College News, 1936-12-16, Vol. 23, No. 10

              The College News

VOL. XXIII, No. 10
BRYN MAWR AND WAYNE, PA., WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1936    �8g&kffiQktfjg?          PRICE 10 CENTS
Primitive Siberian
Art is Important
In Race Migration
Dr.   Salmony   Shows  Similarity
In Art Motifs Throughout
Europe and Asia
STONE AGE CREATIONS
DISCOVERED    IN    1928
The Deanery, December 13.�The
politically insignificant region of
Siberia is of vast importance in the
development of art and the spread of
culture, said Dr. Alfred Salmony in
his talk on The Ancient Art of Siberia,
and Its Influence on Chinese and
European Art. Dr. Salmony, who is
Visiting Lecturer in the Oriental
Arts at Mills College, California, is
Executive Secretary of the Friends
of Far Eastern Art and an authority
on the art of Siberia.
From the earliest beginnings of art
in the Old Stone Age until the great
Islamic Wave of about 1000 A.D.,
there is throughout Europe and Asia
an amazing similarity in art motifs
which proves the constant interrela-
tionship of the ancient world. Recent
discoveries of primitive art in Siberia
show that this country, hitherto of
little interest to the archaeologist
and anthropologist, is an invaluable
factor in determining racial migra-
tions and influences.
Even in Paleolithic times, central
Siberian steppe peoples were artistic-
ally active. In 1928 the discovery of
Old Stone Age, or "Aurignacian" art
near Lake Baikal added a new ex-
tension to the so-called "cradle of art-
creating man" in northern Spain and
southern France. At this site, or
"station," were found small bone
"fertility goddesses," similar in type
to 11 known stone figurines found at
different European stations and dat-
ing from the same period.
In the Neolithic Period following
the Ice Age there arose in the south-
eastern Mediterranean a painted pot-
tery art which extended to the Indus
valley and China, but not to Siberia.
Pottery remains unearthed in China
show the same designs as those found
in the Mediterranean region, a fact
which proves that art motifs must
have traveled. Although a painted
pottery civilization did not arise in
Siberia, a simple, naturalistic animal
art developed, similar to that seen in
northern Europe during the Neolithic
Age. The Siberian bone-carvings of
this period are of the same type of
naturalism as the amber animals of
northern Germany and the work ofj
the Swiss pile-dwellers.
With the dawn of the Copper Age
and the subsequent rise of Egyptian,
Creta,n and Mesopotamian civiliza-
tions, there were migrations from
these countries into Russia and Si-
beria, as archaeological remains show.
That a people dependent on Crete and
Mycenae inhabited the Kiev district
in Russia about 1500 B. C. is proved
by the presence of ceremonial axes of
exactly the same type as that found
Continued on Page Four
COLLEGE CALENDAR
Thursday, December 17. �
Christmas parties in the halls.
6.30 p. m. Carol singing by the
choir begins at 8 p.m.
Friday, December 18.�Christ-
mas vacation begins. 12.45
p. m.
Monday, January i.�Christ-
mas vacation ends.   9 a. m.
Tuesday, January 5.�Voca-
tional tea. Common Room. 4.30
p. m.
Saturday, January 9. � Dr.
Kurt Goldstein will speak in-
formally.    Deanery.    8.30 p. m.
Sunday, January 10.�Dra-
matic recital of Die Meister-
singer by Florence Fraser.
Deanery.   5 p. m.
Tuesday, January 12.�Non-
resident tea.
Mrs. Manning Outlines
"Senior   Quiz"   Details
Plan  Allows  More  Time  to  Study
For  Comprehensive Exam
Music Room, December 11.�Speak-
ing on comprehensives, Mrs. Manning
first outlined their general purpose
:ind plan and then discussed in detail
arrangements made for examinations,
at rather "senior quizzes," in subjects
n which the senior is not taking com-
prehensives.
