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THE PANTHER
December 18, 1979
Letters
to the Editors:
Probate “Madness”
Dear Editor,
We must say that it fills our
soul with anger and our heart
with disgust to see Tlie Pan
ther stoop so low as to make
personal attacks on members
of the college community.
This letter is in regard to the
Dec. 3 issue of The Panther
The picture of the gong that
was used to announce the
probates of Omega Psi Phi
Fraternity, Inc., was replaced
with a picture showing the rear
end of an Omega man who had
the misfortune of splitting his
costume. This has caused him
much embarrassment and has
further disgraced our
fraternity.
It is hard enough for us to
shed the false stereotypical
images cast upon us without
the unjustified attacks from a
paper with a following as large
as yours. As an organization
we have sponsored many
social action programs to
benefit the college and com
munity as a whole.
It is for this reason that we
cannot understand why we
were singled out to be
harrassed and ridiculed.
However your staff may
have perceived our show, it
was basically designed for the
enjoyment of the probates and
the sheer entertainment of the
audience.
We feel that it was wrong
and unprofessional of your
paper to single out and em
barrass this young man, and
our fraternity.
It is with all the sincerity
that we can muster, that we
ask you publish this letter and
demand that you make a
public apology.
Your paper is a very im
portant part of this campus
community, please let
professionalism be your guide
and not personal vindettas.
Sincerely yours,
Beta Psi Chapter
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
TO BETA PSI CHAPTER
OMEGA PSI PHI
FRATERNITY:
The Panther staff received
your letter which expressed
your displeasure with the Dec.
3rd issue concerning one
particular photograph in the
Greek show layout, taken by
myself, Mr. Tyraun Patterson.
The job of a reporting
photographer is to cover an as
signment in its entirety. With
this in mind, we must be as ob
jective as photojoumalists
should be. There were other
highlights of the Omega show
that were publicized equally as
well. To those who were in
attendance at the Greek show,
the picture that you speak of in
the collage will be remembered
as only one part of those
highlights. Those who were
not present were likely to have
viewed the center of the gong
as being the “center of a gong.”
However, at this point, their
attention will probably be
recalled to the Dec. 3rd issue
only to find out why there has
been such a commotion over a
matter of seemingly meager
importance.
In regards to your letter, this
is the apology that you re
quested. However, I feel the
need to clarify that this is not
an apology for my layout, but
rather an apology for my mis
take in judgement that your
membership in its entirety
would not agree with myself
and one of your own brothers
that the picture was merely
comical, rather than a subject
of personal vindetta.
Sincerely,
Tyraun Patterson
Panther Photo Editor
Dear Beta Psi Chapter
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity,
Inc.
As you know, “The Panther”
is here to serve the college com
munity and not make personal
attacks on anyone. For you to
take the attitude that you have
taken on this matter could very
well mean that you did not
take the time to think about
what you have written. You
say you are disgusted and
charge us with “stooping so
low.” To some people, exhibit
ing one’s uncovered body could
be degrading and em
barrassing. But you feel this
was an attribute of your
probates. If this is so em
barrassing to the young man,
we apologize. But if you were
really concerned about his
feelings, you would have either
stopped your probate show or
pulled him out of the range of
criticism. But instead you
choose to acuse us of
negligence of his feelings.
Your probate was a victim of
circumstance and put himself
in the eye of the public thus
opening himself for public
ridicule. We are here to serve
the public. As your show was,
as you say, "designed for the
enjoyment of the probates and
the sheer entertainment of the
audience,” so is “The Pan
ther.” We print what we see.
You have charged us falsely,
for we meant no such em
barrassment. But since we are
here to serve you and the com
munity, we consent to your re
quest for an apology. But can
you also say that you apologize
for having the wrong im
pression? Did you ever try to
think of the positive points of
“The Panther. ”If you recall, in
a previous issue, we
commended the Men of Omega
for its Rape Prevention
Seminar. No letter came from
your organization saying that
you appreciated our efforts.
But the minute something
negative comes up, you readily
ridicule. So to you, again we
apologize for the em
barrassment. It was only a pic
ture. All of the people who did
not attend the probate show
probably never would have
known who the young man
was and what organizations
he belonged to.
The Editorial Board
Dear Editor
The Ladies of Delta Sigma
Theta Sorority, Inc., Sigma
Chapter, would like to
commend you on the beautiful
collage of the 1979 Probate
Madness Greek Show printed
in the last issue of the Panther
Although the collage exem
plified a few minor dis-
crepencies, its overall
appearance was very well
developed.
Again thanks for printing
pictures of the 1979 Probates.
We hope you will continue to
include Greeks in further is
sues of the Panther.
Sincerely,
The Ladies of Delta Sigma
Theta Sorority, Inc., Sigma
Chapter
Nosey Instructor
Dear Editors,
I would like to bring to your
attention something that has
bothered me for a long time. I
am enrolled in a class where
the instructor chooses to focus
on campus gossip rather than
what his purpose is here for.
