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TOWER 
LIGHT 


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OCTOBER,  1935 


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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2010  with  funding  from 

Lyrasis  Members  and  Sloan  Foundation 


http://www.archive.org/details/towerlight1935stat 


THE 

TOWER  LIGHT 


State  Teachers  College 


TOWSON,  MARYLAND 


C  ONTENTS 


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PAGE 

Principles  to  Live  By  in  College 3 

Happy  Entering 4 

And  Now  It's  My  Turn 5 

Poetry 7 

Models:  New  Tools  for  Education 8 

Assist  in  New  Zealanders'  Problems 9 

Dog  Sense — A  story 10 

A  Short  Short  Story 13 

Conflict 14 

The  Way  Out 14 

Poetry 16 

Editorials 18 

The  Library — At  Your  Service 21 

Seven 23 

"Thar  She  Bl-o-o-ows!" 26 

Humor 27 

Assemblies , 30 

School  Notes 32 

Athletic  Notes 36 

From  the  Campus  School 38 

Our  Advertisers 39 


THE  TOWER  LIGHT 


Vol.  IX  OCTOBER,  1935  No.  1 


Principles  to  Live  By  in  College 

ON  Friday,  September  twenty-seventh,  Dr.  Gerald  S.  Craig  of  Co- 
lumbia University  spoke  to  the  County  Superintendents  and  Su- 
pervisors and  a  group  of  State  and  County  members  of  Boards  of 
Education,  here  at  College.  The  meeting  was  called  by  the  State  Super- 
intendent of  Education,  Dr.  Albert  S.  Cook.  More  than  one  hundred 
guests  of  the  State  Department  sat  with  us  for  luncheon  in  Newell  Hall. 
But  I  mentioned  Dr.  Craig  in  the  beginning  because  as  he  was  discussing 
biological  and  physical  sciences  he  stressed  truths  and  principles  ap- 
plicable to  the  social  sciences  and  to  sociology,  indeed  applicable  to 
one's  individual  philosophy  for  living.  Does  truth  change?  Yes.  Then 
as  a  student  and  a  person  you  should  be  conscious  that  all  progress  is 
based  upon  this  fundamental.  As  new  truths  are  discovered — life  in  the 
home,  the  streets,  the  church  and  the  school  may  of  necessity  be  rev- 
olutionized. Are  we  always  conscious  of  this?  Or  do  we  rebel? 

"Throughout  our  lives  we  must  understand  the  relationship  of 
cause  and  effect" — again  said  Dr.  Craig.  This  principle  applies  to  ma- 
terial, financial,  and  emotional  situations.  A  man  is  wise  who  seeks  for 
causes  back  of  results.  This  year  it  might  be  profitable  for  you  emo- 
tionally as  well  as  intellectually  to  examine  your  attitude  toward 
change  and  changes,  and  also  to  examine  your  understandings  of  effects 
and  their  causes.  Tennyson  in  his  Locksley  Hall  speaks  of  men's  minds 
being  widened  '  'by  the  process  of  the  suns. ' '  College  is  the  time  in  par- 
ticular for  taking  on  new  habits  of  living  and  thinking.   Get  used  to 


135579 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


change;  make  one  of  your  habits  that  of  critical  inquiry.  Add  to  these 
the  quality  of  idealism,  of  creative  design,  with  which  you  are  all  by 
nature  endowed  and  which  your  college  life  should  foster. 

See  to  it  that  your  higher  education  encourages  and  develops  these 
three  qualities  in  you.  It  is  the  problem  of  the  faculty  of  the  college  to 
watch  and  guard  and  stimulate  these  principles  in  you,  and  in  them- 
selves, or  the  precious  years  at  college  may  fatally  thwart  your  growth 
and  progress.  These  years  can  also  militate  to  change  through  you, 
in  later  years,  the  course  of  human  affairs  for  the  worse  or  for  the  better. 
May  the  year's  work  become  a  revelation  for  every  student  in  our  college, 
from  Freshman  Class  to  Senior  Group. 

Lid  A  Lee  Tall. 


Happy  Entering 

QVith  apologies  to  Guy  homhardo) 

ONE  of  the  pleasantest  experiences  of  returning  to  college  in  the  fall 
is  the  welcoming  of  freshmen.  We,  the  freshmen  of  last  year  and 
sophomores  of  today,  were  especially  eager  for  this  event,  for  we 
still  remembered  our  royal  welcome  to  this  institution.  We,  too,  were 
anxious  to  be  hosts  and  hostesses,  meeting  our  new  fellow  students  and 
making  new  friends.  Our  anticipation  was  rewarded  by  the  attractive, 
intelligent  freshmen  v/ho  joined  our  ranks.  It  will  take  some  time  for 
all  of  us  to  know  all  of  you,  but  already  strange  faces  are  becoming 
familiar  and  new  leaders  are  being  recognized.  It  is  with  great  pleasure 
that  we  now  greet  you  as  one  of  us. 

Have  you  ever  considered  your  advantages  as  freshmen?  Just  think 
how  convenient  it  is  to  have  the  ever  ready  alibi,  "I'm  sorry — I  didn't 
know."  (Don't  take  this  too  seriously.  It  isn't  always  accepted,  as  you 
have  probably  discovered.)  A  more  serious  and  far  deeper  advantage 
lies  in  the  fact  that  yours  is  the  first  freshman  class  to  enter  State  Teach- 
ers College  at  Towson.  Are  you  not  eager  to  grow  and  thus  aid  your 
college  to  grow?  Here  is  an  opportunity  to  make  new  friends,  new  im- 
pressions, to  do  all  those  things  you  wish  you  had  done  while  in  high 
school.  Some  of  you  have  four  years,  some,  only  three  in  which  to  ac- 
complish these  extensive  achievements.  May  you  make  the  most  of 
these  years,  and  may  you  enjoy  your  stay  here! 

As  a  final  message  of  welcome  from  the  Sophomore  Class,  I  wish  to 
repeat  those  impressive  words  spoken  at  the  Induction  Ceremony,  '  'The 
Campus  is  yours;  the  School  is  yours;  the  responsibility  is  yours." 

Virginia  Hagerty,  President,  Sophomore  Class. 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


A  Freshman  Trip  on  a  Wondership 

All  aboard  on  the  Freshman  Special!  The  first  stop  is  the  Admin- 
istration Building  where  all  receive  complimentary  tickets  to  social 
happenings  of  the  year.  The  after  effects  of  a  train  trip  are  soon  over 
and  forgotten  when  a  toast  of  punch  is  made  at  neighboring  Newell 
Hotel.  At  sunset  the  "Lighting  of  the  Way"  turns  our  thoughts  home- 
ward and  to  hopes  of  the  future.  Campus  Frolic  brings  the  last  great 
impression.  We're  off!  Our  trip  will  end  only  at  the  terminal  "Success." 

Muriel  Jones, 
Acting  President, 
Students  Assoc,  for  Co-op.  Gov. 


€C:sJS>.^i£S^ 


And  Now  It's  My  Turn 

I  HAVE  listened  to  precisely  thirty-eight  accounts  of  summer  vaca- 
tions. I  counted  them.  And  not  once  was  I  allowed  to  tell  of  my  va- 
cation experience.  As  I  am  a  timid  soul  and  not  given  to  expressing 
myself  verbally,  I  take  this  opportunity  to  unburden  myself  of  the  ac- 
count of  my  summer  (one  week,  to  be  exact)  at  the  shore. 

Nine  people  set  out  in  three  cars  on  a  bright  Sunday  norning  in 
August  and  headed  south  for  the  Delaware  Bay.  I  noticed  nothing  un- 
usual along  the  way  except  an  unnecessarily  large  supply  of  gas  stations 
and  three  railroad  crossings  with  cemeteries  a  few  feet  away.  After  the 
first  railroad  crossing  and  accompanying  graveyard  we  hesitated  to  do 
over  thirty-five  miles  an  hour. 

The  first  thing  I  saw,  when  we  drew  up  behind  a  row  of  cottages  at 
the  shore,  was  the  sand.  It  seemed  that  this  was  a  beach  and  when  Del- 
awarians  have  beaches,  they  do  them  up  right  with  water  and  sand  and 
all  the  fixings.  One  native  reported  that  it  took  3,598,191  barrels  of 
sand  to  make  this  one  delectable  beach.  The  longer  we  stayed  at  the 
place,  the  more  we  became  conscious  of  the  sand,  but  more  of  that 
later.  Anyhow  there  was  some  sand. 

Next  I  turned  my  attention  to  the  cottages,  a  sorry-looking  array 
that  stretched  like  a  broken  necklace  of  vari-colored  wooden  beads 
along  the  shore.  I  hoped  desperately  that  that  ducky  green  bungalow 
at  the  end  of  the  row  was  the  one  we  were  to  occupy.  But  an  hour 
later  I  found  myself  ensconced  in  a'  grayish  mass  of  wood  that  barely 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


held  its  red  attic  above  the  sand  dunes.   It  wasn't  so  bad  though.   At 
least  there  were  rooms  inside. 

Needless  to  say,  the  first  thing  we  did  was  eat.  I  did  more  than 
that.  I  insisted  upon  upsetting  the  last  of  the  iced  tea  into  the  lap  of  a 
table-mate.  Not  content  with  that,  I  wanted  to  put  the  pickle  jar  in 
the  same  place,  but  the  lap  rebelled;  it  got  up  and  walked  right  away. 

Then  we  swam.  Oh,  boy,  how  we  swam!  There  were  two  people 
among  the  nine  who  could  swim  more  than  a  hundred  feet  without 
resting.  The  others  felt  lucky  if  they  got  their  feet  off  bottom  without 
their  heads  going  under.  The  breakers  were  lovely  too.  They  knocked 
us  over  and  poured  sand  up  our  suits.  Then  they  made  us  twirl  about 
upon  the  bottom  of  the  ocean  like  veritable  mermaids  and  mermen.  I 
put  a  patch  in  my  bathing  suit  after  two  days  of  that. 

Now  and  then,  during  the  week,  we  took  time  out  between  eating 
and  swimming  for  sleeping.  We  found  it  essential,  and  tho  we  didn't 
like  the  sand  that  crept  insistently  into  our  beds  during  the  night  we 
managed  to  rest  in  some  measure  of  peace. 

I  slept  downstairs  one  night  on  a  couch  that  had  more  bumps  than 
the  Towson  car  has  stops.  The  breakers  kept  me  awake  until  far  into 
the  night,  and — I  have  a  brother.  He  has  the  uncivilized  habit  of  awak- 
ening at  the  ungodly  hour  of  six  in  the  morning.  His  awakenings  were 
always  accompanied  by  muttered  imprecations  and  the  swat  of  a  fly- 
swatter.  I  broke  the  fly-swatter  one  day,  but  it  didn't  do  any  good. 
He  found  another  one.  After  two  nights,  I  slept  upstairs. 

One  day  we  visited  a  place  near  the  beach  that  called  itself  a  town. 
We  thought  "blot  on  the  landscape"  was  more  truthful,  but  we  com- 
promised by  calling  it  a  village.  It  was  the  kind  of  place  where  the  men 
couldn't  find  any  blades  to  fit  their  razors  and  where  the  natives 
never  heard  of  a  short  chocolate.  They  called  it  a  "pip."  Isn't  that 
cute?  Furthermore,  they  had  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  there  who  was 
named  Hazzard.  Did  that  mean  anything?  We  didn't  ask.  We  didn't 
want  to  get  married  anyhow. 

Speaking  of  weird  names,  our  beach  was  named  Broadkill.  (Did 
they  mean  it?)  And  there  was  another  shore  that  was  called  Slaughter 
Beach.  We  didn't  want  to  get  killed  or  slaughtered,  so  we  went  to  Re- 
hoboth  now  and  then — to  get  away  from  the  murderous  atmosphere. 

When  we  were  thoroughly  full  of  sand,  salt  and  homicidal  names, 
we  went  home.  Before  we  left,  I  added  the  finishing  touches  to  an  al- 
ready perfect  holiday.  I  upset  an  intractable  ash  tray  three  times,  and 
the  last  time  I  poured  a  pitcher  of  water  over  the  remains.  I  spent  my 
last  hour  mopping  the  floor.  Was  I  ready  to  go  home!  I  was. 

M.  COOLEY 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Reverie 

If  I  would  learn  that  you  had  ceased  to  care, 
I  would  not  cry,  nor  show  an  outward  sign, 
I  could  not  let  the  world  know  what  despair 
Was  raging  'neath  this  calm  repose  of  mine. 
I'd  wear  my  brightest  clothes,  my  sweetest  smile, 
I'd  be  so  gay — no  one  would  ever  guess 
That  'neath  that  mask  (for  every  little  while) 
I'd  sigh,  and  catch  my  breath  in  loneliness. 
But  now,  just  when  I  am  about  to  speak, 
I  hear  your  voice,  feel  your  sweet  face  so  dear, 
Your  lips,  a  silent  pledge  against  my  cheek; 
And  know  the  comfort  in  your  being  near. 
Now  I  can  greet  the  day,  its  beauty  see — 
Sure  that  your  love  will  ever  dwell  with  me. 

LORELLE  HeADLEY,  Soph.  I. 


S^:!bJ&.^^Sf^ 


Little  Sparks 

As  I  sit  in  somber  silence 

Gazing  at  the  ruddy  flame 

My  tho'ts,  with  the  sparks 

Go  twirling  upwards 

To  heaven,  from  whence  all  life  came. 

I  think  of  the  miracles  of  nature, 
Of  the  works  of  our  great  Lord  God, 
And  how  these  sparks  could  mar  the  virtue 
Of  all  of  life  that's  rare  and  odd. 

But  these  little  glowing  sparks 
Bring  warmth  to  all  our  souls, 
Give  life  to  all  of  earth's  mankind. 
Do  these  little  glowing  coals. 

Submitted  by 
Edward  Turner,  '^j. 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


Models:  New  Tools  for  Education 

CHILDREN  teaching  themselves!  Many  thousands  of  them,  and 
how  slow  we  teachers  are  to  learn  their  lesson  by  heart!  Every- 
where in  America  our  boys  and  girls  are  building  fascinating 
models  of  ships,  airplanes,  and  trains.  Their  wondering  teachers  look 
on,  a  little  bewildered,  nod  their  heads  and  say, 

"Oh,  they  surprise  me  so  much  sometimes  .  .  .  I  could  never  make 
that  myself.  Why  ...  I  haven't  the  patience!" 

Are  an  intelligent,  gifted  body  of  people — those  capable  teachers 
to  whom  the  world  concedes  most  extraordinary  patience — are  these 
very  teachers  going  to  turn  pale  green  at  the  very  suggestion  that  they 
too  are  capable  of  doing  what  any  twelve-year-old  accomplishes  with- 
out half  trying?  Are  we,  the  teachers,  unable  to  spend  a  few  thought- 
ful hours  with  glue,  cardboard,  and  razor  blade  putting  together  some- 
thing which  can  be  used  repeatedly  in  science  or  social  studies?  Cer- 
tainly not! 

There  is  nothing  mysterious  about  those  handsome,  finished  look- 
ing models  which  one  sees  so  often  in  movies,  papers,  or  show  cases. 
That  difficult,  complicated  appearance  need  not  deceive  you.  Most 
models  are  little  more  than  a  thick  coat  of  good  paint.  Underneath 
they  are  all  cardboard,  wire,  glue,  and  little  blocks  of  soft  wood. 

Effective  educational  models  are  easy  to  construct.  The  only  diffi- 
cult models  are  those  painstaking  copies  of  mechanical  perfection, 
carefully  machined  on  metalworking  lathes  so  as  to  demonstrate 
the  skill  of  the  maker.  With  such  work  we  shall  have  little  to  do.  They 
possess  far  less  educational  value  for  the  average  child  than  simplified 
objects. 

Why  do  children  make  models?  There  are  two  reasons.  One  is  to 
satisfy  their  innate  creative  instincts.  The  other,  to  learn  more  con- 
cerning the  marvellous  world  abut  them. 

Why  do  teachers  make  models?  (We  all  do  make  some  models.) 
For  both  of  the  previous  reasons,  and  a  third  greater  one:  to  help  others 
to  find  out  about  their  world.  In  both  cases  it  is  an  educative  process, 
but  teachers  are  educating  others  as  well  as  themselves. 

Editor's  Note:  This  is  the  second  of  a  series  of  articles  by  Charles  Meigs  on  "Model 
Making  for  Teachers  and  Children."  "Any  teacher  can  with  little  trouble  turn  out  in  his 
or  her  spare  time  dozens  of  fine-looking,  highly  educational  classroom  models." 

Explicit  details  will  appear  in  later  articles. 

8 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Assist  In  New  Zealanders'  Problems 

THE  Auckland  Training  College  of  New  Zealand  from  whom  we 
have  received  a  letter  is  trying  to  establish  a  connection  between 
various  Normal  Schools  and  Teachers  Colleges  in  all  parts  of  the 
world  in  order  to  broaden  their  international  outlook.  They  hope  to  do 
this  by  an  exchange  of  ideas  concerning  our  school  studies,  political  is- 
sues, our  sports  and  campus  life;  in  general,  our  complete  curriculum. 

Mention  is  made  of  the  fact  that  no  difficulty,  such  as  we  expe- 
rience here,  is  encountered  in  New  Zealand  in  obtaining  a  reasonably 
good  position  after  graduation.  This  year  it  is  surprising  to  note  that 
the  student  body  is  composed  largely  of  those  of  English,  Irish,  and 
Scotch  descent  and  strangely  enough,  there  are  none  of  the  Maon  race 
(native  New  Zealanders)  attending.  They  are  curious  to  know  just 
what  nationalities  are  represented  at  our  college. 

There  are  two  of  these  training  schools  in  New  Zealand  with  a 
student  body  averaging  about  two  hundred  each.  Only  one-third  of 
these  are  men,  a  situation  similar  to  ours.  An  allowance  of  twenty 
pounds  a  year  is  given  by  the  government  for  incidental  expenses  in- 
curred during  the  school  year.  As  the  majority  of  students  do  not  re- 
side at  Auckland,  "this  causes  much  heart-burning  in  order  to  meet  the 
extra  living  expenses  incurred  by  non-resident  students. ' '  Both  colleges 
serve  as  training  centers  for  elementary  and  secondary  school  teachers. 
The  latter  are  only  about  twenty  in  number,  all  of  whom  prior  to  ad- 
mission have  been  graduated  from  a  university. 

It  is  with  all  this  in  mind  that  the  college  is  trying  to  set  up  a  con- 
nection such  as  suggested,  and  the  only  way  by  which  we  can  do  this  is 
by  further  communication  which  they  are  eagerly  awaiting.  Will  you 
help  them?  Give  your  suggestions  to  William  Podlich,  Fourth  Year 
Senior. 

Reported  by  Dorothy  Knoop,  Sr.  i. 

Opportunities 

The  room  is  still;  only  shadows  whisper 

In  their  faraway  dusty  corners. 

And  the  poet  sits  silent  before  his  bright  fire, 

Thinking — remembering — thinking — remembering 

That  God-given  graces  neglected  by  man 

Droop  in  their  prison — and  die.  M.  C. 


135579 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Dog  Sense 


THE  creak,  creak  of  the  chair  as  it  groaned  resentfully  beneath  the 
weight  of  its  occupant  was  the  only  disturber  of  the  silent  late 
afternoon.  The  person  to  whom  the  rocker  so  strongly  objected 
was  extremely  rotund,  measuring  every  bit  of  five  feet  in  circumference. 
His  eyes  were  small  and  gray,  and  possessed  a  perpetual  twinkle.  This 
twinkle  was  accentuated  by  the  lines  of  humor  that  appeared  around 
his  eyes  and  mouth  whenever  he  smiled— and  this  was  often.  His  nose, 
which  was  short  and  very  broad  (coinciding  nicely  with  the  rest  of  his 
person),  was  at  this  time  the  precarious  perch  of  a  pair  of  spectacles.  His 
ventral  expanse  taxed  to  the  utmost  the  strength  of  his  vest,  already 
shy  two  buttons,  positive  proof  that  Mr.  WifHebottom  had  once  more 
exceeded  the  limits  of  his  or  his  vest's  capacity. 

Suddenly  came  a  terrific  disturbance  in  the  rear  of  the  Wifflebottom 
abode,  a  series  of  tantalizing  "yip"y^ps"  coming  from  the  throat  of 
Sparky  accompanied  by  the  angry  squeaks  of  an  enraged  female.  Mr. 
Wifflebottom  moaned.  He  had  expected  something  of  this  sort,  and 
was,  in  a  slight  degree,  prepared  for  it,  but  this  revolution  being  en- 
acted in  his  backyard  was  very  remote  from  his  expectations. 

Ever  since  Sparky  had  become  a  member  of  that  household,  si- 
lences were  continually  being  disturbed.  It  seemed  that  this  animal 
just  couldn't  stay  out  of  Mrs.  Wifflebottom's  turnip-bed.  Repeatedly 
Sparky's  master  had  taken  him  aside  and  given  him  lessons  in  bow  to 
stay  where  he  belonged.  But  it  was  useless.  Sparky  would  get  into  the 
turnip-bed.  This  was  only  one  of  his  misdemeanors.  Another  annoying 
habit  of  his  was  to  carry  away  everything  he  saw  lying  around.  The 
fact  that  daily  the  Joneses  received  two  evening  papers,  and  the  Wiffle- 
bottom's none  at  all,  was  attributed  to  Sparky.  Yet,  with  all  his  faults 
his  master  liked  him,  and  was  determined  that  whatever  befell,  he 
would  not  part  with  his  dog. 

The  noises  came  closer  and  closer  to  Mr.  Wifflebottom's  agitated 
ear.  A  haunted  expression  crept  into  his  eyes.  A  sigh  escaped  his  trem- 
bling lips.  Then  Sparky  rounded  the  corner  of  the  house  and  raced  into 
full  view.  The  cause  of  this  great  speed  was  due,  beyond  a  doubt,  to 
none  other  than  his  beloved  master's  wife.  Armed  with  a  garden  rake, 
and  puffing  noisily  with  exertion  and  anger,  Mrs.  Wifflebottom  also 
rounded  the  corner  in  hot  pursuit.  This  was  too  much  for  her  husband. 
Seeing  Sparky  tearing  around  the  place  with  the  sad  remains  of  what 
once  had  been  a  perfectly  healthy  turnip  clutched  tightly  in  his  mouth, 
pursued  by  his  ordinarily  stoic  wife,  was,  as  I  said  before,  too  much  for 
Mr.  Wifflebottom.  The  haunted  look  disappeared  from  his  eyes.  The 
sigh  turned  into  a  chuckle,  and  the  chuckle  turned  into  a  laugh.  Tears 

10 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


streamed  down  his  bulbous  cheeks  and  another  button  fell  to  its  fate. 

Mrs.  Wifflebottom  stopped  in  her  tracks.  Her  face,  once  red,  was 
fast  becoming  a  royal  shade  of  purple.  Her  mouth  twitched,  then 
opened.  But,  for  once  she  was  speechless — with  rage. 

"Oh,  I've  n-never  seen  anything  so  funny  in  all  my  born  days," 
panted  her  husband. 

At  that,  Mrs.  Wifflebottom's  voice  returned. 

"Egbert,"  she  said  slowly  and  clearly,  to  make  certain  that  her 
words  made  the  correct  impression,  "there's  only  one  thing  to  be  done. 
That  dog  must  go.  He  is  ruining  my  garden.  And  what's  more — just 
this  morning  Mrs.  Jones  brought  one  of  your  best  nightshirts  over.  She 
said  she  had  snatched  it  away  from  Sparky  who  was  about  to  deposit  it 
in  the  midst  of  her  rose-bushes !  The  only  way  out  of  this  perpetual  tor- 
ment is  to  get  rid  of  him.  Sell  him — lose  him — anything,  only  get  rid 
of  him!" 

"But,  Maria,  isn't  there  something  else  that  can  be  done?  I-I  just 
couldn't  part  with  him  now.  I-we  understand  one  another.  I  couldn't 
do  it,"  pleaded  Mr.  Wifflebottom.  But  his  wife  was  determined,  and  he 
knew  her  well  enough  to  realize  that  once  her  mind  was  made  up,  it 
stayed  that  way. 

"Very  well,"  said  Mr.  Wifflebottom,  resignedly.  "Tomorrow  I'll 
see  if  I  can  find  a  good  family  for  him. 

"Make  sure  that  this  unfortunate  family  has  no  turnip-beds,"  was 
his  wife's  parting  shot. 


"I  wonder  why  Mamie  hasn't  written  to  tell  us  when  she  is  com- 
ing to  visit  us,"  mused  Mr.  Wifflebottom  at  the  dinner  table  that  eve- 
ning. 

Mrs.  Wifflebottom  shuddered.  "Please  don't  bring  up  that  subject, 
Egbert.  You  know  how  I  dread  her  visits.  I  spend  two  weeks  of  ab- 
solute misery  while  she's  here.  Why,  last  time  she  did  nothing  but 
complain  of  the  number  of  stitches  the  doctor  put  in  her  after  the  oper- 
ation. Really,  I  don't  see  why  she  insists  on  visiting  us  every  year,  do 
you,  Egbert?  Egbert  I  I'm  speaking  to  y — ,  merciful  heavens!" 

This  apparently  extraordinary  remark  was  not  really  extraordinary 
at  all.  I'm  quite  sure  that  if  you  had  been  there,  you,  too,  would  have 
said  "merciful  heavens."  Standing  in  the  doorway,  and  wagging  his 
tail  happily,  was  the  pride  of  Mr.  Wifflebottom's  heart.  Gripped  tightly 
in  his  mouth  was  an  object  of  no  particular  size  or  dimensions.  Trailing 
from  one  of  Sparky 's  cocky  ears  was  a  long,  betraying  turnip-top! 

Mr.  Wifflebottom  was  the  first  to  recover.  Jumping  up  from  the 
table,  incidentally  spilling  his  coffee  in  his  haste,  he  ran  toward  the  dog. 
After  retrieving  the  as  yet  unidentified  object  from  unwilling  Sparky, 

11 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


he  began  a  minute  inspection.   Suddenly  an  ejaculation  of  surprise  es- 
caped his  lips. 

"What  is  it?"  asked  his  wife,  bending  down  in  order  to  keep  from 
missing  anything. 

"Why,  it's  a  package,  addressed  to  you — and  it  has  never  been 
opened!"  he  cried.  "Looks  like  another  one  of  Sparky's  pranks,"  he 
added  brightly. 

"Well,  go  on,  open  it,"  commanded  his  wife,  impatiently. 

With  clumsy  fingers  Mr.  Wifflebottom  untied  the  strings  and  tore 
off  the  muddy  paper. 

"Here's  a  note  inside,"  he  said,  handing  it  to  his  wife  to  read. 
Eagerly,  she  tore  open  the  envelope  while  her  husband  delved  curiously 
into  the  contents  of  the  package. 

"Can  you  beat  it?"  asked  Mr.  Wifflebottom. 

"Well,  I  do  declare!"  beamed  Mrs.  Wifflebottom. 

"Look  here,"  said  both,  simultaneously. 

He  took  the  letter  and  began  to  read.  (An  exact  reproduction  of 
that  epistle  is  given  below.) 

^  ^  May  26,  19— 

Dear  Maria: 

I  thought  I  had  better  write  you  a  short  note  letting  you  know 
when  I  will  visit  you  this  spring.  The  first  two  weeks  of  next  month 
would  suit  me  very  well.  However,  if  you  are  planning  something  else 
at  that  time,  I  suppose  that  will  be  all  right.  But  these  are  the  only  two 
weeks  I  have  open  so  if  it  is  unsuitable  for  me  to  come  then,  I'll  have  to 
put  off  my  visit  till  another  year.  If  you  do  not  have  other  plans, 
write  and  let  me  know  what  time  you  will  meet  me  at  the  station.  As 
you  know,  I  have  not  completely  recovered  from  my  operation,  and  the 
doctor  said  not  to  overdo. 

By  the  way,  I  have  sent  a  package  of  pills  for  Egbert.  He  had  such 
trouble  with  his  stomach  from  overeating  last  time  that  I  am  sure  these 
will  do  him  no  harm. 

Affectionately, 

Mamie. 

Mr.  Wifflebottom  chuckled.  "Why,  Maria,  it's  way  past  the  mid- 
dle of  June  now,  and — ,"  but  he  was  talking  to  thin  air,  Maria  was 
nowhere  to  be  seen — nor,  for  that  matter  was  Sparky.  But  in  the  kitchen 
could  be  heard  noises  that  sounded  remarkably  like  a  mixture  of  a  pet 
dog  being  fed  the  choicest  pieces  left  of  the  fresh  ham  that  ordinarily 
would  not  be  touched  until  the  Sunday  dinner  and  a  female  voice  mur- 
muring endearing  phrases  to  this  same  dog,  Mr,  Wifflebottom  smiled. 
Walking  over  to  the  window,  he  deftly  tossed  the  package  of  pills  into 
the  yard.  Chuckling,  he  resumed  his  meal. 

Gertrude  G.  Johns,  Soph.  i. 

12 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


A  Short  Short  Story 


I  WALKED  leisurely  down  a  rather  quiet  street  of  our  somewhat  busy 
downtown,  late  one  afternoon.  Very  few  people  were  in  sight,  and 
those  I  could  see  were  not  interesting  or  in  the  least  bit  conspicuous. 
Then  he  appeared. 

"Say,  buddy,  have  you  got  a  minute?"  Now,  it's  not  that  I  didn't 
have  a  minute,  but  I  didn't  see  what  difference  it  made  to  him,  so  I  con- 
tinued walking. 

"I  don't  blame  you  for  running  away,"  he  said  as  he  clung  to  me 
like  a  wet  bathing  suit.  My  gosh!  did  the  fellow  think  I  was  running 
away?  Nevertheless,  I  walked  a  little  faster.  Did  he  stop?  No,  I  should 
say  not!  I  thought  / had  long  legs.  Well,  I  know  better  now. 

"I'd  never  talk  to  you  like  this,"  he  panted>  "only  I  never  been  in 
such  circumstances  before."  Well,  he  had  nothing  on  me,  neither 
had  I. 

"When  I'm  telling  you  I  never  done  this  before,  it's  the  God's 
truth,  sir."  Horrors!  What  had  the  fellow  done  now,  and  what  had 
God  to  do  with  it  anyhow!  This  was  getting  serious.  I  could  appreci- 
ate the  colors  of  John  Law  at  this  time.  I  perspired  freely,  and  uncon- 
sciously I  had  broken  into  a  rather  awkward  hop,  skip,  and  run. 

Persistent  is  a  mild  word  with  which  to  describe  him  but  what 
could  I  do!  I  could  think  of  no  better  word  at  the  time.  Who  was  this 
— this — this  he?  I  believe  that  in  another  moment  I  would  have  begun 
my  paternoster.  He  started  to  talk  again,  this  time  gasping.  I  could 
tell  he  was  weakening  for  I  was  breathing  more  smoothly.  (Thanks  to 
my  clean  living.) 

"Well,  pal,  you've  got  me,"  he  said.  "I've  worked  hard  all  my 
life  for  what  I've  wanted.  I've  dug  ditches.  I've  swung  an  axe.  I've 
lifted  bundles  which  were  heavy  enough  to  break  a  horse's  back,  but 
never  have  I  had  to  run  a  two-mile  Marathon!  Now  mister,  will  you 
please  show  me  the  way  to  get  to  Washington  Boulevard?' ' 

IsADORE  Cohen,  Fourth  Year  Senior. 

"I  cannot  understand,"  the  Young  Man  at  College  wrote  to  his 
parent,  "how  you  can  consider  yourself  a  kind  father.  You  haven't 
sent  me  a  check  in  three  weeks.  What  sort  of  kindness  do  you  call  that?" 

The  father's  reply  was  brief.  "Dear  son,"  he  wrote,  "that's  un- 
remitting kindness. ' ' 

— The  American  Boy 

13 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Conflict 

WE  grow  up  in  high  school,  buoyant,  trustful,  ambitious,  and 
confident  that  the  world  is  good.  We  shall  achieve  fame,  suc- 
cess, happiness.  We  shall  contribute  greatly  to  the  welfare  of 
our  fellow  men.  Love,  honor,  and  respect  will  be  accorded  us  by  all; 
our  memory  will  be  treasured  by  posterity.  In  fact,  all  the  beautiful 
fantasies  of  high  school  life  are  to  be  preserved  through  all  our  days. 

One  by  one  these  illusions  fade  away.  They  become  uncertainly 
transparent,  as  waves  of  air  above  a  heater.  Then  they  vanish  utterly, 
and  we  look  upon  a  harsh,  real  world.  We  realize  the  futility  of  aim- 
ing for  a  great  place  in  men's  affairs.  The  earth's  stark  poverty  beats 
upon  our  resentful  senses,  and  we  shudder  and  fight  it  back.  It  is  not 
pleasant,  this  pitiful,  hope-starved  desert  of  frustration.  We  long  again 
for  those  other  days  when  bare  realities  did  not  torment  us. 

Discontent,  restlessness  seize  every  youth.  Wretched  humanity  is 
all  too  plentiful.  We  would  like  to  do  something,  but  what?  Morbidly 
we  read  every  journal,  every  book  which  pictures  the  misery  rampant. 

And  all  the  while  we  harbor  the  subconscious  feeling  that  if  others 
could  only  understand  how  we  feel,  something  could  be  accomplished. 
We  are  submerged  in  a  choking,  tumultous,  internal  struggle.  There  is 
conflict  in  the  world  around  us,  and  conflict  within  us,  too.  We  may 
shut  our  eyes  for  a  time  to  the  world  but  from  the  relentless  goading  of 
internal  strife  there  is  no  escape. 

Where  are  we  to  stand?  What  ideals  shall  we  hold?  We  cannot  rest 
in  the  past,  but  willing  or  not,  must  face  the  future. 

Youth  at  the  crossroads — civilization  at  a  crisis.  Where  can  we 
turn?  To  what  can  we  cling  in  this  maelstrom  of  life? 

C.  C.  M. 


€i::iiJ5D.^^S^ 


The  Way  Out 

TODAY,  in  our  changing  civilization,  with  all  its  toil  and  burdens, 
we  feel  the  pressing  need  of  enlightenment.  You  who  find  uplift- 
ing in  simple  everyday  life  are  very  fortunate.  With  me  it  is  quite 
different.  What  with  the  talk  of  the  Italo-Ethiopian  conflict,  the  Hit- 
leric  anti-Semitic  activities,  and  the  pessimistic  prophecies  of  the  war 

14 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


jingoists  that  war  is  inevitable,  one  may  consider  himself  unusually 
lucky  that  he  can  find  mental  relaxation  or  fortitude  in  any  walk  of  life. 

How  shall  we  free  our  cooped  up,  our  restrained  emotions?  How 
may  we  relieve  our  gnawing  hearts?  Were  I  extremely  pious  I  would 
turn  to  my  God,  but  what  can  I,  who  am  a  sinner,  do.  What  did  the 
people  of  old  do?  What  can  you  do? 

I  believe  I  have  found  my  way  out.  No.  I  need  not  fight.  I  need 
not  engulf  my  emotions  within  me.  I  love  music.  I  love  art.  I  love 
dance  and  movement.  Can  these  help  me  out  of  my  difficulties?  Yes, 
they  can  and  they  do.  But  the  drama  is  the  outlet  through  which  I 
maintain  mental  and  physical  fitness.  The  following  is  the  first  in- 
stallment of  a  series  of  articles  which  will  be  presented  in  the  hope 
that  you  too  will  find  that  needed  something  through  the  appreciation 
of  and  participation  in  the  drama. 

The  drama  is  the  world's  most  ancient  art.  In  man's  earliest  days, 
he  worshipped  his  deities  by  music  and  dancing.  A  little  later  came 
man's  earliest  attempts  at  poetry  and  we  find  the  beginnings  of  panto- 
mime. But  man  was  still  dissatisfied;  he  felt  the  urge  of  something  still 
stronger,  so  he  introduced  prose  into  the  ceremony.  Of  course  this  is 
not  the  aesthetic  drama  as  most  of  us  see  it  today,  but  is  that  upon 
which  the  modern  drama  is  built. 

Even  before  man  learned  to  speak,  he  accomplished  the  art  of  act- 
ing. In  order  to  communicate  with  his  neighbor,  he  used  gestures;  and 
even  until  the  present  day,  we  still  find  that  in  the  lowest  classes  of 
savages  nearly  everything  is  expressed  through  pantomime  and  sign 
language. 

The  element  of  magic  played  an  important  role  in  the  portrayal  of 
the  earliest  drama,  which  came  in  the  form  of  ceremonies  and  religious 
rites.  If  rain  was  needed,  the  warriors  danced  to  appease  the  spirits.  To 
make  a  buffalo  hunt  successful,  one  needed  but  to  disguise  himself  as 
such  and  go  into  his  dance.  When  a  warrior  wished  to  annihilate  an 
enemy  he  had  but  to  make  an  image  of  his  adversary  and  destroy  it, 
firm  in  the  belief  that  he  had  done  away  with  his  tormentor.  These  are 
the  first  elements  of  acting  or  imitation.  Primarily  they  were  religious, 
for  to  primitive  man,  magic  was  a  divine  process  and  to  invoke  magic 
was  to  appeal  to  the  gods.  This  was  very  practical,  for  it  aimed  at  im- 
mediate results. 

Man  is  born  with  the  sense  of  rhythm.  Only  in  civilized  man  is  the 
sense  of  rhythm  deficient.  (Now,  fellows,  you  have  an  excuse  for  your 
awkward  dancing.)  Civilized  man  writes  prose  but  the  savage  is  limi- 
ted to  verse.  The  savage  man  knew  how  to  give  vent  to  his  emotions. 
Do  you? 

I.  Cohen,  Fourth  Year  Senior. 


15 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Do  Something ! 

Live!  Feel!  Suffer! 

Face  the  corners ! 

Meet  retorters! 

Do  something!  Be! 

Are  you  hiding?  No! 

You  can't.  Life  is  fleeting! 

Hurry!  Meet  it! 

Get  in  front, 

Be  pushed  around, 

Have  something  happen — 

Don't  be  a  coward — 

Don't  look  forward — 

Take  time  now. 

Grasp  your  chances. 

Love — have  romances. 

You  won't  be  sorry — 

E'en  though  your  smile  is  forced 

And  your  eyes  are  full. 

Thank  the  heavens 

You've  been  doing. 

You  have  dreams — 

Memories  linger  and 

You'll  soon  find 

You  are  glad 

You've  been  free — 

You've  been  jostled — 

You've  been  hustled 

About.  And  yet. 

You  know,  you've  been  in  it! 

You've  lived! 

So,  do  something! 

M.  M.,  Soph.  2. 

After  the  Storm 

(^Lit.  Digest  10/2^/ipog,  from  Troy  Times) 

The  farmer  drives  his  plough 
In  a  soil  that's  stiff  and  tough. 
His  horse  is  lame  as  hough 
And  has  a  wheezing  cough. 


16 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  housewife  kneads  her  dough 

In  a  handy  wooden  trough, 

And  bakes  it  through  and  through 

Until  it's  done  enough. 

The  swing  hangs  from  the  bough, 

The  wind  dies  to  a  sough, 

The  rocks  are  lined  with  chough. 

All  seated  on  the  clough 

The  sportsman  swings  his  shough 

In  waters  of  the  lough, 

That  late  were  high  and  rough, 

But  now  are  just  a  slough. 

The  Dinosaur 

Behold  the  mighty  dinosaur, 

Famous  in  prehistoric  lore. 

Not  only  for  his  weight  and  strength 

But  for  his  intellectual  length. 

You  will  observe  by  these  remains 

The  creature  had  two  sets  of  brains — 

One  in  his  head  (the  usual  place). 

The  other  at  his  spinal  base. 

Thus  he  could  reason  a  priori 

As  well  as  a  posteriori; 

No  problem  bothered  him  a  bit: 

He  made  both  head  and  tail  of  it. 

So  wise  was  he,  so  wise  and  solemn, 

Each  thought  filled  just  a  spinal  column. 

If  one  brain  found  the  pressure  strong, 

It  passed  a  few  ideas  along; 

If  something  slipped  his  forward  mind 

'Twas  rescued  by  the  one  behind; 

And  if  in  error  he  was  caught, 

He  had  a  saving  afterthought. 

As  he  thought  twice  before  he  spoke 

He  had  no  judgments  to  revoke; 

For  he  could  think  without  congestion. 

Upon  both  sides  of  every  question. 

Oh,  gaze  upon  this  model  beast. 

Defunct  ten  million  years  at  least. 

Anonymous. 


17 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


THE  TOWER  LIGHT 

Published  monthly  by  the  students  of  the  State 
Teachers  College  at  Towson 

Editor 
William  F.  Podlich,  Jr. 


Business  Manager 
I.  H.  Miller 


Circulation  Managers 
Irene  Shank 
Frances  Waltemyer 
Frances  Oehm 


Advertising  Managers 
Elise  Meiners 
Ehrma  Le  Sage 
Doris  Pramschufer 
Harold  Goldstein 


Assembly 
Max  Berzofsky 
Sarah  Strumsky 

Library 
Wesley  Johnson 

Social 
Larue  Kemp' 
Mildred  Melamet 


DEPARTMENT  EDITORS 

Athletics  General  Literature 

Edith  Jones 


Morris  Miller 

Music 
Sarena  Fried 


Science 
Charles  Meigs 


Margaret  Cooley 
Mary  McClean 

Humor 
Sidney  Tepper 
Hilda  Walker 

Secretarial  Staff 
Anna  Stidman 
EuLALiE  Smith 
Belle  Vodenos 


$1.50  per  year  20  cents  per  copy 

Alice  Munn,  Managing  Editor 


Inventory 


THE  first  issue  of  the  Tower  Light  for  the  new  scholastic  year  is  be- 
fore you.  Now,  in  the  beginning  when  we  can  profit  by  our  con- 
clusions, is  the  time  to  track  down  and  corner  some  concrete  con- 
cepts as  to  the  function  of  the  printed  organ  of  a  teachers  college.  Is  its 


18 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


function  to  record  the  social  events  which  occur  in  the  college  routine? 
Is  it  to  enlighten  the  readers  regarding  the  comparative  excellence  of 
their  athletic  heroes;  to  become  a  record  of  the  many  speeches  perpe- 
trated during  the  assembly  periods  by  various  entities  and  nonentities; 
or  to  be  a  steam  calliope  piping  the  pointless  banalities  of  high  school 
prose  and  adolescent  verse?  Undoubtedly  the  publication  should  per- 
form some  of  the  services  suggested  in  the  preceding  sentences,  even  to 
the  allowing  of  an  occasional  puff  of  suppressed  steam  to  escape  through 
the  calliope  to  prevent  any  explosion.  But  certainly  no  rational  being 
says  that  the  sole  student  publication  of  a  four-year  institution  deserves 
to  exist  primarily,  or  even  secondarily,  or  tertiarily  for  the  above  pur- 
poses. Rather  let  it  be  said  that  the  worthy  purpose  and  function  of  a 
periodical  published  by  college  students  is  threefold : 

To  provoke  thought  which  will  lead  to  firm  and  intelligent  action. 

To  provide  a  forum  for  the  presentation  and  exchange  of  worthy 
ideas,  ideals,  and  professional  information. 

To  provide  entertainment  of  as  high  a  literary  standard  as  the  con- 
tributors and  subscribers  can  attain. 

While  performing  its  pleasant  duty  in  the  field  of  news  recording 
and  its  formative  services,  the  Tower  Light  is  dedicated  primarily, 
during  this  new  scholastic  year,  to  the  pursuit  of  those  ideals  which 
will  make  the  publication  more  stimulating  to  its  readers. 

The  Editor. 


Federal  Aid? 

THE  National  Youth  Administration  has  allotted  to  Teachers  Col- 
lege six  thousand,  four  hundred  fifty  dollars  of  Federal  money. 
This  fact  reopens,  from  a  different  perspective  for  many  of  us,  the 
case  of  Federal  Aid  to  Education. 

Never  in  the  history  of  our  Nation  has  the  Government  been  spend- 
ing so  much,  yet  for  education  appropriating  so  little.  This  paradox  is 
explained  by  two  facts.  The  Federal  appropriations  for  educational 
purposes,  as  such,  have  been  decreasing,  and  conversely,  the  volume  of 
relief  funds  earmarked  for  education  has  been  increasing.  Indirect 
recognition  of  pedagogical  needs  seems  to  have  become  the  policy  of 
the  Federal  Government. 

Only  by  extremely  loose  construction  can  the  Constitution  be  in- 
terpreted as  empowering  our  law  makers  to  act  in  matters  affecting  edu- 
cation. Nevertheless  that  august  body  has  from  time  to  time  influenced 

19 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


education  in  many  states.  Congress  has  thereby  recognized  the  threat 
to  the  American  ideal  of  democracy  in  our  traditional,  unequal  system 
of  financing  education  solely  through  the  states.  That  the  individual 
states  are  not  now,  and  probably  never  will  be,  capable  of  attaining, 
unaided,  a  democracy-preserving  minimum  standard  in  education,  is  a 
corollary  to  the  proposition  that  the  wealth  of  the  nation  is  concentrat- 
ing around  certain  centers. 

Federal  Aid  is,  or  can  be,  made  legal,  and  is  sorely  needed  in  many 
states.  The  point  at  issue,  then,  is  control.  Many  people  feel  that  Fed- 
eral Aid  would  open  the  way  for  regimentation  of  the  schools,  propa- 
ganda infested  curricula,  political  patronage,  and  even  graft.  Such  is 
indeed  possible.  Let  us  admit  it,  and  then  construct  our  plans  so  that 
these  undesirable  factors  will  be  eliminated.  It  is  not  the  part  of  brave 
men  to  say,  "Yes,  we  see  the  advantages  in  Federal  Aid  to  Education, 
but  we  are  afraid  that  if  we  do  not  handle  it  properly  we  shall  be  put  to 
great  disadvantage." 

Take  the  courageous,  common  sense  course. 

Administer  Federal  Aid  wisely,  honestly,  and  professionally. 

Reap  the  benefits. 

The  Editor. 


"Pet  Peeves" 

HURRY  Up  and  get  peeved!   Win  a  year's  free  subscription  to  the 
Tower  Light.   Is  there  something  about  anything  that  you 
don't  like?  Certainly  there  is! 
We  all  have  our  "pet  peeves."   What  don't  you  like?  What  irri- 
tates you?  Come  on,  get  it  off  your  chest.   Tell  it  in  the  "Pet  Peeve" 
contest. 

Be  humorous,  be  tragic,  be  mad — but  above  all  be  peeved.  Send  in 
your  entry;  let's  have  some  fun.  And  don't  forget  the  best  peeve  wins  a 
year's  subscription  to  the  Tower  Light. 
Here  are  the  rules  of  the  contest: 

1.  Possess  yourself  of  a  pet  peeve — either  serious  or  humorous. 

2.  Write  it  as  briefly  as  possible — not  over  seventy-five  words, 
on  one  side  of  the  paper,  legibly,  with  ink. 

3.  Sign  your  name  to  the  "peeve."  Don't  be  afraid.  (No  name, 
no  prize,  of  course.) 

4.  Hand  the  "peeve"  in  to  the  Tower  Light  office  any  time 
before  October  twenty-fifth. 

20 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  "peeves"  will  be  printed  in  next  month's  issue — and  maybe 
your  "peeve"  will  stare  you  in  the  face  proclaiming  you  the  happy 
winner  of  a  year's  free  subscription  to  the  Tower  Light. 

Sid  Tepper,  Contest  Editor. 


The  Library — At  Your  Service 

THE  Tower  Light  is  offering  for  the  first  time  a  new  library  service. 
New  books,  ready  to  be  put  into  circulation  as  the  Tower  Light 
comes  out  will  be  reviewed.  We  hope  this  will  be  of  great  value  to 
you  in  selecting  good  books. 

NEW  FICTION: 

1.  "Veinof  Iron"  by  Ellen  Glasgow 

Miss  Glasgow's  new  novel  is  a  variation  of  an  old  theme.  In 
Vein  of  Iron,  she  depicts  the  real  frontier  spirit;  in  John  Fin- 
castle,  (a  philosopher  and  free  thinker),  expelled  from  the  min- 
istry;  in  his  courageous  wife;  in  his  staunch  and  stately  old  mother, 
in  his  daughter,  Ada  Fincastle,  the  heroine  of  this  story.  The 
Fincastles  had  lived  in  Virginia  for  so  many  generations  that 
they  had  become  as  much  a  part  of  it  as  its  hills  and  valleys;  it 
was  their  strength,  the  vein  of  iron  which  held  them  together. 
It  was  this  same  strength  that  supported  Ada  through  the  tragedy 
of  her  thwarted  marriage  to  Ralph  McBride  and  helped  them 
together  through  the  ruts  of  their  life — illness,  poverty,  dis- 
appointment and  depression.  This  novel  "is  everywhere  true, 
sincere  and  faithful  throughout  to  a  profound  and  stirring 
reality." 

2.  ' 'Honey  in  the  Horn' '  by  H.  L.  Davis 

Without  being  in  any  sense  an  imitation  of  Mark  Twain,  this 
novel  irresistibly  reminds  one  of  Twain.  The  scene  and  time  are 
the  scene  and  time  of  Twain's  great  stories.  Even  the  hero,  a 
sort  of  Tom  Sawyer,  has  a  girl  companion  who  shares  with  him 
the  adventure  of  Northwest  pioneer  days.  One  feels  the  great 
expanse  of  years  when  the  tide  of  settlement  moved  west.  Odd 
characters,  molded  by  a  common  cause,  give  the  story  an  in- 
tangible quality.  The  story  is  peculiarly  American — it  moves 
fast  and  with  sanity.  It  is  a  novel  to  enlarge  one's  knowledge 
of  western  pioneering. 

21 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


NEW  NON-FICTION 

1.  '  'North  to  the  Orient' '  by  A.  M.  Linbergh 

The  special  charm  of  this  book  is  that  it  is  written  by  a  woman 
who  though  she  knows  her  subject  thoroughly,  is  still  able  to 
maintain  a  layman's  point  of  view.  She  knows  how  to  present 
revealing  details  which  a  professional  aviator  might  take  for 
granted.  Her  account  of  the  flight  to  the  Orient  by  way  of  the 
Great  Circle  Route — from  Long  Island  to  the  northernmost 
reaches  of  Canada  and  Alaska,  along  the  coast  of  Siberia  to 
Japan,  then  up  to  Nanking — is  full  of  vivid  and  colorful  pic- 
tures. Mrs.  Lindbergh  gives  full  and  clear  cut  pictures  of  peo- 
ples and  places,  her  experience  as  a  radio  operator,  long  hours 
of  flying  through  fog  on  an  unknown  route  and  strange  recep- 
tions in  foreign  lands.  The  book  is  indeed  individualistic,  not 
so  much  for  its  account  of  an  epoch-making  flight,  but  as  a 
travel  book  of  the  air. 

2.  '  'Mary :  Queen  of  Scotland  and  the  Isles"  by  Stefan  Zweig 

Mr.  Zweig's  purpose  in  writing  this  biography  is  to  present  to 
the  reader  a  dispassionate  and  unbiased  reconstruction  of  Queen 
Mary's  career  and  character.  Almost  anything  a  historian 
needs  to  know  is  contained  therein.  There  are  court  records, 
letters,  memoirs,  and  trial  testimonies.  Abilities  and  weak- 
nesses (although  they  resulted  finally  in  political  and  econom- 
ical benefits  to  her  country  but  meant  tragedy  to  her)  are  ac- 
curately presented.  Mr.  Zweig,  noted  for  his  tolerance  and  wis- 
dom, has  written  another  biography  that  is  sure  to  become  as 
popular  as  '  'Marie  Antoinette. 

The  Pulitzer  Prize  Winner,  "Now  in  November"  by  Josephine 
Johnson,  and  the  Harper  Prize  Novel,  "Honey  in  the  Horn"  by  H.  L. 
Davis,  are  now  in  our  library.  These  are  only  a  few  of  the  many  new 
books  you  will  find  good  reading. 


€i:^aJ^.^i^S=d 


The  visitor  called  at  the  village  library.   "May  I  have  the  'Letters 
of  Charles  Lamb'?"  he  inquired. 

"You're  in  the  wrong  building,  Mr,  Lamb,"  said  the  new  clerk 
pleasantly.  '  'The  post  office  is  just  across  the  street. ' ' 

22 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Seven 

As  is  the  case  with  the  mystic  number  three,  the  number  seven  is 
/^  found  widely  distributed.  Seven  is  scattered  throughout  the 
•*•  ^  Holy  Bible.  In  the  beginning,  our  Bible  tells  us,  God  created 
heaven  and  earth  in  six  days,  and  rested  on  the  seventh.  Thus,  we  have 
a  seven-day  week,  and  the  seventh  day  is  a  day  of  rest.  God  is  conceived 
as  embodying  seven  spirits:  the  spirits  of  Wisdom,  Understanding, 
Counsel,  Power,  Knowledge,  Righteousness,  and  Divine  Awfulness; 
there  are  seven  spirits  around  His  throne;  Michael,  Gabriel,  Lamael, 
Raphael,  Zachariel,  Anael,  and  Oriphel. 

Ten  times  seven  Hebrews  went  into  Egypt,  and  were  kept  in  bond- 
age for  ten  times  seven  years.  There  were  ten  times  seven  elders.  Pha- 
raoh's dream,  as  interpreted  by  Joseph,  signified  seven  years  of  plenty 
and  seven  years  of  famine.  The  Egyptians  mourned  for  Israel  threescore 
and  ten  (seventy)  days;  Joseph  mourned  for  his  father  seven  days. 

Moses  married  Zipporah,  one  of  the  seven  daughters  of  Reuel,  the 
priest  of  Midian.  Mosaic  Law  states  that  a  bought  Hebrew  servant 
shall  serve  for  six  years,  but  shall  be  free  in  the  seventh  year.  Male 
oxen  or  sheep  were  to  be  with  the  dam  for  seven  days,  then  sacrificed. 

The  three  great  Jewish  feasts  last  seven  days  each.  Levitical  puri- 
fications lasted  seven  days. 

The  seven  senses  of  man,  as  given  by  the  Bible,  are  animation,  feel- 
ing, speech,  taste,  sight,  hearing,  and  smelling. 

Our  Three  Graces  comprise  the  first  three  of  the  seven  virtues: 
Faith,  Hope,  Charity,  Prudence,  Justice,  Fortitude,  and  Temperance. 
The  seven  deadly  sins  are  Pride,  Wrath,  Envy,  Lust,  Gluttony,  Avarice, 
and  Sloth. 

Christ  said  we  are  to  forgive  our  offenders  seventy  times  seven 
offenses.  The  Lord's  Prayer  is  divided  into  seven  parts.  We  have  the 
seven  words  from  the  Cross.  In  the  New  Testament,  we  find  the  parable 
of  the  seven  wise  and  the  seven  foolish  virgins.  The  Book  of  Revela- 
tion, in  fact,  is  literally  packed  with  sevens. 

There  are  the  seven  joys  of  the  Virgin  (the  Annunciation,  the  Visi- 
tation, the  Nativity,  the  Adoration  of  the  Magi,  the  Presentation  in 
the  Temple,  the  Finding  of  Christ  with  the  Learned  Men,  and  the  As- 
sumption); and  the  seven  sorrows  of  the  Virgin  (Simeon's  Prophecy, 
the  Flight  into  Egypt,  Christ  missed,  the  Betrayal,  the  Crucifixion,  the 
Taking  Down  from  the  Cross,  and  the  Ascension  "when  she  was  left 
alone"). 

The  seven  churches  in  Asia  were  those  at  Ephesos,  Smyrna,  Per- 
gamos,  Thyatira,  Sardis,  Philadelphia,  and  Laodicea. 

23 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Today  in  many  of  our  churches,  we  still  have  the  seven-branched 
candlestick. 

Before  we  leave  the  discussion  of  seven  in  the  Bible,  it  may  be  in- 
tersting  to  note  that  there  are  seven  recognized  bibles.  These  are  the 
Bible  of  the  Christians,  Eddas  of  the  Scandinavians,  Five  Kings  of  the 
Chinese,  Tri  Pitikes  of  the  Buddhists,  Koran  of  the  Mohammedans, 
three  Vedas  of  the  Hindus,  and  Zendavesta  of  the  Persians. 

There  were  the  Seven  Champions  of  Christendom:  St.  George  of 
England,  who  was  imprisoned  by  the  Black  King  of  Morocco  for  seven 
years;  St.  Denys  of  France,  who  lived  for  seven  years  in  the  form  of  a 
deer;  St.  James  of  Spain,  who  was  "seven  years  dumb,  out  of  love  for  a 
fair  Jewess";  St.  Anthony  of  Italy,  who  was  rescued  from  his  spell  of 
deep  sleep  by  the  three  sons  of  St.  George  who  put  out  the  magic  fire  of 
the  seven  lamps  with  water  from  the  enchanted  fountain;  St.  Andrew  of 
Scotland,  who  "delivered  six  ladies  who  had  lived  seven  years  under 
the  form  of  white  swans";  St.  Patrick  of  Ireland;  and  St.  David  of 
Wales  who  was  released  from  his  enchanted  sleep  of  seven  years'  dura- 
tion by  St.  George. 

It  is  believed  by  some  that  there  are  seven  planes  to  heaven. 

Ancient  wise  men  who  dabbled  in  the  more  or  less  pseudo-chemis- 
try of  their  time,  expounded  these  seven  bodies  of  alchemy:  the  Sun, 
gold;  the  Moon,  silver;  Mars,  iron;  Mercury,  quicksilver;  Saturn,  lead; 
Jupiter,  tin;  and  Venus,  copper. 

Greece  had  seven  sages:  Solon  of  Athens,  Chilo  of  Sparta,  Thales  of 
Miletos,  Bias  of  Priene,  Cleobulos  of  Lindos,  Pittacos  of  Mitylene,  and 
Periander  of  Corinth. 

Then  there  is  the  constellation  which  ancients  of  the  Eastern  Hem- 
isphere called  "The  Seven  Sisters,"  and  ancients  of  the  Western  Hem- 
isphere thought  of  as  "The  Seven  Brothers." 

No  doubt,  you  have  often  wondered  just  exactly  how  many  '  'Seven 
Wonders  of  the  World"  there  are.  At  bur  last  count,  there  were  at  least 
twenty-one  (a  multiple  of  seven).  First,  there  are  the  Ancient  "Seven 
Wonders":  the  Pyramids  of  Egypt;  the  Babylonian  Gardens;  the  Tomb 
of  Mausolus;  the  Temple  of  Diana  at  Ephesus;  the  Colossus  of  Rhodes; 
the  statue  of  Jupiter  at  Elis;  and  the  Palace  of  Cyrus.  Next,  we  have  the 
"Seven  Wonders"  of  the  Middle  Ages:  the  Colosseum  at  Rome;  the 
Catacombs  at  Alexandria;  the  great  wall  of  China;  the  ruins  at  Stone- 
henge,  England;  the  Leaning  Tower  of  Pisa;  the  Porcelain  Tower  of 
Nanking;  and  the  Mosque  to  St.  Sophia  at  Constantinople.  Recently, 
anonymous  birth  appears  to  have  been  given  to  a  brand  new  set  of 
"Seven  Wonders" — "The  Seven  Wonders  of  the  New  World."  These 
are  Niagara  Falls;  Yellowstone  National  Park;  the  Garden  of  the  Gods; 
Mammoth  Cave;  Yosemite  Valley;  the  Giant  Redwoods  of  Washington 
Oregon,  and  California;  and  Natural  Bridge. 


24 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


Sinbad  the  Sailor,  of  the  "Arabian  Nights"  tale,  made  seven  voy- 
ages to  acquire  riches. 

As  is  the  case  with  three,  seven  is  found  a  great  deal  in  the  old 
British  ballads. 

Shakespeare,  in  his  play,  "As  You  Like  It,"  speaks  of  the  "seven 
ages  of  man." 

Mother  Goose  has  given  the  children  the  stories  of  "The  Seven 
Sisters"  and  "The  Seven  Dwarves."  Here  too,  we  find  the  old  St.  Ives 
Riddle: 

As  I  was  going  to  St.  Ives, 

I  met  a  man  with  seven  wives. 

Every  wife  had  seven  sacks; 

Every  sack  had  seven  cats; 

Every  cat  had  seven  kits; 

Kits,  cats,  sacks,  and  wives; 

How  many  were  going  to  St.  Ives? 

The  reader  is  also  probably  familiar  with  Hawthorne's  "House  of 
the  Seven  Gables"  and  Cohan's  "Seven  Keys  to  Baldpate." 

There  are  seven  red  stripes  in  the  American  Flag. 

In  music,  we  find  seven  again.  There  are  seven  different  tones  in 
every  diatonic  scale;  the  eighth  is  a  double  of  the  first.  Musical  history 
tells  us  that  along  about  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century,  di 
Lasso  (also  written  Lassus)  composed  his  most  famous  work  (which 
still  exists) — "Seven  Penetential  Psalms," 

And  don't  forget  the  fateful  meaning  of  seven  dots  on  a  pair  of  bone 
cubes  used  in  the  well-known  game  of  '  'African  Golf. ' ' 

Judging  from  the  writer's  brief  reviews  of  the  numbers  three  and 
seven,  the  former  seems  to  be  used  more  frequently.  However,  this  con- 
clusion may  be  found  faulty  by  one  who  has  more  experience.  Even  so, 
the  fact  that  seven  is  used  over  and  over  again,  and  in  so  many  different 
places,  seems  to  prove  that  seven  has  some  special  significance. 

E.  M.,  Fourth  Year  Senior. 


tfS^kJSfLitfS^ 


An  extension  class  at  the  University  of  Hawaii  holds  its  classes  on 
the  rim  of  a  volcano  so  that  the  students  may  better  study  botany, 
geology,  and  volcanic  phenomena. 

Yes,  and  at  some  later  date  Newton's  "law  of  gravity." 


25 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


"Thar  She  Bl-o-o-ows!" 

OLD-TIME  whaling  boats  were  not  large  vessels;  about  one  hun- 
dred thirty  feet  long  and  twenty-six  feet  broad,  they  carried  a 
crew  of  thirty  men.  Consequently,  some  of  the  biggest  whales 
were  about  two-thirds  as  long  as  the  ships  that  hunted  them.  This  fact 
called  forth  a  story  that  once  a  whaler  was  sunk  by  a  whale  that  rushed 
at  her  and  stove  in  her  sides. 

Nothing  that  these  ships  carried  was  more  important  than  the 
whaleboats.  A  whaling  ship  carried  from  four  to  seven  whaleboats 
strung  to  timber  davits  along  the  two  sides  of  the  ship,  all  ready  to  be 
lowered  into  the  water.  Their  sides  sloped  upward  toward  the  pointed 
ends,  so  that  too  much  water  could  not  dash  into  them  while  they 
rushed  along,  towed  by  a  whale.  Usually  a  whaleboat  carried  a  mast 
and  a  sail  so  that  it  could  get  close  to  the  whale  without  the  noise  that 
oars  and  rowlocks  made.  This  was  a  wise  precaution  because,  while 
whales  are  not  much  alarmed  by  what  they  see,  they  are  easily  fright- 
ened away  by  what  they  hear. 

When  fishing  for  whales,  the  whaling  ship  (usually  a  barque)  would 
cruise  around  the  waters  where  the  whales  lived.  Now  whales  have  to 
come  to  the  surface  to  breathe,  and  when  they  do,  they  blow  a  column 
of  spray  high  into  the  air.  As  soon  as  a  man,  posted  at  the  head  of  the 
foremast  in  a  sort  of  barrel,  would  see  this  spouting,  he  would  cry  out, 
"There  she  blows,"  which  sounded  like  this,  "Thar  she  bloo-oo-ows! 
Bloo-oo-ows!"  Immediately  the  ship  was  steered  in  the  direction  he 
pointed.  When  near  enough,  the  men  piled  into  their  whaleboats 
and  rowed  close  to  the  whale.  In  the  bow  of  each  stood  a  man  with  a 
harpoon,  which  was  a  sharp,  heavy  spear  attached  to  a  long,  strong 
line.  Six  other  men  pulled  on  the  oars,  and  another  stood  at  the  stern, 
steering  with  an  oar. 

At  the  right  moment  the  harpoon  was  thrown  deep  into  the  whale. 
Away  the  whale  dashed,  diving  deep  into  the  sea.  The  line  that  was 
loosely  coiled  in  a  tub  at  the  stern  of  the  boat  ran  out  like  lightning, 
sometimes  so  fast  that  it  smoked.  As  it  shot  out,  away  went  the  boat, 
towed  along  at  a  great  speed  by  the  wounded  whale.  Sometimes  a 
whale  would  fight  a  whole  day  for  his  life  and  carry  a  boat  miles  away 
from  a  ship.  But  in  the  end  the  whale  would  be  killed,  and  the  men 
would  either  row  back  to  the  barque,  towing  the  whale  behind,  or  else 
signal  the  ship  to  sail  to  them. 

The  rest  of  the  work  included  cutting  the  whale  and  hoisting  the 
valuable  parts  aboard  the  ship  where  it  was  prepared  for  storage  until 
the  end  of  the  voyage.  On  the  trip  home  the  ship  was  filled  witli  thou- 
sands of  barrels  of  whale  oil  and  many  tons  of  whalebone. 

26 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


Modern  whalers  are  steamships  built  in  a  special  way  and  carry 
only  ten  men  who  work  very  differently  from  the  old-time  whalers. 

Paul  Miller,  Sr.  $. 

As  You  Like  It 

(With  a  curt  nod  to  Will  Shakespare) 

A  LL  joking  aside,  this  is  a  humor  column;  I'm  very,  very  funny,  so  I 
/^  write  it;  you're  ever  so  foolish,  so  you  read  it.  If  after  you  have 
"^  ^  perused  you  are  not  amused;  don't  be  discouraged.  Remember, 
the  Tower  Light  comes  out  but  once  a  month,  we  allow  you  a  full  thirty 
days  to  "catch  on."  Now  dust  old  Dewey  and  wind  up  the  old  reflex 
action  and  let's  go. 

How  about  taking  a  peek  at  some  of  the  censored  verses  I  have  dug 
up  from  their  literary  hearses? 

"Women's  faults  are  many 
Men  have  only  two — 
Everything  they  say  and 
Everything  they  do." 

"Our  father  slipped  upon  the  ice 
Because  he  couldn't  stand 
He  saw  the  glorious  stars  and  stripes; 
We  saw  our  father  land." 

"A  maiden  at  college  named  Breeze 
Weighed  down  with  B.A.'s  and  M.D.'s 
Collapsed  from  the  strain, 
Said  her  doctor,  'Tis  plain 
You  are  killing  yourself  by  degrees.' " 

For  a  long  time  I  have  felt  the  stirring  of  musical  genius  within  my 
arteries — and  now  it  has  come  to  pass.  I  have  burst  forth  into  theme 
songs! 

Here  are  the  theme  songs  I  suggest  for: 

The  weather  vane "Any  Way  the  Wind  Blows" 

The  telescope '  'Heaven  Seems  to  be  a  little  Closer  ' 

The  Glee  Club "Learn  to  Croon" 

That  report  card "Don't  Be  Afraid  to  Tell  Your  Mother" 

The  Campus '  'Good  Green  Acres' ' 

27 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  Camp-Fire  Girls "Smoke  gets  in  your  Eyes 

The  Soccer  Team "Z  Get  a  Kick  out  of  You 

And  now  for  a  few  musical  notes  about  the  staff. 

Dr.  Tall '  'You  re  the  Top 

Miss  Scarborough "Take  a  Number  from  i  to  lo 

Miss  Bader '  'Love  Songs  of  the  Nile 

Miss  Blood '  'Star  Ga%ing 

Drs.  Abercrombie '  'Mr.  <&  Mrs.  is  the  name 

Miss  Weyforth '  'Rhythm  is  My  Business 

The  Tower  Light '  'You're  All  I  Read 

This  is  a  "swell"  column "That's  What  You  Think 

As  "Pop"  Sickle,  the  ice  cream  man  would  say,  "It's  punning  time 
at  State  Teachers"  and  so  it  is;  the  halls  are  simply  seething  with  puns. 
Indeed,  it  certainly  looks  as  if  our  "scents"  of  humor  has  become 
"pun"-gent. 

Here,  read  'em  and  weep: 

"It  paste  to  advertise"  (Strike  one  for  Davies) 

"No  one  can  find  any  wild  maize  anymore;  it  has  to  be  cultivated. 
Isn't  that  a-maize-ing?' '  (Blame  that  on  Mr.  Walthers) 

"The  astronomy  course  is  way  over  my  head;  I'll  thank  my  lucky 
stars  when  its  through."  (Anonymous) 

"We  learn  to  do  by  Dewey-ing"  (From  the  fertile  crescent  of  Ye 
Editor's  cranium) 

"A  wise  man  never  blows  his  knows." 

"A  college  bred  is  a  four-year  loaf  baked  on  papa's  dough"  (Three 
cheers  for  the  N.  Y.  A.) 

And  now  I  shall  put  a  stop  to  this  nonsense  by  saying  bye-bye  very 
humbly  and  inconspicuously,  keeping  in  mind  Will  Shakespeare's  ad- 
monition that  there  should  not  be  "much  'Adieu'  about  nothing." 

SiD  Tepper,  Soph.  4. 


Ishfay  Azinesscray 


THE  fall  of  the  year  is  the  season  when  those  benighted  souls  who 
have  been  bitten  by  that  insidious  bug,  the  Bacillus  Piscatoris,  get 
a  far-away  look  in  their  eyes.  At  that  time  they  putter  aimlessly 
with  a  surprising  assortment  of  jim  cracks,  babble  incoherently  such 
jargon  as,  "just  missed  him,"  "flies,"  "leaders,"  "squid,"  "peelers," 
"whoppers,"  and  "biggest  one  got  away,"  and  exhibit  other  unmis- 


28 


I 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


takable  symptoms  of  the  interesting  malady  known  in  medical  circles 
as  Ishfay  Azinesscracy.  Since  fall  is  upon  us  despite  the  lying  warmth 
of  the  days,  it  seems  altogether  fitting  and  proper  to  inquire  into  the  na- 
ture of  this  evil  which  besets  the  all  too  frail  (alas !)  human  race  while 
there  are  so  many  interesting  cases  near  at  hand. 

Not  all  humans  are  equally  susceptible  to  the  attacks  of  the  Pis- 
catoris;  the  female  sex  being  practically  immune.  In  the  rare  event  of  a 
female  falling  victim  to  the  disorder,  a  quick  cure  is  usually  effected  as 
soon  as  she  marries  a  man  who  has  already  been  inoculated  w^ith  the 
bug.  It  is  safe  to  say,  then,  despite  a  few  notable  exceptions,  that  the 
rate  of  complete  domination  of  the  Piscatoris  in  the  female  of  Genus 
Homo  is  exceedingly  low.  These  conditions  are  reversed  in  the  case  of 
the  male  of  the  species,  however,  for  men  are  very  susceptible  to  the 
bacillus.  It  is  estimated  that  nine-tenths  of  the  men  exposed  to  the  Pis- 
catoris under  favorable  environmental  conditions  succumb  to  the  at- 
tacks of  that  organism,  and  after  the  incubation  period  evidence  the 
first  specific  symptoms  of  Ishfay  Azinesscray. 

The  period  of  incubation  (that  period  between  the  organism's  en- 
trance into  the  body  and  the  occurrence  of  symptoms,  during  which 
period  the  organisms  multiply)  varies  greatly  with  each  individual  ac- 
cording to  his  resistance  and  his  environment.  Naturally  a  man  would 
not  develop  Ishfay  Azinesscray  in  the  Sahara  as  quickly  as  he  would  in 
Ocean  City.  Whether  the  incubation  period  be  long  or  short,  however, 
its  end  is  easily  recognizable.  When  the  patient  buys  any  article  of  fish- 
ing equipment  and  shows  it  with  pride  to  his  family  and  friends,  he 
may  be  definitely  catalogued  as  having  passed  through  the  incubation 
period. 

Just  as  the  susceptibility  of  the  individuals  varies,  so  does  the  range 
and  combination  of  symptoms  evidenced  in  each  victim  vary  in  three 
distinct  types  of  individuals.  Some  people — those  belonging  to  Pisca- 
toral  Type  I — just  fish.  The  longer  they  fish,  regardless  of  how  little 
they  catch,  the  more  allayed  and  soothed  their  condition  becomes.  The 
classic  example  of  this  type  is,  of  course,  the  gentleman  who  contentedly 
fished  for  a  whale  in  his  mother's  scrubbing  pail.  Other  people  (Pisca- 
toral  Type  II)  find  their  solace  in  attempting  to  snag  with  large  well 
baited  hooks  the  small  fry  which,  though  too  small  to  fairly  take  the 
hook,  nibble  so  persistently.  This  type  becomes  almost  fanatical  until 
they  impale  the  offenders  upon  their  hooks;  and  when  success  does 
crown  their  efforts  the  smile  on  their  lips  and  the  gleam  in  their  eyes 
send  shivers  down  the  spines  of  normal  men.  The  third  group  (Pisca- 
toral  Type  III)  are  those  who  feel  compelled  to  equip  themselves  with  all 
manner  of  expensive  and  elaborate  paraphernalia,  whomust  hire  guides, 
who  must  engage  suitable  dates,  and  who  must  travel  long  distances  to 
find  a  suitable  place  to  try  their  prowess. 


29 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


Even  though  most  of  the  patients  in  all  the  Piscatorial  groups  seem 
perfectly  happy  and  contented  despite  their  deplorable  condition,  they 
are  morally  the  charges  of  society,  and  it  behooves  us  to  put  all  our  in- 
tellects to  the  worthy  task  of  developing  efficient  treatment  for  the  mal- 
ady. Discharge  your  obligation  to  society  by  sending  to  the  Tower 
Light  your  favorite  cure,  either  practical  or  hypothetical,  for  Ishfay 
Azinesscray  so  that  it  may  be  published  by  that  public-serving  maga- 
zine and  thus  reach  the  hands  of  many  who  are  suffering. 

W.  F.  P. 


Assemblies 

ON  September  18,  1935,  Jerry  Nathanson,  a  member  of  the  class  of 
'35,  returned  to  his  alma  mater  as  the  first  speaker  in  our  annual 
series  of  "Vacation  Varieties."  Mr.  Nathanson  had  the  good 
fortune  of  being  one  of  12  "hand-picked"  councillors  at  the  New 
York  Herald  Tribune  Camp,  Bridgeport,  Connecticut.  Of  the  twenty 
boys  under  his  supervision,  eighteen  were  "graduates"  from  schools 
for  the  delinquent.  Mr.  Nathanson  had  to  act  as  president  of  this  veri- 
table "League  of  Nations,"  for  every  nationality  was  represented  in  the 
gang  from  New  York's  East  Side. 

"Children  have  to  be  steered  straight"  truthfully  said  our  speaker 
in  his  own  informal  manner.  But  to  have  anything  accomplished  with 
these  "youngsters"  a  routine  of  work  has  to  be  used.  Their  vacation 
consisted  of  plenty  of  healthful  exercise  and  play  substantiated  by  good 
food  and  rest.  Thus,  since  "a  man's  weakness  is  his  stomach"  the  boys 
were  won  over. 

Mr.  Nathanson  told  his  audience,  in  a  most  sincere  manner,  of  the 
horrible  living  conditions  these  boys  had  come  from  and  to  which  they 
had  to  return  after  a  short  period  of  two  weeks.  A  serious  question  for 
thought  was  left  us,  with  the  probability  that  one  of  our  number  might 
in  time  to  come  offer  a  solution:  "What  are  we  going  to  do  with  this 
unbelievable  East  Side  condition  in  New  York?" 

What  could  be  a  better  close  than  "Well,  I  guess  that's  about  all." 

Max  Berzofsky. 

THIS  summer  Dr.  Tall  and  Dr.  Crabtree  were  delegates  to  the  World 
Federation  Educational  Conference  held  at  Oxford,  England.  In  a 
very  few  minutes  Dr.  Tall  gave  us  a  brief  but  interesting  summary 
of  the  various  meetings  and  events  at  this  place.  According  to  Dr.  Tall, 

30 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


a  more  appropriate  setting  for  this  conference  could  not  have  been  se- 
lected, for  Oxford,  a  city  lying  amid  the  marshes  of  the  Thames  River, 
owes  its  beauty  and  prominence  chiefly  to  the  presence  of  the  collegiate 
and  university  buildings.  Among  the  subjects  discussed  by  the  delega- 
tion were  the  following:  Adult  Education,  Broadcasting,  Culture, 
Crafts,  Elementary  Education,  History,  International  Relations,  Geog- 
raphy, and  Pre-school  Primary  Education.  Included  in  the  large  num- 
ber present  were  several  people  outstanding  in  elementary  school  fields, 
such  as  Madame  Montessori,  the  Italian  educator  who  introduced  im- 
proved methods  of  teaching  children.  Another  of  the  more  fascinating 
delegates  was  an  American  Indian  who  teaches  art  in  Bacone  College, 
Oklahoma,  the  only  college  which  offers  higher  education  for  the  red 
race. 

Because  the  speaker's  period  had  been  shortened.  Dr.  Tall  did  not 
tell  us  a  great  deal  about  the  social  events.  Despite  the  handicap  of 
time,  however,  our  President  made  every  student  sincerely  wish  that  he 
had  had  the  opportunity  of  attending  the  conference. 

Sarah  Strumsky,  Soph.  5. 

On  September  30,  1935,  Dr.  Dowell  related  to  the  assembly  au- 
dience the  experiences  of  her  summer  Mediterranean  cruise.  Since  Dr. 
Dowell  was  especially  interested  in  her  visit  to  Jerusalem,  her  descrip- 
tion dealt  with  the  Old  Palestine,  where  "the  past  is  always  very  pres- 
ent." Here,  she  visited  the  ancient  and  most  historical  shrines,  streets, 
and  people.  No  longer  to  her  was  Palestine  a  distant  and  almost  un- 
known land.  Ancient  but  unforgotten  customs  are  still  being  practiced 
in  this  region  long  ravaged  by  the  conquering  hordes.  Palestine,  to  Dr. 
Dowell,  is  still  the  same  as  of  old;  peaceful  in  its  piety,  but  stirring  in 
its  strength. 

Max  Berzofsky,  Soph.  4. 


31 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  Social  Calendar  for  October 

DID  you  ever  see  such  a  busy  place!  Members  of  the  faculty  are  try- 
ing to  find  week-ends  for  out-of-town  pleasure  trips.  It  can't  be 
done.  I  myself  can't  see  a  day  until  the  week-end  of  November 
the  first.  But  it's  grand,  nevertheless.  Clubs  meeting  weekly  or  semi- 
monthly are  the  French  Club,  the  Rural  Club,  Men's  Club,  Nature  and 
Camera  Club,  Glee  Club,  Orchestra,  Psychology  Club,  League  of  Young 
Voters,  the  Chimes  Guild,  etc.,  etc. 

There  are  other  major  events  also.  The  forehanded  and  foresighted 
Seniors  have  scheduled  the  first  subscription  dance  of  the  year  to  be  held 
Friday  night,  October  eleventh.  The  Parent-Teacher  group  of  the  Cam- 
pus School,  known  as  the  Te  Pa  Chi  Club,  is  holding  a  bazaar  on  Friday, 
October  eighteenth,  from  3:15  p.m.  to  midnight.  That  Te  Pa  Chi  Club 
knows  how  to  co-operate  to  successful  ends.  Out  of  their  efforts  will 
probably  come  $300  in  the  clear  to  further  the  work  and  needs  of  the 
Campus  Elementary  School. 

Our  Chi  Alpha  Sigma  Society,  the  honor  group  of  our  College,  will 
give  a  luncheon  on  Saturday,  October  twenty-sixth,  at  the  time  of  the 
State  Teachers  Association  meetings.  The  Chi's  meet  at  1 :00  o'clock  for 
fun  and  work. 

By  the  way,  the  speakers  for  the  State  Teachers  Association  main 
meetings  this  year  are: 

Friday  evening,  October  26 — President  Glenn  Frank  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Wisconsin,  at  the  Baltimore  Polytechnic  Institute. 

Saturday  morning,  October  27 — Lowell  Thomas,  at  Baltimore 
Polytechnic  Institute. 

With  Lowell  Thomas  we  say,  "And  for  the  next  social  calendar, 
'So  long,  until  November.'" 

Lid  A  Lee  Tall. 


Faculty  Notes 


FROM  the  woods  and  the  seas,  the  East  and  the  West  the  faculty 
have  returned,  poorer  we  know,  and  wiser  we  hope.  Miss  Tall  at- 
tended the  Educational  Conference  in  Oxford,  England,  as  a  dele- 
gate as  did  Miss  Crabtree  also.  It  was  Miss  Crabtree's  first  trip  to 
Europe,  but  Miss  Tall  was  so  familiar  with  the  route  that  she  was  able 
to  recognize  and  point  out  the  most  interesting  waves  on  the  crossing. 

32 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Miss  Dowell  circled  the  Mediterranean,  and  Miss  Weyforth  visited 
music  centers  in  Germany  and  other  countries.  Miss  Tansil  and  Miss 
Bersch  landed  in  France,  and  then  drove  through  several  countries  of 
Central  and  Southern  Europe.  On  certain  occasions  Miss  Tansil  found 
it  convenient  to  understand  only  English. 

Those  who  followed  Greeley's  advice  and  went  West  travelled 
by  devious  routes.  Dr.  Abercrombie  preferred  the  slow  comfort  of  a 
freighter;  Miss  Steele  drove  her  own;  Miss  Logan  believed  in  helping 
the  railroads.  All  agree,  however,  that  the  West  is  a  place  to  be  visited. 

Miss  MacDonald  and  Miss  Prickett  went  to  their  homes  in  Iowa 
and  Kansas;  Miss  Bader,  Mrs.  Brouwer  and  Miss  Giles  were  all  in 
Michigan,  though  Miss  Bader  also  went  on  to  Colorado.  Of  course 
Miss  Keys  went  to  the  chinch-bug  country;  Miss  Daniels  was  the  swim- 
ming instructor  in  a  camp  in  the  Wisconsin  woods;  Miss  Scarborough 
went  to  Quebec  and  up  the  St.  Lawrence  and  Saguenay  Rivers. 

Miss  Hill,  Mr.  Moser,  Miss  Yoder,  Miss  Woodward  and  Miss 
Rutledge  studied  as  well  as  played.  We  have  not  yet  discovered  what 
the  proportions  were. 

Announcement  has  been  received  of  the  marriage  of  Miss  Hazel  L. 
Jones  to  Mr.  Charles  Hathorn  on  September  fifth.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hath- 
orn  are  living  in  Kenmore,  a  suburb  of  Buffalo,  New  York. 

Not  all  of  the  faculty  have  been  accounted  for,  but  we  shall  catch 
up  with  them  sooner  or  later. 

1935-36  Additions  to  the  College  Faculty 

THE  State  Teachers  College  at  Towson  is  interested  in  reporting  the 
new  members  of  its  staff.  Dr.  Ruth  Stocking  Lynch,  who  has  been 
for  many  years  an  assistant  under  Dr.  Jennings  in  the  Science  De- 
partment of  Johns  Hopkins  University,  will  teach  Biology  and  General 
Science.  The  Science  offerings  of  the  curriculum  have  been  greatly  ex- 
tended in  keeping  with  the  development  of  the  new  course  of  study  un- 
der the  four-year  degree-granting  plan. 

Dr.  Eunice  Crabtree,  formerly  a  member  of  the  Towson  staff,  has 
returned  to  succeed  Miss  Hazel  Jones  in  the  English  Department.  Dr. 
Crabtree  will  have  as  her  field  the  Psychology  of  Reading,  Reading 
Technique,  and  Oral  Speech.  The  students  and  faculty  are  delighted 
over  the  return  of  Dr.  Crabtree. 

Miss  Margaret  Barkley  succeeds  Mrs.  George  Odell  as  librarian. 
She  received  her  training  in  the  library  school  of  Columbia  University 
which  has  one  of  the  leading  library  schools  in  the  country. 

33 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


In  the  Campus  Elementary  School,  Miss  Hilda  Kestner  succeeds 
Mrs.  Elsie  Arthur  Bradford  who  resigned  last  year.  She  will  teach  the 
sixth  grade.  Miss  Kestner  is  a  graduate  of  the  State  Teachers  College  at 
Towson,  has  taught  in  public  schools  in  Anne  Arundel  County,  was  for 
a  year  general  assistant  in  the  Campus  Elementary  School  of  this  Col- 
lege, then  studied  at  Columbia  University  where  she  received  her  B.S. 
degree.  For  the  past  year  she  taught  in  an  elementary  school  in  East 
Hampton,  Long  Island.  It  is  always  especially  fine  to  honor  with  a  per- 
manent appointment,  a  graduate  of  our  College. 

Mrs.  Charles  Lynch,  who  was  last  year  one  of  the  supervisors  of 
elementary  grades  in  Carroll  County,  is  this  year  taking  the  place  of 
Miss  Olive  Owens,  the  Second  Grade  teacher  who  is  on  leave  of  ab- 
sence with  a  scholarship  from  George  Peabody  College,  Nashville, 
Tennessee.  Mrs.  Lynch  taught  for  some  years  before  her  marriage  in  the 
Campus  School,  and  the  College  deems  itself  very  fortunate  in  having 
her  return  even  if  only  for  a  year. 

Social  Notes 

Anyone  passing  by  Richmond  Hall  parlor,  Tuesday,  September 
/-\  twenty-fourth,  at  four,  would  have  seen  many  of  the  faculty  and 
-^  ^  yet  many  more  of  the  freshmen.  Everyone  was  buzzing  about, 
getting  acquainted  over  tea  and  cookies.  Do  you  Freshmen  feel  initi- 
ated? The  upper  classmen  welcome  you.  With  your  help  we  know  this 
year  will  be  a  success  for  all  of  us! 

Serious  and  vital  questions  are  being  discussed  in  the  meetings  of 
the  League  of  Young  Voters,  questions  that  are  puzzling  you  about  our 
international  relationships  with  Italy  and  Great  Britain.  Are  you 
anxious  to  settle  these  problems  to  your  own  satisfaction,  at  least? 
See  Maurice  Schreiber,  the  League's  president.  He  will  be  glad  to 
welcome  you. 

The  Camp  Fire  Girls  have  reorganized  their  club.  This  year  they 
will  be  known  as  the  Handicraft  Girls.  They  plan  to  sew,  knit,  and 
exercise  their  various  hobbies.  Every  girl  is  asked  to  bring  her  knitting 
and  join  the  group  at  its  next  meeting  in  the  Cottage  with  Miss  Bader. 

What  is  the  name  of  the  great  dipper? 
John  the  Baptist. 

34 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Freshmen  Talent 

What  musical  talent  we  have  in  our  present  Freshman  class!  Have 
you  heard  that  Miss  Prickett  and  Miss  Weyforth  together  with  assist- 
ants have  collected  a  list  of  the  "musically  inclined"?  Can  you  imagine 
twenty-four  pianists  in  one  class?  If  you  heard  Dean  Gehring's  radio 
performance,  you  know  her  ability.  There  is  a  very  able  saxophonist  in 
Freshman  5,  Jane  McElwain.  We  are  waiting  to  uncover  more  po- 
tentialities. 


€C:iJ&..0^S^ 


On  Joining  the  Glee  Club 

The  man  that  has  no  music  in  himself 

Nor  is  not  moved  with  concord  of  sweet  sounds 

Is  fit  for  treasons,  stratagems  and  spoils. 

William  Shakespeare 

WHEN  I  heard  the  Glee  Club  for  the  first  time,  singing  the  beauti- 
ful "Thanksgiving  Song"  by  Rachmaninoff,  I  became  very  de- 
sirous to  join  in  the  creation  of  each  delightful  sound.  I  felt 
that  here  was  an  opportunity  to  satisfy  my  wish  to  participate  in 
actually  making  music.  I  have  listened  to  innumerable  symphonies, 
sonatas,  overtures,  etc.;  and  have  enjoyed  them  immensely.  But  how 
much  more  joy  is  experienced  when  one  is  in  the  midst  of  a  group — 
being  a  part,  however  small,  that  produces  the  music! 

My  reactions  were  of  a  slightly  less  idealistic  nature  when  I  found 
myself  standing  next  to  the  piano  in  the  music  room.  Here  I  was  val- 
iantly struggling  through  "My  Country  'Tis  of  Thee"  with  an  amused 
audience  at  my  back.  Not  by  the  farthest  stretch  of  the  imagination 
could  I  have  convinced  myself  that  I  was  creating  beautiful  sounds.  Ap- 
parently possibility  of  improvement  was  perceived,  for  the  next  Mon- 
day I  found  my  name  among  those  who  had  been  accepted. 

At  the  first  rehearsal  that  afternoon  I  was  astounded  by  the  en- 
thusiasm and  abandon  with  which  the  choristers  threw  themselves  into 
their  work.  Now  I  could  understand  why  some  of  the  Glee  Club  mem- 
bers were  singing  in  the  street  car. 

