Newspaper Page Text
December 19, 1959
THE SPELMAN SPOTLIGHT
Page 3
Around Campus
Now that mid-semester has
rolled around, and we have re
ceived our grades, the campus
seems a bit quieter. The grades
produced the usual reactions, I
suppose. One group in particular
shed many tears; some students
were indifferent and said some
thing like this: “Pass or flunk—
what is the difference?” Many
made firm resolutions that are
likely to be soon forgotten, and
some few lucky and wise souls
were joyous. To the group who
Shed the most tears, we recom
mend Kleenex; to the indifferent
ones, recommendations from us
perhaps would not help as some
one else may be making some rec
ommendations soon; to those who
made resolutions, we say either
keep your promise to yourself or
save your breath for swimming;
and to the lucky ones who were
wise enough to study and make
decent grades, we offer congrat
ulations. I must cease to talk
about grades for I am almost
blinded by tears . . .
Freshmen, do not be easily dis
couraged. Do not think that your
problems were invented with you.
As freshmen we all experience to
some extent the pangs of read
justment. Remember the power
of positive thinking.
Early in the year I would like
to bring to your attention the
power that you possess as a class.
The freshman class because it is
larger than any other class on the
campus can wield almost as much
power that you possess as a class.
Experience has shown that
the freshman class plays a great
part in the election of the major
officers. I say all this because you
are full of energy and willing to
work. Your viewpoint is fresh,
and the student body needs a
fresh viewpoint. Sc try as hard
as possible and for as long as
possible not to be overcome by
the apathy which you are no
doubt surprised by.
We have the honor of having
on our campus a very spirited and
colorful personality. Among the
unusual things that he does is to
come to most meals promptly. As
a matter of fact I have often seen
him waiting to be served. The
greeting that he' gives you often
frightens you a little because of
his bristling. By now you must
know that I am referring to the
precious (in some territories) cat
which is so familiar to all of us
who use the dining hall. I am
sorry that I was unable to learn
more about the cat, but you see
our medium of communication is
limited.
I wonder how the Library Club
project is coming along. I think
that this is a worthwhile project
and an excellent way to increase
our personal libraries. By the way,
the Library Club is not paying me
for this plug. As a matter of fact,
they don’t know anything about
it; I just think the project is a
wonderful idea.
Concerning the Merrill scholars.
Pat White is already planning
how she is going to receive this
Christmas, gifts for two years.
Mary Frances, if you have not
planned this far in advance what
are you waiting for?
See you around campus.
Margie Durrah
NAACP
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victories in recent years, the most
noted being the 1954 Supreme
Court ruling on public school de
segregation. Universities, public
parks and playgrounds, and inter
state travel vehicles have been
desegregated. Securing of voting
rights has been undertaken with
some success. The NAACP has
been instrumental also in pro
moting passage of fair employ-
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Your Hostess
Speaks
Since the first weeks of school
have ended and most of uis have
received our grades, good or bad,
I think it is only fitting to grade
ourselves as far as our conduct
in the dining hall is concerned.
Considering the increase in the
number of students this year, I
must say in ail sincerity, that the
conduct of the students has been
commendable. In some instances,
many of us have become excited
when strange animals entered the
dining room, but wild excitement
and loud talking have been the
exception rather than the rule.
Were I to assign a grade value
to our progress, it would be a
“B”; hence it i!s obvious that there
is still room for improvement.
More attention should be given to
meal hours; that is, most of us
are reporting to meals a few min
utes after the assigned time. We
are not placing' our coats and
books in the designated areas.
Coats Should be hung on the
racks and books are to be placed
on the shelves.
It has been a real pleasure
working, with you these past
weeks. I hope that after the se
mester ends, we will be able to
assign the same value to our de
corum in the dining hall that we
will have maintained in our
classes, that is an “A”.
Since we are rapidly approach
ing our Christmas Holidays, in
behalf of the dining hall, may I
wish to all of you a Merry Christ
mas and a Happy New Year!
