Montreat Anderson College - Agape / Sundial Yearbook (Montreat, NC)

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CHARACTER THE SCHOOLS SPECIALTY THE SI N DIAL 15 The Montrcat Normal School a few years ago was only a dream. To- day it is a great reality, a living force, full of beauty, hope and aspiration. With a faculty of twelve and a stu- dent body of one hundred and fifteen, animated by one spirit, one aim and ambition to attain the best in school life, the future is bright and the past is not to be ashamed of. Few schools have attained so high standards in so short a time. It was born of faith, without a visible means of support. It has been nourished and fostered by Christian love, and in the brief time of nine years it has grown from a very small beginning to a school of no mean proportions. Yet its excellency does not consist in size, but in character. It is a standardized Hifh School and two-year Normal course, yet it majors in the major things of life. Its ideals are as high as the surround- ing mountains; its motives are as pure as the mountain air it breathes; its beauty is as rare and exquisite as the mountain flowers in spring time; its spirit is as joyful as the laughter of rippling brooks or as sweet as the loveliest notes of the song bird that fill the forest with music; its charac- ter and spirit arc in perfect accord with its environment—genuine, nat- ural. grand and beautiful. Every mountain peak, every flower, every song bird and crystal steam has its message, but supremely the message of the inspired Word is a living force for character building. On the cheeks and lips of the Montrcat girls are Nature’s exquisite tints which other girls, as poor artists, are trying to imitate. They are trained and taught to have the same honest, gen- uine and noble qualities of soul which many others vainly attempt to coun- terfeit. In a word, the Montrcat Normal not only stands for learning and scholarship, but supremely for the fine art of living in a true and genu- ine way. In the Montreat Normal modesty, gentleness, trust and love adorns the highest type of womanhood. Every member of the school, both faculty and student body, is a professing Christian, and to a remarkable de- gree their lives ring true to their pro- fession. This is as it should be. for the community is first of all a Chris- tian community and the school a Christian school, and this means the best. The Montreat Normal has grown and must continue to grow by the ir- resistible force of its own merit. No one has ever gone out in search of students, but students of high char- acter, who appreciate and desire the best, have sought the school. As the years go by, students will come in ever increasing numbers, and better and better provision will be made to meet their needs, until the school at- tains the highest standards of a normal college, thoroughly furnished and equipped to send out the highest grade of Christian teachers. Why Presbyterian Church in the United States specially designed and equipped to furnish the highest type of teach- ers? This would meet the greatest need of our educational system today. Our boys and girls must oe taught not only the academic courses, but also the art of right living in relation to God and man. With such aim and purposes, the school can confidently expect the best men and women to give their hearty co-operation and support in making these ideals realities. OCR LATIN DEPARTMENT. For many years now Latin has had to endure countless hard knocks at the hands of its enemies; but as a newspaper editor jocosely, yet truly, remarks, “News of the death of the Latin language is greatly exagger- ated. And he continues, evidently with real sympathy for the under- dog of our modern curriculum, “The trouble with Latin is that those who wrote the eloquent obituary notices for the language hated to have them belied by the least sign of continuing vitality. They had said that the tongue of Horace ami Virgil was ex- tinct, ami they were bound it should remain dead as they had declared it. But it is still at work as vitalizing, energizing principle in spoken and written language. A famous publishing house is ad- vertising a series of Latin text-books for high school use. “Latin,” runs their advertisement, “is coming back Why? Because it has been discov- ered that Latin is not a dead lan- guage. That it is a vital factor in our own mother tongue.” Yes. Latin is undoubtedly coming back, and there are many indications that so far as general conditions arc concerned there are brighter days ahead. For that very reason, it seems to me the more important that we should take time t oconsider the Latin situation in our own school. Until recently, North Carolina re- quired at least two years of Latin for graduation from an accredited high school, and only in special cases might a principal allow a pupil to substitute