Penn State collegian. (State College, Pa.) 1911-1940, December 07, 1933, Image 2

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    Page Two
PENN STATE COLLEGIAN
Published semi•weetly noting the College Year, except en holidays.
by students of The Pennsylvania State College, In the interest el the
College. the students. faculty. alumni. and friends.
"TOO MANY HONORARIES"
Friendly critics of honorary fraternities and clubs
have often pointed out that there arc too ninny such
groups on the campus. Statistical hounds have worked
out figures to show that, on the average, every senior
has a key when he graduates, and that the gold eupply
on watch chains . at this College would make a consider
able contribution to the anti-hoarding campaign. A
Commoms questionnaire two years ago showed that a
majority of the honoraries presidenli thought that there
were too many honoraries. No specific suggestions
were made at that time as to what honoraries should be
eliminated or what fields were too crowded. General
ities prevailed, anil very little was done to improve the
situation.
There is real promise, however, in the present hon
',ovaries and clubs investigation being conducted by the
honor Society Council and Student Union. Information
on nearly every student group at the College has been
collected by means of questionnaires and is now being
tabulated. When . ,the investigating group has all the
facts before it, then the weaker and unnecessary so
cieties will show up in their true perspective. But until
that time, there are a few things in the present honor-
:tries situation that can be pointed out as causing a
slight question in the mind of a "casual observer."
Without attempting to draw up any recommenda
tions at this time, it can be said that there are certain
spheres of activity here that appear to have their share
of honoraries and clubs. A few examples will point to
this fact. There is a floriculture honorary and a flori
culture club; a forestry honorary and a forestry club.
Men and women students in chemistry have their sep
arate honoraries. Until recently, there were two edu
cation honoraries, with overlapping membership. Home
economics students have a club, a society, and an upper
class honorary. There are two competing music fret
te•nities with essentially the same functions. Engineer
ing students have the chance to "make" one of two gen
eral engineering honoraries, as well as the honorary in
their own department. There is a debating society
which elects senior men and women, and one which ad
mits any woman debater. Journalism is one of the
fields most blessed with honoraries. There are two gen
eral men's societies, one women's group, an advertising
honorary, and a literary guild. Finally, there are sop,
arate honoraries for high-standing freshmen men and
It should not be concluded that some of the societies
in each of these fields should be eliminated. Perhaps a
great many of them are performing real services which
cannot be performed by the other group, even though it
may be similar. But
, it might be questioned just how
many of-these groups are "honoraris . for those who,
didn't make an ll'onora . ryY;; lThis evil does exist in other
colleges, and it is not at all. improbable that it exists
here. At any rate, this is one of the problems that
merits the careful attention of the honoraries investi
gation committee.
I'ATHS, AND SO FORTH
Complaints have been made by the Grounds, and
Buildings department that students are walking across
the mall front the south door of the Armory to Old Main
and thereby making an unsightly path. Attention has
also been called to the paths across the southeast cor
ner of the Old Main lawn and the enclosed, northeast
corner of the Armory lawn. Students should realize
that continual walking on permanent grass plots results
in costly repairs and that it injures the natural beauty
of the campus, Convenient walks have been provided
in these particular areas, and they should be used.
This subject of walking across grass and using
the present walks, however, has some other implicaticns.
An editorial in this paper. a few weeks ago pointed to
the fact that there•are tencippral:y oi• permanent paths,
in several legical place's .droiMd campus; and,' as a
result, students are forced to use impro . viied• dirt paths.
This expression was taken by some persons to mean
that the present student attitude is one of walking
"where they darn please." Emphatically, this was not
the attitude intended by the editorial. It did not sanc
tion indescriminate walking across the grass; it merely
suggested that there are a few places where better paths
might be constructed for the convenience of students.
Student Board also made the suggestion in a letter to
the supervisor of the Grounds and Buildings depart
ment.
An answer to the editorial was made by a member
of the Grounds and Buildings -staff in the last issue.
Ile stated that plans have been drawn up for paths be
tween the South Liberal Arts building and the Chem
istry Amphitheatre, and between the South Liberal Arts
building and the Mineral Industries building. But
nothing further has been done and in the meantime
students are forced to use dirt paths. Nothing was
said about the much-used path from the corner of Bur
rowes street and College avenue to the drill field.
Improvement of the road between Center Drive and the
Lakes-to-Sea highway will be made as a Civil Works
Administration project, but a similar road connecting
East Drive with North Drive remains full• of dangerous
The excuse given for the lack of some of these im
provements was that they do not fit in with the archi
tects' plan for the Penn State campus of the future.
However, none of the improvements suggested, either in
paths or roads, was necessarily intended to be per
manent. It is difficult to see the sense in maintaining
muddy paths and roads full of ruts just because they
do not happen to be in the right place in "The Plan" of
the future. A few such temporary improvements would
certainly be more generally appreciated than some of
the "improvements" that the department has made in
the past
CAMPUSEER
The Old 'Main Bell
Has gone to Hell;
Sex rears its ugly head
From heights it Tell;
Noir sound the knell,
Fo'r Decency is dead.
