Page Two
PENN STATE COLLEGIAN
Fuhlltihcil somi-wovkly during the College year, except on holiday*,
by students of 'Die Pennsylvania State College, in the interest of the
College, the students, faculty, nlumni, and friends.
THE MANAGING BOARD
JOHN A. DRUTZMAN ’35 JACK A. MARTIN ’35
Editor Business Manager
FRED W. WRIGHT *35 GEORGE A. RUTLEDGE ’35
Sports Editor Circulation Manager
KENNETH C. HOFFMAN ’35 B. KENNETH LYONS ’35
Managing Editor Local Advertising Manager
JAMES 11. WATSON JR. ’35 HARRY J. KNOFF *35
Assistant Editor Foreign Advertising Manager
PHILLIP W. FAIR JR. ‘35 JOHN J. MATTHEWS ’35
Assistant Mnnaging Editor Asst. Foreign Advertising Manager
A. CONRAD HAIGES ’33 EARL G. KEYSER JR. '35
News Editor Asst. Local Advertising Manager
JAMES 11. BEATTY JR. ’35 MARGARET W. KINSLOE ’35
News Editor Women's Managing Editor
MARCIA B. DANIEL ’35 ELSIE M. DOUTHETT ’35
Women’s Editor Women’s News Editor
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
John K. Barnes jr. ’3fi W. Bernnrd Freunsch MG Vance O. Packard ’3G
Harry B. Henderson jr. *.'!G • William P. McDowell ’3G
John E. Miller jr. *3G Donald P. Sanders '36
Charles M. Schwarts jr. *3G
ASSOCIATE BUSINESS MANAGERS
Philip G. Evans '3O William B. Heckman *36 Leonard T. Sfcft '36
Roland W. ObcrholUer jr. '3O William H. Skirtle ’3O
WOMEN'S ASSOCIATE EDITORS
L. Marybcl Conahee *3G Ruth E. Koehler ’.’lo A. Frances Turner *3O
Managing Editor ThL Issue..
News Editor This Issue.
Editorial Offices, 313 Old Main—Telephone 500
Application made for entry at the Post Office, State College,
Penna., oh second-class matter.
Tuesday. September IS, 1934
PROMISES
The football manager and Interfraternity Coun-
cil representatives have been placed in an embar-
rassing position through the reluctance of some fra
ternities to fulfill an agreement made last spring.
At that time, a plan was drawn up whereby the
fraternities were divided into three groups, one of
which each year was to provide jobs for freshman ath
letes who might otherwise be unable to attend College.
The understanding was that the Jjouse would be re
sponsible for the man for one year only, and during
that time the house was to provide a job which would
furnish the freshman with his board alone.
The plan was passed by Interfraternity Council
and the various houses about the campus divided them
selves into three groups. In other words, eighteen
houses agreed to assist that many freshmen to stay
here for a year.
Apparently, several of these groups arc not in
tending to abide by their decisions of last spring.
There seems to be little excuse for such lack of action.
Every man who is in school now had an opportunity
to vote on the proposal. Every one should have re
alized that probably it would be difficult to provide the
employment which they agreed to furnish. It is prob
able that the matter was thoroughly discussed.
any rate, after it was decided to enter the
agreement and take a man, it is clearly the fraternity’s
duty to keep its promise. Every member of every fra
ternity is old enough to realize the importance of keep
ing his word. If the; matter is parried.to extremes,/
how can any house failing to keep such a contract ex
pect to gain the sufficient respect necessary from fresh
men for them to pledge themselves to that house?
There is another angle which should be remem
bered. Several men have come here because they were
assured that, with this slight help, it would be possible
for them to continue their education. Many have made
sacrifices and altered their plans in order to come here.
If there is no opening for them, they will be forced to
return home, and it is certain that the reputation of
the College will not be benefitted by such a procedure.
It will ba a comparatively simple thing for the
fraternities which made stich agreements to fulfill
them. Otherwise, far-reaching complications may arise.
TO A CASUAL OBSERVER, it seems that no
move is being made to fulfill the promise of a bygone
age that R. 0. T. C. would be made optional here.
The purchase of new uniforms would indicate that un
derclassmen will storm McCaskey Hill for several sea-
sons more.
COLLEGE SEEMS TO HAVE started in the-cus
tomary and approved manner. Freshmen, anxious to
sec all the interesting points about the campus, are
greeted by one spectacle which upperclassmen have
grown to expect. The tower door is still- locked with
clocklike precision at four o’clock every day.
WHAT ABOUT ACTIVITIES?
A peculiar situation has arisen here on the cam
pus. At one time there were more than one hundred
men turning out every year as candidates for assistant
managerships. In football, especially, it was necessary
to cut the squad of assistants after every game. At
that time, a man and a fraternity were judged by their
activities. - Every underclassman was only too' anxious
to take part in something which would give him a
chance to distinguish himself from his classmates.
At present, there has been a great decline in the
number of assistant managerships, particularly in foot
ball. That might he explained by a number of things.
Today, the manager gets nothing but glory and a letter
for his work. Perhaps it is too much to ask three years’
work in return for a varsity sweater.
