Newspaper Page Text
Page 4
The SPELMAN SPOTLIGHT
Wednesday, April 18, 1962
Unusual Opportunity
(Continued from page 1)
The New York Encampment can
accommodate 100 students. Units
in California and Puerto Rico ac
commodate 80 each. The fee for
tuition, room and board is $350.
Some financial assistance is avail
able to- students unable to meet
the costs.
S’aal D. Lesser is Executive Di
rector, and Algernon D. Black is
Education Director of the En
campment. Madeline Stephenson is
the Executive Secretary of the
California office. Information and
applications may be obtained by
writing to ENCAMPMENT FOR
CITIZENSHIP, 2 West 64th St.,
New York 23, N. Y., or 2209 Van
Ness Avenue, San Francisco, Cal
ifornia.
National Library Week
The week April 8-14 has been program.
Founders Day
(Continued from page 1)
versities, was the main speaker.
His address “The Educated Wo
man - Powers and Problem,”
challenged colleges, especially
women’s colleges, to prepare ade
quately women to meet with ef
ficiency all their roles, career
woman, wife and mother.
Sunday night, the annual con
cert by the Spelmian College Glee
Club closed the Founders’ Day
activities.
Bronwen Unthank
NOTICE!!
Notice! to all students who en
joy writing. The creative writing
class is interested in including
your poems, sketches, short stories
essays, etc. in a student publica
tion. All pieces of work should be
typewritten with the student’s
name on each page and turned in
to the publication’s office by April
30. Each student should retain a
personal copy of any piece that is
submitted. Ann Ashmore
designated as National Library
Week. The national theme this
year is: “Read and watch your
world grow.”
The Spelmian College Library
Club joins with many other organ
izations that prepare special
events for this occasion. However,
the theme, “The joy of owning
books,” has been chosen for our
campus because of the apparent
need for student stimulation in
this area.
The major event in our celebra
tion wiR occur April 18, 1962, at
the lhapel hour. At this time, the
Library Club wil sponsor Dr. Ro
bert Pearsall, chairman of the
English Department. His speech
will be centered around the theme
of our Campus. Other activities
will include displays and group
discussions prior to the chapel
Spelman College
(Continued from page 2)
This setup allows for the academ
ic benefits to be gained in a co
educational system as well as al
lowing for a natural social situa
tion to exist. By Southern stan
dards, and this includes WHITE
institutions of higher learning
(yes, they -still exist), the academ
ic requirements and standards are
good. Spelman has the reputation
for being one of the best schools
in the South and while it was or
iginally intended to turn out “cul
tured young ladies” (with an em
phasis on the ladies- the school
has gone far beyond this “philos
ophy of education.” While the
system is still grounded in a strict
course requirement, sequence, ma
jor, emphasis on grades approach,
there are -new ideas which infil
trate here and there. A Social Sci
ence Honors Program offering
seminars to qualified -students has
been started and there is hope
that these very successful seminar
classes will be expanded in order
toi provide a more personalized
education. A conference system
for selected students has been
started in which the student does
readings chosen by herself and
the professor. In short, while the
whole of the system still labors
in the strict academic traditions
there 'are exciting innovations and
the future promises more.
I won’t dwell on the social re
strictions for they are far too nu
merous to list .here. It takes an
average Spelman student at least
a week to digest all the “do’s and
don’t’s” which range from “Not
walking on the grass’ ’to having
room check every morning and
compulsory chapel three times a
week.
The optimistic Spelman stu
dents see signs of progress even
here and are amazingly tolerant of
the traditions which any Sarah
Lawrence girl would find impos
sible to accept. In order to fully
appreciate their -attitude one must
be fully conscious of the sociology
of the South, its moral code and
the religious traditions of the col
lege. In short, the students seem
far more willing to buck the seg
regationist Governor Vandemeer
than their school administration.
Even here, however, there are
signs of change. (Last year there
was compulsory chapel every day,
now it’s only Monday, Wednesday,
and Friday, with vespers on Sun
day.) Most of the students will tell
you that this compulsory 8:00 a.m.
chapel -service has not made them
more religious — but that it has
created a negative feeling.
