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may - june
Doctors say Marijuana,
can’t help, could hurt
of leaves produces carcinogens. Farnsworth is the risk that
Marijuana simply has not been in marijuana can lead to stronger
common use in the United States drugs. While not necessarily so, it
'long enough to produce the has happened,
deaths from which statistics are Dr. Philip, who heads the
calculated.” Columbia College Counseling
Dr. Farnsworth, who serves as Service, also distinguishes
chairman of the American “recreational” pot smokers from
Medical Association’s Council on those who are deeply involved.
Mental Health, distinguishes The latter, he says, “typically
between “casual” pot smokers - have an intolerable, chronic,
those who try it out of curiosity low-grade depression and a
and who constitute more than resentful feeling that somehow
half of all uses - and “problem” they have been cheated by life.”
smokers who are preoccupied Their motivation for using drugs
with the drug to the point of is not to gain pleasure, but
dependency. merely to avoid pain.
Casual smokers may not suffer Dr. Philip believes that family
any real harm, he says. But many conflict plays a large role in
others do suffer interference with launching youngsters on the drug
work and studies, disorientation, path. “1 haven’t seen any kids
confusion or depression, getting into drugs who have not
Ironically, those most vulnerable had family problems.” he says,
to such reactions are people with It all adds up to a case against
unstable personalities or marijuana, although many
emotional difficulties -- who are doctors agree that present legal
most likely to-try the drug in the penalties for use of the drug are
first place! far too harsh. To such opponents
And what of the rewards? of stiff punishment, a social
Disappointing at best, says Dr. approach seems to make more
Farnsworth. There is no present sense than a legal one.
evidence that, except for a few Dr. Farnsworth puts it this
isolated individuals, pot-smoking way: “The way to solve the drug
can increase self-realization or problem is by helping the young
creativity. On the contrary, he improve their relations with their
says, “With pot, everything draws parents and with society.”
to a halt.” He might have added, “and
One other danger noted by Dr. vice-versa.”
Black Studies Program
Students see Black Studies as
attempt to pacify demands
for black courses
Marijuana may not be a
one-way tic-ket to hell as some
opponents claim, but it’s no
entree to psychedelic paradise
either.
Long-range studies now going
on may tell us some day just how
marimuana really how marijuana
really affects the body and mind.
Until then, three top medical
authorities on drugs have
summarized their views, which
can be found in an article in the
January Reader’s Digest.
The three doctors — Dana L.
Farnsworth of Harvard, Anthony
F. Philip of Columbia and famed
chest surgeon Alton Ochsner of
New Orleans - agree that while
the dangers may be somewhat
overstated, there are risks in
smoking marijuana and it is a rare
“pot-head” who can escape
without harm.
Moreover Dr. Ochsner, who
was one of the first doctors to
note the correlation between
cigarette smoking and lung
cancer, raises the possibility of
similar risks among marijuana
smokers. He sees disturbing
parallels between today’s
marijuana craze and the cigarette
promotions a few decades ago.
“At present, no one knows
whether smoking pot can cause
cancer,” he says. “What is certain
is that the burning of many types
Politically Speaking
Who got the shortest
end of the stick?
By Gail Charleston
If some black Americans were
asked which of America’s
minority groups got the shortest
end of the “justice and equality
stick,” many would say that it
has been that he is getting
nothing.
the American Indians.
As black American’s we are
very aware of how little of that
stick we got. To say that the
American Indian is getting even
less of a portion of that stick is to
say that he is getting nothing.
It is becoming very obvious to
the intelligent segment of this
society that since the arrival of
the white man on these fertile
soils, he has waged a continuous
war against all people of color. It
is very illogical to “discover a
land that has already been
discovered and inhabited by
people. The American claim of
legal accusition to territories
great calvary victory.”
Yet, the Sioux Indians were
only trying to keep the land
alloted them in a treaty with the
American government after
ranchers “discovered” gold on
the Sioux land.
White Americans look with
pride to the fact that America
stretcher her arms from the
Atlantic to the Pacific coasts.
Meanwhile, they scarcely
remember wiping out the Indian
population of 1-3 million to
approximately 340,000 at the
end of the westware expansion to
the Pacific.
Now each muscle in her
out-stretched arms is feeling the
effects of hundreds of years of
ill-treatment of the “Black and
Red Men” not “Americans, who
built (not helped to build, but
those who built) this country.”