The comprehensives at Bryn Mawr
have entailed a change in the arrange-
ment of work for all students during
their senior year. In most colleges
the comprehensive is "just set on top
of other work," but here the work
done during the year is considered
more important than the examina-
tion, so that time has been taken out
of the senior year to allow for study
in the field of the comprehensive.
There is time for a reading period at
midyears, since all the "senior quiz-
zes*' will be over by the first day of
examinations.
The general plan is to allow more
time for the Comprehensive examina-
tion, and also to make it possible for
seniors to carry an elective course in
which the weekly routine rather than
the examination is to be stressed. In
required courses it will be necessary
to do all the assignments of the
course, and, although Mrs. Manning
omitted this in chapel, she asked to
have it particularly stressed that even
in elective courses, if any student is
not doing satisfactory work, her pro-
fessor may require her to take the
regular examination.
A schedule has been arranged for
"senior quizzes" for these midyears
in first year, second year and elective
courses. In advanced courses the last
meeting of the class before mid-years
will be given up to the quiz. The
quizzes in the first and second year
and elective courses will come on the
afternoons of Tuesday, January 12,
Thursday, January 14, on both morn-
ing and afternoon of Friday the 15th,
on the morning of Saturday the 16th
and on the morning or afternoon of
Monday the 18th. There will be no
more than one quiz a day, and if this
is not satisfactory, the students are
asked to give suggestions.
Election at Midyears
Suggested by Council
Short    College    Year    Prevents
Change in Cut Rules; Longer
Year Proposed
'^REQUIREDS" CRITICIZED
College Inn, December 9.�Mrs.
Manning announced to the College
Council that, most of the confusion
being over, the work for the final ex-
amination has been planned during
the last month, and that definite dates
will probably be set by each depart-
ment for the termination of new work
and the concentration on review. Miss
Park pointed out that the short Bryn
Mawr college year of thirty-three
weeks prevents a change in the fac-
ulty rule on cutting the last class be-
fore and the first class after vacation,
and the council discussed the ad-
vantages of a longer college year.
Most members favored the proposal
for changing student offices at mid-
years and agreed to bring to the next
meeting a plan for changing offices
and committees suitable to their own
organizations. A general warning and
strict penalties were advocated for
students who mark up library books,
and a student assessment to clean up
the books was approved.
Of the departments in which there
has been the most confusion about the
final examination, the difficulties in
the work in Archaeology, Biology and
Chemistry have been straightened out.
The assignments for English, where
there is the greatest amount of new
reading, have been divided into
smaller groups for conference. Sen-
iors in required courses will have to
take the final course examinations at
the normal times in the schedule. At
midyears "only seniors reported un-
satisfactory will have to take exami-
nations in these subjects.
A general request was made to urge
students to pass off their requireds be-
fore senior year. This is particu-
larly difficult in the case of students
spending their junior year abroad
unless that student takes little but
French and requireds for the first two
years. A freshman year composed
only of required courses is inadvis-
Continued on Page Four
Santa Claus Rolls in Window to Distribute
Presents   at   League   Christmas   Party
Corhmon Room, December 15.�
Bedlam reigned in Goodhart when
twenty-three children from South
Philadelphia doffed their eoat9 and
hats and waited for something to hap-
pen. Soon each was clutching a small
cake and a dixie cup of ice cream.
These had hardly been disposed of
before songs of Santa Claus and the
Eensy Weensy Spider were echoing
through the halls. There was more
eating and more singing and even a
touch of London Bridge, then Santa,
who had been lurking in the under-
brush in a frigid state, rolled in the
window. The Christmas tree was
laid bare amid squeals of delight and
shouts of scorn as one or two yelled,
"That ain't Santa!" Well, whether
he was Santa or not he did his duty
in disposing of the crayons and toy
automobiles.                   �
Paper bags were later procured and
filled with tangarines, oranges and
apples, and candy canes were given
to everyone. While the children were
milling around excitedly just after
Santa's dramatic exit, a perfectly in-
nocent student had the misfortune of
appearing on the scene, whereupon
she was accused of being Santa Claus.
