College News, 1928-12-12, Vol. 15, No. 09

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V.
:
The
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News
VOL. XV, NO. 9
bryn mawr (and wayne), pa., Wednesday; December 12,1928
PRICE.   10 CENTS
WATSON'S THEORY
ROUSES CRITICISM
Dr.   Bridges   PQints   Out   the
Fallacies in Book.on
Behaviorism.
LARYNX REPLACES MIND
"Behaviorism is a tissue of self-con-
tradicting dogmas," said Dr. Horace J.
Bridges, who, under the auspices of the
Bryn Mawr League, gave" a very inter-
esting lecture in Goodhart Hall, Friday
evening, December 7, on the subject. Be-
haviorism   and  Personality.
Two years ago Dr. Bridges asked two"
psychologists why it was that recently
so many bizarre theories have developed
in the field pf psychology and he was
answered, by both that it was because the
public is not interested in genuine
science: it must have something spec-
tacular. For this reason, scientists have
found it necessary t<J identify themselves
with -some extreme point of view and
have become mere advocates of alheory
rather than searchers after truth.
Introspection Is Out of Style
There was a time when introspection
was considered the only psychological
method. Men observed the ideas and
the emotions, and from their observations
built up their theories. A little later in-
trospection was declared impossible; and
now it is considered only one of several
methods. At any rate, it is a difficult
method, for it is almost impossible for
a thing to observe and be observed at the
same time.
In the last twenty-five years three
kinds of psychology ha,ve developed
fairly rapidly � social psychology* psycho-
analysis, and behaviorism, which has be-
come prominent as a theory through its
pioneer, Dr. James B. Watson.
Since it is the business of science to be
Continued on  Page Three
The Emotions Win
Stix and Fain Defeat Hand and
Gellhorn in Second
Debate.
. Tlfe Debating Club held its second de-
bate the evening before Thanksgiving
vacation. The subject was a rather diffi-
cult one, namely: Resolved, that the emo-
tions have done more for the world than
the intellect. Miss Stix, the president of
the club, spoke first for the affirmative,
and in a very orderly fashion traced the
importance and the power of the emo-
tions in history. Miss Constance Hand
then defended the intellect in a speech
well worthy of the-.-topic she was �dis-
cussing. The affirmative finished its of-
fense with an excellent speech by Miss
Fain, in which she pointed that it is an
emotion which is the motive power be-
hind all intellect. Miss Gellhorn then
wandered a bit from the point in the
beginning, hut came down to the fact
that alNthe really great things in the
world have been the result of intellectual
work.
Miss Fain took the rebuttal for the
affirmative and again stated that without
emotion the intellect would achieve noth-
ing. Miss Gellhorn's rebuttal amused
the audience with its description of a
world without reason, and Miss Merrill
then declared the debate at an end and
put the decision up to the judges, Miss
Hng, Dr. Fenwick, and Dr. Hart. After
some deliberation, they awarded the de-
bate to the affirmative, and, in explaining
this, Miss King pointed out that Miss
Fain's speech had been the best because
she had stated her points more clearly.
It was suggested that the next debaters
think about this and also try to do with
fewer notes. We are very indebted to
the judges both for tjie time they gave
us and for the criticism.
The    debate    was    very    enlightening
(though not always accurately) and ex-
tremely enjoyable. The next one will
take place on Tuesday, December 18, and
be on a less ponderous and inconclusive
subject, namely, whether or not the world
would be better off without movies. The
debaters will be P. Patterson, B. Humph-
reys, J. Bunn, and R. Warfield.
Russia Made Clear
Mrs. Jackson Fleming, perh^s
the best known woman speaker
on current events in this country,
and certainly one of the best in-
formed, will speak in the Music
Room in Goodhart Hall on Thurs-
day afternoon at *15. The sub-
ject, as alluring as the speaker, is
"Soviet Collectivism." Mrs. Flem-
ing, a great traveller, spent last
��year�f� Russia, and is considered
In authority on its problems. She
will use her subject as a means of
explaining Russia's outlook upon
the world.                      � -
Goodhart Circus
Clown, Educated Pony, Dogs and
Birds Amiise Many
Children.
Cross Describes Friend-
ship Needed in College
Rosaniund Cross, '29. led the Sunday
evening meeting of the Bryn Maw,r
League in Goodhart Hall on December 9.
