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Page 2 - Spelman Spotlight
Let’s Do This Year
Here we have it. A big school year before us. Let’s not waste it.
Let’s think in terms of making our mark in history some way,
somehow, or let us even assist someone in the making of history.
Let’s really DO this year.
I don’t want to run down the gee-look-how-fortunate-you-are-
getting-a-college-education propaganda on you, but, look!
Sometimes we forget that we are a minority among our own
people ^when it comes to college education. Sometimes we
separate ourselves. Sometimes - we even look on those whom we
consider not as fortunate as ourselves.
There is so much that we can
do with the knowledge and the
wisdom that we are or should
be obtaining in the largest con
sortium of black institutions in
the world, the Atlanta
University Cehter. What can
you do now?
Can you teach someone to
read, to write, to solve
mathematical equations?
Can you find out what you can do to fight apartheid,
how it affects black people right here in America and take some
kind of action, wheatherit’s writing your congressman, the U.N.,
Ian Smith, the President, or finding out which corporations in
America do business with the supporters of apartheid.
Are you satisfied with the image of black people as portrayed
by television? Is it okay with you? Or do you want to write the
producers and station managers to tell them what’s on your
mind.
Who owns those housing projects on the side and back of
Spelman College? Would you like to live there? It is apparent that
the projects can stand improvements. What can you do to help?
A patient who goes to the Grady Memorial Hospital walk-in
clinic and makes an appointment for 12:30 pm doesn’t get to see
the doctor until 2:30 pm or later. All patients must wait for the
hospital staff of the walk-in clinic to come back from lunch. No
one is seen at this point at all. And the most ironic thing about it
is, one must pay before receiving service. What can you do to
change that?
Don’t think that only “somebody else” can bring about
change. You can bring about change too. Who do you think the
participants in the civil rights movements of the 60’s were. A
whole lot of them were college students.
Let’s Do this year. Every little bit helps. Let’s give of ourselves
as viable resources. I’m going to do my part, how about you?
Spelman
Going To The Dogs?
Every morning I wake up
feeling so good (well, most
mornings). I twist, I stretch,
and I look out of the window.
The sun is shining, the sky is
blue, and there’s GARBAGE
all turned over in the back if
Howard Herreld! That’s right,
GARBAGE. And I know WHO
turns that garbage over. Dogs.
Maybe some of you are
saying, “aw, everybody knows
that.” Perhaps so, but I’ve
decided to bring it out into the
open.
I remember last year there'
were a lot of stray dogs on cam
pus. They would be gotten rid
of. Now they’ve gotten hip and
their sneaking up at night. Eve
actually seen them coming
once. One of the places that
allows them to get on campus
Spelman Spotlight
P.O. Box 50
Atlanta, Georgia
30314
is a hole under the fence in
back of McAlpin on the left
side near the lamp post. There
could be other holes, but now
that everyone knows where
this one is, perhaps someone
will go and patch it up.
The
Spelman
Spotlight
Welcomes
The Class
Of 1981
Opinions expressed on this
page are not necessarily those
of the Spotlight staff. All
editorials should be signed or
they will not be accepted.
Names are with-held upon re
quest.
White Institutions
Suppress Black Students?
If every Spelman woman
would only realize what
Spelman has to offer her,
maybe she would be more ap
preciative of Spelman as a
perpetuator of blackness and
black consciousness. What I’m
trying to say is, It’s time for us
to start looking at Spelman as
a notable educational
institution dedicated to
producing black scholars, in
contrast to those institutions
which propose to be educating
today’s black young adults.
I am an exchange student
from a predominantly white
school and I have seen what
the white educational
institutions can do to a young
black mind. Besides being
stifled academically (never
getting the “A” you know you
deserve) a black person is
always a black and never just
a human being. My hardest ad
justment while attending a
white institution was realizing
that I was in fact, black. I could
never forget that because no
one would allow me to forget.
The white institutions sup
press black creativity by try
ing to mold black minds into
white minds. There is nothing
wrong with a white institution
for white people, but for blacks,
a white institution stifles
growth. If you are constantly
trying to prove yourself by
validating your blackness,
how can you learn and how
can you grow?
At Spelman the educational
system is different. It’s
different because black people
make it different. Here, you
don’t have to remember that
you are black because
everyone is. The question is,
what next? What do you have
to offer besides your
blackness?