some other subject. In those days we bail in our Latin classes probably 80 per cent of our students. Two years ago the State withdrew Latin from the list of required subjects and made it an elective. Today we find only 30 per cent of our students studying Latin. If this has happened with us, we may be sure that something sim- ilar has happened in many other North Carolina schools. For boys and girls who arc hoping to go to college or who may unexpectedly have an opportunity of going to college, there is danger of a serious mistake in planning their high school course. The needed word of warning I ven- ture to quote at some length from the current number of “The Classical Journal”: “One of the principal difficulties the colleges have to contend with is that candidates for entrance come to us will their high school curriculum at loose ends—no foreign language, perhaps, particularly no Latin, no history, not enough mathematics. They may obtain admission, but they arc handicapped. Many of them ex- pected to go to college throughout their high school course. A little sound advice would have saved them a great deal of trouble and grief— just as a little counsel regarding the necessity of French and German for graduate study would save many a college student from emberrassment after graduation. The high school principal need not approve of Latin, yet may inform likely candidates for college entrance of the fact that most colleges do think it desirable, that in many Eastern colleges it is still com- pulsory.” In this school we are fortunate in having a principal who heartily ap- proves of Latin and who would gladly allow all our pupils to elect at least two years of Latin. The teachers also, apparently without exception, realize the value of the subject. The attitude of indifference or antagonism to Latin seems, then, to belong en- tirely to the high school pupil ami especially to the pupil who has never opened a Latin book for serious study. Believing that the situation might be helped if a few of its friends would speak a kind word for Latin, late in tlic school year I called for volun- teers to hand in brief statements of the values they had found in the lan- guage. The response was most grati- fying; but only a summing up of the

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14 THE SUN DIAL The Lake well known voice of Mr. Woodward say in its well known tone. “The (ahem!) meeting will come to order and we will begin on the deportment grades at once. There was a short pause, and Mr. Woodward began calling the roll: Abernathy.” From all reports. Abernathy had been good—hadn’t chewed gum. been the least bit unladylike or talked much in study hall. (It must be a blessing to be able to be good.) All rather.” Allfather had not been very bad. either: so she. too. got by easily. At last they got to “Beck.” and here was the first real discussion. “Irene is terrible. It was Mrs. Woodward speaking. 'I try to make her behave, but I can't do a thing with her.” fff No. agreed Mrs. Miller, in a most decisive voice. She needs to be taught to behave, and until she Itarns her lesson she need not expect more than a D.” “Yes. listen. Mss Tripp’s usual interjection. “She’s always chewing Beck got a D. “Castleman, R. Significant silence for the space of several seconds. “Don’t you really think Ruth is giggling a little less and perhaps studying a little more?” Mrs. Dor- sey always did chamuion Ruth, and spoke now with conviction. tff “Wcll( maybe a little.” Miss Gordon was almost obdurate and a bit too wary. “Oh, give her a C ami be «lone with it: we’ve only gotten to the C's and an hour is almost gone. Of course this was Miss McGirt. the speed and efficiency housewife expert. “Chapman.” No silence this time. Oh. dear.” Miss Dickinson's soft vo.ee broke in. Kate and Eva do keep a dreadful room, and that would have to lower thwr deportment, would it not?” And another thing. Miss Miller brightene«l up with, “they are so noisy. It is terrible to have to room next to them.” What?” Mrs. Webb was on the defensive. “Kate and Eva? Why, I think they make real good neigh- bors. Dearest me. I am as close to them as you are. and they don’t wer- ry me a bit.” iff With this to defend her. Kate came out with a B. All went along quite peaceably now till they reached— “Murray.” “Well. Dorothy seems all right since the swimming escapade. It was Miss Webb. “Yes. quite well. agreed Miss Mc- Laughlin; but. think, she might have drowned! How can girls be so foolish? “Humph! this from Miss Setser. “She ought to get E for that, but she doesn’t go swimming at any such hour since she is on my corridor. Here I fell asleep and dreamed that all good little g r! were bad am! all ead little girs were good. B. Foster. Mrs. Dorsey—“A bipe«! is some- thing that goes on two feet. Can you name one Myrtice? Mvrtice Smith—“Yes. ma'am, a pair of stockings.”

