Is Pledging Passe?
The cycle of pledging seems to
many people to have no begin
ning nor end. As this semester
begins new lines have been and
will be formed. But will this cycle
ever be broken?
Recently, an article on black
fraternities and sororities ap
peared in the November-
December issue of Black
Collegian, the national magazine
of black college students. Many
WSSU students found this a most
timely article for we had just
experienced what has been
termed overall “the sorriest
pledge period ever.” With this in
mind, the News Argus polled
campus Greeks and members of
Social Fellowships to see if
pledging is becoming passe.
One fact stood out above all
other-Greek organizations along
with Social and Service
organizations attract individuals
because they are organized and
offer the black college students
the opportunity to work and
socialize the brothers and sisters
who share common goals and
aspirations thus eradicating the
feeling of one being “alone.”
These organizations provide for
their members a sense of iden
tity, security, purpose and op
portunities for new experiences.
In response to the question “why
did you pledge”, the response
almost always reflected these
benefits.
i pledged because I wanted a
sense of belonging,” says
Pamela I^ee, a soror of Alpha
Kappa Alpha. Marlyn Edwards,
a soror of Delta Sigma Theta,
adds, "1 looked at the
organization and I liked what 1
Fine Arts
saw. It showed togetherness and I
wanted to be a part of it.” Rodney
Hannah, a neophyte, summed it
up by saying,” I always wanted
to be an Omega man because of
my deep-rooted conceptions
about the organization.”
Yet, most agreed with Yvonne
Harris, a member of Delta Sigma
Theta who remarked, “pledging
ain’t like it used to be.” The fall
1974 lines (with certain
exceptions) were described as
“shaky,” “disgusting,”
disheartening” lax” and
downright pitiful! Lemeatrice
Harris, a neophyte of Swing Phi
Swing declared, emphatically,
“They acted like they didn’t
care! They simply didn’t have a
serious attitude toward
pledging!”
Patsy Lynch , a charter
member of Nu Zeta chapter of Nu
Gamma McHumba Social
Sisterhood chimed in with,
“people are now taking pledging
for a game.” An Omega man.
AKA Ivys step during Homecoming ’73.
Deltas Present Works to WSSU
On January 25, in honor of their
Founders Day Celebration, the
Winston-Salem Alumnae chapter
of Delta Sigma Theta,
Incorporated presented works to
Winston-Salem State University.
The works were presented during
a program held in C.G. O’Kelly
Library by Ms. Simona A. Allen,
President of the Winston-Salem
Delta Fine Arts, Incorporated.
The first work presented was
“Patterns” a color etching done
by Ms. Stephanie E. Pogue of
Shelby, North Carolina. The
artist has exhibited widely
throughout the United States and
her works are in many
permanent collections.
The second work presented was
“Aegina, Greece,” an oil by Mr.
Samuel J. Brown another North
Carolii.a native who is from
Wilmington. Mr. Brown has also
exhibited extensively, beginning
in 1928. His works have made him
the recipient of several awards in
national art competition.
Chancellor Williams accepted
the works on behalf of WSSU and
remarked that students of today
need to involve themselves much
more in the area of fine arts.
ASU Art
An exhibition of art by twelve
members of the art faculty of
Appalachian State University
opened February 3 at the Fine
Art Gallery of Winston-Salem
State University. Works on
display include mixed media
works such as “Japanese
Waterfall” - L.F. Edwards and
“Triangle” - Sherry Waterworth.
There are two untitled wood and
fiber pieces by Marianne Suggs
and works in fabrics by Lorraine
Force. The multi-media exhibit
which will continue through
February 21 is free to the public.
This exhibit is part of an
exchange program coordinated
by the WSSU-ASU Urban-Rural
Cooperative Program. Members
of the WSSU art faculty, Ms.
Mitzi Shewmake and Mr. Roland
Watts, recently presented an
Scott Kennedy Players Perform
exhibition of sculpture and wood
block prints at ASU. An exchange
of WSSU-ASU student art shows
or the spring.
Hicks Works
Exhibited
On January 19 through January
31, the Lyceum Visual Arts Series
brought the works of Mr. Leon
Nathaniel Hicks to the Art
Gallery located in the Fine Arts
Building. This one-man art
exhibit included many
interesting prints done on a
machine including a series
entitled “New Faces.” Other
works in the showing included
“Black Boy” and “Inner City.”
Mr. Hicks who has studied at
several institutions including La
Romita School of Art in Italy has
received numerous awards for
art excellence, particularly in the
area of printmaking.
The Gallery, which is open
from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to the
public on Monday through
Friday, plans to display other art
exhibits at various times during
the spring semester.
As a presentation of the
Lyceum Series, the Scott
Kennedy Players performed a
symphonic drama on Tuesday,
January 28 on the campus of
Salem College. The drama,
entitled “The Rivers of the Black
Man,” was “conceived,
arranged, directed and
performed,” by Dr. Scott
Kennedy and his wife Janie
Kennedy. Several Winston-Salem
State University students also
participated, serving as links
within or between the eight
segments.
The students provided
background music which
enhanced the many recitations.
They also sang popular Gospel
songs in addition to a few current
soul songs.
Each of the various segements
represented a different phase in
the history of the black man’s
struggle for equality. The poetry
selections performed in each
segment were representative of
that particular phase of black
struggle.
