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Spelman ranks among nation’s most activist schools
A PARTIAL UST OF SCHOOLS
RANKED FOR THEIR ACTIVISM
1. Duke University, Durham, N.C.
On March 8, Duke announced a new policy proposed by the Duke chapter of
Students Against Sweatshops guaranteeing that the school would no longer license
its logo to companies operating sweatshops.
3. University of Texas, Austin
Last fall, after law professor Lino Gragalia told reporters that Black and Mexican
American students could not compete academically with whites at "selective
institutions,” almost 5, 000 students attended a protest rally led by the Rev. Jesse
Jackson Jr., and hundreds of students occupied the law school demanding
disciplinary action. Gragalia issued a conciliatory statement, and the law school’s
dean said he would “consider sympathetically” any request by a UT law student
to opt out of Gragalia’s required constitutional law class.
4. University of Wisconsin, Madison
When GOP Gov. Tommy Thompson appointed a new member to the university’s
board of regents who had contributed $10,000 to his campaign, students decided
to call for campaign finance reform by "buying” a seat for their own candidate.
They collected a quarter from each UW student, raising more than $1,000 — not
enough to buy a regent, but enough to fund an effort calling for elected regents.
5. Roxbury Community College, Boston, Mass.
Last May, a number of students calling themselves the May 6th Movement
presented Roxbury president Grace Brown with a list of 18 demands. Eight
members of the group then took over an administrative office for 30 hours. The
college resolved the protest, agreeing to meet 15 of the demands, including the
students’ request to improve financial aid.
7. James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va.
Starting .last year, JMU students organized 15 “alternative breaks.” Instead of
relaxing during Thanksgiving, winter, and spring breaks, students traveled to
Appalachia to conduct a health survey, to New Orleans to work at an AIDS hospice,
and even to Uganda to build houses.
Source: Mother Jones
“Spelman encourages all of its students to
perform in some form of community service
project during their matriculation ..
Adria Trotman
By Mikhia Hawkins
Managing Editor
While many lament the
nationwide decline of student
involvement in community
causes, activism still thrives at
Spelman College, according to
a ranking released last month.
Spelman was ranked
second in Mother Jones' fifth
annual "Top 10 Activist
Schools" list, which appeared
in its October issue.
"We poll a number of
organizations each year and
we ask them what schools
come to their attention," said
Richard Reynolds,
communications director for
the ultra-liberal monthly
publication. "Spelman was
mentioned because of its
mentoring program with
Atlanta Housing projects."
The program, Harris
Homes First Grade Initiative,
pairs first-year Spelman
students with first-graders
from the neighboring housing
project. The mentor-mentee
relationship continues until
the Spelman students
graduate.
"It's an opportunity for
students to design and shape
and work in a long term
project," said Victoria Duran
Gonzalez, director of
Community Service at
Spelman. She, however,
declined to comment on the
ranking itself.
Adria Trotman, a senior
psychology major at Spelman,
feels that the rating is accurate
and well-deserved.
"Spelman encourages all
of its students to perform in
some form of community
service project during their
matriculation," she said. "This
is a reflection of the emphasis
that Spelman places on
activism in general."
Koren Keaton, a
sophomore English major at
the college, has a different
view.
"Spelman does encourage
activism and community
service somewhat, but there is
a lot of apathy amongst the
student body," said Keaton. "I
just think that Spelman is good
with PR [Public Relations], so
we look better than we
actually are and get on lists
like this one."
Jacqueline Miles-Johnson,
director of the Bonner
Program at Morehouse,
commended Spelman on the
honor, but had some questions
concerning the ranking,
particularly the absence of
Morehouse from the list.
"I'm not upset that they
[Spelman] got the rating," said
Johnson. "I congratulate them.
They are a very active school.
I just want to know who voted
and why Morehouse was
overlooked."
Johnson noted that the
program is not exclusive to
Spelman students; Morehouse
students, too, are active in the
Harris Homes First Grade
Initiative, she said.
"Morehouse students
support the same initiative
that Spelman is getting praise
for," said Johnson.
But Reynolds, the Mother
Jones spokesman, affirmed
that the survey and
subsequent ranking were
comprehensive and accurate.
"If you are asking whether
we fact-checked our piece, the
answer is yes," said Reynolds.
"We're happy to highlight this
program that Spelman has in
place, and if it encourages
other schools to adopt similar
programs, that would be
wonderful."
Hearing the call: Entrepreneurship
Philip Asbury/ STAFF
Audrey Batts has found a pot of gold in Audrey's Music Room
• Erika Wallace
Staff Writer
Jay Z, Kurupt, and Fat Joe
have all been spotted on James
P. Brawley Drive, but they
were not there merely to enjoy
the "scenery" of the strip. In
fact, they were visiting
Audrey's Music Room to
promote their latest projects.
Audrey Batts, 29, is the
proud owner of Audrey's
Music Room. The store offers
R & B, Hip-Hop, Gospel, and
Reggae music and also
features a listening station
where customers can preview
music.
Batts earned a Public-
Relations degree from Howard
University in 1992. Upon
graduating she had no
intentions of owning a music
store.
"The opportunity was
there," said Batts. "I just
couldn't pass it up."
Sometime during her six-
year career in music retail
marketing, Batts realized that
there wasn't a record store near
the Atlanta University Center,
a location that she knew could
prove a profitable one. With a
business plan and a loan from
Batts' parents, Audrey's
Music Room was born.
More than a year later,
business is going strong. The
store plans to expand in
December with the addition
of Java Cafe, which will be
located in the same building
as Audrey's. Artists, seeing
the marketing potential that
Audrey's Music Room has,
have sought the store for
album promotion. It also
caught the attention of record
producer/rap artist Jermaine
Dupri, who taped a segment
there for BET's Rap City.
Batts says what
distinguishes the music store
from others is her unique
marketing strategies.
"I'm more contemporary
in my approach to
marketing," she says.
The best part of owning
the store, Batts says, is being
in business for herself. "[I
like] being my own boss and
being able to pay my bills.
Succeeding on my own is a
great accomplishment."
Phoenix towers falls short
in fulfilling promises
Continued from page 1
disaster was narrowly averted due to the fact that a
deadbolt placed on the emergency exit was removed
just a day before the blaze.. "If that bolt was still there,
people would have been dead," continued Bowie.
Although renovations are underway to improve the
facility, the inconvenience to the students is laced with
a degree of danger. Students are not allowed to use the
stairs, although an exception was made for the
evacuation. In addition, many students' rooms are still
being fitted with new windows, months after the
project began.
However, the renovation has also brought positive
change to the situation. A restaurant was opened last
week to favorable reviews. "The food isn't bad. It's a
lot better than I would have expected from anyone
associated with Morehouse, " said Jehu
Still, there is a lot of room for improvement. The
basketball court is littered with trash and broken glass,
accentuating the broken rim. Students are also facing
a new problem of insects in their rooms, as well as the
long standing issue of transportation. Students with
cars are faced with a lack of parking spaces and there
is little to no visitor parking. Those without cars are
on their own, as unlike last year at the Howard Johnson,
there is no shuttle. Overall, things look bleak for the
Phoenix Towers.