Page Two
THE CAMPUS ECHO
The Campus Echo
Vol. 4 No. 1
Durham, N. C., October 27, 1939
Published monthly by the
North Carolina College
Subscription 50 cents for the
school year
EDITORIAL STAFF
Editor-m-Chief Josq>h A. Christmas
Managing Editor Sylvester L. Carter
Sports Editor Thomas Hardy
Asst, Sports Editor. Burnett Bryant
Contributing Editors
Haskel A. Hudson, Roland L. Allison, Alex
Rivera, Leroy Strong
Reporters and Feature Writers
John Frederic Summersette, Carey Lou Patter
son, Thomas iCeller, Edith Parham, Jevota
Sutton, Charles Rogers, Isabella Jeffreys, Anne
Knight, Eloise Crowder, Hattie Hinton.
Secretary Louise C. Thompson
Faculty Advisers
Dr, W. E. Farrison, Professor C. T. Willis
Open Letter to President
Dear Dr. Shepard;
We march forward with the times.
Never before during my three years
experience at this institution have I
seen the administration so liberal-
minded toward the students. Never
before have I seen such a favorable
response on the part of the student
body.
These attitudes are reflected, first,
in the increased confidence in stu
dents and student activities, includ
ing among others, the editorship of
the Campus Echo by students under
non-administrative domination; sec
ond, in the surprising enthusiasm of
the students in the popularizing of
N. C. C. Some call it school spirit;
I call it loyalty and devotion to the
Alma Mater on the one hand and an
attitude of confidence and creditable
inducement on the other.
We are mindful of the struggles of
this, our school. We can but admire
the man whose dreams have come
true. We realize further that it was
foresight on the part of that man
who guided the activities so that they
may always be a credit to the insti
tution.
But now the time has come, as it
came to the “mother eagle who, when
the time came, after having nurtured
her young from birth, shoved her
eaglets off the high mountain ledge,
seemingly to bash their brains on the
rocks below, but really to try their
wings that they soon might soar on
the heights that she herself had thus
soared.”
We, your eaglets, Dr. Shepard, are
rustling our wings, awaiting the push
which is sure to come. Our wings, too,
must be tried. Your administration is
beginning that push. Your students
are responding. Our wings are spread
ing. “We must fly high with the
Eagles.”
We have a great school. The more
we’re pushed from the ledge, the
stronger our wings become, the high
er we fly, the greater we become.
Dr. Shepard, for the paper, we
thank you. The Editor.
To Practice Teachers
As we are on the verge of practice
teaching, we must plan and work to
make ourselves the best teachers who
ever taught school. Let us not worry
about our marks or a position. Wor
rying is useless and only causes loss
of energy in worthless directions. The
bridge is still some distance ahead.
It will be time enough to cross it
when we reach it. Flora King.
Hobbies Are Such Fun
What is a hobby? A hobby may be
an outlet, a safety valve, a refuge,
haven, or even at times a sanctuary
for the person who adopts it. Hob
bies are not only for people who need
some sort of mental or physical es
cape; they are for everyone. We all
have leisure time, to be sure. But it
is the wise use of this leisure time
that counts. Every minute of the day
is precious and must not be wasted.
Instead, the day should be filled with
riches that we can carry through the
years, and our hobbies will do that
very thing for us. Hobbies are not
only profitable and interesting ways
of using leisure time but outlets for
self-expression as well. A hobby
should always be something which
we do eagerly and joyously and it
should be self-chosen to prove most
entertaining.
The more hobbies we have, the
more fun we get out of life. People
with many and varied interests are
invariably happier than those with
few. There are many sides to our
natures, and the more sides which
receive stimulus, the better, if we
desire to broaden and develop as we
should. Whether one is sixteen or
sixty, hobbies of all types, whether
they be educational or whimsical, are
open to him.
Probably the most common of all
hobbies, and one which covers a great
deal of ground, is that of collecting.
Under this heading comes the acquir
ing of many things—antiques, auto
graphs, books, coins, stamps, etch
ings, etc.
Among the nature hobbies may be
included the keeping of cats, dogs,
and birds, fishing, gardening, camp
ing, and nature study itself. Then
there are sports—golf, tenis, hock
ey, swimming, hiking, and the more
creative hobbies such as photogra
phy, cooking, drawing, painting, soap
sculpture, toy-making, and writing.
There is really no reason why one
should not find an appealing hobby.
The hobbies are there. It is up to the
person to adopt them. If you have no
hobby now, waste no time in getting
at least one. You will find that it
offers an interesting relief from the
humdrum routine of your domestic
or vocational duties, as well as re
laxation and recreation of mind and
body; and best of all, you will learn
that hobbies are real fun.
Annie B. Flintall.
