Newspapers / North Carolina Central University … / Sept. 17, 1992, edition 1 / Page 1
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'•i- • • r ■ \ ■p;' THE CAMPUS ECHO EXCELLENCE WITHOUT EXCUSE ISSUE 12 NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SEPTEMBER 17,1992 Injuries Not Serious Former Eagle Lineman, Five Students Shot By JASON WILLIAMS EDITOR After a confrontation with outsiders, former Eagle lineman Rodney Edmonds was shotthiee times last Saturday night near Eagleson and Baynes dormito ries. Edmcmds was one of six stu dents shot during the incident. Three others, two of them stu dents, were injured as they left the scene. Interim Chancellor Etohna J. Benson said as ^ announced the shootings: “First of all, we are very concerned about our students who were wounded by gunfire or otherwise injured on Saturday night We are most thankful that their injuries were not worse. This is a very serious tragedy and another painful le- Former NCCU Lineman Rodney Edmonds minder that universities are not im mune from the wanton violence that is so pervasive in this society. NCCU remains committed to doing every thing possible to secure the campus and to protect our young people.” This is tire third shooting in six years on campus. Anthony W. Bul lock was killed in Chidley Hall in 1986, and in 1990 Kenneth Jet Clark was shot and killed near the Student Union. TheHerald-Sun quotes Cam pus Police Chief Anthony Purcell as saying that the incident began when a male “grabbed a female and kissed her.” Edmonds intervened, Purcell said, and in the dispute that fol lowed, Edmonds was shot in the leg. Five other students were also injured in the legs and feet. All were released from the hospital by Sunday. Eight of NCCU’s 14 security officers were on duty Saturday night. “Nothing is safe anymore, but we are going to do what we can to protect the students,” Purcell told the Herald-Sun. Campus Security will limit the Student Body President's Platform Includes Student Unity, Politics and Culture Awareness By ERNIE SUGGS Herald-Sun Special The door to Phyllis Jeffers of fice is always open. Whether she’s there or not is another story. North Carolina Central Jeffers University’s outspoken and controversial Student Govern ment Association pre.sident is always running. Always think ing. Always talking. “So far it’s been stressful, but exciting. Tense but exhilarat ing,” Ms. Jeffers said. A 3:15 p.m. meeting with Ms. Jeffers had to be squeezed into a campus tour, as she tried to sell commemorativeT-shirts forthis weekend’s football game and meet with administrators. “The hours on the job vary. Sometimes one. Sometimes 12. Today, the whole day,” said Ms. Jeffers, who is taking 12 semes ter hours. “I am going to gradu ate next year, but I want it to be cleariy stated that I am doing that on purpose.” Walking around the campus, she greets neaily everyone, in between reflections on the past and hopes for the future. She chooses her words care- , fully and begs not to be mis quoted. “You know, this has been a whole lot more exciting and de manding than I thought it would be,” Ms. Jeffers said. “But it is worth it. It’s nice to see things happen and people excited. This past March, Ms. Jeffers won 57 percent of the student vote to be elected SG A president. Despite her victory, the Raleigh native’s cam paign slogan, “Shut ‘EmDown,” was not universally apppreciated. “I think there was some apprehen sion about what her tactics would be,” said Assistant Dean of Students Milton Lewis. ‘“Shut ‘Em Down’ caused some concerns, but if you listened to her speecn, you Knew omerwise.” Ms. Jeffers’ platform actually stated that first, students ask ques tions, then they offer proposals and if they fail, then rally, protest and hold forums. “I am not concerned about a perceptioon that people may have. I’m not concerned about the nega tive evaluation of my platform. Any negative feelings arc due to igno rance,” Ms Jeffers said. “‘Shut‘Em Down’ is three-prong: Wake up, stand up and get what’s yours. I’m not talking about anything new.” Ms. Jeffers’ ideas haik back to the1960s when black empowerment was at the top of most black college students’ agendas. No wonder her ideal is A1 Hajj Shabazz(Malcolm X). “My daddy may be lying, but he told me that if I would have been a boy, he would have named me Malcolm,” said Jeffers, who inci dentally has red hair and freckles like Malcolm X. The walls of the student govern ment office in the student union are plastered with