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Page 2 - Spelman Spotlight
EDITORIAL
Editor-In-Chief Robyn D. Mahone
While some segments of the American population were
sighing, humming, and hawing over the “nostalgic 40 s and
50’s, some Americans, particularly black Americans,
remembered that the 40’s and 50’s were not at all a good time for
us. We were being lynched and were constantly in fear lor the
lives of our men, women and children. We could not drink from
the same fountains or go to the same bathrooms as the
Caucasion population. In summation, it was not the best of till
possible worlds for us.
But the fid's, ah, the fid's. 1 would say that the fid's are our nos
talgia. It was in the fid's that black people around the country
began to come into their own. We were boycotting and picketing
and fighting peacefully, and sometimes not so peacefully, against
the injustice's confronting us. Most of this happened when we
were too young to effectively participate.
What about our generation? I have heard some say they are not
worried about us, we’re probably going to surprise everyone and
make such gains for our people that no one had ever dreamed we
would. I've heard Nikki Giovanni say how worried she is about
our generation’because we are so quiet and seem so content. I ve
heard others say that we are the philosophical generation. We're
dealing with problems on a more intellectual level.
Now I hear that students are going to Nashville, Tennessee by
car, train and bus to protest the United States' hosting of the
Davis Cup because South Africa is a participant. The Davis Cup
matches are sponsored by the International Lawn-Tennis-As
sociation (ITLF). Since 1970 the tennis teams from South Africa
have been excluded from every major international sports
federation - all except the ILTF.
South Africa, where the laws of segregation that we in
America fought so strenuously against, still exist in our
homeland, yes, our homeland, for Africa is our homeland
though many of us have never touched its' fertile soil. And the
United States is hosting a tennis tournament in which the racist
South African government is participating. What does this say
about the United States, our America? \
Many students are not going to stand idel v by. We are going to
Nashville, Tennessee, to show the world that we are against the
apartheid government, we are watching the events as they un
fold there, and we want to see a great deal of changes.
Who knows, we may bring hack the spirit of the fid's.
Congratulations Students!
4 Big Fuss’ Over
Commissioner’s Cheating
Avy Long
Congratulations to the
student body for cooperating
and participating to finally
make a campus social project a
success. And, of course,
congratulations to Morehouse
and all the other A.U. Center
schools.
Impressing students enough
to gain their support of campus
activities has been a most
challenging job, but it looks
like it has finally been done
with the Spelmolette Dis
cotheque.
The SGA had a brilliant idea
when it decided to not only
create an off-campus at
mosphere but also to utilize the
talents of our own students for
entertainment. With so much
competition and so many
alternatives in the city of
Class of ’80
On Thursday, February the
17th, many students first
caught wind of the newly
revised housing policy. This
policy proposed to create a
system of total housing
equality by allowing all
students, regardless of clas
sification, to compete for all
available rooms.
What was presented was not
a realistic proposal for housing
equality, but a proposal for
equality for convenience sake
Atlanta it is understandable
that Spelman would have to
work extremely hard to retain
its “after five” population.
So what is responsible for
the success of the Dis
cotheque? According to former
complaints, maybe it’s a
change of scene from Read
Hall to the cafeteria, maybe
it’s because the lights have
been dimmed instead of bright
and blaring, or it just may be
because of the word “dis
cotheque”. Well, whatever the
SGA’s strategy, it worked. For
the moment I suppose we
should leave well enough alone
and at the same time consider
the Spelmolette a step-
pingstone to greater ac
complishments on this cam
alone. Under the old rule
students were at least
guaranteed the dorm of their
choice in their senior year. The
new policy, in contrast, only
guaranteed students the right
to compete for the dorm of
their choice.
At a joint student-ad
ministration meeting to dis
cuss the housing problem,
President Stewart admitted
that the new solution was, in
fact, a non-solution to the
problem and saw the need to
Malrey Head
Cheating, whether we
realize it or not, is very much a
part of American society. We
cheat in school, in sports, on
our spouses and in our jobs.
Everyone knows that others
cheat, but the problem only
becomes serious when one is
caught. Cheating is like lying,
and liars are usually not
tolerated. Cheating is like say
ing that you know something
Pamela James
Television is ruining the
reality of everyday life for the
American public. It is a tool
which can distort realistic life
situations and transform them
into illusions beneficial to
Nielson and commercials. Part
of the pathological racism
which plagues the American
psyche stems from the role
television has played in its
program presentations.
