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THE VOICE OF WILKES COMMUNITY COLLEGE
WILKESBORO. NORTH CAROTJNA
Who’s Who
Chosen for 1991 Academic Year
APRIL 1. 1991
Dr. Jim RandolpK, President
Places You
Don’t Forget
The other day, while browsing
around the library, 1 happened to glance
at the cover of the March 1991 issue of
Readers Digest and noticed an article
within the issue entitled "The Crimes of
Mingo County.” Now, to most people,
this wouldn’t mean much, but to me it
did. You see, I had lived in Mingo
County, West Virginia for six years.
Q.uickly, I flipped to the article and
read the first line: "People called it the
most corrupt place in America.” Yup,
that’s the Mingo County I knew.
Mingo County is situated in south
western West Virginia, on the Ken
tucky border. Located in the heart of
the Appalachian Mountains, the county
is made up of a number of small towns
with such interesting names as Kermit,
Ragland, Red Jacket, Dingess and Mat-
ewan. Most towns are squeezed in a
narrow valley called a hollow or
"holler” as it is called by the locals. The
saying is that building space is so tight in
the mountains that screen doors open in
rather than out to keep from being hit
by passing cars. In many cases, this was
true.
The economic base of southern West
Virginia is coal. Coal tipples and mine
entrances dot the hillsides and during
good times, coal trucks and trains travel
the main arteries in and out of the area.
During bad times, not much happens
and life is difficult.
Mingo County’s reputation is as
rough as its terrain. The county is the
home of the famous Hatfield-McCoy
feud that took place after the Civil War.
In 1920, the county was the site of one
of the most devastating union-labor
struggles in the country when the
United Mine Workers of America
clashed with mine owners. The blood
iest battle occurred in Matewan where
miners and agents employed by the
mining companies fought it out in a wild
West style gun fight. (The 1987 movie
"Matewan” documents this battle.—
President Lyndon B. Johnson chose a
site just outside Mingo County to de
clare his "War on Poverty,” which set
up a national antipoverty program. He
couldn’t have picked a more suitable
place. Poverty in Mingo County was a
way of life. Unfortunately, so was cor
ruption.
I believe that the isolation, the cons
tant state of poverty and the struggles
with the mining companies, which were
controlled by outsiders, had made the
people of Mingo County develop a
strong allegiance to and a fear of their
own leaders. For the most part, how
ever, these leaders were more interested
in getting rich than helping the people of
the county.
To get rich in Mingo County, you had
to be in control, and the easiest way to
gain control was through politics. He
who controlled the Sheriff’s depart
ment, the county highway department,
the county school board and the anti
poverty program controlled Mingo
County. During the 70s and most of the
80s, these operations were controlled
by one or two men who became exceed
ingly wealthy through an extensive net
work of drug dealers, stealing from the
poor and selling political offices and
jobs.
During my stay in Mingo County,
from 1975 to 1980, I observed, first
hand, many interesting anomalies of
r
Every year, Wilkes Community College chooses 20 students to represent the school in Who’s Who
Among Students In American Junior Colleges. The students are chosen based on their leadership abilities
scholastic achievement, and potential for future success. WCC is proud to announce that the following
students have been chosen to represent WCC this school year: Dena Gillette, Moravian Falls; Phyllis
Smith, North Wilkesboro; Dian Marcum, North Wilkesboro; Thomas Parker, Statesville; Kathleen
Brown, Hays; Sherry Miller, West Jefferson; Amy Pennell, Taylorville; Amber Herman, Taylorville;
^uise Mulhs, Union Grove; Michael Lyles, State Road; Gina Anthony, Hamptonville; Linda Carlton,
Wilkesboro; Tamara Elledge, Pur ear; Melissa Tedder, Moravian Falls; Jeffery Blackburn, North
Wilkesboro, Amber Seals, North Wilkesboro; Nancy Jones, Ronda; Vicky Smith, West Jefferson;
Tonya Bottomley, Wilkesboro; Rebecca Montoya, Millers Creek.
justice. For instance, while voting, I
noticed a man being given a twenty
dollar bill and a list of people who were
to receive his vote. A poll worker was
actually allowed to enter the voting
booth to ensure that the $20 was pro
perly earned. On my way out, 1 spotted
the voter and asked why he voted for
those candidates. "Because 1 like them,”
he responded.
