Newspaper Page Text
April 29, 1991
Clark Atlanta University Panther
Page 7
How do you feel about
Congressman John Lewis
speaking at C AU's May 91'
Commencement Ceremony?
Tammi Gwinn, 22
Senior Marketing major
"We have enough illustrious
alumni who are qualified to
inspire us that we shouldn't have
to reach outside the CAU realm.
If we do reach outside the CAU
family, it should be to choose
someone who is a good role
model; someone to emulate. I
would have chosen someone like
Marva Collins, Joshua Smith or
even Oprah Winfrey. John Lewis
was chosen because of politics.
We need to keep political
inclinations out of the school
environment."
Mark Tyler, 24
Senior Religion Major
"I've been trying to be less
critical of those so-called former
Civil Rights leaders. I think
Congressman Lewis has
contributed a lot to the Black
struggle, but not in ways I would
have liked. He has done some
things that are positive to Black
people. My first choice for a
speaker would have been
Reverend George Stallings. He is
a trend-setter. He is moving in
the direction that I think
Africans ought to be moving;
independent in thought, word and
deed."
Thoughts
51%
This is the percentage of Panther
readers surveyed who think the
1990-91 SGA did a competent job
while in office.
Hard Workers
Continued from Page 6
during the fall.
He says that he has worked for
so long that is has become habit.
When he was in school there was
no such thing as eight hours of
sleep. He went to class in the
morning from 8 a.m to 2 p.m.
and from there to his job at
Upton's Department Store and
worked from
3 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Petty estimated that he would
finish his homework between 12
midnight and 1 a.m.
"I can't really think about
going out until I know
everything that needs to be done
is done," says Petty. "It is
important to be disciplined and
be a good manager of your time,
especially if you have more than
one job."
Arsan Saulnier is a public
relations major from New
Brunswick, N.J. She is a self-
supported, independent student
who works at Eckard's, Arthur
Anderson and Company
accounting firm and as a tutor at
the Student Support Center.
"Working makes you
appreciate going to school
more," says
Ms. Saulnier. "Students who do
not work can go to class, go
home and study, but working is
added pressure."
She feels that education should
be first priority and that people
should not work if they do not
have to.
"Having a job gives you a
sense of responsibility and
prepares you for the work force,
but sometimes it can be
depressing," says
Miss Saulnier. "I know that I am
not the only one doing this and
that is my inspiration to keep
going."
The Naked Truth
By William H. Blackburn
Staff Writer
Walk through James P. Brawley Drive on
a day when the temperature is reeking with humidity
and visions of a sneak preview of the Ebony
Fashion Fair will immediately dance in your head.
The sight of Perry Ellis, Liz Claiborne,
Tommy Hilifinger and Bloomingdales name tags are
as equally visual as books of accounting,
marketing, and Spanish. Yet, the characters in these
pictures are not models, but Clark Atlanta
University students.
From freshmen to seniors to graduate
students, the campus is the ideal place to debut your
hottest and newest outfit. "Everybody is trying to
look good to attract some attention," said Marcus
Keith, a CAU junior. "The first thing people look at
is what you have on."
While sheer outfits, silk shirts and rayon
suits draw an endless amount of compliments, it's
the array of strapless bras, miniskirts, shorts and
open shirts that receive the ooh's and aah's. The
revealing look has taken centerstage around
campus, and it has produced a number of co-stars.
"The hottest items among the females
seems to be the suggestive clothes," said Rodney
Carter, a CAU senior. 'They are wearing the
clothing that shows off a lot of body parts."
Borrowing from the closets of Madonna and
Pebbles, the females students have made stimulating
attires the vogue of the moment. As the
temperatures rise, seductive miniskirts, alluring
bras that showcase parts of the breast and a
assortment of erotic shorts replace the traditional
springtime sights of birds, bees and ice cream
treats.
"When it gets as humid as it does here in
Atlanta, I feel more comfortable not wearing a lot of
clothes," said Mona Evans. "I don't wear my outfits
just to get guys, I do it because it gets so hot here
that clothes seem to melt on you." Evans, a
sophomore from Pittsburgh, added that most of her
friends are into the suggestive look also. "We're not
trying to look fast or anything, we're just out to
look good and feel comfortable at the same time."
While the female students flaunt their sex
appeal, their male counterparts exhibit a portion of
that same suggestive look using a masculine
approach. The miniskirts and bras are replaced by
unbuttoned shirts and close-fitting shorts.
"Guys seem to be trying to compete with
the girls," said Tasha Pointe. "They try to show off
their chest by having their shins open or by
wearing a jacket without a shirt."
Unlike the female students, some of the
male students confess that their style of dress is
designed to draw attention from the opposite sex.
"When I get up and dress in the mornings, I try to
pick out something that is going to draw the
attention of females," said Anthony Witis, a CAU
junior. "I usually decide on something that will
show off my body and look nice at the same time."
However, while the suggestive look
around campus is generally accepted, it raises the
question of professionalism. One of the stereotypes
that has plagued African Americans for years is the
appearance factor.
AFRICAN AMERICANS VIEW DRESS
CODE AT WHITE COLLEGES
While the fashions at CAU range from
suggestive to sharp to expensive, African American
students at White colleges have but one style-
conservative.
The names of Guess, Gap, Nike and
Addidas are the choices for popular hang-out
outfits. Aside from a pair or two of khaki pants for
the males and a skirt or a dress for the females, their
is no evidence of the students being fashion
conscious.
"I could care less about what I wear to
class," said Maurice Wooten, a junior at Georgia
Tech. "The black students here are not worried about
fashions, the only thing in fashion at Tech is going
to class." The St. Louis native added that there are
two types of African American students at White
colleges-athletes and serious students.
"Nobody that I hang around with is concerned about
wearing high priced clothes and the athletes could
really care less."
Athletes are traditionally known as
carefree dressers who prefer jogging suits and Nikes
over Willie Wear and patent leather shoes. However,
this casual style of dress has also rubbed off on the
non-athletic portion of the student body.
"I like to wear a pair of jeans and a T-shirt
to class." said Latriece Meyers. "The students here at
Emory (University) don't care about what you have
on." Miss Meyers, a sophomore accounting major,
said that her closet consist of jeans, T-shirts, two
skirts and a dress. In addition, Miss Meyers added
that most of the African American students at Emory
dress casual and comfortable. "At White colleges
jeans and a shirt are about as fancy as it gets around
here. The students are into calculus and marketing
not Liz Claiborne and Esprit."
The students at the White colleges believe
that the competitive fashion atmosphere that is
evident at African American colleges is not
conducive to success. "I don't have to wear a $200
outfit to class to pass my biology test," said
Antwon Mathis, a senior at Georgia Tech. "Students
at the Black schools are more concerned about
styles and slangs." The students also agree that their
first priority is class, while the students at CAU
believe that looking fashionable is their top
priority. "I'm here to go to school and not hang out
and try to look like a model," said Mathis. "I don’t
need Perry Ellis to be down with the boys."
One in the same race but different in the
trend department, African American students at
White colleges will continue to stroll to the
bookstore instead of Macy's and Saks Fifth Avenue,
while the fashion show on James P. Brawley Drive
will proceed under sunny skies to the tune of "If My
Friends Could See Me Now".
CAU Students flaunt summer fashions.