North Carolina Now; North Carolina Now Episode from 12/12/1997

The It's Friday December 12 tonight. Winkie today's top technology without a future business leaders in North Carolina. Good evening everyone and welcome to this Friday edition of North Carolina now. There's no doubt the Tarheel State has a rich history and tonight our program explore some aspects of that history that are not well known. Michel Louis takes us to Scotland county where

one of the nation's last African-American preparatory schools is fighting to preserve its long standing educational legacy. Plus we'll learn about the little known mysteries mind off our coast in the graveyard of the Atlantic. But first the Internet is changing the way we conduct business Internet technology is also having an impact on the way business is being taught. The new Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a prime example as you would say prepares for education in the 21st century. Business students at Chapel Hill are taking advantage of tomorrow's technology today. Mitchell Lewis and producer Ginger long Take a look. Carol Hall on the University of North Carolina campus in Chapel Hill stands empty its former tenant Kenan-Flagler Business School moved out in October to its new digs in the McCall building on the south part of campus. The move was not just one of location but also of technological possibilities. We can set up a custom animation. And what this allows us to do is make something

different happened to each of the different components of the side put in a different sand as well as a different effect for how it comes in and then we can preview how that will work. I know some people like and some people doubt you can control the volume and Windell Gillan the teachers operations management in the Kenan-Flagler Business School with more than one million feet of cable and wire connections. The McCall building is one of the most technologically capable buildings in the entire U NC system designed by Callaway Johnson Moore and west of Winston-Salem. Each of the 18 classrooms is fully wired for audio and video and twenty eight hundred Internet connections are available throughout the building. It's all a touch screen. Each and structure when they get into the classroom rides into the console as well as rocking on to the computer and that gives them access to all the features.

Each class room central console controls everything from the rooms lighting to what will be projected onto the screen behind Guillen a videotape a computer slideshow presentation or notes placed under the document imaging camera. Jack Evans is interim dean and a professor at Kenan-Flagler. He also serves on the building committee. It gives us the opportunity to make a lot more of the learning active learning rather than passive learning. Instead of my walking into the classroom and telling someone what an executive in England said about something I might have the opportunity to engage that person either by bringing in a tape. Why by by having a live tele teleconference or was it was great this other day and one of my classes where the professor just switched over from his normal presentation into a video presentation and just went like with the blink of an eye and if they plug in their laptops they use the Internet to get the right let's say the stock prices from from

the stock exchange you get right in your classroom so it's more up to date the computer connections in the classroom also open new possibilities for the students. They can either tap into the Internet or they can access the internet. The school's internal computer network their students can click on their course access their professors notes and review answers to exams. There's no taking it gives you more time to watch what's going on listen to the professor and I spending all your time trying to get everything down and you've got it sitting there in front of you on your computer screen. The McCall building's design breaks other ground as well. The dining facility was built to be both an eating facility and a study room. Even the design of the classrooms was carefully chosen to enhance interaction. That's semicircular but it's also tiered so that it's literally true that almost every student can see almost every other student. All these technological and design features come at a cost. Forty four million

dollars of this money twenty seven point five million came from many private donors including human called Junior for whom the building is named and 10 million from the William Arkin and Junior Charitable Trust. The other sixteen point five million came from three million in legislative appropriations and a thirteen point five million dollar statewide bond referendum. How would least state senator in the 16th district supported the funding for the new K FBI Building Act that we were convinced that this should be a state of the art operation mainly because we're turning out students who are going back into the business world where there are there are state of the art requirements with regards to how one does business. Michael hooker chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill sees the business school as the wave of the future. But in many respects the design of the Kenan-Flagler Business School building the McCall building. Provides a model for the rest of the campus and clearly all students not just business

students are going to be using computers in their classrooms computers in their in their study time. So what we see here is really nothing unusual for the future. It's just that for Carolina this is the first one of its kind. I'm sure we will have more high tech buildings. I don't see any way around it and I am extremely proud of what this building in me for setting the standards both at our university and for Universe this throughout the Southeast and in some ways throughout the nation. I think the people of North Carolina get a business school that is on the edge of technology and therefore on the edge of what's happening in global markets. That gives us the opportunity to get a much higher value education to the students from North Carolina who come through our program and in a very large fraction of those cases go out to work in North Carolina companies and other organizations. The new dean of the Kenan-Flagler Business School is Robert Sullivan from Texas. He

