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10- DECEMBER 2000/JANUARY 2001 MBCWO - 63 Years Of Communications - HBCUs Making The Connection In The 21st Century.
IN MY
0 me 9 a P si Phi Fraternity, Inc.:
^ A Fraternity of
There Should Be A Little MEN - Not DOOS!
Al Gore In All Of Us
by Henry J. Porter
MATHEMATICS INSTRUCTOR AND ADVISOR FOR ALPHA SIGMA CHAPTER
OF OMEGA PSI PHI FRATERNITY, INC. MORRIS BROWN COLLEGE
by Carvel Bennett
COLUMNIST, ASSISTANT DEAN OF STUDENTS
DIRECTOR OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS
The recent presidential elections
debacle is finally over, but it’s effects
will linger on for years, perhaps gen
erations, to come. Some advocate
abolishing the Electoral College, as it
is seen as an institution that is no
longer needed. The actual method/
mechanism for electing the president
has also come under fire, with some
sectors of the society calling for ATM
type voting machines or some other
form of modern foul-proof devices.
From this historically bizarre, and
sometimes almost comical situation
the integrity of the US Supreme
Court has been called into question.
All this because Al Gore and the
Democratic Party questioned and
then challenged, the results coming
out of the State of Florida immedi
ately following the national elections
of November 15th.
Some Republican Party loyalists,
conservatives, and others became
enraged at Mr. Gore and the Demo
cratic Party for their lawsuits and
challenges, to the election results. I
think what these Gore detractors
should realize is that Mr. Gore was
not contesting the election results as
a sore loser, but rather as someone
who wanted to see justice and fairness
Fighting for what
you believe in is never
popular or easy,
Carvel Bennett
of problems - lack of adequate facili
ties, insufficient staffing, shortage of
parking spaces, overcrowding in, class
rooms, etc., etc., - but to transfer is
not the answer. What do you do when
you transfer to a large, predominantly
white, state-run institution and you
encounter some of the same problems,
do you transfer again?
I am one for shaking up the system.
We have a long way to go, but over
the years a lot has been achieved at
Morris Brown because some of us felt
like Al Gore, we fought the system so
that improvements could be made.
played out to the fullest. I amazed at
how these persons (the Gore detractors),
could be so angered by his challenges
to the results, when there were so
many discrepancies and, unanswered
questions. Did all the votes cast in
the state of Florida get counted? Did
everyone who went to the polls, on
November 15, 2000 in Florida, get a
chance to vote? Were all the absentee
ballots cast, legitimate, and if they
were — were they all counted? None of
us can say a resounding ‘yes’ to these
questions without a question of doubt
— Democrat, Republican, Green Party,
or whatever else.
I supported Mr. Gore’s stand.
Despite the fact that in some quarters
his actions were unpopular, he stood
up for what he believed in—he fought
to the bitter end for his convictions.
I got so taken aback when I kept
hearing this past semester, some of
our students who kept saying they
were not returning in the Spring.
Some had some legitimate and major
issues, but others I felt just gave up
too easily. Transferring to another
college or returning home, in my
opinion, was the easy way out for
some of our young people. Whatever
happened to standing your ground
and fighting?
Morris Brown College, like so many
other Historically and Predominantly
Black Colleges and Universities
(HPBCU’s), is plagued with all sorts
Things aren’t where we would like
them to be, but we continue to fight
on.
This past weekend (December 15-17),
two incidents occurred that inspired
me and gave me the impetus to con
tinue the fight for students’ rights
and causes; the assassination of De
kalb County Sheriff-elect Derwin
Brown, and I saw the movie Men of
Honor.
Sheriff-elect Brown was brutally
gunned down in his driveway, and it
is believed because he was on a cru
sade to clean up the embattled DeKalb
County Sheriffs Department. Those
who knew of him spoke of him as a
man of integrity, someone who fought
hard to do the right thing, a man of
deep conviction. For that he was killed.
The movie Men of Honor, tells the
story of Carl Brashear (Cuba Gooding,
Jr.) who became the US Navy’s first
African American Master Diver
despite great odds, institutional rac
ism, and an overbearing head instruc
tor Billy Sunday (Robert DeNiro).
Mr. Brashear overcame those great
odds because he believed in himself,
and was determined not to let anyone
or the system deter him from his
dream of becoming a navy diver.
