FEBRUARY, 1965
THE COMPASS
PAGE THREE
A Study of the Fear of Failure
Among Fifteen College Students
BV MARY HERRING
Eiitor Note; The following ar
consists of
piniil fulfill!
1 paper done as
.. . of the requiie-
s for the course. Social Psy-
cboiogy- . ^ ^
Th; paptr is the product of Mary
Herring. * junior, majoring in So
cial Science. Mary is from Burgaw,
N C. and a graduate of C. F. Pope
nigh School.
INTRODUCTION
The paper is a record of infor
mation gathered through a study
ot the problem
of failure among
college students.
This particular
study was done
with ten juniors
and five seniors
on the campus of
ECSC.
Failure seems
10 be a major
problem among
students and this was a good area
jn which to do some research.
In this paper were some ex
amples of the minor problems
among students which lead to fail
ure if they are not corrected pro
perly.
The major problem was that a
large portion of the college stu
dents studied have an immense
amount of fear of failure during'
Iheir years of study.
In studying the problem, it was
necessary to know what some of
HERRING
the causes were: (1) How do
dents feel about tests? (2) How do
students feel about their instruc
tors? (3) Can poor student-teacher
relationships cause failure? (4) Are
test scores too highly stressed?
I noticed that students tend
fear tests. By considering tests
be the determining factor in either
passing or failing a course, the
students build up tension as test
time approaches.
Another contributing factor to
failing may be poor student-teach-
sr relationships. In my observa
tion, I noticed that there are cer
tain cases wherein the students
ind teachers do not have adequate
communication, If the student
does not communicate well with
the instructor his class participa
tion may be limited.
Students are often confronted
with situations where parental ex
pectations are set too high. Many
parents fail to understand that the
abilities of all humans differ.
It was hypothesized that: (I)
Most of the students feel a sense
failure because of poor study ha
bits; (2) It was hypothesized that
most students fail because of a
lack of interest in the subject mat
ter; (3) Poor student-teacher rela
tionships cause failure; (4) Tests
can contribute to the fear of fail
ure. This proved to be one of the
most frequent reasons for failure.
Art Loan
(CoDtlnued from Page 1)
objectives of the project;!) to re
veal to talented, near talented and
interested students and instruc
tional personnel in the secondary
spools, the potentialities of the
study of art; 2) to insure by way
of artistic tendencies, insight re
lative to creative development in
the use of spe;fic media; and 3) to
make known the art educational
aims, purposes, values and ad
vantages of study at Elizabeth City
State College,
To help increase incentive and
enthusiasm for art among high
school students, it was also pro-
Po^ that high school graduates
(from schools using the Art Loan
Exhibitions) who have their work
included in the exhibits attend the
exhibition with members of the
college faculty,
Letters to schools at Ahoskie,
Belcross, Edenton, Farmville,
Gatesville, Oak City, Rich Square,
Raleigh, Scotland Neck, Selma,
Tarboro, Williamston, Winterville,
“ well as the local school, brought
fwponses which resulted in the
scbeduling of initial exhibitions.
English Club Calling
How was your first semester?
Did you find it to be void of in
teresting, but yet valid activities?
As a solution to this problem, con
sider membership in the English
Club.
The English Club is not just for
English majors, but for anyone
who is interested in broadening his
reading scope and increasing his
literary knowledge. While benefit-
ting intellectually, members can
also have enjoyment through so
cial activities which are provided.
Winter Concert
(Continued from Page 1)
Unfinished Symphony" which
closed the first portion of the pro-
As for the numbers in the
*cond half, it was a toss-up as to
*^'«1> of them received the most
wthusiastic audience response.
However it was, William Ryder
his musicians were not allowed
rest until they had provided an
in the form of Sousa’s per-
^1^ favorite, Washington Post
be known, also, that
^ band was fresh from an appear-
in Governor Moore’s Inau-
*“ral Parade in Raleigh.
Like the college as a whole, our
is ON-THE-MOVE. Con-
tulations on a good perform-
« to all its members and to
““faster Ryder.
Senior Day
(ContlDued from Page 1)
center; Ulysses Bell of Nashville,
editor of the college newspaper.
The Compass; and George Skin
ner of Edenton, a junior, the pre
sident of the Men’s Government
Association.
Also presented to the visitors
were Joycelyn Berry of Elizabeth
City and Leroy Brickhouse of
Creswell, both sophomores. As
freshmen, they achieved the top
and second best academic averages
of their classes.
