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Page 2 The Panther January, February, 194? \ CLARK COLLEGE PANTHER A Journal of Negro College Life Published from October to June wmwmmmmwmwm VOICE OF THE STUDENTS mmmammmmwvvw MIMMMMAMVIMWA MOUTHPIECE OF THE COLLEGE IWWWWWWWWl A promoter of school spirit by encowraging projects and efforts among student groups and individual students. A medium through which an opportunity is provided for students to obtain experience in newsgathering, revolting, book-reviewing, edi torial, and creative writing. _ . . An instrument for fostering friendly and constructive criticism of campus activities. H. McCAREY KENDALL ’48 JEditor-in-Chief GUYLON SMALL ’48 ROLAND HAYNES ’49 Associate Editor News Editor JAMES E. McCALLUM Associate Editor Maurice Downs ’47 and E. Simpson ’50 Society June Blanchard ’49 and Lona Brown 50, Emery Wimbish ’48 Literary Agatha Daniel ’49 and E. L. Parker ’48 Feature Walter Jarnigan ’49 and H. D. Gates ’49 Art Cecil A. Blye, Helen Nelson ’50 and D. E. Collington Sports Carriedelle Kynds ’48 and George Waters ’50 Exchange Edward W. Symth and H. Royal ’50 Business Managers Charles Price '50 ...Advertising Manager Walter Crawford ’47 D. Wahington ’48, E. Haynes ’50 Barbara Lowery ’49.. ..Circulation Manager Photographers ..JStaff Secretary Brady Jones 50, Xanthene Sayles ’50, Elizabeth Brown ’50, Alfonso Levy ’50, Ruth Woodward ’50 Reporters Bertha Tarver ’48, Bessie Brown ’47, Katheryn Jones ’47, Thelma Alman ’49, Louise Harris ’48.. ..Typists C. C. Posey and J. F. Summersette Faculty Advisors We Greet A New Year 1947 is here. How did it find you? Are you able to look back over the past year and feel satisfied and gratified at your accom plishments? Did you work as hard as you should have? Were your endeavors fruitful? Do you anticipate a better year with more than the lukewarm enthusiasm that you had last year? Are you remorseful for the things that you did that wouJd be better have left undone, or for things that should have been done, neglected ? We face a new day, a new year.. This is the challenge of the dawn. Look to this day for it is life. The very life of life. In its brief course lie all the verities and realties of our existence. The bliss of growth, the glory of action and the splendor of beauty. For yesterday is but a dream and tomorrow only a vision, but today well lived makes yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope. We greet a new year! Kendall ARE YOU A SCHOLAR? Are you a scholar, or are you just in school? There is, to be sure, a difference. A consideration of the attributes of the real scholar may help you to be a better scholar this semester than you were last semester. It is impossible to single out any one thing that constitutes a scholar. For indeed, what makes one in dividual a scholar may be as inadequate for another as your physician’s prescription is for your friend. It becomes then a matter of individual differences as to what you can do to approach real scholarship—accurate and systematic learning. Burning the midnight oil and self-denial of personal pleasures make some good scholars, whereas indulgence in these same activ ities makes others candidates for a mental institution. Viewing the problem from this point, it is difficult to overlook native ability, application, and opportunities of each and every individ ual. Unfortunately there are so many among us who have chanted "All men are created equal” without weighing the limited possi bilities of its application that we have failed to recognize the fact that native abilities, talents, and opportunities are by no means equal. This unwillingness to face scientific reality can lead to nothing more than grave disappointment. It leads Suzanne, for instance, to accept Henry’s invitation to the movie Tuesday after noon when she knows that Henry can prepare his work in one third the time that it requires for her. It leads Jessica or Jessie into the bridge game down the hall when work cries out to be done. But it is even more tragic than this. It leads to disappoint ment and heartache (let us disregard Suzanne, Jessica and Jessie) for those guardians at home who make great personal sacrifices for these very real characters on our own campus who refuse to heed the cry of Socrates—“Know thyself”. Although we have observed the importance of individual dif ferences in determining what makes a good scholar, it is not im possible to list the traits which all scholars, past and present, have in common that place them in that class of distinction. With out these criteria, they could not be scholars and without them you can never be one in spite of ability, gift of gab or what have you. A good scholar has — 1. A conscious desire to learn. 2. The initiative to place himself in learning situations at every opportunity. 3. The ability to retain and adhere to what is learned. 