The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, February 01, 1940, Image 2

Texas A&M Newspaper Collection

The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, February 01, 1940, Image 2

Newspaper Page TextPAGE 2 The Battalion STUDENT TRI-WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF TEXAS A. & M. COLLEGE The Battalion, official newspaper of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas and the city of College Station, is published three times Weekly from September to June, issued Puesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings; and is published weekly from June through August. Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office at College Station, Texas, under the Act of Congress of March 8, 1879. Subscription rate, $8 a school year. Advertising rates upon request. Represented nationally by National Advertising Service, Inc., at New York City, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Office, Room 122, Administration Building. Telephone t-6444. 1939 Member 1940 Associated GoUe&iate Press BILL MURRAY _ LARRY WEHRLE . James Crits E. C. (Jeep) Oates EL G. Howard “Hub" Johnson — Philip Golman John J. Moseley EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ADVERTISING MANAGER Associate Editor Sports Editor Circulation Manager Intramural Editor Staff Photographer Staff Artist Ray Treadwell .... J. W. Jenkins Don McChesney ... Phil Levine THURSDAY STAFF Managing Editor Asst. Advertising Manager Asst. Circulation Manager Editorial Assistant Junior Editors George Fuermann .... — Bo' 5 Nisbet Senior Sports Assistants Jimmie Cokinos - Jimmy James Junior Advertising Solicitors L. J. Nelson - - A - J- Hendrick Reportoriai Staff Jack Aycock, H. D. Borgfeld, P. H. Brown, R- A. Doak, Jim Dooley, Walter Goodman. Guy Kane, R. R. Mattox. R. Pearce, R. G. Powell. Walter Sullivan, Delbert Whitaker. D. C. Thurman, Murray Evans, Dow Wynn, Joe Taylor “Wise Guys” Now that most students are wishing for the first time in four months that they had studied along, the time seems propitious for a short sermon on the matter. For years among a majority of students on this campus there has been an insidious stigma at tached to studying, especially regular studying. With them, it’s a great thing to boast, not how much they study, but how little they study. To pass a course without studying is a sly trick on the professor. It's not uncommon at all to hear, ■“I haven't cracked a book in that course till yet.” And the deplorable thing about it all is that this is held to be complete justification for failing a course. Asked why they “busted” such-and-such course, they answer, “Oh, I didn’t study.” But that’s no answer. The question goes behind that. Why in the h—1 didn’t you study? What did you come to this school for? Oh, we know the answer to that one, too. You came here for contacts. Well, if you wise birds would open your economics textbooks and learn about the universal laws of diminishing returns and diminish ing utility, you would know that you could make your contacts and study too, and come out fur ther ahead than if you spent all your time whirling about on social and contact business. If you don’t understand why, suppose you exercise your dor mant intellectual curiosity for once and find out. It’s simply the old story that you get more good from eating the first banana than from eating the second, and so forth. The moral is that if you mix your diet, you won’t get the rickets. Of course, we’re not urging anyone to become a bookworm. Ours is the case of the old-fashioned preacher. He damned his congregation for their sins, not to make angels out of them, but to get them to be a little good. We condemn certain stu dents for their indolence, not to make bookworms out of them, but to get them to study a little. Studying is not a waste of time. You’ll find a great deal of unexpected good to come of it. A storehouse of knowledge is a rather useful thing, and there’s not much information you can’t find a use for at some future time. What we deplore are those empty-headed per sons who go around bragging about their empty heads. Invoking the spirit of rugged old Thomas ■Carlyle again, we shout to those indolent igno- Tamuses, “Put some wisdom in those vacuous, ■cavernous craniums of yours while you may, or •else you’ll rattle on with your fatuous do-nothing philosophy until the end of your useless lives.” —The Daily Texan Crosswords or Courses? Civil service examinations are the chief hope of many job-worried graduates. This year’s tests, however, with their emphasis upon “general apti tude” worry a good many technical students who know a lot about one field and almost nothing about others. Foresters, for example, are thumbing through dictionaries and working crossword puzzles in a feverish attempt to improve their general knowledge before the examinations are given. Their specialized technical training will do them no good unless they can first pass the general aptitude part