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Page 2 - Spelman Spotlight
EDITORIAL
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By Robyn D. Mahone
The Spelman Student Government Association plays an im
portant role in the life of the college, as any student government
association should. It is the SSGA that plans your social ac
tivities for the year. It is the SSGA that, as stated in the Student
Handbook, strongly influences how your resident life and sup
portive services will function. It is the SSGA that coordinates all
student organizations and makes sure that they get the monies
alloted them, and will help such organizations with their ac
tivities in the interest of the entire student body if necessary.
In summation, the SSGA exists in order to provide a practical
and well-ordered framework within which the real purpose for
which we have come to college may be achieved, as stated in the
Handbook.
Another one of the most important functions of the SSGA is to
acknowledge legitimate student grievances and take some form
of action. Whether it’s a teacher who says at the beginning of the
semester that she/he will fail you no matter what, or the
existence of anything we term as being unsatisfactory, it is the
SSGA’s responsibility to look into it and see what can be done.
I bring all of this up because there are some students here who
do not seem to know or understand this. There are some students
who will raise all kinds of ruckus among themselves, band
together and decide to take action without even approaching the
SSGA with their grievances, who would then present them
before the entire student body getting all possible feedback from
us.
As I am writing this editorial it is four days before the student
body meeting. Students usually make poor showings at such
meetings. This one concerns the meal plan. I hope that I can say
afterwards that the meeting was well attended and positive
things came of it. I hope that I can say that the students know
what they want and will get it.
If, after we have come to our conclusions and present them to
the administration and the administration does not recognize
them, then it is time to make another move.
F arrah-F a wcett Look
Sported
Dear Editor:
I have noticed that the
nameplate of the Spelman
Spotlight has a picture of a
woman wearing her hair in the
afro style. The nameplate
exhibits the attitude of blacks
during the late 1960’s when the
purpose of the afro was iden
tity: Identity with the chang
ing attitudes of blacks across
the country, particularly the
students who began wearing
huge afros. The bigger the
afro, the more the black iden
tity. This was found not only at
Spelman, but also at
Morehouse where the men
were also sporting large afros.
The issue I would like to
raise in this letter is not the
question of whether the afro is
indicative of blackness, but
whether the afro is a valid
symbol of blackness in this
day and age.
Many blacks, both women
and men, have turned away
from the afro-hairstyle. It’s
gotten to the point that one
may walk down the street and
see black women sporting the
Farrah Fawcett look and black
men have been caught up in
what Players Magazine
calls the “Kojak Factor.” This
is fine and well. However, the
Spelman Spotlight, the voice
of black womanhood still
depicts the women which it
represents as having an afro.
Is it possible that this is now
an invalid symbol of the black
woman? Granted, it is almost
necessary to use the afro on the
nameplate because it is seem
ingly the only feature of
blackness on the woman in the
picture. Due to the lack of any
indication of pigmentation, or
other outstanding black
features, if you removed the
afro, it is possible that the pic
ture would not readily identify
the woman as being black.
If the afro is a symbol of
black womanhood, why is is re
jected by many Spelmanites in
their actual lifestyle? While
the afro may or not be as
sociated with the blackness of
the individual, it seems that
the departure of the afro look
by both black women and
black men is possibly an
emulation of our white
counterparts.
I would appreciate hearing
your views and opinions on
this issue.
Yours in blackness,
Claude A. Ford, Jr.
Sororities?
by Pamela James
The question of sororities on
campus is not alien to our com
munity. But it is not a question
which can be answered with a
simple “yes or no.” There are
two sides to every story which
must be listened to in order to
come up with a just solution.
Those who are against the
campus chartering of
sororities are afraid that this
would tear down the
sisterhood of Spelman women.
They see sororities as an
organization of women who in
fringe on the rights of others,
especially during the pledging
process. They see this type of
organization as destructive to
academic pursuits as well as to
the human body and
personality. In total, they view
sororities as a negative
organization on campus.
On the other hand, there are
those who view sororities as a
positive force in an in
dividual’s life and beneficial to
the academic community as
well. Sororities provide
scholarship, leadership
training, social exchanges and
life-long friendships,
friendships, according to
them.
It is my contention that the
main problem which plagues
the decision-making process
concerning sororities is not so
much the question of sororities
on campus, as much as it is the
regulation of sorority activity
as it functions on campus.
There is not one of us who can
really say that they have no
Dear Mr. Ford,
You are right. The afro was,
in the 1960’s especially, a
symbol of pride in one’s
natural black self. Although
the afro has lost some of its
significance through the
years, I think it still holds
some of the same positive con
notations.
One of the benefits derived
from the use of the afro in the
nameplate is this: the afro is
still perceived as being largely
characteristic of our race (not
just black womanhood).
Consequently, an afro is an
easy way to identify someone
of our race when dealing with
black ink on white paper.
However, this benefit is not
the reason why the Spotlight
nameplate survives the
sixties. I happen to like it and
think it is attractive in
appearance, which is the way
a nameplate should look. Up
until now I have heard no com
plaints about it, thus, I see no
Pamela James
need to belong; all of us have a
need to belong to some form of
a primary or close peer-group.
Sororities can provide this
function. Moreover, there are
many women here, whose
parents are members of greek
letter organizations, who
would like to carry on the
family tradition. Also, there
are many women here on cam
pus who are searching for a
viable outlet of expression
which might only be found
when coming in close contact
with others who share
particular goals and ideas. A
sorority can certainly provide
this function as well.
It must be the goal of
Spelman to do what they think
is right concerning the matter
of sororities on campus. But
they should not overlook those
who are actual members of
sororities on the campus now.
All of the sororities are
represented in our enrollment.
If Spelman’s administration
is concerned about the effect of
pledging a sorority upon a
student’s academic life (they
reason to change it.
You say that if the afro were
removed it is possible that the
picture would not readily iden
tify the woman as being black.
It is possible. It is possible that
she could be mistaken for a
white woman with African
blood because the nose and lips
of the woman pictured, I think,
are very much characteristic of
a woman of African descent.
Why is the afro “rejected”, as
you say, by many
Spelmanites? I cannot answer
that for my sisters and will not
attempt to since there are so
many possibilities, from
“what difference does a
hairstyle make” to “I can’t get
my hair that way.” I would like
to say this: in this troubled
world of ours racism and
sexism are certainly problems.
It would be ridiculous to add
“hairism” to the list. Our
energies could be better spent.
Thank you for writing.
Robyn D. Mahone
Editor-in-Chief
are entitled to be, since this is
why we come to college), they
must realize a hard fact; that
those who want to belong to a
sorority will find a way
regardless of the sentiments of
the administration. They too
feel that they should have a
freedom of choice to join a
sorority if they so desire.
The point I want to express
is this: if the administration
should decide to let sororities
function on campus, they are
going to have to invoke
stringent rules to make sure
that the welfare of the students
comes first. However, if they
do not decide to let sororities
come on campus, then
everyone must obey that rule,
without exception.
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
Avv Long
Advertising Manager
Renee Willis
Business Manager
Melodye Means
Photographers
Terence V. Smith
Tamasha Ujuzi
Graphics
Tandra Dawson
Josette Cole
Reporters
Valita Sellers
Tandra Dawson
Cassandra Clayton
Pamela Moore
Sheron Covington
Dorothy Williams
Brenda Cleveland
Tamasha Ujuzi
Gayl Phillips
Angela Alexander
Secretary
Ellen Thomas
Advisors
Ms. Anne Thomas
Mr. Ed Collins
Spelman Spotlight
P.O. Box 50
Atlanta, Georgia 30314
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