Comfort or
fashion? Let
your feet decide.
Page 2
What are your
classmates doing
this summer?
Page 6
Smell what s
cooking at
Sweet Potatoes.
Page 8
The News Argus
www.thenewsargus.com
Courtesy of Media Relations
Dr. Mae Jemison will
deliver the 2004 com
mencement address.
Jemison is
graduation
speaker
Courtesy of Media Relations
Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African-American
woman to travel into space, will deliver the
keynote address for Winston-Salem State
University's
113th Spring
Commencement
at the Lawrence
Joel Veteran's
Memorial
Coliseum at 9:45
a.m. Saturday,
May 8.
A native of
Decatur, AL,
Jemison was
reared in
Chicago, IL,
where an uncle
introduced her to
the world of sci
ence. Undaunted
by a lack of role
models in the
field, she
excelled acade
mically, and at
age 16 she
entered Stanford
University in Stanford, Calif, on scholarship.
She graduated with a bachelor of science degree
in chemical engineering and fulfilled the require
ments for an A.B. degree in African and Afro-
American studies. She then attended the Weill
Cornell Medical College in New York, N.Y.;
where she earned her M.D. degree in 1981.
Following medical school, Jemison served in
the Peace Corps from January 1983 to June
1985. She was stationed in Sierra Leone and
Liberia, West Africa, as the area Peace Corps
medical officer. There she supervised the phar
macy, laboratory and medical staff. She provided
medical care, wrote self-care manuals, and devel
oped and implemented guidelines for health and
safety issues. She also worked in conjunction
with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC ) on
research for various vaccines.
After returning from the Peace Corps in
1985, Jemison secured a position with CIGNA
Health Plans of California as a general practi
tioner in Los Angeles, Calif She began attend
ing graduate classes in engineering and applied
to the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) for admission to the
astronaut program. She was accepted in 1987,
one of only 15 candidates accspted from some
2,000 applicants.
Jemison successfully completed her astronaut
training program in August 1988, becoming the
fifth African-American astronaut and the first
African-American female astronaut in NASA
history. Jemison boarded space shuttle
Endeavour in 1992, as a science mission special
ist (a NASA first) on the STS-47 Spacelab J
Flight, a successful joint U.S.-Japan science mis
sion.
A distinguished' physician, scientist, chemical
engineer, linguist and educator, Jemison believes
strongly in the value of public schools. In 1992,
she was honored with the establishment of the
Mae C. Jemison Academy, an alternative public
school in Detroit, MI.
In 1993, when she resigned from NASA,
Jemison began the Jemison Group Inc., a tech
nology company in Houston, Texas. The group's
projects include a satellite-based telecommunica
tion system to improve health care in West Africa
and The Earth We Share, an international science
camp for students 12 to 16 years old. Her new
corporation, BioSentient, is a medical technology
company. Also, she is currently an A. D. White
professor-at-Large at Cornell University.
Jemison is the recipient of innumerable hon
ors and awards, including the Honorary Doctor
of Humane Letters degree from Winston-Salem
State University in 1991.
Winston-Salem State University
April 2004
Minority students flock to WSSU
By Lisa R. Boone
Argus News Editor
In most instances when people hear the
word “minority” when used in reference to race
they immediately come to the conclusion that
the people in that group are African-American,
Asian, Hispanic, or American Indian. However,
in some cases this is not true. For example, the
amount of non African-American .students
enrolled at WSSU. There are 4,102 graduate
and undergraduate students at WSSU for the
2003-2004 school year. Almost 4,000 of the
students enrolled are undergraduate students, of
these students 684 are not African-American.
Although WSSU was founded as a histori
cally Black university many different individu
als of different races have found that WSSU is
the place for them to continue their educations
WSSU offers a variety of programs that people
from various descents find interesting.
Anna Bear, a Caucasian second-degree stu
dent seeking a degree in Spanish, said, “I
wanted to study Spanish so 1 came to talk to
Dr. Brookshaw; after talkingtwith him about
the Spanish program here 1 decided to come to
WSSU. My experience here so far has been
absolutely excellent. I enjoy attending this uni
versity very much. As a person seeking a
second-degree I am very thankful for the excel
lent education I am receiving. I enjoy my
classes, the instructors, the students and the
environment here.”
The “minorities” on the campus of WSSU
have many reasons for attending the university.
See MINORITY, Page 4
Photo by Nicole Ferguson
Seniors Jill Robbins (left) and IVIarissa Chavis
are Mass Communication majors.
‘‘You have a great history, you have to begin by realizing you are a very special person
who belongs to a very special race of people and you have so much to be proud of.”
— Dorothy Height
Photo courtesy of Media Relations
Dr. Dorothy Height, 92, recently won the Congressional Medal of Honor. Her tireless efforts for equal rights have
earned her national praise.
Excellence
Dr. Dorothy Height says as African Americans
being good is not good enough
By Adrienne Mclnnis
Argus Reporter
It is such a dramatic quote that it has influenced
and remained with the renowned human and
civil rights leader. Dr. Dorothy I. Height,
through most of her adult life.
“Dont’ tell me that you have done your best.
your best is not good enough, it has to be excellent,
this is a black newspaper” This is “The Negro
World.” An exact quote uttered from the mouth of
Marcus Garvey, the leader of the largest movement
during the 1920s, the Pan African movement,
everyday to his staff. Height, who at 21 had the
opportunity to be a part of Garvey’s staff with the
job of proofreading pages of “The Negro World” is
still living by these profound words today. “To be
black, means you have to be the best,” says Height.
Bom in Richmond, Va., Height received a mas
ter’s degree through scholarship at New York
University, Height was a giant of the Civil Rights
Movement.
See HEIGHT, Page 4
Campus police get motorized bikes to patrol campus
By Janell J. Lewis
Argus Managing Editor
Beginning this month, Winston-Salem State
University will become the first campus in the country
to provide its security officers with electric-powered
bicycles like ones currently used by U.S. military
foiices overseas.
“Regular bike patrols are somewhat limited because
it all comes down to the energy level and how in shape
an officer is,” said Jonathan Martin, executive assistant
to the Chancellor.
However, the electric bikes, which look similar to
mountain bikes, “have the ability to regenerate and
recharge the battery by pedaling. So, in theory, you
can really last longer by pedaling,” Martin said.
WSSU has purchased four electric bikes. The bicy
cles are low-maintenance, quiet and operate with two
motors - a 750 watt motor, with a top speed of 20
mph and a range of 15 to 20 miles and a 1,000 watt
motor, with a speed of 30 mph and a range of 15 to 20
miles. The bikes fold in half for easy storage, and
Martin added that they “create no emissions,” so are
“environmentally friendly.”
Campus police will use three of the four bikes.
The fourth is reserved for Chancellor Harold Martin,
who plans to use his bright red bike to increase his
visibility on campus among students.
Chief Willie Bell of the WSSU public safety
department said the bikes will serve a dual purpose.
They will create an opportunity for campus police
officers “to enhance safety on campus” and “put us
closer to our students.”
“We’re in a geographic area where we have a lot of
hills,” Bell said. A physically-fit officer may still have
problems on a manual bike once in pursuit of a suspect.
In addition to the electric bikes, the university
also plans to purchase some traditional bikes. And,
Bell added that officers on all shifts will use both
the electric and manually-operated bikes.
With the addition of the new pedestrian mall and
clock tower on campus, the need for bike patrols is
timely, Bell said. Officers on bikes will have access
to areas of the campus that are not accessible by
f>olice cars.
See BIKES, Page 4