MTIANY cub
VOLUME vm— No. 6
Annual Spring Prom to Be in Erie Hall May 19
B. €. Drama Club Presents
Thornton Wilder's "Our Town"
Play Advisor
Mr. Benjamin A. Lane, Fac
ulty Advisor for the play “Our
Town.”
by Dick Webster
The Behrend. Center Players
under the direction of Mr. Ben
jamin Lane will present “Our
Town” by Thornton Wilder on
May 7,8, & 9, Monday, Tuesday,
and Wednesday, respectively, in
Erie Hall.
The story, which is narrated by
the stage manager, portrayed by
Ronald Thomas, is about ordinary
people who lead an ordinary life
in an ordinary town.
"In the first act the author
genially outlines the history of
the town, which is Grover’s Com
ers, N. H., and something of the
characters of its citizens. Then he
carries one into the houses of the
Yearbook Staff
Busy as Beavers
By Don McLaughlin
The layout committee for the
yearbook has been hard at work
the last few weeks. Linda Hamer,
Marilyn Pringle, Judy Young,
Bonnie Hugus, Becky Wilson,
Madge McKee, and Bob Pierce
made up .'the first sixteen pages
of the. book.
Mr. Swanson, the representa
tive from the American Standard
Yearbook Company, said that this
was the most unusual book he
had seen this year. He also said
that the job was well done.
The next, sixteen pages are due
May first. Anyone who would like
to help with the job should con
tact Linda Hamer.
The second payments .for the
yearbook are due May 10. If you
haven’t been contacted yet, see
Sue Hansen or Don McLaughlin.
Anyone who will not be living in
the Erie area this summer should
sign the list on the bulletin board
in the classroom building. The
yearbook will be mailed to the ad
dress you post.
Gibbs and Webb families, sub
stantial homes containing sub
stantial folks. One arrives at
breakfast time and is carried
through one entire day in the
lives of these good people.
“The second act concerns the
love affair between young George
Gibbs and little Emily Webb. This
culminates in a moving wedding
scene, which contains all those
elements of poignant sorrow and
abundant happiness that makes
for solemnity and impressiveness.
“In the third act we are led to
the cemetery on the hill, which
many of the townspeople have
come to know so well are patient
ly and smilingly awaiting not
“judgment” but greater under
standing. Into their midst is led
the bride, a little timid at first, a
little wishful to go back to life, to
live again with her memories. But
she is shown how impossible, how
futile it is to return.
. The past cannot be relived. Liv
ing people, humans, occupied with
their petty occupations and small
thoughts, know little of true Joy
or happiness. Truth is to be found
only in the future.” 1
The play direction is handled
with the very capable assistance
of Laurel Brutout, and the many
committees of students have
gathered props and costumes,
built scenery and done countless
other things.
The Behrend Thespians have
worked long hours to make this
first dramatic adventure of 1956
a huge success. It is certain to
offer a memorable evening of re
laxing enjoyment, pleasure, and
entertainment to all who attend.
Quoted material is the preface
by Thornton Wilder in the play
book of “Our Town.” -
Science Teachers’
Workshop Held
Maurice Kolpein, Erie county
superintendent of schools, served
as chairman for Behrend Center’s
fifth annual. Science Teachers
Workshop recently, on the local
college grounds. All teachers 'in
the science field from the. Erie
area and other interested persons
wore invited to attend, according
to Louis Balmer,. .chemistry’ pro
fessor at the C.nter and co-ordi
nator of the program.
At 3:00 the workship got under
way with a keynote address by
Dr. A. H. Croup, mgr. of labora
tories of the Hammermill Paper
Co., on the subject “Science and
Industry.”
“Science Institutes for High
School Teachers” was discussed
at 3:45 by W. H. Powers, director
of arts and science extension for
the Pennsylvania State University.
Panel sessions began at 4:15
with biological science, physics,
Continued on'Page 4
OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION
Mrs. Behrend to
Visit Center Soon
Every spring, Mrs. Mary B.
Behrend, benefactress and found
er of Behrend Center makes her
annual visit to the campus. At
that time she enjoys speaking to
■ the students in assembly, point
-1 ing out some of the history of the
j center, meeting many of the stu
dents and talking with them. Her
I visit this year will be sometime in
|May although the actual date has
| not been decided upon, partly due
:to the fact that this fall Mrs.
‘Behrend made an extensive trip
jin Europe and the Scandinavian
area. We may expect her speech
to include some interesting des
criptions on aspects of the trip.
