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oluerine QDbamier
MORRIS BROWN COLLEGE
FEBRUARY, 1977
Arson Suspected
in Borders Towers Fire
\ Questionnaires to
Aid Communication
By Mathias A. Odoemele
The question of arson cannot
be ruled out in the December
fire at the Borders Towers of the
men’s dormitory but it is yet to
be proven, said Coach Powell,
the Vice President for Student
Personnel and head of security,
Morris Brown College campus.
The vice president told the
Wolverine Observer News Editor
that the City of Atlanta fire inves
tigators are still investigating the
cause of the fire that rendered
nearly 100 residents of the towers
homefess, when the fire broke
out sometime last December.
The students were routed by a
smoke-spewing blaze in the
early morning hours of Saturday,
December last year. Anyhow,
within minutes firemen were on
the scene and students, many of
whom were trapped because of
burning elevators were
evacuated by ladders through
their dormitory windows.
According to one fire officer,
First Deputy Chief J. I. Gibson,
who headed the seven fire com
panies and 20 units that res
ponded to the fire, “Only a
miracle prevented fatalities.”
Atlanta firemen were credited
for their effort in saving the lives
of many students, in what would
have been a major disaster.
Asked about the extent of the
damage recently, Mr. Powell said
the actual estimate of the
damage has not been
determined but that the
elevators alone cost over $60,000
in damages. Mr. Powell said, “All
the students who wanted to
come back are all back to the
dormitory, while the college has
asked for a fire watch on duty.”
The vice president said that, "Up
to the time of the incident/the
building met the official fire
code and regulations but needs
further improvement in order to
update the standard." The build
ing is inspected every year and
during the time of the incident it
met the correct fire standards.
The interior walls of the over 9-
year-old building need to be
replaced at this point, said Mr.
Powell. “Actually we have to do
something. There were holes in
the walls but now the school
plans to replace those walls with
plywood which is more difficult
to be subject to perforation.” He
said the present walls are softer
and are prone to scanty holes
where the fire probably started.
Other plans by the school in
clude readjusting of door
areas where " boys will no
longer bump tneir heads” and
cause more problems in
visibility.
A day after the blaze, Morris
Brown College President Robert
Threatt said the investigators dis
covered that the fire started on
the second floor but the cause
unknown and the damage
undetermined.
All of the seven students who
were treated at Grady Memorial
Hospital were released following
overnight treatment and
observation. Most of the injuries
were as a result of smoke
inhalation.
However, damage to the
borders towers was extensive,
with partitions of the elevator
shafts burned along with the
electrical and water systems and
the reported belongings were
mostly done by water and
smoke.
So far the college has not
received any protest or law suits
for damage on behalf of students
or their parents as the outbreak
of the blaze was accidental.
However, thanks to the heroism
of the city fire fighters and
personal efforts by the students
themselves for avoiding any
casualties.
By Akilah Ali
Managing Editor
As we embark upon another
semester of educational
challenges, The Observer faces a
new and vigorous challenge,
too. We will attempt to bring to
you information in an appealing
and responsible journalistic
manner.
The Observer has also taken
on the job of serving as a com
munication bridge between the
administration, faculty, and
student body. However, in order
to bring about an effective
network of communications,
which will enable us to
successfully carry out our mis
sion, the cooperation of all the
MBC family is necessary and
essential.
From The Associated Press
Black landowners in the South
have organized in an effort to
stop whites, and big business
from buying up land owned by
blacks.
They called for more federal
aid to black landowners so they
can hold onto their property.
Members of the National As
sociation of Landowners held
their first convention Saturday at
the Atlanta Internationale Hotel
here, charging that the federal
bureaucracy has set up barriers
between the black landowner
and federal assistance.
Joseph F. Brooks, director of
the Atlanta-based Emergency
Land Fund, said that 330,000
acres of black-owned land are
being sold to whites each year.
Brooks said only about 30,000
acres of land were represented at
the convention, which attracted
about 300 landowners from
Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana,
Mississippi, North Carolina,
Thus we are respectfully re
questing that all department
chairmen, teachers, and officers
complete the questionnaires
that will be made available to
you. Inaddition,weareaskingall
students to submit any materials
for publication to the
publication office located in the
basement of the Student Union
Building.
Naturally we are not so
presumptuous as to believe that
we have all the answers, so we
are always open to suggestion,
comments, criticism and praise.
The Observer is serious about its
commitment to the MBC family
and this effort to unite us
through communications, we
just hope you are as equally
serious and as dedicated as we
are.
South Carolina and Tennessee.
“That’s reflective of the
relative non-ownership of
blacks,” he said, noting that
blacks own about three-tenths of
1 per cent of all privately held
land in the United States.
Blacks are losing their land
because of financial hardships,
because huge corporations are
buying up agricultural land at
growing rates and because of
problems they encounter with
federal agencies, convention
participants said.
They said the National As
sociation of Landowners hopes
to exert pressure on the federal
government to cut some of the
red tape.
Dr. Aaron Henry, president of
the Mississippi NAACP, said U.S.
Department of Agriculture
agencies, particularly the
Farmers Home Administration,
“seem to be geared directly
against the possibility of black
Continued on page 3
Help Us Save
These Innocent
Youths From
Death in
Georgia’s
Electric Chair
Five impoverished youths face
death sentences if convicted of
murdering a white man in a
Dawson, Georgia, store. Shown
here in an office of the Terrell
County Jail, left to right, J.D.
Davenport (18), Henderson Wat
son (21), James Edward Jackson,
Jr. (17), Roosevelt Watson (17),
and Johnny B. Jackson (18), they
are counting on the Southern
Poverty Law Center and its sup
porters to help prove their in
nocence.
Outlook Good for
Summer Employment
Summer job analyses indicate that the prospects for college
student employment for the summer of 1977 look promising.
National parks throughout the nation will once again staff their
facilities with college student summertime help. Opportunities
appear to be expanding into many support accommodations and
facilities surrounding the park areas. State parks also indicate a high
demand for temporary summer employment by college students.
Some national parks will hire as many as 3,000 college students for
the summer period.
Several hundred private camps throughout the nation will once
again be seeking college student summer employees in varied
capacities as counselors, swimming instructors, music directors, and
general activities such as maintenance, cooking, etc. Students with
special talents'in the area of entertainment or horse handling
abilities should investigate these opportunities.
Once again it is emphasized that students desiring summer em
ployment in the various recreational areas in the nation should ap
ply early. Students interested in obtaining additional detailed in
formation may request a free brochure by sending a self-addressed
stamped envelope to Opportunity Research, Dept. SJO, Lock Box
4000, Kalispell, MT 59901.
SAVE THE CHILDREN
Group Formed to Help
Blacks Hold Property