But, I saw their poll worker give you
money,” I said.
"That,” he concluded, "is exactly
why I like them.”
County school buildings were always
a shambles. "Why?” I asked soon after
arriving in the county. Service and main
tenance positions were saved for polit
ical payoffs, 1 was told. "You wouldn’t
expect a person who gets a political job
to work, would you?”
The article, written by Fergus M.
Bordewich, tells the story of the down
fall of two political bosses after exten
sive investigation by the U.S. Attorney
General’s Office. They found that drug-
dealing was commonplace. Drugs were
sold within eye sight of the police
department. One investigator was
quoted as saying "Everything was back
wards. The police were criminals; the
welfare program stole from the poor.”
Happily, the current boss, who head
ed up the antipoverty program since its
beginning, got 12 years in federal
prison. The ex-sheriff was sentenced to
14 years and the major drug dealers
were also put away. Maybe this is a
happy ending, but I have my doubts.
Change is slow to come to the southern
mountains of West Virginia.
Remember!
Plans are in motion for the 1991 nation
wide observance of Days of Remem
brance of the Victims of the Holocaust
beginning on Sunday, April 7 and con
tinuing through Sunday, April 14.
Members of Congress and the Adminis
tration, governors, mayors, civic lead
ers, churches and synagogues, univer
sities, colleges and schools will observe
Days of Remembrance in ceremonies,
dramatic presentations, art and docu
mentary exhibits, through reading,
prayer and meditations.
The national civic ceremony will be
held in Washington, DC on Thursday,
April 11, Holocaust Remembrance
Day. The theme for 1991 will be — Fi/ty
Years Ago: From Terror to Systematic
Murder.
Review of Forum
On Tuesday, March 19, 1991,
Wilkes Community College held a
forum on 'The Middle East After The
War’. To begin the forum Bud Mayes
gave a brief introduction of the guest
speakers.
Dr. Jawad 1. Barghothi, Professor of
Political Science at Appalachian State
University, was the first to speak. Dr.
Barghothi was originally from the
Middle East. He spoke to the audience
on how the Iraqi Government would
rebuild the country. In his opinion the
United States Government was not
being completely truthful to the Amer
ican public. He went on to stress his
point by telling how U.S. politicians
coerced the allied countries to war. Dr.
Barghothi also felt that Saddam Hussein
was not the threat the government made
him out to be.
Dr. David L. White, Associate Pro
fessor of History at Appalachian State
University, gave a brief history back
ground of the Middle East. He spoke on
how the United States’ past record with
Iraq probably indicated the seize of
Kuwait. He also explained how the
future relations with Iraw and other
countries in the Middle East would
change.
The forum was concluded by Bill
Moffett who gave a question and answer
session on the opinions expressed dur
ing the forum.
— Derek Ellis
Kemp Kirk
Be Prepared!
World Health Day, April 7, has as its
1991 theme; Should Disaster Strike, Be
Prepared. In case you need convincing,
note the folowing:
• In 1906, an earthquake struck
Northern California and killed approx
imately 2,000 people in and around the
city of San Francisco.
• An earthquake in Long Beach, Cali
fornia killed 100 people in 1933.
• In 1964, an earthquake of magni
tude 9.2 on the Richter scale, the largest
ever in the United States, killed 100
people in Anchorage, Alaska.
• In 1971, an earthquake struck San
Fernando, California killing 64 people.
• Mount St. Helens, a volcano in
Washington state, erupted violently in
1980, leaving 62 people dead.
• In 1989, Hurricane Hugo struck the
North and South Carolina Coast, killing
21 people and causing an estimated
$7 billion damage.
• The Loma Prieta earthquake of
1989 killed 63 people in the San Fran
cisco Bay area.
• In 1988 and 1989, floods and flash
floods caused 127 deaths and approx
imately $760 million in damage in the
United States.
