n^fie Campus ‘Ixfio
No: 1
Published by and for the students of North Carolina Central University in Durham, N.C. 27707
September 3, 1980
These two
determined
looking
young men
plan to
catapult
the eagle
squad to a
victorious
season.
Black College Day
Area students ready for Sept. 29
See related story on page 4.
for student assailant
“Black colleges are the voice of the people. ’’
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
By James Griffin and Kevin Reid
Central 'students are already making plans to attend Black
College Day in Washington, D.C. on Monday, Sept. 29. The
event will stress the importance of black colleges at a time
when their future, according to many authorities, is severely
threatened.
NCCU’s Student Government Association plans to attend
and has chartered two buses for student transportation. The
buses will leave campus Monday morning. Sept. 29, at 3:00
a.m. and return Monday night. Transportation charges have
not yet been set.
Campus Security on alert
By Winfred B. Cross
A student of North Carolina Central University was
assaulted on August 25 while attending a dance held in the
parking lot of the Women’s Gym on NCCU’s campus. ,
Edward Purdie, a senior, was struck in the face and
rendered unconscious by an unidentified youth.
According to Purdie, the youth was pushing his way through
the crowd and being rude.
“He stepped on my foot and almost knocked my frat brother
down,” said Purdie. “When we asked him to watch it, he
struck me. I guess he hit me because I was the smallest.”
Purdie suffered injuries to his left eye, nose, and upper lip.
He was taken to the infirmary by two security officers where
he was treated and released.
Security officers J.L. Suitt and R. Grimsley were on duty at
the dance but said they did not see the incident.
“1 was standing by the back of the stadium and Suitt was on
the other side of the parking lot,” said Grimsley. “By the time
we knew anything the incident was all over.
According to Purdie, he identified his assailant to a security
officer who he thought was officer Grimsley. He claims that
the officer did not pursue.
“I saw the guy standing on the curb near the library and I
told the officer that was him,” said Purdie. “The guy yelled,
‘Hell yeah I hit him,’ but the officer didn't move.”
Grimsley stated that Purdie’s accusation was incorrect. He
said he was coming out of the security office at that time. He
went to the office to write a formal report on the incident.
Officer Suitt also stated that there were no officers in that
area.
“Purdie came into the office and said he could identify his
assailant,” said Suitt. “When we got outside the attacker was
See STUDENT ASSAULTED, page 2
Black College Day,
featuring a march and ral
ly, will serve as a
culminating activity for
Black College Month, at
tempting to restore in
terest in traditionally black
colleges and insure their
future.
The rally will present Civil Rights leaders, student leaders,
and experts on the historical value of black colleges and cur
rent plans for desegregation and government funding.
President Carter and presidential candidates John Ander
son and Ronald Reagan have been invited.
Bands and queens from all of the 107 predominantly black
colleges will be competing for national recognition. Three
bands will be selected as the 1980 Black College Day Bands,
and one queen and her court will be selected to reign over the
day’s festivities.
Although 80 percent of blacks enrollejf in black colleges
graduate, as opposed to only 30 percent graduating from
white institutions, the existence of black colleges is threaten
ed. The threat is based primarily on disproportionate funding
and HEW’s desegregation efforts.
The Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s gave priority to
desegregation. However, Bengain Mays, president emeritus
of Morehouse College, warned, “Intergration must never
mean the liquidation of black colleges. If America allows black
colleges to die, it will be the worst kind of discrimination and
denigration in history.”
See BLACK COLLEGE DAY, page 2
low bar scores the reason
Tougher life to loom
for NCCU law students
Enrollment growth, varied events
mark successful summer term
Why is the director of the Summer School smiling?
With a 40 percent increase in summer enrollment, director
Waltz Maynor has a lot to smile about.
“It has been a good summer,” said Maynor, “but there was
more to it than just adding 800 additional students. We pro
vided a better program, both academically and socially.”
Maynor received a lot of positive feedback on the switch to
two academic sessions. “This (change) created better
scheduling for faculty and students. Students could get credit
for 12 hours, instead of only nine in past years,” he said.
The evening classes were particularly popular, allowing
students who worked during the day to further their educa
tion, at night.
“The Student Union staff provided some great activities,
and Continuing Education's Summer Humanities Program
brought the community and the campus closer together,”
Maynor said.
The humanities program provided a five evening look at the
past, present, and future of Durham. The first three sessions
focused on the art, literature, and music of the city.
The last two sessions were politically oriented. During the
fourth evening, moderator Helene DiBona of the English
Department tried to keep the peace between Joan Burton,
housing chairperson of The Durham Committee on the Affairs
of Black People, and Dean Hunter, the now-departed city
manager of Durham. Their argument primarily concerned
what the city should provide and had provided for its low-
income residents.
