35% OF GUILFORD STUDENTS SAID THEY
HAVE HOOKED UP WITH SOMEONE THEIR
FRIENDS HAD ALREADY HOOKED UP WITH...
SUP
THEN
i.VeEK'S CE
VOLUME 96, ISSUE 2 // SEPTEMBER 11, 2009
THE GUILFORDIAN
G U 1 L F O R D C O L LEG E / / WWW. G-U 1 L F O R D I A N . C O M // GREENSBORO, NC
TOP:The first display of the exhibit
presents a colorful tribute to the
horrifying story and artifacts of slave
trade. The Sept. 3 SANKOFA art
show illustrated the slaves’ struggles
in their journey from Africa to the
United States.
BOTTOM: African American
museum curator Angela Jennings
was brought to tears when she met
Harvey Alexander, a Greensboro
local and former Tuskeegee Airman
who served in World War II. Here
they hold commemorative war
images.
A FORGOTTEN HISTORY
FOR A NEW GENERATION
Story by Abbey Dean | Photos by Angelina Colao
Bright, warm colors fill the auditorium.
The steady beat of drums echoes
through the room. Sunlight floods in,
highlighting the hues of reds, greens,
and blues dispersed through rows of
artifact-lined tables.
From across tKe room a voice shouts, "Hey
baby, thanks for coming! Now, just start over
there and work your way around."
The source of this enthusiasm is Angela
Jennings, a cheery, smiling woman wearing
traditional crimson-toned African garb.
The curator of the exhibit, she hastens near
and repeats her instructions, intent that all
visitors achieve the desired effect.
Dubbed SANKOFA, this traveling
African American museum on wheels is a
See "Sankofa" on page 9
3,588 cans propel Guilford to
victory in annual soup bowl
By Onka Dekker
Staff Writer
What competition doesn't
require a helmet but de
mands persistence, strategy
and teamwork? The Gate
City Soup Bowl food drive.
And, in 2009, Guilford de
feated the Greensboro Col
lege Pride. When the totals
were announced at the Soup
Bowl game on Sept. 5, Guil
ford was the high scorer with
3,588 cans.
Rival Greensboro College
won the football game 12-7,
but the Pride collected only
2,292 cans this year. The two
schools have donated more
than 50,000 non-perishable
food items since the cross
town Soup Bowl began in
1997.
The combined contribu
tions go to Food Assistance,
Inc. and Greensboro Urban
Ministries. These non-profit
groups have come to depend
on the Gate City Soup Bowl
to help them fight poverty in
the Greensboro area.
Junior Juliet Carrington
wants Guilford students to
See "Cans" on page 11
Graduation rates below
peers, expected to improve
By Will Cloyd
Staff Writer
According to a recent study of graduation
rates in the U.S. titled "Diplomas and
Dropouts," Guilford's graduation rate is 58
percent measured over 6 years..
"Our rate is below our peers and
aspirants," said President Kent Chabotar.
"Our 2010 target is 70 percent."
Our peers include schools like Meredith
College and Queens College.
Another indicator according to Chabotar
is "graduation rate performance," which
"compares the six-year rate against a
statistical forecast." In this test Guilford
scored much higher than the initial six-
year rate of 58 percent. In this case Guilford
ranked #44 rather than #178.
According to Vice President of
Enrollment Services Randy Doss, while
our 09-08 rate may seem low it could be
worse. Doss said that Guilford's '08-'09
rate compared favorably to those of other
colleges in the ODAC conference, such as
Emory and Henry, Virginia Wesleyan, and
Randolph Macon.
In addition, Doss made clear that another
area of importance, our retention rate of all
traditional students, was well above the
expected rate.
Retention is the number of first-time,
full-time students who enter in the fall and
graduate in four years.
"Guilford College's long-term stats
are better than other schools in the North
Carolina system," said Doss.
Guilford expected only 900 hundred
students to return this year; instead 965
returned for fall '09. According to Doss
this number is promising for the school
because students who make it through the
first year are more likely to graduate. The
rate in a single year, however, is not the
only concern.
In their efforts to improve Guilford's
graduation rate. Dean of Students Aaron
Fetrow said that the school is investing
in programs that support students in and
outside of the classroom.
"The students who we admit to Guilford
College can do the work," said Fetrow,
See "Graduation" on page 2
Guilford no longer on 'bad food' list
By Burke Reed
Staff Writer
After years of peaking at the top of
the Princeton Review's "Is it food?" list,
Guilford was finally removed this year.
The "Is it food?" category is a list of the
colleges with the worst food and is based on
student responses to the survey question:
"How do you rate the food on campus?"
"I think it's terrific news," said Craig
Munhall, operation and catering manager
of Meriwether Godsey at Guilford. "It's
definitely a step in the right direction."
Aaron Fetrow, dean of students, said that
student response last year to the survey
question helped drop Guilford entirely from
the list.
He also said that newcomer dining-
provider Meriwether Godsey also played an
important role.
"We weren't happy with Sodexho," said
Fetrow. "My inbox was always filled with
complaints about the quality of Sodexho's
food and students disliked the company's
corporate image. We wanted good food
for our students and Meriwether Godsey's
image of organic, sustainability, and small
business won almost everyone over."
According to Ty Buckner, senior director
of communications and m^keting, Guilford
was ranked 14^“ in 2005,6*-“ in 2006, and 5^^
in 2008 on the "Is it food?" list. In its Sept. 14,
2007, edition. The Guilfordian reported that
See "Dining" on page 2
A FIERY FAREWELL TO KeISER
Pare 8