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2 DECEMBER, 1964 The Panther The Clark Panther A journal of college life published from October to June by students of Clark College, Atlanta, Georgia. A promoter of school spirit by encouraging projects and ef forts among student groups and individual students. A medium through which an opportunity is provided for stu dents to obtain experience in newsgathering, reporting, review ing and writing. An instrument for fostering friendly and constructive criticism of campus activities. Leondria Epps Editor Robert Holloway Feature Editor Jacqueline Bennett Co-Editor Gloria Lester Sports Editor Patricia Hudson Secretary Ellen Magby Ivan Hakeem Advisors School Spirit by Leondria Epps In the past few weeks, the lack of school spirit on the part of Clark’s student body has become evident to many people. School spirit at Clark seems to have hit an all-time low. If you had taken a walk around the campus during the week of Homecoming, you never would have known we were about to celebrate a “big event." The campus was as quiet as a grave yard, and almost as empty. Where were the students, and where were all the signs saying “go team go” and "welcome alumni"? There were a few, yes, but not nearly enough. Where was the air of fun, ex citement and enthusiasm? Could it be that it never was really there from the start? Let's hope not. What happened when Clark was behind in the Morehouse game? You could not hear a sound from the Clark section—until we scored. Then, the roar went up, “Yeah! team,” when “fight team, fight,” should have been echoed all along. One uninformed individual said, “who can have spirit when your team has lost three straight games?” If that’s school spirit, who needs it? The time to show spirit is when we are behind, yet fighting to catch up. How do you show spirit? One way is by simply letting the boys know there is still someone behind them. The thought of knowing there is someone pulling for you up in the stands can work miracles out on the field. It is time that we stand up. hold our heads high and show everyone that we are “Second to None”—in all respects. Rating With Your Date by Robert Hollotvay Fellows, are you really as “hip” to dating as you pretend? Girls, are you really as attractive and clever as you think? Your answers will probably be a positive yes. Your experi ences with dating have probably heretofore been on compara tively small standards. But now that you have moved up in society, you will be expected to practice the social grace accepted by society. Now that you are college young men and women, you will be participating in the social life of the college. This is the time to begin securing “social grace.” As one matures, naturally he expects more of the person he is dating. Knowing the correct thing to say and do on dates is the first step toward "social grace.” Fellows, ask yourselves the following questions and sec if you're really in the “lime-light.” (1) Do you make a good impression when asking for a date? (2) Do you suggest going to places that you know will bring out the "wolf” in you? (3) Do you remember the small courtesies of opening doors, helping with wraps, etc.? (4) Do you admire your date for her abstract qualities or do you focus your attention toward physical features? These are just four vital questions to consider when you say "man I really rate with my date . . . ." Girls, let’s see if you too are in the know! ( 1) Do you dress moderately according to the kind of date or do you decorate yourselves like a Christmas tree? (2) Do you agree to go to a "no-man’s island" or somewhere you can have a nice comfortable and enjoyable evening among other friends? (3) Do you remember to let the fellow open the door for you or do you pull him in the car behind you? BOOKS and FRIENDS By Lyn Paladino Manv times you hear people say, “Oh yes, he perters books to friends,” then perhaps, let this none too astute observation slip by unnoticed. This charge is unjust; unjust because the observer does not make an honest appraisal—winnowing and evaluating the facts before making a decision. A bookworm does not shun his friends in favor of books trom force of habit, but only because he finds books are satisfying friends, too. Books have an advantage in more instances than one. A book is available whenever you need one. You can lay a book aside, or pass one by in favor of another, without the thought turning over in your mind that you have offended the by-passed book. You need not heap encomia on books nor do you have to pretend you are glad to see them when you are too busy for their companionship. You do not have to be polite to them either. The decision remains with you, as a reader, as to the subject you prefer for conversation. When you are in a scholarly mood and wish to follow the quest of the philosopher, you need not discuss your neighbor's shiny new automobile. Your friendship and freedom with books does not discount your friends but merely supplements them. Good friends are rare, but their rarity is supplemented by the many good books in libraries the world over which satisfy us. Books on shelves are storehouses of potential pleasure. A meeting must take place between a book and a reader before any source of pleasure can be derived from it. A person who fails to meet a book denies himself pleasure. Books inspire us. entertain us, inform us, carry us off to far-away-places and to the land of make-believe. Socrates' oft-quoted aphorism—"Know thyself”—proves beyond doubt the integrity of his advice. In our desire lor self-improvement, we can turn to books w'hich pry into the human soul, uncovering assumptions and questioning uncertainties. Seldom, it ever, do we expect our trusted friends to give us the key to ourselves, and were they as wise as Socrates, or Plato, we would lack the confidence to accept it. The mind of man must not be overlooked because it can not be measured like the law's of physics in a