Page 4 The Compass, Nov. 2004
ampus
Hot fashion flame rekindled by
a desire to promote self-confidence
By Jennifer Pride
Staff Writer
At a time when there
were no other clubs or
organizations on campus
emphasizing student’s freedom
of expression through fashion,
Daryl Turner decided to enhance
what this university was lacking.
Turner’s aim was to create a
unique organization that could
involve the university and the
community, enhance member
self-confidence and teach self
development all while turning
the heads of any and everyone
who viewed their craft.
In 1998 Turner was
able to do so by establishing the
Vike Nu’ Fashion Society, the
first and only student
organization on the campus
dedicated to bringing style,
fashion and charisma to
Elizabeth City State University
(ECSU) and the surrounding
conununity.
Many question how
one organization was going to be
able to fulfill all of these goals,
but the hard work of the society’s
original members, 27 models,
the backstage assistance of 6
workers and two advisors lead to
their initial success. Another
factor was the presence of a very
well constructed constitution,
chain of command and a well
demonstrated need and purpose
that let school officials know that
Vike Nu’ Fashion Society was
not only serious about properly
establishing themselves on this
campus, but more importantly
setting an early trademark of
precision.
For reasons unknown,
the Vike Nu’ Fashion Society
went idle for two years. Without
leadership and adequate
representation, their future was
unclear. Performing no shows,
what once was a budding fashion
society began to fade.
To provide some solace
for those who still yearned to
express themselves through
fashion creativity and develop
style and confidence, a new
leader emerged, who has helped
make the Vike Nu’ Fashion
Society into what it is today.
“Vike Nu’ Fashion
Society’s flame was rekindled by
the vision of Shebony Davis,”
said Kevin J. Wade, who served
as treasurer and male
choreographer under Davis’
leadership.
During the fall semester
of 2000, Davis recruited several
ECSU students as well as past
members of the society to help
fulfill her vision of creating a
structured organization for
students to express themselves.
With the help of two new
advisors, Kenya Hinton and
Trina Harris, Davis was able to
successfully reinstate the Vike
Nu’ Fashion Society as Vike Nu’
Fashion Troupe hallmarking the
fashion identity of the time of
cultural diversity in clothing.
Davis’ vision became a
reality during the spring
semester of 2001 when the
revamped Vike Nu’ Fashion
Troupe put on its first show
entitled, “Anticipation...The
Wait is Over!!!” This show
revolutionized Vike Nu’ as well
as establishing them as a
mainstay on our campus.
“She didn’t play any games; she
was all about business,” said
Jennifer Blackwell, Vike Nu’
member: since 200 L. “ The
practices were fun, it got intense
towards ^he end, but it was well
worth it because the show was a
huge success.”
Today, Vike Nu’ is
advised by Kenya Hinton (ECSU
Social Sciences Department) and
ECSU graduate, former lead
male model and choreographer
Kevin J. Wade.
“Vike Nu’ Fashion
Troupe continues to display a
great deal of unity as it promotes
and delivers self confidence,
diverse styles of fashion, and
creativity through its advisors,
models and members. Vike Nu’
travels to local universities
including Fayetteville State
University, Shaw University and
Livingstone College, “ said
Wade.
Thirty-eight models,
and twelve members, bonded by
the direction of a strong
executive board, the leadership
of president Shonica Sweet and
their advisors, work vigorously
to keep intact Vike Nu’s legacy,
while preparing for the ever-
changing fashion future.
Change is what they do,
“The current models as a whole
decided that it was crucial, as a
result of the addition of dancing,
singing and complex
choreography to adjust to
changing times,” says James
Stratford, lead male model and
Mr. Vike Nu'.
Today Vike Nu’ has
evolved intoM.O.D.E.L.S. Inc.,
an acronym that stands for
Motivating Others Daily to
Engage in a Life of Style.
Stratford goes on to say, “Due to
the fact that we excelled at the
tasks presented to us in the past,
it was necessary that we
incorporated other aspects of
performing arts to further
challenge ourselves not only as
individuals, but more
importantly as models.
Meet Greg
Sampson,
man of a
thousand
places
Phone calls, on-air
interviews, teaching
classes; the man
seems omnipresent
By Toby Tate
Editor-in-Chief
Greg “Sampson” Lange
is balancing his day running
between visitors to the radio
station and doing on-air
interviews. As I observe the
organized chaos in the control
room, the phone rings, and
Sampson signals me to answer
it. I give him an incredulous
look and pick up the phone.
“Radio statiop” I say. It’s
somebody wanting to talk to,
who else; Greg Sampson. I tell
Greg “Sampson” Lange, doing what he does best.
Photo by Toby Tate
him Mr. Sampson is busy on the
air right now, filhng in for Randy
Jones, one of the DJ’s, while
Jones takes an overdue bathroom
break. Sounding exasperated,
the man asks, “Does Sampson
ever spend any time in his
office?” I told him I doubted it.
After we hung up, I noticed
Sampson’s desk was actually in
the control room.
Today, Sampson is
getting a visit from P’ House
State Representative Bill Owens,
one of the supporters of the bond
referendum that was
instrumental in the new
construction at ECSU. Sampson
and Owens get on the other side
Making ECSU a better place?
Photo by Toby Tate
A backhoe sits next to a freshly dug ditch across from the Army ROTC buiiding, patientiy awaiting its next job.
