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THE VOICE
November, 1962
The Voice Staff
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE STUDENT BODY
Edited and Published by the Students
FAYETTEVILLE STATE TEACHERS COLLEGE
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Editor Eva McEachern
Associate Editor Joseph J. Johnson
News Editor Robert Daniels
Feature Editors Varlestine Williams, Bennye McNair
Exchange Editor Roosevelt Daniels
Sports Editors Marvin W. Lucas, Marlyn Walker
Business Manager Philip Shaw
Circulation Manager Bettye Rankin
Typists Calletha Matthews, Emma Coats
Reporter Mary Anne McLean
Photographer James Anderson
Cartoonist Joseph J. Johnson
Student Government Representative Philip Shaw
Faculty Advisor Mrs. M. H. Scott
The Stars Don’t Alibi
THE EDITOR
Fayetteville State’s stellar halfback James Norman had been bottled
up all that afternoon. Each time he carried the ball a hush came over
the packed bleachers, for the fans that crowded the stands on our Home
coming day felt that any moment Norman might break away with one of
the long hip-twisting runs that have often made the Broncos victorious.
But they waited in vain. There were no spine-tingling dashes. Nor
man’s longest gain, made on a line smash, carried his stocky body
about 85 “vain” yards. His bursts around the ends were smothered
and several times he was brought down for losses.
After the game, a spectator approached him. “It was the wet field
that got you, Norman,” he said. “No broken field man like you could run
in that grass.”
It had rained most of the day, and all of the spectators knew that
Norman had not only been handicapped personally by the slik field, but
that his interference had not been able to form quickly. “Funny thing
about that wet grass,” Norman said, placing a friendly arm about the
spectator’s shoulders. “Can you imagine those little blades wrapping
themselves around a fellow and slamming him down so hard his teeth
rattled? Thanks friend, but I don’t believe grass can tackle that hard.”
He could have had an alibi simply by nodding his head, but he
wanted no part of one. During the four years he played for the Broncos
that was his way.
I'he real stars, no matter what endeavor they pursue, never alibi.
Many times they could, but they know that if here is a valid reason for
failure, other people will learn of it. They leave the talking or writing
to them, and they prefer that it is never mentioned.
When Floyd Patterson lost his heavyweight title, he didn’t alibi after
his defeat, and was genuinely embarrassed when friends alibied for him.
The person who doesn’t alibi gains far more attention that he real
izes. This holds true not only in sports, but in all other undertakings in
life.
CHECKUP
A reporter from a big city news
paper stopped at the office of a
little country weekly newspaper.
During the conversation, the city
reporter asked the rural editor,
“How do you manage to keep up
circulation in this little town where
everyone knows what everyone
else is doing?”
“Well,” replied the editor, grin
ning, “they buy the paper to see
who’s been caught doing it.”
Has Thanksgiving
Has Thanksgiving Day been ob
served every year all over the
United States since the first one
was celebrated by the Pilgrims?
No. Thanksgiving Day was cele
brated spasmodically at first and
wsa not observed annually even in
the Massachusetts Bay Colony un
til about 1680. In 1864 President
Elected For Who’s Who
... Other Additions
The VOICE staff wishes to ex
tend a great big welcome to those
persons added to the FSTC staff
since the last edition of our paper.
Miss Viola Chapman, a 1962
graduate of the Secretarial Science
Area, is now working in the Char
les W. Chesnutt Library. She re
places Mrs. Mary Wright Robin
son, a 1961 Secretarial Science
graduate. (Mary, we’ll miss you.)
Miss Elizabeth Hall, who holds
a master’s degree from A.&T. Col
lege in Greensboro, is working as
Directress in Joyner Hall, along
with Mrs. Gannaway.
Mrs. Jo Ann Koontz, of the Eng
lish Department and who was in
cluded in the last edition, holds a
Master of Arts degree from The
State University of Iowa, Iowa
City, Iowa.
Thanksgiving
Eva McEachern
We read about Thanksgiving Days
As They happened years ago;
But they were no better then than
now,
This much we surely know.
They spent the day at Granny’s
house;
Well, so what? So do we.
And grannies certainly haven’t
changed.
I’m sure that you’ll agree.
They drove a team—we drive a
car;
But we get there just the same.
They sat around and gossiped,
But we watch a football game.
No matter how we look at it, Tho’,
We’ll just have to hear.
That there is hardly any difference
In now and yesteryear.
Lincoln issued the first presidential
proclamation appointing Thanks
giving Day as a holiday on the
fourth or last Thursday of Novem
ber. But his proclamation had to
be supported by the governors of
the states and some did not com
ply. Succeeding presidents contin
ued the custom, and since then
Thanksgiving Day has been regu
larly observed throughout the
United States. The proclamation by
the president is sent to the gover
nors of the different states, each
of whom issues a proclamation for
his own state, though not always
on the same day.
JAMES NEWKIRK
Death Is
But A Name
Death is but a name, a date,
A milestone by the stormy road.
Where you may lay aside your
load
And bow your face and rest and
wait,
Defying fear, defying fate.
A pall of sadness fell upon the
Fayetteville State Teachers College
family, as well as the Fayettevile
community at large, with the un
timely death of a member of the
graduating class of 1962.
James Newkirk was fatally in
jured in an automobile accident on
Sunday, October 21. Injured in the
crash were John Regan, a 1959
FSTC graduate; and Sylvester
Suggs, of the class of ’52. AU three
men were members of the Leonard
Training School faculty at McCain,
N. C., and were returning to Fay
etteville (the home of each) after
having taught Sunday School class
es at Leonard School.
