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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 1943)
ROOM 5 ADMINISTRATION BLDG.—2275 COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS, TUESDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 21, 1943 VOLUME 43—NUMBER 83 Christmas Holidays Begin Wednesday Afternoon At 5 Aggies Prepare To Attend New Year’s Orange Bowl New Rulings About Rings Changes Date Seniors, Servicemen Are Only Onces Who Can Receive Rings A. & M. Rings ordered by mem bers of the Junior Class will not be delivered until they are regis tered as classified seniors or are called from school to military ser vice, according to a ruling made at a meeting of the Ring Com mittee last Friday. The new regula tion was enacted to prevent the confusion that has followed with more than one class wearing the senior ring on the campus at the same time. This new ruling does not alter basic ring eligibility requirements. Men registered as classified juniors may continue to order their rings, but these rings will be held by the Registrar’s office until the stu dent registers as a classified seni or, or receives his military call. In the latter event he must present evidence that he is leaving school for military service. Full payment of the ring cost must be made with each order. The rale permitting classified juniors to purchase rings was adopted for the duration of the war only, and in order that men prevented from continuing in school by military reasons might also wear the Aggie ring. Men now registered as classified juniors who have not yet ordered rings must do so before February first when the new rule goes into effect. These rings will be deliver ed upon arrival. After Feb. 1st., all ring orders will conform to the above change. The Ring Committee is com posed of the following student and faculty representatives; R. G. Cox, President, Senior Class and P. Q. Olschner, seniors; C. S. Hunter, President, and W. J. Terrell, Vice- President, Class 1946; D. F. Man- ley, second semester sophomore class; C. R. West, President first semester sophomore class; and Don Lamberson, 1947 Class; W. L. Pen- berthy, Bob Cherry of the Regis trar’s office, and E. E. McQuillen. Sunday Service Show Receives Top Honors For Entertainment The fourth consecutive Service Show went on the air over WTAW at 3 o’clock Sunday afternoon with Harold Reifer as master-of-cere- monies. The program began with the Aggie Band, under the direc tion of Col. Richard J. Dunn, play ing a medley of songs of the armed forces. The 308th Air Corps Orchestra and Glee Club presented their ver sion of “Night and Day,” followed by a commercial of “Snappier Snipe” Cigarettes. “What Marines Are Doing at A. & M.” was the subject of the Marine commander stationed here on the campus. The skit, “Asking For a Pass,” was presented and received with much applause from the audience. The Air Corps then sang the “Manhattan Serenade.” The pro gram concluded with the Aggie Band playing several marches. The staff for this show, besides Reifer, was Harry Dillingham, John Holman, writes the script, Tom Journeay, and Dick Gottlieb. The shows are presented through the cooperation of the Student Activi ties office and post’s special ser vice officers stationed on the cam pus. A Thoughtful Wartime Christmas... We’ve heard the bells on Christmas- day, Their old familiar carols play And wild and sweet, the words re peat of Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men. Once more Christmas has come! The cold has stung our red noses and nipped to our ankles. We are in a hurrry to shop for last minute presents to carry home. Christmas carols have drifted across a silent campus to leave us staring at the ceiling above us for hours. And we wonder why Christmas is dif ferent this year from Christmas a few years ago—and all the time we know— And in despair we bow our head “There is no peace on earth,” we’ve said, “For hate is strong, and mocks the song Of peace on earth, good will to Yes, the last two Christmases have past in which we have lived in a strangely different world, wandered in pessimism, walked in chaos and destruction, or blinded ourselves to the tragedy of a world at war. Of course, this is not the first war that has stifled the Christmas spirit, nor the only war, —but it is the worst war. . . . The worst war because more money has been spent on machines of destruc tion than ever before . . because operations are developed on a larger scale than ever before . . . because more lives are being lost than in any other war . . . because more “isms” are striving to WTAW Presents “Rapsody in Blue” To be presented over WTAW on Wednesday, from 12:15 until 1:00 o’clock, there will be a transcrip tion of George Gershwin’s “Rhap sody in Blue” in its entirety. Brag- giotti and Shaw, famous piano team, will present this recording. As many will remember, this well-known team played on Town Hall early in the summer, playing a series of piano solos from Bach to boogie. Everyone will enjoy this Braggiotti and Fray piano team. strangle our way of life . . . be cause men are fighting against the teachings of Christ, the Prince of Peace. Thei pealed the heels more loud and deep: “God is not