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THE WOLVERINE OBSERVER
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| Comments j Editorials j features !
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THE STAFF
James C. Reese Editor-in-Chief
John R. Sanders Associate Editor
Naomi Whatley Society Editor
Donald Smith Sports Editor
James T. Redd Business Mgr.
Paul Owens News Reporter
Lillie Glads News Reporter
ARMISTICE DAY
The whole earth was in tu
mult. Greed and hatred had
plunged the world into a con
fusion such as she had never
before experienced. Thous
ands of years of culture were
sacrificed in the comparative
ly short period of four years.
Man himself was transform
ed into a cruel savage brute.
Could no force stem this tide
of cultural retrogression ?
Why did the controlling Pow
er allow this carnage of hu
man beings? These questions
were re-echoed and rehearsed
momently by thousands who
were affected directly or in
directly whilst hundreds of
young men, the flower of
their nation, the potential
backbone of their races, were
prematurely ushered into
eternity for reasons which
thev never understood. The
poor children of fate.
Much has been said about
the glories of War. Have we
ever stopped to view the oth
er side of the picture—the
blood, the filth, the stench,
ever present death; to men
tion a few of the things
which contribute to make war
despicable and undesirable.
And it was in the midst of
such a situation that the
Guardian Angel of this world
intervened disguised in the
form of an ARMISTICE and
saved man from self-exter
mination.
The word Armistice is de
rived from two Latin words,
arma-arms sto-stand, hence
the meaning is a cessation of
arms. On the 11th of Novem-
1918 this word carried with
it a wealth of meaning. Not
only did it mean a cessat.on
of arms, it also meant a re
turn to civilization, a return
to sanity, a cessation of bar
barity. In a word it meant
Creation instead of Destruc
tion.
Is it very meet and right
that we should dedicate some
time to those, who, for our
sakes have willingly sacrific
ed health, and wealth, ambi
tions, and even their lives
that through their death we
might live. Should not our
thoughts fly to Flanders on
whose fields lay many a hero
who unstintingly paid the ex
treme sacrifice for a cause of
which they knew not the
least about, but because
they felt that they were use
ful to humanity. May their
names live forever. From the
throes of another such strug
gle, Good Lord deliver us.!
James Williams Humor
Dorothy Cobb Feature
Harold Arnold Advertising
Esther Jones Press
Walker Solomon Press
WHAT PRICE PLEASURE
It is said, a man of a po
lite imagination is led into a
great many pleasures that
the vulgar are not capable of
receiving; he can converse
with a picture and find an
agreable companion i n a
statute.
But what is pleasure? For
many it is a snare, a trap:
“Few learn her wiles, her
treachery and perfidious ways
in time, ere it is too late.”
Of all things pleasure is
one of the most fleeting, de
ceiving, dangerous, and ex
pensive things man has ever
set out to find. Even while
we possess her she fleetb, and
like the winds of the morn
ing is soon gone.
Millions have sought her,
millions at this vgry moment
are still seeking and risking
all for her. They are giving,
losing, and staking health,
reputation, character, friends,
a good name, -opportunities
and even life itself only to
find that the wine of this dis
appointing Goddess is filled
with the drugs of dispair,
pangs of hunger, excruciat
ing pains of loathsome dis
ease, shameful misery, dire
want, lasting sorrow' and
blasted hopes.
Then too, from the gloomy
depths of anguish, come the
piteous cries of slavish souls,
groping and cringing as they
grovel in the woe of hope
less and abject souls the ages
have known because of her.
Now ask yourself today,
since pleasure lasts only as
long as that upon which it
feeds: Is my pleasure expen
sive? Is it all pleasure or fool
hardiness? Is it fed upon
things that are lasting and
abiding, or upon things of the
moment.
Shall I gamble for the mo
ment and perhaps lose, or
shall I dare to venture out
into the deep ? Shall I fol
low the line of least resist
ance and stick out my hand
for a pittance or a “Mess of
Pottage” at the loss of self
respect? Or shall I “swell
from the vale” and leave the
crowd and mount up to
breathe the rarified air of
God’s “where the ordinary
freeze in the ascent?”
Freshmen it is your duty
to keep alive the school spirit.
Yours is the task.
NEW ADDITION
TO FACULTY
The faculty for 1936-37 of
Morris Brown College is one
of the best to be found any
where in the United States.
This is not unusual, however
for this has always reigned
true with this noted institu
tion. President Fountain
knew that there would be va
cancies to be filled very early
during the spring term of
1935-36, therefore he travel
ed far and near, judging
wisely as he made these se
lections. These new additions,
to the faculty are true ex
amples of the reputation that
proceeded them. Not only
were there additions made to
the teaching staff, but also
to the administrative faculty.
We are happy to welcome
to our teaching faculty:
Boggs, Herbert C., Mathe
matics, A. B., Talladega Col
lege, 1933; M. S., University
of Michigan, 1934; Residence
requirements for Ph. D., Uni
versity of Michigan, 1934-36;
at present working on disser
tation for Ph.D.
Patterson, Emma W., Eng
lish, A. B., Fisk University;
A. M., Fisk University.
Reed, Mary W., Home Eco
nomics, B. S. in Home Eco
nomics, Wilberforce Univer-*
sity, 1927; B. S. in Education
Wilberforce, 1928 , Gradute
Study, Ohio State 'University
Graduate Study, University
of Chicago.
