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Spelman Spotlight
April, 1985
Lack of Housing: A Reoccuring Problem at Spelman College
by Debbie Marable
As the end of the second
semester draws slowly to a close,
many students who will be
returning next year turn their
attention to housing.
“For as long as I’ve been at
Spelman, which has been about
4V2 years, on-campus housing
has always been a problem,” said
Carmen Jordon-Cox, Dean and
Vice President of Student Life.
Campus housing is divided
into two categories: freshmen
and upperclassmen. Freshmen
were once awarded housing on a
first come first served basis said
Dean Cox, “but starting next
semester, it will be required that
all out-of-town freshmen like on
campus."
“It is a well known fact that a
student's first year is usually her
hardest. Generally, it's the first
time she has been away from
home and she’s in a strange
place. We have found that first
year students who were having
academic problems more often
than not, were commuting
students, “It was at this point that
we decided to make on-campus
housing required for all out-of-
town freshman,” she said.
Upperclassmen housing is
awarded through a lottery.
“Frankly, it’s complicated,” said
the vice president. Mainly
because there are some up
perclassmen who ARE
guaranteed housing. Specifically
students in the Honors Program,
some members of the SGA,
Living-Learning participants and
about 25 spaces are reserved for
exchange and transfer students.
According to Dean Cox there
are approximately 1,040 spaces
available for on-campus
residents, but with the closing of
Chadwick's third floor the figure
drops to about 1,022. If
Chadwick is closed down com
pletely, which could very well
happen, the number drops again
to about 985.
Dean Cox said that “No plans
have been made yet as to the
destiny of Chadwick. There has
been some discussion about
tearing it down and re-building
or maybe a possible renovation.
A decision expected to be made
by the Board of Trustees at their
April meeting.
The college provides 12
residence halls. Next year
freshmen will continue to live in
Abby, Packard and Chadwick
and on the second floor of the
Living-Learning Center. Begin
ning next fall freshmen will also
be assigned to Laura Spelman
and Howard Harreld.
“Next year freshmen will be
assigned to Howard Harreld
instead of Manley because it has
more room. Howard Harreld will
hold 176 girls. Manley holds only
124."
Upperclassmen will reside in
the remaining 8 dorms.
Those students who do not
receive on-campus housing may
be assisted by the Office of
Residential Life in finding a
place. One good thing students
who have to live off-campus
should be grateful for is that
Atlanta does have an excellent
marta system. “No matter where
one lives in the city, she can be
here in about 30 minutes,”
emphasized Dean Cox.
Also of concern to student
with hopes of living on-campus
next year is the controversy over
on-campus parking stickers.
Dean Cox said that technically
juniors and seniors are suppose
to be the only students with
stickers. “The problems begins
when these stickers are purchas
ed for other sophomores and
freshmen. One hundred and
twenty-five on-campus stickers
to be issued on a first come first
served basis,” she said.
Finally, in addressing the issue
of whether rising seniors would
be guaranteed housing - Dean
Cox said that “each year student
handbooks change and the only
thing that is not subject to
change is academics.” In sum,
the class of 1986 will not be
guaranteed housing.
One premise in guaranteeing
housing to freshmen but no
longer to seniors said Dean Cox
is that the administration
believes that older students
know the city a little better and
are therefore better able to live
off campus than first year
students.
Dean Cox said that the ad
ministration recognizes that
there are concerns about the on-
campus housing available to
students, but that they do try to
take all opinions and concerns
into consideration when making
new policies. Decisions that
effect the student body are never
made hap-harzardly she said.
SAGE Answers Black Women’s Problems
by Jennifer Aldridge
When people Beverly Guy-
Sheftall and Patricia Bell-Scott
come together wonderful ideas,
such as SAGE, are born.
In the summer of 1983, Beverly
and Patricia began discussing the
need of a Black women’s journal
that was analytical as well as
critical of subjects concerning
and affecting Black women in
the world today. Instead of
recognizing the need and then
ignoring it as most people
probably would have done, they
decided to do something about
this lack of information.
