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The News Argus
Dec.—Jan., 2005
Muhammad Ali Spiritual Center reveals his beliefs
By Frank E. Lockwood
KRT WIRE SERVICE
LOUISVILLE, Kv.
At the Muhammad All
Center, the most famous
Amencan convert to Islam
isn't bashful about his reli
gious beliefs.
His testimony is dis
played on the television
screens and imprinted on
the museum walls.
"Everything I do now, I
do to please Allah," he said.
"I conquered the world and
it didn't bring me true hap
piness. The only true satis
faction comes from honor
ing and worshiping God."
To understand The
Greatest, it's "absolutely"
crucial to understand his
spirituality, his wife, Lonnie
All, said in an inten.new.
"He was raised as a
Baptist here in Louisville.
Went to church here. His
mother took him to Sunday
School and to church, and
from there he went on to
become a Muslim, but all
along the man has always
been a spiritual man,"
Lonnie All said.
One exhibit includes a
picture of Centennial Olivet
Baptist Church, where Ali
was baptized when he was
12 years old. Another fea
tures All with Malcolm X
and Nation of Islam prophet
Elijah Muhammad.
There's All and Mother
Teresa, together in Calcutta.
Later, it's the champion and
the Dalai Lama, enjoying
each other's company.
Aloof isn't a word often
associated with the champ.
"Muhammad believes his
celebrity is a gift from God
and sharing that with others
is an act of kindness. He
strongly believes he should
share it with others," Lonnie
All said.
The center has a spirituali
ty room, where visitors can
recline on eight sleek, black
leather chairs while they lis
ten to the champ's spiritual
philosophy.
All, once a fieiy Nation of
Islam member, is now a voice
for interfaith cooperation.
"I've seen the whole
world. I've learned some
thing from people every
where. There's truth in
Don Flow encourages students
to invest in their community
By Robyn Floyd
ARGUS REPORTER
Don E. Flow, president and CEO of Flow
Motor Companies, urged WSSU students to
remain in Winston-Salem after graduation
and help the city flourish.
Flow spoke last month before a group of
about 50 students and faculty members
gathered in the R-I. Reynolds building as
part of the Joseph N. Patterson Lyceum
Cultural Events Series.
"We live in a society where we are free to
choose a career, spouse, future and place to
live," Flow said, addmg that students must
decide what type of futures they want to
create for their own lives. "If you cannot
imagine^it, you cannot create your future,"
he said.
For the city to flourish. Flow said each
generation should "mvest in capitals."
These capitals are: social ("the good"), intel
lectual ("truth"), aesthetic ("beauty"), eco
nomic ("plenty") and political ("order").
"Those who ser\^e the needs of the com
munity will be rewarded, and their life
would be renewed," he said.
Photo by Robyn Floyd
Don Flow spoke to students and fac
ulty as part of Joseph N. Patterson
Lyceum Cultural Events Series.
find Oberle's successor, but
until then an interim execu
tive director will hold the
soon-to-be vacant position.
Oberle has a long and pro
ductive history with com
munity involvement. She
has led WSSU's CCS since
its founding in 2001, and
has been nationally recog
nized as an expert in creat
ing safer neighborhoods.
Prior to that, she worked as
the project coordinator for a
local Justice Department
initiative that brought com
munity partners together
with local law enforcement
to work on neighborhood
crime and safety issues.
Oberle will replace Brenda
Diggs at Habitat for
Humanity of Forsyth
County, who announced
her resignation in
September.
Performances: On
Wednesday, November 30,
the Fine Arts/Music
Department of Winston-
Salem State University pre
sented the WSSU Wind
Ensemble's Annual Holiday
Concert. The program fea
tured classic Christmas
hymns and contemporary
Rams
on the
Move
Stajf, students
and alumni of
WSSU are
accomplishing
great things
Departure: Sylvia
Oberle, executive director
for the Winston-Salem State
University's Center for
Community Safety, will be
leaving the university on
February 1, 2006 to accept
the executive director posi
tion with Habitat for
Humanity of Forsyth
County. A nationwide
search will take place to
Dr. Michael Battle speaks on
war, hip-hop and the 'N' word
literature by composers
such as Sammy Nestico,
James Christensen, and
James Curnow. The WSSU
Wind Ensemble is led by
Dr. Michael Magruder,
Director of Bands.
On Sunday, December 4,
the Fine Arts/Music
Department of WSSU pre
sented a holiday concert
featuring the Winston-
Salem State University
Choir, the Burke Singers,
and University Men. The
concert was free and open
to the public. Those in
attendance enjoyed a vari
ety of holiday chorus selec
tions, arias, and recitatives
from George F. Handel's
Messiah. Special guests
and featured soloists
included alumna, contralto
Dorothy Childs, senior
WSSU soprano Idra Green,
and senior WSSU baritone
Daniel Gales, as well as a
chamber orchestra com
posed of community instru
mentalists and WSSU facul
ty. The Choral / Vocal
Department of the Fine Arts
Department collected
canned goods to benefit less
fortunate families in the
community.
