Chowan President and Deans Welcome Students
LOWE
Throughout a very busy summer, we
have been actively making prepara
tions for a new academic year. It is now
a real pleasure to welcome back on
campus those students who are return
ing to continue their studies at Chowan.
Of course, a special word of welcome
goes to those students who are new to
the campus and who are at the beginn
ing of their college career.
Whether you are a new student or a
returning student, I would assure you
that Chowan College is interested in you
as an individual personality, with in
dividual goals, aspirations, and needs.
Further, it is our desire for each of you
that your experience at hcowan will be
one of physical, spiritual, social, and in
tellectual growth. We are concerned for
your total development.
Having said this, however, I would
emphasize that Chowan is first and
(See Lowe, Page 4)
WHITAKER
As we begin the 133rd year in the life
and service of Chowan College, we
genuinely welcome each of you to the
campus. We anticipate a good year of
work and growth, as well as fellowship,
in association with you.
This is a special edition of “smoke
Signals”, our campus newspaper. It
has been prepared for you, especially
those of you who are new to the Chowan
campus.
Through the pages of this newspaper
and in every way possible, we want you
to know that your faculty and staff are
interested in you and defeated to help
ing you succeed in college. We believe
that this special issue of “Smoke
Signals” and the Student Handbook will
assist you immeasurably, as will your
Residence Hall Counselors and all the
people in Student Development.
Chowan is an institution of Christian
(See Whitaker, Page 4)
LEWIS
Since Chowan is primarily a residen
tial college, you will be interested in
knowing that leaving home and living in
a residence hall enhances one’s college
experience. Residential students, ac
cording to surveys conducted across
the nation, express more satisfaction
than commuting students with student
friendships, faculty-student relations
and social life.
At Chowan we regard residential liv
ing as an essential part of one’s educa
tion. Behavior controls are emphasized
through residence directors, resident
assistants and residence hall councils.
Chowan has not eliminated policies
which regulate behavior in residence
halls. We seek ways to maintain a
wholesome environment that is
regulated through guidance and super
vision from peers and staff members.
Hedonism, or devotion to pleasure as
(See Lewis, Page 4)
Volume 12 Number!
Chovi/an College. Murfreesboro, NC
August 25, 1980
Gym Dedication Set Next Monday
$2’/2 Million Site
Honors Sen. Helms
oKta
r
- r *
4 Share
Freshman
Honors
By BELINDA ELMORE
Awards for citizenship, service and
academic and athletic achievement
were given to twenty-seven students
during Honors Day, Friday, May 2.
Cynthia Gray of Richmond, Va., was
awarded the Best All Around Student
and the Department of Business
Academic Award. She also received the
Alpha Pi Epsilon Scholarship Award as
the outstanding secretarial science stu
dent. She and Rochel Roland of
Greensboro shared the Highest
Scholastic Average for a sophomore.
The Superior Citizenship Award went
to Surachai Fongamomkul of Bangkok,
Thailand. Hope Vinson Clark of Mur
freesboro received the Merit Award for
significant contribution to the com
munity and achievement in the face of
obstacles.
Named to the Order of the Silver
Feather for exceptional service and
loyalty were Nancy Loy of Fairfax, Va.,
Pam Harris of Murfreesboro, Ron
Thompson of Canton, Renee Lambert of
Danbury, Conn., and Harry Pickett of
Shallotte.
Four students shared honors for the
Highest Scholastic Average for a
freshman. They are Judy Carol Belch
of Conway, Cindy Ann Hendrix of Hobb-
sville, Teresa Ann Moseley of Triplet,
Va., and William Franklin Thweatt of
West Columbia, S.C. These students
and Sharon Frances Banks of
Chesapeake, Va., were selected as com
mencement marshals with Thweatt
serving as chief marshal.
The Most Outstanding Athletes are
Sandy Dixon of Jesup, Ga., basketball
and softball player, and Doug Saunders
of Woodlawn, Va., All-American
wrestler. The Exchange Club Athletic
Scholarship was presented to Mike
Grant of Charleston Heights, S.C. Ed
ward Adelstein of Richmond, Va.,
received the Joseph l^ee Parker
Scholarship for Physical Fitness.