of the examination. Civil service authorities are not to blame for the unhealthy situation. They may be praised for forc ing university students to become educated. For nobody may fairly be called “educated” when he is totally unequipped to deal with any problem out side his specialized field. Specialization is valu able only as it grows out of a fairly broad back ground. No, the civil service examinations do not create the problem. They merely point out its ex istence and demand of students their solution. The most obvious solution is a schedule of courses designed to expose every student to a gen eral education. The two main difficulties in the way of solving the problem are the scarcity of courses specifically designed to attract and ad vanced specialist in search of broader knowledge and the unwillingness of some department heads to let their students “waste time” in other depart ments. The first problem can be solved by those who design and teach courses. Most of them know they can cram most of the essentials of their fields into one-semester or one-year courses if they know their classes will be composed of serious juniors and sen iors seeking to learn a little about a lot of things in a short time. Most of the present introductory courses do not fill the need because they are intend ed for freshmen and sophomores who expect to take further work in the field, not for juniors and seniors who have come to realize they have missed something and want the cream of that “something” quickly. But the courses could be arranged, and the department heads who planned them would find they filled a need. The other difficulty arises from the natural conceit of the specialist teacher who knows his field well. He is a specialist because he thought his field was most important. As he continues teach ing, he comes to think it is all-important. Finally, he insists that his students think it is all-important, too, and resents their thinking they need informa tion he is not qualified to give them. He is trapped by the fallacy that traps many successful specialists —if he is an authority in engineering, he thinks he should be accepted as an authority in political science, or literature, or psychology. Professors in those courses, in turn, fail to see the value of a general course in engineering for their students. No immediate alleviation of the “specialized inaptitude” evil is in sight. Candidates for this year’s civil service positions may get what help they can from reading, participating in extracurricular activities, taking freshman courses, and working crossword puzzles. All will help. If they get cross enough now, someday they may not be so puzzled. Lost: A Thumb At least there is one group in the world not opposed to the hitch-hiker, we are happy to hear. According to a survey conducted not so long ago by the Student Opinion Surveys of America, 80 per cent of the collegians go on record against hitch-hiking laws. Ask the average hitch-hiker, and he will tell you that the whole world is against him, especially that part of the world that rides around in automo biles—with empty back seats. A few unfortunate incidents and the wide pub lication of them have well nigh ruined the hitch hiking trade. There was a time, when automobiles did not zip by so fast, that one wave of the thumb would secure a “hop.” Nowadays, however, the average motorist is afraid to pick up a thumb- thrower, and that seems a shame. The majority of hitch-hikers are harmless. Many are college boys, innocent of anti-social act or motive. Nevertheless, many car drivers won’t take a chance, and if the present attitude continues, per haps the art of hitch-hiking will take its place alongside the Egyptian skill of embalming its mummies. —Clipped. An aged Virginia negro was arrested for mak ing counterfeit silver dollars. Federal agents who made the arrest said he used pure silver in his operations and there was more of it in the coins he turned out than in those of the government. * * * A wife shot her husband because she “just got tired of seeing him around.” * * * A colored minister in Tennessee told state liquor control officers when getting a permit to buy sacramental wine of his church that “If it’s all the same to you, my congregation would like to take out gin instead of wine. We all voted that way.” * * * Was it worth it?