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Vol. XXXI No. 6 An ATLANTA UNIVERSITY CENTER Institution December 13, 1978 Forensics Team Wins Big Forensics Society Members show trophies won at Eastern New Mexico U.Tournament. Pictured 1.tor.are Jesse Brinson, Sheila Harris, Lydia Pearman and Suleiman Abdul-Azeez. Not pictured are Charli Cottom and Monty Ross. (Photo by Jerome Gwinn) Lewis Continues Fight for Drama Recognition By Michael H. Cottman Panther Reporter Joan Lewis and the Clark College Drama Department are not yet satisfied by the way members of Clark’s Ad ministration are handling Drama Department affairs. Charges have been made against members of the ad ministration for their negligence in assisting the drama department in its attempt to compose its newest production, “What the Wine- Sellers Buy.” Ms. Lewis feels that ad ministrative bumblings have led to the delay of the play and said that this is not the first time she has been faced with these kinds of difficulties. She said she is not pleased with the way the Drama Department has been isolated and that drama members are always considered the lowest on the totem-pole. “I am simply asking people to try to understand the Drama Department and the work that we do,” Ms. Lewis says sympathetically. “We are people, too, and these students have the right to "deal in their chosen professions.” Ms. Lewis stated that on May 17 this year she met with Dean of Students Curtis Gilles pie, asking for the use of Davage Auditorium. She stated the dates she needed to prepare for the upcoming play. Dean Gillespie then asked her to send him a written memo. According to Ms. Lewis, a written memo was submitted directly to the Dean May 24. As of last October, she said she had yet to receive a response. “This situation has happened before,” Ms. Lewis said in a very concerned tone, “and I believe it will happen again.” She also added that she felt that there was not enough emphasis placed on the progression of the! arts. “I am shocked to see you here,” Dean Gillespie said, appearing puzzled, “I really didn’t know that there was a problem.” continued on page 3 By Michael S. Bailey Panther Reporter Clark College’s award-win ning Forensics team launched their first tournament of the year in grand style Nov. 16 by participating in a tournament held at Eastern New Mexico Univ., and bringing home eight trophies. The team competed against other colleges and universities throughout the nation and Texas Southern Univ. was the only other predominantly black institution represented. Seventeen schools participated in the tournament. Six members of Clark’s team competed in the tournament in which each member participated in at least three events and placed in at least two of these events. The members who competed, trophies they won, and their area of performance are as follows: Suleiman Abdul- Azeez, third place, humorous speaking and informative speaking; Shelia Harris, first place, persuasive speaking; Charlie Cottom, second place, Students May By Judith Williams Panther Reporter “Federal officials say they aim to make interest-free loans available to all college students regardless of their families’ wealth, in time for the spring semester,” was the lead paragraph in a recent issue of the Atlanta Constitution. impromptu speaking, and third place, oral interpretation of prose; Jesse Brinson and Lydia Pearman, second place, dramatic duo; and Monty Ross, third place, oral interpretation of poetry. Due to the number of competitors in each event in the tournament (25 or more), each member of the team qualified for national competition to be held in Des Moines, Iowa. After having participated in the New Mexico tournament against 16 new teams, Foren sics Society President Jesse Brinson commented, “I th ink the overall performance of the team was excellent, and that this particular event helped the members of the team develop a greater awareness of their talents. In other words, each person feels that he can participate against any school in the natjon.” As for what the New Mexico tournament does for national recognition, Brinson stated, “The tournament will bring recognition, first of all, to Clark, and it will give the members of the team a chance continued on page 3 Get Loans What effect will this new law have on Clark College students? “Presently, 92 percent of Clark’s students receive some type of financial aid,” says Marian Wilkes, director of financial aid at Clark. “With this new government program, it is es- continued on page 3 Pre-Registration Changes Improve Process By Eileen C. Hocker Panther Reporter Clark College has just com pleted its pre-registration period for the second semester of the 1978-79 school year and the general reacton of students toward it has been favorable. However, this was not the case on Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 13 & 14, when pre-regis tration was supposed to have started. The two day delay in the start of pre-registration left many students upset and frus trated with the college as a whole. Nevertheless, Clark was not to blame for the delay, Wesley C. McClure, dean of faculty instruction, said. “Clark College was not at fault,” Dean McClure said, “we were ready on time, but we had to wait for the other schools, in the Center.” The Dean further explained that Clark could not go ahead with its own pre-registration because that would give students from the other schools in the Center a chance to sign up for Clark classes while Clark students wouldn’t be able to sign up for classes at the other schools. Therefore, through no fault of Clark, pre registration was held up. There were, however, some changes made in the pre-regis tration process on the faculty level at Clark. A leaflet en titled, “A Pre-Registration Mechanism” was distributed to all the departments in the school. In this booklet such topics as the goals of pre-regis tration, steps to be taken by the faculty during pre-registration and other were outlined. One of the goals of pre-regis tration was to make the regis tration process easier for all components of the college: students, faculty, departments, administrative units, etc. Another goal of pre registration was to provide a means for getting useful, com prehensive and accurate in formation for instructional and institutional planning. One of the steps faculty members were supposed to continued on page 3 SGA Sees Active Second Semester By Angela Esannason Panther Reporter The Student Government Association at Clark College looks forward to a bright year with several different programs planned for the second academic term starting in January. Among the programs scheduled for the new year are a special Olympics wherein SGA will be working in con junction with the Mass Com munications Dept, and the NAACP; a financial aid workshop wherein SD A will be working with Marian Wilkes, . financial aid director; a senior career day for high school seniors wherein AGA will work with Clifton Rawles, ad missions director. SGA will have still more guest speakers next semester, including social activist- Dick Gregory. continued on page 3 Simmons Is Honored By Marcia E. Jones News Editor Sidney Simmons, a member of Clark College’s Mass Com munications staff, was one of seven journalists honored at the Atlanta Association for Black Journalists’ (AABJ) Pioneer Luncheon Nov. 15 at the Butler Street YMCA. Simmons was awarded a young black journalist award for his success in the area of cinematography. Other awardees were Faye M. Smith, audiovisual; Harold Lamar, radio production; Chini Billingsley and Maurice Lawrence, print journalism; Hoyt Fuller, the Pioneer Black Journalist Award; and C. A. Scott, special award. The speaker for the luncheon was WRNG Radio sportscaster, Joseph Walker. Walker spoke on the black media’s responsibility as black people to black people. “The only way to succeed is not by black news directors or sportscasters ... the only way things will change is if black people own their own media,” said Walker. continued on page 3