College News, 1944-05-03, Vol. 30, No. 24

              \
The college Mews

VOL. XL, NO. 24
ARDMORE and BRYN M-AWR, PA., WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 1944
Copyright, 1 rutleet of
Rrvn  Mawr Coll�.. . 1944
PRICE 10 CENTS
Role of Perfection
In Religious Thought
Discussed by Thomas
Common Room April 28. Love,
liberty, perfectionism, and social
responsibilities are the four es-
sential parts of Chiristian ethics,
said Mr. George Thomas in his
lecture on religious thought, the
third of a series.
Christianity, Mr. Thomas point-
ed out, is fundamentally a per-
fectionist religion. This perfec-
tionism is based not on human
abilities and failings, but rather
on the standard of God's perfec-
tiotfi In fact, the religion as-
sumes that men are naturally sin-
ful and a radical change of at-
titude of a rebirth within its fol-
lowers  is needed.
Besides the corollary of con-
version, perfectionism carries
with it another idea, that of pro-
gressiveness. Since perfection
equal to God is never obtainable,
the good life is never complete
and there is never room for mor-
al complacency.
Not  Aristotelian
Mr. Thomas contrasted the rad-
ical Christian ethic of perfection-
ism with Aristotle's Greek ethic
which advises the development of
one  particular virtue.
Illustrating how the Christian
ethic was also one of love, Mr.
Thomas pointed out the difference
between Jesus' conception of love
and the one popularly held today.
Love is a spontaneous expression
based on the value of loving rath-
er than the worth of the loved
one. It has no relationship to the
natural attractions of beauty or
ability.
Christian love requires no re-
ciprocation, Mr. Thomas contin-
ued. It is based on the perfec-
tionist idea that God loves every-
one, and that we should do the
same. This is exemplified in the
Bible by Jesus' association with
sinners and publicans. The love,
itself, is not primarily a senti-
ment but a way of life. It is un-
iversal, being unlimited by racial,
national, color, or creed barriers.
Continued  on  page   6
English Composition
Poll Result Analyzed
By Stapleton, Brown
Specially   Contributed  by   Patricia
Brown    and    Laurence     Stapleton
Representatives of the Under-
graduate Curriculum Committee
and of the Required English Com-
position Staff have now completed
their analysis of the poll which
was recently taken to determine
student opinion of the course in
Freshman English. About two
hundred and twenty students ans-
wered the questions. The ques-
tionnaire was drawn up by the
committee and by the staff mem-
bers in joint consultation. This
project is one of the first exam-
ples of student-faculty cooperation
in the discussion of a required
course.
The poll disclosed a great diver-
sity of ideas, and many valuable
and constructive suggestions were
made. The general trend of opin-
ion may be summarized as fol-
lows:
New Ideas
1.     Most students thought that
the primary emphasis of the
course should be on training in
clear and correct writing. Stud-
ents should be given practice in
organization, and should learn to
eliminate faults of style. Many
students said that they had learned
to outline and to write long pap-
ers in Freshman English. General-
ly, students wish to learn some-
thing about the work of good mod-
ern writers and to have practice
in literary criticism. Many felt
that there should be more detailed
criticism of their papers.
2.    Most students found that the
course had given them an oppor-
tunity  for independent   thinking.
:s. The course had helped most
students to recognize faults in
their writing, but had failed to
give them a constructive method
of improving it.
4. More Freshmen than upper-
classmen felt that they understood
the plan of the course. Most stud-
ents wished to have more discus-
sion of the plan. In particular,
the connection between the read-
continued on page 4
Hinchman Memorial and Brooke Hall Prizes
Presented as Double Award to J. A. Potter
Mikado Atmosphere,
Choosing of Royalty
Will Ad to Jr. Prom
Presided over by a king and
queen in an atmosphere of cherry
blossoms and pagodas, the an-
nual Junior Prom will follow the
performance of the Mikado on
Saturday night, May 6, from
10:30 to 2:00 A.M.
The main feature of the even-
ing will be the crowning of the
"royal" couple during intermis-
sion. The queen will probably be
a member of the Senior class;
the king, her escort. Prelimin-
ary selections for the honor will
be made at the Sophomore carni-
val on Saturday afternoon by the
Junior Prom committee and the
Sophomore Carnival committee.
Final judgments will take place
at the dance itself with chaper-
ones aiding  the  Prom  committee.
