Newspaper Page Text
Page 5
THE PANTHER
October 12, 1979
Davis Captures
First Title
BY MARCIA E. JONES
Panther Editor
Friday, Oct. 5, proved to be a
memorable occasion of “the
first kind” at Clark College.
The first Mr. Clark College
pageant was held in Davage
auditorium.
Seven of Clark’s well known
young men vied for the first in
a lifetime title. They included,
Murray Davis, James “Bodie”
Glenn, Donald Juan Graham,
Frank E. Anthony, Michael
Holloway, Ralphael Shomie
Lenoir Hawkins and Phillip
William Lundy.
Sharon Bass coordinated
the SGA-sponsored pageant
and Clyde Robertson was the
primary commentator. Other
commentators assisting
Robertson were, Miss Clark
College and her court — Y.
Renee Greene, Yolanda
Thompson and Allene Farmer,
respectively.
Segments of the pageant
showed the contestants in
sportswear, disco fashions and
eveningwear. The contestants
attempted to outdo one
another in their own unique
manner.
The talent segment was
presented in an unusual way.
Instead of each contestant
presenting an individual
talent, they all joined forces
and provided the audience
with their own rendition of
“Memories.”
Entertainment was
provided by the dancing ladies
of Feminine Finesse, and
singing was by Anna Brown
(solo) and Phillip Williamson
and Christine Sutton (duet).
The finale of the pageant
allowed the students to
participate — via voting. The
outcome of the vote presented
the Mr. Clark title to senior
class president, Murray Davis.
James “Bodie” Glenn and
Donald Juan Graham were
selected the first and second
attendants, respectively.
Male Dorm Has
New Female Head
BY BENJAMIN S. LUMPKIN
Panther Feature Editor
As everybody knows, male
dorms usually have male dorm
directors. But that’s usually.
Here at Clark we have an
exception.
The new dorm director of
BrawleyHall is a woman, Ms.
Jeanne Wilkerson.
How and why did Wilkerson
become Brawley’s dorm direc
tor? “I enjoy this kind of work,-
” she said, “It is fulfilling.
Dorm work is not confining,
it’s not a nine to five job.”
Wilkerson graduated from
Fisk University in 1975, with a
bachelor’s degree in
psychology. She attended the
Interdenominational
Theological Center (ITC) from
Aug. 1978 to May 1979.
The Mt. Vernon, N.Y. native
said the skills she learned in
psychology and at ITC helped
her as dorm director.
“Many go to school and
don’t get an opportunity to use
their skills,” explained
Wilkerson, “I feel I can apply
some of the psychology and
ITC skills.”
Wilkerson has had previous
experience as a dorm director.
“I worked from 1975 to 1977
as dorm director at Fisk in co
ed and female dorms,” she
said, “but 90 per cent in co-ed.”
Wilkerson said her friends
and relatives were surprised to
hear that she was going to be
dorm director of a male dorm.
“My friends asked me why
did I do it, and my mother said,
‘oh gee, oh gee,’ ” she said.
Wilkerson was told aboutthe
vacant dorm director’s job by
co-workers at ITC. She
received the job after an
interview with the ad
ministration.
She said she has had no ma
jor problems with any student
here yet.
“There has been no
personality things, just minor
problems,” said Wilkerson.
“Like visitation which is a
normal problem because men
and women always want to see
each other.”
She said that there has. been
no sexual conflicts as yet and if
there are some she has not
caught them.
Wilkerson said she will not
start any new programs as yet
and will not without talking it
over with the Dorm Action
Committee.
One program she wants to
start is a dorm clean-up cam
paign so the dorm will not
have to rely on the janitorial
staff.
Wilkerson, who lives in
Brawley, is single. She said
she will stay here as long as
possible because she finds the
atmosphere very secure at this
point.
Murray Davis, Mr. Clark College
Neighborhood Kids
Have High Aspirations
BY JAKIBUCKLEY
Panther Staff Writer
‘This is my friend Tara,” 10
year-old Tracey said as she
jumped from the athletic
blocks painted in the black and
red school colors.
Tara sat quietly while
Tracey shouted everyone’s
name that passed the blocks.
“Tara’s sort of shy,” Tracey
said.
Tracey and her friends visit
Clark College often, since it is
just across the street from the
housing projects which they
live in .Theyare the community
that surrounds 75% of the
Atlanta University Center.
