^^CHlVES
Merry
THE BENNETT BANNER
Happy
Christmas !
New Year!
STUDBNT PUBLrOATION OP BENNWrT OOIJiKJE
VOLUME XIX
NUMBIOR 2
Sigma Rho Sigma Pledgees Pose
GRPJENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA, NOVEMBER-DECEMRER. 1049
Guide Writer Honored by Bennett Students
"The Glass Menagerie''
Presented at Bennett
Tennessee Williams’ great stage
success, “The Glass Menagerie,” was
presented by the Senior Theatre
Guild of Bennett College, Saturday,
November 26, starring Annie Joyce
Knight, Orangeburg, S. C., Johnnie
Lou Nelson, Kansas City, Mo., and
Lillie Gordon, Lynchburg, Va. in the
leading female roles.
Male roles were played by Albert
Brown and Clarence Coles, both of
A. and T. College.
Miss Constance Johnson, instructor
in speech and drama, directed the
production. Dorothy Drake, Fayette
ville, N. C., was assistant director and
Harriette Goodson, Clayton, N. C.,
stage manager. Other production
heads were Deloris Douglas, Greens
boro, N. C., make-up; Helen Kirk,
Charlotte, N. C., scenery; Charlotte
Dunnings, Staunton, Va., properties;
Martha Randall, Roanoke, Va., light
ing; and Wilhelminia Riley, Spartan
burg, S. C., costumes.
November 7-11, twelve probates lor
Sigma Rho Sigma underwent the or
deal of initiation. These probates
were Misses Lillian Clark, Annis
Polk, Melva Tatum, Dorothy Porter,
Alberta Copeland, Dorothy Blue,
Clarice James, Frances White, Betty
Triplett, Lucretia Heyward, and Mes-
dames Gloria Rice and Thelma Hall.
The week of initiation ended with
a banquet, Friday evening, November
11 at the Magnolia Inn. This event
was attended by faculty members,
out-of-town guests, and old members
of the organization. President David
D. Jones and Mr. Chauncey Winston
delivered remarks. Miss Doris Valen
tine, president, served as mistress of
ceremonies.
Sigma Rho Sigma is an honor so
ciety for the Social Sciences. The
purpose of the organization is to
promote research, encourage scholar
ship, and to recognize achievements
in the field of Social Science. The
motto of the organization is “Social
Science, Social Technology, Social
Engineering.” The colors are red and
white.
Traditional Christmas
Events Scheduled
Intensive rehearsals are now being
held in preparation for the traditional
presentations of the Living Madonnas
and the Christmas Concert. These
yuletide programs are scheduled for
the last two Sundays in December
before Christmas vacation, which be
gins December 20.
Sunday evening, December 11, the
Living Madonnas will be presented
in Annie Merner Pfeiffer chapel at
7:00 p. m. The madonnas are the life
reproductions of the paintings of
famous artists. This year the Asiatic
countries will be honored and the
tableaux will include madonnas of
China, India, and Japan. This pro
duction is under the direction of Miss
Constance Johnson.
The annual Christmas Concert will
be held December 18 at 7:00 p. m. in
the college chapel. The program will
include works of Giovanni Pergolesi,
Stewart Trench, Dickinson, and
Be Aristocrats and
Democrats Banner Tells
Bennett Students
Imploring Bennett College students
to become true aristocrats and demo-
Lidts, Lclitrvii’ig in Liic highcs'v mode
of living for all. Dr. William A. Ban
ner said, “You can persevere to ex
plore in your lifetime the possibilities
for a life of humanity, wisdom, ex
perience, and great depth.”
“So often the things we put a pre
mium upon in our culture,” the
Howard University School of Re
ligion instructor said, “are insignifi
cant. Life is tough and full of hard
ships, but the worst habit you can
cultivate is one of self-pity. Don’t
become a chronic belly-acher.”
“I am convinced,” he told his audi
ence, “that human gifts are pretty
equally distributed; if one doesn’t
have some outstanding feature, he has
another which he can bring to a fine
point of achievement.”
The former Bennett College in
structor told the students they must
do three things to get the most out
of life. “First, come to grips with
yourself and decide to bring to ex
pression the gift that you have. Sec
ond,” he urged, “identify yourself
with the struggles of others, talk to
people who are living deeply, for you
cannot do v/hat must be done alone.”
Emphasizing this point, Banner de
clared, “The greatest club in the
world to belong to is the club of com
mon people. The labor group is so
successful today because John L.
Lewis has the faith of the miners.
These 4,000 men believe in him and
know that he is above price, that no
inducement would be great enough
to make him ‘sell out’.”
“Lastly,” he told them, “look at
life realistically. See yourself against
the backdrop of a very complicated
human experience. Life is full of dis
appointments and you must be ready
for suffering and tragedy. Take carc
that your life becomes deep and pro
found as you strive to make it broad
and social. There are great things
stirring in the world abroad and you
Morehouse Glee Club Pays
Annual Visit to Campus
The Thanksgiving celebration at
Bennett College was highlighted by
the visit of the Morehouse College
Glee Club of Atlanta, Georgia, from
November the twenty-fourth through
the twenty-sixth.