Spelman wants brain power
and it thirsts for a creativity
(as opposed to those white
schools that just wantanigger
in the classroom). Spelman
allows you to dig deep into
your being, to uplift the
productive woman in you. You
can represent blacks because
you have stepped beyond the
boundaries limited to blacks.
You can shine above your
beautiful black skin.
The white institution sup
pressed my being by denying
me of my creativity. It tried to
break me down into a hollow
black shell. Spelman has given
me a chance to revitalize
Speaking Plainly
Dr. Stewart intimated in his
opening convocation address
that Spelman faces the same
prospects that many private
colleges, coed and single-
sexed, face in this decade, the
possibility of economic demise.
Increasingly private colleges
are being forced to either close
their doors or become absorbed
into larger academic struc
tures, Losing their original
idenity. However, Dr. Stewart
affirmed his determination to
keep Spelman a private, black,
single-sexed institution.
It is a shame that with this
forecast for our school’s future,
we must also contend with
another problem which
permeates the core of our social
and academic environment;
the lack of concern for this
college is too pervasive to
ignore. Too many things are
being taken for granted.
The survival of this college is
at stake. But what is more
perilizing is that our idenity as
black women is under scrutiny
as well.
Institutions, on whatever
level they exist in society, are
only as good as the individuals
who operate and/or reside
within them. These
institutions become mirrors
which relect their individual
parts. People make
institutions; institutions do
not make people.
Although it might seem to be
easy to become passive in this
environment by not actively
participating in any school ac
tivities, publicly admitting
that one does not care, or not
supporting the general welfare
of this school. The
ramifications of such passive
behavior are great; these
behaviors are an indictment
on the mentality and idenity
we possess as black women.
The way we act, think, talk, or
the climate we create every day
at school are simulations of
ourselves; they are exemplary
of how we feel about ourselves
as blacks and women.
Apparently there are those
in attendance here who are not
concerned and could care less
about the future of this school
as long as it does not close
before they receive their
degree. Whether these people
realize it or not, they are
selfishly forgeting one of their
purposes in coming to a black
female college. And what is
worse, their insensitivity
towards the school might be
closing a door in the face of
someone who wants to get an
education.
Our purpose here is to get the
best education possible. Our
attendance here is symbolic of
our increasing needs as black
women. As intelligent black
females, we are about getting
for the world which awaits us.
We are about breaking the
chains of ignorance so we can
get ahead. But it is with
remorsefulness that we are
still about a race of people who
need to be reminded that until
all of us “arrive,” none of us
have truly made it.
Pamela D. James
myself and I am so
overwhelmed. I feel like
exploding my long caged
creations to all those who want
to listen and feel and think
(also to those who don’t want
to listen, or feel or think,
maybe some of it will rub off).
I ask you, women of
Spelman, to understand me.
Appreciate what you have and
allow yourselves to grow as
you can grow at Spelman.
Don’t cheat yourselves like the
white institutions cheat their
small black populations. Be a
sponge and absorb as much
knowledge and wisdom and
blackness as you can. You are
being given a chance to be
more than just black. You can
be scientific or poetic or
dramatic. Blackness is not
only being black, it is also
made historic and inventive.
As a final thought, ladies,
look at the Spelman around
you and then look at
yourselves. Be black, but also
allow yourselves to be a
creative woman who is black.
Paula Manns
Spotlight Staff
Editor-in-Chief
Robyn Dale Mahone
Associate Editor
Pamela D. James
Feature Editor
Nancy West
Literary Editor
Sabrina Freeney
Copy Editors
Roxie F. Hughes
Malrey Head
Avy Long
Advertisement Manager
Renee Willis
Business Manager
Janet Griffin
Assistant
Melodye Means
Photographers
Terence V. Smith
Deborah Johnson
Tamasha Ujuzi
Graphics
Tandra Dawson
Josette Cole
Rocita Diggs
Reporters
Valita Sellers
Valarie Y. Jones
Cassandra Clayton
Pamela Moore
Paula Manns
Sheron Covington
Dorothy Williams
Brenda Cleveland
Contributors
Verbeana Brown
Spelman Spotlight
P.O. Box 50
Atlanta, Georgia 30314