Volume 15 Number 2
Chowan College, Murfreesboro, North Carolina 27855
September 16, 1983
INSIDE...
N.C/s Safe Roads
Act To Take Affect
How To Study: ACCOUNTING
PTK Sponsors Meet Here
The Brown Lady is only one of the many stories and legends from the past in the Roanoke-Chowan region. Staff
photographer Greg Lowe found the friendly spirit to be somewhat uncooperative. Consequently, Susan Edwards
volunteered as a stand-in for the spirit.
Chowan's Brown Lady:
Part of Region's Lore
136th Year Off
To A Good Start
The Brown Lady has returned to
Chowan College at Murfreesboro each
year as a phantom for a century...some
say to the halls of the historic Columns
building where she onetime roomed as
a student, others, to the pines of the
ancient drive as they whisper in the
frosty autumn breeze.
Brown Lady is often heard, never
seen. Her presence is made known by
the distinct rustle of silk taffeta, un
mistakably like the rustle of the dress
she loved to wear while a student at
Chowan. Sometimes there is a light
rapping on the dormitory doors.
Students answer to peer only into the
empty shadows of the great hall.
The Brown Lady legend, in its several
versions, has become a part of the
Chowan College tradition. The new
girls arriving each year are sure to
hear it from upperclass sisters, faculty
members and friends...that they, too,
may be preparared for her visit.
One account says a student who
frequently wore brown taffeta and
could be recognized by her friends by
the rustle of her dress died of typhoid
fever: another contends she succumbed
to a broken heart. Both agree her
yearly visit to the campus is signaled
by a distinct rustling like the once
familiar silk taffeta.
At first she returned each October,
but later the time was fixed at
Halloween, an event which has been
celebrated in an elaborate way since
the latter part of the nineteenth cen
tury.
W.B. Edwards, a former president,
encouraged the observance of Browan
Lady’s visits. He and Mrs. Edwards
carried the students westward from the
campus to Wise’s graveyard as added
excitement. Halloween at the school
became so popular under Edwards’
administration that both town and
Competition for the President's Cup
was begun in the fall of 1969 as a plan
for helping Student Development to
achieve its goals. The cup was con
tributed to the college by Dr. Bruce E.
Whitaker.
Competition for the the President's
Cup is among students according to
residence halls and the Day Student
Organization. Therefore, residence hall
staff members form the grass roots of
the competition. You are where the
water hits the wheel. By giving your en
thusiastic support to the competition
for the President's Cup, you will not
only be helping Student Dievelopment to
realize its objectives but you will be en
dorsing the purpose of Chowan, a
people-centered college.
Competition for the President’s Cup
in 1983^ will include five components;
1. Academic grades
country girls spent the night at the
college sharing bunks with the college
girls.
Mrs. Ethleen Underwood, a former
Chowan student composed a poem
entitled “The Brown Lady” which
records both the legends and the
mystery surrounding them:
Here’s to the Brown Lady, a Chowan
tradition
Of whom tales are told in many edition.
Some say she was tall, gaunt and
severe.
Some say she was sweet and her
memory revere.
Now like all tales of the dim yesterdays
The details are lost, but the memory
stays
And the memory that’s sweetest and
always remains
Is that she loved Chowan and her
name’s still the same-
Brown Lady.
Some say that she came here, a girl
bright and gay-
Who wore taffeta frocks that would
rustle and sway
As she swept down the halls or dashed
down the stairs
In her little-girl manner of grown-up
lady airs.
So that memory remains and the name
that she gained
Was then, as today-Brown Lady.
Now the story’s confused of this lady’s
decease,
Some say she had fever and made her
demise
But the tale that I like is the one that
began
In the year ‘62 and here’s how it ran: L:
She loved a tall lad, handsome and
fair;
But alas, tho a Southerner, his heart
was not there.
So disowned by his family and scorned
by his friends,
2. Attendance at college-sponsored
events
3. Proration
4. Programming
5. Intramufal sports
Let's look at these five components
individually to see what you can do to
involve your residents in the competi
tion.
1. The quality point average for each
residence hall and the Day Student
Organization is computed and released
at the end of the fall semester and at
mid- term of the spring semester. Com
petition in this component ends at mid
term of the spring semester. The
number of semester hours attempted
and passed and the number of quality
points earned by every member of each
competing unit are used when com
puting the quality point average of the
different groups. Therefore, a student
Forsaken by all, save his Brown Lady
dear,
He mounted his steed and rode sadly
away
With a promise to come back and claim
her some day.
