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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 CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE