Newspaper Page Text
Page 3
The Wolverine Observer
May/June 1985
EDITORIAL COMMENTS
jftg Hast Hill and
Testament
(To mien
Speak Up
by Hiram Andrades
Since this is the last issue of the
Observer for the 1984-85 school
year, I am compelled to review
some of the events that took
place during this time. If I were
to review all of the individual
events, there wouldn’t be
enough pages in the Observer to
tell those stories. Nevertheless, I
hope that the events I'm
highlighting will be utilized as
stepping stones to make MBC a
better place. Because in the end,
"THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU
FREE."
Because of all of the changes
taking place here at MBC, more
anonymous letters have surfaced
on campus than in previous
years. I’ve always felt that this
form of expression comes from
people who are scared. There
are a lot of scared people at
MBC, who lack the backbone
and intestinal fortitude to stand
for what they believe. It could be
that if they do take a stand, they
will be fired!?l In any case, you
don’t cast stones and hide your
hands.
To the people that were the
subjects of these anonymous
letters you must've done
something to someone for them
to hang your dirty laundry in the
wind. The person or persons
behind these Tetters must have a
good reason to take the time to
compose, type, copy, and dis
tribute letters about you. You
don't play with people’s I ives and
not expect them to retaliate,
even if it is done in this fashion.
In the future, if you don’t want it
in print don’t do itl! Eventhough
we all have skeletons in our
closets (none of us are perfect),
some doors are forced to be
opened.
Several faculty and staff
members have been released.
The method utilized leaves a lot
to be desired. Changes must
come but, individuals must be
given the opportunity to adjust.
As someone said, “You don't
break someone's leg and then
give them a crutch." The releas-
ing of these employees
should've been handled with a
higher degree of business and
moral ethics, along with a higher
degree of PROFESSIONALISM
not POLITICALISM.
One good example is my
major department Foreign
Languages. In this department
there is a total of 22 majors. There
are only two majors graduating
this year. This dept, has brought
positive publicity, money
through proposals and the ESL
Program (MBC is one of the few
black colleges with such a
program) into this institution and
distinguished itself from the rest
of its counterparts in the AUC.
The instructors are of good
quality and do their jobs well.
They constantly recruit students
for MBC. They too make mis
takes, but how many of us
don’t?? What more can you ask
for??
It really hurt me to go by Dr.
Perez’s office and see he’s gone.
Why has this dept, been cut
down to one professor? What I'd
like to know is why have the
instructors been released and
the Lab Assistant retained??
What sense does that make? I
could probably sch.ool him in
both Spanish and French.
I understood that the criteria
used in determining what was
cut was the number of majors in
each department. Why is it that
Foreign Languages has been cut
with 22 majors and the Chemistry
Dept, retains its livelinhood with
only 2 majors?? Stop the
madnessll
The funny side about this issue
is that some of the people that
were doing the recommen
dations for others to be released
have gotten their pink slips. Now
they too are dancing to the tune
"Yes it’s Over." It is a matter of
time before the rest of the
butchers become butchered
too.
It is amazing how insensitive
we can be towards each other,
until we are placed in the same
predicament. Then we dance to
the beat of a different drum.
The ironic side of all of this is
that unqualified personnel is
being retained, it seems like
MBC doesn’t care how many
degrees a person has, because
some don't have a degree. Some
of them can’t write a decent
paragraph. What does that say
for MBC? The importance of
basic skills is constantly drilled
into the students. How come
some personnel representing
the college in a professional
capacity doesn’t have the basic
skills?
If cuts are being made, I’d
think that the first people to go
would be those that aren't
qualified and inefficient, not the
Ph.D.(s) Can any institution
afford to release approximately
10 Ph.D.(s)?? Do students have
any say in this?? What are the
purpose of student evaluation
forms??
I've heard complaints about
one instructor that needs to go.
Are there any more? Yes, but
they will do anything to keep
their job. Qualified and quality
instructors must be retained!