4. The ability to apply what is learned. 5. An ever alert consciousness of his needs and a desire to want to meet them. Forum Question: “Are rigid rules and regulations on a college level justifiable?” t Conditions today warrant the rigid regulations for college students. Mor als are at their lowest, history has proved, in post-war times. In order to stress the importance of morality it is necessary to impress it primarily in the minds of our “future best minds”. The world will not voluntari ly return to morality; it must be taught and led. A Morehouse Junior I do not think rigid rules and reg ulations are justifiable for boarding students on a college level. When a student reaches college age, he should be able to conduct himself in a man ner which would make rigid regula tions unnecessary. Even if the indi vidual is not chronologically mature, he should be emotionally mature, if he is in college, able to think for him self, to make decisions, and to con form to desirable patterns of beha vior. Indeed a certain amount of guid ance for students would bring more desirable results than a list of unend ing items labeled “Do Not” and “Do”. This only results in creating in stu dents a feeling of suppression and dissatisfaction. A Clark Senior Rigid regulations serve only to make students more bold and daring and determined to defy regulations. A student who is given the privilege of using his own discretion assumes a sense of responsibility to himself and his follow schoolmates. A Clark Senior Rigid regulations on an advanced level — above the Sophomore year would seem unnecessary inasmuch as undesirable students should have been guided into desirable channels or dis missed from the institution before they reach the senior level. If these supposedly desirable young men and women do not begin to assume indi vidual responsibility in school, how much less fit will they be to meet life on the job when there will be no one to tell him what to do? A Junior Since rules for boarding students in colleges are planned according to the needs of the society in a particu lar community, the rigidity of regu lations must necessarily vary. In some situations what is justifiable might be considered unjustifiable in others. Much depends on the individ uals governed and the situation and environment. A Senior As much as -we like to think of in dividuality and individual differences, we must recognize the fact that in dormitories with large numbers of young men and women some amount of regimentation is necessary. Regu lations must be made for the group, not for individuals. As long as there are individuals within the group who are socially immature, regulations must be made on the basis of social maturity or immaturity of the entire group. A Morehouse Senior Religion and the College Students We have been taught that religion is man’s consciousness of a greater power than his own, and he finds him self constantly striving to become more like that power. Aren’t we all religious ? Maybe some of us possess a little more re ligion than others, but all of us have been exposed to it at some time or other prior to our entering the doors of this great Methodist institution known throughout the world as Clark College, having five ministers includ ing our own President. We have a great advantage over some college students because we are fortunate enough to be enveloped always by a religious atmosphere. If any individuals need to be taught the true meaning of religion and Christianity and what it means to be Christ-like, they should be college stu dents, because they are the ones upon whose shoulders the responsibility rests of helping to teach others to love better and more wholesome living. The very reason that we are con stantly meeting people who can’t seem to realize that religion is nec essary and a part of our daily lives is that they do not understand it and are not trying to do so. People dis trust and are not in accord with phases of life that they do not under stand. May it never be said of us that “We have a little education now, we have completely forgotten about God, and the prayers you breathed when your way was dark. Rather, remem-■ ber that religion has never caused anyone to fall, but it has certainly helped the fallen to regain their strength and sent them on their way. Be strong! We are not here to play, to dream, to drift Thoughts In a Psychology Classroom Psychologists say that emotion is a stirred up state of the organism, but there must be another meaning . something deeper . . . that will ex plain this tortuous and uncertain feel ing that so frequently consumes me Is it love? No it couldn’t be, not me . . . true I don’t know what love is but I know I would know if it were The professor talks about normal and abnormal reactions. ... I wonder i my reactions to her warm yet pene trating eyes, the smile on her lips, the touch of