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THE SPELMAN SPOTLIGHT
February 29, 1964
SPOTLIGHT STAFF
Editor-in-Chief—Ida Rose McCree
Associate Editor—Georgianne Thomas
Business Manager—Gloria Knowles
Advertising Manager—Bernice Dowdy
Circulation Managers—Barbara Glover, Wilhemina Richardson
News Department—Wanda Waples, Bernette Joshua, Phoebe Bailey, Bernice
Dowdy, Marsha Goodwin, Betty Stokes, Geraldine Davis
Feature Department—Joanne Merry, Nelda King, Charles E. White, Judy
Tillman, Jeanne Terry, Lucia Holloway, Jeannie Holloway, Gloria
Knowles, Ann Graves
Typists—Cheryl Pride, Betty Stokes, Eleanor Hinton, Gloria Knowles
Proofreading—Kercenna McChriston, Eleanor Hinton, Betty Wilson, Nelda
King.
Cartoonists—Carolyn Simmons, Mary Ann Gaither
Advisor—Mrs. Rosalyn Patterson
Editorial opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the administration,
faculty, or the entire student body of Spelman College.
FROM
THE
EDITOR'S
DESK
"GETTING OVER"—BUT HOW
Deep inside we all know that cheating is wrong. Our con
sciences tell us that somehow this act is of no moral value. Then,
if we consider the act teleologically, we again arrive at the con
clusion that the end results of cheating are not favorable to us.
Why, then, do individuals persist in such behavior when the
long range ills greatly outweigh the immediate gains? Cheating
on examinations is only one of the modifications of commercial
graft which exists in our society today.
Seemingly, there has been a serious fallacy committed in all
such cases, namely that of mistaking true moral values for the
immediate satisfaction of some want or the other. To offset failure
in a class we cheat, we rob a student or a “pony” to pay off the
teacher. We put off the present danger of failure by engaging
in an even greater danger which involves the loss, sometimes
momentarily and other times completely, of our moral duty and
our moral sensibility.
If this idea of moral sense, or conscience is too trite for us
as intellectuals to rely upon, consider if you will, the role of
reason in decisions of this kind. Our rational thinking should
dictate that cheating is only the solution of an immediate problem
which will only harm the individual in the long run. Our ra
tional faculty should dictate that certain standards of moral
action have to be met in order for us to preserve ourselves as
parts of the human race?
If our reason does not function in these areas we are seriously
headed for destruction, because decision-making is the mainstay
of our very existence. True, we can continue to fool ourselves, to
deal in trickery and false pretenses forever, but is life really
meant for this? Are we reaping the benefits of what we put into
our endeavors? The answer, as I see it, is no unless we realize
the significance of values in our lives, values, against which can
be measured all of our actions and thoughts. Meaning then enters
our lives. We find what we are living for, our purpose and the
necessary means for reaching our goals.
MASKING OUR
ANGUISH
Regardless of what racial leaders
may think, self-awareness does not
mean waking up one morning to dis
cover that a Negro cannot exist in
society unless he joins the move for
freedom. There are Negroes who live
successfully between the Negro and
white community. My point is not to
defend either one. My reference will
only be to that person who thinks
himself black (whether he be in
actual hue or not) and trapped—
trapped because the fight for free
dom does not seem to be the proper
answer.
It does not take a race relationist
to remind us of our strife, nor does
ignoring the problem seem to help.
Black is a color that needs no adorn
ment ... it is also a color that is
to be worn for a lifetime if it is
written on the face of man. It does
not exclude a brighter-complexioned
Negro who thinks himself superior
because he is not as deeply hued as
other Negroes.
Each wearisome day must pass
when a Negro is reminded that he is
a Negro; there are bitter and grue
some experiences to be sought be
cause of this fact. Moments after
lonely moments creep hastily into
our lives. One futile attempt after
another is made to avoid the “misery
of life.” And soon, all too soon some
times, we find ourselves saying how
cruel the world has been to us. The
world has not inflicted the sorrow,
but it is a dark world . . . too dark.
We live in a land where hope does
not seem to exist and where fighting
seems vain and despairing. We live
in a psychological zone where escape
seems to be the only proven answer,
but we are much too rational to ac
cept this form of relief. The only
resort is to mask our anguish. With
all of the incessant reminders of
white versus black, a sometimes bit
ter repression of anguish helps more
than a million demonstrations and
protests.
There are times when eternal dam
nation seems to be more feasible.
Race relationists, who seem to have
lonely, personal wars, give blatant
sounds; the man who ignores and
lives neither with the white nor the
Negro community is assured that his
way is best. But to mask an anguish
and be tolerant of both views seems
to give us a pure and distinct equili
brium.
C. Lejeune Hickson
COAHR
Reorganizing
The Committee on Appeal for Hu
man Rights (COAHR) has recently
been in the process of reorganization.
This civil rights group, composed
of the six institutions in the Atlanta
University Center, was begun in 1960
and was instrumental at that time
in initiating the direct action demon
strations in Atlanta.
In the past two years, however,
the COAHR has failed to receive
full support from the students in the
center, primarily because of a lack
of communication between the cen
tral planning body and the college
student bodies. The reorganization
which is now taking place will at
tempt to alleviate this vacuum be
tween the planning body and the
students. First of all, the steering
committee is composed of the presi
dents of the student bodies along
with two representatives from each
school. This committee is responsi
ble for planning the program which
the COAHR will undertake. Second
ly, there will be set up on each cam
pus subordinate committees compos
ed of students. These committees
will be responsible for carrying on
the functional operations of the or
ganization, including communications,
clerical work, sign-painting, picket
ing, voter registration drives, or what
ever action is needed. Everyone, how
ever, can help in some way, accord
ing to his own desires.
COAHR is a distinct organization;
it is the channel through which the
Atlanta University Center students
can contribute their time and effort
toward the civil rights movement.
It is composed entirely of students
and every student in the center can
contribute his ideas and energies
toward its success. Listen for further
details.
WATCH
THIS
SPOT
NEXT ISSUE!
Support the
But, everything goes back to the standard of value, the
moral duty. Cheating cannot be tolerated by persons who act
and think according to standards of morality, no more than can
murder, or adultery, or lying. In all these cases, if the coin were
turned, if we were the objects of such action, the odds would
be greatly against us. All of this can be referred to the Golden
Rule. If it is not practiced strictly in all things that we do, soon
we will have destroyed our standard of value and there will be
no means of determining what is right and what is wrong. There
will, undoubtedly, exist turmoil, chaotic random motion of be
ings without morals, and certainly soon extinction of what we
know as humanity.
Consider this, if you will. Why add to the certain turmoil?
Dismiss the fever which abounds here for “getting over” and
consider the profit to yourself and to humanity which comes
from the use of moral judgment and reason. I might add here
that examinations of any kind may be taken successfully after
sufficient study of the material. Try this. It works.
We Need Reporters, Typists, Proofreaders
Ida Rose McCree