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THE BENNETT BANNER
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'^I^rfsbon. K G:
Founder’s Day
November 1
VOL. XXVI NO. 1
GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA
SEPTEMBER, 1958
14 Members Added To
Bennett Faculty-Staff
The addition of several persons
to the Bennett College faculty
and staff has been announced.
Fred A. Eady, of Pineland. S. C.
a graduate in drama of floward
University, has been named in
structor in dramatics. Mr. Eady,
who studied under playwright
Owen Dodson, was president of
the Howard Players.
Miss Doris Leake, of Reidsville,
N. C., a home economics graduate
of North Carolina College at Dur
ham, with a M. A. degree from
Howard University in religious
education, has been named assis
tant director of co-currciular ac
tivities.
Dr. Robert Vlach, of Germany,
has been named the instructor of
languages. He received his B. A
in Czechoslovakia, attended the
University of Paris, the Universiy
of Lyon, and the University of
Prague.
A graduate of North Carolina
College at Durham, Mrs. Arnieze
Ramseur is ah instructor in ele-
mentary education.
Named to the staff of the Chil
dren’s House, the campus nursery
school, is Miss Wynell O. Moore,
of Burlington, North Carolina, a
1952 home economics graduate of
Bennett.
Four new directors have been
placed in the dormitories: Miss
Precious Copening, Merner Hall;
' Miss Pearl McWhirter. Kent Hall;
Miss Loretta^^Bennett, Jones Hall:
and Miss Clara Mauldin, Barge
HaU.
Miss Copening, a 1945 graduate
of Bennett, received her B. A. in
English and Sociology. She re
ceived a degree in elementary
education from Kent State Uni
versity, Kent, Ohio, and has studi
ed guidance at Western Reserve,
Cleveland, Ohio. A native of North
Carolina, Miss Copening wrote for
the Bennett Banner while a stu
dent at Bennett. She advocates
more inter-dormitory competition
on a friendly basis..
Miss Pearl McWhirter, at 1948
Bennett graduate, receh’ed her
degree in sociology and history,
ville, N. C. native has worked in
a school for retarded childrea in
Stanford, Conn., and done substi
tute teaching in Washington, D. C.
She plans to become a social work-
61. Miss McWhirter wants' to
create a friendly and homey at
mosphere in the dormitory.
Miss Mauldin, a 1941 graduate
of Bennett, received her B. S.
degree in sociology and history.
A native of Asheville, North Caro
lina, Miss Mauldin attended the
Atlanta University of Social
Work, studied psychologj’ at the
University of Pennsylvania, and
worked as a probation officer in a
juvenile court in Philadelphia be
fore coming to Bennett Miss
Mauldin was active in the WAA
v^hile a student at Bennett.
Other staff members are; Miss
Roberta A. Miller and Miss Geral
dine Tillery, June graduates of
N. C. C. at Durham, employed in
(Continued on Page 4)
Chalmers Addresses Opening
Student Conference Session
“Student leadership has always
been found on our campus, but
lUst how effective has it been?’'
asked Jamesena Chalmers, pres
ident of the Student Senate at the
opening of the Student Leader-
Faculty Studies
College Program
4 continuing search for areas
providing greater opportunities
tor unity in the total education of
Bennett College students was a
goal agreed upon by the mem
bers of the annual faculty-staff
fall conference held the first week
in September.
Following the theme: “Strength-
(Continued on Page 4)
144' Girls Enrolled
In Freshman Class
The freshman roster numbers
144 girls, one of the largest classes
in the history of Bennett College.
The geographical distribution of
the freshman class of 1958-59 cov
ers 20 states, th'i‘District of Colum
bia, and two foreign countries.
The states and countries rep
resented are;
Alabama, California, Connect!
cat, Delaware, District of Coluiii-
bia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky,
Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi,
Missouri, New York, North Caro
lina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South
Carolina, Termessee, Texas. Vir
ginia, Nassau, Bahamas, and Tae
gu, Korea.
North Carolina has the largest
representation with 78 girls en
rolled from the state. There are
11 girls from Greensboro.
From a tentative inquiry, it was
revealed that 10 students were
valedictoiians of their high-
Echool classes; nine were saluta-
torians.
Six members of the class are
sisters of Bennett graduates. Twc
have sisters now attending Ben
nett.
