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THE SPELMAN SPOTLIGHT
January, 1967
The Spelman Spotlight
Published monthly by the students
of Spelman College
Anna B. Porter, Editor-in-Chief
Andrea Williams, Associate Editor
Henrietta Turnquest, Business Manager
Melody McDowell, Yvette Savwoir, Feature Editors
Cynthia Smith, Literary Editor
Margaret Mills, Cartoonist
Joyce Akridge, Berdie Ricks, Photographers
Layout Staff: Yvonne Jackson, Marjorie Rich, Eileen Bass, Joyce Young
Advertising Staff: Eileen Bass, Luella Nichols, Phyllis Johnson
Poet-in-Residence: Joan Gaillard
Contributors: Marilyn Hunt, Janice Holloway, Ruth Baety
News Editor: Chris Singleton
Dr. Richard Carroll, Faculty Advisor
EDITORIAL POLICY
The Spelman Spotlight is published monthly by students of Spelman
College. We welcome articles and letters to the editor from our entire reading
public These letters and articles do not necessarily reflect the opinions of
the Spotlight Staff or the majority of Spelman students. We also welcome
advertisements, but do not necessarily support the views of our advertisers.
Monthly deadlines will be posted. \
Academics
At the end of mid-term, first semester, 1966, it was an
nounced that the Spelman student body (which numbers ap
proximately 800) had received 901 deficiency notices. Surely
not every student on campus is failing a course. However it is
evident that many of us are doing poorly in two, three, or
maybe all our courses. This should be a cause of alarm
among the faculty and the student body. What could be the
reason for these very low grades?
Several factors are involved in the answer to this question.
First it must be determined whether the Spelman campus is
actually conducive to study. Can students do their best work
in severely overcrowded dorms where study rooms have been
converted into bedrooms for even more students? Can girls
who live in the “lower level” (basement) be expected to do
the good work of which they are capable? Noise is a serious
problem in many of the dorms. The counseling services seem
to be so ineffective that the girls who are causing most of
the difficulties cannot be reached through gentle persuasion
or social probation.
Is Spelman College encouraging serious academic pursuit
or have we become a play school where 901 deficiency notices
can be laughed off? The attitudes of many of the students
would seem to indicate that noise, pestering the dormitory
counselor and housemother, and taking everything as lightly
as possible are the really fun-type things at Spelman.
The quality of the teaching should also be explored. Are
teachers expectorating a wealth of facts which they expect
students to faithfully regurgitate on exams or are Spelman
students being encouraged to work with facts and bind them
in a coherent whole which will have some relevance for their
lives? Are classes too large? Are facilities inadequate?
It is hoped that dormitory and campus environment, student
apathy, and the role of the faculty will all be investigated by
Spelman’s self-study committee, for these three factors are
most important in our current academic situation.
Meanwhile, the student body should realize that while
administrative officials obviously ignored the consequences of
sardine can dormitories, we should not make matters worse
with our noise and general indifference.
GOOD LUCK ON YOUR FINALS, EVERYBODY!
A. B. P.
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Trade Shops?
by Robert L. Terrell, Morehouse College
It appears that Negro colleges, those in the Atlanta Uni
versity Center included, are in danger of becoming glorified
trade schools. Training is receiving more emphasis than
academic excellence and the acquisition of marketable skills
is taking precedence over intellectual competence.
Our presidents are becoming none other than sophisticated
traveling salesmen. Their function, it seems, is selling the
colleges as productive enterprises.
Our faculties are gradually acquiring new functions, not
the least of them being the production of quasi-academic
journeymen. They have, it seems, dismissed cerebral stimula
tion as a useless non-pecuniary pursuit.
Our placement officers without a doubt are the smoothest,
glibbest, sellingest, auctioneers in the business. (Catch this.)
“Bids begin at $5600 gentlemen. Can I hear “57.” Just
look at her. Mind already programmed, thinks like a com
puter and never needs oiling.
“$5700—can I hear “58”? She comes with a lifetime war
ranty (degree) and she is guaranteed: to act ultra-cultured
at all times, to refuse to discuss the race issue, and to be too
stupid to have an opinion on anything the least bit contro-
Letters
to
The Editor
LONELY SOLDIERS
Dear Editor:
My friend and I have been
in the Navy for over seven
years. We are presently serv
ing in Viet Nam and our con
tact with the outside world is
greatly limited. Over the years
our old friends have either
moved or gotten married and
our incoming mail has dwin
dled to practically nothing. We
would appreciate it if you
would put our names and ad
dress in the college paper or
perhaps on the bulletin board.
