Page Two
STATE TEACHERS COLLEGE NEWS LETTER
December, 1951
NEWS LETTER
Published Monthly by
Poetry and Children
COLLEGE VIEWS
STATE TEACHERS COLLEGE
NEWS PRESS CLUB
Elizabeth City, N. C.
Member:
3ntercnllft^iate
Columbia Scholastic Press Association
Editor-in-Chief ...
Roland V. Bowser
Associate Edditors
Myrtle Borden Hill
Doris Flood, Carroll Rodgers
Literary Editors
— Queenie Hinton
Amaza Manley, Mary Tillery
Sports Editors .
Joshua Crumm
Mazor Slade
Society Editors —
— Nina Clay Perry
Evelyn Hodges
Art Editor
Elsie Miller
Columnists -
Callie Mouran
Doris Hicks
Exchange Editors
Isaac Battle
Nancy Gary
Reporters
- Ophelia Broadnax
Rosa Ebron, Esmeralda Forbes
Audrey Mack, Repsle Warren
Business Manager
- Herman Horne
Photogropher
Typists
Bernice Palmer
Advisor ...
UNWISE
“SKIPPING”
Everyone realizes that it is neces
sary to take food in order to live. The
prproposition is as certainly demon
strable as the fact that fire bums,
or that rain makes us wet. But there
are other facts, quite as important to
know and understand, that cannot so
easily be demonstrated. One of these
is the fact that some knowledge of
literature is essential to the living of
a well balanced life.
Many instances may be given that
seem to prove the opposite, so far
as either side of the question is ca
pable of proof. The Vanderbilts and
the Rothschilds built up great for
tunes though men of no literary at
tainments; the founder of the first
family, it is said, could neither read
neither read nor write. Yet with all
his gains he remained poor; and poor,
indeed are all who, waxing rich in
worldly gear, still lack that imper
ishable furnishing of the mind which
can be acquired only in communion
with the great intellects who have
made the world’s literature.
Not poor merely, but intelligently
dead. For as surely as the body dies
for lack of food, or grows unhealthy
by improper feeding, so does the mind
of man lanquish and die if mental
nourishment is withheld.
Don’t punish your mind by with
holding this culture. Use your library
and enjoy the richness and the vital
ity that springs from literature.
UNUSUAL EXPERIENCE
Miss Lorraine Parker, a contralto
recently presented in Moore Audito
rium, has a voice quality rarely found
in an artist so young. At 19, she po-
sesses tone quality comparable to that
of any person heard here in recent
months. Her handling of the art song
by Schubert, “Der Tod und das Ma-
chen,” seemed to be the climatic point
of her recital. This song, more than
any other one in the group portrayed
her dramatic ability. Miss Parker’s re
pertoire ranged from Handel to Dett
and her delivery of the songs left
some favorable memories with the
m-iSTC lovers that heard her.
A progressive step—that of launch
ing a tutorial program—has been an
nounced by Santa Barbara College.
This forward viewpoint is considered
a part of the aim in developing here
a distinguished liberal arts college.
The purpose of the program is to en
courage students who qualify to ab
sorb a much broader culture than is
possible in the confines of the ortho
dox schedule.
Faculty members in the College of
Liberal Arts at Syracuse University
are cooperating in a survey to deter
mine the classes which are most fre
quently cut by students. It was point
ed out that the results of this survey
may revise the present cut system.
The student of demonstrated ability
may, beginning with the 1951-52
academic year at Mary Baldwin Col
lege be allowed to choose an inde
pendent major crossing departmental
lines and incorporating courses which
lie within the particular areas of in
terests.
The oft-discussed S-U (satisfactory-
unsatisfactory) grading system, groom
ed as official Antioch College policy,
has been shelved by faculty action!
Reason for the step taken was the
difficulty under S-U in determing
class ratings for national selective ser”
vice policy. Cost considerations and
controversy on the plan and its pur-
po.;es also contributed to the decision
to postpone S-U adoption.