"rn college, it seems to me,*' began Miss
Cross, "there are two main things that
absorb our attention: studies and friends.
And it is the latter, perhaps, which will
mean more to us after we leave than the
facts we have stored in our minds. Al-
most nowhere else do you have the op-
portunity of knowing girls as intimately
as you do here, for you  live,  play and
work  with  them  daily, and  from   them       First on the program was -a clown, a
you choose your friends.
Gives Three Types of Friendship
"There seem to be three general classes
of friendslups in college. The first, anil
most exclusive, is that of two people who
are so wrapped up in each other that they
do not feel the need of consorting with
other people. They are absorbed by their
own affairs, study together, do not mix
with, others, and though they are ven
glad to have others come to see them,
they never rhake any .effort to become
friends with them. They feel perfectly
happy and self-sufficient in their own
company.
'The second class is that of a small
group of seven or eight girls who are
very intimate With each other, always do
things together, mix more with outsiders
than the first, but never really admit them
to their circle or have any desire to do so.
They all generally have interests in com*
mon, in college or out, which take most
of their time and attention.
"The third class, who are perhaps the
least numerous, are the girls who, while
they lyive intimate friends, are not identi-
fied with any particular group. They
know many different types of people and
enjoy them; they are interested in know-
ing people just for the sake of knowing
them, and having fun with them. I don't
mean the kind of girl who takes up one
person after another, sees tier a. great
deal for a little while, and then drops'
her, but she is kindly to everyone and
interested in them for their own sakes.
'This last type -of friendliness is a
thing which, 1 think, is sadly lacking
in college today. Nearly all of us be-
long to either the first or second class
for one of two reasons: eitfier we are
too.shy and lack self-confidence, or else
we have a feeling of self-sufficiency, per-
haps unexpressed but present, and be-
cause of laziness. It really is merely
inertia that keeps a small group of people
together and rrjakes them satisfied with
themselves, never caring enough to ask
anyone else to join them. It takes a
little effort to ask anyone outside your
hall to do things with you and our native
laziness makes us feel in our innermost
hearts that after all it isn't worth while,
as we're getting along very well with our
own group of friends.
"Yet haven't you ever sat in the lib.
and looked around at people near you
and wondered what they were like ? You
may think of their friends and wonder at
what seems to you a strange combina-
tion of people, and again that intriguing
thought of 'what are they like?' appears.
Perhaps you are missing an opportunity
by not knowing them. Friendliness will,
I think, reward anyone who tries to prac-
tice it. I do not mean a 'Pollyanna-ish'
sort of interest, for though in a few cases
it may be genuine, it always strikes one
as being very artificial; but I mean a
genuine interest in the people around you
and in the things that they are doing, and
a general readiness  to   let people . know
Continued on Page Five
Goodhart H51I was witness 40 strange
sights and sounds on Saturday afternoon.
While -five hundred children entered at
the front door, forty educated |>ets, Aus-
tralian Cockatoos, Japanese Pigeons,
Arabian doves, cats, dogs and monkeys
came in at the back. They were Pama-
hasika's Famous Performing Animals,
presented by George E. Roberts for the
benefit of the Bryn Mawr Educational
Clinic.
It might have been another election
night. A few .years ago children went
to a circus in wondering silence. But
these young visitors made the arches re-
sound with their shouts as balloon after
Iwlloon. slipping from some too nervous
grasp, floated nonchantly up among the
rafters. They arc still there, by the way,
and will probably come drifting down
unexpectedly some day, like wandering
visitors from  Mars.
rather condescending, curtain-raising
clown. The auvience knew all his jokes
beforehand, and laughed scornfully at his
sleight-of-hand. The clown profession is
not what it once was.
The clown, however, was, a mere in-
troductory note to Pamahasika's famous
IK'ts. The curtain rose at last oii Prin-
cess, the educated pony: a grey and white
vision, with marvelous powers of count-
ing, conversing and telling the time. .
Next came the canine schoolroom,
where seven delightful dogs did wonder-
ful things with an appearance of great
enjoyment. The hit of this scene was the
Murphy family, Wr. and Mrs. and little
baby Murphy; the Patter came in a baby
carriage, being wheeled by his mother and
father.* A disobedient monkey, who re-
fused to remain in his .seat, added zest
to the scene. Princess reappeared after
a while to give the dogs a ride. They
performed wild-west feats of horseman-
ship, leaping on and off her, as she
trotted by.