Demonstrations and exhibits
were prepared by students of vari
ous departments for the high
schoolers’ interest aod enlighten
ment. The college Choir’s offering,
under the direction of Wendell
Wilson, was “Let Us Break Bread
Together” by Noah Ryder, Geral
dine Vaughan of Franklin, Va., a
junior, played “The Russian Con
certo” by Rachmaninoff.
The eighteen high schools re
presented were: Central at Gates-
ville; C, S, Brown at Winton; Cur
rituck Union at Maple; Davis at
Engelhard; D. F. Walker at Eden-
ton; Eastman at Enfield; E. J.
Hayes at Williamston; John Arm
strong Chaloner at Winfall; P. W,
Moore at Elizabeth City.
Other schools were Pitt County
at Grimesland; Ralph J. Bunche
at Weldon; R, L. Vann at Ahoskie;
Southeastern at Windsor; Tyrrell
at Columbia; and West Martin at
Oak City.
Negro History
Week Is Observed
By Vivian Thornton
The obversance of Negro His
tory Week by Elizabeth City State
College was ended by an assembly
program on Thursday, February
II.
In keeping with the atmosphere
“Lift Every Voice and Sing” by
Johnson and Johnson was sung
by the audience and choir and the
late Noah Ryder’s “Let Us Break
Bread Together,” by the College
Choir.
Mr. Gregory, a member of the
Social Science Department, gave
historical excerpts that have
brought about civil rights for Ne
groes. The reading included pass
ages from (1) The Emancipation
Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln,
(2) Brown versus the Supreme
Court (the 1964 "School Decision”)
(3) The Civil Rights Bill of 1964.
The speaker for the hour was
Dr. William P. Robinson, Pro
fessor of Social Science at Norfolk
Division of Virginia State College
and Visiting Professor at ECSC,
Dr. Robinson began his address
by giving the background of Ne
gro History Week. He pointed out
that the date of observance for
:he week was determined by the
week in which the birthdates of
Abraham Lincoln and Frederick
Douglass fall (respectively, Feb
ruary 12 and 14). He also said that
the purpose of Negro History
Week is to call to the attention of
both Negro and whites the truth
about the Negro and his role in
America.
The speaker’s main subject was
“The American Creed and Free
dom’s Revolution,” He selected
ihis topic to fully bring out points
on (I) individualism, (2) freedom,
ind (3) equality.
In elaboration on the second
5oint, Dr. Robinson said, “The per
son desiring to be free must first
make the choice to be free and be
responsible for the consequences
of the choice.”
He commented on the tragedy
of placing a badge on Negroes be
cause of their skin color and that
even more tragic was the white
child feeling superior because of
:is skin color.
Dr. Robinson gave the audience
I list of some Negroes who have
made history for this Nation. This
included Crispus Attucks, Ben
jamin Banneker, Charles H. Hou
ston, John Hope Franklin, Ralph
Bunche, Martin L. King. Medgar
Evans and W.E.B'. Dubois. The
speaker pointed out that there was
a revolution going on between the
races, not to overthrow our govern
ment but to achieve dignity, re
spect, honor and equality which is
due to every member under the
American Creed.
The audience was given five
cycles in the more than 300-year
truggle of the American Negro.
They were (1) slave revolts, (2)
role of the Negro in politics, (3)
resurgents of rejection, repression,
force, intimidation and lynch
mobs, (4) climbing out of adversity
through courts, and (5) the present
return to equal justice.
Dr. Robinson closed by mak
ing several statements, one of
which was, “He who would be free
must strike the first blow,”
The assembly program was
ended by a prayer by Ingrid
East, ’68.
If you spend all your time col
lecting money for fear of poverty,
you are practicing poverty already.
Who...? Where...? What...?
rulumn. Members of tbe idumni
>ited to submit infoi _ .
they are doing and where, lo Ibe Office
:>r Infornialion, Bnx 92, Elizabeth Cily
Matthew Lewis, Jr. (Indus-
;rial Arts major), a graduate of
1964, is presently employed at
Campostella Junior High School,
.'Jorfolk, Virginia. He received
a certificate in Radio-Television
Electronics with honors. Mr. Lewis
also received honors for the Dean’s
List. He was a member of tthe
Vocational Club, Student Govern
ment and the Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity.
Colbert Llonell Minga, class
of 1964, Elementary Educa
tion Major, is employed at Saint
Agatha’s Home. Spring Valley,
New York, as a group guidance
counselor. He plans to enter New
York University to pursue a Mas
ter's Degree. While at college he
was a member of the National Ed
ucation Association and was a
Dormitory Counselor and was af
filiated with Alpha Phi Alpha Fra
ternity.