says the new building played an important role in his decision to come the U.N. see. In a statement to North Carolina now he says. That he expects that these new facilities will make this school and the university leaders in globally distributed high impact scholarships. Sullivan starts his new job January 1st. Night 2 9 8. Well coming up a look back at the history of the Graveyard of the Atlantic. But first let's get caught up on all of today's statewide headlines with Michel Louis. Hi Rich. Hello Shannon. Good evening everyone. Topping our news a three way agreement will cut 90 years of paper mill discharges into the Pigeon River by half. The announcement was made by Vice President Al Gore and includes the two states of North Carolina and Tennessee and Champion International Paper Mill in Canton under the agreement championed will make the 50 percent cut by the year 2001 and face the toughest discharge regulations in industry history. Also pollution monitoring will be conducted near the mill instead of some

30 miles downstream. The fourth US Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a stay of execution for convicted murderer tenant they live near Allen. The 42 year old Allen was scheduled to be executed at 2 a.m. earlier today. The court says Allen should have had more time to appeal his murder conviction. State officials say they don't know when another date will be established. Allen was sentenced to die for the 1985 murder of a highway patrolman. State education officials are asking principals and teachers to help them find an effective way to judge a North Carolina high schools. Officials say the new ABC is a public education poses major problems for tracking high school student performance. They say the variety of classes make it virtually impossible to measure quality at high schools. However teachers in the state's three hundred eight high schools will be rewarded or punished based on test results and graduation rates in June. U and S. officials say they think minority preference scholarships at all 16 public campuses will survive a court challenge. USC

system president Molly Broad says her order for review of affirmative action programs is intended to make sure the schools obey the law while still making progress in attracting minority students and faculty. Brock says the abolition of racial preference programs at California universities has had a chilling effect on the Minority Recruitment they're saying quote There has been a reaction that has gone beyond the strict requirements of the law. And now for a look at tomorrow's Weekend weather look for statewide highs to reach the mid 40s. The cooler mountain regions will top out around freezing. Expect cloudy skies statewide with a good chance of rain in coastal areas. In business news Minnesota Twins President Gerry Bell says he's certain North Carolina can support a major league baseball franchise. Bell says the population is big enough in North Carolina and the broadcast potential is very good. The president also visited Charlotte and the minor league ball park in Fort Mill South Carolina where the team may have to play temporarily. Businessman Don beaver is in the final stages of completing a deal to buy the twins.

And now for a look at what happened on Wall Street today. A new video documentary about North Carolina's graveyard of the Atlantic will be premiering this weekend at the outer banks. The video series documents 400 years of shipwrecks mysteries

and heroic rescues. Here to tell us more about this new video series is the video's producer Kevin Duff. Thank you so much for joining us. When we talk about the graveyard of the Atlantic for people who may not be as familiar with this part of North Carolina's history. What are we talking about. We're essentially talking about the 100 mile stretch of beach in the North Cape Lookout which happens to be one of the most dangerous stretches of coastline anywhere in the world. Cape Horn might be more treacherous but because of the sheer volume of ships going up and down the coast over the centuries the Outer Banks of North Carolina feature the greatest density of shipwrecks of anywhere in the world. Wow. What do you think that it was important to document the history of the Graveyard of the Atlantic the graveyard of the Atlantic. Is this is the history of our nation the maritime history of our nation. And it's a story that is rather significant and it's one that's also fading away over time. We wanted to preserve this

story because there was a time when you could visit the Outer Banks and see the halls of ships and ribs of ships lying on the beach but all that's gone it's been washed away by tides in the sands and storms. Many of the older residents who actually witnessed some of these amazing events on the outer banks have passed on and are not around to be able to tell their stories anymore so we wanted to try to capture that before it was too late. You have actually brought along a clip of the video documentary series let's take a look. At three o'clock in the morning August the 18th 1899 an average unassuming man with a bushy mustache and a gift for sensing and ending doom left the dry comfort of his life saving station for his regular southbound role with his resolute pony syrup and rice Mrs Midget a mother of seven rode into the waiting gale of the deadly hurricane. Soon

