FEBRUARY, 1938 1 ““ I THE CENTER I I COMMENTATOR I j 1 , When Charlie McGeehan’s cagers won four in a row a little while back, it appeared as though Hazleton Cen ter was at last being smiled upon biy the Goddess of the Cage Arena. But no . . . immediately after that, the boys were frowned upon and dropped three straight tilts and all these loses were on the border-line of victories until the last half. Even the Mahanoy City McCann’s 82-36 rout came about after a tight first half. Then, look at the Foster Township tragedy. Our boys led with a half-time 19-6 advantage. This did not stop Foster from eking out a 29- 27 win. Maybe you need two teams, Charlie: one to win the first half and another to, do the same for the second. Compared to last year, the attend ance this year at the cage contests is very uninspiring. And our cheering is moribund. Would that we had about ten Novotnies! Our ping pong team (we have one, no kiddin’) has evened up its two de feats with two victories in the “Y” league. In the contest match against Liebowitz’s, the main feature of the evening was Ruth Bachman’s easy victory over her male opponents. Boy, is our See.-Treas. a killer with that 70c paddle! Our bowlers get but one line: they had nerve enough to lose to a Hazle ton High team. What’s wrong, Mc- Kernan and Gilbert? It’s been whispered around that Coach McGeehan has uncovered a “natural” and we are inclined to believe that rumor. Now, don’t blush “Shots,” we mean you, Piccola. Yes, Tony certainly can handle the old pill like any experienced cage doc and who can stick them in better than he can ? Pardon, Nipper, but we know you can toss them in, too; Dougherty, too — that’s providing he didn’t forget how to do it. CENTER JAY VEES WIN MANY GAMES Our Center Jay Vee cage quintet is the best we’ve had in a long time. Coached by student-manager Franklin Penn, the junior varsity has been con quering foe after foe and up to date has lost but two games. Led by Captain “Diz” Glabick, the Penn-lads present a defense and of fense comparable to the varsity. The team’s ace-in-the-hole on the defense is “Squire” Ogrydziak, who has stopp ed more plays than any one man this season. The last jay-vee win was over a strong Mahanoy City McCann’s team." The Centerites Inflicted a first bitter defeat upon the undefeated McCann’s juniors. McGeehan’s Centerites Conquer Four Out Of Seven Opponents ’ Unloosing a new offensive, the Haz -1 leton Center quintet started the new year by defeating a strong Nurem berg team to avenge a defeat earlier in the season. The McGeehanites proved too strong and easily whipped the opponents. Following up the victory, the flashy Hazleton Center team conquered a fighting Pottsville basketball five. A fine offensive and brilliant defensive work by the Hazleton team were the features of the game. Again on January 11, a strong Sheppton team traveled to Hazleton to be overtaken by the fighting charg es of Coach McGeehan. Once again the Center quintet featured fine pas sing and accurate shooting to main tain a lead never to be overtaken by the visiting squad. With a string of three straight vic tories the Center five next overcame a strong M. & M. I. team. The Center’s offense was too strong for the visitors and once again the McGeehanites proved their mettle. In these four straight victories, the key-man for the Center was Clet Dougherty, pivotiman and strong of fensive player; while Zayach and Coach McGeehan featured on the de fense. The Hazleton Center Five went down to a crushing defeat by a strong Hazle Township squad. Poor defense by the Hazleton Center coupled by a strong offense by the Township team gave the Township an easy victory. In a rough game, a fine working McCann’s team gave the Center quin tet another defeat after a hard battle. A series of injuries kept the Hazleton Boxer Abends Center: Beware of 'Pugilist Penn'! There’s a dangerous man among our midst ! When he accosts you with this threat, “Don’t get lippy,” be careful of your retort for it’s none other than Pugilist Penn. Franklin finds time between his managerial, coaching, and scholastic duties to don the twelve ouncers and enter the ring as a full fledged amateur. Before Christmas, Penny went up to Scranton, defeated his opponent, and got four dollars (for traveling expenses, mind you). You have been warned; you now know Pugilist Penn. All’s left for you to do is to do nothing to anger Frank lin. Good heavens, we bet we’ve done it already! Library Pictures On Sale Anyone desiring a picture of the Hazleton Penn State Center Library can now buy one at the office for the price of fifty cents. Since many of the students appear in the picture, a great number of them are expected to be sold for their portrait value. HAZLETON COLLEGIAN Center squad from