Deloris L. Moore, 1964 grad
uate (Elementary Education),
is a teacher at P. S. Jones High
School, Washington, North Caro
lina, Miss Moore was a member of
the following organizations; Thalia
Sorosis Club, National Education
Association and the Usher’s Guild.
Tony Ricks, Jr. class of 1964,
(Social Science, Major in Sto-
ciology), is doing graduate study at
the University of Maryland, Col
lege Park, Md., in the field of
Guidance (Secondary School coun
seling).
Mr. Ricks was a member of the
College Players and also the Light
house College Center Student Ac-
•ivities Committee.
Mrs. Vida Porter Langston,
Class of 1953, is teaching at the
Riverview Elementary School in
Murfreesboro, N. C. She teaches a
combination of the first and second
grades. She is a participant in
several community activities: Girl
Scout Leader, Secretary of H. D.
Club and has also served as 4-H
Leader.
Mrs. Barbara Thombley, Class
of 1960, a teacher at the Buckland
Elementary School, Gates, North
Carolina, represented the Rosa
B. Riddick Chapter of the Gates
County Alumni Chapter at the
1964 Homecoming. Mrs. Thomb
ley taught in Greenville, N, C. and
at the D. F. Walker High School,
Edenton, N. C. before going to
Germany where she taught for two
years in the Kaiserslautern Ele
mentary School. She has traveled
extensively in Europe.
Mrs. Lenora Fisher Rouse, Class
of 1939, is a seventh grade teacher
at Pamlico Central High School
Bayboro, N. C., where she was
once a student. Mrs. Rouse is a
native of Stonewall, N. C. Since
receiving her B. S. degree, she has
done further study at New York
University, and Shaw University,
Raleigh, N. C.
A member of the CraJoPam
New Bern Alumni Chapter and re
cording secretary, Mrs. Rouse was
a contestant in the General Alumni
Association's "Miss Alumni” Con
test at the 1964 Homecoming,
Mrs. Virginia D. Jooes, Class
of 1951, is a teacher at the Aman
da S. Cherry Elementary School
Harrellsville, N. C. She is a native
of Winton, North Carolina.
Edith Gramby W’hUe, Class of
1948, is currently teaching at the
D. F, Walker High School, Eden
ton, North Carolina. Mrs. White
has been taking advanced courses
at A. and T. College, the Univer
sity of Connecticut (Storrs) and at
Syracuse Universtiy (New York).
Mrs. White represented the Eden
ton Chapter in the 1964 Miss
Alumni Contest.
Twenty Student' Attitudes Toward
Vespers and Assembly Attendance
POWELL
BV MELVIN E, POWELL
Editor Note: These excerpts were
lakes from a research paper done
by Melvin E. Powell who comes to
us from Artesia High School, Halls-
boro, N. C. Melvin, a junior socio
logy major, is a dormitory counse
lor. member of the Social Science
Club, Forensic Society, MGA, Kap
pa Alpha Psi Fraternity, and the
College Sunday School. He plans to
pursue a degree in law alter gradu-
Students on ECSC campus stated
some of their reasons for not at
tending V e spers
They were as fol
lows: students are
forced to attend
during the first
two years; the
programs are giv
en when students
are most likely to
be studying; these
programs are too long and lack
interest; there is not enough space
in the auditorium to seat all stu
dents; and last, students do not
have healthy respect for these pro
grams.
SAMPLE SURVEY RESPONSES
Female A: I do not go to vespers
and assembly now because 1 was
forced to go during the first two
years that I was here. I think
that forced attendance will cause
students to stay away from these
programs.
Female B; I lived in the city the
first two years of college. I was
required to come whether it
rained, snowed, or whether it
was fair. At this time I formed
negative attitudes toward these
programs.
Male A; When I first came here,
1 did not know that 1 was re
quired to attend. When I fotmd
out that I was required to at
tend, I lost interest. If require
ments were removed, more stu
dents would attend.
Male 6; I am a transfer student.
The first college that I went to
did not require students to at
tend these programs. I attended,
too, and so did the majority of
the students. But when I came
here, I was forced to attend. I
think a student should be al
lowed to make such decisions
for himself. Nobody likes to be
forced to do anything.
CONCLUSION
Since I have been a student at
ECSC, I have noticed that the
attendance of students at assembly
and vespers is very poor. I inter
viewed twenty students to deter
mine the reasons for this poor
attendance.
It was found that the main rea
son for the lack of attendance is
that the students do not like to be
forced to attend these programs as
they are in the first two years of
college. The decision, they felt,
should be theirs as to whether or
not they will attend.
Alumni! Send
Us Your
NEWS!