Walter  Rheinheimer,  Fr.  4. 

35 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


Football  Player's  Prayer 

DEAR  God — Help  me  to  be  a  sport  in  this  game  of  life.  I  don't  ask 
for  an  easy  place  in  the  line  up,  play  me  anywhere  You  need  me. 
I  only  ask  for  the  stuff  to  give  You  100  per  cent  of  what  I've  got. 
If  all  the  hard  drives  seem  to  come  my  way,  I  thank  You  for  the  compli- 
ment. Help  me  to  remember  that  You  won't  ever  let  anything  come  my 
way  that  You  and  I  can't  handle.  And  help  me  to  take  the  bad  breaks 
as  part  of  the  game.  Help  me  to  understand  that  the  game  is  full  of 
knocks  and  knots  and  trouble  and  make  me  thankful  for  them.  Help  me 
to  get  so  the  harder  they  come  the  better  I  like  them. 

And,  O  God,  help  me  to  always  play  on  the  square,  no  matter  what 
the  other  players  do.  Help  me  to  come  clean.  Help  me  to  study  the 
Book  so  that  I'll  know  the  rules  and  to  study  and  think  a  lot  about  the 
Greatest  Player  that  ever  lived  and  other  great  players  that  are  told 
about  in  the  Book.  If  they  found  that  the  best  part  of  the  game  was 
helping  other  fellows  who  were  out  of  luck,  help  me  to  find  it  out  too. 
Help  me  to  be  a  regular  fellow  with  the  other  players. 

Finally,  O  God,  if  fate  seems  to  uppercut  me  with  both  fists  and 
I'm  laid  on  the  shelf  in  sickness  or  old  age  or  something,  help  me  to 
take  that  as  part  of  the  game  too.  Help  me  not  to  whimper  or  squeal 
that  the  game  was  a  frame-up  or  that  I  had  a  raw  deal. 

When  in  the  falling  dusk  I  hear  the  final  whistle,  I  ask  for  no  lying 
complimen'ry  stones.  I'd  only  like  to  know  that  You  feel  that  I've  been 
a  good,  game  player. 

Editor's  Note:  Mr.  Willard  E.  Givens,  secretary  of  the  N.E.  A.,  who  quoted  the 
above  in  his  commencement  address  here  very  generously  allowed  it  to  be  presented  to 
Tower  Light  readers. 


March  of  the  Sports 


HAVE  you  noticed  the  new  white  lines  on  our  campus?  Do  you 
know  what  these  signals  on  our  velvety  carpet  mean?  To  sticks, 
girls!  That  leader  of  sports,  hockey,  awaits  you.  Not  only  do 
we  expect  to  find  in  the  line  up  for  inspection  some  of  our  faithful  play- 
ers, but  we  have  great  hopes  of  seeing  many  new  recruits.  Are  you, 
Freshmen,  willing  to  accept  our  challenge  to  play  better  than  we? 

Now  that  our  enrollment  for  the  grand  march  has  been  completed, 
we,  the  spectators,  are  going  to  watch  with  eager  eyes  the  events  of 
girls'  athletics.  Since  we  do  lack  the  ability  of  prophecy — may  the  best 
class  win!  Edith  Jones,  Sophomore  i. 

36 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  Rambling  Rambler 

MOANING  .  .  .  Wailing  .  .  .  Thirteen  letter  men  lost  from  last 
year's  soccer  squad.  High-scoring  men,  first  string  substitutes; 
la  creme  de  la  creme — all  lost  on  account  of  that  ogre,  that  ne- 
mesis of  all  colleges  and  coaches.  Graduation.  Rankin,  Mezick,  Ben- 
bow,  Fost,  Gonce,  Schwanabeck.  And  remember  that  bespectacled  lit- 
tle man  running  around  the  soccer  field  yelling  at  the  top  of  his  lungs, 
Tom  Johnson. 

Come  on,  Freshman!  Make  and  support  the  teams!  Our  sports  cal- 
endar for  the  school  year  1935-1936  is  just  beginning.  Do  your  share! 
Help  to  put  State  Teachers  College  on  the  sport  map  just  as  our  past 
soccer  and  basketball  teams  did  for  Normal. 

Perusing  old  Tower  Lights,  we  noticed  the  praise  given  to  the 
soccer  team  after  it  had  won  8  games  and  lost  3-  Well,  you  old  fossilized 
ancestors,  take  a  look.  Here's  our  record:  Won — 44;  Lost — 4 — a  four- 
year  record  that  can  hardly  be  equaled  the  country  over.  The  team  has 
averaged  from  50-60  goals  a  year.  Opponents  have  scored  5-12  goals  a 
year;  a  major  part  of  this  number  against  the  B  team.  Freshman,  you 
have  your  work  cut  out  for  you! 

Motto :  Join  the  soccer  squad  and  see  Maryland.  Is  that  team  a  trav- 
eling one!  Aiid  what  opposition!  Salisbury  Teachers  College,  Western 
Maryland,  and  Johns  Hopkins — all  home  and  away.  The  regular  sched- 
ule is  against  strong  college  teams.  To  insure  adequate  practice,  nine 
games  have  been  arranged  with  high  school  and  professional  teams. 

Just  as  the  sunshine  follows  the  rain,  so  does  an  incoming  freshman 
group  follow  the  outgoing  senior  group.  Talent .  .  .  good  prospects  .  .  . 
high  interest ...  all  are  being  exhibited  by  the  freshman.  S.  Miller  at 
goal,  Hewes  at  halfback,  Gordon  at  forward,  and  Gamerman  are  prom- 
ising candidates.  Watch  out,  seniors  and  sophomores! 

We  learn  from  Don  Minnegan  that  our  freshman  athlete,  Mr.  Gor- 
don, starred  in  football  and  basketball  at  St.  John's.  Well,  well!  Con- 
gratulations, Mr.  Gordon! 

As  far  back  as  42  B.C.,  Publius  Syrus  said,  "Practice  is  the  best  in- 
structor of  all."  Keeping  this  in  mind,  Coach  Don  Minnegan  has  al- 
ready started  several  former  high  school  basketball  stars  practicing  the 
game  in  which  they  excel.  R.  Curland,  S.  Miller,  and  B.  Gamerman — 
freshman — as  well  as"Ups"Sokolow  are  hard  at  work  getting  down  the 
fine  points  of  the  game. 

Official  basketball  practice  is  slated  to  start  about  the  middle  of 
October.  Catholic  University,  American  University,  Salisbury  Teachers, 
and  Gallaudet  are  included  on  a  college  schedule. 

It  used  to  be,  in  days  of  yore,  that  the  Senior  Class  would  have  a 

37 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


mighty  and  lusty  struggle  to  subdue  the  lowly  Freshman  Class  in 
sports.  What  about  a  revival?  Inter-class  soccer,  basketball,  football, 
indoor,  etc.  are  a  lot  of  fun.  Why  not?  It'll  provide  some  swell  games. 
Last  year,  the  freshmen  played  the  seniors  in  soccer.  What  a  game!  10 
killed;  5  wounded.  Some  fun! 

Those  Fourth  Year  Seniors  are  becoming  quite  uppish.  In  gym 
class,  they  are  having  special  individualized  training  in  archery,  cotton 
golf,  hanclball,  and  volleyball.  Oh,  for  the  life  of  a  Senior! 

Well,  that's  that!  If  you  read  down  this  far — well,  words  fail  me. 

If  by  some  chance  machinations  of  the  Fates,  anyone  should  feel  in- 
clined to  favor  your  "Rambler"  with  a  note  of  criticism,  two  little 
quotations  come  forth  to  my  rescue:  Lord  Byron's  definition  of  critics: 

"A  man  must  serve  his  time  to  every  trade. 
Save  censure;  Critics  all  are  ready-made. 
Take  hackney'd  jokes  from  Miller,  got  by  rote, 
With  just  enough  of  learning  to  misquote: 
A  mind  well  skilled  to  find  or  forge  a  fault, 
A  turn  for  punning,  call  it  Attic  salt." 

Consoling,  I  see  in  the  Iliad  of  Homer,  "Praise  from  a  friend,  or 
censure  from  a  foe,  are  lost  on  hearers  that  our  merits  know." 

Morris  Miller,  Soph.  4. 


From  the  Campus  School 

AMERICAN  MERRY  GO-ROUND 

THE  greatest  Campus  School  headline  for  the  month  concerns  the 
bazaar  to  be  held  on  October  18.  The  theme,  which  evidences 
both  originality  and  careful  planning,  is  "American  Merry  Go- 
Round."  Each  grade  under  capable  guidance  is  in  charge  of  a  project. 
The  Merry  Go-Round  may  take  you  to  the  "American  Toy  Shop,"  a 
"Roadside  Market,"  "Cape  Cod,"  the  "Show  Boat,"  and  even  to  see 
the  "Indians." 

The  "Roadside  Market"  will  display  its  wares  outside  the  build- 
ing. The  other  booths  will  be  within  the  class  rooms  and  assembly 
room.  An  added  feature  in  the  Administration  Building  will  be  a  fash- 
ion show  titled  '  'Hollywood."  Supper  will  be  served  in  the  cafeteria. 

M.  Cunningham. 

(Continued  on  fage  40) 

38 


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SAILING  OFF  THE  COAST  OF  MAINE 
One  day  my  Uncle  Charles  took  my  cousins  and  me  on  an  all-day 
sailing  party.  We  packed  our  lunch  and  left  early  in  the  morning.  We 
went  in  a  lovely  22-foot  sailboat.  On  the  way  to  Cape  Porpoise  (where 
we  were  going)  we  ran  into  some  big  waves.  They  were  breaking  long 
before  they  came  near  the  rocks  or  shore.  However,  we  had  the  out- 
board motor  with  us  and  had  it  going,  and  got  through  the  breakers. 
When  we  arrived  we  had  a  swim,  then  we  sailed  out  of  the  creek  to  an 
island  where  we  ate  lunch.  About  an  hour  after  lunch  we  decided  to 
have  another  swim.  Then  we  ate  almost  all  the  food  that  we  had  left 
from  our  big  lunch,  after  which  it  was  time  for  us  to  head  home  for  the 
Kennebunkport  River  Club.  g^^^Y  Wade,  Grade  j. 

ENGLISH 

In  order  to  appreciate  my  ending  to  "The  Tiger  and  the  Lady"  you 
should  read  the  story. 

The  youth  walked  to  the  door,  placed  his  hand  on  the  latch,  opened 
it  and  ran,  for  out  bounded  the  tiger.  Seeing  that  it  was  the  wish  of  the 
princess,  he  threw  himself  in  the  path  of  the  beast. 

The  princess  appeared  cool  at  the  youth's  fate  but  as  the  tiger 
leaped  about  in  search  of  other  prey  she  hurled  herself  into  the  arena 
and  was  devoured.  Thus  they  were  both  killed  but  united  in  the  next 
world.  Harry  D.  Berry,  Jr.,  Grade  6. 

« 

A  VISIT 

On  our  way  back  from  Prudence  we  stopped  at  my  Grandmother's 
for  ten  days.  Next  door  to  us  was  a  farm.  At  the  farm  was  a  pony,  a 
dog,  and  a  baby.  The  pony's  name  was  Ginger,  the  dog's  name  was 
Chum  and  the  baby's  name  was  Lydia.  When  we  rode  the  Pony,  Chuni 
would  chase  him  so  we  had  to  put  Chum  in  the  house.  We  had  loads  of 
fun  and  I  learned  to  gallop  riding  bareback.  When  we  weren't  riding 
Ginger  we  were  playing  with  Lydia.   We  enjoyed  our  visit  at  Grand- 


mother's. 


Sue  Crane,  Grade  4. 


-fi^icMcAuC 


Who  closely  scrutinized 

His  income  tax  blank 

A.nd  then  sent  it  back 

With  the  following  notation: 

'J  have  given  the  matter  careful  thought 

And  have  decided  not  to  join 

The  Income  Tax." 


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Now  getting  around  to  cigarettes 
There  are  no  ifs  ands  or  buts 
About  Chesterfield 
Two  words  make  everything  clear  . 


C^hesterfield  ...theci^^^ 


©  1935,  Liggett  &  Myers  Tobacco  Co. 


THE 


TOWER 
LIGHT 


NOVEMBER,  1935 


'^^^M!k£^- 


V 


J 


THE 

TOWER  LIGHT 


State  Teachers  College 

TOWSON,  MARYLAND 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Through  October  Fields 3 

The  Feast  of  Thanksgiving 4 

Science  in  Education 5 

"We  Move  Towards  Great  Decisions" 6 

Pigs 7 

Notes  on  the  Maryland  Reservation  Trip 8 

A  New  Course 9 

Students  of  the  Pear  Garden 10 

New  Faculty  Members 12 

Pet  Peeves 14 

City  News 15 

Faculty  Notes 16 

Ease  in  Pulling 17 

Editorials 18 

Assemblies 21 

Maxwell  Street 23 

College  Notes 25 

The  Kaleidoscope 29 

The  Library — at  Your  Service 32 

As  You  Like  It 35 

The  Rambling  Rambler 37 

Patronize  Our  Advertisers 39 


THE  TOWER  LIGHT 


Vol.  IX  NOVEMBER,  1935  No.  2 


Through  October  Fields 

IT  was  early  morning  of  a  glowing  October  day.  As  I  swung  across 
the  field  with  school  books  in  one  hand  and  lunch  pail  in  the 
other,  I  became  acutely  [aware  of  a  change  taking  place  on  all 
sides  of  me.  I  stopped,  I  looked,  I  reflected.  Ah,  yes,  autumn  was  in  the 
air.  The  flawless  blue  sky  told  me  so,  the  playful  whispering  breeze, 
too.  Still  more  blatant  signs  flared  up  from  everywhere.  Over  yonder 
on  the  border  of  the  newly  plowed  wheat  field  was  a  riot  of  color 
dabbed  against  the  perfect  blue  background.  Gold,  crimson,  and  brown 
made  a  display  of  a  brilliance  that  belonged  to  summer.  The  slender 
waving  plumes  of  goldenrod  stirred  noiselessly  in  the  phantom  breeze. 
Rising  stiffly  above  this  sea  of  gold  were  hundreds  of  corn  shocks  which 
stood  at  attention  in  an  orderly  fashion,  while  squatting  here  and  there 
were  dumpy  pumpkins  which  rested  in  safe  security  among  the  stanch 
shocks.  "Ah,"  I  sighed,  "soon  you  will  be  transfigured  into  grinning 
jack-o'-lanterns  or  luscious,  spicy  pies.  Time  does  not  wait." 

Even  nature's  furred  and  feathered  friends  suggested  to  me  a  turn  of 
events.  Proud,  magnificent  gobblers  strutted  boldly  across  the  field.  I 
shuddered.  Did  they  not  sense  that  Thanksgiving,  the  chopping  block, 
and  the  roasting  pan  were  just  around  the  corner?  Did  the  busy  little 
chipmunk  know  what  fate  awaited  him.  He  scurried  through  the  dry 
crackling  leaves  to  deposit  the  newly  ripened  nuts  in  his  winter  store- 
house. 

Thus,  I  continued  my  journey  through  October  fields.  I  was  stirred, 
depressed  to  know  that  warm,  laughing  summer  was  stepping  into  the 
background  so  graciously  to  make  room  for  cold,  heartless  winter. 
Suddenly  I  was  aroused  from  my  musings  by  a  sharp  "clang."  It  was 
the  school  bell.  My  meditations  vanished;  I  quickened  my  pace. 

Jeanne  M.  Lang,  Fr.  6. 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  Feast  of  Thanksgiving 

1622 

SLOWLY  and  somberly  the  guests  marched  to  their  places.  Elder 
Winthrop  intoned  a  grace  for  the  many  blessings  of  the  year.  The 
women  began  serving  the  food.  Gravely  and  with  little  conver- 
sation the  Pilgrims  and  Indians  ate.  Huge  piles  of  apples,  plums,  and 
dishes  of  cranberries  were  distributed  up  and  down  the  table.  Meat 
pies,  mince  pies,  and  plum  pudding  added  their  odor  of  rum  to  the  pun- 
gent steam  of  hot  corn  pone  and  large,  well  browned  turkeys.  At  last 
satiated  and  contented  the  Pilgrims  and  their  guests  rose.  Once  more 
Elder  Winthrop  asked  the  blessing  of  the  Great  Spirit.  Slowly  the  peo- 
ple drifted  away  still  munching  fruits  and  meats.  The  first  Thanks- 
giving was  over. 

1932 

A  slight  silence  followed  the  seating,  and  the  battle  of  the  gour- 
mands was  on.  Bowls  of  steaming  turnip  soup  occupied  the  attackers 
for  a  few  minutes  and  retired  defeated.  The  center  advanced  under  the 
guise  of  deliciously  tender  chicken,  luscious  turkey,  and  creamy  mashed 
potatoes,  and  likewise  was  demolished.  With  impetuosity  hardly  di- 
minished the  sauerkraut  and  pork  were  reduced.  Pausing  only  for 
breath,  the  epicures  rushed  the  hot  mince  and  cool  lemon  pies.  More 
slowly  the  chocolate,  cocoanut,  and  marble  cakes  were  conquered  and 
the  eaters  were  finally  repulsed  by  oceans  of  hot  cocoa  and  coffee  and 
cold,  rich  milk.  The  Battle  of  Thanksgiving  was  over. 

M.  FisHEL,  Soph.  7. 


€Ci>.&..,iS^ 


Autumn  Leaves 

Gaily  swirling  o'er  the  garden  wall; 
Lightly  twirling  heeding  Winter's  call; 
Crisply  crunching  neath  a  child's  soft  tread; 
Summer's  ending  sad,  they  join  the  dead. 

Eileen  McHale,  Soph. 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


Science  in  Education 

THREE  addresses  and  an  exhibit  of  work  from  the  schools  of  Balti- 
more City  were  the  features  of  the  meeting  of  the  Science  Section 
of  the  State  Teachers'  Association  on  October  25, 1935-  Dr.  David 
Weglein  and  Dr.  Florence  Bamberger  spoke  from  the  philosophical 
angle,  while  Mr.  E.  M.  Palmer  attempted  to  aid  teachers  in  a  more  im- 
mediately practicable  manner. 

Not  unnaturally  it  was  the  practical  side  of  the  meeting  that  seemed 
to  appeal  most  to  a  gathering  composed  in  the  main  of  classroom 
teachers.  Mr.  Palmer,  director  of  the  Department  of  Education  of  the 
Natural  History  Society  of  Maryland,  briefly  described  the  aids  which 
his  organization  is  prepared  to  furnish  to  the  teachers  of  Maryland.  Of 
primary  importance  is  a  large  collection  of  slides  reproduced  from 
photographs  of  Maryland  specimens  covering  a  large  part  of  the  field  of 
natural  history.  The  excellence  of  visual  instruction  with  slides  need 
no  longer  be  argued,  but  the  excellence  of  these  particular  slides  was 
effectively  demonstrated  by  a  number  of  examples  which  were  projected 
for  the  audience.  For  school  assemblies  or  Parent-Teacher  meetings  the 
Natural  History  Society  is  able  to  furnish  not  only  the  slides  but  also  a 
lecture  to  accompany  any  set;  or  even  the  slides,  lecture,  and  lecturer. 
Members  of  the  junior  division  of  the  Society  may  be  engaged  to  talk  to 
their  compeers  in  science  or  hobby  clubs.  Supplementary  to  this  lecture 
service  is  the  large  collection  of  photographic  prints  and  exhibits  of  the 
actual  objects  themselves.  Especially  good  exhibits  of  minerals,  rocks, 
birds,  plants,  insects,  and  Indian  artifacts  are  ready.  Mr.  Palmer  em- 
phasized that  these  were  all-Maryland  and  exclusively  Maryland  ex- 
hibits and  therefore  have  the  added  value  of  demonstrating  what  can  be 
done  right  in  the  children's  own  vicinity.  Arrangements  can  be  made 
for  securing  these  teaching  aids  by  communicating  with  Mr.  Palmer  at 
the  Natural  History  Society  of  Maryland,  2103  N.  Bolton  St.,  Baltimore. 
The  exhibit  of  the  tangible  results  of  science  instruction  in  Balti- 
more City  Schools  attracted  the  attention  of  a  large  number  of  visitors 
from  other  sections  as  well  as  of  those  who  attended  the  science  meet- 
ing. Comments,  some  highly  favorable  and  others  tending  to  doubt  the 
value  and  validity  of  the  work,  were  frequently  heard.  But  ideas  for 
pupil  activity  were  shown  so  strikingly  and  so  profusely  that  no  philo- 
sophical objections  would  have  been  able  to  invalidate  them  in  the 
minds  of  busy  teachers. 

Dr.  Weglein  spoke  of  science  mainly  from  the  standpoint  of  the 
high  school.  Applications  of  science  he  considered  of  greater  impor- 
tance than  the  theoretical  bases  of  science  in  teaching  the  subject  to  the 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


unspecialized  classes  found  in  public  schools.  This  relative  importance 
he  based  on  the  desirability  of  securing  pupil  interest.  Yet  the  final 
note  of  the  talk,  to  the  effect  that  the  aim  of  science  teaching  is  to  de- 
velop an  appreciation  of  scientific  method,  showed  that  the  speaker 
would  not  entirely  abandon  theory,  as  has  been  done  to  the  ruin  of 
science  instruction  in  some  school  systems.  Some  of  the  audience  wished 
that  Dr.  Weglein  had  had  more  time  to  explain  the  point  at  which  he 
would  make  the  compromise  between  theory  and  application.  Dr. 
Bamberger  spoke  on  the  subject  of  "Provision  for  Leisure  Through  the 
Science  Course  of  Study."  Unfortunately  she  was  detained  at  another 
meeting  until  a  large  part  of  the  audience,  including  the  present  re- 
porter, had  left, 

C.  H,  KoLB,  4fh  Year  Senior. 

"We  Move  Towards  Great  Decisions" 

An  address  delivered  to  the  Maryland  State  Teachers  Association  on  Friday,  October  25, 
1935,  by  Dr.  Glenn  L.  Frank,  President,  The  University  of  Wisconsin. 

THE  American  people  must,  according  to  Dr.  Frank,  decide  whether 
the  leadership  of  the  United  States  shall  rest  upon  the  basis  of  a  De- 
mocracy or  Dictatorship;  whether  economic  activity  shall  proceed 
under  private  enterprise  or  public  ownership;  whether  there  shall  be  a 
balance  of  power  between  local  and  national  government,  or  a  highly 
centralized  power.  In  discussing  those  aternatives.  Dr.  Frank  ex- 
plained that  Dictatorship  provides  a  strong  government  while  Democ- 
racy provides  a  wise  government.  It  is  the  duty  of  all  wide-awake  citi- 
zens, and  especially  teachers,  to  let  it  be  known  that  what  is  really 
needed  is  a  wise  government  with  revised  methods  of  democratic  pro- 
cedure. 

The  University  President  drew  a  distinction  between  "functional 
capitalism"  (the  creation  of  utilities)  and  "financial  capitalism"  (the 
capture  of  wealth).  The  first  mentioned  type,  made  "workable  in  an 
economy  of  abundance, ' '  is  the  economic  system  which  he  feels  the  peo- 
ple of  the  United  States  require. 

Since  there  is  no  guarantee  that  a  centralized  power  would  be  used 
continuously  for  the  public  welfare.  Dr.  Frank  exhorted  his  audience  to 
mass  their  strength  against  any  attempts  to  "Russianize  or  Italianize 
our  government,"  and  to  strive  for  the  establishment  of  a  balance  of 
power  which  '  'will  secure  efficiency  without  tyranny  and  freedom  with- 
out anarchy." 

Dr.  Frank  concluded  by  reiterating  his  plea  for  an  American  way  of 
meeting  these  decisions. 

W.  F.  P. 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Pigs 


BANG — the  door  slammed!  "Well,  that's  that,"  said  Mr.  Cuttemup 
as  he  sank  into  his  easy  chair  with  a  sigh  of  relief.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Arnold  Cuttemup  and  their  daughter,  Rose,  comprised  a  mid- 
western  family  of  comfortable  means.  The  three  of  them  had  been  en- 
joying a  life  of  contentment — until  Mrs.  Cuttemup  decided  that  it 
would  be  convenient  for  her  if  she  could  marry  off  her  daughter  to  the 
son  of  a  business  associate.  In  this  way  the  slaughter  house  of  I.  Killum 
and  A.  Cuttemup  would  become  quite  a  prosperous  corporation.  But 
Rose  would  hear  of  no  such  thing.  She  was  not  in  love  with  her 
mother's  selection,  and  besides,  she  didn't  like  the  way  he  smiled.  It 
was  a  silly  grin,  and  he  had  a  gold  tooth  that  almost  blinded  one.  So 
Rose  decided  to  pursue  a  course  in  sculpturing  somewhere  in  the  East — 
Paris,  or  a  place  like  that.  That's  why  the  door  slammed. 

When  Mrs.  Cuttemup  recovered  from  her  terrible  grief,  in  a  week  or 
so,  she  turned  to  her  exasperated,  indifferent  husband  and  said,  "Arn- 
old, dear,  isn't  it  wonderful?  Now  we  can  really  mix  with  the  swells — 
we  can  tell  them  that  our  daughter  is  spending  her  time  abroad,  study- 
sculpturing.  'Abroad — studying  sculpturing' — doesn't  that  sound  just 
too  marvelous  for  words?  Oh,  I'm  all  a-flutter.  Think  I'll  give  Mrs. 
Arty  Fishel  a  ring.  She's  it  in  the  social  world,  you  know." 

"Yes,  love,"  was  the  usual,  meek  reply. 

The  next  few  weeks  found  Mrs.  Cuttemup  busily  engaged  in  an  at- 
tempt to  crash  the  gates  of  the  social  world — and  she  was  succeeding! 
Her  home  was  transformed  from  one  of  bad  taste  to  one  of  ridiculous 
taste.  Hubby  had  to  think  twice  before  deciding  what  he  could  sit  on, 
and  when  he  did  sit,  he  had  a  conviction  that  a  standing  posture  would 
have  been  more  comfortable.  You  see,  there  were  no  more  easy  chairs. 
But  the  home  was  stylish  and  smart-looking,  and  that  was  what 
counted.  At  least,  that's  what  his  wife  said — even  when  she  saw  her 
Arnold  struggling  every  evening  with  his  immaculate  shirt  front. 

Mr.  Cuttemup  managed  to  bear  the  strain — until  his  wife  said 
this:  "Arnold,  there's  only  one  thing  we've  neglected  to  do.  I've  de- 
cided that  you  need  diversion  from  those  frightful  pigs.  I've  been  try- 
ing so  hard  to  forget  all  about  those  fat  hogs.  What  you  will  do  is 
this — you're  going  to  buy  an  art  museum.  Isn't  that  a  brilliant  idea, 
dear?"  This  was  too  much  for  Arnold.  For  the  first  time  in  his  matri- 
monial life  he  protested — wildly  and  heatedly.  He  stormed  and  raged; 
he  shouted  and  roared;  he  clenched  his  fists  and  tightened  his  lips;  but 
he  bought  the  art  museum. 

Meanwhile,  Mrs.  Fishel,  the  social  leader,  was  introducing  her 
newly-discovered  friend  to  the  real  elite.  She  accompanied  Mrs.  Cut- 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


temup,  together  with  the  scowling  husband,  to  symphonies  and  operas. 
The  Cuttemups  were  painfully  learning  to  appreciate  good  music. 
'  'Aren't  you  'dee-lighted' ,  Arnold  dear?' '  she  would  say  to  her  husband. 
"We  never  worry  about  those  infernal  pigs  any  more.  By  the  way,  did 
you  make  an  offer  yet  for  the  famous  etching,  'Madonna  and  the  Shoe- 
string'? It's  valuable  for  our  gallery,  don't  you  know!  You'd  better  get 
dressed  for  the  concert  tonight,  dear.  Don't  stand  there  and  look  like  a 
fool.  Hurry!  We  haven't  much  time." 

One  radiant  morning  in  early  June,  five  years  after  the  Cuttemups 
had  started  their  cruise  on  the  social  sea,  Arnold  opened  a  letter.  He 
read  it  to  his  impatient  wife.  The  printed  words  were :  "We  are  proud 
to  inform  you  that  your  daughter,  Rose  Cuttemup,  has  been  the  winner 
of  first  prize  in  an  international  sculpture  contest  held  in  the  Paris  Con- 
servatory of  Sculpturing."  No  sooner  had  the  parents  voiced  their  as- 
tonishment than  in  marched  Rose,  the  winner  of  first  prize.  She  looked 
at  her  bewildered  parents;  glanced  at  the  surrounding  furniture,  and 
burst  forth  in  audible  laughter.  This  home — her  parents — their  clothes 
— it  was  all  too  funny!  But  Rose  realized  that  her  mother  and  father 
wanted  very  much  to  see  what  she  had  won  first  prize  for.  So  she  opened 
the  box  that  she  held  under  her  arm.  The  mother  fainted,  the  father 
gloated,  and  the  daughter  admired.  There  in  all  its  dazzling  glory — 
stood  the  bronze  image  of  a  fat,  unctuous  mid-western  hog! 

Sylvia  Bernstein,  Soph.  i. 

Notes  on  the  Maryland  Reservation  Trip 

EARLY  on  a  Saturday  morning  in  October,  twelve  members  of  the 
faculty  and  student  body  set  out  from  our  college  bound  for  the 
Maryland  State  Reservation,  fifteen  miles  west  of  Hancock.  The 
scenes  were  beautiful,  typical  of  those  found  all  through  the  state  in 
early  fall. 

We  stopped  at  the  home  of  Governor  Johnson,  first  Maryland  gov- 
ernor, near  Frederick.  At  Frederick,  we  inspected  the  Barbara  Freitchie 
Museum  and  the  home  of  Chief  Justice  Taney.  We  then  hurried  along 
the  National  Highway  through  Hagerstown  to  the  reserve.  Our  illu- 
sions of  a  rough  lodge  in  which  to  stay  were  dispelled  when  we  saw  the 
well  furnished  home  of  the  caretaker  who  was  to  act  as  our  guide. 

After  lunch,  we  set  out  on  a  walking  tour  of  the  thousand-acre 
reserve.  We  returned  to  the  lodge  and  then  went  to  inspect  an  apple- 
packing  house  about  half  a  mile  from  the  reserve.  On  Sunday  morning, 
we  visited  the  famous  Woodmont  Lodge.  Our  first  stop  was  at  a  large 

8 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


artificial  lake  in  which  nearly  eight  hundred  wild  duck  were  swim- 
ming. We  then  went  to  the  caretaker's  house  where  we  saw  a  modern 
electric  incubator.  The  clubhouse  contains  hundreds  of  mounted  ani- 
mals, including  deer,  bears,  fowl,  and  birds.  Here  is  also  a  "President's 
Chair"  in  which  Cleveland,  Arthur,  Hoover,  and  Roosevelt  sat  while 
being  entertained  at  the  club. 

Immediately  after  dinner,  we  started  on  our  trip  homeward.  When 
we  arrived  at  Hancock,  Miss  Brown  offered  to  take  another  freshmen 
and  me  through  Harper's  Ferry.  Here  we  stopped  at  the  Hill  Top  Ho- 
tel to  gaze  at  the  mountains.  This  scene  is  especially  beautiful  in  au- 
tumn due  to  the  different  colors  of  the  foliage  on  the  trees  and  bushes. 

There  were  no  other  stops  until  we  arrived  at  Towson.  After  reach- 
ing home  I  thought  of  the  experiences  which  I  had  had,  and  determined 
to  boost  another  trip  to  the  reserve  in  the  future. 

Joseph  W.  Moan,  Fr.  4. 


€iSi:=J^.^£S^ 


A  New  Course 

WITH  the  inception  of  the  four-year  course  at  the  State  Teachers 
College,  several  new  studies  were  instituted  in  the  curricu- 
lum. Last  year,  when  Astronomy  was  inaugurated,  the  fourth- 
year  seniors  took  the  course.  The  first  section  to  have  finished  the 
work  this  year  with  Miss  Blood  is  Sophomore  Four. 

The  course  consisted  of  class  work,  home  preparation,  and  night 
observation  sessions.  In  the  classroom  periods  the  subject  matter  was 
discussed  and  star  charts  made.  On  clear  Thursday  nights,  the  members 
of  the  class  assembled  at  the  parking  space  on  the  campus  where  the 
telescope  is  placed,  and  found  the  constellations  which  were  on  their 
star  charts. 

One  observation  was  made  at  the  Maryland  Academy  of  Sciences. 
Dr.  Woolf,  the  director  of  that  institution,  proved  to  be  an  interesting 
guide  to  the  visiting  students  of  the  Teachers  College.  Not  only  did  Dr. 
Woolf  point  out  the  most  interesting  constellations  visible  at  the  time, 
and  other  phenomena  in  the  sky,  but  he  showed  actual  pictures  of  the 
heavens  projected  on  glass  by  a  special  apparatus. 

The  course  included  the  study  of  the  technical  points  of  the  tele- 
scope in  addition  to  the  planets,  moon,  meteors,  stars  and  nebulae 
themselves. 

N.  Neubert  Jaffa,  Sofh.  4. 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Students  of  the  Pear  Garden 

As  far  back  as  2000  b.c.  the  Chinese  were  enthusiastically  engaged  in 
/^  the  drama.  Drama  was  their  chief  means  of  self-expression  and 
■*  ^  through  it  these  Orientals  gave  vent  to  their  emotions.  Be- 
cause it  was  such  an  important  factor  in  the  life  of  this  people,  it  found 
here  fertile  fields  in  which  to  grow.  The  Chinese  have  proved  them- 
selves to  be  good  farmers  and  as  a  result  we  are  able  to  look  with  ap- 
preciation at  their  exceptional  harvest. 

The  first  advanced  stages  of  the  drama  peculiar  to  this  nation  were 
in  the  form  of  religious  festivals.  These  festivals  were  usually  held  in 
the  temples  or  palaces  of  the  emperor  or  priests  of  a  definite  district. 
Oftentimes,  the  actors  used  the  open  fields  for  their  stage. 

There  was  no  definite  written  plan  to  follow  in  these  ceremonies 
for  it  was  the  business  of  the  sages  to  hand  down  from  generation  to 
generation  the  customs  usually  followed.  However,  we  do  find  that 
during  the  sixth  century  a.d.  there  were  specimens  of  Chinese  dramatic 
literature.  There  might  have  been  attempts  at  dramatic  literature  be- 
fore this  if  the  sages  had  been  less  selfish.  They  knew  that  as  long  as  it 
was  the  custom  to  hand  down  from  mouth  to  mouth  the  form  and  cus- 
toms to  be  followed  in  dramatics,  there  was  little  chance  of  losing 
their  jobs.  (The  old  idea  of  security.) 

All  of  the  acting  done  in  these  ceremonies  and  festivals  was  strictly 
amateurish;  not  that  the  acting  was  bad,  but  just  that  the  sages  of  the 
time  thought  that  drama  was  not  an  art.  Poetry,  philosophy,  and 
painting  were  arts.  The  drama  was  written  in  the  vernacular  and  so 
was  not  art-verse,  the  criterion  for  judging  the  art  of  writing.  Never- 
theless, at  the  beginning  of  the  eighth  century.  Emperor  Ming-Huany 
employed  actors  at  his  court  and  paid  them.  This  troup  of  actors  re- 
mained at  court  and  was  known  as  the  "Students  of  the  Pear  Garden." 
From  this  time  on  acting  took  on  a  professional  aspect  and  assumed  an 
artificial  character  which  came  as  a  result  of  trying  to  satisfy  an  audi- 
ence instead  of  satisfying  the  actor  himself.  (Another  evil  of  money, 
darn  it!) 

When  China  came  under  Mongol  rule  the  sages  who  had  denounced 
the  drama  as  an  art  were  dismissed  from  court,  and  found  it  necessary  to 
write  novels  and  drama  in  order  to  obtain  a  living.  Now  that  these 
has-been  court  favorites  found  themselves  on  the  outside,  they  changed 
their  opinions  about  the  drama  and  as  a  result  the  drama  acquired  new 
momentum.  During  the  Yuan  Dynasty  (1280-1368  a.d.)  the  develop- 
ment of  the  play  grew  and  there  appears  the  first  well  defined  attempts 
at  dramatic  art. 

10 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  written  drama  continued  to  spread  on  into  the  Ming  Dynasty 
(1364-1644).  So  greatly  had  it  advanced  that  some  products  reached 
the  exorbitant  length  of  forty-eight  acts.  These  plays  were  divided  into 
units  of  four,  each  unit  being  independent  of  the  other  and  easily  pro- 
duced by  itself.  The  units  were  similar  to  the  various  cycles  of  novels 
and  plays  we  have  today. 

The  Manchu  Dynasty  (1644-1912)  saw  the  development  of  the 
theatre  into  its  present  form.  Militarism  is  the  dominant  trend  in  the 
plays  of  this  period.  This  is  easy  to  understand  if  we  look  in  the  history 
of  China.  These  military  plays  are  usually  performed  through  panto- 
mime which  seems  little  more  than  an  excuse  for  singing  and  dancing. 

The  Chinese  libretto  is  similar  to  the  Italian,  although  the  latter 
boasts  much  more  literary  distinction.  In  the  Chinese  form,  the  tend- 
ency is  to  entertain  and  to  instruct  simultaneously — the  hero  is  always 
triumphant,  the  villain  always  vanquished.  (Just  like  the  old  "meller- 
drammers.") 

Today,  we  find  phases  of  dramatic  art  in  China  which  are  further 
advanced  than  are  ours  here  at  home.  All  of  the  action  is  presented,  not 
represented;  it  is  not  real,  so  its  interpretation  is  left  largely  to  the 
imagination  and  intelligence  of  the  spectator.  The  spirit  is  present 
although  the  actual  action  is  absent. 

*     *     *     * 

I  found  it  very  interesting  to  learn  that  the  Chinese  pass  through  a 
much  more  difficult  preparation  for  acting  than  does  the  American. 
Poor  boys  are  apprenticed  to  theatrical  companies  for  six  or  seven  years. 
Here,  they  learn  the  arts  of  acrobatics,  swordsmanship,  singing,  recit- 
ing, and  dancing.  Students  must  commit  to  memory  a  large  number  of 
plays  and  in  doing  so  must  learn  not  only  the  dialogue  and  music  but 
every  detail  of  stage  business.  Chinese  acting  is  regulated  by  tradition, 
and  this  tradition  overlooks  not  even  the  flicker  of  an  eyelid. 

After  six  or  seven  years  of  professional  acting  the  apprentice  is  able 
to  pay  off  his  indebtedness  to  the  director.  Then  he  is  free.  His  social 
position  is  low  but  he  is  capable  of  making  a  sizeable  amount  of  money. 

Despite  the  fact  that  there  is  much  money  in  professional  acting, 
there  are  those  in  China  who  still  maintain  the  ancient  ideals  and  con- 
tinue to  use  that  form  of  expression  as  a  means  of  emotional  outlet. 

I.  Cohen. 


11 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Dr.  Ruth  Stocking  Lynch 

Amidst  an  atmosphere  of  test  tubes,  chemical  compounds,  and  vari- 
A\  ous  other  scientific  paraphernalia.  Dr.  Lynch  informally  shared 
•*■  ^  her  life  story  with  an  interviewer.  The  science  department 
should  feel  proud  of  its  choice,  as  Dr.  Lynch  will  undoubtedly  con- 
tribute much  to  the  lives  of  the  students  as  well  as  to  the  historical  tra- 
ditions of  Teachers  College. 

The  inhabitants  of  Elyria,  Ohio,  were  the  first  humans  on  this 
planet  to  meet  Ruth  Stocking;  and  the  public  elementary  and  secondary 
schools  of  the  same  state  provided  her  education.  She  earned  the  A.B. 
degree  at  Goucher.  While  at  this  Woman's  College  she  was  active 
in  the  glee  club  and  choir.  Moreover,  she  was  an  efficient  basketball 
coach  for  intramural  teams.  A  talent  in  journalism  was  developed 
through  assumption  of  the  athletic  editorship  of  the  annual.  At  Gou- 
cher too,  Ruth  Stocking  gained  much  from  three  outstanding  per- 
sonalities: Dr.  William  E.  Kellicott,  biologist,  Dr.  Lillian  Welsh, 
physiologist  and  physician,  and  Dr.  Thaddeus  P.  Thomas,  economist. 

Dr.  Lynch  has  spent  much  time  at  the  Johns  Hopkins  University  in 
the  capacity  of  assistant  to  Dr.  Jennings  and  as  an  instructor  in  the  de- 
partment of  Zoology  of  the  Graduate  School.  Several  Hopkins  per- 
sonalities have  influenced  her  life;  among  these  were  Dr.  John  B.  Wat- 
son and  Dr.  Dunlap,  psychologists.  Dr.  Lovejoy,  philosopher,  and  Dr. 
Jennings,  biologist  and  philosopher.  An  outline  of  Dr.  Lynch's  pur- 
suits in  the  fields  of  education  and  science  is  given  in  *  'American  Men  of 
Science." 

Everything  at  Teachers  College  seems  to  please  Dr.  Ruth  Stocking 
Lynch.  The  novelty  does  not  seem  to  wear  off.  We  hope  it  never  will. 
She  admires  the  campus.  "It  is  beautiful;  it  is  the  most  beautiful  cam- 
pus I  have  ever  seen.  It  is  large,  not  crowded,  and  has  a  beautiful  plan. 
Dr.  Lynch's  opinion  of  the  student  body  is  very  favorable.  She 
feels  that  the  students  have  an  unusual  degree  of  real  interest  in  what 
they  are  doing.  The  embryo  teachers  know  their  direction,  they  have  a 
purpose  in  life. 

It  is  sometimes  difficult  to  justify  one's  choice  of  a  life  vocation. 
However,  Dr.  Lynch's  direction  in  life  was  definite.  She  was  very  much 
interested  in  human  beings;  she  wanted  to  do  some  constructive  work 
with  society.  These  ideals  led  to  the  study  of  sociology.  In  order  to 
study  man  more  directly,  she  branched  off  to  the  study  of  psychology. 
Physiology  was  necessary  in  order  to  understand  psychology-relation 
of  mind  and  body.  Physiology  led  to  the  more  fundamental  field-biol- 
ogy, the  study  of  all  life.  Ruth  Stocking  Lynch  decided  to  devote  most 
of  her  life  to  the  great  field  of  study — biology.    Thus,  her  successful 

12 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


career  today  is  the  result  of  a  fundamental  ideal — the  endeavor  to  un- 
derstand human  society. 

Dr.  Lynch  does  not  believe  that  one  can  teach  science  to  students; 
one  can  only  help  them  to  develop  a  scientific  method — i.e.,  an  open 
mind,  a  critical  attitude,  and  a  habit  of  basing  conclusions  on  observa- 
tions. She  believes  that  fundamentally  the  student  should  cultivate 
habits  of  surveying  with  a  critical  mind  and  evaluating  from  personal 
observations  rather  than  take  printed  words  or  illustrated  means  as 
final  truth.  Her  aim  is  to  urge  people  not  merely  to  think  but  to  ac- 
tually try. 

Successful  teaching  of  science  in  the  elementary  schools  is  a  rather 
new  field.  Dr.  Lynch  was  very  enthusiastic  about  the  position  of 
science  in  the  present  and  future  elementary  school  curriculum.  She  felt 
that  the  new  teaching  of  science  was  amazing,  fascinating,  and  very  en- 
couraging. She  indicated  that  teaching  of  science  in  the  elementary 
schools  was  very  encouraging  and  in  some  instances  appeared  to  be  car- 
ried on  more  efficiently  than  in  many  colleges.  Today  youth  is  realizing 
that  science  is  real.  With  further  opportunity  and  encouragement,  the 
younger  generation  will  be  open  minded  to  all  life. 

Would  you  like  to  know  more  about  Dr.  Lynch?  Perhaps  she  will 
write  about  some  of  her  experiences  in  a  later  issue  of  the  Tower  Light. 
Or  if  you  cannot  restrain  your  curiosity,  walk  into  her  office  and  talk 
to  her.  I'm  sure  you  will  enjoy  your  visit. 

1.U..M.,  4thYr.  Senior. 

Miss  Barkley — Our  Librarian 

Do  any  of  you  have  a  pet  puppy?  Our  librarian  has  one  which  she 
greatly  enjoys.  Compare  notes  with  her.  In  her  spare  time,  too, 
she  finds  much  pleasure  in  attending  the  theatre  and  concerts  and 
in  reading.  Another  or  her  particular  interests  is  New  York — one  shared 
by  many  of  you  who  have  been  or  are  planning  to  go  on  the  New  York 
Trip. 

Miss  Barkley  was  graduated  from  Goucher  and  for  seven  and  a  half 
years  served  as  secretary  for  the  State  Teachers  Retirement  System  of 
Maryland.  She  then  attended  Columbia  University  School  Library  Ser- 
vice, and  now  she  has  come  to  us  as  our  Librarian. 

Miss  Barkley  *s  own  words  about  her  work  here  at  Teachers  College 
are,  "The  work  is  so  new  I  feel  almost  like  a  Freshman,  but  everyone  is 
so  lovely  to  me  that  I  thoroughly  enjoy  my  work  and  I  know  that  I 
shall  find  even  more  pleasure  in  it  as  it  becomes  more  familiar  to  me. ' ' 

Larue  Kemp,  Sr.  4. 

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A  Query  From  the  Registrar 

Did  you  know  that  twelve  members  of  the  Freshman  Class  are 
either  younger  sisters  or  brothers  of  former  students  at  the  College? 
These  freshmen  are  Lucy  Azzara,  Belle  Vodenos,  Ruth  Smith,  Ruth 
Day,  Louise  Firey,  Ruth  Garrett,  Mildred  Kelbaugh,  Ruth  Peregoy, 
Dorothy  Anthony,  Hazel  Moxley,  Sidney  Miller,  and  Isadore  Seeman. 

Pet  Peeves 

THE  Tower  Light  is  pleased  to  express  the  gratification  it  feels  for 
the  way  its  readers  have  accepted  the  first  of  its  1935-1936  series  of 
contests.  No  less  a  pleasure  is  it  to  announce  that  the  winner  of 
the  Pet  Peeve  Contest  is  Le  Roy  H.  Wheatley  of  Freshman  four.  Con- 
gratulations! 

Honorable  mention  goes  to  Miriam  Cunningham,  John  Schmid, 
Isador  Sokolow,  Charles  Haslup,  Paul  Miller,  Walter  Ubersox,  Charles 
Hopwood,  and  Edward  MacCubbin. 

Two  of  the  Pet  Peeves  are  printed  below : 

Pet  Peeve — Le  Roy  Wheatley,  Fr.  4. 

My  Pet  Peeve  is  smart  answers  from  teachers  on  quiz  papers. 

By  way  of  explanation : — My  biology  paper,  recently  returned  to  me 
bore  one  of  these  answers.  The  question  was,  "Define  Biology."  Neg- 
lecting to  call  it  a  science,  I  defined  it  as  "Dealing  with  living,  organic 
matter. ' '  And  then  comes  the  point  of  this  epistle.  The  professor  wrote, 
"So  does  a  butcher."  What's  the  use?  You  can't  win. 

My  Pet  Peeve — Miriam  Cunningham,  Sr.  j. 

I  tentatively  place  the  crown  of  "pet  peeve"  on  crepe  paper  decora- 
tions. Perhaps  no  other  thing  causes  the  author  such  hearty  tugs  of 
hair  as  the  sight  of  a  delicate  rufile  of  the  despised  material  over  a  booth 
advertising  ploughing  machines  or  the  latest  thing  in  gravel. 

Housewife — "Don't  bring  me  any  more  of  that  horrid  milk.  It  is 
absolutely  blue." 

Milkman — "It  ain't  our  fault,  lady.  It's  these  long,  dull  evenings 
as  makes  the  cows  depressed." 

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Baltimore's  Public  School  Teachers'  Chorus 

At  eight  o'clock  every  Monday  evening  in  Polytechnic's  music 
/^  room,  the  choristers  stand  at  attention  and  fix  their  eyes  on  Mr. 
-^     ^  Denues.  From  chord- time  until  nine- thirty  there  is  no  speaking — 
all  is  musical. 

The  chorus  is  composed  of  teachers  and  their  friends  who  are  in- 
terested in  chorus  w^ork  and  who  enjoy  singing.  No  members  are  pro- 
fessional singers,  and  many  of  them  sound  terrifyingly  like  you  and — 
me! 

Each  year  the  chorus  presents  several  programs,  preparation  for 
which  gives  rehearsals  a  fine  persistent  spirit.  Many  or  you  heard  last 
year's  Christmas  program — "Bethlehem" — a  cantata  which  was  very 
effectively  produced.  This  year  you  may  hear  one  or  more  of  our  pro- 
grams; the  first,  on  Friday,  October  25,  was  presented  at  the  State 
Teachers'  Meeting.  The  second  will  be  at  Christmas,  and  the  last  dur- 
ing the  Easter  holidays. 

Students  who  graduate  from  State  Teachers  College  will  find  in  the 
chorus  a  strong  connection  with  their  Alma  Mater,  particularly  those 
who  have  participated  actively  in  the  Glee  Club.  They  will  find,  too, 
that  their  singing  experience  under  Miss  Weyforth's  guidance  has  pre- 
pared them  to  read  at  sight  compositions  which  at  one  time  would  have 
appeared  to  be  only  black,  black  dots  on  white. 

Stella  L.  Cohen,  '_?/. 


The  Three  Arts  Theatre 

The  Theatre  Bureau  of  the  Junior  League  opens  its  season  at  the 
Three  Arts  Theatre  at  844  N.  Howard  Street  with  that  favorite  of  all 
children.  Jack  and  the  Beanstalk  by  Charlotte  B.  Chorpenning.  The 
first  performance  will  be  Tuesday,  November  26,  at  3 :45.  There  will  be 
matinees  on  Wednesday,  November  27,  and  Friday,  November  29,  at 
the  same  time.  On  Saturday,  November  30,  there  will  be  a  morning 
performance  at  10 :30  as  well  as  a  matinee  at  3 :45.  The  tickets  are  50c  and 
75c  unless  bought  in  a  block  of  25  or  more  when  they  sell  at  25c  a  piece. 


15 


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Faculty  Notes 


THE  faculty  of  the  State  Teachers  College  was  represented  in  several 
meetings  of  the  State  Teachers'  Association.  Mrs.  Brouwer  was 
elected  chairman  of  the  Art  Section,  and  Miss  Neunsinger  will 
serve  as  secretary  of  the  same  group.  Miss  Birdsong  was  one  of  the 
speakers  in  the  panel  discussion  of  the  Teachers*  Training  Section.  Mr. 
Walther  very  ably  introduced  the  speaker  for  the  Geography  Section. 
Miss  Steele  represented  the  college  at  the  Saturday  morning  business 
meeting.  Miss  Tall  has,  of  course,  been  an  executive  of  the  Association 
for  two  years,  first  as  President,  and  then  as  Vice-President. 

We  think  Miss  Keys  attended  some  of  the  State  Teachers'  Associa- 
tion meetings,  but  we  know  she  had  breakfast  with  her  former  advisory 
section  on  Saturday  morning. 

Miss  Van  Bibber  recently  took  a  week-end  trip  over  the  Skyline 
Drive  in  Virginia.  She  didn't  look  as  sleepy  on  Monday  morning  as  did 
Miss  Bersch  after  her  recent  jaunt  to  Virginia.  Miss  Bersch  left  Balti- 
more by  boat,  but  since  she  had  neglected  to  take  her  bathing  suit,  it 
seemed  better  to  take  another  means  of  conveyance  back  to  Baltimore. 

Miss  Woodward  has  taken  over  the  management  of  the  Book  Shop. 

Those  who  went  on  the  trip  to  the  State  Game  Reserve  believe  that 
Miss  Brown  should  go  into  the  business  of  personally  conducted  tours. 
All  details  were  carefully  looked  after,  and  the  excursion  was  a  pleas- 
antly interesting  one,  which  might  well  be  repeated.  The  other  faculty 
members  who  went  were  Dr.  Dowell,  Dr.  Lynch,  Miss  Daniels  and 
Miss  Blood.  We  suspect  that  tales  might  be  told  about  these  dignified 
personages,  but  we  shall  spare  them  and  you  this  time. 

A  Newcomer 

A  wonderful  gift  truly  heaven  blest. 

Is  a  babe  held  tight  to  his  mother's  breast. 

As  sweet  as  the  cries  from  the  birds  in  morn, 

Is  the  cry  of  this  babe  that  is  just  new  born. 

He  enters  this  world  without  a  care. 

As  we  build  for  him  castles  in  the  air. 

"Dear  Lord,  I  pray,  you  my  baby  keep," 

Is  a  mother's  prayer  while  her  child's  asleep. 

"Love  and  guide  him  with  your  strong,  willing  arms, 

Always  shelter  him  from  all  mortal  harms." 

Florence  Kroll,  Soph.  2. 

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THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


Ease  in  Pulling 


SCIENCE  has  manifested  itself  in  a  new  way.  This  recent  manifesta- 
tion is  in  the  form  of  a  new  type  of  dentist's  chair  which  enables 
the  dentist  to  make  operations  agreeable. 
The  chair  is  a  very  ordinary  looking  one,  yet  when  the  patient 

? laces  his  head  on  the  head-rest,  a  lovely  tune  drifts  through  his  brain, 
his  beautiful  refrain  does  not  enter  through  the  ears,  for  then  its  re- 
ception would  be  secondary  to  that  of  the  sound  of  the  grinding  drill. 
Instead,  the  refrain  is  transmitted  through  the  bone  in  the  head  from 
plates  that  are  fitted  in  the  head-rest  and  connected  with  a  phonograph 
in  another  room.  By  this  arrangement  the  music  can  be  heard  only  by 
the  person  in  the  chair. 

Tests  have  shown  that  this  ingenious  invention  has  a  quieting  ef- 
fect on  patients — the  same  effect  that  music  is  said  to  have  on  mentally 
and  physically  ill  people.  If  this  invention  should  appear  practical  to 
some  of  our  modern  Baltimore  dentists,  would  we  commend  them? 
Anything  for ' 'ease  in  pulling!" 

S.  Fried,  Sr.  i. 


Ten  Questions 


1.  What  furnishes  the  motive  power  to  ships  going  through  the  locks 
of  the  Panama  Canal? 

2.  Who  painted  the  Sistine  Madonna? 

3.  In  what  novel  does  the  character,  Becky  Sharp,  appear? 

4.  Distinguish  between  (a)  '  'Mosaic' '  and  (b)  '  'mosaic. ' ' 

5.  What  was  the  earlier  name  of  New  York? 

6.  What  African  negro  republic  owed  its  founding  to  the  efforts  of 
Americans? 

7.  In  what  state  is  the  Muscle  Shoals  power  development  located? 

8.  Who  said:    "In  the  spring  a  young  man's  fancy  lightly  turns  to 
thoughts  of  love"? 

9.  When  it  is  12  o'clock  noon  in  New  York  City,  what  time  is  it  in 
San  Francisco? 

10.  What  is  the  Matterhorn? 

Answers  on  page  24 

17 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


THE  TOWER  LIGHT 

Published  monthly  by  the  students  of  the  State 
Teachers  College  at  Towson 

Editor 
William  F.  Podlich,  Jr. 


Business  Ts/lanager 
I.  H.  Miller 


Circulation  M.anagers 
Irene  Shank 
Frances  Waltemyer 
Frances  Oehm 


Advertising  Managers 
Elise  Meiners 
Ehrma  Le  Sage 
Doris  Framschufer 


Assembly 
Max  Berzofsky 
Sarah  Strumsky 

Library 
Wesley  Johnson 

Social 
Larue  Kemp 
Mildred  Melamet 


DEPARTMENT  EDITORS 

Athletics  General  Literature 

Edith  Jones 


Morris  Miller 

Music 
Sarena  Fried 


Science 
Charles  Meigs 


Margaret  Cooley 
Mary  McClean 

Humor 
Sidney  Tepper 
Hilda  Walker 

Secretarial  Staff 
Anna  Stidman 
EuLALiE  Smith 
Belle  Vodenos 


$1.50  per  year  20  cents  per  copy 

Alice  Munn,  Managing  Editor 


Harvest  Time 

NOVEMBER  is  usually  the  month  of  thanksgiving  and  rejoicing;  the 
month  of  barns  bursting  with  nature's  bounty,  of  fields  yellow 
and  brown  with  the  fruit  of  the  earth.  On  the  other  hand,  No- 
vember may  be  the  month  of  keenest  disappointment  and  despair;  the 
month  of  lean  harvests,  of  barren  fields.  The  wise  agrarian  at  this  time, 


18 


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balances  his  books  and  evaluates  his  planning  and  his  industry  by 
measuring  results  as  evidenced  in  his  harvest. 

We,  too,  need  to  evaluate  the  harvest  growing  from  our  activities 
here  at  Teachers  College.  Optional  attendance  of  assemblies  on  Tues- 
days and  Thursdays  by  fourth-year  Seniors  should  give  those  students 
opportunity  to  develop  by  exercise  the  quality  of  discriminating  and 
wise  use  of  time.  We  hope  this  freedom  will  become  a  perennial  at  this 
institution. 

Prompt  payment  of  Student  Activity  Fees  benefits  every  student  by 
enriching  his  college  life  with  financially  secure  organizations.  We  con- 
gratulate the  Students'  Association  for  Cooperative  Government  and 
the  Administrators  of  the  College  on  their  discovery  of  the  fertilizer 
which  so  effectively  stimulates  that  crop. 

City  and  County  students  are  being  placed  in  the  same  sections.  We 
are  confident  that  this  planting  was  definitely  planned,  and  that  in  each 
subsequent  year,  the  resulting  harvests  of  goodwill,  comradeship,  under- 
standing, and  professional  unity,  will  do  much  to  advance  State  and 
National  understanding. 

Permission  to  smoke  in  places  equipped  and  reserved  for  that  pur- 
pose removes  the  necessity  for  duplicity  and  deceit  if  one  wishes  to  pur- 
sue "My  Lady  Nicotine."  Besides  being  a  psychological  disinfectant, 
this  new  responsibility  is  prima  facie  evidence  that  the  Administrators 
can  and  will  adjust  to  personal  as  well  as  professional  needs  of  the  stu- 
dents. None  can  doubt  that  this  is  indeed  a  fruitful  seed. 

Radios  take  root  slowly  here  at  Towson.  The  set  in  the  Student 
Ofiicers'  Room  gathers  dust;  the  magnificent  instrument  in  the  Audito- 
rium is  used  as  an  amplifier  for  physical  education  rhythms;  and  the  ma- 
chine in  Richmond  Hall  Parlor  is  continuously  tuned  to  popular  music 
with  a  break  now  and  then  for  Lowell  Thomas  and  "The  March  of 
Time."  There  are  many  programs  of  timely  significance  to  the  study  of 
health  education,  history,  economics,  art,  English,  and  music  regularly 
broadcast  during  (and  too  often  only  during)  school  hours.  These  pro- 
grams pass  unheard  unless  instructors  make  provisions  for  receiving 
them.  It  therefore  behooves  the  students  and  the  instructors  to  co-op- 
erate in  enriching  their  courses  by  making  real  the  potential  harvest 
latent  in  our  radios. 

The  Visual  Education  Room  is  another  tool  which  has  been  al- 
lowed to  remain  idle  during  much  of  the  time  when  it  might  have  been 
put  to  use.  Besides  lanterns,  a  reflectorscope,  and  a  motion  picture  pro- 
jector. Teachers  College  owns  an  extensive  collection  of  slides 
which  may  supplement  courses  in  history,  geography,  and  art.  The 
facilities  of  the  Baltimore  Museum  of  Art,  together  with  motion  pic- 
ture films,  and  film  strips  from  the  Extension  Service  of  the  United 
States  Department  of  Agriculture  are  also  at  our  disposal.    Thus,  the 

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mage  of  effective  visual  education  is  increased  to  include  science  and 
psychology  in  addition  to  those  subjects  already  mentioned.  It  is  true 
that  this  seed  of  visual  education  is  growing,  especially  in  the  field  of 
art;  and  since  it  is  growing,  let  us  increase  the  acreage  as  rapidly  as 
possible. 

We  have  found  much  in  our  harvest  here  at  Towson  for  which  to  be 
deeply  and  sincerely  thankful.  Through  careful  evaluation  of  the  crops 
we  have  reached  some  conclusions  concerning  directions  toward  which 
we  might  move  for  even  greater  harvests. 

May  we  prune  out  the  dead  and  non-contributory  while  we  pre- 
serve and  husband  the  vital  and  constructive. 

The  Editor. 

Vas  You  Der,  Charlie? 

EVERY  month,  the  Tower  Light  is  sponsoring  a  different  contest. 
Last  month  it  was  the  "Pet  Peeve"  contest;  this  month  it's  going 
to  be  a  '  'Tall  Story' '  contest. 
What's  a  tall  story?  Shame  on  you!  Don't  you  know?  Don't  you 
remember  the  time  you  caught  that  seventy-five  pound  fish?  Or  that 
time  you  crossed  the  goal  posts  with  six  men  hanging  on  the  respective 
parts  of  your  anatomy? — and  you  girls,  tell  us  about  that  tall,  dark,  and 
handsome  Romeo  "who  just  wouldn't  let  you  be." 

Surely  you  know  what  a  tall  story  is.  It's  anything  that  will  make 
the  other  fellow  gasp,  "You  don't  say  so!"  "And  then  what  happened?" 
"Wasn't  that  terrible?"  "Quick,  what  did  you  do?" 
Come  on,  lads  and  lassies,  get  busy,  "write"  away. 
Here  are  the  rules  of  the  contest : 

1 .  Think  up  a  '  'Tall  Story' ' — true  or  untrue. 

2.  Write  it  in  about  100  words,  on  one  side  of  the  paper,  legibly,  in 
ink. 

3.  Sign  your  name  to  the  '  'Tall  Story' '  if  you  wish  to  be  considered 
for  a  prize. 

4.  Hand  the  "Tall  Story"  in  to  the  Tower  Light  office  before 
November  22. 

Get  the  idea? 

I'll  wager  we  have  enough  material  in  the  school  to  make  Baron 
Munchausen  look  anaemic! 

(P.S. — To  all  whom  it  may  concern : 

I  will  not  hereafter  give  any  more  anouncements  in  the  assembly 
about  any  of  the  contests — The  Tower  Light  office  has  graciously  en- 
dowed me  with  a  publicity  expert.) 

Sid  Tepper,  Contest  Editor. 

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Assemblies 

Dr.  CRABTREE  October  7 

Dr.  Crab  tree  compared  the  play  "1066  and  All  That"  given  in 
England  to  our  "Of  Thee  I  Sing"  in  order  to  demonstrate  to  her  audi- 
ence that  the  English  people  have  a  decided  sense  of  humor.  This  drama 
is  the  "best  English  theatrical  play  of  1935,  a  miracle  of  craftsmanship 
made  from  the  historical  travesty  of  the  same  name. 

The  play  deals  with  Common  Man  as  he  travels  through  the  event- 
ful centuries  that  have  made  up  the  background  of  English  history.  He 
visits  Rome,  talks  with  Henry  VIII,  meets  Queen  Anne,  and  watches 
the  trial  of  Christopher  Columbus,  who  was  the  incarnate  "slangy" 
English  spoken  by  Americans.  In  the  last  act.  Common  Man  in  an  air- 
plane nine  miles  above  the  dense  and  noisy  traffic,  says,  "After  all, 
history  is  only  what  we  can  remember";  which  strikes  everyone  as 
being  a  rather  salient  observation  from  a  common  man. 

S.  Strumsky,  Soph.  ^. 
October  10 

It  became  our  great  pleasure  on  October  10th  to  greet  our  friend 
Mrs.  Johnson,  who  left  us  28  years  ago  to  teach  in  Parrel,  Alabama,  the 
famous  single-tax  city.  Mrs.  Johnson's  purpose  was  to  gi\c  the  as- 
sembly audience  a  picture  of  single-tax  work  done  in  Alabama,  but  as  a 
preliminary  explanation,  which  eventually  turned  out  to  be  the  speech 
proper,  she  dealt  with  the  question,  "What  do  we  want  in  citizenship?" 
Character,  according  to  Mrs.  Johnson,  is  not  to  be  found  by  judging  the 
inactive  regressives,  but  rather  those  who  say  about  all  faults,  "What 
are  we  going  to  do  about  it?"  Good  character  and  citizenship  run  to- 
gether, inseparable  comrades. 

Our  speaker  convinced  us  that  good  character  does  not  begin  when 
we  are  adults;  neither  does  citizenship  begin  when  we  are  twenty-one 
and  of  voting  age.  We  must  be  of  good  character  today  and  of  good 
citizenship  today.  Most  important  to  us  as  teachers  and  members  of  the 
human  race — good  characters  and  good  citizens  are  not  born,  but 
created,  or  rather,  create  themselves.  '  'Our  bodies  are  constantly  being 
transformed  by  the  renewal  of  our  minds."  It  is  therefore,  by  the  exer- 
cise of  sufficient  will  power,  that  any  of  us  may  be  transformed,  "over- 
night," into  a  good  character  and  a  good  citizen. 

Dr.  ABERCROMBIE  October  14 

Dr.  Abercrombie  spent  ten  weeks  of  the  past  summer  aboard  an 
"unpretentious"  steamer  sailing  on  the  Atlantic  Ocean  and  through 

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the  Panama  Canal.  She  said  that  she  took  the  trip  to  rest  up  from  what 
had  happened  last  year,  and  to  prepare  herself  for  what  is  to  happen 
this  year.  Dr.  Abercrombie  visited  twenty  states  and  included  Norfolk, 
Charleston,  Savannah,  and  Jacksonville;  she  also  stopped  in  British 
Columbia  and  the  Panama  Republic.  One  of  the  most  beautiful  sights 
on  the  whole  trip  was  the  lunar  eclipse  as  it  appeared  in  the  southern 
skies.  Dr.  Abercrombie  urged  all  the  faculty  and  students  to  take  this 
wonderful  trip,  not  only  for  the  rest  that  one  would  get  while  cruising 
on  the  waters,  but  also  for  the  widened  traveling  experience  to  be 
gained  by  visiting  the  various  states,  Panama,  and  British  Columbia. 

S.  Strumsky,  Sopb.  ^. 
October  ij 

The  assembly  audience  had  the  opportunity  to  hear  for  the  first 
time  Mr.  Blum,  Assistant  Sanitary  Engineer  of  the  Maryland  Bureau  of 
Sanitary  Engineering.  Mr.  Blum  gave  us  the  history  of  the  bureau  and 
the  vast  importance  of  its  work.  The  bureau  has  done  marvelous  work 
in  providing  Maryland  with  a  good  drinking  water  supply  and  an 
efficient  system  of  sewage  disposal.  We  were  congratulated  by  the 
speaker,  in  that  we  have  a  public  water  supply  and  sewage  disposal. 

Since  the  water  supply  of  the  state  is  extremely  important  in  re- 
lation to  health,  the  Bureau  of  Sanitary  Engineering  gives  the  drinking 
water  monthly  tests  consisting  of  a  bacteriological  survey,  a  chemical 
survey,  and  a  sanitary  engineering  investigation.  The  organization  has 
accomplished  many  fine  things,  one  of  which  was  helping  reduce  the 
yearly  death  rate  of  Typhoid  Fever  from  42.8  in  1910  to  2.4  in  1934,  an 
all-time  record.  Max  Berzopsky. 

October  24  turned  out  to  be  our  lucky  day.  It  was  then  that 
Mr.  Alden  G.  Alley  paid  us  a  visit;  the  second  in  three  years.  Our 
speaker  had  just  returned  from  his  thirteenth  trip  abroad,  and  be- 
cause of  his  connection  with  the  National  Council  for  the  Prevention 
of  War,  he  came  to  Towson  to  impart  to  us  his  first-hand  information  of 
the  League  of  Nations  and  its  work  in  the  Italio-Ethiopian  affair.  '  'No 
community  can  have  peace  unless  it  has  the  instruments  of  peace. ' '  The 
world  community  has  these  instruments  or  tools  of  peace :  the  World 
Court  and  the  League  of  Nations.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  citizens  of  the 
world  community  to  use  these  tools  in  maintaining  peace. 

After  the  World  War,  the  nations  of  the  world  turned  from  an- 
archy to  law.  But  in  1931  the  first  crisis  to  world  peace  appeared,  when 
Japan  reverted  to  anarchy,  broke  treaties,  murdered  women  and  chil- 
dren, and  stole  Chinese  territory  in  defiance  of  the  world.  "Ever  since 
1931  every  nation  is  learning  to  be  a  better  killer  than  any  other 
nation."  It  is  with  the  second  and  present  crisis,  the  Italio-Ethiopian 

22 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


conflict,  that  the  future  of  civilization  is  threatened.  If  the  convict, 
Italy,  is  rewarded  with  success,  and  crime  is  found  to  pay,  it  will  not  be 
long  before  all  nations  are  thrown  into  another  maelstrom  by  their 
greed  for  power.  "Civilized  existence  drifts  back  to  barbarism  if  col- 
lective security  is  banished.  The  whole  force  of  a  community  must 
stand  behind  law  in  order  to  obtain  ultimate  peace.  It  gives  us  hope  to 
know  that  the  peoples  of  a  world  community  realize  that  there  is  a 
wrong  in  the  present  action  of  an  imperialistic  power  against  a  small 
and  powerless  nation."  We  must  raise  the  intelligence  and  moral  stat- 
ure of  every  person,  to  be  able  to  cope  with  the  problems  which  up  to 
now  have  caused  wars. 

"No  one  will  play  a  bigger  part  than  the  teachers  in  awakening 
ideals  and  strengthening  the  concepts  of  humanity  and  justice  in  the 
young  people  of  America;  besides,  these  possess  the  intelligent  capacity 
necessary  to  work  out  the  practical  details." 

M.  Berzofsky. 


Maxwell  Street:  A  Metropolis  of 
Diverse  Nationalities 

MAXWELL  Street,  where  traders  and  hagglers  of  all  races  and  col- 
ors gather  to  form  virtual  country  fairs,  oriental  bazaars,  and 
ordinary  junk  markets,  is  a  picturesque  scene  in  a  frequently 
visited  spot  of  Chicago.  Here  are  food  and  drink  to  gratify  the  most 
meticulous  desires  of  an  ingenious  gourmet;  apparel  to  satisfy  the  de- 
mands of  stevedores  and  fops;  jewels  to  adorn  the  features  of  peasant 
and  princess.  Here  are  radios  and  accessories  to  satiate  amateurs,  pro- 
fessionals, and  ordinary  amusement  seekers.  Here  are  books  and  mag- 
azines which  cater  to  the  interests  of  romantic,  adventuresome  souls  as 
well  as  to  those  philosophically  inclined.  Should  you  desire  anything, 
it  can  be  provided  in  Maxwell  Street  if  you  have  the  necessary  funds. 

Here,  similar  to  the  bazaar  and  the  fair,  the  clever  retailer  flaunts 
his  commodities.  Should  the  gaudy  apparel  or  strange  odors  of  un- 
common food  fail  to  attract  your  senses,  the  merchant  resorts  to  force. 
Many  a  vendor  succeeds  in  grasping  a  Maxwell  Street  visitor  by  the  arm 
or  shoulder  with  such  messages:  "Come  on,  I'll  fix  you  up  with  a  good 
suit,"  or  "Young  man,  let  me  sell  you  this  gold  wrist  watch."  Ac- 
tually, most  hawkers  have  small  sidewalk  shops,  but  the  larger  part  of 
the  stock  is  on  exhibit  on  the  stalls,  pushcarts,  trucks,  and  marked-ofF 
lots  of  bare  ground.  Consequently,  there  is  more  security  and  freedom 

23 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


in  purchasing  articles  on  the  street  than  in  the  shops.  Many  a  customer 
buys  "a  cat  in  a  bag"  in  the  poorly  ventilated  and  illuminated  2  by  4 
shops.  One  learns  by  experience;  misfortune  in  a  shopping  expedition 
to  the  Maxwell  Street  region  should  not  be  considered  as  a  serious  dis- 
aster. Later  visits  will  provide  entertainment  and  satisfaction  in 
bargaining.  Maxwell  Street  is  the  meeting  place  of  many  nationalities 
and  displays  specific  commodities  desired  by  each  race.  Good  business 
depends  upon  linguistic  ability.  It  is  not  uncommon  to  find  a  Jewish 
merchant  who  speaks  several  languages  other  than  his  native  one. 
While  listening  to  the  continual  chattering  conversation  between  hag- 
gling shop  trader  and  customers,  one  forms  a  concept  of  human  nature 
in  its  elemental  forms. 

On  corners  and  in  the  middle  of  streets,  men  with  the  gift  of  gab 
sell  nostrums  and  quack  remedies  to  cure  everything  from  fallen  arches 
to  baldness.  Negroes  are  agitating  for  equality  of  rights  among  all  men 
— white  and  black;  policemen  scattered  among  the  throngs  of  gullible 
listeners  shrug  or  frown.  Beggars  persist  in  asking  for  alms.  The  Sal- 
vation Army  blare  away  amidist  the  other  discordant  sound  liberated 
on  Maxwell  Street.  Here  you  may  find  anything  you  are  seeking  and 
on  a  large  scale.  The  hours  spent  in  observing  life  on  Maxwell  Street 
will  always  bring  back  cherished  memories  of  this  bit  of  the  Old  World 
set  in  the  great  city  of  Chicago. 

I.  H.  Miller,  4tb  Yr.  Senior. 


tfC^JSSLi^Td 


ANSWERS 

1.  Electric  locomotives. 

2.  Raphael  Santi  (1483-1520). 

3.  In  Vanity  Fair,  by  William  Makepeace  Thackeray  (1811-1863). 

4.  (a)  Pertaining  to  Moses,  to  the  Law,  institutions,  etc.,  (b)  An  in- 
laid design  of  small  particles  of  glass,  stone,  etc.,  of  various  colors. 

5.  New  Amsterdam. 

6.  Liberia  (founded  in  1822). 

7.  Alabama  (on  the  Tennessee  River). 

8.  Alfred,  Lord  Tennyson  (1809-1892),  in  Locksley  Hall. 

9.  9  A.M. 

10.  A  high  mountain  in  the  Swiss  Alps  (14,780  feet  above  sea-level) 
famous  for  its  peculiar  shape  and  the  dangers  of  its  ascent. 

24 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Social  Notes 

A  GAIN  we  shall  celebrate  the  annual  get-together  of  the  Freshmen 

A\  Mothers  with  the  faculty.  On  Friday,  November  8,  the  county 

■^     ^  mothers  arrive.  Saturday  afternoon  is  devoted  to  conferences  of 

mothers  with  teachers.  In  the  evening,  the  students  will  present  songs, 

stunts  and  acts. 

The  meeting  of  the  League  of  Young  Voters  was  very  profitably 
spent  in  a  discussion  with  Miss  Snow  of  the  Italio-Ethiopian  affair.  The 
China-Japan  question  was  compared  with  that  of  the  Italio-Ethiopian. 
Plans  and  problems  of  the  League  of  Nations  were  brought  before  the 
group.  Questions  were  asked  of  the  speaker  and  further  discussed. 

Parlez-vous  Francais?  It  is  the  thing  you  know.  French  songs  are 
sung,  and  French  is  spoken  as  much  as  possible.  Our  ambition  is  to 
dramatize  French  plays. 

And  now  we  shall  have  some  really  splendid  drama.  The  Mum- 
mers' League  again  takes  the  stage,  and  the  school  eagerly  awaits  a  per- 
formance. Committees  for  properties,  costumes,  scenery,  and  play 
study  have  been  designated.  The  club  is  moving  briskly  and  efficiently 
toward  a  finished  production. 

Did  you  attend  the  Merry-Go-Round?  Then  you  know  how  charm- 
ingly everything  was  arranged.  Over  the  first  floor  was  spread  the 
Show  Boat,  the  Plantation,  the  Indian  Reservation,  the  Mountain 
Cabin,  and  many  more.  Every  child  boasted  a  costume  representing  his 
particular  section.  The  entire  school  was  in  gala  array. 

M.  Melamet,  Soph.  2. 

City  of  Havre  Alumni  Dine 

MISS  Tall,  Miss  Bersch,  Miss  Tansil,  and  Dorothea  Becker  (class 
of  1934)  attended  the  "City  of  Havre"  alumni  dinner  held  at 
the  Southern  Hotel  on  the  evening  of  October  12th. 
To  be  eligible  for  membership  in  this  organization  one  must  have 
made  at  least  one  crossing  on  the  Cify  of  Havre,  one  of  the  ships  of  the 
Baltimore  Mail  Line.  There  were  about  fifty  persons  attending  the  din- 
ner and  they  included  former  passengers  from  various  points  in  the  East, 
Captain  McCaw,  Commander  of  the  ship,  his  wife,  and  officials  of  the 
Baltimore  Mail  Line. 

Miss  Tall  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Alumni  Association  and  has 
held  the  office  of  President  since  the  organization  of  the  group. 

25 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Lillian  Scott,  '30,  Honored 


L" 


iLLiAN  Scott  of  the  Class  of  '30  has  just  returned  on  the  Berengaria 
from  a  tour  of  the  British  Isles  as  a  member  of  the  U.  S.  Lacrosse 
Team. 

The  English  Lacrosse  Association  arranged  the  tour  which  lasted 
for  six  and  a  half  weeks.  The  U.S.  Team  were  coached  by  the  very  com- 
petent English  for  one  week  at  Brighton — in  southern  England.  From 
then  on  they  played  games  in  different  sections  of  England  and  Ireland 
against  their  district  teams.  Two  International  matches  were  also 
played. 

Various  people  and  organizations  in  the  British  Isles  entertained 
the  U.  S.  team.  In  each  section  the  U.  S.  players  stayed  as  guests  in  the 
homes  of  the  British  Lacrosse  players. 

It  is  hoped  that  the  English  team  will  again  visit  the  U.  S.  as  they 
did  in  the  spring  of  1934 — in  order  to  help  women's  lacrosse  in  the 
U.  S.  to  spread  into  more  sections  of  the  country.  At  present  it  is  only 
being  played  in  the  East. 


Senior  Benefit  Dance 

YES,  it  rained  that  night.  But  did  that  keep  the  crowd  away  from 
the  Senior  Benefit  Dance?  No  indeed.  They  knew  that  despite  the 
rain  on  the  outside,  "Autumn  Loveliness"  awaited  them  on  the 
inside.  The  soft  lights  and  the  autumnal  scenery  were  created  by  the 
interwoven  ideas  of  the  Senior  class  with  the  help  of  their  adviser.  Miss 
Keyes,  and  their  art  director,  Miss  Neunsinger.  The  sweet  music  was 
the  sole  responsibility  of  the  Peerless  Orchestra. 

The  auditorium  was  crowded  with  members  of  the  present  student 
body,  their  friends  and  many  students  from  previous  graduating  classes. 
The  receiving  line  included  Dr.  Tall;  her  distinguished  guests,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Blakeman;  Miss  Keyes;  and  Miss  Diefenderfer.  Many  faculty 
members  also  were  ready  to  greet  us. 

When  the  tower  clock  struck  the  hour  of  one,  reluctantly  we  left 
the  colorful  setting  of  the  auditorium  for  the  cold,  drizzling,  outside 
world.  We  had  sepnt  a  most  enjoyable  evening. 

M.  Disney,  4th  Yr.  Sr. 
26 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Stupendous  Success 

Senior  Six,  Section  spree 
Savory  sandwiches 
Silly  skits — sunny  singing 
Several  surprises 
Such  success  seldom  surpassed. 
Held  on  October  4, 

D.  MiDDLETON. 


G^2i:JS>..ii::S^ 


Orchestra 

THE  Orchestra  has  been  following  its  regular  schedule  of  Monday 
rehearsals.  An  additional  half  hour  is  given  here  and  there  for  the 
students  who  are  learning  their  instruments.  At  present  this  lat- 
ter group  comprises  a  third  of  the  membership.  This  augurs  well  for 
the  future  completeness  of  our  ensemble. 

The  membership  of  the  Orchestra  includes : 

First  Violins — Dorothy  Wohrna,  Malcolm  Davies,  Helene  Davis. 
Second  Violins — Pauline  Mueller,  Frances  Waltmeyer,  Martha  Holland, 
Hilda  Walker,  Helen  Fleckenschildt,  Elaine  Ward,  Blanche  Klasmer. 
Keeds — Harold  Goldstein,  John  Klier,  Jane  McElevain.  Cellos — Patricia 
Callahan,  Emily  Armour.  Organ — Charlotte  Hurtt.  Bass — Charles 
Hopwood.  Piano — Charles  Haslup.  Tympani — Rebecca  Howard.  Drums 
— Lee  Tipton. 

Our  new  members  are  rapidly  fitting  into  the  organization  of  the 
Orchestra,  though  we  greatly  miss  our  graduates  of  last  June.  We  are 
very  glad  to  have  with  us  again  our  one  fourth-year  senior. 


Glee  Club  Picnic 

Delicious  bits,  humorous  skits,  and  vocals  galore  helped  to  make 
up  the  very  delightful  evening  spent  by  those  who  attended  the  Glee 
Club  picnic  in  the  glen. 

Have  you  heard  the  Freshmen  croon? 

D.  MiDDLETON,  Sr.  6. 

27 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Glee  Club 

THE  art  of  chorus  singing  is  one  of  the  most  democratic  of  all  the 
arts.  If  you  don't  believe  it,  take  a  look  at  the  Glee  Club  member- 
ship roll  for  the  coming  year.  Of  the  one  hundred  six  members, 
thirty-nine  are  Freshmen,  thirty-eight  are  Sophomores,  and  twenty- 
nine  are  Seniors.  Of  the  latter,  eleven  are  special  seniors  returning  to 
complete  the  work  for  their  bachelor's  degree.  The  officers  for  the 
year,  following  the  same  democratic  pattern,  are: 

Abraham  Berlin,  Senior President 

Eleanor  Wilson,  Senior Vice-President 

Fourth  Year  Seniors 

Margaret  Snyder Accom-panist 

Edward  Mac  Cubbin Accompanist 

Edith  Jones,  Sophomore Secretary 

Walter  Ubersax,  Sophomore Librarian 

Melvyn  Seeman,  Sophomore ''Tower  Light"  Representative 

Two  phases  of  the  Glee  Club  work  are  being  stressed  this  year;  the 
musical,  and  the  social  programs.  The  plans  for  the  musical  program 
are  a  deep,  dark  secret  at  present,  but  may  soon  develop  into  a  welcome 
surprise. 

Melvyn  Seeman 

Breakfast  at  Eight-Forty-Five 

At  Miss  Keyes'  excellent  suggestion.  Senior  5, 1935  planned  a  break- 
/^  fast  party  on  October  26.  What  a  conglomeration  of  adventures 
■*•  ^  and  experiences  were  revealed!  Teachers  certainly  do  surprising 
things.  They  button  up  collars  of  third  grade  boys;  they  find  snakes 
in  cloakrooms;  they  build  fires  in  huge  furnaces.  Some  teachers  pre- 
pare their  rooms  in  the  summer,  and  find  them  occupied  by  someone 
else  in  September,  due  to  the  mistakes  of  superintendents.  Organs  that 
cost  seven  dollars  repose  gracefully  in  the  corners  of  one-room  schools. 
Somebody's  next  check  is  going  into  a  fur  coat.  All  of  these  teachers 
are  bombarded  daily  with  apples,  oranges,  bananas,  sandwiches,  and 
cakes. 

And  so  Senior  Five  gossiped  and  hob-nobbed  for  almost  two  hours, 
and  planned  another  such  get-together  soon. 

D.  C.  F. 

28 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  Kaleidoscope 


A  MYSTERIOUS  petsonagc  stalks  the  corridors  of  the  State  Teachers 
A\  College  and  listens  in  on  campus  tete-a-tetes.  He  hears  every- 
•*•  *-  thing,  sees  everything,  and  tells  every  bit  of  it.  You  can't  es- 
cape him,  and  if  you  try — but  it's  really  no  use.  Oh,  we  forgot  to  men- 
tion that  this  mysterious  personage  is  us.  (Good  grammar,  what?) 

One  thing  we  must  tell  on  ourselves  immediately.  We  love  to  use 
the  plural  pronoun.  Makes  us  seem  more  important,  rather  like  a  Fourth 
Year  student. 

Let's  put  the  faculty  in  the  limelight  by  devoting  to  it  a  whole 
paragraph.   If  you  can  guess  who  the  following  persons  are,  you  may 

consider  your  education  complete.   Miss comes  from  Cecil  County 

and  she  is  a  Presbyterian  Democrat.  A  certain  professor  loves  to  laugh 

at  his  own  jokes  which  often  take  the  form  or  punning.   (Misses 

have  the  happy  ability  of  going  to  sleep  in  public.) 

Next  in  order  of  importance  come — no,  not  the  Seniors — the  Fresh- 
men. Everyone  seems  to  like  the  new  addition  to  the  school.  The  ladies 
in  particular  go  about  ah-ing  at  the  mere  thought  of  the  special  type  of 
bashful  he-men  the  schools  are  putting  out  nowadays.  At  least,  we 
hear  they  are  bashful.  Two  freshmen  on  the  soccer  team,  however,  are 
reported  as  being  rather  fond  of  paying  attentions  to  blonds  and  bru- 
nettes alike.  The  professors  aver  that  the  freshmen  are  hard-working, 
serious-minded  and  witty.  Believe  me,  that's  something  to  live  up  to! 

Shall  we  get  the  love  interest  over  and  done  with?  If  you  are  em- 
barrassed by  any  of  these  revelations,  go  off  some  place  alone  and  blush. 
Don't  let  people  find  you  out. 

Remember  Bill  Gonce  and  Margaret  Spehnkough?  They  have  an- 
nounced their  desire  to  test  the  theory  that  two  can  live  as  cheaply  as 
one.  We  wish  Bill  and  Spehn  luck  and  happiness. 

This  is  real  romance  for  you.  Two  freshmen,  up  for  the  same  class 
office,  press-agented  themselves  so  well  that  they  convinced  each  other 
of  their  respective  excellent  characters.  Now  they  walk  the  campus 
hand  in  hand.  Incidentally,  we  learned  that  the  gentleman  did  a  better 
job  of  talking  to  his  classmates. 

One  romance,  begun  in  the  freshman  year,  has  slowly  faded  and 
died.  Oh,  dear. 

What  two  members  of  the  T.L.  staff  are  a  source  of  inspiration  (?) 
for  two  freshmen  girls? 

Speaking  of  ended  romances,  one  young  dormitory  student  is  no 
longer  "Rushing"  around. 

29 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


But  romance  endures,  now  and  then,  even  for  a  year.  At  the  Senior 
Benefit  Dance,  these  familiar  faces  were  observed:  Catherine  Riggs, 
Helen  Hargett,  Tom  Johnson,  Elwood  Beam,  Elizabeth  Goodhand, 
Jimmy  Tear,  and  just  dozens  of  others. 

A  burly  Senior  lost  his  ring,  but  he  knows  where  it  is.  So  does 
everyone  else  in  the  school. 

Fall  theme  song  for  the  ladies:  "You've  Got  to  Be  A  Soccer  Hero." 
Bright  remarks  by  Campus  Cut-ups : 
What  does  the  dew  do? 

Mr.  Walther  has  a  nerve  giving  us  an  assignment. 
These  questions  ought  to  be  hard  for  a  third  grade — They  are  for 

me. 
I  have  nothing  worthwhile  to  say.   (Don't  fire  us,  Mr.  Editor. 
We  had  to  tell.) 
It  seems  that  there  are  four  male  geography  teachers  in  the  school : 
Mr.  Walthers,  Mr.  Walters,  Mr.  Walter,  and  Mr.  Walther.  If  you  want 
to  be  a  conformist,  go  ahead  and  use  the  fourth  pronunciation. 

The  chairman  of  a  men's  section  dashed  up  to  an  assembly  marshal 
and  gasped,  '  'Lend  me  a  slip.  I  haven't  any  on  me. ' '  Well,  really! 

Various  seniors  report  that  they  have  begun  timing  Mr.  Kolb  when 
he  gets  up  in  history  class. 

Things  we  would  like  to  know: 

Whether  the  sighs  that  accompanied  a  lengthy  lecture  on  scien- 
tific thought,  by  a  student,  were  the  result  of  rapt  interest  or — 
Why  students  do  nothing  about  the  loneliness  of  the  Special 
Third  Year  Group? 
Some  time  ago  the  mother  of  a  certain  senior  came  a-visiting  at  the 
school,  and  we  found  out  that  the  young  lady  has  become  what  is  com- 
monly called  a  phrase-maker.  She  introduced  to  her  mother  one  young 
man  whom  she  dubbed '  'my  prize  hobby' '  and  another '  'my  prize  tenor. 
Does  she  think  she  has  a  corner  on  prizes?  Laugh  this  one  off  if  you  can. 
A  famous  pianist,  a  Fourth  Year  student,  was  presented  in  this  manner: 

'  'May  I  introduce  Miss ?  She  can  play  the  piano  almost  as  well  as 

M " 

Miss  Birdsong  informed  her  students  that  they  might  find  "The 
Gang' '  on  her  reference  shelf.  Our  opinion  is  that  that  is  a  strange  place 
to  keep  old  friends. 

