Newspaper Page Text
The Panther
MAY, 1967
5
The Role of the Negro
In the U. S. University
by Diana J. Mackie
The common complaint about small, private schools is that
the student body is too homogenous. As a factor of this situation,
the “liberals” at DePauw University point to the minuscule .5 per
cent of Negroes enrolled on campus.
Yet, even at a large state school the percentage remains con
stant. The University of Illinois at Champaign — with an under
graduate student body numbered at 20,000 — registstered only
one half of one percent Negro students last semester.
Records show that the Chicago Circle campus, extension of
the U. of I., has only 7>Vi percent Negroes even though the
campus itself stands at the edge of the “Black Belt” in that
metropolitan area.
These surprising figures were uncovered in an interview with
Assistant Provost J. William Briscoe, who admitted that the Uni
versity started again to keep records of minority groups after
a lapse of several years.
As a minority group, Negroes have an attrition rate that is
approximately the same as other students. Nowadays, because
the University generally only admits those students in the upper
one-fourth of their graduating class, most students, Negroes and
others alike, are adequately prepared to attempt college work.
However, Negroes are not especially recruited for admission.
In fact, nothing on the admission application even indicates the
race of the prospective student.
Admission Director Joseph Smith, a Negro, feels that the
University might have greater success recruiting from out-of-
state. The National Scholarship Fund and Service for Negroes
annually publishes a list of their top students in each state.
However, like National Merit winners, these students tend to
seek admission in colleges outside their own states. Still the
admission office is hampered by the fact that its first obligation
is to its own state students.
Nevertheless special representatives are sent to Negro-pre-
dominate areas, particularly Chicago and East St. Louis. These
people encourage Negro high school students to apply to college
by being “realistic” about the situation but also correcting several
myths about campus life in relationship to them.
Academically their main problem — like everyone else’s —
is staying in school. Those students who aren’t adequately pre
pared socially and academically are helped through a new pro
gram coordinated by Miss Mary Harrison, assistant dean of women.
Specifically her program is for those students who are “cul
turally disadvantaged.”
Tutoring is not done by students, but by volunteer faculty
members who cannot only provide better guidance, but also serve
as an identity post in this vast community.
For language study, Miss Harrison tries to get Peace Corps
workers or others who have actually spoken and “lived” the
language.
CORE has been active in enlisting professors’ help for the
group of about 125. Because the program is just in its second
year, the results have not been too discernible; but, sums up
Miss Harrison, “We hope to help a few so that they in turn
may help many.”
Another area in which these special representatives provide
information is the financial one. At U. of I., needy students are
offered aid in the form of campus jobs and loans. Recently Equal
Opportunity Grants when matched by the University are also
available. Hopefully these plans will eliminate one factor that
tends to keep Negroes out of school.
Many prospective students fear social ostricism. Although
the Negroes form a very small majority, .5 per cent of the student
body as large as Illinois’ still means a sizable number.
A part of social activity revolves around Greek life. Two
Negro sororities and three fraternities belong to Pan-Hel and
Inter-Fraternity Council, but they hold their own rush.
Attitudes of the town people are very nebulous. All landlords
are required to sign a non-discrimination clause to get their apart
ments on University-approved housing lists.
A Housing Review Committee composed of faculty and stu
dents guards against racial discrimination. Although no racial
incidents have ever occurred at the Big U, at the Champaign high
school, hardly a week goes by without one.
The Negro community lives in a restricted neighborhood in
which there has been some urban renewal. Last week the city
council of Champaign passed an open occupancy ordinance.
Volunteer groups sponsored by the Illini Union have started
“PAL” projects and offer tutoring assistants.
The students on campus are aware of the problem and try
to help. At a CORE meeting (the NAACP chapter joined with
CORE this last semester), members discussed ways to help elect
a Negro to an office in one of the town unions. Graduate students
provide both leadership on campus and links to Negroes in the
town.
Diana J. Mackie
is a student at
University of Illinois
Business Interns
Business Internship
Placement
The Department of Business
Administration and Economics
announces the placement of ten
business interns for the 1966-67
school year. They have been
placed as follows:
Miss Jean Brooks of Charles
ton, S. C., Q. V. Williamson
Realty and Insurance Company;
Miss Sallye Greenwood of La-
nett, Alabama, Coca-Cola Com
pany; Miss Eddie Sue Hill of
Greensboro, Georgia, Southeast
ern Division, American Red
Cross; Mr. Jimmy Howard of
Cleveland, Ohio, Sears, Roe
buck and Company; Miss Willie
Lou Furges of Atlanta, Lock-
heed-Georgia Company; Mr.
Johnny Patrick of Cordele,
Georgia, Economic Opportunity
Atlanta, Inc.; Mrs. Veronica
Sims of Atlanta, Citizens and
Southern National Bank; Miss
Frances Smith of Atlanta, Davi
son’s Department Store and
Miss Mary Williams of Atlanta,
Gulf Oil Company.
The interns are participating
in various assignments which
will give exposure to real estate
and insurance, hospital admin
istration, accounting clerk, re
tailing, stenographic and general
business administration func
tions.