Now a tryst they had kept ‘neath the
soft sighing pines.
And a vow they made-these were the
lines:“My love it is thine, now, and all
the tomorrows
And I swear I’ll be true thru joys and
sorrows.
Tho death should o’ertake me, I’ll come
back some way
To claim you my darling if God says I
may.”
They would meet there again for ‘twas
there she would wait
‘Til the bitter war ended on some
distant date-
Then a message came one day, so they
say, and told
how the lad died in a battle tar away-
Poor Brown Lady wept for she knew
how her lover
had suffered to take arms against
friends and brother.
Her laughter grew stilled and her heart
quietly broke-
‘Til she died one night at twelve on the
stroke.
So if you hear rustling on the stairs,
thru the hall
Or see her going tripping thru the pines
in the fall
Or, of by chance, you should see her one
night
Stroll ‘neath the pines in the melting
moonlight
She’ll be keeping her “tryst” with her
lover, they say.
For she knows he’ll come back as he
promised that day.
Copyright 1962 and 1966
by F. Roy Johnson
Used with permission
who studies is an asset; the student who
does not study and who prevents others
from studying is a liability.
One of your primary responsibilities
is to see that conditions on your floor or
section are conducive to study. Earning
good grades should be the primary con
cern of every citizen in an academic
community. The QPA of your residence
haU is a reflection of your abilities as a
residence hall member.
2. Attendance at college-sponsored
events is the second component of the
competition. Your residents who attend
athletic events, lectiu'es, concerts and
programs are an asset. Those who at
tend but do not get counted in the com
petition have not helped you. En
courage your residents to give the
checker the name of their residence
hall when entering the stadium,
(Continued on Page 4)
By Eric Brown
Iota Delta of Phi Theta Kappa will
host the North Carolina-South Carolina
Leadership Conference for PTK this
weekend.
The National Vice President for the
Southern Region of Phi Theta Kappa,
Lori Dowdy, will attend along with Lon
Fluman, Jr. of Wesley College in
Dover, Deleware. Fluman will
represent the national PTK office.
Over seventy students and sponsors
from the two state region are expected
for the three day conference.
“We’re off to a good start,” is the
comment of Dean of Students Clayton
Lewis as Chowan College opened it’s
136th year.
As Chowan concludes its fourth
complete week of classes, comments
from all sectors of the college com
munity echo Dean Lewis’ comments
about the start of the new school year.
Lewis noted, “I’m very impressed
with the appearance of the student
body. They appear to be eager to get
into their classes and begin their
studies. My associates in Student
Development were ver)' pleased with
the participation of the ’students in
Welcome Week activities.”
Lewis continued, “It is evident that
many new friendships have already
been formed. I’m particularly grateful
with the quality of our residence hall
staff this year. They have been par
ticularly helpful to new students in
helping them make the adjustment to
college life.”
The Dean of Students said tfiat he has
begun to meet with new students ac
cording to their personality type as
revealed on the Myers-Briggs Type
Indicators, a personality inventory
which new students took at orientation.
“The purpose of these meetings is to
help individuals identify their strengths
and weaknesses,” Lewis said.
“I’m hoping the end result will be
greater number of students graduating
from Chowan College.”
Lewis announced that Student
Development has set up study rooms in
East 114, Parker 13A and 14A, and
Jenkins 2^.
Associate Dean of Students Roy
Winslow explained the weekend
visitation program to Smoke Signals.
He said the program approved on a
tentative basis will be reviewed in
December, 1983.
“Continued approval will be deter
mined after the evaluation of the
program in December,” he stressed.
Weekend visitation hours are from 8-
11 p.m. on Fridays, 2-5 p.m. and 8-11
p.m. on Saturdays, and 2-5 p.m. on
Sundays in residence halls where
residence directors are on duty. Open
This afternoon, Fluman will speak to
the group about Michelangelo. Fluman
is Professor of Art at Wesley, as well as
being the Phi Theta Kappa sponsor. He
will speak Friday evening on Leonardo
da Vincie. The public is invited to at
tend any of the sessions.
