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THE SPELMAN SPOTLIGHT
September, 1967
The Spelman Spotlight
Published monthly
by the students of Spelman College
Janice Holloway, Editor-in-Chief
Marilyn Hunt, Associate Editor
Henrietta Turnquest, Business Manager
Joyce Young, Feature Editor
Cynthia Smith, Literary Editor
Kathleen Bilups, Photographer
Patricia Stansell, Cartoonist
Contributors, Gail Williams, Gracie Hill, Laura Burton, Mary E. Hatcher
Dr. Richard Caroll, 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 read
ing 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.
Progress in Our Times
I am not sure if many of you have taken the time to realize
the many revolutionary changes which have occurred at Spel
man College over the last few years. But many seniors can
earnestly confirm the fact that Spelman has seen much progress
in our time.
No one will dispute the fact that our new Fine Arts pro
gram will do much to improve the women graduated from
Spelman College. The faculty has been increased greatly in
the art, drama and music departments. Numerous cultural
events have been enjoyed and appreciated by the students in
the center. And I am sure that you shall reap even more bene
fits this year from our Fine Arts department as a result of
grants offered to the center in an effort to improve the cur
riculum.
The physical plant of the Spelman College campus has
been expanded. The wheels have been set in motion for an
over-all curriculum improvement plan. And the social priv
ileges have been extended.
This progress is due to many factions: deeper desire of the
administration and faculty to enhance Spelman’s over-all pro
gram, greater understanding between students and the admin
istration, cooperation of the students and the Spelman Student
Government Organization, and individual contributions of our
entire student body. Yet, much is left to be done.
There must be more of a desire to enhance Spelman from
the faculty and administration. There must be a still deeper
and more sincere understanding of the administration and the
students. We must have unending support of the SSGA from
our students. Yet more than this, each of you must start a
priavte campaign to bring about progress in our time.
Janice Holloway
WHAT HAPPENED
TO NEWSPAPERS?
The hardest thing to find or purchase in the AU Center
is a newspaper. But then, students for the most part seldom
read them. Once everybody at least read the funnies, but it
seems that they don’t even rate any more. How can a college
community survive unaware of the world in which it moves?
How can any student, especially Negro, not afford to read at
least one paper daily?
On the campus of Harvard, a student can buy a newspaper
from almost any part of the world. On Spelman’s campus, one
can hardly borrow a newspaper from the personnel who do
subscribe.
It is ridiculous that one paper has to be shared by 100
girls and that the one paper must be read in the dormitory
office to give all an equal opportunity to read it. You can’t
knock the administration on this one. We could have a vend
ing machine for the Constitution and the Journal and the In
quirer on our campus, if we wanted one ... if we asked for
one. But, if we had one, would we sacrifice a cup of coffee
to buy one? It’s doubtful!
Our favorite corner drug store seldom has newspapers.
Our libraries have them, but when we’re there at night the
news is old. Even the funnies are old by then. We smart,
intelligent, ever-reading students won’t worry about a simple
newspaper because we aren’t really smart, intelligent, ever-
reading people yet, are we?
Marilyn Hunt
From Your Big Sisters . . .
By Gail Williams
The Class of 1971 brought over 280 young, eager fresh
men rushing through the gates of Spelman coming from every
conceivable background and from every part of the country.
All of them formed some preconceptions of Spelman — some
idealistic — others terribly harsh. Some of them display an
air of confidence in their own abilities and goals while others
of them are more honest in their instabilities and fears. Yet
each of them has found stumbling blocks that need to be
removed. Each of them secretly cries out for help.
In a recent letter to the freshmen Gail Williams wrote:
It is not at all clear at first — laughter . . . new people . . .
strange ideas . . . responsibilities . . . Rules . . . false friends . . .
examinations . . . instructors. Out of the maze that being a
freshman is made comes two people — they both are you.
The ‘outside’ you meets people — smiles a little too often,
learns that putting on a front sometimes gets you places, ra
tionalizes that the only way to be cool and beat the system.
The “other’ you is less subject to detection, but is nonetheless
real. A bird in flight, a dark corner in a room, a whisper,
a star-studded night, a fleeting glance, peace and quiet from
the rat race are things likely to be sought by‘the ‘other’ you.
Suddenly there are only decisions about you and indeciseve-
ness within you to combat them. And they talk about freedom.
It isn’t long before ‘the both of Toll’ realize that you aren’t
truly free after all. The choices are already made for you; the
freedom comes only in selecting from the choices — a maze.
Perhaps it is because you.were told that adjustment would
come, yet it doesn’t seem near; perhaps it is because suddenly
you have lots of new acquaintances, but actually only one
friend. Perhaps it is because you fear that upperclassmen are
too busy, too grown, that you are fighting so hard to reconcile
the split within you into one strong adult.
Believe it or not there are upperclassmen who aren’t too
busy with themselves who remember that they were once fresh
men fighting with themselves, who are at least aware that every
one needs someone for real guidance at sometime. This is the
realization of the junior class; it is a timeless tradition at Spel
man. It is for this very reason that big sisters came into being.
Like most traditions, it is written upon the books, expounded
by the institution’s officials but often erased from our day-
to-day encounters with others.
To the best of our abilities, we have assigned each fresh
man a ‘big sister’ from the junior class. In order to re-establish
a worn pattern, we want one thing to come of these relation
ships — true sisterhood. If at any time ‘smile-today — ignore-
tomorrow’ relations are developing, then we are destroying
our goal. In this case it would be meaningless to continue the
big sister-little sister tradition.
To make it successfully through classes, through the More
house men, through the happy moments, through the times
when it is good to cry, and even through life, you might well
remember that there is nothing like a friend. A big sister can
help you keep your head out of the clouds. Let her know
what you are thinking. She doesn’t know it all; neither do you.
c/-y v
0 \
A Message From . . .
The Dean of Women
The college year begins . . .
‘Happy New Year! Happy
New Year!’ we jestingly greet
old friends and professors. Yet
the year is far spent and we
are caught in a MOMENT OF
ETERNITY. What we do, say,
plan, execute, administer,
avoid, circumvent, re-channel,
or sublimate NOW must for
ever cascade down through the
ages affecting not only our
own destinies, but those of
many, many others. Nothing is
inconsequential or unimpor
tant in all the moments in
eternity which make up the
total of one’s life. Whether it
is idle chatter or careful pur
poseful planning, frivolous gai
ety or serious thinking; wheth
er it is thoughtlessly wasting
time or exerting every energy
for self-fulfillment; whether it
is resorting to reliance on
falsehoods, prejudices, and
biased opinions, or using every
attribute of integrity and ob
jectivity in decision-making,
this moment is here encasing
your future.
Now what will you do with
this moment?
Begin with yourself and
radiate outward touching in
real and remote ways your
family, your roommate, your
campus, your community, your
state, your country, and even
other nations. Radiate through
every sphere of human involve
ment. Run or creep, laugh or
cry, exult or agonize . . . this is
your moment.
In the words of the poet. . .
Lo, Here is dawning
another new day,
Think, will you let it
pass uselessly away
Out of eternity, this
day was born
And in to eternity it
will return . . .
Naomi R. Chivers
Dean of Women
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Your
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