Sports-See page 4:,
♦ Interview with Men's Basketball Coach Greg Jackson
♦NCAA Makes Academic Reforms
♦Cassandra Adams Qualifies in 55 Meter Hurdles
♦CIAA Standings
Art and Entertflininon».So«. page 5;
♦Events Calendar
♦The Hip Hop Review—A Tribe Called Quest and Black Sheep
♦Jazz Festival—^NCCU Jazz Ensemble to perform in Chapel Hill
♦Award-winning play, Of Mules and Men, returns to NCCU
♦Editorial-See page 2
♦King Celebration-See page 3
♦Student Documentary Awards-See page 6
♦Spring Break in the Caribbean-See page 7
♦Horoscope and Crossword-See page 8
THE CAMPUS ECHO
Issue 5
Lack of Cashiers Contribute to
Long Lines During Registration
by Kimbeily Thornton
North Carolina Central University students are use to waiting in line
during registration, but this semester the wait was longer than usual. Many
students waited at least four to six hours just to pay their bill.
“I got there[the Communications building] at 7:30 a.m. and didn’t get in
til 9:00 a.m.” said Cassandra Artis a senior from Fayetteville, N.C. “1 didn’t
need a copy of my bill,...and I didn’t get to pay until 4:00 in the afternoon.”
Not enough cashiers contributed to the long lines but, according to
University Registrar, James Pierce, students could avoid the long lines
during registration if they would pay eaiiy.
“We had paying period all through December and financial aid [awards]
was posted to the accounts on December 20.” he said.
Pre-registered students were sent a memo along with their bill that gave
times for the students to come pay their bill by the first initial in their last
name. But according to Pierce that rule was more for the benefit of the
cashiers. “I don’t think they[Financial Area of Cashiere] intended to
enforce that [alphabetical rule] at aU...because we had so many students
who didn’t pre-register and so they didn’t get that notice.”
But Ralph Fennell, head of cashiers said that the alphabetical rule was
suppose to be enforced. “Security guards had been given intructions[to
enforce the rule] but when they changed shifts the instructions weren’t
passed on to the other security guards.” he said. Also, Fennell said that on
the second day of registration, the doors to the communications building
were forced open. As a result many students who weren’t suppose to pay
at that time were in line.
Some students had to wait in line just to get their bill stamped, but Pierce
said that is unnecessary. “As long as your bill is paid it doesn’t have to be
stamped,” he said. “That’s just a fonnality that lhey[cashiers] do when it
Seep*:3
North Carolina Central University
January 29,1992
Donna J. Benson: A Mirror of Excellence
by Johnme Whitehead Charlotte, was Julius Chambers, a At the time students at the pre-
For North Carolina Central NCCU alumnus, one of the key dominantly black West Charlotte
University’s Interim Chancellor, leaders who set the pace for inte- High School were upset because
Donna J. Benson, who grew up gration and busing in Mecklenberg they saw no advantages in leaving
during the 60s in a time of county and the city schools. their warm and familiar surround-
monumental change in Ame
rica's social structure, many
memories remain. The lessons
learned were hard ones, even
though the clouds were gray and
looming with
hopelessness;. Perh^ Benson is
living proof that we can always
find that silver lining.
She witnessed, great, world-re
nowned civil rights leaders such
as Martin Luther King Jr. and
Malcolm X, with their provoca
tive and overpowering charisma,
captivate and change the course of
history. They led black people into
a new direction by creating change
that was inevitable for this nation
when they marched on Washing
ton, organized the Montgomery
bus boycott, and the Organization
of Afro-American Unity.
However, closer to home in Interim Chancellor Donna J. Benson
Martin Luther King Celebration
t-.-'''
AIDS: High Risk Sex Behavior of
College Students Increases Threat
by Amy Reynolds the men and 36 percent of the
(CPS)—Magic Jcdmson’s message women had sex with someone they
just met and that, on average.
■
Students pay tribute to the slain civil rights leader in B Duke Auditorium
has hit home loud and clear
AIDS spares no one. Are college
students getting the message?
Researchers at the Kinsey Insti
tute for Research in Sex, Gender
and Reproduction at Indiana Uni
versity recently concluded a 1989
study of students ’ sexual behavior
that they are preparing for publi
cation.
Preliminary findings show that
of the 651 undergraduate students
surveyed at Indiana University,
81 percent of the men and 75
percent of the women were not
virgins and that students spend an
average of two nights a week with
their sexual partners.