dead, nor doth he sleep, The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, v With peace an earth, good will to men.” Yet, there is good in this war. Good because the forces of evil are fighting the forces of right and justice. Good because right and justice will triumph over evil. Good because our children will live in a better world—to speak what they desire, to be blessed with abund ance, to fear no evil, to worship as they desire. Good—because this (See THOUGHTFUL, Page 2) Singing Cadets To Appear Before TSCW Students First Appearance Of Cadets in Denton in Several Semesters Arrangements have been com pleted for the Singing Cadets of Aggieland to present a program of popular, semi-classical and classi cal numbers to the T. S. C. W. stu- detn body when they appear on the campus Saturday evening, January 8. This will be the first appearance of A. & M.’s all-male choir in T. S. C. W., the “Sweetheart School,” in several seasons. The program will be given in the col- (See SINGING, on page 2) Episcopal Chapel Announces Services Rev. J. H. R. Farrell will be celebrant at the service of the Holy Eucharist in St. Thomas’ Chapel on December 24th at 11:15 p. m. He will be assisted by G. C. Willman, John Lambert and Van Adamson. The choir will be under the di rection of Farl F. Manke and the organist will be F. Lee Richards of Philadelphia. Confessions will be heard on Christmas Eve and any one may arrange for the Sacrament of Baptism. All members and visitors are urged to be in the Chapel by 11 o’clock and as there will be no ser mon, the Holy Communion will be over shortly after midnight. Dr. Samuel E. Asbury's Daily Routine is Scientific Research By J. C. Tanner The state of Texas employs man here at A. &M. whose every day activities include practically everything in scientific research. That man is Dr. Samuel E. Asbury, better know as “Doc.” Dr. Asbury came to Aggieland on November 1, 1904 after grad uating from North Carolina A. & M. and has been here since then, except for a year in graduate school at Harvard. Still going strong at the spry age of 72, he does analysis work as a state chemist.. Every monring at eight, Dr. Asbury begins his day’s work at the experiment station where he works until noon and then contin ues at his home until midnight. While at work, he lays aside his chemical research and pursues one of his very interesting collection of sidenies. At the present, his main sideline is historical research and Texas mysteries. Dr. Asbury is closely affiliated with the university historical world. Since 1920, historians have submitted to him baffling articles of history. He has a very unique method of deciphering these mys teries. Upon receiving a subject, he copies every document he can find in his enormous historical li brary on the subject. Making six copies of all this, he sends them to six different historians. In return the historians usually send him all the information they have on the subject. This exchange of thoughts, informatioin, and views on the sub ject presents a good collaboration of information, and Dr. Asbury solves a very interesting mystery. The doctor says that there are two kinds of historical study and research hunting and writing. He cares nothing for the writing, and searching for possible clues by tackling hard problems as a hunter interests him greatly. At the present, Dr. Asbury has about 120 different projects, some containing as high as 600 itmes, documents, and records. Each of these will be solved separately. Ve ry often he takes sides in histori cal debates. After learning all pos sible from one side, he changes to the other and exhausts their store of information. Dr. Asbury, being of the firm belief that you get more out of your mistakes than you do out of your successes, never hesitates to delve deep into any problem confronting him . Dr. Asbury has other activities to round out his everyday life. Among these are musical compo sition, drama, scientific research, mystery of the growth of plants, poetry, and all the other fine arts. In this, he is chiefly interested in the criticism, moods, and composi tions of art. The Asbury Browsing room in Cushing Library was named after Dr. Asbury because of his work and his contributions to A. & M. Among these contributions are his Several Hometown Clubs Arrange to Hold Dances During Holiday Season at Home Tomorrow afternoon at five o’clock the official Christ mas holidays begin. These holidays were changed from the dates previously announced so as to permit students to attend the New Year's Day football game without having to miss,; fclasses. The holiday time extends till reveille on Jan. 3, 1944. Many students will take advantage of the extra time to go as far as South America to spend the holi days with their parents and friends. The recent epidemic of flu made many students fear about the holidays and going home, al though the time was not altered in any way. The army men on the campus all get Christmas day off and many of them are going to get three day passes to go home or at least away for the weekend. The holidays were originally planned for December 18 till De cember 28. The executive commit tee met to see if a change was plausible since so many