The Campus Echo No. 2 The official student newspaper of North Carolina Central University Friday, October 7, 1983 ‘This is the beginning of the challenge of the ’80s’ Walker’s convocation speech urges faculty, student dedication Walker By Helen Eagleson “The Convocation is more than a ceremonial occa sion; it is a reflection, renewal, and rededication to the future,” said Chancellor Leroy T. Walker to ap proximately 2,000 students, faculty and staff members, and guests at the annual convocation. He emphasised that -v™ the university can con- tv tinue to celebrate its rich heritage as a historically black university but only through “its perfor mance in the mainstream of educa tion.” Walker pointed out that historically black institutions “can guarantee their futures only by producing a product that is capable of competing with the pool of human resources from the Dukes, Wake Forests and Harvards of the world.” NCCU shows commitment to black colleges By Helen Eagleson and Annie V. Hawkins Four thousand students participated in Raleigh’s Black College Day Rally. Among those were 700 students from N.C. Central University. Preparation began days in advance with student leaders chartering buses, making plans for guest speakers, ordering T-shirts and rousing students to particpate in campus activites. Activities began Sept. 26 at 12:00 noon in the An nie Day Shepard Bowl where approximately 200 students gathered to suppport Black Collge Day 1983 with banners, chants, and songs. Dr. Tyrone Baines, NCCU vice-chancellor for University Relations, said that black colleges suf fered from “shrinking financial support, declining enrollment, charges of mismanagement, and a loss of top quality staff members.” But, he said, despite these problems, black colleges are still the major pro ducers of black bachelor degrees. Guest speaker Mickey Michaux, former member of the N.C. House of Reprensitives and a member of the Board of Trustees, drew shouts and cheers as he started the chant “I am somebody.” He told students that they needed to be more politically active. He said that president Reagan’s “New Federalism” was put ting millions out of jobs and into poverty. Michaux warned that the budget cuts being made by the Reagan administration only reduced support for those in need. He stated that 500 small-owned businesses went bankrupt in a week. He stressed the See Black College Day, p. 2 Promoting the university and convocatin theme of “Excellence Without Excuse,” Walker offered challenges to both the faculty and students. He said, “The faculty must be more demanding of our students and must force them to take responsiblity for their learning and total welfare.” Walker added, “For the first time in history, this generation of students will not have basic skills to equal or surpass the skills of the generation before them because our secondary school leaders ... permitted this generation of students to obtain its education in a smorgasboard, cafeteria-style curriculum in which the student could not tell the difference between the main course, dessert, or the appetizer.” The chancellor charged the faculty with accepting the challenge “of providing ... for the betterment of the students” and helping “our students climb the ladder of success.” Walker challenged the students to display “the four Ds—discontent, dedication, devotion to task, and discipline. “There are two kinds of discontent,” he said, “one that gets what it wants and one that loses what it has. A discontent that works, strives to succeed, always in pursuit of excellence.” Dedication he defined as “an acceptance of the work ethic, a return to the spartan simplicities.” He described devotion to task as the “the ability to hang in there.” Discipline, he explained, is that which drives a stu dent to become what he or she is capable of becom ing. “Only a student who has mastered these four Ds will be prepared to cope with the problems of the out side world,” Walker said. Walker spoke positively to the group. “-I believe in you Eagles ... that you will exceed your grasp,” he declared. However, if you do not, lack of strength is not the cause but lack of will.” Walker reminded students and faculty that society owes them nothing, and urged them to push ahead and extinguish racial bias, religious barriers, and social condemnation in order to reach the pinnacle of success. Walker told the audience, “We all have two ends, one to sit on and one to think with. Success depends on which one you use. Heads you win. Tails you lose.” This was Walker’s first state-of-the-university speech as interim chancellor. He is a graduate of Benedict College and holds a Master of Arts degree from Columbia University. He earned his Ph.D. degree at New York University. Walker was the 1976 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Coach and has served as a professoinal consul tant on physucal education programs for Lebanon, Ethiopia, Syria, Israel, Haiti, and Jamaica. Walker has been affliated with NCCU for 38 years. Black College Day at NCCU Billy Barber, vice president of SGA, ad dresses the crowd at the NCCU Black College Day Rally. Seated behind from left to right are Michael Mattocks, Jeanette Black (out of view), James Webb, Elton Powell, Mickey Michaux, Tyrone Baines, and Kenneth Hines.

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