Published by Elizabeth City State College for Students and Alumni
Elizabeth City. N. C., January, 1965
Student Biologist Does
Research on Chewing Gum
By James Salisbui7 Jr.
Someone said that it could not
be done, but with perseverance
and hard work, the Wright Bro
thers were able to fly the first
airplane. For years it has been in
conceivable but today someone
has made Xenon oxide.
Today in all truthfulness, we
may say that something can not
be done and by tomorrow scienti
fic research may conclusively say
it has been done.
"This is just science for you”
says Carol Ashe who is a junior
Biology major here at Elizabeth
Cily State College.
Carol is a member of Bteta Beta
Beta Biological Honor Society,
hails from Littleton, N.C. and at
present is working with a most in
teresting undergraduate research
project.
Miss Ashe describes the project
in this manner:
“I have been working on this
project for about two months now.
Dr. Khan, who is my advisor,
chose the name Microorganisms
Found on Chewing Gum Residue.
We then proceeded to investigate
just this. Since students have a
naughty tendency to stick dis
carded gum under the seats in
Lester Hall’s Lecture room, we
encountered no difficulty in find
ing chewing gum to use in our
testing.
“Our real problem and surprise
was encountered when we dis
covered what appeared to be a
species of Clostridium (a species
of this bacteria is responsible for
tetanus, more commonly known
as lock jaw). How, we wondered,
could this bacteria be growing on
chewing gum residue. Those con-.
ditions simply do not favor such
CAHOL ASHE
a growth. Since we could no;
sure, we inquired of a hospital staff
of bacteriological technicians to
verify our belief that this was Clo
stridium. Although reluctant to
say that it was Clostridium because
of the conditions under which it
had grown, they asserted that they
too must agree that it probably is
Clostridium. How can his be? Well,
this is the question which yet re
mains to be answered. This pro
ject will be pursued with diligence
until this question is answered
conclusively.”
I believe that it can be done.
Dr. Sekender A. Khan, who is ad
visor to all Beta Beta Beta pro
jects and acting Chairman of the
Biological Science Department, be
lieves likewise and expresses his
interest in this project. He believes
that a solution can be found to
the mysterious occurrence of this
bacteria; however, expresses regret
that some of the much needed
equipment to solve this problem
with a minimum of difficulty is
not available in our science de
partment.
Baldwin's "Amen Corner"
To Represent U.S. In Vienna
James Baldwin, Edmund Wilson
of THE NEW YORKER stated,
is not only one of the best Negro
Witers that we have ever had in
this country but is rather one of
the best writers that we have, Bald
win’s play. The Amen Corner, has
been invited to represent the
United States at the Vienna Festi
val next summer, sharing honors
With the Moiseyev B'allet from
Russia, the C o m e d i e Francais
from France, and the Royal Ballet
from England.
The play revolves around Sister
Margaret, minister of a small,
storefront church in Harlem, her
son (David), and her husband
whom she (eft ten years before the
play opens (Luke). Beneath the
surface of the story is the despera
tion of the Negro who is bom into
® World of confusing and chaos.
Baldwin uses his characters master
fully to show the agonies each en
counters.
I^avid is symbolic of a multitude
of Negro youths who are raised
in a matriarchy which subcon
sciously tends to channel active
masculinity into feminine passivity.
Margaret is trying to escap>c the
agonies of living through religion.
She inoculates herself with the Holy
Ghost not in order to expand her
awareness, but to quarantine her
self from the outside world.
Amen is not a satire on religion.
It exposes the falsity and subse
quent penalty for confusing shal
low amens, based on fear, with
spiritual understanding based on
true brotherhood. Amen is a play
about a group of Negroes, not as
they are thought to be like, not
as they would like to become, but
as they now are, writes L.M. Meri
wether. What is being presented
is the Negro’s bursting forth into
being.
Can’t go to Vieima next sum
mer? Run to the nearest bookstore
and see if a copy of the play is
on sale. Use leisure for reading.
That is, if you have any.
—UB
Ullmann Scores
In Piano Recital
Theodore Ullmann pushed for
ward the Lyceum Season with'his
piano recital in Moore Hall Au
ditorium on January II. Mr. Ull-
mann’s featured composition was
the Brahms Sonata in F \finor
with which he closed the program.
Earlier, the audience was treated
to compositions by Bach, Bee
thoven, Chopin, Prokofiev, and
Debussy. “Mountain Tune” by
Keeney formed a good close to
the first-half of the recital.
The pianist came to ECSC
sponsored jointly by our Lyceum
Committee and the Music Foun
dation Artist’s B'ureau, which gives
assistance to schools throughout
the U. S. in their efforts to pre
sent top artists to student bodies
and do this within ever-slim con
cert budgets.
Mr. Ullmann is now engaged
in a tour of the southern states
and will wind up his recital series
in the Virgin Islands. He was well
received here, his program stretch-.
ing to two hours and three encores
marking the 5th event in this year’s
Lyceum Season.
Mrs. MaryAnn W. Franklin,
Lyceum chairman, reminds all
Statesmen to keep open April 9
and 11 when, respectively, the
North Carolina Symphony will ap
pear in a special concert for
children, and with our own Col
lege Choir in a joint presentation
of Faure's Requiem.