By Robyn Floyd
ARGUS REPORTER
Dr. Michael A. Battle, the
president of Interdenom
inational Theological
Center, gave a keynote
address titled "Things Fall
Apart" during the recent
James A. Gray Endowment
Symposium in the R.J.
Reynolds lecture room.
Speaking before an audi
ence of about 100, Battle
said, "The war in Iraq is
senseless, ill-conceived, not
well planned and is based
on lies." He added that
"we [the U.S.] provided
Iraq with weapons of mass
destruction.
"Our nation has not won
an ideological war since
World War II. Unless you
are extremely stupid you
don't believe Saddam
Hussein committed the
attacks on 9/11."
Iraq and the "N" word
are among the things that
Battle said are falling apart.
He chastised those who use
the word "nigger," saying
"our ancestors fought, bled
and died for us, but today
we have a culture that says
its okay to be a nigger
again."
He also criticized the hip-
hop industry, which he
said has been taken over by
gangster rap and has no
social, cultural or historical
redeeming value. "There is
no originality when every
video has the same sce
nario," referring to cars
bouncing up and down,
guys in "thugged-out"
clothes, and women with
almost no clothes on. Battle
said he is glad that some
women are taking a stand
against sexually explicit
rap lyrics. "Women have
drawn a line in the sand
and have demanded
respect, honor and to be
lifted up," he said.
Hinduism, Christianity,
Islam, all religions. And in
just plain talking," he says.
"The only religion that mat
ters IS the real religion:
love."
As he battles Parkinson's
disease. All accepts it sto
ically.
"God gave me this
impairment to remind me
that I'm not the greatest. He
is."
The champion is focused
on eternal things.
"I want to do all I can so
that when I die, I can go to
the right place," he says.
"And when we die, life
don't end. Life's just start
ing. I want to do all I can to
prepare myself for the here
after."
Photo courtesy of KRT Wire Service
Muhammad Ali (right) spends time with his daughters,
Jamillah (left) and Rasheeda, at the dedication of the
Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky, on
November 20.
Funds from capital campaign
benefit school in various ways
By Tiphane Deas
ARGUS MANAGING EDITOR
A $35 million capital campaign that
kicked off on Winston-Salem State
University's campus recently is
expected to generate funds for new aca
demic scholarships, endowed professor
ships and strategic initiatives, according
to Chancellor Harold L. Martin
"We are looking to put about 40 per
cent of the capital campaign funds in
scholarships for students, approximately
$14 million of the $35 million," Martin
said. "To date, we have raised funds to
support 50 new scholarships."
"We have been using some of the
funds already for students who arrived
this year and some who arrived last
year," he added.
The launch of the capital campaign
attracted visitors from both the city and
state.
Kevin Myatt, chairman of the WSSU
board of trustees, said funds to recruit
new and qualified professors is greatly
needed.
"We need to be able to have the
finances available to be able to bring
those faculty members to the area and to
provide them with research dollars,"
said Myatt.
According to Martin, students can also
look forward to the dollars raised by
this campaign generating better educa
tional opportunities outside of the class
room, such as funds to send students
abroad and to bring in prominent world
figures.
Andrew Schindler, national chairman
of the campaign, said networking holds
the key to the campaign's success.
William Friday, president emeritus of
the University of North Carolina system,
said contributing to the campaign is
"the best investment you could make.
"The future lies in the hands of those
who are training themselves to be really
good scientists, engineers, lawyers, doc
tors, and that's a matter of the mind. A
high school diploma won't carry you
today. It's important to have, but you
have to go on, and that's why Winston-
Salem State's strength and quality is
very important, and especially to this
community."
Photo courtesy of tvledia Relations
The capital campaign launch attracted
leaders such as William Friday, president
emeritus of the North Carolina University
system.
P
Photo courtesy of Media Relations
(Left to right) Kevin Myatt, Board of
Trustees chair; William Friday; Chancellor
Harold L. Martin; and Andrew Schindler,
National Chairman of the campaign; came
to support the cause.
Photo counesy of Media Relations
Jeromy Baitey (left) and Tierra Williams
revealed one of many checks contributed
to the campaign.
Lisa R. Boone
Editor-in-Chief
Erin Perkins
News Editor
The News Argus
The Student Newspaper of Wmston-Salem State Universit\^
Tiphane Deas
Managing Editor
Steven Gaither
Sports Editor
Patricia Commander
Advertising Manager
Reporters: Larry Williams, Lori Lawson, Robyn Floyd, Dreama Williams,
Mason "Quill" Parker
Photo Editor: Garrett Garms
* The News Argus is a monthly campus newspaper for the students, faculty and staff of
WSSU.
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