Our editor has some advice for you: Stop bein’ punks, page IS
NOVEMBER 18,1999
North Carolina Central University
VOLUME 89, ISSUE 3
Durham,
North Carolina
Campus Echo
919 530 7116
CampusEcho@wpo.nccu.edu
Breaking in line spurs cafeteria brawl
6 suspended pending hearing; football player arrested for weapons violation
By Danisa Baker
AND Danny Hooley
ECHO STAFF WRITERS
Six N. C. Central University stu
dents, including two members of the
football team—one of whom was arrest
ed for possession of a firearm—have
been suspended pending a decision by
the university regarding a fight that
erupted in the cafeteria Nov. 3.
According to campus police reports,
the incident occurred at approximately
li45 p.m., after one of the students cut
in line.
One eyewitness, who asked that her
name not be used in this article, said
that the student who cut in line was
one of the football players.
She also said that Mike Royals, an
ex-member of the team, started the
fight when he pushed one of the other
students during a verbal confrontation
over the player who cut in line.
According to this witness and others,
other players immediately joined in
the fight, which resulted in overturned
tables, chairs and food strewn about.
However, despite the uneven odds—
four against two, according to most wit
nesses—there were no serious injuries.
Royals and five other students—
Clarence Tillman, Eric Puryear,
Morgan Hunter, Levon Gorham and
Nicholas Obayuwana—were handed
interim suspensions until a Nov. 16
hearing on the matter.
One of the players, Puryear, 20, was
charged with felony weapon possession
for leaving the cafeteria to allegedly
get a pistol out of his car.
According to witnesses, Puryear was
restrained by friends from re-entering
the cafeteria.
Puryear was arrested two days later.
His bond was set at $5,000.
Dean of Student Affairs Angela
Terry, who is involved in the discipli
nary actions regarding the incident,
cautions against viewing the incident
as team-related.
“We’re not dealing with a team
here,” said Terry. “We’re dealing with
individuals.”
Still, the incident has sparked cam
pus-wide discussions about common
place bullying tactics that occur in the
cafeteria. These include cutting in line
and claiming territory, both of which
athletes, in particular, are notorious for.
Assistant Dean of Student Affairs
Louis Velez said he wants to dispel any
notions that the football players will
receive preferential treatment in this
case.
“Safety on this campus is a very
important issue to us, and this sort of
behavior will not be tolerated,” Velez
said. “These folks are students, and
they’re going to be dealt with the same
way as any other students in this situa
tion.”
Terry agreed that disciplinary meas
ures regarding this incident are being
handled appropriately by the student
conduct board.
“Interim suspensions are rarely
given by myself or my designee,” 'Terry
said. “We regard this as a very serious
matter.”
.V-'I ’’fw
‘UNITE TOWARD A NEW DAY IN Y2K!’
t/f
# ■  ih
William ViAtEKS/Staff Photographer
Jbp kft and right:^ Marchers in the
2000 Youffi March display banners
to demonstrate thdr sense of unity
and seriousness of purpose.
Over 200 people participated
in the Durham march.
Hundreds march for unity, justice
By Ebony East
AND Mandisa Holder
ECHO STAFF WRITERS
.“What do we want? Justice!
When do we want it? Now!” chant
ed the participants at the NAACP
2,000 Youth March’on Nov. 13.
“Unite toward a new day in Y2K”
“We are coming together to show
the community that we are in sup
port of the youth and to raise a
consciousness about what is going
on with our youth,” said Timothy
Peterkin, president of NCCU’s
chapter of the NAACP
The “Strength and Unity for the
21st Century” march kicked off at
McLendon-McDougald Gymnasium
with a participant sign-up. The
group marched on Lawson Street,
McDougald Terrace, Linwood
Avenue, and Alston Avenue. Some
organizations held banners pro
moting the mission of the march.
During the march, curious resi
dents came from within their
homes to see what was going on.
Some joined in. Drivers also
showed their support by honking
their horns and waving their hands
at marchers.
“It’s not a Central thing, it’s a
justice thing,” said Minister Waldo
Rogers of Greater Emanuel
Church. “The fight is for justice.”
“I think the march was very
uplifting. I hope to see more events
like this in the near future,” said
Sabrina Clark, junior sociology
major.
After the march, NAACP chap
ter presidents and vice presidents
addressed the marchers.
“We are going to reclaim the
community,” said moderator Amy
Freeman, youth coordinator of the
UNC-CH chapter of the NAACP
“We are and we can be positive.
The struggle is still here,”
Shaneka Douglas, vice president
of the North Carolina Central
University chapter of the NAACD
spoke to the youth about the impor
tance of furthering their education.
She discussed the underlying
issues concerning HBCUs, includ
ing minority scholarship cuts.
Damisha Hill, Elon College
chapter NAACP president, spoke
about the misconceptions of gener
ation X.
