Oriole and Tower-Light, 1922-1927, Part 133

Author: Maryland State Normal School (Towson, Md.)
Publication date: 1922-1927
Publisher: Maryland State Normal School (Towson, Md.)
Number of Pages: 1024

USA > Maryland > Baltimore County > Towson > Oriole and Tower-Light, 1922-1927 > Part 133

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The right of all of us to have a salary which removes from us the fear of economic danger when we grow old, is another consideration. The teaching profession will help us to get a sense of the economy of life. Salaries of teachers are not large in proportion to other professions. And this is something for us to think with the other type of children I about. first said, "one" and they turned. Protection of life is another point -all of us in every walk of life get protection from something. No one is absolutely free from the need of protection from someone. To feel that we protect someone from some- thing from which they canuot protect themselves, adds to a sense of peace and good living. I again revert to religion in life. Then I said "two" and they all sat down. This class did not do that. They squirmed in and sat down. Big boys came rushing in, the kind that look as if their clothes are too small for them. They took a look at me and decided that the back of the room was the best place to get the most out of that hour. I saw some people fighting over a chair. This These are the things so worth- while that, no matter where you are teaching, nor on what level you are teochiug, if you keep them in your mind, you are growing. To feel that you are having and giving the right kind of affection, and that you are keeping that adventure and sense of protection (as all of these things come to us with hardships) make us feel we can stand the storm, and we can say in the end that the game was worth the candle .- Delma Holden, Sr. 3. was a free school. They had mova- hle desks. They really might have heen called collapsible. They all sat down became very still, and looked at me. I did not have a lesson plan; in fact, I wanted to send out for one. But, I said to myself. I am going to take this as an adventure with young people hecause I am after something -a power and ability that they do not know they have. I did know it. I put my hand into my pocket, in my hewilderment, and discovered some manuscripts. The fact was, that I had just left a young chap, whom I think a great deal of, who writes Teacher-"What does the fat do when it gets in the stomach?" beautiful poetry. My guess is that Mary-"Greases the organs." sometime you will have to know him. Miss Orcntt (in Math class )- "Who has a hand with a minute watch on it?" His name is Roy Helton, and he is a Kentucky boy. He is always telling tales about these boys as he Knows them. When his work is really com-

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TOWER LIGHT

December, 1926

pleted, he is going to call it "Ken- tucky Carnals." To continue my story. I had three or four of those poems in my pocket, and I talked about him. He is six feet 3 inches tall, and being a Kentucky boy, he has the Kentucky drawl. Because some of my people were Kentuckians, and I lived there, my memory is one of a drawling voice. So they lis- tened because in my description, they saw the picture of the man as I knew him. I will give you some notion of what the effect of his poem was on an eighth grade. It was called "Old Xmas." In Kentucky, Old Xmas is twelve days after the real Xmas. At such time you must keep your door open because the spirits walk about and might want to come in. So, on the night of Old Xmas, you are in a dilemma, for you must keep awake and keep the door open. Martha sat up on Old Xmas night. She had heard two shots and wondered who could be hunting at this time of the night.

"It is only Sue walking in the moon- light,

Be'en you come in on Old Xmas, Sue ? No, I be'en come in on Old Xmas, Martha.

Where you been. Sue?

I been to the graveyard, Martha. But I heard shot.

I· killed the man that killed my man on Old Xmas, Martha,

But I heard two shots, Sue!

Yes. You heard two shots. One was for me and the other was for my man,

I been dead in the graveyard, Mar- tha!

They rushed on me, and I was out of poetry. I did not know what to do. I don't remember now what I did the rest of that period. I talked to them and tried first, to talk my way into other things. I was ill at ease. One girl looked at me and said:

"Who is this man, and what is he teaching?"

Reply: "He is the English teach- er "

Then she frowned, because the pre- vious English teacher had been try- ing an experiment to see if they could carry it out. He had taught them all the grammar he could think of, and they disliked it. She said to me,

"Are we going to have grammar?" Then they looked at me.

The jury looked at me so as to say gullty or not guilty. So I knew we were not going to have grammar. I had forgotten the technique of the classroom. This is it-if, in my judgment, this class needs grammar, this class will have grammar. Now, sometimes, teachers do tell the truth. We have pumped up a kind of af- fected Interest, and sometimes we

fool ourselves and are interested. So but boys begin to throw things around. So she quickly said:

1 said:

"I do not think so, I do not use it myself."

