PAGE TWO
THE COMPASS
MAY, 1962
THE COMPASS
For Students and Alumni
Published by
STATE TEACHERS COLLEGE NEWS PRESS CLUB
ELIZABETH CITY, N. C.
Member:
Columbia Scholastic Press Association
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Clarence E. Biggs
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sunny S* Vick
LITERARY EDITORS Lois Gray, Thelma Howard, John Iordan
SPORTS EDITOR James T. Jackson
SOCIETY EDITOR loyce Brown
EXCHANGE EDITOR Frances Moore
REPORTERS Theresa Dildy, Marilene Elliott, Mildred Thomas,
Hampton Bland. Annie R. Lea, LouveUia Johnson, Gloria Melton, and
Joyce Wilson.
SECRETARY Lois Gray
TREASURER ilosa Stokes
CARTOONIST Lorraine Walker
typist Ethel R. Rogers
HnvTcrD — ...
Development for Citizenship
We are now in the midst of a new and even more remarkable
development. Life expectancy at birth in our United States has
jumped not one year in a half century, but twenty-one years. Since
approximately twenty-five years are required to grow up and get
started, it becomes apparent that within a half century the expect
ancy of mature, effective life for many people in our country will
have been virtually doubled.
Seemingly, the significance of such a change for the future
of humanity offsets our imagination, to a great extent. The causes
of these changes are many. The results—once we learn to use the
full talents of later maturity—are inspiring to contemplate.
An improved quality of citizenship is the golden opportunity
presented by our gift of increasing years. We, senior citizens, have
three advantages. We have knowledge and experience which will
enable us to better interpret complex situations and see things
just as they are. We are nearing a point of economic competency
which will enable us to cope with economic pressures that are pre
sent aknost everywhere. We can say what we think to be true with
out fear that our careers will be blocked by someone who takes
exception to our point of view.
Most of all, we have time, if we will but use it, for careful
reading and study, for going to our library, for taking courses in
institutions of hi^er learning, and for conversing with friends who
are interested in truth and devotion.
The unseen talent going to waste among us right now could
win world peace, abolish racial prejudices, help less advanced
peoples to gain the advantage of technical progress, and give a
new sense of adventure and hope to a new way of life.
In some instances, performance seems to be the product of
purpose and capacity. Remember—a person with a great purpose
and little ability will accomplish wonders while another with little
purpose and great ability will do nothing. It is the purpose and the
spirit that count. Do we here at Elizabeth City State Teachers
College have spirit?
Together, let us look to the future. What do we see? Where
do we fit in? That is the question.
Farewell
Knowing and getting acquainted
with administrators, teachers and fel
low students have been enjoyable and,
above all, rewarding experiences for
As the four-year period nears an
end, 1 reluctantly focus my attention
upon graduation. Graduation, in some
cases, will mean lifetime departure
from many of the persons with whom
I have become closely associated. This
is not easy to realize; therefore, ]
pause before saying—Farewell.
It seems that I frequented the class
rooms, Lighthouse, and other build
ings only yesterday; but surely
enough, four long, yet short years
This Is Life
Man comes into this world without
his consent, and leaves it against his
will. When he is little the big girls
kiss him and when he is big, the
little girls kiss him. If he is active in
politics, he is no good to his country.
If he makes a lot of money, he is
dishonest; if he is poor, he is a bad
manager. If he needs credit, he can’t
get it; if he is prosperous, everyone
wants to do something for him. If
he is religious, he is a hypocrite; if
he doesn’t go to temple, he is a
hardened sinner. If he gives to charity,
it is for show; if he doesn’t he is a
stingy cuss. If he is affectionate, he
is a soft specimen; of he doesn’t care
for anyone, he is cold-hearted. If he
dies young, there was a great future
before him; if he lives to a ripe old
age, he missed his calling. If he saves
money he is a tightwad; if he spends
it, he is a spendthrift. If he has
money, he is a grafter; if he hasn’t got
it, he’s a bumb. So what’s the use?
have almost elapsed.
As I complete my college days at
this institution and move into the
greater folds of life, it shall still be
my aim to share the teachings of
Elizabeth City State Teachers College.
—To strive for better manhood, using
that which I have learned and ex
perienced during my four years here,
shall always be one of my major en
deavors.
With happiness mixed with sadness,
and with a bowed, yet unbowed head,
I say— FAREWELL, DEAR S. T. C.
T\s Not the End
Graduation is not the end of edu
cation . It is really the second step.
The road leads on.