The Department of Graphic Com
munications rewarded three students
for Most Outstanding Graduate
awards. Harry Pickett won in
(See Honors, Page 4)
Open Administration Pledged
By Atkinson After Landslide Win
By HARRY PICKETT
Sharee C. Atkinson of Dinwiddie, Va.
is president of the Student Government
Association here at Chowan. The blue
eyed blonde was elected by the campus
student body last March, when she
defeated Steve I^aney of Charlotte by a
decisive margin.
Atkinson, who is the first female stu
dent body president since the 1974-75
year, was a Dean’s List student last
year, majoring in Pre-Engineering. She
is also a member of Phi Theta Kappa’s
Iota Delta chapter, a national junior
college scholastic honor fraternity.
The executive said last spring that
she would strive to serve this year’s stu
dent body “without any conflict of in
terest.” She went on to say she would
“represent” and “inform” the students
of the SGA’s various activities and ex
plore the possibility of revising, if need
ed, the current SGA Constitution (last
year’s legislature revised this year’s
version).
Last year’s election, according to
then SGA president Mike Burke, was
dominated by Atkinson-supported
women. The school’s females turned
out in large numbers to offset Laney’s
large percentage of the black vote.
Burke said the voter-turnout was pro
bably the largest in Chowan’s history.
He said 5(X) students voted, compared to
approximately 300 in 1979 when he
sought the head job. “The increase in
the black turnout was a big factor in the
results of the election.”
Darlene J. Keene of Ahoskie was one
of two blacks elected. Keene defeated
Jefferey D. Prillaman of Greensboro in
the vice-presidential race, after
delivering an inspiring and sincere
speech to fellow Chowanians. Keene
noted that she was new to the politcal
scene, but offered that all great politi
cians had to “start” somewhere.
Ann W. Kellam of Onley, Va., Diane
LaBreux of Virginia Beach and Kathy
DeHart of Stoneville all ran unopposed.
Kellam will hold down the office of
secretary, LaBreau treasurer and
DeHart will handle the historian chores
Freeddie Davis of Morganton was ap
pointed by Burke to fill the office of
auditor.
Legislature
The SGA legislature consists of
students representing the various dor-
minory floors on campus. One student
is selected from each hall to act as a
representative of all its residents,
generally reflecting the opinions and
feelings of his constituents.
The primary objective, inevitably, is
to provide entertainment for the cam
pus conununity. Money allocated from
the business office serves as the funds
for movies, dances, trips. Parent’s
Day, Homecoming and Spring Festival.
The SGA also gives loans to clubs and
organizations in an effort that they may
grow and develop into strong represen
tatives of the school.
Interesting People on Campus
By HARRY PICKETT
Dedication ceremonies for Chowan
College’s new gymnasium-physical
education center is scheduled here for
Monday, September 1 at 10:30 a.m with
U.S. Sen. Harry F. Byrd, Jr. of Virginia
as the featured speaker.
The $2.5 million facility which was
completed this summer, is being nam
ed in the honor of Jesse A. Helms, a
Baptist layman and U.S. Senator from
North Carolina. I^st September an
anonymous donor, who gave $500,000 to
the building’s campaign, asked that the
gymnasium be named in honor of the
senator. Chowan’s Board of Trustees
and Advisors approved the request
unanimously. Dr. Bruce E. Whitaker,
president of the college, said the gift
more than doubles the previous single
largest gift from an individual, founda
tion or corporation.
According to Dr. Whitaker, Sen.
Helms is making plans to attend the
dedication proceedings, which will be
held inside the gymnasium,
Chowan began its campaign for a new
$2.5 million athletic complex in
February of 1977, which was called
“Accomplishing Our Mission.” At the
time the college, behind the efforts of
Dr. Whitaker, began a quest for a key
naming gift of $500,000. All of the finan
cial support came from alumni, founda
tions, civic groups and private
business.
“We were successful because many,
many people worked, prayed and
gave,” said Chowan’s president of 24
years. “Those who served as volunteer
leaders and workers and contributed to
the campaign include alumni, trustees,
advisors, parents, faculty and staff,
and other friends and groups. To all of
these and others our victory is due.”