Comment  upon  an  uninspired  work  of  art:  "If  that's  Victory,  I'd 
like  to  see  the  other  fellow. 

Next  month  we  shall  inform  you  concerning  all  you  have  been 
doing  this  month.  (Sounds  like  a  "continued  in  our  next.")  We  don't 
think  we're  so  bad  at  this  haunting  job.  Hope  you  like  us  as  well  as  we 
do. 

30 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Dorm  Notes 

Miss  Powers  is  our  new  nurse — What  is  this  epidemic  among  the 
boys? 

We're  sorry  not  to  have  Miss  Weyforth  in  Harmony  Lane  this 
year. 

Either  all  the  lamps  or  the  overhead  lights  should  be  on  in  Rich- 
mond Hall  Parlor,  "Jawn." 

Eddie  Post,  through  his  acquaintance  with  the  WCBM  Hawaian 
boys,  was  mighty  kind  to  afford  us  music  one  recreation  hour. 

We  house  a  young  artist — see  her  Y.W.C.A.  tearoom  posters. 

Beware!  Be  sure  lights  are  off  at  10:30 — the  Student  Council  Cam- 
pus-es  are  most  effective. 

We  have  noticed  a  resident  Freshman  boy  spending  his  week-ends 
playing  checkers  with  the  brown-eyed  Tilghman  lass. 

Two  resident  girls  of  Senior  Six  show  excellent,  persevering  qual- 
ities as  chaperones.  Ask  Mr.  Brumbaugh! 


^^Mutiny  on  the  Bounty" 

PROCLAIMED  the  grcatcst  of  all  sea  dramas  "Mutiny  on  the  Bounty" 
begins  at  the  Century  Theatre,  November  22,  after  being  more  than 
a  year  in  production.  Aside  from  entertainment,  it  presents  an 
authentic  visual  document  of  one  of  the  most  notable  chapters  of  mari- 
time history — the  mutiny  on  the  H.M.S.  Bounty  one  hundred  and  fifty 
years  ago.  In  the  annals  of  the  sea  there  is  no  more  fascinating  story 
than  that  told  of  the  Bounty  which  set  sail  from  England  in  1787,  bound 
for  Tahiti. 

"Mutiny  on  the  Bounty"  faithfully  follows  the  original  British 
Admirality  records  and  the  sensational  story  written  by  Charles  Nord- 
hoff  and  James  N.  Hall. 

Irving  Thalberg,  producer  of  "The  Barretts  of  Wimpole  Street,"  is 
at  the  producing  helm.  Frank  Lloyd,  who  filmed  "Calvacade,"  is  the 
director.  Charles  Laughton,  as  Captain  Blighs;  Clark  Gable,  as  Fletcher 
Christian,  leader  of  the  mutineers;  and  Franchot  Tone,  as  Midshipman 
Byam,  head  the  brilliant  cast. 

Reported  by  W.  Johnson. 
31 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  Library — at  Your  Service 

EACH  month  we  are  trying  to  include  among  our  reviews  books  that 
will  satisfy  individual  tastes  in  reading.  This  month  we  are  offer- 
ing a  great  variety.  Because  of  the  lack  of  space  we  find  it  con- 
venient to  mention  a  few  new  books  with  just  a  word  or  two  about 
them. 

1.  "And  Gladly  Teach"  by  Bliss  Perry 

Mr.  Perry  reminisces  and  brings  to  the  reader  his  experience  during 
fifty  years  of  service  as  a  teacher.  He  touches  very  modestly  his  own 
achievements,  but  pictures  very  wittily  the  institutions  and  men  with 
whom  he  has  come  in  contact.  Among  the  outstanding  descriptions  in 
the  autobiography  are:  comments  on  the  honor  system;  teaching  of 
composition;  and  picturesque  sketches  of  Hopkins,  Wilson,  and  Eliot. 
The  final  chapter  is  beautifully  written — Mr.  Perry's  favorite  sport  of 
fishing  furnishes  him  with  an  excellent  image  for  retrospection.  One 
cannot  read  the  book  without  feeling  a  great  admiration  for  one  whose 
life  was  filled  with  such  profound  attachments  for  his  profession. 

2.  "Peter  and  Gretchen  of  Old  Nuremberg"  by  Viola  M.  Jones 

Miss  Jones,  in  her  book,  "Peter  and  Gretchen  of  Old  Nuremberg," 
has  written  a  most  delightful  story  for  juveniles  of  the  second  and  third 
grade. 

The  story  tells  some  of  the  adventures  of  a  little  boy  and  a  little 
girl,  seven  years  old.  Peter  and  Gretchen  are  very  good  friends  who 
share  each  other's  sorrows  and  joys.  When  Peter's  cat,  Hansie,  is  lost 
it  is  Gretchen  who  helps  Peter  find  him.  When  Peter  goes  on  a  picnic 
with  his  grandfather,  Gretchen  goes  with  them.  Into  all  their  ad- 
ventures some  of  the  quaint  customs  of  the  peasants  of  old  Germany  are 
woven. 

Throughout  the  story  are  many  clever  and  attractive  pictures  which 
make  the  youthful  reader  enjoy  the  book  more.  If  you  have  a  small 
niece  or  nephew  why  not  plan  to  start  him  reading  good  books  by  giv- 
ing him  or  her  the  story  of  Peter  and  Gretchen  for  Christmas? 

E.  H. 

3.  "Marjory  FLE\nNG,"  transcribed  and  edited  by  Frank  Sidgewick — 

just  off  the  Oxford  University  Press,  1935- 

Marjorie  Fleming  kept  copy  books  as  a  part  of  her  lessons,  the  orig- 
inal of  which  are  now  in  the  National  Library  of  Scotland. 

32 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


"Those  who  require  an  introduction  to  the  works  of  Marjorie 
Fleming  must  first  realize — and  then  continually  bear  in  mind — the  fact 
that,  despite  their  world  reputation,  they  are  the  product  of  a  little 
girl,  an  early-nineteenth  century  Scottish  girl,  who  died  before  she  was 
nine  years  old.  They  consist  of  three  'journals',  some  verses,  and  a  few 
letters  all  written  in  the  last  three  years  of  her  short  life.  In  quantity 
these  literary  remains,  prose  and  poetry,  are  approximately  equivalent 
to  the  libretto  of  a  Gilbert  and  Sullivan  operetta." 

INTRODUCTION 

These  short  bits  are  from  Journal  I:  "Isabella  (a  cousin)  teaches  me 
everything  I  know  and  I  am  much  indebted  to  her  she  is  learned  witty 
and  sensible. — I  have  been  washing  my  dools  today  and  I  like  it  very 
much."  Or  "Three  Turkies  fair  their  last  have  breathed  And  now  this 
worled  forever  leaved  Ther  father  &  their  Mother  too  Will  sigh  and 
weep  as  well  as  you — Here  ends  this  meloncholy  lay  Farewell  poor 
Turkies  I  must  say. 

E.  G.  W. 

4.  "Minute  Stories  of  the  Opera" — Grabbe  &  Nordoff 

When  a  person  attends  the  opera,  one  of  the  greatest  obstacles  to 
complete  enjoyment  of  it  is  that  the  singing  of  the  text  is  often  unintel- 
ligible and  therefore  much  of  the  dramatic  significance  is  lost.  Since 
this  is  the  case,  the  opera-goer  should  acquire  some  familiarity  with  the 
opera  he  is  to  hear  in  order  to  be  able  to  appreciate  fully  both  the  music 
and  the  drama.  "Minute  Stories  of  the  Opera"  furnishes  such  informa- 
tion. It  gives  the  stories  of  the  operas  in  clear  and  simple  style  and  fur- 
nishes a  clue  to  the  music  through  brief  sketches  of  composers.  Sug- 
gestive and  imaginative  illustrations  do  much  in  helping  one  get  a  feel- 
ing for  the  various  operas  described  therein. 

Charles  A.  Haslup 

Among  the  many  new  books : 

FICTION 

1.  "The  Inquisitor"  by  Hugh  Walpole 

The  last  in  a  series  about  Polchester  and  its  people.  Well  written, 
but  heavy  reading. 

2.  "Lucy  Gayheart"  by  Willa  Gather 

Not  as  outstanding  as  "A  Lost  Lady"  but  a  satisfactory  char- 
acter study. 

3.  "Illyrian  Spring"  by  Ann  Bridges 

Gives  an  admirable  description  of  middle-age  romance. 

33 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


NON-FICTION 

1.  "DwiGHT  Morrow"  by  Harold  Nkolson 

Complete  and  beautifully  written  but  illuminating. 

2.  "Singing  in  the  Wilderness"  by  D.  C.  Peattie 

Audubon  is  really  made  to  live,  not  merely  as  a  nature  lover,  but 
as  a  man. 

Watch  for  our  reviews  of: 

1 .  '  'Salamina'  ' — Rockwell  Kent 

2.  "A  Life  OF  Galsworthy" — Mariot 

3.  "Edna,  His  Wife" — M.  A.  Barnes 

Campus  Elementary  School 

of 

The  State  Teachers  College  at  Towson 

CHILD  STUDY  PROGRAM 

1935-36 

Wednesdays  at  1:30  p.m. 

November  13 — Discipline Miss  Nellie  W.  Birdsong 

November  20 — Social  Attitudes Miss  Irene  M.  Steele 


THE  HAUNTED  CASTLE 
This  summer  our  family  went  to  Atlantic  City.  We  visited  the 
haunted  castle.  It  was  very  spooky  looking.  I  saw  a  man  sitting  in  a 
swing.  Every  time  he  swung,  the  leaves  on  the  trees  rustled.  A  little 
farther  on  I  saw  two  men  sitting  at  a  table.  Every  time  they  tried  to  eat, 
the  table  rose  and  ghosts  looked  out  from  under  the  table.  Several 
ladies  stood  around.  Suddenly  they  turned  into  skeletons.  A  grand- 
father's clock  struck  as  I  was  going  by.  A  skeleton  looked  out.  By  the 
door  stood  a  ghost  with  his  arm  outstretched.  I  read,  "Shake  me." 
But  I  didn't. 

Mildred  Gene  Hartley,  Grade  4, 

34 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


As  You  Like  It 

HERE,  read  it  and  get  your  lachrymal  glands  "alachrymaling." 
'  'Humor  is  not  mere  balderdash.  It  must  contain  mirth,  realism; 
it  must  be  laugh  provoking;  it  must  come  from  the  skilled  hand 
of  the  artist." — That  comes  from  an  article  called  "Taking  Humor  Se- 
riously" by  J.  Edwin  Knowles. 

Now  aren't  you  ashamed  of  yourself?  I  work  so  hard  to  get  your 
jokes  and  what  do  you  do — but  laugh  at  them!    Fie,  on  you,  cruel 
world!    Alas  and  alacka,  no  one  understands  me!    Now  that  I  have 
worked  myself  up  into  a  frenzy,  we  can  begin. 
"Jest"  for  fun,  take  a  squint  at  these: 


"When  do  the  leaves  begin  to  turn?"  .  .  "The  night  before  exams!' 
(Many  a  truth  has  been  told  in  a  joke.) 


Mac — "Ginger- Ale." 

Waiter— "Pale?" 

The  low  life — "No,  just  a  glass!" 

Jean  Harlow — '  'I'll  endorse  your  cigarettes  for  no  less  than  $50,000 . ' ' 
Mr.  Chesterfield — '  'I'll  see  you  inhale  first. 


Editor — "This  isn't  poetry,  my  dear  man,  it's  merely  an  escape  of 

gas!" 

Would-be-contributor — "Ah!  I  see!  Something  is  wrong  with  the 

meter. 

*        *        *        * 

Motto  for  pedestrians :  Pedestrians  should  be  seen  and  not  hurt. 


Nothing  has  done  more  to  put  the  home  on  a  sound  basis  than  the 

radio. 

*  *        *        * 

A  coach  is  a  guy  who  lays  down'your  life  for  the  Old  Alma  Mater! 

*  *        *        * 

Dentist's  epitaph  in  a  Connecticut  cemetery: 

"When  on  this  tomb  you  gaze  with  gravity, 
Cheer  up!  I'm  filling  my  last  cavity." 

35 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


I  passed  a  cop  without  a  fuss; 
I  passed  a  load  of  hay. 
I  tried  to  pass  a  swerving  bus; 
And  then  I  passed  away. 
(Sent  in  with  the  compliments  of  "Len"  Wolf.) 

*        *        *        * 

Out  of  the  mouth  of  babies  comes  the  following  part  of  the  column. 
These  are  answers  received  by  teachers  from  their  pupils : 

A  fugue  is  what  you  get  in  a  room  full  of  people  when  all  the  win- 
dows and  doors  are  shut. 

An  heir  is  when  anybody  dies  you  get  what  is  left. 

What  are  rabies  and  what  would  you  do  do  for  them?  Rabies  are 
Jewish  priests.  I  should  do  nothing  for  them. 

A  spinster  is  a  bachelor's  wife. 

In  Christianity  a  man  can  only  have  one  wife.  This  is  called  Mo- 
notony. 

Science  is  material.  Religion  is  immaterial. 

The  animal  which  possesses  the  greatest  attraction  for  men  is 
woman. 

Nitrogen  is  not  found  in  Ireland  because  it  is  not  found  in  a  free 
state. 

When  you  breathe  you  inspire.  When  you  do  not  breathe  you  ex- 
pire. 

All  brutes  are  imperfect  animals.  Man  alone  is  a  perfect  beast. 

"Give  me  an  example  of  a  collective  noun."  .  .  .  "Garbage  can," 

"Correct — 'It  was  mewho  broke  the  window'.".  .  .  Ans.  "It  wasn't 
me  who  broke  the  window." 

Letters  in  sloping  type  are  in  hysterics. 

In  the  U.  S.  people  are  put  to  death  by  elocution. 

Well,  that's  about  all  that  is  not  copyrighted — hope  you  liked  it. 
And  bouquets  to  you  nice  folks  who  offered  suggestions,  criticisms,  and 
contributions. 

Your  humor  "columniator,"  Sid  Tepper. 


36 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  Rambling  Rambler 

FROM  the  sidelines  during  a  soccer  game  come  remarks  in  various 
forms  such  as:  "Wet  blanket,  Smitty";  "Get  that  ball,  John"; 
"Take  it  easy,  fellows."  I  assure  you,  kind  people,  the  utterers  of 
these  very  sage  remarks  are  plagiarists  in  the  lowest  sense  of  the  word. 
To  insure  against  this  "outspoken"  highway  robbery,  Coach  Don 
Minnegan  ought  to  copyright  his  famous  phrases. 

Well,  until  next  fall,  Play  Day  is  gone.  Memories,  sweet  and  pleas- 
ant, are  all  that  remain  from  a  grand  and  glorious  day  of  revelry,  fun, 
and  companionship.  Who  won?  Who  cares?  It  was  fun.  Instead  of  the 
"Blues"  our  Irish  tenor  should  have  led  the  "Greens."  Boy,  can  he 
yell! 

Our  soccer  team  is  going  onward  and  upward.  U.  of  M.,  Salisbury 
Teachers,  Western  Md.,  Hopkins — all  passed.  The  game  with  U.  of  M. 
was  tied  at  2-2.  Two  extra-periods  were  played  with  no  additional 
scores.  U.  of  M.  acquitted  itself  nobly  for  its  first  soccer  team.  "Pee 
Wee"  Smith  was  the  victim  in  this  game.  He  headed  two  "beautiful" 
balls  into  the  goal,  but  both  were  disqualified  for  some  reason  or  other. 

Miss  Birdsong  wanted  to  know  why  the  boys  of  Soph.  4  had  to 
go  to  Salisbury  on  Friday.  However,  when  she  learned  the  worthy 
cause  of  the  trip,  she  soon  forgave  them  and  wished  them  the  best  of 
luck.  Ah,  Sweet  Victory,  we  salute  thee!  "Thus  far  our  fortune  keeps 
an  upward  course,  and  again  we  are  graced  with  wreaths  of  victory. 
1-0.  A  comment  from  a  player : '  'Aw,  we  ran  all  over  them. 

Next  came  Western  Maryland.  This  time,  the  boys  left  right  after 
Miss  Birdsong's  period.  "Cumon,you  psychologists!"  Let's  study  the 
minds  of  the  Green  Terrors  and  beat  them  at  their  own  game!  Another 
tie  graces  our  records :  2-2. 

The  team's  most  recent  conquest  is  Johns  Hopkins.  A  bit  of  re- 
venge in  this  game  for  that  1-hit  baseball  game  lost  last  spring.  About 
6:30,  a  horde  of  famished  "Indians"  attacked  the  unprotected  dining 
room  and  all  but  devoured  the  dishes  and  tables.  3-2.  Victory  well- 
earned. 

Basket-ball  practice  is  in  full  swing.  Our  squad  has  a  very  novel 
and  original  way  of  "warming  up"  and  getting  the  kinks  out  of  their 
muscles.  In  order  to  practice  in  the  aduitorium,  the  players  must  move 
the  chairs.  I  must  say,  they  certainly  do  an  excellent  job  of  it.  Only  65 
chairs  broken  as  yet. '  Give  the  boys  a  chance!  No  kiddin'  though,  we 
have  some  fine  freshmen  material  as  well  as  experienced  sophomores. 

As  Ray  Perkins  would  say,  "Well,  so  long,  reader!  Old  scout!" 

Morris  Miller,  Soph.  4. 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


Sport  Marches  On 


Flash!  Rain  on  the  Maryland  State  Teachers  Campus,  after  six 
weeks  of  perfect  weather.  Classes  continued  indoors!  Students 
sent  special  request  to  the  Weather  Bureau  for  the  continuation  of 
fair  weather.  (Looks  as  if  the  teachers  of  tomorrow  enjoy  their  wide 
open  spaces !) 

Flash!  Congratulations  to  Miss  Eleanor  Clabaugh.  She  proves 
herself  worthy  of  her  family  of  tennis  stars.  The  championship  goes  to 
her  with  the  scores  of  6-1,  6-2. 

Flash!  Advancement  is  being  made!  Tennis  classes  for  Freshmen 
and  Seniors  show  much  progress.  The  coaches  have  hope  of  locating  a 
second  Helen  Wills  Moody  in  the  ranks  of  the  Maryland  Teachers  Col- 
lege. 

Sport  marches  on.  The  season  has  just  begun,  but  hockey  is  well 
under  way.  Interclass  competition  is  to  be  on  November  3  or  6.  Four 
Seniors,  thirty  Sophomores,  twenty-one  Freshmen  plunge  into  battle 
for  the  leadership.  May  the  best  team  win ! 

Sport  marches  on!  Basket-ball  promises  to  add  interest  about 
Thanksgiving  time.  Eyes  and  ears  at  attention !  Watch  for  the  march 


of  sports 


E.  Jones,  Soph.  i. 


Safety  in  the  Universe 

You  would  never  guess  what  goes  on  in  the  starlit  heavens  above 
us,"  said  grandmother  to  Carol.  Safety  is  taught  there  as  well 
as  on  earth.  Notice  that  every  bright,  glistening,  glittering  star 
has  its  own  position.  They  obey  Mother  Moon  and  never  get  confused 
when  moving.  Some  mischievous  little  stars  do  not  obey  her.  These 
are  the  shooting  stars  which  come  whirling  and  twirling  down  to 
earth.  When  they  touch  the  ground  they  fade  and  fade  till  there  are  no 
more.  This  is  what  happens  to  those  who  don't  obey  their  parents. 
When  they  play  in  the  safe  way  they  have  much  fun.  As  grandmother 
finished  her  tale  Carol  gazed  up  at  the  blue  heavens  above  her  and  said 
slowly,  "I  guess  if  we  keep  the  safety  rules  we'll  have  more  fun  too." 

Dorothy  Whorton, 
6 A  Montebello  School 

38 


It  pays  to  stop  at  the 

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Important  Notice,  Alumni 

The  alumni  are  welcome  to  use  the  facilities  of  the  dormitory 
whenever  they  wish  to  come  to  Baltimore  for  week-ends.  There  is  only 
a  nominal  charge  of  25  cents  per  night  and  25  cents  per  meal.  Since  the 
enrollment  in  the  dormitory  this  year  is  smaller  than  usual,  there  is 
more  room  for  visiting  alumni.  The  latch-string  is  always  out! 

L^af  toii<>cco  being 
sold  to  highest  itidder 


United  States 

Treasury  Building 


From  1900  up  to  1934  the  leaf 
tobacco  used  for  cigarettes  in- 
creased from 

13,084,037  lbs.  to 
326,093,357  lbs.; 

an  increase  of  2392% 

It  takes  mild  ripe  tobacco 
to  make  a  good  cigarette. 


''^^Mi 


During  the  year  ending  June  30, 
1900,  the  Government  collecti'd 
from  cigarette  taxes 

$3,969,191 
For  the  year  ending  June   30, 
1934,  the  same  taxes  were 

$350,299,442 

an  increase  of  8725 /'o 

— a  lot  of  money. 

Cigarettes  give  a  lot  of 
pleasure  to  a  lot  of  people. 


^A.ore  cigarettes  are  smoked  todd 

because  more  people  know  about  them- 
they  are  better  advertised. 

But  the  main  reason  for  the  increase  is  th 
they  are  made  better — made  of  better  tobacco 
then  again  the  tobaccos  are  blended — a  blen 
of  Domestic  and  Turkish  tobaccos. 
Chesterfield  is  made  of  mild,  ripe  tobaccos. 
'Everything  that  science  knows  about  is  used  ih 
making  it  a  milder  and  better-tasting  cigarette. 
We  believe  you  will  enjoy  then 


1935,  Liggett  &  Myers  Tobacco  Co. 


THOMSEN-1-ELLlS  CC 


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of  i:otDSon,  Mfl. 

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OF 

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CONTENTS 

Cover  Design Charles  Meigs 

Frontispiece Malcolm  Davies 

PAGE 

'  'And  on  Earth,  Peace' ' 3 

Trees  and  Christmas 5 

The  Color  of  Christmas 7 

Gift-Giving — Universal 9 

The  Guiding  Star 10 

A  Christmas  of  Long  Ago 11 

What  is  Living? 12 

My  First  Christmas  at  Sea 13 

The  Night  Before  Christmas 14 

The  Gift  of  the  Tramp 14 

Lexington  Market 15 

The  Evolution  of  the  Christmas  Card 16 

Caroling 18 

The  Star  in  the  East 19 

The  Witches'  Revenge 20 

Editorials 22 

The  Library — At  Your  Service 25 

A  Book  for  Christmas 27 

College  Notes 28 

Teddy  Bears 33 

Ye  Kaleydoscoppe 34 

As  You  Like  It 37 

College  Athletics 39 

Tall  Stories 40 

Our  Advertisers a,  41,  42 


1935       Member       1936 

Plssocided  Golle6icite  Press 


THE 

TOWER  LIGHT 


State  Teachers  College 


TOWSON,  MARYLAND 


THE  TOWER  LIGHT 


Vol.  IX  DECEMBER,  1935  No.  3 


"And  on  Earth,  Peace" 

MYSTERIOUS  packages,  surreptitiously  hidden  in  dark  corners, 
frantic  efforts  to  add  a  bit  more  to  the  always  too  small  annual 
fund,  delicious  fragrance  from  the  combination  of  dates,  raisins 
citron,  and  brown  sugar,  all  proclaim  that  the  Christmas  holiday  is 
near. 

But  why  is  this  being  done?  Soft  whispering  with  someone  who 
knows  what  another  wants  most,  some  effort  to  buy  that  which  will 
giYC  the  greatest  happiness,  many  calls  to  the  different  social  organiza- 
tions to  learn  how  best  to  help  those  in  need,  quiet  meditation  on  the 
big  problems  which  can  bring  about  conditions  for  the  betterment  of  all 
mankind;  is  this  being  done  because  of  custom,  because  of  tradition,  be- 
cause it  is  advocated  by  our  friends,  our  church,  and  our  country,  or  is 
there  another  reason? 

At  no  other  time  of  the  year  does  the  world  appear  to  forget  self, 
my,  mine,  and  begin  to  think  of  others,  of  you,  and  of  yours.  Rarely,  if 
ever,  does  there  seem  to  be  as  much  joyous  living.  Never  does  the  world 
seem  quite  so  close  and  the  vastness  of  space  to  lose  some  of  its  aw^e- 
someness.  If  only  this  annual  transformation  could  last  and  the  ex- 
ternal signs  continue  and  internal  changes  remain  constant.  What  could 
help  men  hold  fast  to  this  side  which  glimpses  the  divine,  the  infinite? 

Peace  on  earth,  goodwill  to  men  may  be  a  command,  it  may  be  a 
goal,  it  may  be  a  religious  ideal,  but  can  it  be  achieved?  If,  in  this  com- 
plex, industrial  civilization  one  expects  one  hundred  per  cent  efiiciency 
as  one  expects  prompt  response  to  the  accelerator,  to  the  dial  of  the 
radio,  to  the  receiver  on  the  telephone,  if  one  expects  to  have  all  the 
component  parts  of  a  man-to-man  relationship  analyzed  by  an  efficiency 
expert  and  know  at  the  end  when  he  is  to  give  more,  take  less,  be  cour- 
teous, considerate  of  others,  and  the  like,  it  will  be  a  worse  world  for 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


all  the  effort,  because  this  exertion  of  power  will  only  annihilate  that 
which  we  want  most  to  keep.  But  goodwill  to  men,  living  harmon- 
iously with  others,  is  not  an  accident,  nor  a  gift  of  the  gods  to  a  few 
people  which  have  become  random  samplings  of  fine  living.  Goodwill 
is  made  up  of  intelligence;  knowing  people,  their  strengths  and  weak- 
nesses, their  emotions,  their  desires,  their  wishes,  their  aspirations, 
their  fears;  knowing  the  life  of  particular  individuals,  what  they  have 
lived  through,  what  life  has  done  to  them,  what  they  have  done  to  life, 
their  life  and  others'  lives  around  them.  Knowing  this  will  help,  in 
part,  not  to  judge  as  well  as  to  be  tolerant  of  men,  but  it  will  help  in 
understanding  and  appreciating  a  man  in  the  world  of  men. 

But  knowing  people,  a  person,  facts,  is  not  enough.  One  must 
have  the  ability  to  put  himself  in  another's  place.  And  what  a  Gar- 
gantuan task  this  is !  How  utterly  impossible  it  is  for  one  to  really  do 
this.  One  may  call  on  his  own  memory,  recall  his  own  experiences  in 
life,  compare  situations  and  try  to  imagine  the  feelings  of  another,  but 
is  it  possible  to  become  another?  The  finest  kind  of  constructive  imagi- 
nation is  needed  if  one  is  to  try  to  put  himself  in  another's  place.  Can 
we  imagine  what  it  would  be  like  to  have  nothing,  to  want  something 
enough  to  steal  it  for  ourselves  or  for  our  families?  Can  we  imagine 
what  it  would  be  like  to  be  brought  up  in  a  broken  home  with  nothing 
but  economical  and  affectional  insecurity  on  all  sides?  Can  we  imagine 
a  life  so  driven  that  to  kill  is  the  only  way  out?  Will  our  security,  our 
lack  of  knowledge  of  the  man,  or  our  ignorance  of  men  and  life  blind 
us,  and  keep  us  from  interpreting  another's  life?  Can  we  imagine,  and 
then  be  able  to  add  to  this  imagination  a  constructive  element  and  see 
that  life  as  it  is,  and  reconstruct  it  in  our  minds  and  see  what  it  could 
have  been,  what  it  can  be,  what  we  need  to  do  to  help,  what  the  world 
needs  to  do  to  help,  and  what  the  individual  needs  to  do  to  help  to  re- 
construct his  own  life.  Certainly  a  smile,  a  basket  of  food,  a  pale-pink 
lace-trimmed  surprise  gift  is  not  the  answer  to  "Goodwill  to  Men." 
The  answer  calls  for  continuous  profound  thought,  reflection,  memory, 
and  constructive  imagination  combined  with  unusual  foresight  and 
great  vision  which  will  lead  to  action.  But  is  this  all  the  answer  to  life, 
to  the  problem  of  living  with  others?  If  this  were  true,  one  would  have 
need  to  stress  only  these  faculties  and  qualities  and  all  would  be  well 
with  the  world.  This  may  make  very  great  humanists,  Confucian 
gentlemen  and  ladies,  perhaps,  but  is  that  the  end  for  which  we  are 
striving?  This  may  give  us  knowledge,  understanding,  perhaps  a  form 
of  wisdom,  but  direction,  purpose,  and  the  meaning  of  life  will  be  lack- 
ing. 

Christmas,  the  celebration  of  the  birth  of  Christ,  means  to  many  of 
us  much  more  than  the  Nativity.  The  humbleness  of  birth,  the  scene  in 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


the  manger,  the  shepherds  in  the  field,  the  star,  the  angels'  song,  "glory 
to  God  in  the  highest,"  Herod,  the  king,  the  wise  men  of  the  east,  all 
have  great  meaning  for  the  world  of  men;  the  men  in  the  fields,  royalty 
on  the  throne,  heaven  and  earth  united  to  sing  the  glorious  song  of  a 
New  Life,  in  which  there  was  a-new-life-for-all-men. 

Divine,  but  in  human  form  He  walked  the  earth  and  gave  man  a 
pattern  by  which  to  live.  To  men.  He  gave  positive  simple  principles. 
Love  God,  love  thy  neighbor,  give,  come,  know,  seek,  forgive,  believe, 
.  .  .  and  those  timeless  words  He  meant  for  us. 

Pauline  Rutledge. 


Trees  and  Christmas 

FOR  weeks  now  there  has  been  a  chopping  and  a  sawing,  a  lopping 
and  a  hacking  in  the  great  woods  of  America.  Holly  and  long-leaf 
pine  have  been  raped  in  the  South,  mistletoe  and  crowsfoot  have 
been  torn  from  their  moorings  and  packed  tightly  into  boxes  for  ship- 
ment, and  in  the  North,  with  axe  and  saw,  balsam,  spruce,  and  hem- 
lock have  been  laid  low  by  the  thousands  for  the  celebration  of  the  joy- 
ful Christmas  season.  Railroads  have  been  receiving  numerous  appeals 
for  flat  cars  from  back  on  the  single-track  lines  where,  during  most  of 
the  year,  an  uncertain  service  is  maintained  only  because  of  the  buU- 
headedness  of  public  service  commissions.  By  now  a  long  stream  of 
greenery  is  moving  steadily  into  cities  and  towns  throughout  the  land. 
The  biggest  item  of  this  trade  in  green  Christmas  decorations  is  the 
Christmas  tree.  Carefully  flattened  and  bound  into  firm  bales,  each 
year  hundreds  of  thousands  of  conifers  are  piled  on  flat  cars,  and  sent 
out  of  the  North  to  you. 

Like  the  Christmas  festival  itself,  the  Christmas  tree  seems  to  have 
been  pagan  in  origin.  There  is,  to  be  sure,  the  Christian  myth  of  the 
blossoming  of  trees  in  the  dead  of  winter  on  the  first  Christmas,  a  part — 
and  a  beautifully  conceived  part — of  the  cycle  which  represents  all  the 
natural  world  as  betokening  the  birth  of  the  new  faith;  and  it  is  true 
that  this  story  resulted  in  the  medieval  custom  of  adding  the  forced 
blossoms  of  hawthorn  and  cherry  to  the  decorations  of  the  Christmas 
season,  but  it  is  doubtful  whether  this  custom  is  directly  related  to  the 
Christmas  tree  tradition.  There  was,  however,  among  primitive  peo- 
ples an  almost  universal  tendency  toward  tree-worship,  especially 
among  the  North  European  forest-dwelling  Teutons  and  Kelts,  and  it  is 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


only  natural  that  this  propensity  should  linger  long  after  Christian 
missionaries  had  driven  the  cult  of  the  Druid  from  open  practice.  To 
what  extent  the  present  Christmas  tree  custom  is  based  upon  such  gen- 
eral reverence  for  trees,  and  to  what  extent  it  is  based  upon  legend  and 
myth  peculiarly  Christian,  is  a  problem  in  proportion  which  probably 
never  will  be  solved. 

Despite  these  facts,  one  of  the  earliest  references  to  the  actual  dec- 
oration of  trees  is  neither  Christian  nor  Teuton  nor  Keltic  but  Latin. 
In  the  Georgics  Vergil  wrote  about  the  worshipping  of  Bacchus  by  the 
hanging  of  little  images  on  pine  trees : 

Et  te,  Bacche,  vocant  per  carmina  laeta,  tibique 
oscilla  ex  alta  suspendunt  mollia  pinu. 

Nevertheless,  it  was  not  until  Luther's  time  that  the  real  Christmas  tree 
appeared  in  Central  Europe.  We  in  America  owe  its  vogue  primarily  to 
German  immigrants,  for  even  today  it  is  far  from  being  a  universal  cus- 
tom. Only  an  American,  German,  or  Bohemian  child  would  consider 
Christmas  a  failure  without  a  Christmas  tree. 


Today,  in  the  United  States,  the  Christmas  tree,  in  spite  of  past 
objections,  has  become  an  industry.  Certain  of  the  sillily-sentimental 
— modern  tree-worshippers  —  formerly  saw  in  the  custom  a  cruel 
nipping  off  of  the  lives  of  multitudes  of  innocent  young  trees.  The 
more  practical  forest-lovers  saw  in  the  spread  of  the  Christmas  tree 
cult  a  threat  to  flourishing  woodlands.  But  neither  of  these  objections 
have  proved  valid.  The  stickily  sentimental  objections  of  the  first 
group  have  gently  oozed  away  in  the  face  of  the  superior  sentiment 
w^hich  can  be  attached  to  a  well-decorated  and  well-lighted  evergreen 
tree.  It  has  been  proved  to  the  second  group  that  a  large  market  for 
young  trees  is  distinctly  favorable  for  the  development  of  the  forest. 
First,  it  encourages  the  farmer  to  reforest  his  wastelands  by  offering 
him  a  good  profit  on  his  investment  within  a  reasonable  number  of 
years.  Second,  it  promotes  extensive  forestry  projects  by  providing  a 
market  for  the  trees  removed  by  thinning-cuttings.  This  second  is  of 
distinct  importance  in  that  it  prevents  the  total  waste  of  such  thinned- 
out  trees,  which  are  usually  too  small  for  any  other  purpose,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  provides  money  for  use  in  bettering  the  remaining  stand. 
Therefore  it  may  be  said,  that  the  demand  for  Christmas  trees  has  re- 
sulted in  positive  gains  for  American  and  Canadian  forests,  rather  than 
in  any  losses. 

In  addition  to  these  two  sources  of  supply,  where  the  production  of 
trees  for  Christmas  use  is,  after  all,  merely  incidental  to  other  activities. 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


there  have  been  developed  plantations,  the  sole  object  of  which  is  to 
supply  the  Christmas  market.  A  great  deal  of  research  has  been  done  in 
the  interests  of  such  plantations,  particularly  along  two  lines :  preference 
of  buyers  as  to  species,  and  the  keeping  qualities  of  various  varieties. 
By  investigation  in  the  former  field,  it  has  been  discovered  that  the 
balsam  fir  (Abies  balsamea)  is  by  far  the  favorite,  although  the  spruces 
(Picea  alba,  P.  rubens,  P.  nigra)  and,  to  a  lesser  extent,  the  hemlock 
(Tsuga  canadensis)  are  also  popular.  Red  cedar  (Juniperus  virginiana) 
and  the  pines  (most  often  the  scrub  pine,  Pinus  virginiana)  are  usually 
local  products  and  bring  relatively  lower  prices.  Along  the  line  of  va- 
rietal characteristics,  the  ability  to  retain  the  needles  for  long  periods 
after  cutting  is  the  chief  factor  in  the  investigations. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  growing  of  trees  for  the  Christ- 
mas market  is  now  a  commercial  enterprise  of  considerable  extent,  there 
still  exists  some  degree  of  opposition  to  the  cutting  of  Christmas  trees. 
That  such  opposition  must  rest  on  an  aesthetic,  rather  than  upon  an 
economic,  basis  does  not  diminish,  but  augments  its  effectiveness.  The 
decoration  of  living  trees  is  becoming  more  and  more  common  each 
year.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  living  Christmas  trees  will  continue  to  be 
increasingly  common  in  future  years.  For  Christmas  is  the  festival  of 
the  living — a  promise  of  the  renewal  and  strenghtening  of  all  life;  the 
living  tree,  man's  natural  shelter  in  past  ages,  is  the  perfect  symbol  of 
that  promise. 

Haven  Kolb. 


The  Color  of  Christmas 

CHRISTMAS  in  church  and  home,  even  in  our  prosaic  and  mechanical 
age,  is  almost  inconceivable  without  the  presence  of  delightful 
evergreens.  At  first  the  church  frowned  upon  the  intrusion  of 
paganism  into  the  sacred  season.  This  was  not  due  to  any  antipathy  to 
the  natural  emblems  in  themselves,  but  on  account  of  the  superstitious 
sentiments  which  were  bound  up  with  them.  Yet  there  was  ample 
scriptural  warrant  for  the  practice.  Isaiah  had  written:  "The  glory  of 
Lebanon  shall  come  unto  thee,  the  fir  tree,  the  pine  tree,  and  the  box 
together,  to  beautify  the  place  of  my  sanctuary."  Altogether,  the 
ancient  church  was  wisely  tolerant  in  her  attitude  toward  heathen 
ideas  and  customs,  for  she  recognized  that  many  of  these  ideas,  like 
adorning  houses  with  evergreens,  were  endeared  to  the  people  by  im- 
memorial usage.  Instead  of  banning  them,  therefore,  she  more  often 
permitted  their  continuance,  directing  her  efforts  toward  investing 
them  with  a  new  sanctity  and  meaning.   While  they  were  often  made 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


to  represent  higher  and  holier  things,  the  older  decorations  were  not 
altogether  discarded;  hence  the  curious  and  interesting  mixture  of 
ideas,  pagan  and  Christian,  which  became  charmingly  entwined  with 
the  greenery  of  the  season.  The  plants  which,  more  than  any  others, 
symbolized  the  festival  were  holly,  ivy,  mistletoe,  and  rosemary. 

In  some  old  Christmas  songs  holly  and  ivy  are  linked  together  and 
sometimes  appear  in  strange  contrast  to  each  other.  Holly  is  the  man's 
plant,  while  ivy  is  the  woman's.  The  poems  carry  on  a  kind  of  debate 
as  to  which  shall  have  the  preeminence.  In  medieval  times  these  songs 
must  have  been  popular,  for  they  still  exist  in  a  variety  of  forms,  the  un- 
failing mark  of  wide  esteem. 

The  mistletoe  is,  perhaps,  the  fullest  of  romance.  It  could  not  have 
been  difficult  to  start  this  vine  creeping  up  the  tree  of  Christmas.  This 
symbol  of  affectionate  joy  and  peace  passed  quite  naturally  into  the 
festival  of  amity  and  goodwill.  But  a  comparatively  modern  tradition, 
reenforced  by  Washington  Irving  and  many  others,  has  spread  the  im- 
pression that  while  mistletoe  is  eminently  proper  at  happy  family  gath- 
erings, it  would  be  "awfully  wicked"  to  take  it  into  a  church.  That  is 
now  everywhere  the  common  belief.  Yet  there  is  much  to  indicate  that 
the  supposed  ecclesiastical  taboo  was,  at  least,  not  universal  in  the 
Middle  Ages,  and  very  likely  did  not  exist  at  all. 

But  what  has  become  of  the  romantic  rosemary?  This  was  once  the 
choicest  of  the  Christmas  decorations.  According  to  the  popular  tra- 
dition, it  made  its  way  into  England  during  the  first  half  of  the  four- 
teenth century.  There  is  little  wonder  that  this  herb  of  pleasant  savor 
was  accorded  a  high  place  among  the  Christmas  greens,  for  there  was 
no  part  in  the  drama  of  life  it  did  not  hallow.  Gray-green  branches 
were  cut  from  the  hedgerows,  and  when  hung  around  the  rooms,  or 
strewn  on  the  floors,  presented  a  pleasing  contrast  to  the  more  somber 
greens  of  the  holly  and  ivy.  Not  by  the  color  did  rosemary  find  its  way 
into  the  season;  its  insinuating  perfume  placed  it  there.  So,  beside  the 
beautiful  but  scentless  holly  and  ivy,  hung  the  fragrant  and  "memory 
evoking"  rosemary.  Imagination  played  around  it  and  wove  pretty 
legends.  It  was  believed  that  all  its  aromatic  qualities  were  acquired, 
when,  upon  it,  the  swaddling  clothes  of  the  Infant  Savior  were  hung  to 
dry.  The  flowers  are  a  deep  lavender,  but  according  to  Spanish  folklore 
were  originally  white.  The  change  of  color  took  place  in  honor  of  the 
Virgin,  when,  during  the  flight  into  Egypt,  she  cast  her  purple  robe 
over  a  rosemary  bush  while  resting  with  Joseph  and  the  Babe  by  the 
way.  It  is  a  great  mystery  why  rosemary  was  allowed  to  drop  com- 
pletely out  of  Christmas;  for  by  many  tender  ties  it  seemed  to  be  in- 
separably bound  up  with  it. 

E.  L.  AND  E.  M. 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Gift-Giving — Universal 

THE  Yuletide  season  originated  long  ago  in  ages  steeped  with  mys- 
tery and  vagueness.  This  holiday  celebration  of  the  sun-worship- 
ping Aryans  was  one  of  feasting  and  gift-giving.  Probably  this 
was  the  first  season  of  celebration  when  the  members  of  a  family  or 
clan  gave  unto  one  another  in  thankfulness  to  a  higher  heavenly  power. 
Follow  the  footsteps  of  civilization  to  a  more  familiar  festival  of  thank- 
fulness, Christmas.  One  need  not  expound  the  philosophy  of  ideal 
Christmas  gift-giving  and  receiving.  To  the  world-wide  community  of 
modern  times,  Christmas  is  an  almost  instinctive  holiday,  when  kid- 
dies cuddle  in  bed  on  the  eve  when  "Santa"  is  expected  to  climb  noise- 
lessly down  the  chimney,  and  when  grown-ups  hustle  the  children  off 
to  bed  to  hurriedly  decorate  the  Christmas  tree  and  surround  it  with  as 
many  toys  as  Johnny  and  Sally  have  '  'written  for. ' '  They  are  exerting  a 
supreme  effort  in  the  attempt  to  prove  that  there  is  a  "kind  man  who 
drives  with  reindeers  over  the  snow  and  drops  toys  into  the  socks  of  all 
the  good  little  children."  Were  we  to  visit  foreign  lands  during  the 
Christmas  season,  all  nationalities  would  be  found  celebrating,  in  one 
form  or  another,  a  holiday  quite  similar  to  Christmas,  entailing  both 
theme  and  ideals. 

Come  with  me,  in  spirit,  to  a  time  one  hundred-sixty  years  before 
the  birth  of  Christ,  and  Christmas.  Here  we  see  the  birth  of  a  Hebrew 
holiday  quite  similar  to  the  Yuletide  of  the  Aryans,  and  later,  to  the 
Christian  holiday  of  Christmas.  A  memorable  event  has  taken  place  in 
Judah;  at  last,  Judas  Maccabeus  has  thrown  back  the  advances  of  the 
Syrians  and  Greeks,  and  once  more  Palestine  is  free  from  oppression, 
nationally  and  religiously.  Legend  tells  us  that  the  Hebrews  once  more 
began  the  work  of  cleansing  their  sacred  grounds  which  had  been  dese- 
crated by  the  Syrians.  Needing  fuel  for  the  shrine's  "Eternal  Light," 
the  Hebrews  sought  for  holy  oil.  Their  search  was  rewarded  by  the 
finding  of  only  one  small  vessel  of  oil — just  enough  to  burn  for  a  day 
and  a  night.  But  lo,  a  miracle!  The  light  burned  without  end  for  eight 
days,  just  time  enough  for  them  to  get  more  holy  oil  and  finish  their 
work  of  making  the  shrine  fit  for  worship.  It  is  thus  that '  'Chanukah' ' 
or  the  "Feast  of  Lights"  began;  and  in  praise  to  the  Miracle-Worker 
and  their  protector,  they  celebrated,  and  to  this  day  commemorate,  an 
eight-day  holiday  season  brimming  with  feasting,  masquerades  and 
gift-giving. 

Modern  trends  in  the  celebration  of  these  festivals  are  probably 
familiar  to  all  who  participate  in  them,  but  when  we  speak  of  "Chanu- 
kah" to  non-Hebrews,  very  rarely  is  the  true  concept  of  the  holiday 
familiar  to  them.   '  'Chanukah"  is  most  memorable  to  the  children,  for 

9 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


it  is  on  this  that  "Sammy"  stands  silently  near  his  revered  father, 
waiting,  hoping.  Before  long,  the  busy  parent  turns  toward  Sammy, 
smiles,  and  speaks.  "What's  the  matter,  Sammy?"  The  youngster  ex- 
tends his  hand,  palm  upward,  face  bowed,  feet  fidgeting  nervously,  im- 
patiently. His  father  smiles,  bends  over  to  one  side,  you  hear  the  tin- 
kling of  coins,  and  Sammy  feels  the  weight  of  them  in  his  palm.  He 
laughs,  runs  toward  the  door  to  go  out  and  spend  his  fortune.  "Don't 
forget,  Sammy;  put  something  in  the  'pushke'  (charity-box)." 

True  gift-giving  is  not  followed  by  a  formal  "Thanks"  or  "Thank 
you."  From  the  heart  comes  a  silent  appreciation  which  transfers  to 
the  giver,  and  the  giving  is  repaid.  When  we  give,  as  our  forefathers 
have  done  before  us,  we  do  so  in  acknowledgment  of  "services"  prof- 
fered by  the  contact  one  has  with  the  members  of  his  family  and  his 
acquaintances.  It  signifies  a  token  of  the  esteem  one  has  for  another. 
Since  heartfelt  thanks  are  thus  experienced  by  both  giver  and  receiver, 
such  occasions  as  these  have  gone  through  time,  a  sign  of  everlasting 
faith  in  mankind. 

Max  Berzofsky. 
Leonard  Woolf. 


€x:iiJii).^:^:S^ 


The  Guiding  Star 


THAT  night  the  waves  seemed  calm.  They  lapped  against  the  boat 
with  a  lulling  swish  instead  of  their  usual  pounding  roar.  The 
captain  leaned  against  the  rail  at  midship.  It  was  Christmas  Eve 
and  this  man,  like  all  true  sailors  on  that  night,  felt  like  the  Wise  Men 
years  ago,  when  they  followed  the  star  across  the  plains  to  find  their 
expected  King,  for  that  same  star  was  guiding  him  as  his  ship  followed 
its  course  across  the  sea. 

Reluctantly  he  turned  his  eyes  toward  the  music  hall  from  which 
issued  shouts  of  laughter  which  brought  his  mind  back  from  that  Far 
Eastern  Land.  The  officer  smiled;  there,  inside  the  door,  was  Christmas 
like  the  celebrations  on  land,  with  sparkling  young  laughter  and  glis- 
tening trees  surrounded  by  piles  of  gifts.  For  a  moment  he  watched  the 
gayety  inside,  but  almost  magically  his  eyes  were  drawn  back  to  the 
sea. He  preferred  his  Christmas  with  its  guiding  star  and  tender  thoughts 
of  Christ. 

E.  Pratt,  Sopb.  7. 

10 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


A  Christmas  of  Long  Ago 

THE  little  old  lady  sat  gazing  dreamily  into  the  fire  that  burned 
cheerily  in  the  fireplace.  Suddenly  to  her  ears  came  the  sound  of 
sweet  singing!  She  pondered  awhile,  and  then  remembered.  Why, 
of  course,  this  was  Christmas  Eve,  and  the  carolers  were  singing 
beneath  her  window.  How  sweet  and  sad  they  sounded!  As  she  rocked, 
the  little  lady  dreamed  of  another  Christmas  of  long  ago. 

Again  she  was  a  girl — the  charming  Miss  Priscilla  Dean.  How 
well  she  remembered  that  one,  special  Christmas  when  she  had  gone  to 
visit  her  grandparents  on  the  farm  in  Virginia.  Grandad  and  Uncle  Joe 
met  her  at  the  station  in  the  old  family  sleigh.  What  fun  it  had  been  to 
snuggle  down  into  the  warm  fur,  and  toast  her  almost  frozen  toes  on 
the  heated  irons  that  Grandma  had  so  thoughtfully  sent  for  her.  For 
miles  they  rode  through  the  snow — she,  all  the  while,  marvelling  at 
the  white  beauty  of  the  country. 

How  glad  she  was  to  see  again  the  familiar  farmhouse,  nestling 
among  the  hills,  covered  with  a  mantle  of  falling  snow.  It  had  all 
looked  like  the  scene  from  a  tiny  Christmas  garden.  When  they  reached 
the  house,  she  jumped  quickly  out  of  the  sleigh  to  meet  the  folks.  She 
was  greeted  by  dear  old  Grandma,  who  bustled  her  immediately  into 
the  warm  kitchen,  and  placed  her  before  the  wood  stove.  It  seemed 
that  all  Grandma  ever  thought  of  was  the  comfort  of  others.  Soon  she 
was  besieged  on  all  sides  by  relatives,  answering  hundreds  of  questions 
about  the  kinfolk  back  home. 

After  a  hearty  supper  of  old  ham  and  flaky  hot  biscuits,  they  all 
gathered  in  the  front  room  to  pop  corn  before  the  big  open  fireplace. 
They  strung  it  into  the  most  beautifully  colored  necklaces  Priscilla  had 
ever  seen.  Cousin  Bob  brought  in  a  big  hemlock  tree,  that  he  had  cut  in 
the  forest,  and  placed  it  in  its  usual  corner.  What  fun  it  had  been  to 
hang  the  lovely  strings  on  its  stately  boughs!  And  last  of  all  came  the 
really  great  event — when  Aunt  Susie  climbed  upon  the  ladder,  and  hung 
the  beautiful  tinsel  star  on  the  topmost  branch  of  the  tree.  Time  to  go 
to  bed  came  much  too  soon,  and  everyone  had  to  go  upstairs,  sup- 
posedly to  bed;  but,  later,  if  one  had  been  spying,  one  would  have  seen 
strange  white  figures  gliding  down  the  stairs  to  leave  queer,  mysterious 
packages  under  the  tree. 

Christmas  Day!  It  was  the  most  beautiful  morning  Priscilla  had 
ever  seen!  The  very  air  sparkled  and  sang,  as  if  it,  too,  were  full  of  the 
joy  of  Christmas.  After  a  big  breakfast,  they  all  again  gathered  in  the 
front  room  to  open  their  presents.  Laughter  and  joy  reigned  as  each 
new  gift  was  unwrapped.  The  lovely  lace  shawl  that  she  had  bestowed 
on  Grandma,  brought  tears  to  the  dear  old  lady's  eyes.  Then,  to  her  de- 
ll 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


light,  appeared  the  lovely  fox  skin  that  Cousin  Bob  had  so  proudly 
tanned  for  her.  At  ten  o'clock,  every  one  went  to  church  to  hear  old 
Parson  Quirk,  in  his  quacking,  quavery  voice  tell  the  story  of  the  first 
Christmas.  After  the  service,  they  piled  into  the  big  sleigh  for  the 
long,  cold  ride  back  to  the  house  and  a  hot  turkey  dinner.  As  soon  as 
the  feast  was  over,  the  family  all  gathered  in  the  parlor  before  the  roar- 
ing fire,  and  listened  to  Uncle  Dave  tell  of  his  strange  adventures  in 
foreign  countries.  Somehow,  they  had  all  dozed  from  the  heat  of  the 
fireplace;  and  Uncle  Joe  had  to  awaken  Priscilla  in  time  to  take  her  back 
to  the  train. 

What  a  wonderful  Christmas  it  was,  mused  the  old  lady,  as  she 
settled  back  in  her  chair.  Many  years  have  passed  since  the  time  of  her 
musings,  and  many  journeys  has  the  dear  old  lady  taken.  Slower  and 
slower  went  the  rocker,  as  her  eyes  dropped  wearily.  The  little  old 
lady  was  taking  her  last  journey. 

LORELLE  HeADLEY,  Sopb.   I. 


€iSaJSLi5=& 


What  is  Living  ? 

Is  living  counting  the  hours  of  day. 

Awaiting  each  moment  to  pass  away? 

Is  it  wondering  when  the  day  will  end 

To  leave  you  at  rest  with  pleasures  and  friend? 

Is  it  passing  the  world  without  even  a  grin. 

Nor  striving  success  and  love  to  win? 

Is  living  gold-hoarding  for  future  years, 

Heedless  of  others'  sorrows  and  tears? 

Is  it  placing  your  fortune  in  garments  fair. 

To  bring  forth  splendor  and  beauty  rare? 

Is  it  living  not  to  extend  a  hand 

To  the  poor,  and  the  needy,  who  live  in  our  land? 

Isn't  it  life  to  be  loved  by  all 

Who'll  help  you,  if  you  rise  or  fall 

To  discover  delight  in  the  smile  of  a  child 

Who  wins  by  her  ways,  so  sweet  and  mild; 

To  find  brimming  joy  in  work  or  play. 

Just  living,  and  loving  each  moment,  each  day? 

H.  V.  McIntyre. 
12 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


My  First  Christmas  at  Sea 

IT  was  the  afternoon  of  December  twenty-third,  nineteen  thirty-two, 
when  the  Coast  Guard  Cutter  Pulaski  left  the  base  at  Staten  Island 
and  pointed  her  bow  toward  the  open  sea  and  her  patrol  of  the 
southern  area  of  the  New  York  division.  The  brisk  east  wind  was  whip- 
ping up  white  caps,  making  all  the  sailors  prepare  for  a  miserable 
cruise. 

On  the  morning  of  December  twenty-fourth,  due  to  a  shift  of  the 
wind  to  the  south,  a  heavy  fog  set  in  and  the  Pulaski  asked,  and  was 
granted  permission  by  radio  to  proceed  to  the  quiet  waters  of  Delaware 
Breakwater,  to  cook  our  Christmas  dinner  which  consisted  of  turkey 
and  all  its  trimmings.  In  a  few  hours,  just  as  our  festal  preparations 
w^ere  at  their  height,  the  radioman  received  a  message  for  us  to  proceed 
to  sea  and  look  for  a  small  fishing  vessel  which  had  left  Atlantic  City 
five  days  before  and  had  not  since  been  heard  from.  The  Captain  com- 
puted the  approximate  position  of  the  fishing  craft  and  immediately, 
through  the  still  lingering  fog,  headed  out  to  sea  past  the  jetties  of  the 
Delaware. 

Early  Christmas  morning  the  lookout  on  the  fo'castle  head  sang 
out  "Lights  Ho!"  and  there,  through  the  slowly  lifting  fog,  we  could 
discern  the  fishing  vessel,  rolling  in  the  sea,  illuminated  only  by  the 
searchlights  from  vessels  which  were  standing  by  to  render  any  possible 
assistance.  When  they  sighted  our  Coast  Guard  Cutter,  however,  they 
immediately  slipped  away.  The  Pulaski's  dory  was  prepared  for  lower- 
ing and  a  properly  outfitted  boarding  party,  well  armea  with  hot  coffee 
and  food  for  the  hungry  crew,  was  mustered.  Later  the  fishing  vessel 
was  taken  in  tow,  and  at  10:30  a.m.  on  December  twenty-fifth,  we  ar- 
rived at  the  mouth  of  Atlantic  City  Inlet.  A  smaller  boat  then  guided 
the  fishers  into  the  inlet,  a  safe  harbor  for  small  vessels. 

The  Pulaski  headed  for  Delaware  Breakwater  with  a  light-hearted 
and  happy  crew.  Christmas  at  sea  had  indeed  been  spent  for  a  worthy 
cause. 

Roger  Z.  Williams. 

A  Plea 

Wake  Babe — wake  to  pity  us. 
Return  from  land  of  unknown  pilgrimage. 
Grant  us  faith  and  hope  and  love — 
Give  us  truth  with  mercy  wove. 

M.  Melamet. 

13 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  Night  Before  Christmas 

OUTSIDE  a  chill  wind  whistled  around  the  corner,  and  downy 
snowflakes  scurried  noiselessly  past  the  window  pane.  But  the  big 
living-room  inside  the  old  brick  house  on  the  hill  was  warm  and 
glowing  with  an  air  of  cheery  holiday  comfort.  In  the  grate  of  the 
huge  stone  fireplace  at  one  end  of  the  room,  roared  a  crackling  fire.  The 
yellow  and  red  flames  leaped  and  bounded  in  a  spritely  fashion  as  they 
spread  a  soft,  mellow  light  over  the  room.  On  the  mantel  of  the  fire- 
place were  red-berried  holly  and  shiny,  green  mistletoe  banked  care- 
lessly, but  artistically,  against  the  wall.  And  just  below,  two  tiny 
stockings,  which  might  have  belonged  to  a  nymph,  hung  by  the  chim- 
ney. In  one  corner  stood  a  chubby  little  pine  tree  displaying  its  Christ- 
mas finery  like  a  young  girl  showing  off  a  new  dress.  Dozens  of  bright, 
twinkling  electric  lights  peeped  out  from  their  hiding  places  among  the 
tree's  branches  as  if  they  were  playing  hide  and  seek  with  the  tinsel 
angels.  The  Christmas  decorations  were  completed  by  three  long, 
slender  candles  burning  in  the  window  which  looked  out  upon  the  cold, 
white  world.  Ah!  How  delightfully  gay  and  warm  the  whole  atmos- 
phere was !  The  Christmas  spirit  filled  the  air. 

Jeanne  M.  Lang,  Fr.  6. 

The  Gift  of  the  Tramp 

As  Pop  Klein  stood  on  the  crowded  street  and  watched  the  mass  of 
A\  bundle-laden  people  pass  by,  he  thought  of  the  time  of  Christ's 
"^  ^  birth  now  only  two  days  distant.  He  was  an  old  man,  stoop- 
shouldered  and  wrinkled.  His  coat  was  ragged  and  frayed,  his  shoes 
cracked,  the  cardboard  undersoling  of  one  worn  through.  Just  a  few 
minutes  before  a  well-dressed  gentleman  had  felt  sorry  for  the  aged 
man,  and,  moved  by  the  spirit  of  giving,  had  thrust  a  coin  into  his  cold, 
old  hand.  Already  Pop  was  planning  the  meal  he  would  order — 
potatoes,  beans,  ham,  bread,  and  coffee,  yes,  two  cups  of  coffee  to  take 
the  chill  of  the  night  air  from  his  bones. 

Down  the  street  his  feet  shuffled  as  he  hurried  to  appease  his  two- 
day  appetite.  A  glaring  window  caught  his  attention  and  he  paused 
long  enough  to  recall  the  time  when  he  was  young,  and,  while  not  too 
prosperous,  could  care  for  his  young  wife  and  son.  Now  they  were 
gone  and  only  he  remained,  an  old  and  broken  man. 

A  child  who  was  also  torn  and  tattered,  stood  near.  He  stretched 
his  hand  out  as  if  to  clasp  an  especially  gaudy  drum.    To  Pop,  who 

14 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


watched  him,  the  child  appeared  to  express  in  that  longing  for  the 
multi-colored  toy  a  yearning  for  all  things  which  were  not  his;  clothes, 
food,  home  and  family. 

Pop  turned  from  the  child  to  rid  himself  of  the  picture.  An  unseen 
hand  clutched  at  his  short  coat.  He  half  turned,  then  resolutely  pushed 
forward.  Still  at  his  heart  the  memory  of  his  own  small  son  was  per- 
sistent and  would  not  permit  him  to  be  on  his  way.  Pop  Klein  returned. 
Hesitating,  he  gently  placed  his  hand  on  the  boy's  shoulder.  "Get 
your  damn  old  hand  off  me,  tramp,"  the  boy  shouted.  Drawing  back 
as  though  bitten  by  his  pet  dog.  Pop  hastily  withdrew.  That  night  a 
warm,  well-fed,  and  contented  old  man  slept  on  a  park  bench  and 
dreamed  of  a  young  son  in  heaven  who  would  never  call  him  old. 

Frances  E.  Fantom,  '35- 


Lexington  Market 


One's  first  impression,  upon  entering  Lexington  Market,  is  that  oi 
colors,  odors,  people — all  in  great  profusion  and  variety. 
There  electric  bulbs  draped  with  strips  of  orange  and  red  crepe 
paper  flutter  in  the  breeze  from  many  electric  fans;  pyramids  of  golden 
oranges;  clusters  of  frosty  grapes;  plump,  juicy  green  pickles;  rough, 
husky  brown  coconuts;  bins  full  of  green  spinach;  barrels  of  gray 
oysters;  rows  of  glistening  fish,  and  many  other  vivid  things  to  dazzle 
one's  eye.  The  plant  stands,  with  their  radiant  banks  of  flowers,  add 
their  part  to  the  colorfulness.  Chrysanthemums  like  great  golden  pom- 
pons, spicy  red  carnations,  little,  curled  tea  roses — all  seem  to  be  wait- 
ing to  tempt  the  lover  of  flowers  who  passes  by. 

The  odors — spicy,  fresh,  sweet,  sour,  fishy — are  enough  to  revive 
the  most  jaded  appetite  and  make  the  mouth  of  even  the  most  disdain- 
ful connoisseur  water.  The  aroma  of  olives,  sauerkraut,  fragrant 
cheeses,  smoked  herring,  and  the  odd,  pungent-smelling  imported 
delicacies  sorely  tempt  one  to  stop  and  buy. 

And  then  the  people — there  are  foreign-looking  old  ladies  with 
bonnets,  bearing  on  their  arms  golden  w^icker  baskets  laden  with  good 
things  to  eat.  Tired  looking  darkies  plod  wearily  up  the  long  aisles. 
Bright-faced  young  people  hurry  along,  doing  bits  of  last-minute  mar- 
keting, in  order  to  be  home  in  time  to  cook  supper.  Ragged  urchins  of 
assorted  sizes  dash  wildly  in  and  out,  bumping  into  heavy  market  bas- 
kets and  tramping  on  tired  feet.  The  beaming,  white-aproned  stall 
keepers  dispensing  their  fragrant  wares  seem  indeed  to  be  the  vendors  of 
the  food  or  the  gods. 

And  over  all,  good  humor  prevails. 

Eleanor  Schnepfe. 

15 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  Evolution  of  tte  Christmas  Card 

IN  this  rapid  age,  infant  industries  grow  to  giant  proportions  almost 
overnight,  as  the  radio  and  moving  picture  have  done.  Now,  they, 
and  others  of  similar  swift  development,  have  been  joined  Ijy  the 
industry  of  the  designing,  making,  distributing  and  selling  of  Christ- 
mas cards. 

Christmas  cards  are  quite  different  today  from  the  Yuletide  greet- 
ings of  old.  The  first  Christmas  card  was  designed  in  1846  by  J.  C. 
Horsley,  a  member  of  the  English  Royalty,  for  Sir  Henry  Cole,  who 
wanted  it  to  send  to  friends  as  a  special  form  of  greeting.  As  Christmas 
cards  go  today,  the  Cole-Horsley  card  would  not  be  given  much  con- 
sideration. It  was  made  on  Italian  hand-made  paper,  and  not  upon 
parchment.  It  had  no  block  printing,  no  medieval  design  or  gorgeous 
coloring.  It  was  decorated  with  a  "trellis  of  rustic  work  in  the  rather 
rococco  style"  with  a  division  in  the  center,  and  two  side  panels  rep- 
resenting two  of  the  acts  of  charity;  "feeding  the  hungry"  and  "cloth- 
ing the  poor."  The  center  panel  depicted  a  family  party  including 
three  generations,  celebrating  after  having  done  their  appointed  chari- 
table acts.  The  card  was  much  criticized  by  friends  of  the  temperance 
cause  as  it  represented  a  merry  family  party  about  to  drink  a  toast  from 
wine  glasses  filled  to  the  brim.  The  card  was  lithographed,  copied  by 
hand,  and  one  thousand  copies  were  sold. 

Varied  ancestry  may  be  found  for  the  Christmas  card.  There  were 
lover  cards,  and  illustrated  note  paper,  and,  in  Germany,  the  illumi- 
nated cards  sent  on  "Namenstag,"  the  feast  of  one's  patron  saint.  In 
1844,  a  man  of  Luth  had  issued  a  card  bearing  a  laughing  face  and  "A 
Gude  New  Year  to  Ye."  As  this  had  practically  no  circulation,  it  is 
thought  that  Sir  Henry's  idea  might  have  come  from  the  "Christmas 
pieces"  written  by  schoolboys  on  paper  decorated  with  flourishes  and 
scrolls. 

In  1862,  Christmas  greeting  cards  came  into  general  use  in  England, 
w^hen  Charles  Goddall  and  Sons  issued  a  series  of  beautiful  cards  drawn 
by  the  leading  artists  of  the  day,  and  costing  hundreds  of  pounds.  The 
originals  were  later  sold  to  magazines  or  picture  houses  to  be  used  for 
other  purposes. 

America,  where  the  Christmas  card  had  taken  such  hold  on  the 
public,  followed  England's  lead,  but  slowly.  At  the  Vienna  Exposition 
of  1873,  the  flowered  business  cards  of  Louis  Prang,  a  Boston  lithogra- 
pher, attracted  so  much  attention,  that  a  woman  in  his  London  agency 
suggested  putting  a  greeting  in  place  of  the  firm  name  and  issuing  them 
as  Christmas  cards.  Then  the  Centennial  Exposition  in  Philadelphia, 
two  years  later,  disseminated  the  Christmas  card  idea. 

16 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


In  1894,  the  Christmas  card  had  become  so  popular  that  an  author- 
ity on  the  subject  had  a  collection  of  cards  filling  seven  hundred  vol- 
umes, weighing  nearly  seven  tons,  and  containing  163,000  varieties.  By 
that  time  the  Christmas  card  in  England  was  falling  into  a  decline  be- 
cause of  increasingly  poor  design.  Besides,  cheap  cards  from  the  conti- 
nent were  being  imported  in  large  quantities. 

The  development  of  the  Christmas  card  has  gone  on  by  leaps  and 
bounds  during  the  last  twenty  years.  The  last  decade  and  a  half  has 
seen  the  birth  and  almost  magical  growth  of  greeting  cards  of  other 
kinds. 

What  makes  a  greeting  card  popular  or  unpopular  has  never  been 
determined.  Two  of  the  most  popular  cards  ever  printed  contained 
verses  by  Edwin  Markham  and  Henry  Van  Dyke.  Five  hundred  and 
eight  thousand  cards,  using  this  letter  verse,  were  sold: 

"It's  an  old  wish 
On  a  tiny  little  card; 
It's  simply  Merry  Christmas 
But  I  wish  it  awfully  hard." 

The  Christmas  card  has  found  a  place  in  the  field  of  fine  arts,  and 
it  now  may  be  seen  disporting  itself  as  the  handiwork  of  artists  who, 
before,  have  held  aloof  from  anything  so  trivial.  The  Art  Alliance  is 
responsible  for  this  lift  in  its  status,  and  such  artists  as  J.  J.  Lankes, 
Thomas  Handforth,  Ralph  Pearson,  Walter  Teague,  and  Rockwell  Kent 
have  taken  it  in  hand. 

Christmas  cards  belong  to  all.  They  serve  all  ends  and  find  their 
way  to  all  places.  They  are  sent  by  social  leaders,  and  kitchen  maids, 
bankers  and  bartenders.  In  "season's  best  wishes"  printed  or  engraved, 
friends  exchange  greetings,  and  politicians  lay  up  votes.  "He  is  a  lone 
creature  who  does  not  get  his  share  of  cards  at  Christmas  time." 

E.  L.  AND  E.  M. 


Impressions  of  the  Prairie 

A  barbecue  in  the  moonlight 
Quiet  hills  in  the  background 
And  the  noise  of  howling  coyotes. 
Melodious  songs  in  the  firelight 
Twanging  guitars  of  the  cowboys 
And  the  scent  of  ash-roasted  potatoes. 

Clara  Bestry,  Soph.  i. 

17 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Caroling 


CHRISTMAS  is  the  only  festival  for  which  carols  not  only  have  been 
written,  but  also  have  been  sung  continuously.    Let  us  see  how 
this  custom  so  effectively  uniting  music  and  religion  originated. 
French  historians  say  that  as  early  as  the  year  129,  Telesphorus, 
Bishop  of  Rome,  instituted  the  custom  of  celebrating  the  Nativity  with 
songs  of  Noel.  Generally  speaking,  however,  Christmas  was  celebrated 
without  carols,  unless  the  term  be  applied  to  Yuletide  drinking  songs. 

The  birth  of  the  true  carol  was  about  1200  in  the  Italian  village  of 
Grecia.  It  happened  at  a  most  auspicious  time,  when  religion  was  at  a 
low  ebb;  when  Christ  was  regarded  as  an  awful  judge.  Saint  Francis  of 
Assisi  and  his  friars  composed,  in  a  simple  tongue  for  the  common  peo- 
ple, songs  of  the  "Christ  Child."  They  arranged  a  realistic  play  de- 
picting the  circumstances  of  the  first  Christmas.  Since  very  few  people 
could  read,  these  simple  dramas  made  religious  concepts  clear  to  the 
common  people.  Singing  by  the  clergy  was  introduced  between  the 
scenes  of  these  mystery  plays.  The  people  enjoyed  these  vocal  inter- 
ludes, soon  mastered  the  words,  and  joined  in  the  singing.  Quickly 
there  developed  the  custom  of  singing  the  carols  apart  from  the  plays. 

Retaining  their  essential  character  of  childish  simplicity  and  re- 
ligious fervor,  the  carols  passed  from  Italy  to  Spain,  France  and  Germany. 

About  this  time  also  (fourteenth  and  fifteenth  centuries)  the  Eng- 
lish clergy  was  busy  helping  the  people  to  enter  with  spiritual  joy  into 
the  observance  of  Christmas. 

The  earliest  known  copy  of  an  English  carol  is  a  bit  published 
about  1410: 

I  saw  a  sweet,  a  seemly  sight, 
A  blissful  burd,  a  blossom  bright." 

This  illustration  with  its  alliteration  and  homely  simplicity,  is 
typical  of  our  old  English  carols.  Besides,  the  whole  composition  is 
brought  into  personal  relation  with  the  singer  in  its  beginning,  "I 
saw,"  rather  than  the  general  "There  was." 

Thus  carols  have  developed,  still  carrying  with  them  their  es- 
sential purpose — to  bring  religion  within  the  conception  of  the  pop- 
ulace. Now  the  custom  of  carol  singing  has  grown  to  such  proportions 
that  we  sing  them  in  church  choirs,  glee-clubs,  in  streets,  over  the 
radio,  and  in  our  homes. 

S ARENA  Fried,  Sr.  i. 
18 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  Star  in  the  East 

"...  for  we  have  seen  His  star  in  the  East  and  have  come  to  worship  Him.'^ 

WHAT  a  wonderful  way  to  start  a  religion!  All  the  mysticism  of 
the  Eastern  concept  of  a  good  religion  is  conjured  up  in  that 
statement.  His  star  .  .  . 

What  was  the  Star  in  the  East?  Was  it  a  supernatural  phenomenon 
foretelling  the  advent  of  the  Christ,  or  was  it  merely  a  natural  happen- 
ing that  can  easily  be  explained  by  modern  astronomy?  Is  Christianity 
founded  on  Divine  intervention  and  plan,  or  only  upon  the  works  and 
sayings  of  a  good  man?  An  astronomer  would  say  that  the  Star  in  the 
East  was  a  '  'nova, ' '  or  one  type  of  variable  star.  That  is,  it  is  one  of  the 
less  bright  stars  which  suddenly  becomes  exceedingly  brilliant  and  may 
remain  so  for  several  days  or  even  years.  Sooner  or  later,  however,  it 
gradually  dims  to  its  former  insignificance.  Such  a  "nova,"  situated 
near  the  equator  of  the  sky,  might  have  been  conceived  by  the  mystery- 
loving  astrologers  of  the  Near  East  to  be  the  sign  of  the  birth  of  a  new 
mystic  destined  to  stir  the  world,  for  during  the  nights  that  it  was  visi- 
ble, it  would  rise  in  the  East,  pass  a  little  south  of  the  zenith,  and  set  in 
the  west.  If  the  Magi  were  in  the  sameparallel  of  latitude  as  Bethlehem, 
they  might  have  construed  that  it  was  guiding  them  "to  the  place 
where  the  young  child  lay. 

It  might  have  been,  as  the  Magi  thought,  a  sign  of  great  things  to 
come;  something  really  supernatural.  In  that  case,  we  are  justified  in 
believing  in  all  the  story.  But  who  are  we,  not  to  doubt  it  anyway?  If 
we  are  religious  and  whether  we  admit  it  or  not,  we  are,  for  man  is  a 
religious  being — ^who  are  we,  not  to  believe?  My  point  is,  that  super- 
natural or  explainable,  the  "Star  in  the  East"  part  of  the  Christmas 
story  is  indeed  significant. 

Even  if  the  phenomenon  were  only  coincidence,  we  are  neverthe- 
less indebted  to  the  appearance  of  that  "nova"  thousands  of  years  ago 
for  some  of  the  best  thoughts  that  have  entered  the  mind  of  mankind — 
some  of  the  finest  results  in  the  arts — music,  sculpture  and  painting — 
and,  last  of  all  for  a  lightening  of  the  mental  burden  of  mankind  each 
year  through  the  influx  into  everyone's  heart  of  the  Christmas  Spirit. 


19 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  Witches'  Revenge 

=' X'^OME,  come,  my  family!  What  is  wrong  here?  I  have  just  re- 
I  turned  from  my  long  sea  journey  and  is  there  no  cheery  Christmas 
^^-^greeting  for  me?"  As  Michael  glanced  at  the  little  group  gath- 
ered about  the  fireplace  his  smile  faded,  and  a  frown  replaced  it.  "Tell 
me  quickly — what  has  happened?  Is  someone  seriously  ill?  No  one 
here,  certainly,  for  here  we  all  are.  You,  my  dear  mother,"  he  patted 
the  gray  hair  of  the  delicate  looking  woman,  "and  you,  my  father  and 
sisters." 

"The  old  log,"  murmured  one  of  the  young  girls,  in  a  voice  filled 
with  tears,  "the  old  log  burned  up  before  the  new  one  was  lit. " 

"Bad  luck,  bad  luck,"  muttered  Michael's  father. 

The  young  man's  face  cleared  and  he  laughed.  "Rot!  You  do  not 
believe  that,  merely  because  the  old  Yule  log  burned  up  before  the  new 
one  was  lit,  bad  luck  must  visit  us.  Come,  let  us  rejoice  and  make  merry; 
this  is  Christmas. ' ' 

"Never  has  this  happened  in  our  family  before."  The  old  man's 
eyes  filled  with  tears. 

"The  witches,  the  witches,"  moaned  the  mother,  "will  surely 
visit  us  because  of  this . ' ' 

'  'Yes,  and  there  was  no  piece  of  crooked  metal  in  my  stocking;  that 
will  bring  us  bad  luck,  too,"  soberly  stated  the  little  sister. 

The  other  sister  joined  in,  "When  Mrs.  Cruther's  Yule  log  went 
out  last  Christmas,  all  of  her  cattle  died  during  the  year,  and  when  the 
metal  was  left  out  of  Gerry  Scott's  stocking,  the  witches  set  fire  to  the 
house,  and  everything  in  it  was  ruined." 

"Yes,"  added  the  little  sister,  "and  Mrs.  Thomas  says  no  good 
will  come  from  you  leaving  the  farm  and  going  to  sea.  She  says  the 
witches  are  just  waiting  for  a  chance  to  get  even  with  you. 

"Oh,  nonsense.  If  they  come  after  me  I  shall  prove  to  be  a  good 
match  for  them.  Let  us  eat  and  be  merry.  Rejoice  on  Christmas;  do  not 
mourn."  And,  by  a  continuous  flow  of  chatter,  Michael  gradually 
cheered  up  the  family,  and  they  set  about  preparing  the  meal. 

The  monotonous  life  of  the  farmer  did  not  suit  Michael  but  he  did 
like  its  pleasures.  All  day  long  he  participated  in  the  various  events — 
wrestling,  boxing,  running,  and  dancing. 

The  next  day  dull,  thick  gray  clouds  hung  close  to  the  earth.  All 
was  still,  and  any  slight  noise  that  did  arise,  seemed  to  be  amplified. 
As  Michael's  mother  kissed  him  goodbye — for  he  was  off  to  sea  again — 
her  brow  knitted  and  she  whispered  to  him,  '  'Take  care  of  yourself, 
dear  boy." 

20 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Michael  laughed,  "Oh,  the  witches  won't  come  to  sea  after  me." 
"Hush!  Don't  anger  or  tempt  them,"  said  the  father. 
On  the  road  Michael  turned  to  wave  to  the  old  couple  standing  be- 
fore the  door  of  their  cottage.    Chuckling  to  himself  he  murmured, 
"Witches!" 


The  storm  did  not  break  until  the  boat  was  beyond  the  sight  of 
land.  Waves  leaped  high — splashing  over  the  boat  and  splashing  the 
men  who  went  about  their  duties  on  deck.  Far  up  on  the  top  of  the 
mast  the  wind  whistled,  whined,  and  laughed  eerily.  And  then  water, 
pouring  from  the  clouds,  thundered  down  on  the  decks.  The  waves 
swelled  to  gigantic  proportions;  they  rolled  along,  turning,  writhing, 
twisting,  throwing  foam  in  the  faces  of  the  crew  who  were  working 
frenziedly  on  deck.  Thus,  physical  torture  was  added  to  mental. 

Michael  stood  at  the  steering  wheel  and  stared  with  stinging  eyes 
into  nothingness.  Who  could  see  through  this  opaque  sheet?  "Steady, 
steady,"  he  said  through  clenched  teeth.  The  ship  lurched,  rose,  sank 
among  the  waves  and  rose  again.  Never  had  Michael  known  fear,  and 
even  now  when  the  huge  mast  snapped  and  crushed  a  side  of  the  boat, 
not  a  single  frightened  thought  entered  his  mind.  Even  when  he  knew 
that  death  was  certain,  he  remembered  the  happy  Christmas;  and  then 
the  Yule  log.  "The  witches!  Were  my  parents  right?  What  a  ifoolhardy 
son  was  I,  to  laugh  at  the  bewitchers.  But  why  should  they  take  my 
mates,  too?  Why  do  they  not  punish  me  alone  for  mocking  them?  Oh 
forgive  me,  my  parents,  and  you,  my  mates !" 

More  water  gushed  over  the  broken  side  of  the  ship.  The  wind 
shrieked  shrilly;  an  immense  wave  swept  the  deck,  and  cleansed  the 
ship  of  all  men  and  debris. 

With  evening  came  the  end  of  the  storm.  It  seemed  unnatural  that 
those  gently  rolling  mounds  of  water  could  have  been  stirred  up  to 
make  such  dangerous  mountains,  or  that  this  gentle  breeze  could  have 
become  a  raging  maniac.  The  broken  and  deserted  ship  rocked  along, 
mourning  for  its  broken  parts  and  its  attentive  human  keepers — wait- 
ing only  for  the  day  when  the  witches  would  return  and  finish  their 
acts  of  destruction. 

M.  McClean. 


21 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


THE  TOWER  LIGHT 

Published  monthly  by  the  students  of  the  State 
Teachers  College  at  Toivson 

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The  Art  of  Giving 


He  can  dish  it  out,  all  right,  but  can  he  take  it?"  That  pithy- 
little  slang  expression  implies  a  world  of  difference  between 
"dishing  it  out"  and  "taking  it."  Yet  great  as  is  that  difference 
the  contrast  between  "dishing  it  out"  and  giving  is  even  greater.  "Dish- 
ing it  out"  is  a  helter-skelter,  unplanned  scattering,  while  giving  is  an 


22 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


art  involving  definite  skills  of  various  types.  Since  this  is  the  case,  any 
attempt  to  limit,  define,  or  prescribe  forms  for  giving  must  of  necessity 
fail.  However,  there  are  certain  "points  of  coincidence"  reached  by 
most  of  those  who  have  studied  the  art  of  giving.  Foremost  among 
those  points  is  the  conclusion  that,  just  as  the  sculptor  is  the  dominat- 
ing factor  over  his  medium,  the  giver  is  the  dominant  factor  over  his 
gift.  Shakespeare  very  neatly  expressed  that  fact  when  he  had  Ophelia 
say,  "...  for  the  noble  mind  rich  gifts  wax  poor  when  the  givers  prove 
unkind.  ..."  To  illustrate  the  point  under  another  light:  it  was  not  the 
value  of  the  Wise  Men's  gifts  which  made  them  remarkable,  but  the 
fact  that  the  men,  themselves,  carried  their  offerings  over  the  long  dis- 
tance that  they  might  worship  the  Christ  Child.  Surely,  then,  we  can 
sing  with  the  Song  Celestial,  "the  gift's  worth,  O  my  Prince,  lies  in  the 
mind  which  gives,  the  will  that  serves." 

What  are  some  of  the  techniques  which  artistic  givers  master? 
Paul,  in  his  second  letter  to  the  Corinthians  said,  "God  loveth  a  cheer- 
ful giver."  We  might  add,  "and  so  does  everyone  else."  Certainly  the 
spirit  of  the  donor  is  extremely  important  in  determining  whether  he  is 
just  dishing  it  out  or  whether  he  really  is  giving.  Besides  the  technique 
of  controlling  his  motives  and  attitudes  the  giver  must  develop  the  skill 
of  making  the  gift  appropriate  to  the  person  and  the  time.  Funda- 
mental too,  is  the  skill  of  presenting  the  gift  in  a  tactful  manner. 

As  we  consider  giving  from  the  points  of  view  above  presented,  we 
find  we  might  well  change  our  pithy  little  question  to  inquire,  '  'He  can 
dish  it  out,  all  right,  but  can  he  give?" 

Once  Upon  a  Time 

ONCE  there  rode  above  the  housetops,  in  a  sleigh  drawn  by  eight 
reindeer,  a  merry  gentleman  whom  I  shall  call  Santa  Claus.  In 
times  gone  by,  people  knew  what  this  name  meant.  They  loved 
its  bearer  and  respected  him,  for  he  brought  to  their  homes  not  only 
gifts  of  toys  and  candy  but  a  spirit  of  joyful  anticipation  and  happy 
mystery.  Children  wrote  letters  to  Santa  Claus,  and  firmly  believed 
that  he  would  give  to  them  all  they  asked.  Parents  told  beautiful 
stories  about  the  generosity  of  the  chubby  gentleman  and  read  to  their 
children  "'Twas  The  Night  Before  Christmas."  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
parents  enjoyed  the  legendary  fantasy  of  Santa  Claus  as  much  as  their 
children,  for  this  same  fantasy  lent  to  the  Christmas  celebration  an  at- 
mosphere of  gay  goodwill  and  unselfishness. 

But  the  true  meaning  of  Santa  Claus  has  long  since  faded.   Parents 

23 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


no  longer  tell  their  children  that  Santa  represents  the  spirit  of  unselfish- 
ness. Christmas  has  become  a  matter  of  money  now.  Mrs.  Jones  tells 
George  that  Papa  has  to  pay  for  all  the  Christmas  presents  and  that 
George  must  be  a  little  less  demanding  this  year.  "Santa  Claus,"  says 
Mrs.  Jones,  "is  just  a  pretty  story  the  teacher  told  to  amuse  the  chil- 
dren." But  Mrs.  Jones  is  not  the  only  one  who  is  guilty  of  routing 
Santa.  There  are  those  gentlemen  who  stand  on  street  corners  at  Christ- 
mas and  inform  little  boys  and  girls  that  they  must  give  money  to  the 
Salvation  Army,  or  Santa  Claus  will  not  give  them  anything  for  Christ- 
mas. It  becomes,  then,  a  matter  of  "pay  for  what  you  get  or  you  don't 
get  it";  and  Santa's  reputation  for  free  generosity  goes  floating  through 
the  air.  Then  there  are  the  intellectuals  who  have  the  idea  that  it  is  in- 
sulting the  mentality  of  children  to  spin  the  Santa  Claus  yarn  every 
year.  The  whole  fantasy  is  sentimental  and  silly,  and  if  parents  do  not 
enlighten  their  children,  the  latter  will  figure  out  the  fallacy  them- 
selves, sooner  or  later. 

Is  it  right  for  adult  society  to  destroy  a  beautiful  illusion  that  is  so 
real  as  to  make  it  spiritually  true?  Is  it  ever  right  to  put  into  a  child's 
heart  cynicism,  a  sneering  attitude  toward  a  spirit  of  unselfishness  that 
should  exist  in  the  hearts  of  all  people?  It  is  my  belief,  that  in  losing 
faith  in  Santa  Claus,  the  child  loses  the  true  meaning  of  Christmas, 
which  is  "Goodwill  to  men."  It  is  the  duty  of  parents  and  teachers, 
then,  to  keep  alive  faith  in  unselfishness  and  goodwill — that  faith  which 
has  been  embodied  in  Santa  Claus. 

Margaret  Cooley. 

Questions 

1.  From  what  poem  is  the  following:  "'Twas  the  night  before  Christ- 
mas, when  all  through  the  house"? 

2.  Give  within  200  years  the  date  when  the  idea  of  dating  time  from 
the  birth  of  Christ  was  first  conceived. 

3.  Who  was  King  of  Jerusalem  at  the  time  of  Jesus 's  birth? 

4.  Of  what  village  and  country  were  Joseph  and  Mary  residents? 

5.  When  was  Christ  born? 

6.  When  was  the  first  Christmas  card  made? 

7.  What  are  the  four  evergreens  used  at  Christmas? 

8.  When  was  the  earliest  practice  of  gift  giving? 

9.  What  is  the  origin  of  the  hanging  up  of  stockings? 

10.  From  where  do  we  get  the  idea  of  Santa  Claus? 

(Answers  on  page  lt2) 

24 


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The  Library — At  Your  Service 

Books  are  keys  to  wisdom's  treasure; 
Books  are  gates  to  lands  of  pleasure; 
Books  are  paths  that  upward  lead; 
Books  are  friends.   Come,  let  us  read. 

Emilie  Poulsson. 

As  we  promised,  "Salamina"  will  be  reviewed,  but  we  regret  to  an- 
/A  nounce  that  Marrot's  "A  Life  of  Galsworthy"  will  not  be  pub- 
"^  ^^  ished  until  the  spring  of  1936.  For  those  of  you  who  are  puzzled 
about  Christmas  presents,  we  hope  you  will  find  our  suggestions  help- 
ful. 
"Salamina' — Rockwell  Kent.   23  full-page  Illustrations  and  62  other 

Drawings  by  the  Author;  336  pages — ^N.Y.:  Harcourt,  Brace 

and  Company — $3.95. 
A  great  number  of  artists  are  traveling  and  then  writing  books  of 
their  travels,  illustrating  them  elaborately.  Rockwell  Kent  has  done 
just  this.  He  built  a  house  in  Greenland  and  lived  there  for  a  few  years. 
It  was  in  the  building  of  this  house  that  he  became  so  well  acquainted 
with  his  neighbors.  They  actually  helped  him  little  in  the  building, 
but  "every  day  was  a  prolonged  social  event  that  brought  me  the  ac- 
quaintance of  many  charming  people."  Salamina,  who  gives  her  name 
to  the  book,  is  one  of  the  most  interesting.  Mr.  Kent  deserves  much 
praise  for  his  presentation  of  Eskimo  characters,  lives,  circumstances 
and  problems.  He  thought  he  could  live  as  the  Eskimo,  but  in  his  own 
words,  "Theirs  is  a  life  that  we  at  times  in  thought  revert  to.  They  fit 
the  life;  we  don't.  I  thought  that  I  could  turn  and  live  with  animals; 
I  couldn't."  The  real  heroine  is  not  Salamina,  but  the  sunshine  and 
freedom  of  Greenland  "as  on  Van  Gogh's  yellow  house  in  Aries,  its 
light  is  gold. '  •  ^^g^^Y  Johnson. 

Christmas  Suggestions 

JUVENILE: 

1.  Van  Loon,  H.  W. — "Around  the  World  with  the  Alphabet."  N.Y.: 

Simon  and  Schuster,  1935,  $1.00. 

Starting  with  A  for  Athens,  Mr.  Van  Loon  takes  his  grandson 
around  the  world  and  the  alphabet  in  an  unusual  way. 

2.  Hunt,  M.  L.—  'The  Boy  Who  Had  No  Birthday. ' '  N.  Y. :  Fred  Stokes 

and  Co.,  1935,  $2.75. 

