Newspaper Page Text
— EDITOR
ANNOUNCES
Amelia Hamilton, a senior English major from Hous
ton, Texas, heads the SPOTLIGHT staff this year as Edi-
tor-in-Chief. Amelia’s expertise in the field of communi
cations promises to boost both interest and participation
in the college’s most accessible student publication. Be
sides editing the SPOTLIGHT, Ms. Hamilton is also presi
dent of Clark College and Spelman’s combined College
Women in Broadcasting. Working with Amelia as Asso
ciate Editor is Debbi Newton, a junior Political Science
major from Chicago, Illinois. Debbi takes the business of
newspapering very seriously. According to her, one of the
goals of the SPOTLIGHT this year will be to “aid in de
monstrating the impact and credibility of the media. I’d
like to see the SPOTLIGHT become an instrument in
motivating career interests in the areas of Mass Media.”
Marian “Kittye" Cobb will be operating in the capa
city of News Editor. She is a senior English major from
Fort Valley, Georgia, and also the current president of
“Belles Lettres,” Spelman’s English Club.
Two new additions to the staff are Vicki “Aeie” Poole
also a senior English major. Hailing from Akron, Ohio,
“Acie” will be heading the literary section of the news
paper staff, and Sylvia Wofford a tentative Physical Edu
cation major from the Bronx, New York. Sylvia is in
charge of the Circulation Department.
A host of hard working, well articulated reporters
compound the SPOTLIGHT staff. Combining forces they
work diligently towards making each issue a memorable
one. For those who are interested in photography, the
SPOTLIGHT boasts new photographic equipment just
waiting to be employed by reporting enthusiasts. Also
aiding the staff in quality reporting is new recording e-
quipment to insure accuracy and effectiveness.
The editor urges all who are interested in any aspect
of journalism to stop by the SPOTLIGHT office to be
come an active part of the intellectual atmosphere of
Spelman College’s campus.
Associate Editor and New Staff Appointments
lack New:
is Good New:
EDUCATION
by Marian Cobb
From the beginning of Spelman’s establishment, high
standards in educating Black women was of the utmost
concern. The initial curriculum of our institution was
built around the same framework of the contemporary
higher and normal academic schools of that period,
(1885.)
The course list included mathematics, English gram
mar and literature, geography and philosophy. Students
were also taught cooking, sewing, general housework and
laundry, courses in nurse training were also available.
The program of study offered at Spelman was most
relevant to the position of Black women in the commun
ity at that time. The future of the Black race in the South
was very dependent on the educated Negro woman.
In 1891 Dr. Malcolm McVicar and Misses Packard and
Giles developed an expansion program for the curriculum.
In the first catalog, which was the size of an ordinary
sheet of paper, the curriculum consisted of three depart
ments: the collegiate department, an academic depart
ment which included a college prep program with foreign
language and English courses for prospective teachers or
missionaries and a training school department. The train
ing school department consisted of a normal course, a
missionary training course, nurse’s training and an indus
trial course in sewing, dressmaking and typesetting.
Religious training and Bible studies were always em
phasized. Daily devotions, weekly preaching services and
Sunday school were held.
The Academic diploma superceded the Normal and
Scientific diploma. Graduates who received the Academic
diploma could teach but no instruction in the methods
and practices of teaching were given. Graduates in the
Normal department received the Teacher’s Professional
Course certificate. This included two additional years of
work along with field work. In 14 years the department
graduated twenty seven students, this department was
discontinued in 1906.
Students who completed nursing and printing courses
also received certificates but they were not considered as
graduates of the seminary.
At this time Giles Hall housed the primary and inter
mediate departments while the grammar and academic
departments were operated from Rockefeller Hall.
In the ensuing years steadfast progress was made in
the quality and content of education at Spelman. In
1914, Spelman was accorded the right to confer the
Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degree. The
emphasis shifted to vocational training and uplifting the
education in the Black race. The Nurses Training program
was strengthened, home economics courses were added
to cope with the growing need of enlightenment in the
Black race. In 1924 Spelman opened a Teacher’s college
that offered training in secondary and elementary edu
cation.