Sylvia Hodges, Parkton, N. C.,
sister of Helen Hodges Melvin,
’46, Mable Hodges, ’53, and Bar
bara Hodges Pierre, ’55.
Elois Jones Harper, Lenoir, N
C., sister of Inez Jones, ’59 and
Edna Jones.
Lillian Lanier, New Haven.
Conn., sister of Doris Lanier ’57.
Grace Mitchell, Wilke.sbnro, N
C., sister of Ida Michell Ratlcjy,
‘49.
Mamie Parker, Meoane, N. C
sister of Ida Parker, ’57.
Catherine Rink, Morganton, N.
C., sister of Evelyn Rink Bunton
’44.
Brenda Saunders, Gastonia, N
C., sister of Ann Saunders, ’08.
AdeUe Taylor, Charlotte. N. C,
sister of Hazeline Taylor, ’59.
Edna Partee of Landis, N. C.,
was “bom into the Bennett fam
ily.” Both her mother and grand
mother attended Bennett.
Range of majors of the class of
’62 are wide and varied, with the
bulk of the class concentrating
on commercial education, home
economic.^, sociology, psycholgy.
lre-medicine and elementary edu
cation.
ship Conference September 8.
Speaking on the theme of the
three-day conference, “Student
Independence Through Effective
Student Leadership,” Miss Chal
mers listed several attributes ot
effective leaders.
“An effective leader under
stands her responsibilities and
seeks to carry them out efficient
ly,” she said, emphasizing that
each leader performing her own
Unity Stressed
By President
President Willa B. Player stres
sed the importance of beginning
this school year in a spirit of unity
in her llrst chapel address to the
Bennett College students, faculty
and staffs.
To the upper classmen Dr
Player delegated the responsibil
ity of nelping create the happy
climate in which all can march
forward tokether. She urged all
of the students to adopt whole
some and positive attitudes.
“We are striving to become re
sponsible citizens . . . We wiil
carry our share of responsibility,'
she continued, as she i'eminded
the listeners of their duty to e.K-
ercise a deliberate attempt to be
helpful in maintaining a pleasant
atmosphere on campus.
In commenting on what it
means to enjoy membersl'.ip at
Bennett, the President pointed out
the privileged position college
youth enjoy, Bennett’s dedication
to the search for excellent- with
emphasis on resourcefulness, its
accent on refinement, exercise of
self-control, and sensitivity to ap
propriateness at all times.
A welcome was extended by
Jamesena Chalmers, president of
the Student Senate. After briefing
the audience on the fall student
leadership conference, she chal
lenged the students to accept re
sponsible roles in campus life.
task is a pre-requisite for effec
tive leadership.
The responsible leader has a
genuine interest in the organiza
tion she is serving lending her
full support to its activities.
Courage and self-reliance were
listed ns characteristics of the
type of leaders Bennett seeks.
“Many of us become do-nothing
leaders . . . because we lack the
stamina to follow througli with our
plans,” the Student Senate pres
ident stated.
“The leaders of an organiza
tion . . . should be able to work
with a minimum of direction,”
she continued.
The speaker further stressed
the importance of impartiality
and fairness in leadersliip.
Miss Chalmers urged the clubs
to make significant contributions
to campus life.
“The organizations which you
serve as officers can do much to
achieve student independence,’"
she said.
Conference Consultant
To guide the conference mem
bers in recognizing some of the
common elements of leadership
was the aim of Conference Con
sultant Miss Dorothy Height, pre
sident of the National Council of
Negro Women, Inc., Washington,
D. C.
From definitions of leadership
obtained from the 1958-59 officers
who composed the conference,
Miss Height illustrated the rela
tionship between the members of
the working group and the leader
as an active member of the group
rather than a person set apart.
Dr. Willa B. Player, president of
Bennett College gave a commen
tary welcome under the heading,
“The Importance of Student
Leadership.” The President cited
the vast opportunities for effective
leadership and the importance of
all efforts being channeled toward
the tasks nearest to us.
Workshop sessions where the of
ficers could learn what their du
ties were and some techniques in
carrying out these duties were
provided.
/'VI
Shown are members of the class of ’62. The 144 freshmen constitute one of the largest classes in Bennett history.