Wednesday, March 2, 1938 THE CAMPUS ECHO Page Three Youth At Wheel Found Skilful But A Great Hazard Drivers Between 16 and 20 Kill Twice as Many as Equal Number Average Motorists The flaming younger generation stands condemned as the greatest group of mass murderers in America. The weapon is the automobile. Although including more highly skilled automobile drivers than any other age-group, 100,000 drivers be tween 16 and 20 years of age kill nearly twice as many on the road as the average 100,Q00 drivers. Accident rates for those below 25 years of age are so high that bring ing down that age group’s accident rate to the general level would save nearly 8,000 of the nearly 40,000 killed each year on the American highway and street. These challenging figures were pre sented to the American Association for the Advancement of Science by Dr. Harry M. Johnson, research asso ciate for the Highway Research Board, Washington. Young men be tween 19 and 21 years of age are apparently the worst menaces on the highway. Dr. Johnson declared, pointing to a chart which indicated plainly that young men just ap proaching their majority are respon sible for many more accidents per 100,000 drivers than any other group. Middle-aged men between 46 and 55 may be a bit slow as compared with their younger traveling mates, but they are involved in relatively far fewer accidents, he continued. .^^Knnwledge of their own skill and consequent willingness to take chances beyond their own capacity to meet were tentatively blamed by the speaker as the factor chiefly re sponsible for the great proportion of accidents among youthful drivers. “Some skilful drivers, relying on their agility and alertness, may enter hazardous situations that are a little beyond their ability, whereas less skilful drivers, being aware of their weaknesses, may stay out of them,” he concluded. Nearly 30,000 drivers registered for the six years from 1931 to 1936 inclusive in the state of Connecticut were the experimental raw material, study of which led Dr. Johnson to the conclusions he revealed. Fatal accident figures were compiled from a study of 2,165,241 drivers over a period of five years. His work is being carried out as a joint project of the Highway Research Board and the U. S. Bureau of Public Roads. Nearly two-fifths of all accidents. Dr. Johnson pointed out, are caused by a small number, less than four per cent of the drivers, indicating that a driver who has one accident is likely to have others. Accident- repeaters, as he termed them, are a serious highway menace who do much to increase death and destruction out of proportion to their numbers. —Science News Letter, January 22, 1938. A man, hearing that the bank where he kept his money was shaky, hurriedly drew a check for his bal ance and rushed around to the bank to try to cash it. “Will you please cash this check?” he panted to the teller. “Gladly,” the teller replied. “How would you like it?” “Oh,” said the man, taken aback, “if you’ve got the money, I don’t want it. I just want it if you haven’t got it!” .—Humorist ‘‘Y” News By Edna Smith The North Carolina Y. W. C. A. Area Leadership meeting was held on Saturday, January 29th, in the Presbyterian Church, Chapel Hill, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. One of the most important discus sions was: “The Problem of Labor and Its Unionization.” This is the list of actions that we as “Y” members can take to help solve the problem: I. Make the problem real to the group— a. Plan trips for first-hand obser vation of conditions. b. Organize panel discussions on labor. c. Inform and encourage members to attend summer projects which broaden outlooks. d. Visit industrial plants where possible. e. Invite representatives of labor to meetings. f. Visit labor union meetings where possible. g. Set up student-industrial groups where students and workers may meet regularly and discuss problems. H. For more advanced action— a. Work to establish campus co operatives. b. Study labor laws. c. Work to get progressive legisla tion passed. d. Help with strike relief. e. Help with workers education. HI. Cooperate with other groups both on and off the campus who are working at the same problem, i.e., such groups as economic classes, de bating clubs, sociology departments, A.S.U., E.P.C., and student govern ment groups; labor relations com mittees of the Federal Council of Churches; national labor relations boards, etc. As Christian groups work in diffi cult and conflict areas they will be confronted with serious choices. Therefore, all groups should be pro vided with the following: a. The actual facts in the total situation, i.e., understanding what is involved as regards labor, the col lege, the Christian Association, etc. b. A basic understanding of why Christians are concerned in the mat ter. c. A thorough understanding of the National Y. W. C. A.’s position on the issue. IV. SEND FOR ACTIONS OF THE FOURTEENTH NATIONAL CONVENTION OF THE Y.W.C.A. The Law Of Good Workmanship In College The welfare of our college depends upon those who have learned to do in the right way the work that makes the college possible. Therefore: 1. I will get the best possible edu cation, and learn all that I can as a preparation for the time when I am grown up and at my life work. I will invest and make things better if I can. 2. I will take real interest in work, and will not be satisfied to do slip shod, lazy and merely passable work. I will form a habit of good work and keep alert; mistakes and blunders cause hardships (sometimes disaster) and spoil success. 