Community leader, students comment on racial problems

Community leader, students comment on racial problems

Race Relations on West Chester's campus.

Article outlined issues that black students on West Chester campus experienced. Quad interviewed Larry Doudy Chairman of Black History Week and Huk Bethea. They discussed problems with communication and possible solutions to the racial problems on West Chester's campus.

Nancy J Holt

Quad Angles

West Chester University

February 16. 1971

Jacquelynne Conyers-Jordan

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Community leader, students comment on racial problems By NANCY J. HOLT Ed. Note: This is the first of two articles probing into the racial problems on the West Chester campus and how they relate to the community of West Chester and vice versa. Three members of the black college community and one member of the black community of the town of West Chester are in agreement that there is racial discrimination at the college and something has to be done about it. Larry Doudy, Chairman of Black History Week, and Huk Bethea, Chairman of Black Student Union, in a QUAD ANGLES interview, agreed that the problem is caused by the whites. "I think the problem lies within the white people," Doudy said, "and they are causing one (problem) to themselves because they cannot accept us as black students." Communication Bethea commented that the problem lies in communication between the blacks and whites. He said that this communication exists because "the white folks don't want to accept a person for what he really is." Bethea went on to say that there are two types of blacks: those who accept the white man as a person, and those who say if the white man treats him as a dog, he will do the same. When asked to which category he belonged, Bethea replied: "I can't really say. I was brought up in a black society. Everyone is prejudiced in one way or another. I'm prejudiced in oneway." Dave Flamer, President of Men's Resident Government, said, in another interview that discimination does exist on campus. "It's in their minds. It's, how do you say it, hereditary." He added: "When there's a minority of blacks and a majority of whites, you're going to have racial undertones." Doudy and Bethea agreed that black studies need to be integrated into the overall curricula, since they both feel that the problem between blacks and whites on this campus is coming to a head. "We are reaching a peak," Doudy said, "There are alot of little things black students have been working at for years. We want to see a definite positive sign this semester because it will reach a peak of tension and the cork will pop. He continued: "I am against gradual change because I have been promised gradual change and haven't gotten it. They (college community) move or be moved." When asked how he would move the college community, Doudy stated that he was not at liberty to say. Asked if he meant violence, Doudy said, "No comment. Whatever they force us to do," Asked if he considered himself a radical: "In my own right, I am a radical," Bethea replied, "I don't think of myself as a radical, but people do." Workable Solution Flamer feels the college communitycommunity shouldn't worry about the problem reaching a peak. "We shouldn't concern ourselves with what will happen." He said, "Why not get a workable solution before it happens." The three student leaders feel that course integration is an answer, but it is not the sole answer* Flamer states, "We have to deal with being human beings first." Bethea feels that a change of attitude not only on the part of the students but preferably with all whites involved is necessary. When asked about white students who might resent the integration of black studies in the curricula, Doudy answered, "If they resent integration, this is white backlash ... what if I don't accept a white course, I get penalized. I don't care what the white man does. If he doesn't like it, then let him jump on his band wagon and change it."Hecontinued: "The humanistic thing to do is to unweave the trend of racism. This (course integration) is not the main thing to resolve. We're not saying all black history. The problem here is that the change lies on the white man. He has to start looking at the black man as he truly is. ... I've been saying the same thing to Sykes and Rossey BflßMlMcAdoo Dave Flamer, President of Men's Resident Government . ."We can't turn our faces away." | I Bill McAdoo Larry Doudy. . . "In my own right I am a radical." Outsiders blamed in stabbing incident By TERRY COHEN As the investigation of the fight and stabbing following last Saturday night's dance continues, a more extensive and detailed description of the incident has unfolded. - "Chairs Flying. . ." Kenneth Burda, Director of the College Union, and Dean of Student Affairs Weislogel were present when the fight started. Burda said that he tried to break it up. "There were chairs flying around," he said, "and more people on the outskirts of the fight who looked like they might get involved." Burda went to get Dean Weislogel to help him disband the group. "We grabbed people," said Weislogel, (meaning Burda, a State policeman, and himself). Weislogel said that the fight appeared to start with two people, and then five people jumped on one of the original two. More people then joined in. "There were a lot of students trying to break the fight up," stated Burda. After the fight was broken up, the band was told to stop playing, and the security guards cleared the building.Security for the dance was provided by four guards from the Brandy wine Security Agency. Campus security made "periodic appearances" at the dance, according to Security Chief Sweeney.At last report, the State Police were convinced that "no college students, West Chester or Cheyney" were responsible for the stabbing incident which occured after the dance. "An Unusual Situation" Dean Weislogel said that he didn't think that those involved were West Chester students. "It was an unusual situation," said Burda. "There were an awful lot of people at that dance (who) didn't belong there." Weislogel said that the incident was "a very frightening thing," and that there was "anger and frustration exhibited by blacks as well as whites." He continued to say that he thought the problem was an "attitudinal problem," in that it will take a chance of attitudes to correct the situation. He felt that the basic problem was the "black-white issue," and that it will take responsible people of both groups to work with their respective groups to effect changes in attitude. Curtailment Unnecessary What bearing does this incident have on West Chester's campus? Burda doesn't "expect any trouble at future dances, if they use their heads." Dean Weislogel feels that it would be "unwise" to schedule social events following "possible volatile sporting events," but he asserts that we should "have to curtail social events." Administration sees university coming The chances of West Chester State attaining university status within the next five years are excellent, stated Dr. Albert E. Filano. The Dean of Faculty and Academic Affairs commented that the only requirement the college lacks, according to the application from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, is a doctoral program. Five Years Dr. Willard Trezise, Dean of Graduate Studies, predicted that it will take West Chester at least five years to attain university status, since it will take at least that long to establish a "quality doctoral program" in the arts and sciences. The Dean cites "quality" as being applied by the National Council of Graduate Schools. Dr. Trezise also said that he thinks the systems established for attaining university status is backwards. He would like the college to be granted university status before the establishment of a doctoral program. "I would hate to have a doctoral program just to become a university," he said. He also commented that not all of the universities in Pennsylvania have doctoral programs. He cited Susquehanna University as an example. Dr. Filano said that he doesn't think a doctoral program is necessary to attain university status. But Dr. Trezise would like to see the procedure for attaining university status reversed. He stated that at a past meeting of the Council of Graduate Deans, the deans petitioned the chairman of the state-wide board to apply for university status first and then allow schools to develop doctoral programs under a consultant from the commission of higher education. Complete Picture The application as it stands now is a broad one, commented Dr. Filano. It requests a complete picture of the institution "encompassing its breadth in terms of faculty, administration, students, and facilities." The Department of Education requests such specific information such as financial records for the past five years and financial projection for the next ten years. The Department also requests the same information in reference to student enrollment and the number of degrees awarded. Under the application heading of "Program", the institution must also submit information concerning the undergraduate curricula, graduate curricula, credit and grading system, length of academic year, and faculty. Each faculty member must also complete a resume sheet. Review Dr. Filano said that the application will be completed sometime this semester when it will be forwarded to the Department of Education. The Department then reviews the application and upon considering it complete, appoints a committee somewhat similar to the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools to visit the campus and make its recommendation to the state-wide board. When asked about the advantages of university status, Dr. Filano replied: "We hope university status will enable us to serve the youth of the commonwealth better through the monetary sense by additional programs and additional high quality professors and students. We have made tremendous strides in the past, and with the attainment of university status we will continue to expand our services." (Continued on page 4)