It also found that 50 percent of
students had two one-night stands
in 1990.
In March 1990, the Kinsey Insti
tute published the resultsofa 1988
survey of 809 college students.
“The most important findings
from this survey reveal that stu
See pg. 3
ings to enter a bitter and hostile
environment that reftised to rec
ognize their mere existence as
Americans, as citizens and as hd-
man beings. Surprisingly, this ex
perience proved to be a healthy
one for the city of Charlotte as
well as for Benson.
“We didn’t know what it would
mean,” Benson recalls when she
learned that she would be bused to
Independence, a predominantly
white high ^hool. “There were
only two blacks in my class with
integration but at West Charlotte
the entire gifted and talented class
was black.”
Since busing was inevitable in
the near future, a group of dedi
cated teachers were determined to
make the black students abreast
and ready to compete with the
white students upon integratioiL
‘Teachers began to teach,” Benson
says emphatically. “They would
not let us be cut short”
Although the teachers {xovided
the students with the motivation to
excel at their soon-to-be new
schools, Benson’s mother, Lou
Emma Pogue Benson, built the
strong foundation for her children
by earning her graduate degree in
guidance and counseling from the
University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill in 1964. “She attended
night classes and my brother and 1
See pg. 3
y also lounu inai ou percent
Judge Orders Alabama to Cease Segregation
H 90 days to lion issue as a fonner stale law
View Of the outcome of a deseg- report on their plans to comply maker
legation case now before the U.S. with the judge’s order.
Supreme Court, a federal judge Murphy’s 1,000-page order is a
hM ruled that Alabama must erase result of a second trial over the
all traces of segregation in its case. Afterthefirstin 1985 ajudge
unmrsity system. ruled that remnants of segregation
This court is obligated to see did exist in the Alabama system,
t^ yesuges of discrimination are but he was removed from the case
eliminated root and branch and it in 1987 by an aj^llate court be-
will brook nothing less,” U.S. cause he was involved in segreea-
wtoteiuhisDec soouter. I NottH CaTolma’s Homcless Population:: 8,000 Strong and Growing
Attorney Rob Hunter, who rep
resents the governor and state
education and finance officials,
says the state does not want to
appeal Murphy’s decision, but
state officials are concerned about
finding the means to provide the
See pg. 3
King Candlelight Vigil Provides
Positive Outlet for Student Body
hv rV»Tmona MiTiallA *j * « . - . . . ■
by Dezmona Mizelle
The tlmughts and achievements
of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,
whose birthday is national holiday
and is being celebrated in many
different ways, have sparked a
reawakening on the campus of
students are doing to provide sup
port for the community and also
what blacks need to do for posi-
tivechangesinthe future. Students
also spoke of the ever-standing
search for equality, a definite end
to racism and the need for the
North Carolina Central University. bonding of a straying community.
Many NCCU students chose to “a lot of people have paved the
honor Dr. King and his dream by ^vay for students” said Senior Al-
attending a midnight candlelight pha Phi Alpha Fraternity member
vigU sponsored by the Gamma pred Oick^'and it’s bec^iise of
Beta Ch^ter of Alpha Rii Alpha theirsupportthatNCCUhaspretty
Fraternity Inc. Dr. King was a good financial standing.
member of this Fraternity, but he
was also a member of a larger
fraternity: the fraternity of man
kind, which he spent his entire life
trying to uplift.
The march and vigil proved to be
a positive outlet for students to
speak their views about where
blacks are presently, what black
‘We need to reevaluate our pri
orities,” said Student Government
President Ericka Johnson. “As
successful African-Americans we
need to go back to the community
and help everyone, when you get
yours, share”.
Other speakers included Gradu-
ate Representative and Graduate
The judge ordered Alabama to:
/‘YxauoiUd lu: ■ _ .
♦Change the state’s funding for-j ^•^^EIGH Nationally, hun- homeless. A Frank porter Graham
mula to provide better support for| homeless individuals die Child Development Center survey
eveiy year from exposure to the reports that in North Carolina ap-
elements, lack of proper medical
Alabama A&M at Huntsville and]
Alabama State at Montgomery,
two predominantly black schools;
♦Allocate $10 million each to the
two schools forementioned for
building improvements over the
next three years;
♦Stop program duplication at the
two schools and their predomi
nantly white counteiparts;
♦Seek more white students to
attend Alabama State;
♦Seek more black faculty mem
bers at Auburn University, the
University of Montevallo and
Livingston University;
♦Add more black administrators
care, poor nutrition, violence and
neglect National Homeless Me
morial Day, recognized Decem
ber 21 to commemorate the lives
of homeless individuals who have
died during the past year, focuses
attention on this serious problem.
