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THE SPELMAN SPOTLIGHT
December 16, 1960
.5'rom
the Editor 3
'ell \
IS THERE A SANTA CLAUS?
(An Editorial reprint from the New York Sun, September 21, 1897)
By Francis P. Church
We take pleasure in answering at once thus prominently
the communication below, expressing at the same time our
great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among
the friends of The Sun.
Dear Editor:
jg; . I am 8 years old.
[ Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
Papa says “If you see it in ‘The Sun’ it’s so.”
Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?
Virginia O’Hanlon
115 West 95 Street
New York City.
Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been
affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not be
lieve except what they see. They think that nothing can be
which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds,
Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s are little. In this
great universe of ours man is a mere insect, a nant, in his in
tellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as
measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of
truth and knowledge.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly
as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that
they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.
Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa
Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginia.
There would be no childlike faith, then, no poetry, no romance
to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoy
ment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which
childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe,
in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in
all chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even
if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that
prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there
is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those
that neither children nor man can see. Did you ever see
fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no
proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine
all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the
noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world
which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of
all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only
faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance can push aside that curtain
and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is
it all real? Ah! Virginia, in all this world there is nothing
else real and abiding.
No Santa Claus! Thank God he lives, and he lives forever.
A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay ten times ten
thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the
heart of childhoo.
REPORT CARD BLUES
I wondered why all of my
friends were wearing “blue” so
often. For not only was their
attire “blue” but also their coun
tenances.
Let us not be a party to such
“blue” masquerade. Save the
“blue” for the teams that More
house beats in the games! (Smile).
Why are they wearing blue?
Good question, but you know as
well as I do. It is mid-semester
time—Again. (You know, when
the card report the blues).
After you receive these bomb
shells, please regard them as
marks by which to set your
standards. Do your very best, for
you can’t afford to let yourself
down!
Dear sister, “Put the blue away
and have red letter days from
now on.”
WVUVMAAAAWVMMAMVVVAAAn
CHRISTMAS
CAROLLING
— at —
5:00 A. M.
yVUWMWWMMMWMWWVVtA
FROM THE POCKET
OF PEOLA
ES MEFOR PARECER TONTO
QUE SERLO
Roque tiene quince anos. Es el
tonto de sue pueblo. Todo el mun-
do se divierte con el. Le dan
brornas inofensivas. Varias veces
moneda, de diez centavos y otra
de cinco.
La mas grande! — contesta el.
La escena siempre atrae un
gran publico. Todos quieren ver lo
que hace Roque. Qieren Saber
cual de las dos monedas escoge.
Cuando toma la moneda de cinco
centavos todos se rien de el. To-
dos estain seguros de que es un
tonto completo.
Cierta tarde una senora observa
la escena. Como siempre, Roque
toma la moneda do cinco centavos.
Cuando desaparece el publico, y
el muchacho queda solo, al dama
lo llama y le pregunta:
—Digame, Roque, no sabe usted
la diferencia entre una moneda de
cinco centavos y una de diez? No
sabe usted que la de diez vale
mas, aunque as mas pequena?
—For supuesto que lo se! Pero,
si you escojo la moneda de diez
centavos comprenden todos que
no soy tonto, y no gano mas din-
ero. Estamos en tiempos muy ma-
los, seniora. Y es memor parecer
tonto y ganar dinera que ser in-
teligente y perderlo.
National Teacher
Examinations To Be
Held On Feb. 11, 1961
PRINCETON, N. J. — The Na
tional Teacher Examinations, pre
pared and administered annually
by Educational Testing Service,
will begin at 160 testing centers
throughout the United States on
Saturday, February 11, 1961.
At the one-day testing session
a candidate may take the Com
mon Examinations, which include
tests in Professional Information,
General Culture, English Expres
sion, and Non Verbal Reasoning;
and one or two of thirteen Op
tional Examinations designed to
demonstrate mastery of subject
matter to be taught. The college
which a candidate is attending, or
the school system in which he is
seeking employment, will advise
him whether he should take the
National Teacher Examinations
and which of the Optional Exami
nations to select.
A Bulletin of Information (in
which an application is inserted)
describing registration procedures
may be obtained from college of
ficials, school superintendents, or
directly from the National Teach
er Examinations, Educational
Testing Service, 20 Nassau Street,
Princeton N. J. Completed appli
cations, accompanied by proper
examination fees, will be accept
ed during November and Dec
ember, and early in January as
long as they are received before
January 3, 1961.
S
THE SPOTLIGHT
By Eleanor Hinton
This month, the Spelman Spot
light flashes its beam on Miss
Marsha Goodwin. She is a fresh
man from Durham, North Caro
lina, who is majoring in Psychol-
gy and minoring in Sociology.
Marsha is interested in singing,
collecting coins and jazz albums.
She spends most of the time
listening to the “Great ” Ray
Charles. To Marsha, Ray Charles
is a true genius who expresses
himself in music. Her favorite
artists are Dave Brubeck, Ramsey
Lewis, Ahmad Jamal, and of
course, Ray Charles.