Basic to this premise is the
effect television has had in its
portrayal of racial and ethnic
groups, especially black
people. In viewing television
programming, it is most ap
parent that it has often
depicted black people in a less-
than-realistic light. If one
looks at the trend of black
shows on television since the
late 1960’s when Diahnn
Carroll made her debut in
“Julia”, there are certain
sterotypical elements which
still continue today. “Julia”,
for example, was centered
around a black woman and
young child, who were hus
bandless and fatherless.
Today, the trend has not yet
changed; black families are
still being represented on the
networks without husbands
and fathers.
Such shows as “That’s My
Mama” and “What’s
Happening” are very
stereotypical of the my th of the
“black matriarch”. This myth,
which plays down the role of
review other alternatives. At
the conclusion of the meeting a
mutually agreeable solution
was reached and will be im
plemented this year.
I think it important to realize
that this would not have come
about without the forceful and
immediate response of the
student body. This housing in
cident is a prime example of
how students have been
excluded from the college’s
decision-making process.
During the initial policy-
or can do something when
really it isn’t so.
Usually cheating is not
accepted in our society.
Remember the uproar caused
by the cheating scandal at
West Point. Well, now Atlanta
has its own cheating scandal.
The Public Safety Com
missioner has been accused of
instigating cheating on police
promotional exams. A big fuss
is being made over the corn-
black men in the family is a
constant reminder to white
America and blacks as well,
that most black families are
without adult male figures.
Moreover, the networks have
capitalized on the “mammy”
figures as well, based on the
physical appearances of most
of the black women who play
in these comedy shows.
Both of Redd Foxx’s shows
depict black people in less than
positive manners. The image
of the black female is very
much set on a “Saphire” tone,
always nagging and belittling
black men. These are just some
of the abuses black people
have had to suffer through the
portrayal of our lifestyles on
television.
I am sure there are other
instances which come to mind
about how networks treat
black people on television.
Even such programs as
“Roots” or “King” reveal dis
crepancies between original
material and the actual out
come, once television finishes
changing the whole story to
suit the American public’s
mentality.
All of these observations
should lead us to ponder the
plight of black people and our
relationship to the mass
media. One of the surest ways
to permit racism and racial
stereotyping to continue to
permeate the American
Continued on Page 3
making stage no student input
was involved or solicited.
Later, Dr. Stewart would
confess that, “Frankly, no one
thought about it.”
I think it just that student
representation be present on
every committee that makes
policy on affairs of student
habitation or consumption.
This will only come about
when student representation is
demanded, bv students
themselves.
missioner’s alleged in
volvement. It seems that those
of us who don’t cheat are often
upset by those that do. Often
nothing is done about it. We
usually compensate for it by
saying that eventually it will
hurt them or that it is not
serious enough to call for dras
tic actions.
But no matter what the is
sue or who is involved, cheat
ing is wrong. However, I don’t
think it is a damnable enough
act in any case to warrant
severe action or cause serious
problems. Punishments for
cheating should remain in
context with the seriousness of
the situation. If no one is hurt
or no problems are caused, it
should not be treated as a ma
jor offense.
Editor-in-Chief
Robyn D. Mahone
Associate Editors
Malrey Head
Avv Long
Feature Editor
Nancy West
Literary Editor
Karen McCullin
Copy Editors
Malrey Head
Avy Long
Advertising Manager
Renee Willis
Business Manager
Melodve Means
Photographer
Terence V. Smith
Graphics
Josette Cole
Reporters
Valita Sellers
Cassandra Clayton
Pamela Moore
Sheron Covington
Dorothy Williams
Brenda Cleveland
Tamasha Uzuzi
Gayl Phillips
Angela Alexander
Secretary
Ellen Thomas
Advisors
Ms. Anne Thomus
Mr. Ed Collins
Contributors
Angela Phoenix
Jo Ann McClean
Spelman Spotlight
P.O. Box 50
Atlanta, Georgia 30314
pus.
Students Should Demand Representation
Karen Moore
Television:
A Bitter Pill