Newspaper Page Text
Vol. XXVIII, No. 5
Atlanta, Georgia
March 7, 1984
Suspect Sought In A.U.C. Fire
by Cary K. Foster
An arrest warrant was issued
for an Atlanta man accused of
second degree arson for the
January 30 fire at the Atlanta
University General Administra
tion Building at360Westview Dr.
The warrant for Ely Hester of
189 Scott St., N.W., was secured
February 9 by Lt. J.E. Williams of
the Atlanta Bureau of Fire Ser
vices. Although he was question
ed the night of the fire, Hester
had not been arrested at press
dead line.
The warrant was obtained
during a joint investigation
between Williams and Chief
Steve Bowser of the Atlanta
University Center Security
Police, according to Williams.
The fire started within the
southeast side of the building at
360 Westview Dr., according to
an arson report filed by Williams.
Gasoline was poured in and
ignited through a rear office
window.
The building sustained major
fire and heat damage. The es
timated value of property
damage is $250,000, the report
stated.
On January 30, the morning of
the fire, the first fire units arrived
on the scene at 3:45 a.m. Two
metal containers were found in
the back of the building con
taining liquid with the odor of
gasoline, according to the
report.
Officer Arthur Jackson of the
A.U.C. police had seen a male
fleeing the scene of the fire
wearing dark clothes and a light
colored hat, the report stated.
An A.U.C. police officer, Terry
Bell, “noticed the subject on
Oak Steet wearing the same type
of clothing that was described to
him,” Williams said. Bell saw the
subject enter Grandma’s Biscuits
at 538 Ashby St.
The report said the subject did
not place an order for food but
was seen by Bell drying off his
hands as if attempting to wash
something off. Although the
subject did not have any iden
tification in his possession, he
later was identified as Ely Hester.
Hester voluntarily released his
tennis shoes to Williams for lab
analysis, according to the report.
“I released him at that time
due to lack of evidence,”
Williams said. “On the 9th, I was
informed that the tennis shoes
contained gasoline. The soil that
I collected from the rear area of
the office was compatible with
the soil that was removed from
his tennis shoes.”
Although a motive had not
been determined at deadline,
Williams said that Hester may
have been hired to set the fire.
“ I'm quite sure he didn't do
this alone," Williams said.
Investigators admit that they
have not found a connection
between Hester and A.U.C.
students or employees.
The General Administration
Building housed several offices
including the chancellor’s office
of the A.U.C. All offices are
operating on the first floor of the
Robert W. Woodruff Library of
the A.U.C.
Yearbook Update:
Good News And Bad
Jesse Jackson Visits Spelman
by )an Holland
For the past two years,
Spelman students have not been
issued yearbooks. Outraged
students continue to ask many
questions concerning this
matter, the most recent question
being, “Are we going to get a
yearbook for at least this year?”
Everyone wants to know what is
going on. Now there is news:
good news and bad news.
The good news first: Spelman
will have a yearbook this year.
The 1983-1984 yearbook is
scheduled to be released no later
than the beginning of May.
Meryl Johnson, the yearbook’s
editor, was quoted as saying,
“We have had some com
plications but we still plan to
have the yearbook back by the
originally planned date." Meryl
also feels lucky to have a
“dedicated and hardworking"
staff that is more organized than
the staffs of the past two years.
This staff is determined to give
the students what they want: a
really good yearbook.
Meryl and her staff raised
some concern over what the
students expected of them. Joni
Johnson, a member of the year
book staff and a freshman here at
Spelman says, “People don’t
realize the conflicts that the staff
has separating itself from last
year’s. We are trying to overlook
the negative attitudes students
have about us and do our jobs
well.”
Spelman students often forget
the fact that this year’s yearbook
staff is not responsible for the
two unfinished yearbooks of
1982 and 1983, which brings us to
the bad news.
Neither the 1982 nor the 1983
yearbook has promise of ever
becoming a reality. The Reflec
tions staffs of the past two years
left pieces of precious but in
complete books behind. When
(Continued on Page 6)
by Karen M. Burroughs
Editor-in-chief
Rev. Jesse Jackson, candidate
for the democratic nomination
for president, was featured in a
political motivation rally on
February 13, 1984 in Spelman’s
Sisters Chapel. Sponsored by
Students for Jackson, a newly
established volunteer organiza
tion, the rally was held to raise
funds for Jackson’s campaign as
well as generate support for his
candidacy.
Theodora Lee, president of the
Spelman S.G.A. addressed the
audience on the necessity of
registering and voting in the
upcoming elections. “We must
begin at the root of the problem
which many believe is Ronald
Reagan,” she said. She informed
the students that out of 170
million blacks, only 86 million
voted in the 1980 elections. “The
time is right for Black Americans
and Jesse Jackson is right for the
times,” she stated.
Rev. Jackson, who announced
his candidacy in November,
1983, was greeted with a standing
ovation and cries of "Win, Jesse,
Win.” He expressed his pleasure
of speaking at Spelman and
informed the students of the
urgency to become involved
with the revevant issues of today.
“We will not be limited in our
growth by our race, sex or
religion,” he said. “This genera
tion must not only fight to move
in, we must fight to move up.
“We’re not fighting for aid,
we’re fighting for trade,” he
continued. “We’re not fighting
for welfare, we’re fighting for
our share. If black democrats
vote for white democrats, then
we should reasonably expect
white democrats to vote for
black democrats.”
Jackson also expressed the
necessity for students to become
active in the political process.
“There's a freedom train com
ing, but you have to register to
ride,” he stated. "No matter
what your situation, no one has
deserved the right to do less than
their best. When you don’t
register, you do less than your
best and you get what you
deserve. If you’re in college and
you’re not registered to vote,
you’re either masochistic or a
functional illiterate.”
Jackson also addressed the
shortcomings of America’s
foreign policy. "The first thing
wrong with our foreign policy is
that we don't count the
foreigners," he said. “You can’t
cook a biscuit and not use baking
powder — it won’t rise. You can’t
make a foreign policy rise and
leave out most of the people.
“The key to world peace is
human rights,” he continued. “If
you treat people right, there is a
reasonable chance that they will
treat you right.”
Jackson concluded his address
by urging the students to support
his candidacy and vote for him
on Tuesday, March 13, the date
of the Georgia Presidential
Preference Primary. “Don’t vote
for me because I’m your brother,
vote for me because I make the
most sense.
“There's nothing more power
ful in the world than a made-up
mind and the determination to
work,” he concluded. “On
Super Tuesday, make up your
mind.”