They looked at me in amazement. My teacher friends do use grammar, but I do not know many teachers. My writer friends do too, but that is not their real interest. It is writing. You have written something and you know it is good, or your friend has written a good poem. You say to your friend 'I would like to see it,' and if you are honest about it, he will give it to you. You read it and what do you do? You are moved

in some way by it. If it does not do this, then the work is of no value. The object of writing is to do some- thing to you. The writer can hire somebody to fix it up, grammatically, afterwards. The editor can fix it a little more, but as far as the writer is concerned, he thinks little of gram- mar . We do not know what good usage is and most of it is out of style. In this class, we copied down the words that they used and soon found that they did not need gram- mar. We did find one type of mis- take in the class. They could not use "each" and "every" without put-

told the class about my writing poetry and that my family did not like it very much. I also told them that this didn't make me any differ- ent and that I just kept on writing it. They broke into laughter at this. One boy actually fell on the floor while laughing and stayed there roaring aloud. Then I noticed that, in all this excitement, three girls stood up like chimney stacks. By

made us friends. Then, while they laughed and roared as much as they pleased, the bell rang, and I isolated the three girls. I told them I want- ed their poetry. They looked amazed. They said:

"How did you know we wrote poetry ?"

"Well, if I do, you will not get it, for I do not propose to be made a subject of such laughter as the children gave forth."

I turned toward the desk, then I turned again and said:

"Do your work and bring it in and hand it to me."

I have always waited for a pub- lisher to invite me to write and you may wait a long time too. Then too I have been invited to write by people who did not pay anything. However, the next day, two commun- ications came to my drawer. Then a third, but the girl watched me for a long time before she put one there. You cannot just lok at a poem and say that it is very good, or touch up this punctuation. They expect a dif- ferent result. I found out that I could not read their poetry in their presence. It was too much like hav- ing an epileptic fit in public. So I began to put it in a poetry pocket, and they began to pour it into this drawer. To me these are absolutely essential methods of technique. There was a volume of poetry of astonish- ing character, and I talked to the ling a plural pronoun with it. I also girl about it. She asked if I would found that the staff made the same mistake. So I decided that we would use the word "all," and that settled it. I did find work and action in my eighth grade for five years, and that was where my book "Creative Youth" was compiled. like to see it, whereupon, I said that I would. I did see it, and in It I found a treasure. I also found out that a boy had some rich material but would not give it to me. I did not ask him, but just waited until it came to me. That is my method. Everyone writes poetry. I get a certain fun out of it personally. I It finally came to me through the other boys who had persuaded him to give it to them.

I would like to tell you of some of the things I really did get as re- sults of this outgrowing thing, the writing of poetry. Those children did not know what I came there for and they only came to know about me later. They saw me in the "Who's Who," and thought it was my father. Out of the sixty who went through five years there with me, there was not one but came out with the development of artistic per- sonality, which was measurable in

that time, I had acquired great poise. That was really my reason for tell- ing them this. It was pretended ef- fort on my part. That was what music, or writing, or readings, and other arts. Some of their material at first was very shocking and I of- ten wondered how long I would have to accept this work without scolding them for it, but we really enjoyed it together.

They soon became such a master- ful lot that people used to come In They thought I had some uncan- just to see them and admire them. ny, mysterious power with me. Two I wish I had a chance to give you of them giggled, and the other ac- some of the material I could not tually frightened me; and I have al- publish. I would also like to show ways been ill at ease in her pres- ence. When a girl gets scared, she things that occurred. you some of the type of shocking They even argued with me by accusing me that

gets very calm and looks as though she has the most poise in the world, my years were against me and that

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TOWER LIGHT

December, 1926.

I had certain prejudices that seemed to handicap me. They seemed to be a pretty hard boiled crowd there at times. But if you go into this kind of adventure, you go into It with a kind of danger and you may even be accused of corrupting youth. But I know that the total result of all my work and efforts is good.

At this point Mr. Mearns read two poems to the audience. One was thing more valuable-the admiration written by a boy in his class. It was and respect of all of our young men.

called "Confessional." It was truly a very beautiful poem, was called "It's Long." DELMA HOLDEN, Sr. 3.

SOCIAL CHAT.

November the thirteenth proved to be a Red Letter Day for our Home- comers! We Normalites gladly wel_ comed our old friends home again. In the morning, the graduates of former years attended a meeting,

after which they were given a lunch- eon. The next magnet was the Pest vs. Normal hockey game, at which we all got rid of a great deal of sur- plus energy through cheering.

