Congratulations,
‘Who’s Who”
Members!
THE BENNETT BANNERApfe
Bannejt Collega 7^
VOL. XVII
STUDKNT I'UlililCATION OF BEXKKTT ( OIXFXJK
GREENSnORO, NORIH C'.AROl.INA, NOX'EMBER, 1947
. Collega
Q^genahofo, N. c.'
ABLER
Ty Ibsen
NO. 5
Who's Who Honors Six Bennett Students
Keen in casual pose are Misses Norwood, Mui'iiliy, ('aiiu, Itariiwell and Arnold.
Miss VVagtsaff missing.
STUDENTS ELECTED TO WHO'S WHO
Six Bennett College students, three
&enlors and three juniors, have been
elected to Who’s Who Among College
Students in American Colleges and
Universities, a national noganization
that recognizes achievement of
students in approximately 500 col
leges in tlie nation. Bennett College
was one ot the first Negro colleges
to be recognized by this organiza
tion. The criteria for membership in
\\ ho’s Who are leadership, scholar,
ship, character and participation in
extra curricular activities. Members
were recommended by the school.
Dorothy Arnold, a senior, from
I)arby, J’a., is majoring in biology. At
present she is editor of the Bennett
Banner, Treasurer of the student
senate, a member of the Alpha Kappa
Mu honorary society, the Beta Kappa
Chi scientific society, and Vice presi
dent of the Science Seminar Club.
Virginia Wagstaff, a senior from
Burlington, N. C., is majoring in
English, At present she is President
of the Student Senate, member of
the Bennett Banner and a member
of the Y. W. C. A.
At present Betty Norwood, a senior
from Lenoir, N. C., is secretary of
the student senate and a member
of the choir. Last year she was presi
dent of the non-resident students.
Gwen Cann from Cincinnati, Ohio,
a junior, is a pre-medical major. Her
(Continued On Page Four)
Choir Attends
N. C. Conference
SCIENCE SEMINAR
CLUB ORGANIZES
A science club named specifically
“The Science Seminar Club” has been
recently organized on the campus
for the first time. This organization
holding is first meeting November
17 is composed of science majors
and minors exclusively. The purpose
of the organization is to perpetuate
and maintain interest in science.
Officers of the club elected were:
Vernetta Tresville, president; Doro
thy Arnold, vice president; Jessie
Hampton, secretary; Edna Scott, as
sistant secretary; Genevieve Sprauve,
treasurer; and Mary La Comp, re
porter. Vera Kennedy is chairman of
the activities committee.
The club has designated its meet
ing time to be every third Monday
at 8:15 p. m. The organization of
the club originated at the suggestion
of Mr J. Henry Sayles, instructor of
chemistry and physics. Other advis
ors are Mr. Ward, Miss Brown and
.Mrs. Rivers.
The eighty-ninth session of the
North Carolina annual conference of
the Methodist Church held from Oc
tober 28th to November 2, 1947 at
Si. Paul Methodist church in Reids-
Mlle, North Carolina, was attended
at the last session Thursday evening,
October 30, by the Bennett College
Choir.
Each member of the cnoir was per
sonally introduced. During the re-
piainder of the program the choir
sang three beautifully rendered se
lections: “Lo A Voice,” by Simitri
Eortniansky, “Send Forth Thy Spir
it,’ by Fr. J. Scheutky, and finally
ihe heart-warming, “When I Survey
the Wondrous Cross,” by a former
instructor of Bennett College, R. Na
thaniel Dett.
Dr. G. E. Nance, representative of
the General Board of Education
spoke, placing strong emphasis on
Religion in our modern educaton. Re_
ligion, he feels, combined with edu
cation, will help to solve some of the
twisted and taunted views of life con
fronting our present civilization. He
stated that a Christian Education is
learning to live as Christian’s in to
day’s world by understanding all re.
lationships of religion race and peo
ple of foreign countries. At this point
he brought out the Russian problem,
and the solution advised would be to
live in accord and pray for all men in
all regards, giving general help and
universal brotherhood. But, he con-
linued, the problem still exists that
only one out of every five persons is
a Christian, and he again offered a
solution by stating that Christian
Education is nothing more than
knowing God. He concluded by giv
ing ten objectives of Christian Edu
cation. They are: Christian Educa.
tion can (1) reduce religious illiter
acy, (2) lead people to salvation,
(3) provide spiritual satisfaction,
(4) help solve the race problem.