An  imaginative  story  told  against  the  rich  background  of 
Quaker  life  in  an  Indiana  village  in  the  '70's. 

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3.  Mackinstry,  Elizabeth  (Illustrator) — "Aladdin  and  the  Wonderful 

Lamp:'  N.Y. :  The  Macmillan  Co.,  1935,  $1.75. 

The  re-creation  of  an  old  fairy  tale  beautifully  illustrated. 

4.  Flack,  Marjorie — "Up  in  the  Air:'  Illustrated  by  Karl  Larsson, 

N.Y.rTheMacmillanCo.,  1935.  $1.75. 

Makes  a  legend  of  an  historic  event — the  sending  of  the  first 
passenger  balloon  up  in  the  air. 

5.  Fox,  Genevieve — '  'Lona  of  Hollybush  Creek. ' '  Boston :  Little,  Brown 

andCo.,  1935,  $2.00. 

Tells  of  the  hardships  of  a  cripple  orphan  who  comes  to  Holly- 
bush  to  live. 

6.  Ouvieto,  Laura — "The  Birth  of  Rome. ' '  Phila.  :J.  B.  Lippincott  Co. , 

1935,  $2.00. 

Presents  the  early  legends  of  Rome  in  such  a  way  the  child  can 
absorb  and  retain  them. 

ADULT: 

1.  Masefield,  John — "Victorious  Troy:'  N.Y.:  The  Macmillan  Co., 

1935,  $2.50. 
A  rousing  tale  of  youth  at  sea. 

2.  Halliburton,  Richard — "Seven  League  Boats:'  N.Y. :  Bobbs-Mer- 

rill  Co.,  1935,  $3.50. 

Amusing  stories  of  true  adventures  in  every  part  of  the  world. 

3.  Lait,  Jack — "Our  Will  Rogers:'  N.Y.:  Greenberg  Publisher,  1935, 

$1.00. 

A  brief  biography  of  Will  Rogers  by  a  man  who  knew  him 
intimately. 

4.  ScHLiNK,  F.  J. — "Eat,  Drink  and  Be  Wary:'  N.Y.:  Covici-Friede, 

1935,  $2.00. 

The  final  word  in  what  to  eat,  and  why,  to  be  a  qualified 
scientist. 

5.  NoRRis,  C.  U.— "Hands:'  N.Y. :  Farrar  & Rinehart,  1935,  $2.50. 

The  story  of  builders  and  the  women  they  love,  splendidly 
told. 

6.  Harrison,  Marguerite — "There' s Always  Tomorrow. "N.Y.  :Farrar 

&Rinehart,  1935,  $3.50. 
Tells  of  the  author's  experiences  as  a  spy  and  reporter. 

Any  book  that  we  have  reviewed  so  far  will  make  an  unforgetable 
Christmas  gift. 

Wesley  Johnson. 

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A  Book  for  Christmas  and  for  the 
Round  of  the  Year 

Leighton,  Clare — Four  Hedges:    A  Gardener's  Chronicle.    Macmillan, 
1935.  $3.00. 

IN  making  this  book  Clare  Leighton  has  combined  her  talents  as 
author  and  artist  with  the  role  of  gardener  in  the  Chiltern  Hills  of 
England.  As  author  she  has  written  an  intimate,  serene,  delightful 
book  about  the  earth,  weather,  seeds,  and  the  living  and  growing 
things,  including  weeds,  which  make  her  garden  a  place  of  fascinating 
color,  life,  and  design.  The  artist  has  illustrated  the  account  with  many 
delicate  and  beautiful  engravings  on  wood  that  become  an  integral 
part  of  the  chronicle;  from  the  daffodil  shoot  and  the  swallows  on  the 
telegraph  wires  to  the  portrait  of  Cornelius,  the  hedgehog,  and  the 
scene  at  transplanting  the  walnut  tree,  the  engravings  are  sensitively 
executed.  As  gardener,  Clare  Leighton  transmits  to  the  reader  her  an- 
ticipation, agitation,  and  joy  in  work,  rewards,  and  willing  slavery  to 
orchards  and  vegetable  and  flower  gardens  within  the  four  hedges,  so 
recently  rough  meadowland  and  still  windswept  chalk  hillside.  Re- 
turning to  England  in  April  after  having  been  away  for  a  long  time,  the 
gardener  begins  her  chronicle  with  the  spring  month,  and  in  twelve 
chapters  she  follows  the  round  of  the  days  through  the  year.  Artist, 
author,  and  gardener  carry  the  chronicle  rhythmically  through  the 
year  to  the  end  of  winter  when  on  a  March  day  the  long-awaited  "lit- 
tle tulip  kaufmanniana  is  in  perfect  shape  and  bloom,  showing  itself  to 
me  for  the  first  time;  and  I  am  not  disappointed. 

Not  only  is  this  a  delightful  book  to  read;  it  is  a  joy  to  see  and  to 
handle.  One  wants  to  turn  the  pages  slowly  and  to  read  lingeringly. 
The  wood  engravings  are  used  for  full-page  and  for  small  illustrations 
which  fit  the  text  harmoniously  and  are  blended  with  the  typography 
to  form  an  admirably  balanced  design  of  printed  pages.  The  reader 
feels  the  book's  charm  and  its  artistic  unity  as  Clare  Leighton  enjoys  in 
her  perfectly  shaped  tulip  "the  organic  unity  that  links  its  pointed 
petals  of  yellow  and  pinlc  with  the  leaves  that  curl  tight  round  its 
stalk." 

M.  B. 


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A  Successful  Week-End 

THE  Freshmen  Mothers'  Week-End  this  year  was  quite  a  success, 
especially  the  Saturday  session.  The  informal  meeting,  in  the 
foyer  of  Newell  Hall,  of  mothers,  students,  and  instructors  was  a 
very  interesting  and  pleasant  feature.  I  had  looked  forward  eagerly  to 
that  portion  of  the  program,  as  naturally  any  mother  would  beinterested 
in  making  the  acquaintance  of  those  who  will  have  so  much  influence 
on  the  life  of  her  child.  Having  tea  served  at  that  time  was  a  delight- 
fully homelike  touch. 

Doctor  Tall,  assisted  by  members  of  the  faculty,  very  ably  dis- 
cussed the  questions  which  were  asked.  The  modern  trend  which  the 
College  has  taken  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  the  courteous  privilege  of 
asking  questions  was  extended  to  us.  Breaking  bread  together  at  the 
evening  hour  has  always  symbolized  friendship  and  goodwill,  and  the 
hour  spent  in  the  dining  room,  where  we  enjoyed  the  gracious  hospital- 
ity of  the  College,  was  not  the  least  part  of  the  day. 

The  entertainment  provided  by  the  students  after  dinner  was  very 
well  planned  and  presented,  and  I  am  sure  all  the  visiting  mothers  ap- 
preciated the  effort  made  in  their  behalf.  I  believe  many  of  us  will  be 
more  able  to  appreciate  and  understand  our  children's  tasks  and  ref- 
erences to  the  College,  for  having  been  with  the  faculty  and  student 
body  even  for  a  day;  we  shall  feel  ourselves  a  part,  even  though  a  very 
small  one,  of  the  great  educational  institution  which  is  the  State  Teach- 
ers College. 

Clara  B.  Wheatley. 


Freshmen  Mothers'  Week-End 

To  me  Freshmen  Mothers'  Week-End  will  always  be  one  of  the 
memorable  occasions  in  connection  with  my  school  life  at  Teachers 
College.  I  can  recall  that  mothers  have  always  been  familiar  sights  in 
the  schools,  but  such  an  affair  as  this  one  in  their  honor  was  unlike  any 
I  had  ever  attended.  Along  the  corridors  and  in  the  foyer  one  heard 
familiar  phrases  as  "Have  you  met  my  mother?"  or  "Did  your  mother 

meet  Miss ?"  The  warm  hospitality  extended  by  the  faculty  to  the 

mothers  impressed  me  greatly.  I  felt  that  this  was  indeed  a  splendid 
and  ideal  opportunity  for  our  mothers  to  get  an  insight  into  our  new 
College  life  and  surroundings,  to  become  acquainted  with  our  teachers, 
and  to  meet  our  fellow  classmates. 

Dorothy  Cromwell,  Fr.  i. 

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Faculty  Notes 


DR.  Tall  has  been  busy  with  outside  speaking  engagements  during 
the  past  month.  On  Friday  morning,  November  1,  she  was  the 
chapel  speaker  at  Goucher  College.  On  Tuesday,  November  19, 
our  president  was  on  the  panel  for  the  '  'Character  Education' '  program 
which  was  a  part  of  the  meeting  of  the  Maryland  Congress  of  Parents 
and  Teachers  held  in  Baltimore.  On  Friday,  November  22,  Dr.  Tall 
spoke  before  the  entire  student  body  of  Forest  Park  High  School  on  the 
subject   "Jane  Addams." 

The  instructors  in  the  Music  Department  attended  the  Music  meet- 
ing held  in  Washington  on  November  15  and  16. 

There  was  a  general  exodus  of  faculty  members  for  the  Thanks- 
giving holidays.  Miss  MacDonald  planned  to  spend  the  holidays  in 
New  York.  Miss  Diefenderfer  visited  at  her  home  in  Pennsylvania. 
Miss  Stitzel  went  to  her  home  in  Hagerstown.  Dr.  Tall  and  Miss  Tan- 
sil  attended  the  meetings  of  the  Middle  States  Association  of  Colleges 
and  Secondary  Schools  held  in  Atlantic  City  on  Friday  and  Saturday 
following  Thanksgiving. 


Alumni  Notes 

THE  Cecil  County  Alumni  Unit  held  its  annual  meeting  at  the  home 
of  Miss  Katharine  Bratton,  Elkton,  Maryland,  Saturday  after- 
noon, November  2.  After  a  brief  business  meeting,  talks  were 
given  by  Dr.  Lida  Lee  Tall,  Miss  Carrie  Richardson,  a  member  of  the 
Sarah  E.  Richmond  Student  Loan  Fund  Committee,  Miss  Hattie  Bagley, 
a  representative  from  the  Harford  County  Alumni  Unit,  Miss  Caro- 
line Coe,  vice-president  of  the  General  Alumni  Association,  and  Miss 
Mary  H.  Scarborough,  field  worker.  Refreshments  were  served  and  a 
general  good  time  was  enjoyed  by  all. 

At  this  meeting,  the  Cecil  County  Unit  again  became  a  pioneer 
in  Alumni  work,  by  making  the  first  contribution  to  a  Culture  Fund, 
for  its  Alma  Mater. 

The  Alumni  Association  announces  with  sorrow,  the  passing  of 
Mrs.  Mary  Smith  Field  '98,  Chairman  of  the  Cecil  iCounty  Alumni 
Unit,  suddenly,  at  her  home,  Elkton,  Maryland,  on  November  16.  In 
the  death  of  Mrs.  Field,  the  Alumni  Association  and  the  College  have 
lost  a  valued  worker  and  a  devoted  friend. 

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The  Washington  County  Alumni  Unit  held  a  business  meeting  in 
Hagerstown,  November  15,  to  elect  officers  and  to  make  tentative  plans 
for  the  year.  The  follow^ing  officers  were  chosen : 

Chairman — Lois  Helm,  Class  of  '30. 

Secretary — Catherine  Schnebley,  Class  of  '24. 

Treasurer — Jane  Martin,  Class  of  '31. 

Mrs.  Ruth  Parker  Eason,  President  of  the  Alumni  Association,  was 
a  guest  at  the  Chi  Alpha  Sigma  Fraternity  Luncheon,  on  Saturday, 
November  16.  Mrs.  Eason  expressed  her  appreciation  of  the  society  and 
her  pleasure  in  meeting  with  its  members. 

Mr.  Townley  Wolfe,  a  graduate  of  1885,  died  Thursday,  November 
twenty-first,  at  Hughesville,  Charles  County,  his  home.  He  was  a  re- 
tired principal  and  was  an  important  member  of  the  Alumni  Associa- 
tion. We  mourn  his  passing. 

The  Harford  County  Alumni  Unit  met  at  Circle  Inn,  Bel  Air,  Mary- 
land, on  Saturday,  November  twenty-third,  at  2:30  p.m.  The  special 
purpose  of  the  meeting  was  the  induction  of  the  Harford  County  grad- 
uates of  the  Class  of  '35  into  membership.  Esther  Thorpe,  '34,  the  pres- 
ident, presided.  Special  guests  present  were:  Dr.  Tall,  State  Senator 
Risteau,  Miss  Ella  Logan,  Miss  E.  Heigle  Hill,  and  Miss  M.  H.  Scar- 
borough. Miss  Hattie  Bagley,  the  inspiration  and  guide  of  the  unit, 
presented  the  new  members,  and  Dr.  Tall  received  them  into  full  mem- 
bership. Informal  talks  by  the  guests  were  given.  The  following  officers 
were  elected  for  the  coming  year:  Sarah  Sheridan,  president;  Esther 
Thorpe,  Ruth  Schillinger,  Margaret  Murray,  Mary  Osborne,  Rebecca 
Gilbert,  vice-presidents;  Eleanor  Sterbak,  secretary-treasurer.  A  very 
pleasant  social  hour  followed,  during  which  refreshments  were  served. 

Founders'  Day  celebration  will  be  held  on  Sunday,  January  19. 


Notes  on  the  Orchestra 

HAVE  you  any  musical  ability?  Can  you  play  any  instrument? 
What  instrument  can  you  play?" 
At  the  present,  the  Maryland  State  Teachers  College  at  Tow- 
son  may  well  be  proud  of  its  orchestra,  for  this  organization  has  gone 
through  a  rapid  process  of  development. 

It  took  patience,  tact  and  hours  of  practice  with  the  co-operation 
of  every  member,  to  progress  to  such  an  extent  as  to  have  been  able  to 

30 


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give  such  a  fine  performance  as  our  orchestra  rendered  at  the  Freshmen 
Mothers'  Week-End  dinner. 
The  program  included : 

Trisgian Lusey 

Prelude  1 

Day-Dreams    >  Holiday  Sketches Riegger 

Little  Waltz    J 

Sweet  Dreams Tschaikowsky 

Sobre  Las  Olas Seredy 

Longing Tschaikowsky 

At  the  conference  in  Richmond  Hall  Parlor,  on  Saturday  afternoon, 
Dorothy  Wohrna  played  a  violin  solo,  '  'Sarabande, ' '  by  Bohm. 

The  orchestra  has  been  accompanying  in  assemblies  and  expects  to 
do  more. 

Preparation  of  music  for  the  Christmas  dinner  and  pageant  has  al- 
ready begun.  Because  of  the  nature  of  the  music,  arrangements  suitable 
for  the  instrumentation  of  our  orchestra  are  not  available.  All  of  it  has 
to  be  arranged  for  the  occasion.  That  program  will  include : 

Giga Corelli 

Byrd Pavan,  Earle  of  Salisbury 

The  orchestra  will  play  three  Folk  Dances  for  dancing  and  to  ac- 
company the  singing. 


€x:i>J!£>..^i:S^ 


After  Student  Teaching 

I  have  walked  through  sun-stroked  woodlands,  and  gardens 
drenched  by  the  moon.  I  have  watched  the  dawn  peep  through  the 
middle  of  Chesapeake  Bay.  I  have  heard  the  heaving  waters  of  Niagara 
tumble  at  our  great  northern  boundary.  I  have  known  beauty. 

Now,  after  these  weeks  of  student  teaching,  I  pause  again  to  med- 
itate on  the  word — beauty — with  a  meaning  such  as  I  have  never 
known — the  beauty  of  Milton's  ready  smile  and  understanding,  silvery 
laugh;  Mildred's  ambition  and  leadership;  Patsy's  helping  hand;  Ed- 
ward's true  spirit  and  watchfulness,  and  Vera's  friendliness.  These  are 
God's  true  beauties! 

Jane  Bartell,  Sr.  z. 

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Christmas  at  the  Dormitory 

A  LAS  and  alack,  a  few  more  days  before  classes  will  be  over  and  the 
/^  Christmas  vacation  will  have  begun!  But  before  that  precious 
■^  ^moment  a  picturesque,  colorful  evening  of  feasting,  song  and 
merriment  is  in  store  for  us  all.  Time  for  the  Old  English  Dinner  has 
come  around  and  elaborate  preparations  of  savory  dishes  and  appro- 
priate entertainment  are  under  way.  Every  nook  and  corner  of  the  dor- 
mitory displays  holiday  trappings,  reeks  with  pungent  odors  of  mistle- 
toe, pine,  and  holly  and  is  alive  with  the  Christmas  Spirit.  All  is  in 
perfect  readiness. 

All  the  peasantry  young  and  old  have  accepted  the  generous  in- 
vitation of  the  King  and  Queen  and  have  gathered,  first,  before  the  fire- 
side in  Richmond  Hall  to  witness  the  great  ceremony  of  the  lighting  of 
the  Yule  Log.  As  the  timber  dwindles  to  dying  embers  the  jolly  as- 
semblage wends  its  way  toward  the  hall  of  feasting. 

At  the  hour  of  six  both  lads  and  lassies,  men  and  women,  accom- 
pany guests  and  friends  into  the  spacious  Old  English  dining  hall. 
Many  tables  placed  together  form  four  rows  the  length  of  the  hall.  Ac- 
cording to  tradition,  the  King  and  Queen,  with  their  lords  and  ladies, 
occupy  the  end  of  the  room  in  full  view  of  the  other  tables.  We  sing 
grace  to  the  accompaniment  of  the  chimes,  seat  ourselves.  The  jesters 
herald  the  approach  of  the  main  dishes  for  this  important  occasion.  A 
candle-bearer  leads  the  procession;  the  others  follow  to  the  strains  of 
jolly  music,  bearing  huge  platters  with  all  due  pomp  and  ceremony. 
The  first  platter  holds  the  trusty  boar's  head,  and  is  borne  to  the  board 
by  the  server;  next,  comes  the  luscious  peacock  pies,  then  the  tasty 
plum  pudding,  and  last  of  all,  the  steaming  wassail  bowl.  Thus  the 
feast  continues  and,  to  the  soothing  strains  of  music  from  both  voice 
and  instrument,  one  and  all  sufficiently  appease  their  tremendous  holi- 
day appetites.  Shield  of  braun  with  mustard,  Virginia  potatoes  and 
peas  cods;  apple  sauce,  manchets,  shred  pies  with  cheese,  and  mulled 
ale  disappear.  Apples,  nuts  and  raisins,  with  comfits  and  marchpane 
complete  this  delicious  repast.  Indeed,  one  can  scarcely  rise  to  his  feet 
after  such  a  hearty  meal. 

Our  jovial  guides  now  lead  us  on  to  the  lord's  hall,  where  young 
and  old  lend  their  happy  voices  in  the  ever-cherished  carols.  The  carol- 
ers leave  the  hall  but  the  joyous  tunes  they  have  been  singing  are  re- 
sung  from  door  to  door  by  enthusiastic  groups,  thus  giving  the  cheer  to 
others  that  the  songs  had  kindled  in  themselves. 

The  whole  village  drifts  to  sleep  with  the  melodious  music  of 
Christmas  time  filling  their  last  waking  thoughts.  The  New  Dawn  will 
be  tomorrow!  ^^^^^^^  j^^^^^^ 

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Christmastide  in  the  Campus  School 

Long  before  the  Thanksgiving  season  arrived,  the  Campus  School 
faculty  began  to  organize  its  program  for  the  greatest  holiday  of  the 
year,  Christmas.  The  school  has  become  quite  conscious  of  the  need  for 
improved  oral  English.  This  celebration  will  afford  an  excellent  op- 
portunity for  its  use. 

Before  the  holidays,  during  the  last  week  of  school,  there  will  be  a 
series  of  group  festivities  for  four  days  to  which  students  and  faculty 
members  are  welcomed.  It  has  been  decided  that  on  the  Thursday  of 
the  final  week  the  Dramatic  Club  will  present  "The  Birds'  Christmas 
Carol." 

On  Friday  afternoon  a  carol  program  will  be  given  in  the  Audi- 
torium for  College  students,  so  that  we  may  leave  with  joyous  music 
in  our  ears. 

Marion  Cunningham,  Sr.  j. 

Teddy  Bears 

The  editor  clamored  for  poetry. 

For  some  strange  reason  he  said  to  me, 

"I  want  a  poem  about  a  Teddy  Bear." 

Could  our  good  editor  be  going  mad? 

So  it  sounds  I  do  declare! 

But  here  it  is  and  it's  pretty  bad! 

Teddy  Bears — • 

We  had  them  once, 

All  fuzzy  and  big  and  brown. 

With  padded  feet 

And  button  eyes, 

All  shiny  and  bright  and  round. 

Then  one  sad  day 

In  the  throes  of  play. 

At  being  doctor  and  nurse. 

We  cut  too  far 

In  the  hide  of  the  b'ar, 

And  the  ol'  thing  up  and  burst! 

As  the  sawdust  spilled 

And  we  saw  we'd  killed 

The  pet  of  all  our  toys, 

We  put  away  our  childish  play 

And  now  we  break  the  boys ! 

Mary  Owen,  Fr.  ^. 

33 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Ye  Kaleydoscoppe 

(With  a  hey  nonny  nonny!) 

IF  thou,  dear  my  reader,  hast  any  imagination  whatsoever,  use  it 
right  promptly;  for  art  asked  to  believe  that  these  poor  items  are 
writ  in  the  style  and  language  of  dear  old  Shakespeare.  Ourselves, 
now,  have  never  essayed  this  experiment,  and  so  these  old  eyes  are 
raised  to  heaven  with  a  solemn  prayer  that  we  at  least  remotely  resem- 
ble aforesaid  masters  of  our  one-time  beautifully  spoken  language. 

Ye  Editor  hath  asked  our  manifold  selves  to  (define  ye  caption  of  ye 
column  which  ye  see  before  ye.  (Whew!)  We  proceed  at  once  to  haul 
out  Samuel  Johnson's  remarkable  tome  concerning  the  English  lan- 
guage and  therein  we  find  this :  '  'Kaleydoscoppe,  an  optical  instrument 
which  by  an  arrangement  of  mirrors  causes  objects  viewed  through  it 
to  appear  in  a  variety  of  symmetrical  and  beautiful  patterns."  Fancy 
that!  Odds  bodkins,  bless  my  soul,  and  what  not!  Here,  indeed,  is  well 
nigh  an  impossible  task.  We  are  forced  to  present  thee  and  thine  ac- 
tions as  a  "beautiful  and  symmetrical  whole."  We  may,  in  time  to 
come,  accomplish  this  feat,  but  we  seriously  doubt  it. 

In  learning  this  vilely  tedious  language,  we  came  across,  by  mere 
happenchance,  this  term,  "buss."  To  our  great  astonishment  we  found, 
upon  further  research,  that  the  word  "buss"  is  old  English  provincial 
for  "kiss."  Well,  buss  my  soul!  (Very  well.  Sir  Editor,  if  that's  the 
way  you  feel  about  it.) 

And  now  we  do  progress — we  might  even  say  we  take  a  running 
leap — toward  the  true  work  of  these  paltry  printed  paragraphs ;  namely, 
to  gossip  with  you  concerning  the  news  of  yesterday  and  today  (but 
mostly  yesterday).  Sound,  ye  trumpets!  Perpend,  ye  mere  mortals!  The 
students  of  the  State  Teachers  College  do  now  present  to  themselves 
this  assurance  of  a  fact  already  known  to  us,  which  is :  '  'We  have  here- 
by decided,  being  of  sound  mind  and  body  'spite  of  divers  cares  and 
woes  inflicted  by  certain  instructors,  that  this  has  undoubtedly  been 
the  most  glorious  autumn  the  world  hath  witnessed  in  many  a  long 
year."  And  who  is  there  to  doubt  the  unbounded  wisdom  of  such  an 
illustrious  body? 

We  resort  again  to  Johnson  (and  to  a  certain  bright  youngster)  for 
a  definition:  Degeneration,  something  that  gets  lower  and  lower,  as, 
for  instance,  an  elevator  or  a  punster's  reputation. 

We  welcome  back,  to  the  stately  portals  of  our  old  English  build- 
ing, the  long  absent  seniors.  In  short,  we  are  indeed  glad  to  see  ye, 
student  teachers.  And  ye  may  keep  your  children's  bright  sayings 
to  yourselves. 

The  tiny  freshman  with  the  colorful  name  hath  lately  taken  to  de- 

34 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


scending  from  the  coach  at  the  first  fare  and  walking  the  rest  of  the 
way,  always  providing  that  there  is  sufficient  company.  If  there  be 
others  like  her,  ye  may  hand  your  names  to  Dame  Munn  and  she  will 
notify  us — always  supposing,  of  course,  that  ye  crave  publicity. 

Alas  and  alack!  Is  it  really  true  that  another  innocent  young  wench 
hath  taken  to  stalking  a  fourth-year  soccer  star? 

Mr.  Walther,  professor  of  geography,  instructor  in  art  and  thrice 
giver  of  unexpected  tests,  hath  informed  some  students  that  Fuller 
brushes  in  scrub  forests  do  grow.  And  they  murder  people  for  telling 
jokes  about  traveling  salesmen!  (We  admit  that  that  was  out  of  place. 
They  did  not  have  traveling  salesmen  in  Elizabeth's  time — not  our 
kind — but  then  they  didn't  have  Mr.  Walther  either.) 

Yea,  'tis  pity  indeed.  The  regular  senior  group  groweth  daily  more 
uninteresting.  Hardly  one  rumor  of  merry  quips,  unlawful  action  or 
nursery  walks  have  we  heard.  Ah,  'tis  a  sad  world  when  seniors  re- 
fuse to  be  bad. 

Ala  Sir  Walter  Winchell— Flash!  Mr.  Kolb  firmly  believeth  that 
he  can  expose  the  literary  tricks  of  any  writer.  Mayhap,  he  would  like 
to  tackle  Master  Shakespeare.  Come,  come,  my  lad. 

We  wonder,  by  the  way,  what  Sir  Walter  would  be  thinking 
should  he  have  to  write  his  column  in  this  wise.  'Twould  not  be  pleas- 
ant thought,  we  warrant.  Already  we  begin  to  lisp  as  a  result  of  this 
stuff. 

Ourselves  have  dug  up  two  slams,  one  for  the  people  who  do  con- 
gregate in  our  stately  halls  after  lunch  and  talk  mightily,  and  another 
for  the  freshmen  who  languish  upon  the  basement  steps  for  conferences. 
On  second  thought,  we  shall  bury  the  slams.  We  find  that  we  cannot 
write  them  up  in  this  strange  dialect. 

Some  fair  damsel  hath  given  us  a  list  of  the  things  that  are  lacking 
in  certain  men  students.  For  instance,  they  do  not  give  up  their  seats  on 
the  street  cars  to  the  weaker  sex;  they  do  not  dance  with  the  demoiselles 
in  Room  223;  they  walk  "cabbage"  with  the  girls,  etc.,  etc.  It  lieth 
with  us  then  to  find  fault  with  the  women.  We  deem  them  over-criti- 
cal of  the  men. 

Famous  sayings  of  the  royalty : 

Lady  Weyforth:  "Stew-dents"  (But  indeed  it  is  the  correct  pro- 
nunciation. So  tush  to  you.) 

Countess  Van  Bibber :  '  'Let  me  recapitulate. ' '  (Verily,  if  we  knew 
a  five-syllable  word,  we  should  use  it  as  often  as  possible.) 

Duchess  Bader :  '  'Sounds  nice.  What  does  it  mean?' '  (We  fear  that 
the  students  never  know.) 

Baroness  Rutledge:   (Oh,  don't  tell  us  that  they  didn't  have  bar- 

35 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


onesses  in  England.)  "Is  it?  No,  it  isn't."  (Lo!  A  woman  who  can 
answer  her  own  questions.) 

And  what,  pray,  is  this  new  international  game  dubbed  "slips"? 
We  fear  that  the  honorable  League  of  Young  Voters  is  deteriorating. 
We  did  think  that  they  were  ever  a  solemn  and  dignified  body,  but  no 
more. 

A  radical  change  hath  occurred  in  certain  partnerships.  To  wit. 
Captain  Cole  appeared  at  the  Halloween  dance  with  the  Lady  Healy. 
And  because  Master  Brumbaugh  came  with  Mistress  Vogelmann,  poor 
Joshua  had  to  appear  as  a  veritable  stag.  'Tis  a  sad  world,  'tisn't  it, 
Josh?  And  what  about  the  two  senior  women  who  assert  that  they  be- 
lieve in  charity  beginning  at  home? 

Muriel  Jones  hath  become  a  capitalist.  Ask  her  about  it. 

And  Selma  Cohen  hath  developed  a  secret  passion  for  someone  in 
the  fourth-year  class  whom  we  dub,  for  purposes  of  anonymity,  "a 
Haven  of  rest  and  beauty."  Our  head  is  bowed  in  shame  for  that  so 
gross  pun. 

Zounds!  It  cannot  be!  But  it  must  be.  They  told  upon  themselves. 
We  speak  of  two  men  who  appeared  in  a  Fashion  Show  at  Hoch- 
schild  Kohn's  Dresse  Shoppe.  Fancy  Mr.  Wheeler  en  decollette  and  Mr. 
Cole  in  one  of  the  latest  fly-away  bonnets.  Sweet,  what? 

If,  perchance  you  have  read  thus  far  in  these  fruitless  wanderings, 
let  us  present  you  with  a  cheery  thought.  Christmas  is  coming!  And 
like  one,  hight  Mary  Livingston,  we  would  burst  into  rhyme  (pro- 
vided Ye  Editor  would  allow.  But  saith  he,  "Nay,  nay.  'Tis  a  suffi- 
ciency. Let  be.").  So  we  close  with  the  trite  but  ever  joyful  phrase:  A 
merry  Christmas  to  ye  and  a  happier  New  Year.  And,  for  heavens' 
sakes,  you  students,  don't  come  back  to  school  with  indigestion. 

STUDY  IN  ANIMAL  HUSBANDRY 
"Rastus,  what  breed  chicken  does  you  prefer?" 
"Dey  both  has  mighty  good  points.   White  ones  is  easy  to  locate 
but  hard  to  hide,  an'  black  ones  is  hard  to  locate  but  easy  to  hide." 

Blacksmith:  "Now,  Pat,  I'm  going  to  bring  this  horseshoe  out  of 
the  fire  and  lay  it  on  the  anvil.  When  I  nod  my  head,  hit  it  hard  with 
the  hammer. 

Pat  did — and  was  fired  when  the  blacksmith  recovered. — Transit 
News. 

36 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


As  You  Like  It 

BLARE  forth  ye  trumpets!   Ring  out  ye  bells!   Christmas  is  nigh — 
joyous,  happy,  festive  Christmas.  Season  of  a  winter  wonderland 
— garlands  and  wreaths  and  boughs  of  holly.  Come,  let's  raise 
our  glasses  and  give  a  toast : 

Here's  to  our  Alma  Mater,  our  school, 
Loyalty  and  progress  on  this  joyous  Yule — 
Here's  to  our  president,  our  friend.  Miss  Tall, 
Merry  Christmas  from  us,  one  and  all — 
Here's  to  our  faculty,  a  top  each  one, 
Many,  many  years  of  happiness  and  fun. 
Here's  to  you,  readers;  let  our  bumpers  click. 
Blessings  to  you  all  from  Old  St.  Nick. 

Now,  strew  the  path  with  posies  verdant  green — my  wish  to  you 
Miss  Munn  and  fellow  scribes  of  the  Tower  Light,  a  merry  ''Life," 
good  "Times,"  and  everything  nice  under  the  "Sun." 

Hearken,  ye  fair  lasses  of  our  noble  school. 
Here's  to  you-y  from  us : 

Eeny,  Meeny,  Miny,  Mo 

We'll  catch  you  and  Oh!  vo-de-o-do! 

You  may  holler,  but  it's  no  go. 

We  all  know  the  rule  of  the  Mistletoe! 

Hearken,  once  again,  ye  exponents  of  "sugar  and  spice  and  every- 
thing nice" — 

Upon  this  day  of  Grace,  the  year  of  our  Lord  1935  a.d.,  the  male 
students  of  this  school  take  the  opportunity  in  this  column  of  "As  you 
Like  It"  to  publicly  denounce  the  principles  and  doctrines  advocated 
by  Mrs.  Hooker  in  her  speech,  in  which  she  claimed  equality  of  women 
with  men.  We,  the  men  students,  place  the  basis  of  our  objections  on 
the  following  data : 

1.  The  first  woman  was  only  a  side  issue.  (Got  it?) 

2.  After  man  came  woman.  (And  she's  been  after  him  ever  since!) 
I  guess  we  told  you ! 

And  now  to  you  hecklers  who  claim  that  I'm  slipping — here : 

Ruth  rode  in  my  new  cycle  car 
In  the  seat  right  back  of  me 
I  took  a  bump  at  fifty-five 
And  rode  on  Ruthlessly. 

37 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Two  spinsters  were  discussing  men. 

Said  one :  '  'Which  would  you  desire  most  in  your  husband :  brains, 
wealth,  or  appearance?" 

'  'Appearance, ' '  snapped  the  other,  '  'and  the  sooner  the  better. 

New  Nurse — "Every  time  I  take  Mr.  Schreiber's  pulse  it  gets 
higher.  What  shall  I  do?' ' 

Dr.  Abercrombie — ' 'Blindfold him." 

'  'Do  Englishmen  understand  American  slang?' ' 
"Some  of  them  do.  Why?" 

'  'My  daughter  is  to  be  married  in  London  and  the  earl  has  cabled 
me  to  come  across. ' ' 

Josh — '  'Why  do  you  call  your  wife  angel?' ' 

Jimmy  Oliver — "Because  she's  always  up  in  the  air  harping  about 

something." 

"Hullo,  old  top.  New  car?" 
"No!  Old  car,  new  top." 

And  now  farewell ! 
'Tis  hard  to  part  with  those  we  love 
When  our  hearts  are  full  of  hope 
But  harder  'tis  to  find  a  towel 
When  our  eyes  are  full  of  soap. 

So  long  folks,  and  a  merry  Christmas  to  you  all ! 

Your  loyal  pain, 

Sid  Tepper. 


38 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


Teachers  Bring  Outstanding  Basket-Bail 
Teams  to  Towson 

THE  State  Teachers  College  this  year  has  arranged  the  best  col- 
legiate basket-ball  schedule  in  its  history.    In  view  of  this  im- 
proved program  Coach  Don  Minnegan  has  applied  for  admittance 
to  the  Maryland  Collegiate  Basket-Bail  League. 


Our  major  home  games  are  as  follows : 

Saturday,  Dec.  21 — University  of  Baltimore .  .  Auditorium — 8 

Friday,         Jan.  10 — Gallaudet  College Auditorium — 8 

Friday,  Jan.  lA — Wilson  Teachers  College .  Auditorium — 8 

Friday,  Feb.    7 — Salisbury  Teachers  Col. .  .  Auditorium — 8 

Saturday,  Feb.  15 — Frostburg  Teachers  Col.  .Auditorium — 8 

Wednesday,  Feb.  19 — Loyola  College Towson  Armory — 8 

Friday,  Feb.  21 — Elizabethtown  College.  .Auditorium — 8 


15  P.M. 
15  P.M. 
15  P.M. 
15  P.M. 
15  P.M. 
15  P.M. 
15  P.M. 


During  December  the  basket-ball  team  travels.  It  plays  many  col- 
lege games,  those  with  Catholic  University  and  American  University 
being  outstanding. 

For  this  greater  and  better  basket-ball  season  the  Athletic  Associa- 
tion has  inaugurated  a  new  plan  for  admission  of  all  those  not  included 
in  student  body  and  faculty.  This  year  there  will  be  season  tickets. 
The  prices  for  these  are  as  follows :  $1.00  per  couple  for  all  home  games, 
$.50  per  couple  if  one  of  the  couple  is  a  Teachers  College  student,  $.50 
per  child  accompanied  by  one  parent;  for  single  games,  $.25  per  person, 
$.10  per  child. 

To  add  to  the  color  and  dignity  of  the  games  new  gold  and  black 
uniforms  of  satin  have  been  procured.  These  uniforms  will  help  our 
basket-ball  squad  make  a  splendid  appearance. 

The  Athletic  Association  takes  particular  pleasure  in  inviting  the 
Alumni  and  their  friends  to  see  the  improved  basket-ball  team  in  action. 
The  special  season  tickets  are  now  on  sale  at  the  school  and  may  also  be 
purchased  from  any  of  the  men  in  the  school. 

Both  teams  showed  unpolished  edges.  First  collegiate  game  for 
each  team.  What  I  mean  is  that  Teachers  College  played  Elizabeth 
Town  College  in  basket-ball  on  Friday,  December  6.  But  alas,  alack! 
S.T.C.  came  out  on  the  lower  end  of  the  score;  34-29.  Josh  Wheeler  was 
high  point  scorer  with  16  points  to  his  credit.  A  20-13  lead  was  re- 
linquished after  the  first  half.  Outscored  but  not  outfought. 

39 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Tall  Stories 

HOWDY,  fellow  prevaricators?   You  have  our  compliments — ^you 
sure  know  how  to  tell  'em. 
To  Charles  Yarasavich  goes  the  title  of  being   the  best 
"Whopper"  teller  in  the  school — and  what  a  "whopper"  he  tells. 

A  TALL  ONE 

Two  small  boys  were  involved  in  a  heated  discussion  over  whose 
family  was  the  greater.  Finally,  one  proclaimed  loudly:  "My  grand- 
father was  the  greatest  man  that  ever  lived.  Why,  oncet  he  got  lost  in  a 
jungle.  The  trees  was  as  big  as  the  Chrysler  Building  and  the  flowers 
was  as  big  as  your  father's  garages  and  the — " 

"Gee  whiz!"  exclaimed  the  other,  "He  musta  been  in  my  grand- 
mother's window  box!" 

Katherine  Mentis  knows  how  to  tell  a  magnitudinous  tale  too. 
Honorable  mention  goes  to  Frank  Chrest,  George  Horn,  M.  Covin, 
John  Klier  ("Honest  John"),  Lee  Yenkinson,  and  John  Schmidt.  We 
wish  we  had  space  to  print  them  all;  they  were  all  so  very,  very  good. 

Sid  Tepper,  Contest  Editor. 

STORIES 

One  night,  after  hearing  a  story, 

I  saw  the  lights  go  out; 

I  heard  a  mysterious  whistle. 

And  a  hoot,  and  then  a  shout. 

I  ran  to  the  door  and  peered  outward; 

I  saw  a  skeleton  white. 

And  I  heard  again  that  whistle, 

Out  there  in  the  stormy  night. 

I  then  heard  a  rattle  behind  me 

And  the  light  went  on  like  a  flash 

And  a  figure  jumped  through  the  window 

With  a  horrible,  deafening  crash. 

I  don't  know  who  was  this  strange  visitor, 

Nor  why  the  lights  went  out, 

But  I  know  I  won't  listen  to  stories 

When  mother  and  father  go  out. 

Margaret  Gull,  /y4,  School  No.  24. 

40 


It  pays  to  stop  at  the 

511  York  Road  Opposite  Motion  Picture  Theatre 

$.79  VALUE  FULL-FASHIONED  SILK  HOSE.    OUR  SPECIAL  $.59 
PRACTICAL  GIFTS  AT  ATTRACTIVE  PRICES 


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Towson,  Maryland 

ESTABLISHED  1886 

You  Will  Enjoy  Our 

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and  HOT  LUNCHES 

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420  York  Road  Towson,  Md. 

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SERVICE  STATION 

Official  AAA  Station 
Towson/  Md. 
24-Hour  Service 

Phone  Towson  905 

The  Penn  Hotel 

Conveniently  located  at 

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Delicious  Meals    •    Large  Rooms 

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32  YORK  ROAD 

Smart  Distinctive  Waves  and 
Haircuts  at  Moderate  Prices 

Convenient  for  State  Teachers  College 

Phone:  Towson  1022 


Compliments 

of 

Hochschild,  Kohn  &  Co. 


TOWSON,  MARYLAND 
It's  really  a  home  when  It's  planted  by  Towson 


Compliments  of 

HORN- SUPREME 
Ice  Cream  Co. 

CHRYSLER  PLYMOUTH 

CHENOWETH  MOTORS 
Reliable  Used  Cars 

HARFORD  AND  JOPPA  ROADS 

Telephone,  Boulevard  188 

Service  Satisfaction 


Diamonds  Watches  Jewelry 

HARRy  C.  LANGGOOD 

402  York  Rd.,  next  to  Chesapeake  Ave. 

TOWSON,  MD. 

Skilled  Watch,  Clock,  Jewelry,  Eye-Glass 

and  Fountain  Pen  Repairing 

Diamond  Setting 

Birthday  Cards        Parker  Pens        Quink 


Corsages  Bouquets 

Funeral  Designs 
Decorations  Pottery 

T.  C.  STEVENSON 

Florist 
304  Aigburth  Road       Towson,  Md. 

Two  deliveries  daily  to  Hospitals 

Phone  Aigburth  Road  is  opposite 

Towson  27  State  Teachers  College  entrance 


Our  Junior  Miss  and  Young  Fellows' 
Shops  on  the  Fourth  Floor  are  foremost 
in  style  for  the  collegiate  miss  and  youth. 


Hub 


.of  Charles  Street' 


Compliments  of 
C.  G.  KRIEL  CO. 


Answers 

1.  From  "A  Visit  from  St.  Nicholas,"  by  Clement  C.  Moore. 

2.  Dionysius  Exiguus  conceived  the  idea  in  527. 

3.  Herod. 

4.  Nazareth,  in  Galilee,  Judea. 

5 .  4  B . c. ,  during  the  reign  of  Herod . 

6.  1846,  in  England. 

7.  Holly,  ivy,  mistletoe,  and  rosemary. 

8.  During  the  Roman  times.  They  were  originally  merely  branch 
pluckers  from  the  grove  of  the  goddess  Strenia. 

9.  The  idea  was  borrowed  from  Belgium  where  the  children  put  out 
wooden  shoes  close  to  the  hearth.  In  them  were  put  oats,  carrots, 
potatoes  as  a  feast  for  the  white  horse  of  St.  Nicholas. 

10.  From  Holland  and  our  Dutch  friends  whose  patron  saint  is  Nich- 
olas. 


^V^/''"-; 


esteriields      M^ 


(c)  1935,  Liggett  &  Myeks  Tobacco  Co. 


thomsen-Teuj 


THE 


TOWER 
LIGHT 


^^ 


w 


JANUARY,  1936 


LIBRARY' 


THE 

TOWER  LIGHT 


State  Teachers  College 

TOWSON,  MARYLAND 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

At  the  Age  of  Seventy 3 

Let's  Make  Our  Science  Functional 5 

Surprise 7 

Studying  Children  Through  Their  Poetry     ....  11 

The  Music  of  the  American  Indian 15 

Editorials 16 

The  Library — at  Your  Service 18 

The  Kaleidoscope 19 

I'm  No  Poet 21 

Glee  Club 22 

Orchestra      23 

Assemblies 24 

The  Rambling  Rambler 25 

As  You  Like  It 26 

Sports 32 

Our  Advertisers 30,  31,  32 


1935      Member       1936 

f^socided  Golle6iate  Press 


THE  TOWER  LIGHT 


Vol.  IX  JANUARY,  1936  No.  4 


At  the  Age  of  Seventy 

IN  the  year  of  our  Lord,  eighteen  hundred  and  sixty-six,  this  college 
was  born,  seventy  years  ago  come  January  fifteen,  nineteen  hundred 
and  thirty-six.  Seventy  years  is  the  normal  span  of  mortal  man's 
life.  For  an  institution  devoted  always  and  only  to  the  training  of 
teachers  for  the  elementary  field  ours  has  reached  a  height  from  which 
we  can  survey  the  many  changes  in  the  history  of  education  as  it  has 
progressed  in  our  state.  This  college,  the  former  Maryland  State  Nor- 
mal School,  has  seen  many  crossroads  in  education.  It  was  created  in 
1866  because  of  a  crossroad:  the  crying  need  for  a  trained  teacher  in  the 
classroom,  particularly  for  the  smaller  child.  Its  philosophy  then  was 
that  the  person  to  be  taught  must  be  understood  and  developed  and  that 
the  subject-matter  was  a  means  to  this  end.  Other  crossroads  were 
reached  when  after  attempting,  for  many  years,  to  supply  high  school 
education  on  which  to  build  the  last  two  years  of  teacher  training,  the 
high  school  classes  could  be  abandoned  because  the  counties  of  the 
State  were  all  providing  four-year  courses  in  the  secondary  field.  Then 
the  school  took  on  the  single  purpose  which  it  has  consistently  followed: 
that  of  an  organization  for  teacher  training  in  the  elementary  field 
only.  The  next  step  was  taken  when  the  course  was  increased  to  three 
years;  and  later,  two  years  ago,  to  four  years.  By  the  authority  of  the 
State  Board  of  Education  we  now  grant  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Science 
in  Education,  and  are  in  every  sense  a  Teachers  College.  We  are  ac- 
credited by  the  American  Association  of  Teachers  Colleges,  and  we  also 
have  membership  in  the  American  Council  on  Education.  What  has 
been  written  here  in  less  than  two  hundred  words,  has  taken  seventy 
years  to  accomplish. 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Significant  outposts  of  education  throughout  the  State  helped  to 
guard  and  promote  the  process  of  teacher  training.  Baltimore  City  es- 
tablished a  new  administration  of  schools  when  the  Baltimore  City 
Charter  was  revised  in  1898;  and  the  State  Department  of  Maryland  in 
1916  was  enabled,  by  the  survey  of  the  county  schools  made  by  the 
General  Education  Board,  to  create  a  new  order  of  education  for  ele- 
mentary and  secondary  schools,  and  for  teacher  training.  The  new 
school  laws  of  1916  are  in  themselves  an  educational  romance. 

This  brief  sketch  of  our  past  history  is  just  the  prologue  to  a  per- 
sonal message  I  have  for  each  student  now  in  our  college  and  for  all  our 
Alumni.  I  would  have  you  know  the  history  of  this  great  school:  what 
it  has  thought — its  philosophy;  what  it  has  meant  to  progress  in  educa- 
tion— the  caliber  and  vision  of  its  graduates;  what  it  can  further  ac- 
complish— its  insight  and  power  to  behold  what  seems  now  afar  off; 
its  personality!  Only  as  you  look  upon  your  Alma  Mater  with  respect 
and  critical  judgment;  appraise,  and  help  to  change  where  changes  will 
be  beneficial ;  and  appreciate — can  you  really  have  a  share  in  her  future 
great  life.  Just  as  I  would  have  a  lad  and  young  girl  rise  and  stand  to 
respect  their  elders  whenever  there  is  the  opportunity,  because  of  the 
richer,  more  abundant  experience  of  the  older  person — so  would  I  have 
you  grasp  with  loyalty  and  respect,  the  sense  of  what  valuable  achieve- 
ment and  experience  have  been  the  day  by  day  accomplishment  of  our 
college  during  its  seventy  years  of  existence.  "The  friends  thou  hast, 
and  their  adoption  tried,  grapple  them  to  thy  side  with  hooks  of  steel . ' ' 
For  each  of  you  may  the  year  "1936"  become  a  glorious  adventure! 


LiDA  Lee  Tall,  President. 


€^StJg)..<^5=a 


My  God,  Thou  gavest  me  to  hold 

A  talent  that  should  make  me  bold 

To  grasp  with  eager  hands  the  bowl  of  life. 

To  set  myself  within  its  stir  and  strife. 

Margaret  Cooley. 


Revive  College  Memories  at  The  Tower  Light  Dance. 

4 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Let's  Make  Our  Science  Functional 

How  much  do  you  share  in  this  enlightened  age  of  science?  Think 
of  yourself  as  a  Robinson  Crusoe  alone  on  your  island,  or  better, 
a  Marco  Polo  exiled  among  some  unenlightened  people.  How 
much  fruit  of  modern  scientific  achievement  would  you  be  able  to  share 
with  your  new  countrymen?  How  much  intellectual  and  industrial  ad- 
vancement would  these  people  enjoy  because  you  had  been  a  member  of 
a  society  enriched  by  industrial  and  cultural  possibilities  never  before 
experienced  by  man? 

Unless  you  are  one  of  a  small  group,  you  will  admit  that  very  few 
substantial  benefits  would  materialize  for  these  peoples  through  the 
blessing  of  your  presence.  Indeed,  our  science  is  not  only  the  fruit  of  the 
labors  of  a  comparatively  few  scholars,  but,  for  the  most  part,  it  is  ad- 
ministered by  those  who  are  amazingly  ignorant  of  its  workings,  and  of 
the  mental  processes  which  produced  it. 

When  we  want  to  give  color  and  emphasis  to  an  anecdote  illus- 
trating the  rapid  changes  which  have  taken  place  in  Western  Civiliza- 
tion, we  often  say,  "I  wonder  what  the  remarks  of  one  of  the  seven- 
teenth century  patriarchs  would  be  if  he  were  to  revisit  our  country  to- 
day." He  would,  of  course,  be  astonished  at  the  physical  changes 
which  have  taken  place,  but  I  submit  that  he  would  be  even  more 
amazed  to  find  our  civil  institutions  and  our  mode  of  thinking  so  little 
influenced  by  the  world  of  science  and  engineering. 

In  fact,  without  stretching  the  imagination,  one  can  believe  that 
mentally  he  would  feel  quite  at  home.  He  would  be  certain  to  recog- 
nize among  us  the  pious  veneration  with  which  we  still  regard  that 
which  is  old.  Some  form  of  worship  for  that  which  is  tried,  and  there- 
fore sacred,  was  probably  one  of  man's  first  social  laws.  The  cave  man 
would  recognize  fhat  fetish,  and  we,  with  our  whole  legal  system  built 
upon  precedent  (that  is,  the  more  citations  one  can  make  of  previous 
judgments,  the  better  one's  chances  for  winning  one's  case),  still  recog- 
nize it. 

Secondly,  our  visitor  would  see  in  us  a  people  still  beset  with  ig- 
norance and  superstition  born  of  medicine-man  logic.  The  same  type  of 
reasoning  that  led  the  sixteenth  century  gentleman  to  believe  that  the 
blood  was  the  seat  of  emotion,  because  one's  face  grew  red  with  anger 
or  white  with  fear,  is  still  common  today  even  in  our  educational  in- 
stitutions. Which  among  you  cannot  recall  some  acquaintance  who 
staunchly  defends  the  merits  of  a  patent  medicine  which  is  absolutely 
worthless  for  the  purpose  mentioned?  But  did  you  convince  him  that  it 
wasn't  the  "acme  of  remedies"?  "No  sir,  I  took  it  and  now  I  feel  fine." 
Just  another  victim  of  "after-it-therefore-because-of-it" — the  easiest 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


and  most  natural  error  in  the  world  for  even  a  trained  thinker  to  make. 

Our  friend  from  the  seventeenth  century  would  be  sure  to  recog- 
nize the  mental  throwbacks — "the  old  dogs  who  can't,  or  won't,  be 
taught  new  tricks"  and  who  are  forever  seeking  to  return  to  "the  good 
old  days." 

And  how  familiar  would  seem  the  intolerance  with  which  each  of 
these  and  other  special  interest  groups  defend  their  "thinking" — how 
cleverly  quacks  set  their  traps  of  propaganda  and  fact-twisting  for  the 
unwary.  We  see  them  invading  our  school  texts  and  even  the  curricu- 
lum in  their  efforts  to  '  'educate. 

I  have  said  that  these  thinking  characteristics  just  outlined  would 
be  quite  familiar  to  a  seventeenth  century  visitor,  though  I  might 
have  mentioned  the  second  century  B.C.  just  as  confidently.  All  in- 
tolerance is  born  of  fear  which  as  Sumner  tells  us  in  his  Folkways,  is  a 
manifestion  of  the  protective  instinct  of  the  herd.  Yet  how  incompati- 
ble with  our  modern  civilization! 

The  conclusion  appears  to  be  that  man  has  made  his  progress 
through  the  efforts  of  a  comparatively  few  thinkers.  We  may  live  in  a 
golden  age  of  science,  but  99%  of  us  are  in  the  tin  age  of  logic.  While  it 
is  true,  of  course,  that  science  itself  neither  preserves  nor  destroys, 
think  of  the  dire  possibilities  of  science  in  the  hands  of  the  average 
hard-bitten,  selfish,  run-of-the-mine  politician! 

Indubitably,  we  in  the  schools  are  concerned.  It  is  the  duty  of  the 
school  to  help  the  individual  share  intelligently  in  the  experiences  of 
living;  "sharing  intelligently"  means  sharing  understandingly,  with 
mental  processes  appropriate  to  the  age  in  which  we  live. 

We  say  that  we  no  longer  believe  in  the  development  of  children  by 
periods  or  cultural  epochs,  which  suggests  that  a  child  begins  to  think 
abstractly  at  a  specific  age,  and  that  at  another  age  he  may  begin  to  gen- 
eralize. But  we  don't  teach  science  as  though  we  believe  it.  We  are 
told,  too,  that  the  child  of  six  has  two-thirds  of  his  adult  vocabulary, 
and  that  his  emotionalized  attitudes  are  well  set  by  adolescence.  Isn't  it 
likely  that  in  our  program  of  fact  learning  we  have  sadly  neglected  a 
whole  hierarchy  of  "objectives  of  methods"?  And  doesn't  it  seem  just 
as  likely  that  high  school  is  too  late  to  begin  educating  in  the  how  to 
learn — that  after  seven  years  of  memorizing  facts, "taking  things  for 
granted' '  becomes  second  nature,  except  for  the  very  few? 

So  far  as  science  is  concerned,  it  might  well  be  a  case  of  teach  less 
and  learn  more.  Unless  we  begin  in  the  first  grade  and  systematically 
plan  experiences  which  will  (a)  form  habits  of  looking  for  cause  and 
effect,  (b)  develop  skill  in  organizing  and  recording  data,  (c)  teach 
children  to  formulate  conclusions  based  upon  objective  data,  and  (d) 
teach  the  technique  of  planning  and  executing  simple  controlled  ex- 


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periments,  our  results  will  continue  to  fall  far  short  of  that '  'intelligent 
participation"  which  we  have  noted  as  lacking  in  our  present  times.  It 
is  my  conclusion  that  the  main  difference  between  elementary  and  high 
school  learning  is  one  of  degree  rather  than  of  any  great  variance  in 
methods,  and  that  what  we  call  the  tools  of  learning  must  include  the 
"how"  of  learning  to  a  much  greater  extent  than  heretofore  practiced. 
I  am  not  offering  this  as  any  panacea  for  the  present  ills  of  our  civiliza- 
tion— probably  man's  biological  adaptation  will  always  lag — but 
gnarled  trees  do  not  grow  from  straight  saplings,  you  know. 

H.  E.  MosER. 


Surprise 


The  following  is  the  narrative  judged  best  in  a  short  story-writing  contest  held  by  Mrs. 
Stapleton's  Freshman  students.  Dr.  Dowell,  Miss  Bersch  and  Isadore  Miller  of  the  Tower. 
Light  Staff  were  judges. 

A  TINKLING  sound  broke  the  pause  as  Lois  carefully  placed  her  teacup 
r^  on  the  saucer.  Leaning  back  in  her  chair,  she  regarded  her  com- 
■^  ^panion  with  amazement  and  asked,  "You're  not  coming  to  our 
Cotillion  tomorrow  night?" 

A  moment  passed  before  the  younger  girl,  sitting  in  the  opposite 
chair,  replied  hesitantly,  "I  don't — think  so." 

'  'But  Ella,  my  dear,  this  is  your  first  chance  to  attend  a  Cotillion. 
Don't  you  want  to  come?' ' 

"Want  to  come?  I'd  love  to.'' 

"Well,  what  on  earth  is  keeping  you  away?"  A  little  note  of  an- 
noyance crept  into  Lois's  carefully  modulated  voice. 

"I  don't  think  Ned  wants  to  go.  When  I  mentioned  it  he  didn't 
seem  interested." 

"Now,  Ella,  please  don't  be  old-fashioned.  Who  ever  heard  of  a 
wife's  staying  home  these  days  because  her  husband  doesn't  take  her 
out?  Do  you  suppose  I  could  ever  be  as  active  as  I  am  if  I  kept  myself 
tied  down  to  my  husband?  Why,  my  dear,  a  husband's  all  right — in  his 
place;  but  when  he  begins  to  hinder  one's  progress.  ..."  An  expressive 
shrug  finished  the  thought. 

The  frank  disagreement  written  on  Ella's  face  seemed  to  irritate 
Lois,  who  reached  for  her  purse  and  gloves.  '  'Well,  I  really  must  hurry 
along, ' '  she  said  coldly. 

"Oh,  don't  go  yet,"  Ella  said  hastily,  attempting  to  placate  her 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


ruffled  visitor.  '  'I  suppose  there  is  something  in  what  you  say,  Lois.  I 
do  stay  home  a  great  deal  because  of  Ned.  But  Ned's  a  good,  kind  hus- 
band, and  I've  always  been  content  to  stay  home  and  read  the  papers,  if 
that's  what  he  wanted  to  do. 

"Did  it  ever  occur  to  you,  Ella,  to  go  without  Ned?" 

"Why,  I'd  never  think  of  going  alone." 

"I  don't  mean  alone.  If  Ned  can't  come,  you  certainly  have  men 
friends  whom  you  can  ask  to  accompany  you.  Now,  there  is  Bob  San- 
ders." 

'  'Oh  no,  I'm  sure  Ned  would  not  approve  of  that !" 

'  'Why  should  Ned  ever  suspect?' ' 

"That  I  was  going  out  with  another  man?  No,  Lois,  I  don't  in- 
tend to  do  any  such  thing,"  Ella  said,  trying  to  control  her  mounting 
anger. 

"Well,  I  just  wanted  to  tell  you,"  Lois  said  as  she  prepared  to 
leave,  "that  I've  gone  out  of  my  way  to  make  arrangements  for  Bob 
Sanders  to  attend.  He  told  me  he  wants  to  know  you  better.  I  shall  tell 
him  to  call  for  you  that  evening. ' ' 

"No,  thank  you,  I  shall  not  come  under  such  conditions,"  Ella 
said  as  she  clenched  both  fists  hard. 

"Well,  if  you  change  your  mind,  call  me  by  phone  before  seven  to- 
morrow night.  Goodbye,  my  dear,"  and  Lois  left,  closing  the  door  be- 
hind her. 

For  a  few  moments  Ella  stood  very  still,  then  she  walked  quickly 
to  the  door,  opened  it,  and  banged  it  shut  again,  awakening  a  din  of 
crashing  echoes  throughout  the  house.  "That's  for  you,"  she  said 
savagely  in  the  direction  of  her  departing  visitor.  Yet  angry  as  she  was, 
little  sparks  of  doubt  began  to  flicker  in  Ella's  mind — was  Ned  really 
so  attentive?  He  had  provided  his  wife  with  everything  except  the  un- 
important things  she  wanted  most.  Other  women  laughed  and  danced 
with  their  husbands  in  the  midst  of  merry  crowds,  while  Ned  and  she 
sat  home  reading  the  paper  or  discussing  one  of  his  cases.  Reflecting 
thus  upon  her  life,  Ella  was  lost  in  thought  for  many  moments.  Then, 
suddenly,  she  frowned  angrily.  How  could  she  be  so  unfaithful!  Ned 
was  a  good,  fine  husband — far  better  than  she  deserved.    And  yet  .  .  . 

The  evening  after  Lois's  visit,  Ned  and  Ella  were  reading  in  the 
living  room.  Ned,  a  tall,  pleasant-looking  individual  was  enveloped  in 
a  cloud  of  smoke  and  deeply  immersed  in  the  evening  paper.  Ella,  her 
foot  comfortably  tucked  beneath  her,  was  glancing  idly  at  a  magazine. 
With  an  impatient  gesture,  she  suddenly  threw  aside  the  magazine  and 
glanced  at  the  clock.  Six-thirty.  In  three  hours,  laughing,  carefree 
people  in  formal  attire  would  be  enjoying  themselves  at  the  Cotillion. 
Idly,  Ella  thought  of  her  own  pretty  evening  clothes  carefully  put 
away  for  the  rare  occasions  when  she  used  them.    Queer — that  she 


8 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


should  be  so  restless  tonight.  Thinking  about  the  Cotillion  disturbed 
her  more  than  she  could  understand.  Suddenly  she  leaned  forward. 

'  'Ned, ' '  she  called  softly. 

"Huh?' '  came  from  behind  the  smoke  screen. 

'  'Do  you  remember  the  Cotillion  we  were  talking  about?' ' 

'  'Sure,  honey, "  in  a  muffled  voice.  '  'What  makes  you  ask?' ' 

'  'Oh,  nothing  in  particular. ' '  Ella  regarded  the  toe  of  her  shoe  for 
a  moment  and  then  asked,  "Don't  you  think  it  will  be  fun  at  the  Co- 
tillion?" 

The  paper  was  lowered  quickly  and  Ned's  startled  face  looked  out 
at  Ella. 

' ' What' ve  you  got  on  your  mind,  pet?  Let's  hear. 

"I  was  just  thinking,  Ned,  that  we  haven't  been  out  for  a  long 
time,  and  .  .  .  Oh,  I  suppose  it  doesn't  matter." 

Ned's  eyes  searched  Ella's  face,  and  then  the  newspaper  was  raised 
again. 

For  a  second,  Ella  glared  at  the  paper.  Then  turning  her  head,  she 
glanced  around  the  comfortable  room.  Everything  seemed  to  pique  her 
tonight.  What  could  be  the  cause  of  this  sudden  irritation?  And  then 
she  realized  that  she  wanted  with  all  her  heart  to  leave  this  quiet,  well- 
ordered  house  and  to  enjoy  herself  amid  noise  and  crowds.  It  was  still 
not  too  late  to  phone  Lois;  then,  after  Ned  had  gone  to  bed  at  nine,  she 
could  slip  out  of  the  house.  Furtively,  Ella  glanced  over  at  the  chair  in 
which  Ned  sat.  She  could  disguise  the  telephone  conversation  and  he 
would  never  know.  She  began  to  slide  out  of  her  chair  when,  abruptly, 
the  jangling,  shrill  sound  of  the  door  bell  startled  her.  Glancing  at 
Ned,  whose  paper  had  moved  slightly,  Ella,  grateful  for  the  interrup- 
tion, nearly  ran  to  the  door.  As  she  opened  it,  a  long,  green  box  was 
pushed  into  her  hands  by  a  uniformed  boy  who  disappeared  immedi- 
ately. Terrified,  Ella  recalled  Lois's  mentioning  Bob  Sanders.  Was  he 
expecting  to  take  her  to  the  Cotillion?  Had  he  sent  her  a  corsage? 
Probably  he  would  call  for  her  in  person  within  a  short  while.  All  de- 
sire to  attend  the  Cotillion  fled  in  the  face  of  this  unexpected  complica- 
tion. Glancing  at  a  large,  ornamental  vase  in  the  hall,  Ella  wondered 
if  she  would  be  able  to  throw  the  box  of  flowers  into  the  vase  before 
Ned  saw.  But  a  glance  at  Ned  soon  proved  this  idea  impossible,  for  he 
had  dropped  his  paper  and  was  approaching  his  conscience-stricken 
wife. 

"What  have  you  there,  sweetheart?"  he  asked  lightly. 

Ella  tried  vainly  to  hide  the  box  behind  her. 

"Nothing,  Ned.  Really,  it's  nothing." 

"Come  now.  Let's  have  a  look  at  it." 

'  'Oh,  Ned, ' '  cried  Ella,  dropping  the  box  and  throwing  herself  on 
her  husband's  broad  chest.    "Please,  Ned,  you  must  understand.    I've 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


been  silly  and  foolish  and  wicked.  But  I  wasn't  going  any  further  with 
it,  really,  Ned."  Uncontrollable  tears  sprang  into  Ella's  eyes  as  she 
clung  to  her  husband.  "I  know  nothing  about  it  and  it  really  wasn't 
my  fault."  Great  sobs  tore  her  heart  as  she  clung  desperately  to  Ned. 
Oh,  fool  that  she'd  been — to  allow  trivial  pleasure  to  become  so  im- 
portant! And  then,  suddenly,  she  was  aware  that  he  was  holding  her 
away  and  looking  at  her,  not  with  contempt  or  anger,  but  with  a  very 
puzzled  expression. 

"Why,  Ella  dear,  don't  take  it  to  heart  so.  Of  course  you  knew 
nothing  about  it;  I  wanted  to  surprise  you.  You're  not  foolish  or  wicked 
if  you  want  to  go  to  the  Cotillion,  and  I  decided  that  if  you  wanted  to 
go,  you  should.  You  surprised  me  when  you  mentioned  it  just  now; 
I  thought  you  had  stumbled  on  my  secret." 

Ella  was  looking  at  her  husband  with  wide,  startled  eyes. 

"Don't  you  understand?"  he  continued  as  he  bent  to  pick  up  the 
box.  "Here,  honey,  open  it." 

With  trembling  fingers,  Ella  opened  the  box  and  quickly  tore  apart 
the  layers  of  green  tissue  paper.  Disregarding  the  expensive  corsage, 
she  reached  for  the  small  card  tucked  away  in  a  corner.  What  she  read 
on  the  card  made  her  turn  quickly  to  her  husband  and  throw  her  arms 
around  his  neck.  "Oh  Ned,"  she  cried  as  tears  began  to  roll  down  her 
cheeks,  '  'you  sent  it. " 

"Of  course.  Now  don't  be  so  upset,  darling.  I  must  be  neglecting 
you  badly  if  a  box  of  flowers  sets  you  off  like  this. ' ' 

"But  Ned,  I  didn't  know  ..." 

"Well,  it  wouldn't  be  much  of  a  surprise  if  you  knew.  Now  then, 
we've  got  two  hours  in  which  to  get  dressed.  Can  you  make  it?' ' 


Jessie  Perlman,  Fr.  i. 


It  appears  that  the  faculty  at  Fordham  is  appointed  by  name. 
Father  Deane  is  dean;  Father  Whalem  acts  as  dean  of  discipline;  Mr. 
Shouten  is  in  charge  of  debating,  and  finally,  a  Mr.  Voekl  (pronounced 
vocal)  is  in  charge  of  the  glee  club. 


There  was  a  young  couple  in  College 

Who  expounded  this  wee  gem  of  knowledge, 

"It  seems  fitting  to  prance 

At  The  Tower  Light  Dance 

So  lovely,  on  Valentine's  night!" 


10 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Studying  Children  Through  Their  Poetry 

TEACHERS  who  receive  many  contributions  of  verse  from  their  classes, 
in  many  cases,  have  an  excellent  opportunity  to  study  the  char- 
acters of  the  young  writers  through  their  poetry.  A  child's  fresh, 
natural  verse  often  reflects  his  interests  and  his  traits. 

Those  of  us  who  are  fortunate  enough  to  teach  departmental  Eng- 
lish have  an  unusually  good  chance  to  study  a  child's  development  in 
verse  writing  from  class  to  class.  A  very  interesting  "poetry  case" 
whom  I  studied  was  a  girl,  large  for  her  age,  with  a  high  I.Q.,  who 
started  out  to  be  something  of  a  disciplinary  problem.  Then  her  poetry 
took,  rather  abruptly,  a  mature  tone,  she  calmed  down,  and  lullabies 
and  poems  about  her  mother  flowed  from  her  pen.  I  discovered  that  her 
mother  was  a  very  sick  woman  with  a  severe  nervous  affliction  that  ren- 
dered it  impossible  for  her  to  keep  her  head  from  jerking  constantly 
from  side  to  side.  The  child's  devotion  to  this  parent  was  beautiful. 
She  brought  her  to  school  one  afternoon,  and  the  tone  of  her  voice  when 
she  said,  "This  is  my  mother,"  might  have  been  that  of  a  young  prin- 
cess introducing  the  stately  queen  in  ermine  and  brocade.  I  wish  that  I 
had  kept  a  copy  of  one  of  her  poems  to  her  mother,  but  it  was  a  very 
personal  thing,  and  it  was  not  offered  for  the  book  the  children  made  of 
their  poetry.  When  she  was  in  the  6B,  this  child,  I  shall  call  her  Evelyn, 
wrote  these  poems  that  reflect  her  rather  mature  viewpoint. 

CLOWNS 

Clowns  may  come 

And  clowns  may  go. 

But  the  funny  one 

I've  always  remembered — 

In  storms — the  clown 

Who  is  your  friend, 

Will  make  you  laugh  beside  him. 

VALENTINE  GREETINGS 

I'm  sending  my  greetings  to  your  dear  heart. 
Asking  you  to  be  mine,  sweetheart. 
I  want  a  friend,  some  day, 
Who  will  be  more  than  a  friend 
In  every  way. 

History  and  geography  interested  Evelyn,  and  the  latter  subject 
inspired  this  poem,  written  in  the  6B. 

11 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


YE  PARIS  SHOPPE 

Beautiful  diamonds,  large  and  fare, 
Rubies  flashing  everyAvhere — 

Where  fine  silks  are  kept  with  care, 
And  other  things,  such  as  silverware. 


Dainty  finery  is  attractive, 

While  the  dressmakers  and  tailors  are  active. 
The  gowns'  designing  holds  you  a  captive, 

And  their  gloves  make  your  hands  warm  and  attractive. 

Sewing  machines  and  printing  presses. 

Hats,  coats,  and  dainty  dresses. 
Embroideries  and  trinkets  are  at  your  request 

And  purses  and  card  cases  our  geography  suggests. 

China  for  the  artistic  taste — 

Feathers  and  unreal  flowers  made  with  no  haste — 
And  scented  soaps  are  found  in  a  case. 

Paris  is  CAPITAL  place. 

"Poetry  case  number  two"  concerns  Mollie,  who  was  from  an  or- 
phanage near  the  school.  I  have  noticed  that  the  "home"  children  in 
their  oral  compositions  frequently  talk  about  "my  mother,"  "my 
father,"  and  "my  sister."  Perhaps,  lacking  real  home  environments, 
they  created  them  in  their  stories,  or,  perhaps,  they  did  not  want  the 
other  children  to  think  them  different.  This  tendency  to  mention  va- 
rious members  of  the  family,  real  or  imagined,  often  was  reflected  in 
Mollie's  poetry  as  well  as  in  her  stories.  Here  is  an  example: 

THE  BIG  LITTLE  GIRL 

One  day  I  put  on  Mother's  shoes. 
They  were  so  very  huge. 
I  went  and  put  on  Mother's  dress 
And  then  put  on  some  rouge. 

Of  course,  you  know  I  felt  quite  big. 
Till  I  looked  into  the  mirror — 
With  my  hair  all  curled  and  frizzed — 
But  now  I  know  my  error. 

12 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


One  of  Mollie's  better  poems  showing  a  different  interest  was  a 
Christmas  Carol. 

Shepherds  watching  flocks  by  night, 
Christmas  gardens  now  are  white, 
Yonder  shines  the  infant  light. 
Merry  Christmas !  Merry  Christmas! 

Lying  in  the  manger  there, 

Wrapped  in  swaddling  clothes  so  bare, 

In  the  hay  lies  Baby  Jesus. 

Merry  Christmas!  Merry  Christmas! 

"Poetry  case  number  three"  is  a  boy.  Eddie  was  a  retarded  pupil, 
unsatisfactory  in  work  and  in  conduct  in  most  of  his  classes.  Teachers 
could  not  "get  next  to  him."  Yet  he  was  interested  in  English  and  in 
history,  and  seemed  to  like  to  write  poetry,  although  he  refused  to 
read  any  of  it  to  the  class.  He  was  usually  gloomy  faced  and  inclined  to 
be  "grumpy"  in  school,  and  yet  there  is  no  suggestion  of  these  char- 
acteristics in  this  poem  of  his. 

SPRING 

Spring  is  here!  Spring  is  here! 

The  robins  sing  to  show  their  cheer. 

The  children  are  out  again  to  play. 

They  dance  and  sing  and  play  all  day. 

The  brook,  once  clogged  with  clumsy  snow, 

Is  gurgling  by  with  easy  flow. 

All  the  trees  are  in  full  bloom. 

Bring  on  cheer.   Forget  your  gloom. 

Everything  is  bright  and  gay 

As  we  laugh  and  sing  this  glorious  day. 

In  spring,  of  course,  you  always  see 

The  little  birds  and  humming  bee. 

The  sun's  great  beauty  when  you  see  it  shine 

Is  a  beautiful  sight  for  you  to  find. 

Your  heart  it  beats  with  a  thumping  pain. 

There's  nothing  to  lose  and  lots  to  gain. 

Your  eyes  they  dim  in  slow  delight. 

The  day  is  gone.   Here  comes  the  night. 

But  do  not  fret  or  have  a  sorrow. 

For  you  can  have  more  fun  tomorrow. 

13 


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This  poem  helped  us  understand  Eddie  a  little  better.  When  he 
graduated  that  June,  one  of  his  poems  was  read,  with  several  others,  at 
the  graduation  exercises.  There  was  no  gloom  on  his  face  that  day. 

Laura,  '  'poetry  case  number  four,  * '  was  a  very  bright  girl.  She  was 
breezy,  up-to-the-minute,  interested  in  all  that  was  going  on,  and  ap- 
parently not  at  all  fanciful.  Yet  her  poetry  had  a  light,  imaginative 
touch.  A  similar  case  was  Jennie.  Both  girls  produced  poetry  that 
showed  that  they  must  live  in  worlds  of  their  own,  and  yet  there  was 
no  evidence  of  this  in  their  behavior.  These  two  poems  are  Laura's : 


FAIRY  CANOPIES 

The  spiders  are  forever  weaving  When  they  are  finished. 

In  an  intricate  design.  And  exquisitely  done. 

The  thread  that  they  are  using  There  they  will  shine 

Is  very,  very  fine.  In  the  rays  of  the  sun. 

What  are  they  doing  The  spiders  will  sell  them 

Day  upon  day?  For  shining,  fairy  gold. 

What  will  it  be?  The  fairies  will  use  them 

Who  can  say?  For  canopies,  I'm  told. 


THE  CLOUD  PARADE 

Marching,  marching  through  the  sky 
The  parade  of  clouds  is  going  by. 
Some  are  oblong,  some  are  round. 
Every  shape  there  can  be  found. 

In  the  morning,  tinged  with  pink. 
In  a  storm  they're  black  as  ink. 
At  eventide  their  fluffy  red 
Tells  the  sun  to  go  to  bed. 

They  see  people,  good  and  bad. 
They  see  sights  both  glad  and  sad. 
Both  day  and  night  they  float  by. 
They're  the  sentinels  of  the  sky. 

Children  are  always  interesting  studies,  but,  studied  through  their 
poetry,  they  take  on  new  and  fascinating  aspects. 

Eleanor  A  Livingston  Bowling. 
14 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


The  Music  of  the  American  Indian 

EVERY  race  has  its  own  individual  music,  entirely  different  in  mood, 
rhythm  and  harmony  from  that  of  any  other  race.  When  one 
studies  the  music  of  America,  one  does  not  study  a  group  of  songs 
and  dances  that  have  the  same  general  characteristics,  for  American 
music  consists  of  several  groups  of  distinctive  types  of  music — the  ne- 
gro spiritual,  cowboy  songs,  mountain  songs,  jazz,  and  Indian  songs 
and  dances.  And  when  one  hears  a  negro  spiritual  and  an  Indian  tribal 
prayer  on  the  same  program,  it  is  a  simple  matter  to  distinguish  be- 
tween the  two. 

The  outstanding  characteristics  of  Indian  music  are  these:  a  de- 
scending interval  of  minor  thirds,  a  downward  progression  at  the  be- 
ginning of  a  song,  smaller  intervals  in  the  older  songs.  In  the  songs, 
the  pentatonic  scale  is  common,  but  a  keynote  feeling  is  lacking. 
Rhythm  is  essential  to  Indian  music  and  is  placed  above  melody  in  im- 
portance. A  song  sung  by  different  tribes  may  often  show  fluctuations 
in  melody  but  never  in  rhythm.  The  rhythms,  moreover,  are  quite 
intricate. 

Few  instruments  are  used  by  the  Indian.  Most  important  is  the 
drum.  Rattles,  usually  made  from  gourds  filled  with  shot,  are  also  used. 
The  flageolet,  or  courting  flute,  and  whistles  are  employed  to  supply 
melody. 

As  is  usual  in  the  history  of  music,  Indian  music  has  grown  out  of 
the  life  of  the  people.  Every  public  ceremony  has  its  accompaniment  in 
song.  Each  important  event  in  the  history  of  the  tribe  is  recorded  in 
music,  the  notation  of  which  has  in  many  cases  been  copied  upon  birch 
bark.  War  dances  have  their  own  wild  and  furious  accompaniment, 
strong  in  rhythm,  with  much  gesticulation  and  pantomime.  Each  tribe 
has  a  complicated  and  highly  developed  ritual  for  religious  dances.  The 
mystery  dance  is  used  to  heal  the  sick,  to  bring  rain,  and  to  guard 
against  evil.  Traditions  of  the  tribe  are  kept  alive  by  historical  dances. 
There  are,  too,  songs  of  mourning,  love  songs,  and  social  songs. 

Music  does  not  mean  to  the  Indian  what  our  music  means  to  us.  We 
listen  to  symphonies  and  operas  with  casual  interest  and  forget  them 
soon  after,  but  the  Indian  has  incorporated  his  life,  his  history,  his 
emotions,  in  his  music;  and  it  is  sacred  to  him. 

Margaret  Snyder. 


15 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


THE  TOWER  LIGHT 

Published  monthly  by  the  students  of  the  State 
Teachers  College  at  Towson 

Editors 
William  F.  Podlich,  Jr. 
C.  Haven  Kolb,  Jr. 

Business  Manager 
I.  H.  Miller 

Circulation  Managers  Advertising  Managers 

Irene  Shank  Elise  Meiners 

Frances  Waltemyer  Ehrma  Le  Sage 

Frances  Oehm  Doris  Pramschufer 

Harold  Goldstein 

DEPARTMENT  EDITORS 

Assembly  Athletics  General  Literature 

Max  Berzofsky         Edith  Jones  Margaret  Cooley 

Sarah  Strumsky        Morris  Miller         Mary  McClean 

Library  Music  Humor 

Wesley  Johnson       Sarena  Fried  Sidney  Tepper 

Hilda  Walker 

Social  Art  Secretarial  Staff 

Larue  Kemp  Charles  Meigs  Anna  Stidman 

Mildred  Melamet  Eulalie  Smith 

Belle  Vodenos 

$1.50  per  year  20  cents  per  copy 

Alice  Munn,  Managing  Editor 


Alumni,  Unite! 

WITH  the  precision  of  well  assembled  clockwork,  the  consecu- 
tive radio  programs  are  broadcast  from  their  stations.  Each 
program  is  dependent,  not  only  upon  the  skill  of  those  tech- 
nicians, artists,  and  executives  who  are  regulating  it,  but  upon  the  me- 
ticulous research  and  experiment  of  those  first  pioneering  radio  engi- 

16 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


neers.  Each  schedule  flashes  through  space,  is  received,  and  thus  con- 
structs radio's  heritage  to  Man.  The  status  of  the  broadcast  is,  there- 
fore, passive.  Never  can  it  react  to  make  radio  better,  or  its  station 
more  efficient. 

With  the  precision  of  well  assembled  clockwork,  the  consecutive 
graduating  classes  have  been  launched  from  State  Teachers  College  at 
Towson.  Each  unit  of  graduates  is  dependent  not  only  upon  the  stu- 
dents who  compose  the  group  and  the  skill  of  the  teachers  and  execu- 
tives who  administer  it,  but  also  upon  the  foresight  and  sacrifice  of 
those  pioneering  educators  whose  labors  first  bore  fruit  on  January  15, 
1866.  Each  class  leaves  the  College,  is  assimilated  by  the  various  com- 
munities of  Maryland,  and  thus  constructs  the  heritage  of  State  Teach- 
ers College  to  Man.  The  function  of  the  class,  therefore,  may  bepassive. 
The  graduates  may  never  react  to  make  Education  better  or  Teachers 
College  more  efficient. 

As  indicated  by  the  italicized  words  in  the  last  two  sentences,  grad- 
uating classes  are  different  from  radio  programs.  The  latter  are  dis- 
sipated among  the  ether  waves  several  instants  after  their  broadcast. 
The  former  may  avoid  dissipation  by  creating  associations  and  thus  con- 
solidate themselves  for  effective  group  activity. 

Great  can  be  the  benefits  of  intelligent  activity  among  the  or- 
ganized Alumni  of  this  College  to  Education  in  Maryland  and  to  the 
College  itself.  Therefore  the  Tower  Light,  during  this  season  when  all 
thoughts  are  upon  the  splendid  accomplishments  of  the  Founders, 
strongly  urges  renewed  vigor  in,  and  more  extensive  organization  of, 
Alumni  in  order  that  the  graduates  of  Teachers  College  shall  not  be- 
come dispersed  like  radio  waves  in  the  ether,  but  shall  become  united 
to  accomplish  difficult  tasks. 

A  Bouquet 

With  the  beginning  of  the  New  Year  the  Tower  Light  wishes  to 
balance  the  debts  of  the  Old  in  accordance  with  the  venerable  Chinese 
custom.  Therefore  the  Staff  takes  this  opportunity  to  express  its  ap- 
preciation for  the  invaluable  assistance  which  the  following  persons 
have  rendered  it  during  the  past  months : 

For  advertisements,  our  thanks  to  Elaine  Ward,  Melvin  Cole,  and 
Justus  Meyer. 

For  aid  in  our  Christmas  Card  venture,  we  are  deeply  indebted  to : 
Mrs.  Brouwer,  Mary  Owens,  Evelyn  Robe,  George  Horn,  and  the  Fourth 
Year  Seniors,  especially  Malcolm  Davies. 

For  endless  kindnesses  throughout  the  year,  we  are  perennially 
grateful  to  Mrs.  McNally. 

17 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  Library — at  Your  Service 

The  Library  has  purchased  no  books  except  the  essentials  this  month.   However,  a 
splendid  group  of  science  books  has  been  ordered  and  will  be  reviewed  in  February. 

W.J. 

Henry  VIII— King,  Not  Man 

Hackett,  Francis — Henry  the  Eighth.  N.Y.:  Garden  City  Publishing 
Co.:  1931.  452pp.  $1.00. 

HERE  is  the  biography  of  a  king.  The  man  is  missing.  Perhaps 
there  was  no  man,  merely  a  king;  and  that,  a  spineless  piece  of 
flesh,  tossed  about  on  the  turbulent  tide  of  events  of  sixteenth- 
century  Europe,  assuming  a  recognizable  form  only  when  so  con- 
strained by  desires  of  the  flesh.  Hackett  inadvertently  excuses  Henry's 
actions,  while  at  the  same  time,  he  paints  a  magnificent  picture  of  a  re- 
pulsive character  in  a  lusty  age.  He  writes,  '  'He  was  less  a  fellow-being 
than  a  glorious  circumstance,"  and  he  records,  "Loathsomely  wealthy, 
withdrawn  from  danger,  scornfully  proud,  clad  in  vice,  mischievous, 
cruel,  bloody,  scourging  the  poor,  piercing  with  his  tongue  the  simple 
that  can  make  no  defenses,  .  .  .  whose  glutted  cheeks  sloth  feeds  so  fat, 
as  scant  their  eyes  be  seen" — but  in  another  place,  "Henry  was  cun- 
ning; acquisitive  in  every  fiber;  fertile  in  plans,  active  in  brain,  sharp  of 
claw  and  wit." 

It  may  be  unwise  for  the  reader  to  definitely  stamp  the  biographer's 
attitude  toward  his  subject  as  I  have  been  wont  to  do.  He  claims  as  his 
sole  purpose  "to  show  what  Henry  VIII  was  really  like. ' '  He  states  his 
problem  thus :  '  'That  a  man  can  be  held  to  be  both  a  lion  and  a  weak- 
ling, both  iron-willed  and  flabby,  both  a  savior  and  a  waster — and  this 
by  men  fully  conversant  with  the  documents — obviously  raises  a  ques- 
tion not  so  much  of  the  sources  as  of  the  vantage  point  from  which 
history  is  to  be  written,  especially  the  history  of  a  king." 

Disregarding  the  character  for  the  moment;  the  author  certainly 
gives  an  insight  into  the  life  of  the  times.  '  'This  reign  saw  the  dawn  of 
the  Renaissance,  the  restoration  of  England  as  a  world  power  and  less 
important,  though  almost  as  interesting  from  the  human  point  of  view, 
the  vicious  treatment  of  six  women,  some  good  and  some  bad,  who  had 
the  misfortune  to  become  wife  to  Henry."  It  was  an  age  when  things 
were  happening  and  when  the  destiny  of  civilization  was  being  moulded 
by  kings  and  courtiers  and  popes,  who  made  decisions  of  lasting  mo- 
ment on  the  most  trivial  of  prejudices. 

"Names  hurtle  across  the  bold  skies  of  the  early  sixteenth  century 
like  wild  squadrons  of  the  air"  (and  many  of  these  bolster  up  the  story 

18 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


where  Henry  would  have  failed  the  author  utterly) — da  Vinci,  Raph- 
ael, Diirer,  Michelangelo,  Titian,  Holbein,  Cellini,  Columbus,  Cortez, 
Pizarro,  Erasmus,  Colet,  Thomas  More,  Wolsey,  Luther,  Ferdinand 
and  Isabella,  Cromwell,  Calvin,  and  hosts  of  others. 

And  because  it  gives  a  rather  deep  glance  into  the  times,  and  be- 
cause it  illustrates  in  some  measure  the  beauty  and  dignity  of  the  au- 
thor's style,  I  quote: 

"Italy  was  the  shining  target  of  the  high  pre-occupation.  Every 
king  in  Europe  had  his  eye  on  her.  Italy  became  the  essence  of  foreign 
policy.  Italy,  a  young  goddess,  nude  and  radiant,  was  to  be  held  by 
anyone  powerful  enough  under  arms.  Once  a  dynastic  state  felt  secure, 
the  lust  for  Italy  became  paramount.  It  was  the  dream  of  Ferdinand 
and  Isabella.  It  kept  the  French  kings  drunk  for  a  hundred  years.  It 
inflamed  Maximilian.  It  drew  the  Turks  into  Europe,  since  Italy  was 
the  jewel  of  the  Mediterranean.  And  in  Italy  itself  the  papacy  caught 
this  passion  and  bartered  its  authority  to  become  a  third  rate  military 
power. 

Hackett's  material  lends  itself  to  presentation  by  either  a  chrono- 
logical or  a  topical  method  and  results  in  a  series  of  excellent  character 
studies.  Whether  the  biography  will  become  a  permanent  contribution 
to  literature  remains  to  be  seen.  The  work  is  now  but  six  years  old.  I 
would  hazard  the  guess  that  it  will  withstand  the  ravages  of  time,  for, 
aside  from  its  commendable  execution,  it  has  a  decided  appeal  to  both 
the  intellect  and  the  emotions,  and  it  springs  from  a  source  of  constant 
appeal — human  nature. 

G.  G.  Benbow,  '5/. 


The  Kaleidoscope 


Now,  at  last,  we  are  untrammeled  by  the  horror  of  an  Old  Eng- 
lish dialect  and  we  may  proceed  to  relate  the  news  of  the  month 
in  rhetoric  which  may  not  be  excellent,  but  which  you  will  at 
least  understand,  we  hope. 

For  a  whole  month  we  have  been  pursued  by  swarming  specters  of 
"ye,"  "thou,"  "wilt"  and  "perchance."  Now  another  ghost  looms 
upon  our  horizon;  namely,  the  ghost  called  Pun.  Do  you  know  what 
we  mean?  If  you  don't,  then  you  have  surely  been  asleep  for  the  past 
three  months.  What  with  Mac,  Chrest,  Hopwood  and  the  blue-eyed 
Miss  Schnepfe,  we  are  on  the  verge  of  nervous  prostration.  Some  bright 
person — I  believe  it  was  Mr.  Tepper — called  this  condition  "puns- 
drunk.  ' '  Will  you  sample  one  of  the  ex-samples? 

"Boy,  you  should  see  her  'coquette'  'em!" 

19 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Poor  Freshmen.  They  worry  so  about  things  that  they  don't  know. 
Wait  until  they  hear  Seniors  remarking  that  "the  more  you  learn  the  less 
you  know."  One  young  Freshman  dashed  into  the  library  a  few  months 
ago  (we  are  always  a  little  behind  the  times)  and  demanded  of  a  col- 
league, "What  is  a  philosophy  of  life?"  We  should  like  to  have  heard 
the  response.  We  don't  know  the  answer  ourselves,  after — years  in 
this  place.  (And  you  still  don't  know  our  rank.  So  there!) 

The  historic  gentleman  who  is  a  special  sophomore,  is  special  in 
more  ways  than  one.  He  can  sing  (not  loudly,  but  well);  he  can  dance; 
and  he  has  the  astounding  ability  to  make  some  girls  blush.  And — 
mirabile  dictu — it  seems  almost  certain  that  Mary  has  succumbed — 
Sutch  a  weakling. 