—Since the first World War— “the war to end all wars”—there have been about 60 other wars throughout the world. During the World War an average of four men a minute gave up their lives. As the World Turns... By “COUNT” V. K. SUGAREFF Communism is parading throughout the land in various forms. Like “Socialism” in the early years of this century, Communism conveys a special stigma. Yet, Socialism nowadays is a mild term. No one, as yet, has given us a comprehensive defi nition of Communism, and the promiscuous use of the term is giving Mr. Average American a nightmare. In 1848 the Commu nist party in Europe demanded, among other things, a graduated income tax and free public schools, both of which we have adopted in the United States. The party also advocated the abolition of the right of inheritance, a principle which we incorporated in our graduated in heritance tax. Communistic exper iments are not a novelty in Amer ican history. Seven religious and four secular com munal societies have been in operation in the United States at different periods of American history, for example, the Dunkers, Separatists, Icarians, and Brook Farm. It is possible that the spectre of Com munism will not haunt us in the near future. But, before the nightmare of communism shall have spent itself, “some decent Americans may have been unfairly smeared.” Take, for instance, the consumer organizations which J. B. Matthews, investigator for the Dies Committee, branded re cently as Communistic, because they criticized false advertising. Since Communists attack advertising as a capitalistic institution, consumer organizations are Communistic. So Mr. Matthews reasons. But, the Federal Trade Commission is constantly fight ing false advertising. The commission publishes the names of the firms and orders them to “cease” and “desist” their unfair practices. Is the F. T. C. Communistic? Mr. Matthews’ logic is full of falla cies. * * * 60% of the world’s gold is in the United States. If the present war should end in the defeat of the Allies, many people would be concerned as to the future of gold. At present gold is worth $35 an ounce. Any appreciable drop in the value of gold is bound to affect our monetary status unfavor ably. Should Germany come out victorious, the world might adopt the barter system. The barter system has not been as efficient as some people would have us believe. The totalitarian states are not in a position to supply the world with all the commodities that the peoples of the world need. Moreover, even if the barter system should be at tempted, it would be like substituting the wheel barrow for the automobile. The world is not ready to do that. THE BATTALION ■THURSDAY, FEB. 1, 1940 BACKWASH By George Fuermann “Backwash: An agitation resulting from some action or occurrence.’’—Webstar. The way of things . . . Cadet mail carrier Jack Calhoun often comes across unusual addresses, but the gem which came to the Registrar’s Office last week almost set a new high even in Jack’s ex periences. Ad dressed to the col lege, it read, “Texas "A. & M. College, Some- jypjIHE. * where between Dallas and Hous- ton, U. S. A.” . . Fuermann The Sbisa Volun teers—an organi zation composed of waiters in the old dining hall—will have a page in the Longhorn this year for the first time in their history! . . . . Aggie who is most consistently in evidence at the Friday afternoon Clambakes—Dick Hobbs. He’s on ly missed one thus far ... With a rather despondent look on his face, an eco student was gazing out of a fourth-floor window of the Aca demic Building earlier this week r “Don’t jump,” Johnny Smith warn ed, “finals only come twice a year!” . . . Factual statement to end all factual statements: Jim Pridmore’s statement that “Well, I’m exempt— from exemptions!” • She didn’t like geography any way: A couple of pleasure-bent Aggies —one of whom was a Cleveland, Ohio product—recently dated an equal number of local waitresses. After exchanging the usual small talk, one couple left the table to dance, and, upon returning, the Yankee was greeted by a fellow cadet with a hearty, “How’s the old Ohio kid doing?” No sooner said than one of the girls turned to the boys and in a very, very suspicious voice demanded, “just what is this anyway? First you say you’re from Cleveland and now you say you’re from Ohio.” • Fifteen more days: Half a month more and Back wash’s contest—one hundred words or less on “What I Like (Or Don’t Like) About T. S. C. W.-ites”— is over. Any Aggie is eligible, and the prize is a subscription to The Battalion. If the winner is already a subscriber, the magazine and newspaper will be sent to any address in the nation which he designates. And, once again, the committee of judges: Chairmaned by gradu ate assistant Troy Wakefield, the other nine members include Henry Houser, Joe Gault, Robert English, Tom Richey, Mack Duncan, Der- rell Pitts, Don Peterson, Bob Lynch, Mick Williams and Willard Clark. Send your entry to the writer, Box 2279, College Station. The winning entry will be published in the T.S.C.W. Lass-0 and The Bat talion, and runners-up will appear in a future issue of the maga zine. Approximately one-third of the University of North Dakota stu dents are Lutherans. New York University has more students (37,376) than any other U. S. college or university. The average attendance at a college football game this year was 22,733. AH WOMEN tL Charlton Special to The Battalion from The Laaa-0 of T. S. C. W. Successful new song of A. & M. Jack Littlejhon’s “I’d Rather Be a Texas Aggie,” is quite a swingy little tune that we will probably all be singing before long. We