Friday, October 27, 1939
On Receptivity of Mind
Freshman, Sophomore Women
Entertain Visiting Team
On Saturday evening, October 14,
1939, the women of the freshman
and sophomore dormitory enter
tained the Bluefield team in the re
ception room of the dormitory. The
hostesses were Misses Octavia Kyles,
Susie Gibson, Malinda Barnes, Au
relia Lucas, and Annie Frances
Crawford.
Gentleman Jag
The next worst thing to having no
convictions is having hardened con
victions, which have petrified. Some
times the brain cell seems to set like
concrete. To introduce a new thought
to some people requires a blasting
operation.
The happiest people in the world
are those who cultivate the virtue of
openmindedness. An open mind is
more to be admired and more to be
desired than riches. That is not an
exaggeration. How painful it must be
to go through life, suffering mental
agony, because changes are made that
require the bending or breaking of
fixed convictions. Every sensible man
is confirmed in the absolute truth of
certain principles. No sensible man
supposes that he has a monopoly on
truth.
If there is such a thing as the
fountain of youth, the source of this
youth eternal is an open mind. I
know many young-old people, and I
observe one common mental charac
teristic—a mental reception room,
where ideas are received hospitably.
Make this one of your efforts—an
open mind! Look forward, not back
ward, with an open mind.
For Men Only
“When I was a child, I spake as a
child, I understood as a child; but
when I became a man, I put away
childish things.”
Man has several ages, among which
are the legal age, the chronological
age, and the mental age. Here at
State we are concerned more with
the mental age, because it is assumed
that when one matriculates in col
lege, he is a man, if not chronologi
cally, certainly mentally. The abun
dance of limitations, however, are
monumental evidence of adolescence,
for almost without exception each
regulation is a safety valve against
the conduct of someone who would
step out of line.
There are few enrollees who have
not reached tjieir majority; the other
would-be Peter Pans are examples of
retarded development. These rugged
individualists are in part, if not di
rectly, responsible for the fact that
our student council is a rubber stamp
organization and for the edict against
radios in the dormitories (one of the
wonders of the new world). Some
one’s behavior is responsible for the
closing of the library at dusk, and
countless other more petty restric
tions.
We criticize the administration, but
we are to blame. All laws are design
ed to protect the personal and prop
erty rights of others and do not
originate until some breach has been
committed. Laws are not abolished
because people insist on breaking
them, but become extinct when they
are no longer needed. Perhaps we did
not commit breaches that necessitat
ed our laws, but we can see the fruits
thereof. In order that those who come
after us may better have opportuni
ties to exercise their talents, we must
stop criticizing and analyze ourselves.
When we prove ourselves ready for
certain responsibilities of self-govern-
ment, like st'u^ts in other colleges,
greater opportunities for self-govern
ment will surely come.
More specifically, we must promote
a spirit of fellowship on the campus,
a more cultural atmosphere in the
dormitories. We must create a closer
student-faculty relationship (this will
foster higher scholarship), and upper
classmen should aid in freshman
orientation.
Thus we may stimulate wholesome,
constructive thinking among our
selves relative ta problems that nat
urally arise on a campus, and our
thinking will broaden the sympathies
of the faculty. A successful teacher
is but a student grown up; the others
have grown old
The question ns this writer sees it
is, “To be or n«f to be men.”
h. M. Rivera, Jr.
information about the rules of the
campus.
The friendly atmosphere around
here envelopes everyone, even the
faculty members. Too often this is
not the case and the student develops
a feeling of awe for the faculty.
Judging from my first impressions
of college, I think that college will be
one of the most pleasant experiences
I shall ever have.
Isabella Jeffreys.
First Impresions of
Colleg3 Are Pleasant
My first impressions of college
were pleasant oies. I was impressed
by the buildings, the grounds, the
faculty, and my fellow-students.
Everyone her was so friendly and
considerate that on my second day I
had begun to eel as if I were at
home.
At first, I wi3 confused and per
haps a little bit ingry when the soph
omores started lazing me, but I soon
found that this ras their special form
of welcome and bok it all as a bit of
fun for the sopiomores, at my ex
pense.
The attitude cf the upperclassmen
toward freshmei is another thing
that gave me favorable impression
of the college. I had expected the
upperclassmen, because of their su
perior position,to dominate us fresh
men with thei self-inflicted superi-
ority, but I son found that upper
classmen are ery friendly and al
ways willing togive freshmen helpful
Can We Keep Out of War?
To my knowledge, there are three
reasons why we the people of the
United States should keep out of war.
Of course, it is no man’s easy job.
1. Because England and France
could and should have avoided this
war. They could have avoided it by
vigorous support of the League of Na
tions, by fairer treatment of Ger
many at the Peace Conference, and
by joining Germany in peace and dis
armament proposals then agreed on.
Furthermore, wiser British diplomacy
might easily have kept Russia from
lining up against England this year.
We have no control over British pol
icy; why should we suffer for its
blundering follies since 1918?
