
die each hour due to smoking related
diseases. A male smoker is twenty-
two times more likely to die of lung
cancer than a non-smoking male.
The average smoker loses seven
years of his or her life because of
smoking. These are just a few of the
facts that some ECSU students
learned at the Great American
Smokeout on November 20.
The Smokeout is a nation
wide event that is held each year on
the third Thursday of November. It
encourages smokers to quit for at least
one day, in hopes that they will drop
tobacco use for good.
“When the event began, smok
ing was accepted as the cultural
norm,” Dr. Dileep G. Bal, national
president of the American Cancer
Society, said. “Now smoking is seen
for what it actually is - a killer of nearly
a million Americans each year.”
The Smokeout draws national
attention to the importance of quitting
smoking, not just for the smokers’
health, but for the good of those
around them. According the United
States Environmental Protection
agency adults exposed to second
hand smoke are at a risk for lung can
cer and heart disease. Children who
are exposed are at a higher risk for
developing asthma, bronchitis, pneu
monia, ear infections, and even Sud
den Infant Death Syndrome.
“Cigarettes are sneaky in
the fact that you do not know you
are addicted until it is way too late.
At least you have the effects of alco
hol, or other drugs to show that they
are doing something different to your
body. Cigarettes are different; they
sneak up on you and keep you think
ing of them as a stress reliever. When
actually they cause you a lot more
stress than they relieve” Terri
McKean, a senior at ECSU who has
been struggling with smoking for
many years, said.
ECSU’s Student Health Ser
vices wanted to highlight this day and
bring awareness about the hazards
of smoking to students on campus.
A table was set up with pamphlets
about the dangers of smoking and
ways in which they could quit.
The table also included a non
smoking pledge that said, “I will
pledge to be part of this Great Ameri
can Smokeout. I will encourage oth
ers to do the same. I will do my part
to make this comn^unity a safe
place. I will set the example for my
peers by not smoking. I will eliminate
smoking from my social activities
today. I will not let smoking interfere
with my health. I pledge to be
Smoke-Free starting today.” After
signing the pledge, the participant
was rewarded with a popsicle stick,
with a pair of lips attached, Ms.
Beverly Shannon said in an interview
following the Smokeout,
“It's good doing workshops that
students can enjoy and learn at the
same time.”
Students visit Ohio State University
Damion O. Lewis
dolewis @sprintpcs.com
Staff Writer
Five Elizabeth City State Uni
versity students attended Ohio State
University as a part of its annual
Graduate & Professional Schools Visi
tation Days (GPSVD).
The program, which is spon
sored through the university’s Office
of Minority Affairs, selected 250 stu
dents from 58 colleges and universi
ties to attend the event. This program,
which ECSU has participated in for
the past twenty years was open to
seniors with an interest in attending
graduate or professional school.
“In making a selection, we look
for students who are honor students,
though that is not a requirement,” said
Sandra Gibson, Assistant Director of
Career Services. “Students should
also be eligible for graduation either
in the coming fall or spring. The mini
mum GPA requirement is a 3.4 or bet
ter.”
The five students selected were:
Melody Lynch, Demetra Gilmore, Joy
McGhee, Eunice Smith, and Damion
Lewis.
“This is a wonderful opportunity
for prospective graduate students for
several reasons: the program offers
in-depth studies of the university’s vari
ous academic programs; it gives stu
dents an opportunity to receive full fel
lowships; and, it gives students the op
portunity to network with the univer
sity as well as other students from
across the nation,” Gibson said.
The three-day program began
with an opening ceremony and ban
quet, which were followed by a spe
cial concert for the students, starring
Ohio State’s award winning Gospel
Choir, and Grammy nominated artist,
Witley Phipps.
“The Ohio State University is rec
ognized worldwide for its high-quality
research, teaching, and service,” said
Karen A. Holbrook, President of Ohio
State University. "As you visit your
chosen academic unit, it will become
evident that our exceptional faculty are
committed to providing you with a first-
rate education and to preparing you
for a fulfilling career in your area of
interest.”
During the second day students
were able to see if what President
Holbrook said was true when they
were given the day to visit their pro
spective professional or graduate
school. While there, students were
able to tour their particular school’s
facilities, chat with faculty members,
and get first-hand information from
other graduate students. Some partici
pants were treated to private lun
cheons, while others were able to par
ticipate in research studies.
For many this part of the pro
gram also proved as a decision maker.
The students bombarded the faculty
with a barrage of questions and con
cerns about their programs and uni
versity.
“This was a very exciting expe
rience,” said Demetra Gilmore, a se
nior participant from ECSU. “I really
liked how each school has their own
library, and the people are genuinely
friendly and open to help you. It was
very surprising to discover that the
campus promotes a family-like com
munity.”
That same night students were
treated to a banquet where Attorney
Rodney E. Slater, former U.S. Secre
tary of Transportation, delivered the
keynote address. During his address.
Attorney Slater sought to invigorate!
and encourage all those present to
keep their aspirations high and deter
mination even stronger.