The Campus Echo
No. 4.
The official student newspaper of North Carolina Central University
November 11, 1983
Renovations brigtens campus
Durham eagerly awaited the race that
nobody really
won
By Mark Anthony Andrews Adams
7:30 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 8, a little girl leaving her house
starts her daily trek to school. For some reason she is dissa-
pointed. Suddenly she hears the familiar sound of an old
automobile. She stops dead in her tracks, whirls around and
runs back down the sidewalk to greet her father. He works a late
shift and she rarely sees him in the morning and when she gets
home from school he is usually asleep. So for her, seeing her
father is a rare treat.
“Daddy,” she calls out happily, “I didn’t think you’d make
it.”
He replies in a tired but determined voice, “Baby, how could I
miss a chance to escort the prettiest girl in town to school?”
“Ah, daddy, you’re just teasing, but don’t forget you got to
vote, too,” she says.
And so it was throughout Durham, blacks and many whites
going to work late, taking time off and even taking the day off.
All in support of Asa T. Spaulding Jr., the city’s black candidate
for mayor.
On the preceeding night college students and community
members, both black and white, were up until 3 a.m. putting up
“Asa Spaulding” signs at every precint in Durham.
On Tuesday morning they were back up again, as early as 5
a.m., getting ready for the polls. At R.N. Harris elementary
school, Ms. Mary H. Turner was up bright and early “putting in
a vote for my people,” she said. After she had voted, Ms.
Turner stopped at one of the tables outside of the building and
said, “Do you need any help? We’ve got to win this one.” After
sitting next to a NCCU student, she informed all who would
listen that this was not a racial issue, “but Asa is the better man
and Markham (his opponent) didn’t have no business bringing
that mess into the election.”
Spaulding told a group of students at his Bright Leaf Square
headquarters Monday night, “Things are looking pretty good
and I’m glad that you have been dedicated to what we know is a
worthy cause.” The following day 9,122 voters turned out to
show that they too knew that his was a worthy cause. But there
were 10,599 who felt differently. What happened? Why wasn’t
there a greater turnout among black voters? Only 46 percent of
the registered black voters in Durham exercised their right to
vote compared to 53 percent of their white counterparts.
“I don’t know what happened ”, said Spaulding after the
final results were announced. “Maybe I should have gone into
the community more.” Were the votes there? Of the 50,396
registered voters in Durham only 20, 337 actually turned out.
But as one official stationed at Durham High school stated, “If
we can get 500 of our 1,200 registered voters out, we’re doing
good.” only 427 showed up.
Markham didn’t think it would have make a difference
though saying,“he (Spaulding) didn’t give the people a reason to
defeat me. He was not specific enough on the issues.” Although
he wouldn’t admit it, there was a time when Markham wasn’t
sure what the outcome would be. With the results from the R.N.
Harris and Shepard precints in hand showing him losing those
precints by a combined margin of 1070 votes, Markham said, “I
don’t know where they’re getting these figures.”
There was some concern in the early going, but as the night
wore on, Markham slowly began to edge ahead and eventually
went ahead to stay. The biggest encouragement to the Markham
camp was when the results from fire station no. 6 came in. Here
Markham received an encouragement 1043 votes compared to
294 for Spaulding. It was a close election, “the closest Durham
has seen in a long time,” said one reporter.
By Annie V. Hawkins
This year, many changes
can be seen on NCCU’s cam
pus. This summer, there was
construction work done on
Latham Hall’s foundation,
and also room revisions made
in Chidley Hall.
William E. McDonald,
director of the NCCU physical
plant, listed some of these
changes. The main building of
Chidley Hall has been given a
completely new look: lowered
ceilings, more electrical power
per room, new showers,
closets, floors, and lighting.
The costs for these changes
were $1.8 million.
Leonard Parks, 20, a
Chidley Hall resident and
business administration major
from Wilkesboro, said, “It’s
nice. They painted the rooms,
changed the doors, and put in,
new furniture. It’s a lot better
than the Annex Building.”
McDonald said that the
foundatic/h work being done
on Latham Dorm will help
eliminate the soil erosion
around the dorm which has
Caused many problems, such
as the buckling of sidewalks.
This project will cost
$750,000.
In completion is a Criminal
Justice Building at the corner
of Cecil Street and Lincoln
Street. This $2.15 million
building covers 30 thousand
feet and will be ready for oc
cupancy in November.
The new Physical Education
and Recreation Complex
across from the new Law
School building will house an
Olympic swimming pool,
classrooms, lounges, faculty
offices, a gymnasium, a dance
studio, and a gymnastic unit.
This $10.2 million building ex
pects to be completed in
September, 1984.
To help handicappeji
students, new ramps, wider
doors, and curb cuts-$46,000
in installations— have been in
stalled around Pearson
Cafeteria, the Health Science
Building, Taylor Education
Building, and Baynes Hall to
make them more accessible.
Renovations on campus are
made depending upon the
need and the money available,
said McDonald. Every two
years a proposed budget is
summitted to the UNC system
by the Space Utilization Com
mittee which consists of
departmental heads, deans,
directors, and the chancellor.
The system revises the budget
and allocates to NCCU the
funds needed after they are ap
propriated by the state
legislature.
Little brother updateinow there are two
By Linda McNeely
In the Oct. 28th issuse of the Campus Echo,
the staff introduced the Echo’s first “litle
brother,” Larry Dumas. Mrs. Ewing, Larry’s
mother explained to members of the staff that
her youngest son, Devon was jealous of all the
attention his brother Larry has been receiving
and requested that the staff add Devon to the
program and so it was. On Friday Nov. 4th The
Campus Echo adpoted its second” little
brother.’
Mark Adams, editor of The Campus Echo
asked Devon if he thought he could handle 16
big sisters? “He replied yes,” with a shy smile
and a headshake. Adams also stated that this
would be a good public relations action for The
Echo and the university.
After a pizza fest,Devon attended his u
event last Friday. He was treated to the Ebon>
Fashion Fair with Gilbert Faison, Teresa
Pasley, Trevea McClean, and Paulette Rogers.
Larry also attended the event.
lii brother p.l2.