What are club
owners doing
to protect their
patrons?
Page 8
Frustrations mount
on both sides as
towing incidences
increase
Page 5
US %
Reggae artist
Wayne Wonder
uiajini! aoBiier
makes his U.S.
debut album
Page 9
The News Argus
Winston-Salem State University
E-mail: newzargus@yahoo.com
March 2003
Who
By Nicole Ferguson
ARGUS MANAGING EDITOR
You've seen him. He's
the man who sets up a
table under the
Thompson Center breeze-
way that's a one-stop cen
ter for all your dorm
room entertainment
needs.
Music and movies by
the likes of 50 Cent, R.
Kelly, Deliver Us From Eva
— you name it, he's got
it, and it seems as if lately
this man has students at
Winston-Salem State
University asking,
"What's the point in buy
ing a movie ticket when I
can get a DVD of a movie
that has just been
released, watch it when
ever I want to, and only
pay $10?"
Bootlegging is illegal, .
and it has people, espe
cially black artists, on all
levels of the music indus
try extremely upset.
According to federal
statute, individuals will
“It costs him
$75 a day [to
vend], so evi
dently he’s doing
well and giving
the students what
they want.”
— Norman Williams
of the Office of
Auxiliary Services
be criminalized for the
unauthorized manufac
turing, distribution or
trafficking of sound
recordings and music
videos of "live" musical
performances. Former
President Bill Clinton
signed the General
Agreement on Tariffs and
Trade, also known as
GATT, in December 1994.
That's when the federal
Argus photo by Nicole Ferguson
Items bought from this WSSU vendor Include CDs from
artists including Jay-Z and R. Kelly and movies such as
Deliver Us From Eva, which is still in theaters.
anti-bootleg statute was
created. Until then, only
state statutes could pro
tect artists' rights against
copyright infringement.
But the man who has
received permission to
sell bootleg materials on
WSSU's campus sees
nothing wrong with what
he's doing.
"Yeah, it's a con," said
the man, who refused to
give his name at the time
of the interview.
"I'm sure I am affecting
the artists somehow, but
they get cheated out of
their money all the time
by the deals they sign.
"I take the risk to come
out here and sell the
product. It's a risk 'cause
anyway you look at it, it's
illegal."
Illegal, yes. A risk, yes.
“I take the risk
to come out here
and sell the prod
uct. It’s a risk,
’cause anyway
you look at it,
it’s illegal.”
— Vendor’s comments
on his activities on
WSSU’s campus
because the vendor could
be arrested under federal
and state laws if city
police officers were to
come on campus and find
him selling bootleg prod
ucts.
In fact, the vendor is in
violation of U.S.
Copyright Law (Title 17
U.S.C. Section 101 et seq.
Title 18 U.S.C., Section
2319 and Section 2319A),
Trafficking Counterfeit
Labels (Title 18 U.S.C.,
Section 2318), and the
Anti-Bootleg Statute
(Section 2319A).
But according to cam
pus policeman Lt. Marcus
Sutton, the vendor's pres
ence on campus hasn't
been viewed as harmful
or wrong in the universi
ty's or the city's eyes.
"As long as it's cleared
by Auxiliary Services, as
far as 1 know, he's fine,"
said Sutton. "1 haven't
seen city officers do any
thing about it. I never
thought to research it
because the city doesn't
do anything when they
see these guys selling this
in the city."
In response to the ven
dor's comment on taking
a risk to sell on campus,
Sutton said, "If he made a
statement like that, then
maybe this is something
we need to look into."
See VEND, Page 2
MLK gets
new name
for a while
By Ashley Dinelle Jones
ARGUS REPORTER
fKiiamimmmmmmmm
;The Golden Mltei
' L--r. k-vm'
Have you seen the new signs that have been posted along
Martin Luther King Jr. Drive at several intersections within
the past few weeks?
They are brown signs with the words "The Golden Mile"
written on them.
