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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 3, 1954)
t +Jr2-1584 m DYERS-FUR STORAGE HATTERS Students . . . Use Our Convenient Pick Up Stations At Taylor’s Variety Store — North Gate On Campos with v MsxStoJman (Author of “Barefoot Boy With Cheek,” etc.) THE OPERATOR On every American campus there are four standard fixtures: No. 1—ivy; No. 2 —a statue of the founder; No. 3 — Philip Morris Cigarettes; No. 4 — The Operator. The ivy is to prevent strangers from mistaking the college for a warehouse. The statue of the founder provides shade for necking when the weather is fine. The Philip Morris Cigarettes are an aid to concentration when you are studious, an aid to sociability when you are sportive, and a source of smoke rings to impress new girls . „ . And The Operator is the man you can’t do without. Well do I remember The Operator on my campus. He was a young man with a'ready smile, a quick mind, fifteen complete changes of wardrobe, a six room apartment, a red convertible, and assorted stocks, bonds, securities, and second mortgages. The Operator’s origins were a source of lively speculation. Some said he was left over from the old Capone gang. Some said he was Judge Crater. Some said he sprang from the brow of Zeus. But, in fact, he was just an ordinary student — to begin with. In his first year he studied hard, took copious lecture notes, got good grades, and made a big reputation as a friend in need. He’d lend you money; he’d let you copy his lecture notes; he’d write themes for you; he’d sit up all night to help you cram for an exam. All of this was done with infinite good nature on his part, and no obligation on yours . . . The first year, that is. In the second year The Operator started to operate. He’d still let you copy his lecture notes — but it cost you a quarter. Sitting up to help you cram cost 50 cents an hour till midnight, 75 cents an hour afterwards. His prices for writing themes were based on a sliding scale — a dollar for a “C”, two for a “B”, three for an “A”. A “D” cost you nothing, and if you flunked, you got a dollar credit on the next theme he wrote for you. , , His services expanded steadily. He added a line of cribs for examinations. He booked bets on football games. He did a bit of bootlegging. He ran a date bureau. He rented cars, tuxedos, non-wilt ing boutonnieres. , But all of these were really sidelines. His main line was lending money. At any hour of the day or night, for any amount from a dollar to a hundred, The Operator was always ready with a sympathetic ear and cash on the barrelhead. And he rarely charged more than 150 percent interest. Usury and sharp trading are practices not calculated to win affection. Nobody loved The Operator. But nobody did anything about it either . . . Because undergraduates live in a perpetual state of need — need of money, need of lecture notes, need of romance, need of beer, need of something— and The Operator was the goose that laid the golden eggs and, therefore, safe. Nor did The Operator seek affection. He just went his well- heeled way, serene and carefree . . . No, not quite carefree. One thing troubled him: a fear that some day he might graduate. Gradu ation, leaving school, would mean the end of his empire. You can’t run a business like that from the outside; you must be right in the midst of things, spotting opportunities, anticipating needs, keeping your finger on the public pulse. So he took great pains to stay in school, but never to graduate. This he accomplished by constantly shifting majors. He would come within a semester of getting a B.A. in sociology and then transfer to law. When he had nearly enough law credits, he’d switch to business administration. Then from business administration to psychology, from psychology to French, from French to history, and so on, meanwhile getting cultured as all get-out, rich as Croesus, and never accumulating quite enough credits for a degree. Finally, of course, it caught up with him. There came a semester when no matter what he took, he had to wind up with some kind of a degree. He looked frantically through the class schedule trying to find some major he hadn’t tried yet. And he found one — physical education. So, sleek and pudgy though he was from high living, The Operator entered the department of physical ed. It was a mistake. Among the people he had to wrestle and box with were some great hulking fellows who, like everybody else on campus, owed him money. Their tiny foreheads creased with glee as they regarded The Operator’s trembling little body; their missive biceps swelled joy ously; their flexors rippled with delight. Rumbling happily, they fell upon him and covered him with lumps, the smallest of which would have taken first prize in any lump contest you might name. Confused and sick at heart, The Operator dragged his battered members home. He knew he had to get out of physical ed; his life was forfeit if he did not. So, unhappily, he transferred to some other course, and the following June, a beaten man in his cap and gown, received with lifeless hands a diploma and a bachelor of arts degree and shambled out into the great world. I don’t know what happened to The Operator after graduation. It’s not a bad guess that he’s serving time in some pokey somewhere. Or maybe he was lucky and went into the advertising business. If so, he is surely a big man on Madison Avenue today. But, as I say, I don’t know what happened to him. But this I do know: another