North Carolina Newspapers

NTER TO ICARN. DEPART TO SCRVC SIjc AiipttiS Vol. XIII, No. 4 WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY, WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA January 1975 Dorms Invaded By Restless Students By Gloria Ross and Eugenia Parker The Student Government Association held a call meeting on Monday, January 20 in the Student Union ballroom to discuss the progress of the Co-Ed Visitation Proposal. SGA President, Ray Williams, informed students of the outcome of that morning’s meeting with the Administrative Council at which the visitation program was discussed. The Administrative Council is an advisory group consisting of twenty-four members of the university’s staff whose main purpose is to counsel the Chancellor. Williams told the crowd that it appeared that the Council was purposely and needlessly delaying approval or denial of the proposal as drawn up by the SGA. Williams also told the students about a poll taken by the administration of parents and WSSU students on co-ed visitation. Of the questionnaires sent out, 453 parents responded- 219 approved of co-ed visitation and 234 disapproved. The SGA also conducted its own poll, questioning the students. Williams estimated that over 85 percent of the students approved of co-ed visitation. The group was also told that on January 20, the Administrative Council received a twleve page proposal for co-ed visitation along with a survey of other colleges and universities in the Winston-Salem area on their co ed visitation programs. The response to this survey was: Johnson C. Smith, no program; St. Augustine College, now conduting their own survey concerning co-ed visitation; Fayetteville State, no program; Elizabeth City, having a successful first year with co-ed visitation program in effect; N.C. Central, program in effect; A & T State, program in effect; Pembroke, program in effect; Shaw, drawing up a proposal. SGA representatives at the Administrative Council meeting were told that the co-ed visitation proposal had to be sent to the Director of Student Affairs and that the proposal would be heard on the third Monday in February by the Council at its regularly scheduled meeting. It would be Students Air Demands Information Compiled By Gloria Ross Student Representatives met with administrative officials in Blair Hall to discuss the protest of the previous night which concerned the passing of the Co- Ed Visitation Proposal. This meeting was held on Tuesday morning, January 21 in the Board Room on the second floor of Blair Hall. SGA President, Ray Williams, along with Jerry Harris, Eric Holiday, Stan Ward and this News Argus Reporter, met with the following persons to hear Student grievances and feelings: Chancellor K. Williams, Mr. W. Grissom, Dean Benson, Reverend I^ewis, Dean Greene, Dr. S. Wooten, and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Winston-Salem State University, Mr. C.C. Ross. The group of administrators were presented a list of six (6) demands elicited from the students and drawn up by the SGA. These demands were as follows: 1. We want a meeting of the Administrative Council no later than Thursday, January 24, 1975. At this meeting we want a definite decision as to the Council’s recommendation to the Chancellor. 2. We want a meeting of the University’s Board of Trustees as soon after the Administrative Council meeting as possible. The most desirable date is January 25, 1975. At this time we want an affirmative decision. 3. We want to amend the present co-ed visitation policy to include a clause that will enable the Student Government Association and the Student Personnel Services to make necessary and desired additions or subtractions to the co-ed visitation program. I Black History | Week Calendar A tenative calendar of the events scheduled to take place during Black History Week, February 9 through February 15 has been outlined. The weeks activities, which begin on Sunday are: Sunday 12:00: Soul supper 7:00: Gospel Jubilee Monday Editor of Winston-Salem Chronicle lectures on “Black Journalism” Library display of Black Writers Afro American Seminar Readings (Black papers and Poetry) Tuesday 10:00-12:00: Political workshop 1:00-2:00: Political workshop Wednesday 10:00-12:00: Black films 1:00-3:00: Speaker (Howard P'uller)’ 8:00-10:00: Creative Dance and Drama Thursday 10:00-12:00: Black films 1:00-3:00: Rap session “Student Rights and Responsibilities: 8:00-10:00: Talent Show Friday 10:00-12:00: Business workshop 1:00-4:00: Black films Karate exhibition-half time at basketball game. After game dance: “Black Byrd Light and Sound Show” Saturday Art Exhibition 1:00-4:00: Film Matinee 9:00: Red, Black and Green Ball Note: Specific times omitted and places to be announced 4. We want to interject a clause into the policies and procedures section of the Student Handbook that would exempt students from expulsion and suspension, except for academic reasons, unless they constitute a threat to the general welfare of the University. 5. In addition, we ask that a committee, consisting of the Student Government Association and responsible faculty and administrators be called to construct a student bill of rights. 