Apparently, the true value of activities has been
overlooked. Students seem to have forgotten that the
contacts established through extra-curricular work
often prove valuable by opening other avenues.
The contemplated awarding of numerals to deserv
ing seconds who fail to be elected first assistant man
agers should do much toward inspiring sophomores to
managerial work. If a varsity letter is the only re
wurd for three years* labor, then the receiving of nu
merals for a year’s work is vei’y fair.
Through this method, activities should be returned
to their rightful position. There can be little question
that the work connected with activities is more than
compensated by the practical experience gained.
HOW TO REDUCE THE HOUSE BILL DEPT.
Rushing season tales, concerning the worries of
Gamma Gamma and the successes of lota lota, have
been almost as thick as the flies in Old Main the last
couple of days. But we’ve picked up one gem. It’s
a rushing system that’s so novel that if worked right
.it will cut down expenses even if no freshmen come
around to that fateful dinner. For the benefit of
debt-ridden fraternities, here it is:
If you follow the plan of one group, you drag
the usual number of weirds out to dinner, feed them,
and then settle down to lounge. But you don’t make
small talk. You don’t ask them how they -like Penn
State. Never once do you mention the house average,
or the number of Blue Keys in the joint, or the
swell architecture. You talk money.
Yes, money. From that you lead into the evils
of gambling. It’s really very easy. To illustrate
the vice you drag out a pair of dice, (we’ve bsen told
by some that these are cubes with numbers on them),
•and roll them experimentally. If the freshman is
innocent, (and he will be), you’ll soon have a merry
game of ‘craps’ a-going.
Well, we said, ‘if you work it right.’ The S.
,P. A.’s did very well by themselves the other night.
Made money.
„W. Bernard Freunsch ’3O
John K. Barnes jr. *3G
Mike Drothler, Froth business manager, is a
valuable man. When he gives pep talks, he doesn't
fool around. He really inspires them to really great
deeds, we mean, really. They go out and work. “Get
your (insert, man, woman, professor”) they cry, and
swoop on their victims.
Mariana Frantz found out. She made the seri
ous error of greeting someone via the wave-of-grace
ful-orm route while swinging her car around the
jigger at Co-op corner, and smacked a car load of
Delta Sigma Phi rushers and rushees. The boys
were polite, though, started in to untangle the mess
immediately. Mariana sat in the car, approving.
But she wasn’t left at peace for long.
Sid Joffe, super salesman, fought his way
through the straining and heaving untanglers, and
started in, “Good afternoon, have you subscribed yet
for the Penn State Froth ...”
But the little lady was safe, even from the wiles
of a Drothler agent. The Delta Sigs got the cars
apart in time for her to escape—just in time, for she
was weakening fast.
News note: Penn State soccer team -loses con
test to Leith Amateurs, 5-to-4. / •
.Notation/, Leith amateurs/,are the/soccer
team maintained by the makers of. Vat 69 (Scotch
Whiskey).
Comment: Just the old, old story, of produc
tion, and producers, getting ahead of consumption,
and consumers.
They’re back, all the big shots of yesteryear with
fraternity loyalty in their hearts. It’s a new gag,
hut a good one. So far, we’ve observed the following
using it to advantage. What we mean is—these guys
are doing what the title says: Philo Hines,,D. U.,
Paul Swan, Chi Phi, Tom Slusser, D. T. D., Stew
Townsend, D. T. D., Lou Bell, (cx-Collegian editor
new journalism stooge), A. T. 0., Art Steinfeldt,
Jake Stark, Phi Ep, Jack Davies, Delta Sig, Jerry
•Parker, Beta Sigma Rho, Winsome Wayland Dun
away, Kappa Sig. (Johnny Morris, a midget, is book
ed for Rea and Derick’s new Drug, etc., etc., etc.,
emporium today and tomorrow. Somebody ought to
be able to get him on contract.)
About Town and Campus: Jack Ryan, ex-senior
prexy, stopped in on his way to Harvard Business
School Sunday night . . . Bill Ferguson, Player,
raised a mustache for the show Saturday—took him
two months. -But Neusbaum made him shave it all
off before the performance . , i
—THE MANIAC
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THE PENN STATE COLLEGIAN
FOOTLIGHTS
“The Tavern,” a play in two acts by George M. Cohan, produced by the
Penn State Players under the direction of Frank Neusbaum, in Schwab
auditorium, Saturday night, with the following cast:
The Tavern Keeper's Son Herbert Manning
The Hired Girl , Betsy Ross
The Tavern Keeper .. Henry Brown
The Hired Man, , William BaJderston .