The  young  man  with  the  musician's  name  has  an  undying  faith  in 
nursery  rhymes.  Ask  him  what  he  knows  about  Mary  and  her  little 
lamb.  We  couldn't  spoil  the  story  for  him. 

Child's  bright  saying,  number  1,333,998^:  We  shall  agree  with 
the  author,  not  because  we  believe  what  he  says,  but  because  we  must 
finish  the  chapter  today. 

We  suggest  more  easy  chairs  for  the  browsing  room,  so  that  the 
fourth-year  students  may  listen  to  lectures  at  their  ease.  Incidentally, 
will  all  other  students,  particularly  Freshmen,  take  note  of  the  fact  that 
on  Tuesday  afternoons  classes  are  held  in  the  browsing  room?  We 
found  that  out  one  day,  to  our  sorrow. 

A  Freshman  boy  cannot  make  up  his  mind  as  to  where  he  will  let 
his  heart  repose.  He  warned  us  to  watch  him  at  the  Old  English  Din- 
ner to  find  out.  Thanks.  That's  our  business. 

By  the  way,  what  happened  to  that  romance  between  the  Freshman 
officer  and  his  erstwhile  opponent?  It  must  have  languished — by  the 
way. 

Three  girls  went  to  Washington  to  see  a  basket-ball  game — Ah-h-h! 

A  foreword  to  "She  Married  Her  Boss"  is  going  on  in  the  Tower 
Light  office  and  at  meetings  of  the  League  of  Young  Voters.  Master 
Isadore  Miller  must  have  begun  reading  a  book  on  how  to  fascinate 
Freshmen. 

Certain  friendly  Freshmen  suggest  this  as  a  theme  song  for  Mr. 
Gamerman  of  the  huge  bow  ties :  "  A  Little  Bit  Independent. 

And  Miss  Van  Bibber  has  developed  a  positive  passion  for  '  'Treas- 
ure Island."  The  song,  not  the  book.  Personally,  we  prefer  "Swing 
It." 

Oh,  where  is  the  rose  that  once  bloomed  upon  Mr.  Cole's  coat? 

We  overheard  two  fourth-year  students  talking  together  one  day. 
The  first  was  saying  that  he  thought  a  certain  person's  poetry  was  good 
but  that  he  didn't  like  it.  Had  the  commentator  not  been  wearing 
trousers,  we  should  have  thought  that  he  was  a  woman. 

20 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


MacCubbin  is  now  in  "Blue  Heaven."  We're  not  sure,  but  we 
think  that  the  sender  of  certain  colored  epistles  is  a  fair  graduate  of 
last  year.  We  wish  these  affairs  could  be  confined  to  the  limits  of  the 
Ad  building.  They  are  so  much  easier  to  follow  up. 

We  have  a  real  hones t-to-goodness  star  in  our  midst.  This  is  old 
stuff  by  now,  but  it's  good.  Pauline  Mueller  was  an  attraction  in  the 
"Okay  Baltimore"  show.  We  heard  that  this  show  was  one  of  the  best 
that  has  ever  been  produced  by  home  talent  in  Baltimore,  and  we  are 
quite  sure  that  Miss  Mueller's  dancing  is  responsible.  We  really  are 
congratulating  you,  Miss  Mueller.  Don't  dance  too  far  away  from  us. 

We'll  see  you  next  month.  And  in  the  meantime,  don't  let  the  su- 
pervisors get  you.  Better  watch  out  for  punsters,  too. 

I'm  No  Poet 

Did  you  ever  have  to  write 

A  poem  or  something  of  the  like. 

And  a  tho't 
Seemed  to  be  as  far  away 
As  that  expected  judgment  day 

Of  which  we're  taught. 

As  you  sit  there  by  the  hour 
And  there  seems  to  be  no  power 

In  your  brain; 
You  think  of  everything  you've  read 
And  you  try  to  use  your  head. 

But  in  vain. 

After  all  your  time  has  passed 
And  it's  time  to  go  to  class. 

And  then  still 
Your  poem  has  not  come  to  you, 
You  realize  that  'tis  true 

You  feel  ill. 

As  you  walk  into  the  room, 

Where  you're  sure  you'll  meet  your  doom 

On  this  day, 
You  are  very  much  surprised. 
That  an  idea  to  be  prized 

Has  come  your  way. 

J.  R.  Wheeler. 

21 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Glee  Club 

ON  December  13  the  Glee  Club  gave  a  full  hour  program  for  the 
Baltimore  Education  Association  in  the  music  room  of  the 
Eastern  High  School.  Included  in  the  program  were  works  by 
Dickinson,  Praetorius,  Leonia  and  the  familiar  French  carol  "Gloria 
In  Excelsis  Deo." 

Two  days  later,  on  December  15,  the  Glee  Club  sang  over  radio 
station  WCAO  at  12 :45  a.m.  The  program  included : 

"While  Shepherds  Watched  their  Flocks  By  Night"  .  Praetorius 

'  'Lo  How  A  Rose  E'er  Blooming' ' Praetorius 

"The  Shepherd's  Story" .Dickinson 

"Gloria  In  Excelsis  Deo" Old  French  carol 

Dr.  Tall  gave  a  brief  talk  on  the  work  of  the  Teachers  College  and 
the  place  of  music  therein.  The  text  of  her  speech  follows : 

The  State  Teachers  College  at  Towson,  formerly  the  Maryland 
State  Normal  School,  is  the  oldest  teacher  training  institution  for  the 
elementary  school  field  in  the  State  of  Maryland.  It  was  founded  in 
January,  1866.  More  than  six  thousand  graduates  from  the  twenty- 
three  counties  and  from  Baltimore  City  have  gone  out  with  its  diploma 
to  assume  responsibility  and  leadership  in  school  affairs  and  in  civic 
life.  Last  June  the  B.S.  Degree  in  Education  was  conferred  upon  ten 
ambitious  graduates.  This  year  twenty-two  will  receive  the  degree. 

Though  there  are  many  extra-curricular  activities  carried  on 
under  joint  responsibility  of  our  students  and  faculty,  the  Glee  Club,  all 
will  agree,  is  one  of  the  most  important  groups  in  the  College.  Of  the 
present  enrollment  of  340  students,  more  than  one-third  have  joined  the 
Glee  Club.  Why?  Because  of  their  sheer  love  for  music.  And  this  could 
not  be  except  that  the  love  for  music  be  a  phase  of  the  spirit  of  the  Col- 
lege. So  it  truly  is,  in  both  faculty  and  student  body. 

All  students  are  busy  at  the  college,  necessarily,  but  the  Glee  Club 
members  are  busiest  of  all;  they  must  sing  at  Chapel  services,  at 
Assembly,  at  Christmastide,  on  Founder's  Day,  and  at  Commence- 
ment exercises. 

"But,"  you  ask,  "where  schedules  are  crowded  how  can  one  find  the 
time  for  practice?  Music  is  a  thing  of  art,  and  art  is  relentless  in  its  de- 
mands, for  it  requires  beauty  and  finish  as  two  of  its  aims."  Schedules 
permit  the  Glee  Club  one  practice  period  during  the  week — Monday 
afternoon  between  3:30  and  5:00  o'clock.  Naturally  ours  is  not  a  per- 
fect chorus.  But  no  finished  performance,  such  as  a  great  opera,  when 
listened  to  can  ever  give  the  same  thrill  that  an  amateur  musician,  per- 
forming, himself,  after  real  struggle  with  a  composition,  feels  when  he 

22 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


has  really  mastered  a  phrase  or  a  line  of  a  great  hymn  or  song,  and  ex- 
periences perfection  for  that  one  brief  minute.  The  Glee  Club  mem- 
bers know  that  only  occasionally  do  they  reach  such  heights.  But  for 
the  perfect  moment  each  member  works  hard,  and  with  enthusiasm.  In 
the  doing,  this  chorus  of  one  hundred  voices  gives  to  our  college  greater 
power  generally,  and  finer  taste  in  music,  than  it  could  have  otherwise. 

If  Maryland,  through  our  striving  in  music,  combined  with  all  the 
civic  efforts  to  promote  music  in  Baltimore  and  the  counties — should 
become  a  singing  State  who  knows  what  might  happen  to  elevate  men's 
emotions  for  higher  ideals  in  the  years  to  come?  Could  a  singing  nation, 
if  it  were  also  wise,  help  to  avert  war?  Who  knows?  But,  at  any  rate, 
today,  we  sing  you  songs  of  peace,  the  joyous  peace  of  the  Christmas- 
tide. 

To  you,  friends-of-the-school,  and  members  of  our  Alumni  body, 
who  are  listening,  we  dedicate  the  fifteen  minutes  of  the  broadcast.  The 
State  Teachers  College  at  Towson  wishes  for  you  a  happy  Christmas 
season. 

Lid  A  Lee  Tall. 

Orchestra 

A  LTHOUGH  the  Orchestra  has  scarcely  finished  Christmas  music,  al- 
AA  ready  the  radio  broadcast  is  upon  us.  The  exact  date  has  not  been 
-^     ^decided  upon,  but  it  will  probably  be  the  middle  of  January. 

In  preceding  years,  we  have  had  a  string  ensemble  composed  of 
Orchestra  members.  Sometimes  this  has  been  of  three  or  four  violins,  or 
one  of  violins  and  cello.  We  are  now  organizing  a  string  ensemble  for 
this  year.  We  hope  to  let  you  hear  them  play  sometime  soon. 

During  the  Christmas  vacation,  several  Orchestra  members  were 
working  on  special  music  for  the  tea  to  be  served  in  the  President's 
home  early  in  February. 

Did  you  know  that  three  young  men  who  are  interested  in  music 
for  the  violin  play  together  on  Monday  nights?  The  members  of  this 
trio  are  Malcolm  Davies,  and  Frank  and  Chris  Zeichner.  Perhaps  they 
will  play  for  us  sometime. 

Miss  Vivian  Cord,  our  alumna  trumpeter,  is  now  a  student  at  Pea- 
body  as  well  as  a  teacher  in  the  Baltimore  City  schools.  Miss  Cord  gen- 
erously came  to  play  the  trumpet  at  the  Old  English  Festival.  We  are 
hoping  that  we  may  have  her  for  an  assembly  program  some  time,  if  her 
teaching  duties  permit. 

What  makes  fat  girls  thin  and  thin  girls  "plump"  down  on  your 
toes?  The  Tower  Light  Dance. 

23 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Assemblies 

An  unexpected  pleasure  came  to  us  when  an  unexpected  speaker ad- 
/^  dressed  us  on  November  20.  Mrs.  J.  K.  Pettengill,  First  Vice- 
■^  ^-President  of  the  National  Congress  of  Parents  and  Teachers,  and 
professor  at  the  Wayne  University  School  of  Education,  was  a  most  de- 
lightful speaker.  Her  topic,  "Adult  Education,"  was  both  vital  and 
stimulating.  "Adult  education  is  a  new  manifestation  of  education.  It 
is  a  movement,  not  a  system;  it  is  an  action  which  has  grown  out  of  the 
people  themselves . ' ' 

Adult  education  intends  to  do  much  for  adults : 

1.  It  will  aid  in  the  learning  process. 

2.  It  will  provide  a  means  of  earning  a  living. 

3.  It  will  change  the  attitude  of  the  learner  toward  himself  and  to- 
ward his  fellow-beings. 

4.  Its  attainment  will  be  the  attempt  on  the  part  of  the  learner  to 
change  his  environment  toward  the  ideal. 

"We  cannot  tell  what  the  sum  total  of  the  work  can  do.  We  can 
direct  the  child,  but  we  cannot  say  how  far  the  child  can  go,  nor  what 
he  will  find.  Adult  education  is  a  group  endeavor  where  continuous 
creative  group  thinking  takes  place.  Group  thinking  is  the  answer  to 
America's  problems. ' ' 

On  November  21,  Miss  Lind,  Director  of  Elementary  Education  in 
Washington,  D.C.,  delivered  a  very  delightful  informal  talk.  Miss 
Lind  described  her  summer  experiences  in  Mexico.  "In  Mexico,  time 
does  not  count.  'Sometime'  is  the  most  popular  word."  Our  speaker 
was  one  of  a  small  group  of  American  educators  who  went  into  Mexico 
to  study  the  new  trend  in  rural  education.  Since  the  revolution,  many 
interesting  things  have  been  done  to  the  Mexican  educational  system. 
"Mexico  is  now  an  ardent  disciple  of  John  Dewey."  The  country  is 
leaning  toward  modernization  in  all  fields  of  human  activity,  but  under 
all  this  striving  for  the  modern  still  lies  the  past. 

A  most  inspiring,  but  heartrending  sight  was  seeing  the  new  on 
one  side  with  the  old  on  the  other;  the  singing  of  the  school  children 
saying  goodbye  to  the  Americans,  on  one  side  of  the  road,  and  on  the 
other  side,  two  women  washing  their  laundry  in  a  stream,  as  their 
grandparents  had  done  long  ago. 

Because  Miss  Weyforth  "had  'no  money,'  and  was  very  busy  work- 
ing on  a  course  of  study,"  she  had  expected  to  spend  last  summer  at 
home.  Yet  it  seems  that  her  plans  were  somewhat  changed,  for  she  dis- 
covered that  she  could  travel  through  Europe  as  a  member  of  a  field 

24 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


group  from  Columbia  University  at  greatly  reduced  expense.   She  told 
us  about  her  trip  on  November  25. 

The  group  spent  six  weeks  in  five  European  countries  and  studied 
"Music  and  the  Related  Arts."  In  England  Miss  Weyforth  heard  the 
Boys'  Choirs  of  St.  Paul's  and  Westminster  Abbey.  In  Germany  she 
visited  the  Library  of  the  University  of  Berlin,  and  held  in  her  hands 
the  original  manuscripts  of  Wagner  and  other  composers.  Miss  Wey- 
forth had  several  conversational  difficulties  in  France;  it  seems  that 
"the  French  people  study  English  very  little,  and  understand  our  French 
even  less."  Nevertheless  we  are  quite  sure  that  she  enjoyed  her  visits 
to  the  Louvre  and  to  the  Palace  of  Versailles. 

Dr.  Tall,  on  December  2,  resumed  her  previous  talk  on  "Character 
Education."  "Whom  would  you  select  as  the  twelve  greatest  char- 
acters in  each  class?"  "What  is  a  real,  great  character?"  A  definition 
has  been  given — "Character  is  nature  within;  nature  which  is  a  result 
of  the  correlation  of  conscience  and  intelligence."  Dr.  Tall  chose  the 
personality  of  Jane  Addams  as  one  of  the  best  examples  of  a  really 
great  character.  In  1931,  Jane  Addams  was  chosen  as  the  greatest  of 
living  women,  and  the  organization  of  the  famous  Hull  House  Settle- 
ment in  Chicago  was  selected  as  the  greatest  of  her  achievements.  Her 
institution  will  be  a  refuge,  and  her  character  a  guiding  beacon,  for  all 
humanity.  „  _ 

C)ARAH  StRUMSKY. 

Max  Berzofsky. 

The  Rambling  Rambler 

As  soccer  fades  into  the  far-away,  another  season  has  come  and  gone. 
A\  It  seems  that  a  good  habit  has  been  formed  and  is  very  well  es- 
-*•  ^tablished — the  habit  of  having  successful  soccer  seasons.  Our 
only  loss  this  year  was  to  Western  Maryland,  and  that  was  very  close. 
Our  team  rode  triumphantly  over  Teachers  College  at  Salisbury  twice. 
Teachers  College  at  Frostburg  once,  and  Johns  Hopkins  University 
twice.  In  the  Maryland  Collegiate  Soccer  League  our  team  will  in  all 
probability  be  second  only  to  Western  Maryland.  Let's  go,  Soccer 
Team. 

A  bit  belated,  but  vital,  summary  of  the  few  final  soccer  games: 
With  flags  flying,  S.T.C.  went  down  to  defeat  at  the  hands  (or 
rather,  feet)  of  Western  Maryland.  But  not  by  any  means  was  our  team 
out  fought. 

However,  our  college  record  still  continued  growing.  Chewing 
nails  (figuratively),  the  team  tore  through  Salisbury  Teachers  like  wild- 

{Continued  on  page  zg) 

25 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


As  You  Like  It 

I  COULD  call  this  month's  column  "Watchamadoodles"  or  "Thinga- 
majigs" — but  I'm  not  gonna,  watchaknowaboutthat?  In  fact,  what 
I'm  gonna  do  is  describe  a  typical  day  at  school.  All  ready? — then 
fetch  your  umbrellas  and  "goo-loshes"  and  come  aslushing  with  me. 

COLLEGE— FROM  WEAK  TO  WEAK 

You've  risen  extra  early;  you  hardly  eat  any  breakfast;  you  run  to 
catch  the  car  .  .  .  you've  just  got  to  get  to  College  at  eight-thirty  to  get 
that  book.  You  pufFand  sigh,  and  so  does  the  car,  until  at  last  you  get 
to  school.  Up  the  stairs  three  at  a  time  and  then  .  .  .  you  see  it,  that  line 
in  front  of  the  library  door.  They're  all  ahead  of  you!  Alas,  you  resign 
yourself  to  Fate  and  take  the  next  place  in  line.  When  you  have  caught 
your  breath,  you  cautiously  and  tactfully  find  out  just  what  books 
those  in  front  of  you  are  going  to  reserve.  Don't  appear  anxious — be 
calm  and  at  ease,  you  know — that  I-don't-give-a-darn  attitude.  At 
last  the  librarian  comes  to  you  and,  wonder  of  wonders,  you  get  the 
book.  With  a  sigh  of  relief  you  go  to  the  "return"  desk,  and  for  the 
second  time  since  a  quarter  of  seven  in  the  morning  your  breath  is  taken 
away — you  owe  $.15  on  those  books.  Oh!  well,  let  the  librarian  write 
it  on  the  card  with  the  other  $.35. 

Then  you  go  down  to  the  Men's  Room  where  you  will  find  Kolb 
sitting  in  the  same  seat  reading  the  same  book  he  started  reading  four 
years  ago  as  a  Freshman.  You  nod  to  him  and  he  replies  with  a  cross 
between  grrr-hmmm  and  hmmm-grrr.  You  divest  yourself  of  hat  and 
coat  and  gaze  into  the  mirror,  whereupon  you  immediately  begin  to 
comb  your  flaxen  tresses.  Soon  other  boys  begin  to  pour  in  and  go 
through  the  same  routine  as  you.  (Conditioned  reflexes  or  habits, 
which  is  it,  Miss  Birdsong?)  About  a  quarter  to  nine,  when  the  Men's 
Room  is  full,  a  classmate  comes  over,  points  an  accusing  finger  at  you 
and  bellows  forth,  "Well,  did  you  stay  up  until  two  o'clock  last  night 
doing  homework?"  You  favor  him  with  a  deprecatory  movement  of 
your  hand  and,  with  a  mirthless  laugh,  tell  him  he's  nuts.  (After  all 
you  only  stayed  up  until  1 :30  a.m.)  Other  classmates  join  in — '  T  went  to 
movies  last  night,"  "I  listened  to  the  radio,"  "I  minded  the  baby,"  etc. 
and  so  on.  Of  course,  nobody  did  any  homework.  (Faculty,  please 
note,  this  is  sarcasm.)  Well,  everything  has  its  end  and  when  Bob  comes 
running  in  a  half  minute  to  nine,  we  all  take  time  out  to  tell  him  how 
ducky  his  tie  is — oh  yeah! 

The  bell  rings  and  a  gentlemanly  stampede  takes  place  to  the  first 
period  class.    As  you  walk  into  the  room,  you  see  two  glaring  eyes 

16 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


turned  toward  you.    It  is  your  beloved  section  chairman.    He  reaches 
out  his  hand  and  with  a  smile  gives  you  your  morning  mail : 
'  'Why  didn't  you  come  to  Glee  Club  rehearsal?' ' 
"YourN.Y.A.  sheet  did  not  come  in.  See  Mrs.  Debaugh." 
"Your  lateness  has  been  increasing.  Please  report  to  Miss  Tansil." 
The  professor  calls  the  class  to  order  and  the  boys  who  "minded 
the  baby' '  and  went  to  see  Tom  Mix  begin  to  evacuate  the  brain  which 
they  stuffed  to  "standing  room  only"  the  night  before.  The  second  and 
third  periods  come  and  go,  and  at  last  all  the  little  craniums  are  pumped 
dry — ^we  are  all  in  the  mood  for  the  assembly  period. 

Well,  we  file  into  the  auditorium  and  by  using  all  our  persuasive 
powers,  we  convince  that  darned  guy  that  he  is  in  our  seat.  Not  that 
we  mind;  "It's  just  the  principle  of  the  thing."  (And  the  girl  that  sits 
to  the  right.)  The  Assembly  is  called  to  attention  and  announcements 
are  in  order.  Now  there's  a  certain  charm  about  announcements — in 
fact,  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  art  of  giving  announce- 
ments is  a  very  intriguing  one.  After  one  and  a  half  years  of  observa- 
tion, of  careful  scrutiny,  and  of  analytical  study,  I  believe  my  thoughts 
concerning  the  subject  are  subjectively,  objectively,  qualitatively,  and 
quantitatively  authentic.  Here  are  the  results  of  my  labor: 

HOW  TO  GIVE  A  GOOD  ANNOUNCEMENT 

1.  When  you  are  called  on  to  give  an  announcement,  the  first  requi- 
site is  that  you  must  become  completely  and  uniformly  confused.  When 
you  are  sure  your  name  has  been  called — first  you  look  in  front  of  you, 
then  behind — and  when  you  have  ascertained  that  you  are  the  only  one 
by  your  name,  you  stand  up. 

2.  Clear  your  throat  in  the  key  of  C.  Then  as  soon  as  you  begin  to 
move  your  lips,  set  your  body  in  motion.  As  you  talk,  walk  up  and 
down  the  aisles.  If  there  are  any  vacant  chairs  in  your  itinerary,  do  not 
hesitate  to  walk  over  them.  That  will  give  you  altitude  and  you  will 
be  able  all  the  better  to  see  the  hands  of  those  who  did  not  hear  the 
announcement. 

3.  Then  you  must  begin  over  again;  repeat  the  procedure  as  stated 
above  in  step  two,  this  time  being  duly  solicitous  to  clear  your  throat 
in  the  key  of  E  Major.  (For  the  sake  of  my  music  grade,  Miss  Prickett,  I 
hope  there  is  such  a  thing.) 

4.  Finally,  you  right  about  face,  slam  your  chair,  and  sit  down. 

If  you  can  do  this,  my  announcementology  proteges,  I  guarantee 
that  you  will  be  worthy  of  a  Rush  or  a  Brumbaugh. 

After  everybody  has  tried  his  hardest  to  think  of  something  to 
make  an  announcement  about,  the  assembly  proper  begins.  Now  to  us. 


27 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


the  audience,  there  are  two  kinds  of  assembly  programs:  one,  the  kind 
to  which  we  listen;  and  the  other,  the  kind  in  which  we  are  given  an 
opportunity  to  be  good  listeners.  To  those  sponsoring  the  assemblies, 
the  assembly  schedule  divides  itself  into  three  types  of  program: 

1.  Section  assemblies — ^where  the  hopes  and  fears  of  all  the  years 
(Freshmen,  Soph,  Junior  and  Senior)  are  met. 

2.  Outside  speakers — (Time  out  for  a  pun — Only  those  whose  heads 
are  made  of  wood  have  any  excuse  for  being  bored.) 

3.  Section  and  Student  Council  Meetings — Of  these  I  shall  say 
nothing:  they  speak  for  themselves — and  how!  Sometimes  they  speak 
ten  minutes  after  the  lunch  bell  has  rung.  (May  I  here  throw  a  brick 
bouquet  at  Sokolow?  Why  doesn't  he  give  me  a  chance  to  adjourn  the 
meeting  once  in  a  while?) 

And  now  the  assembly  is  over  and  we  can  eat  lunch — that's  what 
you  think!  You,  over  there,  remain  for  the  special  quartet  rehearsal, 
you  stay  here  for  an  N.Y.A.  meeting,  you  stay  here  for  this  meeting, 
etc. 

Finally  you  are  graciously  permitted  ten  minutes  in  which  to  peck 
at  your  lunches.  (' 'With  your  mind  and  with  your  gullet' ' — Reference: 
Kolb's  Book  of  Etiquette,  Chap.  X,  "Food  for  Thought.") 

There  is  not  enough  space  or  words  to  describe  what  goes  on  in  the 
Men's  Room  at  lunch.  But  between  you  and  me  and  the  pencil,  I  do 
wish  Schreiber  would  bring  bigger  lunches.  Why,  in  the  last  week 
I've  lost  three  pounds! 

Another  interesting  observation  of  the  lunch  period  is  the  vast 
multitude  of  men  students  who  eat  their  lunches  in  the  cafeteria.  I 
wonder  if  the  faculty  and  girl  studes  know  that  the  cafeteria  is  popu- 
larly called  "No  Man's  Land"  by  the  fellows.  I  really  don't  under- 
stand the  reason  for  this  effeminate  title;  I  myself  go  to  the  cafeteria 
every  day. 

The  bell  rings  and  classes  begin  once  more.  We  talk  a  little,  twid- 
dle our  thumbs  and  then  the  three  o'clock  bell  rings.  (Just  like  that!) 

From  three  to  five  o'clock,  State  Teachers  College  is  just  one  hier- 
archy of  skills.  In  one  part  of  the  building  a  basket-ball  player  is  busily 
engaged  in  concocting  a  plausible  excuse  for  not  attending  practice.  In 
the  library  Hy  Cohen  is  getting  grey  hair  over  his  homework — so  "he 
can  mind  the  baby  at  night" ;  Bob  is  being  bawled  out  for  making  goo- 
goo  eyes  at  the  girls,  (Poor  Bob!)  and  Jaffa,  working  (?)  in  the  library, 
occasionally  stamps  a  book.  So  on  and  so  on. 

And  then  it  comes  time  to  go  home  and  you  go  to  the  library  to  get 
that  book  you  carne  so  early  to  get — and  low  and  behold,  'tis  gone!  Oh 
me,  Oh  my! 

Your  humorous  editor, 

SiD  Tepper. 


28 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


{Continued  from  page  2j) 

fire.  The  latter  went  under  by  the  score  of  2-0.  Then  came  the  Hopkins 
Blue  Jays.  On  the  dangerous  and  miry  turf,  our  team  eked  out  a  1-0 
victory.  As  usual,  the  foot  of  Mel  Cole  pointed  the  way  to  victory. 

A  mere  incident,  but  quite  interesting,  is  the  matter  of  a  gift.  Santa 
Claus  appeared  to  the  Freshmen  in  the  form  of  Maurice  Schreiber. 
Going  into  the  last  three  minutes  of  play  in  the  first  soccer  game  be- 
tween the  Freshmen  and  Sophomores,  the  score  was  tied  at  0-0.  The 
Freshmen  came  tearing  up  the  field  with  the  ball  in  their  possession.  A 
very  good  passing  attack  was  functioning  perfectly.  Finally,  the  ball 
came,  hot  off  the  foot  of  a  "bodacious"  Freshman.  Only  one  Soph  was 
between  the  goal  and  the  ball.  Ah,  but  look!  His  toe  met  the  ball. 
Alack,  alas,  it  was  his  little  toe  instead  of  his  big  toe.  Instead  of  com- 
ing to  the  middle  of  the  goal  where  the  goalkeeper  was  so  expectantly 
waiting,  the  ball  was  deflected  and  converted  into  the  most  beautiful 
corner  shot  that  has  ever  been  seen  in  the  history  of  soccer  at  the 
Teachers  College.   The  Freshmen,  needless  to  say,  won  1-0. 

And  now  to  basket-ball.  The  team  has  started  off  in  fine  style  in 
spite  of  the  first  few  losses.  Catholic  University,  who  only  last  year 
beat  us  by  about  forty  points,  had  an  exceedingly  hard  time  beating  us 
by  a  score  of  37-24.  An  American  University  scout  who  saw  the  game 
said :  '  'Any  team  that  can  score  twenty  points  against  Catholic  Univer- 
sity is  a  good  ball  club." 

In  a  thrilling  and  unexpected  upset,  American  University  beat 
our  basket-ball  team  by  the  score  of  26-24.  At  the  half,  the  Teachers 
were  leading  15-11.  Josh  Wheeler  again  was  high-point  scorer  with  12 
points.  S.T.C.  started  brilliantly  and  ran  up  a  score  of  11-1.  However, 
the  lead  was  relinquished  and  American  University  forged  ahead.  Sev- 
eral times  in  the  last  period  the  Teachers  came  from  behind  to  take  the 
lead.  The  score  at  the  end  of  the  game  stood  23-23.  In  an  extra  period 
we  were  outscored  3-1- 

Young 

Like  an  unopened  bud,  young  and  frail, 
Which  opens  and  spreads  its  colors  pale. 
Like  snow  that  falls  in  blacked  night, 
And  changes  blackness  into  white, 
,  The  moon  appeared  upon  the  smoky  earth 
A  glittering  mass  of  gold! 

W.  Johnson. 

New  Year's  Resolution: 

Nothing  shall  deter  us  from  attending  that  superlative  social 
function — The  Tower  Light  Dance. 

29 


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Smart  Distinctive  Waves  and 
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Compliments 

of 

Hochschild,  Kohn  &  Go. 


TOWSON,  MARYLAND 
It's  really  a  home  whtn  it's  planted  by  Towson 


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Circulating  Library               Log  Cabin  Candies 

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THE  MOONBEAMS 

The  moonbeams  were  dancing  on  the  lake, 
Trying  hard  to  keep  the  night  awake. 
Their  silvery  dresses  and  sparkling  shoes — 
Which  one  was  prettiest  was  so  hard  to  choose. 
They  played  and  played  the  whole  night  through, 
Just  as  children  at  daytime  do. 

But  those  happy  little  moonbeams  with  silvery  toes 
Died  away  as  the  sun  arose. 

Diamonds  Watches  Jewelry 

HARRY  C.  LANGGOOD 

402  YorkRd.,  next  to  Chesapeake  Ave. 

TOWSON,  MD. 

Skilled  Watch,  Clock,  Jewelry,  Eye-Glass 

and  Fountain  Pen  Repairing 

Diamond  Setting 

Birthday  Cards        Parker  Pens        Quink 


Compliments 

of 

Maryland  Restaurant 


Concerning  the  Fels  Planetarium 

For  those  interested  in  the  world  of  science,  certainly  no  more  in- 
teresting place  can  be  found  than  the  Fels  Planetarium  in  Philadelphia. 

A  model  of  the  Solar  System,  which  demonstrates  the  movement  of 
the  planets  in  relation  to  the  sun  and  the  moon,  is  situated  at  the  en- 
trance of  the  Planetarium.  Along  the  walls,  to  right  and  left,  can  be 
seen  the  three  types  of  eclipse,  a  star  cluster,  and  various  views  of  the 
moon  on  glass  plates  or  slides. 

The  principal  feature  of  the  Fels  Planetarium  is  the  "Wonderland 
of  Science,"  so  named  because  of  its  marvelous  likeness  to  the  outdoors 
on  a  beautiful  starlit  night.  The  sides  of  this  room,  which  is  dome 
shaped,  represent  Philadelphia's  skyline.  By  scientific  control,  dark- 
ness gradually  spreads  over  all,  stars  appear  in  the  "sky"  or  dome  of 
the  room  and  the  moon  and  sun  alternately  pass  over,  while  a  con- 
tinuous "breeze"  stirs.  At  the  same  time,  an  instructor  gives  all  in- 
formation about  these  marvelous  bodies.  When  the  demonstration  is 
completed,  increasing  light  gradually  announces  the  beginning  of  a 

Florence  O'Donnell,  Fr.  i. 


Sports 


FOR  the  first  time  in  the  new  year,  we  bring  you  your  favorite  pro- 
gram. The  program  Sports  comes  to  you  on — oh,  who  cares  how 
many  kilocycles?  With  soothing  music  we  are  here,  prepared  not 
to  advertise  our  article,  but  to  tell  about  its  results. 

Well,  well,  well!  In  hockey  the  Seniors  occupy  the  first  line.  The 
tan  suits  subdued  the  yellow  ones  of  Sophomore  1  by  a  score  of  1-0. 
Again  that  Senior  steps  forth.  Our  future  Helen  Moody  turns  to  hockey 
and  with  a  push  of  a  stick  sends  the  ball  through  the  opponents'  goal 
post.  Still  the  Seniors  continued  the  march  toward  victory  and  with 
the  aid  of  Miss  Straining  defeated  Sophomore  2.  The  score  was  1-0. 
Sophomores,  defeated  with  honor!  With  more  "mus-cles"  as  Popeye 
would  say,  the  Sophomores  defeated  the  Freshmen.  The  goals  were 
made  by  Miss  Clark  and  Miss  Taylor.  Ah!  The  Freshmen  were  less 
timid  and  played  the  ball  across  the  Sophomores'  line.  A  score  of  3-1 
brought  the  1935  Hockey  season  to  an  end. 

Splash!  Splash!  The  fleet  of  the  basket-ball  players  with  Miss 

Roach  at  command  has  launched  their  ship.    As  a  good  sailor  would 

say,  we  wish  them  "Good  sailing."  ^   ^ 

^  ^  E.  Jones. 


c 


Ifesterfields  . . . 

a  corking  good  cigarette^.g . 
they've  been  hitting  the  trail 
with  me  for  a  long  time 

They  are  milder .  .  .  not  flat 
or  insipid  but  with  a  pleas- 
ing flavor 

They  have  plenty  of  taste 
....  not  strong  but  just  right 


An  outstanding  cigarette 
, . ,  no  doitht  about  it. 


1936,  Liggett  &  Myers  Tobacco  Co. 


thomsenI-euJ! 


SCIENCE 
NUMBER 


FEBRUARy,  1936 


^  LIBRARY 


THE 

TOWER  LIGHT 


State  Teachers  College 

TOWSON,  MARYLAND 


C  ONTENTS 

Cover  Design Charles  Meigs 

Humorous  Cuts Malcolm  Davies 

PAGE 

Mircles  Have  Happened 3 

Forests  and  the  Citizen 5 

Digging  for  Culture 8 

Scientific  Lighting 9 

The  Science  of  Matrimony 11 

Science  and  Life 13 

Vitalize  the  Social  Sciences 15 

Democracy  in  Education 17 

The  Endocrine  System  and  Personality 18 

Editorials 20 

Alumni  News 22 

The  Library — at  Your  service 24 

College  Notes 26 

Kaleidoscope 31 

As  You  Like  It 33 

Winter  Greens 34 

Our  Advertisers 35,  36 


1935       Member       1936 

Plssocided  Golle6iate  Press 


THE  TOWER  LIGHT 


Vol.  IX  FEBRUARY,  1936  No.  5 


Miracles  Have  Happened 

An  aviator  recently  flew  from  Los  Angeles  to  New  York  in  nine 
/A  hours  and  twenty-seven  minutes.  There  was  nothing  remarkable 
•^  ^  about  his  flight,  for  passenger  planes  fly  across  the  country  on 
regularly  scheduled  trips;  however,  he  had  made  the  journey  in  a  shorter 
time  than  anyone  previously.  In  contrast,  let  us  look  back  scarcely  a 
hundred  years  ago  to  the  stage  coach  lumbering  westward.  Generally  a 
month  or  more  passed  before  these  travellers  arrived  half-way  across 
the  continent.  Today  news  flashes  around  the  world,  and  the  medium 
which  carries  it  bears  no  semblance  to  the  sailing  vessels  which  brought 
word  to  the  American  colonists  of  the  welfare  of  their  relatives  in 
Europe,  and  no  semblance  to  the  rider  of  colonial  days  who  carried  the 
mail  from  town  to  town.  Machines  lift  objects,  make  telephonic  con- 
nections, and  in  many  ways  take  the  place  of  human  hands.  All  the 
world  around  us  presents  its  miracles . 

One  generally  accepts  his  world  and,  though  he  may  find  that  that 
which  he  is  accustomed  to  is  interesting,  it  is,  nevertheless,  common- 
place. Possibly  many  of  us  need  to  rub  our  Aladdin  lamps  and  so  reveal 
for  ourselves  the  wonders  of  the  universe,  man's  mastery  of  natural 
phenomena,  and  the  effect  that  this  mastery  has  upon  human  beings  and 
their  relationships.  The  universe  plays  its  part  unfailingly  and  mar- 
vellously. Its  very  reliability  is  one  of  its  wonders.  Just  as  certain  as 
the  dawn  and  the  day  that  follows  is  the  occurrence  of  other  phenomena 
when  conditions  on  which  they  depend  arise.  We  are  more  likely  to 
applaud,  however,  the  phenomenon  with  which  we  are  least  familiar. 
On  a  winter  morning  several  years  ago  a  crowd  of  men,  women,  and 
children  gathered  along  Morningside  Drive  in  New  York  City  where 
there  was  an  unobstructed  view  of  the  eastern  sky.  As  they  waited,  the 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


shadows  lengthened  and  a  strange  twilight  supplanted  the  bright  sun- 
light of  that  clear  day.  The  sun  became  crescent  shaped.  The  stars  came 
out  and  shone  brighter  and  brighter  in  the  deep  blue.  Then  for  a  mo- 
ment the  brilliant  corona  of  the  sun  appeared.  Even  as  it  disappeared, 
as  the  stars  grew  dimmer,  and  as  the  daylight  gradually  returned  the 
crowd  still  honked  horns,  applauded,  and  cheered.  When  one  considers 
this  display  of  emotions,  it  seems  so  inadequate  that  it  is  amusing,  yet 
it  expressed  a  genuine  appreciation  of  that  pageant  of  the  sky.  One 
loses  much  who  does  not  see  the  w^onders  in  his  world. 

Some  of  those  who  watched  the  eclipse  of  the  sun  that  winter 
morning  must  have  felt  a  deep  respect  for  the  astronomers  who  had 
fixed  the  time  of  the  event  so  exactly.  Possibly  some  of  those  spectators 
could  see  the  astronomers  in  their  narrow  rooms  busy  with  their  mathe- 
matical calculations  so  many  years  before.  Likewise,  we  are  grateful 
for  the  labors  and  vision  of  many  scientists,  and  particularly  Roentgen 
who  passed  an  electric  current  through  vacuum  tubes,  thus  making 
possible  the  production  of  a  certain  quality  of  steel  girder  which  makes 
the  modern  skyscrapers  and  the  long  graceful  bridges  practical.  One 
who  follows  the  master  in  the  work  finds  even  deeper  satisfaction  than 
in  the  work  itself. 

The  wonders  of  this  age  have  made  life  more  comfortable  and  more 
convenient.  They  have  also  multiplied  the  opportunities  for  human 
contacts.  How  can  we  realize  the  advantages  of  these  comforts,  or  con- 
veniences, or  the  opportunity  for  human  contact  if  we  have  not  lived  in 
the  past  when  life  was  so  different?  It  does  not  seem  possible  that  a 
child  accustomed  to  the  radio  all  his  life  could  feel  the  same  thrill  of 
emotion  that  an  adult  felt  when,  several  years  ago  he  heard  the  first 
broadcast  from  foreign  lands.  Just  as  it  is  necessary  to  be  aware  of  the 
natural  phenomena  around  us  and  to  know  something  of  the  labors  of 
the  scientists  arid  discoverers,  so  we  need  to  become  familiar  with  the 
heritage  of  the  past. 

The  present  age  with  all  of  its  marvels  does  not  end  the  story  of 
scientific  advancement.  The  influence  of  the  Greek  philosophers  and 
scientists  was  so  great  that  for  many  successive  years  little  new  scien- 
tific knowledge  gained  a  foothold.  During  the  nineteenth  century  such 
amazing  discoveries  in  the  field  of  physics  had  been  made  that  not  a  few 

f)hysicists  toward  its  close  expressed  the  belief  that  all  the  important 
aws  of  physics  had  been  revealed.  They  did  not  dream  of  the  changes 
in  theories  and  laws  that  the  twentieth  century  has  thus  far  disclosed. 
Are  there  not  such  pauses  in  the  realm  of  science  until  some  Copernicus 
or  Galileo  again  sets  the  wheels  of  discovery  in  motion?  The  forces  of 
the  universe  operate,  its  masters  labor,  and  we  stand  in  the  shadows  of 
future  wonders. 


Anita  S.  Dowell. 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Forests  and  the  Citizen 

I 

THE  time  has  come  when  the  public  must  reorientate  its  attitude  to- 
ward forestry  and  the  forests  of  the  nation.  The  moment  of  great 
decisions  is  at  hand  and  old  concepts  must  be  discarded  if  a  wise 
choice  is  to  be  made.  Ingrown  fallacious  notions  of  the  role  of  forestry 
in  human  affairs  are  being  routed  by  new  facts.  The  public  must  come 
to  regard  forestry  as  an  economic  measure,  a  rational  treatment  for  a 
real  problem,  not  as  a  holy  emotional  appeal,  not  as  pious  sentimental- 
ity. The  public  must  accept  forestry  as  a  practical  aid  in  the  task  of  get- 
ting the  best  possible  returns  from  the  land.  The  public  must  recognize 
that  forestry,  the  science,  and  forestry,  the  art,  are  of  basic  importance 
to  the  existence  of  the  people  of  this  land. 

Forestry  has  passed  from  the  formative  stage  in  this  country.  For- 
estry itself  is  no  longer  debatable.  The  problem  of  the  forests,  however, 
remains  to  be  settled.  But  this  problem  is  no  longer  of  limited  scope.  It 
has  passed  from  the  hands  of  individuals  and  small  groups.  The  prob- 
lem of  our  forests  is  now  a  national  problem,  to  be  attacked  on  a  national 
scale,  and  calling  for  the  consideration  of  the  people  of  the  entire  coun- 
try. The  woodlands  are,  today,  the  problem  of  the  citizen  rather  than 
of  the  individual  as  a  private  person. 

II 

In  order  to  understand  this  problem  which  now  faces  us,  it  is  nec- 
essary to  be  acquainted  with  past  and  present  conditions  in  the  Ameri- 
can timberlands,  and  to  recognize  the  importance  of  the  goods  and  util- 
ities which  trees  contribute  to  the  national  economy.  This  acquaint- 
ance with  the  forests  and  this  recognition  of  the  importance  of  the  for- 
ests do  not,  of  course,  come  immediately  to  the  front  in  the  public  mind. 
The  facts,  upon  which  these  mental  qualities  are  based,  have  been 
stated  time  and  again,  but  for  the  purpose  of  creating  a  background  for 
the  rest  of  this  paper,  they  may  be  briefly  noted. 

The  original  woods  of  North  America  stood  in  marked  contrast  to 
their  present  remnants.  An  almost  unbroken  forest  then  extended  from 
the  Atlantic  to  the  Ozarks  and  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  the  tree 
limit  in  the  north — the  greatest  stand  of  temperate  zone  hardwoods  in 
the  world.  On  the  Pacific  coast  and  in  the  mighty  cordillera  grew  huge 
numbers  of  the  finest  softwood  species,  numbering  in  their  ranks  the 
largest  of  plants.  In  all,  there  were  over  876,754,000*  acres  of  wood- 
lands within  the  boundaries  of  the  present  United  States.  Upon  this  vast 

*  Forestry  Almanac,  pp.  226-285. 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


forest  resource  the  United  States  was  builded.  Now,  out  of  the  681,000,- 
000  acres  of  trees  which  grew  in  1607  in  the  United  States  east  of  the 
Great  Plains  alone,  only  about  60,700,000  acres  remain.  The  much 
smaller  western  acreage  has  been  somewhat  less  drastically  reduced! . 
If  we  take  New  York  as  a  typical  eastern  state,  but  with  a  somewhat 
more  than  ordinarily  conscientious  state  forest  administration,  we  may 
find  the  story  of  the  trend  of  American  forests  slightly  sweetened.  New 
York  originally  possessed  about  30,080,000  acres  of  timber.  The  present 
wooded  area  is  not  more  than  12,000,000  acres.  This  reduction  is,  in 
itself,  startling,  but  we  find,  further,  that  scarcely  100,000  acres  of  this 
timber  can  be  classed  as  virgin.  At  least  4,000,000  acres  are  entirely 
idle  and  unproductive  because  of  fires  and  destructive  lumbering 
methods,  a  constant  burden  upon  the  citizens  of  the  state,  and  doubly 
onerous  because  these  devastated  acres,  with  a  little  care,  might  have 
been  productive.  As  it  is  now,  generations  of  hard,  costly  labor  will  be 
required  to  restore  this  destroyed  domain  to  an  economically  useful  and 
aesthetically  pleasing  condition.  New  York  is  a  very  rugged  state  with 
much  land  which  must  necessarily  remain  timbered  and  this  helps  to 
swell  the  amount  of  forest  land  still  in  a  wooded  condition,  but  the 
small  amount  of  virgin  timber  and  the  large  area  of  devastated  land  in 
New  York  show  how  even  these  remaining  twelve  million  acres  have 
been  neglected  by  a  careless  and  indifferent  citizenry  under  an  individ- 
ualistic, competitive  economyj. 

Merely  to  catalogue  the  variety  of  ways  in  which  forests  contrib- 
ute toward  the  welfare  of  the  human  race  would  occupy  more  space 
than  can  here  be  given  to  the  whole  subject.!  However,  it  can  be  said 
that  those  values  which  civilized  humanity  derives  from  them  are 
classifiable  in  three  great  orders : 

The  first  and  most  important  group  of  goods  is  the  group  which 
may  be  called  raw  materials.  In  spite  of  the  great  number  of  wood  sub- 
stitutes now  being  used  in  the  building  industries  and  by  other  formerly 
heavy  consumers  of  wood,  lumber  still  accounts  for  over  one-half  of  the 
wood  harvested  from  the  timberlands  of  our  country.  This  harvest, 
comprising,  besides  lumber,  fuelwood  (a  surprisingly  large  item),  pulp- 
wood,  cooperage,  ties,  and  many  miscellaneous  wood  products, 
amounted  to  fourteen  billion,  five  hundred  million  (14,500,000,000) 
cubic  feet  annually  during  the  pre-depression  era.^  Besides  the  actual 
wood-resource,  the  forest  is  the  head  of  various  other  streams  of  raw- 
materials,  such  as  furs  (from  forest-protected  wild-life),  naval  stores, 
and  maple  syrup. 

t  Forestry  Almanac,  p.  171. 

t  Figures  in  this  paragraph  from  Forestry  Almanac,  p.  260. 

§  For  an  interesting  presentation  of  these  forest  values  see  Marshall,  Chaps.  II  and  III* 

ii  Marshall,  pp.  24-25. 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


The  second  major  group  of  values  has  to  do  with  the  conservation 
of  other,  equally  valuable,  resources.  It  has,  now,  long  been  recognized 
that  forest  growth  has  a  direct  bearing  upon  the  water  supply  in  any 
drainage  basin.  The  presence  of  woodlands  tends  to  equalize  and  reg- 
ulate the  stream  flow,  reducing  the  likelihood  and  fury  of  floods,  and 
staving  off  the  effects  of  drought.  But  behind  this  action  upon  the 
greatly-to-be-prized  water  resources  of  our  land,  there  lies  the  much 
greater  influence  of  the  forest  in  conserving  the  land  itself.  Soil  erosion  is 
a  natural  and  continuous  process  against  which  agricultural  civilization 
(and  our  civilization  still  rests  primarily  upon  agriculture,  technocrats 
and  industrialist-bitten  economists  notwithstanding) — against  which 
agricultural  civilization  is  continually  striving.  In  this  constant  strug- 
gle against  the  destruction  of  large  areas  of  land  by  the  loss  of  the  sur- 
face soil  which  has  taken  centuries  to  form  but  which  may  be  washed 
away  entirely  in  less  than  a  decade,  the  forest  is  man's  only,  but,  at  the 
same  time,  very  effective  ally. 

Last  comes  a  set  of  values,  abstract  utilities  rather  than  concrete 
goods,  which,  not  many  years  ago,  would  have  been  entirely  ignored. 
As  far  back  as  1872,  however,  when  the  Yellowstone  National  Park 
was  established,  there  existed  a  vague  conception  of  the  recreational 
value  of  unspoiled  areas  of  land.  During  the  last  sixty  years  this  vague 
feeling  has  crystallized  into  a  definite  policy  based  upon  a  need  which 
is  becoming  increasingly  acute.  To  anyone  who  knows  the  joy  of  vaca- 
tions in  the  woods,  the  fact  that  nearly  all  the  National  Parks  are  in 
wooded  areas  is  no  matter  for  wonder.  Nor  is  the  estimated  total  of 
246,000,000  visitors**  to  public  and  private  American  forest  lands  dur- 
ing the  single  year  of  1931  surprising.  From  a  haphazard,  unorganized 
drift,  the  trend  toward  forest  recreation  has  continued  until  such  rec- 
reation is  now  a  conscious,  premeditated  affair  in  the  lives  of  millions 
of  people.  With  such  vast  support,  recreation  in  the  woods  has  taken 
on  a  degree  of  necessary  commercialism  which  gives  it  a  distinctly  eco- 
nomic character.  Nevertheless,  whether  one  regards  the  situation  from 
the  viewpoint  of  social  values,  or  from  the  viewpoint  of  economics, 
there  remains  no  doubt  as  to  the  fundamental  importance  of  the  forest 
in  the  field  of  recreation. 


(To  be  continueif) 


**  Marshall,  p.  58. 

Haven  Kolb. 


Ail  work  and  no  play  make  Doll  a  dull  moll.    Bring  her  to  The 
Tower  Light  Dance. 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Digging  for  Culture 


WHAT,  exactly,  is  Archaeology?  To  many,  the  word  calls  up 
visions  of  ancient  pottery,  jewelry,  swords,  and  relics  which 
are  valued  as  objects  of  curiosity  merely  because  they  are 
ancient.  To  others,  archaeology  may  mean  excavations  in  which  the 
walls  of  ancient  temples  and  cities  are  laid  bare,  exposing  the  ways  men 
lived  in  other  days.  For  these  people,  archaeology  is  identical  with  anti- 
quarianism.  There  are  some  people  who  actually  believe  that  archae- 
ology means  '  'digging  for  treasure. ' '  A  story  is  told  about  a  rather  rich 
woman  who  requested  from  a  group  of  excavators  the  privilege  of  dig- 
ging for  some  "treasure."  The  archaeologists  complied  with  her  re- 
quest and  also  secretly  managed  to  plant  some  trinkets  upon  the  site. 
When  the  woman  dug  she  was  more  than  delighted  to  find  the  "trea- 
sure." Needless  to  say,  the  scientists  were  well  rewarded. 

Neither  of  the  views  mentioned,  however,  testifies  to  the  scope  of 
the  subject.  Archaeology  is,  according  to  the  Century  Dictionary, 
"that  branch  of  knowledge  which  takes  cognizance  of  past  civiliza- 
tions and  investigates  their  history  in  all  fields  by  means  of  the  remains 
of  art,  architecture,  monuments,  inscriptions,  literature,  language,  im- 
plements, customs,  and  all  other  examples  which  have  survived."  It  is 
evident,  then,  that  archaeology  is  not  merely  a  haphazard  search  for 
valuables  in  gold  and  silver,  but  an  exact  science,  which  furnishes  us 
with  an  accurate  account  of  past  history  and  civilization,  and  the 
foundation  of  modern  history. 

It  also  supplies  us  with  a  background  for  a  better  understanding  of 
the  Bible.  For  example,  there  is  the  recent  discovery  made  by  Sir  C. 
Leonard  Woolley  in  Babylonia.  (Babylonia  is  a  comparatively  new 
land — rivers  add  alluvial  silt  to  the  land  year  in  and  year  out.)  Prior  to 
this  discovery,  scholars  excavated  until  they  came  to  a  rather  thick 
mantle  of  alluvial  silt.  Believing  that  there  could  be  no  previous  civili- 
zation under  such  a  thick  deposit,  they  considered  it  illogical  to  inves- 
tigate further.  Sir  Woolley,  however,  searched  under  the  silt  and  found 
an  ancient  buried  civilization.  Modern  investigators  have  concluded, 
therefore,  that  this  ancient  culture  was  destroyed  by  a  tremendous 
flood  which  deposited  the  silt.  Many  archaeologists  have  accepted  this 
discovery  as  the  basis  for  the  flood  story  found  in  the  Bible,  and  in  other 
ancient  sources.  "Every  scrap  of  knowledge  of  ancient  life  serves  to 
make  the  story  and  the  lives  of  ancient  characters  so  much  more  real,  or 
puts  them  and  their  words  in  a  perspective  so  much  clearer,  that  the 
eternal  message  comes  with  a  new  power  and  can  be  transmitted  with 
greater  efficiency. ' ' — Barton. 

Leonard  Wolff. 

8 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Scientific  Lighting 


YOUR  eyes,  the  only  two  you'll  ever  have;  take  care  of  them." 
Probably  some  of  you  have  laughed  at  that  announcement,  yet  I 
dare  say  that  a  more  serious  and  sincere  statement  has  never  been 
uttered. 

Scientifically,  it  has  been  proved,  the  greatest  factor  causing  de- 
fective eyesight  is  eyestrain,  which  in  turn  is  caused  by  eyework  done 
under  improper  lighting  conditions.  It  is  estimated  we  are  using  our 
eyes  for  severe  visual  tasks  about  30%  more  than  was  common  a  gen- 
eration ago,  and  a  hundred  times  more  than  a  century  ago.  Thus,  ade- 
quate lighting  is  essential  in  every  phase  of  our  environment.  This  is 
especially  needed  in  schools,  offices,  and  factories,  for  science  has  viv- 
idly revealed  the  importance  of  lighting  as  an  aid  in  the  conservation  of 
human  energy.  Tests  conducted  in  the  schoolroom  show  that  the  rate 
of  learning,  just  like  other  kinds  of  production  work,  is  speeded  up  un- 
der adequate  and  proper  lighting  conditions.  In  the  elementary  grades, 
only  one  child  in  ten  has  defective  vision;  by  the  time  these  young  stu- 
dents reach  college,  just  when  their  faculties  should  be  most  highly  de- 
veloped, ever)'  other  one  of  them  has  defective  vision.  But  let  us  be 
thankful  that  at  last  science  has  put  its  hand  upon  the  practical  aspects 
of  living,  and  is  already  beginning  to  mould  life  into  perfect  shape.  We, 
in  our  lifetime,  will  see  new  schools  erected  with  schoolrooms  ideally 
lighted  during  both  day  and  night.  It  will  then  be  that  at  the  push  of  a 
button,  a  bright,  white,  diffused  glow  will  fill  the  room,  its  source 
being  hidden  in  the  walls  and  ceiling.  But  before  we  turn  to  this  ideal 
situation,  let  us  examine  our  present  lighting  systems. 

The  type  of  lighting  most  commonly  used  is  known  as  direct  light- 
ing, where  an  ordinary  frosted  bowl  is  used  to  cover  and  diffuse  the 
bright  light  from  the  bulb.  This  type  of  lighting  does  not  in  the  slight- 
est eliminate  the  harmful  glare  of  incandescent  light  sources,  such  as 
the  modern  electric  bulb.  Walking  through  the  halls  of  the  S.T.C.  we 
see  this  type  of  lighting.  It  was  only  within  the  last  few  years  that  a 
distinct  improvement  has  been  made  in  lighting  systems.  This  improve- 
ment has  come  in  the  form  of  indirect  lighting,  where  the  light  is 
thrown  to  a  white  ceiling,  there  to  be  reflected  down  into  the  room. 
When  the  whole  ceiling  thus  becomes  the  light  source,  instead  of  a  con- 
centrated area  such  as  represented  in  the  bulb,  a  uniform  distribution  of 
light  in  the  room  is  assured,  shadows  will  be  soft  and  the  light  so  dif- 
fused that  there  will  be  little  or  no  danger  of  annoying  reflections  from 
shiny  surfaces,  such  as  desk  tops  and  reading  surfaces.  It  is  this  type  of 
lighting  that  we  find  in  Room  103  and  in  the  Infirmary,  the  latter  hav- 
ing a  most  advanced  type  of  indirect  lighting  system.  We  may  be  justly 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


proud  of  our  Infirmary  which  is  hygienic,  not  only  in  construction,  but 
also  in  lighting. 

In  the  science  of  hygienic  lighting,  color  is  almost  as  important  as 
glare.  Using  the  indirect  lighting  system,  the  color  of  the  walls  and 
ceiling  determines  the  color  of  the  reflected  light.  It  is  known  that 
green  and  light  blues  soothe  the  eyes  and  red  agitates  them,  but  at  ail 
light  intensities,  the  eye  works  with  greater  precision,  speed,  comfort, 
and  efficiency  under  white  light  than  under  colored  light.  Several  il- 
lumination experts,  in  the  light  of  modern  research,  have  recently  de- 
veloped a  new  lighting  fixture  which  not  only  brings  indirect  lighting 
into  play,  but  which  also  eliminates  the  wastefulness  and  the  color 
nuisance  of  the  popular  indirect  lighting  systems.  The  new  lighting 
unit  incorporates  shades  or  baffles  in  a  modernistic  design  which  inter- 
cept glare-producing  rays  and  diffuses  a  white  light  which  is  ideal  as  to 
coloring. 

But  now  we  come  to  a  more  idealistic  lighting  system  which,  as 
mentioned  before,  will  produce  a  bright  white  glow.  Rooms  will  seem 
to  light  of  themselves  as  in  daylight,  with  an  evenly  distributed  light- 
ing, the  light  source  unseen.  This  type  of  lighting  has  already  been  put 
into  use  in  several  of  the  larger  modern  factories,  which  are  entirely 
windowless.  Several  illumination  engineers  have  recommended  simi- 
lar windowless  buildings  to  be  used  as  schools,  with  this  most  modern 
of  lighting,  where  production  will  be  increased  many  per  cent. 

However  idealistic  this  "dream"  may  seem,  it  may  not  be  long 
before  we,  as  teachers,  will  be  working  in  a  building  with  nearly  per- 
fect facilities,  with  a  class  of  youngsters  before  us,  all  enjoying  the 
benefits  of  perfect  vision. 

Max  Berzofsky. 


Lost 

What  is  left  now  you  are  gone? 

A  weary  wind  that  wails  uncomforted; 

Dull  gray  rain  that  falls  unceasingly 

On  sodden,  soaked  leaves  that  were  but  yesterday 

A  brilliant  promise.   Thick  clinging  fog 

That  seems  to  wrap  me  in  a  shroud 

Of  hopelessness  and  bleak  despair. 

I,  apathetic,  strive  no  more. 

I  can  but  drift  through  the  black,  bitter  waters  of  unending  pain 

With  an  echo  of  a  lonely  sigh  still  throbbing  in  my  breast. 

Eleanor  Schnepfe. 

10 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  Science  of  Matrimony 

For  Ladies  Only 

LEAP  Year,  the  time  of  many  weddings,  is  here;  someone  did  the 
girls  a  good  turn  when  he  gave  them  an  extra  day  in  which  to  pro- 
^pose!  It's  up  to  you,  girls,  to  make  the  most  of  your  time. 
There  is  a  certain  delicacy  of  approach  which  one  must  learn  before 
even  attempting  to  propose  to  a  man.  If  you,  Matilda,  wish  to  get  mar- 
ried— and  we  will  suppose,  for  the  sake  of  argument,  that  you  do — 
you  must  first  learn  something  about  the  object  of  your  affection.  This 
is  a  simple  task.  You  may  adopt  one  of  three  methods:  first,  you  may 
study  the  man  as  a  psychologist  does,  with  intelligence  tests  and  bar 
graphs;  second,  you  may  delicately  confer  with  his  intimates  in  ref- 
erence to  his  preferences  concerning  movies,  sodas  and  red  flannels;  or 
third,  you  may  come  right  out  and  ask  him  what  you  want  to  know. 
The  last  method  is  the  surest  of  success,  but  is  dangerous  unless  handled 
correctly.  One  must  remember  always  to  be  tactful  when  using  it. 

When  you  have  found  out  all  you  want  to  know  about  the  man  of 
your  choice,  find  a  secluded  spot  in  some  hidden  vale  and  get  him  there 
by  any  means  available.  In  the  olden  days  the  women  used  clubs  but 
men  are  more  delicate  now.  Then,  when  you  are  quite  sure  that  you  are 
alone — except  for  a  few  dozen  other  couples  also  bent  upon  matrimony 
— raise  your  head  and  look  squarely  into  his  eyes.  If  that  doesn't  get 
him,  nothing  else  will;  you  might  as  well  give  up  and  go  home.  But, 
assuming  that  your  young  man  has  begun  to  feel  a  bit  green  about  the 
gills,  you  next  smile  sadly  and  murmur  something  about  how  lonely 
your  life  is  and  how  much  happier  you  would  be  with  someone  to  share 
it  with  you.  That  may  be  taking  it  a  little  fast,  but  if  you  have  judged 
your  man  carefully,  you  will  know  at  what  speed  to  proceed.  At  this 
point,  he  coughs  sympathetically  and  your  eyes  brighten  as  you  fix  him 
with  another  of  those  mesmeric  glances.  The  next  step  is  into  thin  air. 
Here  you  either  sink  or  swim,  lose  or  win,  die  or  do,  and  so  forth.  Now 
you  are  going  to  ask  him  if  he  wouldn't  like  to  get  married.  You  do  it. 
He  blushes  shyly.  That  is  a  good  sign;  he  is  weakening  fast.  You 
charge  with  a  rush,  fix  bayonet,  and  fire  point-blank  (or  something): 
'  'Will  you  marry  me?' '  The  rest  is  up  to  fate  and  the  young  man. 

Now  we  shall  assume  that  the  young  man  has  accepted  you.  Your 
work  is  done.  From  now  on  he  does  the  worrying,  the  work,  and  the 
bill-paying.  In  other  words,  you  get  married.  But  there  is  more  to  mar- 
riage than  these  things.  It's  a  regular  old  science,  it  is.  For  one  thing, 
you  think  that  you  have  studied  your  man  carefully  before  you  married 
him;  but  after  the  wedding  day,  you  discover  much  that  you  never  sus- 
pected before.   Johnny  leaves  the  cap  off  the  tooth  paste,  boots  your 

11 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


favorite  little  chihuahua,  plays  the  radio  for  the  benefit  of  the  State  of 
Maryland,  goes  bowling  alone  every  night  except  Sunday,  when  he 
watches  a  bowling  match.  If  you  are  not  careful,  you  will  let  these 
things  get  on  your  nerves.  But  always  remember  that  things  can  be 
much  worse  than  they  are.  Your  husband,  for  instance,  might  have 
turned  out  to  be  an  embezzler.  He  may  be  for  all  you  know.  Anyhow, 
as  I  was  saying,  watch  your  temperament  and  don't  let  it  assert  itself. 
Bide  your  time.  The  next  time  hubby  leaves  the  top  off  the  toothpaste, 
what  do  you  do?  Why,  you  put  it  right  back  on.  And  if  Johnny  kicks 
little  Fu-Fu,  don't  you  kick  Johnny  back.  Throw  Fu-Fu  out  the  front 
door  and  get  a  bulldog.  Self-control  and  tact  are  the  keywords  to  suc- 
cess in  matrimony.  If  you  have  a  job,  that  helps,  too. 

If  you  are  not  like  Matilda,  if  you  wish  to  wait  for  the  man  to  pro- 
pose first,  go  ahead  and  wait. 

(Hold  on  to  your  job  in  the  meanwhile,  however.)  You  may  have 
to  wait  for  fifty  years,  but  by  that  time  you'll  be  so  old  that  you  don't 
care  whether  you  get  married  or  die.  It's  the  same  thing. 

Margaret  Cooley. 


"How  Long,  O  Lord,  How  Long?" 

FULL  of  the  naive  self-centeredness  of  youth,  she  waddled  out  into 
the  store  in  search  of  its  succulent  goodies.  Unabashed  by  the  very 
indelicacy  of  her  request,  she  pushed  a  knot  of  dark  curls  from  her 
small  brow  and  placidly  inquired,  "Tan  I  have  a  nice  tream  tone, 
Wosie?" 

"Just  a  minute,  dear — as  soon  as  this  lady  leaves." 
Calmly  she  settled  down  to  enjoy  her  anticipation.  From  her  place 
behind  the  counter,  she  watched  the  lady's  hand  come  down,  scoop  up 
the  still  whirling  soda,  raise  it  to  her  lips,  and  return  the  glass  again, 
devoid  of  even  a  single  drop  of  liquid.  She  watched  her  head  saunter 
pass  the  counter,  stop  at  the  news  stand,  and  glance  appreciatively  at  its 
contents.  She  watched  her  stop  and  comment  on  the  atrocities  of  war. 
She  scrambled  up  on  the  stool  to  watch  more  closely  this  annoyingly 
leechlike  lady.  She  heard  attentively  the  pros  and  cons  of  the  Haupt- 
man  case,  of  England's  stand  in  the  war,  of  the  non-redeeming  features 
of  crime,  and  of  the  next  presidential  election.  Finally,  she  lifted  her 
left  eyebrow,  sneered  sardonically,  and  exclaimed,  "For  doo'ness  sake, 
how  long  you  donna  stay  here?" 

K.  Mentis. 

12 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Science  and  Life 

IT  is  trite  to  point  out  to  what  a  tremendous  extent  modern  science  in- 
fluences the  lives  of  present-day  man.  But  teachers  do  not  always  re- 
flect, that  as  much  as  science  influences  the  man,  just  so  much  does 
it  also  aff^ect  the  child.  And  the  child  does  not  understand  the  science. 

Consider  the  daily  routine  of  our  "American  Boy."  Little  Oscar 
gets  up  in  the  morning  to  the  tune  of  the  radio  and  Mother's  new  elec- 
tric chime  alarm.  He  eats  breakfast  in  a  room  warmed  by  the  thermo- 
stat-controlled oil  burner;  then  he  rides  to  school  in  Daddy's  smooth 
new  automobile.  His  clothes  are  all  ready-manufactured  by  scien- 
tific methods,  and  include  many  materials  which  originated  in  the  lab- 
oratory. Practically  all  of  his  food  is  as  it  is  because  of  science,  from 
the  pasteurized  milk,  and  seedless  oranges,  to  the  government-inspected 
meat  which  rolls  to  market  in  a  refrigerator  car. 

After  a  day  in  the  steel-framed  glass  and  brick  school  building 
where  his  health,  safety,  and  future  have  been  safeguarded  by  organized 
science  in  countless  ways,  little  Oscar  goes  to  the  neighborhood 
"movie"  theatre,  and  for  two  and  one-half  hours  he  is  subjected  to 
about  as  an  intensive  a  bombardment  of  scientific  progress  as  it  is  pos- 
sible for  a  human  being  to  experience  in  so  short  a  time;  yet  he  emerges 
unscathed,  and  blissfully  unaware  of  the  armies  of  men  who  have  co- 
operated to  provide  his  dime's  entertainment. 

So  he  walks  homeward,  past  neon  tubes  and  electric  lights,  across 
asphalt  and  concrete,  with  the  sewers  and  the  subway  beneath  him, 
and  the  telephone  and  airmail  overhead;  he  remarks  them  not.  He  sees 
them,  perhaps,  but  he  is  not  aware  of  them.  He  accepts,  but  has  no  un- 
derstanding. 

This  is  no  imaginary  picture;  it  is  the  literal  portrait  of  how  mil- 
lions of  American  youths  are  growing  up;  a  generation  served  by  in- 
credible forces  which  "they  do  not  comprehend."  These  forces  are  al- 
ready so  ever-present  as  to  appear  commonplace;  it  follows  that  the 
great  majority  of  people  utilize  them  endlessly,  without  due  apprecia- 
tion of  what  the  possession  of  such  powers  should  imply. 

It  is  evident  that  this  true  appreciation  of  science  and  its  powers 
will  for  a  long  time  not  come  out  or  the  home.  Why?  Because  the  aver- 
age American  home  is  utterly  incapable  of  imparting  it.  How  can  the 
child  learn  to  appreciate  science  at  home,  when  his  parents  are  them- 
selves lacking  in  the  requisite  understandings?  Here  is  another  field  for 
the  school,  and  the  school  must  shoulder  the  whole  burden.  It  must 
impart  to  the  child  the  basic  love  of  understanding  .  .  .  not  mere  facts, 
but  a  broad  appreciation  of  how  science  rules  our  lives. 

13 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


What  have  we  done  instead?  We  have  assumed  that  science  meant, 
in  the  elementary  school,  a  few  details  about  mosquitoes,  frogs,  and 
stars,  some  birds,  leaves,  and  perhaps,  a  study  of  health  measures.  We 
hope  that  later,  in  high  school,  the  youth  will  pick  up  the  more  basic 
attitudes  of  appreciation  while  he  frantically  writes  up  his  physics  lab 
notes,  or  works  out  chemical  equations.  If  he  doesn't  get  it,  too  bad. 
Usually  it  was  too  bad. 

That  procedure  neglects  the  main  issue.  We  say  that  technology  is 
far  ahead  of  our  social  controls.  Teachers  have  demonstrated  facts,  but 
failed  to  discuss  the  implications.  They  have  not  prepared  a  generation 
of  human  beings  who  are  equipped  for  the  scientific  age  of  power. 

Perhaps  the  teachers  themselves  lacked  understanolng  in  many 
ways.  Very  well,  they  must  come  to  know.  You  ask,  "What  are  true 
understandings?  How  can  I  impart  genuine  appreciations?"  Broad  ex- 
perience and  contact  with  people  who  have  knowledge  of  these  things 
will  go  a  long  way;  then  you  must  talk  with  your  children  about  it  all 
in  a  friendly  manner,  and  on  their  level,  so  that  they  will  enjoy  it. 

It  is  not  enough  to  tell.  Stimulate  the  children  to  think.  Consider 
the  effects  of  these  new  powers  in  the  world;  know  that  every  force  may 
be  either  for  good  or  evil;  realize  that  we  all  have  a  duty  to  understand 
the  good  so  that  we  may  prevent  the  evil.  We  must  understand  the 
power — the  science — so  that  each  may  judge  for  himself. 

These  concepts  are  not  difficult  or  impossible  for  young  children. 
Dwell  on  them  for  but  a  few  minutes  at  a  time,  but  bring  them  in  as 
often  as  you  are  able.  Always  remember,  it  is  the  idea  that  must  be 
understood. 

Charles  Meigs. 


Philosophy  of  Education 

or 

Micro-organic  Materialism 

Myriad  amoeba  swim  in  slime; 

A  million  men  can  make  this  rhyme. 
Amoeba  brains  are  not  for  show; 

Man's  front  lobes  make  windmills  go. 
But 
Progress  is  a  man-made  term : 

Show  th'  amoeba  to  the  worm. 
Reasonless,  he'd  rather  be 

The  worm,  not  amoeba,  nor  me! 

Charles  Meigs. 


14 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Vitalize  the  Social  Sciences 

Are  you  really  teaching  the  social  sciences  to  your  students?  What 
A\  materials  or  methods  are  you  using,  other  than  impersonal 
■*■  sprinted  and  illustrative  tools?  Certainly,  you  want  to  make  the 
social  sciences  real  to  your  pupils.  How  can  you  do  this?  How  do 
teachers  in  other  localities  solve  this  problem?  Chicago  may  be  con- 
sidered as  a  splendid  progressive  example  in  this  direction.  Consider  for 
a  moment  one  feature  of  this  type  of  education — the  use  of  the  Field 
Museum  of  Natural  History. 

The  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  is  always  open  to  school 
children.  There  is  no  admission  fee.  Here  the  wonders  of  the  earth  and 
of  man's  development  on  it  are  dramatically  unfolded.  Here  you  may 
turn  back  the  clock  to  dim  prehistoric  ages,  to  the  early  beginnings  of 
Egypt,  Greece,  and  Rome;  or  you  may  venture  into  African  jungles, 
South  Sea  huts,  oriental  temples  and  arctic  villages.  For  example,  the 
Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  provides  an  extraordinary  treat  in 
the  exhibition  of  the  mortuary  boat  of  King  Sesostres  III  (1900  b.c.)- 
Found  in  1894,  the  craft,  thirty-two  feet  long  and  eight  feet  wide,  is 
made  of  cedar.  After  forming  part  of  the  royal  funeral  procession,  the 
boat  had  evidently  been  buried  in  the  desert  sands,  that  its  spiritual 
counterpart  might  thereafter  transport  the  dead  king's  personality 
across  the  waters  of  the  world  beyond.  A  splendid  opportunity  to 
teach  by  means  of  material  remains  early  beliefs  of  life  after  death.  The 
Natural  History  department  offers  a  stimulating  display  of  resins — 
natural  products  found  within  the  wood  of  various  trees.  Exuding  in  a 
semi-fluid  state,  usually  at  points  of  injury  to  the  stem,  the  resinous 
substance  often  forms  large  masses  that  harden  with  age  and  exposure. 
Accidental  inclusions  of  foreign  matter  (insects,  plant  fragments,  etc.) 
are  not  infrequently  seen  in  lumps  of  resin. 

The  children  have  an  opportunity  to  really  see  and  feel  history. 
They  live  with  the  Swiss  Lake  Dweller,  the  early  Egyptian,  and  the 
early  Romans.  They  visualize  the  accomplishments  in  the  arts  and  in- 
dustries, as  well  as  the  social  and  religious  life  of  the  races  in  all  parts 
of  the  world.  A  trip  to  the  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  never 
fails  to  make  the  social  sciences  meaningful  to  children  of  Chicago. 
Washington  provides  similar  opportunities  through  the  National  Mu- 
seum and  Smithsonian  Institution.  Teachers  will  do  much  to  enrich 
the  social  sciences  through  taking  advantage  of  such  opportunities. 

You,  too,  Maryland  teachers,  may  make  a  step  in  this  direction. 
Such  institutions  as  the  Baltimore  Art  Museum,  Walters  Art  Gallery, 
Natural  History  Society  of  Maryland,  Maryland  Academy  of  Sciences, 

15 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Maryland  Historical  Society,  Peale  Museum,  and  others  offer  worth- 
while facilities  for  vitalizing  the  social  sciences.  Spend  a  day  at  one  of 
these  cultural  centers.  The  children  will  become  inspired  by  the  mag- 
nitude and  splendor  of  history,  geography,  and  science.  Visual  im- 
pressions will  live  for  them.  Such  experiences  will  create  love  and  ap- 
preciation for  history  rather  than  the  fear  and  hate  sometimes  en- 
countered in  the  humdrum  class  recitations.  Through  such  pleasant  ex- 
periences, you  are  really  educating  human  beings.  Your  students  will 
return  again  and  again  to  the  centers  of  culture.  They  will  seek  knowl- 
edge in  other  avenues  of  higher  learning.  Do  not  all  of  these  end  prod- 
ucts substantiate  the  value  of  trips  to  museums,  art  centers,  industrial 
plants,  historical  shrines,  and  other  institutions  that  contribute  to  a 
fuller  and  keener  appreciation  of  the  social  sciences? 

I.  H.  M. 


SZ^i^^..,^^^ 


Castle  Life 

About  noon  a  sentinel  at  the  castle  saw  a  merry  procession  coming 
/^  down  the  road.  He  could  distinguish  a  jester,  five  black  bears, 
■^  *-and  two  minstrels.  The  sentinel  called  all  the  castle  folk  to  make 
ready  for  the  party.  After  the  procession  had  entered,  the  jester,  who 
seemed  to  manage  the  party,  told  Lord  Woodington  that  they  would 
have  a  show  that  evening. 

At  the  appointed  time  everyone  was  seated  in  the  outer  court.  First 
the  jester  came  out  in  his  checkered  suit.  He  took  a  white  rabbit  out  of 
a  box.  Then  he  put  it  back  again.  Then  he  opened  the  box — there  was 
no  rabbit  in  it!  Then  the  jester  told  one  of  the  minstrels  to  see  what 
was  under  Lord  Woodington's  hat.  The  minstrels  took  off  the  hat  and 
there  was  the  rabbit! 

After  the  bears  did  a  few  dances  and  the  minstrels  had  played,  the 
jester  came  out  and  told  everybody  that  the  show  was  over.  After  some 
good  games  of  chess.  Lord  Woodington  invited  the  jester  and  his  band 
to  spend  the  night  at  the  castle. 

The  next  morning  all  the  men  went  hunting  except  those  who  were 
chosen  to  guard  the  castle  and  some  servants  and  boys  who  went  fal- 
coning with  the  ladies.  When  the  castle  folk  came  home  the  jester  and 
his  band  went  away  to  another  castle. 

John  Seidel,  Jr.,  Grade  f. 

16 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


^'Democracy  in  Education" 

An  address  presented  to  the  Te  Pa  Chi  Club  and  the  Alumni  Association  of 
State  Teachers  College  at  Towson  on  January  14, 1935,  by  Dr.  John  W.  Studebaker,  United 
States  Commissioner  of  Education. 

DEMOCRACY  is  a  racc  between  Education  and  the  Chaos  of  ignor- 
ance which  tends  to  destroy  democracy  and  supplant  it  with 
dictatorship"  .  .  .  What  is  being  done  to  "make  America  safe 
for  Democracy"?  Even  though  the  number  of  required  years  of  formal 
schooling  has  been  increased  steadily  since  the  period  of  the  War  Be- 
tween the  States  in  an  effort  to  transmit  to  the  new  generations  their 
rapidly  growing  social  heritage,  the  fact  nevertheless  remains  that, 
even  with  the  best  pedagogical  methods,  it  is  impossible  to  teach  the 
youth  today  all  they  need  to  know  about  the  complex  civilization  in 
which  they  are  living;  and,  even  if  it  were  possible,  their  information 
would  be  out  of  date  in  ten  years.  This  state  of  affairs  is  potential  dyna- 
mite, for  "in  proportion  as  the  structure  of  the  government  gives  force 
to  public  opinion  (is  democratic),  so  public  opinion  must  be  enlight- 
ened." Dr.  Studebaker  believes  that  it  is  advisable,  therefore,  to  es- 
tablish community  forums  available  to  all  adults  for  the  continuous 
study  and  discussion  of  current  and  fundamental  economic  and  social 
problems  under  unbiased,  competent,  professional  leadership. 

Besides  his  faith  in  the  theoretical  benefits  of  such  organs  of  pub- 
lic discussion,  the  Commissioner  of  Education  possesses  first-hand 
knowledge  of  the  advantages  which  have  accrued  with  the  three-year, 
Carnegie-financed,  experimental  program  of  bi-weekly  forums  in  his 
own  city  of  Des  Moines. 

In  the  hope  that  the  forum  plan  will  spread  throughout  the  entire 
country,  and  thus  make  it  possible  to  relax  some  of  the  present  mature 
requirements  of  school  children,  the  Federal  Government  has  developed 
the  plan  of  financing  demonstration  forums  under  the  complete  control 
of  the  local  communities.  In  all  these  forums,  as  well  as  in  the  teaching 
profession  itself,  it  is  necessary  that  the  teacher  be  ever  vigilant  to 
demonstrate  that  he  is  not  to  be  a  tool  of  pressure  groups.  To  Dr.  Stude- 
baker, good  teaching  is,  in  its  essence,  but  a  procedure  which  exposes 
the  learners  most  effectively  to  the  alternative  choices  they  might  make, 
and  insists  that  the  learners  see  to  it  that  they  are  satisfied  that  they 
have  chosen  wisely.  Not  only  will  this  scheme  of  forums  affect  the  cur- 
riculum as  indicated  above  but  it  will  serve  to  create  a  more  co-opera- 
tive democracy  by  providing  an  opportunity  for  all  people  to  know  the 
"why"  of  current  happenings. 

After  his  talk.  Dr.  Studebaker  conducted  a  short  open  forum, 
wherein  the  audience  was  given  the  opportunity  of  questioning  his 
point  of  view.  S.S.&W.F.P. 

17 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  Endocrine  System  and  Personality 

THE  endocrine  glands,  or  glands  of  internal  secretion,  play  a  central 
role  in  the  regulation  of  the  internal  equilibrium  of  the  organism; 
they  control  the  growth  and  maintenance  of  the  individual.  The 
endocrine  system  influences  the  personality  of  the  individual — his  re- 
actions to  experience,  his  output  of  energy,  his  social  relations. 

Although  each  gland  has  a  definite  function  to  perform,  the  en- 
docrine glands  work  as  a  team.  The  exact  nature  of  each  gland  is  not 
easy  to  determine,  but  we  do  know  that  a  change  in  the  function  of  any 
of  them  alters  personality.  The  pituitary  gland  is  situated  at  the  base  of 
the  brain  just  above  the  clivus.  The  gland  is  divided  into  an  anterior 
lobe  and  a  posterior  lobe.  The  disease  of  the  anterior  lobe  is  known  as 
acromegaly.  Dr.  Leonard  Mark,  who  suffered  from  this  disease,  called 
it  "a  god  stronger  than  me,  that  came  to  lord  it  over  me."  At  27,  as  a 
house  surgeon.  Dr.  Mark  required  much  sleep.  He  thought  his  con- 
dition was  caused  by  the  damp,  relaxing  locality  of  the  hospital;  the 
matron  thought  it  was  caused  by  a  lack  of  interest  in  his  work.  The 
characteristics  of  this  disease,  as  shown  by  Dr.  Mark,  are  a  craving  for 
food  and  a  craving  for  music.  The  disease  of  the  posterior  lobe  is  known 
as  Pager's  Disease.  The  Fat  Boy  of  the  '  'Pickwick  Papers' '  is  a  fine  ex- 
ample of  a  person  suffering  from  this  disease.  A  victim  of  Paget' s  Dis- 
ease is  good  humored,  patient,  considerate,  docile,  undecided,  and 
tolerant  of  physical  and  mental  pain.  The  dominating  influence  of  the 

f)ituitary  gland  in  the  male  makes  for  feminism.  Because  the  anterior 
obe  functions  more  actively  in  men,  it  is  known  as  a  male  gland.  The 
posterior  lobe,  which  is  associated  with  sex  instinct  and  tender  emo- 
tions, is  more  active  in  the  female;  therefore,  it  is  known  as  a  female 
organ.  The  thyroid  gland  which  is  situated  in  the  neck  on  each  side  of 
the  windpipe  consists  of  a  right  and  left  lobe  joined  by  an  isthmus. 
This  gland  regulates  the  iodine  in  the  organism.  Impairment  of  mem- 
ory, intellectual  dullness,  depression,  and  a  general  reduction  of  bodily 
activity — sometimes  known  as  laziness — occur  with  the  reduced  ac- 
tivity of  the  thyroid  gland.  A  person  becomes  restless,  overactive,  ir- 
ritable, and  tense.  An  ambitious,  domineering  woman  with  an  im- 
mensely full  social  and  domestic  program,  or  a  nagging,  scolding,  talk- 
ative woman  may  owe  these  characteristics  to  an  overactive  thyroid 
gland.  The  symptoms  in  a  child  are  extreme  nervousness,  easy  excit- 
ability, great  irritability,  and  a  tendency  to  cry  over  trivial  circum- 
stances. The  parathyroid  glands  regulate  the  calcium  supply  of  the 
body.  If  these  glands  are  not  functioning  properly,  the  individual  will 
show  an  explosive  anger  and  aggressive  conduct.   The  adrenal  glands 

18 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


axe  situated  directly  above  and  to  the  side  of  the  kidney.  These  glands 
influence  the  mobilization  of  the  resources  of  an  organism  in  meeting 
emergencies.  A  person  who  has  good  adrenal  action  is  courageous.  An 
individual  with  poor  adrenal  action  is  often  characterized  by  fear, 
anxiety  and  cowardice.  The  dominating  influence  of  the  adrenal  glands 
in  the  female  makes  for  masculinity.  The  adrenal  cortex  is  considered 
as  the  male  portion  of  the  gland  while  the  medulla  which  is  associated 
with  the  tender  emotions  is  considered  as  the  female  portion. 

Pointing  to  vials  of  drugs.  Dr.  Socrates,  a  character  of  Anatole 
France's,  said:  "The  laboratory  combines;  it  creates  nothing.  These 
substances  are  scattered  throughout  nature.  In  their  free  state  they  en- 
velop and  penetrate  us,  they  determine  our  will;  they  condition  our  free 
choice,  which  is  merely  the  illusion  caused  in  us  by  the  ignorance  of 
our  determinants — I  say  that  the  will  is  an  illusion  due  to  the  ignorance 
in  which  we  are  of  the  causes  which  force  us  to  will;  that  which  wills 
in  us,  it  is  not  we,  it  is  several  myriads  of  cells  of  prodigious  activity 
which  we  do  not  know,  which  do  not  know  us,  which  are  ignorant  of 
each  other's  existence  and  which  nevertheless  constitute  us.  By  their 
agitation  they  produce  innumerable  currents  which  we  call  our  pas- 
sions, our  thoughts,  our  joys,  our  sufferings,  our  desires,  our  fears,  and 
our  will.  We  believe  ourselves  master  of  ourselves,  and  even  a  single 
drop  of  alcohol  excites  and  then  stupefies  those  elements  through  which 
we  reel  and  will." 

ILefersncb:  Campbell,  Charles  Macfie,  M.D.,  Human  Personality  and  the  Environment. 

D,  WoHRNA,  Fr.  I. 


Timothy  Hay:  "Yes,  I've  seen  a  few  bad  crop  years  in  my  time, 
too.  One  year  our  string  beans  were  so  poor  that  the  crop  didn't  even 
pay  for  the  string. ' ' 

Al  Falfa:  "That's  nothing,  Tim.  In  '94,  our  corn  was  so  bad  that 
my  old  dad,  who  had  a  very  poor  appetite,  ate  up  fourteen  acres  of 
sweet  corn  at  a  single  meal." 


Music: 

The  Chieftains  play 

Harmonious  music 

Throughout  Saint  Valentine's  ev'ning 

Dance!  Dance! 


19 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


THE  TOWER  LIGHT 

Published  monthly  by  the  students  of  the  State 
Teachers  College  at  Towson 

Editors 
William  F.  Podlich,  Jr. 
C.  Haven  Kolb,  Jr. 


Business  Manager 
I.  H.  Miller 


Circulation  Managers 
Irene  Shank 
Frances  Waltemyer 
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"Let*s  Make  Our  Science  Functional'* 

That  exhortation  in  your  January  magazine  was  meant  as  a  pre- 
lude to  the  present  number.  Conscious  of  the  importance  of  a  function- 
ing science  to  complete  living  today  and  to  a  solution  of  contemporary 
problems,  and  with  a  realization  of  the  inadequacy  of  existing  science 
teaching,  your  editors  have  prepared  this  February  Tower  Light. 


20 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Functional  Science 

SCIENCE  is  a  word  with  a  variety  of  meanings.  It  denotes  general 
ideas :  the  sum  of  orderly  knowledge,  a  process  of  thinking  and  ar- 
riving at  facts,  and,  especially  latterly,  it  has  been  regarded  by  the 
popular  mind  as  synonymous  with  technology.  The  world,  and  espe- 
cially America,  has  found  during  the  last  hundred  years  a  new  religion 
in  the  worship  of  the  '  'scientific. ' '  Naturally  enough,  men  do  not  wor- 
ship what  they  understand.  Now  the  first  meaning  of  the  word  science 
is  quite  clear,  and  the  second  is  not  hard  to  make  out,  though  it  in- 
volves considerable  effort  to  apply  this  definition  practically.  But  tech- 
nology was,  when  the  worship  began,  on  the  threshold  of  an  era  of 
magnificent  development,  and  technology  is,  by  nature,  suited  for  wor- 
ship, for  it  is  a  complicated  mixture  of  processes,  practices,  and  special 
knowledges  which  can  be  understood  by  any  one  man  only  in  part. 
And  so  today  we  have  our  popular  "science"  publications,  devoted  to 
technology  and  to  machine-worship  (with  an  odd  note  of  handicraft, 
possibly  as  a  means  of  allowing  the  neophyte  to  participate  somewhat 
in  the  rites).  The  false  conception  of  science  exhibited  by  such  ex- 
amples has  become  dominant.  If  this  popular  meaning  of  the  word  be 
taken  as  right  (by  democratic  sanction),  then  our  author  of  last  month 
must  change  his  vocabulary.  But  actually  we  cannot  accept,  in  this 
case,  the  result  of  the  democratic  process,  for  it  would  be  folly  to  apply 
a  word  to  a  concept  already  well  covered,  and,  by  so  doing,  leave  an- 
other concept  entirely  naked  and  without  expression. 

