Page 2...THE PEN...November, 1980
editorials
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By Dave Byrd
You have just been hired for a
new job. How you start can make
the difference between success and
failure. Your attitude, more than
anything else, will determine just
how successful you will be.
Sure, you have to study and learn
as much as you can about the job in
order to get started in the right direc
tion. Otherwise, you will become
nervous and concerned.
If you don’t ask, you may not
learn a great deal. So be sure to ask.
You are going to have good days as
well as bad days. But the fastest way
to get the job jitters - really get
yourself in trouble — is to go about
your work with a chip on your
shoulders.
Your attitude with your boss is of
most importance. Don’t be a prima
donna. If you look at it objectively,
most bosses are not out to get you.
Be friendly, but not too familiar,
during early contact with the new
boss. Don't get on a first name bases
unless invited to.
The best way to get the boss up
tight is to suggest making sweeping
changes, even before you really
know your job. If your suggestion is
a good one, wait until you’ve been
there a while and learn the pro
cedures.
Your means of communication
will definitely affect your getting
along at your new company. Don’t
look for reasons to be nice to people,
just do it out of common courtesy.
If you are any judge of character
you will soon be able to spot those
who will give you a hard time. Avoid
anybody who tries to give you a hard
fen
Editor in Chief Sammie Brown
Assistant Editor Vincent Smith
Editorial Editor Lillian Williams
Assistant Editorial Editor Austin Cooper
Features Editor Dave Byrd
Assistant Features Editor Robert Dosumu Johnson
Poetry Editor Rouchell Chesson
Assistant Sports Editor Leondras Ross
Layout Editor Charies Bolen
Business Manager Carlton Taylor
Photography and Developing Editor Pete Peterson
Ass’t. Photo and Developing Editor Andrew Brown
Office Secretary Lisa Lewis
Reporters Vincecia Bunch, Lorraine Childs,
Kenneth McCrory, Patricia Lowery,
Sharon Newsome, Robert Davis,
Christopher Gibson, Marcella Jackson
Photographers Charles Fleming, Ida Bulluck,
Anthony Johnson, Bruce Topping,
Tonya Williams, Ronnie Cummings, Cynthia Green
Typists Anita Davis, Deborah Moore, Wanda Sanders
Advisor Dr. Elizabeth Lee
Assistant Advisor Ms. Theresa Whitfield
Cheshire Building
St. Augustine’s College
Raleigh, North Carolina 27611
Pen Office: 828-4451, Ext. 276
The Pen is published once a month by the students of St. Augustine’s
College. The newspaper encourages letters to the Editor, but the right
to edit or print any inquiries are left to the Editor’s descretion. Please
take advantage of this tremendous opportunity.
From the
editor’s desk
Attitude On The Job
time. If you allow them to get to
you, they will.
Included among those to watch
are people who like to gossip and the
usual malcontents, who do their job
but put the company down at every
opportunity.
Stop the gossipmongers,
malcontents, anybody who gives you
trouble by changing the subject as
soon as possible. Declare that you
are trying to get off on the right
foot.
State that you have formed no
opinions. Let everyone know you
couldn’t keep a secret if you had to.
The principle reason you will want
to avoid many of the factors men
tioned is to demonstrate that you
have a desire of proving your loyal
ty-
Company loyalty should not be
taken for granted. It is one of the
strongest supports in favor of you
advancing.
With all of these what-to-do’s and
what-to~look-out-for's, don’t get
sidetracked into be/ieving you will
get ahead with anything less than
good or superior job performance.
That still comes first among the
qualities for which you will be
evaluated.
The total of all the characteristics
listed here will determine your at
titude on the job. In simple terms it
all boils down to - Common Sense.
If you want to gripe, condemn,
growl, maybe you should look
somewhere else to work. But until
you decide that, and if you want to
be a success, let it show in your per
formance.
Is Free Enterprise
Really Free?
By Sammie W. Brown
Our Economic System is referred
to as “the free enterprise system.”
This simply means that each in
dividual is reasonably free to engage
in the business of his choice, to pro
duce whatever goods or services he
wishes, and to profit from his
business in competition with other
producers.
Like our other freedoms:
Freedom of speech and Freedom of
the press, it will not infringe on the
rights of other individuals. Pro
ducers may not engage in practices
which threaten public health and
safety.
Consumers, as well as producers,
have certain freedoms. They have'
the freedom to choose from a variety
of articles for sale, those articles
which are priced within their reach
and which best serve their needs.
To protect these freedoms, our
various government policies guide
and aide businesses whenever
necessary.
Over the years big business has
become more and more efficient and
production has increased tremen
dously. Many articles, which were
once considered luxuries, can now
be manufactured at a low enough
price.