The Vagabond . Lucas Brightman
The Woman Gretchcn Marquordt -
The Governor —__ Clayton Page
The Governor’s Wife —Mary Louige Frear
The Governor’s Daughter , —Ruth Goodman
The Fiance ..Wilson Ferguson
The Sheriff , Jack McCain
The Sheriff’s Man Joseph Henry
The Sheriff’s Other Man Ridge Riley
The Sheriff's Third Man ..—Conrad Zicrdt
The 'Attendant .. John Linton
“What’s all the shootin’ fur?” itho discovery that the Governor
That line, monotonously intoned by fClayton Page) and his family have
MfwiSa, ** “ bed mix
the first: few * moments of the Play- ed . Wlth the sudden flirtatlon that
ers’ production, “The Tavern,” Sat- springs up between the Vagabond and
urday night, aptly expresses the au- the Governor’s (affianced) daughter
dience reaction to the initial speeches. (Ruth Goodman) is sufficient to keep
But they soon caught on to “what any audience entertained. Cohan,
all the shootin’ was fur,” and fol- however, mixed in the fiancee of the
lowed the-smoothly rolling dialogue Governor’s daughter (these title's get
■with laughter at quite the proper cumbersome), the inn-keeper’s reti
melodramatic moments until the cur
tain swept down upon the heels of
The Tavern Keepers’ explanation that
the mysterious stranger was “just
one of my lodgers.”
.That Lucas Brightman, cast as
The Vagabond, the part that undoubt
edly set the tempo for the whole pro
duction, fully justified the fine pre
performance comments we heard
about his dramatic ability certainly
must be affirmed. He was, as far
as any amateur can be, a hit. His
lines slipped in at exactly the right
moments, his ravings .fitted his ap
pearance and his voice perfectly.
Only two very minor criticisms of
his work have we: His singing and
dancing of “As Big as a Cow and as
Dum-dum Something Dum-dum” was
by no means spontaneous enough; and
his “quiet chuckle” somehow just
wasn’t a quiet chuckle at all. But
on the whole) unreservedly, lie was the
only man for the part, a part that he
made fit him like a finely tailored
glove. To the tailor, Frank Neus
baum,- must go plenty of‘credit for
such an excellent job of casting and
directing both star and supporting
cast. (For once) the ‘supporting play
ers’ really supported the lead.)
For sheer effectiveness in playing
true to her part, for using not only
her face and hands, but her posture
in “putting over” her character, a
large gold-: star must be awarded
Betsy "Ross',"who screamed in and out
of the set as The Hired Girl. Her
healthy slapping, of The. Hired Man
(whose" affections were repugnant)
'was. particularly, well 'done. For Her
\{pcal ( af t£V jtheiit
wbrkdut^,’ v as). the” ‘alarmgiver
every time’’The Woman broke loose,
we have only sympathy.
The play, as written by George M.
Cohan, is a super-melodrama, a mel
odrama hooting at all melodramas.
In short, it’s all burlesque, all sus
pense. The mixture is a hard one to
stir correctly and produce effectively.
The final product concerns a night’s
happenings at an inn. The Governor
and his family (including fiance), a
Vagabond (gentleman, of course), and
a “fallen woman” struck with the idea
that every man she meets caused her
downfall, are present. Their mix-up
reacts from a sounding board com
posed of the personnel of the tavern: i
Zaccheus Freeman, the master, his
fairly stupid son, his very stupid man,
and his “orphaned” Hired Girl. |
The Vagabond (Brightman) is the
central figure' of the much-tangled
web of plot, which concerns, in turn,
the discovery of The Woman (Gretch
en Marquardt) in the inn’s woodshed,
the Vagabond’s complete disavowal of
any connection with her (although
they were both in the shed) and the
I subsequent arrival of the Governor
| and his family.
The situation that arises from
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Tl 2 de KEEPER’S
nue, and finally the sheriff and his
troop of trained stooges, and what ,
he got was, in spots, pure, unadulter
ated hysteria.
Gretchen Marquardt (the berserk
woman), Clayton Page, (the Gover
nor), and Ruth Goodman, (the Gov
ernor's daughter), deserve a strong
first mention for their work in play
ing up to the lead without attempt
ing to play the lead. Herbert Man
ning, (the Hired Man), Mary Louise
Frear, (The Governor’s Wife), and
William Ferguson (The Fiance) did
creditably in their parts. John Lin
ton served well enough in two small
parts.
The Tavern Keeper, (Henry Brown)
served to illustrate once more for us
the difficulty involved when a young
man tries to play the part of a much
older active person. Brown did a fair
job, but the combination of his too
youthful walk and his too-sturdy voice’
lost, at least for us, the illusion that
he was the father of anyone. He was
too forceful, he knew his lines a lit
tle too well. His last speech, how
ever, the wind-up of the evening, 'he
handled beautifully.
The sheriff and his three. stooges
did creditably in their serio-comic
parts. The stooges, ho.wever, were,
unfortunately, noticeably better at-
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CATHAUM THEATRE BUILDING
Tuesday, September 18,1934
tuned to the correct stage of burles
que than was the sheriff ( he, the heel,
turned out to be the bandit) Ridge
Riley, whose bulk was much present J
as'“The Sheriff's Other Man” de
livered his gutteral lines with un
mistakable nerve. His shotgun woi>
riod even us, back in row J.
. Robert Bassett’s beautifully timed
incidental music which, under the ba
ton of Robert Carey, followed the
players through their emotional cre
scendos, fitted in so perfectly that wo
forgot its novelty in appreciation,
while the excellent job done by Ches
ter McLaughlin and his men on the
set helped too.
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