To our Administrative Fa
culty :
Collins, Anne R., Asst. Reg
istrar, A. B., Morris Brown
College, 1936.
Graves, Artis P., Dean of
Men, B. S., Bluefield State
Teachers College, Graduate
Study, University of Iowa.
Mitchell, Bessie \\\, Ma
tron of Dining Hall, A. B.,
Morris Brown College, 1936.
Robinson, Pinkney, Super
intendent of Bldg., and Grs.,
A. B., Morris Brown College,
1936.
THE KEY TO CULTURE
Webster’s definition of cul
ture is “refinement.” As we
of this generation view it,
however, it covers or implies
more than simply a knowl
edge of etiquette. It means
the avoidance of all embar
rassments due to lack of
knowledge of the niceties of
society, or as it is sometimes
termed — social usage — it
means the possession of poise,
charms, or as is sometimes the
expression used—a pleasing
personality. The ability to
entertain, and the apprecia
tion of another’s entertain
ment or conversation, may
well come under the classifi
cation of culture. In fact the
definition of culture is so
broad a subject that we real
ize the difficulty of fully cov
ering it in a single volume so
for that reason we will dedi
cate this column to the cus
toms, manners, niceties, of
society.
Look forward to this col
umn in the next edition.
THE OXFORD ENGLISH
DICTIONARY
The Dictionary is one of
the most important books in
the English language, or any
other language for that mat
ter. It is the foundation for
books. Authors must make
use of it to build their books
into meanful and clear pieces
of literature. The conversa
tionalist must use it to choose
the best words so as to con
vey clear and distinct ideas.
The reader must use it so as
to understand what the writ
er is saying. The good Dic
tionary is a store house of
valuable information and
knowledge.
The Dictionary contains
many things. Not only do we
use it for the meanings of
words, but for the history of
the words. We also find the
tenses of the words. Some
of the Dictionaries give the
uses of the words from past
stages of civilization up to
the present time. So very
often we take the Dictionary,
as well as the Bible for grant
ed, we take it as part of our
everyday use and necessity
without much thought as to
its origin.
In this article there will be
given a brief historical back
ground of The Oxford English
Dictionary.
In the more enlightened
attitude of the Society for
Pure English or distinguish
ed from most purist efforts
in the past, it is impossible
not to see the influence of a
great work which came about
in the latter half of the nine
teenth century. In 1857 at
a meeting of the Philological
Society in London, a commit
tee was appointed to collect
words not in the Dictionaries,
with a view to publishing a
supplement to them. The
committee consisted of Her
bert Coleridge, Dean Trench,
whose better books on English
Past and Present and the
Study of Words has shown
his interest in word history,
and F. J. Furnivall, that
great student and inspirer of
students of Early English
Literature. Furnivall seems
to have suggested the under
taking.
The most important out
come of the committee’s ac
tivity was a paper read to the
Society by Dean Trench “On
Some Deficiencies in Our
English Dictionaries.” In it
he laid down the historical
precepts on which a diction
ary should be compiled. As a
result of this paper, the Soci
ety decided that a supplement
would not be satisfactory,
and in January 1857 it pass
ed resolutions calling for a
new dictionary. A formal
Proposal for the Publication
of a New English Dictionary
by the Philosophical Society
was issued the following
year. The two principle aims
of the new project were to
record every word which
could be found in English
from about the year 1000 and
to exhibit the history of each
—its forms, its various spell
ings, and all its uses and
meanings past and present.
The last named feature was
especially to be shown by a
full selection of quotations
from the whole range of Eng
lish writings.
There was no idea that the
undertaking would be so com
plicated. In November 1859
Coleridge was appointed ed
itor. To take care of the ma
terials on which the Diction
ary would be based, Coler
idge had a set of pigeon-holes
made capable of holding
60,000 slips at the most.
With Coleridge’s death in
April 1861 the task of con
tinuing the Dictionary fell
upon Furnivall, who saw
clearly the task of continuing
the collection of material.
While he was doing this and
urging volunteers to help him
the work of the Dictionary
was almost still.
The Dictionary went under
many leaders during its early
stages. Dr. A. H. Murray
later succeeded Mr. Furni
vall. Along with these lead
ers much credit is due to
those thousands of Volun
teers who have contributed
largely to its success.
The history of The Oxford
English Dictionary is a very
interesting one and the next
installment will give further
information as to its develop
ment.
POET’S CORNER
SUCCESS
Some men build their dreams
of success
Upon ladders which they nev
er climb,
While others sit, and rest,
and wait,
Upon the generosity and fate
of time.
There are other men who
work
From morning till night and
believe
That some day fortune will
smile on them.
And then they too will
achieve.
There are other men who
know
That success is not easily
found,
And you must earnestly work,
To climb the ladder round by
round.
For success is not only ma
terial gain
That marks the highest score,
But the foundation laid, the
good achieved,
As on the road one goes.
DOROTHY COBB.
The Wolverine Observer is a publication printed monthly under the
direction of Professor V. C. Clinch
EDITORIALS