students wanted to be able to go to the New Year’s Day game and all wanted to have this time off. The committee recommended that the holidays be changed to start De cember 22 and to continue until reveille on January 3 of next year. This change in the time also gives the students and some of the faculty a little more time to be away from the routine of classes. Association Will Meet in Ft. Worth January 11 and 12 Annual Meeting Will Have Six Agriculture Topics For Program Annual meeting of the Texas Agricultural Workers’ Association will be held at the Texas Hotel in Fort Worth, January 11 and 12, Mary Anna Grimes, Textiles and Clothing Specialist of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, and secretary of the organization, announced today. Six general agricultural topics are slated for discussion in the program for the 1944 meeting. Va rious phases of each subject will be discussed by specialists from the U. S. Department of Agricul ture, the State Department of Agri culture and the Texas A. & M. Col lege system, as well as speakers representing private business life. Forenoon session of January 11 will be devoted to conservation and plant industries, while the after noon program will cover the home, horticulture and animal industries. Agricultural economics will be the topic for the forenoon of January 12, followed by a business meeting, during which officers will be elect ed and the 1945 meeting place selected. Officers of the Texas Agricul tural Workers’ Association, in ad dition to Miss Grimes, are: D. T. Simons, Fort Worth, American Jer sey Cattle Club representative; W. L. Stangel, Lubbock, head of the Animal Husbandry Department of Texas Technological College, and T. P. Priddie, Houston, president of the Federal Intermediate Credit Bank. The program for the convention will appear in a later issue of the Battalion. Silver Anniversary Banquet to Honor Faculty and Staff Affair To Be in Sbisa Lounge Wednesday 7 PM Tickets on Sale Til 5 A silver anniversary banquet is being held by the members of the faculty and staff of the college to honor those who have been in the employ of this institution for twen ty-five years. The date set for the dinner is Wednesday at 7:15 p. m., the place is the Sbisa Hall lounge. This is an annual affair pre sented by the staff and faculty, it was announced by W. R. Horsley, director of the Student Placement Office. There are nine members of the faculty and staff who have 25 years of service behind them; each of these will receive a walking cane in recognition of the fact. The banquet is dedicated to these members and the walking cane is the traditional gift presented to the group each year. The students have been making the usual preparations for a big holiday and a good time while away from school. The volume of shopping has increased a great deal lately and although there is little for a student to get for those at home, when the Aggies come in their friends will all be made happy with gifts, The Post Of fice is doing a good job of keeping up with the huge volume of holi day mail. The spirit of the season is indeed in the air. Several of the dormitories are decorated and the songs of the season are being played in the mess hall and humm ed on the campus. New and old uniforms are being spruced up for the trip home which everyone is anticipating. During the holidays many home clubs are planning dances and parties. Some of those that are already planned are the parties or dances to be given in Dallas, Houston, Corpus Christi, Galves ton, Abilene, and Little Rock, Ark ansas. The A. and M. Mothers' Clubs in many towns are going to give their annual parties and dances. The main event during the holidays will be the football game in Miami and all Aggies will either be in Miami or listening hopefully by their radios for the battle between the Aggies and the L. S. U. Tigers. On January 3 all the corps will return to classes as usual after a much needed rest. Baotist Church Will Hold Christmas Party A Christmas party is being held by the First Baptist Church of College Station in the social room of the church December 25. The party will start at 7:30 and end at 10:30. A group has been trying to obtain a wagon and some hay with the intention of ending the eve ning singing carols around the campus. Friday night, before Christmas, a group will gather in the Y. M. C. A. next to George’s Confection ary. They will meet at 10:00, starting with the story of Christ, and ending with Christmas carols. They will be out at 10:00. Tickets for the occasion are on rare collection of books, musical! sale in the Student Placement, and compositions, historical records, j Student Activities offices and of- and valuable paintings, all willed ' fices of th e heads of departments, to the college. I continue their until today at Dr. Asbury offers a fine example ^ p.m. The price is $1 per person. | many cadets sleeping on hay and of a hard-working researcher. He Th® tickets will not be on sale living in holes; only mess served sticks to the job, and he obtains after this time or at the door of in eating hall; and barracks full results. I the dinner it was stated. I of fish. Tokyo happy to report terrible conditions at A. & M. Spy says