Ms. Dowdy, a student at Lees-McRae
College, will address the conference
Friday prior to the sponsor/advisor
meeting.
In addition to a program scheduled
Saturday morning, a tour to
Williamsburg and Busch Gardens is
house procedures formerly employed
will apply during weekend vistitations.
Winslow also pointed with pride to the
improvements made during the
summer to the Jenkins and Belk lob
bies. He said were refurbished in
cluding new furniture, lamps, drapes,
pictures and paint.
Winslow was assisted in
spearheading the project by Jack
Hassell, superintendant of buildings
and grounds, and Chowan alumna, Joy
Dilday.
Winslow said the renovation was the
college’s response to a request by the
women residents last' spring. “We
wanted to provide new furniture and
furnishings and brighten up the lob
bies,” Winslow reported.
He thanked Hassell and Dilday for
their “valuable suggestions and help.”
Joy Dilday, who lived in Jenkins HaU
while attending Chowan from 1963-65,
said the improvement would make the
lobbies more attractive and com
fortable to the residents and their
guests.
Chowan President Bruce Whitaker,
announced that important Fall
Semester events include Parent’s Day
on Sept. 24, Homecoming on Oct. 8,
Founder’s Day on Oct. 10, and Campus
Evangelism Week, Oct. 30 - Nov. 4.
Whitaker said the speaker for the 10
a.m. Founder’s Day program in Helms
Center will be Dr. Alton H. McEacher,
pastor of First Baptist Church of
Greensboro. Later that day two
facilities will be dedicated. Turner
Chapel-Auditorium in McDowell
Columns and Roy Simons Hall
(presently East Hall).
The mid-term break will be Oct. 15-18
and Thanksgiving holidays Nov. 23-27.
The fall drama production, THE
RAINMAKER, will be presented Oct.
19-22.
Final exams will be given Dec. 9-15
followed by Christmas holidays. The
spring semester will open Jan. 11.
Dr. Wliitaker reported that Chowan
concluded the past academic year
operating in the black for the 25th
straight year.
W'. 1
planned. Historic Murfreesboro has
also extended an invitation to those
attending to tour the local historic
district.
The three day conference will con
clude Sunday following a session on
working with chapter yearbooks.
Mr. Ed Wooten, Professor of
Mathematics at Chowan is the sponsor
of the local chapter. Eric Brown is
chapter president. “We (Iota Delta
Chapter) have worked hard in
preparing for the conference,” said
Wooten.
Parent's
Weekend
September 24
Chowan College will roll out the red
carpet to family and friends next week
as Parent’s Weekend activities get
underway.
Events for the annual Fall weekend
will kick off with the President’s Recep
tion in McDowell Columns at 10:30
Saturday morning.
Also, at ten-thirty and running until
noon, an art exhibit is scheduled in the
exibit area of Daniel Hall. A
photography exhibit is scheduled for
the Graphic Communications Center.
Dorms will be open for parents and
out of town guests from eleven until
noon.
After lunch, activities and attention
will shift to Brave Stadium and football
where the Chowan squad will face Har
ford Community College from Bel Air,
Maryland.
Prior to the game, parents of the foot
ball team will be recognized.
Dean Clayton Lewis urges all
students to attend the reception Satur
day morning in Columns with their
parents
Parent conferences with instructors
are also set for the morning.
Flotilla
Holds Classes
Flotilla 56 of the US Coast Guard
Auxiliary will conduct a boating skills
and seamanship courses at Chowan
College, beginning Sept. 29, at 7:30 p.m.
in the Robert Marks Class Room
Building Room 118. The course is free.
There is a nominal charge of course
material for those who wish to purchase
it. The follow topics will be taught;
Sept. 29 Registration
Sept. 29 Chapt. 1. The Safe way to
boating enjoyment
Oct. 3. Chap. 2. Boaters Language and
Trailering
Oct. 3. Chapt. 3 Boat Handling
Oct. 10 Chapt 4 Legal Requirements
Oct. 13 Chapt. 5 Rules of the Road
Oct. 17 Chapt. 6 Aids To Navigation
(Continued on Page 4)
President's Cup Competition
Underway for 1983-1984
Summer does not mean a vacation for work on campus. Part of the work time this summer was directed at
refinishing furniture for dorms. Taking part were Mike Bradley and Ken Bunker.