WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 1960
Cat and Mouse Game
'Casey the Cat° Protects White Rats
In Oak Cottage Experimental Center
By PAT HALLER
It's the old game of cat-and-mouse at Oak Cottage where Casey the
But here Casey is also-the best friend a white rat could have.
Casey's caretaker, Eugene Kemmerling, senior in wood utilization
said Casey was brought to Oak Cottage in May 1958 to protect experiment
rats were getting under the cages and biting the white rats' toes,
White experimental rats are
presently being used by the De
partment of Foods and Nutritions
for experiments in dental caries
on the study of tooth decay.
Naturally, unhappy white rats
do not make good studies for any
type of experiment. Therefore re
sults were always poor because
the rats would not cooperate.
Kemmerling said they began to
notice the white rats chewed toes
and started looking for the causes.
Evidence was found of the
presence of wild rats and later
they were seen at work. They
decided to get a cat to guard
the cages and flip white rats'
toes. He said Casey was brought
to Oak Cottage when she was
Iwo months old and a "tiny
ball of gray fur."
Kemmerling explained that the
object of the experiments, which
have been going on since Jan.,
1958, is to find the relationship
of tooth decay to breakfast cereals
now on the market. Four whole
grain cereals, corn, rice, oats and
wheat are being used as the con
trols for the experiments.
He said that for each whole
grain cereal, corresponding break
fast cereals are used over a period
of sixty days. The study is being
conducted under the sponsorship
of the National Institute of Health
by Mary L. Dodds, professor of
foods and nutritions in the Col
lege of Home Economics.
Kemmerling said that since
Casey's arrival there has been
no sign of wild rats and the
white rats are happy ag a in;
But, he said, as is usual with
most animals, Casey soon be
came more than just the pro
tectorate of white rats. She
became their playmate since
white rats have no reason to
fear cats.
He said that Casey has also be
come the pet of everyone who
finds his way, to Oak Cottage.
Three Casey is queen and rules
her palace. She is free to come
and go throughout the house as
she pleases. He said she can usual
ly be found on the front porch
or among the hemlocks surround
ing the cottage. Kemmerling also
added that Casey has even at
tended a class in Boucke.
Educational Television--
(Continued from page one)
they did not want educational
television to progress in a hit
or miss fashion.
Dr. Milton Eisenhower, then
President of the University, want
ed to see a state-wide system de
velop with Penn State as the
axis.
At that time the University was
given the use of Channel 44 on
ultra high frequency which is
virtually useless in this type of
opment of the system was that
terrain.
Another problem in the devel-
Pennsylvania was only given four
channels of the 252 reserved for
non-commercial stations. These
covered only 50 per cent of the
state.
Riding Club Meeting
Wednesday, Jan. 6
217 Willard
7 p.m.
N c mination of president,
ice president, and
secretary.
All members. urged to attend.
THE DAILY COLLEGIAN, STATE COLLEGE, PENNSYLVANIA
THE RATS' BEST FRIEND—Casey the cat is friend and protec
torate of the white rats kept in Oak Cottage whose toes were
bitten by wild rats. The white rats are being used in experiments
by the Department of Foods and Nutrition.
Seniors Finish
Ist Soto Flights
Five seniors have recently com
pleted their first solo flights as
part of the Air Force ROTC flight
instruction program at the Uni
versity.
These men are Herbert Ludwig,
John Russell, Raymond Skomra,
William Smith and John Welty.
According to Col. Orin H. Rig
ley, Jr., professor of air science,
the program is restricted to - senior
Advanced Air Force ROTC cadets
who are programmed to become
U.S. Air Force jet pilots. Each
cadet receives 36 1 / 2 hours of flight
instruction.
Upon successful completion of
the program and graduation from
the University, the student is com
missioned as a second lieutenant
in the U S. Air Force Reserve and
sent to a primary flight training
school where he will begin train
ing for his jet pilot wings.
Optometric Society
To Award Grant
A 4-year full tuition scholarship,
valued at $3OOO, will be awarded
each year to the Pennsylvania
State College of Optometry in
Philadelphia.
