Key Costs Climb
Students of Saint Augustine’s College, imagine if you
will, you’re on your way back to school after a very short, hot
summer at home. You’ve ridden the bus, train, plane or car for
many hours. You unload your luggage and go to the dorm
director, only to be told that you cannot get your room key
until you’ve paid a $20 deposit.
What is this, you ask in astonishment. What happened
to the $5 deposit students have been paying in past years?
What if a $20 bill is all the cash you have until your parents
can send you more?
No letter arrived in the mail over the summer to warn
you, and no notice is posted to tell you about the change. Just
this past summer, the key fee was $5. How or why would it
jump another $ 15 in just a couple of weeks? A gradual raise
would seem more logical.
Students, the lifeblood of the college, deserve to be
notified ahead of time when fees are going to increase. They
deserve an explanation when a financial hike is scheduled.
Duplicate keys cost $2.10 at Sears. Why do they cost
so much at St. Aug?
Someone’s math seems out of kilter. byAdenike
Matthews
It's a matter of emotions
The new academic year brings mixed emotions for
students as they return to St. Aug. Overall, students are
excited about bonding with old friends, meeting new friends,
and participating in campus activities. Freshmen are adjusting
to their newfound freedom, while seniors prepare for gradua
tion.
On the other hand, students are sometimes disap
pointed when trying to readjust their study habits, having to
function in a hot airless building, going through the slow
registration process, dealing with the attitudes that they
sometimes encounter, and tolerating the lack of communica
tion between administration and themselves.
A concerted effort to improve communication be
tween the administration and students could alleviate the
common disappointments experienced. This can be done by
informing students of issues that directly affect them by letter
or memo, telephone calls or other communications medium.
In order to have a successful transition when students
return to school, we recommend that a collective campus-
wide meeting be held at the beginning of the semester to
discuss issues that are directly related to the collective goal of
St. Aug and the individual goal of the students, by Sheryl
Meritt
The Pen to Benefit
Communications Majors
In the past, Saint Aug's newspaper, ‘The Pen’, has been
compiled by students who volunteered their time and services.
The fall semester of ’96 has brought change. Newspaper
Production, with Joan Madeksza as its instructor, gives communi
cations majors an opportunity to write and gain experience in
putting a newspaper together.
L. Michelle Fox, editor of ‘The Pen,’ and her staff, which
includes ad representatives, newspaper production and feature
writing students, and other student volunteers, write and edit
stories. Vanetta Freeman and Malika Reynolds are staff photogra
phers. by Lisa Johnson
Photo by Debra Derr
CHILLIN’ OUT- Students (from left to right) Jimmy Foster, Teddy
Williams and Dion Dunston were caught hanging out near the
Hunter building at the beginning of the fall semester.
Dargan resigns
as music chair
by Rica Wilson
Dr. William Dargan has
resigned from his position as
departmental chair of music and
performing arts to pursue a
publishing opportunity. A native
ofPageland, S.C., Dargan has
been at St. Augustine’s nine
years.
As Dargan pondered on his
leadership throughout the years,
he says, “I helped attract
financial support from influential
community persons.”
Next year Dr. Dargan will
continue writing a book on lining
out hymns, after which he will
resume teaching at St. Aug's in
1998.
He received his doctorate
from Wesleyan University.
Library starts to automate
By Michael Farmer
This fall students can minimize
their search time and maximize
their work time when the library
completes its first steps of
automation.
The plan to automate the
library was approved by Presi
dent Dr. Bernard Franklin, after
being reviewed by Angela Sligh,
vice president of Telecommunica
tions; and Dr. Everett Days,
director of library services.
Three phases in which this
change will take place are:
Phase 1. During the spring and
summer of 1996 the library began
its first stages of Internet wiring,
which include bringing in
hardware and an accessible hard
drive.
Phase 2. Once wiring is
completed and the system is on
line, then the card catalog and
other sources will be added and
updated to the system.
Phase 3. The final stage of
automation, will include all
catalogs, references, periodicals,
and acquisitions. The system
will be able to gain access into
surrounding schools’ databases,
including NC State and UNC
Chapel Hill.
The system will include 24
terminals. The majority will be
located on the first floor, in the
smoking room and in other areas
around the library.
Funding for the automation
comes from Congress and the
Department of Education to
promote the acquisition and use
of educational technology to
support school reform; also for
schools to use technology to
enhance instruction.
Convocation honors First Ladies
(Continued from page 1)
Augustine's College for 25
years. She also served on the
Board of Directors of a number
of civic and professional
organizations; namesly, Links
Incorporated, the Episcopal
Church Women of Saint
Augustine's College and Delta
Sigma Theta sorority.
Convocation remarks were
given by Dr. Mark J. Chironna, a
senior and founding pastor of
Higher Call Cosmopolitan
Church. "What good is there to
have history if there is no
future?" said Chironna, urgining
students to strive for excellence
and success through hard work.
Chironna described Dr.
Franklin as being Godsent,
adding that "God put you here to
take us into the future, so pray
and believe that the future is
coming to pass."
Wade presented $50,000
toward an earlier personal pledge
of $100,000. A scholarship
has been named in his honor.
New boot camp gets freshmen
class off to a thundering start
by Rica Wilson
Calling it a new era of
excellence at St. Augustine’s
College, many have dedicated
1996-1997 to helping others help
themselves.
This year the college estab
lished a Learning Communities
Program under the coordination
of Dan Apple, Carolyn Knowles
and Ruby Hargrove. The program
is designed to promote spiritual
and educational values as well as
social and financial welfare for
the class of 2000.
The Learning Communities
“boot camp” gave participants an
opportunity to show their talents,
creativity, and team spirit as they
worked on several events the
week before school started.
Activities included a cookout,
talent show, art exhibit (original
works by the students), Saturday
Games (track, basketball,
vollyball), and a community
service project.
Students found out they were
required to work out, too, with
Uncle Sam and Jane Fonda tapes
on Tuesday and Thursday
mornings. Participant Tisha
Kennedy says, “A little exercise
won’t hurt the body or mind,”
admitting she enjoyed her
exercise routine at 6 a.m.
Student mentor Julian Pitt
simply says, “The program was
real good.” Pitts served as a role
model for the incoming freshmen
students.
Twenty years from now what
will anyone remember about the
Learning Communities Program?
Allen Gibbs will remember the
three “R’s”, which are respect for
self, others and property. Joi
Mcfadden will recall how the
program helped her and her
classmates prepare for the
challenges of college, and Dr.
Emmanual Oritsejafor, a co
mentor, will remember that he
believed the program might be
the only difference you have as a
student.
Carolyn Knowles has a bright
vision for the continuation of the
program. She says, “I see this
program as helping to produce
graduates who are competent,
confident, and committed to
being our leaders today and
tomorrow.”
An old African proverb says,
“It takes an entire village to raise
a child." A plaque from the
Learning CommunitiesJProgram,
located on the first floor in Boyer,
repeats a new African-American
adage, “It takes a community to
educate a student.”