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THE SPELMAN SPOTLIGHT
November 28, 1959
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Editor-in-iChief Norma June Wilson
Managing Editor . Margie Durrah
Business Manager Eva M. Lowe
Staff Venecia Gardner, Vivian Welch, Patricia
Brown, Elizabeth Howze, Marian Watson, Mary Frances Watts,
Blondell Dixon, Lucille Brown, Betty Durrah, Johnny Price.
2d tom ddhe
ddditot’d d^nkweil
by Norma J. Wilson
My job this year promises to
be a tough but enjoyable one. In
producing the very first issue of
the Spotlight, I have met some of
the many obstacles that I will.be
encountering the entire year. My
purpose is to do my best, so that
these Obstacles may be met and
overcome. ■
Every college, I , feel, should
have a student voice. During the
three years that I have been a
part of this- college community,
we have had no strong voice.
This year promises to be differ
ent. The staff of the Spotlight is
really working toward having an
excellent paper on our campus.
There is no reason why Spel-
man College should not have a
newspaper. You need a voice just
as other students on other college
campuses need a voice. This we
will try to give you. Our primary
jiolb is to cover the campus news
field. The Spotlight is to be an
organ of information for students,
- faculty, parents, and alumnae.
I would like to see the Spotlight
be among the best college news
papers in its journalistic category.
It will not be the best without the
help and cooperation of the stu
dent body. Ten or twelve students
cannot put out a representative
paper. You have complained for
years because you have not had a
paper. Now, this year, you have
an opportunity to make this paper
realize your dreams of a college
newspaper. Follow through with
your dreams and help make the
Spelman Spotlight succeed.
A college newspaper helps to
maintain one of the basic freedoms
given in the Constitution—free
dom of the press. Students, re
member that you have this free
dom; use it.
Student Prexy
Speaks
I did not have the opportunity,
before assuming the responsibili
ties as your leader, to give my
views on student affairs and gov
ernment. Due to the suddenness
and unexpectedness of the situa
tion which brought me to the
presidency of the Student Govern
ment, I suppose I hadn’t had time
to give it much thought and to
study the accomplishments and
difficulties of last year’s adminis
tration. I knew that many changes
had occurred during my absence
from school. N
Since my election, however, I
have given much thought to what
a student government should stand
for and strive toward. No two
student governing bodies can
function' in the same way. There
will be variations, depending up
on the school and the students.
Since my freshman year, we
have made enormous progress, as
far as social privileges are con
cerned. Of course, we still don’t
have everything that we want. We
are still not so free as we would
like to be. We are still plagued
with problems of conduct, inap
propriate dress, and so forth.
And yet, I think that this year,
we should place less empHasi3
(Continuer on page 4)
Herschelle and Delores
Say Hello
Delores Betts and Herschelle
Sullivan embarked upon an ad
venture this summer that many
of us have dreamed about. They
left for a year lof study and travel
in Europe.
Delores Betts sailed for Lon
don, England in June where she
attended the summer sessions at
the University of London. Scat
tered among her hours of study
were memorable nights at the
theatre; she saw My Fair Lady,
Othello, Carmen, and the West
Side Story with the America*
cast. iJH
As Delores (has adjusted herself
to her new surroundings and a
different culture, she has begun
to adopt some of the customs, one
of which is the traditional after
noon cup of tea. Her friends have
become international in scope," but
“Dee” reports that the girls are
very much like us—friendly and
outgoing, which helps her to feel
right at home.
Delores traveled in Scotland
after summer school. She feels
that it is the most beautiful coun
tryside she has ever seen. While
there, she did a great deal of
touring, and she also attended the
Shakespearean Festival.
Herschelle Sullivan, a social
science major, attended summer
school at the University of Gre
noble where she concentrated on
the French language. She found
Grenoble a lovely town' and its
people very friendly. Herschelle
stayed at the same rooming house
with two other girls from Amer
ica. One of them was from her
home town, Pittsburgh, Penn. Al
though they hadn’t knlown each
other previously, they did have
mutual friends. Herschelle als®
writes that across the street from
her was living another American
student from Pittsburgh with
whom she attended junior high.
