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- The Panther Page 3 - January, 1946 SOCIETY f CLOTHING FUNDAMENTAL STUDENTS MODEL SELF-MADE GARMENTS On Sunday, December 2, 1945, Annie Merner H all Lounge became a veritable Fashion Salon. Between the hours of six and seven o’clock living models swayed, bowed, and smiled in gowns made by themselves in the Cloth ing Laboratory of the Ida H. Goode Home Economics Department of Clark College. Palms, soft lights, and flow ers furnished a background for these charmingly attired ladies. Two types of dresses were worn—soft daytime and date dresses featuring drapery and soft lines, and the more glamourous type of evening dresses. The idea of adapting color, line, fabric, and accessories to complexion, body form, and personality was in cluded in planning these garments, so that each dress was definitely suited to the individual wearing it. Skill in the technique of needle craft was another goal in this clothing construction. The photograph shown here will attest to the success of the class endeavor. The presence of one hundred and thirty-seven guests further indicated the success of this venture. Among the guests was Mrs. R. Underwood who graciously assisted the yonng women in selecting materials at Rich’s Incorporated where she is in charge of cel- anese in the piece goods department. The group was under the direction of Miss Doreen Jolly. Seated on the floor are Misses Harvey Lee Johnson, Aurelia Tatum, Naomi Rogers, and Naomi Banks. Seated in chairs are Misses Jacqueline Lewis and Lizzie Bacon. Standing are Misses Ernestine Davis, Elzora Hamm, Rubye Harpe, Gladys Hawkins, and Janie Moreland. Not shown in the picture are Misses Alva Lindsay, Dorothy Woods, Gladys Beedles, Marie Hardrich, Myrtis Armstrong, and Thelma Swanson, all of whom wore beautifully made dresses but were unavailable at the time the photo was made. Social Tid-Bits Nine Neophytes were welcomed into the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority just before the beginning of the holiday season. The Neophytes went through the usual routine before being ac cepted in the Sisterhood—uniforms, pranks, the final initiation, and a supper to climax the strenuous week. The supper was held in the Snack Shop of Thayer Hall. The Neophytes include: Winona Jackson, Juanita Brantley, Robbie Davis, Nellie Smith, Ann Wright, Sadie Rutledge, Helen Hill, Dorothy Wilkins, Enid White, and Marian Baker. Recent visitors of Clark College were Mr. Edward Chatman, former student of Clark College, now serving in the United States Army, and Mr. John W. Bowen, Jr. Mr. Chatman, who came to Clark in the fall of ’44 from New Orleans, Lauisiana, dis tinguished himself on the campus by displaying superior athletic skill. He was an active member of the football team, was awarded the athletic “C” alityand certificate. His radiant per sonality won for him many friends, who welcomed his return to the cam pus as did his brothers in the Lam- podas Club, of which he is a member. Mr. Chatman is re-enlisting after hav ing been honorably discharged. He hopes to return to Clark in another year or more. Mr. John W. Bowen, Jr., though not a Clarkrite, has also a major in terest in the college, since many of the student body were his classmates and friends in New Orleans in the high school days. When the rest came to Clark, he chose Lincoln University at Oxford, Pa., where he did his col- lg work until duty called him to de fend tse Red, White and Blue. He became a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity at Lincoln and hopes to return upon being discharged though the chances are that he will be overseas soon and for some time. Mr. Bowen has* been, stationed in Missouri, but after a quick trip to the Crescent City he expects to move on to South Carolina. Mr. Boeen was the guest of Miss Agatha Nell Daniel, a member of the freshman class from New Orleans, Louisiana. Alas! There have been no big frolics since we last greeted you. It’s buzzing in the air that there’s some thing coming up besides exams and tears. We’ll be glad to join in the fun after digging like fury these last f»w days. ^ j Dramatic Arts Club Scorts Hit Production On the long awaited Friday night, December 14, Davage Auditorium opened its doors to an eager and ap preciative student body and a host of friends who gathered to witness the outstanding performance of the Clark Players in their presentation of “Ladies in Retirement.” The presentation met with great success and was acclaimed one of the best ever presented. From the rising of the curtain to the final curtain, the entire audience was spellbound by the plot and the character interpreta tions of the talented young actors. The entire cast performed sylendidly. Of notable excellent was the acting of Misses Hankerson and Brantley, who so realistically and sympathetic ally portrayed the demented sisters of Ellen Creed. Miss Whitfield and Mrs. Frye also lent interesting inter pretations to their greatly dicerent roles, and did Mr. Kennedy cast in the production as a wanton relative of Ellen Creed. The success of the production was due also in large measures to those young men and women who served behind the curtains as stage man agers, makeup artists, and in other capacities. Without the tireless ef forts of Mrs. Bland the production would have been impossible. Sixteen Ivy Leafs Cross Burning Sands Saturday night, January 12, in the Women’s Lounge of Warren Haven Hall, Alpha Pi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority tenderly wel comed sixteen new sisters into the sisterhood. They are: Dorothy Scruggs, Ruth Rodgers, Naomi Banks, Bernice Fields, Tomasina Cooper, Anna Blaylock, Fannie Howard, Evangeline Allison, Rubye Maxey, Louis Hamm, Mary Frances Green, Lena Barnette, Constance Moreland, Barbara Robinson, Mattie Moseley and Aurelia Tatum. For one week the probationites were uniquely dressed in varying manners; most striking was their green