North Carolina Newspapers

{ ( OCTOiER, 1992 VOLUME 20, NUMBER 1 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF CHOWAN COLLEGE MAtS Hurricane Andrew Are we REALLY helping? The newest member of the Department of Art with some of her work. Elizabeth Vick joins art faculty Elizabeth Michael Vick is the newest member of the Qiowan College Department of Art. She will be teaching art history and studio courses in painting and drawing. Originally from Char lotte, Vick icceived her B.A. de gree in studio art fram the Univer sity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her MP.A. from the Uni versity of North Carolina at Greens boro. A representational artist, Vick specializes in painting, using mostly oils. Her art has been shown all across the state and in New Yoik Qty. She currently lives in Jackson with her husband, Jeny, whom she met at Chapel Hill. Married just No yearbook:school year may be forgotten Jessica Kiser Co-Editor By Jessica Kiser Rumors have been flying around the Chowan Col lege campus about the fate of the stu dent yeaitxx* ibr the 1992-98 schod term. Dr. Jerry Jackson, president of the college, gave the official word September 24. ‘The lEcent budget cuts at the school are the lesser of the reasons why there are no plans for a year book. The main reason is a lack of student interest,” Jackson stated. Jackson cited the lack of year book staff put in place prior to the beginning of the school year and past experiences in which student interest dwindled as the school year progressed. ‘The yearbook is a student publicatioa” Jackson stressed. “I believe that if we are going to have one it needs to be put together by students.” Chowan has had a yeaitxx)k printed every year since 1911 ac cording to records found in the Whitaker Library Antiquities Room. Although many faculty, staff, arxl students have expressed their displeasure with the bre^ in tradi tion, Jackson still believes that it is the student’s responsibility to do the work required to put a year book together. “If we had the student interest, the money could have been found in the budget,” Jackson said. Even if interested students came forward now Jackson did not fore see a yeartxxik being done this year. “By this time last year, one- fourth of the material had been turned in for the yearbook.” Although the 1992-93 academic year is supposed to be a historic one as Chowan makes the transi tion from junior college to four year college, it is a school year that will not leave a yearfeook with its moments captured in time. over a year, he is an attorney in Jackson. 'Tve always painted," says Vick, "even if it was with my mother's lipsticks on the walls." Excited about her classes, she says, "I expect my students to do great work. I would like to get their work into local competitions. There is a strong art department here. We haw great facilities." She has been teaching part-time since 1987 in various places in cluding Elon College, the Center for Cretive Arts in Grensboro, Guilford Technical Community College, Halifax Community Col lege and even a private school in Spain. Wirxtows were brokea houses tom down, trees smashed through roofs and windows, people were knocked back by the wirxl’s veloc ity. For the people involved it seemed like forever before the storm finally subsided so that they could assess the value of the dam age. Why did anyone stay if they knew they were in the path of the hurricane? Because ttiey have been through it before and were scared looters would take everything they had. Some did because they didn’t have anywhere else to go. Many people on this campus ask how come everyone’s so con cerned about something so far away? The reason we are con cerned is that it directly effects some of our students. Lewis Oliv- eros, Nester Verona and Amador Padilla were all effected by the storm. They could not get hold of their families until the storm did subside. Their mental anguish was erxHigh that they could think about nothing else until they finally reached their loved ones. Even after they reached their parents, they were scared because of the property damage that they would be faced with when they went home. Some of these stu dents’ homes were destroyed or wrecked. Angel said that all the trees in his yard arc gone. That seems like just a small feat, but some of those trees have been up for several years, and in just a few hours were totally blown away. After the storm, people in the US seemed to unite to help. They all sent donations, clothing, food. and anything else that they though could be used to rebuild the cities. Some lumber companies even donated lumber to rebuild houses. The military was also sent to help clean up the mess involved. It seemed like Americans were fi nally working together. We were unitial for a cause — or we were. Some Americans chose to take advantage of the situation to make a profit Bags of ice rose from ■- Lisa LeweDen Reporter $1.00 a bag to $15.00 a bag. Pcof^e fiom Oriando came down to sell can goods for $3-$4 a piece. Lumber doubled in price and sc»ne land lords raised their rent. How could they take advantage of these people in their time of need? Americans are very profit minded. They just want to do something to make a buck. The morally right Americans need to show people what giving really is. We need to stop the thinking that all things should be done for profit We need to show people thk it’s not okay to take advantage of those in need. Rich Gray has plans for SGA activities There is a man on campus with big plans for Chowan College and his name is Rich Gray. For those of you who don’t know him, here’s a Me background: Rich is from Douglesville, Geor]gia. He spent four and a half years in the Marines working with the Pnjsidential Honor Guard; all the while wrestling internationally in such events as the Pan-AM Games. This year Rich is filling several roles at Chowan, he is the presi dent of the Student Government Association as well as the head wrestling coach. To take a brief look at the Braves Wrestling team, Rich feels that this team has “lots of potential”, including four Aca demic All-Americans. Coach Gray is looking to finish in the top fif teen nationally, but it won’t be Meherrin Indian tribe recognized The Meherrin Indian Tribe is of the same linguistic stock as the Cherokee, Tuscarora, the Iroquois of New York. The first written history of the Meherrin Indians began on August 29th, 1650, when an English merchant named Ed ward Bland along with five other Englishmea one Nottoway Indian, and one Appomattox Indian, ar rived in the Meherrin Village of Cowonchahawkon on the north bank of the Meherrin River, two miles west of the present-day city of Emporia, Virginia. The land, river, streams, and creeks of this area provided basi cally all the needs that the Meher rin sirrvived oa Wrld game and natural resources met and exceeded the needs of the trib.e Although our written