1997_03 The Daily Collegian March 1997

              6 • Uhuru Na Umoja • Wednesday, March 19,1$97
WHAT IS NSBE?
THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF BLACK
ENGINEERS IS A NATIONAL, STUDENT-BASED
AND OPERATED NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
credited engineering schools through¬
out the United States and Canada at¬
tended this event.
NSBE was incorporated as a non¬
profit corporation in December, 1996
in the State of Texas. NSBE is recog¬
nized as a tax-exempt organization
under Section 501 (c) (3) of the inter¬
nal Revenue code.
THE MEMBERSHIP OF NSBE
IS COMPRISED OF:
Engineering students (primarily)
Engineers and scientists in the profes¬
sional arena
University Administrators
Corporation
Persons interested in accomplishing
the goals of NSBE
CSUF OFFICERS:
President: Daren Johnson
Vice President: Kevin Gray
Secretary: Shannon Walton
FOR MORE INFORMATION
CONTACT:
The minority Engineering program
CSU Fresno
West Engineering- Room 108
Fresno, Ca 93740-0094
NSBE is dedicated to the realiza¬
tion of a better tomorrow through the
development of intensive programs for
increasing the participation of Black
and other ethnic minorities in the
fields of engineering and the engineer¬
ing technologies.
Consolidating the student effort
through a University-based chapter
structure, coordinated through re¬
gional zones and administered by an
Executive Board of function-oriented
National Officers-NSBE has been able
to initiate programs both within and
outside of the University Communiry.
These programs serve to strengthen
relations with professionals, industry
and the Black community. Members
of this organization are encouraged to
join and participate in their commu¬
nity.
Members of this organization arc
encouraged to join and participate in
their respective professional societies.
NSBE endeavors to provide general
counseling to all.
NSBE had its genesis in a na¬
tional conference planned and hosted
by the Society of Black Engineers at
Purdue University in April, 1995.
Black engineering students from ac-
* NSBE is in rued of new and old computers to further their engineeringprojects.
If you can help, please contact Daren Johnson at the above address.
Photo by: Sherry Harris — Uhuru Na Umoja
Ebonics
Continued from page 1.
sues. He asked if there was an underlying
message to their concerns.
Paulette Fleming said that she believe
it was calculated by the media to cloud
the issues. "If you think about it, it
couldn't be planned any better," she said.
Fleming said that it is sad that we are
still talking about an issue that started 20
to 30 years ago. During that time white
people were saying that Black English
didn't exist, because Blacks did not have
a culture.
Fleming said if they ever admitted that
we speak a different dialect, that would
mean more money to train the teachers
to understand the children.
She added, that we should not let them
continue to get away with this, because
Black children clearly need teachers ca¬
pable of not only understanding them,
but also teaching them.
In addition, she suggested that the
Black faculty invite a linguist to come out
and explain why we speak the way we do.
Mikcll said that he would invite one to
—
Anthony Bailey,
Ernie Shelton receive
Rosa Parks Award
come out to speak simultaneously to them
and the Fresno Unified School District.
Ndidi Griffin shared what she learned
from her many years as a nurse. She said
that no matter how educated Black people
think they are, they always revert to what¬
ever their mother's language is when they're
sick. This brought on a nostalgic moment
as the Black faculty talked about Blacks
having to "wear two hats."
The reverse side of Ebonics, Thomas
Ellis said, is that Black folks cannot read
the works of Black writers like, August
Wilson. He said that white people can read
it better.
"This is historical Ebonics. We have
embraced the Eurocentric culture and now
we cannot do our own aesthetics. This
concernsme," he said.
Sharron Herron agreed. "There is defi¬
nitely a stigma attached" to embracing the
Eurocentric culture too much.
According to linguist Dorothy
Seymour, if children are ashamed of their
language, they will also be ashamed of
themselves. We should learn to speak stan¬
dard English and maintain our dialect.
By Clora Ash
. Uhuru Na Umoja
Anthony Bailey and Ernie Shelton,
both won the Rosa Parks Award for their
great community service. The award cer¬
emony was held on Friday, Feb. 28 at the
University Restaurant.
Bailey is the founder of the Beautiful
Zion Church and the Teen Challenge
ministry for at-risk teenagers. He has also
organized the Rogers Award program to
allow people an opportunity to win schol¬
arships for college. Bailey works as a lead
person for the plant operations at Cali¬
fornia State University, Fresno.
He said, "I'm proud that my ministry
helps motivate young black men." Bailey-
said that he was impressed with the con¬
tributions that Parks made to the Civil
Rights Movement.
"Now the struggle is in the family, in
Young
Continued from page 2.
working with young men and improving
family," Bailey said.
Shelton is a board member for the
Fresno County Office of Education. He
is the vice-president of United Black Men
of Fresno, and the vice-president for the
Black Faculty and Staff Association at
Fresno State. In addition, he is the early
outreach coordinator at Fresno State.
"It's all about leading students through
the system. Someone did it for me, now
I'm doing it, and hopefully my students
will do it for someone else," Shelton said.
Dr. James Walton, professor of English
at Fresno State, addressed the audience
before the presentation. "When we think
of the example of Rosa Parks, Martin
Luther King, Malcolm X, and Nelson
Mandela, we're challenged to achieve ex¬
cellence in whatever we do. If we give it
anything less than our very best, we dis¬
honor their names," he said.
be drafted without a bunch of "rumors"
and speculations hanging around his head.
I mean, you knew they were rumors, so
why did you get lazy on an important story
like this, which you knew would put
Fresno State sports fans in an uproar? I
would hope that you would have more in
depth reporting skills than that, of what I
read in the Thursday, March 6 issue of
The Fresno Bee.
Ask yourself, is that fair? Is that fair to
ruin the reputation of one for the sake of
The Fresno Bee to prosper and get the
"best" yellow journalism story that will
catch the Fresnonian fan's eye? Is that not
taking advantage of the public through
manipulation of the media?
Is that not why the press and the rest
of us always get a bad rap because of news¬
paper ethics like yours? Isn't this why
people shun us reporters or shy away from
us, afraid we'll change their words around
or print inaccurate information? We the
journalists, are supposed to stand up for
the citizens of this community.
What's happened here? Have we be¬
come that desperate and sloppy just to get
a story out to sell more papers?
I know it's a 'dog-cat-dog' world, and
'may the best man win,' but guys, this is
not the way to do it. You would never sur¬
vive at the New York Times, this isn't the
type of zest they would want on their staff.
I'm sure you know rhat the power of
words arc very strong, and that you have
this power in your corner. If you continue
to use this power incorrectly, there will be
a day when this will come back on you
and you'll remember what you have done
and think about the mistakes you have
made and didn't bother to try to correct.
As journalists representing the public,
that is your duty. Remember that the pub¬
lic is not your enemy, they helped you get
to where you are now. There are still some
of you that take advantage of this.
The original purpose of the newspaper
was to protect the "people" from the deal¬
ings of our own government, we were to
be the "watch dog" for the public. So
which part of the government are you
watching?
Maybe it is best that you stay in Fresno,
it will be much safer and provincial for
you here. I am truly disappointed in all of
you. I hope you can all correct your mis¬
takes before it's too late.
Point
Continued from page 2.
0 We should, therefore, not be surprised
that once in awhile someone falls for an
they are the only ones forbidden by rules offer of financial gain under these circum-
from financially gaining from it. I believe stances (not implying guilt or innocence
we have a word for such a system. in the current case by any means).
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