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February, 1985 Page 2 Editorial Grant at a Glance by Carolyn Grant Editor-in-chief Since the beginning of the semester, a couple of issues affecting Spelman students have arisen. They include: (1) the high price we pay to be educated and (2) the finance of an education we hope will not cease to exist. The College World Bookstore (CWB) is the primary outlet here on campus from which students purchase necessary material for classes. Recently, the price of items, mainly books, in the store has sparked an attitude of dis belief and disgust from students. Last month, some students in an English class here discovered that they had purchased a book at the CWB for $30 and later found out that it was being sold for $17 at the Atlanta University Bookstore. A used copy of the book was sold at a price higher than $17. The CWB manager credited this incident of the overpriced book to a price stamper with a wrong figure. However, this excuse can not be passed off as a cover for all incidents of overpriced books. It is understandable that the bookstdre must make a profit, but this profit should not be made at the expense of excessive overpricing on books. Because of the high cost, many students are reluctant to purchase books necessary to assist them in their learning process. In order to function efficiently within the classroom environment, students must be able to keep up with their assignments. This task cannot be done without the necessary materials. We pay a high price to be educated at Spelman, but some of us miss out on a part of our education when the high price of books places a barrier up against buying. The CWS manager and workers should make it one of their major concerns to make books affor dable and available to students at decent prices. While some of us may have difficulty financing books for an education, some of us may have difficulty financing our educa tion in the future. President Reagan, once again, has gone to the cutting board - this time to cut student aid on which so many of us rely. Accor ding to a recent article in the New York Times, president Reagan, in his budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, "asked Congress to deny guaranteed student loans to all students from families with ad justed gross income above $32,- 500; to eliminate grants, work study jobs and other aid for those with incomes above $25,000 and to limit to $4,000 a year the maximum Federal help any stu dent could draw. If this proposal goes through, many of us will be greatly affected. The doors of education and opportunity will close in our faces. Gregory T. Moore, presi dent of the U nited States Student Association, stated in the New York Times article that proposals such as these would create a chain reaction of events that would be dangerous for students and would place into jeopardy the current system of higher education.” And indeed, they would. Those of us just beginning our college careers, can probably end it just as quick as it started. What is even more frightening is the way such a proposal could affect black colleges. The enroll ment at these colleges could drastically drop and they could suffer from loss of money and students. Some black colleges are suffering now. This prposal could take them to their quiet death. A quiet death... A vast decrease in college degree recipients... A loss in time. These are just a few concerns that we will face if the proposal is passed and if it is, what will we do and how will be pay for survival? Editor-in-Chief Carolyn Grant Fine Arts Editor Jennifer Jackson Sports Editor Marie Roberts Literary Editor Carol Lawrence Health Editor Angela Hubbard Art Editor Debra Johnson Advisor Kimberly McElroy Photo Editor Jennifer Satterfield Associate Editor Lynette Glover News Editors Jasmine Williams Debbie Marable Feature Editor Wanda Yancey Political Editor Sydney Perkins Layout Editor Natalie Heard Circulation Manager Triphenya Zachery Advertising Manager Jacqueline Lewis Reporters Lori Boyer Teri Lee Triphenya Zachery Monica Guy Photographer Shellie Lawscha The Spelman Spotlight is a bi-monthly publication produced by and for the students of Spelman College. The Spotlight office is located in the Manley College Center, lower concourse, of Spelman College. Mail should be addressed to Box 1239, Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia 30314. Telephone numberis 525-1743. The Spelman Spotlight Letters to the Editor Dear Editor: This letter is in response to Lynne Hobb’s excellent editorial “Teachers Need to Change Attitudes.” As transfer students of the 1983-1984 school year, this article really struck home. We would go as far to say that we have each changed our respective majors because of the teachers’ and administration's attitudes. First, when we transferred to Spelman half of our credits are discared; classes we have worked hard at only to be dismissed as "not pertinent to Spelman's cirriculum” and no further explanation is needed, or volunteered. We enter as juniors and by the time the administration is finished we are first-semester sophomores. Why is this? Secondly, we encounter teachers who feel that the only way to teach is by shoving a book at us and telling us to read this new information, process this information, store it and then we are tested on areas that the class has not even covered yet — Those of us who are former “science” majors, do know what we are speaking of, don't we? (Here again, an explanation is needed, but none is given. We are not so stupid as to believe that one can breeze through a science course without cracking a book. We are also not stupid as to believe when the majority of the class is consistently failing that we, as students are not giving our best effort. Teachers and administration what are we supposed to think when you will not answer our questions with clear, direct answers, when you procrastinate to us at every turn, and when you fail to give us the moral support that we so deseparately need? Talk is cheap, but talking with some actual caring is another. We know that it is a big bad world out there, and no one is always going to be there to pick you up and brush you off. What we don’t know is that if students keep failing classes without knowing why and without feedback (positive or negative) from teachers, how can we expect to compete in this fast moving world if we cannot even graduate from college? Now we ask you, talk to your students not at them. Come down from your Ph.D.’s and remember that you were a student once. Treat us with respect as young adults and that respect will be reciprocated in turn. You are having your change in life, give us a shot at ours. Sincerely, Marcella Hammett and Angela R. Hubbard. Dear Editor: In the words of Popeye, "That’s all I can stands, I can’t stands no more!” I am an on-campus student with a car that has an on-campus parking sticker. I live in Laura Spelman and I park behind Morehouse-James because that is the only parking area available for students on this side of campus. I would not mind parking there if the student parking lot were adequate, but this is not the case. The lot is poorly lit; this becomes particularly dangerous at night when the men from across Spelman Lane stand at the fence, leer, and shout obscenities and threats. I am becoming increasingly less convinced that these threats will not be backed-up with action and violence. There are rodents who use the area as their playground as well as feeding ground. In addition, the fifteen spaces allotted for student parking in that lot are halved during the week when the maintenance personnel and nursery school teachers park in the “student only" parking lot. I was truly incensed when a guard suggested that I park behind Bessie Strong is there were no more spaces available behind Morehouse-James. This is ludicrous; I know of no one who parks a block away from their home and walks, when there is parking in front of their home. A very logical, practical and fair solution to this problem is that parking spaces be filled on a first- come first parked basis. Allowing students to park in front of Morehouse-James and Laura Spelman would permit us to park in a well lit area at night. I realize this solution may force some faculty and staff to park behind Morehouse-James; however they would have the safety of daylight hours. I urge the administration to thoroughly investigate the parking situation here at Spelman. It is deplorable the way we have been treated as far as on-campus parking is concerned. We, the students, are Spelman and we should be the administations number one priority! I ask that administration examine the problem and to expediently render a favorable solution or decision to Spelman Students. Your for a better, happier campus, Dana Tippin