They sing, they dance, they wear
togas, not pants: Forum is back
The musical lives
By Rukiya Williams
Staff Writer
The University
Players, Elizabeth City State
University’s theatre troupe, will
present the award-winning
smash Broadway musical
comedy A Funny Thing
Happened on the Way to the
Forum on November 11,12 and
13 (Thursday, Friday and
Saturday), in the Floyd L.
Robinson Auditorium, located in
the Fine Arts Complex at ECSU.
Curtain time for each
performance is 8:00p.m. Forum
will be a combined effort of the
visual and performing arts
program in the School of Arts
and Humanities.
The hilarious
illogicalities of classic Latin
comedy and the zany nonsense
of vaudeville are wedded in a
happy madcap marriage in A
Funny Thing Happened on the
Way to the Forum. Pseudolus, a
roguish servant of a Roman
family, schemes to gain his
freedom. His young master.
Hero, promises freedom if
Pseudolus can obtain a beautiful
girl, Philia, whom Hero has seen
from his bedroom window.
Deliciously unsavory characters,
a befuddled father with a
shrewish neighbors, strangers
and the Roman army are all
Critics also lavished praise on
the show; the New York Times
wrote, “Thumbs up for this
uninhibited romp!” and Time
magazine’s critic added, “A
drawn into the mounting
confusion as this sidesplitting
comedy unwinds.
In its original
Broadway run, Forum received
the Tony Award as “best
musical” of the season and its
star, Zero Mostel, was also
warded a Tony for his
performance as Pseudolus.
good, clean, dirty show! Brings
back belly laughs.” In its 1996
revival. Forum starred Nathan
Lane in the role of Pseudolus,
who was later replaced by
Whoopie Goldberg.
Shawn Smith, head
of ECSU’s Theatre Arts program,
is directing the University
Players’ production, with
choreography by Holly Wright
and musical direction by Vincent
Corozine. A large cast of
students, faculty and community
performers have assembled for
this very special musical.
Quentin Powell, an ECSU junior
Music/English major from
Windsor, NC, will play the role
of Pseudolus. Patrick ball and
Ashley K. E. McCleary will
appear in roles of Hero and PhiUa
respectively. Frank Games, an
ECSU professor of psychology,
is cast as Senex, hero’s father,
and Dana Goodwin, a native of
Charlotte, will play his wife,
Domina.
Advanced tickets
will go on sale on Monday,
November 1 st at Page After Page
bookstore, in downtown
Elizabeth City. Tickets can also
be purchased on the ECSU
campus at the Litde Theatre from
3:00 until 5:00p.m. Monday
through Thursday. Admission
prices for A Funny Thing
Happened on the Way to the
Forum are $10.00 for tTie general
public, $5.00 for senior citizens
and children 12 and under, $3.00
for ECSU faculty/staff, and
$1.00 for ECSU students. For
additional information, phone
the players’ office at (252) 335-
3486.
of the glass from the interviewer,
Randy Jones, who has just
returned from his break, and have
a great time laughing and
shooting the breeze on the air as
they discuss everything from
politics to basketball.
Sometimes work is fun. Finally,
after the interview, I get my
chance to ask questions.
The first thing I learn is
that Sampson is originally from
L.A., and a place called Watts.
Anyone who is familiar with
Watts will remember it as a focal
point in the infamous race riots
of the mid-sixties. Sampson
remembers it well.
“I came home one day,”
he said, “and the lights were out.
Mom said to me ‘turn on the
transistor radio’ and I did. The
man on the air said there had just
been a riot. I looked at Mom and
asked, ‘Mom, what’s a riot?’ All
she said was ‘looks like you
won’t be going to school for a
while.’” Sampson also recalls
seeing looters in the streets
walking around and carrying
armloads of stolen goods.’ “All
the white people in the
neighborhood moved away,” he
said. “They w^re terrified.”
As a child in the eighth
grade, Sampson considered
becoming a priest after a
conversation with one of the
nuns at the Catholic school he
was attending. “She sat me
down one day and said, ‘Greg,
you’re not going to make it.
You’re too much of a class
clown.’ I said, ‘what do you
mean?’ She said, ‘Maybe you
should consider going into the
seminary.’ But after I found out
priests had to take a vow of
celibacy, I said, ‘See you later!”’
After graduating from
high school, Sampson decided to
pursue a career that was a natural
for his personality: broadcasting.
Sampson first attended Harbor
Community College in San
Pedro and California State
University at Northridge before
entering the Columbia School of
Broadcasting in Hollywood.
His first job as a
broadcaster was at a classical
music station in Hollywood
known as KFAC. From there he
came east to Greensboro, North
Carolina in 1989 and became the
music director at WQMG-FM
and WEAL-AM, where he
remained until April of 1992. He
spent time in radio stations in
Wmston-Salem, High Point, and
New Bern before finally coming
to ECSU as Assistant
Programmer, Production
Director, On-Air Personality and
Instructor. Sampson holds the
title of Communications
Specialist 1, and teaches courses
in radio and television.
Sampson’s favorite job
so far? Teaching. “I don’t teach
out of a book,” he said. “It’s
hands-on. They have to be ready
to go in three weeks.” That’s not
much time from knowing
nothing to speaking fluently on
the air. “A lot of times, they’ll
just freeze up in front of a mic,
but \ whip ‘em into shape pretty
quick.”
Sampson’s first love,
however, will always be the
radio, and of WRVS, the EM
station here at ECSU, he said, “I
enjoy the music, because I finally
get to play music I’ve been
wanting to play all my life.”