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HIGHLIGHTS
Commencement Page 1
Senior Page Page 3
Miss Player Ph.D. Candidate
THE
6.iM
BANNER
Much Success to ihe
Class of '48
STUDENT PUBMCATION OF BENNKTT (X>LLE(iE
\'OL. XVII
GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA, MAY, 1948
NUMBER 7
BENNETT GRADUATES 82 SENIORS
Audrose Mackel ‘48-49
Student Senate Proxy
STUDENT ELECTIONS
The efforts of publicity committees,
posters, tags and signs were reward
ed as stvidents cast their ballots for
student leaders for the coming year,
1948-’49. Climaxing approximately
two weeks of careful campaigning
the Blues came in with a sweeping
victory as Audrose Mackel was chos
en Student Senate chairman. Miss
Eleanor Barnwell, candidate of tht
ambitious Whites, was made co-
chairman.
The Whites, not to be outdone,
paralleled the Blue victory as the
candidate. Miss Altamese Lester, was
elected student representative on th
central committee. The losing candi
date was Miss Rosalind Lynn.
In the student senate cabinet there
seems to be a balance of power ac
neither single party has more rep
resentatives than the other. This ir
indicative of the fact that the ma
jority of the student body did not
vote straight tickets, a reflection upo’
the independent thinking of Bennet
young women.
For the secretary.ship of the cabi
net, Elsie Griffin, White, defeated
Ovelia Vaughn of the Blues. Patrici;
Duckett, White, defeated the Blue
candidate, Marie Miller, for treas
urer. Lillian Clark defeated Ros-
McDaniels of the Whites in the race
for parliamentarian.
In addition to the officers of the
student senate, the editor of the stu
dent publication and officers of mid
week vespers committee were elect
ed. Lillian Murphy was chosen as
editor of the Bennett Banner and
Sylvia Rock was made associate edi
tor. Of the mid-week vespers com
mittee, Agnes Thomas is president,
Addie Williams, vice-president, and
Kegina Tanner is secretary.
Audrose Mackel, next year’s prexy,
comes from Mississippi. Being very
active in student activities, she is a
junior counselor, member of the
student senate cabinet, the choir, the
W. A. A., Omicron Eta Chi, the or
chestra, and represents Bennett in
the North Carolina Student Legis
lative Council. Majoring in clothing
and minoring in art, Audrose is
greatly interested in music and
sports, particularly basketball and
football. Says Audrose, “I feel sin
cerely inspired in that my fellow
students have shown confidence in
me as their choice of leader. I be
lieve I have a tremendous task before
me and with the cooperation of the
student body. I’m sure that we can
make the student senate an even
more effective organization next
year.” Miss Mackel has been on th.
cabinet for one year.
All student officers will be install
ed in formal services held during the
last vespers of the year.
;xwx
Shown above are members of the senior class of Bennett College who will receive their de
grees Monday, May 31, during the commencement exercises at which time Mr. James C. Forsythe
of New York ’City, prominent attorney, will deliver the commencement address.
United Negro College
Fund Conducts Drive
Among Negro Colleges
Now conducting one of its greater
drives the United Negro College
Fund is appealing to alumni and col
lege students of Negro colleges al!
over the nation.
Today, most colleges are facing a
critical financial situation with spir-
pling costs and increased enrollment.
This is true with every college in
the United States, and especially true
of Negro colleges. Four years ago the
United Negro College Fund war
started to raise money to bridge the
gap between operating income and
actual cost. This fund renders aid to
32 Negro colleges which are depend
ent upon private endowments and
own income to operate.
The fund enables the college to
raise salaries, employ additional re
pairs, buy new teaching equipment,
strengthen libraries, and make more
funds available to student aid.