Recently he has been so
engrossed in the greek scene
that it is sickening. He also re
quires us to attend house
parties that he gives for the
classes. Not to say anything
about his frequent, almost
every night visits to the courts,
a student dormitory.
It seems as though he had a
student barred from admission
to the courts a while back. I feel
that it is not his place to have
anyone barred from any place
but his premises and his
classes. If anything, he should
fraternize with his own peers
and leave the young
generation alone.
I would like for you to ad
dress an editorial to this
matter. Why does Clark allow
instructors to carry on in such
a matter. I hope that the
instructor reads this letter, for
it is obvious that he minds
everyone’s business but his
own.
Disturbed
AUC Fashion Troupe
Dear Editors:
I would like to bring your
attention to an omission in the
article “AUC Troupe Displays
Fall/Winter Fashions” in the
last edition of THE PAN
THER. NINA LYON,
WANDA DUNCAN, and
TERESA WEST are also
members of the AUC Fashion
Troupe. They’re excellent
models and deserve
recognition.
I would appreciate your prin
ting this letter and/or a correc
tion in the next edition of THE
PANTHER so your readers
will be aware of their con
tributions to the show.
P. B. Anderson
Dear Ms. Anderson:
Thank you for writing us to
let us know of our mistakes. As
you know, some information is
left out due to unavailable
sources. We apologize to you,
Ms. Lyon, Ms. Duncan and Ms.
West for our negligence. We are
here to serve you the best way
we can. Please continue to read
the “Panther.”
The Editorial Board
Credits Incorrect
Dear Editor:
I am writing regarding the
article written by Ms.
Bernadette Willard on the
construction of the lighting
system on Fair Street that
appeared in the December 3rd
edition of The Clark College
Panther,
The spirit of the article was
good but there were some inac
curacies and misquotes that I
would like to clear up.
Neighborhood Planning
Unit “T” was credited with
this effort. That is not correct.
This is the result of the efforts
of the administration of Clark
College, The Men of Clark
College, and some individuals
of which you printed a partial
listing. A few of the names
omitted were: Dr. James P.
Brawley, president Emeritus;
Dr. William Stanley, president
ofthe Men of Clark; Dr. Carson
Lee, Mr. Ralph Long, Dean
C.D. Gillespie, Mr. Carter
Coleman, and others.
I was quoted, “The Fair
Street lighting was one of the
many but very important pro
jects attained by NPU.” The
statement was made in the
context of a variety of concerns
and projects of NPU “T”
throughout the area which is
composed of seven
neighborhoods: Ashview
Heights, Atlanta University
Center, Harris-Chiles Homes,
University-John Hope Homes,
Just Us Neighbors, West End
and Westview. Fair Street
from Northside Drive to Ashby
Street comprise a small
segment of Unit “T”.
The statement was not
intended to suggest that Unit
“T” did more than list “Fair
Street Bottom” as a concern
for revitalization and
transmitted this to the City of
Atlanta Planning Bureau for
consideration. Lighting is one
aspect of that revitalization.
My role has been in
volvement as business
manager and service as a
member of the ‘Task Force”
appointed to look at “Fair
Street Bottom” to see what
could be done to improve itin a
variety of ways. When my role
at Clark College was changed
to Special Assistant to the
President, I began to work
with NPU “T” and assisted the
president in applying pressure
on the city of Atlanta to speed
up the timelines for getting the
lighting phase of “Fair Street
Bottom” revitalization ac
complished. This entire project
has been the collective efforts
of many people.
It was stated that the
purpose of Neighborhood
Planning Units is to develop
under-developed areas in
Metro Atlanta. This is not
correct. It should also be noted
that Mr. Ware’s first name is
Carl.
I think Ms. Willard set out to
write about “Fair Street Bot
tom” in general, and ended up
discussing the lighting
thereby getting some facts con
fused with others.
My attempt is to set some of
the facts straight and not
intended to be critical of Ms.
Willard’s efforts.
Sincerely yours,
William W. Morrell
Special Assistant to
President
College
“Heads” Asleep
December 12, 1979
Having been a student of
Clark for the past three years, I
have been dismayed at the
poor attitude of our ad
ministrators. It seems that
they would one day wake up
and conduct themselves with
some sort of responsibility. As
with many of my fellow
students the announcement of
a new president gave me and
other students hope of some
effective change, but to my dis
may there have only been
minor changes. However, the
same poor attitudes, and the
general treatment of students
as children continue. So wake
up administrators at Clark
and every other institution
that continues on this track.
The contented studentoftoday
will only last for so long and
someday in the not so distant
future you may wake up to the
mob of discontented students
you faced only a decade ago.
Roger Tyson