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STATE TEACHERS COLLEGE NEWS LETTER
DECEMBER 1945
T H E EDITOR^ S PAGE
THE NEWS LETTER
Published Monthly by
Stale Teachers College News Press Club
Elizabeth City, North Carolina
BUSINESS STAFF
President C. Roberta Sinclair
Vice President Charlotte Reid
Secretary Rosa L. Downing
Typist Adelaide L. Dickson
NEWS STAFF
Sarah M. Pelham, Editor-in-Chief
R. Womack Brown, Associate Edito.'
Katie C. Powell Eunice Mae Alston
Christine M. McKoy Bessie H. Rogers
Mattie M. Moore l/'orline D. Moore
Mrs. Cora Jordan Jackson, Alumni Sec'y
Margaret E. Williams, Sponsor
Subscription Rates: 15 Cents Per Copy
SI.00 Per 8 Months
C^Lristmcid (Carols
Student Improvement in
Reading Ability
Some method should be prac
ticed for the purpose ol impro\-
iiig the reading' aljility of the
student body. Poor reading liab-
its greatly affect a student by
hindering his ability to express
the subject matter read.
The book reviews which ha^e
been gi\’en in chapel and the
continuance of this, will inspire
the students to read more. Prac
tice of this type will help to erase
some of the crudities in reading,
along with increasing the vocab
ulary and aiding in expression of
thoughts. To be able to read a
best seller, and understand it wall
give the reader a topic for dis
cussion. and to be able to carry
an inieiiigent (onversation
with those W'ho are familiar with
the book can pro\e to be of
\ alue.
Reading with understanding
is beneficial by being entertain
ing as well as educational. Poor
reading ability can be a _great
handicap lo anyone’s progress,
therefore, immediate steps
should be taken towards im-
])rovement for the benefit of
those experiencing this difficulty.
RUTH AVO^LA.CK BROWN
Class of '-f8. Associate Editor
Audio-Visual Aid
The introduction of a new
means of bringing the world to
the classroom, in the form of
“.-\udio-Visual Aid” Avill serve
as a means of bringing the stu
dent body (loser to the subject
matter offered in each class. It
should be regarded by all as an
Ubset in the development and ad-
vancemenl of each future teach-
( r. This knowledge can be used
ill future classrooms in order to
im))art knowledge to students in
a .simplified form.
One important advantage of
using educational films in the
classroom is that they can be
used siinph' and will make the
\arious subjects more interest
ing and add to the life of the
class by arousing their curiosity
and desire to know more about
the various incidents shown by
use of the films.
.'\s the years pass, this project
will become more widely used
it has many possibilities of be-
Each year the Christmas sea
son is ushered in l)y the singing
of Christmas Carols and hymns,
and we hear, again, the familiar
and ever beautiful songs of
Christmas which have been
handed down through the cen
turies, sung in every tongue anc’
I by every nation.
An ancient and lovely custom
is the singing of Christmas Car
ols in the streets of our towns
and cities, in our h o m e s,
churches, and schools. It extends
back to the days of old when
carols were sung in the streets by
waifs and minstrels, when the
Yule log burned on the hearth
and said songs made glad the
festive and joyftd Christmastide.
Sinvi'.ing all of these pic
turesque traditions of Christmas
are the carols, themselves wath
their quaint words and delight
ful melodies, which have been
composed in almost ever y
tongue; Latin, English, French.
German, Italian and Spanish.
Here, let us understand the
meaning of a Christmas Carol.
.V carol in its true meaning is a
song in which a religious theme
is treated in a familiar and fes-
ti^e manner. A hymn is essen
tially devotional. So it is that
many of oiir familiar Christmas
songs .such as “O Little Town of
Bdhlehem,” “It Came Upon the
Midnight Clear,” and many
others which we commonlv desig
nate as carols are not in the true
sense Christmas Carols, but
rather Christmas hynms.
Il is not utuil the thirteenth
century that we find the begin
ning of the true Christmas Car-
itji, and Italy is its birth-place.
