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Page 2 - Spelman Spotlight
EDITORIAL
Robyn D. Mahone
Drop The Meal Plan?
“We as students feel we have a right to decide whether or not
we want to be on the meal plan and are demanding that by
January 8,1978 a letter has been put in every Spelman student’s
mailbox stating that the mandatory board policy has been
dropped. If this is not done by the above date we will have to take
further action.”
The above statement, grammatical errors deleted, was made
by students who signed themselves The Committee For
Democracy In Education and was delivered to the office of
President Stewart before the holidays. The statement was part of
a letter which, in summation, informed President Stewart that
the committee had spoken to Business Manager Danny Flan-
nigan, and were directed to the president’s office.
Upon initial examination of the statement some of you, who
had not seen the pettition before hand as I had not, might be
saying, “yea, I should have signed that.” Or, you may be
pondering.
In any event, there are some things that must be considered
here. First, contracts. Spelman College has a yearly contract
with Campus Chefs, the food service utilized by Spelman. Unless
Spelman wishes to face a possible lawsuit Spelman would not
want to break that contract while it is in effect. Perhaps the com
mittee and those who signed the pettition would not have re
quired such an unreasonable deadline as January 8,1978 if this
had been considered or known.
My natural instincts tell methatitis wrong to force students to
accept a meal plan which they do not desire. However, one thing
to take into consideration is this: The amount of money charged
by Campus Chefs is based upon the volume of students on the
meal plan. The money we pay for board goes towards this
service. If a large number of students dropped the meal plan the
amount of money paid by students who remain on the plan will
more than likely increase. Would those of us who remain on the
meal plan be financially able to willing to accept a possible $200
to $300 increase in board?
I think that we should look for alternatives. Alternatives that
would not cost students an arm and a leg. I think that the root of
the problem lies in the fact that many students find the food
unappetizing. I personally think the food is O.K. for several
weeks but becomes repetitious after that. I think that there
should be more of a variety. I do not think that any snap
judgements should be made but that you, the students, should
look at all of the possible alternatives and analyze them, which is
what the administration is doing at the moment.
The editorial page belongs to you. It is the page where you can
air your views on anything under the sun. I would like to hear
your views concerning the cafeteria. I am sure that the ad
ministration would also. Let the change that comes be one that
you sanction. Do not let the decision be made for you.
Drop a few lines to the Spelman Spotlight, P. O. Box 50.J he
deadline for the next issue is February 8, 1978 at 12 noon.
Beseiged with Notices
After receiving several notices from the Career Library asking
me to return a borrowed Graduate Record Examination study
book, I decided to go by the Career Library and explain to
whomever it concerned that I had returned the GRE book.
I presented myself to the persons in charge of loaning books. I
explained to them that I had returned the book before the due
date and that the incessant notices were unjustified.
After several minutes of confusion and fumbling around with
the “check-out card” I was told that I would not receive anymore
notices.
I have received another notice and once again presented my
position to the persons in charge. Needless frustration is
unhealthy. So, Career Library, get the process organized and
let’s be together to avoid needless frustration.
Brenda Cleveland
Students:
Afraid To Be Committed?
“They (black college
students) have little or no
respect for knowledge and
learning and often exhibit a
certain contempt for anything
involving intellectual
achievements.”
Dr. E. Franklin Frazier
From: The New Negro Thirty
Years Afterward
by Pamela D. James
Dr. Frazier expressed this
sentiment concerning the
black middle class in America
some twenty years ago. He des
cribed this new middle class as
living in a carnival world,
separating themselves from
reality. This black middle
class is only interested in ob
taining status through
material possessions.
Knowledge and learning for its
own sake are of little conse
quence for this class.
Our generation of college
students is, in many ways,
highly symbolic of Frazier’s
statement. There are many of
Dear Editor:
I am quite concerned about
the inadequacy of the security
here on Spelman’s campus.
The reasons for these inade
quacies are unknown to me,
but certainly need
explanation. I realize how easy
it is to criticize without “know
ing all the facts”. But, when
these deficiencies reach a point
where the purpose is
defeated—then that’s the time
someone needs to speak up and
complain.