In a proclamation given by Mayor Allen Joines on Feb. 17,
MLK serves as a vital corridor through the African-
American community by
connecting academic, cul
tural, financial, medical,
commercial and spiritual
uses. The Golden Mile des
ignates the roadway between the Downtown Health Plaza
and the light at the main entrance of Winston-Salem State
University.
Stan Polanis, the city's director of transportation, said, "It
is in honor of Black History Month, and it recognizes the
contributions made by African-Americans."
Vivian Burke, a city councilwoman and mayor pro tem
pore, said the idea for the mile was one that she has
encouraged. She said the signs came at the request of Dr.
Serenus T. Churn of Mount Zion Baptist Church.
"It [the mile] continues to hold up the legacy of Winston-
Salem," Burke said.
As to why the signs had been placed up after Black
History Month had ended, Burke said, "It takes time for the
proclamation to be passed and the signs to be made."
But as for the man behind the idea, he became inspired
by the many black services and institutions along the mile.
He took the proposal to Councilwoman Joycelyn Johnson
of the East Ward, who further pushed the idea.
He believes that the mile represents the good things nes
tled in the heart of the black community.
"At the head of the mile lies great opportunity for stu
dents to reach their potential. At the foot lies the physical
opportunities, and in the middle lie the spiritual as well as
other needs," Churn said.
He added that with so much attention placed on the neg
ative events in East Winston, it is imperative to have a shin
ing spot in the community.
And for East Winston, that spot lies on The Golden Mile.
WSSU freshman Nick Murchison
beat the odds as he recovers
from transplant surgery
Heart
Strong
By Lisa Boone
ARGUS REPORTER
Although Nicholas
Murchison has been
through so much over
the past couple years, his atti
tude is still a positive one.
Murchison, 18, of Sanford,
who's known as Nick, is a
freshman. He recently under
went heart transplant surgery
at UNC-Chapel Hill hospital.
Murchison said he had not
been feeling well for quite
some time.
"I was having leg cramps,
and I couldn't walk long dis
tances. I went to the doctor,
and they said that I had strep
throat. I was given some med
ication and sent home," said
Murchison.
Nevertheless, the tiredness,
pain and fevers persisted.
During his senior year of high
school, Murchison collapsed in
class. It was at this time he dis
covered he had a hereditary
disease, congestive heart fail
ure. Many of his preceding
male relatives had been diag
nosed with this disease. Those
who came before him had a
different ending to their stories.
Murchison, along with the
support of his mother and
close family, decided to go to
college despite his condition.
Many had concerns and were
reluctant to see him go, but he
was determined not to let his
circumstances hinder his deci
sion to go to school.
As he went through his first
semester of college, everything
seemed all right. Despite a few
trips to the hospital, he still
continued on as if nothing was
wrong.
Just as he was beginning his
second semester, he got a
phone call from his mother.
This phone call was not an
ordinary one, his mother told
him the news that he had been
waiting to hear for so long.
He had received the donor
heart that he had been patient
ly waiting for.
That same night he went to
the hospital in Chapel Hill.
After all of the technicalities
were finished, he went into
surgery.
The transplant went well, but
Murchison was weak. A week
after the surgery was per
formed, he was walking
around the hospital. The doc
tors told the family that he was
recovering much quicker than
most patients. The next week,
Murchison was discharged
from the hospital.
"It was a miracle, Nick's
receiving a heart and every
thing's going well. 1 thank God
for this blessing, and I appreci
ate all of the love, prayers and
thought that was given to our
family," said Mrs. Murchison.
Murchison, who is also a
member of Winston-Salem
State University's gospel choir.
Inspirational Voices, had loads
of support from his fellow
choir members after the choir
participated in a benefit in
November at Friendship
Baptist Church in Fayetteville
to provide financial support
for medical expenses after
learning of his plight.
Murchison had been on a wait
ing list for a heart transplant
for over a year.
Just recently, the doctors let
Nick know that he could
return to his daily routine.
"With my new heart, I am
ready to take on whatever life
brings," Murchison said.
4