When one contributes to the fund
he enables others to have educational
Comely Lovye Williamson
Reigns is May Queen
Miss Lovye Williamson, senior,
from Reidsville, N. C., reigned as
Queen of May at the annual May
Day activities held at Bennett College
on May 15, 1948. Representing the
best Bennett lias in beauty, intelli
gence, and personality. Miss William
son was selected by her fellow stud
ents as the person best suited for
this honor. The queen was crowned
by Mrs. Jones and was surrounded
by a host of lovely attendants. These
young ladies were: Misses Jocelyn
Blanchet, Ruth Cropps, Nilda Ortiz,
Ovelia Vaughn, Rubenna Greenfield,
and Winifred Hopkins.
The activities presented before the
queen and her court centered around
how the ideal Bennett girl spends
her school days. Starting with the
awakening of the students the pro
gram carried her straight through the
day until bedtime. It displayed her
going to meals, attending classes,
chapel, rest hour, more classes, call
ing hour, study hour, and then fin
ally an enjoyable dance to end her
already perfect day.
The crowning event of the day,
opportunities. Since most college; j however, was the presentation of the
pay from one-half to two-thirds oi
the cost oi each student’s education,
aid must come from some outside
source. The United Negro College
Fund helps render that aid.
The United Negro College Fund i
appealing to you as college student
and alumni to give generously to £
modern dance group in ‘Summer
time.’ This group, under the direct
ion of Mrs. Elizabeth Ray William
son, displayed genuine talent. The
orchestra and speech choir helped to
make the day more enjoyable.
The entire May Day was under the
direction of Mrs. Elizabeth Ray Will-
great cause. For no one knows better j iamson and Miss Frances Gordon,
than college men and women there | Our congratulations go also to Miss
is need now more than ever for train
ed minds and hands and hearts t
make contributions to civilization
(Continued On Page Three)
Sylvia Rock and Miss Gwen Cann
for the music and the script.
Laurels To Miss C. Johnson:
Admitted To Wellesley School
Miss Constance Johnson, a mem
ber of the Bennett faculty has recent
ly been admitted to the Wellesley
School of Speech and Drama. This
has long been an ultimate goal of
the very capable Miss Johnson. She
has prepared for such a major step
since her beginning years of college.
Miss Johnson received a Bachelor
of Arts degree from Virginia State |
college in 1942 with a major in Eng- ■
iish. During her college career she
took an active part in the Theater
Guild and was starred in many of
the major productions. She also serv- ■
ed in the capacity as assistant direct
or and stage manager during her
junior and senior year. In her junior ; .season.
lunior-Senior Prom
Dance of SEASON
The Junior-Senior prom honoring
the senior class of 1948 was one of the j see him again
most gala affairs of the entire schoo !
“Electra” Greek
Tragedy Acclaimed
The Grecian protica of the beauti
ful Annie Merner Pfeiffer Chapel
provided the stage setting of Sopho
cles’ immortal Greek tragedy, “Elec
tra” presented by the Bennett Thes
pians Frid^:.y evening, May 28, at (
p. m.
The talented Miss Edna Gamble,
senior, from Fayetteville, N. C., por
trayed the incomparable Electra,
Other members of the cast included
the Misses Dorothy Pearson as Cly-
temnestra and Marjorie Nance as
Chrysathmes. Male characters
were Clarence Coles as Orestes, and
AYilliam Shelton as the Old Man.
This year’s commencement produc
tion was a dramatic portrayal of
Sophocles’ tragedy. The story in
volves the tragedy of personality and
circumstances as Electra was toi
between two forces which caused he^
to lose all positive virtue and becom
frustrated, spiteful and revengeful.
The play was very effective in point
ing out the fallacies of entanglement
of jealousies, frustration and re
vengefulness.
In the plot, Clytemnestra, Aga
memnon’s wife, becomes embittered
against her husband because he of
fered their first child and oldest
daughter to the Gods for sacrifice.
When he returns to battle Clytem
nestra kills him and marries a mar
in whom she has been intereste'
during Agamemnon’s absence. Be
cause Clytemnestra killed her fath
er, Electra her daughter, despises her.
