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Spelman Spotlight
November 3. lOStO
The Spelman Scene
Students Dissatisfied With Security
By Rosalyn Cary
Acting Managing Editor
Security at Spelman College, known
throughtout the Atlanta University Sys
tem to be the tightest and most efficient,
is under scrutiny by the Spelman stu
dent body in light of the current rash of
on-campus assaults.
The most recent campus assault oc
curred when ground floor resident and
her roommate were cut and beaten by
an unidentified intruder who access to
the dorm early Friday morning around 1
am The girls survived the experience,
but the emotional tranuma of the event
possibly will linger oa
“Crime is always a factor in a city like
Atlanta and especially in an area such as
Spelman, yet it is a pity you can not
sleep in your own room without some
fear of attack,” commented Lupita Len-
nan, a Howard-Harreld dormitory resi
dent Ms. Lennan, a junior, stated, “1
came to Spelman for an education, not
to live in fear of rape!”
Junior Debra Fuller states, “This is
personally the second incidence I’ve
been witness to in my two years’ stay on
the ground floor of Howard-Harreld and
Fm petrified. It always happens to the
nicest girls; it is a shame one cannot
open one’s door and expect a friend.”
“President Stewart told me last year
around this time when a similar situation
arose and that, It will never happen
again’ I am just wondering what he
meant when he made such a promise,”
explained Debra
A mandatory dorm meeting
scheduled soon after the fact raised a
number of questions with security at
Howard-Harreld and around campus.
The dimness of lights in the stairwells,
the need for a change of locks on all in
dividual rooms (the master key was
carelessly lost), and a change of the front
door locks were among a long list of
safety needs suggested All of the above
were promptly taken care of minus the
change of locks on the rooms.
The recent assault has Spelmanites
walking around in a state of constant
fear. “The general feeling of paranoia felt
among my sisters here is not an environ
ment conductive for proper study. Mea
sures should have been taken earlier to
alleviate the problems; a constant recur
rence does not speak well of our present
system,” conveyed junior Cynthia Mar
shall
To date, the man who committed the
assaults has not been caught after leap
ing from a first floor window late that
night. Again another discrepancy in
security arises: “There are too many un
guarded means of entry to the dorms
here on campus,” indicated sophomore
Gena Hudgins.
The basic consensus among a great
majority of the students lies with secur
ity’s preoccupation with the Morehouse
men and those of other campuses at the
front gate.
“The probability of an AU student
committing such an act is highly unlike!'.
(minus Morris Brown in view of the re
cent events). Security should be more
concerned with the fools hopping the
fence, especially on this dimly lit side of
campus. Some progress might result
from opening the back gate and station
ing an equal amount of concerned
guards there also,” contends Lupita.
Are Spelmanites Passive?
By Lisha B. Brown
Feature Editor
The results of a survey sample taken
by Dr. Jacqueline Fleming, which
examines the maximum change in stu
dents’ attitudes over their four year
period at Spelman, has brought about
much inquiry and concern.
The sample survey, entitled School
Differences in the Impact of College En
vironments on Black Students, was
taken of 185 Spelman students in the
spring of 1977. Other institutions includ
ed in the survey were: Morehouse
College, Clark College, Emory Univer
sity, University of Georgia, and Georgia
College.
When asked why Spelman was in
cluded in the survey sample, Dr. Fleming
stated, “The survey was an exploratory
one taken in the Atlanta area Spelman
could not be adequately matched with a
white institution but it was chosen for
the various backgrounds of its students.”
In essence the sample concluded that
as Spelman students reach their senior
year, they lower their career aspirations
to take on more traditional roles. Their
assertiveness and outspokenness, ac
cording to sample results, decreases.
They suffer from a latent sense of
frustration due to a redirection of their
career goals.
Says Dr. Fleming, “The sample had to
comply with certain qualifications.” At
the time it was taken it had to be a cross
sectional study compiled of average dif
ferences. In addition, the date the study
was taken could have presented
“generational differences,” as Dr.
Fleming termed it.
“My most important finding,” stated
Dr. Fleming, “was that seniors became
less assertive in not one, but six cate
gories dealing with a variety of social sit
uations. However, these seniors did
show a strong sense of assertiveness in
emotional expression.”
She further explained that the pur
pose of the sample was to make women
aware of their subliminial lapse into
passivity throughout the years. “Un
fortunately, when this passiveness is
brought to one’s conscious attention it
creates a subliminal anger which creates
an outward defiance of the sub
conscious truth,” she stated.
According to Dr. Fleming, “Women as-
Spelmanites Inducted
into Journalism Society
By Julie Washington
Jr. Reporter
Pamela Denise Moore and Kiron Skin
ner, Editor-in-Chief and Associate Editor
of the Spelman Spotlight were two of
the nineteen student journalists in
ducted into the Clark College Chapter of
Sigma Delta Chi Society of Professional
Journalists at a ceremony held Thurs
day, Oct. 16, 7 pm, in Kresge Hall,
Clark College.
The speaker and master of ceremony
for the evening, Lou Davis, anchorman
from WSB-TV, Channel 2 and president
of the Society of Professional Journa
lists, explained that the three greek
words, Sigma Delta Chi, express the pur
pose of journalism: genius, energy, and
truth. “Without these elements,” he said,
“journalism ceases to serve.”
After administering the membership
oath to the new society members, Davis
introduced the panel of Black journalists
who had taken time out of their busy
schedules to give these future journalists
an insight into the world of journalism
through their own experiences. The
panelists were: Jocelyn Dorsey, anchor-
woman on WSB-TV, Channel 2; Alexis
Reeves, editor of the Intown Extra, an in
sert in the Atlanta Constitution-Journal
every Thursday; and Joe Washington,
WXIA-TV, Channel 11
Washington began the program by
pointing out the tremendous amount of
sume less assertive roles to be more at
tractive to men and in this sense under
mine their ability and career aspirations.
This is when the roles of wife and moth
er take a more predominant standing.”
Dr. Fleming also discussed in her
study the transition students taken from
the time the freshman arrives at Spel
man ready to conquer the world
academically and socially to the more
confident senior who realizes her poten
tial and realistically strives in that direc
tion. However, Dr. Fleming found that
through the sample despite their
(seniors) acknowledgements of their
potential, outside conflicts intrude and
their goals are either stifled or totally
abandoned.
Jocelyn Dorsey, WSB anchorwan, spoke at the ceremony.
journalistic talent on the Atlanta Univer
sity Center campuses that is not being
utilized. He explained that in large part,
this is because students are not looking
for or often not finding jobs in the jour
nalism field.
Ms. Dorsey explained that it is not
easy to be black in journalism and urged
prospective journalists to get a good ed
ucation, to apply themselves and to
work hard.
Ms. Reeves also stressed the import
ance of hard work. “A lucky break will
get you in the door, but it won’t keep you
there if you don’t do the job,” she said.
In discussing, “black news” Ms. Dor
sey said, “There is no such thing as black
news. There is news that affects the
black community directly,” she con
tinued, “but there is no black and white
news. Black people need to know about
all news, because politics, the economy
and other major issues affect black
people.”
Washington advised that students in
terested in pursuing journalism careers
have well-rounded course loads. “Don’t
spend all your time in journalism
classes,” he said. “Know something
about everything, so that when you get
out on the street (reporting) you ca n ask
intelligent questions.”
“The future is bright for black jour
nalists,” siad Ms. Dorsey. She urged
students to consider areas in electronic
media. Other suggested career
possibilities included producing, direc
ting and editing
Washington, Dorsey, and Reeves all
agreed that the key to success in journal
ism is hard work and practical ex
perience.
~~J