THE CAMPUS ECHO
EXCELLENCE WITHOUT EXCUSE
ISSUE 14
NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY
OCTOBER 15,1992
Birchette Remembered
Service Stirs Eagle Hearts
By ERNIE SUGGS
Herald-Sun Special
N.C. Central University
stood silent Monday, paying
tribute to a fallen classmate who
was described as a role model
both in the classroom and on the
basketball court.
In an emotional service,
about 900 members of the stu
dent body, faculty, staff and
community filled B.N. Duke
Auditorium to honor the memory
of Steven Eugene Birchette.
Birchette, a 19-year-old
sophomore from Virginia, died
Thursday after suffering an
asthma attack.
Across the campus on
Monday, the mood was solemn.
The flag in the front of the ad
ministration buliding waved
slowly at half mast. Students
Steven Birchette
1973-1992
who didn’t have time to change
clothes after class paid their trib
utes in jeans and sweat suits.
“He was a colleague to some,
a teammate to others and a friend
to all,” said the Rev. Roland
Cunningham.
Throughout the memorial ser
vice, people talked more about
Birchette the person than
Birchette the basketball player.
“He was such a role model,”
said Birchette’s teammate and
roommate Lorenzo Wilkins.
“I’m dedicating the rest of my
basketball career to him.”
Said head basketball coach
Gregory Jackson; “He was more
concerned about obtaining an
education. He knew that one
day the basketball was going to
stop dribbling.
Sports Information Director
Mike Wilson said that the bas
ketball team will wear uniforms
embossed with a “30” patch this
fall. This weekend the football
and cross country teams wore
black on their uniforms inhonor
of Birchette.
Biidiette was Jackson’s first
recruit and projected starter chi this
year’s team. He tried to fi^ back
tears as he paid tribute to him.
Vice-Chancellor For Student Affairs
Dr. Roland Buchanan Fires Back!
Refutes Jeffers claim that "he's not been at home when tihings got crazy around here."
By GREG LEWIS
CORRESPONDENT
NCCU student body president
Riyllis Jeffers and 350 students
stood around the monument of Dr.
James E. Shepard, founder of
NCCU, on Oct 5 protecting^ the
conditionson campus. 'Ihe students
sent a list of demands three-pages
long to the administration on
Atlanta?
Buchanan: That’s not true. Kia
did not have to pay for her ticket. It
was my understanding that the de
velopment affairs office took care
of it. Kia will tell you leading up to
the time to go, 1 approached her
and said, ‘WeU, what about your
ticket and gown?’ The gown was
purchased and whatever else she
needed was purchased, at the time,
and we were going to get her ticket.
Dr. Roland Buchanan
Sept.25. One of the demands
asked for the removal of Dr.
Roland Buchanan, vice-chan
cellor for student affairs. In a
candid interview with Buchanan
he defends himself against the
alleged charges against him..
Buchanan attended undergradu
ate school at Jackson State in
Jackson, Ml. He received his
master’s degree from Indiana
University in Counseling and
Ph.d from the University of
Wisconsin in Madison in Educa
tional Administration and
American Studies.
Echo: What’s is your response
to the allegations that Miss
NCCU, Kia Hardy, had to pay
her own to a beauty pageant in
but she told me she already had
one. Miss NCCU serves as an
ambassador to the University.
Wherever we send her, it should be
first class.
Echo: Does Miss NCCU have a
budget?
Buchanan: Well, she does have
a budget but is is not in the student
queen budget, per se. My first
proposal was to give Miss NCU
room, board, tuition and fees in
addition to gown and all accesso
ries. Last yearwe spent over $8,000
onMissNCCU (Alicia Broadway).
1 guarantee we will be more than
$8,0(X) this years because prices
go up. In a couple of years we will
be looking at $10,000 plus room.
Black College Day A Success
By DEZMONA MIZELLE
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Over500 students, teachers and
concerned citizens gathered in
Raleigh at the State Capital
Grounds for Black College Dav on
October 1.
The overall purpose of Black
College Day was to bring students
from Black Colleges together to
interact and bond by being moti
vated by representatives from each
collesge. It also gave students an
opportunity to interact with elected
officials, and those running for
positions.
Among those who spoke, were
the Campus Queens from North
Carolina Central University, North
Carolina A&T State University,
Winston-Salem State University,
Johnson C. Smith University, and
St. Augustine’s College, Bennett
College and Shaw University.
Also speaking were the Student
Government Association presi
dents.
Selena Slade from Johnson C.
Smith noted problems in South
Africa and Somalia. “We are a
oeoDle of endurance.” she said,
“We are also a people of survival,
rich in heritage, the sons and
daughters of Neferititi. We don’t
die we multiply.”