Operator appeared on campus as soon as this one left, and he in turn was replaced by another,*and the process goes on endlessly. For as long as boy students like girl students better than going to class, as long as parents cling to the delusion that the allowance they had at college is sufficient for their children, as long as blood runs warm and cash runs short, there will be an Operator operating on every campus everywhere. ©Max Shulman, 1954 This colwnn is hrdught to you by the makers of PHILIP MORRIS who think you would enjoy their cigarette. The Battalion The Editorial Policy of The Battalion Represents the Views of the Student Editors The Battalion, newspaper of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas and the City of College Station, is published by stu dents four times a week during the regular school year. During the summer terms The Battalion is published twice a "week, and during examination and vacation periods, once a week. Days of publication are Tuesday through Friday for the regular school year, Tuesday and Thursday during the summer terms, and Thursday during examination and vacation periods. The Battalion is not published on the Wednesday immediately preceding Easter or Thanksgiving. Subscription rates are $9.00 per year or $.75 per month. Advertising rates furnished on request. Entered as second-class matter at Post Office at College Station, Texas under the Act of Con gress of March 3, 1870. Member of The Associated Press Represented nationally by National Advertising Services, Inc., at New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Fran cisco. The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for republi cation of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in the paper and local news of spontaneous origin published herein. Rights of republication of all other matter herein are also reserved. News contributions may be made by telephone (4-5444 or 4-7604) or at the editorial office room, 202 Goodwin Hall. Classified ads may be placed by telephone (4-5324) or at the. Student Publication Office, Room 207 Goodwin Hall. BOB BORISKIE, HARRI BAKER Co-Editors Jon Kinslow Managing Editor Jerry Wizig Sports Editor Don Shepard, Bill Fullerton News Editors Ralph Cole.. ^ City Editor Jim Neighbors, Welton Jones, Paul Savage Reporters Mrs. Jo Ann Cocanougher Women’s Editor Miss Betsy Burchard. Maurice Olian Larry Lightfoot ..A&M Consolidated Correspondent A&M Consolidated Sports Correspondent Circulation Manager Battalion Editorials Page 2 THE BATTALION FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1954 Who Banned Football? This fellow Hutchins—seems to be quite a difference of opinion about him. He’s had a long and colorful career as an educator and in other fields. Every once in a while he has made the front pages, by ac tion considered radical—like banning foot ball and other incollegiate sports from the University of Chicago. Some people have agreed with his ideas on education, and others have fought him bitterly. And now the faculty and students- of A&M are going to get a chance to hear Dr. Robert M. Hutchins. He will speak here Sunday at 2:30 p.m. in Guion hall on “the task of education for living in a free society.” There is no doubt that many faculty and staff members will go to hear his talk— education is their business, and Hutchins is a leading educator. But the students should attend the talk. Right now, education is as much their bus iness as it is the faculty’s. There’s not too much difference between learning and teach ing. Also, some of Hutchins beliefs are part of the future of education; in other words, the education of the children of today’s stu dents. It’s an awkward time, as far as the stu dents are concerned—some may be out of town, others may be just loafing. The time arrangement was unavoidable; the Great Is sues series had to suit the time to Hutchins schedule. But students can afford to sacrifice something else to hear this talk. Education is everybody’s business. Anyone We Know? Some kids at the basketball game last night amused themselves by throwing paper airplanes on the floor during the halftime. Couldn’t have been college students doing it. Of course not. Cadet Slouch •TMC ~ PROFS MOLD ~K SECRerr mretim' _ _ ^ * >' v . ^ nav VWEM'J^CLA^S. IS* AT ppoa f by Earle THE MEXT DAY “1 All my v>eoPi» jUj Si. fj isi Guix.e^ o*4 Ttu samg TIME'S I TMftNK* TUEV PlL^kl ITT r* Let Little Ones Help Kids Thinking About Santa By JO ANN COCANOUGHER Battalion Woman Editor . Christmas time is finally ap proaching- and the smaller children in the family are becoming Santa Claus conscious and wondering just what the jolly gentleman will put around the tree for them. Mother, I’m sure, is beginning to gather last year’s recipes for the delicious cookies, cakes and Christ mas puddings, . and planning for the holidays in a big way. Little Sister, as usual, wants to help in the kitchen when Mother is in a hurry, and, as usual, is asked to leave and play with her dolls. It would be a nice idea if Mother would only take time to help her daughter bake some simple cookies, even if they are made from a ready mix. Children often cause trouble and get in the way when their mother is rushing to finish, but if she would teach them to be helpful in measuring or fetching the need ed ingredients, or even just watch ing the oven to see that the cookies don’t burn, the children would feel useful and be useful too. Christmas is always a rushed season in the kitchen as well as in any other part of the