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Staff Writer Returns From Africa - Brings Touching Story Adam L. Smith A Staff Writer of The Maroon Tiger, a Red CrossVolunteerand Junior Class President, Adam L. Smith returned from an African tour sponsored by the Red Cross and said that the effects of the drought and resulting starvation was far worse than he had ever imagined. “The sand has completely taken over the land, and people just don’t have anywhere to go,” said Smith, the youngest member of the fact-finding team, at a press briefing held upon his return to Atlanta. “I have never in my life been so close to death until I went to Mauritania,” said Smith, a mature 20-year-old. "There was nothing more dramatic than to see the extended bellies and walking skeletons.” Mauritania is one of 27 drought-stricken African coun tries which the team of American business and civic leaders, Red Cross staff and volunteers — including actor Charlton Heston — visited during the 8-day mis sion. The mission was to assess the extent of drought in Mali, Senegal, Mauritania and Ethiopia, the country hit hardest by the African drought, and to make Americans more aware of the famine sweeping the conti nent. Smith talked of the need for American help in relieving the famine. The famine, Smith said, is killing five to 10 people a day in Mauritania and 30 to 50 people a day in Ethiopia. Most of the victims are children, he said. Smith, a Red Cross youth volunteer for seven years and a finalist for Community Service in the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists’ eighth Pioneer Award Competition said he hopes to mobilize youth in the fund-raising effort. "I believe we can make a difference,” he said. Smith is a pre-medicine and psychology major with an in terest in international medicine. Two years ago, he spent the summer working with a medical team in a rural Ivory Coast Village under Operation Crossroad Africa. He is the son of M. Larkin and the late Maggie C. Smith and a graduate of Maplewood High School in Nashville, Tn., where he served as the student body president. At Morehouse, he servest as director of education for the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraterni ty Inc., associate editor of "The Weekly Calendar,” director of Homecoming '84, captain of the Headache Committee and editor of the Freshman section of the 1985 "Torch.” Smith is a member of the Morehouse College Honors Program, Psi Chi Psychology Honors Society and an active member of the Student Govern ment Association. His Red Cross affiliations are as follows: Former Secretary of the National Advisory Committee on Youth; National Health Services Committee; Member of the Midwestern Field Office Com mittee; and Member of the Atlanta Area Chapter American Red Cross. Smith also served as ARC Youth Council Chairmanof the Nashville Area Chapter in 1981-82. Vol. 60, No. 5 Morehouse College, Atlanta January 11, 1985 n r Christmas *81 In Retrospect -page 4 The Maroon Tiger Wins a National Free Press Award -pages 2 & 3 Teachers, We Need Respect - page 10 Happy 10th Anniversary Dr. M. - page 18 J ~\ High Hopes For Black College Freshmen Academic excellence and the opportunity to fulfill one’s highest potential have been trademarks of historically black colleges and universities since they were founded in the nineteenth century. According to a recent UNCF research report, these continue to be two of the main reasons that many black college freshmen choose to attend private, historically black colleges today. The report, entitled “Fall 1983 Freshmen at Private Black Colleges,” found that many freshmen at private black colleges attend college for reasons similar to those of students at other four-year private colleges. However, three-quarters of private black college freshmen, compared with fewer than half of the freshmen at four-year colleges nationally, cited preparation for graduate school as a very impor tant reason for attending a particular college or university. Private black college freshmen (45.1 percent) are more likely than freshmen at four-year colleges nationally (26.2 percent) to choose their college because its graduates are admitted to top graduate or professional schools. Freshmen at private black colleges possess a drive to achieve that is exemplified by the significant number that plan to attend graduate or professional school. Nearly 72 percent of the education at the graduate level, compared with 56.5 percent of the freshmen at four-year colleges. The Research Report is produced by Kathleen Payne and Alan Kirschner of UNCF’s Research Department. r Celebrating Our 60th Year