(!j) help overcome delinquency and
crime, (6) help to save the family,
(7) conquer the liquor problem, (8)
reduce industrial strife, (9) preserve
democracy and (10) bring about
world peace
To conclude the evening’s eventful
achievements, words of inspiration,
praise, and encouragement were giv
PEARSON CHOSEN TO
REPRESENT STUDENTS
Dorothy Pearson, a senior from
Sumter, South Carolina, has been
chosen to represent the student body
on the Central Committee, climaxing
a general election held among the
upperclassmen. Miss Pearson’s repre-
entation on the committee indicates
a new trend in the policy of the
school towards the ideal use of a
democratic community.
The Central Committee is com
posed of President Jones, the Regis
trar, chairman of co-curricular activ.
ities, chairman of the divisions, a
faculty representative, and now a
student representative. The com
mittee functions to determine vital
issues that the students are concern
ed with.
Upon interviewing Miss I’earson,
she commented, “The placement of a
student representative on the Central
Committee constitutes a forward step
in making the Bennett way of life a
more democratic one. I consider the
position a grave responsibility which
is pregnant with possibilities — these
possil)ilities can materialize only
through hearty and thoughful co
operation from the student body. To
the students, 1 would say, ‘Here’s a
chance to voice our needs, girls. Let
us use it wisely’.”
The student representation grew
out of one of the original proposals
made by the Student Leadership Con.
forence held here at the beginning of
the school term.
THEATRE GUILD
PLANS PRODUCTION
NOTED AUTHOR
VISITS CAMPUS
Miss Shirley Graham, noted auth
or from New York, was guest on the
campus November 4. This being her
first visit to North Carolina, she was
very much impressed by our college.
Introduced to the student body by
Mrs. Constance Marteena, Miss Gra-
l.'am gave an interesting and im
pressive speech during the chapel
hour.
A iierson of great distinction and
wide interests. Miss (Jraham re
ceived her 1!. S. and M. A. degrees
from Oberlin University, where she
received acclaim in music. While at.
tending Oberlin, she wrote “Tom
Tom,” a musical drama. Miss Gra
ham’s greatest achievement was the
authorship of the book, Tlicro Was
Once A Sliitic, a biography of Frede
rick Douglas. For this work she re
ceived the Lester Award of $6,500
us the best liook of 1947 to combat
intolerance. She also wrote the bio.
graphy of Paul Robeson, and one of
George W. Carver. At present Miss
Graham is doing work on her Ph.D.
degree at Columbia University.
In her speech to the student body.
Miss Graham emphasized the fact
that we as college women are open
to great opportunities that should
irepare us for going out into the
world. She also pointed out that our
liistory as Negroes is vitally inter
locked with the course of the United
Nations debates, for the eyes of the
world are centered on the Negro.
The progress of the world is depend
ent on the progress of the Negro. In
her final' point. Miss Graham stated
that we are moving to the place of
first class citizenship of a new world
... A citizenship demanding respons-
il)ilities as well as rights.
Bishop Speaks
Founders Day
Leading the series of productions
sponsored by the Senior Theatre
Guild is Hedda Gabler, by Henrik
Ibsen. Curtains will rise on this pro
duction on December 11, 12, and
13th. In this play, Ibsen points out
the danger and futility of sheer
self-assertion. This play is centered
chiefly around character with the
spotlight being shone on Hedda.
Hedda is a female Mephistopheles.
She is without passion and deliberat-
Ij evil, yet cowardly. She is heartless
and excessively corrupt. She loathes
her husband with his pedestrian
mind and bourgois interests. She
loathes her condition as a wife. She
doubly envies Mrs. Elvsted as the
good angel of Eilert Lovborg. Her
insistent curiosity, her morbid dread
of scandal, her malicious delight in
burning the manuscript of Lovborg
and insidiously suggesting his sui
cide, are essential features in this
portrait of one of the most disagree
able women in literature.
Female members of the cast have
been chosen and are as follows:
Hedda—Edna Gamble, Gwendolyn
Cann.