Ella M. Blackman
Did You Know
That...?
The part Social Science Club
played in bringing about the de
segregation of the Atlanta public
library system is described in an
article in the The Crisis, Novem
ber issue.
They sponsored a trip to Agnes
Scott to hear Madam Pandit of
India. Julie Cary, participated on
a panel with four foreign students
for the Atlanta Council of Hu
man Relations. The discussion:
What Democracy Means To Me.
They held a showing of a prize
winning documentary film, “The
Quiet One,” about a Negro boy
with psychological problems.
The club welcomes all students,
regardless of their major or
classification, to join, if they are
interested in social problems.
Spelman Library
After having spent several un
successful periods in the Spelman
Library trying to study, I have
come to the conclusion that some
thing should be said to the stu
dent body as a whole concerning
the consistent noise and talking
that goes on there. It seems that
many of us use the library mere
ly as a place to meet our friends
and to hold our regular gabbing
sessions, instead of using the lib
rary as it is supposed to be used—
a place for quiet study.
Those of us who go to the lib
rary for the sole purpose of
studying find it very distracting
to sit there trying to study and
having to listen to the conversa
tions of others. It is very agitat
ing also to have our concentration
interrupted by the conversation
of the librarians and/or student
assistants while they are talking
on the phone and to have to he
disturbed by their activities as
they do their work. Even though
many of us know it, we entirely
ignore the fact that in a library
noise is to be kept at a minimum.
Although it is one of the duties
of the librarians to maintain
quiet, I feel that the student body
should cooperate and make the
library what it should be by
maintaining quiet. Therefore, out
of due respect for those of us
who wish to use the library for
studying, let us refrain from mak
ing unnecessary conversation and
noise where others wish to study
and learn.
Barbara Adams
Paradox
Girls from Spelman and men
from the ’house
Which is the man and which the
mouse?
No. 672
Down at the end of Chestnut
Street
Sits Spelman College, for the
super elite
and proper young ladies, but you
better be wary,
Where do you think they’re going
when they sign out for the
library?
No. 729
I wish I weren’t in the land of
cotton
Where people do things that they
shouldn’t oughten
No. 613
Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum
I’m going to be killed by a hydro
gen bomb
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust,
If the blast don’t get you, then
the fallout must.
J. Bond
The Trojan Women
On December 3, 4 and 5, 1959,
the AJM-S Players presented
“The Trojan Women” by Euri
pides under the direction of Mr.
Baldwin Burroughs.
The Players brought a differ
ent flavor of theater to the Spel
man community with this produc
tion. First, because it is a classi
cal tragedy, then because it was
a production “in the round.” The
work of one of the most dynamic
classic tragedians, Euripides, the
play easily lends itself to pro
duction on the arena stage.
“The Trojan Women” is a de
piction of the pathos and suffer
ing that comes with war. Though
Euripides chooses only a small
group of women to illustrate the
catastrophic effects of war, his
message is universal and time
enduring: “The wise shall fly
from war . . .”
The principal roles—Hecuiba
played by Billie G. Thomas, Cas
sandra played by Marilyn Pryce,
Andromache played by Georgia
Allen, Helen played by Nese Har
per, Menelaos, played by Sam
Bromfield, and Talthybius played
by Joseph Kelly—were performed
in such a superb manner that the
audience was captivated by their
every word. The Greek chorus
was important in conveying the
mood to the audience.
The production must inevitably
take its place among the “best”
productions of the season.
The musical, “Finian’s Rain
bow,” is scheduled by the A-M-S
Players for early Spring.
Willie Gardner
Mid-Week Meeting
At the first Mid-Week Meeting
of the school term, I was aston
ished to see that the majority of
persons in attendance were fresh
men. There were only a few up
perclassmen attending this as
sembly for religious worship. I,
being a freshman, naturally won
dered why.
I readily surmised that the up
perclassmen wlanted to rest the
first Thursday that they were
back on the campus and that a
representative number would at
tend the next meeting.