The most beautiful and the most
startling number was the last. Snow-
white cockatoos with plumed heads, scar-
let parrots, and little rosy doves behaved
with such apparcpt intelligence that one
was almost convinced that Watson was
right. The pigeons, swooping gracefully
from their perches, climbed ladders and
obeyed all sorts of complicated instruc-
tions ; while the cockatoos, cleverest of
all, jangVbells, made bows, turned som-
ersaults,'and raised iflags without the
slightest hesitation. -FinaHy-the thief of-j
them all turned himself into an Ameri-
can eagle, and posed with outstretched
wings between two American flags; and
the show was over.
GOODHART CROWDED TO HEAR
PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA^
League Lacks $500
The fmal result! 01 the League
drive are as follows:
/ ,                         Amount
Raised
$488.00
641.00
M4.00
;t02.40
269.10
150.00
188.00
Quota
Denbigh   .....;. $424.00
Rockefeller   ...*.   568.00
Pern  West   ....   40O.00
Bern  East  .....   480.00
Mcrion *\......   472.00
Radnor  .......f  362.00
Wyndham ......    138.00
$2944.00    $2:i:t2.50
Non-Resident   ..........     -   25.00
Gifts  (Faculty)   ....*...          71.00
Total.........'.........$2428.50
� We have*a little over $500 less
� than we need, and we hope that
those studenU who" didn't find it
possible to Contribute when the
pledge cards" were collected will
feel able to give something later.
Formal
Opening     Provided
"the Time, the Place and
the Loved Ones."
New York String Quartet
Comes in Goodhart Series
The third event of the Goodhart Hall
series is scheduled for Wednesday eve-
ning, December 12, at 8.1'i, The- New
York String quartet, assisted by Mr. Al-
wyne at the piano, will play.
The history of the quartet is a remark-
able one. Before its first appearance its
members "enjoyed the privilege" of three
yeacs of constant association devoted to
daily rehearsals, which gave them an op-
portunity not only to perfect their en-
semble, but also�which is��more im-
portant�to develop a certain distinct
character of individuality as a body."
The members of the quartet are:
Ottakar Cadek, first violin; Jaroslav Sis-
kovsky, second violin; Ludvik Schwab,
viola, and Bedrich Vaska, cello.
The program will be as follows:
I.  Schubert�Quartet in A Minor, Op.
29.
II.   (a) Borodin�Notturno.
(b) Glazounov�Orientale.
III.   Dvorak�Piano Quintet in A
Major. Op. 81.
The next concert, scheduled for Jan-
uary 16, will be a Piano Recital by Ossip
Gabrilowitsch.
Are You Adequate or Do
You Shrink From Life?
On Wednesday evening Dr. Arthur II."
Kugglcs spoke on Personality Difficulties
Presenting Mental Health Problems in
Colletje. According to Dr. Kuggles, who
is superintendent of the Butler Hospital
in Providence, R. I., there arc two types
of personalities; adequate and inadequate.
The majority of people in college�where
the groups are highly selective�have ade-
quate |)crsonalities. They meet unpleas-
antness without undue emotional stress
and strain; they face their failures
squarely and think them out coolly; they
make friends and hold them; they have
the ability to sort out important points
from unimportant ones; in short, they are
so in harmony with their situation that
only a major problem could disturb them.
Quite in contrast to these highly effi-
cient individuals are those persons which
have an inadequate personality. First of
all there are those who have suffered
from some great emotional experience
and who react to this in a manner utterly
inconsistent with their characters. Then
there are people who lack balance; who
are always cither up or down, hitting on
all six or in the slough of despondency.
Thirdly, there are people whose emo-
tions so far dominate over their intellect
that they lose all proper sense of propor-
tion. And quite common arc those' who
have an exaggerated feeling of inferi-
ority, who-cither withdraw�into them-"
selves or attack others to cover up their
own feeling of-deficiency. A most diffi-
cult problem is presented by those who,
like the shell-shocked soldiers during the
world war, resort to "escape mechanisms,*
an unconscious form of shirking. And
then, lastly, there are those who are ever
dependent upon' someone, in a hopeless
dependence, bred by the dominance of
parents who have never aHnwed their
children to decide for themselves.