"With songs and dance we celebrate the day,

And with due honors usher in the May."

Figuratively speaking, we did cele- brate the day with dancing, and we ushered in the May-the blossoming teachers.

Who gave that nice party to the men students of Normal School on December the fourth? In answer to this question our minds recognize our hostesses as Miss Rudd and Miss Sperry.

On this date each man chose his favorite damsel, and lead her to our kitchen. Everyone enjoyed making candy. The dance music for

the evening was furnished by some grad- uates of our "model school." In addition to the good old social danc- ing, Miss Roach introduced some spe- cial dances, including the "Broom Dance" and the "Virginia Reel." Miss Roach, our new athletic teacher, has proved herself a capable leader, serving in any capacity, and we are glad to have her with us.

There are many other social af- fairs, too numerous to mention, that make Normal School a live, desira- ble school to attend .- Ellen N. Clark.

LOOKS SUSPICIOUS.

In music class Emily-"When shall we see Mr. Nilssen?"

Miss McEachern-"Oh, not until Wednesday night. You know I have to keep him under lock and key until then."

Athletics.

FROSTBURG LIKES US!

November 19, 1926. My dear Miss Tall:

Our soccer team won a game last week, but your school won some-

I want to express my appreciation

The other personally, for the hospitality ex- tended to all of us. We feel that, next to Frostburg, we belong to the

Reporter. Maryland State Normal School at Towson.

Sincerely yours, RAYMOND M. FRETZ.

SOCCER.

The soccer team is still giving a credible account of itself. The lat- est scores have been:

1-Frostburg 3.

5-Forest Park 0.

1-City College 4.

2-City College 1.

1-Tome 1.

1-Western Maryland 2.

The Frostburg defeat was a real surprise to the Normal followers. Ben Artigiana, the Frostburg coach, had his boys keyed to play a brilliant game. Normal lost but proved her fighting spirit by scoring a goal in the closing minutes of play.

The outstanding features of our games are due to the fact that Nor- mal refuses to concede victory to any team as long as the game con- tinnes. This was proved in the fol- lowing games. Early in the season Forest Park played us to a scoreless tie, but in our last encounter Nor- mal defeated them decisively 5 to 0. The same holds true of the City Col- lege game. Few teams would have had much heart in the game after they had been defated by a 4 to 1 score, but this didn't seem to phase our boys in the least. The result of this game was a 2 to 1 victory for us.

The boys from Western Maryland College, although aided by a four year college course, defeated us by the narrow margin of two goals to one.

However, we play them again, so don't be surprised if Normal con- tinues the good work and ends the season with a win over the West- minster Collegians.

HARRY T. MURPHY.

HOCKEY.

Speaking of hockey! Let us tell you a little about what we've been doing this year.

The first big event was the Pest

vs. Normal game, held on the home- coming week-end. You all probably know the score. Normals 2-Pests 1. The next games of importance were the two Senior vs. Junior games; the Seniors being the hard- earned victors. These two teams were composed of the best hockey players in the Senior and Junior classes.

Then, too, there were the inter- section games. The winning team representing the Juniors were the "Reds," while the Senior victory was divided between "The Middies" and the "Laundry Squad." These last two teams mentioned were unable to get ahead of one another, the result- ing score, in two games played, being a tie.

The last game of the season was played on an ice-covered field and seemed more like a game of ice- hockey than field hockey. This was the final game between the winners of the Junior and Senior inter-sec- tion games. The resulting score was 4-0 in favor of the seniors.

Now that the season for hockey is over, we can look back upon it as being both an enjoyable and success- ful season for all those who partici- pated in this branch of athletics.

CRAFT CLUB.

Don't you know anything about us? Well, I think you do. We're the only art club in the school. We've been rather quiet so far, but "still water runs deep." You'll hear more about us. That's it-say it- Craft Club. We've certainly had some good meetings this year.

Oh, by the way; you don't know our officers. Ida Schorr is presi- dent; ; Mary Alice Mobley, vice- president; Elizabeth Van Sant, sec_ retary; Margaret Peele, treasurer, and Louise Zimmerman social chair- man. Our two ever-ready helpful advisers are Mrs. McCord and our new Miss Eckford. So there, now you know us. Every year it is cus- tomary to "take in" nine Juniors. Well, we did so, and since we wanted to welcome them, we gave them a little "feed." All the Juniors bad to express their ideas by drawing on the board. Since then we have been working during our meetings. We've planned to do some special thing in each term. This term we're going to-but I'm not going to let you know. Wait until the first of De- cember and you'll see. Watch what the Craft Club is doing.

