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THE BENNETT BANNER
November, 1957
THE BENNETT BANNER
Published Monthly By The Students of Bennett College
GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA
Ten Cents a Copy
$1.00 Per Subscription
EDITORIAL STAFF
EDITOR Carolyn Brown. ’58
CO-EDITOR Yvonne Wynne, ’58
NEWS EDITOR Barbara Campbell, ’59
FEATURE EDITOR Delores Tonkins, ’58
EXCHANGE EDITOR Gladys M. Fortune, ’58
SOCIETY EDITOR Sonia Louden, ’58
PERSPECTIVE EDITOR Veronica Shipley, ’58
CIRCULATION MANAGERS Barbara Hanunond, ’58
Wllhemina Bundy, ’59
ART Emma Jean Blackstock, ’58
Joan Didier, ’60
REPORTING STAFF Nancy Kirby, ’60
Juanita Spear, ’60; Hilda Harris, ’60; Gloria Brown, ’60;
Jean Sparrow, ’61; Linda Brown, '61; Margaret Bailey, ’61.
INQUIRING
REPORTER
BY ESTHER ALEXANDER
All the girls are discussing it!
In the dormitories, on the cam
pus, in class meetings, and even
at meals! This is the big ques
tion: “Should we take on an Hon
or System at Bennett?”
Here are some of the expres
sions I chanced to hear as I
moved about the campus:
Successful Living
EDUCATION-American Style, Communist Style
Today, two ideologies are striving for worid domination.
To keep pace each must educate its youth in the manner in
which it feeJs will best propagate its ideals. The students of
today are the leaders of tomorrow.
As we observed National Education Week, November 10-16,
it was interesting to look at the methods used by the two
ideologies to educate their youth.
(The influence of propaganda—^both American and Commu
nistic—is recognized; but an effort has been made to use, as
far as possible, objective and reliable sources.) Which system
is more effective is for you to decide after further examina
tion. Any comments by readers to us will be printed in the next
issue of the Banner.
Communist Style
The curriculum in Russian schools lays heavy emphasis on
science and related fields because they believe that the sub
jects contribute most directly to mastery and control of the
material environment.
Those who have studied th Soviet sysem have stated that
the students are subjected to a pressure which is considerably
greater than that borne by western students. The amount of
Intensive training Soviet students receive in their early years
is almost unprecedented—the thorough study of mathematics
in the high schools, the variety of practical and theoretical
studies in the natural sciences.
They are now insisting that all students spend a certain
amount of time as laborers in the factories, mines, or work
shops. They evidently believe that if students are brought
into direct contact with the day laborer, they vdll retain the
identity of their allegiance to the solidarity of aU classes vrith
the socialist state and prevent the development of a separate
caste of intellectuals within the Soviet regime.
A study by the United States Office of Education of Russian
education says that it is clear that Russian education is making
an increasing contribution to the Soviet objectives, particu
larly in science and technology.
The report said that enrollments in Russian in^tutions of
higher education rose from 169,000 in 1929 to 1,867,000 l^t
year. (Enrollment in comparable institutions in America in
creased from 1,114,000 to 2.996,000 over the same span.
A separate study showed that by the time Russian students
have completed 10 years of primary and secondary schooling,
they have raceived 1,353 hours of classroom and laboratory
instructtion in sciences.
A fair conclusion might be that Russian education is de
signed for the good of the state.
American Style
The aim of western education is to teach individuals to
think. (The extent to which this aim is accomplished is de
batable. )
Universal education, America feels, is the foundation for
the perpetuation of a democracy. A wide variety and freedom
of choice are extended, its students in the selection of a field of
study. It is believed that this method is in line with the demo
cratic ideal, that students learn more when they have chosen
what they are interested in.
The Americans aim toward a more fundamental generalized
education, especially at the undergraduate level.
Education in America consists of more than classroom
studies. Extra-curricular activities are deemed important in
the development of the whole person.
The education system may suffer from discipline; but it is
felt that the informality which prevails is more conducive to
the reception of the variety, the richness, and knowledge of
comparable values which the system imparts.
Does the Soviet education system produce results which
make necessary revamping our system? For example, Russia
has seen fit to lift from the students, as far as posible, per
sonal economic problems. Are these selected youth put under
too great a pressure or can we profit from giving aid to de
serving students?
What are the most desirable goals? What, if any, features
of Communist education should we include in our own system?
It must be remembered that a philosophy of education is de
termined by the ends that are sought.
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Miss Danlette Brooks, ’61, of
Moiu'ovia, Liberia had this to
says:
“I think the aims and objec
tives of an honor system should
be discussed among the students;
so that each individual will under
stand the real meaning of such
a system. If we fully undertsand
it, then we would be in a b«tter
position to decide whether we
want one here or not.’
