HA VE A HAPPY
SPRING BREAK
The Campus Echo
Number three
North Carolina Central University
February—March issue
Teacher of the Year speaks at N. C, Central
By Wyllisa Bennett
“Black children need role
models. We must show by ex
ample that courage, fortitude,
and genius is not a respecter of
the color of one’s skin,’’
stated Donna Oliver—North
Carolina’s Teacher of the Year
1986-87—on Feb. 23 in the
Taylor Education Building.
Oliver’s visit was sponsored by
the Department of English of
North Carolina Central
University as part of their an
nual Teacher Education
Career Day.
Oliver spoke to students and
faculty about the importance
of education and the future of
the younger generation.
“Education is like Burger
King—it lets you ‘have it your
way.’ Education is like Coca
Cola—it’s ‘the real thing.’
Education is like Southern
Bell—it lets you ‘reach out and
touch someone.’ Education is
like Hallmark Cards—it lets
you ‘send the very best,’and
education is like a slow poke
sundae—it ‘lasts a long, long
time,’’’ Oliver said.
Oliver confessed that her
most important objective as
Teacher of the Year is talking
to young students interested in
education as a career.
“Education is the right
choice,’’ she said.
She instructed students not
to let their peers persuade
them against a career in educa
tion: “Tell them it is because
of teachers that you can select
your major.’’
Oliver said that by 1990-91,
America may be faced with a
teacher shortage. “Our
youth—the greatest natural
resource—will suffer,’’ she
said. Oliver emphasized the
unique attributes of the
American public school
system:
“In America, the public
school system takes any child
that comes—the rich, the
poor, those that want to learn,
and those that could care less
about learning,” she said.
Oliver told teachers “we must
demand excellence of
ourselves.” She also stated
that teachers must make sure
they are competent,
knowledgable, and skillful in
their arei of teaching. “We
must model excellence, then
demand excellence,” she add
ed. “A teacher should feel
guilty if he allows a student to
pass on to the next grade, and
not even be able to read.
She told her collegues to
look to the past with pride and
learn from previous mistakes.
“Live each day with en
thusiasm, and look to tomor
row with competence for a
better place to live,” she said.
Oliver professed that the
future looks “very good” for
education. She feels that
North Carolina realizes that
increasing salaries for teachers
in order to make education
competitive with other
businesses is an effective way
to lure good students into the
teaching profession.
“The eighties are prime time
for education,” she said.
Oliver said that the State has
alloted $700 million plus for
education. More money is
available to teachers for pro
fessional growth; scholarships
are available for them to con
tinue their education, as well
as money for staff develop
ment programs to enhance
their teaching ability.
Oliver said it is important to
keep the clock of education
ticking to secure it in this pro
gressive society. “We must
join together in education to
keep the future looking
bright.”
Why does one choose
See TEACHER, p. 3
Martin Luther King Jr, ^s
birthday celebrated
Reports from
Durham Morning Herald
Cries of “Let Freedom
Ring’’ rang through
McDougald Gymnasium at
N.C. Central University
January 19, 1987 as blacks and
whites celebrated the birthday
of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The celebration included
gospel and secular music,
religious and political speeches
and pleas for unity among
people of all races.
Some speakers criticized not
only racial prejudice in
America but foreign policy in
South Africa and Central
America.
The featured speaker was
Patricia Russell-McCloud, a
professional speaker and
lawyer from Atlanta. She
whipped the crowd up as she
punctuated her speech with
calls for“Let Freedom Ring,”
the line from the song MY
COUNTRY! ‘TIS OF THEE.
Russell-McCloud said that
racial equality and unity are
imperative. “We are going to
have to learn to live together
as brothers and sisters or die
together as fools,” she said.
She credited the blacks and
whites, Jews and Gentiles in
Durham who have learned to
work and live together.
There were also calls for the
state of North Carolina to do
what Durham city and county
governments have
done—declare the third Mon
day in January a paid govern
ment holiday. Forty states
have done so and many coun
tries celebrate King’s birthday.
See KING, p. 2
r
Kip Branch
Donna Oliver, North Carolina’s Teacher of the Year and
finalist for National Teacher of the Year, spoke to students
and faculty about the importance of the education as a career
choice.
President Reagan portrayed as
a confused and remote figure
Compiled by Tonya Hall
Washington (The New
York Times News Service) —
The Tower Commission, the
special review board that in
vestigated the Iranian arms
scandal, has portrayed Presi
dent Reagan as a confused and
remote figure who failed to
understand or control the
secret arms deal with Iran, and
who thus had to “take respon
sibility ” for a policy that in
the end caused “chaos ” at
home and embarrassment
abroad.
Using somber and forceful
tones, the presidential com
mission issued a highly detail
ed report of more than 300
pages that was sharply critical
of a president who dominated
the political life of the country
for six years, guiding graceful
ly across the national stage
with an optimistic smile.
Former Sen. John G.
Tower, a Republican who
headed the commission, said
at a news conference that “the
president clearly didn’t
understand the nature of the
operation, who was involved,
or what was happening.”
The report was particularly
harsh on the president’s aides,
especially former White House
chief of staff Donald T.
Regan, who quarreled with
many inside the White House.
Most political observers say
that the major overhaul in the
White House staff, which
seemed imminent for weeks, is
now in full swing.