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PI 8 Mav 2. 1994
The Panther
CAU Players Take It
Christian Gooden/Staff Photographer
Monica Ellis and Patrick Labat starred in the CAU Players' production
Home last month.
By S.N. Brown
Staff Writer
The Clark Atlanta University Players
delivered a memorable performance of
Samm-Art Williams’ Home.
The play, directed by Theatre Arts Director
and professor Joan Williams-Lewis, ran
from April 4 through April 9.
Home centered around a young man’s dis
covery of self through his own life experi
ences. Cephus Miles, played by CAU grad
uate Patrick Labat, and CAU sophomore
Kacy-Earl David, experiences the dicovery
and loss of his first love, his migration to the
city, and his ultimate retutn to his home in
the country.
The play received favorable response from
the student body. Samesha Barnes, a junior
at CAU said, ‘It was really interesting, and it
showed the true meaning of the phrase of
‘There’s no place like home.” It really hit
home for me because I’m from the South,
and 1 really can’t see myself living anywhere
but the south.”
CAU students Monica Ellis, Tia Dexter,
and Kelly Jackson played roles in the pro
duction. Ellis said, “I felt good reliving the
tales that my grandparents told me about the
transition from the country to city life and
falling in love for the first time.”
The CAU players have enjoyed a success
ful semester with a successful run of Home,
and An Evening of Shakespeare with
Charles Dutton.
The CAU Players also won numerous
awards over the spring break at the National
Association of Dramatic and Speech Arts
Competition held in Ft Valley.
The performance was dedicated to the
CAU Guild, a group of supporters. A pre
sentation of Home was broadcasted on
CAU-TV3.
Christian Gooden/Staff Photographer
Patrick Labat, as Cephus Miles and
Kelly Jackson opposite.
Christian Gooden/Staff Photographer
Director Joan W. Lewis goes over
rehearsal with The Players.
WCLK Radio
Boasts 20 Years
"We basically just wanted the
students to know that we are
here for them and that this is
their radio station."
-Sheila Tenney.
Membership and Promotions Director
By Simmone Anderson
Contributing Writer
WCLK radio’s staff,
announcers and students gath
ered around the Quadrangle of
CAU’s Thayer Hall on April
20 to celebrate the station’s
20th anniversary on the air.
Over 250 students joined in
the festivities which included
four hours of live contempo
rary jazz, reggae, oldies and
hip hop. The celebration was
also a part of CAU’s Spring
Arts Festival held during that
week.
Mayor Bill Campbell pre
sented the station with a
proclamation recognizing the
anniversary of Atlanta’s “Jazz
of the City” and participated in
an on-the-air promotional spot
congratulating the station.
President Dr. Thomas Cole Jr,
.actor Charles Dutton, film
maker Julie Dash and R&B
singer Will Downing were
among other celebrities who
joined in radio spots.
WCLK had its initial cele
bration on April 8, the station’s
official anniversary. It kicked
off with a one hundred balloon
lift-off ceremony and contin
ued with live music, give
aways, and complimentary
food. “We basically just want
ed the students to know that
we are here for them and that
this is their radio station,” said
Membership and Promotions
Director Sheila Tenney.
WCLK started on April 8,
1974 as a small, non-commer
cial jazz station. Located in
McPheeters Dennis, the station
would attract a crowd of stu
dents in front of the building
who would socialize while lis
tening to 50 watts of gospel
and blues, as well as traditional
jazz.
The station, presently located
in the Mass Media Arts depart
ment in Woodruff library, has
2,500 watts and a listenership
of 184,000. Being ranked sec
ond in ratings, the station was
also nominated Jazz Station of
the Year by the Gavin Report.
Although it is a college-
based non-profit station,
WCLK has a strong adult fol
lowing, ranging from 33-55
years old.
The current format includes
oldies music, along with con
temporary jazz, gospel and
reggae. Program directors are
considering students’ requests
to incorporate certain types of
rap music, with news and talk
shows geared towards stu-
dents^into the existing format.
It has already included a
“Works in Progress” program,
run by students, which features
celebrity interviews and hap
penings in the city.
The 20th Anniversary cele
bration is just one of the many
activities sponsored by the sta
tions. From February 23 to
March 6 it ran its annual
Winter Membership Mini-
Fundraiser. Funds raised
exceeded the station’s goal of
$30,000, totalling over
$70,000 in pledges. The funds
raised go towards maintaining
studio equipment, salaries for
interns, and, membership fees
to a number of professional
organizations to which the sta
tion belongs.
In addition to a June
fundraiser, the station hopes to
celebrate its anniversary by
holding activities once a month
for an entire year.
Activities may include par
ticipation in the Atlanta
Summer Jazz Festival, a mem
bership banquet, a silent auc
tion, a gospel concert and skat
ing party, tennis tournaments,
and a 20th Anniversary CD.
No plans have been finalized,
however.
Management encourages stu
dent involvement in station
activities. “Volunteers are
always welcome and we
encourage students of all
majors to take an interest in
us,” stressed Tenney. As part
of the Olympic Host Broadcast
Training Program the station
will serve as a training facility
for over 1,200 students and
will receive updated, state-of-
the-art equipment. Last year,
Panasonic donated over
$40,000 in production.
WCLK’s main focus
for the future is to gain more
exposure from the media, more
participation from students,
and more wattage for a broader
listenership.