Bertha—Altamese Lester, Eleanor
Barnwell.
Miss Tesnon—Vira Kennedy,
Rosalind Lynn.
(Note: At the writing of this ar
ticle, the casting of the male roles
was indefinite).
Definite plans are being made for
a tour of the play to Raleigh, N. C.,
at Shaw University; Lincoln, Pa.,
at Lincoln University, and Roanoke,
Va. It at all possible, the tour will
continue to travel to Hampton Insti
tute and Virginia State.
Box office tickets will be issued
I a choice seat.
for the production in the near future,
en by the Revs. Samuel J. Tresrot [ Get your ticket early so you may have
and George M. Bell of New York
}4auuaQ
ajeSioH
S3AIH0iiV
HOME ECONOMICS
CLUB LAUNCHES PLANS
Have you heard? The Home Eco
nomics Club has set sail to reach its
goals for the month of November.
Extensive plans have been made for;
y\ Thiinksxiviiis Basket
A needy family from this commun.
ity will be honored with a gift, a
Thanksgiving basket, prepared and
compiled by the members of the
Home Economics Club. The inter
esting, useful, and tasty contents
•^^ill be comprised of fresh fruits,
fruit juices, vegetables, canned foods,
a pumpkin and numerous other delic
acies. Autumn colors appearing in
tiie fruits, vegetables, and especially
the pumpkin serve as impressive and
enticing decoration. Primarily, these
colors are significant due to their
ability to remind one of Thanksgiv
ing, a time for giving and sharing.
Members of the Home P^conomics
club will deliver the gift to the family
the day before Thanksgiving in order
that the family will have plenty of
time to prepare that much looked for
Thanksgiving Dinner.
For Yoii: A Xmas Gift SuKS’csfion
T$ureau
If you have entered the Henry
I feiffer Science building, you could
not possibly have overlooked the
(ye-catchlng display on the first
floor. You have seen the unique but
inexpensive gifts made by students
on this campus. To top it all, they
are simple to make. Come in and try
your hand at some of them.
Groups are being organized to give
you help and guidance in making
these Christmas gifts and cards. The
(Continued On Page Two)
iUSIiOl* \. !■. SHAW
Students, faculty members and
iriends of liennett Collogo wore im
plored not to resort to the “pagan
nonsense” of separating tiieniselves
irom the “less excellent” but to use
tnelr standard, which is the Christ
ian way, by Bishop Alexander 1'.
rinaw of Baltimore, Md. during the
founders' Day exercises held at the
college.
The churchman assailed the pagan
ideas of the excellent, thinking it
tlieir privilege to control the less ex.
cellent. This practice was seen as the
reason for wars by the speaker who
Ijegged his audience to assume the
Christian attitude toward others in
order that whatever good comes to
tliem may be passed on to otliers.
Bishop Shaw recalled the names of
Bennett’s presidents who had made
tl.eir Individual contributions to the
college and expressed the hope that
a way would be found to “build 011.
that heritage something more glori
ous than the glory of the present
day.” We shall not forget the I’feif-
fers. We must dream of an institu
tion to accomodate one tliousand
young women each year — an Insti
tution where the faculty can be as
well paid as those in similar capac.
iiies anywhere. It can be done.
Striking a blow at materiallsni
and fanaticism in education the
speaker decried the over-emiihasis on
athletics which makes it possible for
the coach to be the most popular
person on a campus and to receive
more pay than other employees.
(Continued (in Page Two)
“HOUR OF CHARM"
SALUTES BENNETT
BC'Unett College was given singu
lar honor, Sunday, November 16,
when the “Hour of Charm” dedicated
its featured hymn to the college.
The Hour of Charm is a popular radio
program that features I'hll Spltalny
and his All Girl orchestra. Presented
over the Columbia Broadcasting
System weekly, it- is sponsored by
General lOlectric.
Each week the “Hour of Charm”
salutes a girls’ school or college by
Iirograni. The hymn dedicated to Hen-
nett College was “Lead Kindly Light”
sung by the all girl choir.
The All Girl Orchestra directed by
I’hll Spitalny is a versatile musical
ensemble whose members are very
accomplished musicians. One of the
featured instrumentalists of the show
Is Evelyn and her magic violin.