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| February 10, 2000 |
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Bear
witness to diversity; Black History Month
Black History film fest kicks off Under attack in February: eating disorders Boone, ASU police hold 2nd annual 'Polar Plunge' Bear
witness to diversity; Black History Month
It comes once every year and it is the shortest of the 12 months of the year. What month is it? February, also known as Black History Month. It is once again that time of year when African Americans “bear witness to the progress, richness and diversity of the African American experience.” Black History Month evolved from Negro History Week. Carter G. Woodson, born to the parents of former slaves, felt that students did not get enough on the history of African Americans. As a result of his dismay he started the American Negro Academy “to study the important things black people had accomplished.” Woodson decided that everyone should share in the knowledge of the African American experience through a national black history week. On Feb. 19, 1926, Negro History Week was established. Throughout the United States, Black History Month is celebrated through various activities and events. Various events have been planned for February at Appalachian for all to come out to enjoy and learn from. Some of the events are listed below. NAACP Re-organization Meeting Multicultural Center Feb. 15 at 6 p.m.; Dues: $10 * This meeting will help to re-establish the NAACP on this campus
“How to Make a Slave” by Willie Lynch Multicultural Center Feb. 21 at 7 p.m.; No charge * The letters written by Willie Lynch told slave masters how to make a slave. This event will be to encourage dialogue on how to break that phenomenon. The night will be filled with poetry that will try to inspire as well as uplift. Black History Jeopardy Attic Window Feb. 28 at 6 p.m
* There will be no final answer, but only one answer. This event will test the knowledge of the participants on black history. Willie Flemming Oratorical Contest
* The contestants here will be trying to explain the theme “self-love begins the journey to self-worth.” If you would like to participate in this contest contact Anthony White at 266-7006. Everyone is encouraged to participate in the events to help make them successful. These will be times when fun will be incorporated with education. Black History Month is not only for people of African descent, but also
for those who know little about black history.
Black History film fest kicks off BOONE -With Black History Month in full swing, Appalachian State University Women’s Studies Spring Film Series kicks off with a related tribute, “To Serve My Country, To Serve My Race.” The film will be shown on Wednesday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. at I.G. Greer Auditorium. Through interviews and archival footage the film shows the contribution black women in the military made during World War II and the discrimination they encountered. The women featured in the film served in the first black unit of the Women’s Army Corps in non-combat positions. Often stationed in the South, they had to deal with Jim Crow laws - even in the Army - and had to fight for basic freedoms such as the right to vote in their local polling places. Following the film, Capt. Lynn Lubiak, assistant professor of military science at Appalachian, will lead a question and answer session. She was in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, as well as Operation Joint Endeavor in Yugoslavia. She completed Officer Candidate School (OCS) and was branched Signal Corps. She received a B.S. in political science at Old Dominion University in Virginia and is currently teaching and pursuing an MPA in the political science department. Capt. Melonie Ingram, U.S. Army Nurse Corps of Fayetteville, will also discuss the film. Other upcoming films in the Women’s Studies Spring Film Series include “Girls Like Black History Month Celebrated Us” to be shown on Mar. 1, “Maria’s Story: A Portrait of Love and Survival in El Salvador’s Civil War” on Mar. 8, “The Righteous Babes” to be shown on Mar. 22, and “Wild Swans - Jung Chang” to be shown on Mar. 29. All films are scheduled on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. in I.G. Greer Auditorium. Admission is free and open to the public. Call the Appalachian State University Women’s Studies Office at 262-7603 for additional information. Under
attack in February: eating disorders
A dangerous cultural ideal and a quiet but prevalent disease will be under attack from Feb. 14-18, during Eating Disorders Awareness Week. The Eating Concerns Task Force will sponsor several programs during the week, as well as a display table in the Student Union. Denise Lovin, a staff psychologist and chair of the task force, said those who feel that eating disorders do not affect them underestimate how common such disorders are. She said that one in four college women have an eating disorder, with anorexia and bulimia being the most prevalent. Lovin said which disorder is diagnosed is less important than the effect it has on the person. “A lot of women show signs of both anorexia and bulimia,” she said. “The most significant aspect is obsession, about weight, diet and body image.” Awareness week will feature special programs on Feb. 15-17. On the 15th there will be a Body Fair in the McRae Peaks Room featuring free massages, food samples, diet and exercise tips and several booths. The fair runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Slim Hopes: Advertising and the Age of Thinness, a video about how women are depicted in advertising, will be shown at noon on the 16th in the Calloway Peaks Room. There will be a seminar on the 17th on how to recognize eating disorders and approach a friend who may have one. This seminar will be in the New River Room at 12:30 p.m. Lovin said she hopes the activities will help people “really think about themselves. I want people to become aware of how prevalent eating disorders are and to respond to them in a supportive way, whether to oneself or a friend.” She added that, while eating disorders are a common problem, they are often kept secret. “I would like to make people more open,” she said, so that people with eating disorders do not “suffer in silence.” Also at the Awareness Week activities, women can learn about A Body of Work: Self-Acceptance through Creative Expression, a group project organized by Lovin and Mary Anne Maier, a theatre movement artist. People who sign up for the group will use various forms of creative expression to “enhance personal growth,” and will produce a theatrical performance at the end of the meetings. Anyone interested may contact Lovin before Feb. 15 at 262-3180. Boone,
ASU police hold 2nd annual 'Polar Plunge'
The Second Annual Polar Plunge is set to take place at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 19 at the Appalachian State University Duck Pond. Participating in the plunge will be ASU Chief of Police Gunther Doerr, Boone Chief of Police Bill Post, the Mountain Television Network’s Bob Flanigan and many representatives from local schools, businesses and ASU organizations. The actual event involves a participant jumping into freezing water
and submersing in it. Participants often actually wear summer clothing. After jumping in they get out as fast as they possibly can and then huddle together wrapped in towels. In water a person loses body heat about 30 times faster than in air. But, if the participant gets out immediately no permanent damage will be done. The temperatures are forecast to be a little warmer than usual, so it might not be too bad for the participants. The Polar Plunge is being held as a fundraiser for the local Boone and ASU Police Departments. The cost of each plunge is $30. For more information about the Polar Plunge contact Boone Police Sgt.
Jeff Rucker at 262-4507 or ASU Police Capt. Larry Foster at 262-2150.
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