Mildred Herrmann, Sr. 8.

December, 1926

TOWER LIGHT

Page 12

ONE OF '26.

Dear Miss Tall-

For a long while I was very un- happy. I truly disliked teaching.

All my dreams and anticipations which I harbored at Normal School went to naught. I dreaded each day,

hated my work. and t believe made May we realize that it is important my pupils unhappy.

One Sunday evening a friend of mine asked me to read this poem. I awoke. I scolded myself silently and since I have been far. far happier. Everything seems so much easier.

Perhaps, Miss Tall, you will be able to help someone else by means of this poem. That is why I send it to you.

I want to thank you once more for the lovely time I had at "Home Com- ing." It helped a great deal.

(NOTE-The poem follows)

LIFE'S WORTH LIVING.

(By Glenn Frank) A Prayer For Teachers.

O Lord of learning and of Learners, we are at hest hut blunderers in this godlike business of teaching. Our shortcomings shame us, for we are not alone in paying the pen- alty for them; they have a sorry im- mortality in the maimed minds of those whom we, in our blunder- ings, mislead.

We have been content to be mer- chants of dead yesterdays, when we should have heen guides into un- born tomorrows.

We have put conformity to old cus- toms above curiosity about new | May we be shepherds of the spirit as ideas. well as masters of the mind.

We have thought more about our subject than about our ohject.

We have been peddlers of petty curios when we

should have been priests and prophets of abundant living.

We have schooled our students to he clever competitors in the world as it is, when we should have been helping them to become creative co-operators in the making of the world as it is to be.

We have regarded our schools as training camps for an existing society to the exclusion of making them working models of an evolv- ing society.

We have counted knowledge more precious than wisdom.

We have tried to teach our students what to think instead of how to think.

We have thought it our business to furnish the minds of our students, when we should have been laboring to free their minds.

And we confess that we have fallen Into those sins of the schoolroom be- cause it has been the easiest way. It has been easier to tell our stu-|intends to go to

dents about the motionless past that we can learn once for all than to join with them in trying to under- stand the moving present that must be studied afresh each morn- ing.

From these sins of sloth may we be freed.

to know the past only that we may live wisely in the present.

Help us to be more interested in stimulating the builders of modern cathedrals than in retailing to stu- dents the glories of ancient temples. Give us to see that a student's mem- ory should be a tool as well as a treasure-chest.

Help us to say "do" oftener than we say "don't."

May we so awaken interest that dis- cipline will be less and less neces- sary. .

Help us to realize that, in the deep- est sense, we cannot teach any- body anything; that the best we can do is to help them to learn for themselves.

Save us from the blight of special- ism; give us reverence for our materials, that we may master the facts of our particular fields, but help us to see that all facts are dead until they are related to the rest of knowledge and to the rest of life.

May we know how to "relate the coal scuttle to the universe."

Help us to see that education is, after all, but the adventure of trying to make ourselves at home in the modern world.

Give us, O Lord of Learners, a sense of the divinity of our undertaking.

OUR FACULTY CHILD.

"The very smile before you speak That dimples your transparent cheek Encircles all the heart."

Miss Roach, "Our Faculty Child," has honored us by coming all the way from Bridgeport, Connecticut, to our Normal School, to help train our Normalites to become star athletes.

Hiss Roach has been well prepared for her work here. In addition to hier elementary and high school training, she attended the Central Professional School of New York City. Her study at the Central Pro- fessinal School was directed along the line of physical education, with a specialization in dancing. Pre-

vious to attending the Professional School, Miss Roach graced the halls of Bridgejort Normal School. where she prepared to be a kindergarten teacher. How lucky for us she pre- ferred to study physical education.

In 1928 our new faculty member 1 19-Taboo.

plete her specialized courses. It is quite evident that Miss Roach was all outstanding character in the schools she attended. She uncon- sciously told me she was exchange editor of one of her school magazines.

What does Miss Roach think of Maryland ? She thinks Maryland is the nicest State she has ever been in. "I like Baltimore as a place to live, and for its scenery, but New York for shopping," confessed Miss Roach. All she can say about our Normal School is, "it's just perfect."

Of course, our new athletic teacher is fond of sports. She misses the football games at Yale, but most of all she misses swimming. Hockey is another hobby of hers; she played center forward and center half-back on her school team. "Our faculty child" has a keen sense of humor. She told me she observed one of our goal-keepers allowing the ball pass between her feet and beyond the goal line. The goal keeper, as Miss Roach concluded. had recently been horse-back riding.