discovered buckets barrels and boxes strewn across the flooded beach. There were sounds of canvas flap and timber snapping. Midget heard cries for help he knew it's a premonition of a shipwreck that night was true. The barking teen persona was assured for decades. Lifesavers up and down the coasts of America beautifully followed the same procedures for ship wrecks yet on that night with 10 lives hanging in the balance and his station too far to return for help. Rasmus midget had to forget about regulations. What he did next was both remarkable for a man and typical world Waterman of North Carolina's outer banks moving at the end of the Graveyard of the Atlantic while

interesting stories and this is just one of the stories in this two part series. There are many fascinating stories that we talk about a ghost ship the Charolais daring that was found on Diamond shoals without the crew was missing but the table was set. It looked like people had just been recently on board. There was a story of the ship because eeks that split in half in the middle of the night the crew there was half the crew was on the ballot half the crew was on the star and they thought that they were being rescued but in fact they were signaling each other and were very disappointed when they realize that their rescue was not imminent although they were all vengefully saved. What we're all in these stories do the folks living along the Outer Banks play. It's probably one of the greatest themes throughout the documentary is the compassionate courageous attitude the indiscriminate attitude of the residents of the Outer Banks as we say itself a patchwork quilt of humanity. We're willing to risk their own

lives to save strain total strangers out of the sea. And it's an attitude that is not prevalent in today's society anymore and that's another message that we try to point out it's a remarkable story. Part of the proceeds from the sales of this video will go to help get the graveyard of the Atlantic museum and Hatteras up and running. Where does the museum currently stand. They've been through two phases of groundbreaking they still have the official groundbreaking and the site preparation to take place. They're currently raising funds to continue to build the museum but they are planning to have it completed either by the end of 1998 or early 1999. And if people are interested in helping the museum out by purchasing this video what do they need to do. Well they can contact us Video Marketing Group at 800 6 4 7 3 5 3 6 and they can order the videos the two part videos in time for Christmas.

Oh wow. After doing this story after doing all the research is there one story in particular that sticks out in your mind as being special. We were very touched by the story of Jim Bob Gaskell native of ochre Koch who was a Merchant Marine in World War 2. His ship was torpedoed off of Cape Lookout and he drowned along with 20 of his crew members. However his mate's certificate somehow floated out of the bridge of the ship traveled 60 miles across the ocean and was found by his first cousin on the beach a couple of days later the nameplate from the ship actually washed into a coke and let me end up teachers whole channel and beached itself at the at his birthplace Jim-Bob birthplace. That name plate today has been carved into a cross and is hanging in the Methodist Church. And that's one of just one of our favorite stories but that is certainly an example of what the graveyard of the Atlantic is all about. Lots of interesting stories to tell and thank you so much for coming in and sharing information on this new video

series with us. You're welcome. The graveyard of the Atlantic 400 years of shipwrecks mysteries and heroic rescues will be shown tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 at the North Carolina Aquarium in Manteo. For 93 years the Lawrenceburg Institute has carried out its mission of educating African-Americans and other ethnic groups. But the Scotland county school has fallen on hard financial times and is of need of assistance to keep afloat. Misha Lewis takes us to Lauren burg to find out more about the history and the hardships of one of the

last black owned and operated a private property or boarding schools in the country. If you read that you should be for more. As these students at Lawrenceburg Institute are going through the process of problem solving and chemistry classes the school itself is trying to solve a financial equation to stay open. For most being in a classroom with missing floor tiles and waste baskets lined up to catch water from a leaky roof could be quite distracting. But many of the Lawrenceburg Institute look at the situation with the eye of the tiger. The school's mascot which represents the institute's tenacity for survival. That trait holds true now more than ever before because the Lawrenceburg Institute is the last black owned and operated private preparatory school in the United States. The challenges have been part of the Lawrenceburg

Institute's curriculum since the menu of Monte and tiny McDuffie left Alabama in 1994 at the request of prominent black educator Booker T Washington. He wanted them to start a school for blacks in the Tar Heel State. Frank Bishop McDuffie the grandson of the school's founders who now serves as the institute's president talks about the struggles his grandparents faced. Just to get to North Carolina. Five day journey they walked for a while and rode on the back of a wagon. You know when you put it into context black folks move it around in a Deep South was a very dangerous proposition. But in one thousand all four September the 15th they arrived in law in Bergen off Carolina. There was nothing. They existed not so with the last 75 since they had their pocket. They decided that they would start an open school. Emmanuel McDuffie decided to approach Scotland county's ex Confederate captain Billy