defeating the strong visiting team. A knee injury lost Coach McGeehan to the squad. In the finest game of the season, the Hazleton Center went down to bitter defeat at the hands of Foster Town ship team. After a 19-6 lead in the first half, both the offense and defense of the Hazleton team broke down. Taking advantage, the Township quintet broke loose with a shooting barrage to overtake and defeat the Center five, 29-27. Center In Third Place Having one game to play with M. M. 1., the Hazleton Center will prob ably end the season in third place in the Collegiate League. The Mahanoy City McCann’s, playing their first season in the league, will be champs. COLLEGIATE LEAGUE STANDING Won Lost Mahanoy City McCann’s 5 0 Hazleton McCann’s 4 1 Hazleton Penn State Center- 3 3 Freeland M. & M. I. r— 1 4 Pottsville Penn State Center- 0 5 Come Through With 39-24 Pottsville Win Coach Charles McGeehan’s basket eers traveled to Pottsville Saturday afternoon and handed the Schuylkill Center a 39-24 lacing. With Galla gher and Dougherty scoring 21 points between them the Hazleton quintet had the game sewed up early in the second half. Charlie MoGeehan’s ac curate and sensational passing and Steve Zayach’s staunch defense de cided the contest from the start. The Jay-Vees, however, went down to their third defeat by a close 13-11 count. The Hazleton five led from the start but then bogged down in the last few minutes when the Pottsville Juniors scored four points on two long shots. CENTER GOVERNMENT EFFICIENT DEMOCRACY Here’s one for our political science students. What form of government regulates the Hazleton Center activi ties? Bet Gormley doesn't even know! It’s not a dictatorship; John C. Barnes, as president of Student Coun cil, is a leader with democratic ideals, a good guess would be: a democracy shaded a little with anarchy. At the head of the student govern ment is a nine-member body, the stu dent council, elected at the beginning of the year by the students. The pres ident of the council, John C. Barnes, has the enormous task of bringing pertinent questions to the body’s at tention as well as deciding these ques tions. Mr. Barnes conducts the coun cil sessions very efficiently in his r —— I CHEER FOR I I NEW CHEERING I j . \ It was generally conceded that the present Center basketball team is the best in the history of the Center. But, sorry to say, our cheering this year has taken a nose dive toward being no cheering at all. Despite the fact that our student body has been increased, attendance at the contests has fallen off. Why? Why would any sensible student miss a good and exciting game the admission to which he has already paid? It makes no sense. Then those who attend the games do not cooperate very much with our cheerleaders. Novotnie and his cheer ing squad have become so discouraged that they lead very few cheers any more. So let’s reform and come out in . a full cheering force in our next games: We must get our cheering in trim for the Inter-Center tournament. MAHANOY McCANN'S SQUELCH CENTER FIVE With a fast-breaking offense, the Mahanoy City McCann’s, leaders of the Collegiate League, ran roughshod over the Hazleton Center five, 82-36, at the D. A. Harman gym. Although the Centerites held the Maroons to a 10-8 first quarter score, they failed to keep up with the fast pace set up by the visitors, the game turning into a complete rout. Piccola was the smoothest Hazleton player on the floor while Zayach suc ceeded in holding down the Mahanoy City flash, Gabuzda, to a few field goals. suave, quiet, and liberal manner. Next in line is the secretary-treas urer in whose hands and books lie the financial secrets of the Center. Miss Ruth Louise Bachman takes care of this position in the same cool, self controled, business-like manner that she uses against her poor ping pong opponents. The condition of the treas ury is very healthy and has all chanc es of continuing so. What patient wouldn’t with a nurse like R. L. B.! The “supreme court” of the Center government is a very complying stu dent-faculty board, composed of John Barnes, Lewis Smith, Mr. Eiche, Mr. Goas, and Mr. Herpel. All the student council acts must be OK-ed by this board before they become laws. So far this year not one act has been in validated. So, John, there’s no need to “pack” the court. And sure enough there ‘must be a “political boss”! Guess who? Nobody but Mr. Goas. Without him and his timely advice, assistance, and encour agement the student government would be as dead as the Articles of Confederation. He organized the council at the beginning of the year, set up and is running our thriving store, and is an excellent faculty ad viser at some of our stormier council sessions. Hats off to an ideal man be hind the scenes, Mr. Goas! Page Three-