All these cases of mental maladjust-
ment arc ri|>e problems for the mental
hygiencists who nowadays are doing ac-
tive work in co-operation with the de-
partments of Health in our larger col-
leges, such as West Point, Yale, Dart-
mouth. Smith, Vassar, Michigan and
Minnesota. Through personal contact
with students, trained psychiatrists set
about' to discover kinks in personalities
and if any are found, prescribe a^ttmedy
for them. The minds of individuals arc
put in tune with their bodies. Thus they
are emotionally stabilized and rendered
more efficient.
MR. STOKOWSKI SPEAKS
At 1 a-i�(<t the formal opening of Good-
hart Hall, Tuesday evening, December 4,
with the Philadelphia Orchestra, innumer-
able guests, and the whole college in the
background, we had, as Miss Park said,
'the time, the place, and the loved ones
all together." Actually, as those of us
who. tried to get tickets for our clamor-
ing friends discovered,- the guests were
only too numerable. But, from "the
balcony, the audietfce which listened to
Miss Park, the orchestra, the Glee Cfub
and Mr. Stokowski with rising en-
thusiasm seemed vast and elegant, for
once, excellently suited to the auditorium.
Miss Park Gives Welcome
Miss Park gave the prologue, one sen-
tence of business, and three of pleasure.
The business concerned the emergency
lights of the hall, the .pleasure, the wel-
coming of everyone to the concert. Mr.
Mcigs, the architect, stood to receive the
welcome of applause given to him by the
whole audience. We, the college, were
welcomed by Miss Park as the orchestra
which she herself conducted. Mr. Sto-
kowski and the Orchestra were welcomed
with the hope that they came not only
as givers of � pleasure, but a kind of
symbol of the place they took in our
all too rigid system of education. It
would be foolish, Miss Park said, for a
college so near Philadelphia with all of
its advantages to give practical courses in
the arts. Bryn Mawr cannot attempt to
train painters and musicians, hut it can
try to make more intelligent seers'^of
art, and keener listeners to Mr. Stokow-
Contlnued on Page Three
Water-Colors
In the upstairs East corridor of the
library some water-colors by Albert Kra-
kwsin, obtained through the mediation of
Miss � Yerkes, are now on exhibition.
While touching on most of the high spots
of the summer tourist�Venice, the Al-
hambra, Nuremburg and the Gothic Ca-
thedrals of France, they in no way re-
semble the too-familiar post cards of
those places.
Is Wyndham Open?
First French Play Is a Success
as Well as a De-
light.
In spite of an incipient blizzard a sur-
prisingly large audience turned up for the
French Club play given at Wyndham on
Saturday night. And they were well re-
warded. Instead of being a stiff aca-
demic affair as feared by the pessimists,
it proved to be a sprightly one-act
comedy, very cleverly staged and acted.
The scene: a butcher shop, with realis-
tic carcasses, painted by the master hand
of B. Kirk dangling in the background.
The players: the gruff, ruddy butcher;
t&s very -Esench and v�ry-efficient- wif e;
their altogether charming daughter; and
an ambitious and starving young profes-
sor.
The butcher, M. Totncnteux, was play-
ed by M. Lambert, '29. very well played.
Her accent was not all that could be
desired, but it was acceptable; and her
pantomime, and her appearance were ex-
cellent. M. Gellhorn, ':io, was the wife.
She alone of the cast, managed to hit
exactly the right note. Her accent, her
gestures, and most difficult of all, her
intonation, were completely and miracu-
lously French. Hearing her telephonjtr
was, alone, worth paddling through the
snow to Wyndham. The pale young pro-
fessor. Bertrand.' was acted by E. Linn,
'-".i. Her accent too was only acceptable.
But perhaps Miss Gellhorn set too high
a standard. Her acting was splendid
however, and she brought out to the full
the comic possibilities of the part. Ger-
maine, the daughter, object of Bertrand's
adoration, was charmingly and negatively �
played by A. Huboard, '29. There was
not much to the part. It had to be done
mostly by appearance, and Miss Hubbard
looked the part to perfection. She, like
Miss Gellhorn, gave the illusion of being
French.                                                          �
Altogether the little play was well
chosen, excellently cast, and more than
excellently, for such an informal affair,
put across. It made us hope that the
French Club would try its proficient hand
again. They set a new standard, this
time, for such performances.