Junious Leak
brings Paul
Robeson to life
through play
Page 8
Mignon Turner is
named Miss WSSU
for 2003-04 school
year
Page 9
SARS having an
affect on college’s
study-abroad
program
Page 10
The News Argus
Winston-Salem State University
E-mail: newzargus@yahoo.com
May 2003
Abuse, stolen property forces removal of pool tables
By Janell J. Lewis
ARGUS NEWS EDITOR
The game room at
Winston-Salem State
University is a place
where students congre
gate to do anything from
engage in a card game to
watch television, play
ping-pong or shoot pool
— well, at least that used
to be the case.
The game room, in the
Thompson Center, has
been void of pool tables
and arcade games since
about the second week of
April. Why?
"Because of vandalism
and abuse," said Albert
Roseboro, the associate
vice chancellor of Student
Affairs. "When you abuse
the equipment, we have
the right to take them
out."
Actually, the company
that removed the pool
tables and arcade games
was Colonial Vending Co.
in Greensboro. "
We have a lease/rental
agreement with them,"
said Roseboro. "The
equipment is not ours."
According to Willie
Cumbo, the assistant
director of Housing and
Residence life (and for
mer assistant director of
the Thompson Center)
the damage consisted of
students, "walking on the
tables, stealing and van
dalism."
The more vandalism
Argus photo by Kim McPherson
An empty room is all that remains after the four pool
tables were removed.
and theft that occurs, the
more money it costs the
school, he said.
Loss of and damage to
equipment was about
$3,500, Roseboro said.
"Recent month's rev
enue generated was
almost zero due to over
head costs [vandalism,
etc.]," said Cumbo. The
game room is available
because of student fees
and funds. Does the
absence of the pool tables
infringe upon the stu
dents and the money they
pay toward their fees?
Cumbo expressed that
"At the present time,
financially, the students
are losing out."
Art Malloy, the associ
ate vice chancellor of
Student Affairs, said, "We
try to believe that we are
all adults and act like
adults." This obviously
doesn't seem to be the
case.
Julius Boseman, a
sophomore banking and
finance major, said,
"Students just didn't
want to take responsibili
ty"
Students paid 50 cents
to play pool but were
stealing balls and taking
money from the arcade
games.
The loss of the arcades
was apparently not one
that would be a disap
pointment to many
because students obvi
ously weren't using them,
according to Cumbo.
"They weren't a prof
itable venture," he said.
"It wasn't a revenue-pro
ducing area."
On the other hand, the
pool tables may not have
been making much
money, but they obvious
ly attracted most of the
game room population.
Dayuan Ross, a fresh
man business administra
tion major, used to spend
See GAME ROOM,
Page 2
I
\
Argus photo by Kimberly McPherson
Winston-Salem State University’s convocation was held April 14 at K.R. Williams Auditorium.
More Choices
Though December is becoming a popular graduation
time, spring is still the favorite of many seniors
By Janell J. Lewis
ARGUS NEWS EDITOR
Grad school or work?
Travel or stay home?
These are questions that
may go throughout the minds of
a college senior. Whether stu
dents need more time or want to
graduate early, December gradu
ation is supplying the average
college student with more
options.
About 420 applications have
been submitted to the Registrar's
Office for the May 10, 2003,
spring graduation. The ceremo
ny begins at 9:45 a.m. at Joel
Coliseum.
Of the 420 applicants, five are
graduate students, receiving a
master's in education. This past
graduation for December 2002
was only the second time this
was an option to students. There
were 160 undergrads and five
graduate students as physical
therapy majors. More people
applied and graduated in this
ceremony than in the first
December commencement in
2001.
This December, there will most
likely be more graduates than
last year. William Cain, the
enrollment manager for the uni
versity, said this is probably
because students now have a dif
ferent mindset.
As the December graduation
rates continue to increase, the
spring graduation rates will
most likely continue to decrease.
This is not a bad concept, as long
as the percentage of graduates
remains steady or continues to
grow annually as a whole.
Summer school sessions one and
two, and fall graduates make up
the December commencement.
The advantages of the
December graduation being
added to the program are
numerous. Cain said, "I think it's
a good idea. It works people
harder."
The December 2002 graduation
was held in K.R. Williams audi
torium, just as the year before.
The only difference was the
elbow room in the building last
year compared to December
2001.
See GRADUATION,
Page 2
SGA may no
longer pay
for concert at
homecoming
By Nicole Ferguson
ARGUS MANAGING EDITOR
Issues concerning safety and Honiecoming 2003 were
addressed at Winston-Salem State University's full stu
dent body meeting last month. SGA President Kristie
Swink presided over the meeting that about 20 stu
dents attended to ask questions in an open forum.
WSSU's campus police chief, Willie Bell, and Lt.
Marcus Sutton addressed student concerns about park
ing and tickets. According to Bell, there should be a
sufficient number of parking decals as relates to those
that were sold and issued at the beginning of the
school year. He said the Rams Commons' parking lot
has 400 spaces, but only 226 tickets were sold, so
receiving tickets because of parking violations should
n't be a problem.
"We write over 600 tickets a week," said Bell. "We
really should be writing 40."
"And most of them are because they [vehicles] don't
have tickets," said Sutton, who also reminded students
that visitors should be parking in the RJR lot to avoid
ticketing and leaving before co-ed visitation hours are
over. Bell also informed students of the strides that
campus police has been able to take this year.
"We're the first HBCU with student gated lots," said
Bell. "And this year, just for this year, because we can't
hire full-time people, a security guard is posted from
midnight to 6 a.m. in the Wilson and Rams Commons'
parking lots."
Even though Bell offered this information, a com
plaint about not being picked up by an escort when
requesting was one of the greatest safety issues
See SGA, Page 2
The News Argus goes online
WIRE REPORT
After a year of change
comes one more very sig
nificant evolution.
The News Argus is now
online.
But what you can look
forward to are forums,
direct contact with writ
ers, polls, and there is
even a chance for chat.
Story, page 4
Thanks to a cooperative
venture with College
Publisher, The News Argus
has a personalized Web
site with up-to-date
national, regional and
local news as well as
sports and entertainment.