VOL 6
WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY. NORTH CAROLINA
MARCH 1989
Faculty member talks about her visit to Cuba
Sonja Williams
Photo by Thomas
By Craig Thomas
STAFF WRITER
Ms. Sonja Williams, instructor on the
Mass Communications faculty, recently
returned from the Jose Mari Journalism
Seminar in Havana, Cuba. She was one of
14 international guests and the only Ameri
can at the two-week event, which was held
to bring together individuals who work in
print and broadcasting as well as those who
teach journalism on a full-time basis. The
primary topic of discussion was the flow of
mass media between developed countries
and underdeveloped countries.
"The status of Cuban society 30 years
after the revolution when Fidel Castro took
over has changed," Ms. Williams said.
Before the revolution, Cuba experienced a
high illiteracy rate, like most other third
world nations, but since then education and
health have become two of the main priori
ties of the goverrunent. As a result of the
government's actions, now more than 90
percent of Cuban citizens can read and
write, and health care is free for all Cubans.
The Cuban legal system was of interest
to her "because Cuba has been accused by
the United States of human rights viola
tions." Ms. Williams and the other seminar
guests met with Cuban officials and spoke
to experts on constitutional law. They visit
ed a prison, a school and a cooperative farm.
Farming, she said, is the country's main
industry. She and her group also went to the
studios of Radio Havana, which is similar to
the Voice of America service, and broad
casts in five different languages through
short-wave radio throughout South America,
North America, Europe and parts of Africa.
Sightseeing was a popular part of the
trip. "Havana is like any big American city,"
Ms. Williams said. "At times I felt like 1 was
in New York." She explained that after the
Spanish-American War ended, Americans
came in and essentially colonized the coun
try until they left in the 1950s. There is still
a strong American influence that's very evi
dent throughout the city in the architecture
of its buildings.
Visitation was not only restricted to
Havana; Ms. Williams and her group also
took trips around the island nation. "The
biggest limitation," she said, "was not being
able to speak the language (Spanish)."
Translators were provided for the group a.s a
whole, but not to each individual. "Cubans
are real friendly," she said. "With all the
problems that Cuba and the United Slates
have had as far as relations, Cubans really
look at you for who you are and not where
you're from. They really open their hearts to
people who come to visit."
(Hz' 
Parking, parking: Where are the spaces?
The Myth of
St. Patrick's Day
By Shandra Cammack
STAFF REPORTER
Are you familiar with the myths that
surround St Patrick’s Day?
Photo by Tuttle
By Lisa M. Stewart
STAFF WRITER
Parking is a well-talked-about subject at Win
ston-Salem State University. Everyone has sugges
tions on how to improve the parking situation or
their own opinions as to why there is a parking
problem.
Director of Campus Police James Lewis says
there is an adequate amount of parking spaces for
everyone who has purchased a parking decal. There
may not be enough spaces where students want to
park, but if you are willing to get a little exercise, it
is possible to find a parking space.
According to Lewis, there are approximately
1,000 spaces on campus and about 1,800 decals
have been sold. He added that the division of
spaces for off-campus students who have green
decals, boarding students with brown decals and
faculty and staff who all have red decals was decid
ed upon by a group made up of himself and other
authorities.
Lewis believes that because the school was
turning to a new parking arrangement, there had to
be some sort of distinctions made about who should
park where.
How do students and faculty feel about the
parking simation?
Daphne Huntley, a boarding student at WSSU,
says there is only a limited amount of parking
spaces, and campus police shouldn't give anyone a
ticket just for parking in the wrong color code. She
says that if anyone purchases a parking decal, that
person should be able to park anywhere.
Another student, Anita Ratley, has a different
viewpoint about the color coding on campus. Rat
ley feels that the parking spaces around buildings
should be reserved for teachers who have the red
decals; but there should be parking spaces that
allow people to park maybe 10 to 15 minutes just to
run a short errand or something.
Ricky Morrison, another student, says he had
problems not only with parking, but with campus
police as well. It seems his problem began when he
paiiced illegally, but he can’t understand why the
officer on the scene refused to simply issue him a
parking ticket.
According to Morrison, "We (the officer and
Morrison) stood outside while another office went
to get a part for the wheel-lock that was being used
to shackle my car."
Mark Wright, a new instructor at Winston-
Salem State, says that construction on campus has
SEE PARKING Page 8
Some of these myths include: "Find a
4-leaf clover for good luck"; "If you’re
good, leprechauns will watch over you
throughout the day"; and finally "Wear
some green so that you won’t get
pinched?"
Well, these statements may keep your
spirits high, and make kids happy; howev
er, unfortunately, they’re just myths.
By the way, do you know who St.
Patrick was? St. Patrick, a bishop and
confessor, was call the Apostle of Ireland
and was that country’s patron saint.
Patrick was a legend for traveling in
all parts of Ireland making converts to
Christianity, founding monasteries,
schools, and churches, which in time
turned pagan Ireland into the Isle of
Saints.
Patrick, the Father and Founder of the
Church of Ireland, died on March 17. Peo
ple all over the world decided to celebrate
this day in memory of St. Patrick.
Shamrocks and leprechauns are
emblems associated with Patrick and are
usually wom this day.
So if you wish for good luck on St.
Patrick's Day, wear green so that you
won’t get pinched!!!!!!