"Nudism! Sex! Co-eds! Speakeasies! Athletic
Purity!" Ha, ha, not in the Old Main Bell, we
laughed to ourselves, after reading last week's bally
hoo. That's just a publicity gag. Why the Bell has
traditions that are higher and finer than any other
institution on the campus. Look at the noble editors
that have steered that publication through the stormy
waters—there was Morgan, then Freer, then Hetzel—
why there's nothing to worry about.
So, you see, we werecompletely unprepared for
the avalanche of shocks and surprises that greeted
our eyes when we first opened the magazine. Have
the editors of our only virgin publication gone mad?
What can they mean by printing an article on the prac
tices of a local nudist cult? Such things, if they do
exist at Penn State, should be ignored, not splurged
in cold print to be read avidly by the kinderscholastic.
Untold harm has already been done. Even now the
ugly rumor is going the rounds that our own Dean
of Men is Chief Mucky -muck of the "bare-skinned"
cult. Something must be done! .
Turning the pages further, we found an essay en
titled "Reductio ad Absurdum" 'in which not one of
our cherished traditions goes unscathed. God, coun
try, democracy, Christianity—ln fact, everything that
we hold dear—is ruthlessly trampled upon. Immoral'
stories concerning dens of iniquity, and vice are
crammed into the issue. ' Merely the title of one
article, "Sex and Co-eds", was enough to make us
throw up our hands in holy horror and quickly turn
the pages of . the magazine. Even our own re
spected financial officers of the College administra
tion were attacked unmercifully in the opening pages.
We bow our heads in shame to think of it. And then,
as the crowning insult of all, we came across an
article "For the Glory - - in which Penn State's
Athletic POlicy was ridiculed. (Even now there are
rumors which say that the article was directed at one
certain official.) We reiterate, something must be
done.
To us it seems that there is,but one course of
action. Penn State must bannish those responsible
for this rapacious publication. Authors and editors'
alike—none should be shown mercy. After all, there.,
ara Loyal Sons in this institution who cherish e
,th
name of Penn State and resent anyone who kicks
it about in.the vilest and nastiestl'of gutters. , .
Ems!
'REDS INCITE CHURCH RIOT'
This was the headline 'Which appeared in one of
the New York • journals last week. Two Penn State
men were partly responsible, and we see no breech
of journalistic ethics (cf.. Prof. Gibbons) in publish
ing the names of these, damned radicals. We'll tell
all! They were: Jules Vernik and Fred Bettleheim!
While these two Destructors of Society were
attending one
,of those ridiculous L.I.D. meetings in
New York, the Pastor of the Church of Heavenly
Rest, on, Fifth Avenue, saw fit to commend publicly
the action of Governor Rolph in regard to the recent
California lynching. Vernik and Bettleheim, along
with some others of their "kind", actually picketed
the Church. on Sunday morning. Although reporters
and crowds of spectators were attracted, nothing was
done until ;some courageous woman in a sable coat
came up. She knew right from wrong, and she de
cided to do - her duty by tearing down the signs which
the picketers were carrying. In attempting to per
form her mission; she was 'attacked rudely and shoved
into the gutter. A scuffle ensued. Hundreds of
people crowded the streets and several of the picketers
were taken : . to the police station. 'tl)f, course, the pas
tor of the Churtili,'-.liftrue..hulnainitarittn, retracted his
•
statement just to make peace. ' regret to say that
those Dirty Reds, Vernik and Bettleheim, escaped the
police and are still at large.
THE PENN STATE COLLEGIAN
LOOKING
OVER THE NEWS
And thus ended an era- wherein tbe
attempt to ameliorate social condi
tions was turned instead into a malici
ous degeneration of individual moral
ity and collective disrespect 'for. the
law. Although prohibition was the,
law of the land . for fourteen years,
time and again it Was flaunted by
people who otherwise were strictly
law-abiding. Nor were the censure
and punishment accorded by society to
these legally-termed, ."law-breakers."
commensurate with the support that
ordinarily would be given our laws.
Prohibitionthe guardian of rack
eteering and the ,bane of orderly so
ciety. Whatever good prohibition
accomplished through the curbing of
Some individual's desire. to imbibe
freely was greatly counteracted by the
false glamour and feeling for sur
reptitious adventure which it ant up
to bait the high-strung youth of the
country. ,
The, best way to, break up an organ
ization is to deprive it of, its greatest
activity and reason for functioning.
Gangdom will not find another activ
ity so beneficial to its interests as
was prohibition. Now at least many
truly good citizens will be able to look
society straight in the eye with no
qualms. The elimination of the mali
cious inhibitory effects of prohibition
will go far toward bettering the nerv
ous stability of our citizens. Per
haps now it will be a little less diffi
cult for our police to maintain their
self-respect, with the knowledge that
the law which they are delegated to
uphold is not absurd and not beyond
the bounds of enforcement.
