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Ol)£ (Tampus ^Ztirror Published During the College Year by the Students of Spelman College, Atlanta. Georgia " * """"I in mu Volume IX. November 15, 1932 Number 2. * * min.mi Lecture by Will Durant "Is Progress Real?" Mr. "Durant presented several views of the strides of mankind both upward and downward, from a pessimistic point of view and from a more or less optimistic point of view. One of the earliest optimistic philosophers of our times was a young French aristocrat who, although hiding him self in an attic during 1794 so as not to meet the fate of the guillotine, Avrote one of the most optimistic of books, called A Sketch of Progress of the Human Spirit. In this he said that within one hundred years the sun would shine on no slavery, women would be free of men and all prob lems of society would be solved. Mr. Durant further stated that there is a prediction that our civilization is enter ing into darker ages. This decay, or pes simistic idea, may be due either to religious views or to war. The pessimist says, al though Ave think Ave are doing more than mankind has ever done before, still in In dia and Asia there has been found archi tecture which has never been surpassed by the generations following. Another pessi mist likewise says Rome lost power, so did Spain and Holland. Thus they conclude all things that go up must come down. We are taking backward strides through birth control, moral decay, religious decay. One hundred years from now savages will roam the earth. Probably football is a first step toward that condition. From such pessimistic views it is best to consider while we are young that these things are coming. It is best to consider too, that America Avill pass away. “Everything that begins must cease to be,” says the pessi mist. But from optimistic points of view na tions do not die Avhen they lose their power and seem swallowed up by another. If a nation has been truly great, its great deeds live forever. Is Home dead? Any Sophomore will declare, “No, it is not dead enough.” Its laws have marched down to us. Real history is not after all a story of rise and fall, but rather a brief sketch of those things done by men of genius in darker ages, those stops that cannot lx* re traced. Historians themselves are pessi mists because they don’t walk in this light. Mr. Durant said there are one hundred steps to progress of which lie would name but ten. They are as follows: First, speech, which was the greatest of all inventions. It enabled man to think in groups. Before abstract words were invented our thoughts were limited to a few concrete things. Thanksgiving “We praise thee for life’s gathered gains And blessings in our cup that brim But more for pledge of what remains Past the horizon’s utmost rim.” The climax of harvest time is dawning upon us. We are about to face another Thanksgiving. Is this a season for our emptying to God our store of thanks which has been collecting since the last Thanks giving or for all of the present year? No. If Ave assumed such an idea, our thinking Avould prove disasterous to our social and spiritual Avell-being; our minds would be veneered; our outlook Avould be limited. Nor is the season a time when Ave are ex pected to empty our purse to the poor as a compensation for all that Ave have not given previously. This is a child’s philos ophy of Thanksgiving as is adequately ex pressed in this A’erse of a child’s poem : “Said old Gentleman Gay, On a Thanksgiving Day, If you want to have a good time, Give something away.” We who have this feeling must modify or mature our meaning of Thanksgiving. To keep the spirit of “giving”, why not extend it to three hundred sixty-five days instead of one? Then Ave Avill lniAe a good time all of the time. And when avc come to I hanksgiving Ave will seek to make it more than a day to give, the happiest day of days—one that we have been waiting for, jo]best of jolly days. We will find it a convenient day to make (Continued on page 2) Julia Peter kin, A Guest At Spelman College Lucile Pearsox, ’35 Spelman College welcomed to its campus on October 24th, Mrs. Julia Peterkin, au thor of Black April, Scarlet Sister Mary, and Bright Skin. Classes were dismissed in order that a greater number of students might be able to hear Mrs. Peterkin’s lecture. At the appointed time HoAve Memorial Hall Avas filled with the college students and their friends Avho listened attentively to the art ist, showing their appreciation of the rare treat of hearing an author discuss her A'ieAvs of life, her desires as a human being, her problems as a writer. Mrs. Peterkin had a message for the youth who regarded her eagerly and curi ously. In substance she said that youth has a chance to choose Avhat he is to be and Avhat he is to do. It is his duty to choose while he is young in what wav he is to express life. There is a warning in these Avords. “Live your own life. Never listen to a criticism of a thing done honest ly. Do a thing as you see it, but do your best always. Mrs. Peterkin stated that there are roots among us out of which must spring creation, but that in all forms of expression it is one’s obligation to tell the Honest-to-God truth. The students were AA’ell pleased with Mrs. I eterkin and Avent away meaning to take her advice in doing all things. Dr. Hope Sees Russia In speaking of matters related to people, Dr. Hope stated that there are three Avords to keep in mind, the mass, the cause, and the individual. It seems to be a rather difficult thing to concentrate upon all three at one time. He pointed out the fact that the great trouble in the South comes from giA'ing too much attention to individuals and not enough to the mass. In Russia the mass of people are sacri ficing comfort and happiness in order that years hence there may be more com fort for the individual. People Avork all day tor practically nothing and don’t complain. Russian Avomen look very bad and most men have lost all initiative. On the other hand, some people are very happy; they go to playgrounds and theatres Avhere they spend very pleasant afternoons. Not far a way in another part of toAvn, people are found who are tired, hungry and ill dressed. e find young people ruling who have no grasp of the existing conditions. The older people are more or les* discarded. (Continued on page 7) (Continued on page 3)