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Spelma
OTLIGHT
THE VOICE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMANHOOD
VOLUME XXXIX - No. 1
September 19,1994
SGA Vice Prez. IMPEACHED
•Editor in CHief iRiche Daniel
Associate 'Editor. Jelice ‘Winston
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'The Spotlight is published
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2,500. The office is located in Lower
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by Riche Daniel
Editor in Chief
The Spelman Student Government
Association made history this year with
the first SSGA "impeachment" in
Spelman’s 113 year history.
While most of us were engaged in
the last minute frivolities of summer
fun, the SSGA was busy trying to put
together a New Student Orientation
week just three weeks before students
arrived.
Anissa Williams, elected SSGA
Vice President last semester, was not
doing her job according to SSGA
members.
Therefore, much to the dismay of
Williams and the Spelman community,
a majority vote by the SSGA executive
board fired Williams before the school
year started.
"I feel it was a necessary evil
because she wasn’t doing her job and it
had to be done," said Michelle Slater,
SSGA Treasurer elect.
According to SSGA reports
Williams failed to turn in necessary
budgets for the New Student
Orientation Week, which was due in
May of last semester, and she failed to
plan the week or let anyone know what
steps she was taking to plan the week.
But Williams contends that she did
make some plans but did not know
how to get in touch with the rest of the
board members.
" T h e r e was :i lot of
miscommunication on all our parts,"
said Williams. "I am not blameless but
I feel like I am taking all of the
blame."
JTie decision to relieve Williams of
her duties came about when SSGA
president, Stacey Abrams was
contacted several times during the
summer by Spelman College Provost,
Dr. Glenda Price.
Price asserts that she tried to get in
touch with Williams before school
ended last semester and during the
summer but got no response.
"I was not able to reach her. Dr.
Price couldn’t reach her, we didn’t
know what her plans were and I felt it
was in the best interest of the SSGA and
the new students that I relieve her
(Williams) of her duties," said Abrams.
There are no rules for impeachment
of officers in the Spelman College
Student Handbook to date. But the
constitution does give the President and
the executive board the right to relieve
an executive officer of her duties if she
is not completing her job.
"I was not impeached," said
Williams of the decision made by the
board. "There was a special hearing of
the SGA executive board and the
majority did not want me to be SGA
vice president anymore."
For most of the board the decision
was a hard one but one of necessity.
Because Williams had not completed
the week, the board was put on a tight
schedule to find monies for the week,
order t-shirts and bags and plan a host
of activities.
Slater, who was responsible for
contacting the administration for the
money said the worse part was having
to go to administration and explain what
happened. She had to literally beg Don
Jones, college controller, for an
emergency budget.
"It was unfair of her to ask the SGA
to work with her after she had broken
everyone’s trust," Slater said.
Williams said she understands the
sentiments of the board.
"There was no need for me to
continue to fight what happened because
I didn’t have the support of the SSGA
and without their support we wouldn’t
have been able to work as a team,"
Williams said.
While the SSGA is in search of a
new person to fill the position, Williams
said her political career here at Spelman
is over.
"Everything happens for a reason and
being a part of the SSGA was not meant
for me this year," said Williams who
has come to understand and deal with
the situation. "This incident has shown
me that we have a long way to go when
it comes to sisterhood. But I’m fine,
I’m moving on and there are no hard
feelings or grudges against anyone."
Spelman Sisterhood Transcends All
By Karan J. Kendrick
Freshman Writer
"Sisters" from around the globe
gathered together on August 21 to
take part in one exceptional
experience —Spelman College.
From the blazing suns of Texas, to
the cool breezes of the Virgin
Islands, young, marvelous,
"righteous", sisters graced the gates
of Spelman.
After months of anticipation, the
much awaited day had finally
arrived, and even the rain could not
dampen the spirits of more than 400
curious, young minds. "Even though
it was a rainy day, I felt brightened
by the welcome of our Sister
President, Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole",
said Adia Harvey an English major
from Raleigh, North Carolina. Cole
wasn’t the only one meeting and
greeting. Student Orientation
Leaders (SOL) were in place to
cheer up a few sad faces.
"Their (SOL’s) excitement was
infectious," said Jamila Johnson a
Dr. Cole gave new students
words of encouragement
Drama major from Temple Hills,
Maryland. "At first I was just
standing there, but when I saw how
enthused they were I became more
excited about the whole
experience".
But for many, "Freshman
Frenzy" soon turned to "Freshman
Fever", and was diagnosed by
symptoms associated with a similar
first year disease: Homesickness.
"I was sooo homesick," said
Kelly-Ann Jones from Queens, New
York. "I still am a little, but
Spelman is so much more than
what I had expected. I was
apprehensive about being around so
many black people but the whole
AUC (Atlanta University Center) is
such a good experience. Grown-ups
arc always saying that we (young
African Americans) don’t do
anything positive...here it’s proven
different.
Nandi Beede, a Political
Science major from New York
Spelman Sisterhood
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