Newspaper Page Text
rage 2
THE SPELMAN SPOTLIGHT
October 17, 1963
SPOTLIGHT STAFF
Editor-in-Chief—Ida Rose McCree
Associate Editor—Georgianne J. Thomas
Business Manager—Gloria Knowles
News Department—Wanda Waples, Bernette Joshua, Phoebe Bailey,
Bernice Dowdy, Yvonne Weatherly
Feature Department—Joanne Merry, Nelda King, Charles E. White,
Leronia Stokes
Typists—Cheryl Pride, Betty Stokes, Eleanor Hinton, Gloria Knowles,
Thelma Price
Proofreading—Kercenna DVDcChristion, Eleanor Hinton, Betty Milson,
Elizabeth Murray, Liz Murray, Juanita Price, Betty Stokes,
Veronia Stokes, Nelda King
Circulation Managers—Barbara Glover, Wilhemena Richardson
Cartoonists—Carolyn Simmons, Mary Ann Gaither
Advisor—-Mrs. Juanita Toomer
FROM
THE
EDITOR'S
DESK
Creativity, Student Discourse
A STATEMENT OF POLICY
Positive action is our key. Intellectual stimulation is our
goal. As editor of the Spotlight, I propose that the newspaper
aim at positive expression in its coverage of all issues this
year, non-controversial as well as controversial ones. It is
my task, then, to encourage a positive attitude toward these
issues, in keeping with the objective approach which all facets
of the college have proposed to use this year in their programs
of action.
What is a positive attitude? Needless to say, we, as human
beings, are naturally unsatisfied. Nevertheless, we, as intelli
gent persons, as students, aspiring to grow intellectually and
to become greater through this maturation process, must
realize the necessity for offering not only negative criticism
of all things, but also, simultaneously, positive suggestions
for improvement and steps to be used in applying these .sug
gestions. Any group which thinks negatively all of the time
falls into a pit of negativeness, untouched by the light of in
telligent pursuit of the excellent.
Regarding controversial issues, particularly, it will be the
policy of the newspaper this year to welcome student opinions
both pro and con on any issue. In view of the fact that we are
aiming at promoting greater proficiency among students in
the skills of argument and logical discourse, and because our
editorial space is limited, we must restrict the editorial
section of the student newspaper to students. Such a battle
of intellect is both stimulating and educationally challenging
to any college community. However, in view of its larger
goal, a goal of intellectual stimulation through positive ex
pression, the newspaper reserves the right to limit the extent
of this coverage, when the attainment of the larger goal is
being inhibited.
Unlimited student discourse and creativity are sanctioned
and promoted by this newspaper which is the students’ voice.
The newspaper solicits contributions from students and en
courages these students to use their critical, analytical
thought for producing articles and editorials worthy of being
called, collectively, the work of a body of intelligent persons,
anxious to know, feeling the anguish and pain which come
from striving to attain the best that college has to offer;
but possessing, too, the courage of conviction and the forth
rightness to withstand these ills for the goals which they
have set for themselves.
Lomax says in his article, “Young Negroes Aren’t Ready,”
which appeared in the Saturday Evening Post recently, that
we, as Negro college students in the South, are ill-prepared
to meet the challenges of today’s society, to fill the positions
which desegregation in some places has already provided.
Then, King says, “I have a dream that one day ...” freedom
will ring all through this land. But how are we to bridge the
gap between the challenge of King and the accusation of
Lomax? One aspect of this solution rests with us now. It is
up to us as college students to start now undertaking the
task of becoming ready. It is up to us here, as college students,
to play our siginificant roles in making this “dream” of a
better nation, a nation true to her ideals, become a reality.
It is up to us to deliberate no longer, to procrastinate no
longer.
One effective step in this direction (in this positive di
rection, I might add), is effective, rousing student express
ion. This entails much more than putting words down on pa
per at random. It demands rational, decisive thinking on the
part of the writer which will provide an incentive, a cogent
invitation for the exercise of similar action on the part of
the reader.
