Flashing Lights: Coronation 2007

In downtown Atlanta, Georgia on October 4, 2007 almost one thousand students from Clark Atlanta University were in attendance for the 2007 coronation ball. The Homecoming experience of Clark Atlanta University is a time when students, both alumni and current attendees take time to become involved and attend events that showcase the vibrant spirit of our school. Since the consolidation of Clark College and Atlanta University in 1988, Homecoming has showcased a variety of events that keep the school in action and full of people. The homecoming week embodies three aspects: School spirit, the big game, and of course, Coronation. Students walked down the promenade to class listening to the dj play their favorite songs all week long while most students rushed around Atlanta to find that “perfect outfit” for the coronation ball. This year, like most others students made sure that Coronation was the event that they could not miss. The ball was held in downtown Atlanta at Americas Mart building three and from the looks of it, there was not one soul missing in action. Upon arriving to the ball, the line was all the way down Spring street, and then it seemed as though it would be a tedious process to get in. Security had the line bunched up right inside of the entrance that caused major blockage in the line. It soon cleared up and the night proceeded to go on with glee. The venue for the event was very extravagant with an ample amount of space for the “party goers”. As everyone piled onto the dance floor the array of colors came alive from all the different ensembles that were “walking it out”. Administration usually stresses the “dress code” for this event, but this year everything from jeans to Crocs (the slides with holes in them) were spotted. Besides the wretched things I ran across while on the dance floor, there were definitely outfits that made the “Best Dressed List”. Of course while I was “two stepping” across the floor I bumped into Casey “iCON” Billingsley, who was rocking a very Ralph Lauren look (hi rise navy slacks, a crisp white oxford, and a classic maroon blazer with black leather gloves). Fashion wasn't the only thing that was a hit that night. Students from all over the Atlanta University Center were in attendance and the the unity of the AUC was overwhelming.

Am I broke?

In the year 2005 2.3 million African American students attended college, which was about a one million student increase from the the previous fifteen years. In the growing rate of college attendees more and more African American students are trying to figure out the amount of money they will need in order to attend college as well as take care of outside expenses. To gain a higher education students have been placed under the pressure of paying for school with exorbitant loans that embody high interest rates that run up to 15 percent. Many historically Black colleges and universities are privately owned which automatically hikes the prices of education. At Clark Atlanta University the average tuition for an undergraduate student is approximately 8,050 dollars per semester, excluding room and board. With the addition of having to live on campus and a meal plan plus other cost, tuition overall for a year is about 26, 000 dollars. The question is posed: How does the cost of education affect the African American student? The continuos complaint that HBCU’s (historically black colleges and universities) are not fully funded and thus students lose opportunities to gain scholarships and grants, haunts the minds of those who can not afford tuition.
I interviewed Matthew Charles Parker, a twenty-two year old Senior at Clark Atlanta University, who has transferred from the community college Georgia Perimeter college, which is a community college located in close proximity to CAU. He has experienced campus life on two different campuses. I asked him if he felt that his amounted money borrowed in loans was well spent on attending a private university instead of a school which cost less with the same programs. He reassured me that with the extra cost, he felt like he was gaining a better education that included an environment that a community college could not provide. Yet, he did not realize that private loans would amount to leaving him in extreme debt. After almost five years attending college Matthew has accumulated almost a hundred thousand dollars in loan money. In debt before even graduating from college and previous to even stepping into a career, students find themselves in a bind of having to pay loans with barely enough money to support themselves once the exit their “grand institutions”. Added to this pressure is the issue that many students, while away from home have been suckered into using credit cards. Now, at the end of his undergraduate journey Matthew has ensured the fact that he will not allow the weight of his loans to pressure him into deep depth while he works towards obtaining a high income. Unfortunately, with the plummet of today’s economy, the average college graduate can not find a job in their field and must reduce themselves back down to just finding a job that “works”. It will be a constant struggle for African American students as well as other races to stay afloat in a world that is controlled by economic stature. However, college was supposed to help with that climb, instead it has made many fall.