Any consideration would be
greatly appreciated.
versial.
“$5800—can 1 hear 59?” Come on, gentlemen. This little
graduate has been thoroughly de-Negroized and we are offering
a money back guarantee to anyone who catches her listening
to the blues, tapping her foot to a spiritual, dancing the Philly
dog, or eating a chitterling sandwich on her lunch break.
“Going once, going twice, sold to the gentleman from
IBM for $6000.”
It is difficult to get from one side of campus to the other
without encountering some buyer or “company representa
tive.” The situation has gotten so ridiculous that one industrious
group of recruiters set up a table in Yates and Milton’s, of all
places. There’s a rumor making the rounds that the never-say-
die Peace Corps has stationed recruiting agents in the restrooms
at Trevor Arnett in order to catch unsuspecting students with
their guards down.
Seriously, it seems that Negro colleges are being danger
ously influenced by the demand for educated or “showcase
Niggers.” Too many concessions are being made to these
guilt-motivated businessmen trying to make up for their past
discriminatory hiring practices. These concessions are seriously
affecting every aspect of our academic community and con
tributing to a dangerous “brain drain” in the Negro com
munity. They also constitute a disservice to Negro students
who are for the most part never exposed to the joys of learning
for the sake of learning.
Colleges should primarily seek to stimulate those inter
ested in learning, encourage academic excellence, and produce
intellectuals. This entails their encouraging as many students
as possible to pursue graduate degrees.
When a college begins to minimize or neglect these ob
jectives it ceases to serve its initial and primary function. For
obvious reasons Negro colleges are in danger of losing sight
of these goals. At this stage of the game it’s a loss that they
can ill afford.
Rambling Thoughts on “Rambling Thoughts”
As always it is the desire of the Spelman Spotlight to reflect
student opinions. A large amount of opinion on this press day
seems to be centered around an article which appeared in
the January issue of the Morehouse College Maroon Tiger.
This article is entitled “Ramling Thoughts from the Back of
My Mind,” and its topic is the sexual aspects of the Spelman-
Morehouse relationship. This article has aroused quite a bit
of interest among both administration and student bodies on
both campuses.
Reactions among the Spelman student body were generally
centered on the next-to-final paragraph which discussed the
lack of respect from Morehouse to Spelman women. Some
resented the language he used, especially some of the descrip
tive phrases. Other reactions ranged from a “So what. Why
worry unless the shoe fits you?” to a “These things exist, but
what purpose is there in printing them?” to a suggestion for a
Let’s Stone Craig Finley Committee.
These are the observed reactions, some formed from a
careful appraisal of the article and its contents and others,
from hear-say. Now is your opportunity to express your opin
ion. The Spelman Spotlight as always welcomes letters to the
editor. What do you, as Spelman women, think of “Rambling
Thoughts”? Deadline for the next issue of the Spotlight is Feb
ruary 10.
Respectfully,
Robert D. Cleveland
Communication Systems
Tech. USN
—- and —
Robert V. Pettit
Hospital Corpsman
First Class
USS Gurke (DD783)
c/o FPO San Francisco,
Calif. Zip 96601
SISTERS AND
BROTHERS
Dear Editor:
Can you believe that Phi
Lambda, the prominent social
club of our brother school,
Morehouse, has recently wel
comed a sister organization at
Clark?
Fifteen Clark young ladies
are now the sister organization
Tau Lambda. It is no surprise
to me that the Spelman girls
were not so favored. Our ad
ministration seems confident
that such organizations would
break up our sisterhood.
The fellows have a right to
a sister organization and I am
proud to see that they did not
dispense with the idea after
meeting with failure at Spel
man. After all, Spelman is not
concerned with brother-sister
hood, just a traditional dog
matic sisterhood.
I wonder though, will Spel
man feel hurt if Phi Lambda
should choose their queens
from Clark. The Tau Lambda
girls of Clark will surely feel
neglected if Phi Lambda does
choose queens from Spelman
—and rightly so!
Well girls—I say it’s our
fault. We must show the ad
ministration we can have social
organizations as well as sister
hood. We must demand what
we want and not disappoint
the administration when we get
it.
Our sisterhood may be
strong—but are our brothers
breaking the links?
M.A.H.