All of these political plays,
backstabbing, and "brown nos
ing" must cease. There comes a
time when this institution will
have to deliver better services to
the students for the huge
amount of money we pay and
Continued on pg. 8
Kenneth Huff, Macon, Ga.
"I really think that the changes
that are taking place at Morris
Brown are changes that will
benefit the school in the near
future. These changes are
necessary for a better academic
environment."
Reginald Chestnutt
Clinton, NC
“I think as most black colleges
across the nation, they are fin
ding that restricting the in
frastructure is important for the
survival of black institutions. As
for Morris Brown College, some
of the so-called professionals
restructuring the infrastructure
aren’t as professional as they
seem to think they are.” s*
Janet Curtis, Zebulon, GA
2nd Attendant Miss MBC
"I think the changes taking
place at Morris Brown College,
as far as the curriculum (classes)
go, will do more harm than good
in the long run. I think there will
be more of a decline in enroll
ment than there would normally
be and justly so.”
Derrell Dowdell, Columbus, Ga.
“Dr. Smith has made some
progress concerning the cam
pus, however, I think that
renovating the ladies dorm and
the school cafeteria should be
his main priorities.”
Sonja Arnold, Comer, Ga.
"Here at Morris Brown there is
a great need for change, but I
don’t think a reduction in staf
fing is going to bring about any
miracle.”
Marcia Giddings
Atlanta, Ga.
"I feel that some of the
changes at the college are
positive and some are meant to
be positive but are not. I do wish
that students would become
more involved in the oppor
tunities that Pres. Smith has given
them to voice their opinion
where it counts and not in class,
the dorms, or the yard.”
Noran L. Moffett, Laurel, MS
"It is beyond any rational
thought to overlook the con
tradictions. I hope people will
look at those contradictions and
involve themselves by speaking
out against these diabolical
events.”
La Tanya Hale,
Miami, Fla.
"I think the changes in the
academic program will affect the
enrollment at Morris Brown."
Desiree Smith
Miami, Fla.
"I feel that the changes are
being made slowly, but surely.
You definitely can see that the
school has in mind to improve. I
wish that not only the faculty and
staff be involved in bettering our
school but also the students.
With positive attitudes from
everyone, I believe that soon
Morris Brown will have a larger
enrollment."
Millicent Grier
Chesapeake, Virginia
"Change is something that is
gradual. You can not rush
changes. They must be planned
and this is the planning stage to
set up for a stronger future.”
Good Luck
Graduates
Class of 1985
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE
CHANGES THAT ARE TAKING
PLACE AT MORRIS BROWN
COLLEGE?
Barry C. Byrd, Atlanta, GA
"I think certain changes need
to be made, but the ones taking
place such as reduction in staff
are not needed. If anything there
should be an increase in staff so
as to relieve the burden or load
that some of our instructors are
carrying.”
Kim Hill, Miami, Fla.
“Elijah Muhammed once said
that a wise man changes many
times but a fool none. Are the
changes being made to better
educate Black students or is it to
train students so they can be
deposited into job banks. In
other words are the decisions
coming from Dr. Smith thinking
in a Black perspective, for Black
interest or are the decisions being
made by people like Mr. Mum-
ford who sit on the Board of
Trustees, and is a leader in the
lilly white corporate world that
manipulates and exploits Blacks
every chance they get. I just
hope they're from Dr. Smith and
not you know who.”
Deborah Bonner, Atlanta, Ga.
"I think they are making a
mistake."
Opinions expressed in
articles and letters are
those of the author and do
not necessarily reflect
either the opinions or the
policies of the college or
the Wolverine Observer.
Remember
South Africa
by Roderick Price
For the benefit of you that
don’t know; apartheid is a
method in which whites in South
Africa discriminate against the
blacks, and for that matter, all
other non-whites in that coun
try. In short, it can be viewed as
the separation of the races. It is
very obvious that the govern
ment does not respect the
heritage of the people that have
lived there since the beginning
of time. Hunger, disease, il
literacy, racism, and the list goes
on, are just a few of the plights
that black South Africans have to
experience, day in and day out.
There are laws in South Africa
Continued on pg. 4