uniform suit, which had a gored skirt patterned after the Eisenhowser jackets. Those who saw them can easily remember their little AKA HOP, which never got them any where. Following the ceremonies, all the Sisters took five minutes to whip into their formals and stepped into a big bus which carried them to Williams, where they were honored with a ban quet. The dining room was beauti fully and artistically decorated with the pink and green color scheme. FAMED AFRICAN DANCER— (Continued From Page One) Asadeta Dafora comes from a dis tinguished and prominent Freetown Family. His great-grandfather, the first Negro ever thus honored, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth and was subsequently the first Negro to be Mayor of Sierra Leone. His great uncle was the first of his race to be come a commissioned officer in the British Army. His father and moth er met in England, where his father was then studying at Oxford Uni versity. His mother was an accom plished pianist and musician, who had studied in Paris and Vienna. Bobbie The Freshman Dear Mom and Dad: An unusual something is about to happen. What, I don’t know. But I can feel it in the air and all about me. There is quite a change here from a few months ago—students are crowding the library like mad, and never coming to the Snack Shop like before. Gee- I get so lonesome down there by myself. I’ve eaten so many hamburgers in trying to make up for my loneliness that sometimes I feel as though there is something “moo-moo ing” inside of me (could be a cow). The students are digging and Writing term paper like wild people. I guess I’ll start on mine Sunday night. Exams begin Monday. I’ve never written one of those things before, but I don’t suppose it is very difficult. My room-mate has been writing one for about two months and from just glancing at him, I don’t think it will be difficult. The only thing I see him doing is going to the library and com ing back with an armful of books and copying stuff out of them. At the bottom of each page he inserts a little raised figure following by the name (Continued on Page Four) Early in life, Dafora showed manifestations of his family heritage. As a boy he frequently ran away from home to see the great seasonal folk dance festivals held throughout va rious parts of Africa. He was fasci nated by the( tradition, color, and rhythm of these festivals. Thus be gan his interest in his native dance and music. He later went to Europe to study and became famous as a dancer throughout Europe and Af rica. Surprised At American Ignorance of African Arts When he came to the United States he found here a surprising lack of rejal knowledge concerning African aits and customs. With the exception of a few artists and explorers, most Americans assumed all African dance was wild and unrestrained. The West African dance style as taught by Mr. Dafora emphasizes the use of the chest and arms. He says that one of his greatest problems in coaching a group of dancers, singers and drum mers was the elimination of the exag gerated hip movement which some American dancers are accustomed to use. It is in the arms particularly that the ornamentation takes place. They must be able to move with ex traordinary speed and great precision without looking strained. It is ob vious that the development in Amer ican dancers of a natural apporach to this dance form demanded perserv- ing work. But the success and popu larity of Mr. Dafora’s dance operas have more than justified the effort. Mr. Dafora always finds it a joy to present the dance and music arts PRACTICE HOUSE CROUP McCall 6335 Co-Ed Fashion Notes What’s new? Why 1946, of course! And isn’t it wonderful to have a brand new year ... a whole clean slate to plan out with “I wills” and “ I won’ts.” Go ahead . . . write ’em all down. But don’t, please don’t, put them in the bottom of the desk drawer quite so soon as you did last year. Of course, everything in 1946 isn’t new. We’ve got lots listed on the agenda as “old business.” Okay . . . Okay ... so we didn’t have to bring that up. Exams, we mean. But you won’t mind hitting the books for those ogre-ful mid-years nearly so much, if you’ve made yourself the candy- box cover girl nightshirt, McCall 6335, that our sketch is wearing. As you can plainly see, our McCall designer has ruffled up grandpa’s old nightshirt with frosting that makes it a proud beauty indeed. You whip it up in snuggle-bunny warm, soft-as- cream flannel, in baby colors of course. Make the ruffles of heavy cotton lace, or embroidered eyelet edging. Or if you want to make self- ruffles, find some posy-pointed braid- by-the-yard to sew alongside. And after exams have wended their weary (Continued on Page Four) of his native land. “With us,” he says, “music and dance are a natural expression of all the important occa sions of life.” His love of these arts, coupled with his desire to show the United States the true African cul ture, prompted him to write and stage his now famous dance operas, “Ky- kunkor” or “The Witch Woman,” “Zunguru.” Their performance on Broadway met with such success that outstanding artists like Lawrence Tib- bett, Leopold Stowkowski, and the late George Gershwin visited them many times. Mr. Dafora has worked actively to promote better understand ing between the peoples of the United States and Africa and through his own talents and effort has tried to develop in this country an appreci ation of Africa’s dance and music arts. The charming young ladies pictured above were caught by our roving photographer before the holiday season. Thev are shown here relaxing in the parlor of the Practice House after their annual Christmas Party m which they take full initiative and responsibility under the guidance of Miss F P. Griffin who is the ^rector of the Practice House. Each of these winning smiles is genuine for the girls report that being m the Practice House is about as close to homelife as anything away from home can be.