To repeat, positiveness, in the sense of affirmative and
constructive action, is our key; intellectual stimulation of
our student body is the newspaper’s goal for this year. Help
us to reach this goal through your participation and support.
Ida Rose McCree
cjCetterS to the Clclitor
Dear Editor:
I was very distressed to find
upon my return to the campus
this fall that Dr. Howard Zinn, to
whom Spelman College owes so
much of its present more modern
and progressive character, had
been dismissed quite abruptly and
completely without warning at
the end of the 1963-64 school year.
In plainer terms, Dr. Zinn was
fired and received notice of this
fact on the very same morning
that he and his family were to
leave the campus presumably for
the summer vacation.
As one who watched with keen
interest the developments of the
movement for civil rights on this
campus I cannot but wonder if
this action on the part of the col
lege against Dr. Zinn does not
testify to what was said in many
a stormy session last spring on
“liberty at Spelman,” that free
dom of expression and of dissent
do not, indeed, exist at Spelman.
I sincerely hope, as we must
all hope, in order to justify our
own presence on this campus that
my conjecture is, by some miracle,
the wrong one. Nevertheless, I can
but conclude from the facts pre
sented that the dismissal of Dr.
Zinn at such an opportune and,
in many ways, cruel time, after
the students and faculty as well
had left the campus for the sum
mer, that the action against him
was not only premeditated but
also a direct result of his militant
efforts to aid the student body in
obtaining those same personal
rights for which men have died.
His competency as a teacher is not
to be questioned; his character
speaks for itself. His contract with
the college had not ended — why
then was he dismissed on the very
date of his departure for the sum
mer vacation? Is it true that
faculty members are not to speak
their minds as well?
It was Dr. Zinn who was in
strumental in instituting the ex
change program and the Non-
Western studies course. It was he
who advised the Social Science
Club and Spelman leaders like
Herschelle Sullivan and Marian
Wright during the time of the
sit-ins in the Atlanta public
libraries and state houses. It is
the writing of Dr. Zinn on the
Negro movement in general and
the Negro student movement in
the South in particular that is
about the best in the country,
being both intelligent and objec
tive. It was to Dr. Zinn’s classes
that all really serious and inquir
ing students [in the social scien
ces] aspired to attend. Finally
it was to Dr. Zinn that each per
son on this campus was truly an
individual and infinitely more im
portant than a new building or a
smooth green iawn.
I am not sorry for Dr. Zinn in
the usual sense of the word; the
world takes care of its own and
history favors great men — the
more injustices overcome and pro
fited from, the greater the per
sonality. I am sorry, though, for
us, as a group of presumably ma
ture and civilized individuals; if
we can settle down to “business
as usual” with only a second
thought to what we have lost and
to what we have become in the
process of forgetting our loss too
quickly. How many of us, I won
der, are still familiar with the po
em which begins—“I have to live
with myself, and so, I want to be
fit for myself to know . . .”
Let us never exchange personal
values and beliefs for complacency
or comfort for conscience. Self
gain comes to nothing if in the
process of gaining the world one
loses his soul. Let us not desert
the battle because a leader has
moved to another part of the field;
it was for us, the student body,
Spelman College itself, that Dr.
Zinn fought. We have accepted a
debt which is fast becoming over-
SSGA PRESIDENT
SPEAKS
AN OPEN LETTER TO
STUDENTS
BETTY STEVENS
Women of Spelman College,
this is “a letter from a region in
my mind.” There are many
things that I would like to say
to you. I will say only a few of
those things now — the other
things I will say later. Eventual
ly, I will say them all.
So far, I can honestly say that
it has been a real pleasure to be
your president. I have enjoyed
planning your activities, articu
lating your needs and even lis
tening to your criticisms.
The Spelman Student Govern
ment is a means by which we
give expression to the general
will and improve the life we are
now leading. Because our com
munity government is composed
of students, we have special goals
due. Let us all, finally, stand to
gether in some positive action to
have him reinstated at Spelman.