When her American friends left,
Herschelle was forced' to put her
French to work—the result, she
says, was that she didn’t talk very
much.
After a summer at Grenoble,
Herschelle attended the Interna
tional Youth Conference in Gene
va, Switzerland. She is now at
tending the fall sessions at the
Sorlbonne.
We wish for Delores and Her
schelle a happy and successful
year of study and travel.
U.S.S.R. Discussed
On Sunday night at 7:30, the
Social Science Club sponsored an
informal discussion led by Miss
Marian Wright, Miss Virginia
Powell, and Mr. T. M. Alexander,
Jr., students who have visited in
the U.S.S.R.
The students who attended the
meeting eagerly participated in
the discussion. They were very
eager to learn about living in the
U.S.S.R. as compared with life in
the United States. Some of the
revelations of the discussion lead
ers were not so easily accepted as
others; but, on the whole, the dis
cussion was a very informative
one.
In addition to the discussion,
pictures and various articles de
picting life in the Soviet Union
were shown.
In fact, if Khrushchev himself
had been present, he would, per-
Student Publications: Yesterday, Today
By Albert E. Manley
Once more the Spelman students’ newspaper is being printed.
It is now a printed publication for the same reason that the
Campus Mirror was changed many years ago from a mimeographed
paper to a printed one. The early newspaper underwent this
change because it felt that the printed copies would have a bet
ter format, be easier to read than the mimeographed ones, and
therefore, would command more interest. It is for these same
reasons that the Spelman Spotlight has a new appearance today.
In looking up the history of
publications here at Spehnan, I
turned up some other information
that should be of interest to the
readers of today’s college paper.
According to the record, the ear
liest newspaper was the Athen
aeum. This paper was published
once a month by; the graduates
and students of Atlanta Baptist
College (now Morehouse College)
and Spelman Seminary. When
Spelman Seminary became Spel
man College in 1924-25, a Press
Club was organized to meet the
College’s need for a separate col
lege paper. It is interesting to
compare the name and purpose of
the newspaper of another day with
those of today’s paper. The earlier
paper was called the Campus Mir
ror, suggested by the idea of “re
flecting,” and • its purpose was to
“reflect” student life* and opinion.
Today’s paper is called the Spel
man Spotlight, and its purpose is
to focus on student life and opin
ion.
At this point, the reader of this
statement may foe saying, “Well,
this just proves that there is
nothing new under the sun.”
Newspaper Staff, take heart. You
can produce something new under
this college’s sun!
You have the opportunity to
publish a well-balanced newspa
per that meets its publication
deadlines; that carries creative
materials—essays, stories, poems
1 —as well as current news items of
significaime to the maturing
minds or college students. the
high standards which you have
inherited from the Campus Mirror
should motivate you to produce
and maintain a newspaper
that is second to none. A
newspaper with high journalistic
standards, would undoubtedly
merit the support of the faculty
staff, and student body. Every
member of the Spelman family
would then eagerly anticipate
each issue.
I bespeak for the editors and
staff of the Spelman Spotlight, the
cooperation of the entire college
community.
Best wishes to the Spelman
Spotlight for a successful year.
haps, have had an enjoyable time,
even if the only part that he en
joyed might have been the con
suming of doughnuts and cokes.
Open Letter
To Spelmanites
I have been prompted by fhany
comments and criticisms to write
a letter to introduce you to the
Young Women’s Christian Asso
ciation on our campus. Are you
tired of the routine of campus
life? Do you want to “let yourself
go” freely and discuss dontrover-
sial issues? Do you want to feel
free to approach members of the
faculty? Are you interested in un
derprivileged students in Japan?
Our Y seeks to answer these ques
tions by providing wholesome en
tertainment, by supplying a means
of student expression, by promot
ing a better relationship between
faculty and students on campus,
and by 'broadening our informa
tion on international issues.
