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The News Argus
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Bobby Seale, co-founder of the Black Panther party, spoke at K.R. Williams Auditorium.
Photo by Garrett Garms
Bobby Seale explains to WSSU students
the purpose of the Black Panther party
Stephanie Douthit
ARGUS STAFF
Bobby Seale, co
founder of the Black
Panther Party, spoke to
students at Winston-
Salem State recently and
gave students a first hand
account of the Panther's
formative days in
Oakland, California.
Seale spoke at K.R.
Williams auditorium on
the WSSU campus as part
of HBCU week. Seale
explained to the large
crowd present that the
Black Panthers were
"avid readers,
researchers, and they
knew the laws/' and con
trary to popular belief,
they were not protesting
for "macho" reasons.
"We [Black Panthers]
were perceived as terror
ists, that we hated white
folks and we were a
threat to the internal
security of the govern
ment. We did not hate
white folks; we had some
radical white friends that
rallied with us. Even the
free breakfast for school
children program was
considered a threat," he
said.
The Black Panther
Party was founded by
Bobby Seale and Huey P.
Newton after the assassi
nations of prominent
members of the African-
American community,
such as Malcom X and
Medgar Evers. Seale said
the Black Panther Party
was created to organize
the black community and
fight for rights such as
employment, housing,
education, and against
police brutality.
Although these were the
purposes and concerns of
the party, misconceptions
often were created and
the Black Panther Party
became a widely feared
organization.
Seale said the Panthers
didn't break the law and
wouldn't let anyone
break laws while they
were involved with the
organization.
"The Black Panthers
were some of the most
organized and well
trained individuals,"
Seale said..
What’s in
a Name?
Have you ever won
der why or how the
Black Panther Party
created the name?
Bobby Seale explained
that blacks were often
pushed into corners
when it comes to
justice and equal
treatment.
So In comparison to
a black panther that is
cornered; it will try to
go left and someone
will push it the other
direction; it will try to
move again, and even
tually the panther is
going to leap fonward
from the corner and
face its oppressor.
w
Financial issues force
some students to start
classes without books
Trygeania DoweU
. ARGUSSTAFF _ . .
For various reasons — including financial — some stu
dents were not prepared for classes their first two weeks of
school at Winston-Salem State because they were unable to
purchase their textbooks.
"It's frustrating, very frustrating," said freshman Rondal
Moore, a nursing major. Moore said she submitted her
financial aid application by the deadline and was still wait
ing for her loan from the College Foundation to be certified
by WSSU on Sept. 8. She was, however, able to get most of
her textbooks. The one textbook she was not able to obtain,
"Reading Study Skills," was not in stock at the campus
bookstore.
" 'No books' means complications for your classes,"
Moore said.
Students who receive financial aid obtain vouchers for
$500 from Billings and Receivables for the campus book
store. The $500 is then deducted from their refund checks.
Not all students want to buy their books from the campus
bookstore, however. Willie Gilbert, a senior chemistry
major, receives a scholarship from STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Math) and says he hasn't run
into any problems of not having textbooks. He buys his
over the Internet from Ebay or Amazon.com. "They are
overpriced in the bookstore," he said. He has never been
scammed online, he said, adding that "sellers have certain
ratings, and I never buy from sellers who don't have any
ratings."
"First of all, it's against the law to disburse checks before
classes start," said WSSU Financial Aid Director Raymond
D. Soloman when asked why students don't receive their
refunds before the first day of classes. "The earliest students
can get their checks is on the first day of classes; and by
law," he said, "colleges have until the tenth day of classes to
disburse refunds."
Soloman, who has worked at WSSU for a year, has 13
years of financial-aid experience with other colleges, includ
ing Indiana University and Miami Dade.
The other colleges he has worked at do not disburse
refunds until after the last day a student can drop or add
classes, he said.
"Most institutions, " said Solomon "say, 'Show up with
cash for your books.'"
Campus safety policies more responsive in times of disaster
Erik Spencer
ARGUS STAFF
NO one could have predict
ed the tragic events that
plagued Virginia Tech last
spring — events that caused col
leges and universities across the
country to take a second look at
their campus safety policies.
Winston-Salem State University
is no exception. The WSSU Police
Department is continuing its
efforts to ensure campus safety for
students and teachers alike,
demonstrating that safety cannot
be an afterthought.
Campus safety has always been a
big concern at WSSU, said Capt.
Marcus Sutton. "Even before the
Virginia Tech incident there were
already conversations ... there were
things that we were working on
prior to that incident."
Sutton said that even the process
of enrolling at WSSU is facing some
changes. As it stands, the applica
tion process is on an honor system.
A new policy, now under discus
sion, would require background
checks for prospective students.
"We have a lot of people who
are not honest," Sutton said. "So
running background checks is
something we are exploring."
In addition, campus police are
taking measures to train rapid-
deployment teams to effectively
clear the school of life-threatening
situations. Sutton said that the
campus police have learned a lot
from the Virginia Tech incident.
The WSSU Police Department has
purchased equipment to deal with
someone who might barricade a
classroom.
"We've purchased equipment to
cut chains and break doors open,"
Sutton said.
Charles Albohn, a campus
police officer who has trained in
rapid-deployment scenarios, says
that working for city agencies and
having a military background has
its benefits when working for a
campus police department.
"We are more apt to point out
different issues that may arise out
of an incident such as Virginia
Tech," Albohn said. "It isn't if it
will happen, it's when it will hap
pen."
WSSU's campus police depart
ment can be every bit as resource
ful as a city agency, albeit on a
much smaller level. A range of
safety issues continues to be
examined on a daily basis to help
ensure the safety of the campus
community, Sutton said. Security
and safety have been, and contin
ue to be, top priorities, he said.
WSSU students may never have
to face an event like that of
Virginia Tech. The campus police,
on the other hand, have prepared
for the worst.
"You just can't predict what peo
ple are going to do," Sutton said.
"Anything can happen, at any
time."