It  should  now  be  clear  that  "science"  teaching  as  we  have  known 
it  cannot  be  considered  satisfactory.  True,  it  may  be  expedient  from 
the  standpoint  of  interest  and  discipline  to  bring  into  the  schoolroom  a 
great  many  facts  about  an  industrial  plant  or  process,  but  in  five,  ten,  or 
a  dozen  years,  the  process  may  have  become  primitive.  For  example, 
elaborate  equipment  for  processing  and  handling  nitrates  for  explosives 
was  evolved  in  Germany  years  ago.  Then,  during  the  Great  War,  the 
martyred  Haber  developed  a  revolutionary  method  of  artificially  fixing 
nitrates  from  the  air,  thus  making  completely  obsolete  the  previously 
used  apparatus.  Such  radical  changes  have  become  the  rule  today.  Ob- 
viously, then,  the  ephemeral  equipment  is  of  no  importance  to  the  lay- 
man; even  the  process  is  probably  not  fundamental.  But  the  conse- 
quences of  the  invention  and  the  method  by  which  it  came  about  are  basic : 
research,  experimentation,  logical  thinking,  the  testing  of  sober  judg- 
ment, a  love  of  mankind  and  knowledge,  and,  without  end,  patience. 
It  is  these  essentials  of  scientific  method,  coincident  with  a  definite 
knowledge  of  Nature's  laws,  which,  when  working  for  the  good  of  the 
community,  constitute  functional  science. 

21 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


With  this  concept  of  functional  science  in  mind,  let  us  organize  our 
curriculum  accordingly.  Let  us  use  our  subject  matter  to  bring  about  an 
appreciation  for  the  spirit  of  science,  for  the  fundamental  concepts  of 
scientific  method,  rather  than  to  create  a  mere  awareness  of '  'our  modern 
civilization." 


€i2i~.^.^£S^ 


Placement  of  the  1935  Graduates 

It  is  gratifying  to  know  that  "the  depression,"  as  far  as  the  place- 
ment of  our  graduates  is  concerned,  is  a  thing  of  the  past.  Not  even  in 
the  good  days  prior  to  1929  did  we  have  a  better  report  to  make  con- 
cerning the  number  of  positions  secured  by  graduates.  Look  at  the 
figures  below  and  draw  your  own  conclusions. 

B.S.  Degree    ^-Year  Diploma     Total 

Total  graduates  1935 10  148  158 

Number  returning  for  fourth  year . .  —  21  21 
One  graduate  continuing  study  else- 
where   —  1  1 

Total  available  for  placement 10  -  126  136 

These  136  graduates  are  divided  into  city  and  county  students  as 
follows : 

Cify  County  Total 

Number  of  graduates 58  78  136 

Placed  by  January  24,  1936 52  69  121 

Number  not  yet  placed 6  9  15 

All  of  these  six  city  students  are  substituting  almost  every  day,  but 
have  not  yet  been  appointed  to  the  regular  list.  Two  or  three  of  the 
county  graduates  are  substituting. 

The  placement  of  the  1934  graduates  was  very  good.  This  record  is 
encouraging  to  the  group  that  will  graduate  in  the  next  few  years,  but 
the  College  is  faced  with  the  fact  that  it  will  not  be  able  to  meet  the 
needs  of  the  City  and  Counties  during  this  period.  Our  challenge  to 
every  student  and  to  every  member  of  the  Alumni  Association  is — 
'  'What  are  you  going  to  do  about  it?' '  Will  you  bring  in  your  quota  of 
new  students  next  year? 

Rebecca  C.  Taksil,  Kegistrar. 

22 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Our  Alumni 

From  time  to  time  we  shall  try  to  let  you  know  where  the  class  of  '35  are  teaching. 

Ay,  Catherine  Augusta Baltimore  City 

Ayler,  Jeanne  Margaret Randallston,  Baltimore  County 

Bainder,  Herman Baltimore  City 

Bartlett,  Barbara Baltimore  City 

Barnwell,  Elizabeth Grade  three,  Baltimore  County 

Benbow,  Eugene Grades  four-seven,  Prince  Georges  County 

Bollinger,  Rosalie Baltimore  City 

Bounds,  Eleanor Grade  one.  Prince  Georges  County 

Broder,  Gertrude  Gladys Baltimore  City- 
Brooke,  Fairfax Baltimore  City 

Bucher,  Mary Grade  three,  Baltimore  County 

Buckley,  Katherine Baltimore  City 

Burke,  Nancy Grade  one,  Baltimore  County 

Claytor,  Margaret  Anne .  Grades  three  and  four.  Prince  Georges  County 
Coffman,  Mary Grades  one-four,  Washington  County- 
Cohen,  Stella Baltimore  City 

Cole,  Helen Grades  one  and  two,  Anne  Arundel  County 

Conner,  Jean Grade  two,  Montgomery  County 

Cord,  Vivian  Irene Baltimore  City 

Coster,  Ella  Katherine Baltimore  City 

Crapster,  Portia Grades  one-seven,  Howard  County 

Crouse,  Edith Grades  one  and  two,  Anne  Arundel  County 

Campus  Elementary  School 

CHILD  STUDY  PROGRAM— 1936 
Wednesdays  at  i:yj  -p.m. 

February  11 — Sign-posts  of  Emotional  Development — ^Dr.  Leo  Kanner 
February  19 — Parental  Responsibilities  Towards  Out  of  School  Activities — 

Mrs.  Leon  Ginsberg 
February  26 — The  School's  Responsibility  Towards  Developing  Attitudes — 

Miss  Nellie  W.  Birdsong 
March  4 — Economic  Changes  Affecting  the  Home — Allowances  and  Children's 

Use  of  Money — Mrs.  Leon  Ginsberg 
March  10 — Constructive  Suggestions  for  Family  Harmony — Mrs.  Walter  W. 

Kohn 
March  18 — A  Philosophy  of  Living — ^Miss  Irene  M.  Steele 

23 


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The  Library — at  Your  Service 

The  Library  of  Minnie  V.  Medwedeflf 

'T^N  February,  1935,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arthur  Medwedeff  of  Baltimore, 
I  Maryland,  and  Miami,  Florida,  gave  to  the  library  of  the  College 
-*-  the  seventy-eight  volumes  in  Miss  Medwedeff's  professional  library, 
which  were  then  at  the  college.  For  these  books  Mrs.  Mary  Medwedeff 
Whitley  had  bookplates  made.  The  design  for  the  bookplate  was 
drawn  by  the  artist,  Charles  Daugherty  of  Woodstock,  Connecticut." 
Miss  Medwedeff's  books  have  been  added  to  the  College  Library, 
forming  a  separate  collection,  known  as  "The  Library  of  Minnie  V. 
Medwedeff, ' '  which  is  shelved  in  a  special  bookcase  in  Library  Room 
111.  The  books  of  Miss  Medwedeff's  professional  library  provide  a  use- 
ful and  permanent  memorial  to  this  much-loved  teacher  of  the  biologi- 
cal sciences. 

Margaret  Barkley,  Librarian. 

Book  Reviews 

Lemon,  Harvey  Beace — From  Galileo  to  Cosmic  Kays — Chicago:  University  of  Chicago 
Press:  1935-  450pp.  $3-75,  Stereoscope,  $.75  additional.  Reviewed  by  Dr.  A.  S.  Dowell. 

Bright  red  binding,  real  photographs,  and  jolly  line  drawings  im- 
press the  reader  at  first  glance  with  the  fact  that  From  Galileo  to  Cosmic 
Kays  represents  a  new  departure  in  physics  textbooks.  Not  only  in  its 
general  appearance  is  this  book  different  from  what  one  has  known  as  the 
college  text,  but  it  also  varies  in  the  character  and,  particularly,  in  the 
presentation  of  the  subject.  It  is  true  that  the  basic  material  commonly 
considered  necessary  to  an  understanding  of  natural  phenomena  finds  an 
important  place  in  the  book,  jtt  added  to  it  are  topics  that  generally 
occur  in  the  more  advanced  works  only.  The  justification  for  the  choice 
of  such  subjects  is  that  the  knowledge  of  them  contributes  to  a  solution 
of  questions  which  commonly  arise  in  an  individual's  daily  experience. 
In  addition,  one  becomes  acquainted  with  modern,  and  indeed  very  re- 
cent, discoveries  and  theories  which  would  tend  to  make  current  news- 
paper and  magazine  articles  more  intelligibile. 

Perhaps  the  charm  of  the  book  is  in  its  method  of  presentation. 
Each  reader  must  feel  that  the  author  has  written  for  him  alone  and 
that,  as  he  reads,  his  common  world  changes  to  one  of  marvelous  order 
and  fascination. 

One  more  word  should  be  added  about  the  photographs.  Stereo- 
photographs  occur  frequently  (lenses  may  be  bought  with  the  book) 

24 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


which  give  a  three  dimensional  appearance  to  these  pictures.  Some 
readers  will  find  the  use  of  the  lenses  clumsy  and  unsatisfactory,  though 
others,  more  skillful  in  handling  them,  may  derive  certain  value  and 
pleasure.  The  pictures  certainly  contribute  to  the  meaning  of  the  con- 
tent, even  without  the  use  of  the  lenses. 


Japfe,  Bernard — Outposts  of  Science — New  York:  Simon  &  Schuster:  1935.   547  pp.  $3.75. 
Reviewed  by  M.  Davies. 

At  last  a  book  on  modern  development  in  science  that  is  not  done 
in  the  fashion  of  a  magician  revealing  a  new  set  of  tricks.  Bernard  Jaffe 
has  written  a  book  that  is  really  descriptive  of  the  title.  Not  content 
with  a  mere  recital  of  the  present  fields  of  scientific  research,  he  visited 
the  outstanding  workers  in  each  field  described  and  secured  their  points 
of  view  on  the  present  doings  and  future  possibilities  of  their  chosen 
field  of  research.  This  author  gives  a  certain  personal  touch  to  his  writ- 
ing, but,  at  the  same  time  shows  the  results  of  his  wide  reading  and  deep 
understanding.  To  the  reader  the  great  quantities  of  subject  matter, 
that  had  to  be  assimilated  before  such  a  work  could  be  done  in  so  fine  a 
fashion,  is  simply  amazing.  It  is  not  another  "stuffy"  science  book, 
but  a  truly  enlightening  story  of  today's  outposts  of  research  in  Matter, 
Radiation,  Anthropology,  Genetics,  Mental  Diseases,  Astrophysics, 
etc.  It  is  an  attempt  to  bring  together  the  seeming  chaos  of  scientific  in- 
formation with  which  we  find  ourselves  confronted  today.  Read  it  for 
no  other  reason  than  that.  When  you  finish,  you  will  find  that  ad- 
venture and  science  still  go  hand  in  hand  through  the  modern  world. 


MouLTON,  F.  R. — Consider  the  Heavens — New  York:  Doubleday  Doran:  1935.   $3-50.   Re- 
viewed by  I.  SokoloWi 

After  having  written  such  profound  scientific  works  as  Periodic 
Orbits,  Differential  Equations,  New  Methods  in  Exterior  Ballistics,  and 
other  treatises  on  stellar  mechanics.  Professor  Moulton  has  finally  put 
forth  a  book  intended  to  give  the  laity  a  clearer  concept  of  the  physical 
universe. 

In  Consider  the  Heavens  are  found  chapters  on  the  history  of  astron- 
omy, the  solar  system,  stars,  star  clusters,  nebulae,  etc.  The  book  as  a 
whole  is  not  outstanding,  inasmuch  as  it  is  somewhat  similar  in  nature 
to  the  popular  works  of  Sir  James  Jeans,  but  it  is  especially  valuable  on 
the  origin  of  the  earth  and  the  other  planets.  A  good  explanation  is 
given  of  the  Planetesimal  Theory,  which  was  propounded  by  Prof.  T. 
C.  Chamberlain  and  Prof.  Moulton  at  the  beginning  of  the  twentieth 
century,  and  which  has  since  replaced  Laplace's  Nebular  Hypothesis. 

25 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  author's  style,  reflecting  his  personality,  includes  poetry  as 
well  as  facts.  Few  scientists  are  so  unique  and  at  the  same  time  so  versa- 
tile. 


College  Notes 

Invitation 

Recently  twenty-two  former  graduates  of  the  school  spent  Friday 
and  Saturday  nights  with  us  in  Richmond  Hall  Dormitory.  It  was  good 
to  see  them.  Come  again,  Graduates! 

To  all  Graduates,  the  latchstring  is  out. 

Mary  E.  Diefenderfer,  Dormitory  Director. 


AN  ALUMNA  IN  DAMASCUS  REMEMBERS 

Virginia  Doering  Albakri  '23,  in  a  letter  to  Mrs.  George  Odell,  has 
the  following  to  say  of  our  Tower  Light: 

'  'And  the  Tower  Lights,  well,  they  showed  very  little  resemblance 
to  their  ancestor,  the  Oriole.  The  snow-framed  Administration  building 
on  the  December  (1934)  number  was  lovely.  The  articles  were  interest- 
ing, and  surprisingly  well  written,  and  of  course  you  don't  need  me  to 
tell  you  that  some  of  the  poems  were  beautiful.  And  aside  from  the 
greatly  improved  and  attractively  arranged  composition  of  the  mag- 
azine, which  after  all  might  be  attributed  to  greater  experience  in  pub- 
lishing it,  there  seems  to  me  to  be  a  deeper,  more  mature  tone  to  it,  as 
though  the  contributors  felt  what  they  were  writing  about,  that  it 
wasn't  just  an  assignment  to  finish.  Beside  these  poems  and  articles, 
those  of  the  Oriole  seem  childish  and  amateurish,  at  best.  Just  what 
made  the  difference,  I  wonder?  Does  the  extra  year  or  two  added  to  the 
curriculum  answer  the  question,  or  is  the  student  body  as  a  whole  dif- 
ferent from  that  of  ten  or  fifteen  years  ago? 

"I  should  indeed  like  to  know  Marguerite  Simmons,  who  wrote 
'Prelude.'  One  cannot  help  wondering  about  a  person  who  feels  'the 
deep  joy  of  nights  alone'  and  that  it  is  the  privilege  of  those  entrusted 
with  the  minds  and  hearts  of  your  people  in  a  school  to  'make  of  this  a 
holy  place.'  I  have  always  thought  I  must  be  rather  queer  to  feel  what 
those  words  express  better  than  any  I  can  formulate  myself,  because  al- 
most nobody  does  feel  that  way. 

26 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Assemblies 

October  28,  ip^j 

Miss  Tansil  is  very  fond  of  cross-country  jaunts,  so  it  seems  quite 
natural  that  at  some  time  or  other  she  should  decide  to  take  such  a 
jaunt  through  Europe  in  her  car.  Last  summer  the  "Quintuplets,"  in- 
cluding Miss  Bersch,  drove  through  six  European  countries,  adding  five 
hundred  miles  to  their  previously-planned  itinerary.  They  visited 
France,  Switzerland,  Germany,  and  Austria.  From  Miss  Tansil's  ac- 
count, each  of  the  group  must  certainly  have  had  a  decidedly  interest- 
ing and  amusing  summer. 

November  4,  ip^j 

Miss  Bersch,  on  her  European  tour  this  summer  with  Miss  Tansil, 
spent  several  days  among  the  Basques,  a  race  of  people  living  at  the 
foot  of  the  Pyrenees.  One-sixth  of  this  race;  that  is,  the  nobility,  are 
living  on  the  land  that  their  families  have  occupied  for  over  one  hun- 
dred years.  To  foreigners  the  Basques  speak  French  or  Spanish;  but 
among  themselves,  Basques  express  themselves  in  an  odd  language 
which  resists  all  classification  by  philologists.  These  natives  are  pas- 
sionately fond  of  dancing  and  games.  Although  the  "Quintuplets" 
spent  only  a  short  time  among  the  Basques,  they  became  very  familiar 
with  the  customs  and  lives  of  these  people. 

Janaury  ij,  ig}6 

Sir  Herbert  Ames,  former  director  of  the  League  of  Nations,  spoke 
on  "Present  Day  Austria."  Sir  Herbert  began  his  picture  of  Austria 
with  the  dissolution  of  the  Dual  Monarchy  in  1918.  He  then  proceeded 
to  sketch  in  the  various  opposing  forces  and  cross  currents  which  de- 
veloped beneath  the  beautiful  exterior  Austria  displays  to  her  tourists. 
First,  there  is  the  economic  difficulty  created  by  the  independence  of 
the  Czechoslovakia,  Hungary  and  other  Danubian  states.  This  con- 
dition made  an  Austrian  union  with  Germany  seem  very  beneficial. 
However,  such  a  union  was  frowned  upon  by  France  and  the  League  of 
Nations,  which  strengthened  its  position  by  lending  desperate  Austria 
money  on  conditions  making  a  German  alliance  impossible.  Political 
drive  toward  union  with  Germany  also  existed  in  the  form  of  a  Nazi 
party  which  so  threatened  Austrian  nationality  that  Dollfuss,  backed 
by  Mussolini  (who  felt  that  if  Austria  were  going  Fascist,  she  had  bet- 
ter go  Fascist  the  Italian  way),  set  up  a  dictatorship  to  resist  it.  This 
anti-democratic,  clerical,  fascist  government  has  survived  the  assassi- 
nation of  Dollfuss,  although  Austria  is  still  the  battleground  of  three 
groups — the  Socialists,  the  German-Nazi  sympathizers,  and  the  Italian- 

27 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Fascist  sympathizers.  Thus  her  position  is  similar  to  that  of  an  iron 
filing  placed  equidistant  from  four  magnets  of  equal  strength,  for  there 
is  the  pull  toward  Germany  neutralized  by  France  and  Italy,  and  the 
pull  toward  Italy  neutralized  by  Germany  and  Czechoslovakia.  In- 
deed, there  is  a  chance  for  union  between  Austria  and  the  Danubian 
States.  However,  the  League  of  Nations  has  assumed  the  role  of  a 
stronger  magnet  placed  directly  beneath  the  filing.  Thus  Austria's  con- 
tinued independence  is  very  probably  assured. 


S^SbJ!i>.^iaS^ 


The  Orchestra 

So  far  in  the  new  year,  two  programs  have  engaged  our  attention. 
The  first  was  that  of  the  meeting  with  Dr.  Studebaker,  at  which 
we  played  several  numbers  as  a  preliminary  to  the  formal  opening 
of  the  program.  The  second  was  that  of  our  annual  broadcast,  which 
took  place  on  Thursday,  January  16,  at  four  o'clock.  Our  program  was : 

Old  Melody,  Traditional Harmonised  by  Stainer 

Giga Corelli 

wfif } ^^'«- 

Song,  Opus  39,  No.  2 Tschaikowsky 

We  were  honored  by  having  Dr.  Tall  as  speaker  for  our  program. 
Some  high  points  of  her  address  are  quoted  here,  since  we  are  not  able 
to  print  it  in  its  entirety. 

"In  the  Baltimore  Sun,  January  5, 1936,  Jascha  Heifetz,  the  great 
violinist,  commented  as  follows:  Take  baseball.  Why  is  this  country 
so  baseball-crazy?  Simply  because  every  boy  plays  baseball  on  the  cor- 
ner lot  in  the  summer.  When  he  goes  to  a  game  he  knows  all  the  moves, 
all  the  rules.  He  is  playing  it  himself,  mentally.  That  is  what  we 
should  do  for  our  children  in  music.  It  is  not  necessary  that  they  be- 
professional  musicians — but  their  lives  will  be  better  rounded  if  they 
know  music  sufficiently  to  understand  it,  and  appreciate  it.' 
"...  Today  this  small  orchestra  of  our  own  college  is  partly  the  result 
of  the  beginnings  made  by  our  students  back  home  in  the  local  county 
or  city  high  school  orchestra.  Music-loving  homes  sometimes  contrib- 
ute a  member  of  our  orchestra.  .  .  .  Indeed,  we  think  the  organization  of 
our  orchestra  is  unique  in  that  we  try  to  conserve  and  to  further  the 

28 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


playing  ability  of  those  who  have  had  previous  experience  in  instru- 
mental music.  We  also  try  to  assist  students  to  play  certain  instruments 
which  are  owned  by  the  college.  ... 

"But  let  us  return  to  Heifetz's  appeal  to  make  our  country  music- 
crazy  as  it  is  baseball-crazy,  and  to  his  suggestion  that  this  can  be  done 
only  through  a  knowledge  of  the  rules  of  the  music  game.  Miss 
Prickett,  who  is  responsible  for  the  development  of  the  orchestra  at  the 
State  Teachers  College  at  Towson,  .  .  .  says  that  an  orchestral  ensemble 
demands  extreme  responsibility  on  the  part  of  the  individual  player. 
For  instance,  in  the  mere  matter  of  notes,  in  this  broadcast  of  about 
twelve  minutes,  each  of  the  first  violins  is  responsible  for  something 
like  one  thousand  individual  notes.  Each  one  of  these  tones  must  be 
imaged  in  the  mind,  produced  on  the  instrument,  and  timed  exactly  as 
to  when  the  sound  shall  be  heard.  Each  player  in  the  orchestra  must 
know  the  instant  at  which  his  part  should  enter.  Because  of  this  re- 
quirement, he  must  watch  the  black  marks  on  the  music  indicating  the 
rests,  listen  to  the  number  of  measures,  and  watch  the  leader's  baton.  .  .  . 

"The  instruments  .  ,  .  present  problems:  in  the  strings,  the  length 
of  the  bow,  the  manner  of  its  use,  the  player's  left-hand  fingers,  which 
must  stop  the  string  at  the  exact  spot  if  the  pitch  is  to  be  correct;  in  the 
woodwinds,  the  fine  adjustment  of  lip  pressure,  and  the  intricate 
changes  of  fingering;  in  the  low-pitched  brass  instruments  the  impor- 
tant element  of  timing,  by  which  the  player  slightly  anticipates  the 
beat,  if  the  sound  is  to  be  heard  at  the  right  moment.  Small  wonder 
that  great  orchestras  are  not  made  in  a  day! 

"All  of  this  seems  very  technical,  but  we  give  it  to  our  audience  in 
order  to  support  Jascha  Heifetz's  appeal  'to  know  the  rules  of  the  game 
of  music'  We  must  begin  with  our  children  and,  as  they  grow  older, 
they  will  become  (and  we  can  become)  a  music-loving  nation,  as  crazy 
over  music  as  the  baseball  fan  is  over  our  national  sport.  The  State 
Teachers  College  at  Towson  would  help  the  music  movement  to  further 
its  great  aims." 


€iiiJSLt£S=d 


The  whirling  of  many  dancing  feet  to  the  gay  and  romantic  tunes 
of  the  Chieftains*  Orchestra  ushered  in  and  out  the  dance  sponsored  by 
the  Students'  Association  for  Co-operative  Government. 


29 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Glee  Club 

On  Sunday,  January  12,  the  Glee  Club  gave  a  program  of  Christinas 
music  at  Christ  English  Lutheran  Church.  Two  days  later,  virtually 
the  same  program  was  given  at  the  Te  Pa  Chi  meeting  held  in  our  own 
Auditorium.   The  program  included: 

The  Shepherd's  Story Dickinson 

Lo  How  A  Rose  E'er  Blooming Praetorius 

While  Shepherds  Watched  Their  Flock  By  Night Praetorius 

Lullaby  Jesus  Dear Polish  Carol 

Here  We  Come  A  Carolling Yorkshire  Carol 

Wassail Gloucestershire  Carol 

The  pastor  of  Christ  Lutheran  church  rewarded  the  work  of  the 
Glee  Club  not  only  with  a  check,  but  with  a  fine  letter  of  praise.  The 
article  from  The  Jeffersonian  posted  on  Miss  Weyforth's  bulletin  board 
will  testify  to  the  calibre  of  the  Glee  Club's  singing  for  the  Alumni  and 
the  friends  of  the  Te  Pa  Chi. 

The  Glee  Club  is  now  hard  at  work  on  new  material  for  the  spring, 
with  Baccalaureate  and  Commencement  day  programs  the  chief^goals 
of  the  year. 


Boys'  Sports 


WITH  basket-ball  fast  fading  away,  the  team's  win  column 
hasn't  grown  so  big.  However,  there  are  a  great  many  facts 
to  consider  before  conclusions  should  be  drawn.  First  of  all,  it 
is  remarkable  how  many  men  are  out  for  the  two  teams — Varsity  and 
Junior  Varisty.  About  fifteen  comprise  the  Varsity  squad,  and  sixteen 
are  on  the  Junior  Varsity.  This  shows  unusual  interest  on  the  part  of 
the  men  of  the  school  in  their  team.  Second,  the  caliber  of  our  schedule 
has  improved  immensely;  the  Junior  Varsity  now  plays  a  schedule  com- 
parable to  the  schedule  of  the  Varsity  seven  years  ago.  This  compe- 
tition is  made  up  of  college  freshmen,  college  junior  varsities,  and  high- 
school  varsities.  Third,  the  size  of  our  student  body,  in  comparison  to 
the  student  bodies  of  the  schools  which  we  play,  is  small.  Keeping  this 
in  mind,  it  must  be  admitted  that  the  caliber  of  our  team  is  really  as- 
tonishing. One  can  find  a  very  small  percentage  of  schools  of  our  size 
having  such  good  teams.  Fourth,  there  are  two  policies  by  which 
college  games  can  be  scheduled.  There  is  the  policy  of  scheduling  games 
that  you  are  very  likely  to  win,  versus  the  policy  of  scheduling  the 
games  with  the  best  teams  available.  Our  college  has  very  definitely 
adopted  the  latter.  The  idea  was  to  get  the  schedule  and  build  up  the 
team  to  the  schedule.   Help  build. 

30 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  Kaleidoscope 


HERE  comes  Science  with  a  vengeance — plus  a  test  tube  and  a  Bun- 
sen  burner.  We  begin  being  as  authentically  scientific  as  pos- 
sible by  stating  our  reference:  Moser,  H.E. — "Let's  Make  Our 
Science  Functional" — ^The  Tower  Light,  January  1936.  That's  what 
we're  trying  to  do. 

As  a  result  of  constant  study,  observation,  and  experimentation, 
most  of  the  students  managed  to  come  through  with  a  battery  of  "C's" 
on  their  first  report  cards.  But  Mr.  Readmond  of  Freshman  4  still  flouts 
Zaner-Bloser  and  practices  his  own  artistic  handwriting. 

Dean  Gehring  is  proficient  in  at  least  one  art.  We  don't  know 
about  the  sciences.  Anyhow,  she  appeared  in  a  Theatre  Guild  produc- 
tion of  "The  Pirates  of  Penzance."  She  got  a  press  notice  too.  We  are 
informed  that  the  Guild  is  contemplating  a  presentation  of  "Robin 
Hood"  in  which  Miss  Gehring  will  be  included.  .  .  .  The  annual  ex- 
hibit of  male  talent  will  come  off  March  20  and  21.  The  Men's  Revue 
this  year  has  an  interesting  title.  The  show  should  be  good  because 
there  are  said  to  be  some  women  in  it.  Nothing  like  a  little  advance 
publicity.  .  .  .  Which  reminds  us  to  remind  you  not  to  forget  the  T.L. 
Dance  on  February  14.  Dancing  classes  started  long  ago,  so  if  you  want 
to  dance  with  your  valentine,  better  consult  Clabaugh  and  Company. 

Problem  (that  members  of  a  certain  Freshman  section  have  solved 
to  their  sorrow) :  What  Freshman  girl  has  loved  and  lost  many  times? 

Helen  Conradt  cannot  choose  between  a  career  in  the  science  of 
education  and  the  same  of  matrimony. 

The  lunar  rave,  as  you  must  know,  is  "The  Music  Goes  'Round 
and  Around."  It's  more  loony  than  lunar. 

Maryland  and  Virginia  farmers  are  noted  for  their  trucking,  ac- 
cording to  Miss  Van  Bibber.  But  she  should  see  some  of  our  students 
diagram  a  few  Cotton  Club  steps  on  the  floor  of  Room  223.  Some  of  the 
Freshmen  aren't  bad. 

By  the  way,  have  you  been  paying  attention  to  the  arts  this  month? 
There  is  a  new  book  in  the  library,  published  in  1918,  called  Popular 
Songs  of  the  A.E.F.;  and  it  contains  "The  Dark-Town  Strutters'  Ball." 
Better  get  hold  of  it.  That  piece  is  coming  back  into  favor. 

Fairy  stories  number  2  and  3  are  here.  Isadore  Stein  took  twenty- 
five  books  home,  one  night.  He  used  them  all  too  .  .  .  maybe.  .  .  .  Also 
a  Sophomore  reported  burning  the  midnight  oil  as  she  wrote  odes  to 
one  Jud  Meyer. 

The  Stars  (Faculty  to  you)  take  it  on  the  chin.  Mrs.  Brouwer  uses 

31 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


hers  to  get  a  novel  view  of  a  landscape.  Miss  Rutledge's  didn't  get  the 
least  bit  sore  after  that  memorable  night  of  pardons,  and  she  said  that 
she  expected  to  be  buried  under  a  hail  of  brickbats. 

Roger  Williams,  the  Special  man,  is  going  juvenile.  He  recites  to 
wide-eyed  femmes  that  story  of  what  "the  Bossy  Cow  said  to  the  three 
little  brother  bears."  .  .  .  But  Shakespeare  is  having  his  day  along  with 
the  first  grade  reader.  One  Freshman  lass  greeted  a  new  partner  in  a 
Paul  Jones  with  the  exclamation,  "Ah,  my  Romeo,  at  last  I've  found 
you!" 

Why  couldn't  Margaret  Snyder  come  to  the  Te  Pa  Chi  meeting  to 
sing  with  the  Glee  Club?  She  blames  it  on  the  symphony,  but  we  blame 
it  on  the  moon — or  the  youth  of  the  First  Trumpeter. 

The  Misses  Sutch,  Bausman,  Lewis,  and  Jachman  think  that  there 
is  nothing  like  a  good  hard  corridor  floor  on  which  to  practice  dancing. 
They  are  not  alone  in  this  opinion. 

Have  you  heard  about  the  new  malady  whose  germ  professors  are 
trying  to  discover?  It's  called  Nervous  Breakdown. 

On  a  recent  trip  to  Washington,  Mac  said  he  would  not  leave  until 
he  climbed  the  Washington  Monument.  Izz  Cohen  was  not  so  unrea- 
sonable. He  only  wanted  to  wait  until  he  saw  the  cherry  blossoms  in 
bloom. 

Monthly  installment  of  the  Wheatley  epic  coming  up.  He  asked  an 
S.T.C.-ite  to  go  to  a  dance  with  him.  Her  initials  are  M.  A. 

The  boys  are  so  hard  on  some  of  the  ladies'  eyes,  that  a  certain 
lady  is  required  to  wear  sun  glasses. 

Spring  is  in  your  horizon.  It'll  be  upon  you  before  you  know  it.  So 
will  the  next  issue  of  the  Tower  Light.  See  you  then. 


€^ibJ!i>.^teSt 


"Aren't  ants  busy  little  things?  They  work  all  the  time  and  never 
play.'' 

"Oh,  I  don't  know.  They  attend  an  awful  lot  of  picnics." 


While  being  put  to  bed  one  night  Mary,  aged  three,  showed  curi- 
osity in  the  electric  light  bulb.  "What  the  light  shines  through  is 
called  a  bulb,"  her  aunt  explained.  "Bulb?"  exclaimed  the  disbeliever. 
"That's  a  glass  bottle.  Bulbs  is  seeds!" 

32 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


As  You 
Like  It 


o 


NE  and  two  and  three  and  four- 
goes  'round  and  'round !!!' 


-all  ready?  Let's  go!  "The  music 
'NufF  said. 


Due  to  my  having  bothered  you  three  pages'  worth  in  the  last 
issue  of  the  Tower  Light,  those  '  'way  up  thar' '  have  asked  me  to  be 
merciful  and  make  this  column  "toot"  and  "sweet."  So  here  goes! 

First,  I  dedicate  that  song  "With  'Ubi  side  me"  to  Alma  Taylor. 
Then,  I  sprinkle  literary  posies  on  that  monotone  who  declared  that 
"he  'flatly'  refuses  to  teach  music,"  and  on  that  base  hornist  who  sagely 
remarked  "that  all  blondes  are  light  headed ! ! !" 

And  now  I  set  before  you  a  hot,  steaming  bowl  full  of  plagiarism 
as  you  like  it: 

Thisa  and  Thata 

The  old-fashioned  woman  who  darned  her  husband's  socks  has  a 
daughter  who  socks  her — husband. 

This  modern  music  takes  the  "rest"  out  of  restaurant  and  puts  the 
"din"  into  dinner. 

A  reckless  driver — is — seldom  wreckless  long. 

Europe  seems  to  pronounce  them  '  'Were  Debts. ' ' 

Often  a  movie  hero — is  one  who  sits  through  it. 

Ail  work  and  no  play  makes  Jack,  and  lots  of  it. 

A  thing  of  beauty — has  joy  rides  forever. 

Some  parents  are  rude,  but  others  have  learned  to  keep  still — 
while  the  kids  are  talking. 

As  the  income  tax  bureau  sees  us :  America,  the  land  of  untold 
wealth! 

A  woman's  promise  to  be  on  time  carries  a  lot  of  wait. 

Too  many  parents  are  not  on  spanking  terms  with  their  children. 

Daffy  Definitions 

Committee — a  body  that  keeps  minutes  and  wastes  hours. 
A  Child — Just  a  stomach  entirely  surrounded  by  curiosity. 
Prejudice — Being  down  on  anything  you're  not  up  on. 
Slang — Language  that  takes  off  its  coat,  spits  on  its  hand,  and  goes 
to  work. 


33 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Saxophone — An  ill  wind  that  blows  nobody  good. 

A  Lie — An  abomination  to  the  Lord,  and  an  ever-present  help  in 
time  of  trouble. 

Boy — A  noise  with  dirt  on  it. 

At  this  point,  I'd  like  to  tell  you  about  our  plans  for  next  month's 
humor  column.  Next  month  I'm  not  going  to  write  the  column;  you're 
going  to  write  it.  The  whole  column  is  to  be  made  up  of  jokes,  quips, 
puns,  riddles,  etc.  that  you  send  in.  There  are  no  limitations  as  to  how 
many  witticisms  you  may  send :  the  only  restriction  is  that  the  nonsense 
you  send  in  must  not  be  any  worse  than  the  stuff  I  write.  Could  anyone 
be  more  liberal?  All  right,  humorists,  get  busy.  Make  next  month's 
column  a  wow! 

'Zever, 

Sid  Tepper. 


Winter  Greens 

Have  you  been  down  in  the  Glen  this  winter?  The  summer  flowers 
have  disappeared,  and  only  a  few  evergreens  lend  a  touch  of  color;  the 
ravine  looks  barren  with  its  somber  grays  and  browns.  I  wonder  why 
no  one  has  thought  of  bringing  in  winter  greens.  When  you  go  for  a 
tramp  in  your  favorite  woods,  watch  for  the  evergreens  that  hug  the 
ground.  Push  aside  the  leaves  and  you  may  find  many  kinds  of  moss, 
ground  pine,  partridge  berries,  prince's  pine,  pipsissewa,  ground  laurel, 
and  even  a  bit  of  myrtle. 

Perhaps  you  do  not  realize  how  simple  it  is  to  transplant  these  win- 
ter plants.  Always  get  as  many  roots  as  possible,  and  while  the  plant 
is  out  of  the  ground,  be  sure  to  keep  it  moist  and  protect  it  from  the  sun. 
While  this  is  not  an  absolute  guarantee  that  every  plant  will  grow,  these 
general  rules  are  invaluable  to  an  inexperienced  gardener.  A  knowl- 
edge of  the  habitats  of  these  low  greens  will  not  only  enable  you  to  lo- 
cate the  particular  species,  but  it  will  help  you  to  select  a  suitable  spot 
in  which  to  transplant.  For  instance,  checkerberries  or  partridge  ber- 
ries are  found  in  dry  woods  and  grow  near  the  bases  of  trees.  Ground 
laurel  or  arbutus  prefers  a  sandy  or  rocky  soil  and  is  partial  to  the  shade 
of  pine  trees.  Ground  pine,  a  member  of  the  moss  family,  more  com- 
monly known  as  crowfoot,  is  also  found  in  dry  woods.  Myrtle,  a  trailer 
that  covers  the  ground,  is  indifferent  to  the  type  of  soil  and  even  grows 
in  dense  shade.  Have  you  noticed  that  our  Glen  has  a  suitable  spot  for 
each  and  every  one  of  these  brightly  colored  winter  plants? 

H.  Davis,  Soph.  /. 
34 


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Come  to  the 

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FEBRUARY  14 

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Card  Playing  Dancing 

Admission  40  cents 


*'^Give  me  a  chicken  salad,"  said  a  man  in  a  suburban  restaurant. 

"Do  you  want  the  forty-cent  one  or  the  fifty-cent  one?"  asked  the 
waitress. 

'  'What's  the  difference?' ' 

"The  forty-cent  ones  are  made  of  veal  and  pork,,  and  the  fifty-cent 
ones  are  made  of  tuna  fish. 


he  aromatic  Turkish  tobaccos 
in  Chesterfield  cigarettes  give 
lem  a  more  pleasing  taste  and  aroma. 


3  1936,  Liggett  &  Myers  Tobacco  Co. 


AHO   TURKISH  T08ACCQ 


THOMSEN-l-ELUS 


THE 


TOWER 
LIGHT 


">* 


^^5 


w 


'^LIBRARY 


THE 

TOWER  LIGHT 


State  Teachers  College 


TOWSON,  MARYLAND 


CONTENTS 

Illustration Malcolm  Davies 

PAGE 

Albert  Cabell  Ritchie 3 

Found :  Something  for  Almost  Nothing 4 

An  Outlet  for  One's  Hobby 6 

Overnight  Camping 7 

A  Token — A  Story 8 

Life  on  a  Lighthouse  off  the  Coast  of  Maine 9 

Playhouse  in  the  Summer ; 11 

Course  .001 — Women  in  the  World  Today 12 

A  Wee  Bit  of  Scotch 12 

Winter  Renewal — A  Poem 14 

Forests  and  the  Citizen  (Continue^ 15 

Inspiration — A  Poem 19 

Sir  Herbert  Ames 19 

Editorials 22 

The  College  Record 25 

The  Library — at  Your  Service 30 

The  Kaleidoscope 31 

As  You  Like  It 33 

The  Rambling  Rambler 34 

Our  Advertisers 35-36 


1935      Member       1936 

Plssocided  Golle6icite  Press 


THE  TOWER  LIGHT 


Vol.  IX  MARCH,  1936  No.  6 


mhttt  Cabell  Eitcljie 

WHEN  the  passing  of  one  from  a  million  and  a  half  prompts  all, 
regardless  of  color  or  creed,  to  mourn  and  inspires  heartfelt 
regret  from  the  entire  nation,  it  naturally  follows  that  such  an 
one  was  truly  great. 

It  is  doubtful  whether  a  true  appreciation  of  the  magnitude  of  the 
loss  sustained  in  the  death  of  Albert  Cabell  Ritchie  will  soon  be  fully- 
realized.  His  untiring  labors  have  met  with  success  in  so  many  fields  of 
constructive  public  endeavor  that  they  defy  any  attempt  at  classifica- 
tion and  comment.  Wide  and  varied  as  has  been  the  scope  of  his  ener- 
getic activity,  he  has  done  no  greater  work  than  in  the  field  of  admin- 
istering education  in  Maryland.  His  vision  of  the  fundamental  necessity 
of  an  equitable,  a  practical,  dynamic,  comprehensive  system  of  ele- 
mentary and  secondary  schooling  throughout  the  counties  of  the  state; 
his  perception  of  the  value  of  efficient  educators  in  the  consummation  of 
that  vision;  and  his  recognition  of  the  need  for  a  professionally  trained 
teacher  in  every  classroom  of  the  state  made  him  a  ceaseless  worker  for 
the  betterment  of  public  instruction  from  the  first  to  the  last  of  his  four 
terms  as  governor.  His  ideals  will  live  on! 

Great  as  were  his  accomplishments  in  the  service  of  his  state,  there 
will  be  no  nobler  monument  to  the  memory  of  Albert  Cabell  Ritchie 
than  that  arising  from  the  improvements  he  has  made  in  the  educational 
system  of  Maryland. 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Found :  Something  for  Almost  Nothing 

SIXTEEN  years  ago,  when  commercial  wireless  was  just  beginning  in 
the  United  States,  a  type  of  radio  receiver  known  as  the  crystal  set 
was  very  popular.  The  name  comes  from  the  galena  (lead  sulfide) 
crystal  used  in  this  type  of  set  to  rectify  alternating  wireless  waves  to 
direct  electric  current  suitable  for  operating  earphones. 

The  early  crystal  sets  were  always  flighty,  and  age  has  not  added  to 
their  decorum.  They  faded  frequently,  were  never  very  loud,  and  also 
required  earphones  rather  than  loud  speakers.  If  someone  breathed  too 
hard  it  often  displaced  the  catswhisker,  the  tiny  wire  which  touched 
the  crystal.  Because  of  these  faults,  the  crystal  largely  disappeared 
with  the  advent  of  vacuum  tube  sets.  However,  amateurs  have  con- 
tinued to  use  and  build  these  sets  for  two  reasons :  no  current  is  required 
to  operate  them,  and  they  cost  little  to  build.  A  set  can  be  constructed 
with  entirely  new  parts  for  less  than  $3-50.  Once  built,  it  costs  nothing 
to  operate.  Of  course,  if  you  salvage  old  parts  from  radios,  you  can  do 
much  better  than  that.  In  six  years  I  have  spent  less  than  $3.00  and 
have  made  about  thirteen  sets.  In  that  time  I  have  had  many  hundreds 
of  hours  of  delightful  reception. 

Basically,  the  crystal  set  has  six  parts :  an  aerial,  a  ground,  a  coil,  a 
variable  condenser,  a  crystal,  and  a  pair  of  headphones.  These  parts  are 
wired  as  illustrated  in  the  accompanying  diagram. 

The  coil  is  forty  turns  of  number  twenty-four  cotton-covered  cop- 
per wire  tapped  at  intervals  of  ten  turns.  Either  a  twenty- three  or  forty- 
five  plate  variable  condenser  may  be  used.  An  aerial  of  one  hundred  to 
one  hundred  twenty  feet  is  satisfactory.  A  ground  may  be  made  by  at- 
taching the  lead  tightly  to  a  water  pipe  or  to  a  piece  of  piping  driven 
about  four  feet  into  moist  ground. 

With  a  set  constructed  on  these  lines  I  have  picked  up  St.  Louis, 
Chicago,  Nashville,  Toronto,  Schenectady,  New  York,  Boston,  and 
many  local  stations.  A  friend  of  mine,  with  a  design  of  his  own  based 
on  this  one,  claimed  that  he  picked  up  Dallas,  Texas.  This  is  not  im- 
possible, for  the  first  set  to  receive  a  message  from  across  the  Atlantic 
was  a  crystal  set. 

The  foibles  of  the  crystal  set  are  still  many.  It  is  sometimes  hard  to 
find  a  sensitive  spot  on  the  crystal  and  any  little  bump  may  jar  the  cats- 
whisker  off.  Once,  after  I  had  fooled  for  half  an  hour  and  had  got  no 
results,  I  gave  the  table  a  kick  and  the  catswhisker  landed  directly  on  a 
sensitive  point.  I  received  two  Chicago  stations  that  night.  The  very 
best  reception  is  on  cold,  snowy  nights.  About  one  to  three  a.m.  is  the 


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best  time  for  receiving  long  distance,  but  I  have  been  able  to  pick  some- 
thing up  at  anytime.  One  New  Year's  Eve  I  stayed  up  till  5  a.m.  and 
heard  New  Year's  Eve  all  the  way  across  the  United  States. 


a.  Aerial 

b.  Coil 


Key 

c.  Condenser 

d.  Crystal 


e.  Headphones 

f.  Ground 


For  the  amateur  just  becoming  interested  in  radio,  the  crystal  set  is 
ideal.  It  costs  little  to  build  and  nothing  to  run.  It  is  easy  to  wire  and 
it  is  satisfactory  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  work  and  money  put  into 
it. 

E.  Merton  Fishel. 


Violin 


A  part  of  her  it  seems,  this  vibrant  thing, 
Which  pours  impassioned  song  into  my  heart. 

The  wild  notes  sway,  and  soar,  and  fall,  to  cling 
Forever,  and  become  of  me  a  part. 

E.  SCHNEPFE. 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


An  Outlet  for  One's  Hobby 

HOBBY — ^what  is  your  definition?  Hobby — a  rather  reluctant  nag. 
Hobby — a  bird  which  soars  to  great  height.  Hobby — a  pet 
idea.  Mr.  Webster  approves  of  all  three  definitions,  but  let  us 
be  different  and  combine  all  three.  Hobby — a  pet  interest,  usually  a 
little  reluctant  but  which  may  wing  its  way  skyward.  Let  us  now  pre- 
tend that  this  pet  idea  is  that  of  acting  and  singing.  Suppose  it  has 
passed  the  reluctant  stage  and  wishes  to  try  its  pinions.  Just  where  can 
it  find  the  proper  conditions  to  expand  and  perhaps  some  day  to  soar? 

With  the  idea  of  giving  amateurs  a  place  to  display  their  ability, 
and  to  give  the  public  something  worthwhile  at  a  reasonable  price.  Mi. 
T.  M.  Gushing  made  the  first  gesture  toward  a  "Little  Theatre"  for 
Baltimore.  An  instructor  of  English  at  Johns  Hopkins  University,  he 
decided  that  this  might  be  a  center  from  which  to  work.  Here,  with 
the  undergraduates  who  wished  to  develop  their  acting  ability,  he 
opened  the  Homewood  Playshop.  The  first  production,  "What  They 
Don't  Know,"  written  by  Mr.  Gushing,  was  staged  in  the  attic  theater 
of  the  "undergrad's"  clubhouse.  Due  to  some  misunderstanding  as  to 
the  technique  used,  Mr.  Gushing,  in  1925  organized  an  independent  or- 
ganization known  as  the  Play  Arts  Guild,  with  a  stable  as  the  only 
property.  This  being  too  small  for  a  production,  the  Guild  secured  the 
Vagabond  Playhouse  for  its  first  production  of  "The  Gharles  Street 
Follies"  (a  production  which  has  become  an  annual  affair,  sometimes 
running  ten  weeks).  After  securing  a  theatre  of  their  own  with  ample 
room,  it  was  suggested  that  a  Gilbert  and  Sullivan  comic  opera  might 
be  a  success — this  led  to  the  staging  of  the  opera  "Patience,"  which  the 
Guild  has  repeated  several  times.  This  production  brought  out  Gilbert 
and  Sullivan  fans  for  a  fourteen-week  run.  In  this  manner  one  success 
after  another  has  piled  up  to  the  credit  of  the  '  'Little  Theatre' '  of  Balti- 
more. This,  the  Guild's  tenth  anniversary,  has  been  marked  with  two 
Gilbert  and  Sullivan  hits — "Yeoman  of  the  Guard"  and  "Pirates  of 
Penzance." 

The  Guild  started  with  amateurs  and  those  seeking  outlets  for 
their  hobby.  So  it  has  continued.  Through  this  avenue  some  have 
reached  the  top — the  first  prima  donna  starred  in  the  ever-famous '  'Rose 
Marie."  Hundreds  of  others,  however,  have  been  content  with  just  a 
chorus  role  as  an  avocation  or  as  a  substitute  for  knitting.  But,  what- 
ever a  player's  standing  or  accomplishments,  he  plays  at  the  Guild 
Theatre  first  of  all  for  the  '  'love  of  it. " 

D.  Gehring. 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Overnight  Camping 


To  me  an  overnight  camping  trip  has  always  been  a  memorable  oc- 
casion. Perhaps  it  is  because  many  of  our  forefathers  and  ancestors 
have  been  pioneers,  woodsmen,  farmers,  or  prospectors  who  had  a 
part  in  discovering  and  developing  the  great  natural  resources  of  a  New 
World.  These  men  had  to  live  in  a  wilderness  which  they  found  so  fas- 
cinating and  wonderful,  that  much  of  our  national  tradition  and  his- 
tory is  a  story  of  camping.  Camping  nowadays  is  done  more  for  fun 
than  for  any  other  reason,  but,  even  so,  there  is  always  a  chance  of 
being  a  discoverer. 

Not  a  great  deal  of  preparation  is  necessary  for  an  overnight  camp- 
ing trip  if  you  should  plan  to  hike  to  some  intriguing  spot.  Eliminate 
all  unnecessary  articles.  About  all  you  need  is  clothing  enough  to  keep 
you  warm  while  walking.  (Be  sure  to  wear  a  pair  of  old,  heavy-soled, 
soft-uppered  shoes !)  Your  food  supply  should  be  carefully  worked  out 
in  advance,  and  if  you  camp  near  a  farm  or  town  so  much  the  better,  as 
many  of  the  perishable  rations  may  be  purchased  at  little  cost.  It  is 
wise  to  carry  a  small  first-aid  kit  and  other  equipment,  such  as  a  knife, 
matches,  several  small  frying  pans,  a  cup,  and  a  blanket  or  two.  This 
equipment,  with  a  small  pup  tent,  may  be  rolled  into  a  compact  bundle 
and  carried  over  your  back.  With  these  articles,  and  perhaps  a  few 
other  small  necessities  you  are  ready  to  hike  over  hills,  through  valleys, 
and  across  streams  to  the  "spot  of  your  dreams." 

When  you  have  reached  such  a  site,  pitch  the  tent  on  a  rather  ele- 
vated spot  and  thoughtfully  ditch  it  so  as  to  prevent  rain  water  from 
running  through  the  tent.  Place  the  food  in  a  place  where  ants  or  ani- 
mals cannot  molest  it.  Leaves,  hay,  or  grass  covered  with  a  blanket 
prove  most  sanitary  and  comfortable  as  a  bed.  Having  arranged  every- 
thing in  its  proper  place,  you  are  now  ready  to  scout  around  in  the 
neighboring  fields  and  woods — to  meet  new  friends  along  with  old: 
birds,  bees,  insects,  trees,  brooks,  blossoms,  wild  animals  and  other 
"first  settlers." 

At  night  when  you  return  to  camp,  your  pockets  will  bulge  with 
innumerable  treasures  that  nature  has  provided  for  your  collection. 
There  will  be  rocks,  shells,  seeds,  grasses,  mosses,  or  perhaps,  a  moth 
or  some  fish.  After  preparing  and  dispatching  your  simple  meal,  retire 
to  your  bed  of  crunching  leaves.  Too  soon  the  croaking  frogs,  the 
crickets,  and  the  whip-poor-will  whisk  you  into  slumber.  Try  it! 

I.  G.  NOLTE. 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


A  Token 

HANS  RiCHTER  had  been  entirely  contented  with  life.  He  had  a 
comfortable  home — loving,  although  quite  strict  parents,  and 
a  good,  helpful  music  teacher.  Each  week  this  teacher,  Herr 
Hubert  Schiller,  gave  him  a  piano  lesson  which  usually  provided  an  en- 
joyable experience  for  both  teacher  and  pupil. 

But  the  Fates  opened  their  "bag  of  tricks,"  and  one  week  Herr 
Schiller  did  not  come  to  give  Hans  the  usual  lesson.  Formerly,  the  old 
German  had  been  the  very  personification  of  punctuality.  Herr  Richter 
raised  his  exacting  eyebrows  in  strait-laced  wonder;  but,  remembering 
the  music  teacher's  past  spotless  record,  attributed  his  failure  to  ap- 
pear to  some  unforeseen  event. 

Herr  Hubert  did  not  come  the  next  week;  nor  the  next;  nor  the 
next.  Thus,  weeks,  months,  and  finally,  a  whole  year  passed;  Herr 
Schiller  sent  them  no  word.  Daily,  the  mail  was  eagerly  thumbed  in 
the  hope  of  finding  some  word  from  him.  At  first,  newspapers  were 
scanned  for  accidents,  and  later,  the  obituary  column  was  read  and  re- 
read; all  to  no  avail.  Distractedly,  the  family  turned  the  house  topsy- 
turvy in  search  of  the  music  teacher's  address;  strangely  enough,  it  was 
nowhere  to  be  found. 

The  Richters  thought  of  a  million  things  they  might  have  said  or 
done  that  could  have  offended  the  old  professor.  To  cap  the  climax, 
Hans  was  in  crying  need  of  a  competent  teacher  to  whip  into  shape  his 
playing,  which,  in  its  immature  state,  and  unguided  by  a  teacher,  was 
rapidly  going  from  bad  to  worse.  If  only  the  family  dared  to  get  him 
another  teacher — but  suppose  they  should,  and  later,  Herr  Schiller 
would  return?  Oh,  why  didn't  he  let  them  know? 

At  last,  since  no  word  had  been  received,  the  family  was  driven  by 
Han's  playing  to  get  another  instructor.  Therefore,  Fraulein  Bonn 
came  into  the  picture  as  Hans  Richter's  new  piano  teacher. 

One  evening,  about  a  year  after  the  advent  of  Fraulein  Bonn  into 
Hans'  musical  sphere,  the  family  were  seated  around  the  supper  table 
with  their  eyes  fixed  on  Frau  Richter.  They  were  listening  attentively 
to  her  recounting  a  dream  she  had  had  the  night  before. 

"I  dreamed,"  she  related, "that  I  was  sitting  at  the  front  window 
waiting  for  Hans  to  come  home  from  school  for  his  music  lesson.  Frau- 
lein Bonn  had  not  yet  arrived.  Suddenly,  who  should  walk  up  the  front 
steps  but  Herr  Hubert. 

Frau  Richter's  audience  leaned  forward  to  catch  every  word. 

"I  felt  so  happy  to  see  him  again,"  she  continued,  "that  I  rushed 
to  the  door  and  let  him  in  right  away.  Then  I  felt  sick  all  over;  I  knew 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


I'd  have  to  tell  him  that  Hans  had  a  new  teacher,  but  I  didn't  know  how 
to  go  about  it  without  hurting  his  feelings. 

"He  smiled  as  though  he  had  read  my  thoughts,  and  said,  *I  didn't 
come  to  give  Hansel  a  lesson  today;  I  just  came  to  give  him  this.  He's  a 
good  boy.'  And  he  laid  a  roll  of  music  on  the  table — and  vanished!" 

As  the  good  Frau  concluded  her  story,  the  occupants  of  the  room 
remained  silent  and  thoughtful.  At  last,  however,  the  tension  relaxed 
enough  to  allow  the  normal  after-supper  events  to  take  place.  Father 
picked  up  his  newspaper,  turned  automatically  to  the  death  notices, 
gazed  idly  down  the  column,  and  gave  a  sudden  start.  Hans,  looking  up, 
was  shocked  at  the  look  on  his  father's  face.  As  one  person,  the  family 
rushed  to  Herr  Richter's  side  and  followed  the  printed  lines  above  his 
quivering  finger.  There,  in  bold,  black  letters  was  the  notice  that  Hubert 

Schiller,  a  musician,  who  had  been  in  K Sanatorium  for  nearly  two 

years,  suffering  from  cancer,  had  passed  away  the  night  before. 

Silence.  Mother  sank  noiselessly  into  a  chair.  The  paper  blurred 
before  Hans'  eyes.  Perspiration  oozed  out  upon  Herr  Richter's  fore- 
head and  glistened  in  his  mustache.  In  a  clammy  stillness,  the  family 
seemed  unable  to  move.  Faintly,  as  though  from  another  world,  the 
mournful,  prolonged  howl  of  a  dog  wavered,  toppled,  fell,  and  slowly 
faded  into — silence. 

Ed.  MacCubbin. 

Life  on  a  Lighthouse  Oflf  the 
Coast  of  Maine 

UNLIKE  the  other  parts  of  our  eastern  coast,  that  of  Maine  is  con- 
spicuous because  of  its  large,  jagged  rocks  which  rise  up  out  of 
the  sea.  These  rocks  are  a  menace  to  navigation,  for  they  lie 
near  the  shipping  lanes  and  the  fishing  regions  of  the  northern  waters. 
Therefore,  those  dangerous  masses  are  marked  by  lighthouses.  I  have 
had  the  good  fortune  to  visit  several  of  them;  namely.  Saddleback,  Mt. 
Desert,  and  Matinicus  Rock.  Last  March,  while  working  on  the  sub- 
marine telephone  cable  which  is  laid  between  Matinicus  Rock  and  the 
Island  of  Cree  Haven,  I  was  forced  to  spend  five  days  on  the  Rock, 
which  is  thirty-six  miles  off  the  coast  of^Maine  just  outside  of  Rock- 
land. The  life  of  the  people  living  on  Matinicus  is  typical  of  the  rest  of 
the  rocks;  therefore,  as  I  endeavor  to  narrate  some  of  my  experiences 
there,  you  may  get  a  picture  of  the  everyday  life  of  the  people  who  give 
their  lives  in  order  to  keep  the  crews,  cargoes,  and  passengers  of  ships 
sailing  along  our  Maine  Coast,  away  from  one  of  navigation's  most 
dangerous  obstacles. 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


At  the  time  of  my  visit,  there  were  three  families  living  on  Ma- 
tinicus  Rock:  a  Captain,  his  wife  and  mother-in-law;  and  two  assistant 
keepers  and  their  wives.  The  Captain  lived  in  a  small  wood-framed 
cottage,  while  the  other  keepers  were  housed  in  a  double,  wood-framed 
structure.  One  of  the  families  had  a  thirteen-year-old  child.  She  boarded 
with  a  family  during  the  school  year  while  attending  the  school  on 
Cree  Island  at  the  joint  expense  of  the  State  of  Maine  and  the  United 
States  Government.  I  was  told  by  her  parents  that  she  does  not  find 
her  life  monotonous  because  she  was  brought  to  the  Island  when  a 
small  child. 

The  Captain,  into  whose  home  I  was  received,  treated  me  more 
like  a  long  lost  son  than  a  strange  sailor.  Our  dinner,  that  first  eve- 
ning, was  cooked  on  a  coal  stove  which  served  also  as  our  heating 
plant.  The  meal  included  saline  preserved  meats,  canned  vegetables 
and  milk,  and  home-made  bread.  Our  dessert  was  chocolate  ice  cream 
made  from  canned  cream  and  chocolate,  the  salt  and  ice  necessary  for 
freezing  having  been  prepared  for  us  by  nature.  The  news  of  the  day  was 
brought  to  us  by  an  ancient  radio  receiving  set.  For  entertainment  be- 
fore an  early  retiring  we  played  the  family's  favorite  game — bridge. 
Sung  to  sleep  by  the  March  wind  whistling  around  the  house,  I  rested 
very  well  on  my  mattress  of  feathers. 

The  next  morning  I  was  taken  by  the  Captain  on  a  tour  of  inspec- 
tion. First,  we  went  through  the  long,  wooden  hall  which  led  to  the 
lighthouse  and  then  we  climbed  the  spiral  stair  to  the  very  top  of  the 
cylindrical  tower.  The  lamp  which  sends  out  its  beam  over  the  sea,  is  a 
kerosene  one,  but  the  kerosene  is  mixed  with  air  which  is  put  under  a 
pressure  thus  vaporizing  the  coal  oil.  After  the  lamp  was  adjusted,  we 
went  down  to  the  engine  house,  where  there  are  two  "Hot-Bulb"  en- 
gines run  by  kerosene,  which  compress  the  air  and  blow  the  fog  horns. 

A  government  ship,  commonly  called  a  lighthouse  tender,  makes 
monthly  visits  to  the  Island  and  brings  coal,  kerosene,  and  fresh  water; 
a  mail  boat  brings  out  weekly  the  food  which  the  Captain's  wife  has 
ordered  by  telephone. 

The  keepers  stand  four-hour  watches  at  night  to  tend  the  light; 
thus,  every  third  night,  one  of  the  keepers  gets  a  full  night's  rest.  Every 
spring  the  keepers,  who  must  be  jacks-of-all-trades,  repair  all  structures 
that  need  it,  and  overhaul  the  boats  and  the  engines. 

I  spent  most  of  my  time  visiting,  reading,  and  helping  out  in  the 
daily  routine.  Truly  I  have  not  done  so  much  reading  since  I  attended 
State  Normal  in  1931 .  I  shall  always  remember  my  experience  on  Matin- 
icus  Rock  because  it  has  brought  to  me  deeper  appreciation  of  the  sterling 
qualities  of  those  men  and  their  families  who  make  our  waters  safe  for 
navigation  by  keeping  these  Maine  Coast  sentinels  of  the  deep  burning. 

Roger  Williams. 


10 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Playhouse  in  the  Summer 

WHILE  I  was  spending  the  summer  at  Cape  May,  New  Jersey, 
fate  took  a  hand  in  transforming  me  from  a  languid  figure  ac- 
quiring sun  burn  on  the  sand  to  a  member  of  a  summer  group  of 
actors  working  at  the  Cape  May  Playhouse.  The  players  were  an  in- 
teresting conglomeration  of  boys  from  northern  colleges,  seasoned 
Broadway  actors  and  actresses,  and  members  of  a  large  class  known  as 
"fans"  who  were  given  jobs  in  self-defense. 

No  sooner  had  I  made  my  appearance,  than  I  was  rushed  into  a 
round  of  "bohemianism"  which  exceeded  my  wildest  fancies.  I  soon 
found  it  necessary  to  accustom  myself  to  unusual  assignments  and  peo- 
ple. Not  expecting  to  work  with  celebrities,  I  received  a  rude  awaken- 
ing when  a  likely  young  person  presented  himself  one  day  as  Mark 
Preston  who  played  with  Eva  le  Gallienne  in '  'Romeo  and  Juliet. ' '  Since 
then  I  have  seen  him  in  minor  motion  picture  roles.  One  of  the  popular 
character  actresses  was  Maida  Reed.  Last  year  her  picture  appeared  in 
Photoplay  with  her  "close  friend  Marie  Dressier." 

The  impressions  which  I  might  report  of  such  an  interesting  ex- 
perience resolve  themselves  into  scattered  phrases  and  words.  The 
charm  of  a  broken-down  casino-converted-into-a-playhouse  where  peo- 
ple work,  eat,  sleep,  and  play;  the  atmosphere  in  which  the  leading 
man  lives  and  breathes  for  a  week  the  pugilistic  character.  Gabby,  of 
the  "Milky  Way";  the  hammering  of  a  set  being  converted  from  the 
living  room  of  "Coquette"  to  the  bedroom  of  "Goodbye  Again";  the 
tramping  and  mumbling  of  those  learning  parts  of  so  many  "sides"; 
the  swish  of  a  little-boy's  broom  sweeping  discarded  programs  down 
the  aisle;  and  the  hum  of  applause  after  the  first  curtain — all  have  left 
an  indelible  stamp  on  me. 

M.  Cunningham. 

Autumn 

Low  flies  the  loon 

Low  lie  the  lands  beneath  her  wings. 

Low  lie  the  huddled  reeds. 

A  melancholy  finger  of  the  sun 

Thrusts  itself  into  the  marsh  and  weeds. 

The  loon  flies  low 

And  shatters  the  silence  with  her  cry. 

Gertrude  Carley. 
11 


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Course  .001— Women  in  the  World  Today 

THE  following  course  was  prepared  because  the  author  feels  that 
such  an  one  is  absolutely  necessary  for  the  development  of  an  ade- 
quate cultural  background.  The  scope  of  the  course  is  somewhat 
limited  due  to  the  peculiar  fact  that  the  more  one  learns  about  the 
subject,  the  amount  remains  the  same — nothing.  Consequently,  those 
who  have  delved  most  deeply  into  the  matter  have  found  it  more  profit- 
able to  forget  than  to  learn.  One  can  readily  understand,  therefore,  that 
the  purpose  of  the  course  is  primarily  to  encourage  interest  in  this  truly 
vital  and  dynamic  sphere. 

J.  B.  L. 

Introductory  note:  In  general  there  are,  in  the  genus  Homo,  four 
types  of  female:  the  girl  friend,  the  lady,  the  female  relative,  and  the 
pest.  Specimens  of  each  of  these  types  occur  abundantly  in  a  relatively 
free  state  and  fairly  infest  the  atmosphere.  In  fact,  they  almost  get  in 
one's  hair. 

LESSON  I 

The  Girl  Friend 

Girl  friends  are  girls.  They  are  quite  useful  for  dancing.  They  also 
are  of  great  service  in  keeping  wealth  circulating.  In  the  latter  capacity 
they  are  known  as  "dates."  One  usually  keeps  dates  on  a  "string"  or 
else  one  soon  finds  oneself  strung.  The  string  is  usually  found  in  a  little 
book  as  follows:  Flo — Nevermore  2946;  Maizie — Downtown  9032W; 
etc. 

Through  statistical  research  and  extensive  laboratory  experimenta- 
tion, your  instructor  has  established  to  his  personal  satisfaction  the 
superiority  of  blondes — they  are  so  much  fairer.  However,  brunettes 
are  all  right  when  dark.  Keds  are  left. 

Recapitulation: 

Girl  friends  have  their  uses. 

Assignment: 

But  be  careful. 

A  Wee  Bit  of  Scotch 

"Has  anybody  seen  a  little  Scottie  dog?"  This  is  the  opening 
phrase  of  the  theme  song  of  a  popular  radio  dog  feature,  and  indicates 
the  extent  to  which  we  are  Scottie-conscious. 

Information  concerning  the  formation  of  this  breed  is  unreliable. 

12 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


In  Scotland  the  Scottish  terrier  has  been  bred  for  many  years,  but  did 
not  receive  any  degree  of  recognition  until  late  in  the  nineteenth  century, 
when  classes  for  such  animals  were  provided  at  English  bench  shows. 
Since  this  recognition,  the  Scottish  terrier  has  flourished  at  home  as 
well  as  in  other  lands.  The  popularity  of  the  breed  is  based  partly  on 
its  use  in  the  British  Isles  for  quail  hunting.  Aside  from  that  utility, 
Scotties  are  valued  both  as  companions  and  guards. 

These  dogs  are  known  for  their  very  strong  likes  and  dislikes,  and 
for  their  snobbishness.  All  Scotties,  probably  due  to  their  dark,  se- 
rious eyes  and  their  whiskers,  look  like  wise  old  men.  One  of  the  most 
famous  of  them  is  "Heather  Reveller  of  Sporran"  owned  by  the  still 
more  famous  Mr.  S.  S.  Van  Dine,  whose  detective  stories  you  have  no 
doubt  read.  This  famous  terrier  was  actually  born  in  Scotland;  after 
making  quite  a  name  for  himself  there,  Lauder,  his  "intimate  and  un- 
official name,"  was  brought  to  America  where  he  continued  to  steal  the 
honors  in  dog  shows  throughout  the  United  States. 

Artists  have  found  the  Scottie  a  charming  model.  Perhaps,  the 
most  famous  example  of  this  is  seen  in  the  etchings  of  Mr.  Morgan 
Dennis  who  seems  able  to  catch  the  Scottie's  every  mood.  "It  used  to  be 
that  Scotties  appeared  only  on  Christmas  cards.  Now  even  Birthday 
cards  and  Valentines  are  not  immune.  It  must  be  that  all  the  holidays 
are  going  to  the  dogs . " 

Dorothy  R.  Knoop. 


€x:&>JS9u«:3^ 


The  Night  of  Nights 

Class  spirit  rises  like  the  tide. 
And  sweeps  away  all  things; 
Gone  is  all  the  petty  pride. 
Trivial  feuds  are  put  aside 
Class  songs  rise  on  soaring  wings. 

Will  the  Seniors  win  this  year? 
Have  the  Frosh  a  chance? 
Many  viewpoints  you  will  hear 
As  March  twelfth  is  drawing  near, 
And  it's  not  the  Tower  Light  Dance! 


F.  Waltemyer. 
13 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Winter  Renewal 

We  have  come  into  the  winter  woods 

To  seek  a  quiet  hour  of  peace. 
Let  us  walk  beside  the  frozen  brook 

And  rest  upon  some  rocky  seat. 

Stars  diamond  bright 
Glint  over  head. 
Hard  points  of  light 
Whence  warmth  has  fled. 

Hung  from  the  cliff 
In  serried  lines, 
Spears,  sharp  and  stiff, 
Show  icy  tines. 

Spread  crisp  and  white 
The  mantle-snow 
Transforms  the  night 
With  ghostly  glow. 

Black  branches  creak 
And  weirdly  twist 
'Gainst  snowdrifts,  bleak 
And  pools,  frost-kissed. 

Cold  purity  upon  the  earth  was  placed 
To  clean  the  hearts  of  disillusioned  men. 
When,  wearied,  they  should  falter  in  their  faith 
In  present  mankind  and  the  past's  bequest; 
For  well  the  starkly-stern  but  righteous  peace 
Of  winter's  nature  satisfies  the  soul. 

On  the  tree-etched  hillsides  we  have  found 

A  reborn  vigor  and  a  firmer  hope. 
Let  us,  strengthened  by  this  peaceful  hour, 

Return  and  once  more  seek  the  goal. 

Haven  Kolb. 

Democracy 

Take  advantage  of  your  opportunity  to  choose  those  who  will  rep- 
resent you  in  1936-37  by  participating  in  all  elections. 

14 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Forests  and  the  Citizen 

(Continued  from  February) 

m 

BUT  why  is  the  forest  problem  now  a  problem  for  the  citizen  rather 
than  for  the  individual,  as  has  always  been  the  case  heretofore  in 
this  country;  that  is,  why  has  the  forest  problem  become  a  gov- 
ernmental problem  rather  than  a  matter  of  private  concern  only?  We 
may  grant  the  pauperized  condition  of  the  present-day  American  woods 
and  the  great  importance  of  the  forest  to  human  life  in  a  civilized  world 
— ^we  may  grant  these  without  being  quite  able  to  comprehend  the  con- 
flict between  private  ownership  of  woodlands  and  their  proper  utilization 
without  destruction.  Such  a  conflict  does  exist,  nevertheless,  and  it  is 
rapidly  approaching  the  point  at  which  the  people  of  the  nation  must 
choose  either  a  hideous  countryside,  millions  or  desolate  soilless  acres 
and  barren  mountainsides  such  as  can  be  found  today  in  China,  frequent 
floods  and,  correspondingly,  frequently  dry  river-beds,  and  dependence 
on  imported  lumber  paper-pulp,  and  other  forest  products;  or  else  the 
nation  must  accept  public  ownership  of  timberlands. 

Private  ownership  just  has  not  worked.  In  times  of  high-priced  lum- 
ber the  forest  has  been  swept  as  clean  as  a  Dutch-colonial  parlor  so  that 
a  crow  would  have  to  carry  his  own  provisions  in  order  to  cross  the 
desert  left  behind  by  the  lumberman.  Very  low  prices,  forcing  liqui- 
dation of  holdings,  cause  a  similar  wringing  of  the  last  fibre  of  wood 
from  the  unfortunate  stands.  By  such  complete  cutting,  all  possibility 
of  a  natural  reseeding  is  lost  entirely.  During  times  of  middling  prices 
the  woods  fare  somewhat  better  under  private  ownership,  but  even 
at  such  periods,  chance  and  accident  are  the  only  factors  which  favor 
forest  regeneration  in  nine  private  tracts  out  of  ten.  In  the  most  com- 
prehensive, conservative,  scientific  report  ever  made  on  conditions  in 
American  forests,  it  is  stated,  "Of  the  83  million  acres  of  devastated  or 
poorly  stocked  forest  land  .  .  .  nine-tenths  is  privately  owned  ...  Of  the 
850,000  acres  devastated  every  year  about  95  percent  are  in  private  own- 
ership. ...  As  measured  by  expenditures  only  about  ten  percent  of  the 
constructive  effort  in  American  forestry  is  being  made. by  it  [private 
enterprise  ].  Nearly  half  of  this  effort  is  so  remote  as  to  have  little  or  no 
influence  on  the  forest  itself."* 

Of  course  the  lumberman  (and  what  is  said  of  him  applies  to  all  ex- 
ploiters of  the  forests  whether  their  interests  be  pulpwood,  turpentine, 
or  what-have-you) — have  had  a  number  of  exceedingly  heavy  burdens 

*  Quoted  in  Marshall  from  A  National  Plan  for  American  Forestry,  a  report  of  the  United 
States  Forest  Service  published  as  Senate  Document  No.  12, 73rd  Congress,  1st  Session. 

15 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


to  bear,  but  they  have  also  had  their  bright  days — often  very  brilliant 
days  indeed.  During  these  latter  periods  only  an  infinitesimal  part  of 
the  profits  was  sporadically  reinvested  in  the  timberlands  by  the  own- 
ers. The  mining-psychology  has  a  firm  grip  upon  the  minds  of  most 
large  timber  owners.  After  nearly  sixty  years  of  constant  battling 
against  it,  foresters  can  see  little  improvement  in  this  mind-set.  Says 
Robert  Marshall  after  a  long  discussion  of  the  sins  and  woes  of  timber 
owners,  "The  only  way  that  private  forestry  could  be  a  success  would 
be  for  the  government  to  pay  practically  all  the  expense  of  starting,  de- 
veloping, and  protecting  the  forests,  leaving  to  the  owners  only  the 
harvesting  of  the  profit.  Such  a  scheme  is  obviously  preposterous. . .  ."f 

Public  regulation  is  a  sort  of  half-way  proposal  which  once  had  a 
great  deal  of  strength,  and  a  number  of  distinguished  supporters.  The 
chief  argument  against  it  is  the  same  as  that  against  private  ownership. 
It  simply  has  not  worked  in  practice  and  shows  no  indication,  in  a  rap- 
idly changing  situation,  of  ever  working.  Much  discussion  has  been 
given  to  various  regulatory  measures  in  Congress,  but  invariably  the 
most  hopeful-appearing  ones  have  been  rejected.  There  has  existed  con- 
siderable doubt  as  to  the  constitutionality  of  much  of  this  attempted 
regulatory  legislation.  Today  constitutionality  is  not  such  a  grave  ob- 
jection as  it  once  was.  Yet  even  were  adequate  regulatory  measures 
adopted,  it  would  be  extremely  difficult  to  enforce  them,  for  forestry  is 
more  than  rules :  it  is  an  art.  '  'A  lumber  company  could  quite  conceiv- 
ably obey  every  regulation  imposed  by  the  government  to  the  letter  of 
the  law  and  yet  for  the  lack  of  the  proper  spirit  leave  its  lands  in  a  de- 
plorable condition.  "|  Moreover,  since  the  lumber  industry  is  at  present 
virtually  insolvent,  '  'in  most  cases  the  teeth  of  federal  regulation  (fines) 
would  have  nothing  to  chew  on  today  except  a  soupy  mass  of  bank- 
rupt timber  owners. "§  State  regulation,  while  escaping  the  constitu- 
tionality attack  is,  not  unnaturally,  a  rather  emasculated  affair,  for  states 
which  are  rich  enough  in  privately-owned  timber  to  do  much  regulation 
are  also  quite  rich  in  rich  private  owners  who  very  neatly  regulate  regula- 
tion. Toend  the  discussion  of  public  regulation  it  might  bewell  to  recall 
the  sad  resultsof  attempts  at  regulation  of  public  utilities.  The  outcomes 
of  regulation  in  that  sphere  hardly  encourage  further  regulatory  experi- 
ments of  any  kind,  least  of  all  in  the  highly  complicated  field  of  forestry. 

Public  ownership,  on  the  other  hand,  is  entirely  out  of  the  experi- 
mental stage.  It  has  been  working  on  rather  limited  acreages  during 
more  than  thirty  years  and  has  shown  that  publicly-owned  forests,  con- 
scientiously administered,  will  pay  even  in  the  face  of  hundreds  of  arti- 
ficial obstacles  placed  in  its  way  during  a  period  of  the  predominance  of 


t  Marshall,  p.  106. 
X  Marshall,  p.  118. 
§  Marshall,  p.  II9. 


16 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


private  enterprise.  It  is,  ind  ed,  true  that  a  very  small  per  acre  value  is 
obtained,  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  Forest  Service  is  often 
forced  to  spend  large  portions  of  its  income  for  things  having  nothing 
at  all  to  do  with  conservation,  much  less  with  forests.  Again,  the 
Forest  Service  owns  and  operates  at  much  expense  a  great  Forest  Prod- 
ucts Laboratory,  the  results  of  the  researches  of  which  are  obtainable 
gratis  by  private  owners.  ^  Obstructionists  delight  to  point  to  the  waste 
and  corruption  of  public  administration  in  post-Civil  War  days  when  a 
policy-less  government  wantonly  poured  out  the  resources  of  the  nation 
to  favored  private  corporations.  It  is  quite  true  that  in  some  of  the 
more  highly  politicized  branches  of  government,  this  constant  breach 
of  public  trust  seems  to  continue,  notably  in  the  Department  of  the  In- 
terior. But  no  unprejudiced  person  can  find  this  kind  of  fault  with  the 
operation  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  and  particularly  with  the 
integrity  of  the  Forest  Service. 

The  growing  of  forests  is  a  long-term  enterprise.  Under  our  present 
system  of  continual  competition  for  private  profits,  little  heed  is  given 
to  schemes  which  promise  good  returns  only  after  some  thirty  to  sixty 
years.  Quite  understandably,  the  man  with  capital  usually  wishes  to 
risk  his  money  on  something  which  promises  profit  at  least  during  his 
lifetime,  preferably  as  soon  as  possible.  Therefore  private  capital  is  very 
seldom  invested  in  the  business  of  growing  forests  or  even  in  the  bus- 
iness of  maintaining  them.  The  development  of  timberlands  on  a  sus- 
tained-yield basis  requires  a  more  far-sighted  policy  and  greater  re- 
sources than  individual  corporations,  driven  by  the  profit  motive,  can 
supply.  Public  ownership,  under  which  the  present  and  future  public 
good  is  the  basis  for  planning  and  operating,  can  bring  to  bear  upon  the 
forest  problem  greater  resources  in  money  and  experience,  and  a  greater 
range  of  foresight  than  private  owners  could  ever  hope  to  muster. 

Furthermore,  woodlands  are  a  major  factor  in  land-use.  It  follows 
that  any  attempt  at  land-planning  would  be  abortive  without  consider- 
ing forests  and  forest  land-types.  Of  great  importance  in  this  connec- 
tion is  the  absolute  necessity  for  sustained-yield  management  in  respect 
to  any  plan  for  rural  stabilization,  one  of  the  foremost  problems  in 
proper  use  of  land.  But  it  has  been  shown  that  private  enterprise  can- 
not be  looked  to  for  such  sustained-yield  management.  Another  con- 
sideration of  vital  importance  to  land  planning  (or  to  any  planning,  for 
that  matter)  is  co-ordination.  Here,  public  ownership  again  demon- 
strates a  great  superiority  over  individual  ownership.  Co-ordination, 
obtainable  in  an  effective  degree  only  under  public  ownership,  is  of  in- 
estimable value  to  forest  protection,  to  forest  recreational  interests, 
and  to  economy  of  management,  as  well  as  to  the  whole  of  any  land-use 


1[  Pack,  pp.  89-90. 

17 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


program.  If  there  are  any  who  doubt  the  imperative  need  for  land- 
planning  itself,  they  may  quickly  be  convinced  by  any  of  a  number  of 
recent  studies  upon  the  land  problem,  especially  those  dealing  with 
soil  erosion  and  wasteland.  Still  better  proof :  "Look  around  you!" 

The  final  argument  for  public  ownership  is  a  simple  one.  Public 
ownership  is  inevitable,  barring  a  complete  collapse  or  our  civilization 
and  economy.  During  the  last  twenty  years  thousands  of  acres  of  lum- 
ber land  have  reverted  to  the  state  governments  for  non-payment  of 
taxes.  It  is,  indeed,  upon  the  lands  thus  acquired  that  many  states  have 
based  their  forestry  work.  The  steady  depression  of  forest  values — by 
no  means  a  situation  entirely  conditioned  by  the  general  economic 
crisis — ^will  continue  to  force  more  and  more  wooded  land  back  into 
public  ownership.  The  unfortunate  side  of  this  affair  is  that  the  land  is 
being  returned  to  the  public  in  the  worst  condition  imaginable,  for 
only  after  all  possible  profit  has  been  squeezed  out  by  the  owner  is  the 
land  allowed  to  revert  to  the  state.  Under  this  system  private  owner- 
ship is  heading  the  nation  straight  toward  forest  bankruptcy.  The 
sooner  the  public  steps  in  to  protect  its  heritage  on  its  own  account,  the 
easier  will  be  the  task  of  regenerating  that  heritage. 

The  purpose  of  this  paper  has  been  to  show  you,  the  citizen,  the 
choice  which  faces  you  and  the  nation — forest  bankruptcy  or  public 
ownership.  China  exhibits  all  the  results  which  follow  the  wrong 
choice.  The  thinking  citizen  will  go  further  than  this  elementary  de- 
cision, which  seems  so  obvious,  and  inquire  into  the  ways  in  which 
public  ownership  may  be  brought  about.  This  question  of  means  is 
really  the  only  question.  It  is  beyond  our  scope  to  discuss  this  question 
here,  but  it  is  up  to  you  to  learn  the  possible  means,  weigh  each 
against  the  others,  and  choose.  For  unless  this  be  done,  the  forests  of 
this  land  are  doomed  and  with  them,  the  happiness  and  the  welfare  of 
your  posterity. 


SOME  REFERENCES 

Anonymous — Forestry  Almanac — Washington :  American  Tree  Association:  1926. 

Cameron,  Jenks — The  Development  of  Governmental  Forest  Control  in  the  United  States— ^ilti- 
more:  Johns  Hopkins  University  Press:  1928. 

Marshall,  Robert — The  People's  Forests — New  York:  Smith  &  Haas:  1933- 

Pack,  Arthur  N. — Forestry,  An  Economic  Challenge — New  York :  Macmillan :  1933. 

Pack,  Arthur  N.  and  Gill,  Tom — Forests  and  Mankind — New  York :  Macmillan :  1929. 

Read,  Arthur  S. — The  Profession  of  Forestry — New  York :  Macmillan :  1934. 

Haven  Kolb. 

18 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Inspiration 

It  is  a  white  cloud,  swift-moving, 
Scudding  ahead  the  wind : 
Silver-edged  with  sunlight 
It  spreads  two  silent  wings 
And  speeds  to  the  blue  horizon. 

It  is  the  scent  of  the  hyacinth, 

Placid  purple  perfume 

That  fades  when  the  flower  is  gone. 

It  is  the  sound  of  wind  through  pines, 
A  sigh,  a  song, 

An  ethereal  mystery  that  returns  to  heaven 
When  the  wind  is  gone. 

It  lies  in  the  heart  of  the  singer 

Who  sings  of  silver  clouds  and  hyacinths, 

Of  dark  deep  pines  a-whispering; 

But  it  stays  not  long  with  him. 

Margaret  Cooley. 

Sir  Herbert  Ames 

FOR  two  days,  February  17  and  18,  Sir  Herbert  Ames,  Financial  Di- 
rector of  the  League  of  Nations  Secretariat  from  1919  to  1926,  lec- 
tured at  the  College  on  current  international  problems.  In  Jan- 
uary of  this  year  Sir  Herbert  had  already  spoken  to  the  assembly  on 
"Present  Day  Austria."  That  talk  (See  Tower  Light,  Feb.  1936,  pp.  27- 
28)  served  as  a  preface  to  this  later  course,  which  was  concerned  mainly 
with  two  problems,  in  both  of  which  Austria  is  inextricably  involved: 
the  Italo-League  duel,  and  the  question  of  minorities  in  Central  and 
Eastern  Europe. 

During  the  informal  institute  regular  classes  were  discontinued  for 
the  most  part.  The  four  lectures  and  one  period  of  questions  and  an- 
swers which  constituted  the  series  were  scheduled  thus :  (1)  '  'The  Mi- 
norities," Monday  morning;  (2)  "The  Danube  Basin,"  Monday  eve- 
ning; (3)  "The  Italo-Ethiopian  Dispute, "  Tuesday  morning;  (4)  "Brit- 
ish Policy  at  Geneva,"  Tuesday  afternoon;  and  questions  later  the  same 
afternoon.    Practically  the  entire  college,  students  and  staff,  attended 

19 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


all  lectures.  From  them  they  gained,  if  nothing  else,  at  least  the  notion 
that  the  possibility  of  peace  throughout  the  world  still  exists. 

The  Minorities.  Up  the  Danube  has  come  through  the  millenia, 
wave  after  wave  of  migrating  tribes.  Some  of  these  have  prospered. 
Others  have  been  pushed  into  small  isolated  colonies  continually  strug- 
gling to  retain  their  identity.  Restless  moving,  constant  warring,  and 
fluid  frontiers  during  past  centuries  have  produced  a  nationality  map 
in  Central  and  Eastern  Europe  which  can  never  hope  to  be  adapted 
to  modern  political  bounding.  Therefore  even  after  the  adjustments 
following  the  World  War  there  still  exist  large  racial  minorities  in 
many  countries.  To  safeguard  such  minorities  all  the  succession  states 
are  bound  by  treaty  to  submit  disputes  involving  them  to  international 
consideration.  Such  submission  is  not  mandatory,  however,  in  the 
cases  of  other  states,  with  a  few  exceptions.  Thus  the  League  of  Na- 
tions is  powerless  to  act  in  such  countries  as  Russia,  Germany,  or  Italy. 
Of  the  hundreds  of  disputes  which  come  to  the  League  yearly  only 
about  one  in  ten  goes  as  far  as  the  Council  before  a  solution  is  found. 

The  Danube  Basin.  After  the  World  War  the  old  Empire  of  Austria- 
Hungary,  which  at  least  had  had  the  advantage  of  economic  unity,  was 
broken  up  in  order  to  create  states  along  national  lines.  Austria,  which 
had  been  the  center  of  government  for  twenty-eight  million  people, 
was  reduced  to  a  small,  nominally  democratic  republic  with  only 
six  and  a  half  million  starving  inhabitants.  "Can  Austria  live?"  is 
a  question  which  involves  much  future  history.  Hungary  after  the 
war  was  likewise  stripped  of  much  of  her  territory  and  population.  For 
some  years  now  the  remnant  has  been  ruled  in  a  semi-fascist  manner  by 
Admiral  Horthy.  The  Magyars  still  hope  for  the  return  of  the  former 
great  Hungarian  dominion.  Transylvania  in  the  post  war  treaties  was 
assigned  to  Romania.  This  land,  formerly  ruled  by  German  and  Magyar 
minorities,  is  now  becoming  thoroughly  Romanian.  The  Magyar  mi- 
nority feels  deeply  wronged  and  the  younger  people  tend  to  look  to 
Hungary  for  their  future,  but  the  lot  of  the  Germans  is  little  changed 
and  they  do  not  complain. 

This  division  in  the  Danubian  Basin  has  created  numerous  eco- 
nomic difiiculties  as  well  as  much  political  friction.  The  latter  is  re- 
duced by  the  Little  Entente  which  seeks  to  guarantee  the  status  quo.  A 
Danubian  Pact  might  resolve  the  economic  differences,  but  such  co- 
operation has  never  been  seriously  attempted. 

The  halo-Ethiopian  Dispute.  The  whole  history  of  this  conflict  in  its 
legal  aspect  was  reviewed  by  the  lecturer.  Probably  this  was  the  topic 
most  familiar  to  the  audience;  certainly  it  was  the  topic  which  elicited 
the  largest  number  of  questions  afterward.  Two  neglected  points  were 
brought  forward:  first,  that  Ethiopia  was  strongly  championed  by 
Italy  when  the  former's  application  for  admission  to  the  League  of  Na- 

20 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


tions  was  being  challenged  by  the  doubts  of  England  concerning 
Ethiopia's  plane  of  civilization;  second,  that  this  dispute  is  a  test  of  the 
system  of  collective  security.  Mussolini  has  declared  that  the  situation 
admits  of  no  compromise.  It  will  be  to  the  advantage  of  all  concerned 
that  there  be  a  clear-cut  decision. 

British  Policy  at  Geneva.  The  history  of  Britain's  attitude  toward  the 
League  has  been  the  history  of  Britain's  political  parties  at  home.  Up 
to  1934  this  had  been  generally  pro-League  on  the  part  of  Labour  and 
anti-League  on  the  part  of  the  Tories.  Today,  however,  a  Conservative 
ministry  is  supporting  collective  security  in  the  conflict  at  Geneva. 
How  genuine  a  feeling  for  the  League  is  deep  in  the  hearts  of  the  leaders, 
there  is  no  means  of  discovering,  but  it  has  been  demonstrated  to  them 
that  British  public  opinion  is  solidly  behind  the  ideal  of  collective  se- 
curity, and  that  for  some  time  to  come  no  government  can  hope  to  en- 
dure in  London  which  does  not  support  Geneva. 

And  so  Sir  Herbert  Ames,  having  answered  the  questions  of  his  au- 
dience, ended  the  course.  It  was  quite  obvious  that  he  is  an  ardent  be- 
liever in  the  possibility  of  a  world  governed  by  law  rather  than  by 
force.  In  his  lectures  he  gave  the  audience  a  true  picture,  but  a  hopeful 
interpretation. 

An  intimate  knowledge  of  international  machinery  gained  through 
seven  years'  work  with  the  League  of  Nations,  impressions  obtained 
through  recent  conversations  with  governmental  leaders  in  all  parts  of 
Europe,  and  a  factual  groundwork  established  by  access  to  all  the  im- 
portant published  records  of  the  day,  combined  with  the  quiet  and  un- 
assuming but  convincing  manner  of  the  man  himself,  produced  both  a 
course  of  great  informational  and  educational  value,  and  a  memorable 
experience. 

Stupendous  Show! 

