Newspaper Page Text
September 1981
Spelman Spotlight
Page 4
Do You Feel The Spirit?
TO: The Student Body, Faculty,
and Administration
I am disturbed to no end when
I feel and see the lack of respect,
love, and participation that we
give to Spelman. We, as students
and faculty of Spelman College,
should have a love for this
college and her ideas of which
others will be jealous. When I say
college or Spelman, I don’t mean
a building and other structures; I
mean people. We have on the
campus some of the most
brilliant minds and talents in all
the world. I am more disturbed
because we are notthe family we
should be. We allow others to
abuse and misuse us without us
retaliating and telling them they
are wrong. Instead, we turn
against each other — faculty
against colleges, students against
their very sisters, etc. Isn’t it
about time that we come
together and begin to let others
and each other knowthe love we
have for each other and our
school? If we truly were proud
and loved our college, teachers
wouldn’t have to worry about
“Are you giving
the college your
best? ... If you
don't want to be
here and give us
your time,
talent, i n -
telligence, and
love — LEAVE."
August 25, 7987
TO: Pamela Scott, Members of
S.C.A. and Freshman Week
Volunteers
I came from San Diego,
California, a city where the
people are basically cold, con
servative, and uncultured. I
found many pressures, dis
illusions, and frustrations were
hurting me inside — especially
during the last part of my senior
year in high school. Because of
this hurt bottled up inside of me,
students coming to class.
Students wouldn’t worry
whether they had the coopera
tion of faculty and administrators
for the constructive events or
things they wanted to do.
Let me get even more per
sonal! Can you say that you love
the college and what it stands
for? If not, why not? The things
you don’t like, have you tried to
change them? By the same
token, those things you did like,
did you tell someone? Are you
giving the college your best? Are
you giving your love, respect,
attention, and especially talent
to your school and to other
schools?
All letters to the editor are urged and welcome.
We want to hear your suggestions, compliments and criticisms.
I wasn’t the total person I could
be. My feelings were repressed
deeply, so I could not be creative
in art and literature, which I love
so deeply. But last night, I felt
something . . . something inside
of me so strange I had to express
it by crying. I did not cry at my
graduation, nor when I left
home, but I did last night.
My mother, Elaine B.McCann,
and my sister, Valerie Johnson,
are Spelman graduates and have
always told me how special
Spelman was. The whole world
can tell you how special
something is, butyou can’tknow
it until you experience it. Well, I
experienced the uniqueness of
Spelman last night.
At first, I wondered why I was
out in the middle of the night
being herded by a bunch of
bullies to hear them lecture and
scream at us. Then I began to
listen, really listen, and watch
your faces. This was no joke; this
was real.
For the first time, I felt truly a
part of Spelman and I knowthis is
only the beginning. The
sisterhood and closeness ex
pressed lastnightisproofthatwe
are one within our school. Never
before have I had the chance to
see so many young Black women
doing something for their own.
I want to thank you all for
caring enough to tell us what we
needed to hear. As for myself,
you have given me more pride
and awareness of what a woman
There will be a lot of changes
taking place at Spelman —
programs and staff changes. One
definite change I’d like to see is
your lovefortheSpelmanfamiliy
GROW. If you don’t want to be
here and give us your time,
talent, intelligence, and love,
LEAVE. We need to begin to
expand ourselves. As students,
we need Lo focus on other things
besides parties, discos,
Morehouse, and men! We need
to go to the jazz and classical
music concerts and listen to
book reviews and poetry. As
faculty, you need to give us, the
students, more than just your
class time. We need to know you
care and you would help us
regardlessi of the way things
have turned out in the past. As
administrators, stop giving us the
run around and give us the
benefit of the doubt and try to
help us too.
I've talked all this love, but
God has given each of us a
purpose for being here on earth.
If we fail to give him the honor
that is due him, all else fails.
Remember what our school seal
says — Our Whole School for
Christ. I say “our whole school
through love for our people
reflects how we feel about the
Creator.”
“The sisterhood
and closeness..
. is proof that we
are one within
our school."
should be. And most important is
that I’ve gained some positive
feelings about myself which had
been hidden for so long. I realize
there will be very difficult times
ahead and it will take awhile
before I’m at ease with myself
again. But I know you will be
there for me when I need you.
Thank you again.
Sincerely,
your Spelman sister
Debra Johnson
Packard Hall