9
2 THE PEN October, 1993
Perspectives
EDITORIAL
The administration of St. Augustine’s College has
implemented several changes this summer to better meet
the needs and wants of its students.
New security measures have been taken to ensure
students’ safety: a fence has been erected that encloses the
entire campus to keep out intruders; the security officers
have gone through special training that allows them to
better protect the student body and faculty; lights have been
placed in dark areas, so that one might see better; and low
hanging tree limbs have also been cut for this purpose
There has been an improvement in the service and food in
the cafeteria. One can even go back for a second helping if
one wants to. Also among these changes is a new roof on
the Fine Arts Building.
These changes do show that the administration, in
seeing the many problems, wants, and needs of students, is
seeking ways of improving our campus, and students
should acknowledge that.
There are, however, some urgent needs that have still
not been met, and many students are having a difficult time
seeing the good that has been done on the campus.
They complain that they are disheartened, frustrated,
and. angry. Many students are seriously questioning the
“one big family” ideology that the college emphasizes.
Things such as unventilated, unclean, and insect in
fested rooms, a library that fails to meet the academic needs
of students, the dilemma of finding oneself almost in mid
semester and not yet registered are causing this questioning.
These things are haunting the students and have been for a
long time. Many are saying, “same stoiy, different semes
ter.”
In order for the college to live up to its vow to be a
family,” these things need to be addressed and the required
changes made.
Administration? SGA?
Improvements in these areas will make it possible for
seniors to remember St. Aug with fondness, convince
freshmen to remain here, and ensure a large student pool for
recruiting in years to come.
Blame is not being placed solely on the administration.
Students do see the harm that is being done to the campus
by other students. They are vandalizing the campus, tearing
pages out of the modest number of volumes that are in the
library, disrespecting themselves, authorities, and their
peers, and above all failing to negotiate in a responsiblekid
mature way for the things that are needed most on the
campus.
Apathy will not solve the problems.
EVERYONE HERE HAS A STAKE IN ST. AUG. ANY
CHANGES FOR THE BETTER WILL BE GOOD FOR ALL.
LET’S STRIVE FOR “BETTER STORY, DIFFERENT SE
MESTER.”
-ThePen-
Editor-in-Chief: Cathy Williams A»istentEditor>in>Ciiief:T(nietta
Spoicer News Editon Java Bryant Entertainment: Audra Noble
Sports: Emmanuel Noudewo Computer Wiz: Ishmael Smith
Consultant: Dr. Frederick Jones.
The Pen is a student publication of Saint Augustine’s Orilege and is
published monthly throughmit the acadeiinic year from September to
May. Mailing address is The Pen, Saint Augustine’s College, 1315
Oakwood Avenue, Raleigh, North Carolina 27610. Entire Contents
Copyright 1993. AH rights reserved.
Unless otherwise indicated, the opinions expressed in editorials, cartoons,
and cdumns in these pages are those of the contributors and do not
necessarily reflect an editorid perspective of The Pen. The unsigned
editorial that appears on the left is the responsibUity of the Editor-in-
Chief.
St. Aug should not be criticized
over new admissions policy
By Natosha Kennedy
Anyone who has not heard
about St. Aug's new admissions
policy has to have been sleeping
under a rock. Beginning this
year, students have to have a
police record check before en
tering St. Aug.
The policy helps the col
lege know what kinds of stu
dents they are admitting. It
should make returning students
feel safer knowing that the St.
Aug is taking these measures so
that campus safety can be better
than it has been in recent years.
St. Aug has been publicly
criticized for the policy, most
notably by the NAACP and the
ACLU, who said, among other
things, that the policy is degrad
ing to students.
First of all, St. Aug did not
say that prospective students
with police records would not
be admitted to the college. This
measure is just being taken so
that everyone can feel safer on
campus. If the policy had been
enforced last year, there might
not have been so many violent
incidents on campus.
Also, the policy is not as
degrading to the students as it is
to St. Aug. It is degrading for
St. Aug to have to endure such
bad publicity when a simple
police check could save them
from being criticized in the
news. It is also ironic that the
NAACP, an organization that
supports African-Americans in
trying to rise above criticism,
would even make this type of
statement. The NAACP should
be happy that a historically
black college such as St. Aug.
has taken these steps, so that
they can give everyone a fair
chance. It would be different if
St. Aug were a public college
or university with a poHcy such
as this one, but the college is a
private institution. Therefore,
upon entering a private col
lege, certain things have to be
made “public”. If prospective
students do not like the policy,
then they should apply to an
other college.
The police record check
is not the only thing that St.
Aug has done to increase cam
pus safety.
A fence has been put
around campus to keep out dan
gerous intruders.
Tree branches have been
cut, and better lighting has also
been added. Also, the security
staff have been all around
campus, working to better pro
tect the students and staff here
at St. Aug.
The college is still being
criticized. It was criticized last
year for poor security, assaults
and even a murder.
This year, it is being criti
cized for trying to improve on
mistakes made in the past. As
a student, I could not be happier
to see some of the improve
ments made around St. Aug.
this year. I am sure that the
parents who send their children
here for a quahty, “safe” educa
tion feel the same way.
To the people who are
criticizing St. Aug over its new
policy, think back to the fa
mous UNCF quote, “A mind is
a terrible thing to waste.” The
administrators at St. Aug are
putting their minds to use.
Maybe their critics should think
about the overall situation and
do the same.
African Proverbs
“When spider webs unite,
they can tie up a lion.”
“ The one-eyed man thanks
God only when he sees a man
who is totally blind.”
Black Perspective: Men on the move
By Crystal Anderson
From the Past.
“He sang of life serenely
sweet.” “He” was the poet
Paul Lawerence Dunbar.
The son of parents who
had been slaves, Dunbar was
bom on June 27,1872, in Day
ton, Ohio. Educated in the
public schools, he was the only
Negro in his dass.
Dunbar loved to read and
write poetry . His Ipve for writ
ing poetry led him to publish
his first volumeof poems, Oak
and Ivy. As a result, the poet
received numerous invitations
to give readings of his poems.
Dunbar did not stop there. He
later published Major and
Minors, which gave him great
recognition.
Dunbar wrote in both
standard Enghsh and dialect.
His poetry in dialect grew very
popular and still holds a place
in American Literature. His
poem “The Poet” describes
how the world praised his dia
lectal style.
THE POET
He sang of life serenely sweet
With, now and then,
a deeper note.
From some high peak,
nigh y^ remote.
He voiced the world’s
absorbing beat.
He sang of love when earth
was young.
And love, itself, was in his
lays.
But ah, the world, it turned to
praise.
A jingle in a broken tongue.
"There will be poets"
"They will not betray you"
The Present....
Amiri Baraka was bom
Leroi Jones in Newark, New
Jersey in 1934. He was edu
cated in public schools there
and later attended college at
NewarkCampus of Rutger Uni
versity. He completed the rest
of his schooling at Howard
University in Washington DC,
where he received his B.A. in
English.
Baraka began publishing
poetry in little magazines in
the late 1950s. He also wrote
plays and music criticism. His
widely acclaimed Dutchman
received an award as Best
American Play of the 1963-64
session. '
Baraka founded several
theater groups in New York
and Newark. Among his many
SEE MEN ON THE MOVE,
PAGE 7