The News Argus, March 2004
ampus
■news
Undergrad U. brings
HBCU experience to
WSSU with student-
produced soap opera.
See page 7.
Undei:grad U.
Williams' opinion is not for everyone
By Lisa Boone
Argus News Editor
Saul Williams challenged students to
think out of the box with his thought-
provoking spoken word on Feb. 20 at
7 pm. in K. R. WiEiamsAuditorium.
“We need to start thinking for our
selves," he stated. Williams' ideas about
life in general motivated the audience
to think differently about circumstances
of life.
The young, expressive, clearly cre
ative individual encouraged students to
start asking a question when something
was misunderstood in the classroom
and in life. Asking questions made him
who he is. "I went to Morehouse
College and started to ask questions
and found that asking questions was
okay." His points were interesting.
Although I did not fully agree with
some of what he said, I was still very
much inclined to listen to his point of
view.
Williams gave an atypical view about
hip-hop lyrics and music. He stated,
"We listen to our music according to
our philosophy." He elaborated by stat
ing, "We nod our heads 'yes' to beats;
but without consent are actually agree
ing with the words regardless of what
they are, not just feelin' the beat."
When asked about hip-hop lyrics
dwelling on the harsh realities of the
street he replied, "The problem with
that is everything in the present is pre
sent, we call the present into existence.
The danger is if we speak only of what
happens we will perpetuate the non
sense, [the nonsense] will start to be
glorified, and there will be whites and
blacks of suburbia that will copycat the
nonsense...We are persons—'per' mean
ing beings and 'son' meaning of sound,
in other words what we say matters and
will eventually become matter." People
should watch what they say it is defi
nitely important and there is a lot of
power in the tongue.
Williams's articulated his views very
well. He answered the questions that
were on the minds of people, young
and old, in the audience by his poetry
and elaborated even more on his point
of view once finished reciting his poems.
His educated responses to statements
made in the dialogue between the audi
ence and himself illustrated that his
views had substance and that he was
not speaking out in ignorance.
Williams has spoken to all different
kinds of audiences. He gave the reason
for this and stated, "My purpose of
connecting with all different audiences
is to experience and express the unity
of humanity. Everybody is
included...There are no famous
philosophers today. The desire to want
to reach and connect before it is too late
keeps me inspired. Every white school I
go to is packed. 1 come here and 1
know that 1 still have work to do."
His concepts were not those of
closed-minded individual, but can be
the reason why that individual
changes. Not all of what he said was
something that 1 believed to be true,
but at least he had given a point of view
that made individuals think of more
than what is apparent.
Campus
Calendar
What's happening on the campus of Winston-Salem
State University for the month of March? Midterms sneak
upon students quickly at the beginning of the month of
March, students go on spring break, spring sports begin,
and the month ends with a university day.
The calendar for March is as follows:
Study hard; midterm exams are March 1-3, 2004.
Want a peaceful afternoon and intellectual conversa
tion? Attend the an afternoon tea on the 3rd of March in
Diggs Gallery at four pm co-hosted by the WSSU Honors
Program and the Diggs Sisters.
Spring sports are here: the women’s softball team
plays Bloomsburg at 11 am. Saturday, March 6, 2004 in
Winston-Salem. The softball team also faces Bowie State
University at 12 noon on March 8, 2004 in Winston-
Salem.
Ready for a break from studying? Spring Break is
finally here. The break begins on March 8, 2004 and ends
on March 12, 2004. Remember to be safe while having
fun!
Registration for classes for the fall term and summer
sessions begins on March 17, 2004.
Who runs the basketball court, old school or new
school? Find out on March 17th when Student Activities
presents the Old School/New School Basketball
Challenge at 7 p.m.
Interested in the world of business? Take the initiative
to hear the Kenan Flager Business School of the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill speak March
19, 2004 at 10 am, RJR. The MBA Club will host the pro
gram.
The month of March concludes with an optional
University Day on the 30th.
WSSU’s history brought to life
Photo by Nicole Ferguson
An “Afternoon Tea With tlie Diggs Sisters” was hosted in Diggs Gallery March 3. The sisters gave
accounts of life at WSSU in the early 1930s. Chancellor Harold L. Martin (from left), talks with sisters
Gloria Diggs Banks, Rachel Diggs Wilkinson and Jessie Diggs Kearney at the tea.
Washington's trip causes him to rethink his plans
By Martin Copeland, III
Special to The Argus
Aside from the value of an edu
cation, the most important aspect of
the four (or five for this writer)
years that we spend in college is
experience. We experience both
meaningful and worthless relation
ships with friends and "love inter
ests" that socially mature us into
adults. Then there is the experience
of sacrifice when we're faced with
an all too familiar dilemma: Do I
wash clothes this week, or eat
today? These sorts of experiences
test our character and form the core
of who we become as adults. One of
the most profitable experiences of
college is one that sadly, many Black
students never have the opportunity
to enjoy: travel. Imagine this: For
100 days, you cruise on board 23,000
ton passenger ship. Within those
100 days, you port in nine different
countries and meet students from all
over the United States and other
parts of the world. This is an
opportunit y that as of yet, only a
very few RAMS have experienced.
Byron Washington, a junior Business
major, is one of those students.
Washington spent the fall semester
of 2003, on board the SS Universe
Explorer with Semester at Sea. Now
Washington says, "Studying abroad
is something I consider a must. This
trip caused me to re-evaluate my
dreams, and make them bigger,
make them wider."
"The trip, which included ports
in Japan, Hong Kong, Vietnam,
Thailand, India, Tanzania, South
Africa, Brazil, and Cuba, also
allowed Byron to expand his vision
beyond anything that he'd thought
possible.
Upon returning to the United
States, Washington realizes the
impact that African Americans can
have on the rest of the world. "It
showed me that in our lives, there
a re so many things that have bnaken
us down and destroyed parts of the
African American community, but
we as African American students
and especially as Christians, have to
do as Nehemiah did, and purpose
in our hearts that if nobody else
wants to help [rebuild the torn
down], if nobody else wants to
reach out to those who have been
brdcen ... then we will." Just being
able to know the effect that a willing
mind can have on the world has
changed the way Byron views
e verything.
See WASHINGTON Page 6
Photo courtesy of Byron Washington
Byron Washington, a junior Business major, spent the fall semester
of 2003, on the SS Universe Explorer with Semester at Sea.