Page 'hvo
PENN STATE COLLEGIAN
Successor to The Free Lance, established 1887.
Published semi-weekly during the College year, except on holidaYs,
by studenta of The Pennsylvania State College, In the Internet of the
College, the students, faculty, alumni, and friends.
THE MANAGING BOARD
JOHN A. RRUTZMAN 15 • JACK A. MARTIN 15
Editor Business Manager
FRED W. WRIGHT '35 GEORGE A. RUTLEDGE '35
Sparta Editor Circulation Manager
RENNFT. 13 C. HOFFMAN '35 B. KENNETH LYONS '35 .
Managing Editor Local Advertising Manager
JAMES B. WATSON JR. '35 HARRY J. KNOFF '35
Assistant Editor Foreign Advertising Manager
PHILLIP W. FAIR JR. '36 JOHN J. 31ATTHEWS '35
Assistant Managing Editor Asst. Foreign Advertising Manager
A. CONRAD HAIGES '95 EARL G. KEYSER JR. '35
News Editor Asst. Local Advertising Manager
JAMES B. BRATTY JR. '35 MARGARET W. KINSLOE 'B5
News Editor Women's Managing Editor
MARCIA B. DANIEL '35 ELSIE 31. DOUTHETT '35
Women's Edithr Women's News Editor
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
John K. ➢ornee jr. '3G W. Bernard Freunsch '36 Vance 0. Packard '36
Harry B. Henderson jr. '3G William P. McDowell '36
John E. Miller jr. '3G Donald P. Sondem '36
Charley M. Schwartz jr. '3G
ASSOCIATE BUSINESS MANAGERS
Philip G. Evans TC William B. llerkmon '36 Leonard T. Sleir '36
Roland W. Oberheltrer Jr. '36 William Si. Skirlde '36
WOMEN'S ASSOCIATE EDITORS
L. Morybel Connhec MG Ruth E. Koehler '36 A. Frances Turner 16
Associatact m gligiate Vress
1D34 (golitoidt
wasoa
Vanes:lnc Editor This latie.---.
Neese Editor This losue----
Tuesday, March 5, 1935
WILL THE LESSON SINK?
As the prophet's voice in the wilderness comes the
announcement of the demise of another fraternity on
the campus. This is the fourth to pass out of exist
ence within the last two years. How many of the re
maining legion will heed the lesson written before them?
A sound argument is that a smaller number should
make for financially and otherwise sound groups, but
this self-complacent smugness has neglected one angle.
Every empty fraternity house stands beckoning to an
enterprising boarding club mistress. An empty fra
ternity house will make an ideal club, one with all the
external advantages of a Greek letter society and none
of , the financial handicaps.
How many seniors, as they near the end of their
collegiate days, can look upon four years in their fra
ternity as a beneficial influence upon their careers?
How many, rather, will look back upon it as a hoard
ing club to which they subscribed more money than
was necessary to gain the same living conditions? It's
becoming tiresome to continue asking these same ques
tions, but their answer will determine the trend of liv
ing at Penn State. •
A CHANGE IN SYSTEMS
There is deep significance in the fact that all of
thO women's class officers have recently agreed that,
except for freshmen, their duties as officers do not even
warrant the bother and expense of elections. Theie
'women would not make such a decision without sell
ously considering the question.. Some of them have
been in office for two, three, or four years, and they
know full well the extent of responsibility and honor
incurred. Their decision was unanimous and comes
as a timely answer to the generally felt question of the
value of women's class officers.
It was agreed that freshman offices be retained
because there is a definite need for organization among
freshmen. Class meetingii provide'a means of getting
acquainted, giving freshmen a certain sense of belong
ing, and facilitating the presentation of many problems
(such as rushing, etc.).
The duties of the other officers are few. The only
duty of the senior class president is to make arrange
ments for the senior dinner, while the junior class
president has charge of the organization of the fresh
man class and the supervision of the campus sister
project.
The vice-president of the sophomore class is auto
matically chairman of the customs' committee. The
treasurers of all classes are mere figureheads because
their work is checked and limited by the Graduate
Manager of Athletics.
The social• chairmen are supposed to serve on the
class dance committees, but, judging from the fact that
the social chairman of the sophomore class has been
omitted from the Soph Hop committee, even this func
tion is not recognized. The only function of the re
maining presidents, vice-presidents, and secretaries
seems to be a trip to the photo shop for the La Vie
picture.