McLaurin for help. McClaren sold the McDuffie is this area of swamp land. According to Bishop McDuffie his grandparents got trees from the swamp land and constructed a building. From there the McDuffie is taught people of color from southeast North Carolina and parts of South Carolina free for 50 years. The first classes that were taught here Lauren bird were classes and believe it or not copper tree brick masonry all the things that we needed to build a campus. There was a campus was built. Then they could go back to teaching reading writing and arithmetic. The things that would make people competitive the Lawrenceburg Institute became a magnet for students. One of the school's most famous alum came from to raw South Carolina Dizzy Gillespie. He came here because he wanted to be on the football team. My aunt had trained herself a Julian School of Music in New York City was well trained 1030 so dizzy was too

small to play football but he was so mean they couldn't get the football Quitman away from him. So they had to let him be on a football team. But she saw in him. So music talent. So a night he didn't want to appear to be soft. So at night time he will slip up the back steps and she taught him theory and harmony. The Lawrenceburg Institute hit a major hurdle in 1954 after the Brown versus the Board of Education case in which the Supreme Court ordered equal opportunity for blacks in public schools. Dr. Frank McDuffie Bishop's father was then president of the Institute. Education officials felt instead of building a new public school for blacks that the senior McDuffie should get control of the institute to the public sector. He refused. So within a six week period inspectors came from Raleigh wherever they came from and decided that the property was condemned. A father mother and rest of my family members and the students got together and made a

decision that they were going try to keep a school going. And that decision evolved itself into the building of a new campus. But it was so simplistic that literally they took the bricks off of the whole campus took the buildings apart handed the bricks to students and rock them across this area here and came and put them down and formed his new campus which is this today. But now the campus is in dire need of repairs estimated at 5 million dollars. There is also the challenge of keeping teachers because the institute can't match salaries with public schools. The school was on the verge of closing right before Christmas of 1996 because it didn't have the money to pay staff but help came through a person who saw an HBO special called rebound. A story about Earl Mann a gold alarm Berg Institute grad who now runs a popular street basketball tournament in Harlem.

I call out I got to meet him and know him I said oh I need some money to close and I need some help. Well Martin made some phone calls and $10000 AP and we were able to close out school for that close of last year and to be in a position to reopen in January and I just simply want to say thanks how Martin's for for the help and for all of the Al Martins that have come to the rescue longer against him despite the obstacles facing Lawrenceburg Institute since 1954 83 percent of its grants have received a college degree. Most of the students there believe regardless of the environment education is the major thrust at the Institute on our side it does the gravity get on M5 people I've got my my son in a good mood today. Well no no. But basically they do they do give you what you were ready to go on to the next grade or you hear future. When I was over the high school I have to admit when they when I was now at the point and make you know I'm doing a lot better in my class

the Lawrenceburg Institute is also preparing students to lead as well as learn the school has a president's council which along with the student body helps find solutions to problems they may face on campus. Not all of the events at the institute or academic athletics also play an important role. Members of the basketball team meet with their coach prior to class. And these students are learning some of the finer points of golf. But when it comes to the serious competition that will determine the Lawrenceburg Institute's financial play mousetrap McDuffie is the consummate optimist. I'm facing some challenges and I need help I need financial help. But the challenges I'm face and nothing that the challenges that these giants who showed as I'm standing alone today face so I think we can overcome our struggles but I think the Lord gives a struggle to give us strength so I look forward to the struggle. McDuffie says the Lawrenceburg Institute can benefit from computer equipment and

volunteers to contact the Warburg Institute or make donations. You can write them at P.O. Box seventeen eighty seven. Lauren Berg North Carolina 2 8 3 5 2. Or you can call 9 1 0 0 2 7 6 0 6 8 for the North Carolina Community Foundation in Raleigh is also accepting donations for the Institute. The number is 9 1 9 8 2 8 4 3 8 7. That's all the time we have for tonight thanks for ending your week with us. Please join us next week when we take a look at a new argument in the old debate over bussing in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System. Plus we'll meet a North Carolina author whose latest novel explores the hidden inheritance of slavery in our society. And as we get closer to the holidays we'll have some advice on how to beat the stress that can accompany all the Marriott. Have a great weekend everyone we'll see you again Monday.