In the Spring of 1984, the first
publication of SAGE was releas
ed. This “Scholarly Journal on
Black Women” was Beverly's and
Patricia’s remedy to the
problem. When asked why they
decided to call the journal SAGE,
they said that SAGE (wise) was a
perfect definition that defined
all the ideas that were presented
in the journal. Along with Bever
ly and Patricia, Janet Sims Wood
and Jacqueline Jones-Royster
are editors on this journal which
they all have classified as being as
extremely feminist journal.
The format of the journal
consists of editorials, reviews, a
readers’ forum, and articles that
focus on the central theme of
each issue. So far SAGE has
covered themes such as “Black
Women’s Education” which was
their premiere issue, and
“Mother’s and Daughthers.”
Hiring for Liberal Arts Majors Is Up
by Kelly Edwards
When Clark College senior
Leslie Gamble recently walked
into a job interview with some
conservation bankers, she
figured she didn’t have a chance.
She was, after all, an English
major.
“I said, do you realize that I
haven't had any finance classes?”
And they said no problem. We’ll
train you, Gamble recalls. "They
all said they wished they had
been a liberal arts student.
"They felt their perspective
was so narrow.”
Gamble, who will go to work
for the bank after graduation this
spring, was in fact, interviewed
by about 10 corporations.
Though her case may not be
typical, college placement of
ficials across the country report
that the number of firms looking
to hire liberal arts grads is up
substantially over last year.
“Even major corporations are
now giving an increasingly
sincere look at liberal arts
graduates,” reported Victor
Lindsy, who directs
Northwestern University’s
career placement center and is
the author of an annual report
tracking job offers nationwide.
Lindsy said the increasing
interest in liberal arts graduates is
part of a trench that began in
about 1980.
Liberal arts graduates "tend to
have marketable communica
tion skills, both written and oral,
analytical tools, and tend to be
more trainable,” he explained.
The College Placement Coun
cil’s annual survey of major
corporations indicated business
executives plan to hire eight
percent more grads this year
than last.
Other surveys, however,
suggest that liberal arts majors
will not benefit from the in
crease.
The proliferation of practical
courses in liberal arts curicula,
and an increasing realization that
the technical skills required in
business can be taught on the job
helped liberal arts grads, career
placement officials said.
However, many liberal arts
majors are still said to suffer in
the job market because of a
fixation on one subject.
Many of the stories printed in the
journal are written by the editors
and consulting editors of the
journal but they ask for con
tributions from anyone who has
material pertaining to the theme
of an issue.
The theme of the Fall 1985
issue will be "Black Mother-
Daughter Anthology.” Any in
terested people wanting to sub
mit material should send it to:
Black Mother-Daughter
Anthology, C/O SWEP, P.O. Box
42741, Atlanta, Georgia 30311-
9741. The deadline for sub
missions is June 1, 1985. If
interested in subscribing to
SAGE please write to Sage, P.O.
Box 42741, Atlanta, Georgia
30311-9741.
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Consult a physician if such.problems per
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For more information, including the free
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About Leukemia." write to:
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society of arrtenca. nc.
800 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Georgia Chapter
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1447 Peachtree Street, N.E. • Suite 412
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
Sisterhood Symposium Held
at Spelman College
by Valerie K. Bright
On Thursday, March 14, the Women's Center and Spelman’s English Department held the first of
a series of symposiums entitled “Sisterhood is Powerful: promoting Solidarity and a Positive Self-
image.”
The first session on “Balck Women Feeling Good AboutThemselves” was very well attended said
coordinators of the symposium. According to Mrs. Thelma Ravell-Pinto, committee chairperson,
good communication took place between the panel and the audience which consisted mostly of
students. Also much information was exchanged between the younger and older women who
attended teh symposium, she said.
Some interesting points of discussion were made concerning the social attitudes of Morehouse
and Spelman students. A major concern for both Spelman Students and the women that were
present was the need for unity. A point that arose as a basis for this need was that women are not
socialized to network with other women.
Attendance at the second session held on March 25 was weak according to Mrs. Ravell-Pinto and
Ms. Beverly Guy-Sheftall. Program coordinators and participants urge students to attend this
symposium and help promote sisterhood.
“Sisterhood is Powerful: Promoting Solidarity and a Positive Self-Image” Symposium
Next Session: International Sisterhood:
Cross Cultural Perspective
April 22,1985
4:00 p.m.
Giles Exhibition Hall