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Lr > 4 page 2 Friday, October 8, 1982 To vote or not to vote Where have all the voters gone? It is a month before the November elections, and the question arises, will you vote? This year marks the tenth anniversary of the passage of the constitutional amendment that granted 18-year-olds the right to vote. That means that virtually every member of this student body ought to be registered. So you are a lonely freshman, just hoping to get to the Caf before the good stuff is gone, or wondering whether it is worth a trip home just to get your laundry done. No matter how far they are from your mind, you have respon sibilities as a citizen. You ought to vote. Even if you can’t get home on election day, your family Can obtain an absentee ballot for you while you are on campus. You are only out of luck if you have not registered. It is too late to worry about it. All you can do is sit this one out and live with the government others foist upon you. But if you have registered and are wondering whether it is worth the trou ble to go home on election day or apply for an absentee ballot, let me dispel the myth that your vote does not count. Recently, The Wall Street Journal looked at the voting strength of certain groups. Here is what they found. Blacks comprise 10.5 percent of the eligible voters in the United States. The 18 to 24 age group comprises 20 percent of eligible voters. These groups have expressed their dissatisfaction with the Reagan ad ministration because of the loss of programs from which these groups have benefited. That means that if Reagan’s supporters are to be put out of office this fall, blacks and young people will have to vote in large numbers. You can’t expect the white middle class with plenty of job seniority and enough money to pay the taxes to do it. You will have to do it. To further illustrate this point. The Wall Street Journal reported that only 47.5 percent of the eligible voters voted in the 1980 election. Reagan’s “great mandate from the American people’’ came from the 25 percent of eligible voters. If you don’t find this disturbing, you deserve exactly the type of represen tation in government you’re getting. Marion McKinney The Whiting address: positive and powerful As usual, attendance was sparse, but those who did muster up enough energy to attend must have been moved - even uplifted. Chancellor Albert N. Whiting, who, in the past, has often been a con troversial figure, was delivering his last state-of-the-University address at Thursday’s Convocation. What he said was no defense, but a powerful and positive equivocation of who he is and what he has achieved. Although he will retire in July 1983, the chancellor did not use this last Convocation as a farewell speech. Instead he stressed the “lofty peaks of ac complishment’’ that the University has reached and the distance it has to go. In recounting the hardships the University has overcome, the chancellor cited the recent implementation of academic programs, the $16.5 million in vested in construction, and the enrollment increase as the positive aspects to cushion the blows. The highlight of the Convocation address, perhaps the highlight of all his addresses, however, was on a more personal note as he directed a statement to those who critically judge his performance. He invited his critics to con clude what they would, but reminded them that throughout his failures and achievements his main concern was “what I perceived as the best interests of NCCU.” Although we remember with regret his disappointing signing of the Con sent Decree and suspected insensitivity to student input in university matters. Chancellor Whiting’s last state-of-the-University speech was an affirmation to his statement that we have never surrendered “to the obstacles and forces of resistance.’’ LaTanya A. Isley J.SJ.V.NSV.V.SV.NSV.SV.; THE N^cr p|^ESlDe^l^oF ihe iMitEpmcnse THE REASON JOHNiWCANT COWAUNtCATE, CALCULATE OR COtAPUTE IS BECAUSE JOHNNY CAKt RE AOOR WRITE Guest Editorial Not quality or equality, but priority! f Letters to the editor Former NCCU law dean’s widow criticizes Herald (Editor’s note: The following letter is a reply to an article published in the Aug. 25 edition of The Durham Morning Herald. The writer, Mrs. Elva DeJarmon, widow of LeMarquis DeJar- mon, former dean of the NCCU law school, is a Media-Journalism student at Central. This let ter has also been sent to The Durham Morning Herald. To The Herald Editor: You have incorrectly stated in your Aug. 25 edition that N.C. Central University’s Law School “was put on probation in 1974.” The term probation is misleading. The phrase the American Bar Association used was “provisional accreditation.’’ The law school has always been accredited. As the widow of the LeMarquis DeJarmon, the first dean of the law school when North By Naren Tambe One of the harsh realities of American education is that in many cases, the quality of a student’s education is correlated to the quantity of his dollars. Studies by scholars like Daniel P. Moynihan (U.S. senator from New York and one-time Harvard professor) have tried to downplay the importance of money on educational quality, but few educators have been persuaded that poor schools can be improved or made equal to their affluent counterparts without substantial financial help. Historically, black schools and colleges have suffered finan cially because of segregational patterns and currently as the helpless victims of subtle segregation within desegregation. The disparity continues in spite of the heroic efforts made by the United Negro College Fund and other agencies. A mind may be “a terrible thing to waste,” but that doesn’t seem to bother some corporate philanthropists. While poor people support the UNCF, the rich and the super-rich make donations to the col leges of their choice—the prestigious white schools. Three years ago. Harvard collected more than $1.2 billion from its alumni and business backers. Yale was second in collec tions in the sam6 year. No wonder Harvard and Yale ar6 among" the top ten schools in the United States in terms of quality. The kind of financial support the newly established N.C. School of Science and Math is getting from industries like Bur roughs Welcome and the state of North Carolina and Fygua’s million dollar grant to Duke should support my thesis that in order to improve quality of education, you need massive finan cial help, either from private donors or the government. Black schools had a bad start (not a head start) from the beginning of the last century, becoming the victims