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I OLUME XI
GREEXSISOKO, X. C., MARCH, 1942
N. I. D. A.
Festival Held
At Bennett
The twelfth annual festival of the
Negro Intercollegiate Dramatics As
sociation took place at Bennett Col
lege April 10-12 with representatives
from eight colleges and universities
participating. The Uennett Colleige
Little Theatre Guild, which is di
rected by Mrs. Erostine Coles Robin
son, was hostess for the festival,
which inducted several social events,
as well as business meetings and
technical demonstrations.
On Friday, April 10, registration
of the schools in attendance began
at 9:00 a. m. Because many of the
schools did not arrive until a late
hour in the morning the actual ses
sions of the festival did not begin
in full swing until the afternoon at
which- time a demonstration in light
ing and a business meeting of the As
sociation were the highlights. One-
act plays were given in the Little
Theatre GuildJ Friday evening by
Morgan and Shaw. Virginia Union
which was expected to have present
ed a third play; was unable to at
tend the festival A reception and a
dance concluded Friday’s program.
The events for'-Saturday included
a critical report of the Friday night
plays with Owen Dodson presiding,
a business meeting, and a luncheon
at which President David D. Jones
spoke. “Death Takes A Holiday”, a
^hree-act plav was p'^es'^nte;'! Sst-
(Continued On Page Four)
Orchestra
Returns From
Tour
Thirty-three memJbers of the Ben-
netl College orchestra made the in
itial tour through several cities in
South Carolina. The tour extending
from March 2-11, included Rock
Hill, Sparanburg, Anderson, Co
lumbia, Camden, Sumter, Cheraw,
Charleston, Beaufort, and Orange
burg. In some of these cities we were
the guests of high schools and in
others—guests of the colleges.
Our hostesses extended to us all
of the graciousness and hospitality
within thedr power.
The trip ^besides being a most en
joyable and interesting one, from
which we gained a store of informa
tion and also met many friends and
made new acquaintances, was only of
minor importance when contrasted
with new experiences such as hav
ing to turn down several offers to
play for dances because we are try
ing to give to the public a higher
type of music.
This kind of trip, where one has
to be continually thoughtful and
solicitous of other members, in order
to make of it a great success, was
quite novel for most of us.
Therefore, we are indeed grateful
to our conductor, Mr. F. N. Gatlin,
our chaperons, Mrs. Gatlin and Miss
Woodson, our nurse, Mr. Ingram,
the bus driver, and various mem
bers of the orchestra who gave un
limited! time and energy toward mak-
iner our tour one whirh wi" a'v'P.ys
be remembered and cherished with
a great deal of enthusiasm.
UI*TON G. WILSON
;?0 Years In 15wl — Still An Optimist
JLADISON, N. C.
April S, 1042
Radio Directoi-
Uennett College
(ireeii.sboro, N. C.
Dear Sir:*
If I am not asking too much, and if it is available, will you
pJease send me a copy of the paper read ou your devotional program,
Tuesday afternoon 'by your d'ean of students. Miss Simmons. This
was one of the most beautiful messages I have heard on any radio
program.
May 1 say, also, that I have listened with enjoyment and ap
preciation to many of your programs and have been impressed by
the simple but expressive diction and splendidi enunciation of your
speakers. Your programs certainly speak forcifully for your insti
tution.
Thanking you in adtvance for granting the requested favoT
and wishing you and your college all things good, I am
Cordially and Cherrfully yours,
UPTON G. WILSON.
Echoes From Home-
Making Institute
Among the iprominent speakers
who v/ere guests at the Institute
were: Dr. Louise Stanley, chief of
the Bureau of Home Economics in
Washington, D. C.; Dr. Victoria
Cai'lson of Woman’s College, Dr.
Channing H. Tobias of the National
Selective Service Board, .lessie Owens
of the Physical Fitness of COD, P.
I. Prattis, Executive Editor of the
Pittsburgli Courier, Dr. Charlotte
Hawkins Brown, President of Palmer
Memorial Institute.
* -t
Members of the Bennett College
Alumnae group in Greensboro held
a coffee hour in honor of: their fel-
low-graduates, Mrs. lOlfreda Sandi-
fer Moore, founder and director of
the Philharmonic Glee Club, of New
York City, who was formerly a resi
dent of Greensboro, and who pre
sented her glee club in a concert here
during home-making institute week.