Of course the real- Santa had curly
hair and a beard, but that didn't make
any difference. This newcomer,
beardless and with the straightest of
straight hair, had been Santa Claus
and there was no getting out of it.
Just an hour after they had ar-
rived the children, Florence, Salvatore
and all the rest, were packed away in
cars again and headed toward the big
city, where someone's grandmother
had hurt her foot and had to have it
in a "casket," and where someone else
was asking Santa to bring him a baby
sister for Christmas.
Bryn Mawr Club in N. Y.
Hopes   for   New   House
Tea to be Held December 29 to
Stimulate Interest
The Bryn Mawr Club in New York
has been little more than a name to
most undergraduates, but the Board
of Governors, consisting of recent
graduates, is anxious to make it more
than that. The dues have been re-
duced bo that almost everyone can
afford membership and the Club offers
to anyone who is spending a few days
in New York a splendid place for
headquarters. It is housed at pres-
ent in the University Club, although
plans are under way for a grand new
building, which will include the clubs
of the famous "Seven Colleges": Bar-
nard, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke,
Radcliffe, Smith, Vassar, Wellesley.
The dues for undergraduates are
five dollars, and for this sum one has
the privileges of using the Club rooms
at 106 East 62nd Street, of staying
at the University Club, with dining-
room service, and of using the squash
courts of the Cosmopolitan Club.
These privileges also include the han-
dling of messages and mail. Tea and
cocktails are served in the Bryn Mawr
Club rooms.
Invitations have been sent to all
mdergraduates in New York and the
Continued on Tage Four
Scribblers Forfeit!
At a mass meeting of the Un-
dergraduate Association held
after chapel on Tuesday, it was
voted to assess each undergradu-
ate 50 cents on February pay
day in order to pay for the
cleaning of damaged Library
bookB.
Law and Church Force
Edward's    Abdication
Smokers, Take Warning!
A metal container for ciga-
rette butts has been placed by
Taylor steps to be used by be-
tween-class smokers. The co-
operation of both students and
faculty is urgently requested in
this much needed step toward a
less littered and more present-
able campus.
Miss   Robbins   Foresees   Change   in
Solidarity  of  Empire
Common Room, December 14.�In
viewing the present English crisis it
is important to determine just what
has happened, what has been changed,
and if anything like it has hap-
pened before, stated Miss Robbins be-
fore the International Club.
England had been accustomed to
regard the King as a "wise old man
acquainted with public affairs." The
popular and glamorous Edward rep-
resented a character and position
which differed from this point of
view. He was apt to take a more
definite stand, and as a result, his
popularity did not include the friend-
ship of the Non-Conformists and the
strict Anglicans.
The interest aroused in Edward
since his accession to the throne
centered mainly around the fact that
� lie King is also subject to the law.
In this case, the King's Proctor was
at liberty to stop the divorce decree
of Mrs. Simpson if evidence of a col-
lusion were found. Secondly, if the
divorce were granted, an arrange-
ment for a morganatic marriage has
never existed in English law.
In addition to the legal aspect and
the disapproval of the Church and
the King's other opponents, Mr. Bald-
win had the support of the Dominions
in forcing the situation to an open
crisis. There was also the possibil-
ity that the King disliked his position
and abdication offered him a release
from a burden.
With the proclamation of a new
King over the British Empire, Ire-
land, in acknowledging the ruler's
imperial position, noticeably strength-
ened her bond with England. The
success of the moral issue also in-
creased the prestige of the English
Church.
Miss Robbins expressed her opin-
ion that further changes may be pos-
sible in the future. There can be a
change in the people's feeling or
adulation of the monarch to one of
"loyalty tempered with reason."
There can also be an increase in the
prestige of Parliament and the soli-
darity of the Empire which looks to
the crown as a symbol for union sur-
passing national and political rela-
tions.
No exact precedents of this situa-
tion can be found in English history.
James IPs abdication was the nearest
approach to this crisis, but then he
was suspected merely of arbitrary
rule.