6. We ask that all students, who have been suspended this semester for unauthorized entrance into the dorms be re instated and incur a lesser penalty, preferably probation. Of the list of demands, the first had already been agreed to by Chancellor Williams on Monday night as an outcome of the protest. SGA President, Ray Williams noted that number one was listed to reaffirm the meeting date. Mr. Ross, acting as a representative for the Board of Trustees (of which Ray Williams and Chancellor Williams are also members), said the University’s Board of Trustees would meet as soon as possible. He asked the Student Representatives that the lines “The most desirable date is January 25, 1975” and “At this time we want an affirmative decision” be deleted from the list of demands so that demand number two read - “We want a meeting of the University’s Board of Trustees as soon after the Administrative Council meeting as possible.” But Mr. Ross assured the student representatives that the Board members would be polled to set up an earlier meeting time. If the Board, members could not meet earlier than already arranged, the members of the Executive Committee of the Board would meet and give a final decision. Demands numbers one, three and five were agreed to without concession. Chancellor Williams stated that demand number four is a violation of the North Carolina University Campuses and also a violation of Rules K and P of Section 2 of the Student Code of Conduct found on pages 46 and 47 of the Red and White Student Guide of WSSU, which lists the causes for suspension and expulsion on the grounds of Trespassing and Violation of the Visitation Policies. The group was also informed that the sixth demand was one of a legal nature, and that lawyers had to be consulted before an answer could be given. Several reasons were given by the members of the Administration present for the delay of their approval of the Co ed proposal. They expressed as these concerns (not listed in order of importance): How safe is the program? How successful will the program be? How will the program be implemented am executed effectively? How long will the trial period last? As th( program progresses, will the students responsible for its success stop working? What will be the grounds for discontinuance of the Co-ed program? The Student Representatives reaffirmed again and again the responsibleness of the students at WSSU and the fact that the age level of the students here ranges from 17-25 years or more. They expressed belief that the Administration is seemingly not concerned or interested in the students here. Jerry Harris brought out the fact that the proposal had been before the Administrative Council since October 1974, and was presented again in November 1974 and both times the SGA was sent back with the proposal to make changes. The December 1974 meeting of the Administrative Council was cancelled further delaying consideration of the proposal. The following points were also brought out at the meeting: the proposal, as presented on Monday, January 20 to the Administrative Council was immediately taken to the regularly scheduled meeting with the Dorm Matrons and was presented by Dr. Wooten, Dean Greene and Dean Benson. In this meeting, all of the nineteen Dorm Matrons approved the Coed visitation program as drawn up by the SGA without any changes. The Supervisors agreed to make recommendations if and when problems arose. The Student Personnel Services had also given their approval of the proposal. This meant that the only approval needed for the Co ed Visitation Proposal to go to the Board of Trustees for tJ^e final decision was that of the Administrative Council. As the meeting broke up, Ray Williams seemed less than pleased with some of the decisions made, but agreed that a lot of progress had been made. A group of students who had gathered in the hall outside the Conference room waited for words on the outcome of the meeting. Another group gathered in the gym. Both were informed by the students present at the meeting of the concessions made and decisions reached by the overall group. Later that night in the Union, SGA President, Ray Williams informed other students - of the morning’s meeting and then that the Administrative Council would decide what action to take and whether or not to send the proposal to the Board of Trustees, scheduled then to meet in March. The board has the power to give the final approval or denial of the Co-Ed Visitation Proposal. After hearing this account of the morning’s meeting, several students voiced their opinion of the need to induce immediate action from the Administrative Council. A mass gathering on the porch of the home of Chancellor Williams was the result. At approximately 9:00, eighteen students were delegated to enter the Chancellor’s home to present the grievances of the more than 200 students gathered outside. These students engaged in a roundtable discussion in which the Chancellor refused to give any definitive answers concerning his position or that of the Administrative Council concerning co-ed visitation. Chancellor Williams did state, “The action taken today (at the Council meeting) is in no way to be taken as a denial of co-ed visitation, or as a delayal. It is not to say anybody is against it. It is an effort to find some system everyone can live with for some length of time.” Chancellor Williams also refused to give any type of statement to adhere to the pleas of the students congregated on his lawn. The crowd, angered by what they interpreted as the Chancellor's lack of concern, decided to exhibit their interest by holding a protest march through all the donns. After the march, a rally in front of O’Kelly Library led to a unanimous decision to camp out in the library. About twenty minutes before closing time, the library officials dimmed the lights to indicate the end of official library hours to the group that had gathered inside. The students refused to leave and began to settle in for the night. As the night progressed and no administrative officials came in response to student requests, cards, music and food were brought in by various students. Several groups even situated themselves on the floor. Campus police came to secure the Continued on Page 7 In this issue Co-ed visitation 1 Black historj- 1 Kditorial 2 Book Review 2 Pledging 3 Hip City Comer 4 Starscope 4 Photos 4 Greekdoni 5 Genia's Jumbles 5 Poetry 5 Organizations 6 Summer fun 6 Dean's List 7 Sports 8 also told the students that things were progressing as quickly as possible. On Thursday, the SGA was informed that the Board of Trustees will meet the first week in February to give the final decision on the co-ed visitation proposal.