Rip-roaring  Comedy! 

SOUL-THRILLING  MUSIC! 

"What's  all  this?  Where?  When?  I  want  to  go,  too.  Tell  us  the  se- 
cret!" "It's  no  secret — everybody's  going.  We're  going  to  the  Eighth 
Annual  Men's  Revue,  on  Friday  Night  and  Saturday  Night,  March  20 
and  March  21,  at  8  o'clock.  We'll  laugh  at  Old  King  Cole,  thrill  at  the 
darky  chants,  and  dance  to  our  hearts'  content  from  9:30  to  12:00  p.m. 
Boy,  oh.  Boy,  the  price  is  only  40  cents." 

"Say,  where  can  I  get  a  ticket — gimme  one,  quick!" 

CM. 

21 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


THE  TOWER  LIGHT 

Published  monthly  by  the  students  of  the  State 
Teachers  College  at  Towson 

Editors 
William  F.  Podlich,  Jr. 
C.  Haven  Kolb,  Jr. 

Business  Manager 
I.  H.  Miller 

Circulation  Managers  Advertising  Managers 

Irene  Shank  Elise  Meiners 

Frances  Waltemyer  Ehrma  Le  Sage 

Frances  Oehm  Doris  Pramschufer 

Harold  Goldstein 

DEPARTMENT  EDITORS 

Assembly  Athletics  General  Literature 

Max  Berzofsky         Edith  Jones  Margaret  Cooley 

Sarah  Strumsky        Morris  Miller         Mary  McClean 

Library  Music  Humor 

Wesley  Johnson       Sarena  Fried  Sidney  Tepper 

Hilda  Walker 

Social  Art  Secretarial  Staff 

Larue  Kemp  Charles  Meigs  Anna  Stidman 

Mildred  Melamet  Eulalie  Smith 

Belle  Vodenos 

$1.50  per  year  20  cents  per  copy 

Alice  Munn,  Managing  Editor 


Vacation  Time 

Although  the  snow  has  only  recently  left  the  ground,  now  is  the 
time  to  start  planning  for  the  summer.  Shall  you  travel,  work,  study, 
or  "just  rest"?  The  answer  to  that  question  depends  greatly  upon  the 
promptness  and  the  determination  with  which  you  make  your  decision. 
Any  of  the  hobbies  described  in  this  issue  of  the  Tower  Light  may  be 
expanded  to  occupy  any  period  of  leisure. 

22 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Fettered  Education? 

TEACHERS  should  have  the  privilege  of  presenting  all  points  of 
view,  including  their  own,  on  controversial  issues  without  danger 
of  reprisal  by  the  school  administration  or  by  pressure  groups  in 
the  community.  Teachers  should  also  be  guaranteed  the  constitutional 
rights  of  freedom  of  speech,  press,  and  assembly,  and  the  right  to  sup- 
port actively  organized  movements  which  they  consider  to  be  in  their 
own  and  the  public  interest.  The  teacher's  conduct  outside  the  school 
should  be  subject  only  to  such  controls  as  those  to  which  other  re- 
sponsible citizens  are  subjected.  The  sudden  singling  out  of  teachers  to 
take  an  oath  of  allegiance  is  a  means  of  intimidation  which  can  be  used 
to  destroy  the  right  of  academic  freedom."*  Thus  definitely  does  the 
National  Education  Association  in  its  1936  platform  state  its  policy 
concerning  academic  freedom.  The  United  States  Commissioner  of  Edu- 
cation, educational  research  workers,  college  presidents,  superintend- 
ents of  public  instruction,  principals,  and  classroom  teachers  have  all 
expressed  themselves  just  as  boMly  on  the  same  issue,  although  many 
of  them  have  not  voiced  the  same  sentiments. 

Even  non-academic  people,  from  bankers  and  successful  business 
executives  to  newspaper  columnists  and  housewives,  have  made  the 
topic  one  which  recurs  often  in  their  conversation.  Indeed,  the  Pres- 
ident of  the  United  States  himself,  in  a  recent  address  at  Temple  Uni- 
versity, said:  "A  true  education  depends  upon  freedom  in  the  pursuit  of 
truth.  No  group  and  no  government  can  probably  prescribe  precisely 
what  should  constitute  the  body  of  knowledge  with  which  true  educa- 
tion is  concerned.  The  truth  is  found  when  men  are  free  to  pursue  it. 
Genuine  education  is  present  only  when  the  springs  from  which  knowl- 
edge comes  are  true.  It  is  this  belief  in  the  freedom  of  the  mind  written 
into  our  fundamental  law  and  observed  in  our  everyday  dealings  with 
the  problems  of  life,  that  distinguishes  us  as  a  nation."  It  is  well  that 
appreciation  of  the  significance  of  this  problem  has  become  so  wide- 
spread, for  its  solution  requires  the  very  best  thinking  which  our  nation 
can  produce. 

Who  shall  decide  what  the  "truth"  is?  Does  a  professor  have  the 
right  to  teach  anything  he  honestly  thinks  is  true  and  good?  Should  the 
schools  pioneer  or  conserve?  Should  education  serve  the  mores?  If  pub- 
lic education  is  not  free,  where  may  men  seek  truth,  which  is  as  neces- 
sary to  life  as  bread?  Can  patriotism  be  legislated?  How  may  changes 
be  wrought  in  the  human  personality  pattern?  These  are  but  a  few  of  the 
most  pressing  aspects  of  any  consideration  of  academic  freedom.  These 
are  but  a  few  of  the  questions  which  the  legislators  of  Maryland,  soon 

*  Journal  of  the  National  Education  Association,  January  1936,  p.  29. 

23 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


to  convene  at  Annapolis,  will  be  called  upon  to  answer  to  their  own 
satisfaction.  The  decisions  which  are  about  to  be  made  will  vitally 
affect  the  graduates  of  Teachers  College.  Therefore  the  students  at  this 
institution  should  follow  the  examples  of  those  academic  and  lay  leaders 
in  American  life: 

Think  the  problem  through. 

Formulate  intelligent  opinions. 

Prepare  to  offer  constructive  contributions  toward  the  resolution 
of  the  problem. 

We  Thank  You 

The  statement  of  the  Business  Manager  indicates  that  the  Tower 
Light  Dance  was  financially  successful.  The  reports  submitted  by  va- 
rious spies  indicate  that  the  Dance  was  socially  successful,  which  is 
even  more  important.  And  the  good  time,  the  delicious  candy,  the 
beautiful  prizes,  the  appropriate  decorations,  the  stimulating  music, 
and  the  profitable  evening  were  all  due  to  you.  Tower  Light  Readers 
and  Supporters,  who  unstintingly  gave  of  your  energy,  time,  and  re- 
sources to  make  of  that  event  the  enjoyable  affair  it  was! 

Obituaries 

The  Tower  Light  deeply  regrets  the  passing  of  Isabel  Haslup 
Lamb,  M.D.  Doctor  Lamb  graduated  from  Maryland  State  Normal 
School,  then  entered  Howard  University  in  Washington,  D.C.,  where 
she  took  her  degree  in  1897.  After  years  of  selfless  service  to  the  people 
of  Washington,  this  venerated  member  of  the  medical  profession  "died 
with  her  boots  on"  at  the  age  of  seventy-one.  She  is  survived  by  a  sis- 
ter. Miss  Alice  Elma  Haslup,  also  a  graduate  of  State  Normal. 


Early  in  the  morning  of  February  twenty-second  the  Class  of 
Thirty-five  lost  one  of  its  highly  valued  members,  Harry  Jaffe.  Harry 
had  won  a  place  in  the  hearts  of  faculty  and  students  at  State  Teachers 
College,  and  his  passing  will  be  regretted  by  all  who  knew  him.  The 
Tower  Light  joins  his  classmates  in  expressing  sorrow  at  his  untimely 
death. 

24 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  College  Record 

Orchestra 

At  the  tea  given  bj  Dr.  Tall,  the  Orchestra  was  represented  by 
A\  Harold  Goldstein  playing  a  clarinet  solo,  "Berceuse"  from 
•*•  ^  Jocelyn  by  Godard,  and  by  a  violin  quartet,  playing  "Cradle 
Song"  by  Reinecke  and  "Nocturne"  by  Mueller.  The  members  of  the 
quartet  were  Dorothy  Wohrna,  Helene  Davis,  Frances  Waltemyer,  and 
Blanche  Klasmer.  Charles  Haslup,  also  a  representative  of  the  Orches- 
tra, played  two  piano  solos. 

The  Orchestra  is  now  devoting  its  energies  to  rehearsing  music  for 
coming  school  programs.        

Assemblies 

January  p 

This  assembly  was  accompanied  with  an  unusual  amount  of 
laughter.  Our  speaker  was  the  well-known  Baltimore  lawyer,  Theo- 
dore R.  McKeldin. 

Mr.  McKeldin's  topic  was  "The  Five  Nations" — five  milestones  to 
success : 

1.  Combination — the  art  of  being  likable. 

2.  Determination— "I  am  the  master  of  my  fate  and  the  captain  of 
my  soul." 

3.  Resignation — "What  can't  be  cured  must  be  endured." 

4.  Imagination — ^without  which  we  would  have  no  Newtons, 
Watts,  and  Beeth ovens. 

5.  Coronation — the  destination  reached  by  achieving  the  preceding 
four  nations. 

Decidedly  humorous,  witty,  and  seeming  to  possess  an  inexhaust- 
ible supply  of  quotations,  Mr.  McKeldin  brought  down  the  house  with 
a  shower  of  applause. 

February  lo 

As  a  member  of  the  British  Royal  Navy  for  eighteen  and  a  half 
years,  there  was  much  that  Captain  John  Carnahan  could  tell  us  about 
Australasia.  The  greater  part  of  his  talk  was  confined  to  Australia,  and 
it  seems  that  this  island  continent  is  strange  in  more  ways  than  one. 
The  animal  life  of  the  island  consists  of  many  more  unusual  beasts  than 
just  the  kangaroo.  There  are  the  teddy  bear  (koala)  which  is  quite  fre- 
quently used  as  a  living  muff,  and  the  cockatoo,  which  next  to  the  rab- 
bit, is  the  greatest  pest  in  Australia.  The  laughing  jackass,  that 
strange-looking  bird  featured  on  some  of  Australia's  postage  stamps, 

25 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


has  the  uncanny  power  of  dropping  down  upon  a  snake  and  squarely- 
planting  his  beak  in  its  head. 

The  aborigines  are  a  lazy,  shiftless  group  rapidly  becoming  extinct. 
Quite  a  number  of  them  are  cannibals.  In  contrast,  the  Maoris,  natives 
of  New  Zealand,  are  very  intelligent. 

February  ii 

Sophomore  III  presented  some  salient  facts  concerning  the  Olympic 
Games. 

The  ancient  Greeks  instituted  these  games,  which  were  for  them  a 
part  of  a  religious  ceremony.  With  the  coming  of  medieval  Christen- 
dom, narrow  and  dogmatic,  these  demonstrations  died.  Not  until  1896 
was  the  idea  revived. 

A  few  of  the  general  rules  now  observed  in  the  Olympics  are:  the 
participants  must  not  be  professional  athletes,  and  are  not  to  receive 
money  for  loss  of  salary.  There  is  no  age  limit. 

The  difficulties  of  Germany's  anti-Semitic  policies  are  hardly  as  se- 
rious as  some  would  have  us  believe.  The  German  Government  has 
nothing  to  do  with  the  administrative  policy  of  the  games;  further- 
more, the  Reich  realizes  that  courtesy  must  always  be  rendered  her 
guests. 

February  12 

The  philosophy  of  Henry  George  was  discussed  in  a  lecture  on 
"Fundamentals  of  the  Science  of  Political  Economy"  by  Mr.  Benjamin 
Berger. 

"Wealth  is  the  application  of  labor  to  land."  Everything  which 
has  been  produced  was  obtained  from  the  earth  and  returns  to  it.  The 
land  could  not  be  considered  wealth,  for  not  until  it  has  been  processed 
and  transformed  into  usable  objects  or  materials  can  we  have  wealth. 
Yet  the  land  is  distributed  among  less  than  ten  per  cent  of  the  popula- 
tion, who  receive  fourteen  billion  dollars  annually  (one-sixth  or  the 
total  wealth  produced  in  the  United  States)  for  owning  it.  The  in- 
crease in  the  value  of  the  land  is  never  traceable  to  efforts  of  the  owner 
— some  external  force,  such  as  increase  in  population,  determines  it. 
Under  these  circumstances  the  Georgian  economic  system  would  have 
us  tax  only  land,  for,  since  it  is  immutable  and  permanent,  its  produc- 
tivity should  be  used  for  the  common  good.  '  'The  earth  cannot  be  owned 
any  more  than  air  or  sunshine,  or  the  flowing  rivers,  or  the  mighty 
mountains,  because  it  was  not  produced  by  human  beings.  Each  gener- 
ation may  freely  suckle  the  earth's  breast,  but  may  not  hold  succeeding 
generations  from  their  equal  right  and  equal  need." 

Walter  Rheinheimer. 
26 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Glee  Club 

On  Saturday,  February  15,  a  group  of  fourteen  members  of  the  Glee 
Club  sang  in  the  Nation's  Capital  at  a  meeting  of  the  In  and  About 
Club,  a  group  composed  of  music  teachers  from  Washington,  Mary- 
land, Delaware,  and  Virginia.  Those  who  sang  were: 

Sopranos:  Margaret  Snyder,  Hazel  Naylor,  Ellen  Pratt,  Catherine  Schott- 

ler,  Ruth  Dudderar. 
Altos:  Muriel  Disney,  Marion  Cunningham,  Ruth  Spicer,  Elise  Meiners. 
Tenors:  Isadore  Cohen,  Roger  Williams. 
Bassos:  Edward  MacCubbin,  Leonard  Woolf,  Walter  Uebersax. 

The  program  was  very  well  received.  It  included : 

Salutation Gaines 

Lo  How  a  Rose Praetorius 

Confession Schumann 

I  Dream  of  Jeanie Foster-Nevin 

The  next  Glee  Club  program  will  be  presented  by  the  entire  group 
at  Cockeysville  on  Friday,  May  8.  The  program  will  include  a  number 
of  the  new  spring  pieces. 


Notes 

Ex  Antipodibus 

On  the  heels  of  last  month's  National  Geographic  Magazine  which 
described  and  pictured  England's  farthest  dominion,  there  came  to  us 
Manuka,  the  organ  of  the  Training  College  in  Auckland,  New  Zealand. 
It  is  the  December,  1935  issue  and  the  leading  editorial  comments  upon 
the  close  of  another  school  year  with  the  return  of  summer.  This  fine 
magazine  from  our  co-workers  on  the  other  side  of  the  world  (only  in- 
cidentally an  object  lesson  in  geography)  may  be  examined  in  the 
Tower  Light  office. 

Our  President  at  Saint  Louis 

Our  college  was  represented  at  the  meetings  of  the  American  As- 
sociation of  Teachers  Colleges  and  the  Department  of  Superintendence 
of  the  National  Education  Association  by  its  President,  Dr.  Tall.  Both 
meetings  were  held  in  Saint  Louis  during  the  last  two  weeks  of  Febru- 
ary. Earlier  in  the  month.  Dr.  Tall  spoke  before  the  National  Council 
of  Education  and  at  the  Breakfast  Meeting  of  the  National  Society  for 
the  Prevention  of  Blindness. 

27 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Instructors  in  Print  E.  Lewis  and  S.  Fried 

The  January,  1936,  Journal  of  Geography  features  an  article,  "The 
Preparation  of  Geography  Units  By  Student  Teachers"  by  Pearle  Blood 
— our  own  Miss  Blood  of  State  Teachers  College,  Towson.  The  article 
treats  of  the  method  advocated  by  Miss  Blood  in  making  geography 
units  so  that  students  may  '  'gain  in  power  to  think  geographically. 

Congratulations,  Miss  Blood! 

In  the  School  Musician  Miss  Prickett  has  written  an  article  on  her 
special  interest — the  small  school  orchestra.  She  tells  us  that  directors 
choose  compositions  suited  to  the  players,  but  the  music  itself  may  be 
too  difficult  for  the  inexperienced  performers.  To  simplify  music  for 
the  students,  the  director  must  know  the  peculiarities  of  the  instru- 
ments, have  a  practical  knowledge  of  harmony,  and  be  able  to  interpret 
the  composition.  A  good  director  is  successful  when  his  orchestra 
plays  '  'with  regard  to  the  musical  content  of  the  composition. ' ' 

Miss  Prickett's  conclusions  should  prove  helpful  to  all  who  work 
in  her  field. 

What  Price  Glory"?  E.  Straining 

Secret  meetings,  whispered  cheers,  "The  Music  Goes  Round  and 
Round" — ^from  one  section  to  another!  Freshmen  gather  information 
and  incidentally  inspiration  from  the  upper  classmen.  Sophs  frantically 
snatch  song  sheets  out  of  sight  when  Seniors  appear!  The  three-year- 
old  Seniors,  outwardly  nonchalant  but  with  quaking  hearts,  may  be 
found  in  the  most  unexpected  places  holding  hurried  conferences  about 
the  mysterious  affair  of  the  evening. 

All  this  in  anticipation  of  that  event  of  events  on  March  twelfth ! 
What  is  it?  Girls'  Demonstration!  Who  will  win?  Your  guess  is  as  good 
as  mine — maybe  better! 

ParleZrvous?  L.  Wheatley 

Nearly  every  one  of  us  has  had  some  years  of  French  in  highschool 
and  most  of  us  remember  the  study  of  the  language  with  pleasure.  The 
French  Club  gives  the  students  here  in  the  College  an  opportunity  to 
keep  up  their  knowledge  of  a  foreign  tongue.  Since  our  College  offers 
no  courses  in  modern  foreign  languages,  the  importance  of  the  French 
Club  is  evident — but  the  Club  is  much  more  enjoyable  than  any  course 
could  be.  The  group  sings  songs  and  converses  in  French.  At  present  we 
are  at  work  upon  a  group  of  dramatic  skits.  Do  not  think,  however, 
that  your  knowledge  is  insufficient  to  become  a  member;  only  the  sim- 
plest of  French  is  used!  Join  us  next  month. 

28 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Tea  at  Glen  Esk,  February  lo  E.  Hergenrather 

The  President's  Tea  is  always  a  very  pleasant  experience,  but  this 
year  it  was  even  more  delightful  to  our  section  since  it  was  a  '  'welcome 
back"  from  student  teaching.  Dr.  Tall;  Mrs.  John  W.  Whitehurst, 
Chairman  of  Education  of  the  General  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs; 
Miss  I.  Jewell  Simpson,  Assistant  Superintendent  of  Education  in  the 
State  of  Maryland;  Miss  Matilda  Brundick,  President  of  the  Quota 
Club;  Miss  Stella  E.  Brown,  President  of  the  Business  and  Professional 
Women's  Club;  and  the  advisers  of  the  four  classes  at  State  Teachers 
College:  Dr.  Dowell,  Miss  Keyes,  Miss  Neunsinger,  and  Miss  Daniels, 
received  the  students.  Sparkling  conversation  stimulated  by  the  tea, 
combined  with  appropriate  musical  selections  rendered  by  members  of 
the  faithful  orchestra  and  glee  club,  made  the  afternoon  one  of  enjoy- 
able and  profitable  fellowship. 


We  Are  Seven 

That  is  one  of  the  main  reasons  why  we  are  breaking  into  print.  We 
want  to  be  more!  We,  the  Natural  History  Group,  feel  that  you  are 
missing  a  great  deal  of  fun  and  practical  experience  by  letting  a  name 
like  ours  (or  whatever  it  is)  keep  you  away  from  a  top-notch  club. 

One  Saturday  in  every  month  we  are  led  into  paths  of  beauty 
through  this  part  of  Maryland.  These  paths  are  usually  rough  and 
rocky,  but  this  is  a  mere  triviality  and  only  makes  the  going  more  in- 
teresting. Logs  fallen  across  a  narrow  path  can  be  quite  an  obstacle — 
ask  Dr.  Dowell  if  you  doubt  our  word.  We  always  start  with  a  definite 
object  in  mind,  as  all  good  clubs  should :  birds*  nests,  twig  formations,  or 
seed  pods.  But  if  you  find  anything  you  like  better  along  the  way,  that 
also  may  be  taken.  You  should  see  the  stately  Mr.  Podlich  in  the  role 
of  a  strolling  greenhouse  with  various  and  sundry  plants  curling  about 
his  head  and  shoulders. 

Then,  along  about  twelve  o'clock  a  spot  is  selected  as  a  dining 
room,  and  lunch  begins.  Rain  or  no,  our  leader  always  comes  through 
with  a  lively  blaze.  By  this  time  we  would  not  lift  an  eyebrow  if  we 
saw  him  kindling  a  floating  fire  in  the  middle  of  the  Chesapeake.  Over 
the  coals  of  aforementioned  conflagration  we  toast  the  willing  wienie, 
which  is  soon  consumed  with  rolls,  mustard,  and  much  relish.  Finally, 
having  swapped  our  raisins  for  some  other  person's  peanuts,  and  chiseled 
chocolates,  apples,  dates,  grapes,  and  anything  else  that  we  can  eat  and 
still  carry,  we  wander  back  along  paths  leading  only  Kolb  knows 
where,  but  ending  eventually  where  we  left  the  cars. 

M.  Owens. 

29 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  Library — at  Your  Service 

Reviews 

Chase,  Mary  Ellen — Silas  Crockett — New  York :  The  Macmillan  Com- 
pany: 1935.  404pp.  $2.50. 

PICTURE  the  Maine  Coast  from  Bath  to  Bar  Harbor;  from  Casco  Bay 
to  Penobscot,  to  Eastport,  and  you  will  have  the  background  for 
Silas  Crockett — the  story  of  four  generations  of  a  seafaring  family. 

In  Silas  Crockett,  with  whom  the  story  begins,  was  bred  that  spir- 
ited love  of  the  sea  so  common  among  the  early  English  families  of  New 
England's  coastal  towns.  His  grandfather.  Captain  Reuben  Shaw,  and 
his  father,  James  Crockett,  had  piloted  vessels  to  the  uttermost  ends  of 
the  earth,  returning  to  Saturday  Cove  with  cargoes  that  turned  the 
great  house  into  a  museum  of  half  the  world's  artistic  handiwork:  Per- 
sian rugs,  Chinese  tapestries,  Indian  perfumes,  and  London  books. 

At  23,  Silas  was  already  a  ship's  captain,  and  was  returning  now  to 
Saturday  Cove  to  marry  Solace  Winship,  and  to  carry  her  off  with  him 
on  his  next  voyage.  Solace's  first  voyage  ended  tragically  with  the  loss 
of  her  baby,  and  chilled  the  wife's  heart  toward  her  husband's  love  for 
the  sea. 

Nicholas,  Mrs.  Crockett's  second  child,  true  to  the  Crockett's 
passion  for  the  ocean,  married  Deborah  Parsons,  and  in  the  face  of  her 
increasing  impatience,  remained  true  to  the  worn-out  traditions  of 
those  who  went  down  to  the  sea  in  sailing  ships  rather  than  the  new- 
fangled steam-driven  craft.  Nicholas  froze  to  death  at  sea  at  the  age  of 
twenty-five  leaving  behind  him  Reuben  who  was  destined  to  carry  on 
the  family  tradition  by  commanding  a  coastwise  steamer.  He  had  mar- 
ried Huldah  Banett,  and  their  son,  Silas,  the  second,  came  into  the 
world  just  when  country  clubs,  fancy  yachts,  and  antique  shops  were 
taking  the  place  of  docks,  shipyards,  sawmills,  and  fisheries.  Reuben 
had  been  forced  to  sell  their  homestead,  and  the  younger  Silas  left  col- 
lege in  1931  to  work  in  a  herring  factory.  When  he  goes  with  Ann,  his 
future  wife,  to  visit  the  old  homestead  and  is  denied  admittance  by  the 
butler,  the  whole  of  a  great  family's  tradition  melts  into  nothingness. 
But  somehow  one  is  left  with  a  peace  of  mind  as  Ann  speaks  to  Silas 
the  second : 

"Looking  out  from  his  eyes,  standing  firmly  in  the  poise  of  his 
head  were  unchangeable  things — the  daring  of  Amos  and  James,  the 
humorous  wisdom  of  Abigail,  the  steadfast  devotion  of  Solace  through 
years  of  fear,  the  faith  of  Silas  and  Nicholas  hanging  to  fast-dying  sail 
with  the  world  against  them,  the  secure  and  patient  way  of  Reuben, 
the  unshaken  and  glorious  reality  of  Huldah's  love  for  God.    Ann  did 

30 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


not  know  them  for  what  they  were,  but  she  saw  them  there — the  sub- 
stance of  all  things  hoped  for,  the  evidence  of  things  unseen,  the  ever- 
lasting triumph  over  time  and  chance." 

Miss  Chase  is  perhaps  inclined  to  make  the  Crockett  culture  and 
traditions  appear  more  desirable  and  more  ideal  than  they  really  were, 
yet  by  selecting  just  the  right  details  she  re-creates  a  past  way  of  life 
that  is  refreshing  and  inspiring  to  the  end.  Someone  has  written,  "With 
Silas  Crocked,  Miss  Chase  takes  her  place  among  the  rarer  talents  of  the 
present."  

Lampland,  Ruth  (ed.) — Hobbies  for  Everybody — New  York:  Harper  and 
Bros,  :1934.408  pp.  $2.25. 

Miss  Lampland  has  compiled  a  noteworthy  group  of  essays  con- 
cerning the  hobbies  of  well-known  people;  for  example,  Rudy  Vallee  on 
amateur  motion  picture  photography;  Don  Marquis  on  beans;  Ely  Cul- 
bertson  on  bridge ;  Fannie  Hurst  on  cats ;  Fred  Waring  on  cigarette  lighters 
and  toy  orchestras;  Ruth  Gerth  on  design;  and  Albert  P.  Terhune  on 
dogs.  Each  essay  is  preceded  by  a  biographical  sketch  of  its  author  and 
is  followed  by  a  short  bibliography  on  the  subject  discussed. 

The  book,  which  is,  in  effect,  a  cross-section  of  American-life,  at- 
tempts to  present  hobbies  from  a  more  personal  and  more  practical 
viewpoint.  It  grew  out  of  a  demonstrated  need,  having  its  inception  in 
a  series  of  radio  broadcasts  on  hobbies  for  the  Larger  League  in  the  fall 
of  1933.  Miss  Lampland  hopes  that  camp  directors,  club  leaders,  recrea- 
tion workers,  librarians,  educators  and  others  will  find  this  manual 
helpful  for  the  guidance  of  leisure- time  activities. 


The  Kaleidoscope 


IF  things  keep  on  as  they  are,  we  shall  inaugurate  a  "Helpful  Hints 
for  Harassed  Humans"  column  here.  We  have  received  two  letters 
from  co-operative  students;  and,  since  we  believe  that  they  express 
public  opinion  and  give  an  interesting  side  glance  at  S.T.C.  happenings, 
we  print  them  (slightly  deleted)  for  your  benefit.  The  italics  are  our 
own. 

Dear  Editor,  so  that' s  what  we  are:  Sinct,  in  different  colleges  through- 
out the  country,  co-eds  have  been  listing  what  they  consider  men's  fail- 
ings, we,  a  group  of  S.T.C.  co-eds,  list  a  few  of  the  things  we  don't  like 

about  local  men This  has  been  done  once  before;  but  evidently  it  did 

not  do  much  good.  Take  it  like  men,  men. 

1.  Pointless  puns.    They've  stabbed  us  many  a  time. 

31 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


2.  Bow  ties.    But  they're  so  cute. 

3.  Conceit.   No  comment. 

4.  Singing  while  dancing. 

5.  Failure  to  rise  when  a  lady  appears. 

6.  Two-day  beards.    A  gross  exaggeration. 
1.  Umbrellas.    lSA.en  catch  -pneumonia  too. 

8.  Stale  jokes. 

9.  Immaturity.    Wait  a  while. 

10.  Wise  crackers  in  assembly.  Tell  us  where  they  are.  We  could  use 
a  jew  crackers  in  assembly. 

In  re  the  above  epistle,  we  make  the  same  general  comment  as  in  a 
former  issue.  Look  it  up. 

Dear,  dear  Editor,  Goodnessl  In  the  course  of  digging  around  this  old 
earth,  we  have  managed  to  excavate  a  goodly  amount  of  dirt  and  with 
a  supreme  gesture  of  unselfishness  we  hereby  share  what  we  have  found 
and  did  not  find,  we  agree. 

Then  there  are  some  things  we  didn't  find  out,  such  as  .  .  .  Will  Jud 
Meyer  always  be  faithful?  .  .  .  Who  will  win  the  cup  on  Demonstration 
night?  If  reports  are  true,  it  will  be  won  by  the  Freshies,  Sophs  and  Seniors. 

Sayings  of  the  Near  Great .  .  .  There  will  be  a  meeting  of  the  chorus 
of  the  Men's  Revue  at.  .  .  .  And  don't  forget  the  Men's  Revue,  March  zo  and 
21.  .  .  .  The  deadline  for  all  Tower  Light  material  is.  .  .  .  And  please  re- 
member that  there  will  be  no  gum-chewing  or  unusual  dancing. 

We  give  plums  to  .  .  .  all  those  responsible  for  the  Tower  Light 
Dance  because  it  was  such  a  delightful  affair.  More  about  it  in  a  minute 
...  to  Miss  Weyforth  for  not  calling  a  special  rehearsal  since  Christmas 
...  to  sponsors  of  the  Anti-Pun  League.  Amen!  .  .  .  and  lastly  a  peck  of 
plums  to  all  those  gallants  who  realize  the  damage  of  snow  to  evening 
slippers. 

The  prunes  are  stewed  for  .  .  .  students  who  make  neck-breaking 
dashes  to  the  library  at  the  end  of  classes  .  .  .  the  idea  of  giving  our  re- 
port cards  on  Thursdays  when  we  need  a  week-end  to  recover  .  .  .  health 
officers  who  are  organic  rather  than  functional. 

Ye  Snoopers. 

And  now  it's  about  time  we  got  to  work.  The  Parlor  has  resumed 
its  former  popularity.  The  weather  must  have  had  some  effect  upon  the 
situation.  It  is  the  radio,  however,  that  calls  Wesley  Johnson  to  the 
winged  chair. 

Relics  of  the  lectures  of  Sir  Herbert  Ames — Written  in  the  notes  of 
one  sleepy  listener:  Sir  Hamuel  Soare  .  .  .  Numbers  of  students  were 
caught  flirting  with  Sir  Herbert's  chauffeur.  We  didn't  know  he  had 
one. 

The  Tower  Light  Dance:  It  has  supplied  us  with  a  rich  fund  of 
news  this  month,  so  bless  it.  There  was  Dot  Healy  with  another  squire, 

32 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


the  Brumbaugh  .  .  .  and  Mary  Sutch  had  another  beau.  How  does  she 
do  it?  .  .  .  Quite  a  number  of  alumni  appeared.  There  were  Jerry  Na- 
thanson  with  Bernice  Shapes,  Dallas  Smith  and  Mary  Osborn,  Teddy 
Woronka  and  Margie  Knauer,  and  Samuelson  with  steady  Stella  .  .  . 
The  freshmen  were  well  represented.  Joe  Moan  headed  the  list,  bring- 
ing another  Freshman;  Slama  accompanied  Edgar  Perry;  Gammerman, 
Betty  Rubin.  Freshmen  certainly  are  exclusive  .  .  .  But  then,  so  are 
the  fourth-year  seniors,  Meigs  and  Davies  turned  up  their  noses  at 
bright  lights  of  other  years  and  escorted  the  Misses  Fastie  and  Schnepfe. 
Davies  spent  some  of  his  precious  time  up  in  the  rafters  trying  to  move  a 
mass  of  balloons  beset  with  inertia.  .  .  .  Evidently  the  dancing  classes 
were  a  success;  all  but  three  of  the  pupils  were  present  at  the  dance. 

Rush  was  right  about  that  communication  with  the  Spirit  World. 
Our  team  won  on  February  21 .  Whoopee ! ! 

Write  us  some  more  letters  when  you  feel  in  the  mood.  We  may 
publish  them  and,  then  again,  we  may  not.  Maybe  the  next  time  you 
see  this  column  the  sun  will  be  shining,  but  we  don't  ask  miracles.  See 
you  next  month. 


As  You 
Like  It 


THIS  month  I  can  properly  call  my  column  a  pillar — because  so 
many  people  have  laid  down  on  me.  What's  the  big  idea?  I 
thought,  that  no  sooner  would  I  ask  for  contributions  to  the 
column,  than  I  should  be  wallowing  in  mirth  and  humor  up  to  my 
ears.  But  'twasn't  so!  You're  slipping,  my  friends,  and  it's  not  be- 
cause of  the  weather. 

Thanks,  you  loyal  guys — all  three  of  you — ^for  not  forgetting  our 
dear  old  humor  column.  And  a  banquet  to  you,  Davies,  for  those  ducky 
little  "cuts"  at  the  top  of  this  page.  But,  really,  neither  one  of  these 
little  fellows  looks  like  me.  Do  they,  folks? 

Our  "naughtical"  minded  Commodore  Rog  Williams  sent  in  this  bit 
of  exposition.  He  wants  us  all  to  know  why  they  call  a  ship  a  she.  See? 
Why  They  Call  a  Ship  a  She 
If  you  ever  tried  to  steer  one,  you  wouldn't  ask 
Because  it  takes  so  long  to  get  them  ready  to  go  anywhere. 
They  need  almost  as  much  dolling  up  and  painting  as  any 
woman  you  ever  saw. 


33 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


It  has  to  have  its  own  way  or  won't  go. 
They're  always  calling  at  some  other  place. 
Who  ever  won  an  argument  from  them? 
Because  they  frequently  toss  their  noses  in  the  air. 

Here's  a  wave  of  applause  to  you,  Rog. 

Then  there's  Don,  our  Freshman  Faithful,  who  sends  us  conun- 
drums. 

Tid :  Say !  What  language  does  your  donkey  speak? 
Bit:He-bray-ic 

Lastly,  but  far  from  leastly,  comes  that  beastly  subject  of  report 
cards  as  represented  by  Herbie  Stern.  Here  is  his  startling  observation: 
"After  watching  students  prepare  envelopes  for  reports,  it  looks  as  if 
everyone  is  going  'To  Sit  Right  Down  and  Write  Himself  a  Letter'." 

(Continued  on  page  }6') 

The  Rambling  Rambler 

WELL,  believe  it  or  not,  spring  is  in  the  air.   And  with  the  ad- 
vent of  spring,  baseball  is  just  around  the  corner.  So-o-o-o — 
why  not  write  about  baseball?    Well,  heh,  heh,  that's  just 
what  I'm  going  to  do. 

The  schedule  for  this  year  is  very  ambitious.  It  is  all-collegiate 
with  plenty  of  tough  games.  St.  John's  has  been  added  this  year,  and  is 
going  to  be  played  twice:  once  here  and  once  away.  Elizabethtown 
College  will  be  met  twice,  as  will  Salisbury  Teachers  College,  Johns 
Hopkins,  and  Loyola.  Against  Loyola  last  year,  our  team,  if  you  re- 
member, won  a  smashing  and  surprising  11-2  victory. 

As  a  nucleus  for  this  year's  pitching  staff,  which  is  the  most  im- 
portant part  of  a  good  baseball  team.  Coach  Don  Minnegan  has  his 
fast-ball  pitcher,  Eddie  Brumbaugh.  In  addition,  Coach  is  working  on 
two  promising  Freshmen — Cook,  a  right-hander,  and  Chester  Smith,  a 
southpaw.  Should  the  hitting  come  along  as  well  as  the  pitching, 
S.T.C.  will  send  on  the  field  a  well-rounded  ball  club. 

A  number  of  varsity  men  are  back  from  last  year.  Among  these  are 
Josh  Wheeler,  "Pee  Wee"  Smith,  Jud  Myers,  John  Wheeler,  and 
Arthur  Bennett.  One  of  our  former  outfielders,  Roger  Williams,  is  back 
with  us  after  several  years'  absence. 

About  the  middle  of  March,  all  the  baseball  men  are  going  to  be 
called  out  to  practice.  This  is  going  to  be  only  on  the  preliminary  fun- 
damentals such  as  sliding  and  bunting.  From  then  on  the  men  will  go  to 
bigger  and  better  things.  Finally,  there  will  emerge  a  team  worthy  of 
the  school  it  represents. 

Morris  Miller. 

34 


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(Continued  jrom  ^age  ^4) 

Pretty  good,  Herb.  But  what  you  might  have  said  is:  Most  report 
cards  are  remarkable!  Get  it? 

Well,  that's  all  from  the  contributors — bless  'em!  Now  I'll  annoy 
you  two  poems'  worth : 

Dr.  Jones  fell  in  the  well 

And  died  without  a  moan; 
He  should  have  tended  to  the  sick. 
And  let  the  well  alone! 

Little  Willie  hung  his  sister. 
She  was  dead  before  we  missed  her. 
Willie's  always  up  to  tricks 
Ain't  he  cute?  He's  only  six!  !  ! 

Now  I'll  close  my  plethoric  expostulations  by  saying  '  'So  Long" — 
and  girls,  my  leap  year  advice  to  you  is: 

Remember:  It  is  better  to  have  loved  a  short  man  than  never  to 
have  loved  a  tall.                                    Your  little  bundle  of  wit, 

Sid  Tepper. 

0'Kr^^ 


theyre  mild 
and  yet 


\a 


y 


)1?36,  LIGGETT   8.   MYERS  TOSaCCO  CO. 


FUN 

NUMBER 

APRIL,  1936 


THE 

TOWER  LIGHT 


State  Teachers  College 

TOWSON,  MARYLAND 


CONTENTS 

Cover Charles  Meigs 

PAGE 

Tracking  Down  the  Faculty — A  Study 3 

On  Afternoon  Teas 6 

State  Teachers  College  in  the  Year  7586  a.d 7 

Hot  Dogs 8 

On  Forgetting  One's  Key 9 

Noses 10 

On  Bridge 11 

Three's  a  Crowd 13 

The  Ballad  of  the  Proof  Readers— ^4  Poem 14 

Newfangled  Notions 15 

Course  .001 — ^Women  in  the  World  Today — Lesson  II  16 

On  Cellophane 17 

The  Red  Cross 18 

Editorials 20 

The  Library — at  Your  Service 23 

The  College  Record 26 

Alumni  News 33 

The  Kaleidoscope 34 

As  You  Like  It 37 

Our  Advertisers 39 


1935      Member       1936 
Plssocided  Cblle6ic3te  Press 


THE  TOWER  LIGHT 


Vol.  IX  APRIL,  1936  No.  7 


Tracking  Down  the  Faculty 

IT  has  come  to  my  attention  that  since  the  Normal  School  teachers 
have  become  Teachers  College  professors,  the  more  timid  of  the 
students  run  and  hide  at  the  approach  of  an  awesome  faculty 
member. 

This  is  very  sad  to  me.  Because  of  an  odd  quirk  in  my  makeup, 
I  used  to  fancy  that  the  instructors  might  be  found  to  be  just  as  de- 
lightful, provoking,  amusing,  and  lovable  as  real  people,  if  studied 
intensively.  My  student  days  at  the  College  are  over,  so  alone  I  cannot 
carry  on  as  exhaustive  an  investigation  as  would  be  necessary  either  to 
prove  or  disprove  scientifically  my  bold  surmise.  I  despair  of  receiving 
aid  from  the  bulk  of  the  student  body,  for  those  few  who  have  ever 
wondered  about  the  private  lives  of  the  faculty  are  of  the  firm  opinion 
that  all  leisure  hours  of  that  august  body  are  spent  in  thinking  up 
pithy  comments  to  write  on  units;  the  majority  of  the  students  enter- 
tain the  vague  notion  that  after  school  hours  faculty  members  become 
wraiths,  or  perhaps  "grow  fleet  in  our  arms,  like  fairy  gifts  fading 
away."  But  from  some  conversations  I  have  overheard,  I  know  there 
are  a  few  who  have  been  struck  with  the  possibility  of  their  instructors 
possessing  human  traits  common  to  all  of  us. 

"They  must  eat,"  observed  one  canny  Freshman.  "They  take 
trays  of  food  in  that  room  at  lunchtime,  and  bring  the  trays  back 
empty. ' '  And  from  another  source  I  gleaned  that  two  were  definitely 
suspected  of  being  capable  of  sleeping. 

To  those  Freshmen  interested  in  pioneering,  detective  work,  or 
exploration  I  appeal  for  help  in  tracking  down  the  faculty. 

To  begin  work  on  this  enterprise  you  need  only  a  well-developed 
curiosity,  and  the  known  peculiarity  of  one  of  your  "professors" 
(which  makes  you  suspect  hidden  human  traits  and  tendencies).    Be- 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


low  are  the  observed  idiosyncrasies  and  identifying  characteristics  of 
three  of  them. 


Entering  Freshmen  always  mis- 
take her  for  a  student. 


An  authority  on  handicrafts. 

A  stickler  for  well-annotated  bib- 
liographies. 


*1.  Will,  upon  request,  make  fas- 
cinating monkey  faces  to  en- 
tertain social  gatherings. 

2.  Is  unable  to  sleep  on  duck  or 
goose  feather  pillows. 

3.  Believes  so  staunchly  in  "edu- 
cating the  whole  child"  that 
she  enrolled  her  toes  for  a 
course  in  foot  culture. 

For  your  guidance  in  following  up  a  case  I  give  also  an  abbreviated 
example  of  how  a  written  form  may  be  treated.  Of  course,  the  names 
and  some  of  the  data  are  fictitious. 

Case  Study  of Agatha  Hooper  (X) 

Instructor  of Agriculture 

Af -parent  Chronological  Age 80     Actual  Chronological  Age 37 

Apparent  Mental  Age 100     Actual  Mental  Age 42 

Special  Abilities, 

Writing  illegible  criticisms  on  tests,  term  papers  and  units 

Special  Interests Potato  bugs 

Reasons  for  Suspecting  Patient  of  Possessing  Human  Traits: 

1.  Shows  fondness  for  peanuts. 

2.  Laughed  at  student's  pun  (indicates  sense  of  humor). 


Evidence 
3/6/33 

X  sat  ahead  of  me  at  concert — 
during  intermission  her  conversa- 
tion with  companion  did  not 
concern  itself  with  college  matters. 

3/7/33 

X  bought,  and  evidently  ate  three 

"hot-dog"  sandwiches  for  lunch. 

3/8/33 

Overheard  X  asking  Miss  Y  what 
happened  to  Orphan  Annie  this 
morning,  as  X  went  to  big  party 
night  before,  overslept  in  morning 
and  didn't  gi&t  to  see  paper. 


Remarks 

X  should  have  utilized  spare  time 
of  intermission  for  at  least  talking 
over  school  affairs,  if  not  actually 
making  plans  or  marking  papers. 

Doesn't  this  indicate  rather  ado- 
lescent tastes? 

This  incriminates  Miss  Y  also. 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


3/10/33 

Saw  X  ice  skating  on  pond  in     Maybe    they    were    girls    once. 

country  in  company  with  Misses     Hadn't  thought  about  that  be- 

Y,  Z  and  Q.    X  fell  down  three     fore. 

times    in    five   minutes — giggled 

continually — addressed  the  others 

as  "girls." 

3/11/33 

Saw  X  wave  to  student — saw  X     This  is  sufficient  evidence! 

offer  another  student  piece  of  milk 

chocolate!! 

3/12/33 

X  sat  next  to  me  on  street  car,     X  seemed  amazed  at  my  knowl- 
going  home;   discussed   how  to     edge, 
make  peanut-butter  fudge  and  pos- 
sible aownfall  of  Capitalist  system . 

Kecommendations:  The  instructor  X  shows  definite  human  tendencies, 
and  it  is  feared  that  little  can  be  done  to  modify  or  obliterate  these.  It 
is  recommended  that  she  be  further  watched  for  a  period  of  one  week, 
and  if  it  is  evident  that  she  is  trying  to  behave  more  as  students' 
conception  of  a  faculty  member,  she  shall  be  reisolated  as  a  faculty 
member  by  the  students.  However,  if  she  continues  to  behave  as  a  human 
being,  she  shall  be  considered  a  human  being  and  a  friend,  and  treated  ac- 
cordingly. 


Editor's  Note:  Any  student  who  observes  a  faculty  peculiarity  such  as  mentioned 
above  (see*)  kindly  make  note  of  it  and  send  to  Tower  Light  staff,  accompanied  by 
instructor's  name  and  an  identifying  characteristic.  The  Tower  Light  will  publish  such 
bits  for  the  benefit  of  those  engaged  in  "tracking  down  the  faculty."  We  may  reach 
interesting  conclusions! 


tfC&kJSL^Sd 


OLD  LIMERICK 

"A  fly  and  a  flea  in  a  flue 

Were  imprisoned  so  what  could  they  do? 

Said  the  fly,  'Let  us  flee!' 

'Let  us  fly!'  said  the  flea, 
So  they  flew  through  a  flaw  in  the  flue." 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


On  Afternoon  Teas 

THERE  are  teas,  and  teas.    It  is  all  in  the  way  one  looks  at  them. 
Before  I  express  any  feeling  on  the  subject,  let  me  explain  that 
Teas  are  known  also  as  Affairs,  Functions,  "At  Homes,"  Occa- 
sions, and  what  not. 

Now,  to  me,  afternoon  teas  are  situations  in  which  one  drinks  tea, 
eats  cookies,  and  says  rather  inane  things  to  one's  neighbor.  The 
neighbor,  more  than  likely,  is  so  engrossed  with  balancing  a  teacup, 
saucer  and  spoon  (to  say  nothing  of  a  napkin)  with  one  hand,  and  hold- 
ing a  cookie  with  the  other,  that  he  can  think  of  nothing  but  inanities 
to  say  in  return.  Therefore,  the  conversation  progresses  not  at  all. 

Tea,  it  seems,  is  not  an  absolute  requisite.  A  rather  mild  mixture, 
known  as  Punch,  is  often  served  in  its  place.  This  concoction,  com- 
posed of  various  ingredients  (mostly  fruit  juices,  I  am  told),  is  usually 
subjected  to  much  speculation.  Many  members  of  the  human  race  have 
the  annoying  trait  of  always  wanting  to  know,  "What  is  it?"  This 
trait  is  decidedly  out  of  place  at  such  a  function.  It  might  cause  some 
embarrassment. 

Cookies  appear  to  be  entirely  indispensable.  This,  no  doubt,  is 
due  to  the  fact  that  something  solid  to  grasp,  such  as  a  cookie  (or 
perhaps  a  teaspoon),  does  much  toward  preserving  morale.  Therefore, 
the  cookies  we  have  always  with  us.  One  is  almost  inclined  to  wonder 
why  Afternoon  Teas  are  not  called  Afternoon  Cookies.  But  aside  with 
such  idle  wondering. 

A  thing  that  is  characteristic  of  most  teas  is  an  insufficiency,  or 
total  absence  of  chairs.  It  is  bad  enough  to  try  to  sit  gracefully,  en- 
cumbered, as  it  were,  with  the  inevitable  teacup,  saucer,  cookies  and 
napkin,  but  let  one  attempt  to  stand  at  ease  with  the  same  impedi- 
menta. And  why,  in  heaven's  name,  the  napkin  when  one  is  standing? 
It  does  no  earthly  bit  of  good,  and  it  is  impossible  to  dispose  of  it.  It 
is  considered  Bad  form  to  drape  it  over  one's  arm,  as  a  waiter  would, 
but  that  is  the  easiest  method  of  disposal.  It  is  also  bad  form  absent- 
mindedly  to  leave  it  on  a  table.  One  is  therefore  faced  with  the 
problem  of  whether  to  accede  to  form,  and  be  miserable;  or  to  attempt 
to  derive  a  little  comfort  from  the  situation,  and  be  frowned  upon  by 
those- who-know . ' ' 

To  others,  however,  teas  are  events  not  to  be  treated  lightly,  but 
occasions  to  be  prepared  for,  and  attended,  with  all  due  ceremony, 
pomp,  and  circumstance.  If  there  are  any  of  these  whom  I  have 
offended,  I  herewith  apologize.  Perhaps  something  is  lacking  in  my 
social  background. 

Eleanor  Schnepfe. 


I 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


State  Teachers  College  in  the  Year  7586  A.D. 

April  1,  7386  A.D.: 

What  is  thought  to  be  one  of  the  most  important  finds  of  the 
century  was  announced  by  Dr.  Haven  Digger  in  the  latest  issue  of  the 
Occidental  Archaeological  Research  Journal.  The  Journal  reports  that  a 
group  of  rather  large  and  beautiful  buildings  was  found  on  the  out- 
skirts of  the  formerly  large  metropolis  of  America,  known  as  Baltimore. 

The  finding  of  these  buildings,  which  have  been  identified  as  be- 
longing to  the  strata  of  the  second  or  third  millennium,  dating  from  the 
years  1600  to  2200  A.D.,  will  probably  throw  a  great  deal  of  light  on 
some  of  the  conditions  of  that  former  period.  We  quote  from  Dr. 
Digger's  account: 

"Our  investigators  have  concluded  that  these  buildings  were  prob- 
ably the  property  of  some  large  and  powerful  potentate,  some  sultan 
perhaps,  known  as  TALL,  whose  name  is  mentioned  many  times 
throughout  the  building.  We  believe  that  the  name  TALL  is  not  a 
proper  name,  but  a  title  applied  to  the  high  ruler  of  the  buildings. 
There  were  fully  100  rooms  in  the  four  buildings  found,  which  could 
have  been  the  rooms  of  the  sultan's  wives  or  slaves.  In  the  biggest 
building  was  discovered  a  spacious,  centrally  located  chamber,  which 
had  crude,  uncomfortable  facilities  for  seating.  We  have  concluded 
that  this  chamber  was  the  room  where  a  picked  audience  (friends  of 
the  sultan)  would  view  some  of  the  "entertainments"  given  by  him. 
Two  other  names  appeared  quite  frequently,  the  names  DOWELL  and 
TANSIL,  who  were  probably  lieutenants  to  TALL.  That  these  three 
people  were  engaged  in  some  evil  design  was  practically  proved  by  the 
fact  that  we  found  a  large,  dark  tunnel  beneath  the  building,  which 
probably  was  the  place  where  the  slaves  were  shipped  or  tortured. 
Within  the  echo  of  the  cries  of  torture  coming  from  this  tunnel,  TALL 
and  his  associates  probably  spent  hours  of  leisure  with  their  many 
Olympics  in  a  large  squat  building,  seemingly  designed  for  such  pur- 
poses, at  one  end  of  the  torture  passage.  Directly  north  of  the  main 
edifice  was  a  building  which  had  many  small,  cell-like  compartments. 
The  purpose  of  these  cells  undoubtedly  was  for  the  incarceration  of  the 
slaves  of  the  estate."  [Note:  The  writers  are  inclined  to  agree  with 
this  theory.] 

A  few  of  the  other  interesting  oddities  found  were:  the  remains 
of  a  primitive  sort  of  cooling  system  which  showed  very  few  signs  of 
use;  also  a  strange  heating  plant  with  stores  of  coal  nearby  (Coal:  a 
mineral  used  during  that  age  for  heating  purposes  and  now  extinct), 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


and  a  rather  large  bell.  (Dr.  Digger  humorously  explains  that  this 
bell  seems  to  clang  loudly  and  distinctly  whenever  any  member  of  his 
expedition  has  anything  important  to  say.  On  such  occasions,  it 
clanged  twelve  times  in  succession.) 

The  excavators  are  working  diligently  upon  the  find  and  hope  to 
be  able  to  enlighten  the  world  further  in  the  near  future. 

L.  W.  AND  M.  S. 

Hot  Dogs 

In  America,  hot  dogs  rank  with  such  foods  as  hamburgers,  ham 
sandwiches,  chili  sauce,  and  onions.  They  are  called  in  various  places 
hot  frankfurters,  hot  weiners,  hot  sausages,  franks,  and  red  hots. 
Getting  and  eating  hot  dogs  requires  a  very  special  skill.  Just  dis- 
regard the  crowd  at  the  counter  and  walk  up  boldly.  Ask  for  '  'one  hot 
dog  with  mustard,  please."  The  girl  will  offer  you  one,  but  someone 
else  will  beat  you  to  it.  Don't  be  discouraged;  keep  on  trying.  You'll 
finally  get  it,  minus  mustard.  But  then  a  hot  dog  without  mustard  is 
better  than  no  hot  dog  at  all. 

Now  buying  a  hot  dog  in  the  school  cafe  is  an  entirely  different 
matter.  You  can  tell  by  the  extra  twenty  people  in  line  that  hot  dogs 
are  on  the  menu.  Saunter  nonchalantly  to  the  end  of  the  line  and  try 
to  give  the  impression  that  you  really  don't  care  for  hot  dogs,  but  then 
one  has  to  eat.  Inwardly,  however,  offer  a  fervent  prayer  for  the  dogs 
to  hold  out.  (They  usually  don't.)  When  your  turn  to  order  comes, 
hesitate  just  long  enough  and  then  order,  "Oh,  one  hot  dog — better 
make  it  two."  Once  you  have  your  dogs,  clutch  them  tightly  and 
hurry  to  your  place. 

At  last,  you  eat.  Try  to  fit  the  hot  dog  and  roll  to  each  other. 
Grasp  the  delicacy  firmly  in  the  middle,  but  don't  grasp  it  too  firmly. 
Measure  the  width  of  the  dog  with  your  eye  and  experiment  with  your 
mouth  to  get  the  right-sized  space.  Glance  furtively  about,  and  then, 
when  no  one  is  looking  bite.  Now  look  at  your  hands,  and,  oh  dear, 
your  mouth.  Mustard,  mustard  everywhere!  And  you  without  a 
napkin.  Choose  between  licking  your  fingers  and  rushing  to  get  a 
napkin.  No  matter  what  you  do  you  will  wish  you  had  done  the 
other  thing.  When  you  finish  eating,  you  will  wonder  why  you  are 
still  hungry.  Almost  instantly  you  will  resolve  to  buy  a  ham  sandwich 
the  next  time. 

C.  SCHOTTLER. 

Ed.  Note:  This  is  not  an  advertisement  for  ham  sandwiches. 


f 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


On  Forgetting  One's  Key 

OF  course,  everyone  at  one  time  or  another  has  forgotten  one's 
key,  but  everyone  also  was  darn  sure  that  one  had  remembered 
to  take  one's  key  before  leaving  the  house.  On  one's  return 
home  everyone  immediately  puts  one's  hand  assuredly  into  one's 
pocket  to  obtain  said  key,  and  when  one  does  not  find  it  in  one's  top- 
coat, one  still  retains  faith  and  moves  toward  lower  levels.  After 
examining  carefully  each  pocket  of  everyone's  suit-coat,  everyone 
starts  to  feel  a  little  sick  and  cautiously  proceeds  into  those  four  too 
many  pockets  of  his  waistcoat.  By  that  time  all  the  cheer  that  every- 
one had  ever  possessed  had  departed  from  selfsame  body  of  everyone 
and  had  distributed  itself  like  the  other  varmints  of  Pandora's  box. 
Still  Hope  lingered,  for  everyone  had  yet  four  possibilities  of  conceal- 
ment in  trousers  so  necessary  to  make  suit  complete.  Oh,  dismay! 
Oh,  utter  dismay !  '  'God  of  our  fathers  be  with  us  yet,  lest  we  forget. '  * 
And  everyone  had  forgotten. 

What  to  do!  What  to  do!  Everyone  looked  at  everyone's  clock 
which  everyone  wears  on  the  left  wrist.  Said  clock  did  show  the 
sickening  hour  of  half  after  four.  Everyone  does  not  dare  awaken  the 
folks,  for  parents  might  disapprove  wholeheartedly  of  the  hour  now 
appearing  on  the  all-too-truthful  face  of  said  timepiece.  So  everyone 
arouses  dormant  brain,  which  hath  forgotten  key,  to  thinking  of 
original  possibilities  of  entering  house  undiscovered.  Did  not  everyone 
once  see  another  one  in  same  predicament,  w^ho,  by  clever  use  of  hair- 
pin, manipulated  opening  of  door  and  made  unique  entrance  without 
shoes,  supposedly  to  keep  mat  clean?  But  our  everyone  can  find  naught 
that  resembles  that  of  female's  oh-so-necessary  aid  to  hair  dressing. 
In  the  corner,  however,  was  espied  everyone's  answer — milk  bottles. 
To  imitate  milkman,  everyone  had  but  to  rattle  bottles  and  perchance, 
if  fortune  were  indulgent.  Sister  Anne  might  be  awakened  and  come  to 
the  rescue.  Sister  Anne  was  not  awakened,  but  neighbor  Brown  opened 
bedroom  window  to  reproach  so  industrious  a  public  servant.  Every- 
one did  his  best  to  avoid  such  "censure,"  and  Lady  Luck  dealt  kindly 
with  him.  Everyone  was  now  in  it,  if  one  may  use  the  vernacular,  up 
to  one's  ears,  for  to  call  Sister  Anne  would  be  to  further  disturb  neigh- 
bor Brown;  to  call  folks  would  be  to  further  disturb  "piece"  of  mind  of 
everyone.  Perhaps  if  said  victim  of  circumstance  would  walk  around 
block,  angered  neighbor  would  return  to  slumber  and  the  coast  would 
be  clear  to  call  beloved  sister.  So  everyone  walks  around  the  block 
slowly  to  give  plenty  of  time  to  Morpheus  and  to  ponder  further  upon 
complexity  of  life.  At  last  returning  from  strenuous  labor,  everyone 
has  made  up  his  mind  to  rattle  door  until  folks  answer  call.  But  it  was 
not  to  be  so. 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


As  everyone  again  approached  the  proximity  of  said  hovel,  who 
should  appear  in  the  spotlight  but  one  of  the  municipality's  faithful 
guardians  of  liberty.  Everyone  lost  little  time  in  getting  to  the  door 
and  shaking  it.  Oh  light,  of  gracious  gleam,  never,  never  before  didst 
thou  shine  more  brightly  than  when  thou  "lightedst"  the  hall  that 
the  door  opened  upon!  But  light,  oh  sorrowful,  sorrowful  light!  What 
thou  didst  show  was  indeed  irony,  for  who  cometh  to  answer  the  door 
but  neighbor  Brown.  And  everyone  did  beseech  one's  God  and  did  ask, 
"Oh,  Lord  what  hath  I  done  that  such  fate  be  mine?"  And  God 
answered  in  the  form  of  a  sprite.  He  tickled  everyone  gently  on  the 
nostrils  and  everyone  reached  into  the  depths  of  one's  pants  pocket  to 
withdraw  handkerchief.  From  that  time  and  forever  did  everyone 
pledge  his  undying  belief  to  the  glory  of  God,  for  as  everyone  with- 
drew the  handkerchief  from  one's  pocket  that  precious  instrument, 
one's  key,  that  had  been  called  names  aplenty,  fell  from  the  folds  of 
nose-wiper  and  everyone  retreated  to  the  shelter  of  his  noble  domain. 

I.  Cohen. 

Noses 

The  nose  is  the  most  unsung  feature  of  the  human  race  or  face  I 
should  say.  I  don't  understand  this,  because  if  other  people  get  as  much 
amusement  out  of  watching  noses  as  I  do,  surely  an  ode  or  sonnet  is 
owed  to  the  nose. 

Noses  have  their  peculiarities,  though.  A  nose  is  an  inexpressive 
feature.  It  occupies  the  central  part  of  the  face,  yet  it  remains  immobile 
and  unaffected  by  its  importance.  However,  some  people  possess  the 
ability  of  showing  anger,  displeasure,  or  haughtiness  with  their  noses. 
Some  noses  are  naturally  haughty  and  flippant — they  turn  up  of  their 
own  accord,  don't  they.  Miss  Courtney? 

The  varied  sizes  and  shapes  of  noses  found  even  in  this  college  is 
amusing.  I  have  found  straight  ones;  slender  ones;  small,  turned-up 
ones;  broad,  flat  ones;  long,  wide  ones;  and  humpy  ones  of  all  lengths 
and  widths.  One  faculty  member  has  a  red  nose;  I  can  cite  a  large  one 
belonging  to  a  Senior;  a  nice  slender  one  of  a  Sophomore;  and  a  cute 
tip-tilted  one  of  a  Freshie. 

I  once  read  that  a  nose  is  an  index  to  one's  will.  Heaven  help  or 
pity  some  of  our  wills,  then.  The  only  instance  where  I  can  see  any 
truth  in  this  statement  is  in  the  hue  of  a  drunkard's,  which  indicates  an 
indulgent  spirit.   Of  course,  not  everyone  would  agree  on  that  point. 

More  delicate  characteristics  could  be  discussed,  but  I'll  leave  that 
to  your  own  thoughts  and  imaginings. 

M.  V.  C. 

10 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


On  Bridge 


SLAP-SLAP-SLAP-sLAP-scR-R-ATCH.  "Two  hearts" — "By" — "Pass." 
By  their  sounds  ye  shall  know  them.  This,  as  you  of  superior 
intelligence  have  already  realized,  is  a  modern  form  of  social 
torture  known  as  Bridge.  (Why  it  is  called  Bridge  we  have  never  been 
able  to  figure  out.    All  information  on  this  subject  gladly  accepted.) 

The  equipment  for  Bridge  consists  of  a  square,  four-legged  table, 
four  chairs,  two  packs  of  perfectly  harmless-looking  playing  cards, 
pencils,  pads,  and  last,  but  by  all  means  not  least,  four  people  who  sit 
at  the  four  sides  of  the  table  with  friendliness  in  their  eyes,  but  hatred 
and  murder  hidden  in  their  hearts.  Married  couples  should  never  under 
any  circumstance  be  seated  opposite  one  another.  However,  accidents 
will  happen. 

To  begin  with,  it  seems  that  there  are  two  kinds  of  Bridge — 
Auction  and  Contract — very  edifying  names,  to  be  sure,  and  extremely 
relevant  to  the  situation  at  hand.  And  woe  be  unto  him  who  confuses 
the  one  with  the  other.  The  players  are  informed  as  to  what  type  of 
contest  this  is  to  be;  the  cards  are  cut,  dealt — and  the  battle  is  on! 
(Note — It  is  an  unpardonable  offense  to  deal  the  cards  to  the  right — 
they  must  be  dealt  to  the  left.) 

Each  player  picks  up  his  or  her  allotment  of  cards  and  scrutinizes 
them.  It  is  always  possible  to  tell  the  seasoned  player  from  the  green- 
horn by  the  professional  cock  of  the  head,  the  speculative  frown,  the 
twist  of  the  wrist  as  he  arranges  the  cards.    And  the  bidding  is  on! 

"Hearts-spades-clubs-diamonds-no  trumps"  go  flying  into  the  four 
winds  as  the  bidding  progresses,  intermingled  with  an  unintelligible 
gibberish  sounding  like  "by,"  "pass,"  "double,"  all  meaningless  to 
the  uninitiated. 

The  bid  is  finally  taken  and  "Dummy"  lays  down  his  hand.  One 
should  consider  it  an  extreme  advantage  to  be  Dummy,  for  then  one  has 
an  excuse  to  step  out  of  the  fray  for  a  brief  breathing  spell,  while  his 
partner  does  the  thinking  for  both. 

It  is  here  that  the  different  species  of  Bridge  players  begin  to  be 
noted.  The  most  formidable  is  the  hardened  player,  who  has  played 
for  many  years  and  knows  all  the  tricks.  It  is  she  who  slams  cards  on 
the  table  without  a  moment's  hesitation,  she  who  rakes  in  the  cards 
with  a  flourishing  sweep  and  a  scratch  on  the  table  which  is  particu- 
larly annoying  to  sensitive  nerves,  she  who  counts  up  the  score  with 
such  an  air  of  malicious  satisfaction,  she  who  usually  has  the  cow^ering 
meek  partner  who — horribile  dktu — may  be  her  husband.   And  heaven 

11 


THE    TOIVER    LIGHT 


help  the  poor  blundering  dolt  who  "trumps  her  ace"!  It  is  she  who 
invariably  holds  a  post-mortem  after  each  hand;  and  in  the  end,  who 
marches  off  in  glory  bristling  with  self-satisfaction,  the  winner  of  first 
prize. 

Another  species  is  found  in  the  slow,  timid  player,  who  takes  eons 
of  time  to  decide  which  card  to  lay  down,  and  finally  after  several  false 
starts,  lays  down  the  wrong  one,  and  immediately  subsides  in  confusion 
and  disgrace  under  the.  withering  glare  of  one  of  the  afore-mentioned 
Amazons.  It  is  he  who  is  the  recipient  of  many  kicks  directed  at  the 
shins,  and  he  who  looks  guilty  and  uncomfortable  during  the  post- 
mortems.   And  it  is  he  who  meekly  carries  off  the  booby  prize. 

Bridge  has  been  held  responsible  for  more  inferiority  complexes, 
nervous  breakdowns,  broken  homes,  murders  and  bruises  than  any 
other  occupation  known  to  man.  Has  any  excuse  for  it  ever  been  ad- 
vanced? Why  should  such  seemingly  innocent  cards  make  bitter 
enemies  of  four  supposedly  sane  people  the  instant  they  sit  at  a  bridge 
table?  And  why,  when  one  says  that  he  does  not  play  Bridge,  is  he 
looked  at  askance,  spoken  of  in  a  hushed  voice,  and  made  to  feel  that 
he  should  be  caged,  labeled,  and  exhibited?  It  is  enough  to  make  one 
speculate  on  what  the  human  race  is  coming  to! 

Note:  The  writer  does  nof  play  Bridge! 


Elucidation 

Hast  noticed  Podlich  lately? 
He  has  changed  considerately. 
And  though  still  he  stalks  sedately 

Through  the  halls. 
His  brow  is  wrinkled,  lined  with  care, 
'Tis  a  ghostly  burden  he  must  bear, 
And  so  it's  oft  he's  seen  to  tear 

Through  the  halls. 
Our  editor's  awful  condition 
Comes  wholly  from  crazy  ambition 
To  find  fun  for  this  month's  edition 

Within  these  walls. 

Mary  CKvbns. 


12 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Three's  a  Crowd 

There  are  now  three  of  them,  and  three  really  is  a  crowd.  It  hap- 
pened in  New  York.  A  friend  of  mine  committed  the  daring  deed  of 
taking  a  chance  on  a  collie  for  me.  Taking  a  chance  for  me  is  really 
taking  a  chance.   I  win.   In  fact,  I  did! 

Mar  was  shipped  to  my  home  several  days  later  and  introductions 
took  place.  She  met,  first.  Ginger,  who  is  just  a  little  more  than  a 
puppy.  Ginger  acted,  of  course,  the  perfect  hostess.  I  sent  Ginger  into 
the  house,  and  next  Rolf  was  brought  upon  the  scene.  A  gentleman 
through  and  through  (or  possibly  just  aloof),  he  waited  until  he  was 
greeted  by  Mar  before  he  even  so  much  as  deigned  to  move  toward  her. 

Mar  has  proved  herself  the  perfect  canine  conception  of  Emily 
Post's  ever  welcome  guest  who  watches  carefully  what  her  hostess  does 
and  enters  with  enthusiasm  into  the  plans  made  for  her.  When  Rolf 
and  Ginger  prepare  to  play,  and  bark  at  each  other,  she  stands  off  a 
little  uncomfortable,  as  anyone  would,  who  happened  in  on  what 
seemed  to  be  a  noisy  family  squabble.  When  they  finish,  she  almost 
heaves  a  sigh  of  relief  as  she  comes  down  from  the  porch  to  rejoin 
them. 

Rolf,  as  host,  is  the  example  of  perfect  breeding,  but  with  just  the 
restraint  that  such  a  host  might  show  when  first  entertaining  a  some- 
what diffident,  new  sister-in-law.  He  is  a  dog  of  keen  perception,  one 
who  is  quick  to  grasp  situations  and  is  almost  infallible  in  making  the 
correct  decisions. 

Ginger  is  a  piquant  little  dog  who  dances  gaily  from  one  thing  to 
another.  Nevertheless,  she  is  quite  capable  of  serious  thinking.  She 
is  a  jealous  dog  and  is  very  fond  of  Rolf. 

When  I  finally  put  all  three  together,  this  is  what  I  found.  At 
first.  Ginger  and  Rolf  stayed  together.  As  Lord  and  Lady  of  the  Manor, 
they  seemed  to  say,  "You  are  a  guest,  and  we  shall  certainly  make  you 
welcome — but  you  are  a  stranger."  So  they  remained  for  several  days 
— Rolf  and  Ginger  on  one  side  of  the  porch — Mar  on  the  other. 

However,  I  think  that  Ginger  has  found  that  three  is  a  crowd. 
The  scene  has  changed.  Mar  occupies  one  end  of  the  porch  and  Rolf 
the  other.  Ginger  has  strategically  stationed  herself  between  the  two. 
Is  it  because  she  wants  to  divide  her  friendship  between  them,  or  is  she 
guarding  Mar  to  make  sure  that  neither  Mar  nor  Rolf  has  a  chance  to 
make  the  other's  acquaintance?  I  am  rather  inclined  to  believe  it  is  the 
latter. 

M.  L.  Melcher. 


13 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  Ballad  of  the  Proof  Readers 


'Twas  'round  the  desk  at  eventide. 

They  sat  in  grim  conclave. 
And  their  heads  were  bowed  and  their  aspects  cowed, 

As  they  in  a  woof  were  wave. 

Their  hair  was  ruffled,  their  faces  drawn 

And  ruffled  and  drawn  were  they, 
But  their  eyes  were  bright  with  a  flashing  light 

As  they  moaned  this  singular  lay : 

Chorus  : 

Oh,  we  are  Ye  Ed,  and  the  Artist  bold 

And  Ye  Knave  of  the  Tower  Light, 
And  the  proof  is  lost — by  a  post-clerk  tossed — 

And  we  must  work  all  night. 

Oh,  a  question  mark  and  a  comma-flock. 

An  exclamation  point, 
A  hyphen  or  two  (a  period  might  do) 

Our  eyes  spring  out  of  joint. 

In  a  sing-song-chant,  through  the  verbiage  rank. 

We  wend  our  weary  way, 
We'll  write  on  the  level  of  the  printer's  devil. 

Or  'twill  be  the  devil  to  pay. 

Sec.  Chorus:  (When  you  get  tired  of  the  first  one.) 

Oh,  comma,  quotation  mark,  period,  dash — 

Question  mark,  colon,  point  E, 
Capital,  hyphen,  paragraph — (Smash!) 

The  asylum's  the  place  for  all  three! 

"Oh,  write  a  poem,"  the  fair  one  cried, 

"Oh,  write  a  poem  for  me." 
"No,  you  write  the  poem,"  the  others  sighed, 

"For  we  can  hardly  see." 

14 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


A  comma's  a  comma,  and  a  dash  is  a  dash 

And  often  the  twain  do  meet, 
When  the  eye  grows  dim  and  the  wit  wears  thin. 

As  we  pass  from  sheet  to  sheet. 
Chorus  : 
O,    ".- 

?  :  point  E 
Capital  -  ^  (Smash!) 

The  asylum's  the  place  for  all  three! 

Newfangled  Notions 

YES,  Liz,  it's  only  nine  o'clock,  I've  finished  cleanin'  around,  and 
I've  made  my  four-layer  cake  for  the  supper  tomorrow  night. 
I've  only  just  put  'em  in  the  oven.  That  girl  Mary  isn't  much 
help  to  me,  but  she's  the  best  I've  been  able  to  get.  Do  you  know, 
she'd  stand  perfectly  still  by  the  hour,  if  I'd  let  her,  and  simply  wait 
for  me  to  tell  her  what  to  do  next. 

And  will  you  believe  it,  but  yesterday  morning  I  went  back  up- 
stairs to  lie  down  for  a  short  time,  and  I  told  Mary  I  had  a  headache. 
About  fifteen  minutes  later,  just  as  I  was  dozing  off — I'd  been  up  so 
late  the  night  before,  we  had  our  card  club  then,  you  know — ^well, 
anyway,  I  heard  a  loud  knock  on  the  door.  And  that  little  darkey, 
Mary,  practically  crept  to  the  door.  Judging  from  what  I  could  hear, 
some  girl  was  there  and  wanted  me  to  take  gas.  Now  I  did  that 
once,  when  I  had  my  wisdom  teeth  out,  and  I  wouldn't  want  to  go 
through  that  again.  Then  she  said  something  about  cooking,  and 
Mary  told  her  I  had  a  headache,  and  she  didn't  think  I'd  want  to  be 
bothered.  Neither  I  would.  But  I  do  like  to  see  these  people  that  come 
around.   I  always  have  such  a  good  laugh  when  they  leave. 

Why  even  if  she  had  some  gas  to  sell  for  cooking,  I  wouldn't  want 
it.  I  have  a  good  oil  stove  that's  baking  my  cake  perfectly  right  now. 
And  in  the  winter  I  have  my  coal  range.  Maybe  I'd  better  look  at  my 
cake  now.   It's  been  in  some  time.   Excuse  me 

Oh,  Mary!  Mary!  Come  downstairs  and  fill  this  stove  right  away. 
That  oil's  all  gone  out  again.   Hurry! 

Dear  me!  I  do  hope  that  cake  won't  fall  now.  But  the  oven 
hasn't  cooled  very  much.   That  girl  is  so  slow. 

Mary,  when  you  light  those  wicks  again,  turn  'em  up  just  as  high 
as  they'll  go,  but  mind,  not  too  high. 

Say  Liz,  look  at  that  black  cloud,  looks  to  me  like  we're  goin'  to 
have  a  storm.   My,  but  we  need  it.    That  corn  is  so  parched,  I  don't 

15 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


believe  it's  goin*  to  "make"  at  all.  And  my  dahlias  are  all  droopin', 
and  the  sweet  peas  are  'most  gone.  I  wish  it  would  rain  for  a  long 
time.  But  I  hope  we  have  a  nice  day  for  the  supper  tomorrow.  We'll 
have  lots  more  people  out  if  the  weather  stays  nice.  People  hate  to 
cook  these  hot  days.  They'd  rather  spend  fifty  cents  and  buy  their 
suppers. 

What,  Mary?  You  say  that  girl's  back?  And  wants  me  to  take  gas 
again?  And  she  says  that  they  have  pipes  that  go  with  it,  too?  Well, 
tell  her  not  this  morning,  I'm  baking  a  cake  and  don't  think  I'd  be 
interested.  (You  watch  her  when  she  goes  down  the  street,  Liz,  and 
see  what  she  looks  like) 

Do  you  smell  something?  Smells  like  smoke  to  me.  Well,  I 
hope  I  die,  if  this  isn't  a  mess.  Mary,  you  turned  those  wicks  too  high, 
and  this  kitchen  is  black  with  soot!  I  was  afraid  of  this.  And  oh, 
that  cake  has  fallen  in  the  middle,  and  it's  black  besides! 

Mary,  call  that  girl  back,  and  ask  her  to  bring  the  gas  in  with  her. 
I'll  use  it  for  the  cake  I  have  to  make  all  over  again! 

Olive  Mumford. 

Course  .001 — Women  in  the  World  Today 

Continued  from  March 

LESSON  II 
The  Lady 

The  subspecies,  lady,  briefly  considered,  may  be  resolved  into 
three  major  types.  The  first  includes  women  whom  we  honor  or 
respect  for  some  worthwhile  reason.  Thus  some  teachers  and  most 
elderly  women  certainly  deserve  the  title  by  definition.  The  second 
includes  women  of  whom  we  know  so  little  as  to  be  unable  to  classify. 
We  might  say  they  are  ladies  by  courtesy.  The  third  group  is  com- 
posed of  women  of  whom,  for  some  reason  or  another,  we  are  afraid. 
They  are  called  ladies  by  policy.  Ladies  may  be  identified  by  their 
reactions  to  certain  stimuli.  Though  it  is  no  longer  necessary  for  ladies 
to  be  afraid  of  mice,  it  is  now  required  that  they  play  bridge  and  wear 
earrings.  Care  must  be  taken  in  classifying  stray  specimens,  for  mis- 
taken identity  can  prove  exceedingly  embarrassing  both  to  the  subject 
and  to  the  observer. 

Recapitulation: 

Ladies  are  an  achievement  of  civilization. 

Assignment : 

Investigate  both  sides  of  this  situation,  however,  before  you 
condemn. 

16 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


On  Cellophane 


I  NEVER  go  to  Saturday  matinees.  In  the  long  gone  past,  the  matinee 
was  an  essential  part  of  myself.  I  lost  that  part. 
Of  course,  I  did  not  stop  going  to  Saturday  matinees  all  at  once. 
It  was  a  process,  however,  which  required  only  three  weeks  to  com- 
plete. One  word  will  describe  the  shameless  cause  of  my  loss — 
Cellophane. 

Once  I  sat  in  the  muted  gloom  of  a  palatial  theater  and  listened 
happily  as  lions  roared  and  leading  women  went  melodramatic  over  a 
tiny  undershirt.  If  you  have  ever  heard  a  leading  lady  go  melodramatic 
over  a  tiny  undershirt — and  I  am  sure  you  have — you  will  know  that 
this  event  does  not  remind  one  of  the  silence  of  the  tomb.  But  all  that 
was  before  the  invention  of  a  certain  diaphanous  substance  which  re- 
sembles, in  appearance,  thin  air,  and  in  sound,  the  tintinabulation  of 
Poe's  monotonous  silver  bells.  This  transparent  nothingness,  this 
cracklingly  vibrating  discovery  is  called  Cellophane. 

Cellophane  was  manufactured  in  the  first  place,  so  the  perpetrators 
of  the  evil  say,  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  candied  delights  and  assorted 
nuts  fresh.  Don't  you  believe  it.  Cellophane  is  only  another  diabolical 
weapon  employed  by  Woman  to  drive  the  Saturday  matinee-ite  insane. 
I  have  sat  in  a  theater,  listening  in  awful  delight  to  a  romantic  scene 
between  Garbo  and  John  Barrymore,  when,  through  the  vibrant  bass 
of  the  impassioned  John,  sounded  a  loud  noise  which  has  no  written 
description.  The  sounds,  engineered  by  a  woman  unwrapping  a  cello- 
phane-encased portion  of  chocolates,  are  so  terrifyingly  gruesome  that 
it  is  really  immoral.  The  noise — I  am  being  uncommonly  generous 
when  I  employ  this  mild  expletive  to  describe  such  a  Satanic  machine — 
is  a  cross  between  the  rapid  spat-spat  of  a  machine  gun  and  the  thun- 
derous clatter  of  hail  on  a  tin  roof.  It  is  like  nothing  in  heaven  or  the 
other  place.  The  only  thing  that  could  make  the  situation  worse  would 
be  for  some  depraved  young  scientist  to  invent  an  odor  for  cellophane. 

After  three  Saturdays  of  listening  to  cellophanic  evidences  of 
trouble  in  Paradise,  I  gave  up  going  to  matinees  and  turned  to  drink. 
It  is  only  in  my  most  lilting  liquid  moments  that  I  can  forget  the 
horror,  which  is  Cellophane,  that  haunts  me  in  my  sere  moments — 
which  now  are  practically  never. 

M  C. 


17 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  Red  Cross 

THE  Baltimore  Chapter  of  the  American  Red  Cross  is  planning  the 
Nineteenth  Roll  Call  for  the  first  two  weeks  in  April.  Dr.  J.  M. 
T.  Finney,  Chairman  for  this  year's  Roll  Call,  hopes  to  enroll 
twenty  thousand  members.  The  present  membership  of  fourteen  thou- 
sand, nine  hundred  thirty-one  members  includes  residents  of  Baltimore 
City  and  Howard  and  Baltimore  Counties,  which  is  in  the  jurisdiction 
covered  by  the  Baltimore  Chapter. 

Originally,  the  Red  Cross  Society,  established  after  the  Geneva 
Convention  of  1863,  was  intended  "to  give  aid  to  the  wounded  in  times 
of  war."  But  since  the  American  Society  was  begun  in  1881,  the 
policies  of  the  society  have  changed  with  our  developing  civilization 
until  now  the  red  Maltese  cross  on  its  white  background  has  come  to 
mean  not  only  assistance  to  the  war  wounded  but  also  prompt  and 
sustaining  help  to  the  victims  of  public  calamity,  together  with  sym- 
pathetic care  for  other  injured  and  unfortunates.  Thus,  when  nature 
runs  rampant  from  her  usual  course,  flooding  towns,  inundating  rich 
and  populated  valleys,  rendering  homeless  and  destitute  thousands  of 
our  citizens,  the  Red  Cross  worker  is  ever  upon  the  scene  with  his 
trainload  of  food  and  warm  clothing,  and  is  accompanied  by  physicians 
who  furnish  medical  attention.  Quick  and  immediate  action  of  this 
type  is  not  only  characteristic,  but  always  forthcoming  from  this  or- 
ganization. Its  purpose  is  to  help,  whenever  and  wherever  it  can  do  so. 

The  Baltimore  Chapter  was  granted  its  charter  in  1910  and  has 
since  had  a  constant  influence  on  our  civic  life.  In  this  respect  it  is  well 
to  contemplate  its  diversified  peace-time  program;  with  its  classes  or- 
ganized under  efiicient  instructors,  the  Baltimore  Chapter  of  the  Red 
Cross  teaches  the  Braille  transcription  for  the  blind;  first-aid  for  the 
injured;  home  nursing  for  the  sick;  rescue  for  the  drowning;  and  the 
preparation  of  nutritive  food.  This  is  especially  significant  to  us  of 
State  Teachers  College,  for  we  are  exceedingly  fortunate  in  having  a 
Red  Cross  course  in  First  Aid  instruction  conducted  under  the  skillful 
guidance  of  our  own  Dr.  Anna  S.  Abercrombie.  A  typical  incident 
which  demonstrates  the  worth  and  merits  of  such  a  course  occurred 
last  year  when  Mr.  Nathanson,  of  our  College,  probably  saved  a  boy's 
life  through  the  expeditious  use  of  the  experience  and  knowledge  that 
he  had  gained  in  first-aid  work.  Jerry,  finding  that  a  boy  had  fallen 
and  severely  gashed  his  leg,  immediately  applied  a  tourniquet  and 
cleaned  the  wound.  Later,  the  child's  father,  a  well-known  physician, 
stated  that  this  quick  action  saved  the  lad  from  the  possibility  of  more 
serious  complications,  if  not  death. 

Included  also  among  the  major  activities  of  the  Chapter  in  peace 

18 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


time  is  assisting  disabled  ex-service  men  and  their  families.  For  this 
duty  there  is  a  special  department  of  the  Red  Cross,  called  "Home 
Service,"  a  term  which  originated  during  the  war  when  so  many- 
families  of  Army  and  Navy  men  needed  assistance  at  home.  The  Red 
Cross  took  up  this  burden  and  carried  it  on  during  the  war,  and  since 
its  conclusion  has  continued  to  do  so.  That  is  the  story  of  this  or- 
ganization in  Baltimore  and  elsewhere.  Its  nature  is  essentially 
humanitarian;  it  is  dedicated  to  the  high  purpose  of  trying  in  some 
measure  to  alleviate  the  burden  which  upon  some  is  well  nigh  intol- 
erable. But  to  support  its  work  the  American  Red  Cross  depends 
today,  as  it  always  has,  on  the  American  public  to  stand  squarely 
behind  it.  Although  the  Red  Cross  may  be  called  a  semi-governmental 
agency,  inasmuch  as  it  was  created  by  an  Act  of  Congress,  and  its 
duties  are  defined  by  that  Act,  it  does  not  and  has  not  received  any 
funds  from  the  government  to  carry  on  its  work.  Membership  in  the 
local  chapter  supports  the  work,  and  carries  it  along. 

Let's  organize  and  take  out  memberships.  By  so  doing  we  can 
help  this  worthy  group  a  step  farther  along  the  high  road  of  civiliza- 
tion, making  it  more  powerful  than  ever  in  its  great  work  among  the 
unfortunate.  Remember  that  it  is  on  duty  every  day  and  every  night; 
whenever  the  call  comes,  whether  it  be  an  emergency  of  national  scope 
or  that  of  a  single  person  whose  fortunes  are  at  a  low  ebb,  the  Red 
Cross  never  fails  to  heed  the  call.  The  Baltimore  Chapter  is  calling  on 
you  now.   Don't  Fail  the  Red  Cross! 

Hyman  Cohen. 
N.  Y.  A.  (Student  Red  Cross  Worker.) 

The  Song  of  Spring 

I  wake  to  find  the  old  world  gone, 

A  new  one  in  its  place; 
The  barren  ground  is  covered  o'er 

With  turfs  and  boughs  of  lace. 
The  balmy  air  is  fresh  and  pure 

As  spring  flies  o'er  the  pines; 
A  fleecy  cloud  in  sky  of  blue 

O'er-shadows  creeping  vines. 
I  hear  the  rustling  sounds  of  leaves 

As  nature's  praise  they  sing; 
The  robins  light  'pon  beck'ning  boughs; 

All  sing  the  song  of  spring. 

Florence  Dillon. 

19 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


THE  TOWER  UGHT 

Published  monthly  by  the  students  of  the  State 
Teachers  College  at  Towson 

Editors 
William  F.  Podlich,  Jr. 
C.  Haven  Kolb,  Jr. 

Business  NLanager 
I.  H.  Miller 

Circulation  Managers  Advertising  Managers 

Irene  Shank  Elise  Meiners 

Frances  Waltemyer  Ehrma  Le  Sage 

Frances  Oehm  Doris  Pramschufer 

Harold  Goldstein 

DEPARTMENT  EDITORS 
Assembly  Athletics  General  Literature 

Max  Berzofsky         Edith  Jones  Margaret  Cooley 

Sarah  Strumsky       Morris  Miller         Mary  McClean 

Library  Music  Humor 

Wesley  Johnson       Sarena  Fried  Sidney  Tepper 

Hilda  Walker 

Social  Art  Secretarial  Staff 

Larue  Kemp  Charles  Meigs  Anna  Stidman 

Mildred  Melamet  Eulalie  Smith 

Belle  Vodenos 

$1.50  per  year  20  cents  per  copy 

Alice  Munn,  Managing  Editor 


What's  in  a  Location? 

When  the  location  for  our  College  was  selected,  the  site  was 
chosen  by  those  who  visualized  the  advantages  which  location  near 
a  large  center  of  population  brings.  Consequently,  it  requires  some- 
thing very  out  of  the  ordinary  to  prompt  unqualified  commendation. 
However,  a  murmur  of  approval  was  audible  throughout  the  entire  Col- 
lege recently  during  the  National  Flower  Show.   It  was  really  superb. 

20 


THE    rOWEK    LIGHT 


Where  Do  We  Stand? 

IN  this  season  of  life  regenerating,  a  particularly  hardy  perennial  in 
nearly  every  college  is  the  discussion  concerning  the  advisability  of 
pursuing  a  program  of  inter-collegiate  athletics.  Probably  the  main 
reason  for  the  continued  recurrence  of  this  problem  is  that  there  is  so 
much  which  can  be  said  to  support  both  sides  of  the  proposition.  It  is 
generally  conceded,  on  the  one  hand,  that  beyond  question  of  doubt 
there  are  certain  advantages  to  be  derived  from  inter-collegiate  sports. 
Foremost  among  those  potential  services  to  the  college  is  named  the 
publicity  resulting  from  the  successful  execution  of  a  worthy  athletic 
schedule.  Then,  too,  there  are  the  ties  of  cordiality  and  co-operation 
which  weld  a  fraternal  spirit  among  those  institutions  in  competitive 
athletic  endeavor.  Besides  bearing  returns  to  the  college  directly, 
inter-collegiate  athletics  are  credited  with  proving  a  great  benefit  to 
the  individuals  who  participate  actively  in  them:  the  mastery  of 
fundamental  motor  and  mental  skills  and  habits,  the  training  in  or- 
ganization and  leadership,  and  the  adjustment  to  social  situations  are 
all  personality  builders  promoted  by  such  a  program. 

It  is  just  as  generally  conceded,  however,  that  there  are  certain 
weaknesses  inherent  in  inter-collegiate  athletics.  For  instance,  under 
usual  college  conditions  the  number  of  participants  is  restricted  by  four 
factors;  namely,  the  expense  of  the  program,  the  size  of  the  squad,  the 
level  of  the  standards  of  performance,  and  the  variety  of  sports  included 
in  the  program.  Furthermore,  a  goodly  portion  of  the  athletic  budget 
must  be  diverted  from  the  purchase  of  equipment  into  the  channel  of 
traveling  expenses  and  "guarantees"  to  visiting  teams.  As  in  every 
other  intensive  activity,  the  arranging  of  a  satisfactory  schedule  of 
hours  for  academic  work,  practice,  recreation,  and  sleep  is  a  difficulty 
hard  to  overcome  in  planning  an  inter-collegiate  program. 

