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Page 5 * SPELMAN SPOTLIGHT October, 1988
Student Spotlight:
Kimberly White
By Ladonya Massie
To be endowed with a position of huge
responsibilities, high prestige, honor and
glory, is to be crowned Miss Blue and
White of Spelman College. For the school
year 1988-89, this reverent title was
earned by Spelman senior, Kim White.
Kim was crowned Miss Blue and
White on March 4, 1988 at the Sister’s
Chapel. She competed with four other
contestants and states that she originally
had planned only to participate in the
pageant as part of the talent. She had al
ways wanted to run for Miss Blue and
White, but when her junior year came she
decided not to compete. She was forced
to enter competition when friends of hers
filled out an application and she was cho
sen as a competitor.
A native of Washington, D.C., Kim
proves not only does Miss Blue and
White possess beauty, but she has brains
also. She has been on the Honor Roll, the
Dean’s List, and the National Dean’s
List. After graduating from Spelman and
earning a degree in English, she aspires to
attend law school, practice law, and enen-
tually teach. She wants to instill in young,
black children a “sense of themselves”
and wants them to be able “to grow and
think logically.”
Kim White, along with Kyra Stinson,
the SGA president, are working to make
the role of Miss Blue and White less of a
beauty queen symbol and more of an ac
tive representative of Spelman in such
ways as speaking with students and par
ticipating in more social events. As Miss
Blue and White, Kim feels that her re
sponsibilities are portraying one who has
“faith in herself, encouraging others to
reach for excellence, and caring for all.”
But the main job of Miss Blue and White
is “portraying the true essence of a Spel
man woman.” ^
' Freddye Hill:
A Sister About Change
By Cheryl M. Mann
In our first issue, Dean Freddye Hill
was introduced to the Spelman College
Community with a short profile of her
life. Now Dean Hill has been ready for
action since July of 1988 and this article
is here to prove that. Being appointed
Vice-President of Student Affaris, she
must deal with the gripes of the student
body as well as recognize problems
within our system and rectify them. When
I spoke with Dean Hill she said “Spelman
has some problems that must be taken
care of. The first of those is sisterhood
and exhibiting trust. What we have is
good, but I want to make it better.”
CMM - Dean Hill, you graduated from
Spelman in 1968. What are the differ
ences that you recognize between today
and twenty years ago on our campus?
Dean H - What struck me as a major
difference is that people trusted each
other more then than they do now. They
didn’t speak of sisterhood, it wasn’t
necessary because it was already there. I
do not see it in day to day activities of stu
dents, faculty and administrators. This
has been going on for some time and
these structures reproduces false sister
hood and mistrust that bring down our
academic community, personal develop
ment and integrity.
CMM - Are you saying that Spelman
needs to be resocialized?
Dean H - Yes. Respect, concern and
trust should be the norm within our com
munity. The opposite would be an aberra
tion. We need to create a new woman
concerned about others and academic ex
cellence.
Lots of places have honor codes and
people do not cheat because it is the com
munity rule. If you violate that trust your
peers will be the ones to sanction you.
You need to let people know your values
and expectations. If this was the norm,
there would be no enforced quiet hour. I
would not use my CD and 350 watt amp
to put Sade on as loud as it would go be
cause I know my sisters are trying to
When asked what advice she would
give to other Spelmanites, Kim re
sponded, “Go beyond, go the extra mile,
be responsible for your own education,
never take Spelman for granted, and
reach high.”
study. If I borrowed my sister’s sweater,
ruined it and not offered to buy her a new
one, I would not have been socialized
correctly. I would have violated my sis
ter's trust and not assumed my responsi
bility. In a community where there is no
trust, it cannot function.
CMM - As you know, registration is a
hectic time for all of us. The Registrar’s
Office alone accumulates numerous com
plaints. What about the administration?
Dean H - The administration will have
to change fundamentally. What needs to
be done is an institutional socialization.
There is subliminal and overt hostility on
the part of the student and administration
at times. What Spelman needs to learn is
to be caring and sensitive about others
during tense moments. As an example,
when the student needs a class and can’t
get it, don’t yell in the Registrar’s Office
because it irritates them and sometimes
they cannot help. Then the Registrar’s
Office shouldn’t turn a deaf ear to what’s
going on. We need to become a commu
nity grounded in care, trust, academic in
telligence and integrity. These ideal
values must become an integral part of
Spelman. The time has come for change.
Not much change has to be done, for
Spelman is on the right track. We need to
perfect what we already have.
Now the impression that I got of Dean
Hill as the interview took place is that this
is one together sister!! She was totally
sincere in what she said and is willing to
work hard to make Spelman an even bet
ter place to attend. She wants to continue
the idea of sisterhood and make sure that
it evolves into an even greater philosophy
encompassing all that walk into our be
loved gates. I hope that some of her en
thusiasm and care for Spelman rub off on
us and compel each and every one of us to
strive as hard as she. Thank you for re
turning to Spelman.
From the mouth of a Wisconsin mother:
“It would be nice if the mothers of Black
male children would talk with their sons
about preserving their bodies and not
exploiting their fellow Black sisters.
Perhaps if they would think of each girl
they decide to exploit. . .in terms of the
young Black girl being someone’s sister/
daughter. . ., their own, they would not
ruin the lives of so many young black
women.”
Mrs. Shirley Fitzpatrick Leary