Since she has been at Spelman,
Marsha has adjusted very well
and has made many friends who
treasure her companionship. She
was recently elected president of
the Morehouse North Dormitory.
Since she is interested in singing,
she joined the Spelman Glee Club.
When asked what she thought
of Spelman, she said that she
liked Spelman and hoped to re
main at Spelman and earn her
degree here.
To this promising Spelmanite,
as we dim our beam, the Spot
light wishes you success and
challenges you to fulfill your
goals.
“YOU HAVE CROSSED A BAY,
THE OCEAN NOW LIES BE
FORE YOU”
MWWAMIMVWWWVWMWUVUW
CHRISTMAS
RECESS
ENDS AT
10:00 P. M.
JANUARY
2. 1960
UMmWUWUWIMWIWVMAAAM
tfWWVUUVWVWWVWWIAAAAM
♦
Joyeux Noel
El Bonne Annee
♦
f
Noche de Paz
(Silent Night)
Noche de paz, Noche de amor
Todo duerma en derredor.
Entre los actros
Que esparcen sus luz
Bello, anunciando
Al minito Jesus
Brilla la estrella de paz
Brilla la estrella de paz.
Noche de paz, Noche de amor,
Oye humilda el fiel pastor,
Coros celestes que anuncian salud,
Gracias y glorias en gran pleni-
tud,
Por miestro buen Redentor.
Por miestra buen Redentor.
—Joycelyn Daszelle McKissick
THE ATLANTA SIT-INS
The recent Atlanta Sit-Ins resulted in the arrest of over
seventy students from the University Center, along with The
Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. The sentence which Dr. King
received caused the public to become even more aroused and
interested. Red China brought up the Sit-Ins in the United
Nations General Assembly; Senator John Kennedy had to
make a stand; Mayor Hartsfield and Dr. Manley spoke their
opinions on the demonstrations. The general public opinion
was that the Sit-Ins were executed in just the right manner
to get results. Some people thought that Jail vs. Bail was
drastic; others thought that it was the right thing today, and
still others thought that some lesser means could have been
taken to get the same results. As a whole, all the students at
Spelman were for the movement. Here are some opinions in
tne form of a symposium.
I. How did the recent Sit-Ins affect you and your partici
pation? Did your parents approve of your participation in
the Sit-Ins?
HOUSTON, TEXAS . . . Neena Shelton, Marcelite Jordon,
Johnetta Anderson, Faye Jones: Even though our parents did
not want us to become directly involved in the Sit-Ins, we
all picketed.
Ida Rose McCree: Being a Negro, an American, and a
member of the University Center, I felt it was my duty to
participate in the Sit-Ins because of their significance in the
struggle for Human Rights. My parents felt that I should
decide the degree of demonstrations in which I should partici
pate.
Louise Bell Steward: After having graduated from an
integrated high school in Austin, Texas I was willing to
participate in any form of protest to show that Negores are
tired of being on the ground. I participated in the Sit-Ins and
picketing at home, and my parents were naturally for it.
Lorna Hosein: Because I have not received my citizenship
papers to this country yet, I was unable to participate in the
protest. I am for it all the way, and I hope to participate at
another time.
Elizabeih Parnell: I really sympathize with the Southern
students, and I feel they are doing something worthwhile. I
would like to have participated in the demonstrations, but
for personal reasons, I was unable to do so. I feel that if our
parents and grandparents had taken a forward step, as we
are doing, there would be no form of segregation today.
II. How did the recent Sit-Ins affect you?
If you had a daughter in college, would you have let her
participate?
Mrs. Howard: I am very sympathetic toward the Sit-Ins.
If I were physically able, I would not mind picketing. If I had
a daughter. I would not mind her picketing, or sitting in, but
I would not want her to go to jail.
Miss Taylor I had quite a bit of anxiety. Some of the
girls, I felt, were deeply concerned about what they were
doing, but others were doing it to get publicity. I don’t think
I would have let a daughter of mine go to jail. There will be
occasions in her life when she will be asked . . . Have you ever
been to jail? Have you ever served time? Have you ever
been fingerprinted? I would like her answers to be NO. There
may not be time on applications, etc., for her to explain that
it was with the Sit-Ins, or in connection the principles behind
the Movement. This might even prevent her from getting a
good job.
I believe that the Atlanta Sit-Ins are the climax to the
great story of the Negroes Fight for Freedom. The Sit-Ins
shook the nation and the world. They demonstrated how all
the people, who are members of minority races, feel. Rich's
and Davison’s are particularly feeling the pressure. It
seems odd that Davison’s being a member of the same chain
as Macy’s should not agree to integrate.
The United States’ policy must be changed. Since this
is an election year, this makes the issue more outstanding.
Kennedy and Nixon must take a definite stand, and the peoples
of the world must decide for themselves to be against all
forms of segregation.
Whether the Mayor’s committee will accomplish anything
is yet to be seen. We can only hope for the best.