nature of external con stituents. When w'e talk w'ith our friends we do not wish to flaunt our deep est thoughts or pompously reveal our literary talents in every casual conversation. Despite the variety of fields our minds may encompass, we often talk trivialities with our friends. This is simply human. Hardly ever do we scratch below the surface events and, failing to do so. our talk is confined to common events and not soul-satisfy ing insights. During the serious moments in our lives, we do not look for a nourishing diet in idle conversations. We fail to realize this, though we know it occurs. We scorn idle talk in these serious moments for an inexplicable reason—as if we were prodded by a secret, inner force within us. Books always say something. Consider a book full of routine, daily talk. Would you read it? Would a pub lisher buy it? Serious literature influences people, possibly more than people in fluence people. Any reader of serious literature can recall a book which has influenced him more readily than his friends because we judge a book on its face value, and not with the personal faults of the writer primarily in mind. Within our own limits and world of living, we are, by nature, restricted. We may never have the opportunity to meet a genius, or even to live in the same epoch, yet we can meet geniuses in books. Too many of us pull in our heads like the little snail and retreat to the ego-world of our shells. We are content to live in a void and ignominiously maintain this as living. Only after we pierce the smooth, polished veneer of sophistication behind which we all hide is there a modicum ot hope that we will find greatness to satisfy us in people about us. We are too dogmatic, too fixed in our ways to set our sights on new vistas. Though we may see and hear history in the making through mod ern communication, ninety per cent of our knowledge is achieved by the printed word—the remaining ten per cent combined among the other senses. Television may not always be satisfying— as a book may be. Sometimes we are over-entertained with a superfluity of television and radio programs. To discover and achieve the satisfac tion of fulfillment we must do something creative. We may load ourselves down with too much reading, but it will never bore us like the interminable soap operas aired on television. A thoughtfully written book of our own choosing and a quiet place are all that is needed to furnish something toward our own entertainment. We must do a minimum of thinking, at least, as we read a good book, or fail in our endeavor to learn anything. If this book does not evoke an emotional and intellectual response at least somewhat original with you, it does not impinge in any significant way on your con sciousness. Many people think that the larger their acquaintance, the more friends they have. If we do not profit by our circle of friends with whom we share our spare moments day after day, of what use are they to us? Books do not keep up such a specious relationship with readers, nor will every hook be a devoted friend, but after we find a good book, it will remain a faithful friend. There are no obstacles between books and ourselves—except our selves. (4) Arc you afraid to sit at a safe distance from the door and driver, or do you insist on sharing his driving cushion? (5) Do you agree to talk about some of the things he likes or do you take the conversation hv discussing what you and Max did on your date? There are many other questions we could ask to see if you really ratc-with-your-date, but I’m sure we would all be surprised to know how great our ignorance unfolds when it comes to dating. Young men and women, let’s resolve today to check ourselves and start having “wholesome social and dating grace.” Let’s really rate with our date. Alumnus George Smith Clark Represented In Labor Program Clark College was officially represented in the U.S. Depart ment of Labor this summer by Mr. George Smith who was ap pointed at the nomination of his department and the place ment office as a Student Repre sentative GS-5 (S3,000 per annum). Mr. Smith's appoint ment was the result of the De partment's invitation to have Clark College participate in its summer Student Representative Program. Under this program, one junior year student or a graduate who plans to enter graduate school in the fall, whose academic background is commensurate with the Depart ment's work is selected and given professional level assign ments during the summer. It is hoped that by gaining an in sight into the work carried on by the Department, the repre sentative will be interested in returning for permanent em ployment upon graduation. Mr. Smith was assigned to the Labor-Management Services Administration where he was engaged in research work in the bureau's Division of Com pliance Operations. Mr. Smith is a member of Alpha Kappa Mu and was President of the student body during 1963-64 school term. He was selected to be listed in Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Uni versities. He is enrolled at Atlanta University graduate school this fall where he is beginning work on his Master's degree. Dr. Sweat Elected To Editorial Board At the Annual Meeting of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History held this year in Detroit, Dr. Ed ward F. Sweat. Chairman of the Social Science Department, was named a member of the Editor ial Board of the Negro History Bulletin. Published in Washing ton, D. C\. the Bulletin special izes in scholarly articles of spe cial interest in the area of Negro history. Dr. Sweat has contributed numerous articles and reviews to historical journals. His re view of the book Mary McCleod Bethune: A Biography appeared in the September issue of The Journal of American History. His most recent review is of the volume Following The Color Fine which is scheduled for publication in the winter issue of The Journal oj Negro History. Visit and use the Library DON’T carry it away.