Friday, May 6, 1983/The Battglion/Page 5
lack woman the first
to receive MBA here
Student wins pageant
by Susan Poole
Battalion Reporter
| Melva Robinson Pratt, who
Iwill receive her master of busi
ness administration degree
Saturday, will be the first black
woman to graduate from Texas
■&M with a MBA since the Uni
versity admitted women in 1963.
I “It feels good to be finished,”
Bie says. “It has been a long hard
struggle. I’m proud to be the
first one but it is rather sad that it
took 20 years for one black
womam to graduate with an
» MBA.”
Pratt is originally from Tus-
kegee, Ala., where she received
i.bachelor of science degree in
5 (t 1 Social work from the Tuskegee
Institute in 1976. Her husband
“ Edwin is a physician at the
Owens-Franklin Health Center
at Prarie View A&M.
Pratt is not only a wife and
student, but also a mother of two
iris—Khalilah, 5, and Cheri, 9.
■ Support from her family is
what she says has helped her the
ost.
“My husband has been very
lupportive of me,” Pratt says.
He helps take care of the chil-
di en and understands when I’m
uder pressure — especially
ound exam time.”
Pratt says her parents also
were supportive of her.
“Traditionally the black fami
ly has been close knit and sup
portive,” she said. “My parents
were always motivating my three
sisters and me to achieve our
best. We help each other to
attain our goals.”
Pratt hasn’t had any major
problems being the only black
woman in the MBA program
but she said she personally has
felt more pressure. Her biggest
f )roblem was trying to budget
ler time between her family and
studying.
“When women are going to
school they need someone to so
cialize with,” Pratt said. “It is
hard to get through a graduate
program and you need your so
cial support systems.”
Black women interested in re
ceiving a graduate degree must
be committed, Pratt said. Her
advice to mothers is to pick the
right time to go back to school to
avoid the extra strain it can put
on the family.
“More black women should
consider going back to school,”
she said. “It is harder with chil
dren but it is something that can
be done.”
Pratt plains to move to Chica
go in June. While her husband
finishes his residency, she plans
Michele Pierre, secretary of
the Texas A&M Black Aware
ness Committee, won first place
in the senior division of the first
Miss Ebonness Pageant April 30
in Brenham.
The regional contest was di
vided into two groups, the
junior division for ages 13 to 16
and the senior division for ages
16 to 22.
Twenty-two contestants from
Melba Robinson
to look for a job in a manage
ment development program.
“I’m more people oriented,
and since I do have a degree in
social work I would like to work
in management development
and training,” she said. “They
rotate you through different
jobs so you can pin-point what
you want to do.”
When her husband finishes
his psychiatric residency prog
ram she plans to help him estab
lish his private psychiatric prac
tice and possibly start a business
of her own.
arfa rodeo to close
to watch Marfa run
insL
met f United Press International
|i JMARFA — When the “Call to
the Post” is trumpeted at Chur-
(1 pill Downs and horses start
Jiving into the gates for the
Kentucky Derby this Saturday,
the centennial rodeo in Marfa,
Texas is going to come to a halt.
Around this West Texas city’s
eo arena have been placed
10 rented television sets, all of
ich will be tuned in to the 2-
nute race in Louisville.
The folks in Marfa aren’t
ally that keen on horse racing,
ley are just big on this particu-
I race.
The betting line out of Las
gas shows a 7-2 preference
a big gray colt named “Mar-
;a' and, in the city the horse is
med for, the gap is a whole lot
ider.
“We’ve been told we’re the lea
pg contender,” Chamber of
Commerce manager Jerry Dick-
: son said. “We feel pretty hon
ored by the whole thing.”
Marfa, the horse, is owned by
L.B. French Jr. — a wealthy
horse breeder with two ranches
outside Marfa, the city.
The city, a town of about
1,000 residents 175 miles south
east of El Paso, is having its cen
tennial celebration this
weekend. That the Derby is
being held at the same time is a
coincidence but one that local
residents are fully prepared to
take advantage of.
“During the time (TV) race
coverage begins we’ll be having
our ranch rodeo,” Dickson said.
“We have 10 TVs rented and
we’re placing them all around
the arena so people can watch
the race.”
Because Marfans are behind
Marfa all the way, the ABC tele
vision network has decided to
put cameras on location at the
Marfa rodeo. Periodically dur
ing Derby day coverage, Dick
son said the network would be
cutting away to the town for live
spots with local people.
Between 3,000 and 4,000
people are expected to attend
the celebration that starts Friday
in Marfa.
But while Marfa is enthusias
tic about Marfa, most residents
are keeping it in perspective. Af
ter all, it’s not the most famous
thing to ever happen to the
town.
The Rock Hudson, Elizabeth
Taylor epic movie “Giant” was
filmed on location in Marfa.
And periodically scientists are
called upon to disclaim UFO
stories about the “Marfa lights”
that mysteriously appear over
the nearby Davis Mountains.
And, of course, it’s not even
the first time a horse named
Marfa has achieved fame.
“My father had a horse
named Marfa that he sold in
1935 to a man named Dwight
Murphy in Santa Barbara,
Calif.,” said Helen Mitchell.
“That horse was in the Rose
Bowl parade once.”
A Reminder....
The Texas A&M Bookstore Will
Be Closing For Our Annual
Physical Inventory.
Our Inventory Schedule:
| May 18-21 1983 The Bookstore Will
Be Closed For In
ventory.
| May 19 1983 The Sweet Shop Will
Reopen.
^ Anytime In Case of Emergency Pur
chases During This Time
Please Call 845-8681 .
Mark Your
Brenham, Giddings, Sommer-
ville and College Station partici
pated in the pageant. Both a
junior and a senior queen were
named.
The competition was based
on personality — 50 percent,
beauty — 20 percent, poise — 20
percent and talent — 10 per
cent.
Pierre, a junior modern lan
guages major, said she is glad
she won senior queen because it
will help her establish herself in
modeling.
“Winning the pageant will
enable me to make contacts with
agents in the modeling field
since I’m scheduled to make
guest appearances,” she said.
Other prizes Pierre received
included a scholarship, a
diamond ring, a trophy and a
crown.
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