A natural disaster like one of the
above could happen to you. When?
Who knows. Be prepared all the time.
How? Ask for a free copy of the
World Health Day Planning Kit. This 30-
page guidebook contains background in
formation of disaster preparedness and
releif, a World Health Day poster,
activity suggestions, proclamations,
lesson suggestions, and a special re
source section listing other groups
which provide disaster preparedness
and relief-related educational materials
as well as information on other global
health issues.
Obtain your free copy from the
American Association for World
Health, 2001 "S” St., NW, Suite 530,
Washington, DC 2009; (202) 265-0286.
The kits are available in English and
Spanish. Please specify.
College
Financial Aid:
What do you know about it?
Says Student Loan Marketing Asso
ciation (Sallie Mae) Senior VP Dennis
Kernahan, "It pays to have a basic know
ledge of the public and private aid pro
grams that are available — and where to
begin to apply for them. Answer the
following statements true or false:
1. T F Nearly half of all students
today receive some sort of
public or private assistance
to finance their college
education.
2. T F Most financial aid is awar
ded to students based on
academic performance,
rather than demonstrated
financial need.
3. T F Financial aid packages pre
pared by colleges cover tui
tion, but students and their
families have to pay for
room and board, books
and personal expenses on
their own.
4. T F The most expensive col
leges and universities rare
ly award financial aid to
their students.
5. T F Ifa family’s income is more
than $30,000 annually, the
family isn’t eligible for fed
eral financial aid.
6. T F Students do not have to
make payments on their
federally-sponsored
student loans while they
are in school.
7. T F Even though Stafford
Loans (formerly Guaranteed
Student Loans) are spon
sored by the federal govern
ment, not all students are
eligible for them.
8. T F Ifa family’s income makes
a student ineligible for
need-based fanancial aid,
the only option parents
have is to take out a stan
dard consumer loan from
their lender.
Answers
1 — True. Last year, nearly half of the
13 million students enrolled in post
secondary educational institutions na
tionwide received some type of public
and/or private financial aid.
2 — False. Most financial aid is awarded
based on financial need.
3 — False. The financial aid package
developed by a school’s financial aid
office takes into account the total cost
of attendance, including tuition, fees,
room and board, and books.
4 — False. The most expensive colleges
usually have more financial aid avail
able, using more of their own funds for
student aid.
5 — False. Many factors determine a
family’s need, including a family’s assets
and number of children in college, in
addition to income.
6 — True. Loan repayment begins after
the student leaves school or drops
below half-time status — and then, only
after a six- to 12-month grace period.
7 — True. Stafford loans are awarded to
students based on demonstrated finan
cial need. (SLS loans, another federally-
sponsored loan program, are available
to independent students without a
needs test.)
8 — False. While many parents rely on
competitively-priced, private loan
plans, the predominant education loan
used by parents is the federally-spon
sored PLUS loan, which provides par
ents at all income levels with a low-
interest, supplemental source of educa
tion financing.
Ways to Meet
College Costs
FinarKing a College Education, a new
booklet from the Money Management
Institute of Household International,
can help almost anyone wondering how
to manage the costs involved — parents
hoping to assist their offspring, high
schoolers attempting to make it on their
own, college students unable to make
ends meet, even graduates confronted
with student debts.
Right up-front in the 32-page booklet
are charts, information and guidelines
for readers wanting to set up college-
savings funds, including those off to a
late start. This section is followed by
descriptions of the investments consid
ered most suitable for college savings.
There s also a section on borrowing, for
those unable to meet their target goals.
Financing a College Education, in
addition, contains a wealth of infor
mation for high school students on ways
they can meet some of the costs them
selves. If systematically explores the
types of financial aid offered by federal
and state governments, colleges, busi
nesses and community groups, by walk
ing the reader through the entire process.
The booklet was developed by money
management specialists and written in
consultation with experts in education,
business and government. To obtain a
copy, send $1.25 and your name and
address to Money Management Insti
tute, Household International, 2700
Sanders Road, Propect Heights, IL60070