LIFE DOES GET TEJUS
B a ttalion
EDITORIALS
Page 2
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1949
"Soldier, Statesman, Knightly Gentleman”
Lawrence Sullivan. Ross, Founder of Aggie Traditions
Gyp, Not Egyptian . . .
The Pyramid Club has come to College
Station.
Just in case you may have been lock
ed in your room the last two days and
haven’t spoken to anyone or read a state
paper, we will briefly identify this form
of public entertainment.
A Pyramid Club is another get-rich-
quick scheme, closely related to the chain
letter. Under a different title the Pyramid
scheme flourished on the campus last
year, but reached no such pretentious pro
portions as it has gained here during the
last two days.
The basic scheme goes something like
this. For a fixed sum of money; two bits,
one, two, or five dollars, according to your
economic group you buy a paper with six
names on it. You then make two copies of
the paper, leaving off the top name on
the list, but placing your own name at the
bottom. Then you sell the copies to two
friends (?) and send the money received
to the man whose name you have remov
ed from the top of your list. Each of the
two purchasers are supposed to follow
the same procedure, with the letter
spreading by multiples of two, until your
name works its way to the top of the list.
At this time you begin receiving money
from all over the country with your gain
varying with the price of the letter and
number in the club, but always mathema
tically tremendous.
The fallacy, of course, is the theory
that the letter will spread on ad infinitum.
Eventually, you will run out of people for
Ring Around the Rosey .
The Ring Dance Committee has made
a wise decision in letting Seniors vote on
the manner they want this year’s Ring
Dance to be held.
Too many Seniors (nearly 2200) are
concerned for the small committee (only
12 at Monday’s meeting) to decide upon
this year’s dance without first consulting
a large segment of those men planning to
attend the dance. Before any further
plans can be made, the Ring Dance Com
mittee must know if one or two dances
will be held.
If two dances are to be held, then what
would be the breakdown? There are an
estimated 1600 non corps Seniors and 600
corps Seniors. A breakdown along these
lines was unfair, the committee felt.
Committee members believe that to
arbitrarily divide the dances by alphabe
tical means would go beyond the power
of their committee.
The whole Ring Dance question was
more than the committee thought it should
solve. So they have tossed this hot potato
where it belongs—in the hands of the Sen-
The Passing Parade . ..
This little gem of Typo (printed er
rors in news columns) came in recently
over our AP wire:
In case of bad weather the oath-tak
ing will be held in the House of Repre-
pure population reasons; but more likely
the last people in an area to buy in will
grow weary of trying unsuccessfully to
sell the letters and accept their loss.
It is these “bringing up the rear” le
gions who get stuck for the profits the
instigators make.
That is the description of the Pyramid
Club which is, with numerous variations,
flooding the campus and most of the oth
er cities in Texas.
Here are the dangers of envolvment.
Locally, there are college regulations a-
gainst solociting in the dormitories. You
can be stuck with varying degrees of
punishment for the offense.
Far more dangerous is the entangle
ment that result if the mails are used in
any way. The state Supreme Court has
classified the various Pyramid forms as
lotteries and, by mailing anything even
pertaining to them through the mails you
are subject to Federal prosecution.
These are mostly distant possibilities.
The probable evil of the local Pyramid
Clubs is that you will get stuck for a
buck. The pay-offs at the top are tre
mendous. To support those pay-offs there
must be several thousand suckers at the
bottom of the list. Since the movement is
now quite widespread, you have a very
good chance of being left holding a letter
and a sucker classification.
Lose your money in a poker game, at
the track, or spend it on women and
watch it leave with a smile. But tread
softly when someone says, “Pyramid
Club.”
• •
iors themselves. Now few screams of in
justice should be heard. Everything can
be done democratically.
In charge of distributing, collecting,
and tabulating the ballots in dormitories
will be the dormitories’ Student Senators.
They should recruit several Seniors to as
sist them in this important task. The po
sition of Senator in a dormitory is a uni
que one in that he was elected to serve
that dormitory. This balloting is another
of his thankless, but necessary duties.
Seniors should cooperate to make their
work as easy and painless as possible.
Non-resident students must come to
Student Activities Office to cast their bal
lot. Due to the numerous places of resi
dence of off-the-campus Seniors, this is
the best way for them to vote.
Balloting will close at noon Friday.
Think over the way you wish this
year’s Senior Ring Dance to be held. Then
vote!
The Ring Dance Committee wants
your opinion. They will act as the ma
jority wishes.
sentatives, which seats only 3,000 perons.
