Newspaper Page Text
SPELMAN
THE VOICE
OF BLACK WOMANHOOD
SPO TL1GHT
Vol. 31, No. 7
Atlanta, Georgia
March, 1978
Interview:
Congresswoman Yvonne B. Burke
Congresswoman Yvonne Brathwaite Burke is leaving
Capitol Hill after six years.
by Pamela Denise Moore
On November 7, 1972
members of the 28th congres
sional district in Los Angeles,
California elected the first
black female to the House of
Representatives. That woman
was Yvonne Brathwaite
Burke.
Since 1972 Congresswoman
Burke has served a total of six
years in the House and has
been p staunch advocate of
minority and female rights.
She is largely responsible for
the “Burke Amendment”
which guaranteed 312 million
dollars in contracts to
minorities and females in
construction of the trans-
Alaska pipeline. Congress-
woman Burke currently serves
as chair for the Congressional
Black Caucus.
However, after six years of
dedicated work in the nation’s
capitol. Congresswoman
Burke has announced that she
will not seek re-election. When
asked why she has made this
decision, Congresswoman
Burke gave three reasons. She
said thatitwasthe only way to
move into another arena of
politics (she plans to run for
California State attorney
general), that she desires to be
nearer her family and that it
would be more convenient
working in California than
traveling 3,000 miles to
Washington every other week.
If Congresswoman Burke
follows through with her
decision as planned, Congress
will be deprived of another of
its most able black members
(Congresswoman Barbara
Jordan has also decided not to
seek re-election).
On Being Assertive
Congresswoman Burke is
Nevertheless, Congress-
woman Burke stated that be
ing assertive and aggressive
has made her sensitive to the
way men react towards her
and she tries not to do anyth
ing to embarrass her husband.
She said, “Unless a man is
assertive and aggressive.
These two traits were
instrumental in helping her to
become as successful as she is.
But they have also helped to
create problems in her
personal relationships with
men. As she grew up she said
men acted as if they were
“terrified of me”. She said that
her relationship between
herself and her husband does
not really entail such problems
because, “He knew I was
aggressive and assertive when
he married me,” she said.
Continued on Page 3
Spelman Students Consume
Too Many Carbohydrates Says Dr. Payne
by Malrey Head
The food in Spelman’s
cafeteria contains 43 percent
too many carbohydrates, ac
cording to a study done at
Emory University.
The results of this study
were presented at a meeting of
the Food Services Committee
on Feb. 28, in which Ms. Paula
Spence, president of the
Spelman Student Government
Association (SSGA), attended.
Ms. Spence and the SSGA
is working with the student
body in an effort to bring about
changes in the meal plan. In
the meeting Ms. Spence
presented the complaints of
the students to the committee.
According to Ms. Spence, the
two major complaints of the
students are the mandatory
meal plan and the type and
quality of food served in the
cafeteria. Students voiced
their complaints in a student
body meeting on Feb. 7.
Dr. Zelma Payne, professor
of nutrition, conducted the
study at Emory. She also dis
covered that the food is lacking
in nutrition.
According to Ms. Spence, Dr.
Payne stated that “Most
vegetarians don’t know what
it (the diet) is all about.
Seminars are being planned to
let you know what you’re
doing.”
Ms. Spence said Dr. Payne
felt Spelman needed a
dietician. Willie Hunter, in
charge of food preparation, is
not a dietician. He is employed
by Campus Chefs, Spelman’s
caterer.
According to Ms. Spence, the
food Campus Chefs serves is
decided upon at their main of
fice which is in Missouri. The
cooks must prepare what has
been provided for them.
“Hunter wants to get sample
menus from the students and
price them. He wants to com
pare what it costs now to what
it could cost, using student
suggestions,” said Ms. Spence.
There was one point on
which they all agreed, said Ms.
Spence. “There is too much
grease in the food.” Hunter
realizes this and is working on
it.
Some of the suggestions
about the food that Ms. Spence
presented to the committee
were to get a new caterer, get a
dietician and a staff of cooks,
enlarge the salad bar, have
more variety and to provide
doggie bags on Sunday.
Ms. Spence says she was told
that doggie bags on Sunday
would cause the staff three
extra work hours, cost an extra
$190 a week and change meal
hours in order to allow the staff
time to prepare the bags.
However, Hunter is checking
into the possibility, she said.
She also suggested alternate
meal plans such as buying a
ticket per meal, the seven, 14 or
21 meal plan. Also suggested
was paying for a certain
number of meals per semester
and if at the end of the
semester the student has not
bought that number of meals,
she could be reimbursed.
Ms. Spence noted that “It
always comes back to
economics.”
Danny Flannigan, the
business manager, was in
attendance at the student body
meeting. He stated that chang
ing the meal plan would
probably cause an increase in
the prices. “The school realizes
that many of its students are
on financial aid,” he said and
wondered if students would be
willing to pay more for their
meals.
According to Ms. Spence, the
committee is awaiting a
statement from the business
office to find out how much of
by Karen P. Moore
Chairwoman, Political Ac
tion Committee
NAACP
Over 350 United States
multi-national corporations
operate in South Africa and
invest in no less than 1.7
million dollars to that coun
try’s economy. American
banks, in the past, have lent
outstanding loans and credits
to South Africa for over an es
timated 2.2 million dollars and
continue to do so.
In 1977, after the death of
the board is used for other
expenses such as lights,
repairs, etc.
At present. Dr. Payne is
planning seminars for
students. Possible topics are
Nutrition, the Economics of In
dustrial Feeding and Portion
Control. A student body meet
ing is planned for March 16 at
which time other suggestions
will be asked for from the
students, said Ms. Spence.
Steven Biko and the arrest of
hundreds of apartheid op
ponents, the U.S. protected
South Africa from the
economic sanctions imposed
by the United Nations, While
the U.S. government banks
and corporations verbally
oppose apartheid practices,
they continue to actively sup
port South African business
endeavors.
Vanderbilt University in
Nashville, Tennessee, has
Continued on Page 4
NAACP:
Protests Davis Cup Tourney