Here the friars gathered around
St. Francis of .\ssisi, tried to
humanize the story of the gospel
and composed songs about the
birth of Christ. From Italy the
carol spread to Spain, Fiance,
England and Germany.
Tlie beginning of the eigh
teenth century marks the tran
sition from the true Carol to the
more dignified and solemn
C:hristmas hymn. “O Come All
Ye Faithful,” and “Hark the
Herald .Vngels Sing.”
1’h.us the Christmas Carols
have li'.ed through the centuries.
■And so on Christmas Eve as the
candles burn in our window's, we
hear youthful voices caroling
their old familiar songs. Let us
rejoice that we are preserving
ideals and traditions w’hich will
be fore\er the heritage of every
Christian Nation.
“What sweeter music can we
bring, than a carol, for to sing.
The birth of this our Heavenly
King?”
—Author Unhnnton
By ROBERTA SINCL.AIR
President, Business Staff
coming an efficient aid in learn-
ing.
Rl'TH WOMACK BROWN
Class of ’48. Associate Editor
In Honor of President
H. L. Trigg
With great sorrow, we ap
proach the time when our hon
orable President will depart
from us. To mention his name,
brings to mind the many achie's e-
ments made possible during his
administration as leader of this
institution.
His aims and desires have been
to direci and lead us in a man
ner as to keep the rejjutation of
the college and student l^ody oji
tlie highest le\el. He is known
throughout the state for his
leadership and broadminded
ness.
President Trigg stressed the
l^rinciples of democracy and the
importance of culture and the
finer aspects of life. His ability
to discuss important current is
sues with the student bodv has
contributed greatly to their de
velopment into refined men and
women. His contributions will
he long remembered for their
timeliness and educational value.
will experience, beyond a
doubt, a great loss, but his serv
ices to u.s have been nttmberless,
and his services elsewhere will be
representative of him, as he -^vill
continue to render helpful con
tributions to humanity.
Since it is beyond our power
to have him remain as our leader,
we bid a reluctant farewell to
him — a man of leadershijj who
has shown himself to be inter
ested wholeheartedly in the wel
fare and well-being of each stu-
dem, mankind, and the institu
tion tinder his control.
Rl’TH ’W. BROWN
Associate Editor
An Elizabeth City State
Student Receives
Recognition
I'he National Poetry Associa-
fioii_ 3210 Selby .\\enue, Lu.s
.Angeles (34), California h:!‘ .lOci-
fied Hood C. Butler, a sopho
more student here that his jjoem,
“Sepia - Skinned, Dark - Eyed
Maiden” lias been selected Ij) the
Board of Judges, to be published
in the Second .Annual .Anthology
of College Poetry,
The Anthology is a compila
tion of the finest poetry written
by the College men and women
of .\merica, representing every
State in the country. Selections
were made from thousands of
poems submitted.
Hood Butler is just re-entering
college after having served 34
months in the army o\ erseas'with
the 41st Engineers.
The poem which has been rec
ognized b\- the National Poetry
■As.sociation, will be found in the
“Poet's Corner” of this paper.
orner
Sepia-Skinned, Dark-Eyed
Maiden
liv ttooi) C. lU i'i.KK, Class ot ’IH
■Sepia-skinned, dark-eyed maiden.
In thv eves I see no trace
Of a centin'v of o|)]M'ession:
I see the future of a race.
Sepia skinned, dark-eyed maiden.
In thy eyes I see no trace
Of higotry. or ingratitude;
I see the future of a race.
Sepia-skinned, dark-eyed maiden.
In thy eyes I see no trace
Of lo.ss of hope, ir faith, that war ct):ild
mar, or time deface;
I see the future of a race.
# * #
The Living Need of
Flowers
(La Verna Flowers')
(A poem direct from Scotland)
(Dedicated to J’resiclent H, L, Trigg)
The living need the flowers that -sve
stiew upon the dead,
the flowers of human comfort, the
kind words to be said:
The handclasp given in silence, the
touch upon the brow.
