the twig
Page three
Mary Ella Hall Has Poem Chosen
For Publication in College Anthology
EXCERPTS FROM
CHAPEL TALKS
Mary Ella Hall
By NANCY BROWN
No doubt as you have flipped
through the Acorn from time
to time you have noticed the
lovely bits of poetry that have
been contributed by Mary Ella
Hall. One who has little knack
for stringing words together in
that manner must marvel at the
ease with which she seems to
write.
Her talents have again been
recognized by the National
Poetry Association, which has
chosen her poem “Idea” to be
published in its Annual Antho
logy of College Poetry. This
anthology, which is published
each year, is a compilation of
the best poetry written by col
lege students all over America.
Selections for it are made from
thousands of poems submitted,
so that it is quite an honor to
be the author of one of those se
lected. It is, however, an old
story to Mary Ella, who has had
poetry published in the antho
logy before, during both her
high school and her college
years.
Mary Ella, a senior English
major from Asheboro, trans
ferred to Meredith last year
from Campbell. She says that
she has been writing ever since
she was about ten years old. Her
high school English teacher was
very much interested in her
writing and helped her a great
deal. Mary Ella writes mostly
poetry, but has written other
things, including short stories,
but she says that most of the
short stories “just don’t get fin
ished.”
After she graduates, Mary
Ella eventually wants to get a
job in which she can use her
creative writing ability, but
right now her immediate goal is
to become an English teacher.
Here is the poem which was
chosen for publication in the an
thology:
STUDENT LEGISLATURE
(Continued from page one)
The meeting began with a
plenary session on Thursday
afternoon. Thursday night the
group began the discussion of
the bills. Such bills as a resolu
tion to commend President Tru
man, and a resolution for the
governor of North Carolina to
designate a day each year as
“Lord Cornwallis Day,” added
some humor to the assembly.
While on the other hand, many
important and meaningful bills
were also considered. A bill to
punish habitual offenders with
life imprisonment for illega
sale or use of narcotics, a bill to
provide for equal distribution
of escheats, a bill to establish
drivers education in secondary
schools, a resolution to amenc
the constitution of North
Carolina so as to permit quali
fied persons of 18 years of age
and over to vote in their state,
and a bill for the integration of
education in the public schools
of the state of North Carolina,
were some of the bills passed by
this legislature.
Consideration of the bills was
continued through the Saturday
morning session, after which a
joint session for the election of
the Interim Council officers and
final reports and announce
ments was held. Following that
session, the assembly was ad
journed.
Elected to the Interim Coun
cil for the 1952-53 Assembly
were Alyce Epley and Jean
Journigan.
It’s All in a Day: Student Teachers
Get Embarrassed, Chagrined, Flattered
“If personality is sacred or di
vine, everything one values
should have sacredness. Some
body’s life has been spent in
producing it. Life is sacred only
as we hold values. For exam
ple, there are the dixie cups ly
ing in front of Johnson Hall.
Some people are willing that
others spend a good portion of
their lives — lives made in the
image of God — picking up the
trash with which we clutter
God’s world. How can a man
feel his life to be sacred and im
portant if his only job is to pick
up after careless people who
have no value of the sacredness
of life?
“It is not altogether inappro
priate to meditate on this. It is
the business of education to
make us more sensitive to the
real values of living, so that we
give, rather than destroy, vital
ity. Whoever is willing to
waste life cannot be a real dis
ciple of Christ.”
IDEA
There—a fragile glass sliver
Just under the skin.
Pricking—insistent—
Painfully swelling the mind s
tender finger—
Mocking the probing—
Down deeper still.
Elusive, mystic, sprite of a thing
Seen by a glimmer—
Then lost—
Now recurring—
A maddening game-—
A tormenting reminder.
Mary Ella Hall.
COUNSELLORS PLAN
(Continued from page one)
participating in some kind of
community service. Results also
showed that students were in
terested in cosmetics, hair styl
ing, exercise and dieting, and
fashions.
The first of these “informal
socials” was held early in
October. Approximately fifty
freshmen came and were enter
tained by a group of sopho
mores who presented their last
year’s stunt and by Miss Mar
garet Schwartz, who showed a
variety of colored slides. At the
second meeting in October a
representative of Merle Nor
man cosmetics gave a demon
stration. For the third week
several different programs were
planned. Mary Eva Chalk led
one group in singing; Dot
Briggs led a group in exercises;
and June Eller worked with a
group who were interested in
learning to play bridge. During
December some of the groups
will work on Christmas decora
tions and demonstrations.
The counsellors who have
worked on this Informal So
ciability Committee are Dot
Briggs, Mary Ann Chandler,
June Eller, Susie Rucker, Shir
ley West, Mary Dare Moore,
Margaret Brunson, Dot Prick-
ett, Lorna Staples, Nancy Do
herty, Joyce Phillips, and Beth
Morgan.
“Why do we ask questions?
First, there is an important hu
man element to know why. Cur
iosity is the normal possession
of every human being, although
it is not enough in itself. You
must ask the right question.
Education is often stifled and
stopped by irrelevant questions.
Not only the question ‘What is
it?’ is important, but ‘What of
it?’ Maybe in asking a question,
you fear social disapproba
tion, so you do little or no think
ing about the problem. You
think, ‘I’ll just accept and be an
animal’.”