Several serious incidents
have happened to me this
semester regarding our inef
ficient security and com
plaints have been filed about
them, all to no avail.
In October I sprained my
foot and ankle and dislocated
my knee. My friends had to
literally carry me around the
night the incident occurred.
The next morning, I actually
could not walk at all. The in
firmary told me that a security
guard would come to carry me
to the infirmary. The security
guards were called and one of
them informed us that, “I can’t
make anyone carry her down
the steps.” But why did the in
firmary tell me that they would
help me? That was merely un
concerned irresponsibility.
Another incident happened
to a friend of mine. She woke
up one morning to find a big
dent in her new car. No note
was left on the windshield. She
was sure it was a “hit and
run.” It was. But not by a
student or just another driver,
one of our own dependable
us who are attending college
because it is a means to an end.
Learning just to learn serves
little interest of many here . . .
What is especially tragic about
this revelation is that many
students would rather go
through life constantly seek
ing status, emulating the
upper classes in society as
their role model.
As we search for that status,
however, we often lose face
with reality; in essence we
forget who we are and where
we came from. We have no real
commitmentin life. We shun at
extreme movements, which
might cut into our piece of the
“pie” before it’s destroyed.
This is just an example of the
lack of commitment we have.
This lack of commitment often
comes in the form of com
mitment to oneself and to one’s
race. Many students today
exhibit neither.
As the old year has gone and
a new one is here, it should be
our task to be reflective for a
moment, to think about the
things we have done in the
guards did the damage. Her
car had a sticker so they knew
who she was and where she
lived. They couldn’t even
explain how the damage was
done.
There was smoke in Howard-
Harreld one night. Many of the
residents actually thought
that there was a serious fire.
None of the fire alarms
worked! One guard calmly
strolls up to the dorm ten
minutes after everyone had
evacuated. There was reason
for alarm, and had the fire
been more serious, a lot of
damage would have been done.
Again, grave incompetency.
Many nights I have driven
on campus only to discover
that I didn’t need a key. The
door is left open, not by the
dorm residents but by the
security guards! Ironic, huh?
They justify this by saying,
“We don’t have any more
keys.” Why not have more
keys made or pick up the ones
in the key deposit box? Maybe
that takes too much time and
effort. I have even met three
men driving up to the dorm at
1:30 a.m. with no women in the
car. How did they ever get
passed the guard sleeping at
the main gate?
I am sure that these are.only
a few of the serious incidents
that have happened because of
a job very poorly done. My only
hope is that this letter will
make students more aware of
how unsafe they really are on
Spelman’s campus.
Angela R. Simpson
past year. Only this way can
we learn from our mistakes
and capitalize on our
achievements. Also, this is the
only way to growth as in
dividuals.
There is nothing wrong with
being committed to improving
one’s status in society. We
should desire to improve our
plight. However, we must also
be committed to the reduction
of our ignorance as in
dividuals, through whatever
means available. To be com
mitted is to want to grow, to
learn about ourselves and our
people, to understand why we
must work so hard and receive
so little in return. In total, we
must be committed to finding
truth. Without it, our world
becomes a carnival delusion in
the fashion of which Mr.
Frazier spoke.
Editor-In-Chief
Robyn D. Mahone
Associate Editor
Pamela D. James
Feature Editor
Nancy West
Literary Editor
Karen McCullin
Copy Editors
Roxie F. Hughes
Malrey Head
Avy Long
Advertising Manager
Renee Willis
Business Manager
Janet Griffin
Assistant
Melodye Means
Photographers
Terence V. Smith
Tamasha Ujuzi
Graphics
Tandra Dawson
Josette Cole
Reporters
Valita Sellers
Tandra Daw son
Cassandra Clayton
Pamela Moore
Sheron Covington
Dorothy Williams
Brenda Cleveland
Tamasha Ujuzi
Secretary
Ellen Thomas
Advisor
Ms. Anne Thomas
Spelman Spotlight
P.O. Box 50
Atlanta, Georgia 30314
■
Letter To The Editor
Campus Security?