Officers have become so aware of their uselessness
that some have actually asked student government to
create activities for them. But why, when they have
passed the stage of usefulness, should class officers
be retained?
No definite plan for reapportioning the duties has
been made but many suggestions have been offered. It
was proposed that a president of each class be re
tained to serve as one of the representatives of her
class on Senate and to appoint necessary committees.
Thus she would be responsible for whit organization
was needed in her class and she would be better able
to cooperate with student government.
Any other class duties might be divided among the
senators, there being four seniors, three juniors, two
sophomores, and two freshmen. The few dutieS of the
treasurers might be given to the treasurer of W. S. G. A.
to great advantage, avoiding unnecessary confusion in
Mr. Fleming's office. . •
No one should be alarmed about a proposed con
centration of power. There is no power. There has
been a survey of the value of having class officers and
if the women agree with their class officers that the
"old order changethand slims officers, except for
freshmen, are passe—then some action should be taken.
Ilarsi 1935,
W. Rennin] Freunsch
John E. Miner ir..l!G
This is a tale with a moral, but you'll have to
figure out the moral yourself. We're tired. Jimmy
Hackett, Sigma Pi average gainer,. is the hero, and
he does quite well by himself. Jimmy's in love, it
seems, but his darling is far away. He has the right
spirit, however, and haunts the post office. 8 a'-
clocks, sandwich hours, noons, all buzz by while he
wonders about mail. He has even set the standing
offer of a free movie to the freshman who brings
him a letter from the lady any day after 4 o'clock.
Milt that isn't the moral. .Timmy had a "2.8" so they
tell us, and when his pop found out this fall that
elemental passion had entered his son's soul, he was
worried. "Son, your average will. drop," he warned.
Jimmy grinned, and plunged in. Last semester
he got a straight "3." As we said, you figure out the
moral.
OLD MANIA
Slight Errol
For a long time, we've been wondering about just -
what course is really the most popular one in the U.
Now we know, and we can prove it. Art 74 is the
winner. Definitely.
A Mr. Bill Sheldon, from the Chi U manse,
proved it this semester, and the whole story is quite
a tale. It goes like this. Last year, second semester,
this Sheldon gent took Art 74, and didn't seem to do
ho well. Ile liked it all right, but the grades didn't
seem to come in. At eight weeks he had a minus
one. At the end of the semester he just took .the
final, laughed wryly, and wrote the whole thing off as
a bad job.
He got back this year, and finally got around to
seeing his scheduling officer. "Flunk anything?" the
gent asked. "Yeh, Art 71, I think," Sheldon an
swered, grimacing. "You'll have to repeat it, and
it'll cost you fifteen bucks," the scheduling officer
gloated, as he signed the slip.
So Willy took it again. And this time he was a
new man. He went to class. He studied for quizzes.
In fact, you'd have thought he was a student here or
something. Came the end of the semester and he got
his transcript. A Zip• in 74. "Okay, anyhow that's
over with," said the happy Chi U.
Then he looked back over last year's grades, and
suddenly collapsed limply in a chair. He stared. Then
he stared some more. Then he got a Bro. to look at
the transcript. Jeez, there could be no mistake. Next
to the words "Art 74," in the 1933-34 second semes
ter grades, was the figure 'l.'
Willy wondered. "A 'l' last semester. A Zip
when I take the damn thing over again. Something's
screwey somewhere." Then, for a minute he was
happy. "Anyhow, I can get my fifteen bucks back."
Lotto funny delusions around this college. Shel
don didn't know Clay Musser. "You took the course
a second time. You paid fifteen dollars for the privi
lege. You don't get it back."
Mr. Sheldon is sad. And he still thinks there's
something screwey some place.
Lost and Found Dept.
A Mr. Forney, who sort of wanders around be
ing local fencing manager, could have used the COL
LEGIAN classified dept. Saturday night. He lost some
thing. In fact he lost quite a lot of something. To
be absolutely specific, he lost the whole Cornell fenc
ing team. He got called by this Mr. Quante, the
Cornell team's coach. i[r. Quante was worried, and
pretty soon he got Jake worried.
So they looked. From low dive to low dive they
wandered, alwaysseaiching.' But no team. Finally,
- worn, - <int in iniiidyantlAody, and discourage& beyond
the poWers of the' ; lprinted word, they folded into bed.