The prerequisites for pursuing work on the college
level were raised. The college program included one hun
dred and ten courses, forty of which were allowed to be
taken at Morehouse College. During this time Spelman
began to develop her close academic ties with other
schools, particularly Atlanta University and Morehouse
College.
Spelman’s concentration on college work was reflected
in the discontinuation of the Nurses Training Depart
ment and the elementary school in 1928. In 1930 the
high school department was discontinued.
In 1937 the fine arts became available for areas to be
selected as majors and minors. Courses were offered in
painting, sculpture, music, dramatics, and dance. There
was too, an introductory course to the fine arts; the aim
of this course was to acquaint students with the arts and
to develop a sophisticated appreciation of them leading
to a keener enjoyment of life.
During this general period the University Players (now
the Spelman*Morehouse Players) were organized.
The period of war in the ‘40’s brought about a transi
tion in instruction at Spelman. A political orientation
course was introduced to shape students cognizance and
understanding of current issues; a handicraft laboratory
was opened and each student was urged to develop at
least one skill. Courses in world geography, war ideolo
gies, economics of war, typing, shorthand and first aid,
were offered.
During this time, however, Spelman expanded on a
large scale academically. Courses for the first two years
were prescribed with basics such as English, History and
Philosophy.
Junior and Senior years were concentrated on the ma
jor subject and electives with as many hours in humani
ties as possible.
As time progressed, Spelman opened its doors to such
courses as Greek civilization, Roman civilization and Lat
in American History. Additional courses were brought
in-philosophy, music, psychology and literary criticism.
It has always been a college policy to have an inter
racial faculty as well as members of both sexes. By 1952
the faculty was predominantly Black owing to the in
crease of the number of educated Black people. Contrary
to the situation in the past, a moderate balance between
the sexes had been achieved.
Stronger academic programs were offered because of
the close affiliation with Morris Brown, Clark, Morehouse
and Atlanta University.
Currently Spelman has eighteen areas from which a
student may select a major or minor. A student may also
concentrate her studies in such areas as dance, education,
etc. The core curriculum consists of satisfactory comple
tion of basic courses such as English, Reading, Physical
Education and Foreign languages. The humanities, Fine
Arts, Social Sciences and Natural Sciences are also in
cluded. At least 40 hours are comprised of the core curri
culum leaving 84 hours for majors and electives. Spelman
confers Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees
as in the past.
In retrospect, it is evident that the value of education
at Spelman has risen through the years. It is no wonder
that our institution is reputed as one of the best;the cali
ber of our alumanae and our present student body lend
evidence to this truth.
TO THE EDITOR
May 13. 1974
Spelman Women’s College
Editor,
School Newspaper
Dear Editor,
I am writing this letter in the hopes that you would
publish it in your schools newspaper. 1 would enjoy very
much corresponding with any interested person.
I have been incarcerated in the Connecticut Correc
tional Institution, Somers for the past four years and ex
pect to be confined here for many years to come. I re
ceive very few visits and little or no correspondence. I
have considerable free time and would enjoy writing to
someone.
I am twenty nine years old, five foot seven inches,
weigh one hundred twenty five pounds, with brown hair
and hazel eyes. I am a veteran and have experience in
photographic work both in the Army and as an Ident-
ification clerk in the prison. I am now working as a medi
cal clerk and technician within the prison. My hobbies
include Leather work, reading, handball, baseball and
most sports.
Some people in here have written to schools and are
now receiving letters from students. My hopes are to re
ceive letters from anyone who is interested in writing.
Sincerely,
Joseph Morin
Box 100
Somers, Conn. 06071
WORDS
THEEZI
WEEKt
“The Black poor have a special responsibility: to not just
accept what they are given, but to train the young to
conceive what we need. The poor unworking mothers
have all day to tour museums, to window shop at depart
ment stores, to create story hours at neighborhood li
braries, to become helpers at schools, hospitals, drug
centers. . ..”
Nikki Giovanni, poet, on the duties of the poor