A few of the more well-known
poems recited included “A
Dream Deffered” representing
the determination, dignity and
pride aspect of the black
struggle, and “We Wear the
Mask,” illustrating the survival
and the mask of freedom of the
black man.
The end of the performance
required audience participation
in the form of chants of “We shall
overcome, Amen!” on cue from
Dr. Kennedy. This final segement
was a tribute to the late Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
By Mickey Flowers
Next
Non-Staff
Deadline
Is
February
10
McClease Fisher felt “the
pledges wanted to be a part and
wanted that sense of belonging,
but didn’t want to give anything
in return. Some felt that this, was
due in part to the negative
attitudes often verbally
expressed by some instructors;
others felt that it was due in part
to the strict rules and regulations
of the administration; while still
others felt that the specific
organizations made the pledgees
whatever they were.
Whatever the cause, there was
definitely something missing.
Along with the vast majority,
I^ura Liverman a Zeta Phi Beta,
felt that the pledgees failed to
realize that “pledging isn’t just a
“get over” to raise one’s social
standings on campus, but rather
an acceptance of responsibility to
build up the University and
community as a whole.”
The pledge period is definitely
undergoing changes but when the
question, “Is pledging passed?”
was posed, the overwhelming
majority cast a definite “NO”!
Lou Ann Hopper, an Alpha Kappa
Alpha woman remarked, “No,
pledging’s not obsolete-sororities
and frats' will simply have to be
more select in choosing
pledgees.”
Perry I.ackey, an Alpha Phi
Alpha says “people still feel the
need to belong and for as long as
Greek and service organizations
fulfull this need, pledging will
remain relevant. Vernon Pitt, a
brother of Groove Phi Groove
adds “There are still people left
who are strong-minded and
determined enough to follow
through with their interests and
pledge despite what they hear.
A Tau Phi Tau, George Herron
feels that “pledging is
traditional” whereas Don
Ferrell, A Nu Gamma Alpha,
speaking to the contrary believes
that “More people are looking for
a black oriented .“thing” not
something patterned after
whites.”
Although Everette Lewis,
president of Zeta Chapter of Nu
Gamma Alpha acknowledges
that pledging will never be the
same; he quickly addds, “If
people want pledging to again
take on the meaning it once had,
then people must stop pledging
for namesake alone and look for
what’s in the organization for the
individual.”
Maybe Terry McAdoo, an
Alpha, has the answer in his
comment, “Sororities and
F’ratemities need to take a
backward look and restore the
founding principles of the
individual organization. Those
who take those founding ideals
seriously find that instead of
becoming passe, pledgeship
takes on even more meaning.”
Rubie Gibson
Managing Editor
Health Career Day Planned
The Career Planning and
Placement Center is continuing
activities started during the
spring semester and will offer a
few new plans for the spring.
The Pre-Employment
Seminars that start^ in Dillard
Hall last semester were moved to
Brown Hall during the spring
because men seemed reluctant to
visit Dillard for this purpose. The
seminars will deal with the
psychology of the job market and
research.
The seminars began January
22 in the lobby of Brown Hall. The
seminars will continue as long as
there is sufficient interest to
warrant the voluntary time of the
staff.
The interviewing process with
employing agencies is greatly
increased during the spring
semester as more agencies and
students will have more definite
plans about their future
employment in the world of work.
Individual and group
counseling sessions will be
continued on a voluntary basis.
Students need not have any
appointment to visit the staff of
the center, however, to make
sure the student sees the director
when it is to the student’s
convenience, he should make an
appointment. All appointments
are guaranteed and all are
honored at the time they are
scheduled.
In addition to the basic services
offered by the center, an allied
Health Career Day is being co
sponsored by Delta Sigma Theta
Sorority and Winston-Salem
State University. This program
scheduled for March 13, is
designed to acquaint students
with careers in health, regardless
of their major concentration at
WSSU. All students, irrespective
to their majors, should visit with
this program to determine if a
health related career is for his or
her life work.
Art, music education and
physical theraphy are vital parts
of the health field as well as
typical occupations such as
doctors, nurses and lab
technicians. For every major
that is offered here at WSSU,
there is a health career towards
which it can be applied. Other
notices will follow as plans are
more defined.
By Faiger Blackwell
Burke
Conducting Study
William Burke, an Associate
Professor of English here at
Winston-Salem State University,
under the direction of Dr.
Lafayette Parker, Academic
Dean, and Mrs. Wilma Lassiter,
Chairman of the English and
Foreign Languages Department,
is conducting an examination of
the philosophies and curriculum
of the university.
The problem of asserting
philosophies and approaches has
struck name schools such as
Berkly and the University of
Michigan. Consequently, many of
the nation’s schools are
analyzing their curriculums in an
effort to find their weaknesses.
Mr. Burke’s study which began
in November 1974 and will
terminate in May 1975, is
centralized around four main
objectives:
-ways to reduce the rate of
failing students.
-ways to use the faculty
effectively in helping
develop more and better
curricuJums.
-development of a more
feasable questionaire for
surveying the various
experiences of recent graduates
of the university
-revision of the Freshman
English Program to include the
competency based approach to
education.
Under the study (formally
entitled “The Cooperative
Academic Planning Program of
the Institute for Services to
Education) the university intends
to bring in specialized personnel
in each area, but, according to
Mr. Burke, “our main concern is
realizing our own problems and
dealing with them”.
Mr. Burke welcomes any
comments and questions which
should be directed to him in
Carolina Hall, room 216.
Nathaniel Barber