This is my message to our stu
dents — as the product of two HBCUs
(Tuskegee University ‘87and Clark
Atlanta ’91), I urge you to learn to
fight for what you believe in. Despite
O n several occasions, while wearing Omega Psi Phi paraphernalia, I
would often have said to me; “Mr. Porter, I did not know that you were a
que dog.” Each time I would respond that I was not a “que dog” but an
Omega man. The last time that this situation occurred I decided to
write this correspondence to address the false label of “que dog” that a large
number of people are associating with Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity was founded November 17, 1911 and adopted
Four Cardinal Principles which were to be used as guides in determining the
directions that the Fraternity would take. These Cardinals Principles of
Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance, and Uplift are still the guiding forces
for our Fraternity today-they have not changed! It should be emphasized here
that Manhood, not “doghood”, is one of the Cardinal Principles.
I am aware that there is a vast number of people who believe that those of
us who are Omega men are also “que dogs.” This belief is not valid! Even
though we have some Brothers who may wish to be known as “que dogs”,
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. does NOT embrace this title! Our
Fraternity is an organization of men - men who are suppose to exemplify
manly qualities such as respect for self and respect for others. I am aware that
some of my brothers, at times, do not exemplify the respect mentioned in the
previous sentence. They are often guided by the “dog mentality.” Concerted
efforts are being made by our Fraternity to work with these brothers in order
to get them to fully exemplify the Cardinal Principle of Manhood. A true
Omega Man is a full-time man and not a part-time man and part-time dog.
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. adopted, in one of its Grand Conclaves, a
Statement of Position Against Canine Reference. Part of this Statement
reads: “... BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity,
Inc. expressly denounces and vehemently opposes the use of any canine (dog)
representation associated with the organization’s name, symbols, or crest
(escutcheon), and....' One can clearly see from this Position Statement
that there is no organization called “que dogs” recognized by. nor
associated with Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Inc.!!!!
Why is Morris Brown
Still on the Back Burner?
By Tisa Johnson
STAFF WRITER
his article is for all of the
Morris Brown College
students that talk all of their
mess about how other schools are
leaving us out and to those who have
tried to make a way for this wobbly
but yet strong, uplifting,
family-oriented school. This is a half
and half article. Half of the students
will disagree, and half will say that I
am telling the truth. Morris Brown
College is on a rise for the better at
the end of the year 2000. We have
come back to school receiving laptops,
the shortcomings at both institutions,
I had to do what I had to do, and
transferring was not an option. I got
involved in student government and I
expressed my sentiments as a colum
nist in the Tuskegee University news
paper. Fighting for what you believe
in is never popular or easy, and as an
administrator at this institution
there are times when you ask yourself,
‘Why am I doing this?’ It would be so
easy to leave for a position with cor
porate America, but I did that and
found fighting for students’ rights in
higher education to be much more
fulfilling.
We could get so much more done
if students, faculty and staff who felt
disenfranchised and shortchanged by
decisions made at the administrative
level would just unite and speak up.
We owe it to our students, we owe it
to ourselves, and in the long run the
future of the college depends on it.
renovation of dorms and buildings on
campus, and many other great things.
If you are a student that came in the
year 1999 and are still here...I give
you a big round of applause because
it was not easy.
Most of the stude-nts at this institu
tion are in the boat of thinking that
the other schools are treating them
wrong. You let your fellow schools
talk about you and down you just
because you go to Morris Brown Col
lege. Stop letting people call Morris
Brown “MO-B”, because that is very
disrespectful to you.
Lots of students say that they
never know anything about events at
other schools. It’s not only the other
schools fault that Morris Brown is not
involved, but it is everyone’s fault. If
you are going to disrespect your own
institution then you cannot get mad
when someone else does it. You can
not get mad because you are not
aware of things either. You need to
get up, get out, and do something.
Find out things for yourself. Don’t
wait for them to come to your campus
with flyers, go to their campus and
see what they are doing. You are go
ing to be in the AUC for four or more
years, don’t settle for not being a part
of the AUC.
The question was asked, “Do you
think that Morris Brown is still on
the back burner?” and mostly every
student said yes. Some students went
on to say how good the school is along
with some disadvantages that were
expected. Meghan Monroe of New
Haven, Connecticut said, “I am from
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