The Mid-Counties Optometric
Society recently endorsed this
scholarship program set up by the
State Optometric Association.
Students must complete two
years of pre-optometry work in
an accredited college or univer
sity to become eligible for the
(scholarship.
cat chases the rat
from Feasterville,
al white rats. Wild
A Dutch linguist says he has
worked out a new language based
on pure mathematics. He says it
can be used to talk to creatures
from other worlds.
Dancin' and Jammin' at LaGalleria
The La Galleria is now open for dancing to live music every WEDNESDAY,
FRIDAY and SATURDAY evenings along with a newly instigated TGIF
session. That's right people; NO LONGER DO YOU HAVE TO FALL BY
THE WAYSIDE, fall by La Galleria because we've got what you've been
asking for—a real dance floor with fresh wax.
Non dancers, stags (men or women), wallflowers or old• Engineering
professors and students need not be scared by thoughts of sweet draggy
music; instead we have contracted for the best musical aggregation in the
town—that of course being the DAVE ATKINSON QUARTET, a group
of note.
Of course on Tuesdays and Thursdays TED HARTMAN'S automatic
45 rpm will play the music. Come on in, have a pizza and dance or listen—
just come down and see what Pete Nastase has been yelling about in
his back room. He had no ballroom and now we've all got a chance to
take advantage of it.
plus the big TGIF Session from 4:15 - 6:30
all featuring the Dave Atkinson Quartet at
La GALLERIA THE NATION'S NEWEST SHOWPLACE -
Student Hunts Props
For Victorian Ploy
Most people would throw up their hands in despair if they
were given the job of finding a Victorian fireplace screen,
a black horsehair sofa, three converted oil lamps and "every.
thing else." But it was just a routine assignment for Barbara
Foster, senior in journalism
As property crew manager for
"John Gabriel Borkman," Miss
Foster made innumerable frantic
phone• calls to local residents, stu
dents and faculty members to as
semble the Victorian period set
necessary for this second Players'
production.
"John Gabriel Borkman."
which is currently running at
Center Stage, is set in the heat
of the industrial revolution
when such robber barons as
J. P. Morgan and John D.
Rockefeller thrived. It was writ
ten by Henrik Ibsen who is also
well known for such plays as
"The Wild Duck" and "The
Doll's House."
"After receiving a list of props,
needed for the three-act drama,
I talked to Russell Whalley (as
sistant professor of theatre arts),
who suggested people and placed,
where the furniture might be
located," Miss Foster explained.,
One of the persons she was re
ferred to was Wolfgang Meyer,
professor of mechanical engineer
ing.
The lead proved to be very suc
cesful," Miss Foster said. "After a
truck ride to his summer home
near Millheim, we found the black
sofa and two chairs of the right
period."
But this was only the begin
ning. Her next job was to find
three oil lamps that had been,
or could be, converted to bat
teries.
"After calling several women
connected with the community
theatre, I was referred to a resi
dent who had a table model lamp
which she was happy to loan us,"
she said. The other two were
Wednesday 8 - 11
Friday
Saturday 9:15 0 12:30
By ZANDY SLOSSON
rom Williamsburg.
located in stores and converted
by the students.
Other crops which the crew
collected from the "prop cage,"
in the basement of Schwab Audi
torium, and through students in
clude: music case, battered play
manuscript, spectacles, calling
card and tray, broken umbrella
and lace doilies.
New Constitution
Adopted by TIM
The Town Independent Men's
Council has passed a new consti
tution which provides for an item
veto for the president.
The constitution, which is much
the same as the former one, also
says that a new member may be
installed in the council by a ma
jority rather than a unanimous
vote.
The constitution was passed
without discussion. It had been
discussed at the last meeting,
when it was passed on first read
ing.
The council also voted to allow
the executive committee to decide
to lend the equipment used in
Las Vegas night. A town wom
en's group had inquired about
the use of the equipment,
PRINTING
Letterpress so Offset
Commercial Printing
352 E. College AD 84794
9:15 - 12:30
PAGE FIVE