P AGE TWA
Favorites
Favoritism is a repulsively ugly word nowa
days in any of its connotations. What it implies
is that little or no chance exists for the other
guy who happened to miss out on the good
looks, fraternity pins, facile speaking ability,
"right contacts," or certain other distinguishing
markings.
The old prof-student lie can be carried too
far—and then it becomes a noose, to the detri
ment of many potentially good students. Fa
voritism in the • classroom ranges from an ob
vious open play on the part of some students
to the subtle glow on the faces of some instruc
tors when a small thing appealing to their orbs .
or ids crops up. This is also manifested by a few
profs when a member of their society, home
town or a little-brother-of-a-buddy appears. .
RELATIONS BETWEEN professors and stu
dents can be approached from an intelligent )
higher-level basis than the methods listed here. ,
Meeting of the minds is a natural, logical step
• when common interests are shared—and there 1
is no reason why this should be precluded. But
there is no reason why these relations should
interfere with the profs' grading systems.
Grading systems are not perfected—the com
pletely fair system is yet to be devised. Until
the utopian grading standard comes, however.
the undercurrent of favoritism is as definite as
the coming of the sun and the p9strnan, and com
plains concerning it are not without founda
tion •
Some students are just as guilty of using it
as are some profs. But the prof whose classroom
attitude, grades, or any other actions e4hibit
outright favoritism is guilty' of harming the
favorite (by helping him evade responsibility)
and harming the morale and attitude and edu
cation of the student ignored in the process.
Respite
WE THINK THE outset of a new semester is
good for a number of things. First, the tension
is off. Second, it's the time we read all the
innocuous prefaces and introductory chapters
in i our unsullied new books. But most import
ant, it yields an opportunity to stop and re
flect on what we've been doing and where we're
going. •
We take full advantage of, this refreshing
respite before discounting the torpedoes and
charging full-steam into the grind once again.
Bowling
Many student bowling enthusiasts are happy
over the State College Borough - Council's recent
decision to lower bowling taxes to the 1945
This enabled the only alleys in State Col
lege to re-open for the first time since Dec.
31, 1949, when their owner closed the doors in
protest to an increased borough license fee. . •
The Council action resulted when it appeared
that unless something drastic were done. soon,
State College bowlers and student addicts of
the sport would have no place to go.
DESPITE THE FAST that it's Council's right
to raise the license fee if it sees fit, we think
students at the College are appreciative of the
recent saving action in reducing the fee after
previously deciding to boost it. •
All's joyful on the bowling front. Spirited
league action and individuals' recreation can
resume at the alleys.
Practical Jokers
If Penn State's practical jokers seem wild
now, here's what they did in the 1870's: In
chapel they stamped their feet and kept time
to the music; they smeared the banisters with
molasses during public meetings; took oil from
hall lamps and filled them with Water; and took
mules from the stable at night and stole
chickens.
Zile Daily Collegian
Successor to THE FREE LANCE, est. 1387
Published Tuesday through Saturday Mornings in
clusive during the College year by the staff of The Dail,
Collegian of The Pennsylvania State College.
Entered as second-elase matter Jr,ly 6, 1934. at the State
College. Pa.. Poet •ffice under the act of March 3. 1879.
Editor
Tom Morgan
STAFF THIS. ISSUE
Night Editor Ray Koehler
Assistant Night Editor Carolyn Barrett
Copy Editor Bill Dickson
Assistants—La Vonne Althouse, Paul Beighley,
Dorothy Anne Bennett
Advertising Manager Jim Cochrane
Assistant Barbara Sprehltle
Business Manager
Marlin A. Weaver
!'HE DAILY COLLEGIAN, STATE COLLECIE, PENNSYLVANIA
Little Man On Campus
"I find that the smart students drop this course; —The rest try
Thorpe Still Tops
The man with the copper-leathern face , and muscular bull-neck
almost completely blotted out the lighted dooiway with his massive
form As he entered the room a crowd of 200 arose spontaneously to
sing out "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" ..*. and Jim Thorpe, whom
they were honoring, dropped his usual deadpan expression and
smiled.