This now places them within the
reach of almost everyone. Most
American families have an
automobile, radios, a television set,
and various household conve-
The standard of living in our
country is higher than any other na
tion in the world. To a great extent
this is the result of the organization
of business on a large scale and of
the American design for production.
Production depends on four fac
tors: (1) Natural resources, such as
land, minerals, water, wildlife and
forests; (2) Labor, or the work of
human beings including physical,
mental or wealth, represented by
factories, machines and tools; (3)
Management; (4) Profit.
If there were not the materials
with which to work, the laborers
could not make anything. On the
other hand, the workers and the
materials are not all that are needed
for production.
There must be tools and
machines. There must be power to
run those machines. This wealth
which is used to make more wealth is
called capital; hence, this system of
production is sometimes called
capitalism. However, there is
another factor needed for effective
production. It is organization, or
management. There must be skillful
planning to make the most effective
use of the four factors mentioned.
How are prices determined?
Naturally, no person or company is
going to operate a business unless
there is the opportunity to make
some money out of it. To make a
profit, a business concern sets a
price on its product that will cover
the cost of making it plus a
The Role Of
Black Colleges
By Michael Ray Cox
The Black colleges in America ap
pear to be generally accepted by the
American society. There is reason to
believe an insidious plot has been
constructed to make the existence of
the Black colleges and universities
obsolete.
An example of such a plot is the
annual distribution of federal funds
to predominately white institutions
whose financial status far exceeds
that of any Black institution.
Each year institutions of higher
learning such as the University of
North Carolina, North Carolina
State University, and Duke Universi
ty receive over half of the govern
ment funds.
A typical example of such an inci
dent is the summer past (1980). Dur
ing the summer of 1980, $2.87
million out of $500,000,000 went to
colleges and universities mentioned
above, while institutions such as
North Carolina Central University,
Elizabeth State University and A&T
University received only a nominal
portion of the finances.
Moreover, what’s even worse than
that is the median which is used to
support unjustifiable actions of that
nature.
Consequently, the most invalid of
all alibis presented happens to be the
most unfair attack ever launched on
Black institutions of higher learning.
That attack is centered around the
negative aspects and roles which our
institutions have and also en
countered during the many years of
existence without considering the
positive aspects and roles (which in
most cases outweigh those negative
aspects and roles focused on by the
media and other exploitive sources).
Historical Black institutions serv
ed pretty much the same purpose.
The Egyptian pyramids serve the
people of that nation a reminder of
hard work and determination which
were necessary ingredients of such a
prosperous achievement.
Presently these same institutions
cultivate the minds of millions of
Black Americans in order that the
minds of millions of Black American
Continued on Page 14
reasonable profit.
Through the profit motive, the
law of supply and demand works
best when there is competition. Each
business, then, bids against its com
petitors for the factors or produc
tion as well as for buyers of its pro
duct.
With intense competition, a pro
ducer may frequently be forced to
sell below his normal price. A lack
of competition on the other hand,
may enable him to raise his market
price because the supply of the pro
duct is limited.
Charles Abbott states, “Business
without profit is not business any
more than a pickle is candy.”
Theodore Roosevelt states, “The
biggest corporation, like the
humblest private citizen, must be
held to strict compliance with the
will of the people.”
David Lilienthal states, “The
genius of America is in its ability to
make adjustments. We do not start
with all economic or political
answers; we make up answers and
we can only make them up as we go
along.”
In summary, Lilienthal speaks of
America’s best use of its resources.
“We can compare the vast quantity
of iron, ore coal, agricultural pro
ducts, minerals, oil, etc. are
papers!” However, the most
valuable resource would be the
number of papers produced. The
word “PAPERS,” when analyzed,
represents:
P - Freedom to Petition.
A — Freedom of Assembly.
P - Freedom of Press.
E — Enables us to secure
and defend.
R — The Rights of each of
us to use these freedoms.
S - Freedom of Speech!
We are now living at a time in
history when a strong emphasis is
placed on energy conservation. In
the sense used here today, “Paper”
is one resource we can afford to
utilize and expand as much as possi
ble, for its letters symbolize our
various freedoms.
Papers stand for all the citizen’s
rights. Without these we would have
difficulty utilizing and gaining ac
cess to iron, minerals, water or any
other natural resources.
I choose to leave you with ques
tions rather than answers!
What changes in business
organization were brought about by
our expanding economy.
How does our government pre
vent big business from gaining too
much economic power?
How does our government aid big
business?
The real meaning of the word
Papers?
Now, maybe you are ready to
answer these questions, and to offer
fresh ideas for change. The changes
in our economy are “spurred on
through common people like you
and me, makers of eternity.”