We admit that at times we have had
our suspicions about the House, but things
never have gotten that bad.
The Battalion
The Battalion, official newspaper of the Agi-icultuval and Mechanical College of Texas and the
City of College Station, Texas, is published five times a week and circulated every Monday through
Fi'iday afternoon, except during holidays and examination periods. During the summer The Bat
talion is published tri-weekly on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.. Subscription rate $4.30 per school
year. Advertising rates furnished on request.
The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for republication of all news dispatches
credited to it or not otherwise credited in the paper and local news of spontaneous origin publish
ed herein. Rights of republication of all other matter herein are also reserved.
KENNETH BOND, TOM CARTER ^ Co-Editors
Entered as second-class matter at Post
Office at College Station, Texas, under
the Act of Congress of March 3, 1870.
Member of
The Associated Press
Represented nationally by National Ad
vertising Service Inc., at New York City,
Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
News contributions may be made by telephone (4-5444) or at the editorial office, Room 2<)1,
Goodwin Hall. Classified ads may be placed by telephone (4-5324) or at the Student Activities
Office, Room 209, Goodwin Hall.
Louis Morgan Associate Editor
Bill Billingsley Wire Editor
Harvey Cherry. Art Howard, Otto Kunze,
John Singletary Managing Editors
Chuck Cabaniss, Charles Kirkham,
Mack Nolen Editorial Assistants
Emil Bunjes, H. C. Gollob, R. C. Kolbye. Henry
Lacour, Carley Puckitt, Clyton Selph. Marvin
Brown Staff Reporters
Joe Trevino, Hardy Ross Photo Engravers
Clark Munroe Feature Editor
Carl Thrift Circulation Manager
Dave Coslett, Frank Cushing, George Charlton,
Buddy Luce, Chuck Maisel, H. C. Michalak,
Marvin Rice, Carroll! Trail Feature Writers
Bob “Sack” Spoede, Bill Potts Sports Editors
Leon Somer, Frank Simmen, Andy Matula,
Scotty Swinney, Travis Brock, Ben
Lampkin, Frank Manitzas Sports Reporters
Mrs. Nancy Lytle Women's Page Editor
Alfred Johnston Religious Editor
Andy Davis Movie Editor
Kenneth Marak, Sam Lanford, R. Morales,
Frank Welch, C. W. Jennings Staff Cartoonists
Sticking My Neck Out . . .
“What, that report is two hours
late?!”
“Oh those quiz papers; I’ll get
to them next week sometime.”
Letters To The Editor
HE HAS NO GRIPES????
Editor, The Battalion:
Just for fun. Just for a little
variety. A letter to the editor from
someone who isn’t sore at any
body. I just believe that there are
more good things at A&M than
there are things to gripe about, so
I want to see one letter in this
column from someone who isn’t
mad, or fed up, or stepped on.
1. I have received a few traffic
tickets the last year or so, but I
much prefer to think of Fred Hick
man as the man who last summer
walked into a shack and disarmed
a well-armed and trigger happy
man who had gone berserk, and
who had been shooting at every
moving person or car in the area.
Fred could have shot the man in
self defense, but he very quietly
went in, disarmed him, and locked
him up. I don’t recall any letters
in The Battalion about that side
of Hickman though. Sure, that was
his job, but it is also his job to
maintain some semblance of order
out of the chaos that would exist
on the campus if everyone drove
his car to class and on errands.
“When I was a Fish”, I owned a
T Model Pickup, but the rules were
so stiff that it was stored from
September to June in a barn at
Midway, and I was so worried
about someone finding it that it
was covered with hay and didn’t
turn a wheel all year.
2. Maybe the fact that I have
been here at A&M only 17 years
doesn’t qualify me, but none the
less I much prefer to think about
the hundreds of improvements I
have seen on the campus in that
time rather than the alleged fact
that Proxy’s Fountain once got
dirty, or that the weeds grew at
the traffic circle (which doesn’t
belong to the college anyway).
I had rather think about Fritz
Hensel as the man who very far
sightedly planted most of the
live oaks which are now arching
over all of our streets, or of the
dozens of flower beds which are
always blooming with pansies or
better. The East Gate Esplanade
which is one of the most beau
tiful sights in Texas, is also a
monument to him.
3. I have bought a few items at
the Exchange Store and' never ac
tually thought of it as a cut-rate
store, but it is much more pleas
ant to think about the tennis
courts, band stand, boxing ring,
musical instruments, dormitory
athletic equipment, rodeo arena
(being designed), fiction books,
lighted softball field (now being
used almost nightly by the RV’s),
and the preliminary work on the
golf course which Exchange Store
profits go for. I also enjoy think
ing of the $11,000.00 Exchange
Store profits available this year
for student welfare and recreation.