3. I will make the right way to give it value and beauty, even when no one else sees or praises me. But when I have done my best, I will not envy those who have done better, or have received larger reward. Envy spoils the work and the worker. Young college men and women, try to do the right thing in the right way. —Frances T. L. Oakley. Borrowing As A Good Policy Shakespeare says, “Neither a bor rower nor a lender be, for loan oft loses both itself and friend; and bor rowing dulls the edge of lusbandry.” Borrowing has long been consid ered a parasitic act, but modern time has shown us that it may be either parasitic or useful. One who borrows merely because he is able, and who has no absolute need for that which he borrows, is truly a parasite of the worst kind. On the other hand, one who borrows not because of hab it, but because of dire necessity, is a true man. To point out more clearly the difference between parasitic and use ful borrowing, I will use three illus trations, and put you in each situa tion: First, you are a high school graduate who desires to go to college. You are not able to pay all your ex penses, but if helped by an N. Y. A. scholarship you will be able to attend college. You apply for a scholarship, you succeed in getting it, and as a result you are able to attend college. This is useful borrowing. Now you are a young college grad uate who gets a good paying job immediately after graduation. You spend your money fpolishly, and after squandering all your salary, you borrow from your friends repeatedly. Again and again you commit this act, spending foolishly and borrowing recklessly. This is parasitic borrow ing, and one who is a real man will not be guilty of such an act. At last you are the head of a fam ily of six. Yours is not a well paying job and your wife (or husband) is seldom working. V'our four children are in high school, hence they are un able to help you with your expenses. Your house needs r'^^iairing badly and you actually need to borrow some money from someone; but rather than resort to borrowing from your friends, you obtain a loan from the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation. The loan corporation arranges the terms of your payment in proportion to your salary. Now you have a chance to save your home. This is useful borrowing, the kind that is done by real men. If one borrows only when force of circumstances has jarred and jangled him, I feel justified in thinking and saying that even Shakespeare would approve of his borrowing and call him a true man. —Dahlia Christine Harrington The Freshmen Murmur We little “Eaglets” have gotten well under way striving hard; wind ing the thread to make the ball big ger and bigger. When it comes to getting things done hurriedly and efficiently the “Eaglets” of N. C. College play second fiddle to no one. During the month of December we invited you into our secret chamber to read our scroll for the year. Do you remember Article I, Section H, where it said, “Dance February 12, 1938”? The day dawned bright and clear, promising delightful surprises to a campus already teeming with excitement and anticipation. Since a blanket invitation had been extend ed to all the members of the faculty and student body, gay bedlam broke loose about 7:30 p.m. in the dormi tories. Arriving late, this writer, on entering the gymnasium where the dance was given, thought for a mo ment that she had broken in on the wrong party. Reassured by the sight of our sponsor, Mr. Charles L. Holmes, who was personally greeting all the guests as they entered, she ventured awefully in very much as “Alice” must have ventured into “Wonderland.” The familiar “gym” had disappeared like magic and in its place stood a room uniquely deco rated to resemble a pent-house ball room on a New Year’s eve. From the center light, a large grape-wise bunch of varicolored balloons was suspended with a huge heart whose attachment was lost in that billowing cloud. Red, blue, and gold crepe paper streamers tapered from the balloons to a spaced line which blocked in a perfect square for dancing. To make the square cozier, groups of balloons were attached to the lines. On en tering the door, one had to pass through an archway of hearts (no one has ever mentioned it but I be lieve there must be the same senti mental tradition coupled with them as with mistletoe). Good swing music was provided by that incomparable mechanism “the piccolo.” A New Year’s eve festive air and mood were inevitable, if confetti, serpentine, horns and balloons were distributed, n’est pas? Our sponsor and Lightner, the class president, saw to it that the bevy of beautifully dressed, laughing young women and well-groomed young men had plenty of souvenirs from a seemingly unlimited supply. In the midst of the fun ballons began popping, and when the sidelines were exhausted, the bunch in the center was lowered slowly. The sight drew a hilarious crowd of dancers to