WSSU athletes
tutor local high-
school students
Page 2
HOMECOMING
2003 pictorial
The News Argus
Page
Ram athletes show
their stuff during
Homecoming week
Page 12
www.newsargus.com
Winston-Salem State University
November 2003
1
The annual Winston-Salem State University parade made It’s way through the downtown streets. Parade
participants and onlookers enjoyed the mild Homecoming weather.
Ram Pride
The 2003 Winston-Salem State University Homecoming
An Event of Excellence and a Time of Celebration
The mighty Rams of Winston-
Salem State University celebrated
homecoming in high fashion.
Unlike past years, all homecom
ing activities were held on the
WSSU Campus: the coronation of
Miss WSSU, Founder's Day, the
annual parade. Homecoming 2003
was a one-of-a kind event. Read
more about Homecoming and
view a special Argus pictorial of
Homecoming 2003 on pages 5-8.
Founder’s Day
Message: Set
high standards
By Lisa Boone
Argus Reporter
The Rev. Clifford A.
Jones Sr., the keynote
speaker at the
Founder's Day
Convocation, dared
students to live exem
plary
lives, in
keeping
with the
high stan
dard set
by the uni
versity's
founder
Dr. Simon
Green
Atkins.
"We can
not con
descend to
try to be
what oth
ers want
us to be,"
Rev. Jones,
senior minister of
Friendship Missionary,
Baptist Church in
Charlotte told the audi
ence, "You are a
unique gift from a
Divine Creator and
with the gift [of life]
comes responsibility."
Jones' address was
one in a series of activi
ties held during the
111th Founder's Day
Celebration.
Ceremonies opened
with a wreath placing
service in the court
yard of the Kenneth R.
Williams Auditorium,
following by a wel
come from Chancellor
'mmm
Harold L,. Martin and a
reading by Simona
Allen, granddaughter
of the late founder Dr.
Simon Green Atkins.
WSSU began as the
Slater Industrial
Academy . It was a one
room
school
house with
one
teacher
and 25 stu
dents. The
year was
IH‘^2. •
Dr.
Atkins
served as
president
of the uni
versity
from 1892
to 1904
and then
from 1915
to 1934.
Like other historically
black colleges, WSSU
came into being after
the Civil War to pro
vide educational
opportunities to newly
freed African slaves.
Atkins founded WSSU
on the principals of
reconciliation and
racial cooperation. He
is remembered for say
ing that "education is
primarily an effort to
realize in man his pos
sibilities as a thinking
and feeling being."
Kasseem Smith, a
WSSU sophomore, said
"Founder's Day
SEE FOUNDERS, Page 4
Photo by Keith Caesar
This wreath was placed
on the courtyard in
honor of university
founder Dr. Simon Green
Atkins.
Local black churches lend their support to HBCUs
By Lisa Boone
Argus Reporter
A Winston-Salem State University fac
ulty member is spearheading a
statewide campaign by black churches
to raise $11 million for North Carolina's
11 historically black colleges and univer
sities (HBCU) over the next five years.
The Rev. Dr. Carlton Fversley, who
teaches African American Culture and is
also the pastor of Dellabrook
Presbyterian Church, said the initiative
calls for each of the 11 institutions to
receive $1 million to use for scholar
ships, endowments and operations.
"While the $1 million gift per school
is the initial goal, the mechanics of the
initiative are such that ongoing sup
port of North Carolina's HBCUs by the
black church community is imminent
ly sustainable. Our schools are very
precious. We've got to break the cycle
of depending on others for the devel
opment of our economy," Fversley
said.
The non-profit agency, which Fversley
will direct, is called North Carolina
Black Churches for North Carolina Black
Colleges and Universities.
Traditionally, African-American
churches have been the backbone of
many historically Black colleges and
universities. Of North Carolina's 11
HBCU's, six are affiliated with churches.
The six are Barber Scotia (Presbyterian),
Bennett (Methodist), Johnson C. Smith
(Presbyterian), Livingstone (African
Methodist's Episcopal Zion), St.
Augustine's (Episcopal) and Shaw
(Baptist). The other five HBCU's are
Elizabeth City State University,
Fayetteville State University, N.C. A&T
State University, N.C. Central University
and WSSU. Kristie Swink, president of
WSSU's Student Government
Association, believes that the black
churches are setting a great example for
the community and students.
"The church is a big part of campus
life for students during their matricula
tion at the university," Swink said. "I
think that this is wonderful and 1 hope
that students give back to the communi
ty as the community gives back to the
students."
Mignon Turner, Miss WSSU 2003-2004,
echoed Swink's sentiment.
"I think that this is beautiful. Our
African-American churches have always
given back to the community and
always supported historically Black col
leges and universities, but to come
together and give is wonderful and very
commendable," she said.
In addition to collecting monies from
congregants, the Black churches will
also raise funds by encouraging mem
bers of their churches to buy products
from MATAH, a black-owned network
marketing firm based in New Jersey.
MATAH will contribute to fund-raising
by giving rebates on products such as
laundry and dish detergent and hair
care products, which, in turn, can be
given to the N.C. Black churches for
N.C. Black Colleges and Universities
fund.
Photo by Lisa Boone
The Rev. Dr. Carlton Eversley is leading a
campaign to raise $11 million dollars for
HBCUs.