Study!
Eleven juniors at Fayetteville State Teachers
College will be listed in Who’s Who in American
Colleges and Universities for 1962-63. These stu
dents were elected on the basis of scholarship,
leadership ability, general citizenship, and contri
butions to the life of the college.
Standing: Lett to right—Mildred Marie Haywood
Fayetteville; Lillian Blanks, Acme; Jack Columbus
Sharpe, Macclesfield; Emma Jackson, Wilmington;
Joseph James Johnson, Fayetteville; Geneva Ben
nett, Benson; Gloria Ann Crawford, Lumberton;
Jesse Franklin Williams, Clinton. Seated: Left to
right — Elsie Lee McDougald, Fayetteville; Marvin
Willie Lucas, Spring Lake and Asberine Parnell,
Rowland.
Freshman Talent
Show A Success
The annual Freshman Talent
Show at Fayetteville State Teacher
College took place in the J. W.
Seabrook Auditorium, at 8:00 P.M.
on October 18. This show was one
of the best ones ever to be given
at Fayetteville State by new
comers. As the entire coUege fam
ily viewed the many talents exhib
ited by the freshmen, there was
definite approval of the newly
found skills which the group show
ed.
Cecil Ramsey, a native of Brook
lyn, N. Y., acted as Master of
Ceremonies, and among others who
participated were Jean Jones,
Katie Best, Johnnie Mosley, Sandra
Marsh, Leo Edwards, Marian
Lloyd, Shirley Shuford, Janice
Davis, Eddie Lea, Jr., Henry Wil
liams, Calletha Matthews and Ve
ronica Hollingsworth. Even though
schools from many parts of the
states were represented, the E. E.
Smith School seemed to contribute
more than its share of entertainers.
From E. E. Smith were: Charles
Smith, a Collegian Ensemble, Sen-
nie Brown and Fred Byrd, Judith
V/ilkins, Clyde Wooten. Jeremiah
Wooten, Robert Jones and Charles
Willis. Kenneth Moore, a native of
Washington D. C., showed his un
usual talent by inserting timely
comical skits that made his most
appreciative audience roar with
laughter.
The entire student body has Mr.
G. T. Gavin (chairman), Mrs. M.
H. Scott, Miss H. E. Roach, Mrs.
M. P. Jones, Mr. C. Austin, Mr.
T. Bacote and Miss E. Baker to
thank for showing their touch of
showmanship as the Freshman
Talent Show of 1962 went over with
smashing success.
Developing
Study Skills
An Open Letter to Freshman
Students
Last summer it becarne my un
pleasant experience to view a long
list with names of students who
were being dropped from our Col
lege because of poor scholarship.
Students have been dropping out
of colleges, either of their own
volition or at the suggestion of the
administration, as long as there
has been higher education. But the
dropout rate last year increased at
the very time when we were told
the college was accepting the
“cream of the crop.”
Test results indicate that the new
freshmen each year are better than
the group entering the year before.
Students come to college with high
test scores, solid high school
grades, and recommendations
from principals and teachers. Why
do they fail to achieve? Is it pos
sible that they are not using
their abilities as students because
they don’t know how to study?
The level of achievement
reached by a student depends upon
two things — mental ability and
the expertness with which skills
necessary for college work are
mastered. Very little can be done
to improve mental ability. Taut
much can be done to improve
study skills and, consequently, the
level of your achievement in col
lege. It is up to YOU to put forth
the effort required to improve.
1. Can you concentrate?
2. Are you able to locate ma
terials in the library easily
and quickly?
3. Do you read rapidly enough
to complete aU your assign
ments?
4. Do you read carefully enough
to retain what you read?
5. Can you summarize and con
struct good outlines?
The answers that you give to
these questions will vary because
all of your study skills will not be
equally well developed. You may
rank high in one skill and low in
another. Each course that you are
taking necessitates the use of dif
ferent study skills. Each student
will need to evaluate the status of
his study skills, then concentrate
on the improvement of the ones in
which there are the greatest de-
ficiences.
What are some of the study skills
you will need while in college?
Listening, reading, writing,
locating information, note-tak
ing, preparing lesson assign
ments, recalling information
and facts, taking examinations,
using the library, preparing
written reports, participating
in discussions, making oral re
ports, performing experiments,
and many others.
You have a certain amount of
proficiency in most of these skills,
but is it enough?
If you are sufficiently interested
in making yourself more proficient
in these skills, you can do so. The
effort you put into improving study
skills will be repaid many times
during the years you spend in col
lege.
Dean J. C. Jones
DEAN OF STUDENTS
How To Improve
A few common-sense precautions
will enable any student to improve
his grades on tests, reports the
National Education Association.
Here are a few practical tips on
how to do your best on any kind
of academic test:
—Read the directions carefully,
and if there’s anything you don’t
comprehend, ask questions before
the test starts.
—Find out the scoring system.
On some tests, you’ll be penalized
for a wrong answer, so it doesn’t
pay to guess. On other tests, there
are no penalties attached to a
wrong answer, so you might as
well make a stab at it even if
you aren’t sure.
—Budget your time. Keep an
eye on the clock so you can allow
more time for the most difficult
parts, or the parts where scores
count the most.
. —After you’ve finished the en
tire test, re-read everything to
make sure you haven’t made-
some obvious goof. But don’t
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