State IfecvMett&i
Published by State Teachers College for Sttidents and Alumni
Elizabeth City, N. C., January, 1960
Financial Aid to Students
At ECSTC Increased $20.
The financial aid for students at''
ECSTC this year will increase a total
of approximately $20,000. This in
crease is based upon the fact that work
aid increased approximately $6,500;
direct scholarship increased approxi
mately $3,000; and National Defense
Student Loan fund accounted approxi
mately $11,000 in funds available for
student use. The total amount of aid
being distributed among our students
in work available, loans, and direct
cash grants is approximately $48,000.
Last year the figure was approximate
ly $27,000.
It is hoped that the amount of
cash grants available to students,
which this year will likely amount to
something less than $7,000, will be
increased greatly through contribu
tions of faculty, alumni, and friends.
Better Student-Facuity
Relations Sought
One of the new features of the
Student Personnel program is the ad
vising system which is designed to
facilitate better student-faculty re
lations and to provide each student
with a personal adviser to help him
with his academic progress from fresh
man to graduate.
Each student on the campus has
been assigned as an advisee to some
faculty member. Often this assign
ment has been made on the basis of
a student’s major. This is especially
true of freshmen. Upperclassmen
have been distributed among the re
maining faculty members. Students
are free to make appointments to see
their advisers as they feel the need.
However, all students must see their
advisers at least twice per semester.
This is compulsory.
Students are reminded that they are
not supposed to wait until they have
problems before seeing their advisers.
Since this is a new program, the
Student Personnel area is interested
in receiving from students and facul
ty members any suggestions that they
may have to make for its improve-
"Messiah" Renditions
Pleasing to Audiences
The State Teachers College Choir,
along with its directress. Miss E. A.
Johnson, recently took a trip to Mur
freesboro where they rendered the
Christmas portion of the “Messiah”
by Handel. Such a wonderful per
formance by our choir held the au
dience spellbound from beginning to
end. The choir was also accompanied
by its pianist. Miss Edna Davis,
President, W. N. Ridley and his
family.
Later on, the choir rendered the
"Messiah” in Moore Hall auditorium
which was filled to capacity with
students and faculty, as well as visi
tors and friends of the institution. All
it all, the choir is progressing very
rapidly and expects to take longer
and more extensive trips in the spring.
“No program our Congressmen
could support would benefit the citi
zens more than a program to reduce
the high cost of government.”—^Doii
Robinson.
Dr. J. A. Eaton
Vesper Speaker
Dr. James A. Eaton, Director of
Student Personnel Services, spoke on
the subject “Toward a New Approach
to Religion,” in vespers on January
10.
He discussed mainly a question
that had been asked him by several
persons: “What do you mean by a
living, dynamic religion?” He named
two barriers that people meet in the
attempt to understand the meaning
of religion: A lack of knowledge
about religion and a reluctance to re
moving religion from the confines
of a church and making it a function
ing factor in the home, the classroom,
the dormitory, the Lighthouse or in a
parked car some where beside a lone
ly road.”
In setting forth the basis for a dy
namic, personal religion, several be
liefs which come from the teaching
of Jesus were quoted: ‘The summary
of God’s relationship to man,” “Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart, soul and mind and thy
neighbor as thyself.” A second basic
premise, “I have come that you may
have life and have it more abundant
ly” was a premise Jesus made to his
followers. And the sacrificial prin
ciple necessary to any worthwhile
effort spoken by Jesus: “He who seeks
to save his Mfe shall lose it; he who
loses his life for my sake shall find
Dr. J. A. Eaton received his B.A.
degree from Virginia State College;
B.D. degree from Howard University;
M.A. degree from Boston University
and Ph.D. degree from Columbia
University and did additional study at
the University of St. Andrews, St.
Andrews, Scotland.
George Kitchen, ’61, read the medi
tation thought and also introduced
Dr. Eaton.
Music for the service was rendered
by the College Choir with Patricia
Duren as soloist.
Christmas Lighting Event
Held December 12th
The annual “Christmas Lighting”
event was held on December 12. Dr.
Charles Lyons, acting Dean of the
college, presided at the ceremonies.