The Debonair* will provide mu-
sic for dancing in the gym dis-
guised in its Japanese garb. The
Continued on Page  4
Singing, Acting, Dancing, Props Contribute
To Spontaneous Combustion of Operetta
by Patricia Platt, *45
The Mikado, swinging on into
its last week of rehearsals, ex-
hibits a quality of spontaneous
combustion which manifests it-
self in singing, acting, dancing,
and last, but not least, props. Hir-
ohito would find himself a strang-
er in Mr. Alwyne's Japan, where,
against a colorful backdrop of
cherry blossoms and pagoda tops,
a painty stagehand nestles with
a book.
The story of the operetta con-
cerns Nanki-Pooh (Lucretia J)un-
can), son of the Mikado, m his
flight from his betrothed,X.the
horribly hideous Katasha (
Hoyt Sherman). Touring the
country as a wandering minstrel^
he falls for the fair Yum-Yum
(Benjy Beckwith), beloved of
Ko-Ko, the Lord High Execu-
tioner (Kay Tappan). The result
is generally gory�a nasty dil-
emma arising as to who is going
to die a death by "something
lingering�with boiling oil in it."
In such a setting suicides are
sissy, and the Mikado (Maggie
Hilgartner) mows down Japs
with a fan as if it were a gat.
Lone  quailer among the  group
is    Ko-Ko,    whose    words    ("he
squirmed and struggled and gurg-
led and guggled as I drew my
snicker snee") belie his lack of
intestinal fortitude. This is his
undoing, and leaves him making
love to Katasha, whose enumer-
ated attractions are a heel ap-
preciated by connoisseurs, and
one tooth that nobody has been
able to pull out.
The cast gets a work-out.
Tongues have their daily dozen
with infinite series of fa-lalala's,
while attempts to coordinate love
scenes usually wind up in contor-
tions and hysterics. Whether
Nanki-Pooh is trying to kill him-
self wife. "L imaginary dagger
theVrop girl assures,
"will be ready tomorrow"), ol- he
and Yum-Yum are starting off on
a honeymoon with wVat at this
stage looks like a sweater filled
with books, the pace is mad and
merry. Although the "gentle-
men of Japan" may be seen on
"many a vase and jar, on many a
screen or fan", their life is any-
thing but static. When not sing-
ing the chorus spends most of its
time getting up and down off the
floor and trying to keep its col-
lective face straight. This is the
hardest job of all.
Sophomore Carnival
Features Mr. Herben
by Nancy Morehou.se, *47
Come lads, come lasses! 46's
grandest effort of the year will be
laid before your eyes when the
Sophomore carnival transforms
the hockey field on Saturday af-
ternoon, May 6. Symbolizing 46's
concerted effort will be Mr. Her-
ben, class animal, who will lend
a note of out-of-this-academic-
world gaiety by selling Hawaiian
lei and canes.
Games of all shades and varie-
ties await the carnival-goers. The
Sophomores have evolved a new,
distinct Bryn Mawr version of
the traditional pin-the-tail-on-the-
donkey. It consists instead of a
beautiful girl, whose heart needs
relocating, destined especially for
the male members of the audi-
ence, and for the feminine fair-
goers is a handsome uniformed
gentleman needing to have his
medal pinned on.
The more athletic onlookers
Continued   on   page   6
JEAN A. POTTER
Jean A. Potter Wins
Scholarship Awards
For Philosophy Work
The Maria L. Eastman Brooke
Hall Memorial Scholarship,
awarded automatically to the
member of the Junior class with
the highest average and the
Charles S. Hinchman Memorial
Scholarship, awarded to the stud-
ent whose record shows the great-
est ability in her major subject,
have been awarded this year to
Jean Alice Potter.
Miss McBride Reads List
Of Annual Scholarship
Awards
Calendar
Friday, May 5 ,
Tea  for Dargan Jones, Rad-
nor, 4:00.
Glee Club Production, Mikado,
Goodhart, 8:30.
Saturday,  May   6
Spanish    Oral    Examination,
Taylor, 9:00.
Sophomore  Carnival,  Hockey
Field, 2:00-6:00.
Glee Club Production, Mikado,
Goodhart, 8:30.
Junior  Prom,  Gym,  10:30.
Sunday, May 7
Recital    by    Mr.    Schumann, <J
Music   from   Roderigo,   Gym,
4:00.
Rhoads    Open   House,   4:00-
6:00.                       v
Chapel,    The   Jleverend    W.
Sherman    Skinner,    Deanery
Garden,  7:30.