Kim Harper from Bennett talked
about the pleasure of being strong
and black. She also urged students
to vote.
Ericka Smith from North Caro
lina A&T State University talked
about the best of times and the
worst of times in life. “Black Stu
dents don’t need to be on a paper
chase,” she said. “Material wealth
is not that important, we need to
vote, for that is the only venue for
the oppressed to express them
selves.”
William Carter from Winston-
Salem State University talked about
the need for black colleges to rise
to the occasion and remember their
heritages. “We are in a state of
emergency, black males, black
females.” said Carter. “Resoect
yourself, and like the Winans said
‘millions didn’t make it, but I was
one of the ones who did.’”
Victor Finchor from Shaw
University encouraged his audi
ence to stop individualizing, and
Shaun Mack from St Augustine’s
College quoted “invictus” WHliam
Ernest Henley’s hymn to indi
vidualism: “I am the master of my
Fate; I am the captain of my soul.”
The final SGA president to speak
was Phyliss Jeffers, who talked
about standing up for what you
believe in, and coming together as
African-American brothers and
sisters.
See DAY, page 3
board, tuition, and fees: Last year
we didn’t have room, board and
tuition because Kia is a teaching
fellow and the state will not pay it
twice. We also proposes that if
Miss NCCU is on scholarship that
we give her a monthly stipend.
Echo: What about the allega
tions you misused funds?
Buchanan: I know the allega
tions are not true. When people
say, “Dr. Buchanan has $45,(XX)
dollars in the student account,”
That’s true. Then ask the next
question. How is it used? See, I
have beenhere for 11 years and the
auditors every years have checked
our records and have given us a
clean slate. There is no way that I
can use student activity money for
my personal gain.
Echo: Do you think the Student
Government has enough money to
properly maintain activities on
campus?
Buchanan No, I will be the first
one to tell you that it is not enough.
Last year, the Student Services
Committee purposed a $25 fee
increase because it was passed by
every group or organization, in
cluding our board of trustees. The
board of governors decided that
they were going to raise tuition, so
they could not raise fees.
Echo: What did you purpose for
the SGA?
Buchanan What I purposed last
year was that the SGA get $30,(XX)
of that money which would have
made their entertainment budget
$70,(XX). To be honest, 1 feel SGA
needed more money for entertain
ment.
See Buchanan, page 3
Student goverment member Jim Harper, NCCU student body President and Miss NCCU
Kia Hardy unite during the Oct. 5 boycott
Dissatisfied With The Administration's Oct. 2 Reponse To Concerns
SGA Holds Late Hour Study-in In Shepard Library,
Boycotts Classes, and Speaks To The Press
By JASON WILLIAMS
EDITOR
250 Student Sit-in
Last night SGA leaders led a
study-in at Shepard Library where
250 students stayed in the library
studying after the 11 p.m. closing
time.
“The point is to study,” said
SGA Vice-President Derek Brown;
“that’s what I’m doing.” Brown
said they would leave a 1 a.m.
“The purpose of the protest is to
let them know that we are serious
about our concerns. We are also
concerned about our academic re
sources,” said student body Presi
dent Phyllis Jeffers.
Although the library usually
stops checking out books at 10:45
p.m. serial librarian Barbara Best-
Nichols was still checking out
books at 11.
However, Nichols had earlier
said that the staff still planned to
get off at 11.
That’s what one male em
ployee, who could not be identi
fied, did.
At promptly 11 he turned off a
computer and began to walk out
the door, saying the research area
was closed.
However, the student stayed.
“We are not going to throw
them out,” said university police
lieutenant Renee Lynch. Lynch
said that she was there to quiet
down the noise.
Two weeks ago
Interim Chancellor Donna J.
Benson and top administrators
met with student body President
Pyllis Jeffers and SGA leaders
for almost two hours at the
WalkerComplex Oct. 2 todiscuss
a three-page list of student con
cerns. The 5 p.m. meeting met
the deadline given by SGA offi
cials who said “appropriate mea
sures would be taken by the stu
dent body” if a response wasn’t
given.
The administration spoke to
SGA officials and to the 200
students in attendance and issued
a 14-page response to their con
cerns.
Two of the most highly de
bated issues were the $20,0(X)
SGA leaders want allocated for
Homecoming and perform of the
Financial Aid Office. SGA
leaders argued that the vice
chancellor of student affairs. Dr.
Roland Buchanan, should allo
cate the money.
Buchanan supervises the allo
cation of $45,000 to student or
ganizations.
The request for the funds was
denied. Such a measure would
cut the budget by 44 percent and
some student organizations.
See SGA, page 3
''Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.Martin Luther King, Jr.