These priceless human lilossoms. the
living need them now.
How often, those we cherished, lie in
the churchyard shade.
Decked with these floral emblems.
which Oh! so (|uickly fade.
\Vho while we had them witli us.
longed, had we only known.
For more of the fadeless blossoms, in
God's own garden grown.
The living need these dailv all through
their years of life.
To erase the bitter heartache, to soothe
amid tlie strife;
We mav honor the lifeless bodv, as «e
lav it on the sod,
iUn—il's what we owe it living, that
we answer for to (iod.
Siihiiiitted by
CTf,\RLOT IT, K, RKll)
Class of ’47
* * *
Prayer at Sunrise
B\ Jnmf.s 'Wri.DON JoiiN.sox
O Mightv, powerful, dark dispelled sun.
Xow' thou art risen and thv dav be-
gun.
How shrink the shrouding mists before
thv face,
,\s up thou spring'st to thev diinnal
I tlLC.
liow iiarkness choses darkness to the
west,
•■\s .shades of light on liglit rise radiant
from thy crest!
For thee, great source of strength em
blem of might.
In hoiu's of darkest gloom theie is no
night,
'thou shinest on though clouds hide
thee from sight,
,-\nd through each break thou sendest
down thv light,
O greater Maker of this 'Fhy gieat sun.
Give me the strength of this one day’s
race to run;
Fill me with light, fill me \vith sunlike
strengtli:
Fill me with jov lo rob the dav it's
length.
Fight fmm within, light ibat will out
ward shine,
■Strength to make strong some \veaker
heart than mine.
Jov to make glad each soul that feelj
it’s touch;
Great Father of the sun, I ask this
much.
Submitted by
ROBF,RT,\ SIXCF,\IR
C'.lass of ’46
* * *
Xmas Isn't Xmas
Anymore
15v Ros\ M llrsMF, Class of ’4"
In mv solitude I sit here and ponder
O'er each Xmas I spent long ago;
Oh! the joy, the splendor and wonder
Mark the Xmas I used to know
It was back in the days of my childhood
When through the meadows I played,
Roaming the fields and the wildwood
As carefree as the jjines that swaved,
Fhe wind, I could hear softly hissing
,-\s I picked holly and mistletoe;
But now' there is something missing
For Xmas isn't Xmas anvmore.
In those days Xn-ias was merrv;
St, X’ick was the best pal I had;
With his cheeks as bright as a cherry,
And gifts for all, good or bad,
'I'hen, over the snow he’d go riding.
Laughing and shouting with glee;
Flis sleigh w-ould be bouncing and
sliding
Fo other little folk like me,
1 hose days I'll never recapture;
They are like some lost and forgotten
lore;
Gone from me are those days of rap
ture,
Xmas isn’t Xnias_3,nvmnre.
Soldier's Psalm
[ he Sarge is mv shepherd; I shall noi
want
He maketh me to pick up burnt
matches;
He leadetb me through mud puddles.
He guideth me on the course of ob
stacles for n't) health’s sake,
Vea, though I walk through the val
leys. I must climb up the hills.
He anointeth my head with abuses;
My cup riurneth over.
Snielv cadence and K. P. will follow
me all the clays of my life.
,-\nd I will dyvell in the hair of mv
sergeant forever.
Submitted by
Elizabeth 'Woodall.
Class of ’47
Courageous Thoughts
Men at sometime ate masters of their
fates;
Fhe fault, dear Brutus is not in otn'
.
But in ourselves. —SImkespenre
* * *
In doing your work in the
.areat W'orld, it is a safe plan to
follow a rule I once heard
preached on the football field:
Don't flinch; dont’t fall; hit the
line hard.—TJteodorf Roosevelt
* * *
Time 'svasted is existence; used
in life. —Yoiifis;
Sitbmitted hy
Charlotte Reid >
Class of ’47
VISITOR -
The Reverend Mister J. L'
Morgan, Pastor of the First Bap
tist CMiurcli, Hei'tford, North
Carolina was the guest speaker
for the Art Club.