THE CAMPUS ECHO
Page Three
Activity Fee Includes Union Building Construction
From The Eagle’s Nest
By J. T. Clemons
Recently students have be
come very concerned with the
student activity fee. Some have
voiced that it is not all an
activity fee, and that evidence of
its use should be stated.
The present catalogue list the
student activity fee as $31.00.
If this fee were to be multiplied
by 2,500 students it would equal
$77,500. In a real sense, the stu
dent activity fee is not $31.00,
but $10.00. This mean that stu
dents at North Carolina College
are paying $21.00 for fee which
they know nothing of.
In an interview with Mr.
William Jones, North Carolina
College business manager, he
explained the fee in this man
ner: “Ten dollars is for stu
dent activity fee, and $21.00 is
for a student union building.”
If $21.00 of the $31.00 each stu
dent pays are used for a student
union building, the catalog
should state so. Since fees are
itemized for students, it is logi
cal to assume that all fees
should follow suit.
According to Mr. Jones, the
student union building will get
started in June. The interview
also revealed this information,
the student will pay about half
Later Dormitory Hours Proposed
By Jacquelyn Ricketts
Recently there has been con
siderable controversy between
the women students here at
North Carolina College and the
Dean of Women concerning the
late hours to be observed in the
various women’s dormitories.
Previously the hours that
were stipulated for the women
students were considered by
those concerned to be utterly
ridiculous. Freshmen were
forced into the dormitory at
6:30 and were not permitted to
leave unless they were going to
the library or going to choir
or band practice. As for the
upperclass women, the hours
were extended, but these, too,
were displeasing.
Naturally, these early curfew
hours seemed to force a feeling
of anxiety upon the students
and often resulted in cases of
falsifying the dormitory re
cords. Many girls, freshmen in
particular, would find them
selves going to the store or grill
under the pretense of going to
the library.
As the' student advances
in years, she finds her
self trying to go other places,
as the clubs here in Durham.
Situations of this nature would
likely not be attempted if the
hours were extended to satisfy
those concerned.
At most colleges the hours
are not as limited; therefore,
there are fewer students falsi
fying the register. At Howard
University, for example, all
women students are allowed a
midnight curfew on weekdays
and a 1:00 curfew on weekends.
This is only one institution
where the students are allowed
hours that are more suitable.
The reason given for the
limited curfew hours at North
Carolina College is that the stu
dent is allowed ample time for
study. This point is correct, in
that the curfew does give the
student time to study, but the
majority of the girls either can
be found chatting in their
friend’s room, playing cards or
just sitting idly thinking about
their homes and parents. This
is so mainly because the stu
dent is not given time to have
sufficient activity outside the
dormitory.
The main objective for at
tending college is to study. On
the other hand, one expects to
have time to enjoy himself. This
can only be done if the hours
are extended to allow both time
for sufficient study and time for
activities outside the dormitory.
Compulsory Attendance Supported
By Alfonso Shaw
Should class attendance be
compulsory at North Carolina
College at Durham? The previ
ous question has plagued the
campus like fire from the tongue
of a prehistoric serpent; its ve
nom has penetrated the hearts
of hundreds of students.
A large number of students
feel that the system is an insult
to human integrity and an in
sult to the maturing student.
One student, when asked what
she thought of compulsory at
tendance, replied, “Hygiene is
so simple, my four-year-old sis
ter could learn it.” Other similar
comments have “trampled over
biological sciences, mathematics,
and foreign languages. The stu
dent feels that he can do such
subjects at home. Can the stu
dent seriously enjoy the harvest
of a good education if the great
er percentage of students at this
school feel that it is a moral in
justice to be required to attend^
classes regularly?
Responsibility must be faced.
The teacher is of prime import
ance in the students’ develop
ment. Daily attendance increases
the bond in the student-teacher
relationship. The student, too,
profits from the knowledge and
ideas of fellow students. How
can a student expect to live in
a world with philosophies and
ideologies based on isolated ex
perience? The trained eye of the
teacher is able to see the weak
nesses of the student. He sees
the strength of the student.
Through daily attendance, the
student can profit from the wis
dom of the teacher and his class
mates.
In a number of European
school system—France, Sweden,
Germany—compulsory a 11 end-
ance is not of importance. Stu
dents have, in a major way,
realized the importance of con
sistency in achieving excellence.