THEY HAD COME (the guests and Young Men's Bible Class of
Grace Luthern Church) to pay homage to the one-time Sac and Fox
Indian youth who two-score years ago had set the sports world, on.
its head, who has been voted the outstanding, football player, of the
past half-century and who has just been chosen as the outstanding'
male athlete of the last 50 years. ,
And "Old Jim," as he .calls .himself, didn't -fail them. Those kids
who had never seen him in action but who had heard of his ex
ploits from their dads sat upright. Their jaws sagged and eyes
widened as the American Paul Bunyan strode to the table amid
ear-jarring applause.
"OLD JIM" still looks practically the same as when he was
wearing the cotton shirt "with padding on the elbows and shoulders
for protection" of the famous Carlisle Indian School for Coach Pop
Warner. He carries himself in the best tradition of his Indian heri
tage. His broad, heavy shoulders are straight, his head is high and
you Can,hardly notice a pound of excessive flesh on him.
, As Thorpe walked down the stairs to'the banquet room he was
greeted by Bob Higgins, an old gridiron teammate. "Hello, Jim!"
the Hig roared, "I guess the old days are catching up with us, huh?"
But the only sign of age on Jim's part was the little bald spot en the
back of his still black shock of hair and his somewhat sloWer pace.
• They asked "Old Jim" when was the last time he had been on
a football field. "Just this past season," he answered. ' "It was in
Frisco and I was watching the '49ers play. They got me out on the
field and I booted 16 out of 20 field goals from ten to 55-yards out.
My leg was a bit stiff when I started but after a while I warmed Up."
ONE OF THE greated ball carriers in football history, Thorpe
gave an amusing account of his grid initiation as a 150-pound guard.
He told of Warner lining him up with the Hotshot scrubs against the
Carlisle varsity. As luck would have it , the ball was booted right
at him and a star was bOrn.
"So there I was, guys 240-260 pounds rushing down on me. I
said to myself, what •are you doing here? So I started to run. I
ducked, swerved and side-stepped and pretty soon I had run right
through the entire team for a touchdown."
However great Jim might have been as a football player, his
favorite game is baseball. He played in the major leagues for six
years with the New York Giants, Cincinnati Reds and Boston Braves.
In an exhibition game Arkansas he once hit three home-runs;
each one into a different state. . •
"THEY SAID I was a sucker for a curve ball. Well, who isn't
for a hook low and outside? I• had a six-year average of ..320 in the
big leagues and I guess I must have hit some curves.
Thorpe related a golfing incident which brought gasps from the
assembled divot-diggers. Asked about the first time be , ever played
golf / Jim answered, "First lime I ever went out on a golf course I
didn t have any. clubs so I went over to a guy and borrowed a 3.
iron. I went around 18 holes with an 85.
Thorpe gives track as the explanation of his prowess in, sports.
"Without my track background I doubt that I could ever have be
come the athlete I was in those other sports. •
"One day as I was going out for baseball practice in my spikes
and overalls I noticed some varsity track Men at the high jump pit.
The had the bar up around 5-8 and none of them could make it.
"LET ME lIAVE a try at that thing I said and going back a few
steps I flew over it.
"One of the varsity men. went over to Warner and said, Top,
I just saw something that's gonna make your eyes pop out." What's
that Pop asked. 'Why, Jim Thorpe - just high-jumped 5-8 in a 1411e
oall uniform.'
"Where is that •fellow?" Warner asked. 'Over there on first base:
"Warner cried, You, Thorpe, come over here. How Would you like
to try out for the track team? . •
"I tolk him--LCoach, I don't like track, I want to play baseball.
But he talked me into it."
In 1912 Thorpe became the only man in 01Xmpic history to win
the ten-event decathlon and the five-event penathlon in one year.
"I guess I must have peen a pretty good ,ithlete," he said with a
big grin.
NOEW.P.
to stick it out and flunk."
=l=3
' by Bibler
Viotpoiy . I.t.
. /4 9/
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1950
Safety Valve • • •
Also Disgusted
TO THE EDITOR: I'm glad someone is finally
questioning the long drawn out restrictions on
our freshman girls. I say amen to the freshman
and the disgusted senior whose letters appeared
in Thursday's Daily Collegian. I too am dis
gusted. I understand these .freshman girls are
permitted to be with men only between the
hours of 12 and 5:30 on weekdays. If the people
who started this policy believe they're restrict
ing those girls who should be restricted, they're
wrong. Try to keep a girl from seeing her beau
and you drive her to meet him secretly. I ask
you, is it better to spoon and say goodnight to
a girl in the lounge of Atherton, or no telling
where? Who are these policy makers hurting?