But, at the next meeting and at
the succeeding ones, the repre
sentation w*as the same. Why is
this? Why is it that the freshmen
take the lead in attending Mid
week meeting? What is the cause
of their ardent interest?
This interest may be good. It
may be that the freshmen have
spontaneously developed an in
terest in and a need for a week
ly religious service, and that they
will continue to support this re
ligious program throughout their
four years at Spelman.
Bette Durrah
Fire on the Campus
Tuesday evening, November
29th, at approximately 7:00 p. m.
a blaze was noticed on the camp
us. Located on the Greensferry
side of the campus, behind More
house Dormitory, it drew a small
group of freshmen, juniors and
seniors. The blaze apparently
started from a cigarette carelessly
thrown on a pile of dry leaves m
the sidewalk.
I;t spread to a small section of
our campus lawn. However, it was
immediately brought under con
trol by members of the Fresh
men Class and other students with
the help of the night watchman.
After a few moments, the fire
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“The Land of
Opportunity”
As many other Guianese who
have travelled outside of the
West Indies, I also have had the
experience of meeting strangers
who ask—“Where is British Gui
ana? Tell us something about
your country.”
I feel that it is my duty to pass
on to others whatever knowledge
and experience I have acquired
about my country, the love for
which flowers naturally in my
heart.
BRITISH GUIANA is on the
Atlantic seaboard of South Am
erica facing into the cool north
east trade winds. It lies between
Venezuela on the west and Suri
nam on the east. It has a coast
line of 270 miles and extends
south to the Brazilian Border to
a depth of 400 miles. The coun
try, which is remarkably health
ful, is about the size of Britain
with less than a hundredth of the
population. The climate is pleas
ant, -and with malaria eradicated,
the rapidly growing population
provides an ever expanding labor
supply and local market. About
90 per cent otf the people
live and work on the coastlands,
a narrow littoral about 5 percent
of the total area of the country;
the vast undeveloped hinterland
has, on the average, less than one
person to every three square
miles.
British Guiana is a land of six
peoples. The Amerindians are its
oldest inhabitants; Indians form
the bulk of its population; Afri
cans, Portuguese, Chinese,, and
English also live and work in the
country. All are working together
to develop their country and to
improve their conditions of life.
The country is rich in resources.
A carpet of fertile alluvium, two
rain seasons, and plenty of warm
th and sunlight throughout the
year, permit in many cases, two
annual crops on the coastlands.
Vast tropical hardwood forests,
interspersed with savannahs suit
able for cattle rearing, cover its
hinteriand. A variety of minerals
including bauxite, gold, diamonds,
columbite, tantalite, iron and
manganese underlie much of the
area.
Its many rivers provide natural
communication between the coast
and the interior and offer possi
bilities, now being explored, for
cheap hydro-electric power. Its
varied geological structure, cli
mate and vegetation offer scope
for a variety of economic activi
ties and its scenery varies from
the flat coastland with its seg
mentation otf drainage and irriga
tion canals through forest, rivers
and waterfalls, to the mountain
regions of the Kanake and be
yond to the grasslands of the Ru-
pununi savannahs.
The Legend otf El Dorado and
the title otf “The Magnificent Pro- i
vince” suggest that British Guia
na possesses many natural gifts
on which to base a tourist indus
try. The greatest is Kaieteur Falls
(741 feet,) perhaps the world’s
greatest waterfall, is the crown
ing spectacle of any tour of the
Caribbean. The Government’s
policy is to open up the vast in
terior as fast as it can by road
and improved air services, and
private enterprise is exploring
the possibilities for further tourist
development.
This, description does not de
pict “a region all gold and boun
ty,” but it does indicate the tre
mendous possibilities for develop
ment in a territory where the
Legend otf El Dorado has been re
placed by a sober evaluation of
its potential wealth. Much has
been achieved in the postwar
years, but the Government and
people are now making even
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