This letter is not meant as an
accusation, though it will likely
be taken as such; it is written
not in anger, but from regret. It
is my intention to rumple the
complacency of my Spelman sis
ters so that if they do not share
my regret they can, at least, pro
perly appreciate our loss.
Sincerely,
Alice Walker
and responsibilities. The Council’s
job is to define and articulate
these goals and responsibilities.
It is the responsibility of the
Council to be sensitive to the
body. The Student Council seeks
to satisfy student intellectual and
social interests by its program
of activities, planned in cooper
ation with the Men of More
house.
This year the student leaders
have many plans, plans that can
only move from the realm of
paper to the realm of practice
with your cooperation and faith.
Let me emphasize this one
point — the Student Council is
a body with limited power. This
you must keep in mind always.
There is much that we as stu
dents cannot do, yet there is just
as much that we can do. We hope
this year to work effectively in
those areas of complete and par
tial control.
(Only the weak and the inse
cure fear criticisms and we feel
that our government falls into
none of these categories.)
This year, the student govern
ment will be what you, the wo
men of Spelman College, make
it. It cannot succeed without you
—and without you it will surely
fail.
There is something else in this
region of my mind that I feel
compelled to share with you. It
concerns the question that many
of you have posed to me. “Why
was Dr. Zinn fired?” (To the
members of the freshman class,
Dr. Zinn is probably just a name.
To the members of the sopho
more, junior and senior classes,
he is a brilliant professor who is
admired, respected, loved, by all
Spelman students.) You asked
this question because you wanted
an answer. I regret to say that
I cannot satisfy your curiosity
and concern. I do not hire and
fire. However, I, too, have asked
this question, but I have not
been able to receive an answer
either.
Even though the student does
not hire and fire the professor,
the student is greatly concerned
(Continued on Page 4)
Exchange Article From Morehouse
Strictly Speaking
By CHARLES JACKSON, JR.
Some may be reluctant to admit it, but college days are
the best and probably the most profitable days in one’s life.
In no other business can one invest so little and reap such
grand benefits. In no other world than that of the college
world can the individual profit unlimitedly academically, so
cially and morally.
Few people realize how power
ful the weapon of education really
is. It is more powerful than
money, more powerful than pro
perty or any other material goods
such as these. I say this because
in our day education is the basic
means to these ends. And by edu
cation I don’t mean just “educa
tion” — I mean good education
which can only be obtained by
attending an institution intent
upon demanding competence from
its students.
Lack of education is the prim
ary reason why we, as Negroes,
have made so little progress in
the last century. The Civil Rights
Movement is a good means of ob
taining an end, but it is 1 triv
ial when weighed against what
we really need. We need to be
educated — educated in every
field and every discipline. Now
don’t think that when I put the
“-ed” on educate that I mean
education at some point stops.
No. This is the mistake of many
students today — the high school
graduate, the college graduate and
on up the line. “Once a student,
always a student” is the v/ar yell.
One must never put a stop to
learning, in school, out of school,
or in the professions.
So much emphasis on the word
education is likely to cause a
multitude of frowns. I am not
advocating that one should
mechanize himself and dedicate
himself to the proposition that all
men should become bookworms.
This is hardly my point. The line
of education extends far and wide
and, because of its extent, goes
far beyond the realm of books.
In my mind, the well-educated
man should strive for excellence
in a three-fold manner: academic
ally, socially, and morally. All
three of these facets need to be
integrated into the whole concept
of education. The scholar who ex
cels academically and morally is a
failure if he fails socially. The
moralist without education is an
ignoramus even if he is at the
top of the social level. The man
who reaches the top socially, by
inheritance for example, is a fail
ure if he is uneducated or has
no morals or both.
The process of “being educated”
is not enough. He who is educated
must act. If he is a leader, he
should lead with determination,
with courage and with some
material goal in mind. If he is a
follower, he should follow with
awareness, with good sense, and
with the desire to achieve. He is
(Continued on Page 4)