* * *
Outstanding in the^ 16ch annual
home-making institute, was the
series of exhibits, devoted to the
theme, ‘T‘he Home and Civilian
Defense”, which were on display,
under the direction of Mrs, Melba
B. Dennis, art instructor.
* * *
The following families of Greens
boro were saluted as outstanding
examples of well-rounded family life:
Mr. andi Mrs. Henry Haith, Mr. and
Mrs. Robert Smith, Rev. and Mrs.
J. W. Sliuford and Mr. and Mrs.
Robert Wallace.
* * * *
Mrs. Henry Pfeiffer of New Y'ork
City and members of her immediate
family visited the college during
this week.
Virginia State
Players Present Play
The Bennett College Little Theatre
Guild entertained the Virginia State
Players on April 2 8 and 29. The
visitors gave two splendid perform
ances of “Death Takes A Holiday”.
The play, which is an allegorical
drama in three acts, was well chosen,
beautifully interpreted, and superb
ly directed.
After the Saturday evening per
formance the Little Theatre spon
sored a Coffee Hour in Annie Mer-
ner Hall in honor of the cast, staff,
and directress. Miss Anderson.
The next event on the calendar is
the N. I. D. A. Festival to he held
here from April 10-12. At this time
the Guild will be hostess to the
theatre groups of Virginia State,
Hampton, Lincoln, A. & T., Morgan,
Shaw, and Virginia Union. The last
(Continued On Page Four)
THEATRE GUILD PRESENT
PLAYS AT FORT BRAGG
On Saturday, March 7, the Little
Theatre Guild traveled to Fort Bragg
to present two one-act plays, “Bam-
mie” and “To Watch the Sun Rise”.
These plays had been previously pre
sented on the campus by the Guild.
Both of the plays were written by
the director of dramatics, Mrs. Eros
tine Coles Robinson, who has had
considerable experience in the sphere
of creative dramatics.
The plays were well attended and
received much applause from the
soldiers who provided the players a
stage equiped with dressing rooms
for both men and women, and an
auditorium in the company’s recrea
tion center. They also made it a very
entertaining day for the visitors from
our campus.
Dr. Dett
Honored At
Niagara Falls
A 14th century Hebrew legend and
the words of a Negro spiritual were
the sources of “Father Abraham,”
most recent piano composition by
Dr. R. Nathaniel Dett, distinguish
ed musician and composer, who
played this composition for the first
time last Tuesday at a banquet com
memorating the 5Uth anniversary
of the founding of the chamber of
commerce at Niagara Falls, N- Y.,
Dr. Dett, who is head of the music
department at Bennett college, was
guest of honor at the banquet.
Believed to be the only living
Negro thus honored, Dr. Dett attend
ed t.he banquet at the invitation of
the chamber of commrce of Niagara
Falls, where members of his family
have been residents for over a cen
tury. His mother was at one time
a committee-woman on the city
council, and his brother is at piresent
assistant to the postmaster there.
Composer, pianist, and choir di
rector, Ijr. Dett is widely known in
this country and abroad for his
piano suites and for his arrange
ments of Negro folk music. “Father
Abraham,” a piano solo, is tiie first
of a series of eight Bible vignettes
on which he is at present engaged.
—From “Future Outlook.’
Seniors Receive
Academic Robes
Annual Senior Day, and a tree
planting ceremony were held at Ben
nett College, March 6, 1942. As cus
tomary, President Jones was speak
er, and in his addli-ess emphasized
the purpose of building and main-
tuning strong character.
The Seniors, with their sopho
more sisters assisting them in don
ning their roibes, were presented the
acadamic caps and gowns, which
they may wear at chapel and vespers
until Commencement. The Dean of
Instruction, W. A. Banner, announc
ed the awards and honors of the
class. Miss Evelyn Love had attain
ed the highest academic record dur
ing her four years at the college.
At the conclusion of the sei’vice
the audience, led by the marshalls.
Miss Willa Player and Miss Ellen
Torrence, gathered around the spot
where the tree, honoring the person
whom the seniors thought had been
their best friend during their college
years, was planted. The person se
lected for this honor was Mrs. M. B.
McLaurin, “Ma Mac” to the stu
dents.
Miss Ola Parker, ’42 presented
the tree to the school.
Sports Day Held
At A. & T.
College
Bennett was one of the four col
leges represented at the Sports Day
Meeting held by the Women's Sports
Day association at A. and T. College,
Saturday, April 11. Approximately
100 young women from four col
leges of Virginia and North Carolina
participated.