4. Sure, The Battalion has lots of
advertisements, but I can remem
ber when it was only published
once a week, then twice, then three
times, finally daily, and now two
issues a week have 6 pages each.
Can you remember that far back?
If you can, you will recall that
the cost to each student for a years
subscription to The Battalion has
always been $4.30 and still is. In
cidentally, Li’l Abner was only ad
ded last year.
5. Okay, so Ben Ferguson didn’t
show all of a football game as
allegedly advertised at the Cam
pus. Tell him about it, not the
world. When you do, also thank
him for leading the fight several
years ago to get first run shows
for College Station. Did you
know he did just that?
6. Now we hear that Guion Hall
. stinks. We have often heard that
its shows do. Did anyone take the
trouble to find out that the alleged
stink was probably the result of a
hairline crack in a urinal that was
damaged during the “big freeze”
this month, or that the ladies room
was spotless and “smell-less,” but
alas, didn’t have a mirror. Inci
dentally, on the “stinky” occasion
Guion was packed by 1800 happy
folks who saw a top two hour
show for one half to one quarter
what the show would have cost in
Dallas. Did anyone write a letter
Only Three More Days Left to Shop
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Change the walls of your apartments from dull and
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210 W. 26th S. PHONE 2-1318
TU Basketball Audiences
Have Spirit, Little Else
By BILL BILLINGSLEY
This piece will concern sports
manship displayed during a Uni
versity of Texas basketball game.
Of necessity, the story will be a
negative one, since the same may
be said for TU sportsmanship as
for College Station Co-Eds . . .
there ain’t none.
Anyone who doubts this state
ment has only to go, as I have
just done, to a roundball contest
in the seat of
Longhorn hos
pitality, Greg
ory Gymnasium
for the proof
positive. There
in their 8,000
capacity sports
cathedral, just
a rotten grape
fruit’s throw
from downtown
Austin, the stu
dents of our
largest state
university demonstrate Orange and
White sportsmanship as she is
practiced.
The night we shall use for an
example, the February 16 game
between the University and A&M,
the crowd was short of capacity
but long of the gay spirit. Occu
pying a third of the temporary
bleachers on one side of the court
were members of the University
football squad. Whiling away their
time btefore the beginning of the
game, the Steer squadmen amused
themselves by sending their fresh
men out for cold drinks and pop
corn and directing them in sing
ing the school songs.
After six renditions of “Texas
about that ?
7. Tom Buddy is much maligned
because Guion Hall is a second run
show. That isn’t his choosing.
Where else can an adult see good
second run shows for 30 Granted,
that is only lOr 1 under the aver
age price, but that 20 per cent is
the difference between making and
breaking. I prefer to think of Tom
as the man who built the beauti
ful Senior Ring used at the Senior
Ring Dance, or as the individual
who has kept a twenty year old
movie sound system going, or as
many students think of him, as
the agreeable fellow who will fix
your camera, paint your signs,
light your dances, paint scenery,
and' be always available and happy
12 to 14 hours a day, 7 days a
week. Do any of you letter writers
operate on such a principle
8. (Now please don’t take this
item personally, just consider
the principle involved) I can re
member two or three occasions in
the last 17 years when the cam
pus was “invaded” by several
“women of negotiable affections”
from Dallas, Houston, or some
other city. How else could the
resultant danger of disease and
disgrace* be stopped except by
Campus Security vigi lance
against night time visits by such
women. Again I am not getting
personal or implying anything.
I am just trying to explain the
reason behind the rule against
unescorted ladies waiting around
the dormitory at night. The
lounges were provided to serve
as a place for your wife or date
to wait in the proper surround
ings.
Now, do I imply I am satisfied
with Aggieland, think it is perfect
want to sit back, smile, pat every
body on the back? Absolutely not.
I love this place too much and
have too many years invested here
to see it stand still. There are
many things to do. Much is need
ed. If you have an idea, and who
hasn’t, take it to the person con
cerned, rather than scream to
everyone in general and no one in
particular. Maybe yours is a good
idea, maybe not. Perhaps no one
has thought of it, or it may have
been tried last year.
Thanks for bearing with me so
long if you have. This may not be
the best letter to the editor, but
it is certainly the longest.
C. G. White
Director
Student Activities
Fight,” by the TU frosh the
Aggie basketball team arrived
on the floor and the University
pigskin men set up a gleeful
howl of boos and hisses to show
their pleasure at the arrival of
fresh whipping boys.