Tracey said she would like to
attend the school and become a
movie star. “I want to be a
movie star and make millions
and millions of dollars,” she
said.
“I’m gonna buy me some silk
clothes, jewelry, high-heel
shoes, cool shades and cool
hats,” the energetic 10 year-old
said.
“Just about everybody on
T.V. who’s coolmakesmoney,”
Tracey said. She used Jimmie
“J.J.” Walker as an example of
a cool person who makes
money.
Tara, slowly opening up said
she thought Willis on the
television program “Different
Strokes” was cool. “He walks
cool,” she said.
Tara’s cousin Eugene, 9,
said he wanted to be a doctor so
he could help everyone. “I will
help everyone, but no Chi^a
people, I don’t understand
what China people are
saying.”
“I’ll help them if they dying,-
” Eugene said later after the
other children told him his
first idea was not a good one.
Most of the children who
lived in the Larkin Street and
Roach Street projects lived in
single parent homes with their
mother and grandmother.
“My father lives in New
York,” Tracey said. “I’ve never
seen him, only in pictures.”
Eugene said even though he
goes over to his father’s house
some weekends, he enjoys
staying with his mother.
“Sometimes when I want
money and my mother says
she doesn’t have any, I wish
my daddy was living here with
us,” Eugene said sitting
quietly on the blocks. “I wish
we’d just have a big family
reunion with a lot of food like
barbecue chicken.”
Eugene said his father also
takes him to football games,
buys him clothes, and takes
him fishing. “I like when we go
to the football games, they’re
ok,” he said.
Tracey and her friends
usually stayed on Clark’s cam
pus until dark. Tara said her
grandmother would call her
into the house when she got
home from work as a cafeteria
worker at one of the elemen
tary schools.
“Sometimes my grandma
tells her friends to straighten
us out if she’s not home yet,”
Tara said. “And they
straighten us out too.”
Continued on p.12
Life Has Its Share of Ups and
Downs for Roller Ride Expert
When roller coaster fanatic
Gary Kyriazi visited Six Flags
Over Georgia recently, he was
taking another routine ride on
the monster of turns, dips and
loops - the usual for him.
Kyriazi’s done it thousands
of times - riding almost non
stop on roller coasters - steel
and wooden - all across the
countiy. And he has a list of
his top ten wooden and top five
steel roller coaster listings to
prove it.
Probably no one else knows
more about riding roller
coasters than Kyriazi. Not
even the engineers who design
them.
The 29-year-old San Fran
cisco native admits he’s
slowed down a bit since his
youthful days when he’d ride
as many as 10 times on one
roller coaster.
“My stomach is starting to
settle a bit,” he laughed. “I
don’t have to ride as much any
more either because I’ve kind
of gotten a feeling of the turns
and dips of certain roller
BY CHARLES ANDERSON
Panther Layout Editor
coasters. Three or four rides
are enough for me.”
Kyriazi said his favorite
roller coaster for a long time
has been the Cyclone in
Coney Island, New York. He
rates the Mindbender in
Six Flags Over Georgia as the
top steel coaster.
Kyriazi’s choices often
change as he rides different
roller coasters. Until his recent
visit to Atlanta, the
Shockwave in Six Flags
Over Texas was his favorite in
steel roller coasters.
“It all depends on my mood,”
Kyriazi said. “It’s like eating..
. One day I want a hamburger,
the next day I want a pizza.
“I compare a good roller
coaster to a good suspense
movie. It doesn’t give you a
chance to relax or catch your
breath. You’re not really sure
what’s going to happen next.”
As dangerous as roller
coasters seem to be, Kyriazi
said they’re really safe.
The only bad experience he
recalls was when the operator
of the now-defunct Earth -
quake at Belmont Park
pulled the brake at the end of
the ride and it failed to stop.
Kyriazi and his friends got a
free ride.
He said he prefers the
smooth ride and thrust of
wooden roller coasters to the
loop-the-loop type ride of steel
coasters. He said more and
more aerospace roller coasters
are being built in amusement
parks.
Kyriazi said there is also a
resurgence of people riding
roller coasters because people
are turning into “thrill-
seekers. More than ever, people
need a place to scream.”
The nation’s leading
authority hasn’t limited
himself to zooming around
and around on roller coasters.
He has authored a book en
titled The Great
American Amusement
Parks and has co-produced
(along with filmmaker Scott
Campbell) America
Screams, a television
Continued on p.12