The Bennett Banner [Greensboro, N.C.: February 1947]

              FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
College Home-coming—Page 1
Scholarship—Page 8
Jones Heads College G r o u p -
Page 1
THE BENNETT BANNER F^tJCollegB ^ W
STUDENT PUBLICATION OF BENNETT COLLEGE
KQ.WELCOME
GRADUATES
VOLUME XVI GREENSBORO, N. C, FEBRUARY, 1947 NUMBER 2
BENNETT PREXY HEADS COLLEGE GROUI
Photographer catches Miss Betty Powers, '47, Senate President,
chatting with Dr. Wang.
Chinese Educator Visits Campus
The recent visit of Dr. Lucy C.
Wang to our campus proved to be
both interesting and informative. Dr.
Wang, one of China's leading women
educators, was the vesper speaker
Sunday, January 19, 1947 and also
spoke to several student groups
while here.
President of Hwa Nan College, Poo-chow,
China, since 1930, Dr. Wang,
during the war, supervised the col­lege's
activities iu Nanping, a city
140 miles north of Foochow, where
siudents and faculty fled when the
Japanese army i nvaded. Although
the campus in Foochow was com­pletely
wrecked, the college was re­established
in Nanping in crowded
and temporary quarters and for eight
years a program of increasing use­fulness
and strength was carried on.
Despite limitations in equipment
and materials, Dr. Wang courageous.
!y set to work to repair buildings
and collect, equipment immediately
after V-J day. By March 1946 classes
were started, and four months later
uie 1946 class of twenty-five gradu­ated.
Brought up in central China, Dr.
Wang at an early age was sent to a
mission School to learn English and
science. In 1913 she and her sister
entered the Preparatory Department
of Hwa Nan College where Dr. Wang
remained until she completed her
sophomore year. She came to the
United States in 1919 for the first
time and became a student at Morn-ingside
College in Iowa, graduating
in 1921. In 1935 her alma mater
conferred on her the honorary de-degree
of LL. D.
Dr. Wang continued her studies
'•y taking advantage of the Barbour
Scholarship which she won and
graduated with a M.A. degree from
(Continued On Page Four)
Jjanner Associate
Editor Graduates
Gwendolyn Alexander, associate
editor of the Bennett Banner, signs
"30" as she graduates at the close
of this semester.
"Gwen" has been on the Banner
staff for three years during which
time she has proven to be a capable
and enjoyable worker.
The editor and members of the
staff take this opportunity to bid
her "God-speed" as she Journeys out
into a life which we hope will be
-twice as full, rich 'anlMftrBCEssful as
^ B e n n e t t . * " ^ W P ^ !
Report on I he Nat 1
Student Conference
By GWEN ALEXANDER
Student Delegate
Meeting at the University of Chi­cago,
on December 28, 29, and 30,
more than 500 students from col­leges
and universities throughout the.
nation voiced a need for a national
f-.t.ndent organization i.nd.began plans
lor its formation.
•Among the aims of the prospective
National Student Organization (NSO)
nre the following:
1. To secure for all people the
equal right and possibility of pri­mary,
secondary, and higher educa­tion
regardless of sex, economic cir­cumstances,
social standing, political
conviction, religion, color or race.
2. To secure for students an ex­tensive
system of governmental and
private scholarships and family al­lowances,
the provision of text books,
r.nd school supplies free of charge,
and all other means of assuring ma­terial
independence wherever neces.
sary. , ...'
3. To secure free medical treat­ment
for students through medical
insurance - - the fees for which
should be included in the tuition.
4. To work toward complete stu­dent
government and faculty student
cooperation on all campuses.
5. To develop friendship and un­derstanding
among students.
After deciding upon these tenta­tive
aims, the students suggested
activities through which these aims
might be achieved. These activities'
include a publicity program involving
(Continued On Page Four)
Representative From
Council Lor Social
Action Visits J~lere
Rev. John B. Hanna, D. D., of New
York City, a member of^ the Council
fot Social Action of the Congrega­tional
church visited Bennett College
the week of January 6.