The multitude was quick to
single out Jewel McDowell. During
his final High School days, while
he was deciding which college he
wanted to attend, McDowell spent
quite some time at the University
looking over their facilities. Evi
dently, during this period, the
Austin people went to a great deal
of trouble and no little expense to
impress Mac that TU was the
place for him. When he decided to
enroll at A&M, many cries of an
guish and pain were heard from
TU.
Still smarting from their spurn
ing at the hands of The Jewel, the
ploying sort of a Junior Aggie yell
Austin athletes were out for his
scalp in no uncertain terms. Em-
system, the squad ringleaders ori
ginated clever little phrases and
passed them back to their cohorts,
Who were in a very Kyle Field
like hump. On the count, they
would shout out their little gems
of wit, much to the delight of the
remainder of the Gregory Gym
audience.
As an interesting sidelight the
chief instigator and leader in
the group was TU’s head yell
leader, Bob Bearden. Bearden
will be remembered as the lad
who attended all the inter-con
ference sportsmanship meetings
and extolled the virtues of be
ing thoughtful of opposing teams
and student bodies.
Prior to the game, and during
its early stages, the gist of yells
from the self-elected cheering sec
tion Was “Where is that money
you owe us, McDowell?” Why they
assume McDowell owes them mon
ey we would like to know. We ima
gine the Conference Purity Code
administrators would like to know
too.
As the game progressed, Mc
Dowell stuck to the Longhorn star
Slater Martin (one of the best and
cleanest playing men on the TU
team) like an adhesive plaster.
The Orange and White block plays
failed to screen The Jewel out, and
he held Martin, customarily a near
20 point man, down to a game total
of eight points. Martin returned
changed from inconsiderate need-
TODAY thru FRIDAY
—Features Start—
1:25 - 3:10 - 4:50 - 6:35
8:20 - 10:00
WARNER BAXTER
INGRID BERGMAN
SUSAN HAYWARD
—in—
Love knows no mercy when
two women fight for the love
of five men!
“ADAM HAD
FOUR SONS”
A Re-release
—Plus—
CARTOON — LATEST NEWS
Friday Prevue 11:00 p.m.
FIRST RUN
PLUS CARTOON
Special Fri. Prevue
11:00 P.M.
a Dore Schary plantation <
Cary Grant
in DON HARTMAN S production
Every Girl Should
Be Married
co-starring
HONE
N The hide-and-
N seek, tongue-
^ in-cheek tale
> of a marriage-
shy baby-
doctor, .and
a misbehavin,’
man-huntin’
Babe:
A
•M V
SM MOMMY **
nrrnu niMi/r / PrOdBMd. OifKl#! Sltd
introducing BE1S1 DRAKE „ ** t.-—» « .«««
ond
Steen Play CoHabOTlisr by
Sltpliait Manfeom km
ling to just plain out-and - out
malicious boorishness. From Mc
Dowell they turned their attention
to Coach Marty Karow.
When Vilbry White, doing some
beautiful side-court and far-out
shooting, pushed the Longhorns,
far enough ahead to apparently
ice the game, the unison yell squad
took it up again. This time their
yell was, “Don’t worry about it,,
Karow, you won’t be around next
year anyway.” This theme was
varied slightly and repeated
throughout the last quarter of the
game.
In the last few minutes of the
Game, Billy Turnbow, who had
played a creditable game and was
high point man for the Aggies,
fouled out. None of his fouls had
appeared intentional or premedita
ted and, while he had outhustled
and outjumped some of the Long
horns on occasions, he played what
for the night, was a clean game.
Yet, when he left the floor, he.
was booed and hissed as if he had
stolen the top three stories from
the University Tower.
On the other hand, “Elbows”
Madsen, TU’s imported contribu
tion to legalized slugging on the
hardwoods, seized every opportun
ity to get in a concealed lick at his
opponents. When The officials
caught him in the act three times
and penalized him (the lad should
more justly be tossed out of the
game as a detriment to sport),
the assembled university support
ers screamed at the officials as if
they had been accessories after
the fact when Turnbow stole the
tower.
These were the main, features
(See TU BASKETBALL, Page G)
CATHOLIC MASS
Friday
6:45 a.m.
ST. MARY’S CHAPEL
rrrwTOT
ofKUWAfW
t PICTURE m
with
SABV
Wendell
COREY
Ioann*
PAGE
SATURDAY
“Of Mice and Men”
Bryan 2'SS79
TODAY thru SAT.
Jane James
WYATT • CLEAS0N