As I stated in the beginning
these are Spelman’s least interest
ing aspects (yet even they have
a promising future). Clearly the
most wonderful part of the school
are the girls themselves and their
attitude towards the surrounding
society. The girls ( and I might
say the boy-s that I met) are the
epitomy of southern hospitality;
friendly, accommodating, interest
ed, sensitive, fun — these are the
Spelman students. And their re
ceptiveness and outgoingness is
even more remarkable when con
sidered in the light of the Atlanta
community. The social forces ex
isting in the community which
surrounds Spelman cannot be ig
nored for they affect the very
lives of each student. Atlanta,
commonly caled the “enlightened
city of the south” still segregates
its schools, its restaurants (except
for a very few), its movies, its
Senate galleries, its hospitals, and
its police force (no Negro is al
lowed to arrest a White). This is
the atmosphere in which a Spel
man student, in fact, any Negro
student must function. It is an
atmosphere of inferiority, of ap
athy, complacency, of hatred and
of struggle. And yet, these stu
dents have the ability to think
The purpose of National Library
Week is “to focus public attend
tion on reading as a source of per
sonal fulfillment, on the import
ance of reading in our national
life, and on the libraries which,
if used fully and supported prop
erly, can make reading materials
accessible to everybody.” Here at
Spelman, it is hoped that all per
sons will use the week to con
sider' the responsibilities of using
the library.
Prior to last year, the entire li
brary book budget was $800.00. It
was then increased to $2,000.00.
The library, thus, is in a growing
stage. Everyday the need for the
undergraduate library becomes
more apparent. At Spelman, the
growing process- is slowed down
by persons who constantly forget
the benefits of the entire commun
ity. Reference and reserved books
are those which must be available
to all persons at all possible times.
Books must be returned if the
number of circulating books is
going toi be increased. For the past
two years, three hundred books
have not been returned. Thus, the
library budget is not used to in
crease the number of books, but
rather -to replace “missing” books.
Spelmanites want responsibility.
Does this show how responsible
we, the student body, are? Have
you seen any “missing” reserved
bocks? Where are these:
(1) Franklin, John Hope, From
Slavery to Freedom
(2) Bailey, Thomas A., A Dip
lomatic History of the American
People
(3) Many others counted as
“missing.”
Clara Prioleau
Spelmanites
international
BJl JJJJ
Each year' the YWCA of Spel
man College gives the Internation
al Ball in honor of the foreigners
attending college in the Atlanta
Center. The purpose of the
affair was to bring together the
students of our campus in a better
understanding of the peoples of
other nations.
This year under the leadership
of Martha Randall the dance was
held on Saturday evening March
31. With the Varner Ensemble set
ting the musical tone and the ele
gant attire setting the atmosphere
the dance was at once distinctive
and most enjoyable.
During the intermission the Af
rican students of Morehouse and
Spelman College furnished the en
tertainment. Caroline Nicol intro
duced “Highlife”, a dance consist
ing of a circle of dancers doing a
variety of steps. Some of the steps
resembled our popular “pony” and
the “popeye”. Marvin Anderson
and Julius Coles, upon being ask
ed, joined the circle and did very
well. The main attraction was the
dance by Jennifer Ragwar. She
balanced a coke bottle filled with
water on her head during a five
minute dance of glides, stretches,
and leaps. When this delightful
performance was over this remark
nearby was heard, “Now that’s a
level headed girl.”
Refreshments and the congenial
ity of the chaperones further en
hanced the enjoyment of everyone
whioi attended.
Many students here seem to feel
that this International Ball was
especially appropriate at this time
when so many nations are facing
crises in their relationships.
(Continued from page 1)
ican educator.
This year Spelman is very for
tunate to have four of her stu
dents participate in Crossroads
Africa. They are Ann Ashmore,
a junior majoring in psychology
from Atlanta, Georgia; Betty Dar
den, junior majoring in psychol
ogy; Renee Adkins, a sophomore
majoring in biology from East
Saint Louis, Illinois, and Jo
sephine Dunbar, a sophomore ma
joring in mathematics from Way-
cross, Georgia.
Congratulations and much suc
cess.
Mary Ray
Glee Club
T ravels
The Spelman College Glee Club
under the direction of Dr. Willis
L. James has made two short trips
recently to give concerts. The first
journey was to Sparta, Georgia
where the GTEA of that city
presented the Glee Club in con
nection with an annual cultural
emphasis celebration there. Un
like the warring Greeks with
whom we associate the name
Sparta, these Spartans were most
hospitable. The Glee Club sang
at the Hancock County Training
School, a new consolidated high
school 'in that region. The reper
toire consisted of music dating
from 16th century polyphonic,
such as Veni Sponsa Chris-
ti and Thie Penitential Psalms of
the Catholic Church, through Pro
testant Anthems such as A Mighty
Fortress Is Our God; two songs by
Shubert-Ave Maria, and Seren
ade; up to Negro spirituals of the
present day, representative of
which were Jonah, a song ser
mon, and Guide My Feet.
In Albany, Georgia, the second
place the glee club visited, the
Albany-Speknan. Club hostessed
the concert. Numerous Spelmanites
cordially and graciously extended
hospitality to their Spelmian sis
ters. The concert was held in the
Kiokee Baptist Church; The rep
ertoire was much the same as at
Sparta. Soloists who performed at
both concerts were Jean Wayrner,
soprano; Betty Lane, soprano;
Barbara Brown, pianist; and Rho-
da Home, violinist. With the in
spiration gained from these two
trips here in our state, the Glee
Club members are anticipating
great success on the longer tour
Emma Joyce White [later in the spring.