of the segregated funding and donation patterns. Under these subtle segregational patterns, how can one expect the black schools to improve their quality of education. Most black schools are still separate and unequal in terms of money allocated by governments as well as by private individuals and businesses. The dose of segregation is so much mixed in the American bloodstream that it may take another 500 years to Carolina College at Durham became a part of the University of North Carolina system in 1969, I have received numerous calls and queries—local, from across the state, and from across the nation—from people upset by the inaccuracy of your reporting. The history of NCCU Law School is replete with historic ad vances made by its graduates. Established in 1939 after law suits by black students who desired a legal education in their home state of North Carolina, the NCCU School of Law has been a beacon of light for not only black students but Indians and whites as well. The law school has overcome numerous obstacles, including a disastrous fire which destroyed the law library in 1969, only 18 days after my husband became the dean. Incidentally, only one day was lost from classes during this period. Many threats to close the school were also made during his tenxire as dean. On the positive side, it is well to note that a majority of black judgesrin North Carolina are graduates of NCCU’s Law School. Others can be found serving as judges in Virginia, mayors, representatives in the North Carolina legislature, Georgia assemblymen, judges in Alaska and Connecticut, floor leader in the Oklahoma state legislature, as well as legal consultants for both state and federal government agencies and prestigious law firms. NCCU has the unique distinction of having graduated the first Lumbee Indian judges and state legislators. The first U.S. Attorney General for the Middle District of North Carolina was H.M. “Mickey Michaux, an NCCU law graduate. Of equal note was the appointment of Ms. Acie Ward, an NCCU law graduate, as the first black female district judge for Wake County. clean the entire system! Under these conditions, one wonders how black colleges can survive. What hurts me most in this educational tragedy is the lack of commitment on the part of the national and state governmental leadership to provide enough funds, for black colleges. Constitutional Amendment Needed The United States needs to make radical changes to improve the education of black schools. It can learn from an experiment in India. The Indian government has incorporated in its constitution a unique plan to improve the quality of educatioi) for the socially and economically disadvantaged minorities, such as the backward castes, - scheduled tribes and Anglo-Indians. The education of these people was neglected for more than three cen turies. To encourage and improve the quality of their education, the government made a provision in its constitution not for equality but priority in education and employment to’these long neglected segments of society. Their college tuition is free. Tex tbooks are free. The purpose is to help bring these people into the socio-economic mainstream of India. — Black colleges never have had financial equality guaranteed either by the government or private sector. The slogan: “All men are created equal” is a myth. We need to demand constitu tional changes like the plan mentioned above. Our leaders need to take up this burning issue before they consider abortion and school prayer. If our leaders and the government fail to financially support black colleges, they will be the ultimate losers. Discrimination is an unsound investment. Call my plan reverse discrimination or an impossible dream. I don’t care. But massive financial support must come from our rich uncle—Uncle Sam. Political pressure for a constitutional amendment must come from Blacks, Hispanics, American Indians, and others. They need to bring their leaders to their educational senses. Dr. Narem Tambe is an NCCU professor of education. •■••••’••••A*.***** Clifton Johnson, the newest black appointee to the N.C. Court'of Appeals, was appointed to this position after legal ser vices as assistant attorney for Durham County and chief resident judge of the Superior Court of Mecklenburg County, Charlotte. Instead of misleading your readers with information not ger mane to the article, you could print the above facts, thus highlighting the continuing growth and legal services rendered by the the NCCU Law School and its graduates. Elva DeJarmon Senior class president raises campus concerns Dear Editor NCCU pride and unity, where are they going? Everyone’s talking about upholding the school’s name. Well, I’m all about the business of the black institutions, especially NCCU. Many conflicts seem to be stirring around Eagle territory. As a matter of fact, I have a couple of questions. Why isn’t the Black National Anthem played at the football games? Are we worried what our “peers” will say, or are we afraid of the out come... Positive Blackness? To see so many students disillusioned before the year has started really concerns me. Apathy is becoming epidemic. If you don’t believe me, look around, or ask some of your friends. Apathy is also in the classroom. Some instructors are only here for the “the end of the month.” If an instructor cannot See LETTERS, page 6 Editor-In-Chief Marion McKinney Ctfie Campus ‘EcRo Business Manager Mark Adams Associate Editor LaTanya Isley Entertainment Editor Veronica Cogdell Contributing Editor Edwin Horsley Advertising Manager Paul L. Anderson Circulation Manager Advisers Officer Manager Valerie Cornwell Olivia Evans Tom Evans News Editor Sports Editor Tom Scheft Features Editor Jim Jarvis Mark Adams A.M. Secrest Jeffrey Campbell The Campus Echo appreciates letters to the editor. Please address all letters to The Campus Echo, Box 19748, NCCU, or via Campos mail to Elder Student Union, room 104-B. We will attempt to print promptly all letters we receive but will make certain exceptions. The Echo will not print letters which are not signed with the legal name, class, department, campus address, and phone number of the writer, or letters judged to be libelous. We will withhold the writer’s name if his request is accompanied by a valid reason. The Echo reserves the right to refuse letters containing racial, ethnic or sexual slurs; vulgar or incomprehensible letters; or letters over 300 words. The Echo will edit all letters for clarity and correct usage, and reserves the right to delete obscene words or phrases.
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