Through the Y’s Interest Groups
you can participate in community
and church activities as well as in
activities in other Atlanta colleges.
A close relationship has been
formed with the Y.M.C.A. at
Morehouse College; therefore,
there will be some joint projects.
The officers for the current year
are: President, Virginia Powell;
Vice-President, Jimmie Hughes;
Secretary,. Sheila Cunningham;
Treasurer, Mary Worthy; Assist
ant Treasurer, Mamie Adams. The
advisor is Mrs. Mtoreland.
The Interest Groups of the Y
are: Christian Faith and Heritage
—headed by Lenora Taitt and
Anna Hankerson, Campus Affairs
—headed by Frances Odom and
Marian Pitts, World Affairs—
headed by Eleanor Tinnon and
Lucille Brown, and Social Respon
sibility — headed by Barbara
Parks, Marva Mitchner and Blon
dell Dixon.
So far, our campus Y hasi ;
membership of' 115.
This year the Y.W.C.A. is going
to be a vital force on our campus.
Do you want a fuller campus
life? Do you desire to participate
in this vital movement?
If having answered these ques
tions, you are positively concern
ed, I kniow I’ll see you at our next
meeting. Until then
Virginia Powell,
President of the Y
The Unlocked
Door
The Reverend Norman Rates
Several years ago, I was be
ginning to wonder if the prayer
room in the basement of Rocke
feller Hall was considered by the
students as a worthless ornament.
One day I was given the answer.
At the hour when the dusk of
the day casts its giant shadow a-
cross the setting sun; at the time
of day when the campus, once
filled with hurrging-scurrying feet
is quiet before the night’s activ
ities begin; at this tme of day,
there came walkng across the
campus a familar, silhouetted
figure. Her presence broke the
evening’s stillness, and as we ap
proached one another I extended
my greetings, T noticed that her
head was bent low, as if weighed
down by all the problems of the
past half-century. As soon as I re
cognized her, I knew that this
student’s recent experiences were
equal to a life time of sorrow.
She had lost, through death, her
father and mother within the
same school-year. This was truly
a lifetime of sorrow.
Sensing this young woman’s
past and present anguish, I in
terrupted her progress long
enough to ask her one question:
“How are you getting along?”
“Very well,” she sobbingly re
plied. By this time I could discern
more clearly the lines of her face,
and I observed that her cheeks
were wbt wth tears. But I also
noticed that her countenance
shone with an inner peace, and
she added, “I’ve just come from
the prayer room.”
In a nodding, understanding
way, I softly said, “Good.”
That was all we said. In fact,
that was all we needed to say to
one another. For I knew
from the expression on her face
exactly what she meant. Her load
was a little lighter and, strangely
enough, so was mine.
As we resumed our slow paces
in opposite directions, the golden
hue of the western sky added to
my warmth and satisfaction. My
question had been answered in a
strange and comforting way.
I concluded that I did not need
to keep count of the number of
users of the prayer room in order
to justify its existence. Instead, I
needed to be certain that the door
to the prayer room would never
be locked as long as the building
was open for use. And that is the
way you will find it—closed at
times, but never locked. If it is
closed, this may be an indicaton
that someone is seeking peace.
Just wait. And as you leave, carry
something away with you. I do
not mean the free literature only,
but a better reason for being and
a greater desire to live.
Spelman Spotlight
The first issue of the Spelman
Spotlight focuses its beam on Rob
ert Stone of Morehouse College,
who is the captain of the More
house football team. Stone, as most
of the Spelmanites call him, is
from Huntsville, Alabama. He
played football during his four
years in high school, playing the
position of tackle during most of
his football career.
Stone is a candidate for all-con
ference honors, and there is a pos
sibility of his making All-Ameri
can honors. He is regarded as one
of the best tacklers that More
house has had in recent years.
Stone says, “the relationship be
tween Spelman and ‘Morehouse
has been an inspirational factor
to the members of the Morehouse
football team.”
(Continued on page 4)
