The News Areus
Winston-Salem State University’s Student Newspaper
www.thenewsargus.com
February 2005
Ossie Davis dies at 87
Ossie Davis, the distinguished
and elegant baritone actor, director,
producer and human rights
activists, died Feb. 4 at the age of
87. Davis, the husband and partner
of actress Ruby Dee, was found
dead in his hotel room in Miami
Beach, Fla. He was shooting the
film “Retirement” there. His film and
stage career totaled 65 years.
Miss WSSU needs your vote
Kelechi C. Anyawu, Miss WSSU
2004-2005, is running for Miss
CIAA. All candi
dates will be
judged by online
voting by the pub-|
lie, academic
excellence, and
personal essay.
Visit www.ciaa2005.com to cast
your vote. Voting ends March 3.
NASDAQ leader at WSSU
Don Johnson, managing director
of the Corporate Client Group at
NASDAQ, spoke to students for the
WSSU Executive Leadership
Lecture on Feb. 7.
WSSU’s School of Business and
Economics sponsors the Executive
Leadership Lecture Series. The lec
ture series gives students the
opportunity to interact with senior-
level business leaders from well-
known organizations.
Shirley Chisholm dies at 80
Shirley Chisholm, the first
African American woman elected
to Congress and later the first
black person to seek a major
political party’s nomination for
U.S. president in 1972, died
Jan. 3. Chisholm, a staunch
activist for minority rights, was 80.
Science: The final female frontier
When given
same chances
as men, women
succeed in
health and
technology,
professor says
By Takia N. Miller
ARGUS REPORTER
In the 15 years that she
has taught physical chem
istry at Winston-Salem State
University, Siham I. Rahhal
has lectured to mostly
women students. In fact,
there have been instances
when the class was 100 per
cent female.
This reality at WSSU
stands in stark contrast to a
statement made recently by
Harvard President
Lawrence H. Summers, who
publicly questioned
whether "innate differ
ences" between the sexes
make women less inclined
to succeed in mathematics,
physics, engineering and
other science-related fields.
Rahhal is an associate
professor in the Department
of Physical Sciences. All
chemistry majors take two
semesters of physical chem
istry with her, and she also
teaches general chemistry to
students majoring in life sci
ences, nursing, medical
technology and other alhed
health fields.
Rahhal said she feels cer
tain that, if given the same
opportunities, women will
do as well as men in the
fields of science and math.
In the physical chemistry
class that she currently
teaches, there are six
women students and one
male. All are senior chem
istry majors, with two of the
six women pursuing double
majors in biology and
chemistry.
And, when Rahhal asked
students in the class for
their opinion about per
ceived differences between
men and women, all agreed
that gender has nothing to
do with whether one excels.
Instead, the consensus of
the class was that it
depends on the individual.
Summers made his
remarks, which sparked so
much controversy that his
words made it onto the
front pages of the national
press, during a conference
on women and minorities in
science and engineering
workforce. Some of the
women attending the con
ference walked out.
This is not the first time
See SCIENCE,
Page 2
Coach Ken Carter says
hard work is the key
By Kiandra Jefferson
ARGUS REPORTER
Do you know whose Face*“
appears on the $50 bill? This is a
question that Ken Carter, the high
school basketball coach that actor
Samuel L. Jackson portrays in the
movie Coach Carter, asked a gath
ering of university students, par
ents and others here in Winston-
Salem last month.
Of the 200 or so people in the
audience, only one person knew
the answer and, as a reward.
Carter handed him the bill. "How
ate you going to make money,"
Carter asked, surveying the audi
ence, "when you don't know
who's on the money?"
Carter is the small town coach
who made national headlines
when he locked out his varsity
basketball team because the play
ers failed to keep up their grades.
And, his own son was a member
of the team.
During his motivational talk at
Wake Forest University, Carter
demonstrated through words and
actions - at one point he dropped
to the floor ar\d began doing
pushups - that hard work, self-
motivation, disciphne, a quality
education and a life well-planned
are necessary ingredients for suc
cess.