hear that copies will be on sale in the Ad. Build ing soon and for only four bits too. • And from A. & M. again, we get a postcard which says: “I’ll have you know that my kiss is quite noiseless, and no one has ever com plained of its lack of sincerity.” , / , Which all goes to •jJ IJ show that while Jones’ letter won a dollar and a subscription, many Aggies do not agree with what she wrote. Another letter on the same subject said that if Aggies’ dispositions were only as .bright as the ten-cent shine of their boots, it must be pretty dull, because shoe shines cost two bits! (Why get technical about this thing?) From Colgate’s campus paper we get this little item: “Here’s chatter at its best. It seems that a short time ago Bill Newcomb re ceived a letter addressed to any student at Colgate. It was from some blossoming Texas bud, who goes to T.S.C.W., the largest wom an’s college in the world. She seems to want company or letters (by the way her address is Box 2393, Denton, Texas, and the name is Nan Vineyard) and men tioned the fact that there are three thousand girls and no men at T.S.C.W. Wrote back our gal lant Bill Newcomb words to this effect: “Sister, there are one thousand boys at Colgate and any one of them can handle three girls!” • Last week’s column brought more complaints than usual, and from T.S.C.W. as well as A. & M. We received eight anonymous letters from Aggieland saying they did not think the principle the Anti- Aggie Association is based upon is so darn clever. And Capps dorm let us know in no subtle fashion that they are AAA’s just as much as Lowry girls are, what ever honor that is. What seemed a mildly amusing paragraph to us turned out to be a bombshell to many freshmen here. They must be suffering from “finals fever.” • And still from the letter depart ment: Charles Baker would have his friends know that he’s just as happy that Gloria Wynne is minus an Aggie as she is. It seems that my column last week made it ap pear that he had been jilted. Oh no, dear readers, not that! Save Money On VALENTINE CANDY Read— Aggieland Pharmacy’s Ad. Saturday No benefit show this week, but there will be a show—and how. Joan Bennett in “THE HOUSE KEEPER’S DAUGHTER” is show ing at the Assembly Hall Thurs day and Friday nights. An interesting sidelight on this show comes from la Bennett, her self. The studio put out publicity on the show about the “daughter” doing “things she hadn’t oughter.” Joan objected very strongly to such suggestive advertising, so, since the studio wouldn’t revise their tactics. Miss Bennett wrote let ters and made phone calls to hun dreds of women’s clubs over the country urging them to boycott the show and make speeches against it. Did she get fooled! That move was the best piece of advertising the picture got. Wom en she had called broke their necks getting to the show. All of which proves that Joan had better take a lesson in psychology, Dr. Winkler recommended. The cast for the picture follows: Hilda Joan Bennett Deacon Maxwell-Adolphe Menjou Robert Randall John Hubbard Ed O’Malley William Gargan WHATS SHOWING AT THE ASSEMBLY HALL Thursday and Friday— “THE HOUSEKEEPER’S DAUGHTER,” with Joan Bennett, Adolphe Menjou, and John Hubbard. AT THE PALACE Beginning Wednesday — “THE REAL GLORY,” with Gary Cooper, Andrea Leeds, and David Niven. AT THE QUEEN Friday and Saturday — “BEWARE OF SPOOKS',” with Joe E. Brown and Mary Carlisle. BE NEAT MAKE THE AGGIELAND BARBER SHOP A REGULAR STOPPING PLACE AGGIELAND BARBER SHOP Across from Post Office COLLEGE MEN Are you interested in a good hair cut? Come to the new College View Barber Shop and let Mr. Hardeman do it. Aggies, it will be a pleasure to meet and to serve you. REMEMBER COLLEGE VIEW BARBER SHOP Opposite Main Entrance Charles H. Hardeman, Mgr. Phone C-155 Hilda Swanson, whose mother kept house for the Park Avenue family Randalls, broke up with her boy friend, Lefty Johnson, be cause he had turned his law prac tice into a tool of gangster Floyd Martin. Almost immediately he gets in trouble and is complicat ed in a murder case. Robert Ran dall takes the job of reporting on the case and begins some private sleuthing, and in the meantime uncovers some interesting facts about his housekeeper’s daughter. North Texas Teachers College at Denton has received a music set granted by the Carnegie Corpora tion of New York. The set in cludes 1,000 records of music from over the world, an electric phono graph designed for small auditor iums, 150 scores and 100 books on music. — VALENTINE CANDIES COME IN TODAY and SEE OUR LARGE VARIETY CANADY’S PHARMACY Bryan we are PREPARED t ° take CARE OF YOUR TEXTBOOK PROBLEMS FOR THE COMING SEMESTER TFYTnnriFQ ILAl JjUUJiu BOUGHT—SOLD—OR EXCHANGED lilt LAUniilNbL blunt Dependability * * * % * % b T * V * k ♦ f h ft t

Texas A&M Newspaper Collection

Texas A&M Newspaper Collection

The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, February 01, 1940, Image 2

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