Becoming overwhelmed with the de
sire for revenge she and her brother
Orestes plot to kill their mot'-'
Though the Gods have decreed that
Electra is right to avenge her fath
er’s death she is punished for killin'
j her mother. Orestes is transferred
I to another city where she will neve
Mr. lames C. Forsythe
To Speak At The
Commencement
Dr. William Stuart Nelson and Mr.
James C. Forsyth will address the
seventy-fifth commencement exer
cises Sunday, May thirtieth and
Monday, May thirty-first.
Delivering the baccalaureate ad
dress will be Dr. William S. Nelson,
who is Dean of the School of Re
ligion at Howard University. Very
prominent in the field of theology,
Dr. Nelson was formerly president of
Shaw University at Raleigh, North
Carolina. He has just returned from
d one year tour of India where he
had the opportunity of talking with
Mahatma Ghandi before the great
man’s death.
Mr. Forsyth, who will deliver the
commencement address, Monday,
May thirty-first, is a distinguished
corporation lawyer of New York
City. He is a trustee of Bennett Col
lege and prominent layman of New
York City.
Among the activities for the com
mencement week, is the presentation
of “Electra” a Greek-tragedy by
Sophocles, May twenty-eighth at six
p. m. The play, sponsored by the
Little Theatre GailJ will be present
ed out-of-doors in front of the Annie
Merner Pfeiffer Chapel.
Saturday, May twenty-ninth, pro
vided a day of groat activity, begin-
nini? at ten a. m. wUh the meeting of
the Graduate Association. Here the
class of ’48 will gain the title, “Alum-
n'” as they become inducted into the
graduate association.
Parents, alumni, students, seniors
and friends will gather at Wilbur F.
Steele Dining room for the All-Ben-
nett Luncheon. Speeches, remarks
and smiles for all are as “specials”
on the menu.
Into the science assembly at four
p. m. will file the class of ’48 to par
ticipate and conduct an interesting
and inspirational class day program.
Amid chuckles and serious contem
plation our seniors will drift forth
to steal glances of the future; ap
plaud eagerly, the “most likely to
succeed” and reminisce over tne
things to be left behind.
The annual choir concert will be
presented in the chapel at eight p.
m. Saturday evening. Our best Ben-
(Continued On Page Two)
year she was awarded a key by the
Negro Intercollegiate Drama Associa
tion for such outstanding work.
Upon graduation from Virginia
State she received a scholarship for
further study at Fisk University. Fol
lowing this happy event she was ask
ed to become an instructor of Eng
lish and dramatic activities at
Christianburg Industrial Institute ir
Virginia.
(cS»liBSq|BBau4aKwo)
The music of Max Westerband’s
orchestra formed a fine background
for the occasion. Beautifully gowned
girls graced the floor with their vari
ous escorts. Punch was served to
parch the thirst of the group and
during the intermission a short floor
show added zest to the evening’s fes
tivities.
The gym was decked in it’s pretti
est — all in white with a supplement
of ivy “lest the seniors forget.”
At the close of the dance three
circles were formed. The seniors
the nucleus, the juniors — the next
circle and the last circle was com
posed of the fellows.
The Juniors sang a song of dedi
cation to the Seniors, then turned and
sang a song to the fellows. The sing-
I ing was ended by the singing of
' “Auld Lang Zyne.”
The girls strolled slowly to their
separate dorms, some for the las
I time after a happy evening.
Miss W. B. Player
Doctoral Candidate
Receives Honor
It is always very gratifying to the
members of the Bennett Family when
one of it’s members is singled out
for achievement or recognition won
(hrough hard work and conscientious
of the college, has been on leave of
effort. Miss Willa B. Player, registrar
absent this year to study at Colum-
Dia University. While at Columbia
University Miss Player has won rec
ognition.
Miss Player has been named to
represent the current doctoral candi
dates to the plannmg committee;
elected to Phi Lamba Theta, the Na
tional Honorary for Women in Edu
cation; she has been exempted from
the final six hour written examina
tion for her degree.
Our congratulations to Miss Player
for her achievements and a most
hearty wish for her continued suc
cess.