The News Argus December 1997 - Page 4
- NEWS NOTES
Central's Chancellor Speaks At WSSU
BY ANDREW MEANS
Suff Writer
“More African-Americans are going
to non-historicaliy black colleges than
ever before and the trend is expected to
continue” expressed the chancellor of
North Carolina Central University.
During his riveting spcech, Julius
Chambers, who was speaking to an
audience attending a WSSU lecture
series, traced some of the legal battles
during the Civil Rights Movement up
until the early 1980s.
“We have overcome a lot of
obstacles but still have a long way to go”
he said.
Chambers, who is a very successful
and popular civil rights attorney, was the
former head of the NAACP Legal
Defense Fund. In 1993, he stepped
down to become the Chancellor at
North Carolina Central University. He
also urged students to become involved
with the desires of other minority groups
to better help African-Americans
understand certain situations that may be
faced in the future such as racism,
prejudice, and other bad feelings.
“We need to appreciate the
contributions of other minority groups so
they may help us also," he added.
Students, University officials, and
distinguished guests crowded Anderson
Center’s Dillard Auditorium to hear his
speech. Molly Corbett Broad, president
of the University of North Carolina
system, was one of the special guest.
After the speech, a question and
answer session was conducted by WSSU
Chancellor Alvin Schexnider.
Students raised the issue of improper
funding within the UNC system. The
main concern was that students at
HBCU’s were being disappropriately
funded as compared to UNC-Chapel Hill.
Larry Womble, a representative in
the NC Leglislature, remarked that he felt
that “race is definitely a factor in deciding
who gets funding." He added that “the
Leglislature will take all the necessary
steps in the next General Assembly
session to ensure that more money can be
appropriated at HBCUs in North Carolina
especially at WSSU."
The Lecture Series was named after
J. Alston Atkins, the son of Simon Green
Atkins, who was the founder of Winston-
Salem State University.
Should Policemen Use Pepper Spray?
BY DANIELLE PROPHETE
Editor
As Winston-Salem State University
mourns the death of one of their own,
Wamie Lee Patton, 36, due to an pepper
spray incident involving the Winston-
Salem police, we watch while the rest of
the country divides over the issue of
whether police officers should use f)epper
spray while apprehending suspects.
Pepper spray is a defensive product
containing Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) as
its active ingredient, with a propellant
such as nitrogen. Oleoresin Capsicum is
derived from concentrated hot red pepper
extract. The actual heat producing
particles in OC are called capaicinoids.
The actual degree of heat by which
substances are measured are Scoville
Heat Units (SHU).
Pepper spray acts as an inflammatory
agent rather than an irritant such as tear
gas. The inflamed mucous membrane
cells swell to prevent all but life support
breathing giving a choking, coughing and
a nauseated feeling to the attacker. The
subject is physically blinded for the
duration without any harmful after
effects.
Pepper spray works well because it is
a liquid and sticks to the surface it is
sprayed on, while Mace hangs in a cloud
and drifts, contaminating an area.
The fact still remains that there are
indeed some harmful after-effects, which
leave many concerned citizens and
WSSU students questioning the training
and use of pepper spray by police
departments across the nation.
“Police officers have excellent
training and more than likely they used
the pepper spray correctly,” said former
Winston-Salem Police Officer Calvin
Hendrickson. “Pepper spray just
shouldn’t be used by the ‘PD’, because
you don’t know what kind of drugs or
chemicals your assailants have in their
body which can react with the ingredients
of the pepper spray.”
“The use of Pepper spray is going to
prove to be dangerous,” said Baxter
Griffin, of the Department of Mass
Communications. “It definitely is a
judgment call by the officers.”
According to a Nov. 3 article in The
Winston-Salem Journal, of 144 people
sprayed in Winston-Salem over the last
year, 115 were black. That’s 80 percent.
Here is Winston-Salem, members of
the Black Leadership Roundtable of
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, a
collection of religious and politic
leaders are concerned about the use of
pepper spray by the police. They feel the
police should refrain from using it.
Several WSSU students have also
expressed their concern about the use of
pepper spray. “Since so many problems
are occurring from using pepper spray,
they (policemen) should find something
else to use to apprehend suspects,” said
Lashonda Alexander, a junior WSSU
education major.
“I feel that police don’t try hard
enough to settle their disputes before
having to use pepper spray,” said
Kemberly Pitter, sophomore sports
management major. “The pepper spray is
just too easy for them.
While the majority of the students at
WSSU agreed that the police shouldn’t
use pepper spray, there are some students
who are in total agreement of the police
officers using pepper spray.
“I would rather them use pepper
spray, than billy clubs or mace,” said
David Dawson, a WSSU sophomore,
mass communications major. “If the
suspects are resisting arrest, than the
police officers have to protect
themselves.”
Kave^ :A So-Je Kolidaxj “hre-ak Ro-ms!!
Sigmas, Zetas
Help Samaritan
Ministries
BY BYRON REVELS
Staff Writer
Rainy weather nor cold crisp winds
kept members of a Winston-Salem State
University fraternity and sorority from
participating in an event to bring
awareness about homelessness.
Members of the Delta Alpha
Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity,
Inc., and the Omega Chapter of Zeta Phi
Beta Sorority Inc., slept outside in the
cold and rain last month in a campaign
to benefit the Samaritan Ministries. The
event was coordinated by Omar Marks,
a Sigma and Cicely Huff, a Zeta.
The participants set up cardboard
structures to serve as shelter for the
event. During the sleepout, they
collected food, clothing and monetary
donations from WSSU students. Over
300 pieces of clothing, 200 food items
and approximately $125 was collected
^ming the sleepout.
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