house. Clean ing for the holiday guests, and making sure the greeting cards are addressed and mailed, decorating the tree, wrapping gifts and hiding them, planning parties and giving them, are just a few of the many holiday duties for Mother. Children like to be included in all of these activities too, especially at Christmas time. They feel it 1 is their own special time of the year, and to a certain extent they are right. Mothers always have ideas for the childi-en on how to decorate the tree. Let each ch’ld have one duty, like putting on the tinsel or plan ning the snow scene on the table; stringing popcom and cranberries for the tree; finding the burned-out bulbs and replacing them with new ones; making shiny cut-outs to put on the tree; placing gifts and keeping the rest of the family from peeking or rattling the boxes. Christmas is a religious time of the year, too, and it is parents’ responsibility to teach their child ren the real meaning of the Christmas spirit. Churches will have special services that the whole family may attend. Candles and Christmas music and the smell of pine are long remembered by a small child. Make sure that the little folks in the family understand why there is a Christmas—a time fox’ love, happiness and sharing. Telecast Features College Research The “Spotlight on Texas” tele vision program will feature A&M’s research activities on its telecast over five Texas stations during December and January. The program, sponsored by Southwestern Bell Telephone com pany, will have parts on biochem istry and nutrition, cotton breed ing, oceanography and meteorolgy, beef cattle research and scale model architecture research. Here are the stations and dates of the program: Houston, KPRC, Dec. 5; Dallas,, WFAA, Jan. 2; Fort Worth, WBAP, Jan. 15; San Antonio, KGBS, Jan. 2; and Austin, KTBC, Jan. 17. Singing Cadets Set Saturday Concert The Singing Cadets will give a concert at 8 Saturday night in the high school auditorium at Gon zales. They will sing in the Lee college auditorium at Baytown at 2 p. m. Sunday. A buffet supper has been plan ned for the group that night, after which they will return to the col lege. The group has postponed its “Christmas sing” until Dec. 15, said W. M. (Bill) Turner, director. Originally scheduled for Monday night, the glee club is planning to combine with the caroling of the music committee of the Memorial Student Center. The cadets will sing several songs in the lobby of the MSC at 8:15 p. m. Dec. 15, and then go cabling with the group at the Center. Film Society Meets “One Foot in Heaven” will be shown by the Film society at 7:30/\ p.m. Friday in the Memorial Stu dent Center ballroom. Students may purchase tickets at the main desk in the MSC for 25 cents. TODAY THEMAES& RODE ALONG THE TRAIL OF THE..„ ■ Kiwanians Erect The College Station and Bryan Kiwanis clubs will erect signs Sat urday bearing their emblem and meeting dates at city limits on all highways entering each of the cities. Job Calls • The U. S. navy mine counter measure station, Panama City, Fla., will interview at . the place ment office Monday, Dec. 6,’ for students in mechanical engineering and physics. ■ ■ JACK A PEGGIE | AGUE Mahoney-Castle-jergens Released Thru United Artists SATURDAY 20th Century-Fox presents JEANNE DALE CRAIN-ROBERTSON ! CITY OF BAD MEN TECHNICOLOR viilti RICHAKO BOONE • LLOYD BRIDGES g* Producei by Directed by ARD GOLDSTEIN-HARMON JON Written by ; and I F.: SAT. PREVUE 10:30 P.M. Sunday & Monday 20th Century-Fox Presents in OnemasccpI! Tlieljobe .-'t. Color bv lFCHNICa 4-TRACK HIGH-FIDELITY STEREOPHONIC SOUND The Memorial Student Center Gift Shop PRESENTS Especially Designed Silk-Screened CHRISTMAS CARDS 66 Greetings From Aggieland” See these handsome cards today and choose from the two distinc tive designs. v Monogramming (ONE DAY SERVICE) Executive Opportunities For College Men Mi-. R. E. Cote, Regional Personnel Manager for Montgomery Ward and Company, will visit our cam pus December 6, 1954, for the pur pose of interviewing male gradu ates who are interested in the Re tail Management or Merchandis ing field as a career. Montgomery Ward has over 600 Retail Stores and needs young men to train for Management positions in these Stores and future execu tive positions. Applicants will be given preference as to location in the Southwestern Gulf ai-ea. Each man will be carefully select ed for this management training and will be given every opportun ity for rapid advancement. Actual selling and merchandising experi ence will be. supplemented by a training program which includes Retail operating and merchandis ing functions. Primary consideration of those se lected will be their personal quali fications — appearance, character, background and potential to pro gress rapidly. For those w’ho are interested, contact: Mr. W. R. Horsley,-Director for more complete information and the wide range of opportunities offered bv Wards- (Adv.) LI’L ABNER THIS IS CEDRIC • ODDWICKE, YOUR VALET By A1 Capp AH ONCE SEEN A VALLEY, BUT IT DIDN'T LOOK MUCH LIKEYO; ODDWICKE— IT WERE EVEN GREENER THAN VERY AMUSING, SIR.'!' f-MOIV UNJUST, FOR A CULTURED GENTLEMAN, L/KE ME, TO BE ' "\rj-/E SERVANT y OFSUCN AN r c; > /GNORANT LOUT/T-J , IT DON'T SEEM RIGHT FO'A WEAK OLE MAH, LIKE 'YO/T'BE SHININ' MAH SHOES. YO' SET DOWN, ‘ ODDWICKE—AN' LET ME SHINE YOR'N. r . r / 'P "">5 f THAT'S ONLY FAIR. ■ 1934 by Unlfd F«otur« Syndic. P O G O By Walt Kelly NOT ALL OF US OUGHT TO ON pury all the TIME-WHY NOT RACR07RBP? I?I6HT. of (//EE, MABEL fSFEP GECONpr