The service was opened with the
singing of “Silent Night” by the en
tire audience accompanied by the
College Band. Dr. Lyons then in
troduced Dr. W. N. Ridley who gave
a brief talk on the beauty and mean
ing of lights at Christmas. At this
time campus lights were turned
and the familiar carol “O Little Town
of Bethlehem” was sung.
Leonard Slade read a message,
“The Spirit of Christmas Around the
World” and “The Meaning of the
Lighted Tree” was read by Valgene
Gibbs. After a rendition by the
band, Jimmie Manley gave an in
terpretation ot “Bells at Christmas”
while the choir followed singing “Ca
rol of the Bells.”
Gladys Johnson then read “The
First Noel”, and Janie Manley told
“The Significance of the Hanging
of the Green.”
As the program came to a close,
the Choir and Band rendered “Deck
the Halls.” Mr. DeLane and Mrs.
Vaughn led the students around the
campus, singing carols and hanging
evergreens on doors of the campus
buildings, thus ending a beautiful and
joyful event.
“As long as you feel you are serv
ing others, you do the job well. When
you are concerned only with helping
yourself, you do it less well. This is
a law as inexorable
Arthur Gordon.
gravity.”-
Strive for Excellence:
Dr. Ridley to Students
‘Excellence is a thing we should
all endeavor to achieve,” stated Dr.
Walter N. Ridley during his message
to the first assembly of the year 1960,
on January 7.
Dr. Ridley seemed very sincere as
he called the attention of the audi
ence to the danger of mediocrity.
“Mediocrity is the arch enemy of
human growth and development.
Mediocrity is not too good and not
too bad.”
He urged each student to strive for
excellence through reading and re
jecting the comfortable mediocrity of
living. This address was a much-
needed stimulation for the New Year.
Helen C. Johnson gave the medi
tation and Charles King introduced
President W. N. Ridley.
Student Activities Committee
Visits Virginia State College
Thee S. T. C. Student Activities
Committee visited Virginia State Col
lege on December 12 to observe the
Student Union program.
Upon arrival the committee was
met by the VSC Hospitality Commit
tee. They were given souvenirs and
taken to Foster Hall, which is the
Student Union center. There they
met Dr. J. C. Nelson, director of the
program, who explained the function
of the program and the use of the
building. He mentioned its conven
iences and services and spoke of it as
a “laboratory of citizenship training
of students in social responsibility and
democracy”.
The Student Planning Cabinet of
three persons, the president and two
other students, head the program.
There are several sub-committees and
clubs among which are the Esquires,
Mademoiselles, Shutterbugs; also the
Forum. Games and Dance, Hospitali
ty, Fine Arts and Film Committees.
The group toured the building and
visited such places as the Student
Council, Newspaper and Audio
rooms; also the multiple room used
for showing films, teaching dances,
dancing, and holding committee meet
ings.
After returning to the Lounge the
visitors enjoyed a question-and-answer
period. Each club or committee
chairman explained the purposes and
activities of his group. A representa
tive of the NAACP Youth Council
explained its purposes and functions.
Mrs. Ridley, adviser, and Clarence
Biggs, committee chairman expressed
appreciation for the information re
ceived and for the hospitality of the
college.
The trip was very beneficial for the
SAC received many ideas which will
help the S. T. C. program to grow.
Three Additions To College Staff
Begin With Second Semester
Three additions to the Elizabeth
City State Teachers College Faculty,
including Dr. Coragreene Johnstone,
Dr. Garland D. Kyle, and Mrs. Tillie
Smith Kyle, were announced this
week, to begin with the second
mester. Two of these are holders of
ths Doctor of Philosophy degree and
the third has completed all residential
requirements leading to the degree.
The addition of these two doctors
brings to the college a total of eight,
the number of such degrees on the
college faculty, and represents an in
crease of 100% over last year. This
is a part of the expanded-strengthened
program of Elizabeth City State
Teachers College, according to Presi
dent Walter N. Ridley and brings
more than 25% the number of such
degrees on the academic faculty.
Dr. Coragreene Johnstone, a native
of Brevard, North Carolina, graduat
ed from Talladega College summa
cum laude. She later became
cipient of the master of arts and the
doctor of philosophy degrees from
the University of Michigan, majoring
in EngHsh, Literature and Philoso
phy. Further study has taken her
abroad to matriculate in the Shakes
peare Institute, Stratford-upon-Avon,
England and the University of Lon
don. Back home, she has continued
her studies and research at the Uni
versity o f Minnesota and in the
School of Letters, Indiana University.