posters of black musi cians, actors and politicians. Malcohn X posters dominate. “I say what I believe and the way we got our points across may be comparable,but lam nothisshadow, but a reflection of him,” Ms. Jeffers said. “Every black man or woman should be a reflection of his ances tors.” Ms. Jeffers said that when she graduated from high school, she chose to attetxl a black college to help her people. “When I graduated, that was my access'of non-students to the campus. Similar security mea sures were instituted in the after- math of the Qark killing. The domis were locked after 11 p.m., and students were discouraged from the Union area after 10 p.m. A vigorous attempt is being made to have only NCCU stu dents at certaih events,” Purcell told the Herald-Sun. So far, no planned campus ac tivities have been cancelled. As of Monday, detectives only had a brief description of the sus pect, whose first name is thought to be Bernard.. Bernard, according to Durham Police Detective M.J.Thaxton, is six feet tall, with slim build and a medium complexion. He has bums and scars on his arms. He also has gold teeth and a diamond stud earing in his left ear. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Thaxton at 560-4440 or CrimeStoppers at 683-1200. ’I Never Thought It Would Happen To Me' Freshman Victim Unafraid, Calls Shooting Freak Event "Someone else had to tell me I was shot" By RONDA ROBINSON CORRESPONDENT Saturday, Sept. 12, 1992 is a night that will be remembered on NCCU’s campus. No one will recall that night more vividly than freshman Ballady Hargett from New Yoric will. While gathered with fellow students about 10:45 p.m. near Eagleson and Baynes, Hargett would have never expected that an unwanted kiss would end in gunfire. Hargett says, “I saw the two guys fighting, but I did not know what it was over. It is said that an unidentified man attempted to kiss a woman againstherwill. Anotherman, formerNCCU lineman Rodney Edmonds, intervened. All of a sudden the unidentified man pulled out a pistol and sprayed the crowd of people gathered by the dorms. Hargett was hit and did not even know it. “Someone else had to tell me I was shot,” she said. She says, that this incident was a freak occuircnce and that she is not , afraid to go out on campus at night As a New Yorker Hargett says she is used to shootings, nut “I never thought it would happen to me.” goal in life: To uplift the black race,” Ms. Jeffers said. “Whailgot here I found myself always a^dng questions and always challenging things.” Sie said she ran for SGA {xesident because herquestions were not bdng answered and her diallenges were not being met “I used to join groiqK that said they were going to change filings. I felt I had to utilize SGA and file oily way to utilize SGA is to join it” Ms. Jeffers said. “Most SGAs were not culturally or politically active for the most part.” MS. Jefls^ said that ^nce schocfi hasstarted andevoithispastsummo', she has hadherupsand downs with administratioa “Sometimes it’s good. Sranelimes it’s not” she said stoically. “As a wonartpeoifie sometimes tty to take advantage ofme,but I stand stiraig with my bdiefs and leave it A fliat” She said thatoneofhermajorprob- , lems is use of fodlities for st^nt activities. Shesaidthatseveralstudent- nmactivities andprogramshavebeen cancelled or postpcxied at the last minute. ‘Trying to ga things going around here,cullura]lyisvery difficult” Ms. Jeffers said. “I think thatswnepeqie havefoigotwhatit’sliketobeyoimg- probaWy blade, too.” Ms. Jeffers has lofty goals. By the end of the year, she hopes to have student unity, student love for the university and fellow students; and “awareness” on the part of the ad- ministratic*!, alumni andcranmunity. NCCU and other state-sipport^ Hack colleges arc battling to retain their identities althou^ the agenda is being set by the white power stnicturc of the University of North Carolina, she said. ‘The questi(xiis,howdowe retain our AfixKsentricity inawhitedrani- natedsystem? NotMilyinschool, but in life?” She said the answer can only be found withia “You have to find out what you have within yoursdfarKl you have to keqj it,” Ms. Jeffers said. “I found mine and I’m keqwig it I’m not saying that I have all the answas, but l^)eak the truth.” Faculty, Students React To Spectre Of Violence By ANITA DARCUS SPIVEY, iCOREY KENT and DONNA I.EE CORRESPONDENTS The violence on campus cannot be stopped according to some members of the NCCU commu nity, but it can be lessened. Dr. Robert