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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