Born in McComb, Miss., Carter
was the youngest in a family of
seven girls and one boy. He began
his career as a high school basket
ball coach at Richmond High
School in Richmond, Calif, in 1997
and continued there until 2002. He
is presently the Rumble Head
Coach of Slam Ball in California,
and founder of the Coach Ken
Carter Foundation, which pro
motes and provides education,
training and mentoring programs
for minority youths. Among other
things, the foundation last year
hosted 11 students from Austraha
and they learned firsthand what it
takes to be an American High
See CARTER, Page 2
Photo courtesy of WSSU Athletics
Darnell Gregory says he agrees with Ken
Carter’s philosophy on the role of sports in
schools.
How should we fix Social Security?
By Robyn Floyd
ARGUS REPORTER
President Bush maintains that the
Social Security system will be "flat bust,
bankrupt" in 40 years "unless the
United States Congress has got the will
ingness to act now."
Social Security began during the
Great Depression. It has grown from a
relatively modest way of helping older
people and the unemployed to the
largest single item in the federal bud
get, accounting for about $500 billion
annually.
The aging of the baby boom genera
tion is blamed for putting the system in
crisis. Democrats and Republicans alike
agree that the system needs an over
haul. However, they can't agree on how
to fix it.
Bush wants to change the system by
allowing younger workers to invest
some of their Social Security payroll
taxes into private investment accounts,
such as stocks and bonds.
One of Bush's arguments has been
that African Americans, in particular,
are shortchanged by the system because
blacks have relatively shorter life spans
than other groups, which means they
pay more into payroll taxes than they
eventually will receive in benefits.
Opponents say that is not entirely
true, arguing that Social Security also
serves families of workers who become
disabled or die, and both survivor ben
efits and disability benefits go dispro
portionately to African Americans. So
although African Americans make up
12 percent of the population, for exam
ple, 23 percent of the children who
receive survivor benefits are African
American.
Today's students are tomorrow's
workers, and a major change in the
Social Security system will have a pro
found effect on stu
dents here at WSSU.
So News Argus
reporter Robyn Floyd
randomly stopped
WSSU students to get
their view on the sub
ject. Here's what a few
had to say;
McCORKLE
HARDEE
'The plan is not a
good one. Personally, I feel the govern
ment should pay us because of our
hardwork! The plan should be an
incentive." Michael Hardee, a 19-year-
old sophomore.
"Yes, 1 feel this plan
is good because we
need money for the
future. It is hard to
save and you are tak
ing a chance to better
your future." Kenon
McCorkle, 23, a senior
marketing major.
"Even though we are
working our money
pays for Social
Security, it looks as
though more money is
being taken away from
our checks, and there
is no guarantee we
will see the benefits of
See SOCIAL SECURITY,
Page 2
M LLS
Valentine’s
about love,
not money
By Michaela Siegrist and Erin Perkins
ARGUS REPORTERS -
As Feb. 14 draws near, hearts start beating, but not for
the reasons you might think. It's not because of love or
passion. Hearts are pounding out of sheer panic, which
leads to a question worth some self-introspection; How
do you stop your V-day from turning into a D-day?
The origins of Valentine's Day are obscure. Valentine's
Day began as a pagan Roman festival. Then a pope
decided to turn it into a Christian feast day. Who exactly
St. Valentine was remains a mystery. History tells us that
there were at least three saints by that name and all
three, strangely enough, were said to have been mar
tyred on Feb. 14.
Suffice to say, none of the early Christian saints by that
name probably ever imagined the spending frenzy that
goes along with this holiday, which allegedly celebrates
love.
Last year, consumers spent nearly $13 billion on gifts
for Valentine's Day in the U.S., with the average con
sumer spending $99.24. Sixty-four percent of men bought
flowers for their loved one, compared to 16 percent of
women.
Moreover, a survey by the National Retail Federation
found that young adults show the most enthusiasm for
Valentine's Day, with the average 18 to 24-year-old
spending almost $155. Greeting cards, candy and flowers
are the most popular gifts.
"Valentine's is not about money," freshman Semond
Coleman said, "It's about love. Don't get caught up in
the commercialized nonsense of V-day. It's not what you
spend on that person, it's the quality of time you share
with them."
Deontae Holland agrees. The pure moments of V-day
are what count, he said. "I told someone I loved her for
the first time on Valentine's Day, and it was actually true!"
See VALENTINE’S, Page 2
ARGUS INDEX
February Edition
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