The participants formed four
teams — blue, yellow, brown and
red, each team being composed of
1 epresentatives from each of the
colleges. These teams engaged in
the following ectivities: volleyi)all.
latjle tenuis, darts, badmington, deck
lennis, shuffleboard and novelty re
lays.
The blue team emerged from the
series of contests as final victor. It
was represented as follows; Louise
Lewis, Bennett; Mattie Fisher, Vir-
giuia State; Doris Clark, Bennett;
Teresa Scott, Virginia State (table
tennis); Josephine Shearin, North
Carolina State (shuffleboard;; Va
leria Chapelle, Bennet, Helen Harris,
Virginia State, Anita Showell, A.
and T- and Erva Cockrell, Virginia
State (deck tennis); Julia Shiver,
A. and T.; Jaimie Simon, A. and T.
Daisy Tyler, North Carolina State,
and Eythel Holloway, Virgina State,
(darts); Anita Showell, Laura Wal
dron, A. and T.; Elaine Smothers,
Bennett, Isabelle Edwards, North
Carolina State, Hallie Harris, Vir
ginia State; Wilhelinina Davenport,
Virginia State; Mable Ethengane, A.
and T. and Clementine Simon, A. andi
T.
At 6:30 p. M. a banquet was given
in Murphy Hall for the guests. The
day was brought to a colorful close
with a concert given in honor of the
guests by the A. and T. College Band
and Orchestra.
Plans For
Summer
Institute
Announced
An unusual service for the cause
of home defense and community wel
fare among Negroes will be made
possible at Bennett College this sum
mer, through the generosity of the
Payne Fund of New Y"ork City, it
was announced at Bennett today.
By means of a grant from the Payne
Fund, this institution for the high.-
er education of women will conduct
fiom June 2 to July 16 a Home De
fense W'orkshop in Community Lead
ership, esxjecially adapted to the
needs of Negro communities during
and after the war.
Believed to be the first of its kind
in the country, the Workshop has
been hailed by the Honorable Fran
ces Bolton, Congresswoman from
Cleveland, Ohio, and president of
the Payne Fund, as a symbol of the
true democracy which America may
look forward to, when the present
world conflict is over. In a state
ment to President David D. Jones of
Bennett, she said:
“This workshop is seeking to an
ticipate the needs of the world of
the future. It is based upon certain
(Cv-iiliuuxd CiL rag,e Z'’oui )
The Seniors
With the Senior Day Activities
successfully completed, members of
the Senior Class are now making
plans for the Class Day exercises
which will be held in May. Much
interest is being shown in the one-
act play contest sponsored by the
Theatre Guild, in which the class
is participating. Miss Annie Greene,
president, will direct the play. Try
outs have heen held and the cast
is being selected.
Habit is something of which you
can not ridi yourself; take off the
“H” you have “a bit”, take off “a”
you have “bit”, take off the “b”
and you still have “it”.
Bennett Graduate
Originates Radio
Program
A recent aunouncemeut from
Greenville, N. C., states that Miss
Eva De Journette, a mid-semester
graduate of Bennett, now a science
and mathematics teacher at Green
ville Colored High School, has pre
pared a series of weekly radio pro
grams, to be presented over Station
WGTC in that city. A replica of the
present radio broadcasts from Ben
nett, these programs will be heard
each Wednesday evening, beginning
April 10, for six weeks.
Miss De Journette became interest
ed in radio last semester, when she
operated the control station for the
“Bennett-College-On-The-Air” radio
.series. She also gave “spot” an
nouncements for special events, be
sides announcing a full program,
“For Children’s Sake”.
“The Negro Too Has Achieved”,
a program originated and executed
l)y Miss De Journette. still continues
to be broadcast from the Bennett
campus, under her sponsorship. Al
though no longer here at the col
lege, she still writes the script foi
the program and sends it in each
week before the deadline set by the
Federal Communications Commis
sion.
In commenting on Miss De Journ-
ette’s new venture at Greenville,
John G. Turner, sponsor of the Ben
nett broadcasts, told a BANNER re
porter :
“Miss De Journette’s success
demonstrates the importance of
extra-curricular activities. Ex
perience in radio adds much to an
individual in the eyes of a pros
pective employer.
“We wish Miss De Journette
Godspeed in her endeavor, which
should serve as a challenge to many
other girls on the campus.”
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