Newspaper Page Text
Vol. XXXI No. 2
An ATLANTA UNIVERSITY CENTER Institution
OCTOBER 12, 979
Blake Holds Forum
BY GINNIE S. HORN
Panther Reporter
“I am interested in getting
some feel for the issues that are
on student’s minds,” said Dr.
Elias Blake, Jr., President of
Clark College, while con
ducting an open forum, with
the student body Sept. 26.
The forum, the first in a
series to be held monthly, will
enable students to voice their
concerns and opinions on
various topics to the president.
Before opening the floor to
questions, Blake briefly dis
cussed some of the changes
that have taken place recently
on (’lark’s campus. He pointed
out new summer activities
have been implemented, in
cluding programs for talented
students in the sciences.
Blake then introduced the
Acting Dean of Faculty and
Instruction, Dr. Winfred
Harris head of the Biology
Department.
The concern for Clark’s
unexpectedly high enrollment,
was one of the questions posed
regarding the housing
shortage the school now faces.
“It is not Clark’s intention to
have overcrowded housing on
a permanent basis,” said
Clark’s top administrator. The
administration is working
hard on ways to alleviate this
problem. One solution will be
to level off enrollment and only
allow a maximum of 650
freshmen to enroll.”
Clark now has an
enrollment of more than 2,000
students — over half of which
live off campus. But for the 900
plus residing on-campus, the
housing problem is of grave
concern.
The limited parking space in
the Atlanta University Center
was another issue addressed at
the forum. Blake said that
multiplying the available
parking space is the best
solution to this problem. He
proposes building parking
decks to achieve this goal.
Blake added the utilization
of parking fees would provide
additional resources to finance
such a project “By next year,”
he said, “some kind of parking
fee will probably be im
plemented. We are working
against oureslves by not doing
this.”
Although there was a very
poor student turnout, those
who attended presented
challenging questions.
Clark’s possibilities for
future expansion, Blake said
should be optimum for the kind
of educational programs and
the kind of student/teacher
relationships we’d like to have
here. Presently, Blake doesn’t
see Clark expanding greatly in
the future.
It is noteworthy to add that
among 2,000 students enrolled
at Clark, less than 40 attended
the first forum.
The forums are being
coordinated by the Student
Government Association
which will announce the dates
and times of future forums.
Dr. Blake
INSIDE . . .
Miss Clark and Court, j)<r. 6
The “Finest” Conies To Clark, />#. 4
Morris Brown/ Morehouse Clash, pg. 9
First Black Councilman
Team Portfolio, pg. 10-11
Clark Grad Makes History
Michael H
BY MICHAEL H. COTTMAN
Panther News Editor
The city of College Park
which recently elected the first
black ever to hold a council
seat, made history twice by
electing the youngest coun
cilman ever.
Michael Hightower, who
was elected to his Ward 2 post
Sept. 29, has obtained ac
complishments that are two
fold.
With a 350-103 victory over
his opponent Thomas B.
Harris, Hightower is not only
the first black to capture this
particular facet of the political
arena, but at 22 years of age,
Hightower is also the youngest
councilman to be elected in the
history of the city.
Hightower, a 1979 graduate
of Clark College, and presently
an administrative coordinator
for the CETA program, said
last week winning the election
means “fully representing the
people in my ward.”
Hightower, who said he can
not take full credit for his
recent achievement, said he at
tributes his victory primarily
“to the residents of the ward,
and the people who laid the
ground before me.”
That statement was made in
reference to residents of the
ward who have tried to elect a
black councilman prior to
Hightower’s victory.
The first-term councilman
has vowed to address key is
sues he feels significant as it
deals with the future progres
sion of College Park.
Among these issues,
Hightower said, will be to
enhance College Park’s
recreational facilities.
Hightower said he has
received numerous complaints
pertaining to this situation,
and said this will be a major
goal he will strive to reach.
Hightower said he is also
interested in the problems
residents are having with the
city’s housing authority.
“Citizens have been com
plaining about high utility
bills,” Hightower said. “I want
to reduce these complaints,
while also establishing some
type of communication
between the residents and the
housing authority.”
Hightower added he will
also look into the possibilities
of planning the first stage of a
MARTA rail line which he
feels should be active in the
College Park area.
‘ ‘We need to give priori ty to a
station in College Park,”
Hightower said. “There are a
large number of citizens who
use MARTA as a way of public
transportation, and I feel the
citizens of College Park could
benefit from this.”
Continued on p.3