history began in Virginia, it did not take long before the fxessures of the colonists and traditional Indian enemies forced the Meherrins fiir- ther down the Meherrin River. They then settled at the mouth of the Meherrin River around 1707. The Meherrin Indians’ first treaty with the colonial govern ment was in 1677. The second treaty of 1729 gave them a reserva tion at the mouth of the Meherrin River known today as Parker’s Feny. Prior to that the Meherrin Indians were involved in the Tus- canora Indian War that lasted from 1711 to 1713. They sided with the Tuscarora. They provided their Tuscarora brothers with guns and ammimition. Because of steady encroachment of colonists onto the reservation, the Meherrin Indians migrated into the surrourxling swamps and less Political change depends on the voter I Biddlecomb By Al Biddlecomb During the last presidential election, only 52% of all eligible Americans actually voted. During ^ Congressional and local elections, the numbers arc even lower. This drop in voter partici pation has been a steady trend in our society sirxe the end of the Second World War. The lack of involvement on the part of the American people has opaied the doors to cormption as well as the stalemate of our legislative sys tem. With less Americans going to the polls, politicians are more wiU- ing to appeal to special interest groups rather than their coastitu- ems. The only way to reverse this trend is for Americans to increase their awareness and become more involved with the political proc ess. Election day 1992 could be the beginning of a new era in the American democracy. Events surrounding the House banking scandal have caused many incum bent Congressmen to not seek reelection. With all 435 seats in the House of Representatives up for grabs, some experts believe that as much as two-thirds of the congressional seats could change hands. This, along with the upcoming Presi dential election, can make the biggest change in our government’s history. With all this potential for change, there is r» excuse for a low voter turnout. Participation in politics, how ever, should first take place on the local level. At this level, the indi vidual voter can have more of a say in what goes on in the town or community issues such as the spending of local tax dollars, de velopment and education are always open for public debate. Lar^e groups of local citizens rarely take part in this process. This is the breeding ground for the making of bad public policy. Local leaders cannot make ef fective decisions without first knowing the opinions of the pub lic. Through much of this natiwis history, stale governments were a strong force in our democracy. Today, most state governments are at the mercy of the federal bu reaucracy. In California, legisla tors quarrel among themselves while the state goes deeper in debt Louisiana voters recently had the ominous choice of choosing be- tvk'een a racist and a political crook desirable arcas of Hertford County. Becoming individual land owners, the Meherrin Indians had to con ceal their identity in order to sur vive in the racial climate of the pre- Qvil War and post Qvil War days. Racial prejudice prevented the Meherrin Iridians fiom re-organiz ing as a ttibal group until 1977. There were vain attempts in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, however, the events of the time (prejudices, factions in the com munity, governmental interfer ences, etc.,) prevented the tribe from openly acknowledging its continued existence and Indian heritage. In 1977, the Tribe chartered itself as a non-profit organization under the leadership of the late Chief Rueben R LewLs. Since that time, the Meherrin Indian Tribe has directed most of its energies toward cultural awareness, state recognition and eventual Federal Acknowledgement as a tribe. The North Carolina Commis- for their governorship. When *ion of Indian Affairs granted state voters show little interest in what recognition to the Meherrins in goes on, events such as these are 1986. After satisfactory compli- almost sure to arise. ance with state criteria for such Participating in the political action, the Meherrin Indians join process can be as simple as voting Lumbee, Waccamaw-Siouan, or as extensive as joining a politi- Cohane, and Haliwa-Sapom whom cal or;ganizatioa Registering to ^re all state recognized tribes. With vote is a simple and painless proc- recognition behind us, we are ess. Many other democratic coun- now tackling the future which will tries place penalties on those citi- included Federal Recognition, zens that do not vote. Requiring economic development and social Americans to vote would not be ^ cultural retention, the solutioa Exercising the right pres^t-day Meherrin Irxli- txH to vote is just as basic as the ^ reside in rural northe^em rigjit to vote. If we do rx)t vote. North Carolina with a majority of however, do we have the right to tribal members living in Hertford oxnplain about how our govern- County in and around the county ment is being r\in? Voting is a way Winton, N.C. Most live of making a stand for something former Meherrin Indian we beUeve ia If you don’t stand Reservation that was at Parker’s for something, you will fall for Fory at the mouth of the Meherrin anything. ^ee Meherrin, Page 4 Rich Gray . . . ■92-93 SGA President ea.sy. This is Qiowan’s toughest schedule ever including six Divi sion 1 schools. In his role as SGA president Rich is full of optimian. Accord ing to Mr. Gray, this year’s SGA is “more structur^” and “light years ahead of la.st year.” SGA is for the students and “you only gel out of it what you put into it” SGA plans for this year include such events as the reggae band Moving Parts on homecoming as well as two performances by alumni David Glenn. In the spring, SGA plans to bring two big names to Chowan for a fund-raiser Who, you ask? You have to wait and see... BSU offers more than just meetings BSU is the primary religious organization at Chowan College. We arc composed of students and our sponsor is KeUy Brame. The group has weekly meetings every Thursday at 7:00 pm. This is an informal devotion/worship hour wherc students come and talk and fellow.ship with one another. BSU docs morc than just have weekly meetings. Therc are re- ueals tliat we attend along with conferences and other activities. Already this year we have attended a volleyball toumament where schools from the eastern half of Carolina were invited. We spent one weekend at a campteueat near Little Washingtoa On this over night uip, we participated in swim ming, sailing, canoeing, fire-side chat and other activities. We arc also a service organiza tion. Chowan BSU sends out mission teams which are groups of about 4 individuals who teach and lead youth for a weekend and per form the worship service on Sun day morning. TTiis is one primary way we rai.sc money while getting to know area chunJies and their members.