The new facility, which had been ex
pected to be completed last spring
semester, will be used both for
Chowan’s intramural program for men
and women and for varsity sports in
men’s and women’s basketball,
women’s volleyball, and wrestling. It
will include three full-size basketball
courts, two classrooms, weight room,
mini-gym, three handball and paddle
tennis courts, and an Olympic-size
swimming pool. The facility will pro
vide 63,000 square feet of space and
seating for up to 5,000. Space is also pro
vided for faculty offices.
According to Dr. Whitaker, the
Olympic-size swimming pool in the
gymnasium will be named in memory
of Ruth Camp Campbell of Franklin,
Va. The late Ms. Camp, said the presi
dent, “devoted a lifetime of service to
her church, community and region.”
Sen. Helms, a native of Monroe, at
tended two Baptist colleges, Wingate
and Wake Forest. During World War II,
he served as a naval officer. After the
war he went into journalism, serving as
city editor of ‘ ‘The Raleigh Times”.
Helms is a member and served as a
deacon and Sunday school teacher at
Hayes Barton Baptist Church in
Raleigh. He has served on the Boards of
Trustees of his alma mater Wingate
College, Campbell College, John F.
Kennedy and Meredith College.
He was elected by North Carolinians
to serve a six-year term in the U.S.
Senate in 1972, and was re-elected in
1978.
Whitaker said the college has become
“successful” in its drive to provide the
last major facility envisioned on cam
pus.
“This culminates over two decades of
intensive physical growth and assures
that future generations of Chowan
students will have the benefit of study
ing and learning at one of the most
beautiful and well equipped campuses
in the nation,” Whitaker said proudly.
'Magic' Chef Feeds Students for 66’ a Day
By DEAN LOWMAN
Imagine feeding over 500 persons
three meals per day at a cost of 66 cents
per person per meal.
“We are allotted 80 cents per person
per meal,” revealed Ron Thompson,
food services manager at CKowan Col
lege. “Out of this, we have to subtract
our payroll, the cost of replacing
broken utensils, and the cost of pur
chasing new equipment.
“This cuts down our allottment to
about 66 cents per meal served,” he ad
ded.
Thompson has been at Chowan since
1977. Before that, the rotund 46-year-old
manager worked at hotels and institu
tions in the northeastern United States.
“Working up north helped me out
when we got snowed in this semester. I
was able to get to work easily and
helped to get some of my employees to
work too,” Thompson claimed.
Certified as a chef since the age of 22,
Thompson oversees a 61-man staff:
“We have only about 20 full-time
workers. The rest are part-time help
and work-study students.”
Although relying on the daily
deliveries of bread and milk to “keep
the students happy,” Thompson’s big
gest problem is the loss of electricity.
“We can miss a delivery or two and
survive,” he said, “but if the electricity
gets cut off, we’re dead.
“I remember one time the power
went out about an hour before lunch.
We had to switch from our planned
menu to one consisting of cold-cuts at
the last minute.
“However, we keep a 3-4 day supply
of nonperishable items on hand just in
case of emergencies. If this is depleted,
we restock it immediately.”
The menus are planned by Thompson
of a rotating three-week basis. Four
such menus are drawn up per semester
to insure against the possibility of hav
ing beef stew and pork chops for diiuier
each Wednesday for two months or
more.
“About the only way we have to find
out what goes over with the students is
to check what comes in through the
dishwashing line,” says the cafeteria
boss.
Thompson also has to deal with the
usual complaints about the food from
the students; “Most just inform me that
the food we serve doesn’t taste like
what they’re used to at home. However,
I don’t think they realize what we have
to work with when planning and prepar
ing a meal.”
The manager feels that students to
day “are a lot like they were when I was
young. They still have ‘crazy’ dances
and get drunk occasionally.
“However, I feel that the student of
today may be a little less responsible
than we were. At least, that’s the feel
ing I get when I see someone too lazy to
carry a tray a few feet and put it up.
“Maybe if they would just take a little
more pride in themselves ...”
Thompson Readies Solad Bar (Photo by Scott White)