Social reform, a crying need in this
rich' state. of ours, and a program
which our legislatures have very clev
.erly evaded in the past, has come be
fore our State law-makers once more:
Governor Pinchot has asked the legis
lature to continue its "lofty spirit, of
public , service, and to refuse to sacri
fice' the interests 'of the many to the
profit of the few." He has asked for
legislation on old age pensions, aboli
tion. of ' child labor, elimination of
sweatshops, added aid for the school
system, modernization of - state bank
ing lowa, regulation of dairy industry,
' and, ether, reforms. •
Yesterday the House passed the
Blumberg old age pensibn bill, but the
Senate, it is rumored, will withhold
action, until the adjournment, when
there ivil . be a • petition of the same
old story ofll and
social ;
y.
Pennsyli , ania out.. a diamond
among.the.other jeWels... It's too bad.
that" dianiond cannot be a jewel 'of
beauty for the welfare of its people,
instead of a sharp and indestructible
cutting: instrument in the hands of our
Phil-own-pockets gentlemen.
• FAREWELL TRIP 'TILL AFTER XMAS
: . : .SATURDAY NITE DANCE -
10$1racoqirillas I-lated Ballniorri, Lewlstoven .
PRESENTING THE WELL-KNOWN i
I ' DOINI - DE FOREST' '• .t I
' AND HIS•OREGONIANS
9
C
Pays Admission . .
Dancing and Round
Trip:‘.B . u, t - .Fare I
.
• ~ ,
PUT
TAX
Plesee.Plote Nen , Arrangeeitenta—Beases Leave Co-op from 7:30 to d O'clock.
' Bolen May Be Boarded Both at'Co-op and at the College DB:et...Beaver Ave.
BOTTORF TO-PLAY
AT WOMEN'S BALL
Panhellenic Council Will Hold Second
Annual Function January 12
:300 Couples Expected
Bill Bottorrs orche'stra has been
named to supply the rhythm for the
second annual Panhellenic Ball to be
held Friday, January 12, according to
Margaret E. Barnard '34,` chairman
of the committee in charge' of ar
rangements.
About 3po couples are expected tc
attend the function, which.will be for
mal and admission by invitation only.
Invitations will be sent'to every mem
ber, pledge, alumnae, and . patroness
of each of the ten .women's frater
nities..
Final plans for the decorationi and
location for the dance have not been
decided upon. Definite arrangements
will be completediby the Committee in
charge before Christmas..
Two seniors and One junior corm
prise the committee in charge of ar.
rangements fr the affair. They are
Margaret E. Barnard '34; Jane' Vial
'34, and Margaret VI: Kinsloe '35.
Florid, Flash:j7Paana
Form Features for
Forthcoming Festival
Pink elephants, gallant stallions,
mischevious looking monkeys, un
hunted rabbits, dressed in colorful
wrappings and direct from the inter
ior regions of the Home Economics
building will be on parade in the lobby
Saturday when the Annual bazaar of
the Home Economics club'. opens.
The bazaar will 'open at 10 o'clock
and will remain open throughout the
day. There will be, sale of cakes, pies,
pastries, cookies, candy, stuffed fruit,
and many novelties, all of which were
made by members of the club. A,group
of hand-woven fabrics from Berea
College, Ky., will.. 'also' be placed
on sale. The moinitaineer , folk who
attend Berea have . Made • the—hand
weaving of fabrics a true' art.
;The Home Economics.club will also
hold an old-fashioned chicken and bis
cuit supper in the cafeteria of the
Home Economics building Saturday
from 5 to 6:30 o'clock. The proceeds
of the bazaar and supper will be used
to send a delegate of the club to the
national convention. of Hdtme Econ:
oinks clubs in Nev York City.
',-...IIEDSEY.,,GOES TO CONCLAVE
'Prof. William R. 'Chedsey; }iced of
the inning department, will attend, a
meeting of the National Mine Rescue
association to be held in Pittsburgh,
December 5. While in Pittsburgh,
ProfeSsor Chedsey will attend a meet
ing of the Coal . Mining Institute of
America on December 6 and 7.
'Thursday Evening, Deceinper,7o933
Announcing the RemoV•al of '• ,
- MOORE'S DRESS SHOP
Forriierly 134 East College AVOW&
' to, the Baum_ Building • ; .
East College Avenue •
' -
~.. ,: : ,,ii , .: , i . .i „ ..,,...,,,r.
0',,4))4 -.!...
America's favorite SHORT: CUT;
LONG DISTANCE
Miles shrink when you turn-to. Long',Distante:::
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Improvements are constantly fitting the ,seivlO,
more and more Closely to the public's. needs.• Faster. ,
- :,connections, higher quality. transmission, "bargnitir
-hciurs" after,B:3'o P. M.'
Business today finds
, Long Distance a reliable,
and economical short cut to sales. :You'll find:
pleasant short cut back home. , • • .
BELL SYSTEM
. .
WHY NOT SAY- "HELLO" T 9, MOTHER AND"DADP;
1 —RATES.4RE s LOWEST.APTEIi 8:30 P.M.
MEM