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C \ M P r S Ml R R 0 R 5 The Ivy Oration Gwendolyn Harrison, '44 The creeping tendrils of ivy with their rich, crisp greenness add untold beauty t<> any building that they grace. Con sider these two diametrically opposed ele ments: a building of brick or stone, a static entity, a monument to man s abil ity to create; the ivy. a green plant, alive, growing, serving as a protection from dampness anil decay. The building, even though beautiful in itself, becomes more beautiful when it is clothed with ivy. a link bringing it closer to nature, the very nature that produced its component elements. There are two elements in human life, analogous to these, that are variously known as the body and the soul, the material and the spiritual, the real and the ideal. The building represents the body or the material; the ivy, the soul or the spiritual. This concept is as old as history, and through the ages there have been various philosophies which figure around it. Many ancient and medieval philo- phies maintained that the body is evil, and that it must continually be punished for the exaltation of the soul. Buddha, who lived five centuries before Christ, taught his followers to abjure the outer world, to give up their goods and to live as mendicants; through this means they hoped to win escape for their souls from the tortures of physical existence. Plato, born a century later in a different land, taught that the soul is more real than the body, and that the body is the prison of the soul. Christian writers introduced a new idea, speaking of the body as the temple rather than the prison of the spirit. Nevertheless, the ascetic ideal per sisted among the Christians and was practiced widely up through the Middle Ages. Other thinkers have gone to the oppo site extreme and have considered pleas ure or power as the supreme goal of life. Cervantes, in hi- great novel Don Quixote shows the absurdity of going to either extreme. Don Quixote, the idealist, and Sancho Panza. the realist, are both absurd figures. Don Quixote cannot cope with the objective issues of life; he denies their existence, and so is con tinually being thwarted hv them. Sancho Panza sees nothing of value except wealth and jmwer. \ seeming paradox i- the fact that these two men cannot get along without each other they complement each other and each gives meaning to the other's existence. The twentieth century novelist. Charles Morgan, -tate- in The Fountain that asceticism is a refusal of the nourishment by which the soul s journey may be sus tained. The body i> evil only in dom inance. It is the instrument of the soul (Continued on Page 30) Looking Backward Gwendolyn Cooper. '44 Four years ago. on September 11. 1940. Spelman College enfolded within her gates one hundred and seventy Fresh men. The expectant and joyful yet frightened bevy of girls had launched upon a journey that they hoped would end in June, 1944. We were an interest ing group of all types, kinds, heights, and names, but all of us had one thing in common—newness that glowed all over us like a light and singled us out in any group as Freshmen. The excitement of being in a new place and seeing new things kept our spirits bouyed up for a few days, but in spite of the activities of Freshman Week, it was not long before homesickness became as apparent as an epidemic of the mumps. Finally, we became so engrossed in adjusting ourselves to our new sur roundings we had little interest in cry ing. By the time we had become ac quainted with Dr. Albro and the amoeba some of our sheen of expectation had worn off and had become replaced by p -lightly dull finish of bewilderment. Mrs. Curry and her formidable “we made us feel that a whole army of his tory teachers had “ganged up" on us. As yet we have not discovered to whom the “we” refers. The first semester of our freshman year savr a slight epidemic of measles and flu. but passed successfully for most of us. although, like any other class, the number had decreased by January. After the ordeal of our first semester exams, everyone felt like a real conquering heroine. We attacked the work of the second semester with renewed vigor and enthusiasm. Our Freshman year, however, was not all work, though I suspect it was for those whose problem was our guidance. It was marked by the extended visit of Mr. IPS. Ede, who linked art and every day living. Two groups of Shakespearian Players visited the campus. Dr. Mays, newly elected President of Morehouse College, made the first Vesper address of the year. Miss Julia Denham entered the Physical Education Department and under her direction the first out-of-door dance recital was given. With great anticipation we watched the construction of Clark College on Chestnut Street, and made afghans for Britain. One hundred-twenty-one of the origi nal one hundred-seventy returned the second year to continue this long, hard journey. This term we met Dr. 0. W. Eagleson. whose Psychology course con vinced us that we really did not know everything, after all. Many of us also took Bible with Dr. Hubert. Everyone remembers how he always talked about Jerome, and how lie gave us oranges Class Poem Nina L. Charlton, '44 Success, a brilliant bauble, beckons us. There in the distance, shining like a star. With winged feet we would pursue its dazzling ray To dizzy heights beyond the far horizon s arc. But if we seek the warmth of its bright glow. And on our way pass by the weary souls \\ ho plodding barefoot o er the rocky road, have fallen. In need of a helping hand and youth like ours To lift them up and help them on their way— Though we should reach the prize, its golden gleam Would crumble into dust before our eyes. The time so snort, we fear that should we for a moment pause. E'en though to help a brother to his feet. We would not reach the heights for which we strive. But somewhere from the clouds there comes a voice In tones as clear and strong as though a knell. “If you would have your name Hung to the skies Engrave it first upon the hearts of men.” at Christmas and eggs at Easter. All of us grew to love him and to appreciate his honest wisdom, which undoubtedly helped to guide us. On December 7. the Japs attacked America at Pearl Harbor. Immediately we on the campus began many defense activities: calisthenics, typing, shorthand, and the sale of Defense Bonds and Stamps. Out of this school year came the Spel man Students Association and the first Spelman College Handbook. We thrilled to the voice of Dorothy Maynor at tin? City Auditorium, and attended the first annual exhibition of Negro art held by Atlanta University. That year there was snow in March and the Floridians were enthusiastic over their first sight of it. We presented a skit which reflected our profound knowledge of Biology, Pseudo- podium Goes to College and "Pseudie has since become a sort of classic with our class. Our Junior year saw ninety-seven of us a little more steady, and with a coat of knowledge a little thicker and stronger. We had begun to spread out into our separate fields of interest, and to talk about majors and minors. 1 his year we returned to find two id our teachers in the Armed Forces: Mr. Owen Dodson in the Navy and Mr. Joseph Jenkins in the Army. \t the end of the first se mester Mi-- Edna Gallahan left to join the W AG. (Continued on Page 32)