Page 2 The Pendulum Thursday, March 5,1981
The unspoken prejudice
Editorials
One of the minority
groups that works very hard
but receives little or no
recognition is the black stu
dents. With the exception of
athletics, where both blacks
and whites must work toge
ther for a team, prejudice is
about as alive as ever on
the Elon College campus.
Whenever a group or or
ganization on campus has a
fund-raising event, they ex
pect all students, black and
white, to participate for the
success of the project. But
when the Black Cultural
Society or any other black
group sponsors any kind of
fund-raiser, only black peo
ple come and participate.
Why such a discrepency?
The majority of white
students do not support or
encourage the activities of
the minority. Two recent
activities immediately come
to mind. Both the Mr.
Ebony contest and the Swa
hili Swing were held for
Elon students as part of
Black History Month. With
the exception of one or two
whites at these affairs, the
turnout was completely non
white. The same holds true
for the dance that was held
after the pageant.
Perhaps the problem we
are facing on this campus is
one that is experienced by
other campuses on a much
broader basis all over the
country. Black jieople will
patronize black and white
businesses but many white
people do not see it neces
sary to patronize black busi
nesses.
Part of this prejudice is
the result of history. But
enslavement is no longer a
way of life in 1981. If
ignorance could be replaced
with knowledge and accep
tance, the campus might be
more unified.
There needs to more inter
action of the races. Planned
events should appeal to both
races, such as concerts and
plays. Committees and clubs
should strive to have a
minority spokesman, and
people should be seen as
people.
One example of prejudice
stems from the fact that
only one professor at Elon is
black. This does not set a
very good example for stu
dents to follow. The “un
spoken prejudice” is voiced
in such ways as racial slurs
and comments. Many people
also group the Gospel choir
and the Black Cultural So
ciety together when they are
two different groups.
Although cultures differ
for blacks and whites, part
of a liberal arts education is
learning to accept and
understand different cul
tures. One black girl said
Rockin’ Ron’s reform
To the editor.
Apparently to some peo
ple’s surprise, Ronald
“Rockin’ Ron” Reagan has
commenced firing. Our com
manding chiefs prime target
has been this country’s
prime adversary— the Rus
sians.
As a gesture of his author
ity, “Rockin’ Ron” asserted
that the Russians aim to
ward world dominion. A
moral standard for them is
to cheat, lie and commit
crimes that further their
goal.
Another of Reagsm’s ges
tures, also aimed at the
Russians, was to let them
have no special diplomatic
privileges. These gestures
may seem trivial but they
serve as a symbol or stain of
“Rockin’ Ron’s” policy.
His prerogative is, in es
sence, one of reform. Multi
tudes of Americans wanted a
turning point and are still
waiting for it. To some,
Reagan at first rekindled the
long awaited fire of the
American spirit.
Obliteration has already
set in. A fundamental con
tributor to Reagan, Jesse
Helms, has made us aware
of his dissent toward
“Rockin’ Ron.”
After criticizing Jimmy
Carter for imposing the
grain embargo, Reagan him
self plans not to lift it. His
aides notified him that it
was severely costing the Rus
sians to purchase foreign
grain from other countries.
Mar\’in Meek, president of
the American Agriculture
Movement, was another one
of Reagan’s fundamental
organizers in vote-getting. It
seems that Reagan had
planned to either lift the
embargo or give the A.A.M.
a price support increase.
What turns out is no price
support increase but rather a
decrease and no lifting of
the embargo. This is another
brick in the wall of dissen
ters.
The optimism that earlier
set in is slowly but surely
transforming to the same old
case of alienated pessimism.
How much longer will we
continue to allow these dig
nified prevaricators to
estrange the people away
from the American spirit?
A rather famous dictum
of Nobel prize winner Albert
Camus comes to mind, “I
rebel— therefore we exist.”
Marosh Nicholos Nikoj
blacks are not welcome at
many Greek parties. One
remedy for this problem is a
sorority and fraternity that
does include people of all
colors and backgrounds.
We should strive for more
unity and individuality and
less for cliques. Perhaps a
committee to study racial
prejudice could be formed to
study ways in which this
problem could be solved.
What would happen if all
black students stopped giv
ing their support to campus
events? There are fewer than
200 black students on this
campus, but if they pulled
together, they could make
history as they did last year
during the yearbook burning.
Blacks have come a long
way on this campus. ’79-’80
SGA President Bryant Col
son and the ’79 Homecom
ing Queen, Mary Carroll,
are proof of this. But we
still have a long way to go
for complete integration on
the Elon College campus.
Joy Hamilton and Robin
Adams
aponsors
Come.
4
H«j
to mi
%
\
\
^fll
f
What our readers say
The Pendulum welcomes letters from our readers. Letters should be limited to 250 words,
and the editor reserves the right to shorten or delete items of bad taste or possible libel. The
writer must give address and telephone number where he can be reached.
The rewards of visiting shut-ins
Editor. vious that your time is never and an activity worth fitting
In addition to the limited better spent than by showing into your weekly schedule if
extra-curricubr activities a person who feels that no at all possible. More than
available for Elon students, one cares about them that likely it will be as gratifying
there are a few less physical you do care. to you as to the person you
and more consecutive areas I believe that this is some- visit,
to which an individual can thing worth thinking about, Susan Troxler
apply him or herself.
Although the activity I am '
referring to takes only a few ^
minutes a week and there is |
no designated time to per- LiLll P
form it, it is one of the most ^ |
memorable and rewarding ^ ^
things an individual may do ^ ♦ 1 * ♦ A**
I pcnuuiutn
I am referring to simply | |
taking a few minutes every Eoitor joy Hamilton |
week or so to visit an elderly i§ News Editor Mari Behrend ^
or shut-in person. During Pl^otographers David Avrette & Susan Burleson |
the course of a busy school Mari Behrend & Diane McSheehy |
week, we can usually find I Cartoonist Tawanna WUUams |
the time to watch the soaps | Adviser Dr. Mary Ellen Priestley |
or read magazaines. Essen- I Sports Editor Vicki Blankenship' |
tially, we find time to do | Artist Dody Hilliw^ |
what we want to do. | Copy Editor Teresa Warren|
Sometimes we fail to re- |j Circulation William Murrell |
cognize the fact that older j| I
Mgment^of^ow*^odetv"°A(f ^ r Communications Media Board of Elon |
tir o“y one v sk with the Student Government |
shut-in or invaUd thii h ^ Association. Founded on October 14, 1974, as a student s
clTs 1 '^'-College, the Pendulum is pul^.^|
they are where thev ar^ ^ Thursday during the school year except during |
because no one has th^ time | Si'S I
or facilities to take care of I ®I
them. It also becomes ob-