State Teachers College rtc(^ 0^cttcx
VOL. II ELIZABETH CITY, N. C„ NOVEMBER, 1944 NO. 2
American Education Week Observed
From No'.ember ."i lO, .\nreri-1
can Education W'eek was ob
served on the canrpiis. One
speaker said, “Because of the
war, American I^cUication Week
means more than before so I want
to do more,” much more than
ever before was done.
Under the auspices of Mi:i
Paidine Rol^inson. in the Art
Department, the Sophomores
and Juniors prejiarecl ]30sters
that were in keeping with the
topics of the week.
Interesting and i n s p ir i n g
speeches were deli\erecl. At Ves
per on Stniday afternoon, No-
venrber 5, Presicfent Harold I..
Trigg presented to the student
body Rev. i\[. S. Rudd who spoke
to us on “W'orld-wide Brother
hood.”
On Afonday, November 6, at
h):3() a. m., Dr. .Allen P. Brant
ley, pastor of the First Methodist
Church of this city, delivered a
scholarly address on “Winning
the War.” Dr. Brantley presented
a historical survey of the rise of
totalitarian governments from
the time of the last C/ar of Rtis-
sia to the time of the present dic
tatorship. He then contrasted
those governments with that of
a democracy. “W'ill denrocracy
Of dictatorshi[j be otn- govern-
nient of tomorrow?” he asked.
In relating to iis the facts about
the causes of wars, dictators and
their g o e r n nr e n t s, and the
causes of dictatorshi]), he made
it possible for us to answer the
question.
On Tuesday, November 7, otn-
attention was tin ned to “Improv
ing Schools for Tomorrow.” As
prospecti^•e teachers. Ave will al
ways remember ih(' advice which
'vas given us bv Mr. J. G. Mc-
Crackeir, Superintendent of City
■Schools, Elizabeth City. N. C.
McCracken’s philosophy of
education was stated by him. “As
teachers,” said the speakei'. “we
ought to do nrany things well.
School is erected for the child
and not for the teacher, so give
the child all ad\antages. 'Ehe i
new teacher is an understanding
teacher, he is considerate of the
child’s problems, llie teacher’s
eHort shotdd be to bring out the
best in each child and not to try
to surpress the bad.” He finally
admonished the teacher to be
honest, teach honesty and live
honesty.
On Wednesday, November 8,
1944, Professor Joseph Ancrunr,
Principal of the Training School,
brought to us the Glee CliUj and
the seventh grade class to further
our entertainment. The Glee
Club sang three selections:
“Lorely,” “Liel^estrum,” and fin
ally, “My Lord Delivered Dan
iel.” I'he group presented a
radio skit on “Winning the
War.” This skit made us aware
of what the conrmunity may do
in winning the war.
Afr. Edward Jones on Thiu's-
day morning held the audience
spellbound and caused his au
dience to be somewdrat skeptical
as he vividly painted the pictin-e
of the achievements of science
for tomorrow. His topic was
“Preparing for the New' Tech
nology.’ T he speaker defined
the term for the audience then
divided his presentation into two
parts: (1) definite goals of tech
nology which in most likelihood
will 'be reached in this decade,
and (2) Future goals and possi
bilities. “We are about to see
the dawn (jf the age of plastics.
In the next five years we shall
have plastic furniture, dishes,
houses, shoes and plastic auto
mobiles.” In the goals and pos
sibilities, the speaker embossed
travel and the span of life. “In
stead of taking a trip to Rich
mond, Va.. for a week-end, our
children s children s children will
go to the planet \'eniis lor a few
hours visitation and drop in on
the planet Mars for a short visit
on the way back.” In the Tech
nology of' Engineering Mechan
ics, the speaker states, “Engineer
ing is in its infancy.” A basic
fact on the verge of discovery is
that there is no essential differ
ences in the basic natures of what
we call lieat, light, and electii-
city other than certain technical
dilferences sucfr as frec[uency and
wave length. This important
fact means (1) Much of tomor
row’s power of focomotion will
come from sunlight; (2) Practi
cally all homes of the fiUure will
be heated by means of fight rays.
He states that the proof of tfris
fact is possible mathematically
and experimentally. Mr. Jones
concludes by stating that educa
tion as we now know it is in its
infancy, and suffers a radical re
vision. Education for the masses
will more definitely enter the
training sphere with its chief ob
jective that of preparing an in
dividual to live and to fit into a
schenre of living. Highly tech
nical training and drill will as-
stniie new importance. Appren
ticeship as a means to specializa
tion will make a come-back. The
motto of the technofogicaf world
of education will be survival oi
the litest and the key of keys will
be specialization.
Ihe celebration of American
Education A\'eek was brought to
a close by a panel discussion
sponsored by the Senior Class
Friday, November 10, f944 at
ten thirty a. m.
l ire assembly was opened with
Dean AVilliams presiding. The
student body sang “America.’
I'he Twenty-third Psalm was re
peated by all and then we were
led in prayer by Rev. John 1.
Doles.
The coordinator of the ])anel.
Miss Virginia D. Parker, then in-
troducecl the topic for discussion:
“Ecfucating All the People.” Miss
Parker stated that “the part play
ed by education in modern life
has been brought home to us by
the war. More than ever before
we are aware of the necessity of
echicating all the people. The
1940 census showed that 18i/o pe"
cent of the adult population ol
the Ignited States is finictionally
illiterate, that is, having only a
4th grade education or less. Only
24.1 per cent of the popidation
25 years of age or over were high
school graduates. Only 39.1 per
cent had completed one year of
high school.
Great differences in educa
tional level exist between the
states. For example, according
to 1940 reports. New York spends
SI56.86 per year per pupil, while
North Carolina spends only
$40.86 per year per pupil and
Mississippi spends still less, the
sum of $30.72 per year per pupil.
In all cases, the children are
citizens of America—of the na
tion that we seek to build in the
futtne.
According to hearings in July
before a Senate subcommittee on
education and health, five mil
lion selective service registrants
have been rejected or discharged
for health or educational defici
encies. Hundreds of thousands
of physically fit men were re
jected because tfiey were func-
tionaffy illiterate.
Miss Carolyn .A. Billups gave
some suggestive means of devel
oping communities capable of
dealing with the problem of ju
venile delincjuency. Miss Billups
thinks that “a community cap
able of dealing with the juvenile
delinc|uency problem is one
whose home, school, and church
work together to aid such per
sons in finding a better way of
life.”
Miss Clarrie Barnes discussed
the role of fiome economics in
tire post-war worfd. Miss Barnes
said that “home economics in
the post-war world will have such
a progranr as to give all people
knowdeclge and information deal
ing with the home sitiuition.”
Miss Gracie J. Nichols pointed
out some methods that could be
used in each community to de
crease illiteracy. Miss Nichols
agrees that “schools should re
direct education for children as
well as adults.”
Miss 'W'illie Alice Jones told
the listeners what kind of an
ecfticational program is wanted
after the war. Miss Jones em
phasized the fact that “after the
war. a universal education that
prepares youth for life instead
of for coffege is wanted.”
Questions \vere asked by per
sons in the audience and an
swered by members of the panel.
Remarks were made by Dean
'W'illiams. Assembly was dis
missed.