Wortham, assistant profes sor of sociology, says that staff response time is an issue which could be addressed. “Campus security is a wide-spread concern not only here at NCCU, but at otlier universities as weU,” Wortham says. He suggests that flierc will be a full-time staff avail able during weekend s or redirected staff forpeak times, such asfootball games and the like. He also ad dressed the concern of crossing the line between the protection or re striction of students’ rights. Wortham suggests a student watch, and “extension of the buddy system,” beorganized. Perhaps suHr watdies can set up in the dormito ries, to be there as a “presence and stmeture,” he says. Dr. Janet M. Young, a counselor and iastructor, expresses a concern that the students are ad^rting, but perhaps too well; It is as though the students arc learning to “exist in warfarc.”Theviolenceexperienced on campus, say Young, is only a microcosm of society and is a major concern of Durham. Yotmg feel that this rise in crime is a result of a “change in values and morals of riglit and wrong” and that perhaps we should should start with the reevaluation of our values. She suggests that Campus Secu rity continue checking identifica tion at tire campus entrances, as the city police are currently doing. What should be done about the possession of guns by students and non-students onNCCU’s campus? Peter Mason, aprofessorof crimi nal justice says tire campus should be closed to non-students until problem is resolved. Mason said that off-campus studerrts should come to campus, complete their work on campus and then leave. Some students may feel as if these mles are extreme he said, but until the problem is solved, such mea sures may be necessary. At least one student feels that se curity was already too restrictive before the shootings occurred. Se curity swarmed the campus last weekaid during the NCCU/ A&T game, said senior Elementary Edu cation major Leah Ann Owens; “We had limited access to the cam pus; therefore, we had to park at least eight minutes away from file sta dium. Students could not getoncam pus to park because of uncontrolable traffic.” Owens says she feds safe m campus during file day, but not at night Another wtxnanstudentwho asked to remain unnamed, said the shooting oouldhavebeenprevonted. “Althou^ students are asked to cany Urrivosity indentification, we are never asked fo IxoduceiCshesaid. Whenasked if sheMtsafetxicampus, shesaid,“Yes!,Icany aregisteredgun tnmyputseeverywtercIgo,tnduding dass ftn-posonal protectkni.” Virginian Comrades Win Top Slots In Frosh Voting By JASON WILUAMS EDITOR Only 268 freshman voters decided last Thursday on class officers, for one of the largest classes in history. Crimminal justice major Christian Duboise from Norfolk, Va^ won the presidential election with 106 votes. Sordao Mckenzie, Selena Wyrm, and Trcmayne Hawley fin ished behind with 68, 52, and 40 votes respectively. “I feel excited about winning, be cause my ideas will be put together with my fellow classmates so that we can work together to accom plish the same goal. I thank the Lord,” he said. One of his goals, DuBoise said is to unite all of the classes and convey the message that “we are more than freshmen we are NCCU students as a whole.” DuBoise also plans to consult soon with his staff, especially his vice- president Michael Cox. Cox, a psychology major from Virginia Beach, Va. won his elec tion with 114 votes. Walter Ra- leigh-Higgs, III, Kimberly Hood, and La Eferrick Bullock finished behind with 58, 50, and 44 votes respectively. “Its an honor to win, because people look at me as someone who can lead, someone who they can trust,” Cox said. Cox plans to work with DuBoise to get the “total class involved by letting them have a voice in SGA.” Cox also said he hopes allthe freshmen candidates involved in their class activities. “Every can didate should stiU be heard,” he said. DuBoise and Cox were close friends before the elections and see no problems working together for the class. The rest of the freshman class of ficers include:Treasurer Cassandra Palmer, Secretary Stacy Reid, Miss Freshman Keitra Musgrave, and nine members of Congress Korie Burrow, Serieta Collins, Ericka Ferguson, Kenndra Johnson, Tonya Palmer, Antionette Raines, Demetrius Thompson, Ronald Robinson, and Teresa Walker. "And still / rise" — Maya Angelou
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Sept. 17, 1992, edition 1
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