The Business Internship Pro
gram, operating under a sup
porting grant of $2500 from the
Gulf Oil Company is in its third
year of existence. Mrs. Jennye
T. Harland is the Business In
tern Coordinator.
Clarkite Marries
Marion Phillips, 1966 Stu
dent Government Association’s
president, was married in Chi
cago, Illinois on March 25, 1967
to Mary Lee Jones, a 1965 grad
uate of Clark. They were mar
ried in the chapel of the Uni
versity of Chicago with a very
formal wedding that was quite
colorful. Mr. Phillips (Radical
Phillips) is working to complete
his masters work in Philosophy.
Album of the Month
Say students want to hear an
album that is “out of sight?”
Well march down to your near
est record shop and dig the soul
ful album of Wes Montgomery
— Tequila — and believe me
your soul will have no hole.
Even if Wes Montgomery’s al
bums were on T.V. you still
could not see them because they
are definitely out of sight.
A Few Parting Remarks
As my semester at Clark draws quickly to a close, I would
like to express my thanks to all Clarkites — administrators, faculty,
and especially, the students — for making my stay thoroughly
enjoyable.
As a fraternity member (Phi Kappa Psi) I have Watched with
interest the active part which the Greek organizations here play
in campus life. At DePauw each fraternity and sorority maintains
its own house in which all of the members and pledges live (except
freshman women, who must live in the dormitories). Our thirteen
fraternities and eleven sororities, all national, include approx
imately 70% of the student body of 2300.
Atlanta I like. Its theatres, restaurants, and other attractions
offer a contrast to the limited facilities of Greencasle, Indiana,
where DePauw is located. We have two movie theatres which
keep up with the latest films fairly well, several pizza and ham
burger shops within easy walking distance, and a small cafe where
the campus folk-singers and poets gather to perform.
Privacy is a little easier to find at DePauw than at Clark.
Each fraternity and sorority house has rooms which are open on
date nights for watching TV, dancing, or talking(?). The open
country, which can be reached in ten minutes on foot, is attractive
in warm weather. Since very few DePauwites are able to get per
mits for cars, we have no way to get to Indianapolis or the large
campuses which surround us (Indiana U., Indiana State, Purdue
U., U. of Illinois) for social events there.
The regulations of DePauw are by no means liberal, but some
of them are less restrictive than those of Clark. Hours for all
women are 11:00 on week nights and 1:00 on Friday and Satur
day. Men, of course, have no hours, and since Greencastle is a
relatively peaceful town, the fraternity houses and men’s dorms
are left open all night. This eliminates the frustration of being
locked out after returning from a late party or study session.
Speaking of studying late, a common practice at DePauw,
while at Clark I have missed the availability of several quiet
places around my fraternity house, as well as a library in our
lab building, where I could hit the books at any hour.
Getting back to regulations, DePauw prohibits drinking on
campus, and only students over twenty-one are allowed to drink
off-campus. Since Greencastle is a small town, few students live
in apartments. Our administration keeps a close watch on the
Greek living units and the local establishments, so all drinking
must be done rather discreetly.
In answer to a frequent question, I came to Clark in the
hope of getting to know the students, and I like to think that
I have been at least partially successful in this. I had had only
limited contact with Negroes in my high school in Pittsburgh and
at DePauw (there are less than 25 Negroes there), so I didn’t know
what was happening in the Negro community, and I wanted to
find out. Now I have some idea, and I have found many good
friends whom I will not soon forget.
I hope the exchange program will continue and expand. When
Elaine and I return to DePauw we will encourage other students
to try the exchange, and I hope Ella and Mary Ann will do the
same here.
As I have been telling my friends in letters and on the tele
phone, an exchange of this type is essentially a personal affair.
I won’t go back to DePauw as an authority on Civil Rights, or
on the Negro’s views on Viet Nam or national policy; although
this is what some students will be expecting. I have my own
opinions, but I won’t be making speeches or writing lengthy
articles, because I don’t pretent to understand the whole situation.
My opinions have been formed from first-hand experience, and
they lose something in the re-telling.
I hope anyone who is interested in going to DePauw next
semester or anytime will speak to me before I leave, or write to
me at DePauw. My address is Phi Kappa Psi, Greencastle, In
diana 46135.
Again, thanks for everything.
— A l Hester
Inquiring Reporter
QUESTION: Now that this year’s school semester has termi
nated do you feel that you have done your best work and used
your “brain-power” to its fullest capacity?
ANSWERS: Yes, because I can’t do any better; if I tried
one inch more I would crack-up! Leanetta Cosby
No, I don’t think that I’ve done my best work but I feel that
my “brain-power” has a capacity which is unlimited. In some
instances I have used my “brain-power” to its fullest capacity in
certain courses that I like. Gregory Tisby
No, because what I have done was not my best but I hope to
do better in the future. Patricia “Pat” Johnson
No, I feel that I failed to use my “brain-power” to its fullest
capacity. It’s always disappointing to look back and see that you
did not use your abilities wisely. It sometimes drives you to make
resolutions concerning the future which you always break.
Walter Richards