1992_05 The Daily Collegian May 1992

              w
UHUR
v
i
U MO J A
Positive Change Is In The Future For Rigsby
to-a<
^Mori
By
Julia Dudley
One can only do so much with two
hands, but Dr. Rick Rigsby has been
the "octopus man" within a two year
span at Fresno State University.
"My heart b devoted to helping the
inner city and my heart orrcampus is
to all students, particularly," explained
Rigsby, "they all need someone to
encourage them that they have more
potential than they realize."
Sure enough, Rigsby has been
lending his heart out to transplant new
up-beats. He is not only an assistant
professor in the Department of Speech
Communication but he has also been
d visor to African Peoples History
Month, involved in a faculty mentor
program, and worked with AEO (Aca¬
demic Excellence Organization for
African American Athletes).
Rigsby especially pointed out the
importance of the AEO: "It gives
African-Americans athletes a chance to
challenge the plantation mentality by
taking writing, and speaking skill
lessons, with the emphasis on writing."
Rigsby's enthusiasmis enhanced by   *
his rich experiences and dynamic back¬
ground. A1978 graduate at California
State University, Chico, Rigsby
completed his BA. and M.A. degrees.
He was a TV news reporter with a CBS
affiliate in California and a TV sports
reporter for several years. With family
being his number one priority, he
returned to northern California in the
mid eighties and taught at Chico State
for a while. At the University of
Oregon, he finally received his Ph. D.
in 1990.
At one point Rigsby hit a fork in the
road between twe cities.
"1 had no desire to live in the Bay
Area and LA was too far. I like Fresno
as a community. Ifs an easy place to
live."
•    Being all that you can be is more
than a military slogan to Rigsby.
"I want to be the best teacher I can
be. I'm trying to be a credible scholar
and legitimate accomplishes to
African-Americans.
Issues about civil rights have been
largely overlooked theoretically. It
tells us about the African communities
and cultures."
With a master's eye, Rigsby b able
to detect the learning d isabilities due to
the present edwea tion system.
"Effective development judges our
important cognition; not all people
learn in the same ways. We have the
linear-logical person.
If the person is too linear, there b
more emphasis on'Euroccntrism' not
ethnocentrism. We must consider
other cultures or else we are creating a
situation of increasing disparity of who
gets to go to school."
Although Rigsby detects some faults
ir» the present system, he also dues us
in on the necessity of retention.
"University acknowledged recruit¬
ment is only part of the picture.
Retention is vital; retention of Black
students and Black faculty. 1 am
hoping the administration works on
retaining the African-American popu¬
lation."
Climbing up a broken ladder is
witnessing a foil before it happens.
Rigsby describes the ultimate down fal
in the African-American community.
"1 amamazed at the racism around
the community. The gang violence
troubles me. We are wiping out
generally all of the young Black men
who are the future of our entire socict
HowVdo we (put up with) death after
death?"
Rigsby encourages African-Ameri¬
cans to remember their roots.
"I encourage African-Americans nc
to forget where they came from; be
modeb with positive behaviors. Shov
kids that there b more to life than
crack, jail and drugs."
Lastly, Rigsby stresses the sincerity
of African-American teachers at Frcsn
State. They arc not out to hurt anyone
they want to help African-American
students through school.
"African-American students shouk
establish relationships with their pro¬
fessors. They are wonderful and they
want to help them."
Walton: Years Of Experience To English Department
)
By
Julia Dudley
" I try to stay with my students,"
said English Professor James E
Walton, "I don't try to get ahead of
them." \
With a keen perception of how to
teach students effectively, through
years of teaching, Dr. Walton is knee
deep in a pool of experience. It was
the big wave of offers and opportuni¬
ties that eventua% floated Dr. Walton
to the shores of Fresno State.
"I taught at Mount Union College, a
private colleger for twenty years," said
Walton. "In 19881 taught in Japan. 1
visited Fresno and I felt it was a good
mix of students. But Fresno has a lot
of challenges."
Dr. Walton also taught at Canton
McKinley High School in Canton,Ohio
for three years.
Although a native of Alabama, Dr.
Walton completed his BS. degree at
Kent State in 1967, his M.A. and Ph.D.
degrees at the University of Akron,
and his Post-Doctoral at Princeton
University, in:1987.
Honors and awards have showered^
Dr. Walton throughout his educational
career. When he was invited to teach
in Osaka, Japan in 1988 at a women's
college, (Baika) he received a STAR
Grant to support research in Kyoto,
Japan in 1989. He has received the
"Great Teacher Award" at Mount
Union College, Also he has been
accorded recognition by the prestig¬
ious "Who's Who in Black America."
With a strong rooted foundation,
Dr. Walton was free to branch out into
just about anything.
"1 was a guest columnist at the
Fresno Bee. I've had the chance to
work with African-American scholars
and I have a couple of projects I plan to
publish"
Calm and serene in nature on the
outside. Dr. Walton controls the Grand
Central Station on the inside without
breaking down.
"I am working on a novel and I do
plan to do "African-American research
on language," explained Dr. Walton.
"I also have interest in Japanese
literature. I'd like to be able to work
directly with Ethnic Studies, but they
arc having budgeting problems."
Even in his own department,
Walton feels uneasy, and it's more
than a semantical or phonctical
problem.
"One thing frustrates me here;
African-Americans students, they arc
not taking many classes in the English
department—this b a big concern of
mine."
Considered a national threat,
English has frightened many African-
American students.
"Nationally African-Americans tend
not to (excel as well as) whites in
English."
Dr. Walton would like to decrease
this deadly trend before ifs too late.
"In the five out of the twenty years 1
was at Mount Un ion College only five
Blacks graduated as English majors.
Fresno b in step with this national
trend. 1 do wish I could somehow get
more (Blacks) involved in my classes.
With hope as the rescue, Dr Walton
offers another alternative.
"I do teach an African-American
Narrative class that introduces
students to fiction, non-fiction, drama
and poetry by a representation of
American Mack writers."
One observation has Dr. Walton
puzzled.
"There is an overload in Dr. Simba's
Malcolm X course, but most of the
students are not African-American."
Too many divisions can corrupt a
system, according to Dr. Walton;
"Racism b a devalued word. Tribal¬
ism is what people tend to associate
themselves with to support their own
tribes. People are tied into tribes; it
defines persons or people among
'people." 7
No taxation without representation
describes Dr. Walton's feelings about
the state educational system.
There are 844 full time professors
>and only 25 are African-Americans.
Tax payers can get money and run a
state school tike a private boys club.
Taxpayers demand some representa¬
tion and consideration should be
given to those who arc affected by it"
Order in the courts towards the
Black community is a necessity to Dr.
Walton.
"Stop being victims of others'
actions. We have to have control of
our destiny and become the decision
makers. We can't always react to
insanity. Attain power and operate
from a power position and set an
agenda." '
Dr. Walton gives his word to be wise
to African-Americans: "We as African^
Americans ought to find ways of *x
keeping alive our sense of self, keep
our sense of pride; and not let Our self-
esteem drop due to our views based on
tribalbm." %
Congratulations Lisa White !!
Uhuru Na Umoja Editor For Fall 1992J
i -iirvYW-.
 •---> »--
w
ife'iiiifi
^r