Of course, in this war our sympa
thies are all with England and
France. First, because England and
France support our own ideals of
freedom and democracy, which de
note the idea of freedom of speech,
freedom of thought, freedom of press,
freedom of election, and freedom of
religion.
2. Because England and France
hold out hope that they will aggres
sively support any system for avoid
ing future wars. In the World War,
we at least had the hope that we
were fighting a war to end all wars
and would establish and support a
■ league to the end. |
3. Because war’s costs are incalcu
lable. If America could order a cer
tain definite quantity of war and then
quit, if we would say: “We will let
just 100,000 American boys be kill
ed, 200,000 gassed, and 500,000
maimed; or we will fight six months
but no longer,” there might be more
excuses for war. We find that the
World War cost in money was four
hundred billion dollars—enough to
give a four thousand dollar home to
each family in the United States,
Canada, Australia, England, Ireland,
Scotland, France, and several other
countries. The blood-cost was eight
million men dead, twenty-one million
wounded, seven million imprisoned
and missing. And while the present
war may be shorter than the World
War, it may also be longer, and its
expenditure of blood and money just
as fruitless.
Not only do Germany, Italy, Rus
sia, and Japan glorify war and scoff
at the rights of weak nations, but
they have so recently illustrated their
brutality in China, Poland, Czecho
slovakia, and Ethiopia that democra
cies must prepare to defend their
territories.
Neverthless, three reasons alone
are enough to prove that not even
for England and France should we
send American youths to any Euro
pean slaughter house.
Charles A. Rogers.
“Mount Up With Wings”
In 1910 on these grounds, far dif
ferent then than now, was started
the execution of what is still an un
finished dream, then unbelievable and
astounding to the dreamer, now on
the verge of fulfillment. No one in
those years, since past, except the
dreamer, could see the possibilities
for development and service of today
in what is the leading institution of
its kind in the South. Through the
long years of hardships, difficulties,
setbacks, undermining of faith, and
sacrifices almost unbelievable has
come an institution which has no
peers anywhere, the North arolina
College.
Because of its struggles and later
development, we as students of North
Carolina College have a great chal
lenge hurled before us. Are we going
to sit supinely by and allow this op
portunity to show the world that its
faith and confidence in us is lost?
Are we going to allow those who
criticize us to be able to shake their
heads and say, “It is no more than I
expected; I told you so”? Are we go
ing to fail to uphold the arms of our
leader who carries for us the torch
lighted in 1910 and burning brighter
each day? Are we going to let his.
arms fall and the light go out and
cast us into darkness? Are we going
to abuse and misuse the trust and the
hope of the people of the State of
North Carolina? No! Let us to a
man rise up, accept the challenge
which has been hurled down to us,
and strive day and night unceasing
ly to carry on the dream of our lead
er and the hopes of those who are
standing behind us to higher and
nobler heights than ever dreamed of.
Sylvester L. Carter.
-+■
That First Impression
By A Freshman
On the night of September 18th,
after a long, tiresome ride from the
depths of Alabama, I set foot on the
soil of the North Carolina College
for Negroes. Although a distinguish
ed newcomer in my own eyes, my
self-rating soon appeared question
ably apprehensive as I was addressed
by the upperclassmen in no uncer
tain terms." “Say, you dog, come
here.” So indignant was I over the
title that they soon bestowed upon
me what they termed a more hon
orable one; “The bad dog from Ala
bama.”
On September 19th, the first day
of school, bright and early, we—im
portant, experienced, untamed, un
ripped crabs—were paraded around
the campus by several upperclassmen.
The parade was really colorful, a
walking zoo. I never felt so silly in
all my life. We were watched as if we
would get lost in the large building
or probably tumble off the banks of
the new bowl. After the parade was
over, it was then time for lunch. We
lined up and marched to the dining
hall. After dinner, we dogs were al
lowed to go to our cells to retire be
fore the next performance. The big
show was over for that mighty day;
not mentioning that that night, of all
nights, we actually had a real party.
You should have been there.
The next morning, after playing
so terribly hard the night before, we
were positively sore, as though we
had been severely beaten.
September 20th was the second big
show day. Thus, going through the
same daily procedure, marching to
breakfast and back, cleaning our
rooms and several others, then to
class all dressed up with'a red “D”
painted in crimson on our foreheads,
oily faces shining, shoes and socks
mismatched—ah, us! green externally
—but, mind you—clever within.
We . . . the big show continued
through the week . . . going over in a
big way. By week’s end we were part
ly free and could but pity the poor
male puppies whose hair indicated
their heads being exposed to this new
environment of higher education.
And, so dear egotistical sopho
mores, sophistical juniors, and erudite
seniors, in behalf of the freshman
class of the North Carolina College
for Negroes, in spite of your bar
barous welcome, we accept with pleas
ure your hospitality, because you are
a part of the school to which we
pledge our unfailing loyalty—dear
old N. C. C.