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Sl’ATE TEACHERS COLLEGE NEWS LETTER
FEBRUARY 1945
THE NEWS LETTER
Published Monthly by
State Teachers College News Press Club
Elizabeth City, North Carolina
BUSINESS STAFF
President Carolyn A. Billups
Vice President Charlotte Reid
Secretary Mary M. Howard
Treasurer Clarencp A. Overton
NEWS STAFF
Sarah M. Pelham, Editor-in-Chief
Evelyn Richardson Sara S. Lane
Eleanor S. Bennett Mabel L. Gavin
Lillie E. Brown Mattie L. Moore
K(?tie C. Powell Lucy E. Montague
Rosa L. Downing Christine M. McKoy
Minnie E. Jones Roberta C. Sinclair
Mrs. Maude JonPs Sykes, Alumni Secretary
Mrs. Margaret E. Williams, Sponsor
Subscription Rates: 15 Cents Per Copy
SI.00 Per 8 Months
Elizabeth City, N. C., February 1945
YWCA Presents
Mr. Ernest Armstrong
Sunday, February 18, 1945, we were
\ery fortuiiate in having the ojjpor-
lunity o£ listening to an inspiring
speech made by Mr. Ernest E. V. A.
Armstrong of VVashington, D. C., who
is a traveling secretary of the Y. M.
C. A. and student of Howard Uni
versity.
During the course of his speech, he
gave the purpose of the M. C. A.
which was as follows: (1) To lead
students to God; (2) To develop the
membership and service in Christian
churches; (3) To improve human so
cieties; and (4) To tnihience one so
as to extend the kingdom of God.
First, we must have a purpose; second,
recognize the purpose; third, be will
ing to give up all possessions for the
right ideal.
“If we seriously consider these facts,
success is sure to be ours,” says J\Ir.
Armstrong.
Agriculture Department
Butchers Second Time
On the S. L. C. farm, on February
14, Afr. A(. B. Albright. Professor of
Agriculture, supervised the butcher
ing of the last ten hogs for this year.
Of course, there were a few of the
hogs which weighed around 450
pounds each, but the a\erage weight
of the ten was about 200 poinids. The
.Agricultiu'e Departmem at State
1 eachers College is doing splendid
work in helping the war elfort because
the production of food for one's self
on the home from is one of the best
ways of fighting on the home front.
As A Senior Sees
Future Teachers of .America
'Foo often we think of the teaching
profession as one of the sin'e means of
making a li\ing, especially is it true,
among Negroes becau.se many of the
promising positions arc not opened
to us. But if the teaching profession
is the piofession which you are engag
ing in simply for economic status, yott
are dc)iri\'ing .\merica of yotmg ])eo-
ple, who in years to come, might be
famous leaders sucli as Cieorge Wash
ington C^arver, Booker 'F. W^ashing-
ton. \'ou are killing the minds of in
nocent boys and girls who are trying
earnestly to adjust themselves to the
changing societv with its many com
plexities.
Teaching is a profession which car
ries with it great and many responsi
bilities. I’lie teacher is to so instruct
or gtiide his pu])ils that they may be
led into the fields in which they are
best suited, ft is the responsibility
of the teacher to see lo it ihaf her in
structions should be so individttalized
that I he ability of each child may be
developed in keeping with his talents.
The teacher should be aware of the
fact that each child should have an
opportunity regardless of residence,
parenlage, social or economic status.
It is the cktty of the teacher to talk
with the parents in order to find out
the causes of the indi\’idual differ
ences.
'Fhese days are the most critical
and changing days in world history.
W'e can see the war going beyond
the winning and losing of battles,
thei'efore, we as future teachers must
be prepared for the tasks lying before
us. From the schcjols must come prac
tical and intimate knowledge in help
ing youths adjust themselves to this
changing society. The moral and in
tellectual C[ualities of our people rest
in the hands of the educators. Edu
cation must make for America strong
citizens for democracy in order that
the democratic ideas may be spread
to other countries where such ideas
are said to be untrue.
Today, we find some of our quali
fied teachers lea\ing the teaching pro
fession seeking positions of greater in
come. Many of these (|iialified teach
ers will never return to the j)rofes-
sion, even though, attempts are being
made to keep them in the field of
teaching. And there are attempts be
ing made to encourage those who are
qualified to come into the profession.
As future teachers we will be ex
pected to be adecjuately prepared to
meet personal problems in a world
of confusion. We will be expected
lo Ije better acquainted with inter
national relations and to develop
among youth a concept of interna
tionalism which will be workable. We
are to be ec|uipped in nunteroiis ways
to assist in educating a generation of
literate and free citizens. We have
the opportunity of influencing not
only leaders but also the parents. This
may be done through the children we
teach and through the friendly rela
tionships with all the jjeople we are
to deal with. Therefore, there is no
better time to prepare for the tasks
that lie before us as future teachers of
America than at the present moment.
By C;AR0LYN a. BII.LUPS, T')
Speaker Electrifies Students
In Address at S. T. C.
Dr. Henry Ca'ane, Pastor. Central
Alethodist Chnrch, Detroit, Afichioan
in his tiniciue way of presentation,
shed new light on the teaching pro
fession in an address to the prospec
tive teachers and to the faculty at a
special chapel hour on February 1.
I’he speaker was accompanied to
the institution fjy his wife. Afrs. Hen
ry Crane and by Dr. .Allen P. Brant
ley, Pastor. First Alethodist Church
of this city. I')r. Crane was intro
duced by Dr. Brantley.
Dr. Crane’s theme was “The Teach
er, the Greatest Contributor to Civ-
ilizatioti.” In a masterful w'ay he
showed to his audience something of
the superlative value of the teaching
profession. He ])ointed out that the
excellent teacher is characterized by
his force of personality—the dynamic
quality of his being. He emphasized
the fact that “\Vhat you teach is what
you are.”
W'e could clearly see that the ex
cellent teacher is the creator of ex
cellent personalities. He furthei
stated that the real teacher has faith
in one’s seff and God, faitli in hu
manity, faith in each child and that
teacher does not have to worry al)otU
results. He ad\ised us to approadi
each child in proportion to what the
child might become.
Dr. Crane stated in conclusion that
the excellent teacher has a finesse—
an atmos]jhere of refinement about
him which cannot be taught but
caught, that makes his class contagi
ons' with good will. “Finesse must
be de\eloped on one’s own account,
he stated. He concluded by saying
that we should have a recommitment
to ourselves to God, and to humanity.