The Indian, in whom dignity
has often been associated with
acquiesence, has begun to
respond naturally to the
thousands of abuses they have
been accepting for years.
It is probably not by
coincidence that this new Indian
militancy arises after a decade of
constant confrontations of blacks
and white power structure and
seeing the nation responding in a
piesemeal manner, yet, still
responding.
Recently a band of 100 Indians
occupied the abandoned federal
prison on the Island of Alcatraz
in San Francisco Bay which they
propose to use as a cultural
center.
In Alaska, Eskimos and Aluts
are contending that the land
supposedly sold to the U.S. by
Russia in 1867 belongs to them.
Apparently the U.S. did not
purchase it from Russia, but
purchased only the right to tax
and govern the territory.
As a general rule American
Indians have no affinity for
American Blacks and vice-versa.
As two minority groups in a
racist society, we can both learn
and profit from each others
experiences.
Let us take a lesson from
American Indian history. The
momentum relinquish our right
for what is rightfully ours, we
will become the “vanishing”-
Americans.
Right on Red Brothers.
By Marty Howard
There was a call last year for courses at Spelman to become
relevant to students as black people.
Many instructors sincerely attempted to answer this call. In fact, a
“hoax” called a ‘Black Studies Progra’ was set up in the Atlanta
University Center. This sort of program could not be instituted in all
departments for obvious reasons. However, the history Department,
as one would expect, was the main target.
It is now past the mid-term of the second semester and many
students have had the opportunity to enroll in courses covered by the
‘Black Studies Program.’ There has been all over black relevancy
applied to most all courses. Thus it is understandable why the History
and Political Science courses show the most indepth concentration -
be that as it may- on what black people have been and ought to be
about.
Unfortunately, some of the History courses show black relevancy
in name only. One such course is entitled History of the
Afro-American Experience.
There is practically a total exclusion of the black man and his
historical experiences from the actual subject matter of the course. In
all actuality, the course is being taught in the format of a United
States History course. Coloring and labeling maps of the continental
United States and memorizing major and minor battles of the Civil
War, have been the projects of the class thus far this semester.
There is no stated, written, nor apparent objective(s) of the course,
much less black relevancy.
Part one of the course was offered first semester but it was taught
by a different instructor. Students were dissatisfied with the past
instructor, just as they are with the present instructor.
The first semester instructor admitted to being unsure of what the
actual content of the course should be, but went on to do his best.
This honesty was appreciated by the members of the class and most
went on to do their best with hopes of improvement in the second
semester.
The present instructor gives the impression that she knows what
she is doing; unfortunately, the class does not have any idea of what
she’s doing. Students have sensed a disorganization or lack of any at
all in the class lecture itself.
Consequently, little attention is paid to the instructor during class
time. Actually, things have (degressed) to the point that practically
half of the class does not attend, though it meets only once a week.
There is general hatred for the very idea of attending class.
In most cases of poor attendance by many members of a class, the
fault lies within the student or within the instructor for not
generating enough interest to warrant attendance. Neither of these
reasons can be used in this case. Here, the student has been out and
out fooled.
Persons registering for the class assumed that the course would be
about the general, surface history of the American Black man, if
nothing else.
Had the students desired to take a course in United States History
perse, they would have enrolled in one. Had the students wanted to
do mere busy work, they would have volunteered to collect meal
tickets in the dining hall, or the like.
A rehash of the usual United States History accompanied by grade
school busy work is the only description students can give to the
course. In other words, this particular course gives only lip service, by
virtue of its titles, to the ‘Black Studies Program.’
Withdrawal has crossed the minds of many. But for many others
withdrawal is out of the question. For them a history course is badly
needed for any number of reasons. These are the loudest complainers.
The office of instruction does not deny that the grounds for student
complaints are valid. It is apparent that the instructor has what
students consider a questionable record (known as mass student
failure).
It is also apparent that the instructor’s methods of teaching is a bit
more to be desired. However, in this latter respect, certain students
have been informed upon registering complaints, that the instructor
does not particularly care for interference concerning “her methods
of teaching.”
Since school officials are evidently aware of the growing problem,
one would think that something would be done to remedy the
situation.
Needless to say, nothing was done. The reason given for this
inaction was that the semester is too far gone for anything to be
done. Meanwhile, students suffer in a course they thought was to be
something else entirely different. Some are even faced with the
possibility of failure. The course? .... and the hoax goes on.
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