Tuesday, May 9
Current     Events,     Common
,   Room, 7:15.
William   Henry    Chamberlin,
The Japanese Economic Set-
up, Roberts Hall, Haverford,
8:00.
Preparation
Prepared by the Kingswood
School, Cranbrook, Bloomfield
Hills, Michigan, Jean was the
Louise Hyman Pollak scholar in
1941-42, the James E. Rhoads Me-
morial Sophomore Scholar and
the Sheelah Kilroy Memorial
Junior Scholar in  1943-44.
Having completed four courses
in her major subject of Philoso-
phy, Jean will do honors work
next year with Mr. Nahm on
Spinoza. She will also take a
new course in epistomology, as
well as first year Greek, second
year German, and first year
Mathematics. After graduation,
Jean hopes to do graduate work
at Yale or Harvard and eventual-
ly to get a Ph.D. in philosophy.
She hopes, too, to do reconstruc-
tion work.
Goodhart, May 1. Miss McBride
in the May Day assembly, an-
nounced the annual scholarship
awards. Both the Charles S.
Hinchman Memorial Scholarship,
given to the student whose record
shows the greatest ability in her
major subject, and the Maria L.
Eastman Brooke Hall Memorial
Scholarship, awarded to the mem-
ber of the Junior class with the
highest average, were won by
Jean Alice Potter. Jean was pre-
pared by the Kingswood School,
Cranbrook, Bloomfield,  Michigan.
Rosamond Mary Kent received
the Sheelah Kilroy Memorial
Scholarship in English, awarded
for excellence of work in second
year or advanced English. She
was prepared by the Windsor
School, Boston, and was the
Charles Irwin Travelli Fund Schol-
ar in 1943-1944.
Freshman  Prize
The Sheelah Kilroy Memorial
Prize in English, given for the
best paper written in Freshman
English, was presented to Patsy
von Kienbusch, with Honorable
Mention going to Antoinette Boel.
Patsy attended the Brearley
School, New York City, and Chat-
ham Hall.
Helena L. Hersey won the Eliza-
beth S. Shippen Scholarship in
Language, awarded for excellence
of work in a foreign language.
Helena also holds a Frances Mai-
ion Simpson Scholarship, and was
prepared by the Roosevelt High
School, Honolulu, T. H., and the
Western High School, Washing-
ton, D. C.
The Elizabeth Duane Gillespie '
Prize in American History was
granted to Mary Kathryn Snyder..
Mary Kathryn also received a
Pennsylvania State Scholarship
and a Trustees'  Scholarship.
The Elizabeth S. Shippen Schol-
arship in Science7~awarded for ex-
cellence of work in a science, was
won by Margaret Jane Bloomfield.
Margaret is also an Alumnae Re-
gional* Scholar.
Scholarships to be Held
in Senior Year            * '
WASHINGTON ALUMNAE
REGIONAL   SCHOLARSHIP  and
Continued   on   page   3
Senior Hoop Rolling Ends in Pandemonium
As Rolling Jessie Stone Gathers No Moss
by Marcia Dembow, '47
If, every evening from mid-
night to dawn, you saw a bare-
foot figure tripping down Senior
Row with a hoop in close pursuit,
it was not Jessie Stone practic-
ing to come in first in the hoop-
rolling contest. Or if you saw
U. S. Steel building a special
track for Jessie to run her hoop
down, Jessie had nothing to do
with it.
"Just luck, pure luck, and a
good start", said Jessie from un-
der a stack of Philadelphia Even-
ing Bulletins which carried the
story in headlines and a picture
of Jessie poised for action.
Seizing her hoop in her right
hand Jessie tore down the green
recalling all the bedlam that 'she
had seen in previous years and
trying to avoid it. She did avoid
it,  too,   leaving  confusion  behind
while she, cum hoop, rammed
head on into a bystander. Unde-
terred, our heroine continued; the
finish was in sight and Jessie
cast a swift glance over her heav-
ing shoulder to the empty green
behind. Were they all married
and gazing at her efforts with
sympathetic eyes, or were these
another pack of career women?
A confused crowd of wood and
women appeared. Stone grinned
the Stone grin and attained the
title of first to be married in the
Class of 1944.
Somehow, we like to tali
that Jrtsie had her pet Gopher.
Rolling Stone, balancing the hoop
on his nose while she steered
from above. But what was Mr
motive? Is Jessie thinking of
raising little economists; is she
trying to show Mary Mitchell
that two can play at the same
game?