WIGUILFORDIAN Greensboro, N.C. Presidential can didates debate Page 4 Medulla, Bjork's newest CD Page 8 Banning the Bible Page 9 —- Homecoming sports candids Page 12 Cokie Roberts visits, launches Bryan series Karim Ali & Emily Place Staff Writers ABC News political commentator and award-winning journalist Cokie Roberts visited Guilford Oct. 1, the first speaker in this year's Bryan lecture series. She delivered a talk titled "Women Shaping American Democracy" in Dana auditorium. After an opening speech by College President Kent Chabotar, the audience welcomed Roberts with a round of applause. Her speech had originally been sched uled for Sept. 30 but was postponed due to her involvement with that evening's presidential debate. Initially, Roberts commented on how happy she was to be in North Carolina. It's an important state this year, she said, being home to Democratic Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards. In her talk Roberts expounded on Guilford welcomes new Africana Coordinator Chris Lett Staff Writer Trina Lynette Gabriel is no stranger to small communities similar to K ~1 INSLEE HACKETT/GUILFORDIAN Gabriel, Guilford's new Africana Community Coordinator Volume 9 lssue 8 www.guilfordian.com research from her recent book, Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation, on the women who affected early American history. Throughout history, she explained, women were the driving forces behind much of the success traditionally attrib uted to men. Roberts explained that Martha Washington, for example, cooked and sewed for the troops at Valley Forge. Her efforts rejuvenated a cold .and hun gry group of men who otherwise ready to give up. Roberts also specifically mentioned Kitty Greene, the wife of Greensboro's namesake, Nathaniel Greene. Roberts added that Greene, like Washington, kept the army enthusiastic and enter tained. Moving to 20th-century politics, Roberts named the women involved in the suffrage movement of the 19205. She also emphasized the contribution of Continued on Page 2 Guilford. She was born and raised in Sherrill's Ford, N.C, a town large enough for traffic to be directed by two flashing caution lights. Gabriel holds the newly ere- ated position of Africana Community Coordinator. The former position title was Director of African American Affairs and was held by Santes Beatty until this past spring. Beatty now serves as Africana Retention Coordinator. As the Africana Community Coordinator, Gabriel's responsibilities include "(providing) adminis trative leadership in the devel opment, coordination and delivery of social, cultural and education programs and activ ities intended to support stu dents of African descent and promote the education of the college community as a whole on issues of diversity and equality," according to the Guilford website. The search committee for the position composed of stu dents, faculty and staff, select ed Gabriel from a nation-wide pool of candidates. Committee member Beatty said that Gabriel was the best fit due to "(her) experience in higher education and (her) passion of equality and justice". Since Gabriel started in August she hasn't encoun- October 8, 2004 SPS? I ' '-' ' : ' V. /,r • V | |BB|. j w HL Karim Ali/Guilfordian Cokie Roberts speaks in Founders before the Bryan lecture on Oct. 1 tered any large problems. She says she is still getting acquainted with the students, but overall she "(feels) like (she) was given an adequate description of her responsibili ties." Of the Multicultural Resource Center, Gabriel says that she, "definitely (sees) room for growth ... there is room for a coordinator of Latino students and strength ening the connection with International programs. The office will need to expand to address the myriad of con cerns for different popula tions." One of Gabriel's goals is to punctuate diversity with quality care. "It is critical for faculty and staff to be involved in that process because of our inter action with students," she Continued on Page 3