North Carolina has yet to recog
nize the magnitude of the
homelessness and low income
housing crisis confronting this
state, according to Linda Shaw,
Executive Director of the North
Carolina Low Income Housing
Coalition. “Homelessness is still
proximately468 children are found
in shelters daily, and most are un
der tlK age of 10. Preschoolers
between the ages of 3 and 5 are the
most frequently served group of
children in shelters.
“Unfortunately, the visible
homeless arc only the tip of the
iceberg, “according to Shaw. There
are even more “hidden homeless.”
The hidden homeless include those
sleeping on the floors of friends or
family—only one argument away
from being on the streets, and en
dangering both households with
eviction, others at risk of
homelessness include households
Who Are The Homeless?
34
at Au^un, the University of North I by many as a minor prob-
Alabama, Troy State University, '
Calhoun State Community Col
lege, the University of Alabama
campuses in Tuscaloosa and
Huntsville and Jackson State
University.
All of the parties involved in the
lem. But as national Homeless
Memorial Day shows, it is in fact
a life and death situation.”
This state has over 8,000 home
less individuals. Families with
childroi continue to be the fastest
growing^^ent of the homeless
populatioa
15%
l46%
42%
'26%
1981 desegregationsuit,including| One recent survey by
the schools named in the order,| ' ^^^P"*®®"*®^****^^**^^'
Go,. Guy Hum »> UK uni-l
□
15%
African-Ani«rican
Hisponic-American
White
Other
E3
□
Under 18
18 to 30
31 to 50
Over 50
Sources: Homelessness Information
Exchange and The Urban Institute
NatioMil Stedenf New* Service
paying more 30 percent of
income for housing (84 percent of
households with incomes at or
below the poverty level experi
ence this housing cost burden).
Those persons, who are often one-
paycheck away from being
homeless, join the thousands of
North Carolinians at risk of be
coming homeless due to lack of
affordable housing, low wages,
unemployment, prolonged medi
cal crisis, family violence, and
other factors.
“This is an armual event we would
prefer to do away with,” said
Chuck Snyder of Winston-
Salem’s Homeless but Not Help
less and board member of the
National Coalition for the Home
less which sponsors this day.
“Unfortunately, until the govern
ment and the private sector are
willing to put forth the resources
to address the overwhelming need
for affordable housing for these
persons, we will continue to light
candles and say prayers for our
brothers and sisters who have
found permanent places at last.”
Resident Assistant(GRA) at
Chidley Hall Michael Harpe,
freshman representative Leon
Moore and Eric Dozier an Al[4ia
Rii Alpha fraternity member from
Duke University.
The march, which was composed
of Greeks, cheerleaders, band
members, graduate students and
othermembers of the student body
began its ceremonial march at
Chidley Hall and marched while
singing traditional songs to the
A.E. Student Union. There the
speakers were then heard.
Although the group of marchers
was not as large as it could have
been, numbering fewer than 100,
those that were in attendance were
truly fierce in the conveyance of
their ideas and remedies for black
on black crime, racism, and the
rebuilding of a bond that has been
severely severed in the African-
American community.
“I feel that we as African-
Americans need to recommit
ourselves to what Dr. King so
desperately fought and died for in
his lifetime” said Senior Allen Lee,
also amemberof Alpha Phi Alf^a
Fraternity.
“If we do that we can only grow
stronger.” The general feeling of
the crowd during and after the
vigil was one of true togetherness,
all hostility and animosity for
gotten as students gathered to re
new their dedication to Dr. King’s
struggle.
This event was ot» that won’t be
soon forgotten, for it’s impact will
live in each of the marchers and
hopefully wiU be passed on to
those unable to attend.
Alpha Phi Ali^ Fraternity mem
ber Nicholas King left the march
ers with two powerful quotes from
Dr. King; “An injustice anywhere
is an injustice everywhere, and If
not us, who?, and if not now,
when?”
The Midnight Vigil is an annual
event held every year on the eve of
Dr. King’s birthday.