Miss Robena Whitted, ’59, of
Hillsboro, North Carolina says:
“I think we should take on an
honor system here at Bennett. I
believe it would make the acad
emic standings of the students
much higher.”
The following are the words of
Miss Bharaty Christian, ’59, of
Bombay, India:
“It would be nice to have an
honor system here at Bennett, as
I believe it would do much to
quicken our sense of responsibil
ity. Being responsible is one of
the characteristics of an intelli
gent. well-informed young lady;
and is this not the reason why
we are at Bennett?”
A great adventure for us to begin! The Art of Successful
Living. Why do we lack self-confidence? Why do we lack faith?
Do we believe in ourselves and in others?
I pose these questions, because they present problems that
keep us from successful living. As young; college women, we
must master the art of faith, if we are to be the unconquerable
when we take our places in society to give of our services.
Successful living is groimded on the capacity to believe. In
order to establish a firm belief in a power greater than our
selves, we must draw constantly on an inner source of strength,
which is the will to believe. We must acquire and hold ever
fresh in our hearts an abiding faith in a Higher Power—God.
It is no surprise, then, that we are provided the Wednesday
Evening Students’ Vespers for our expressions of faith, hope,
and love. The student vespers are the results of our efforts,
and each of us should share in each service in some way.
We can say that we have had some inspiring and unique
pre^ntations, thus far, and that is because our expressions are
different. We are searching for the same thing—^the Art of
Successful Living. Without self-confidence, without faith, and
without a will to believe, we are defenseless before the in
evitable difficulties that e^ch of us must face.
We, sometimes, complain that we have more than our share
when it comes to responsibilities and academic ’•equirements.
We should just look about us at our neighboring colleges.
Our college has no monopoly on academic requirements, tra
ditions, and standards; however, we should think in terms of
what makes up successful living on our campus. We are sur
rounded by unmatched potentialities and that is more the rea
son why we shocsld have the capacity to believe.
We should stay healthy under what we call “pressure" and
relax and enjoy oar college experiences—I call it successful
living.
To achieve self^tilfillment and master the art of successful
living, we cannot say with Carl Sandburg, “I earn my living.
I m^e enough to get by and it takes all my time. If I had
more time I could do more for myself and maybe for others.
I could read and study and talk things over and find out about
things. It takes time. I wish I had the time.”
Yes, I will agree, it takes time—^time to do anything. When
it comes to living a successful life, we must do more than
merely “get by”. We must achieve and especially in “success
ful living.”
Your Mid-Week Vespers’ Chairman,
Mable Shirley Waters, ’58.
Wa\e up and Read'-
Miss Carolyn Bennett, ’61, of
Miami, Florida, had this to add:
“I am in favor of the honor
system because I feel that it would
not only place each of us on our
honor, but it would enhance the
“Bennett Way Of Life” where
truth and honesty prevails.”
BY W. G. ROGEBS
Do you go to school or college,
or does your child? Do> you be
long to a church? Do you listen
to radio or look at TV? . . . Do
you read magazines or newspap
ers? Do you frequent li^Hraries and
stores, or even look in store win
dows? . . .
If you do, then watch out!
Through one of these groups, by
one of these means of communi
cation, the world is bool^rtrapped,
it is laid out everywhere with
mine snares and pitfaHs triggered
to make you read, read, and read.
“People who read some can read
more, people who don’t read at all
can read some.”
That’s straight fl*om the direc
tion of the National Liteary Week
scheduled for next spring.
Director John S. Robling, a
hard-reading young man himself,
is in charge of the first united
reading campaign ever instituted
by the entire book industry, and
it won’t miss a trick in reaching
for your attentlMi through church,
club, radio and the Uke.
This is to be a “really con
certed effort to make the com
munity book conscious,” says Rol
ling.
The Banner Staff
Extends To All
A
Happy Thanksgiving
“Wake up and read!"
theme of the campaign.
The sponsors point with shame
to figures like these;
Sixty per cent of us grown-ups
read no book, except the Bible,
in 1955.
Half of us live within a mile
of a public library but only a
fifth of us visit.
The habit of reading, tiie warn,
is losing ground to othw leisure-
time activities.
Do you want to get along in this
world? Then read a book, they
say. Do you want fun? Then read
a book. Do want to make friends
and influence people? Then read
a book again.
There are too many homes, and
wealthy ones, too, in which there
is hardly shelf space for the
Bible and the cook book, let alone
less specialized works, so tiie
wake-up-and-read campaign
also aimed at decorators and arch
itects. There should be a liiK^ry
for every room, and one in it too,
and basic book lists will be made
available for general and specific
uses.
—Reprinted from the
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Greensboro Dally News
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