“I will not be known as a casual
ty of the 20th century,” Hill said.
“What someone calls you has no
reflection on who you are or. what
you can do.”
“The march was produc
tive and I was very happy to see so
many students get involved,” said
Douglas.
An estimated 200 hundred peo
ple attended the march.
Faculty
gathers
to reclaim
voice
Seventy-five department
chairs and faculty mem
bers gathered last week to
discuss ongoing problems
at the school
FROM STAFF REPORTS
“Our house is on fire we cannot proceed as we
have,” said Harvey McMurray, associate professor
of criminal justice at a faculty meeting, TYiday,
Nov. 12 in the Walker Complex Auditorium.
“This has been coming for a long time,” said
George Wilson, professor and chair of the criminal
justice department. “I don’t complain because I
hate NCCU, I complain because I love NCCU,” he
added.
Seventy-five NCCU department chairs and fac
ulty members gathered to express their growing
alarm at the
Somebody is playing
shell games
with academic funds.
-Wendell Wilkerson
Associate Professor
AND Chemistry Chair
NCCU Foundation director, 56, dies of cancer
Sylvia Sharpe was
active in the NCCU
community since
the early 1960s.
By Christine Newman
ECHO STAFF WRITER
Sylvia Sharpe, executive director
of the NCCU Foundation died Nov. 4
at Duke Hospital, from what univer
sity officials said were complications
related to cancer. Sharpe was 56.
The Foundation raises money for
the university and student scholar
ships. In three years, Sharpe more
than doubled the foundation’s assets
from $2.2-5.5 million in three years,
according to foundation officials.
“She was goodness to everybody
... a heart of gold,” said NCCU
Director of Major Gifts A1
Richardson, recalling that last
Christmas he saw a pen and ink
sketch in Sharpe’s office and told
her he admired it. To his surprise,
Sharpe later sent the sketch to him
in the mail, wrapped with a bow on
top.
Sharpe was bom in Statesville,
N.C. She graduated cum laude from
NCCU in 1965 with a chemistry
degree. An active participant in the
Eagle community, Sharpe was a
member of Alpha Kappa Alpha in
her sophomore year and the Pan-
Hellenic Council in her junior year.
She was also in the Chemistry Club
and the Wesley Foundation to the
Women’s Steering Committee, which
helped plan activities for the
women’s student body.
After graduating from NCCU she
earned an MBA in administration
and finance at Pace University, grad
uating number one in her class.
Sharpe then became a senior
manager for IBM. In 1994, on loan
from IBM, she returned to NCCU to
work in the Office of Development,
where she worked on special
fundraising projects.
Sharpe retired in 1996 after 25
years of as a research chemist and
financial planner. She was known
for her creativity and hard work.
That year she became the executive
director of the N.C. Central
Foundation.
“To me, Sylvia Sharpe was a
loved and highly respected profes
sional, who contributed much this
university,” said Carmelita Spicer,
director of public relations and a
sorority sister of Sharpe. “She loved
the university and the foundation
■ See SHARPE, Page 2
diminished role
of faculty in gov
ernance and at
diminished
funding of aca
demics. The
meeting was
called by the
College Council,
the body repre-
senting department chairs.
The group complained that they are being left
out of the process.
One faculty chairperson after another outlined
issue after issue relating to institutional ineffi
ciency. They complained of department resource
shortages, filthy buildings, purchasing delays, lack
of support for faculty and student development,
telecommunications problems, a deteriorating
image of the institution, photocopying problems,
late educational technology fees, problems with
internal fund transfers, and more.
“I’m being asked to make brick without the
straw,” said Wendell Wilkerson, chemistry chair, to
a round of applause.
History department chair Freddie L. Parker
opened the meeting. He said he was there to “to
carry forward James E. Shepard’s dream.”
“Students come in the door of T-don’t-know-and-
uncertainty,’ and we as professors should be able
■ See FACULTY, Page 2
INSIDE
Campus
Beyond NCCU...
2-6
7-8
SPORTS
“Celebrate
the Vision,”
Q&A with Leon B. Hardy. Interim
Director of the Honors Program
Bevond NCCU
Supreme Court
Basketball preview. Echo sports editor Mike
full text of
and math professor talks about
hears challenge
A & b
9-10
Williams examines men's and women’s bas-
Thelma
his 21 years at NCCU — Page 5
to Constitution-
Sports
11-12
ketball at NCCU. - Page 11
Gumbo
Lennon’s
Convocation
allty of student
activity fees. —
Page 7
Events/Classies.
14
Curlyn Smith and Angela Brown profile
HBCUs: Do we need them? Two
Opinions
15-16
NCCU cross country star Katerina Glosova -
Page 12
speech
— Page 4.
editorials address the question.
- Page 16
Homecoming Photo essay
Page 5