As church counsellor for the
Social Action Council, Dr. Hanna
visits local churches, assisting them
in the establishment of church com-
•mittees for study and action on social
problems. These groups seek to de­velop
and express a Christian con­science
on local, national, and Inter­national
problems such as race re­lations
and fair employment prac­tices.
In speaking to several classes,
Dr. Hanna told of the Christian So­cial
Techniques, as he named them,
which are proving to be quite effect­ive.
First of all, there must be a
type of individual conversion that
leads eventually to color-blindness
in the sense of segregatory-discrim-inatory
practices because of race or
color. Secondly, Christian-Social Act.
ion Committees should be employed.
Thirdly, the technique of political
action should be used - - a good
hand written letter to your senator
or your representatives or to your
favorite or unfavorite newspaper
columnist. Fourth, the use of eye
catching posters and publications to
draw public attention. These are
interesting and well worth experi­menting"-
if^ one is iutei usied ~ in
championing for better social condi­tions.
Virginia State 1 layers
1 resent Guardsman
Shakespeare once said, "All the
world's a stage, and all the men and
women merely players; they have
their exits and their entrances; and
one man in his time plays' many
parts . . ."
The quotation was dramatized on
Thursday and Friday nights, January
9 and 10, when The Bennett College
Thespians presented the Virginia
State College Players in The "Guards­man"
by F'erenc Molnar..
The theme of the play is based on
the disagreements that arise between
a jealous husband and wife whom
he thinks is fickle. The husband, a
famous stage actor disguises himself
£.5 a Russian guardsman and woos
his wife in the attempt to test her
love for him.
As the play progresses the husband
accuses the wife of being untrue, the
usual argument follows, but the play
takes a turn with an unusual end.
ing. The wife announces to her hus-
(Continued On Page Four)
Congressional Chaos
By DOROTHY ARNOLD, '48
All was quiet In the Senate when
"The Man" Bilbo made a hasty re­treat
to his native Mississippi for an
emergency jaw operation. It's his
cancer bothering him again. Although
beaten down he has not given up
hope, for he has promised that he
shall return and continue his fight'
for his rightful seat in the Senate.
Thus the new Congress is able to
breath easy and settle down to more
important problems. The Republican
Mouse starts off with a bang by
naming Representative Knutson as
its chairman. Knutson says the Re­publicans
are out for conservatism,
and will strive to cut down on nation,
ai expenditures. He proposes a new
tax bill which will cut the per cent
income tax 20 per cent. He also sug­gests
cutting taxes on luxuries.
The Republican House is also
launching full speed ahead on labor
issues. They plan to set' up rigid
labor control without delay. Their
main points of attack will be the re­vised
Case Bill, changes in the Wag­ner
Labor Act, and banning the closed
shop.
President Truman in his state of
the Union message to the Eightieth
Congress promised cooperation with
the Republicans. His message touch­ed
on such domestic issues as fi­nance,
labor, universal military
training, health insurance ,and agri­culture.
He requested that the pres­ent
excise tax be extended for an.
jother year. He._ agreed that some­thing
must be done about" the labor
situation, but warned against vindic
tive laws.
Further complicating an already
confusing situation is James F.
Byrnes' resignation as Secretary of
State because of medical reasons
(Continued On Page Four)
.Home Ec Club
Begins 1 rojected
-Dook Campaign
The Home Economics Club has
launched a program to raise $300
with which to buy projected read­ing
machines. One Is to be for the
local hospital - - L. Richardson Me­morial
and another for Tuskegee
Institute.
The projected reading machine
works on a similar process of a movie
machine and by the simple operation'
by the invalid enables him to rea^i
all the current best sellers and edu­cational
material. Each machine sella
for $150 complete with a set of the
latest literature.
The campaign will be extended
into the community as well as on
the Bennett campus.