Operation NASH
N.A.A.C.I
The Spelman Chapter of the
NAACP has been very busy lately
planning and initiating programs
clearly, to discuss freely, to plan [for the study of racial problems
and to participate in positive and
nonviolent actions. They have the
wonderful quality of articulating
their opinions, their troubles and
their solutions. It’s quite some
thing toi be told by a social sci
ence professor, “Today we are
discussing Ruth Benedict’s Pat
terns of Culture and yesterday we
picketed the State Capitol for in
tegration of the Visitors Galler
ies”. Or to be told, “This is the
first time we have had the whole
class together for two weeks,
three of our students were arrest
ed for picketing the segregated
Hospital” (which by the way, is
supported by Federal funds).
What a paradox to sit in a class
room and hear a discussion of the
United States Constitution, while
outside students are being arrest
ed for defending their rights. To
all these social restrictions and
humiliating inequalities, the stu
dents respond with wisdom, can
dor, humility and a sense of hu
mor. Indeed, they set an example
which it would do us Northern
students well to follow.
here in the South. The first of
these programs was held at the
March meeting when Mr. Vernon
Jordan, NAACP Field Secretary
for the state of Georgia spoke.
Such items 1 as current affairs in
race relations in Georgia, the Al
bany and Macon situations, and
conditions of remote counties in
Georgia were discussed. A ques
tion and answer period which fol
lowed revealed many unjust prac
tices unfamiliar to the audience.
Coming events are playing a big
part in the activities Of our chap
ter. Among the slated events are
the following: the election of of
ficers in April and the Installation
Service in May; the cooperation
with the Atlanta Branch NAACP
National Convention to be held in
Atlanta July 2-9; and the partic
ipation in the May 17 activities.
Perhaps this day has no meaning
for you now. Nevertheless, pre-
ar'e for it, watch for its an-
noucements, and he ready to reap
the full benefit of this great oc
casion. THE DATE AGAIN IS
iMAY SEVENTEENTH!!!!!
NASH is the community project
for the Northside Drive, Ashby,
Simpson and Hunter Street vicin
ities; a project designed to assist
and cooperate with the families in
those communities. Just exactly
what does NASH do? Primarily
NASH performs two functions:
1) it provides a supervised recre
ation program for the children in
this neighborhood; 2) it allows the
parents of these children, who
otherwise are busy with the care
of their children, to have a few
hours on Saturday for their own
pleasure or relaxation.
However, the contribution
NASH makes under the direction
of Mrs. Estelle Clemens, is far
more significant than might ap
pear from the knowledge of its
basic function.
Students from colleges and uni
versities throughout Atlanta vol
untarily participated in the NASH
project. Students from Spelman
College, Emory University, Geor
gia Tech, ITC, Clark, Morehouse,
Morris Brown, and other schools
took part. These students or-
gainzed and directed the activ
ities of the younger children of
these communities. On Saturdays
the students assembled at 816
Playlane at 12:00 for a brief ori
entation meeting, after which they
took their respective posts. These
divisions of activity range from
the nursery group, music group,
arts and crafts group, foreign
language division and folk dance
group, girls recreation division
and boys recreation division. The
Nursery school appeared to be a
papular group with many of our
Spelman sisters.
The foreign language and folk
dance group consisted of teaching
French to various youngsters.
The French course was aug
mented by teaching authentic folk
dances. Some foreign students
participated in this phase of in
struction. In Boys and Girls Rec
reation, the student advisors di
rected various athletic games such
as baseball, croquet, boxing and
football. Some of the Morehouse
men received permission to use
the Morehouse pool one Saturday
so that the olders boys and girls
could participate in swimming.
Sometimes as many as 300 young
sters from the NASH area partic
ipated in the various activities
with about 30 or 40 student coun
selors directing the activity. Ap
proximately 15 to 20 students
from Spelman participated in the
program for one or more Satur
days.
The six Saturdays from Febru
ary through March were a trial
period for the NASH project. On
the last Saturday, March 24th, the
mothers of Egan Homes met with
the student recreation directors to
show their gratitude; the mothers
provided dinner and entertain
ment for the students. Besides ex
pressing their gratitude they ex
pressed regret that NASH should
be coming to an end. Because of
the concerted efforts of those peo
ple who made the NASH project
a success, it is possible that NASH
will resume its work in the future,
although it does suffer from a
lack of adequate funds.
If NASH is resumed, those of
us who participated would like to
urge our Spelman sisters to take
part in this very rewarding ex
perience. In addition we would
like toi express our hopes that sim
ilar programs will be initiated
throughout other communities in
Atlanta.
Dianne Matthews