PAGE TWO
The Daily Collegian Editorial Page
Editorials ■nd columns appearing in The Daily Collegian represent the opinions of the writer. They make no claim to reflect student or truislersitir emnsensms Unsigned editorials are wr itt e n by the editor.
Something Bold
Something bold in the way of fun is buzzing
toward the College. It's the Spring Carnival which
takes over South Allen street at 2 p.m. Friday.
The idea of the carnival started last November
when several members of IFC and a member of
Pan-Hel conducted a survey of the fraternities
and dormitories. Of the students polled, a tremen
dous majority favored the plan of a carnival for
inclusion in the week-long celebration.
Promoting the idea in conjunction with its 40th
anniversary issue, Froth presented the plans to
Inter-fraternity Council which in turn took the
proposal to All-College Cabinet. Cabinet assumed
complete charge. Thus was conceived the Carnival.
But March 31, the date originally scheduled for
the carnival, was both wet and dreary. The car
nival was temporarily cancelled. This coming Fri
day was set as the new date for the carnival.
Activities at the carnival will range from "racing
gold fish" to "put out the lights," from "horse
races" to "fools-nest," from "humpty dumpty" to
"pop 'em off." Sororities, fraternities and inde
pendent groups are joining in the entertainment.
But aside from the fun of the carnival, there
are the more pleasant fruits which the carnival
will eventually bear. Funds raised at the carnival
will be distributed by the World Student Service
Fund to purchase books for students in the Philip
pine Islands.
We'll be seeing you Friday at the carnival.
—Sy Barash.
Work To Be Done
Congratulations are in order for the new hat
men tappees, Skull and Bones, Parmi Nous and
Blue Key. Perhaps some of them will prove more
deserving of the honor than the majority of their
predecessors.
Periodically throughout the years, the cry has
gone out to the "honor" societies to "Justify your
existence." They have been told to do something
worthwhile or disband.
Occasionally, a few of the more conscientious
hatmen start out like a house afire, eager to make
all manner of reforms and show everybody that
they consider their hats more meaningful than a
hollow honor.
But the inertia of the vast majority soon clutches
at their high-flying heels, dragging them to earth
amid the crashing of their lofty ambitions.
For it is all too true that the standard attitude
of a hatman is the lethargic one that "I was chosen
for what I've already done, not just as a work
horse to do more."
That remark is only approximately true. Of
course the selection is meant as recognition for
past contributions to the College. However the
value of the honor is directly proportional to the
student evaluation of the society as a whole.
And the society's prestige can be measured by
the constructive work it does around the campus.
So perhaps you new young bloods will be able
to inject some life and vigor into the old honor
societies (and boost your esprit de corps as well),
by taking on some special projects. There are lots
of them begging to be done.
Traditional?
At last we think we've figured out why the Daily
Californian's Ice Box (counterpart of the Daily
Collegian's Safety Valve) is always so full and
overflowing.
Tradition ("as true Bear rooters, steeped in the
traditions of old Cal") must be the answer to the
question that has long puzzled us, "How can they
get six or seven letters every day, on so many
varied topics?"
It must have become a tradition at Cal to write
letters to the Ice Box, whenever half an excuse
presented itself. Controveries chase each other
through its shelves, sometimes defrosting the con
tents (and perhaps the authors and readers as
well).
How this custom was, and can be built up is
unrevealed, but it is certainly a worthwhile one.
Probably it is the only way to make a student
newspaper serve as a true forum of student
opinion.
We've even been more generous with our space
than the Californian, permitting 50 words more
than their limitation of 150. (Of course with the
greater number they receive, space is at more of
a premium.)
Unfortunately, some of the most interesting let
ters to the Safety Valve cannot be used. Like the
brilliant irony on Communism received yesterday.
As much as we wanted to, we couldn't use it be
cause the signature was not listed in the regis
trar's file.
Anonymous letters, and those signed with false
names, must be rejected. Telephone numbers and
addresses must be included, fur verification.
Names will, of course, be withheld on request.
What Penn State needs is a popping good Safety
Valve tradition.
Edit Brief
We believe that not even the must mathematically
precise equality of segregated institutions can be
properly considered equality under the law. No
argument or rationalization can alter this basic
fact: a law which forbids a group of American
citizens to associate with other citizens in the ordi
nary course of daily living creates inequality by
imposing a caste status un the minority group.
—The Report. of the President's
Commitleo on Civil Rights.
