Newspaper Page Text
Page 2 • SPELMAN SPOTLIGHT November, 1986
Editor’s
Notes
by Lori Boyer
Happy Homecoming!
The time of year that we’ve been waiting for oh so long
has finally arrived. The Morehouse-Spelman/Howard
weekend promises to be full of fun and games and other
exciting events. Take advantage of all the activities but we
still have to take care of our homes.
During our matriculation at our respective campuses,
we must consider them to be our homes. One thing that
we have to start doing is keeping our houses in order. To
be more specific, we have to keep our campuses clean.
Glass alcoholic beverages — beer bottles and others —
have been a part of Homecoming for as long as 1 can
remember. 1 am not suggesting a ban on alcohol. I strongly
urge those who decide to drink throw the bottles away in
the proper facilities.
Glass decorates the parking lot used by Atlanta Univer
sity Center Students. Glass sparkles in the grass adjacent
to the stadium. Let’s not add to the glass collection in the
AUC.
Have a good time this weekend. Please don’t litter.
And please, don’t drink and drive.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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V y THf VOICt Of BLACK WOMANHOOD
Editor-In-Chief
Jennifer L. Satterfield
Associate Editor
Lori P. Boyer
Editors
News editor
Teri Lee
News assistant
Darralyn Hutson
Feature editor
Leslie Sykes
Feature assistant
Gretchen Cook
Literary editor
Melanie White
Literary assistant
Rhonda Kaye Smith
Political editors
Stephanie Mclner
Sharia Jackson
Political assistant
Kamela Heyward
Circulation manager
Triphenya Zachary
Art editor
Annamary Parker
Photoghraphy editor
Kathleen Tait
Office managers
Kimberly Smith
Annamary Parker
Reporters
Mike F. Weaver
Stephanie Mclver
Sharia Jackson
Sharne Jackson
Sherrie McGee
Les Smith
Jada Keye
Kamela Heyward
Caroline Washington
Tara Addison
Stephanie Adams
Lynn Hobbs
Julie Alexander
Donna Thompson
Linda Churchwell
Melanie Cook
Milanie Grant
Natalie Minor
Dolores Garcia
Triphenya Zachery
The Spelman Spotlight is a 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.
SGA president talks
about mutual respect
By Kim Russaw
It is not easy trying to come
up with a timely subject to speak
on every month. The Spelman
community is so diverse and her
members do so many different
types of things over the course
of a month, it is very difficult to
pinpoint one topic that affects
everyone at the same time.
I had decided to use
academic excellence as the topic
for this month’s column. I decid
ed that November would be a
good month for this topic
because people would have
settled into their classes taken
midterms, and would have settl
ed into their classes, taken
midterms, and would be
heading for the academic
“home stretch.” The last lap is
often the most difficult, so 1
figured my perspectives would
serve as an energy booster for
many, if not an inspiration.
Sure, academic excellence is
important, but as your leader
and peer I am compelled to
speak on another topic this
month. The topic for this month
is RESPECT.
I would venture to guess that
at this point many readers are
allowing their eyes to scan the
paper for another, more appeal
ing column to react. No, this is
not a “happy” topic, and I would
suggest that those who divert
their eyes from the printed word
are undoubtedly ignoring the
reality of the situation, and in
this instance ignorance is not
bliss!
After attending numerous
pageants sponsored by various
classes I am very disheartened.
Everytime I go to a pageant it
seems somebody, or group of
bodies,lose their mind. Why do
1 go? I feel it not only my respon
sibility as SSGA President, but
more importantly as a
Spelmanite to support my
sisters. As a senior 1 feel even
more obligated because at this
stage in our Spelman careers we
tend to be concerned with the
reputation and prosperity of our
institution. So I went, 1 viewed,
I clapped where either ap
propriate or inspired, I co-
ingratulted, and 1 left. I was not
however, uplifted or happy. I
was not at all pleased with the
vents on the whole, and the au
dience “participation” left much
to be desired.
Many concerned students ap
proach me at these pageants
saying things like “Kim, they’re
being so rude. Would you
please go out there and tell them
to be quiet!?!,” and “They have
no respect,” or “I don’t see how
the girls can do it! I wouldn’t get
out there on that stage for
anything?” At that time I would
simply smile at them and explain
that it really wasn’t my place.
Heckling, demonstrations of
discontent through obscene
words or gestures, is not
necessary. We all like to coin
sider ourselves to be adults, yet
the behavior displayed at these
activities does not demonstrate
any great degree of maturity.
This type of behavior is not on
ly prevalent at pageants, but
other presentational activities
whether they be talent shows,
step shows, or the like.
If you are not satisfied with
the quality or nature of any
presentation, leave. Leaving can
be a very respectful way to show
one’s discontent. If you are total
ly against the recurring nature of
these presentations, do not
come. You are probably not the
only person displeased. Get
together with others like yourself
and intelligently voice your
discontent. Speak with those in
dividuals directly responsible for
the activity if the nature of the
activity bothers you. Approach
those responsible for the activi
ty if the nature of the activity
bothers you. Approach those
responsible for the outlandish
behavior if that bothers you. Do
not merely divert your attentions
from the matter. “If not you . .
who?”
Now, some would argue that
before we can demand respect
from others, we must first show
respect for ourselves. I used to
be a staunch believer in this
ideology, and still do base much
of my argument on self-esteem
and self-respect as being a prere
quisite for mutual admiration
and respect. We should,
however, be able to do both at
the same time; cultivate greater
respect for ourselves while re
quiring it from others.
Clearly it is going to take more
than a couple of newspaper
editorials, non-violent protests,
and trips to the balcony by
SSGA officers. Those of us that
are concerned must be respon
sible enough to let our voices be
heard. Sure, our voices may be
small at this point but we must
become a “vocal minority.” It
has worked in the past, and it
can work again.
The Spotlight
Staff is disap
pointed that fa
culty and ad
ministrators did
not respond to the
October editorial
on GRE testing
conditions. Is this
lack of response
an example of the
apathy on our
campus?
Ms. Jennifer Satterfield, Editor
The Spelman Spotlight
Spelman College
Atlanta, Georgia 30314
Dear Editor:
1 wish to congratulate you and your editorial staff oin the Oc
tober issue of the Spelman Spotlight. It is excellent. The experiences
of the Foreign Exchange Students abroad were extremely in
teresting. It is to your credit that you have featured them in this issue.
I look forward with pleasure to other excellent editions of the
Spelman Spotlight. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Dr. E. W. Githii