The team came home after awhile. Ask Jake where
they'd been; he doesn't like to talk about it.
Love Story
Partying
This Week-end?
Then you ought to
check your evening
wear wardrobe. Maybe
you'll need a new back
less vest with shirt and
tie to match, or per
haps it's a pair of pure
silk 6x3 rib socks, or a
smart black Homburg
hat.
Whatever you need
wo have it—and you
may be sure that it will
be authoritatively cor
rect.
STARK BROS. & HARPER
HATTERS : HABERDASHERS : TAILORS
TAM PENN STATE. COLLEGIAN
"Peer GYrit,," piod'ueed by the Penn State Players, in Schwab audi
torium, March 1 and 2, and directed by Prof. Arthur C. Cloctingh, of the
drama department. Dances directed by Mari Yanofsky and musical ac
companiment by T. Robert Bassett, of the department of English Composi
tion. The cast:.
Peer Gynt Kutzer Richards
Ace, his mother Betsy Ross
Aslak, the blacksmith Edward ,Binns
Mads Moen, the bridegroom Clayton Page
His Father John Charest
His Mother Nellie Gravatt
Solveig Enid Stage
Helga, her sister Nancy Neasbaum
Their Fatheii Israel Shulman
Their Mother Mary Louise Frear
Ingrid, the bride Margaret Melntyre
Guttorm, fiddler Lowell Boorse
The Master, Cook Herman Kail
A Peasant Betty Lenzen
The Green Clad 'Woman Gretchen Marquardt
The Dovre King ~....Richard Allen
The DoVre King's other daughter LaVerne Reithoffer
The Brat Koppel Cloctingh
Mr. Cotton . John Linton
Monsieur Bullon Richard Wagner
Herr Von '.Elierkopf John Kreeger
Herr TruMpeterstrale Lars Larsen
Anitra Mari Yanofsky •
The ButtPalllfoulder 'Wickliffe Crider
Peasantsi Soisson, Harriet Lamb, Edwin Kiser, Donald Dickin
son, Leo DtiffY, Harriet .Bartjes, Alma Doran, Jean Woodruff, Donald Gei.
ger, Betty Nichols, Martin Swope.
Some people object to comparing
Penn State Players' productions with
the dramatic work in other colleges.
Well! We suppose they're right. In
fact, we're sure they 'are after see
ing a performance of "Peer Gynt"
the other evening by the Players. Of
course, Ibsen's play is no radical de
parture from?..nidern theatre.. At
least it isn't.*rcvolutionary today
as it was when ;it.was first produced.
Still there was - .plenty of-room for im
agination and a fresh interpretation
of the play. Neither of these quali
ties were present. There was cer
tainly nothing neW about' it, unless it
was the total lack of any meaning
whatsoever. Peer Gynt is not just
another pageant Professor Cleetingh.
Such a woeful lack - of imagination
comes straagelyilrom a gentleman
who professes to 'teach Ibsen.
There were-tWo 'bright spots in the
play, we thoUght.' One of these was
Kutner Richafq , Peer; the other was
Chester McLaughlin's sets. Both of
these men showed real originality and
inventive imagination.
.I wonder if Peer has ever before
been conceived as quite the fantastic
scalliwag that Richards - made him..
There was something of Til Eulen
spiegel about him, but - more of Peter
Pan. • The posturing was a little over
done at times, reminding,ane of Doug
las Fairbanks...ln The.. Black Pirate.
We wish there - hid been - a little more
of the ruthleselNpirate, especiallyyin,
the cane °AI tlitforroccp - :clast...:..;He
seemed a little- 'Ory.:,,toward the end
of the play - after ; big earlier cavort
ing on the stager The fault here was
probably the 'director's, who . - 4
didult
seem •to understand the role.
ards did especially fine work in the
scene of Ase's (pronounced Osa)
death, Here, the set was very strik
ing. Good job, McLaughlin. The ac
companiment was too feeble to put
the scene over., music does
not possess the rPower of the Ibsen
play, but it is lovely and in spots,
highly dramatic: This you would
never guess froni the playing of Ase's
Death. The music , limped weakly be
hind the spirited performance on the
stage. It was sad but not bemuse it
was a dirge. .• ,
As for the rest of the cast, here
goes
,Betsy Ross, since her recent climb
to :character roles, has been develop
ing the cult of unintelligibility. Peo
ple in the front row thought she was
fine, but couldn't understand a word
she said. 'Eddie Blocs did well
enough as'the blacksmith. He's slat
ed for better roles in the future.