When Miss Roach first appeared upon the scene at the beginning of the year, all of our Seniors decided she must be one of the new Junior students. When she held the door open for a certain Senior, the Senior passed through with a very superior air and turned to our gallant Miss Roach, and shouted, "Thanks, kid!"

The first Sunday Miss Roach was here she was instructed to ring the "quiet hour" bell in the afternoon. She performed her duty and pro- ceeded to tell all of the students it was bedtime, and that they were ex- pected to be in their rooms. Evi- dently Miss Roach considered our dormitory life a very strenuous one.

If you ever hear anyone say with unusual emphasis "How interesting!" you may rest assured that you have discovered the subject of my write- up, Miss Roach.

Irene Young, Sr. 6.

DO YOU KNOW THESE FACULTY SAYINGS?

1-I challenge you.

2-Exactly so ---

3-Sit down! Next!

4-I'm very busy, I'll see you later.

5-Well-a-

6-Distribution curves.

7-Well, I don't know.

8-1 want-what?

9-Dash over there.

10-Ah-

11-The strings will play.

12-Beg pardon.

13-It's-a-a

14-In our dormitory life.

15-Very well.

16-Well-yes and no.

17-Everybody got do.

18-Eb-

Denmark to com- |20-Well, I declare.

December, 1926.

TOWER LIGHT

Page 13

EXCHANGES.

The Index. from Northeast Mos- souri State Teachers' College, has come to us for the first time. It has a splendid variety of write-ups and we feel sure that you must have a happy and wide-awake school. Don't you think some original poetry might be an asset?

Have you read The Teachers' Col- lege Mirror? If you haven't, you should; and if you have, you can imagine how professional this profes- sional school must be. It happens to be in Greeley, Colorado.

The Millersville Snapper is certain- ly worthy of its name. Your snap- shots and poetry add originality and beauty to your magazine.

The Eastern Echo is an excep- tionally good magazine. The sketches, too, are very clever.

Young Citizen's News is edited by the Sixth Grade of East Church Street School, Frederick, Maryland. These young writers seem to have the knack of saying what they want in as small space

as grown-ups. Don't you think a few good original stories or compositions would be an asset ?

Hoo-Wair - N - Wat? Hagerstown High! Your paper seems to be brimming over with athletics. How about the law of proportion ?

The Eastern Progress, Eastern State Teachers' College and Normal School, Richmond, Kentucky, ex- presses the spirit of a wide-awake

The Street Car

The most convenient reliable, and Economical Means of Transportation

United Railways & Elec. Company OF BALTIMORE

school and some original editors or reporters.

Next month we hope to have space enough to comment on many other exchanges that this month's issue could not accommodate.

IF you don't like our jokes, And their dryness makes you groan,

Just stroll around occasionally With some good ones of your own."

Lib-"Oh, Lou, wasn't that a terrible storm we had last night?"

Lou-"Yes, but I got up and put on my slicker. Rubber is a non- conductor and I knew I'd be safe.

Read's RUX RIGHTTO

For Your Drugs, Candy, Kodaks, Sta- tionery, Gifts, Etc.

It's never cheaper elsewhere, because it's always cheaper here. 507 York Road, Towson

TOWSON BAKERY-THE GOODY SHOP

Fancy Cakes, pies, Pastries, Ice Cream, Sodas Sandwiches and Coffee L. W. HELD & SONS, Inc. Phone Towson 204 and 201

As A Patron of The Normal School THE TOWSON NATIONAL BANK (Court House Plaza) Invites You to Open An Account In Its Checking Department, Savings Depart- ment, Christmas Savings Club and Rent A Safe Deposit Box.

4 Per Cent. Interest on Savings. Open Saturday Evenings

MASON'S GARAGE

York Road and Willow Avenue TOWSON, MD.

Willys - Knight and Overland Sales and Service.

WILLIAM A. LEE

Dealer In

FANCY and STAPLE GROCERIES Dry Goods, Boots and Shoes Builders' Supplies. Hardware, Etc.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Oriole and Tower-Light, 1922-1927, Part 133

Author: Maryland State Normal School (Towson, Md.) Publication date: 1922-1927 Publisher: Maryland State Normal School (Towson, Md.) Number of Pages: 1024

Author: Maryland State Normal School (Towson, Md.)
Publication date: 1922-1927
Publisher: Maryland State Normal School (Towson, Md.)
Number of Pages: 1024