THE CHOWANIAN
Voluma 6 — Number 5
Chowan Collage, MurfrMiboio. N. C.
February 1958
Christian Focus Week Offers Excellent Program
Dr. WOUaM HaD Preston
Dr. Baymond J. Seeger
ne Kev. HareU Ceie
Claude F. Gaddy
NEW STAFF
In order that the Chowanian
may always have some experi
enced personnel on its staff, it has
been decided to elect a new staff
jit the end of each first semester.
The editor-in-chief will select
the entire staff, he being elected
by the faculty publications com
mittee.
Grover Edwards, who has been
editor-in-chief since the opening
of school in September has done
a superlative and will be stu
dent advisor to tiie new staff.
The new editor-in-chief, elected
by the faculty committee, is Joe
Sumler. Both Edwards and Sum-
ler are Graphic Arts students.
The latter is a freshman. The
entire new staff membership can
be found on page four.
By electing a freshman editor-
in-chief at the close of the first
semester each term, it is ex
pected he will be selected from
the rcportorial staff, and with the
experienced retiring editor-in-
chief becoming student advisor.
The Chowanian leadership should
have the experience and desire
to make this publication one of
the best in the country.
High School Basketball Queen
Crowned Here; Many Beauties
Heavy rain foUowed by snow
apparently did not hinder or dam
pen the spirits of the 19 youthful
beauties who gathered on the Cho
wan College campus Saturday
evening, February 1, to compete
for the title of “Miss Chowan High
School BaslietbaU Queen for 1958.”
These lovely young ladies, ac
companied by their escorts, their
high school principals and their
wives came from as near as Mur
freesboro and as far as Nashville.
John Gill, director of college re
lations. was on band with a friendly
word and a handshake for each
queen and her escorts as they en
tered the columns building. Mrs.
Gill stood nearby pinning white
carnations tied with blue ribbons
on each queen, thus having each
young lady carry the college colors.
Dr. and Mrs. Bruce Whitalcer
were also welcoming the guests
as they arrived.
At 6:30, the guests assembled
in the college dining room and after
being introduced, Mike Johnson,
president of the student body, ex
tended a most cordial welcome to
aU present.
Dr. Bruce Whitaker, president
of the college was asked to pro
nounce the invocation. After again
welcoming each and everyone, he
evoked God’s blessing uimn the food
and all the other activities of the
evening.
After a delicious turkey dinner
served by Mrs. J. F. Beamon, col
lege dietician, and her staff, Mr.
Gill introduced those who were
seated at the speakers table. They
were Mrs. Ross Cadle. Mrs. John
Gill, Mrs. Bruce Whitaker, Mr. A.
R. Burkot, dean of Campbell Col
lege and Mr. and Mrs. J. Irving
Brooks.
The young ladies were then in
troduced. They were Jewel Snipes,
Ahoskie; Ruth Leary, Chowan;
Mary Ann Ricks, Conway; Ruth
Stokely, Edenton; Annie Lou Bil
lups, Enfield; Judy Hobbs, Little-
(See QUEEN, page 8.)
i
CROWNING THE QUEEN — Miss Annie Lou Billups was crowned High School Basketball
Queen by Dr. Bruce Whitaker, President of Chowan College, during halftime of the Campbell-
Chowan basketball game. Shown above left to right are Dr. Whitaker, Miss Annie Lou Billups,
1958 High School Basketball Queen, Enfield; Miss Jane Laurance, second runner up, Mars
Hill; and Miss Jewel Snipes, first runner up, Ahoskie.
Baptist Heritage is
Subject Five Talks
"TIm Baptitt H«xUaa*'*
A series of five Chapel talks
on “The Baptist Heritage” was
completed on Monday, February
17, by Dr. Bela Udvamoki, chair
man, department of science. The
other speakers were The Rev.
Oscar Creech, associate tothe
president; The Rev. John Gill,
Jr., director of public relations;
The Rev. Rowland Pruette, pas
tor of the Murfreesboro Baptist
Church; and Dr. Bruce Whita
ker, Chowan’s president.
