Newspaper Page Text
One Month From the Centennial!
The Voice of Black Womanhood
Vol. XXIV, No. 5
Atlanta Georgia-Spelman College
March, 1981
Police Working Around The Clock To Solve Murdered
And Missing Children’s Cases
By Bridgett M. Davis
News Editor
The Atlanta Bureau of Police Services’
Special Task Force on Missing and
Murdered Children is devoting its full
time to investigate the criminal homicides
of twenty-one black children..
Many people justifiably believe that
Atlanta’s Special Task Force could be
doing much more to solve the children’s
cases. After nearly two years of periodic
kindapping and murdering of Atlanta’s
youth, one instinctly believes that it is
suspects and therefore no end to this
nightmare. However, many citizens do
not realize that all available human and
material resources are being pooled in an
intensive effort to identify the person or
persons responsible for the murders.
Since July 17, 1980, when the Special
Task Force (STF) was created, the
Bureau of Police Services has expanded
the STF to eixty-three persons —
including investigators, officers and
civilian personnel. In addition to the Task
Force, the Atlanta Police Dept, has
solicited the help of: The FBA, U.S.
daily.
because the police department and the Secret Service; GBI (Georgia Bureau of
Dept, of Public Safety are lacking in Investigation) agents; psychics from
ability and effort that there are still no around the world, police specialists
SPECIAL ISSUE:
Problems Confronting Black Youth
Black Youth of America In Trouble . . . p. 2
Mother of Slain Son Expresses Mixed Feelings . . . p. 4
Julian Bond Speaks on AUC and the Klan . . .p. 5
(including the top five from major U.S.
cities); specialists in technical analysis of
evidence and data; specialists in the
development of offender files; as well as
several other qualified individuals and
Continued on page 7
Students Dissatisfied With
New Housing Policy
By Karen Burroughs
Sr. Reporter
Camping out all night and lines
stretching out of the doors of Rockefeller
Hall were just a few of the scenes
associated with Spelman’s former
housing selection process. This year
Spelman’s Housing Department has
established a system of selection by
computer in hopes of providing a more
fair system of housing for students.
The new system is quite simple. Seniors
will be assigned rooms first, in the order
of which they have been ranked by
computer. Once seniors have been
assigned, rising juniors and sophomores
will be processed as a single group. There
will be a limited number of rooms
available to Atlanta area residents. In
addition, no distinction will be made
between classes for these students.
In former years, students stood in lines
to pay their deposits, and receive a
number which determined the order in
which they would be processed. In
addition, rising juniors and seniors were
given “squatters rights,” which allowed
them to keep their rooms for the next year
if they wished.
Even though the gormer process was
tiring for students, created long lines, and
had many sleeping outside in order to get
a room, most Spelman students wish that
the old system had not been changed. “In
the old system, one was more sure of
having a room; with this system you can't
be sure of anything but a headache!” says
Maria Satterwhite, a rising senior.
Kimberly Hickson.-a freshman, adds, “I
prefer the old system to the newer one
because the old system had a sense of
control.”
Students also feel that the new system
will be ineffective. “I feel it will be unfair
to students in the Atlanta area, as well as
returning students. 1 feel that once you
have a room, you should be ensured one
while you continue to pay your bills,” says
Vonz.ia Phillips, a rising junior. Another
rising junior, Valderas Barksdale adds, “1
do not understand how each person will
get a fair chance for housing with so many
people and so few rooms.”
“They ask you what you want (dorm or
roommate preference),” says Robin
Anderson, rising sophomore, “but in the
end. you may not get either one.”
Spelman students have other
grievances as well. “1 think the students
who commute 20 miles or farther should
be considered separately from Atlanta
students. At the present, they aren’t,
which means if 1 five 20 miles away and
someone else lives, say, five minutes
away, we have the same chances of getting
a room!” says Vonzia Phillips.
As a final comment, Maria Satterwhite
says, “1 don’t mean to knock the new
housing system, but there are many
loopholes in it. I understand that
everything must change, but I have
always believed in a change for the better,
not worse.”
Note: The housing selections will he
determined by April; a follow-up article
on the success or failure of the new system
will appear then.
Continued on page 7
