Letters to Editor
SGA Supports Funding
Student Not Pleased
Maybe I’m amazed (but by no
means amused) that in less than
the space of one year Mike MasonI
and his gallery of demerits, |
social niisfits and charm sdnral
rejects have manag^ to plunge |
this institution and its students!
population into an era which cani
only he likened to some^
prehistoric period.
The present Student'
Government Association
president has deliberately broken
a pattern of progress revealed
first in the administration of Earl
Hart and becoming more refined
under each succeeding leader
including Terry Howard, Mel
Brown, Charles ZoUicoffer and
most recently Ray Williams. This
is not surprising when
considering Mr. Mason’s record
and the organizations with which
he has chosen to become
affiliated. He has proven himself
repeatedly to be toe upholder of
the status quo and certsiinly
cannot be expected to do
anything to raise the wrath of
those occupying Blair Hall.
From its inauguration, it has
been all but too apparent that
those who currently hold
positions of power in the Student
Government are little more than!
prestige seekers whosel
singleminded purpose has been toj
isolate themselves from the rest!
of the student body. You will'
remember, during the fall
semester, Mr. Mason (in his,
disguise of a low-budget.
Hollywood extra) was
unavailable for conferences with
students because he chose to
concern himself with making a
quick buck for his Philadelphia i
promoter friend. ;
Mr. Mason has surrounded
himself with as staff of
secretaries and office workers
who have the social grace of sea-|
sick crocodiles. As if to add insult ■
to injury he has enlisted a
number of advisors who are as
competent as snow is black.
It should be noted, however,
that Mike Mason is one of the
nicest persons you would ever
want to meet. But experiences
this year have proven that nice
people do not necessarily make
effective leaders.
With this in mind, let us now
commit ourselves to be more
conscientious voters in the next
general student elections.
Jimmie F. McGachem
by Falger Blackwell
There have been many
discriminatory acts against the
Black Universities of North
Carolina, but perhaps the most
prevalent one is the allocation of
state funds.
The SGA here realized this at
its December convention. The
results of their discussion is a
petition that is being circulated
around school. The petition
undoubtedly exemplifies our
grievances. However, the issue
also requires a lot of verbal
support. You can verbally
support it by telling your parente
and any person you think who is
not aware of the situation.
You can call the toll free
number at the Governor’s office
and ask why this act is occuring
and you can also write your state
representatives. Letters may
also be sent to the Board of
Governors.
Mike Mason, SGA President,
was selected as one of the
representatives to appear before
the Board of Governors’ Budget
and Finance Committee in
February. About 80 per cent of all
the Black universities are
supporting the petition and it has
also been endorsed by some
predominately white
universities.
This is a very important issue
STTTDENT EDITORIAL
On Capital Punishment
When the Supreme Court of the
United States renders a decision
on the issues of capital
punishment, its ruling will be the
law of the land.
The constitutional issues that
will have to be decided upon is
whether or not capital
punishment is cruel and
inhumane in its application
toward the victims of crimes.
Some throughout the country, say
that capital punishment is being
applied to those who do not have
capital producing merchandise in
local communities. This capital
includes property, such as
homes, stores, merchants retail,
indust^ units, etc.
The Supreme Court should also
look at toe following conditions^
which raise questions about toei
judicated system of
jurisprudence.
For example, toe problems ot
representation on juries is
complex. The number of
convictions overturned by toe
Supreme Court in recent years
indicates that toere does exist a
form of systematic exclusion of
questions.
It tends to true that in toe Souto
and toe Norto it is still commonly
accepted that there exist
different standards. There are
four (4) standards of justice.
First, where white is against'
white there is equal protection of
the law. Secondly, where Black is!
against Black, the common
complaint is that southern courts
and police are too lenient.
Thirdly, where a white commits a
crime against a Negro he will be
punished lightly if at all, and the
black complainant may expect
reprisals. '
Rape is a capital offense in all
southern states, but no white has
been executed for raping a black.
Wito toe fourto standard, a black
commits a crime against a white,
especially an offense against toe
person, retribution is swift and
severe. The statistics on capital
punishment are revealing. In
Louisiana, between 1900 and 1950,
no Louisiana bom white man,
and only two out of state whites
were ever executed for rape,;
while 41 blacks were execi^ed for |
raping white women.
delusion of Blacks from juries
is still being practiced in some
parts of toe souto, as well as toe
northern and eastern and
western parts of toe United
States.
Undoubtedly, jury exclusion is
much more prevalent than toe
number of cases reveals. Many
lawyers apparently never raise
toe issue for fear of harm to toeir
clients or to toemselves. Some
states require jurors to bei
registered voters or freeholders,'
own taxable property, or have no
criminal record. A large
proportion of blacks than of
whites are excluded by suchi
qualifications as weU as by toe{
financial hardship of ab^ncei
from work that jury service
entails.
When blacks do appear on jury
panels in cases where the
defendant is of toeir race, toey,
are almost removed by toei
prosecution through toe use of>
peremptory challenges.
In toe Norto Carolina prison
system, toere are more th^ 100
inmates on toe deato row. The
means of toeir conviction could
be vested upon the above
mentioned and has led to toe
conviction of many poor, black
people without careful
constitutional challenges.
In toe case of Jesse Flowers vs
North Carolina, toe poor and toe
underprivilege will see is justice
dualistic in scope or one sided.'
This test w^ affect every
person on deato row.
Especially toe 55 percent that!
are black in N.C.