Why only the girls who wouldn't date anyway,
and they're only hurting their morale. For a
short period many of these girls would not have
thought of breaking customs, but after five
months things look different.' I understand the
upperclassmen have, after three months, begun
enforcing the rules around the dorm, but still
this is a large campus. First they were permitted
to remain around the steps, but now where?
I personally think it's time for move-up diy.
If I'm overlooking something, if the committee
being criticized has reasons unknown to me and
others, tell us I'm sure we're only interested
in seeing things done fairly.
—An Interested Sophomore
Let's Drop It
'TO THE EDITOR: SWEATER QUEEN
BUNK! Why don't you drop the whole stupid
thing? I've noticed some raw and. uncompli
mentary behaviors on campus and felt they
were inevitable in such a large student group,
but when the edition, which supposedly repre
sents and relates Penn State news, resorts to
Stich IoW 'standards for the sake of humor, I
think the proverbial straw is about to do its
infamous damage. Our paper is fast becoming .a
farce. In. column one, page two, you're all for
fan-fares and flag-waving for Penn State honor
and tradition. Then with a thud comes column
two, and like an author who is vainly striving
for realism, you cut the honor act and .ring in
the burlesque. What, may I ask 'is this contest
supposed• to do for Penn State honor and tradi
tion?
Every supposedly-bright work I've read about
this oncoming contest makes it sound like a
lewd plan of a cavalcade of sex-phsycos to find
the ideal girl (?) to be queen of the next raping
party. Frankly the basic idea itself would be
enough to give this impression without the aid
of any advertisement. As one girl to a group of
probably deaf ears say ARE YOU FOR
REAL?
Debatable Subject
TO THE EDITOR: Upon reading the article
concerning the booing of officials at boxing
'bouts,, a comment enters my mind. From what
I've read and heard in the paSt few weeks, free
dom of speech in this country is a debatable
subject• nevertheless, I believe it's still here,
and as long as it is, it should be both fitting and
proper to object to anyone's decisions, including
those of the boxing officials. Those 5000 fans
may be wrong but it's their right to roar as they
please.
The booing of opponents because they were
awarded the decision is something different.
uazette . . . .
COLLEGE PLACEMENT
Further Information concerning interviews and job place.
melds can be obtained i in 112 Old Main.
Bethlehem Steel Corp. is interested in receiv
ing prelithinary applications for their loop train
ing course from June grads in MngE, ME, EE,
lE, CE, ChE, Metal,'•and Cer. Applications must
be returned to 'Placement Service by Monday,
Feb. 20.
Linde Air Pioducts, Feb. 21. AdVanced degree
candidates in Organic and Physical Chemistry
interested in research and development work
with silicons, ozones, and rare gases.
Procter and Gamble Co. is interested in re
ceiving preliminary applications from June
grads, and also sophomores and juniors inter
-ested in summer employment, 'in Chem. ChE,
EE, lE, and ME. Applications must be returned
to Placemerit Service before Thursday, Feb. 23.
Sylvania Electric Products, Feb. 21, 22. June
grads in. EE, ME, ChE, Chem, Phys, Metal, and
Cer. Applicants must have 1.5 or better average
' and should be single, or married without chil
dren.
AT THE MOVIES
Cathaum—Battleground.
Nittany—lnterlude.
State—Dancing In The Dark.
'Tuesday, February 14
Duplicate Bridge Tournament TUB 7 p.m.
Collegian Advertising Salesmen 9 C.H. 7 p,m.
14a Vie Junior Board 412 Old Main 8:15 p.m.
Froth Advertising Staff 2 C.H: 7 p.m.
PSCA Bible Study Group 304 Old Main 2 p.m.
PSCA Commission 304 Old Main 7:30 p.m,
Mining Society Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. 121 Min
eral Inchistriea.
COLLEGE HOSPITAL
Admitted Sunday: William Fairehok.
Admitted Monday: Mae Marian Gademan.
Discharged Monday: . Joanne Dunlap.. Parker
Creep. •
—Name Withheld
—Chuck Kochanowski