“Then, too, often we accept
answers that are not necessarily
true. When you start to accept
an answer make it appear re
spectable and positively inevi
table.”—Dr. Carlyle Campbell,
President, Meredith College
By DORIS PERRY
“I’ll bet it wasn’t too long ago
that you had boy friends,” said
one little fifth-grader as she
pointed out her own ‘ boy
friend” to Dixie Foshee. Such
innocent remarks from their stu
dents make Meredith student
teachers aware of the fact that
they are getting along in years,
at least in the eyes of this
younger generation. On another
occasion, however, Dixie’s ego
was restored with this flatter
ing question: “Are you the May
queen?” And then followed a
volley of flattering statements,
all in one breath: “Your hair is
so pretty; your blouse is so pret
ty; your earrings are so pretty
your shoes are so pretty.” One
little girl even stooped down to
brush off Dixie’s shoes.
Nancy House’s fourth-graders
really keep her on her toes. One
student asked her how the ocean
got salty, and another wanted
to know whether a zebra’s
stripes are black on white or
white on black! At the time of
the question Nancy had to ad
mit that she did not know, but
now she can boast the knowl
edge that a zebra’s stripes are
neither color on the other, but
rather just plain stripes.
Mary Ann Godwin is con
vinced of the frankness of chil
dren. One little girl came to her
and whispered, “Miss Godwin, I
don’t want to embarrass you, but
I heard somebody say that you
wore your lipstick too dark.”
Another little “smarty” let it be
known that he thought Miss
Godwin needed to take reducing
exercises.
When Mr. Tyner came to ob
serve Beth Casstevens, one little
boy muttered, “The dentist!
Boy, I’m leaving!” Another
wanted to know if Mr. Tyner
were Beth’s boy friend. Beth
has been working with her stu
dents on an Indian project,
which they enjoyed very much,
but she has had her problems.
Students are always complain
ing about not being able to read
her writing, and one little curly
leaded boy has presented a real
problem: “Miss Casstevens, I
just love to talk,” he said. She
has had fair warning from one
little boy that if she gives him
any arithmetic homework he’s
going to “dry up and die.” One
day Beth received a note from
one of her little boys which
read, “I love you. Do you love
me? Please answer.”
Adele Buening’s spelling as
well as her last name has
(Continued on page five)
I
: ‘if
FRESHMAN
IMPRESSIONS...
They say that if you wish for
something long enough, it is
bound to happen. Personally I
don’t believe a word of it. For
the past two hours, now, I’ve
had my ears virtually primed
for the sound of the telephone’s
ring. Each time it rings, my heart
pounds as enticing thoughts race
through my brain. I invariably
jump to my feet and rush to the
door, only to hear someone
else’s name called. In spite of
trying not to think about it any
more, nay thoughts continue to
wander again and again to the
phone. There it goes again!
Well, this time I’m going to stay
right here. Oh, no! That just
couldn’t be my name they’re
calling. Slow down, now, don t
let him think you’re too anxious.
After all, he might get the idea
you were expecting him to call.
Betty Hockaday
(Continued on page five)
“If the belief that ‘All power
corrupts and absolute power
corrupts absolutely,’ is true,
the opposite is equally true.
There is no morality without
responsibility. If one can’t do
evil, one also cannot do good.
The opposite force must exist to
give a basis for decision. Thus,
good requires evil and morality
requires good. Good cannot
exist without responsibility,
nor can responsibility exist
without power.” — Dr. Ernest
Caldwell (quoted by Dr. Car
lyle Campbell)
(Continued on page four)
Home Economics Students Display
Talents in Christmas Cooking
Home Eg News
At a recent meeting of the
province workshop, Jane Wil
liamson was elected vice-
president of the southeastern
province. This province in
cludes the states of North Caro
lina, South Carolina, Georgia,
and Tennessee.
PATRONIZE OUR
ADVERTISERS
Two weeks ago, Anne Partin
and Shirley West went with Dr.
Elizabeth Vaughan to represent
Meredith at a Family Life con
ference in Charlotte.
By JOAN LANGLEY
Have you been walking past
the foods laboratory lately on
your way to class and noticed
the sweet aroma of Christmas
cookery? Or maybe you’ve even
seen some of the attractive
Christmas cakes and cookies. If
so, then you know that it is the
work of the sophomore foods
class. They are getting ready
for their traditional Christmas
exhibit and programs in and out
of Raleigh.
This year, the girls began
their travels by going to Camp
bell College on December 8 at
the invitation of Miss Catherine
Campbell, head of the home eco
nomics department there. Miss
Ellen Brewer led a discussion on
holiday foods, while the Mere
dith students explained the
ways in which decorative
touches add to the attractive
ness of them. They explained
how new novelty touches could
be used instead of the tradition
al cakes and cookies and still
carry out the holiday motif.
Along with the more intricate
designs, some time-saving types
were illustrated. It was pointed
out which cakes and cookies
lend themselves best to prepara
tion in advance for packing and
shipping. Also included were
ideas for holiday entertainment
and home cooked foods as pos
sible gifts. (Sounds like these
girls ought to get on the foods
staff of Good Housekeeping,
doesn’t it?)
MORRISSETTE’S ESSO SERVICE
Stop in at
Arnold’s Rexall Drugs
3025 Hillsboro Street
2812 Hillsboro Street
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA
PHONE 9241
*‘Our Care Saves Wear^
ROY'S
Not content to stop at one
very interesting and informa
tive program, our foods experts
traveled to Garner later in the
week to present a similar pro
gram to a group of grade school
mothers. From there they jour
neyed to Smithfield to take
part in an exhibit as a part of
a garden show.
Sounds exciting doesn’t it?
Just ask any one of the home
economics girls and she will tell
you what fun it is to travel
around and listen to people ex
claim over something she made.