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Spelman Spotlight
Page 12
Dr. Ben Carson Speaks to Spelman lies
By Elisa Smith
"It’s totally impossible to overloac
your brain," said Dr. Ben Carson,
director of pediatric neurosurgery at
Johns Hopkins Hospital, in a speech
Feb. 15 in the LLC-II Auditorium at
Spelman College.
Dr. Carson, 37, in 1987 performed
:he first successful separation of
Siamese twins joined at the back of the
head.
His speech to parents and students
was in celebration of Family Weekend
1991 at Spelman College. Sponsored
by Spelman’s Living and Learning
Program and the SOAR Corporation,
Dr. Carson spoke seriously but
humorously for about an hour on his
transition from growing up "poor,
battling aggressive roaches and rats" in
Detroit with his mother (who only had
a third-grade education), to becoming a
-■* orld-renowned "life-saver."
He spoke of going from being
"the dumbest kid in the class to the
smartest kid in the class."
He said that after continuous
academic failure by him and his
brother, their mother only allowed them
to watch two television shows daily
which she selected.
His mother also required them to
check out two books weekly from the
library and write a report on each.
"Little did we know that she
couldn’t read," he said with a laygh.
Dr. Carson attributes much of his
academic success to his reading.
Through it, he said, he acquired an
interest in rocks and geology.
An interest in classical music also
peaked as a result of Dr. Carson’s
reading hobby.
"People thought I was strange for
wanting to relate to classical music,"
he said. "I guess I was ... this Black
kid in Motown listening to Mozart."
But Dr. Carson’s interest in
classical music was foiled by his desire
to compete in the College Bowl, a quiz
show during which students from
various colleges and universities
competed to answer factual questions.
Why was he so interested in the
College Bowl?
Because he believed the
contestants were some of the smartest
people in America, and he wanted to
join them. He decided that the winner
of that year’s College Bowl would
decide which college he would attend.
The competition was between
Harvard and Yale. Dr. Carson, "with
only $10 for the application fee,"
watched the competition, and when
Yale won, he applied.
He believes that his interest in
classical music presented a common
ground between him and the
interviewer at Yale.
Dr. Carson cited bouts with racism
that he had to endure and offered some
anecdotes for dealing with the racism
he faced as a Black student at Yale,
and as a Black physician now.
He jokingly said, "I got interested
in this type of surgery (neurosurgery)
because of all the people who nearly
had seizures when they found out I
was Black."
But seriously, he said, "I think
it’s important for people of other ethnic
persuasions to see that African-
Americans can compete with them on
any level."
He believes that attending
predominantly white schools and
pursuing professions dominated by
whites is one of the best ways to
eradicate the problem of racism. "The
more they see us in these fields, the
less ‘shocked’ they are," he said.
Dr. Carson gave some advice to
Black youngsters about handling
relationships.
"In high school, we should start
teaching our young ladies to look up to
young men who are developed
intellectually, not on a field running
around with a pigskin with nothing up
here," he said, pointing at his head.
"Maybe then, [young ladies] would
start seeing a change in the response
[they] get from men."
He also urged that we become
more aware of the facts when choosing
a perspective career.
When offered the scholarships and
fame, many of our young athletes don’t
realize that only "seven in one million
percent sure that she would be
enrolling at Spelman in the fall.
Alexis Greene, a senior from New
York, stated that she, too, was
impressed with Spelman, but had not
decided which college she would be
attending in the fall.
Antrice Eddie, a freshman hostess,
said that she was eager for Spring
will make it as starters for the NBA,
and that their careers will last an
average of 2 to 3 years," he said.
Offering some study hints to
students, Dr. Carson stressed the
importance of "not socializing too
much," but instead keeping a strong
focus on your purpose in college, a
problem he says he had in school.
"You waste a lot of money when
you learn by cramming," he said.
"You’d learn much more if you
practiced in-depth learning, where you
learn for learning itself and not for a
test."
He also warned that students be
cautious in dealing with their "PEERS
- People who Encourage Errors,
Rudeness and Stupidity."
In his autobiography Gifted
Hands: The Ben Carson Story, Dr.
Carson encourages all to "THINK BIG:
T= Talent, Time; H= Hope, Honesty;
1= Insight; N= Nice; K= Knowledge;
B= Books; 1= In-depth Learning; G=
God."
He explains these concepts by
saying: recognize, develop and use
your God-given talents; learn the
importance of time; anticipate good
things; be honest; listen and learn from
others; be nice to all people;
knowledge is the key to all your
dreams; develop good reading skills;
acquire knowledge and compound that
knowledge; and never get too big for
m —i
Overnight to arrive because she
remembered how much fun it was for
her to visit Spelman the previous year
and that she wanted to share that same
experience with someone else.
Other hostesses stated that they
were pleased with the organization of
Spring Overnight and they thought that
it was, as in past years, a huge
success.
Seniors Visit Spelman
Continued from page 5
met with department heads. They then
prepared to return home.
While the seniors were busy with
their activities, their parents were also
following a rigorous schedule that was
mapped out by the admissions staff.
Most of the seniors stated that they
wanted to attend Spelman because they
believed it was a good school.
Others stated that they had other
family members who had or are
currently attending Spelman or other
Atlanta University Center schools and
this was a deciding factor for them.
Angela Thomas, a senior from
Douglasville, Georgia, said that she
was excited, enthusiastic, and pleased
with what she saw and was 100
No Money!
No Money!
No Money?
Continued from page 2
will award what is available prior to
registration and indicate to Student
Accounts that the aid is available for
disbursement. This group of student?
will be informed whether they are
required to see the Office of Student
Financial Services during registration
following completion of verification.
*The Registrar’s Office will need to
provide a . luting of students who are
pre-registered. The Financial Aid
Office will move the awards of pre-
registered students who have completed
all requirements with Financial Aid by
informing, the Office of Student
Accounts to disburse their aid.
Marva Tanner is the Executive Director of
the Office of Student Financial Services.
Probability of Financial Aid*
By Incomes Aided* & Average Award
1990-91
Income Range
# Applied
# Aided
% Aided
Avg. Award
$0-$5,999
437
437
100%
$7202
$6,000-611,999
85
82
96%
7448
$12,000-617,999
93
93
100%
6830
$18,000-623,999
112
109
97%
6013
$24,000-629,999
134
131
98%
5868
$30,000-634,999
92
88
96%
4784
$35,000-639,999
62
61
98%
5357
$40,000-649,999
103
88
85%
4479
$50,000-659,999
210
202
96%
4498
$60,000 OR MORE
187
151
81%
3368
TOTALS
1515
1442
95%
$4578
*lncome information on file at SFAO.
*These are averages awarded last year. Each family situation is different and is judged on its own merit.
Your award may, therefore, vary from the information above. It is provided only as a guide.