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THE ORGAN OF STUDENT EXPRESSION
Number 4 Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia January Edition, 1968
THE EDITOR SPEAKS
Life is a constant
search. Joy in it is a
rare find, but pre
cious and sweet it is
for its rareness. One
feels an ecstasy in
small things when
worries about the
Dean and graduation
and Morehouse Col
lege recede into back-
stage.
The most delight
ful time of this new
year came for me when I had dinner with a
Morehouse professor and his family. This
was no ordinary dinner. It made me feel
human again. You see, being a student can
in ways dehumanize one. This fact makes
me ever grateful for what occurred. The high
point of my evening came before dinner.
The professor's four-year-old daughter asked
me to read her the story Peter Pan. Astound
ed by her request, right away I wondered if I
could do such a Herculean task in a manner
which would please the child. The thought
of Camus, Sartre, Plato and numerous home
work assignments didn't help my confidence.
I read. I became interested, entertained and
amused. Her two brothers, one three and
the other five, joined the fun. The four and
five year olds almost drove me mad with
questions, but I thoroughly enjoyed the
experience. And so did they. They were
captivated. And thus they were teaching me.
I was learning joy from children. The family
little realizes the gift I shared that evening.
The most valuable rainbows of life are
human relationships which enlarge our out
look and excite our curiosity for self revela
tion. A good teacher can never be replaced
by a machine, but bad ones can -- and should;
at least a machine won't footstomp a stu
dent's basic integrity and tell him, "I got my
degree from University; you can't
question me." Some of our teachers do this,
but their student victims are not woe-be-
gone. If a student who is treated thusly
does succeed, it is with a vengeance; and
Morehouse loses a son who in anger wants
only to get his diploma, get out, and forget.
Yet Morehouse has many possibilities. Possi
bilities precede realities. And people think
of possibilities, and people create many reali
ties which affect other people. Your smile
grows a flower in the heart of my imagina
tion, or your scorn draws a cloud over my
joy and puts miles between us. Then only
silence can cover the tense distance: a meta
phor of everyday life. The point is: we are
teachers and students, but basically human.
We need to stop acting like birthday barbar
ians and collard happy cave men and treat
each other decently.
For a moment I weakened into sentiment,
something that some say editors should not
do, buf rather use the third person imperson
al. What I've got to say is personal and the
"l" is in order.
Walter K. Dancy, Editor
(The Editor Speaks - Continued)
I say that we at Morehouse need to
attempt to create the kind of community
where a smile is not the basis of susnicinn or
intrigue, or bring charges of "cheese eating."
If one is eating cheese, he will end where
most rats do -- in a trap. We need to be
honest with ourselves before we can even be
decent hypocrites. It takes courage to be
honest; it is not popular. It takes courage to
disagree; it is unsafe. It takes little but a
look to find futility; it infuses our age. It
takes courage to learn from children. All
three who glistened to Peter Pan together are
ten years younger than the man who read for
them.
Joy is what you find
Behind the lids of the blind eyes;
What first is dark
Is the screen behind
Which
Beauty releases herself
In expectation.
Morehouse Grad
Scores High Despite
Tragedy During OCS
(Reprint - The College Marine, Washington, D. C.,
Vol. 13, No. 1 )
A 1967 Morehouse College graduate fin
ished third in his platoon in the 46th Officer
Candidate Class (OCS) in spite of a personal
tragedy during the 10-week course.
2dLt. James A. Gray, II was commis
sioned during graduation ceremonies at
Quantico on December 8.
Gray is from Baton Rouge, La. He at
tended Scotlandville High School in Baton
Rouge from 1959 to 1962.
He enlisted in the Marine Corps Officer
Candidate program just before his graduation
from Morehouse last spring and reported for
active duty on October 2nd.
During the past 10 weeks he has under
gone an intensive program designed to screen
and train prospective Marine Corps officers.
Officer candidates are evaluated in the
areas of academics, physical fitness and lea
dership traits. 2dLt. Gray placed high in all
three areas, achieving the third highest over
all average in his 40-man platoon.
This high standing was exceptionally dif
ficult for Gray, due to the death of his
father during the course of the program.
His father served in Europe during WW-ll
as an Army staff sergeant, where he earned
the Bronze Star Medal for heroism.
While a student at Morehouse College in
Atlanta, 2dLt. Gray was president of the Pi
chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity for a
year. He also played varsity baseball as a
centerfielder for a year.
A mathematics major, he taught freshman
math courses during his last two years in
college.
Gray is now enrolled in The Basic School
at Quantico, undergoing 21 weeks of train
ing as an infantry officer. After The Basic
School, he is considering becoming an avia
tion officer.
Six Morehouse Juniors
Receive Merrill Grants
Six Morehouse College juniors have been
selected to receive Merrill grants of $3,000
each for study and travel in Europe during
the 1968-69 academic year.
The announcement of their selection was
made yesterday by Dr. Melvin D. Kennedy,
Chairman of the Department of History and
of the Merrill European Travel-Study Award
Selection Committee. Other members of the
committee are Finley C. Campbell, Assistant
Professor of English; Dr. Edward A. Jones,
Chairman of the Department of Modern
Foreign Languages; and Dr. Wendell P.
Whalum, Chairman of the Department of
Music.
The 1968-69 Merrill grantees are Walter
Dancy, an English major from Akron, Ohio;
Dwight M. Jackson, a sociology major from
Atlanta; Milton Jones, a political science
major from Itta Bena, Mississippi; Tyrone
Joubert, a music major from Houston, Texas;
Ronald Thigpen, a chemistry major from
Clarksdale, Mississippi; and Tyrone Thomas,
a history major from Dothan, Alabama.
Henry Collins, James A. Terry, and
William Quivers were chosen as alternates.
Merrill European Travel-Study Awards
are given annually to outstanding Morehouse
juniors by the Chairman of the Morehouse
Board of Trustees, Mr. Charles Merrill, of
Boston, Massachusetts.
Walter K. Dancy Dwight Jackson
C
Milton Jones Tyrone Joubert
Ronald Thigpen Tyrone Thomas