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i6 THE SUN DIAL numerous papers can be given here. Practically all the papers state that Latin has cleared up many difficulties in English grammar ami has given an increased English vocabulary. As one pupil aptly expresses it. Latin is in itself an English dictionary. A for- eign born pupil says that in one year of Latin she has learned more new English words than ever before. Sev- eral pupils think that their knowledge of Latin has made biology and mathe- matics easier, because they have been able to recognize the meaning of technical terms. A broader knowl- edge of Roman history and of Greek and Roman mythology is mentioned, and an awakening to the fact that human nature is the same in all ages. Of significance is a girl's statement that she has been surprised to find Latin much easier than she had heard it would be. and a boy's statement htat Latin can be mastered with ease if every lesson is studied properly and thoroughly.’ To those, then, who are undecided as to what subjects they will study next year, our Latin department is beckoning eagerly, ome on in—the waters' fine! M. M. M. GRADUATES OF 1924 The five girls who went out from the Normal class last year are a credit to their Alma Mater. Myrtle Foster, the class President, has recently completed a year of work as principal of a one-teacher school at Campobello. S. C. She received high commendation from the superintend- ent. Vela Smith, who wishes to attain even greater heights of learning, is at Flora MacDonald, and is distinguish- ing herself in her work there as she did here. Mary Kimbrell, our Student Body President of ’24-‘25, is teaching pri- mary grades in Rosman. N. C. Her fine work has been reported to us. Pauline Whitlow i teaching tin- sixth grade in Tobaccovillc. S. C. She has done well in a difficult work. Clara Lee Wilson is teaching the fir-t grade in Emma, N. C.. where we arc sure she is winning the hearts of her pupils. We are proud of the record of the class of 'twenty-five. The following letter from Cather- ine Ruel was received recently by a company which manufactures corn syrup: Dear Sirs: Tho I have taken six cans of your corn sirup, my feet are no better now than when I started. A SCHOOL WITHOUT MR. WOODWARD If you arc interested in it. I will tell you in a minute How the situation seemed When 1 dreamed. I was dreaming of a school without Mr. Woodward. What a sorry sort of place. What a form without a face. What a curious, fussy case. It would be. Don’t care how much he preaches. 'Bout all that his instinct teaches, It's a call into the office. For his charms. Who would soothe our burning brains? Who would charm away our pains? Who could silence our complaining? Who could answer for our training? Now. who could ? Who would make us walk a chalk? Who would teach us how to talk? Who would make us duly civil ? Who would save us from the devil? 'Fell me. who? And. besides a list of ‘naughts.’ Who would execute the ‘oughts’? Who on Monday would keep us in? Who would even check our sin? ’Like to know.” “Who knows all these things are true? Who knows these are just a few? Who knows hundreds more mishaps. Would be without him, perhaps? Why, you do. And me, too. And I’m thankful, through and through That my dream has not come true.” THE BEAUTIFUL SNOW. The Beautiful Snow? The sheen and the glow? The whiteness and purity blent? Yes, but love it? O no! Why? If you must know Tis the afterwards which I lament. O the slush! O the sqush! Of the ooze and the sqooze, When one tries to walk out in the snow! The slips and tips And the wild bows and bips When one walks in the soft melting snow! You may talk and may squalk Of the beautiful walk, When the whiteness sinks up to your knees; I will whine and complain, Long for bountiful rain To dissolve this “pure snow if you please I Take your joy; no alloy Come to mar nor to scar Your delight in this beautiful snow My complaint, wild and quaint This sad. hopeless plaint For a path where my feet safely go! A clean path where my foot goes down SO! A most solid stand In cement or sand, NOT in beautiful, beautiful SNOW. Roberta C. Webb.