As Dr. Whitaker stated in his
talk, it was not the purpose of
these chapel meetings to at
tempt to persuade any student
of another faith to become a
Baptist, but to outline the his
tory of the Baptist religion in
order that all students and fac
ulty members could have a bet
ter understanding of the aims
and purposes of the Baptist
church-related college they at
tend and work with.
"Baptist Baginaings"
Mr. Creech spoke on the “Bap
tist Beginnings”, and Baptist
(See BAPTIST, page 5.)
Distinguished
Guests Coming
To Participate
By MISS FRANCES WHITE
Doubtless many on the cam
pus are asking the question:
“What is this Christian Focus
Week we have been hearing
about?”
Briefly, it is an enlargement
of the familiar Religious Em
phasis Week held in the spring
of each year in a Baptist de
nominational institution. Its pur
pose is “to make a definite and
effective application of the
Christian message to eve^ area
of college life and activity.” It
is, therefore, a campus-wide
activity, and not one restricted
to members of the Baptist Stu
dent Union, though this organi
zation aids greatly taward its
success.
The administration, faculty
and student body work as a
Lots of Smoke
But Little Fire
At 10:30 PM the 12th of February,
the big siren on the water tower
began to wail. The blast lasted
several minutes. People in bed
awoke and wondered where the
fire was, and if it was very bad.
They looked out of windows to see
if there was a glow in the winter
skies.
Presently the walls of smaller
sirens on the Ford pumper and
those of firemen’s cars began to
sound out. The prosession halted
in front of the Columns Building on
the campus of Chowan College.
Grey smoke was rolling out of the
doorway to the basement, and it
made eyes water in the spacious
hUlways of the old landmark. Girls
were nervously standing in the
cold of the February night, stamp
ing their feet and trying to keep
warm. Firemen, bustled here and
there with extinguishers and elec
tric lanterns.
Soon the cause of the smoke was
discovered. An excess of coal had
been banked in the firebox and it
overheated causing the smoke and
heat There was no damage done,
thanks to the crack Murfreesboro
Volunteer Fire Department, who
were quickly on the campus, and
to Mrs. Sybil Grymes, dean of
women, whose quick acting in call
ing of aid saved Chowan College’s
pride and joy from probable serious
damage.
A TYPICAL DAY'S PRCXiRAM
7:00 Breakfast.
8:00 Clast Visitation Be
gins.
11:10 Chapal SaxTicas.
1:00 Class VisilatioD.
4:00 to 5:30 Racraation
and Personal cofarancas.
5:30 Dinner and Meeting
of team and local committees.
6:30 Vesper*.
7:30 Seminazs.
9:00 Social Break.
10:00 Informal discussions
(dormitories).
coordinating force to bring about
a deeper Christian atmosphere
and growth on the college cam
pus.
On Monday through Friday,
March 24-28, the campus will
welcome guest speakers who will
lead conferences, chapel services
and vespers each day. These
personalities will come from
wide areas and varied fields of
learning. Their utmost purpose
is to prove a blessing to the
students whom they will serve.
Some who have accepted the
invitation given them by the
Southwide Student Department
are listed as follows, with brief
biographical data.
Mrs. Dorothy Phillips Cans-
ler, of Chapel Hill, who has
an A. B. degree from the
University of North Carolina,
will be the only woman in the
group. She has been director
of girls and women’s activities
of Y. W. C. A.. Petersburg,
Virginia. At the present time
she is working as a wife and
mother. Her interest is in the
general area of marriage and
family. She would like to be
come a marriage counsellor.
Rev. Harold Cole, a native
of Greenville County, South
Carolina, is a graduate of
North Greenville Junior (^ol-
lege and Furman University.
He received his theological
training at Southern Baptist
Theological Seminary, Louis
ville, Ky.
Mr. Cole was pastor of the
First Baptist Church, Auburn,
Alabama, and has served on
the Baptist State Executive
Board of Alabama. He is now
Secretary of the Baptist
Student Union of North Caro
lina.
Claude F. Gaddy, of Raleigh,
attained his A. B. degree from
Wake Forest College and his
(See FOCUS, page 8. j