Dr. Cooke Elected To
American Men of Science
Usually found working at va
rious hours of day or night in the
building with “Slcience” written
on the outside, upper-level b a
dedicated professor of biology.
Dr. Herman G. Cooke, who has
recently received as one of the
rewards for his numerous research
projects, a notice stating that his
name has been selected to appear
in the I96S edition of The Ameri
can Men of Science.
Professor Cooke, known to a
number of students as “Doc,” has
made various contributions to the
world of science. He has work
published in four different fields;
namely, ecology, entomology, gene
tics, and zoology. His research on
“The Ecology and Classification
of the Tendipedidae of Wisconsin”
appeared in The Academy of
Science of Wisconsin in 1962. Dr.
Cooke’s study “The Ecology and
Life History of the Tendipedidae
(Chiromidae) is in the December,
1964 Journal of the Elisba Mit
chell Scientific Society. He has also
submitted studies on the different
phases of mating flights of May
flies. His present concentrated
study is what he calls his “little
children"! It is based n the pro
duction of “bob-tail rats” after
several generations.
THE COMPASS and the col
lege family extend congratulations
to Dr. Cooke for the honor which
he has received.
Forty-two Prospective Teachers
Mr. L. D. Draper, supervisor of
student teaching, has released the
following list of forty-two quali
fied students. These students were
placed during the second nine
weeks of the first semester.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
H. L. Tri^, Elizabeth City
W. M. Allen, Principal
Student Grade
Ruth Congleton 2nd
Wilma Gainey 3rd
Mary Mizzell 6th
Bess G, Palmer 3rd
Vonda E. Reed 1st
Ethel R. Rogers 5th
Pasquotank County, Elizabeth City
W. H. Jones, Jr., Principal
Ella Barclift 6th
William Bbwser 6th
Luther Gibbs 6th
Mary P. Grant 2nd
Jane F. Horne 4lh •
Camintha Johnson 5th
Yvonne Joyner 5th
Irma McKenzie 1st
Sadie McPhatter 2nd
Majorie Morings 3rd
Robert Peebles 5th
Mary Purdy 3rd
Alise Williams 1st
Florence Whitfield 6th
Annie £. Jones, Elizabeth City
Andrew H. Williams, Principal
Patricia Williams 4th
Mildred Person 1st
Loretta Lovelace 2nd
Eula Cordon 3rd
Jo-Cile Harvey 6th
SECONDARY SCHOOLS
W. S. Creecy—(Rich Square)
William S. Creecy.' Principal
Student Subject
Gwendolyn Sutton English
Gloria Forbes English
R. L. Vann—(Ahoskie)
Henry D. Cooper, Principal
William E. Cox, Jr. Art Ed.
Adkin High—(Kinston)
Charles E. Stewart, Principal
Percy White Industrial Arts
(Continued on Page 4)
HERMAN COOKE
The students who know him
best extend special congratulations
because he has never been too in
volved in his work to intermingle
and act as a personal friend.
College Choir
Presents Messiah
By Mildred E. Ward
The true meaning of Christmas
was beautifully set forth in music,
when on Sunday night, December
13, the College Choir, under the
direaion of Miss Evelyn Johnson,
assisted by Mr. Wendell Wilson,
with Dr, Edna Davis and Mr.
Leonard Ballou at the piano and
organ, respectively, rendered its
annual presentation, Handel's
MESSIAH. A capacity audience of
students, faculty members, and
visitors, was on hand to witness
this inspiring production. There
were many comments of high
praise.
Solo renditions for this choral
presentation were by the follow
ing students: William Wallace,
bass; Phillip Flood, tenor; Ella M.
Ivory, and Joycelyn Berry, altos;
and B'etty L. Wilkins, soprano. All
are seniors, except Miss Berry who
a sophomore.
This was a banner performance
for the Elizabeth City State Col
lege Choir’s many presentations
of the Christmas portion of MES
SIAH.
Martin Luther King, Third Negro
To Win Noble Peace Prize
By Barbara O. Fearing
The Nobel Peace Prize was a-
warded to the Rev. Martin Luther
King, Jr., the third Negro to re
ceive this award. Dr. King received
the award December 10, at Oslo,
Norway for his “non-violent”
leadership in the American civil
rights movement. $54,600 was the
amount of the prize.
This achievement should cause
ihe heart of every American Ne
gro to swell. Not only should the
American Negro be proud, but
every citizen of America should
be, for merit to an American is
merit to America.
What does he plan to do with
the $54,600? Mr. King plans to
give the entire amount to the
civil rights movement. It is not
always that we find a Martin
Luiher King, It is not always that
we find a man, who after being
the target of three assassinations,
who after having been arrested so
many times, who after having been
threatened as he has, is more de
termined than ever to carry on his
fight, and yet, “non-violently.”
Do we have another Martin
Luther King? Will you be the
next one?
Ed. Dole: Tbe two preyloiu wlniwn
anong Negro«i were Dr. Ral(ib Bimcfae
and Albert Lutliuli.