Johnny Wilson!
affecting toe Black universities.
If we are to attract good students,
we need better school facilities,
such as more dormitories, which
will decrease our already
crowded housing situation.
We also need better
curriculums to offer courses that
can only be afforded by the white
universities. We can only grow by
offering our students better
chances to leam and obtain
better jobs.
Mike Mason stated that,
“Black insurance of higher
learning can never achieve
equality in education unless toere
is equality in funding priorities.”
The SGA can only add sparks to
toe issue, it’s up to you to keep toe
fire burning. Think about it...
money should go where it’s
needed! No otoer institution had
toe right to monopolize state
fundings. If toey continue, it will
further weaken all Black
universities in toe eyesight of
employment and hind^ progress
in Black education.
The following passages are
excerpts from toe petition on
funding circulated:
We, toe imdersigned students,
of toe higher education system of
Norto Carolina are extremely
upset, severely displeased, and
totally dissatisfied with the
present allocations of state funds
to toe predominately non-white
institutions of Norto Carolina. It
is very difficult for us to
understand the allocation of
$41,166,354 to Norto Carolina
State University, whereas only
$23,156,655 was ^located to toe
collective six minority member
institutions Inclusive of
Pembroke State University. And,
it is indeed a travesty of justice to
allocate only 13 percent of toe
state funds to toe aggregate
minority institutions wito an
enrollment of 16.3 per cent of toe
University’s (North Carolina
system) students while 23
percent of toe State’s allocation
of funds went to Norto Carolina
State University whose students
enrollment constitutes only 15.8
per cent of toe System’s students.
When students at the
predominately white institutions
receive $1887 per student while
their counterparts at the
predominately black institutions
receive only $1423 per student
something is definitely wrong
wito toe funding system of toe
North Carolina system.
Evidently, business is being
conducted under toe reign of toe
Board of Governors exactly toe
same as it was many years ago
under toe reign of toe Board of
Higher Elducatlon-govemed by
racism.
Editor:
Managing Editor:
Reporters:
Typists
Circulation
Advisor
Mickey Flowers
Ronald Jordan
Diane Johnson, Allen Griffin, Paula Gibbs ^
Nell Smlto, Roslyn Mufflin, Altoea BaUey,
Vonzella Scales, Gloria Ross, D.D. Young, Marilyn
Hubbard, Pamela Black, Falger Blackwell, Cheryl Brandon
Curtis Moore, Janet Browder, Sterling Eggleston.
Yvonne Harris, Gwen Moore, Linda Brunson,
Jennifer Harris, Terry Hayes, Patricia Harris
Della Wiggins
Charisse Fountain
BOOK CORNER
A fascinating blend of literary
and social criticism, togetoer
with biographical material,
illuminates “officially”
neglected autoors, toeir works,
and their influences on toe "new
consciousness” of toe sixties in
Naked Angels: The Lives and
Literature of toe Beat Generation
;by John Tytell (McGraw-Hill,
$10.00).
The first serious critical
evaluation of toe Beat writers,
this book explores toe origins and
development of the Beat
generation, in toe context of toe
fifties and toe Cold War Hysteria.
It examines such motivating
forces as jazz, drugs, hipsterism,
and toe lures of illegality - toe
Beats’ attempt to redefine
traditional notions of sanity and
normalcy - in toe light of an all
pervasive conformity which for
them merely disguised the
gradual transformation of
American freedom and
individuality into encroaching
totalitarianism.
As Tytell shows, such
experimentation wito their own
lives ultimately led toe Beat
writers to new forms of
expression culminating in such
works as On toe Road, Howl, and
Naked Lunch. The author uses
numerous interviews and private
correspondence to trace toe lives
that resulted in toe substantial
literary accomplishments which
have become classics in our own
time - from Kerouac’s estoetic of
spontaneity to Ginsberg’s use of
long line to Burrough’s
nightmarish comedy.
Associate Professor of English
at Queens College, John Tytell
was the editor of TTie American
I Experience: A Radical Reader,
and has written for such
publications as Partisan Review,
The American Scholar,
iCommonweal, Literature and
Psychology, and Studies in the
Novel.
by Victor de Keserling
tmmmmmmrn
Vote
On
March 23
RAMS RAP
Do you believe in capital
punishment?
Curtis Waters, senior: “No, I
don’t believe in it because I don’t
figure you accomplish anything i
by taking anotoer person’s life.
Doug Henderson, sophomore:
“If he is willing to he o^ht to
be willing to sacrifice his life. He
knows toe consequences when h(
commits a crime like that.”
Deb Young, junior: “No. No
crime is worth taking toe life that
God has given.”
Lemeatrice Harris, senior:
“No, I don’t believe in capital
punishment because it does not
show toe human dignity that
human beings supposedly
express.
Katrena Mills, junior: “No, I
, am not in favor of it because it
wouldn’t be justice in taking
anotoer man’s life because he has
done wrong. A life sentence is
sufficient because he’ll surely
suffer.
Ira Simpson, junior: “No, I do
not support capital punishment
because the punishment is
administered too quickly. I do not
believe in taking a God-given
life. Man is not to judge who will
live or die. I suggest very long
and hard prison terms.
Sevena McElvath, junior:
“Yes. Some crimes like murder
and rape are cruel enough to
warrant taking the criminal’s
life. I believe in an eye for an
eye and a tooto for a tooto.
Spring Break
The-News Argus is a student publication. The contents of which are toe
sole responsibility of students.
March 19