The Spotlight. (None) 1980-201?, November 01, 1980, Image 7

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Page 7 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