NCCU law professor Charles Markham captivated the au
dience with his wry musings on the city’s current problems.
Recalling a favorite line from a now deceased resident,
Markham said, “There’s nothing wrong with Durham that
three large fires and 15 first class funerals couldn’t fix.”
Markham went on to compare the renovated, yet scantily
In this issue. . .
People you should know
(page 2)
Registration
through freshman eyes
(page 3)
Central's football team:
eager for the season
(page 4)
populated, downtown area to a dead atheist at his own
funeral; “All dressed up, but no place to go.”
Both Markham and Burton complained about the city’s lack
of positive leadership and existing attitudes which tended to
alienate the poor and black residents.
The final session was much less controversial, with hopeful
visions of a thriving city.
Oakley Winters, executive director of the North Carolina
Humanities Committee, provided a theoretical framework for
total citizen-community involvement and related it historically
to the dramatic turnaround of Denmark, a country which rose
from 30 percent literacy and 40 percent land ownership to
100 percent literacy and 87 percent land ownership.
Terry Sanford, president of Duke University and founder of
the Durham Progress Group, spoke on “developing quality of
life for ail of Durham’s citizens.” He advocated revitalizing
the downtown by building a civic center-sports complex, thus
creating a positive image and a needed tax base.
Sanford also urged the creation of city development pro
jects which would unify the citizens in working toward com
mon goals.
J.J. Henderson, chairperson of the Durham Committee on
the Affairs of Black People, agreed with Sanford’s plan in
part, but argued that “it just doesn’t go far enough.”
Henderson called for a diversified housing program which
would bring the people into the city. “If we offer people at
tractive housing in the city,” he said, “they will be sure to
patronize the local merchants. But just a civic center complex
might not be enough.”
Maynor felt the humanities program was quite successful.
“Our attendance was good and we’re doing a better job of in
volving the community.”
By Teresa Burke
From now on, prospective law school
students will find changes in the admission
requirements. Dean Harry E. Groves said Fri
day after it had been revealed that the Law
School graduates made the poorest showing
of any law school in the state on the bar ex
am.
Only 18% of the 76 Central law graduates
who took the test passed, a 23.6 percent
passing rate—or a 76.4 percent failure rate.
“We have no other choice,” added
Chancellor Albert N. Whiting. “We’ve tried
everything else and now have no other basis
for excuses. The law school in the past has
simply admitted students with too low
scores.”
Whiting suggested a four-year law school
plan where students would take fewer
courses per term and thus could put more
work into those.
Also, grade inflation is a problem, he said.
“Teachers have been too sympathetic with
graduating students who do not merit
graduating,” said Whiting, A tougher grading
system may be instituted into the curriculum,
he continued.
Changes in law school admission and
grading will have to occur. Groves agreed, to
be fair to the students who are accepted.
Scores have been low in the past and there
have been many changes made in an effort to
improve a Central law school education. The
law school library was increased significantly.
More qualified teachers were hired, and with
the construction of the new law building
everything seemed to be moving in the right
direction.
But low grades still continue. The only fac
tor that has remained constant is the
students themselves, the dean said.
“N. C. Central University has traditionally
admitted students whose grades would not
allow them to enter other law schools,” said
Groves. “If a student’s grades are low to
begin with and if there is no extra effort to im
prove, then their scores will remain low.
See NEW CHANGES, page 2
Some things change—like the new signs on the buildings. . .but some
things remain the same—like the long, long lines at registration.
See REGISTRATION, page 4
DBC aids NCCU housing, but.
By J.K. Green III
and Marvin Royster
Are you out of a room? Or are you living in a
boarding house due to circumstances beyond your
control? You are not alone.
Many of North Carolina Central University’s
students suffer severely from this problem. But J.
W. Hill, president of Durham Business College, has
made it possible for NCCU students to room in Hill
and McCauley Halls on the campus of DBC.
This arrangement was not made in conjunction
with NCCU’s housing. Therefore the students are
taking a personal risk in terms of the conditions of
the rooms, the financial arrangements, and possi
ble legal liabilities.
A letter from the NCCU Office of the Vice-
Chancellor for Student Affairs advises that the
students request in writing a statement giving
specific information on rental and boarding refund
procedures in the event bankruptcy proceedings
prevent the opening of the institution or the fulfill
ment of their agreement at any time during the
year. It was also advised that students request a
personal inspection of the premises before signing
the agreement.
Living at DBC without transportation poses
another problem.
Emery Gibbs, a sophomore from Fayetteville,
said, “It’s acceptable to live here but the distance
(from NCCU’s campus) is a problem.”
But Sue Heard, a sophomore from Jacksonville
who lived in Eagleson last year, -ffnds the rooms
are better because of the air-conditioning and the
fact that the dorm is co-ed.
“The rooms are better to me but I’m worried
about security. We don’t have any!” she said.