Last year was one of the most
important visits, for at that time
the model of the Niagara was giv
en to the center .by Mrs. Behrend
and her brother, Alfred S. Brow
nell. After many hours of re
search, Mr. Brownell constructed
the . model, working with various
historical records since no draw
ings or plans of the original Ni
agara existed. The ship took 3600
hours to construct and 1s con
(Continued on Page 4)
p'ssm.
Ron .Thomas, male lead for
the spring' Dramatics Club pre
sentation.
Office Chatter
Mr. Kochel'and Mrs. Adam, are
; rrcatly enjoying the trial usage of
the new dictation machine.
■ Mr. Hughes is patiently .waiting
for a ’ visit from the stork, which
should be any day now.
In case you haven’t noticed, Mr.
Lane and Mr. Hughes are proud
owners of new cars. Mr. Hughes
has a red Ford station wagon, Mr.
Lane, a new Chevrolet.
The office is very glad that Mr.
Kochanowic finally has received
his new license plates and has
since ceased to haunt the office
for that reason.
Barb Dopierala celebrated her
birthday on the 20th of this
month.
One of the members of the of-
TUESDAY, MAY 1, 1956
Male Lead
Vv;,
BEHREND CENTER— Pennsylvania State Oalwntly
“Dancing- in the Dark” Theme of
This Year’s On-Campus Event
According to the decision of the student council the spring pram
for this year will be held on campus in Erie Hall on May 19. Befarend
students will be “Dancing in the Dark” to the music of The Blue
Knights of Allegheny College. Committees are hard at work planning
for the most anxiously anticipated event of the year.
Club Activity
Decreases; Why?
What has happened to the
many clubs on the campus of
Bebrend Center? At the beginning
of the fall semester, the student
body wanted clubs and something
to interest them in their spare
hours. Now it seems that all club
activity has ceased and the clubs
have been discontinued.
For successful clubs, members
must support them by being loyal
and giving up their time and re
sourcefulness.
It seems that the students have
lost their interest and zeal as far
as club activity is concerned.
Many organizations have not had
a meeting since the fall semester
ended.
The music club was very suc
cessful and it put on several en
tertainments, but. then it just
folded under the strain. Music for
instance, is necessary to many
things, and without it some things
seem very hollow. A choir was
needed in the Easter cantata, but
the members did not respond to
the call of the director, practice
was not organized; therefore the
music episode of the cantata was
more or less negligent.
Those who have worked dili
gently with their respective clubs
have been dissappointed on num
erous occasions because the mem
bers did not attend the meetings.
The clubs were organized for
one sole purpose, the enjoyment of
the students. If they hadn’t been
organized, many students would
have opposed it bitterly and would
have condemned Behrend Center.
Everyone knows that without ac
tive members, clubs cannot con
tinue, so how about it students,-
support your clubs and be an ac
tive member.
fice force has a head start on us
by already having her summer
vacation planned. Mrs. Adam is
now making plans for a trip to
Europe this summer.-Mrs. Jones
has expressed the thought that,
she will be happy if she will just
be able to leave Erie for her.
summer vacation. Peggy Forbes
plans for the summer are not
definite, but she is planning to
put some mileage on her car next
month by taking a trip to Louis
ville, Kentucky.
Along with many of our stu
dents, the office force is suffering
spring fever. Their, only regret is
that they are unable to enjoy the
long awaited sunshine and must
remain inside.
Apparently all items fit in with
the decorating committee's ideas,
too, and from the talk around
campus there’s magic in the air.
Our electricians have thought of
the idea of winking eyes in the
dark as the girls, dressed in their
finest spring formate in colorful
pastel shades, and fellows in their
white dinner jackets and best
suits, waltz and glide around the
floor.
Mr. Patterson and Mr. Koc
hanowic, advisors for the prom,
appear to have more up their
sleeves in the way of decorating
and the like, but the rest of it is
definitely hush-hush, this report
er learned.
After questions concerning the
location of the prom (off'or on
campus), the decision was reach
ed that it would be held in Erie
Hall on campus.
Committees selected are as fol
lows; Micque Brown, advertising:
Barbara Bell, programs and fav
ors; Gene Thomas and Jerry Bux
za, tickets; Pete DeDad and John
Mallory, service; Connie ’ Taylor
and Barbara Bell, refreshments;
Dick Webster and Dick Mytihger,
decorations; Jim Sender shot and
Gerry Platz, clean-up. '
Co-chairmen handling tickets
. . . Thomas and Buzza . . - have
stated that the ducats will be on
sale shortly. As they put it, “Be
sure to get a date, a ticket, and
attend the Spring Prom.”
The entire prom committee has
expressed, the hope that as many
students- as possible will take ad
vantage of this key culminating
social activity of the college year.
Student Director
Laurie Brutout, Student Di
rector for Thornton Wilder’o
famous play*