Defending the controversial junior
English examination as a requirement
foi graduation at the University of
Arkansas, Dr. J, L. Jackson of the
University s English department points
out that the decision of the college
senate in 1942, to set up this exami
nation, was based on the assump
tion that a demonstration of simple
literacy by every student approaching |
I graduation was desirable.” |
PRAYERS
Do you believe in prayer? Do you
believe there is a Supreme Being who
can answer prayer? I do, and I believe
that prayers can be put into three
main groups—common prayers, spe
cial prayers, and children’s prayers.
In the common prayer, the individ-
vial thanks to God for the simple bless
ings, such as those e.xpressed in the
Lord s Prayer. Unfortunately many
who recite this forget the significance
of the words which so beautifully ex
press our common needs.
A special prayer asks for some con
sideration not usually desired. It is
often heard during a hohday season;
it may be one of thanksgiving. It may
be a prayer for peace, or a simple re
quest for one who is sick. A special
prayer was said when the entire na
tion bowed for a moment on the oc
casion of the passing of Franklin Del
ano Roosvelt.
The prayer which is taught to a
child or which is uttered in simple
faith by him belongs to a third class.
Now I lay me down to sleep has
become a part of the daily living of
many children. It is simple and easy
to learn and prepares the way for the
child’s own prayers that will be help
ful to him as he grows older.
A prayer in its simplest definition
is merely a wish turned God-ward.”
—Bettye Tillery
’—“PEACE ON EARTH ”
What do you want for Christmas?
To me, “World Peace” would mean
more than anything else. Nothing
would please me more than to hear
tie bells of freedom ringing through
out the land and to see our many
classmates, relatives and friends on
the march, coming back home to live
a free life m their own pattern. To
be able to say with strong meaning
Peace On Earth Good Will Toward
Men” is what I want most for Christ
mas.
Doris E. Flood
We are often told that children do
not like poetry. The matter probably
is they do not like what is frequently
offered to them under the name of
poetry, or they do not like the way
poetry is offered. As a result unfav.
orable attitudes are developed. From
early childhood stems prejudice. Some
cases are traced to well-meaning ef
forts of teachers who enforced me
morization of unwanted poems, or en
thusiastic mentors who, read verse
that removed from their pupils
lives. So the pupil feels that poetry
is a waste of time and that it is for
the intellectuals and highbrows. They
have preconceptions that poetry is a
mass of authors, titles, dates, periods,
and summaries of substance.
To enjoy poetry, children must un
derstand it. The following impera
tives are convenient in helping chilj-
ren receive pleasure from poetry. One,
let them read poetry slowly. The full
effect of a poem is in great measure
dependent upon the sound and feel
of the words. If it is read as rapidly
as a morning paper, the richest plea
sures of poetry will be missed. A se
cond, let them read poetry over and
over again—a first reading to spy out
the land, and to get the feel of the
thing; a second reading to get the
sense of it here and there where the
meaning is not at once apparent; an
other reading to get the full flavor
of it. Yet a third, let them read poetry
aloud. One has to listen to much
poetry read aloud to get full enjoy
ment from it when reading it silently.
Moods, choral reading and musical
poems are well-defined approac'.ies to
poetry. Children enjoy comic and sa
tiric poems. This light verse is pre
sented under such headings as: lim
ericks, satire and epigrams. They find
pleasure in choral reading which has
been useful in speech training and in
cultivating an appreciation of poetry.
The awareness of the musical “set
ting” of a poem may determine child
ren’s emotional response and stimu
late their free imagery. To help them
recognize the kinship of music and
poetry children can be taught bal
lads and lyrics.
Fortunately, there still remains a
small residue of narrative poetry for
children. It is suitable and provides
them with fun, thrills and satisfaction
which only a dramatic verse story can
give. Every child can appreciate the
charms of “A Visit from St. Nicholas,
which begins:
Twas the night before Christmas,
When all thriugh the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even
a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chim
ney with care
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon wo'jlJ
be there.
By offering poetry to children in
simple unique ways, they will gro"'
to love and care for it. Children who
have learned to care for poetry are
especially protected against the lure
of specious, time-wasting pleasures.
—Myrtle B. Hill
Men in general judge more from
appearances than from reality. All
men have eyes, but few have the gift
of penetration—Machiavelli.