The first step was graduation from
high school; the second, graduation
from college. The B. S. degree marks
the beginning of the step toward
success in life. It marks the beginning
of a new period in which one is ex
pected to assume new responsibilities.
As the student is graduated from
college, he must not say, “Thank God,
it’s over at last”, because the road of
education leads on, and he must move
forward. Knowledge and education
await him, he has merely armed him
self with minimum educational re
quirements. There are other educa
tional aims and opportunities.
The diploma he receives should be
a challenge to him who should be
brave enough to face reality and say,
“This is the beginning, not the end.”
The road of education has no end.
Yet as Browning says in Andrea Del
Sarto,
“A man’s reach should exceed his
grasp, or what’s a heaven for?”
%Vliat Ji^eveaL
Have you ever stopped and con
sidered what way you dress tells
others about you. People notice very
closely what those about them wear
and how they wear it, and judge them
accordingly. When you hear some
one refer to another as a “neat
dresser” or a “sloppy dresser,” the
thought does not stop there. Although
it is not spoken, favorable and un
favorable evaluations are usually as
sociated with these terms.
Neat dress indicates personal pride
and self-care on the part of an in
dividual. It means that he is concern
ed with what others think of his
appearance. It is a fact that today
most men and women place more
emphasis on the neatness of their mate
than on the physical beauty. Ask any
girl or boy what he or she looks for
most in a girlfriend or boyfriend,
and the answer in most instances will
be “neatness.”
What you wear is significant, but
the way you wear it is more im
portant. A sloppy-looking person is
telling others that he does not care
about himself or what others think
of him. He has no pride in his per
sonal appearance and a “no-careish”
attitude about life. What are the
reasons for this untidy dress policy?
As stated, some just don’t care enough
about themselves to dress neatly.
There are other reasons which may
be observed. One is that of objection
to authority. Some individuals can
not make themselves dress properly,
because someone has requested that
they do so. An example of this is
the refusal of some of the campus
men to wear their neckties neatly on
Sunday mornings. As soon as they
enter, their ties have to be unfasten
ed. The same person who could not
keep his tie on neatly Sunday morn
ing will go to class Monday morning
with Lis tie kuotied neatly and it will
remain that way through the day.
Why does he do it? Because no one
told him to. A second reason for un
tidy dress is attention. Some people
do not get the attention they desire
in other ways so they obtain it by
wearing their shirts outside or by
wearing ragged hats or dirty shoes.
No matter what the reasons, none
seem good enough to justify the poor
ly dressed person. Of course, he gets
attention, but who wants that kind
of attention? Neat dress is the proper
and favorable practice. Sloppy dress
is taboo.
Students Should Know
There are many students on our
campus who will be here an extra
semester in order to obtain their de
grees or certificates. They will be here
because they need one or two courses
to complete their requirements. Many
of these students could have taken
these courses in summer school and
been able to graduate with their
classmates. Why didn’t they take their
courses in summer school? In numer
ous cases, it was not the fault of
the students.
What is a junior supposed to do
when he gets his grades a month after
school closes for the summer and
finds that he has flunked one or two
courses or made a “D” in a method
course? It is then too late for him to
enroll in summer school; thus, he
must stay in school an extra semes
ter to get one or two courses. Can this
be prevented?
The one possible way to avoid such
situations would be for the student’s
grades to be released in time for him
to enroll in summer school if neces
sary. Not only do the students want to
know their grades, but they must
know in many instances. The student
realizes that it takes much time and
work to tabulate 800 or more sets of
grades; however, the fact still remains
—arrangements should be made in
order that a student may get his
grades earlier.
Attention Alumni
The P. W. Moore Memorial Col
lection is now housed in a separate
room, and if this new arrangement
has served no other purpose, it has
shown us the size of the collection.
Even though the room is small, the
collection is smaller. Since the Alumni
began this collection, we hope that
they will keep up the contributions.
We would like for you to contribute
Hertford County
Elects Officers
The Hertford County Chapter of
Eizabeth City State Teachers College
Alumni Association held its last reg
ular meeting of the school year at
C. S. Brown High School on Monday
night. May 21. Many important items
were attended to including the election
of officers for 1962-63. The following
persons were elected to serve: Landon
R. Miales, President; Sannie Chamb-
lee, Vice-President; Mrs. Audrey G.
Stephenson, Secretary; Miss Virginia
D. Jones, Assistant Secretarf Mrs.
Susie Boone, Treasurer; Rochelle
Vann, Chaplain and Isaac A. Battle,
Reporter.