her, are normal. Every time I see her something happens to me. What is it psychology calls it? I’ve forgotten. Anyway that must be applicable to other people, not me ’cause it’s altogether different. He spoke about the power of emotional maturity . . . what a great help it is All the girls admire men who have it Y’know, Mr. Ruch is a very smart man to try to analyze and delve into the complexity of the nature of a hu man being. His conclusions are from tests of average people, but somehow they don’t fit me in many instances Am I above average or is it that you can’t judge one person by the others ? I hope it’s the latter. Oh me tomor row is a busy day, I got things to do, but I guess today is too since it’s only 8:45. I wish the bell would hurry up and ring so I can go. I’m tired. When is the next basket ball game? I do hope we win, like we did over Tuskegee. Gee! It’s a lovely (Continued on Page Four) Shun not the struggle, face it ’Tis God’s gift. Be strong! Be strong! Florence Mae Wheeler 6. An open mind. 7. The ability to fit himself into the world about him. 8. A socially, religiously, and educationally acceptable atti tude. 9. Mastery cf subject matter that is superior to that of the average person. 10. Common sense. On the Bookshelf June Marie Blanchard Well, here we are again, eh? These visits to our bookshelves are becom ing rather habitual and I hope en joyable. This month’s reading is dynamic and interesting—each book in its own way. From the trumpet blast for freedom of Howard Fast’s Freedom Road to the promises in the smoulder ing eyes of the gorgeous Percy in Rosamond Marshall’s Duchess Hot spur. Freedom Road is a stirring tale, passionately told which will leave few readers unmoved. Perhaps those curi ous among us will want to read it just to see if Howard Fast is trying to present things in a light which will be profitable to communistic inter ests, as one of our most recent vesper speakers tried to convince us. If we turn to the turbulent 18th century through the eyes of Rosa mond Marshall, there is colorful Lon don with refuse-strewn streets and costly balls, scheming noblemen and desperate thugs. Here the saucy serv ants and their beautiful mistresses are figures in intrigue and “amour”. Rosa mond Marshall’s Duchess Hotspur is a highly colored romance full of in trigue and hot-blooded action. Striking a different vein, let’s look at another tale of China through the eyes of one who knows it—Pearl Buck. Her latest work is Pavillion of Women. I am sure you’ll find it differ ent from most of her novels, although a few of the characters are familiar. It is the story of a beautiful middle aged wife who has begun to hate her life as head of a great Chinese fam ily. She tries to gain freedom by mar rying off the oldest children and put ting the younger son with a tutor. She tries to satisfy her husband with a concubine. Yet in the end it was her love of the western world which set her free. Then there is Frank Yerby’s Foxes of Harrow and a must on your list of readings if you haven’t already read it. It is a story of wicked New Or leans and has done much to reveal the possibilities of Negro authors on themes of American life—not just Ne gro American life. Are there poetry lovers among us? Yes??? I thought so. Well, here’s something special for you—Renais sance by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Some will class it as escapist mate rial—perhaps it is, but it will give you the needed escape and some of its magic will remain even after your return to this prosaic life of ours. It’s time to leave already— Goodbye now and GOOD READING J. M. B. Book Review THREE O’CLOCK DINNER— JOSEPHINE PINCKNEY Josephine Pinkney in this novel of manners treats a theme familiar to all in fact and fiction—the conflict be tween classes. Three O’Clock Dinner is set in present-day Charleston, South Carolina, a city long noted for its sharp distinctions among social classes. The author brings together two groups of perfectly respectable people—the Redcliffes, a Southern family descended from the original colonists; and the Hessenwinkles, whose immediate forbears were immi grants. Tat Redcliffe, scion of a distin guished Charleston clan, unwisely marries Lorena Hessenwinkle, daugh ter of one of the newer families. At three o’clock dinner, undertaken by Tat’s mother to welcome Lorena and her relatives into the clan, the ten sion between these two families of contrasting backgrounds mounts steadily until the screen of good man ners and reserve crumbles. A long hidden relationship between Lorena and the deceased Fen Redcliffe, broth er of Tat and husband of Judith Red cliffe, chief protagonist, bursts to light. The solution to the inevitable clash follows rapidly and might have been considered realistic save exceg- sive sentimentalism. Such is the plot. The plot, however, is not the im- (Continued on Page Four)