College Alumnae Anticipate lvecord Attend ance
At Annual nome-Coming, Recital Is Highlight
Extensive plans are being made by
the Bennett College Graduate As­sociation
for their annual home­coming
to be held at the college the
•week-end of March 7-9.
Highlighting this year's events
will be the recital by Mrs. Jessie Lee
Dickson, who graduated in the class
of 1934. Mrs. Dickson, a lyric so­prano,
will be presented by the As­sociation
Friday evening, March 7,
in the college chapel at 8:15 p. m.
The artist received her founda­tion
training in music wnile at
Bennett, and since that time has
studied with the late Dr. Rogers
of Montreal, Canada, and Dr.
George Harris, a former artist of
the Metropolitan Opera Company,
and is now Professor of Voice at
'.he Professional Institute of Muisc
in Richmond, Virginia.
Mrs. Dickson has given numer­ous
recitals throughout the north
and south for churches, high
schools and colleges. At present
She is an instructor at the Russel
Grove High School, Amelia, Vir­ginia.
The home coming schedule is a
full one with registration begin­ning,
Friday afternoon, March 7, in!
Pfeiffer Hall. Folowing the recital
Friday evening, the annual alumnae
dance will be held in Thirkield
Gymnasium. Music will be furnished,
by the Rhythm Vets. Co-chairman of
the affair are Misses: Daphne Law-son
and Geraldine Avery. Saturday's
events include the alumnae lunch­eon,
a business meeting in Holgate
Lounge; and an informal get-to-geth-er
in the college gym, presided over
by Mrs. Dorothy Smith, chairman.
The session will conclude Sunday
afternoon at the regular college ves­per
service with Bennett graduates
officiating.
First Negro To
Oola 1 residency
PRESIDENT DAVID D. JONES
In special chapel services, Thurs­day
morning, January 23, the Ben.
nett family paid due tribute to its
president, Dr. David D. Jones, honor­ing
his recent election as the first
Negro president of the National As.
isociation of Schools and Colleges
of the Methodist Church1.1'!
The association, of which Presi­dent
Jones formerly served as vice,
president, held its eighth annual
meeting, January 15-16, at the Hotel
Sltatler In Boston, Mass. Dr. Jones
succeeds Dr. Charles B. Ketchum.
president of Mount Union College?,'
Alliance, Ohio, who presided over the
two day session.
The organization Is . composed of
more than 130 presidents of Metho­dist
Colleges throughout the coun-tiy.
Its object is to raise the acade.
inic standing of the member instil l-
'tions and to help obtain financial
(Continued On Page Three)
Camden Girl elected
Dennett JVlay -Queen
Miss Tena Levy, senior, from
Camden, South Carolina, was recent­ly
elected May Queen by the student
body. Miss Levy, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. W. W. Levy, is a graduate
of Mather Academy and an element­ary
education major. She is an active
member of the Marshall Board and
the Student Senate Cabinet.
Her senior attendants will be
Misses: Barbara Sanford, Ports,
mouth, Va.; Inez Cannon, Lenoir, N.
C; and Marcheta Whitfield, Bing­ham
ton, N. Y,
Last year Miss Ellen McClester,
now Mrs. Cornell Kirkland, alsa
from Camden, ruled the cour'.
Bennett Graduates
1 wo, Semester Closes
Bennett College graduates two
students at the end of the first se-imester.
They are Misses: Gwendolyn
Alexander of Philadelphia, Pennsyl.
vania and Sallle Leach of Ramseur,
North Carolina.
Miss Alexander, our "Student of
the Month" (see page 2') is now
teaching at the Second Ward High,
School, Charlotte, N. C. She plans to
enter graduate school in September.
Miss Leach, a sociology major also
plans to work until September at
which time she will enter 'graduate
school. Miss Leach has been an active
member of the Book Lover's Club,
the Junior Choir, the Y.W.C.A., and
the Little Theatre Guild.