This year marked the third annual
visit of the glee club. This visit has
become a traditional event as a re
sult of a unanimous vote of the stu
dent body to make the occasion an an
nual affair.
Thanksgiving morning, the tradi
tional White Breakfast was held in
Wilbur F. Steele Dining Hall, at
which time the Morehouse singers
were guests.
On Friday evening, November 25,
the glee club, under the direction of
Mr. Kemper Harreld, appeared in
concert in Annie Merner Pfeiffer
Chapel. Among the selections in-
;luded in the program were the works
of Handel, Chopin, Reese, William
Grant Still, Gounod, Rubenstein,
Herbert, Friml, and Wieniawski. So
loists were Clarence Render, Norman
Ross, and Phil Parker.
—Ward Photo.
Miss Helen Kirk, Charlotte, presents a gift from tlie staff of the Bennett
College student publication, “The Bennett Banner,” during the recent pro
gram honoring the Guide writer on his appointment to the Winston-Salem
Journal and Sentinel. The program was sponsored by the “Banner,” for
which Morisey served as adviser during his three-year term of employment
at the college. Miss Kirk is associate editor of the paper.
Sweelinck. The choir is under the
direction of Mrs. Carrie Kellogg Ray. ' must bec&Si|f^lU3BUaSi them,’
AJBjqn BlBcidH
Annual Homecoming
Celebrated at Bennett
A record number of graduates re
turned to the campus for the home
coming celebration on the week-end
of November 25, As Mrs. Zenobia B.
Headen, committee chairman and
president of the Greensboro alumnae
chapter, predicted the three day cele
bration was a Red-Letter occasion.
Highlighting Friday’s schedule of
j activities were the concert by the
Morehouse College Glee club and the
j formal dance, from 10 to 2 in Wilbur
' F. Steele dining hall.
Sessions got underway Saturday
morning at 10:30 with a business
I meeting. The annual homecoming
■ dinner was held at 1:15 p. m. in the
college dining hall, after which group
j pictures were made. At the dinner,
1 the cup was presented to the class of
' 1946 for having the largest number
of graduates present.
The alumnae conducted the wor
ship service Sunday morning at 11
in Annie Merner Pfeiffer chapel. The
spoaker was Dr. William A. Banner,
instructor of Religion and Philosophy
at Howard University, Washington,
D. C.
Marshals and choir members were
those graduates who served in that
! capacity while in school.
A special recognition service Mon
day, November 28, honored Journal
and Guide scribe, A. A. Morisey, who
joined the staff of the white daily,
the Winston-Salem Journal and
Sentinel, Thursday, December 1. The
program presented by the staff of the
student publication, “The Bennett
Banner,” lauded the reporter for
“giving unstintingly of himself to
help his fellow man,”
Citing the appointment as “an
other forward step toward integrat
ing Negro life into the total pattern
of American life through the organ
of a common press,” Dr. Willa B.
Player told the audience, “This ap
pointment is both real and symbolic,
and inherent in it lies a dual re
sponsibility.”
Commending the former Bennett
College publicity director for his
“understanding of human relations,
ability to report on controversial is
sues in an objective fashion, and his
skill in inspiring and maintaining
good-will,” she declared, “We share
in his responsibilty for closely related
to our struggle for democracy is the
need for a well-informed articulate
citizenry.”
Highlighting the life of the fourth-
estater, who served as adviser to
the paper during his three year term
of employment at the college. Miss
I Nancy Pinkard, publicity director,
cited him as a “man of the people.”
“You are building the chain that
will strengthen understanding and
appreciation between races,” she said,
“that will help destroy .senseless fear
and ignorance, open up new avenues
of opportunity, and give new hope to
the dawns of tomorrows.”
“life has no set places for issuing
challenges,” she stated. “In places
like this you will encounter the tru
ly great challenges. The road ahead
may not be an easy one. The days
to come may demand more of pati
ence and understanding than work,
but the task is certain to be a rare
human experience. You are helping
to build the new south and to better
relations between all races of peo
ple.”
Speaking on behalf of the “Ban
ner,” Miss Nola Bewley, Johnson
City, Tenn., circulation manager, told
the writer, “You stand as an inspira
tion to those of us who follow in your
footsteps. We are happy that we can
regard you as a true aristocrat and
democrat, one who desires and be
lieves in the highest mode of living
for all.”
Miss Helen Kirk, Charlotte, associ
ate editor, presented the reporter
with a token of appreciation on be
half of the staff. Responding Morise.y
said, “Whatever I have done I at
tribute to some of the experiences
received on this campus and in the
city of Greensboro. In.stead, I should
be paying tribute to you, the Bennett
lamily.”
I Recognizing the contributions made
by hi.s parents, the Rev. and Mrs. A
j A. Morisey of Raleigh, his wife, the
former Juanita Pope of Rocky Mount,
a Bennett graduate, who were among
the many friends in the audience,
I the former North Carolina Bureau
Manager of the Guide said, “With
j people like you behind me I can’t
help but feel confident of the task
1 ahead.”
Assisting in the service was the
j Rev. R. D. Crockett, director of re-
I ligiour activities at the college.
S3AlH3dV