Moron's Delighg
I've been at Penn State for four semesters now, not including
five months with the ASTP (Always Safe Till Peace) boys, but in
that short space of less than 20 months I've suffered everything from
a near nervous breakdown to punctured eardrums. The main reason
for my physical and mental abnormalities is that our house is crawl
ing with that demented species of racket-lover known as "bopsters."
Fraternity brothers, normal in most other respects, dash about
the house screaming "oolya koo," "oop Jeep ba be bop," and other
nonsensical utterings until I'm glad to escape to the nearest Span
ish class. At least I can understand a few words spoken there.
Charlie Parker, "Dizzy" Gillespie, or Charlie Venturo is liable
to blare out from the record machine at any moment. Even the
Spring Houseparty was no escape. While other fraternities had
sedate dinner dances or novel costume balls, we had "Jazz at ZBT."
Until the strains of "How High the Moon," "Perdido," "Bird
land," and other tunes of that ilk played by wailing trombones,
screeching trumpets, and moaning saxes began buzzing through my
head I thought I knew a little about music. Now I'm'not so sure.
I was always under the impression music was supposed to be
pleasing to the ear. Bop, on the other hand, delights in producing
weird noises which my roommate, himself a drummer who wal
lows in the stuff, explains as "a futuristic variation of jazz." Jazz
he goes on to define as "extemporaneous interpretation of music
by individual musicians."
Then he rants and raves about impressionism, pleasing discords,
and a succession of other terms which would do credit to Roget's
Thesaurus. I try to wipe the stupid expression off my face and nod
intelligently, but outside of picking up a few choice words for my
vocabulary these explanations serve no useful purpose. I still think
bop is just a lot of noise.
Heaven knows, I've tried to understand the bop being turned
out by campus musicians. When they staged a concert at Schwab I
remained plastered to my seat through chorus after chorus of dis
cordant measures. I've willingly given up hours of much-needed
sleep to attend "sessions" at which equally-tired members of the
local "bop set" did everything but blow out their brains. Still no
soap. The only thing I got from hours of beer drinking and bop
listening was a sleepy feeling and a hangover.
After talking to a number of bop-lovers, however, I've come to
the conclusion they don't even understand the notes produced them
selves. Ask an admirer of Parker to interpret Thelonius Monk, noted
bop pianist, and he's almost—but not quite—as dumbfounded as the
non-initiated "square" who thinks Guy Lombardo is the greatest
thing that ever hit the field of popular music. Then inquire more
deeply and they explain this lack of understanding due to the fact
that each individual musician interprets his emotions in music in a
highly singular fashion.
They point to the varied interpretations of Picasso's paintings
offered by art critics as a parallel situation. I should think a bet
ter comparison would be the varying impressions steel workers
receive when they hear a 20-ion press smash down on a sheet of
metal. The sound is much more like the music being considered
than are Picasso's works.
"True bop is the musician's driving passion expressed through
his music," my stick and brush mad roommate declares. If what he
says is true, the driving passion of most of them must be a severe
case of colic.
It's gotten to the point now where I pick up a Strauss waltz
any time I can fight my way through the mass of jars fiends
crowding the record players and try to regain some sort of sanity
listening to "The Blue Danube" or "Die Fledermaus."
My lone hope is that bop, like dixieland, swing, and Kenton's
impressionistic jazz, will pass through its cycle and die an unnat
ural death.
Until then here's a solitary cheer for the three Ws, and I don't
mean be bop Mein.
Your Lion
By Red Roth
Collegian Gazette
Tuesday, April 26
PENN State Bible Fellowship meeting, 417 Old
Main, 1:10 p.m.
WRA Bridge, WH playroom, 7 p.m.
Fencing, 1 WH, 7 p.m.
Bowling, WH, 6:30 p.m.
PSYCHOLOGY Club, 204 Burrowes, 7 p.m
MEN'S Bridge Club, TUB, 7 p.m.
COLLEGE HOSPITAL
Admitted Saturday: Stephen Seg a 1, Shirley
Raynes.
Discharged Saturday: Russell Orner, Joseph
Swadlow, William Davis, Phyllis Oxford, Lee
Johnson, Eleanor Chesney.
Admitted Sunday: Joseph Strack, David Skelly.
Discharged Sunday: Dorothy Park, John Bur
ton, Leslie Fell, William Kebblish, Rene Bur
ickson.
Admitted Monday: Alice Kuywmjian, Theodore
Mann, Willis Dickey, Patricia Irwin.
