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Volume 47, Issue 1 August 18, 2010 The Spelman SPOTLIGHT The Voice of African-American Womanhood Since 1957 Courtesy ot Spelman College The Benefits of Women’s Colleges Sierra Stokes Lifestyle Editor Women are faced with many challenges in today’s society. Statistics show that women are more likely to experience domestic violence, suffer from heart disease and they have the highest numbers of HIV/ AIDS cases. To combat these many issues women are plagued with, some young women opt to attend all-female institutions of higher learning. “A positive aspect of going to an all women’s college is that the environment is more open to telling the truth about women’s roles in society - especially African- American women,” said Sheryl Means, a sophomore at Spelman College. “Being comfortable when discussing controversial topics is another benefit at an all women’s institution,” continued Means. Historically black women’s colleges like Spelman and Bennett prepare their students to succeed in the “real world.” These schools focus on making women globally conscious leaders. They also focus on empowering the whole woman, while staying dedicated to academics, so that their graduates are confident enough to compete against their male counterparts. “Spelman College has two main goals, the first is making sure the students are able to excel upon graduation and the second is ensuring that students graduate as renaissance women with a social conscious,” added Means. Some students attend institutions for women in order to build long lasting relationships. “I felt [attending an all women’s school] was the best decision for me after visiting the campus and staying in a sorority house... It was like one big family,” stated Karla Stevenson, an alumna of Bennett College. “Also, when I attended a [women’s] basketball game I saw how enthusiastic and supportive the student body was, which made me love it even more,” added Stevenson. Overall, many women are pleased with their decisions to attend an all female institution because of their experiences. They learn to be strong women who are able to change the world. “When making the choice to attend Spelman, I was well aware of it being an all female school, yet that didn’t matter to me. I over looked it because I saw it offered more. Now I’ve come to appreciate its exclusiveness to females and count it among its privileges,” stated Jessica Fitzgerald, a sophomore at Spelman. There are 78 women’s colleges in the United States and the women who attend these schools receive a first rate education, a real sense of personal power and a sense of responsibility to use that power constructively. Inside The Spotlight Letter from the Editor 2 Freshman 15 3 Got MacVicar? 5 Guide to Spelman 6 Student Organizations 8 Roomates: Friend or Foe? 9 Words of Wisdom 11 Going the Distance 13 Do's and Don'ts of Orientation 15 Welcome to Atlanta 16