At this time the title of King was
established by law and a curtailment
of the King's powers followed. The
difference between legal and actual
prerogatives was defined and the re-
ligion of the monarch was strictly
ruled upon, thus establishing the in-
fluence of the Church over royal
marriages.
Miss Park Calls
A Special Chapel
On Marking Books
Any   Curtailment   of    Finances
For Purchase of Books
Is Serious
NAMES OF DEFACERS
WILL BE ANNOUNCED
Goodhart, December 15.�At a spe^
cial chapel called as a result of dis-
cussion in the College Council, Miss
Park pointed out the tremendous loss
suffered by the students through the
defacement of books in the Library.
As in Stuart Chase's Rich Land Poor
Land, the question is one of restoring
the value of our own property, and
protecting it.
The marking of books, which is an
old though not an honorable tradi-
tion, is both annoying and destruc-
tive. Not only do the vigorous un-
derlinings and exhaustive comments
hinder one who is trying to think
independently, but they tear the pages
and obliterate their content so that
the book must be removed from the
shelves and. a new copy bought. A
three volume book costing 18 dollars
had to be replaced recently because
one volume had been marked until it
was no longer useful.
The large number of replacements
necessary each year make it impossi-
ble to buy new books which would be
of invaluable aid. Each department
must withdraw the money to replace
its damaged books from the general
sum alloted to it in the budget, and
when a considerable amount is so
withdrawn the department is greatly
restricted in its purchases. One of
the Science departments had only 30
dollars to spend for new books, after
repairs and subscriptions to scientific
journals were paid for.
The part Miss Park will play in
putting an end to this situation is to
require every student who marks in a
book to replace that book, no matter
what the cost or how little she has
done to deface it. The names of
those who must replace books will be
read in chapel, in addition to the
comments made by them, if these seem
to warrant such a public recitation.
DANCERS' RECITAL IS
MODERN IN FEELING
FEELING TRADITIONAL
AT  THE   KRIPPENSPIEL
The Krippenspiel, written by Jos-
eph Lenke and given by the German
Club on Tuesday in the Deanery, was
an exceedingly pleasant addition to
the traditional Christmas festivities.
Presenting a simple nativity scene in-
terwoven with folk carols, the play
combined with unusual success the
naivete and sincere feeling character-
istic of a German Christmas.
Mary, Joseph, Shepherds, Wiscmen
were all costumed simply in colors
which blended well with the back-
ground formed of dark screens cov-
ered with pine branched:
The carols included the German ver-
sions   of   Silent   Night   and   Adeste
The Christmas performance of the
Dancers' Club, which was presented
before the college on Saturday night,
reflected a fund of talent and origin-
ality in the participants. A stylized
and dramatic account of the atory of
the birth of Christ, it was visually
Renaissance, but modern in feeling.
The entire performance was di-
vided into three parts, Unenlighten-
ment, The Story and Exultation by
unusual and effective lighting ar-
rangements. The stage was divided
by a thin gauze curtain. During Un-
enlightenment, the first scene, the
stage was dimly lit and only the
somber characters in the foreground
were visible. At the end of this scene
a bright light was thrown upon a
tableau of the Annunciation behind
the curtain, and it gradually spread
so that the foreground of the stage
was blotted out of view and a misty
aura surrounded the dancers at the
back of the stage. Throughout The
Story the Virgin, who was beautifully
costumed in blue and dull rose, re-
mained fixed in two poses.
As regards the actual dancing, the
movements of the angels seemed a lit-
tle weak and unsatisfying compared
to the vitality and vigor of the danc-
ing in I'lteitliiihtiiiimitt and Exulta-
tion, led by Ethel Manne, who took
the part of the Angel Gabriel. It was
unfortunate that the musical back-
� ground did not seem to synchronize
perfectly with the dancing at the end
of the last scene.                      M. O.
Fideles as well as O Du Frohlicke and
other well known Christmas songs
written originally in German. The
latter was sung by both audience and
cast at the conclusion of the perform-
ance.