Dr. Johnstone has traveled in
Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Canada
and Mexico and holds membership
in the International Society of Gen
eral Semantics. Having taught at
Fisk and Dillard Universities, she will
join the English Department, which
she will head at Elizabeth City.
Student Teachers Return
To Teachers College
Elizabeth City State Teachers Col
lege is in the process of concluding
the most outstanding off-campus stu
dent teaching experience in the his
tory of the institution.
For several weeks now approxi
mately 30 students who are preparing
themselves for careers as teachers
have been assigned to well-organized
public school centers in Northeastern
North Carolina to observe and to
teach under competent supervision.
This experience is an integral part of
the composite program through which
Elizabeth City prepares public school
teachers. Following their off-campus
work, students will return to the col
lege for a refinement period in which
daily seminar growing out of observed
problems will be conducted.
Cooperating centers and cooperat
ing teachers (supervising) arei selected
based on criteria established by the
faculty of the Elizabeth City Depart-
t of Education.
Renovation of Moore Hall
Renovation of Moore Hall began
1 December 17, the day before the
beginning of the Christmas holidays.
The present contract, being done by
the Holdbrook Contracting Company
of Charlotte, North Carolina, will
improve the water proofing of the
sidewalls and glazing and tightening
of all windows. This should con-
: heat, stop wall leakage, and
make the building more comfortable.
The present cost is approximately
$18,000. This is part of a $100,000
renovation which will be completed
for Moore Hall in the next ten
months.
Dr. Garland Dean Kyle will be
head of the Department of Science
and Mathematics at Elizabeth City.
He has earned degrees in Physics
and Applied Mathematics from the
Universities of Toledo and Michigan,
and from Ohio State University and
the University of Minnesota. At
Minnesota, he was granted the Ph.D.
degree and recognized for top com
petency in the area of statistics and
Applied Mathematics. He was a physi
cist in the U. S. Navy for four years.
Dr. Kyle has served as Chairman
of the Department of Mathematics
and Physics at Knoxville College,
Philander Smith and Arkansas A.M.
and N. He has several scientific
publications to his credit and holds
the chairmanship of the Mathematics
Section of the Arkansas Academy of
Science.
Mrs. Tillie Smith Kyle, wife of
(Continued on Page 2)
Vocational-Technical
Institute Certified
The certification of all departments
of the Vocational Technical Institute
at Elizabeth City State Teachers Col
lege for training of veterans was re
cently received at the college, accord
ing to an announcement by Dr.
Charles Lyons, Jr., Dean of the Col
lege. Programs included in the re
cent certifications are Auto Mechan
ics, Brickmasonry, Cosmetology, Ra
dio-Television Electronics, and Sec
retarial Science.
Further improvement in this area
came during the first semester in the
completion of a modern well-equipped
building to house the Auto Mechanics
training. The addition of this new
facility, along with the addition of two
new instructors in the Vocational-
Technical Area, rounds out a well-
developed program of offerings.
Applications are now being accept
ed for admission to this area for the
second semester which begins on Feb
ruary 1.
Second Annual Drama
Clinic At ECSTC
Elizabeth City State Teachers Col
lege played host to the Northeastern
North Carolina Drama Association
for the second annual Drama Clinic,
Jan. 14, in Moore Hall Auditorium.
The central theme was: “Improving
the Quality of Our Production”. The
critic-teacher, Mr. G. A. Dailey, exec
utive secretary of the North Carolina
High School Drama Asociation, was
the guest speaker.
George Kitchen, president of the
College Dramatics Club, welcomed
the directors and students on behalf
of the Dramatics Club and presented
Dr. Walter N. Ridley who expressed
greetings on behalf of the administra-
and faculty.
Prices have been going up for
nearly two and a half centuries. But
there’s a catch. While it took 200
years for prices to double—up to a
quarter-century a g o—t hey have
doubled again in the past 25 years.
Newsletter Gets Invite
The Newsletter has been invited by
the Columbia Scholastic Press Asso
ciation to participate in the 36th An
nual Convention at Columbia Uni
versity in New York City—March 17,
18, 19.