A different aspect of the same
picture is the fact that in such
countries, necessity has been the
mother of invention. The stu
dents have had to achieve to
pull themselves out of the hun
gry mouths of invaders and dis
eases. They have, therefore,
seen the necessity of daily at
tendance, realizing that scholar
ship is a daily endeavor, not an
erratic one. Struggle has shaped
many of their aims.
If the student at North Caro
lina will stop scorning all pre
sent things and realize his role
in the scheme of things, daily
attendance will be a pleasant
subject. For I am sure that the
maturing student certainly
knows that attendance is a re
sponsibility for even the gifted
student, this number b ei n g
limited at this college. So that
in the general scheme of things,
the average student needs the
discipline of daily attendance.
What is being experienced
now is not oblivion; the hope
lessness of the situation will
only be manifested when the
student fails to see the intense
ness of, the sincerity of, re
sponsible citizenship.
of the actual cost, the rest will
be supplied by the college. The
state will not construct this
building, according to the busi
ness manager. It was further
stated that the money is being
used for the purchase of mova
ble equipment. No final plan
seems to have been approved
as of yet; however, suggestions
have been made.
Even with this information,
certain things were not made
clear: (1) Where will the new
building be? (2) Where is the
movable equipment that has
been purchased? (Why can’t it
be used now?) (3) Is it wise to
buy equipment before a build
ing is built? (4) How will the
canteen profit be used for stu
dent benefit, since it will be
housed in the building? (5) Who
determines how to use the stu
dent activity fee?
From all present indications it
appears that the student activity
fee is only partly real. The
majority of the money is given
to be used for a building. Thus,
student activity fee, in a sense
become student building fee.
Thus, the student activity fee is
real under certain conditions:
who say it, who read it, and who
pays it.
Belief Challenged
By Wilma T. Hilliard
Do you ever have doubts about
the validity of your religious
beliefs? Fewer words in our
everyday vocabulary get as
much abuse and misuse as the
blessed word “religion.” Many
of our students simply cannot
divorce the term religion from
Christianity. Christianity
is indeed a religion,
but it is only one among many,
and the two terms cannot and
should not be used synonym
ously. In further liberation, one
might say, although all novels
are books, not all books are
novels.
Some students find themselves
having difficulties with their
religious beliefs because they
have not matured in their re
ligious thinking. Not being able
to change those notions which
they once held, they do not
know how to revise or remodel.
I have heard some students re
mark that they do not believe in
the Bible because of something
about Cain’s wife, because of
the fantastic tale of the fall of
the walls of Jericho at the
sound of trumpets and marching
feet, because of the impossibility
of all the species of life getting
aboard Noah’s Ark, and because
water was supposed to have
miraculously parted to allow
certain Hebrews to pass and
then, to have come together
again to drown the enemy. One
should not let the possibility of
whether these incidents actually
occurred or not determine his
or her belief in the Bible or a
particular religion.
Unfortunately, some students
cannot believe in God because
of their idea of what God it.
They perhaps have gotten some
ill-conceived notion of deity
from a naive Sunday school
teacher who never outgreV her
religious childhood. God visua
lized as a regal old man, sitting
on a throne with a scepter in
right hand and a bewhiskered
face is no longer real to the
mature religious person. A book
of life upon which an angelic
secretary writes down the will
of God is an idea reserved for
children.
We must let our religious
ideas undergo scrutinization just
as we do education. We no long
er assume credit for the things
that went on in the little red
school house many years ago,
under the provision of old fash
ioned texts and perhaps an im-
Cafeteria Situation Central Concern
By J. T. Clemons
From all the activities that
have been stirring in the Eagle’s
Nest this month, one would im
mediately assume that North
Carolina College is a powder
keg with a very short fuse.
Space will not permit this
columnist to discuss all of the
feathers that have been ruffled.
The rumors, facts, miscon
ceptions, and general attitude of
faculty and students has creat
ed an atmosphere of pressure
that perspiration is a daily func
tion— even on the coldest day.
One of the major problems of
the month seems to be that of
the cafeteria. Here two different
views seems to be the issue; (1)
that which is seen and unknown
(2) that which is known and
not revealed.
That which is seen and un
known is this. Students cannot
continue to be tolerant, and
sympathize with the thought of
a new cafeteria without having
real knowledge and a definite
commitment of its construction.