Clayt Page as the bridegroom looked
foolish, but tbat)was, the idea. Enid
Stage's SOlveig mos - feeble support
to Richards' Peir. - She looked the
part of the Noiloegian country lass
all right, but When she opened her
mouth she spoi4d the illusion. In
grid, played ,by Margaret Mclntyre,
was not at all' convincing; Nor was
Gretchen Marquardt much better.
She didn't do her father-in-the r play
justice. Dick Allen .made a pretty
fair Dovre King, and in between cues
doubled as Monsieur Ballon. Kreeger
did a good job as the German. Not
- only was his accent good, but his ges
tures and walk didn't spoil the im-
-THE MANIAC
"Jean, your hairdress is ex
ceedingly smart.
"Yes, it is, distinctive quark.
That's 'because I always have
it dove at
Louise Lambert,
BEAUTICIAN.
"Fo s r the Discriminating"
t', - ' l '..' FOOTLIGHTS
pression. Larsen's Herr Trumpeter
stale was fair. We couldn't quite
make up our minds whether he was
Swedish, Jewish, or both, in the play.
of course. Crider slipped upon a real
chance as the Button Moulder to
make a role for himself. His laugh
wasn't too bad, but• his speaking voice
was Wirkie's own. The supporting
cast as a whole left too much up to
the lead, and he carried it off well
at that.
Many of us wonder often why Play
ers' productions follow so slavishly
the Broadway playbill of the previ
ous season. Why, in the college which
is comparatively free of box-office
domination and long_ run engage
ments, should we not get more the
atrical experimentation. The profes
sional theatre must conform to the
box-office demand, and put on uni
formly mediocre shows. College dra
matic productions are relatively as
sured of some attendance from the
students and faculty members any
way. Why not attempt something of
an experimental sort? We saw the an
swer Friday night.
' Experiments on a large number of
subjects at:,the Harvard University
'psychological• laboratory have shown
that difficult material is better assim
ilated- by- students by means of a
speaker. in the room than by receiving
the same infoimation by . radio.
Phone 240-J
Bring Your Guests
in to See OUR collection of
pictures of Penn State.
The DENN C TATE
HOTOb..7IIOP
212 EAST COLLEGE AVENUE
STATE. COLLEGE, PA.
Canvass Raises $2OO
For ,China Plant Fund
With $2llO already advanced, the
canvass to help G. Weidman "Daddy"
Groff 'O7 in his work of introducing
new plant varieties to China is rap
idly nearing its goal of $6OO at the
end of the second week of the cam
paign.
Mr. Groff is now in Florida, which
has a climate similar to that of South
China, experimenting with living
plant materials to be used in further
improving the flora of China. For
more than twenty-five years, Mr.
Groff has had an important part in
introducing new plant varieties to
the fertile lands of the Yangtze Val
ley. Some of his transplants are:
the Siam banana, the Australian eu
calyptus, and the Italian lemon.
Leaders of the funds drive here are
Dean Ralph L. Watts, of the School
of Agriculture, who is chairman of
the Penn State in China committee;
and Dr. William A. Broyles, of. the
department of agricultural education,
who is faculty adviser. to the com
mittee. Both Dean Watts and Dr.
Broyles feel confident that the $6OO
goal will be reached.
Three hundred books have been do
nated to the 'University of California
by the Italian government.
•
SCHILLING •
Keys Made—General Repairing
129 S. Pugh St.
A Satisfactory Service
• by a
Modern Sanitary Plant
Penn State Laundry
320 W. Beaver Ave. Phone 124
The Better Dressed Man
is always admired
—but you can't be better dressed unless
your clothes fit properly.
Have them made at
B . ALFURD
'
Incorporated
We invite you to inspect our large
selection of Spring Patterns.
Suits - Topcoats
from $21.50
Tuesday, March 5, 1935
If you'd have
Her wear
a little white
Gardenia--
or an Orchid—
or Roses,
Sweet Peas,
or Lilies of the
Valley—
Place your order
without delay
at the
STATE COLLEGE
FLORAL SHOP
127 W. Beaver Phone 580• J