Newspaper Page Text
Vol. XXXII, No. II
. Spelmm ,
Cpoti jghi
y THE VOICE OF BLACK WOMANHOOD
Atlanta, Georgia
November, 1978
More Questions Than Answers About Security
by Valita Sellers
The problem with the security
system at Spelman College is actu
ally a conglomeration of several
issues. These issues according to
the views of students and security
guards are the parking problem,
drugs and alcohol on campus, atti
tudes of both security and stu
dents, and the personal
relationships between the students
and security.
“All of these issues could be
eliminated completely if the guards
and the students would simply
comply to the rules,” says Herbert
Greene, who is one of the guards.
Concerning the case of parking,
half of the students who drive do
not have parking permits. Some of
the ones who do have them refuse
to put them in a place that is easily
visible to a guard. M ost of the time,
the guard will let the student go
through the gate, contends guard
Greene. However, when he does
not let her go through is where the
complaint of the student begins.
The students feel that often, when
the guard does not allow her to
park, because of permit or other
seemingly insignificant reason, he
is being trivial and really just wants
to show some authority. Even
worse, a recent poll shows that
some students feel he has nothing
better to do besides harassing her.
Whatever the solution, the situa
tion remains.
The students realize the rules
concerning alcohol and drugs on
campus. However, most students
simply do not categorize an occa
sional beer or even a marijuana
cigarett (joint) in this rule. Of the
students who do indulge in an
occasional beer or joint, a survey
shows that more than half of them
have done it somewhere on cam
pus. The security guards realize
this. Guard Sylvester Freeland
says he becomes annoyed when he
finds examples of this because it is
an outright display of lack of
respect for the system. Most of the
guards share this opinion. Here
again, the issue remains.
Students and guards have the
same opinions of each others atti
tudes. They are both negative. Stu
dents say the guards are annoying
and do not address them pleasantly
when giving instructions or reen
forcing rules. Guards say students
often have a very indifferent, snob
bish attitude. Guard Freeland says,
“The attitudes of some of the stu
dents are terrible. However, l try to
continuously treat them kindly and
respectfully because ‘two wrongs
do not make a right’.” He goes on to
say that by far, Morris Brown and
Clark are his favorite campuses to
work on, simply because the stu
dents are much friendlier. Each
opinion is truthfully justified to a
degree; nevertheless, the problem
continues.
Students have complained that
guards have tried to make personal
advances towards, them. When
confronted with this, guards say
that they have heard of this prob
lem, but they each try to keep all
relationships on a professional
basis.
Guards have mentioned that
some students try to get “chummy”
with them, simply to win campus
privileges. When confronted with
this, most students deny any such
motive, but have heard of the
problem.
President Ranks
High In Education
Donald Stewart, president of
Spelman College, was chosen one
of among one hundred in academic
leadership in this country by
Change magazine. Change arrang
ed with the American Council on
Education’s office of Leadership to
submit a survey to 6,200 faculty
members and others familiar with
the academic enterprise to rank at
least six “upcoming leaders in
American higher education” under
the age of 46. Of these, almost 2000
were nominated and five percent
were selected after a rigorous
system of counter-checks and
other referencing. Change believes
these “serve as a representative
sample of the diversity of today’s
young adacemic talent.” Stewart,
once associate Dean of Arts and
Sciences, University of Pennsyl
vania, has been Spelman’s presi
dent for three years.
by Donna Williams
Spelman students are again this
year voicing complaints about the
security system on campus. The
Spotlight examined the system to
find out just what the problem is.
Many of the students we questi
oned had minor or vague criti
cisms, but in actuality major
problems do exist. Dean Allen
reported that several complaints
have come across her desk.
She said that the complaints
dealt mainly with the premature
issuing of traffic tickets and the
men on campus after hours.
The nature of the security system
is the cause for the latter problem
and similar ones. There are simply
not enough guards on duty.
Wafter P. Hopewell, direc
tor of the Atlanta University Cen
ter Department of Public Safety,
said that there are 44 public safety
officers assigned to all six cam
puses in the A.U. Center.
He said that Spelman is assigned
two people on the night shift which
extends from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00
a.m. One guard is in a fixed posi
tion at the gate; another guard
patrols the campus; and there are
mobile units which circulate
among all colleges in the A.U. Cen
ter at intervals of 20 to 30 minutes.
(continued on page 8)
Queens Highlight Homecoming
The members of the court are (from left to right) Ms. Tracy Willard, 1st attendant; Ms. Jerri
Devard, queen; and Ms. Sharalyn D. McClain, 2nd attendant. * Photo by Anthony Smith
by Sheron L. Covington
The annual coronation of the
Maroon and White Court is the
highlight of the gala Morehouse
College Homecoming Weekend.
This most anxiously awaited event
will take place at 8:00 p.m., Friday,
November 10, in the Martin
Luther King, Jr. Chapel, on the
campus of Morehouse College.
This year’s court consists of Ms.
Sharalyn D. McClain, Ms. Tracy
Willard and the queen, Ms. Jerri
Devard. Each of these outstanding
three young ladies possesses a
special type of charismatic appeal
that has rightfully placed them in
their roles as the reigning beauties.
The selection of the Maroon &
White Court is done through a
process of nominations from the
student body of Morehouse
College. From this stage, the
nominees compete in a pageant
and then are voted on again by the
Morehouse men.
Traditionally, the Maroon &
White Court has been more of a
figure head or a silent symbol, but
in recent years the Morehouse
queens have exhibited skills and
abilities far beyond the realm of
grace and beauty. This year’s
queen is no exception, for this year
the coronation will take on a new
meaning — a new queen has risen,
(continued on page 5)