Nor can it be expected that stu
dents will continue to be ex
posed to the cold and tiring pro
cession of a slow line.
Recently foreign objects were
found in the food. The cafeteria
head blames the shortage of
help, and the food for this un
sanitary incident. There may be
a shortage of help; however,
there is no need to
allow foreign objects to be ser
ved to students because it will
require one person to perform
a task.
Stemming also from the cafe
teria is the line cutting fee. No
one can be opposed to a punish
ment for foul deed; however,
when money is collected from
students and given to a general
fund that no one can explain the
function of, or can give con
crete facts about, it is time to
be concerned. Students have al
so been wondering why certain
foods are served in the
cafeteria, and why they must
dress on Sunday, In the words
of Miss Coleman, on the second
point, “Everyone should be
dressed on one day of the
week.”
Students are also concerned
with paying for meal tickets
which they are unable to use.
Certain meal tickets are tom
out of the meal book. Other
tickets are paid for but not
usable, if not used at the proper
time. The business office states
that the price of the meal book
is calculated on a reduced rate
which allows such practices to
continue.
This statement is not entirely
true. How can a person be given
a reduced rate if there is no re
fund on vmused tickets. The
meal tickets are valid if used;
however, they are valid if not
used on the stamped date, nor
is there a refund. If a reduction
has been made for students, then
why not eliminate the present
system.
It seems wise to use the grad
uate book method. Here a stu
dent can eat at any time he de
sires, and on any date. If a re
duction has been made this
system for undergraduates
would be just as economical,
more practical and acceptable.
The Administration
The administration has asked
what students expect of a cafe
teria that was designed to feed
400 but most accommodate 1400
students cafeteria. The adminis
tration’s solution to the problem
is to build a new cafeteria. The
new cafeteria will be a one-
story building which will ac
commodate 900 students and is
scheduled for completion in
September 1966.
According to President Samu
el P. Massie, the plan for the
two-story building has been re
jected because it would require
too much space. However, both
the new and old cafeteria will
be xised to eliminate whatever
problems may arise after 1966.
On the question of fees for
line cutting, the president has
invited suggestions from stu
dents for substitution for the
fee. The fee at present is being
used for general funds; how
ever, the president is working
for a better use of them in the
future.
This is the seen, known, and
revealed; however this is not
the complete story. One must
ask himself, if the new cafeteria
will solve the problem under the
present plan. To build a cafete
ria to accommodate the present
student body is only a minor
step. North Carolina College is
growing. From all present in
dications, it appears the new
cafeteria will be inadequate be
fore it is built.
It is past time Negro colleges
stopped building for the present
and started building for the fu
ture. More students, will come to
North Carolina College than
will graduate by 1966. One this
basis one would have to assume
the problem will be with us for
a while.
The problem has not been
solved nor will it be solved this
year. The only thread that one
can cling to is hope—hope for
tomorrow.
Teacher Education
(Continued from Page 1)
for the teacher education pro
gram.
The “self-study” is under the
direction of a campus-w i d e
steering committee, chaired by
Dr. F. G. Shipman. Other
members are Dr. S. P. Massie
(ex-chairman). Dr. Helen Ed
monds, Dr. Joseph Pittman, Dr.
Joseph McKelpin, Dr. Marjorie
Brown, Dr. T. J. Mayberry, Dr.
Norman Johnson, Dr. Charles
Ray, and Dr. Charles Orr.
A visitation team has been
invited to examine the North
possible school master. To go
about spreading such preposter
ous tales would be incredible
and the same token holds true
of religion.
Let us as college venturers
thrust aside our prejudices and
ill-conceived notions and allow
our religious ideas to become
a part of our daily lives.
Carolina College Teacher Edu
cation Program in the near fu
ture. It will be interested in
every phase of the program: (1)
admission and retention policies,
(2) the total curricular program
for each area of teacher prepa
ration, (3) faculty preparation
and teaching load, and (4) the
adequacy of campus facilities,
equipment and instructional.
The self-study and evaluation by
a visiting team are necessary
steps preparatory to requesting
certification of our graduates
under the new standards and
guide lines.
Job Opportunities
(Continued from Page 1)
the ministry, social work, and a
few others which once provided
the likeliest opportunities for
college-trained Negroes,” he de
clared.