the center, hands reaching for the teas ing balloons, confetti covering their heads; horns blowing; the piccolo adding its contribution. After all the balloons had been dispensed with, the novelty of the evening was an nounced: The floor was to be occu pied by freshmen only, for one dance. The fun lasted until 10:30 p.m. with all due thanks to our president. The freshmen’s mid-season dance was a big success and enjoyed by all. We defy any class to do better. —Mattie Laws. Dormitory News The “Y” is offering many inter esting forms of diversion in our dor mitory this year. There are classes and study groups under the super vision of leaders who are well suited to the group with which they are working. Our dean. Miss Rush, has mapped out a very interesting fun calendar for the “Y” girls. She also conducts a study group of juniors and seniors on Sunday afternoons. On Friday night, the bridge class meets. Miss Gordon and Miss Hunter teach this class and already they have a large class of enthusiastic pupils. Miss Kelly has charge of the dancing class, and for those girls who desire to develop their literary ability rather than nimble feet, there is a reading class under the supervision of Mrs. Eagleson. There are many other classes equally as interesting, each making campus life happy and en joyable. The sponsor of the “Y,” Miss Rush, has worked faithfully with the various committees of the “Y” in working out social problems as well as business problems. Under the sponsorship of such a courageous and industrious person, defeat will never perch on the scroll of the “Y”, for she seems to realize that the great purpose of genuine education is not to store the memory or to accustom to observances, but to strengthen man with his own mind, to rouse him to higher self-activity, to deepen the foundation of his being, to cultivate his faculties, and to give him a firmer grasp of truth and a clearer view of things as they are. Dahlia Christine Harrington. The Passing Of An American Myth (From a lecture by Dr. Charles Wesley) From ancient times to modern times man’s achievements have been recorded, but only the white man’s achievements have been exemplified. Herodius wrote a history of why the Greeks made war on barbarians, dis playing their glorious deeds, and the inglorious deeds of the barbarians. While the Greeks were revelling in their glory, the Negro was making history and contributing his worthy achievements to civilization. Prior to the Jamestown settlement, the black man was an indigenous part of America. As he built settle ments, he was building himself into American life. As far back as 1858 the white man was saying that in no age and in no part of the world had the Negro given vent to any expres sion, to any act to bring forward any praise to distinguish himself. He re fused to remember or he purposely ignored the men of color who accom panied Balboa, the explorer, who in his exploring discovered the Suez Indians, and the Negro men who la bored with Cortez. All of this prior to the coming of the Anglo-Saxons. Samuel G. Gross stated, “The black man lacks executive ability. He knows jiothing of mental sciences.” Such propaganda has gone down through the years, this myth of Ne gro people as victims of base mis representations. Out of Africa came a group of Negro leaders. St. George was knight ed by Louis XVI. Dumas in France. In 1770 Phyllis Wheatley and a Ne gro man began writing poetry. Boser, an essay writer, came out of the 18th century. Andrew Neil and Bryant organized the first churches in Geor gia, soon followed by other churches. With James Varick —in New York, Prince Hall founded the Negro masonry in Massachusetts. One after another, these mountain peaks rose to disprove the myth of the Negro’s inability. He stands not as a myth but as a reality. Out of the past comes a worthy heritage. The Negro has not always been a slave. In 1860, when the census was taken, four thousand Negroes were free, and voting in all the principal states, including North Carolina. He was once a landowner, going into court maintaining his rights, having slaves of his own. He has been not only a slave, an un skilled laborer, but a landowner, weaving himself into American life. From that time until now he stands an American among Americans. A German officer observed, “No regiment is seen but there are Ne groes, strong, able-bodied individuals, living in good houses.” The Negro was not a joke to this man. Here was the beginning of the passing of the American myth. The conditions of economic slavery were passing. Then let us revere the name of Wendel Phillip, but let us not forget women like Sojourner Truth who, with Susan B. Anthony, stood for woman suff rage; and these black men who struck for their freedom. Let us not forget our Negro artists, actors and writers who bring out the human attributes and joy of life, bearing the difficulties of life by laughing and joking. Let us disprove the myth that: 1. The Negro is a coward. 2. The Negro is subservient to a master. Let us feel proud of our heritage, when we do, we can join hands with the rest of the world, and stand side by side with the Irish American, the Jewish American, the German Amer ican, confident of our past; proud of our heritage. .—M. Laws.