The incoming president reminded
all present of the very important
General Alumni meeting to be held
Saturday, May 26 at the college and
urged all members to attend.
Why Failures?
1 am sure that all of us are aware
of the large number of students who
fail not only at this school, but at
other colleges also. These failures do
not occur by chance, but rather, I be
lieve, they are the results of three
major tilings.
The first and uncontrollable reason
is lack of ability. The students who
lack the inate ability may study very
hard, but it is no use, and they will
continue to fail. Should they stay in
college? I believe that it would be to
their own personal benefit if some re
sponsible person would advise them
to leave and choose a vocation which
is not dependent on a relatively high
intelligence. Certainly, it is futile to
continue to waste money and time.
The second cause, I believe, can be
alleviated with hard work. I refer to
bad high school background. Surpris
ingly enough, this accounts for a large
percentage of the failures at this
school. The students who fall in this
group have not had enough previous
academic training to enable them to
grasp college work fully. This can be
seen by looking at many of the stu
dents enrolled in English courses.
They cannot spell elementary words,
and they do not know fundamental
grammar. As a result, they have no
strong foundation on which to build
higher academic achievements.
Should they quit school? The
answer is an emphatic, “No.” A bad
start is no reason to abandon a chosen
vocation. What these students
must do is to work harder because
they have to get what is being taught
now along with what they should have
learned in high school. These students
can and will make it if they put forth
enough effort.
The third cause is lack of study.
This lack of study can be attributed
to two things. These things are lack
of interest and lack of know-how.
For those who lack the interest, the
best thing would be to stop school,
or to create interest in these academic
courses. For those who do not know
how to study, the answer is to learn
how.
Conclusively, I can say that the
first step in this alleviation is to rec
ognize the cause and then to act. Then
and only then will the large number of
failures at Elizabeth City State Teach
ers College be decreased and eventu'-
ally eliminated.
an amount of money each year for
new books. We would also like you to
look on your book shelves at home
and see if there are some books by
or on Negroes that you could contri
bute to our collection.
Yor are cordially invited to come
to the library when you are on cam
pus and to see the P. W. Moore
collection and the other improvements
we have made in the Library.
An Ideal Teacher
The ideal teacher is one that takes
an interest in students. He offers
suggestions and aids the students in
anyway possible. A person who woula
fit this description is a graduate oi
this college. This person, Mr. Jacou
Felton, is responsible for several
students choosing this school.
He spends most of his time work
ing with Juvenile Delinquents and has
the interest of young people at heart.
This can be seen by his long hours at
the Juvenile Home for Boys where he
is employed. These students feel free
to call on him at any time to discuss
their problems. As a result of this
student-teacher relationship, some of
these students leave this school com
pletely reformed.
This same interest is shown to stu
dents outside of this school. After
establishing himself in the City of
Yonkers, he showed a special interest
in the neighborhood students. Many
of these students are in college be
cause of his personal counseling.
Some students who did not go to
college were able to secure jobs
through his advice.
After these students leave the com
munity, he follows their progress to
see if they have made strides toward
their goals in the schools which they
are attending. This is done by com
munication with the students. At the
same time, he takes a keen interest
in the school and the pupils by visit
ing them frequently.
Therefore, I believe that Mr. Felton
is a loyal and devoted teacher. His
interest in students in and out of
school shows this. We need more men
like him to help promote education
and interest in colleges among our
young American Negroes.
—Joseph Freeman
The Derelict and the
Strong-willed Person
In life, situations may arise that
will cause one to give up the journey
of life’s road, or he might be strong-
willed enough to continue on.
The derelict is a person who has
been caused by some circumstance or
situation in which he failed at some^
thing he tried to accomplish. He does
not care about his appearance, cleanli
ness, or personality development, and
he will eat by the best methods he
can secure. He o v e r-indulges in
alcohol to the point where he becomes
absolutely drunk. On a whole, his
“I don’t care” attitude reflects what
he has become.
The strong-willed person is alto
gether different. He has more pride
about himself and cares more about
his appearance, cleanliness, and per
sonality development. He is a good
citizen and leader who sets good ex
amples for others to follow. He does
not let a situation get him down. He
more or less possesses a strong will,
and determination that will enable
him to tackle the situation at hand,
and as a result will get the matter
settled.
The derelict and the strong-willed
person, are both people who possess
souls. Combined, they are people who
contribute to the population of the
world. They possess all human qual
ities, which are as a whole a gift from
God.