COLLEGE PLACEMENT
Arrangements for interviews should ba made in 2lla Old Marla
Fidelity & Deposit Co. wants applications from
students interested in the bonding field. (Single
men under 30 preferred.)
Bolton School of Nursing of Western Reserve
U., April 27, June grads in A&L, Pre-Med, Psych,
Science, and Health Ed.
Westinghouse Electric Co., April 27, 28, and 29,
June grads in EE, IE, and ME; juniors in same
curricula for summer employment. A group meet
ing will be held for all interested students, 219
EE, 7:30 p.m., April 26.
Sears, Roebuck and Co., April 28, June grads in
Ag Eng for sales.
Talon, Inc., April 29, June grads in IE and ME,
for instiuctors in the training department.
Scott Paper Co., April 28, June grads in ME.
Lehigh Portland Cement Co., April 29, June
grads in C&F for their sales department.
Pitt School of Nursing, April 29, June grads in
terested in nursing as a career.
Kroger Co., April 29 and 30, June grads inter
ested in food merchandising.
Prudential Insurance Co., May 2 and 3, June
grads in A&L and C&F for sales work.
H. J. Heinz Co., May 2 and 3, women students
from following curricula for summer work: Home
Ec, Med Tech, Bact, Bot, Chem, Zoo and Ent, Pre-
Med, Com Chem, Sci, AgßioChem.
West Penn Power Co., May 2 and 3, undergrads
in EE, lE, ME, for summer employment.
International Business Machines Corp., May 3,
June grads in EE.
Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Co., May 5,
June grads in Chem Eng, C&F, EE, for sales work
only.
Ralston Purina Co., May 6, June grads in Ag Ec,
Ag Ed, Ag Eng, Agronomy, Animal Husb, Dairy
Husb, Hort, Poultry Husb.
Line Material Co., May 6, June grads in EE
and ME.
Leeds & Northrup, May 2 and 3, June grads in
Chem Eng, EE, lE, ME, Metallurgy, for sales engi
neering only.
AT THE MOVIES
CATHAUM—Take Me Out to the Ball Game.
STATE—Ma and Pa Kettle.
NITTANY—The Captive Heart.
Edit Briefs
• Students who take the commendable "Meet
Your Government" trip to Washington this week
may find a few deviations from the ideal on the
part of our lawmakers; for example, Congressmen
sometimes favor the ball park over the chamber
on a sunny afternoon.
• The Carnival committee is protecting itself
against the weather to the extent of gaining
borough approval of either Friday or Saturday
nights for the affair. The unanswered question ...
what if it rains both nights?
• With the publication of the final examination
schedule, Scheduling Officer Watkins will hear
the yearly complaint: Why is my last exam June 1?
alle Batty Collegian
Successor to THE FREE LANCE. est. 1881
Published Tuesday through Saturday mornings inclusive
ing the College year by the staff of The Daily Collegian of th.
Pennsylvania State College. Entered as second class softer
July 5, 1934, vt the State College, Pa.. Post Office ander Ow
Act of March 3. 1879. Subscriptions $2 a smarter. $4 tM
school year.
Represented for national advertising by National Advised,.
tog Service, Madison Ave., New York. N.Y. Chicago. Dositam,,
ivos Angeles. San Francisco.
Editor
Lew Stone
Managing Ed., Arnold Gorton; Nene NA.. Malcolm Whitei
Sports Ed., Tom Morgan; Fester* Ed., Loretta NovUlle; &PAO
Ed.. Frances Keeney; Asat. Soc. Edv Claire Leal Edit. "Nye
John Bunnell; Photo Bd., Betty Gibbons; Promotion Co-MiT•
Dick Brossman: Asst. New, Ed., Dot Hoosborgeet Soak*
Board. Rosemary SimiDante.
Asst. Bus. Mgr., Margaret Bream; Adv. Director. GOMM
Latin; Local Adv. Mgr.. Laois Gilbert; Circ. Mgr, Brett gran
ich; Class Adv. Mgr., Wilma Brehm; Personnel Mgr., Jame
Snyder; Promotion Co-Mgr.. Marlin W ; Ogles Mgr. K.
John Bartow
STAFF THIS ISSUE
Managing Editor -- nos Msßantry
News Editor _ . -- Gory Hassel
Copy Editor Dottie Werlimicii
Assistants __ Tracy McCormick, Jack floddington. Noma Gross
Balelll/1111 Amistaats —__Owen Lesion, Hal WM. SW Baia
TUESDAY, APRIL 26, ?M
. 4 E O , Business Manama
Vance C. Klepper