Contemplation  of  both  the  pictures  presented  in  the  preceding 
paragraphs  suggests  that  in  the  evaluation  of  any  program  of  athletics 
Qinter-collegiate  or  otherwise)  there  are  certain  key  questions,  the 
answers  to  which  indicate  the  quality  of  the  program. 

1.  Is  the  program  more  important  than  the  individual?  After 
answering  this  question,  the  Johns  Hopkins  University  recently  dis- 
continued emphasizing  its  football  schedule,  inaugurated  a  system  of 
intra-mural  athletics,  and  added  five  new  inter-collegiate  sports  all  on 
the  "game  for  the  player"  level,  rather  than  on  the  basis  of  "give  your 
all  for  the  college"  or  '  'victory  for  the  team  at  any  price. ' '  This  change 
in  policy  involved  scheduling  games  with  other  colleges  which  have 
the  same  attitude  towards  sports  rather  than  with  colleges  of  "high 
standing." 

21 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


2.  Do  all  participants  in  the  sports  play  in  the  actual  games,  or 
are  all  but  the  stars  benched? 

3.  Are  participants  playing  out  of  their  class? 

4.  What  is  the  percentage  of  participation?  The  cost  of  the  pro- 
gram per  participant? 

5.  Is  the  program  broad  enough  to  meet  the  majority  of  athletic 
interests  and  needs  (the  latter  especially  where  compulsory  class  at- 
tendance is  lifted  by  extra  curricular  participation)? 

6.  What  are  the  reasons  which  influence  students  to  participate? 
To  continue  participating? 

7.  Do  the  answers  to  these  questions  submitted  by  participants 
correlate  with  the  answers  submitted  by  the  athletic  staff? 

Loyalty  demands  that  we  support  the  program  now  in  operation 
at  the  College;  intelligence  demands  that  we  understand  and  evaluate 
that  system  and  that  we  be  ever  vigilant  to  better  it. 

Teacher's  Oath  Bill 

The  Te-Pa-Chi  Club  of  the  Elementary  School  of  the  State  Teach- 
ers College  at  Towson,  Maryland,  records  its  firm  opposition  and 
protest  to  the  enactment  by  the  State  Legislature  of  any  form  of  law 
requiring  members  of  the  teaching  profession  in  this  state  to  take  a 
special  oath  of  loyalty  not  required  of  other  classes  of  citizens.  Such 
legislation  is  absolutely  contrary  to  the  historic  liberal  traditions  of 
the  State  of  Maryland.  We  believe  that  it  would  be  futile  and  in- 
effectual in  accomplishing  its  avowed  purpose,  and  that  it  represents 
both  a  real  and  a  potential  danger  to  democratic  education  by  sup- 
pressing just  and  proper  discussion  of  changes  and  reforms  in  our 
political  and  economic  system. 

We  take  this  stand  for  the  following  reasons : 

1.  Such  an  oath  is  an  unjustified  reflection  on  loyalty — making  of 
teaching  a  suspect  profession. 

2.  Such  an  oath  is  unjustly  discriminatory.  It  is  not  required  of 
radio  directors  and  movie  magnates,  who  are  generally  conceded 
to  be  more  potent  than  teachers  in  swaying  public  opinion. 

3.  Such  an  oath  becomes  ridiculous  and  futile  in  practice — a  mere 
"rite." 

4.  Such  an  oath  is  dangerous  to  democratic  education  in  that  it 
suppresses  discussion  of  reforms. 

22 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


5.  Such  an  oath  in  its  administration  tends  to  abuses  and  en- 
courages espionage  by: 

a.  Threatening  academic  freedom. 

b.  Creating  an  atmosphere  of  fear. 

c.  Permitting  any  group  in  political  control  to  define  loyalty. 

6.  Such  an  oath  tends  toward  regimentation  of  education  and 
ideas.  (Witness  what  has  happened  under  Fascism,  as  in 
Germany.) 

7.  Such  an  oath  becomes  an  embarrassment  to  colleges  and  uni- 
versities employing  foreign  lecturers. 

8.  Such  an  oath  is  class  legislation;  it  violates  the  Fourteenth 
Amendment  to  the  Constitution. 

Finally,  it  is  the  belief  of  this  group  that  while  laws  may  be  passed 
to  control  acts  and  utterances,  they  seldom  if  ever  control  a  state  of 
mind. 

The  Library— at  Your  Service 

Andreas  Latzko — Lafayette:  a  Life — Garden  City:  Doubleday,  Doran 
and  Company:  1936.  402  pp.  $3.00. 

Like  Colonel  Lindbergh,  Lafayette's  career  was  more  or  less 
pure  luck;  but  in  both  cases  one  just  can't  dismiss  the  achievements 
as  mere  "beau  geste."  Both  had  courage  and  skill.  Lafayette  wanted 
very  much  to  learn — he  learned  well;  he  strove  to  serve — he  served  well. 

At  twenty-five  he  was  "a  hero  of  two  worlds."  He  lived  more 
than  half  a  century  longer — a  period  that  was  no  dreary  twilight.  He 
was  the  most  popular  character  during  the  French  Revolution,  and  had 
he  so  desired,  he  could  have  been  the  most  powerful.  Then  came  the 
period  when  he  was  a  nameless  convict,  exiled  in  Austria  in  severest 
confinement — branded  as  a  Reactionary.  He  lost  his  wealth,  influence, 
family  happiness,  liberty,  and  his  wife  faced  death  on  the  guillotine. 
When  he  was  at  last  grudgingly  released,  he  was  forced  to  live  in  re- 
tirement, because  he  protested  against  Napoleon's  making  himself 
Consul  for  life.  When  the  Bourbons  fell  in  1830,  once  more  he  emerged 
as  the  one  leader  whom  all  could  trust.  When  the  bourgeois  king 
proved  doubtfully  true  to  democratic  ideals,  once  more  Lafayette  op- 
posed. When,  only  a  few  months  later  he  died,  the  King  was  greatly 
relieved.  His  funeral,  attended  with  great  military  pomp,  was  meant 
less  to  honor  him  than  to  camouflage  his  true  friends. 

He  spoke  much,  but  he  was  no  orator;  he  wrote  prolifically,  but 
he  was  no  literary  genius;  he  was  a  great  politician,  but  he  did  not 

23 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


create  a  single  new  idea;  he  stood  for  one  principle  only — that  of 
political  liberty — and  he  stood  steadfastly.  Fate  gave  him  three 
chances  to  test  and  put  life  into  his  guiding  principle,  but  he  did  not 
believe  in  giving  France  liberty  to  save  her  from  a  worst  fate.  He 
shrank  from  any  move  that  might  be  interpreted  as  personal  ambition. 
"He  was  not  a  genius:  he  was  a  conscience." 

"Latzko's  book  meant  well,  and  it  reads  well.  It  is  not  great 
history  nor  is  it  great  literature.  But  in  the  kingdom  of  historical 
literature  there  are  many  mansions.  Latzko's  is  not  one  of  the  most 
solid  and  expensive  construction,  but  it  will  serve  and  is  not  to  be 
despised." 


Hilton,  James — Goodbye  Mr.  Chips^une,  1934 — Boston:  Little  Brown 
and  Co.  $1.25- 

The  mellowness  of  Sheraton  highboys  and  valuable  old  manu- 
scripts is  embodied  in  the  person  of  Mr.  Chips,  who  does  not  recall 
time  according  to  Greenwich  but  rather  from  "call  over,"  "prep," 
and  "lights  out."  For  from  the  year  1870  to  1933  "old  Chips,"  as  he 
was  affectionately  termed,  had  been  as  much  a  part  of  Brookneld  as  the 
chapel  or  the  cricket  field. 

The  institution  had  been  established  in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth  as 
a  grammar  school.  It  might  with  some  luck  have  been  as  famous  as 
Eton  and  Harrow.  Without  the  luck,  it  was  a  good  school  of  second 
rank,  producing  many  history-making  men  of  the  age. 

Mr.  Chips  came  to  Brookfield  when  he  was  very  young  but 
gradually  established  himself,  learning  much  about  the  lads  of  the 
school  as  he  watched  them  from  his  bachelor  quarters  across  the  field. 
His  special  delight  was  his  teas,  to  which  all  the  boys  went  at  one  time 
or  another. 

When  he  was  forty-eight  years  old  he  lost  his  bachelor  standing. 
Mr.  Chips  and  a  friend  went  into  the  Lake  District  for  a  short  trip. 
One  day  while  climbing  the  Great  Gable  he  perceived  a  lady  ap- 
parently waving  in  distress.  In  an  effort  to  save  her  from  impending 
disaster  he  fell  and  was  in  turn  rescued.  His  rescuer,  with  whom  he 
promptly  fell  in  love,  was  the  member  of  a  class  that  he  distrusted — 
the  class  of  radical  women  who  rode  bicycles  and  talked  glibly  of 
Shaw  and  Ibsen.  On  the  eve  of  their  wedding,  his  fiance,  Katherine, 
coined  the  phrase.  Goodbye  Mr.  Chips,  an  abbreviation  for  a  longer  and 
more  dignified  title. 

Katherine  conquered  Brookfield  as  she  conquered  Chips.  His  sense 
of  humor,  formerly  very  mild,  blossomed  into  richness.  Her  young 
idealism  worked  on  his  maturity.    "And  so  it  stood,  a  warm  vivid 

24 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


patch  on  his  life."  Through  the  rest  of  his  days  she  remained  his 
guiding  star.  Even  after  she  died,  in  childbirth,  he  did  the  things  of 
which  he  thought  she  would  be  proud. 

Twice  Chips  was  head  of  Brookfield,  once  in  1900  when  the  head 
died  of  pneumonia,  and  later  as  acting  head  during  the  war.  While 
London  was  bombarded  by  the  Germans  he  calmly  carried  on  his  Latin 
class  and  managed  to  find  in  Caesar  references  to  the  German  method  of 
warfare. 

The  boys  loved  Chips,  for  when  a  new  head  asked  him  to  resign,  a 
great  protest  arose.  Chips  loved  the  boys.  Snatches  of  names  occurred 
to  him  without  any  effort  of  memory — "Ainsworth,  Atwood,  Avan- 
more,  Babcock,  Baggs, — Unsley,  Vailes,  Wadbarn,  Wagsdaff,  Walling- 
ton.  Waters  Primus,  Waters  Secundees,  Watting,  Waveney,  Webb." 
He  often  gave  a  particular  section  of  the  remembered  list  to  the  fourth 
form  Latinists  as  an  example  of  hexameter,  "Lancaster,  Latton,  Lytton, 
Bosworth,  MacGonigall,  Mousefield."  Nothing  could  better  give 
Chips'  feelings  for  the  lads  than  part  of  his  farewell  address — "I  re- 
member all  your  faces.  I  never  forget  them.  I  have  thousands  of  faces 
in  my  mind — the  faces  of  boys.  If  you  come  and  see  one  in  the  years  to 
come — as  I  hope  you  all  will — I  shall  try  to  remember  those  older  faces 
of  yours,  but  it's  just  possible  I  shan't  be  able  to — and  then  some  day 
you'll  see  me  somewhere,  and  I  shan't  recognize  you,  and  you'll  say  to 
yourself,  'The  old  boy  doesn't  remember  me.'  But  I  do  remember  you 
— as  you  are  now.  In  my  mind  you  never  grow  up  at  all.  Never. 
Sometimes,  for  instance,  when  people  talk  to  me  about  our  respected 
chairman  of  the  governors,  I  think  to  myself,  'Ah,  yes,  a  jolly  little 
chap  with  hair  that  sticks  up  on  top — and  absolutely  no  idea  whatever 
about  the  difference  between  a  Gerund  and  a  Gerundive.' 

"Goodbye  Mr.  Chips"  is  a  dramatic  presentation  of  a  human  be- 
ing, a  vivid  human. 

Marion  Cunningham. 


Reminders 


Books  published  last  year  and  just  added  to  the  Library  are  really 
worth  reading : 

1.  DuRANTY,  Walter — I  Write  as  I  Please — New  York:  Simon  and 

Schuster:  9135.  349  pp.  $3. 

2.  Masefield,  John — Victorious  Troy — New  York :  The  Macmillan  Com- 

pany: 1935- 307pp.  $2.50. 

25 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  College  Record 

Girls*  Demonstration 

MARCH  12  and  Girls'  Demonstration!  Several  days  of,  "Freshmen 
girls  will  please  remain  for  only  a  minute  after  the  assembly," 
"All  Sophomore  girls  must  meet  in  Miss  Neunsinger's  room 
at  3  o'clock  to  finish  their  costumes,"  and  "The  Senior  girls  will  go  to 
room  215  at  3:15,"  heralded  the  approach  of  our  glorious  night. 

The  evening  began  with  entertaining  stunts.  The  Freshmen  amus- 
ingly staged  "Freshmen  Olympics"  in  which  they  were  victorious  over 
the  Sophs  and  Seniors.  The  Sophomores,  marching  on  to  the  floor  in 
airplane  formation,  gave  a  skit  contrasting  the  bicycle  days  with  those 
of  the  airplane.  The  Seniors  certainly  upheld  their  reputation  for  hav- 
ing excellent  preliminary  stunts.  They  followed  the  Red  and  Gray 
Soldier  Drill  of  the  Freshman  year,  and  the  Indian  Dance  of  last  year 
with  "Top  Hat";  a  different  version  of  the  current  song  and  the 
familiar  clog.   The  lighting  was  most  effective. 

Yells !  Cheers !  Songs !  The  optimism  and  hope  of  each  class  rose 
to  the  rafters  of  the  auditorium,  and  was  echoed  in  curiously  deep  tones 
from  the  balcony.  Each  class  tried  to  outdo  the  other  in  intricate 
dances,  breath-taking  stunts,  and  exciting  games;  yet,  with  a  friendly 
and  truly  sportsmanlike  attitude. 

Everyone  held  his  breath.  The  final  score:  Seniors  391/^;  Sopho- 
mores 392^;  Freshmen  370^.   Congratulations,  Sophomores! 

We  agree  with  Dr.  Tall  that  this  Girls'  Demonstration  was  the 
best  ever. 

Anne  Dayett. 
Mary  Sutch. 


Assemblies 


February  20 

Mr.  Bryant  Mather,  a  student  of  chemistry  at  the  Johns  Hopkins 
University,  spoke  on  the  geological  composition  of  Maryland.  He 
was  sponsored  by  the  Natural  History  Group. 

As  is  commonly  known,  chemists  have  reduced  matter  to  ninety- 
two  elements.  Besides  the  lithosphere,  Maryland  may  be  said  to  consist 
of  air,  atmosphere,  and  water,  hydrosphere.  In  the  two  latter  many 
elements  are  found.  In  the  air  we  have  nitrogen,  oxygen,  carbon,  etc. — 
altogether  a  total  of  seven  elements.  In  much  of  Maryland's  water, 
sodium,  chlorine,  bromine  and  iodine  are  found. 

16 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


It  is  in  the  earth's  crust  that  the  most  interesting  combinations 
are  discovered.  One  contains  radium  and  uranium.  Mr.  Mather  went 
on  to  outline  Maryland's  source  of  other  rare  elements.  All  the  com- 
mon metals  are  present  to  a  greater  or  lesser  extent.  Some  of  them 
were  quite  important  at  one  time.  The  dome  of  the  United  States 
Capitol  was  constructed  from  Maryland  copper.  Baltimore  was  at  one 
time  the  world's  chief  source  of  chromium,  and  it  is  said  that  $50,000 
worth  of  gold  has  been  mined  in  Montgomery  County.  Traces  of  all 
the  elements  have  been  found  in  our  state  except  that  strange  liquid 
metal,  mercury! 

March  11 

Signor  Curturi,  the  Italian  consul,  gave  us  a  "historical  exposi- 
tion" of  the  Italo-Ethiopian  conflict. 

Despite  England's  sympathy  with  Ethiopia,  it  was  Italy  that 
sponsored  the  African  nation's  entry  into  the  League  against  British 
opposition.  Italy  was  anxious  to  maintain  friendly  relations  with 
Ethiopia,  but  continual  acts  of  aggression  forced  Italy  to  take  action. 

Italy  submitted  a  memorandum  to  the  League  which  outlines 
fifty;one  acts  of  violence  on  the  part  of  the  Ethiopians  from  1923  to 
1935.  Furthermore,  it  describes  the  semi-barbaric  state  of  the  nation; 
for  example,  the  prevalence  of  slaves  and  slave  traffic  (the  king  alone 
possesses  three  thousand  slaves!).  Abyssinia's  entry  into  the  League 
was  on  condition  that  wholehearted  attempts  would  be  made  to 
civilize  her  people.  Yet  in  a  number  of  petty  kingdoms  which  were 
annexed  to  Abyssinia  with  Italy's  aid,  the  decrease  in  population  is 
appalling — in  one  section  fifteen  thousand  has  dwindled  to  nothing! 

Yet,  Signor  Curturi  tells  us,  the  League  did  not  take  the  memoran- 
dum seriously,  and  Italy  had  only  one  alternative.  The  consul  went  on 
to  say  that  Lady  Simon's  expose  on  Ethiopian  slavery,  the  disclosures 
of  Lord  Buxton,  and  the  French  memorandum  give  convincing  proof 
that  Italy  is  justified  in  her  action.  Italy  has  two  objects  in  her  cam- 
paign: (a)  civilizing  Ethiopia,  and  (b)  making  provisions  for  Italian 
expansion  and  a  source  of  sorely  needed  raw  materials. 

Walter  Rheinheimer. 


The  League  of  Young  Voters 

A  wonderful  comparison  of  international  educational  systems  was 
enjoyed  by  the  members  of  the  League  at  their  first  meeting  in  March. 
This  was  made  possible  by  their  guest  speaker.  Miss  Picard,  who  is  an 
exchange  teacher  at  the  Roland  Park  Country  School,  in  the  place  of 
an  instructor  who  is  filling  Miss  Picard's  vacancy  in  England. 

27 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Miss  Picard  informed  us  as  to  the  various  divisions  of  English 
schools.  Compulsory  school  attendance  in  England  begins  at  the  age 
of  five.  Children  leave  the  primary  schools  when  over  eleven  years  of 
age,  enter  the  secondary  schools,  and  usually  continue  in  school  until 
about  eighteen  years  old.  The  nursery  schools  are  a  recent  development 
so  there  are  only  a  few  of  them.  There  are  two  kinds  of  elementary 
schools  and  these  are  run  by  the  State.  The  first  is  the  council  school, 
which  is  very  similar  to  our  public  schools  but  includes  some  religious 
teachings.  The  other  is  the  denominational  school  of  the  Church  of 
England,  which  is  similar  to  the  public  school  except  that  its  teachings 
are  religious.  The  hours  are  from  nine  to  twelve  and  from  half  past 
one  to  four.  The  subjects  in  the  former  type  of  school  are  similar  to 
those  of  our  systems.  There  are  no  languages  and  not  much  in  the  way 
of  athletics.  However,  Miss  Picard  believes  that  the  future  will  pro- 
vide these. 

After  the  children  have  spent  five  or  six  years  in  council  schools, 
an  examination,  for  which  any  child  is  eligible,  is  the  means  of  entrance 
to  the  secondary  schools.  These  give  "Free  Places"  (the  English  use 
this  term  instead  of  scholarships)  to  the  fortunate  students,  including 
tuition  and  books.  Not  every  child  is  able  to  have  this  opportunity. 
We  might  consider  ourselves  very  lucky  when  we  learn  that  in  England 
there  are  very  few  secondary  schools  that  are  free.  During  the  present 
economic  period  of  depleted  financial  resources,  patrons  and  parents  of 
means  have  contributed  a  certain  percentage  of  the  needed  funds. 

Really  modern  schools  are  growing  up  in  England  now.  The 
leaders  in  education  are  considering  the  child's  interests  in  planning  the 
curriculum.  Girls  are  given  courses  in  home  economics,  and  boys  in 
agriculture  and  other  vocations.  Those  children  who  are  dissatisfied 
with  school  probably  leave  at  fourteen  or  fifteen  years  of  age.  Some- 
times school  work  terminates,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  because  there  are 
no  teachers. 

Young  people  who  go  to  the  secondary  schools  usually  stay  for 
four  or  five  or  even  six  years.  In  this  time  they  are  preparing  for  the 
first  examination  given  by  an  outside  board,  which  they  usually  pass. 
Instead  of  graduating  the  students  receive  age  certificates.  If  they  do 
not  leave  school  for  work,  they  return  for  advanced  study.  At  the  end 
of  this  post-preparatory  work  they  take  a  higher  examination  and,  if 
they  are  successful,  they  gain  college  admittance.  The  colleges  do  not 
wish  people  under  eighteen  years  of  age.  There  are  no  free  colleges, 
though  the  government  does  assist  these  higher  institutions.  No 
students  are  allowed  to  work  their  way  through  college. 

Particular  interest  in  the  talk  was  indicated  by  the  many  questions 
so  eagerly  asked  of  Miss  Picard. 

M.  S. 

28 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Basketball  Tournament 

The  evening  of  February  24  found  an  excited  group  of  girls  repre- 
senting the  Freshmen,  Sophomore  and  Senior  basketball  teams  in 
Newell  Hall  dining  room.  Here  we  were  served  a  delicious  dinner. 
One  of  the  coaches  enjoyed  her  dinner  so  much  that  she  completely 
ignored  the  song  request  to  "Stand  Up." 

At  7  o'clock  everyone  was  in  the  Auditorium  fit  as  a  fiddle  and 
ready  for  basketball.  The  Frosh  started  off  in  a  big  way  by  defeating 
Soph  B,  19-11.  Then  Soph  A  played  the  Seniors — What  a  game!  !  ! 
The  Sophs  were  victorious  18-15-  Next,  Soph  A  retaliated  by  defeating 
the  Freshmen  13-5-  Yeah,  Sophomores!  {Ferh.3iips  the  Freshmen  and 
Seniors  ate  too  much  pie  i  la  mode.    Is  that  possible???) 

The  line  up: 

Senior  Soph  A             Soph  B  Freshmen 

F. —    M.  Vogelman  M.  McClean    N.  Howeth  D.  Brandt 

F. —    A.  Boone  D.  Shipley       H.  Mclntyre  D.  Hoopes 

C. —    B.  Straining  E.  Cissel           E.  Pennington  L.  Firey 

S.C. — R.  Merryman  A.  Stidman      E.  Ward  D.  Anthony 

G. —  A.  Dayett  J.  Dousha        M.  Clark  K.  Mentis 

G. —  H.  Ayres  G.  Wilson  A.  Mitzel 
Substitutes : 

Stevens  R.  Howard  A.  Griffith 

Jones  F.  Jones  C.  Rosenberg 
Yenkinson 

Betty  Straining. 


Notes 

Student  Council  Officers — 1936-37 
General  Student  Council: 

President Virginia  Hagerty 

Vice-President Betty  Lee  Rochfort 

Secretary Ruth  Spicer 

Treasurer Louis  Cox 

Junior  Representative Frances  Jones 

Sophomore  Representative John  Owens 

29 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Day  Student  Council: 

President Roger  Williams 

Vice-President Charles  Haslup 

Secretary-Treasurer Katherine  Parsley 

Junior  Representative Edward  Hamilton 

Sophomore  Representative Bernard  Gamerman 

Resident  Student  Council: 

President Elizabeth  Cissel 

Vice-President Julia  Over 

Secretary-Treasurer Dorothy  Anthony 


Te-Pa-Chi  Club:  Larue  Kemp. 

At  the  March  meeting  of  the  Te-Pa-Chi  Club  held  in  the  Campus 
Elementary  School,  Dr.  George  A.  Harap,  Jr.,  who  had  been  asked  by 
the  parents  and  teachers  to  get  the  facts  of  the  teacher's  oath  agitation, 
gave  a  brief  but  very  clear  and  conclusive  summary  of  both  the  past  and 
present  situations  concerning  the  oath  bill.  At  the  conclusion  of  this 
talk,  a  resolution  condemning  such  a  bill  was  unanimously  passed. 
(See  page  22.) 

During  the  same  meeting,  Mr.  Moser  presented  a  thought-provok- 
ing address  decrying  the  distressing  fact  that  in  our  civilization  the 
advance  of  the  social  sciences  has  lagged  woefully  behind  the  develop- 
ment of  the  natural  sciences.  This  condition  is  attributed  to  the  current 
superficial  interpretation  of  the  fundamental  meaning  and  significance 
of  science  which  has  allowed  chance  rather  than  intelligence  to  direct 
its  progress.  (See  the  Tower  Light:  January  and  February,  1936.) 
Furthermore,  we  have  not  made  adequate  or  general  use  of  the  scientific 
means  at  our  disposal,  nor  have  we  escaped  retrogression.  Can  the 
concept  of  science  as  a  process — a  logical,  unbiased  weighing  of  facts, 
experimentation,  and  rationalization — be  made  universal  enough  to 
bring  about  a  balance  of  the  sciences?  Revaluation  of  the  curriculum, 
planned  education  from  the  cradle  to  the  grave,  and  training  in  the 
method  and  spirit  of  science  is  the  answer. 

Another  of  the  interesting  features  of  this  meeting  was  the  exhibit 
arranged  to  show  what  has  been  done  with  the  money  appropriated 
by  the  Te-Pa-Chi  Club  to  the  Campus  School  for  the  pvirpose  of  pro- 
viding richer  experience  for  the  children.  The  exhibit  indicated  that 
in  the  budgeting  of  the  funds  both  the  aesthetic  and  the  practical 
aspects  of  life  were  considered.  A  list  of  the  items  would  include  visual 
education  machines,  illustrative  material,  athletic  equipment,  chil- 

30 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


dren's  books  (classic,  contemporary  fiction,  and  reference),  industrial 
arts  material,  musical  instruments  (including  a  radio  and  victrolas  with 
the  necessary  records),  toys,  picture  frames,  and  tapestries.  Since  the 
children  and  teachers  are  trained  to  cherish  each  addition  to  this  equip- 
ment, the  result  will  be  cumulative. 

Philadelphia^  Ho!  Helen  McIntyre. 

On  Wednesday,  March  4,  a  group  of  sophomore  science  students 
and  others  went  with  Dr.  Lynch  to  Philadelphia.  The  purpose  of  the 
trip  was  to  visit  the  Franklin  Institute  and,  incidentally.  Independence 
Hall. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  all  the  students  were  on  time,  but — the  bus 
was  late.  We  sang  under  the  leadership  of  Director  Gene  Rush,  gos- 
siped, and  one  student  even  read  several  pages  of  "Anthony  Adverse" ! 
Mr.  Klier,  running  true  to  form,  took  two  road  maps  along  to  check 
up  on  the  driver. 

We  trooped  into  Independence  Hall,  listened  to  the  guide  tell  us 
its  history,  climbed  all  around  the  liberty  bell,  peeped  through  the 
massive  keyholes,  and  signed  our  names  in  the  record  book. 

The  bus,  which  was  late  again,  took  us  to  the  Franklin  Institute. 
After  securing  our  tickets,  we  proceeded  to  the  Physics  Department. 
There  we  sprained  our  index  fingers  following  the  directions  of  the 
signs,  "To  operate,  press  button."  Everyone  on  the  trip  now  has, 
UNDOUBTEDLY,  a  thorough  and  complete  understanding  of  the 
phenomena  of  sound,  light,  heat,  and  mechanics. 

At  the  planetarium  the  position  of  the  stars  in  relation  to  the 
calendar  was  explained,  and  a  changing  picture  of  the  heavens  up  to 
March  4,  1937,  was  shown.  A  year  passed  while  we  listened  and 
looked;  one  bright  member  of  our  group  remarked  that  after  that  length 
of  time  he  sorta  'spected  he  needed  a  shave. 

The  group  then  scattered  all  over  the  building — wandering  in  the 
medical  department,  listening  to  lectures  about  telescopes  and  liquid 
air,  watching  the  revolutions  of  the  planets,  examining  radio  tubes, 
and  running  the  mallets  (locomotives,  to  you). 

At  six  we  ambulated  back  to  the  bus  (on  time  for  a  change)  and 
made  for  home. 

A  Scavenger  Hunt  R.  Hunter. 

A  corpse,  a  black  eye,  a  horseshoe,  a  lock  of  red  hair!  In  search 
of  such  things  as  these  the  Marshals  left  Miss  Van  Bibber,  their  hostess, 
at  the  College  Club  on  March  thirteenth.  Strange  people  were  ac- 
costed; strange  places  were  entered;  our  members  one  by  one  came  back 

31 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


triumphant  with  a  pink  garter  or  a  crab  claw.  Finally  all  returned  to 
the  Club  to  show  the  spoils  and — eat.  Or  isn't  that  important?  Let's 
have  another  one  soon. 

Lutheran  Student  Conference 

From  February  28  to  March  1  Miss  Fastie,  Miss  Le  Sage,  Miss 
Meiners,  and  Miss  Snyder  with  Miss  Neunsinger  attended  the  Lutheran 
Student  Conference  for  the  Middle  Atlantic  States  held  at  Gettysburg 
College. 

Eighth  Annual  Men's  Revue  Is  adore  Cohen. 

On  March  20th  and  21st,  the  Men's  Club  sponsored  its  Eighth 
Annual  Men's  Revue  at  the  State  Teachers  College.  It  was  an  experi- 
ment in  entertainment  which  was  tried  for  the  first  time  at  the  College. 
The  entire  production  was  worked  on  a  student  co-operative  system 
and  met  with  un predicted  success.  The  chorus  of  singers  should  be 
congratulated  upon  their  fine  performance,  which  has  not  been  excelled 
in  the  history  of  the  school.  The  Scenery  and  Properties  Committees 
deserve  all  the  praise  bestowed  upon  them  for  the  dramatic  effects  pro- 
duced through  their  efforts.  We  all  take  our  hats  off  to  Mr.  Edward 
MacCubbin  for  the  masterful  piece  of  work  that  he  did  in  teaching  and 
directing  the  music  of  the  show. 

May  I  also  take  this  opportunity  to  thank  Dr.  Tall,  Dr.  Dowell, 
Mr.  Minnegan,  Miss  Weyforth  and  the  other  faculty  members  who  gave 
so  generously  of  their  time  and  effort  to  make  the  show  what  it  was. 

The  T.  L.  Movie  Bulletin 

The  Tower  Light  serves  you  in  another  way.  We  have  recently 
inaugurated  a  Movie  Bulletin  Board.  Each  week  we  post  stills,  given 
by  the  leading  theaters  in  Baltimore,  advertising  the  worthwhile  pic- 
tures to  be  seen.  The  committee  (Miss  Rutledge,  Dr.  Crabtree,  E. 
La  Sage,  W.  Johnson)  meet  weekly,  bringing  reviews  and  comments 
about  the  pictures.  Then  we  decide  as  a  body  whether  it  is  good 
entertainment.  The  clippings  and  short  reviews  are  to  aid  (in  case 
you've  missed  the  shows  at  the  downtown  theaters)  in  reminding  you 
to  see  them  at  local  theaters.  By  June,  we  hope  to  have  you  acquainted 
with  the  complete  history  of  the  life  of  a  motion  picture.  We  welcome 
any  suggestions  or  material  from  you,  since  it  is  primarily  your  bulletin 
board. 

32 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


Alumni  News 

An  Echo  of  the  Floods 

UNDER  date  of  March  20,  Jerry  Nathanson,  '35,  now  a  student  in 
the  Department  of  Physical  and  Health  Education  at  the 
Teachers  College  of  Temple  University,  writes  to  Dr.  Dowell: 
"...  Last  week  six  of  us  took  the  Red  Cross  First  Aid  exams, 
and  passed  them.  .  .  .  Two  days  ago  the  floods  started  up  in  northern 
Pennsylvania,  and  Johnstown  as  well  as  the  Pittsburgh  area  was 
flooded.  Numerous  injuries  and  deaths  were  reported.  We  First  Aiders 
were  rushed  up  there  with  the  National  Guard,  and  for  forty-eight 
hours  we  really  worked  our  heads  off.  We  came  back  here  for  a  day 
and  will  shove  off  again  tomorrow  for  further  service.  .  .  .  The  sight 
that  met  our  eyes  when  we  first  got  to  Johnstown  was  terrifying. 
There  were  people  with  broken  arms,  ribs,  legs,  heads,  etc.  Many 
were  suffering  from  shock  and  were  bleeding.  Some  were  burned, 
others  suffered  from  exposure.  I  have  never  had  such  valuable  ex- 
perience and  practical  work.  .  .  .  My  plans  to  see  the  coming  Men's 
Revue  are  naturally  'blown  up.'  I'll  be  upstate  'amid  swirling  waters 
and  broken  skulls'." 

Where  the  Class  of '35  is  Teaching 

Douglas,  Mary  Ann Baltimore  City 

Duncan,  Pauline Grades  one-seven,  Harford  County 

Earl,  Carol Baltimore  City 

Eckstein,  Alverta Rural  school,  Baltimore  County 

Ehrhart,  Marguerite Baltimore  City 

Epstein,  Jacob Baltimore  City 

Evans,  William. . .  .Grades  three,  four  and  five,  Anne  Arundel  County 

Fantom,  Frances Baltimore  City 

Farbman,  Hilda Baltimore  City 

Feltman,  Jose Baltimore  City 

Gilbert,  Katherine Baltimore  City 

Goedeke,  Eleanor Baltimore  City 

Goldberg,  Milton Baltimore  City 

Gonce,  Dorothy Baltimore  City 

Gonce,  William Baltimore  City 

Goodhand,  Elizabeth Graded  school.  Prince  George  County 

Gottlieb,  Pearl Baltimore  City 

Grauling,  Charlotte Baltimore  City 

Gray,  Caroline Graded  school.  Prince  George  County 

33 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  Kaleidoscope 

(Ed. — "Si  peccasse  negamus,  falUmur,  et  nulla  est  in  nobis  Veritas."^ 

WE  learn  from  a  usually  reliable  source  that  Spring  is  at  last 
here.  Our  correspondent  states  that  robins  have  been  seen 
stalking  possessively  acrossing  the  greening  campus,  that 
tree  buds  are  abursting,  and  that  Dr.  Dowell's  desk  has  been  graced 
with  a  charming  bouquet  of  skunk  cabbage.  Anon  the  nurseries  will 
develop  unusual  attractions  which  it  is  hoped  the  Freshmen  will  soon 
discover,  for,  along  with  tulips  and  crocuses,  knighthood  must  in- 
evitably flower.  Already  have  we  caught  in  the  eyes  of  several  sweet 
maidens  that  starry  brightness,  that  soft  gray  dreaminess  w^hich  is  the 
shining  lure  to  all  poor  fish. 

Master  Curland  has  undoubtedly  set  his  classmates  a  goodly  ex- 
ample with  his  noble  quest  for  truly  beauteous  damsels.  But  (O  tem- 
poral) his  gleaming  armour  bore  taint  of  commercialism  (O  Mores!) 
— peanut  chews,  chocolate  bars,  and  soft  drinks!  While  our  thoughts 
are  on  the  Men's  Revue  it  might  not  be  inappropriate  to  add  that  a 
well-known  artist,  quondam  lecturer  on  Mexico,  and  advertiser  of  no 
little  talent,  was  seen  in  the  wings  during  one  performance  gazing  at  a 
certain  alto  classmate  w^ith  what  might  not  inaccurately  be  described 
as  ardor. 

Diving  still  more  deeply  into  the  Revue  maze  we  emerge  from  the 
muck  with  the  following  choice  items : 

1.  Last  year's  graduates  were  conspicuous  at  both  performances. 
Many  appeared  inordinately  prosperous. 

2.  Alumni  of  other  classes  were  not  infrequently  noted.  Fully 
fifty  per  cent  of  the  male  portion  of  the  class  of  thirty-three  was 
in  evidence — Eddie  Gersuk  and  Mike  Salzman. 

3.  Sorrowfully  we  must  report  that  the  dapper  Mr.  Wheatley  is 
just  like  the  rest  of  the  herd.  Constancy  is  not  in  him.  At  the 
moment  it's  Betsy. 

4.  It  was  an  ennobling  experience.  "Mighty  Lak  a  Rose";  the 
sweet  maternal  expression  on  the  face  of  the  stately  Fourth 
Year  Senior  maid;  Schreiber's  curly  head  peacefully  in  her  lap. 
It's  a  pity  the  audience  was  not  able  to  see  that  beatific  tableau 
at  the  Saturday  performance. 

5.  The  omnivorous  Chet  Smith  performed  a  service  for  the  Re- 
freshment Committee  (and  incidentally  recouped  the  energy 
lost  in  slinging  around  properties)  by  downing  a  viscid  mass  of 

34 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


slightly  overheated  ice  cream.  This  willing  scavenger  is  pro- 
gressing in  commendable  fashion  and,  with  continued  exercise 
and  training,  may  eventually  come  to  be  regarded  as  a  really 
worthy  successor  to  Davies. 

And  now  to  romance: 

The  droning  noise  over  the  dormitories  is  our  nurse's  knight- 
errant  zooming  greeting  with  his  winged  steed.  At  least,  we  are  fold 
he  is  an  aviator — and  if  our  last  sentence  be  true  he  had  better  be  a 
good  one. 

Have  you  seen  Archibald?  Those  deep  brown  eyes!  That  wavy 
auburn  hair!  It's  true,  girls,  his  ears  are  a  trifle  large,  yet  can  ye  resist 
his  impudent  glance  when  he  puts  on  the  dog? 

A  popular  male  driver  is  trying  to  keep  his  yellow  roadster  filled 
with  blondes.   Is  this  a  color  scheme  or  some  other  kind  of  scheme? 

La  Owens  seems  not  unacquainted  with  the  advantages  of  variety: 
four  different  boys  at  as  many  dances. 

Florence  O'Donnell  rates  a  notice  for  daring  to  ask  Mr.  Walther,  of 
all  people,  if  he  didn't  speak. 

Windy  Gordon  eats  his  lunch  practically  on  the  run  to  Newell 
Hall.  Why? 

A  red-haired  Freshman  stalks  the  halls  with  stony  gaze  since  she 
went  to  Rockville.  At  this  our  cynical  editor  smiles,  laughs  tolerantly 
and  quotes  Shakespeare  to  the  effect  that  men  have  died,  etc.  How- 
ever, such  affairs  always  strike  this  writer  as  singularly  pitiful.  So 
much  so  that  we  have  incidentally  made  the  interesting  scientific 
discovery  that  teardrops  do  not  cause  typewriter  ink  to  run. 

But  enough  of  this ! 

It  is  our  not  altogether  unpleasant  duty  to  record  that  Herr 
Shpritz  was  able  to  announce  that  the  Freshman  Dance  was  a  moral 
success.  We  travel  swiftly.  It  is  not  many  years  since  such  a  statement 
would  have  been  regarded  as  patently  paradoxical. 

Dr.  Tall  has  set  forth  on  the  annual  round-up  (i.e.,  the  enrollment 
campaign  has  begun).  Her  zeal  carried  her  to  battle  with  the  Potomac. 
At  present  writing  we  are  not  yet  quite  certain  about  the  outcome  of 
the  jousting  but,  after  visiting  our  President  in  her  office  on  sundry 
occasions  of  small  pleasure,  we  are  giving  12  to  1  odds  on  Dr.  Tall. 

Speaking  of  campaigns,  did  Gamerman  or  Meigs  do  the  better  job? 
Perhaps  they  may  be  persuaded  to  combine  their  talents  in  the  interests 
of  the  College. 

35 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


And  speaking  of  the  Potomac,  how  did  it  know  this  was  an  elec- 
tion year?  Reports  indicate  that  it  has  left  enough  material  in  lower 
Washington  to  outfit  several  respectable  campaigns. 

It  may,  perhaps,  be  remembered  that  a  senior  class  once  publicly 
held  the  motto  of  Maryland  to  be  unprofessional.  We  hold  it  a  heart- 
ening omen  that  the  Fourth  Year  Seniors  in  congress  assembled  have 
redeemed  the  noble  sentiment,  "Crescite  et  multiplicamini."  Details 
of  their  plan  for  the  preservation  of  posterity  may  be  obtained  from 
Mr.  Cohen,  or  a  copy  will  be  mailed  in  a  plain  envelope  on  receipt  of 
ten  cents. 

Ah!  Mystery!   Why  does  Miss  Tansil  go  to  Washington? 

Hail !  The  conquering  heroes  come !  Seniors  all  are  at  last  reunited. 
Student  teaching  safely  o'er,  all  worries  behind — Forward  to  May 
Day,  the  Prom,  Class  Night,  Commencement — and  Professionals !  Let 
joy  be  unconfined. 

To  all  our  dear  readers  who  have  persevered  thus  far  we  wish  to 
announce  that  a  complete  key  to  all  esoteric  allusions  will  be  found  on 
page  forty-one. 

How  Much  Literature  Do  You  Know  ? 

Name  the  authors  which  these  statements  suggest  to  you: 

1.  A  Knight  of  old  loved  to  do  it. 

2.  A  brighter  and  smarter  one. 

3.  II. 

4.  Results  of  a  fire. 

'  5.  It  comes  from  a  pig  and  a  certain  Freshman  loves  it. 

6.  An  electric  wire. 

7.  And  he  thinks  he  is  singing  when  he  produces  it. 

8.  A  popular  Baltimore  theatre. 

9.  The  son  of  a  famous  author. 

10.  A  part  of  an  automobile. 

11.  Characteristic  of  an  oyster. 

Answers 
1.  Shakespeare;  2.  Whittier;  3.  Mark  Twain;  4.  Burns;  5-  Bacon; 
6.  Cabell;  7.  A.  Noyes;  8.  Keats;  9.  Dickinson;  10.  Hood;  11.  Shelley. 

Don. 
36 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


As  You 
Like  It 


THIS  is  the  humor  edition  of  the  Tower  Light.  In  the  preceding 
pages  you  have  read  jokes,  puns,  etc.,  so  all  I  can  do  now  is  add 
— a  little  column  addition — eh,  what? 

Let's  start  the  column  bowling  this  month  by  adding  our  tid-bit 
to  the  nation-wide  safety  campaign.  All  right,  you  vehicle  villains, 
pull  over  to  the  curb  and  prepare  to  take  a  rhythmic  spanking. 

TREES 

I  think  that  I  shall  never  see 
Along  the  road  an  unscraped  tree 
With  bark  intact  and  painted  white 
That  no  car  ever  hit  at  night. 
For  every  tree  that's  near  the  road 
Has  caused  some  auto  to  be  towed. 
Sideswiping  trees  is  done  a  lot 
By  drivers  who  are  not  so  hot. 
God  gave  them  eyes  so  they  could  see 
Yet  any  fool  can  hit  a  tree. 

And  now  you  poor,  dear,  little  innocent  pedestrians,  read  this  and  leap! 

Spring  and  a  million  cars  out — 

Spring  when  the  motors  hum — 
So  if  you  go  out  walking — 

Spring  when  you  see  them  come ! ! ! 

Take  the  advice  of  the  elements,  my  comrade  pounders  of  the  pave- 
ments; Remember,  the  year  is  leap;  the  season,  spring — Get  it? 

Now  a  little  homage  to  April,  the  foster  little  mother  of  all 
humorists.    May  we  present  a  little  Aprilfoolishness : 

"I've  lived  an  Englishman;  I  was  born  an  Englishman;  and  I'll 
die  an  Englishman." 

Voice  from  the  crowd:  "Mon,  have  you  no  ambition?" 


37 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Teacher:  "What  was  the  chief  recreation  of  the  old  feudal  lords?" 
Frosh:  "Riding  the  serf." 

Speaker : '  'What  will  the  girl  of  eighteen  be  three  years  from  now?' ' 
Bored  listener:  "Twenty-one." 

Nick-Nacks: 

Collegiate  viewpoint:  It  isn't  the  girl  that  counts,  it's  what  she 

stands  for! 

Wand  ad:  "Man,  honest,  will  take  anything." 
Motto  for  our  cafeteria:  "What  foods  these  morsels  be." 
Women  who  look  into  mirrors  a  lot  soon  get  a  glassy  stare. 
Seen  on  the  bulletin  board:  "Lost  a  silver  Eversharp  by  a  member 

of  Senior  3  with  an  engraved  head." 

I've  been  reading  up  on  Latin  lately;  here  is  the  fruit  of  my 
research : 

"Boyibus  kissibus  sweet  girlorum 
Girlibus  Likibus  want  some-orem 
Popibus  seeibus 
Kickum  Boyum  out  front  doorem." 

Well,  so  long,  and  if  student  teaching  isn't  too  tough  I'll  bewith 
you  next  month. 

Your  humor  editor, 

SiD  "Mirth-y"  Tepper. 


€i:ii^&.^i£S^ 


As  I  Pass  By 

I  am  the  lashing  rain, 

Drear  and  bleak, 

Flooding  streets 

And  venting  my  vengeance 

On  men. 

Impassionate  and  ruthless, 

As  I  pass  by. 

Frances  Fantom,  '35. 


38 


It  pays  to  stop  at  the 

511  York  Road                                                  Opposite  Motion  Picture  Theatre 
Full-Fashioned  Silk  Hose— Chiffon  or  Service  Weight— 59c  pair 

THE 

TOWSON  NATIONAL 

BANK 

Towson,  Maryland 

ESTABLISHED  1886 

LOUISE  BEAUTY  SHOPPE 

32  YORK  ROAD 

Smart  Distinctive  Waves  and 
Haircuts  at  Moderate  Prices 

Convenient  for  State  Teachers  College 

Phone:  Towson  1022 

You  Will  Enjoy  Our 

SUNDAES  and  SODAS 
and  HOT  LUNCHES 

ARUNDEL  ICE  CREAM  SHOPPE 

420  York  Road              Towson,  Md. 

Compliments 

of 

Hochschild,  Kohn  &  Co. 

Phone,  PLaza  3733 

F.  W.  PRAMSCHUFER 

OF 

MERCHANTS  8b  MANUFACTURERS 
INSURANCE  AGENCY 

AGENTS  OF  THE  HOME  INSURANCE  CO. 

OF  NEW  YORK 

Underwriters  Department 

38  South  Street      Baltimore,  Md. 

i^TOWSON^ 

((nurseries  H 

TOWSON,  MARYLAND 
It's  really  a  home  when  it's  planted  by  Towson 

You  will  find  at  Hutder's 

The  Smartest  of  Clothes 

The  Fairest  of  Prices 

The  Best  of  Service 

HUTZLERBPQTHEIS€ 

Baltimore,  Md. 

Compliments  of 

HORN-SUPREME 
Ice  Cream  Co. 

Circulating  Library               Log  Cabin  Candles 

THE  WILLOW  KNIT  AND 

GIFT  SHOPPE 

208  York  Road,  Towson,  Md. 

Cards  for  All  Occasions 

Knitting  and  Instruction 

Complete  Line  of  Gifts  and  Novelties 

CHRYSLER                   PLYMOUTH 

CHENOWETH  MOTORS 

Reliable  Used  Cars 

HARFORD  AND  JOPPA  ROADS 

Telephone,  Boulevard  188 

Service                           Satisfaction 

Compliments 

of  a 
FRIEND 

Second  National  jSank 
of  i:otDSon,  IM 

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Phone  Towson  362  for  Free  Delivery 

503-5  York  Road 

MASON'S  GARAGE  & 
SERVICE  STATION 

Official  AAA  Station 
Towson,  Md. 
24-Hour  Service 

Support  Our  Advertisers 

Spring 

Oh  lovely  Spring  that  God  has  sent  to  man 

To  cheer  his  heart  and  bid  him  hope  again. 
Oh  mighty  work  from  out  the  Master's  hand. 

Thou  joyous  promise  of  the  golden  grain. 
Art  sprung  of  soil?  Art  born  of  common  clay? 

Or  torn  from  chilling  winter's  barren  breast? 
This  life,  new  born,  this  golden,  blushing  May, 

With  trees  and  fields  in  fragrant  blossoms  dressed 
In  rainbow  hues,  as  soft  as  baby  cheeks. 

And  streams  a-flowing  woke  by  Spring's  sweet  breath; 
While  crickets  call  out  loudly  from  the  creeks, 

And  tingling  earth  awakens  as  from  death? 
Above  all  other  blessings  life  can  bring, 
Rejoice,  oh  man,  and  thank  thy  God  for  Spring. 

Doris  Burtnett. 

—  an 


teias       \ 


'  ^  t^.j 


are  usua 


Uy  th 


\  ^H. 


ere 


^>. 


Lejre  mild  and  yet 


>36.  LJCGfcTT  &  M^-£Rs  Tobacco  Co. 


THOMSEN-B-EIXIS 


T0«  UUfii 


TRAVEL   NUMBER/^^-«^'7'«MAy  1936 

"^i  LIBRHRV  y 


It  pays  to  stop  at  the 

511  York  Road                                                  Opposite  Motion  Picture  Theatre 
Full-Fashioned  Silk  Hose— Chiffon  or  Service  Weight— 59c  pair 

THE 

TOWSON  NATIONAL 

BANK 

Towson,  Maryland 

ESTABLISHED  1886 

LOUISE  BEAUTY  SHOPPE 

32  YORK  ROAD 

Smart  Distinctive  Waves  and 
Haircuts  at  Moderate  Prices 

Convenient  for  State  Teachers  College 

Phone:  Towson  1022 

You  Will  Enjoy  Our 

SUNDAES  and  SODAS 
and  HOT  LUNCHES 

ARUNDEL  ICE  CREAM  SHOPPE 

420  York  Road              Towson,  Md. 

Compliments 

of 

Hochschild,  Kohn  &  Co. 

Phone,  PLaza  3733 

F.  W.  PRAMSGHUFER 

OF 

MERCHANTS  8b  MANUFACTURERS 
INSURANCE  AGENCY 

AGENTS  OF  THE  HOME  INSURANCE  CO. 

OF  NEW  YORK 

Underwriters  Department 

38  South  Street      Baltimore,  Md. 

/^TOWSON  ^ 
((   NURSERIES  )) 

TOWSON,  MARYLAND 
It's  really  a  homa  when  it's  planted  by  Towson 

You  will  find  at  Hutzler's 

The  Smartest  of  Clothes 

The  Fairest  of  Prices 

The  Best  of  Service 

HUTZLERBPQTHERS€ 

Baltimore,  Md. 

Compliments  of 

hornSsupreme 

Ice  Cream  Co. 

Circulating  Library               Log  Cabin  Candies 

THE  WILLOW  KNIT  AND 
GIFT  SHOPPE 

208  York  Road,  Towson,  Md. 

Cards  for  All  Occasions 

Knitting  and  Instruction 

Complete  Line  of  Gifts  and  Novelties 

CHRYSLER                   PLYMOUTH 

CHENOWETH  MOTORS 

Reliable  Used  Cars 

HARFORD  AND  JOPPA  ROADS 

Telephone,  Boulevard  188 

Service                           Satisfaction 

CONTENTS 

Cover George  Horn 

Illustrations Malcolm  Da  vies 

Charles  Meigs 

PAGE 

Frontispiece 

Gertrude  Carley 3 

Poems  by  Gertrude  Carley 4 

Travel  Fever 8 

The  Log  of  a  Mountain  Cruise 11 

The  Traveler — Poems 12 

Up  Charles  Street 13 

Cheap  Travel. 15 

See  Maryland , 16 

I  Must  be  Out — A  Poem 17 

Wonderland  Around  the  Corner 18 

Travel  in  the  Antarctic 20 

A  Story  of  Red  Sunday 21 

Why  not  a  Garden? 24 

"Away  to  the  Gaspe!" 25 

Editorials 26 

The  Music  Educators  National  Conference 28 

The  Library — at  Your  Service 31 

The  College  Record 33 

Kaleidoscope. 37 

Spring  Sports 39,  42 

As  You  Like  It 40 

Our  Advertisers i,  42 


1935      Member       1936 

Plssocided  GoUeSiote  Press 


THE 

TOWER  LIGHT 


State  Teachers  College 

TOWSON,  MARYLAND 


Autumn 

Low  flies  the  loon 

Low  lie  the  lands  beneath  her  wings, 

Low  lie  the  huddled  reeds. 

A  melancholy  finger  of  the  sun 

Thrusts  itself  into  the  marsh  and  w^eeds. 

The  loon  flies  low 

And  shatters  the  silence  with  her  cry. 


Gertrude  Carley. 


THE  TOWER  LIGHT 


Vol.  IX  MAY,  1936  No.  8 


(gertrube  Carle? 


MISS  Gertrude  Carley,  who  recently  passed  away  after  a  linger- 
ing illness,  had  been  Registrar  here  at  the  College  for  nine 
years.  In  the  time  she  was  with  us  she  built  up  her  department 
to  the  place  where  only  a  well  trained  registrar  could  pick  it  up  and 
take  it  to  its  present  level  of  efficiency. 

Miss  Carley  was  a  versatile  woman  with  a  profound  interest  in 
music,  art,  and  beauty  generally.  Those  of  the  students  who  visited 
her  in  her  apartment  know  what  a  charming  colonial  atmosphere  it 
had  with  its  shining  pewter,  its  old  maps,  and  its  antique  furniture. 
She  never  lost  her  interest  in  the  College,  coming  back  from  time  to 
time  to  revive  her  associations,  to  give  suggestions,  and  to  imbue  us 
with  her  spirit.  To  her  this  institution  was  always  a  personal  thing 
in  which  she  had  put  nine  years  of  her  effort  and  herself.  Her  interest 
in  the  Tower  Light,  as  in  all  literary  things,  was  particularly  appeal- 
ing, and  from  time  to  time  her  own  poems  appeared  in  its  issues. 

Miss  Carley  was  large  in  vision  and  enthusiasm;  she  was  a  dreamer 
but  a  practical  one.  Her  poems  show  her  idealism;  her  life  showed  un- 
usual ability  in  practical  management  of  affairs.    We  miss  her. 

Lid  A  Lee  Tall. 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Poems 

Editors'  Note — ^The  following  poems  show  Miss  Carley's  literary  ability  and  versatility. 


To  An  English  Bishop 

(He  was  standing  on  a  corner) 

I'm  glad  I'm  not  the  daughter 

Of  a 

Noble 

English 

Bishop  .... 

I  wouldn't  mind  his  apron, 

Though  to 

Its  use 

I'm  blind; 

I  wouldn't  mind  his  collar. 

Buttoned 

Carefully 

Behind. 

I  wouldn't  mind  his  hairless  head. 

Nor  how 

He  wore 

His  face; 

I  wouldn't  mind  his  sermons. 

Typed  well 

By  me 

With  grace. 

I  wouldn't  mind  his  long,  black  coat. 

Nor  wrinkles 

In  his 

Trousers  (?); 

I  wouldn't  mind  his  funny  thoughts 

Nor  how 

He  failed 

To  rouse  us. 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


I  wouldn't  mind  his  manners 

If  he 

Were  the  worst 

Of  satyrs, 

But  doggone  if  I'd  ever  sew 

The  buttons 

On  his  Gaiters! 

Refrain  (to  be  sung  with  a  gay  lilting  air): 
Oh,  I'm  glad  I'm  not  the  daughter  of  a 
Lordly 

English 

Bishop  .... 

Nantucket  Island, 
July  12,  1927. 


I  Know 

I  know  where  the  fairies  hide  .... 

They're  tangled  in  your  wavy  hair, 
I  know  for  I  have  seen  them  there; 
Sometimes  they  nestle  down  behind 
Your  eyes  and  make  them  very  blind 
To  all  my  mischief  when  I  tease. 
Forgetting  "thank  you"  and  the  "please"; 
Sometimes  they're  sitting  in  your  hands 
Cleaning  little  golden  wands. 

Again  I've  seen  them  in  your  shoes 
They  make  you  skip  and  nearly  lose 
Your  DIGNITY — that  quaint,  tall  thing 
You  carry  with  you  when  you  bring 
My  porridge  to  me  in  my  bed 
When  I've  a  cold  and  must  be  fed; 
And  when  you're  almost  cross  with  me 
They  tickle  your  tongue  and  shout  with  glee! 

I  know  where  the  fairies  hide — 
Do  you? 

Or  jiou? 

Or  YOU? 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


A  Tragedy 

Do  you  know  what  has  happened  under  the  hill? 

They  say  that 

I  heard  that 

They're  all  of  them  whispering 

Pan's  heart  is 

Pan's  song  is 

Pan's  pipe  is still! 


€Ci:JSL>i£S^ 


A  Memorial  Loan  Fund 

A  very  touching  tribute  has  been  made  by  friends  of  Gertrude 
Carley  who  for  nine  years  served  this  college  so  efficiently  and  loyally 
as  its  Registrar.  It  is  in  the  form  of  a  Student  Loan  Fund,  the  idea 
having  originated  with  Miss  Carley's  brother,  Edward  K.  Carley  of 
Richmond,  Virginia.  In  his  letter  he  said,  in  part:  "You  recently 
had  occasion  to  express  your  feelings  with  regard  to  my  sister,  Gertrude 
Carley,  particularly  as  concerned  her  devotion  to  your  school.  Prob- 
ably she  was  never  happier  than  when  she  was  working  for  the  school 
and  the  interest  of  the  students.  To  the  end  that  this  obviously  mutual 
regard  may  be  perpetuated,  I  would  like  you  to  accept  the  enclosed 
check  to  be  used  for  the  establishment  of  a  Scholarship  Fund  as  a 
memorial  to  her." 

Mr.  Carley's  check  of  $250  as  the  nucleus  for  the  Loan  Fund  was 
immediately  supplemented  by  a  contribution  from  Dr.  Grace  Baker 
who  has  been  Miss  Carley's  housemate  for  many  years.  Dr.  Baker 
writes:  "On  many  occasions  she  (Miss  Carley)  asked  me  to  make 
certain  that  when  her  affairs  were  settled  something  from  her  would 
go  to  the  students.   That  is  why  I  am  sending  this  check." 

Since  the  receipt  of  Mr.  Carley's  letter  the  amount  has  been  raised 
to  $400  by  other  devoted  friends  of  Miss  Carley.  The  fund  will  be 
known  as  the  "Gertrude  Carley  Student  Loan  Fund."  Loyalty  is  a 
precious  thing.  We  speak  about  it  on  so  many  occasions  to  the  stu- 
dents. Do  the  students,  too,  sense  the  spirit  of  loyalty  to  them  on  the 
part  of  the  staff? 

LiDA  Lee  Tall. 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


"I  should  like  to  rise  and  go 
Where  the  golden  apples  grow;' 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Travel  Fever 

Note  :  The  following  article  is  composed  of  interesting  and  helpful  travel  hints  and  sug- 
gestions found  in  the  current  issues  of  some  of  our  contemporary  periodical  publications. 

SPRING  and  Travel  have  always  gone  hand  in  hand.  They  are  just  as 
inseparable  as  Romeo  and  Juliet,  hot  dogs  and  mustard,  bread  and 
butter,  and  other  such  well-known  couplets.  Rarely  in  spring, 
and  especially  in  May,  do  you  find  one  who  can  escape  the  urge  to 
travel.  As  The  Highway  Traveler  says,  "May time  brings  more  than  the 
flowers  nurtured  by  April's  showers.  It  brings  a  mighty  urge  to  be  out 
and  away  over  the  highways  of  the  pastoral  countryside — out,  as  a 
banal  phrase  has  it,  'to  commune  with  Nature'." 

Perhaps  this  tip  from  Sportswoman  will  hit  the  spot  with  you. 
"If  you've  a  taste  for  mountain  fastnesses  and  modern  conveniences 
and  the  best  society  in  the  world,  the  spring  may  be  the  time  to  stay 
right  in  the  U.S.A.  All  up  and  down  the  Appalachians  (can  be  sung 
to  the  tune  of  Swanee  River)  those  particularly  American  semi-wilder- 
nesses are  breaking  into  azalea,  dogwood,  laurel,  rhododendron,  and 
something  which  is  a  shade  of  purplish  pink." 

Even  if  you  are  fortunate  enough  to  enjoy  these  lovely  sights,  w^ill 
your  travel  fever  be  appeased?  Oh,  no!  As  the  days  become  balmier, 
the  urge  to  be  off  and  away  becomes  mightier.  For  most  of  us  it  persists 
all  through  the  summer,  growing  with  the  season.  By  the  time  June 
has  come,  many  of  us  will  be  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  pioneers.  "On 
to  Oregon,"  the  hardy  pioneers  of  old  placarded  their  prairie  schooners. 
Now,  The  Journal  of  the  National  Education  Association  tells  us,  "Pioneer 
trails  still  lead  to  Oregon.  Oregon — enchanted  land  beyond  the  Rockies 
that  attracted  the  pioneers — now  beckons  to  the  nation's  teachers  for 
the  Seventy-fourth  Annual  Convention  of  the  N.E.A.  to  be  held  in 
Portland,  June  28-July  3.  Those  who  travel  to  Portland  this  summer  on 
smooth  highways,  ribbons  of  steel  rails,  or  by  air  will  wish  to  refresh 
their  minds  as  to  the  stirring  history  of  the  western  half  of  our  nation." 

Perhaps,  your  travel  fever  is  of  a  foreign  species.  If  so,  summer 
may  find  you  in  some  romantic  port  far  from  the  United  States.  Ac- 
cording to  Sportswoman,  "This  year  there  are  over  four  hundred  cruises 
to  choose  from — a  cruise  to  suit  every  taste — every  pocketbook.  Do 
you  know  which  one  will  suit  your  requirements?' ' 

Germany  will  probably  be  very  popular  this  year.  "Why?"  you 
ask.  Travel  gives  the  answer.  "Olympic  year  is  the  World's  Festive 
Year  in  Germany.  The  Eleventh  Olympic  Games  are  centered  in  a 
grand  programme  of  exciting  attractions.  German  genius  for  organi- 
zation has  timed  these  events  so  that  you  can  enjoy  them  during  a 
glorious  vacation  in  Germany." 

8 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


But  how  will  you  travel?  Travel  thinks  that  "Ulysses  is  the  model 
for  all  travelers  to  follow.  He  did  not  know  (or  care)  whether  the 
gulfs  would  wash  him  down  or  whether  he  would  reach  the  happy 
isles.  Any  new  thrill  (such  as  German  sport)  in  one's  traveling  is 
reason  enough  to  sail." 

And  speaking  of  sailing  to  Europe,  here's  a  helpful  suggestion 
offered  by  Sportswoman.  "A  good  preview  to  a  trip  to  Europe  is 
a  visit  to  the  Frich  museum.  The  set-up  compares  quite  favorably  with 
a  luxury  liner — except  that  only  one  deck  is  open  to  you,  the  attend- 
ants don't  serve  tea,  and  some  of  the  furniture  is  roped  off.  However, 
the  floor  will  have  that  most  charming  of  all  qualities  in  floors :  it  will 
be  on  the  level." 

Of  course,  as  this  article  subtly  suggests,  the  real  floor  will  not 
always  be  level.  In  this  event,  you  may  be  forced  to  remain  in  your 
cabin.  It  is  then  that  you  will  appreciate  friends  who  read  such  ad- 
vertisements as  this  one  from  Travel,  "Daily  bon  voyage  delivery  on 
board  of  steamers  each  morning  to  the  cabin.  Corsage  or  a  vase  of 
flowers."  I  might  add  that  the  minimum  charge  is  $3.50  per  day.  If 
any  of  you  are  still  interested  and  eager  to  be  appreciated  by  a  traveling 
friend,  I  shall  be  glad  to  supply  the  address  of  this  advertiser. 

Today,  a  new  mode  of  travel  is  becoming  popular — travel  by  air. 
This  innovation  is  fast  teaching  the  modern  traveling  public  of  the 
pleasant  freedom  and  relief  of  traveling  light.  No  longer  are  eight 
trunks  necessary  for  a  'round-the-world  tour'.  New  Horizons  tells  us 
that  air  travel  can  save  you  about  seven  trunks  because  "Airliners  take 
you  from  one  place  to  another  so  quickly  that  you  have  no  chance  to 
wear  out  your  vacation  clothes  before  you  get  to  the  place  you  were 
supposed  to  spend  your  vacation." 

Another  thing  that  has  bothered  travelers  before  has  been  pass- 
ports. But  don't  let  this  bother  you.  On  the  routes  of  the  flying  clipper 
ships  in  this  hemisphere,  according  to  New  Horizons,  "The  majority 
of  countries  need  simply  a  transit  card  for  identification.  And  this  is 
one  of  those  very  things  that  travel  agents  do  remarkably  well." 

Nor  need  you  wonder  about  the  different  kinds  of  money  you  will 
encounter  on  your  trip.  Dollars,  pesos,  pounds,  lira,  bolivars,  milreis, 
guilders,  gourds  and  soles  all  work  out  very  simply  if  you  take  the 
advice  given  in  New  Horizons.  "The  thing  to  do  is  to  take  Traveler's 
checks  in  small  denominations,  or,  if  you  contemplate  an  extended 
stopover,  a  letter  of  credit  is  handy." 

Attention,  shoppers!  Here  is  a  very  practical  suggestion  from 
Harpers  which  may  help  to  temper  your  shopping  expeditions.  "If 
you've  a  weakness  for  shopping,  Yokohama  will  prove  your  undoing. 
Don't  say  you  haven't  been  warned.  Silks,  jewelry,  lacquerware, 
carvings,  and  paintings — they're  all  incredibly  lovely  and  temptingly 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


inexpensive.  In  all  the  lands  of  antiquity  you  will  find  strange  and 
beautiful  things  to  buy,  so  do  try  to  exercise  control  at  the  start." 
Sportswoman  supplements  this  thought  with  "If  you're  wise,  you  may 
decide  to  buy  your  Swedish  glass  and  Moroccan  leather  right  in  the 
United  States,  and  bring  home  only  a  very  special  and  talented  col- 
lection of  impressions." 

And  now,  attention  everyone!  From  Harpers  comes  this  important 
thought.  "In  any  event,  wherever  you  may  go,  don't  fail  to  take  your 
camera.  If  you  haven't  one,  beg,  borrow,  or  even  buy  one.  Even  if 
you've  never  before  clicked  a  shutter,  you  can  hardly  help  taking  in- 
teresting pictures,  what  with  cameras  being  so  foolproof  and  scenery 
so  breath  taking.  And  do  you  know  about  flash  bulbs  which  permit 
snapshots  at  night  or  indoors?" 

Another  contributor  to  Harpers  has  written  "I  do  not  despise 
guide  books;  they  are,  for  many  reasons,  indispensable,  but  for  a  more 
sensitive  insight  into  the  ways  of  a  people  new  to  one,  I  recommend  a 
different  kind  of  book.  This,  then,  is  how  you  who  are  unable  to 
journey  may  allay  your  travel  fever.  No  matter  what  your  travel 
whims  may  be,  a  good  travel  book  will  do  much  to  satisfy  them.  Take 
an  equal  part  of  history,  mix  generously  with  sporting  events,  add 
glorious  scenery,  fun,  and  adventure,  and  you  have  a  trip  made  to 
your  choice." 

But,  whether  traveling  in  fact  or  in  fancy,  you  will  in  all  prob- 
ability find  this  passage  from  Sportswoman  to  be  true.  "There  is  said 
to  be  nothing  new  under  the  sun,  and  you'll  agree  in  many  parts  of  the 
world  that  this  seems  true.  Also,  you'll  find,  of  course,  that  some  of  the 
oldest  things  under  the  sun  are  the  newest  to  you." 

Virginia  Hagerty. 

Note  of  Pessimism 

Now's  the  time  for  Wanderlust — yes, 

While  the  spring  rains  lay  the  dust, 

While  hot  summer's  still  ahead 

Picnic  while  the  ant's  abed. 

Smell  the  flowers  before  the  bees, 

Go  with  Spring  across  the  leas. 

And  as  you  swing  along  the  lane 

See  clumps  of  green  on  the  trees  again. 

And  while  through  cool  damp  wood  you  trip. 

Just  think — you're  probably  catching  grippe. 

Mary  Owens. 
10 


I 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  Log  of  a  Mountain  Cruise 

THIS  is  the  log  of  a  trip  that  was  planned  with  a  two-fold  object — 
recreational  and  educational.  Paterfamilias  plotted  the  cruise 
after  several  nights  of  deep  study  of  road  maps,  circulars,  and 
gasoline  stations. 

Like  the  finished  product  of  a  chemist  who  starts  a  bit  of  ex- 
ploratory work,  our  final  plan  contained  but  little  of  the  original 
ingredients.  The  recreational  element  lost  all  of  its  basic  qualities  and 
finally  emerged  as  a  mixture  of  tenseness,  fright,  and  near  tragedy.  The 
educational  element  was  diluted  with  so  many  extraneous  substances 
that  it  evolved  into  a  harrowing  adventure. 

The  crew  of  the  ship  consisted  of  the  skipper — paterfamilias — 
mother,  grandmother,  myself,  and  a  French  poodle.  I  was  the  one  to 
be  educated. 

Now  for  the  log. 

July  1,  193-.  We  set  sail  in  a  model  T  Ford.  Catonsville  reached 
under  full  steam.  This  is  not  an  exaggeration,  for  the  skipper,  absent- 
minded  as  a  college  professor,  overlooked  refreshing  the  radiator. 
Several  minutes  lost  in  replenishing  water  supply.  Set  sail  again. 
Road  maps  forgotten.  Retraced  course.  Over  half-hour  lost.  All 
nerves  are  a  bit  tense.  A  six  o'clock  departure  finally  becomes  a  nine 
o'clock  one.  Under  full  sail  again.  First  port — Frederick.  Refueled. 
Ship's  carburetor  leaks.  Forge  on,  however.  Hagerstown  sighted. 
Cheers  from  rear  seat.  The  skipper  takes  most  of  the  commands  now 
from  over  his  shoulder.  Pull  into  nearest  quay  for  repairs  and  night's  rest. 

July  2.  Up  early.  Skipper  brings  ship  to  hotel  door.  We  move  out 
majestically  toward  Cumberland.  The  mountain  climb  puts  severe 
strain  on  our  bark.  The  scenery  is  gorgeous.  Sun  paints  the  sky  scarlet. 
Mountain  peaks  rise  in  distance  like  French  cathedrals.  Peace  seems  to 
reign.  Bang!  two  tires  collapse.  The  radiator  cap  under  pressure  of 
steam  pops  high  into  the  air.  The  French  poodle  joins  in  the  chorus. 
One  hour  delay. 

Paterfamilias  grits  his  teeth,  "We  will  make  Winchester,  Virginia, 
or  bust."   The  Model  T  seems  to  echo  his  sentiments. 

Ofi"  again.  It  seems  that  we  climb  one  mountain  after  another. 
Now  and  again  we  flash  by  an  orchard,  all  abloom.  Shades  of  night  are 
falling.  Mother  suggests  stopping  at  a  wayside  inn.  Skipper,  his  face 
set  in  fiirm  lines,  overrules  proposal,  "We  must  go  on,"  he  hisses.  Mid- 
night. It  is  just  one  mountain  after  another.  Nerves  are  ragged. 
Mother  recalls  her  early  suggestion.  Not  a  soul  sighted.  Three  o'clock 
in  the  morning  when  we  see  a  hill-billy  trudging  back  from  sweet- 
heart's home.     "Youse  are  on  the  wrong  road  to  Winchester,"  he 

11 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


sleepily  informs  us.    Retrace  course  and  finally  land  in  Winchester  at 
five  o'clock  next  morning. 

July  3.  Plumbers  visit  hotel  early  in  morning  and  ply  their  trade 
in  most  disturbing  fashion.  Arise  out  of  sorts.  Hotel  clerk  informs  us 
that  we  are  too  late  for  breakfast.  Eat  sandwiches  on  curb.  Don't  dare 
speak  for  war  clouds  darken  the  skies.  Mother  now  in  charge  of  ship. 
We  are  on  our  way  home.  Somehow  the  car  travels  faster  and  smoother. 
Hit  Harper's  Ferry. 

Grandmother  sights  bear  in  woods.  Skipper  opens  throttle  wide. 
Scouts  idea  of  bear,  however.  Reach  home  as  night  descends.  My 
education  was  enhanced  but  slightly.  Thrills  replaced  repose.  Skipper 
declares  trip  was  huge  success.  Mother  takes  issue  sharply.  "If  we 
had  stopped  at  'the  wayside  inn,'  the  adventure  would  have  been 
perfect,  '  she  avers. 

K.  Morrow. 


The  Traveler 

DOWN  BELOW 

When  earth  again  begins  to  breathe,  then  I 
With  steady  stride  a  winding  white  road  climb 
Through  avenue  of  pale  frilled  trees,  where  time 
Is  scaled  by  shadows  flung  as  sun  drifts  by. 

Straight  up  that  hill  I  fly  to  where  the  sun 
Lives  all  day  long  with  her  own  sister  light, 
The  golden  flower  whose  petals  a  promise  bright 
Of  shining  life  swift  nod  to  everyone. 

FAR  OUT 

Dream  of  the  silently  moving  green  sea. 
Lolling  between  her  two  distant  strange  shores, 
Swelling  in  sunlight  from  her  dark  floors. 
Prickling  with  raindrops,  or  on  a  wind  spree. 

God,  send  a  ship  that  shall  lie  with  the  sea, 
Following  the  tide  to  the  farthest  new  land, 
Surging  with  wind  in  his  wild  swirling  hand, 
Swelling  with  swell  of  the  long  green  sea. 

Margaret  Cooley. 
12 


I 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Up  Charles  Street 

QBy  a  travler  who  remained) 

TONY,  the  flower  vender,  beckoned  to  me  as  I  ambled  up  Charles 
Street.  Always  on  his  usual  corner,  he  spreads  good  cheer  to 
everyone  with  his  lovely  flowers.  His  jonquils  are  the  first  signs 
of  spring;  in  fact,  each  season  is  ushered  in  by  his  sweet  blossoms. 
On  a  day  like  today,  when  the  streets  are  full  of  people  walking  and 
driving,  it  seems  hard  to  believe  that  just  fifty  years  ago,  this  great 
boulevard  was  only  a  country  road.  The  only  landmark  of  the  old 
road  is  an  old  rowboat  full  of  blooming  flowers  on  the  lawn  of  a  resi- 
dence. Now,  the  street  has  almost  everything  on  it  from  the  modern 
to  the  primitive.  There  are  schools,  churches,  museums,  libraries, 
night  clubs,  a  park,  shops,  and  many  houses. 

Charles  Street  has  a  tempo  all  its  own;  one  that  influences  the 
people  and  streets  around.  The  people  seem  to  love  it  and  love  being 
a  part  of  it.  Every  Easter,  young  and  old  don  their  new  finery  and 
parade  up  and  down  this  thoroughfare.  The  people  themselves  make 
it  what  it  is — the  axis  of  our  city.  Every  profession  is  represented  here 
— ^from  the  doctor  to  the  shopkeeper.  Most  of  the  young  people  are 
students  of  the  neighboring  colleges.  Fraternity  houses  and  dormi- 
tories furnish  homes  for  the  out-of-town  students.  As  I  walk  down  the 
street  I  meet  many  types  of  people  from  every  profession:  lawyers, 
doctors,  professors,  laymen,  religious  leaders,  Catholic  sisters,  and, 
last  but  not  least,  our  street  curiosity,  an  actor  of  the  long  forgotten 
silent  movie  days. 

As  for  the  homes  that  line  our  street — they  vary  from  the  most 
imposing  to  the  simple  and  plain.  There  are  many  large  apartment 
houses,  stone,  brick,  and  marble,  which  are  very  "sky-scrapery"  and 
impressive.  Some  of  the  larger  private  residences  are  noted  in  the 
Encyclopdia  Britannica  for  being  some  of  the  most  substantial  ones  in 
the  city.  Farther  down,  I  come  to  my  house — one  of  those  plain, 
simple  red  brick  domiciles  in  a  block  with  many  others  like  it  (but  mine 
has  white  marble  steps  and  a  brass  railing).  There  is  no  room  left  for 
building  purposes — all  of  the  ground  not  covered  already  by  buildings 
is  taken  up  as  lawns  and  campuses  of  public  or  private  institutions. 

My  opportunities  for  entertainment  are  many  and  diverse.  Good 
times  can  be  found  by  all  at  any  time  in  my  neighborhood.  During  the 
winter,  the  Sports  Center  is  the  headquarters  for  ice-hockey  games 
and  skating;  but  in  the  summer,  Mayfair  Gardens,  a  supper  club, 
makes  a  grand  substitute.  Night  clubs,  here  and  there  on  our  street, 
furnish  dancing  and  dining  places  for  the  gay  and  frivolous.    Three 

13 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


movie  houses  are  always  popular  places  for  entertainment  and  amuse- 
ment. The  Guild  Theatre,  our  show  house,  is  famous  for  its  plays 
which  are  put  on  by  local  and  national  talent.  Lakewood  Swimming 
Pool,  the  favorite  meeting  place  of  the  young  and  old  all  during  the 
summer  months,  is  always  a  place  of  beauty.  Libraries — Enoch  Pratt, 
circulation,  and  private  ones,  afford  much  help  during  the  leisure 
time;  museums — Baltimore  Art  Museum  and  the  Museum  of  Natural 
Science  are  "meat"  for  me  in  my  more  cultural  moods. 

When  I  first  moved  into  this  neighborhood,  I  visited  a  church  a 
Sunday  to  get  acquainted  with  them  all.  Most  of  the  denominations 
are  represented,  as  is  shown  in  this  list  of  our  places  of  worship:  St. 
Michael's  and  All  Angels,  St.  Mark's  Lutheran,  Seventh  Baptist, 
University  Baptist,  First  Methodist,  Wilson  Memorial,  St.  Peter  and 
St.  James,  and  the  Episcopal  Cathedral.  What  surprised  me  most  in 
regard  to  all  of  the  churches  that  I  have  visited  has  been  the  music. 
The  organists  and  singers  are  exceptionally  good,  and  compositions 
rendered  exquisitely  by  greatest  masters  of  church  music  are  offered  by 
all.  Most  of  the  church  buildings,  made  of  marble  or  grey-stone,  are 
large  and  have  large  congregations. 

People  with  growing  children  should  be  "pleased  as  Punch"  with 
the  educational  facilities.  An  elementary  school  for  the  children, 
Seton  High  School,  a  private  school  for  girls,  Goucher  College,  and 
Johns  Hopkins  University,  higher  schools  of  learning,  cover  the  whole 
field  of  ediication.  Libraries  and  museums  help  all  of  the  students  when 
it  comes  to  research  work. 

Chain  stores,  small  grocery  stores,  Green-Fairbanks,  and  North 
Avenue  Market  sell  groceries  of  all  sorts.  Hucksters  bring  fresh  fruits 
and  vegetables  from  the  country  twice  a  week.  Several  restaurants 
and  dining  rooms  are  on  Charles  Street  and  the  neighboring  streets, 
and  are  very  much  in  vogue  during  the  months  when  the  families  go 
away  leaving  the  fathers  behind. 

I  fear  our  neighborhood  will  repeat  the  history  of  other  com- 
munities. Probably  business  will  take  the  place  of  the  houses;  shops, 
the  place  of  residences.  How  I  hope  that  we,  the  present  citizens  of 
our  community,  will  be  able  to  keep  our  street  as  it  is  today — the 
proud,  beautiful  axis  of  our  fair  city. 

L.  Headley. 


14 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Cheap  Travel 


CHEAP?  It's  even  profitable!  At  least  it  was  for  me.  I  left  home 
with  $10.30  and  returned  after  an  absence  of  six  weeks  and  a 
trip  of  over  2,000  miles  with  $11.20. 

Yes,  hitch-hiking  is  a  cheap  method,  but  profitable  only  if  one  has 
relatives  along  the  path  of  travel.  If  one  really  has  a  desire  for  "bum- 
ming" it,  he  can  make  his  expenses  almost  "nil."  I  actually  spent  on 
the  whole  trip  about  $26.00.    A  brief  account  will  explain. 

I  left  home  one  morning  early  and  arrived  in  New  York  that  eve- 
ning. Due  to  the  fact  that  the  officials  of  the  Grand  Central  R.R.  do 
not  like  people  to  sleep  in  their  stations,  I  was  forced  to  spend  the  night 
on  a  bench  in  Central  Park.  The  next  day  I  arrived  in  Boston.  I  had 
spent  only  $1.50  so  far.  I  couldn't  find  my  aunt's  home,  and  was  ap- 
prehended by  a  man  in  a  blue  suit  with  brass  buttons,  because  I  looked 
suspicious  on  the  dark  street  as  I  walked  close  to  the  houses  to  see  the 
numbers.  After  the  guardian  of  the  peace  searched  me  and  my  bag,  and 
I  proved  my  innocence,  he  helped  me  find  my  aunt's  home.  She  was 
not  in.  Neither  was  any  one  else.  So  the  man  in  the  blue  suit,  etc., 
took  me  to  the  police  station  and  let  me  sleep  there.  It  wasn't  bad  at 
all.  Try  it  sometime.  Next  morning  I  saw  my  a:unt.  She  was  leaving 
that  day  for  Gorham,  N.H.,  which  was  my  final  destination  in  New 
Hampshire.  I  could  have  gone  with  her  but  I  decided  to  stop  in  Nashua 
to  see  another  aunt.  My  cousin  was  there,  and  in  a  few  days  her  mother 
came  for  her.  Again  I  could  have  gone  to  Gorham.  Instead  I  stopped 
in  "The  only  Henniker  in  the  World."  My  uncle  is  the  police  force 
there.  Another  cousin  was  there  and  when  her  husband  came  for  her 
I  went  on  to  Gorham,  and  then  decided  to  go  to  the  World's  Fair.  Of 
four  nights  on  the  road  I  spent  two  in  police  stations  (at  my  own  re- 
quest) one  in  a  "Community  Home,"  and  the  other  night  I  got  a  room. 
In  Chicago  I  paid  twenty-five  cents  a  night  for  a  room — it  was  clean, 
too.  I  stayed  there  for  a  week.  On  the  way  home  I  spent  one  night  in 
a  police  station,  got  a  room  the  next  night  for  fifteen  cents,  and  the 
third  day  I  was  home. 

Hitch-hiking  has  its  advantages.  One  can  meet  many  types  of 
interesting  people.  Some  will  talk  you  to  death;  some  will  rarely  speak. 
Some  will  ask  you  to  drive.  Some  will  treat  you  to  lunch  or  dinner. 
Some  will  invite  you  to  stay  at  their  homes.  Some  will  stop  before 
you  ask  them.  More  will  keep  going  after  you  ask  them.  Hitch-hiking 
in  this  manner  is  very  interesting  and  educational.  One  can  learn  many 
helpful  things  traveling  in  this  manner. 

In  all  my  days  of  hitch-hiking  I  have  never  had  any  trouble  with 
people  who  picked  me  up. 

15 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


To  any  one  who  would  like  to  try  "bumming"  it,  let  me  give  a 
few  hints. 

1.  Be  clean,  always. 

2.  Never  ask  to  sleep  in  the  police  station  of  a  big  city.  They  have 
enough  business.   The  small  towns  are  glad  to  help  out. 

3.  Don't  hesitate  to  sleep  in  Community  Homes.  They  are  usually 
very  clean.   They  even  make  you  take  a  bath. 

4.  If  a  person  wants  to  treat  you,  let  him. 

5.  Never  take  a  room  for  less  than  twenty-five  cents,  and  be 
careful  when  you  go  that  low. 

6.  If  you  are  picked  up  by  a  salesman  who  is  half  tight,  sing.  That 
will  slow  him  down  about  ten  miles  per  hour.  I  sang  for  twenty-five 
miles  one  night.  I  had  to  sing  because  the  fellow  I  was  with  was  play- 
ing the  mouth  organ  while  he  steered  the  car  with  his  knees. 

See  Maryland 

"I'm  going  to  save  my  money  and  go  abroad."  This  is  quite  a 
favorite  saying  among  the  prospective  teachers  at  State  Teachers 
College.  But,  why  wait  until  several  years  have  elapsed  to  begin 
traveling?  There  are  many  picturesque  spots  within  a  radius  of  a 
hundred  miles. 

Some  pretty  Saturday  or  Sunday  drive  to  the  western  part  of  your 
State.  Near  the  foot  of  South  Mountain  is  a  road  which  seems  to  lead 
nowhere.  Follow  this  road  and  you  will  find  yourself  climbing  hill 
after  hill,  each  of  which  is  covered  with  trees  of  all  sizes.  At  the  top 
of  the  mountain  is  the  second  monument  erected  to  the  memory  of 
George  Washington.  The  marker  is  a  circular  structure  of  native  stone. 
It  had  fallen  into  decay,  but  through  the  efforts  of  patriotic  citizens  a 
C.C.C.  detachment  from  Fort  Frederick  was  called  to  restore  it.  As 
a  result  of  their  efforts  the  memorial  now  stands  on  the  mountain  in 
the  same  form  as  when  first  built  in  1827. 

Members  of  the  community  purchased  ten  acres  of  land  encircling 
the  marker  and  deeded  it  to  the  State  of  Maryland  with  a  stipulation 
that  the  monument  be  rebuilt  and  a  park  created.  Not  only  have  these 
provisions  been  carried  out,  but  an  improved  road  to  the  site  has  been 
constructed. 

Take  this  drive  soon,  see  the  Barbara  Frietchie  country  and  avail 
yourself  of  the  opportunity  to  visit  the  restored  landmark  which 
originally  was  erected  twenty-eight  years  after  the  death  of  the  first 
President. 

Irene  Shank. 

.      16 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


I  Must  be  Out 

Editors'  Note:  The  following  poem,  recently  published  by  the  poetry  magazine.  Decimal, 
a  quarterly  of  Newport,  Rhode  Island,  was  written  by  Mary  Ann  Douglas  of  the  class 
of  1935,  a  former  Editor  of  the  Tower  Light. 

When  great  winds  rise  up  and  sweep  through  the  night 

I  must  be  out  running 

Somewhere  on  a  hill; 

Not  just  watching, 

Listening, 

Cold  and  still. 

It  is  always  when  great  winds  swirl  and  cry  out 

I  must  forth  and  find  you 

To  run  with  me,  and  feel 

The  sweet  mad  ecstasy  that  we  knew  well 

As  children  who  hand  in  hand 

Raced  the  wind's  swell. 

I  must  be  out  running 
Somewhere  on  a  hill. 
Not  just  listening. 
Waiting, 
White  and  still. 


On  To  Washington! 

The  dull  gray  sky  which  seemed  to  be  reflected  in  the  waters  of 
the  lake  would  have  made  the  day  very  depressing  had  it  not  been  for 
the  hues  of  the  surrounding  trees.  Overhanging  the  stone  walk  and 
even  the  edges  of  the  lake,  slender  branches  covered  with  delicate  pink 
blossoms  bowed,  while  merging  into  and  completely  inclosing  the 
cherry  blossoms  was  the  new  spring  green  of  the  buds  that  had  just 
come  out  on  the  other  trees.  The  frame  for  this  picture  was  a  wide 
expanse  of  emerald  grass  broken  only  by  more  of  the  fresh  tinted  buds 
which  stood  at  attention  on  either  side  of  the  winding  roads.  In  fol- 
lowing one  of  these  roads  a  startling  contrast  to  the  bleak  sky  offered 
itself,  a  blaze  of  magnolia  trees  came  into  view  and  with  the  vivid 
coloring  added  its  part  to  the  delight  of  the  day. 

17 


Wonderland  Around  the  Corner 

A  LL  roads  lead  but  to  the  grave,  nevertheless  you  might  as  well 
A\  see  as  much  as  possible  while  on  the  way.  Now  is  the  time  to 
■*■  *•  see  the  world,  and  never  was  there  a  more  wondrous  sphere 
to  explore.  Neither  has  it  ever  in  the  past  been  so  easy  to  travel  as 
today.  Steerage  or  first  class — by  tramp  steamer  or  canoe — tin  lizzie 
or  on  the  thumb — it  is  no  matter  how  you  go,  but  go!  Teachers  can 
talk  glibly  about  Japan  or  Puerto  Rico,  Russia  or  the  South  Sea  Isles, 
but  how  many  of  you  have  seen  these  places  for  yourselves?  Don't  w^ait 
until  you  are  fifty  to  check  up  on  the  geography  books — do  it  now! 

And  incidentally,  do  a  bit  of  planning  for  your  trips.  There's  no 
disgrace  in  being  ignorant  about  Arizona  if  you've  never  been  there — 
but  woe  to  him  who  returns  without  having  seen  the  Grand  Canyon. 
There  are  two  accepted  ways  of  making  trips.  One  is,  just  to  drop 
everything,  grab  your  camera  and  toothbrush,  and  dash  away  across 
the  country  in  search  of  adventure.  To  be  sure,  this  lack  of  system, 
has  its  disadvantages.  When  you  get  back — there  is  always  some  place 
that  you  missed.  But  there  is  a  certain  gallant  bravado — a  carefree 
nonchalance  and  abandon  about — such  impetuousness,  that  has  a 
fascination  at  times  almost  irresistible.  The  other  way,  and  really  the 
only  sensible  practice  for  long  trips,  is  to  plan  your  travels  ahead  of 
time.  Guide  books,  geographies,  travel  booklets,  nature  manuals  and 
road  maps  all  may  be  studied  carefully.  But  for  traveling  near  at  home, 
I  repeat,  the  "Let's  up  and  dash  away"  method  gets  results — and 
surprises ! 

It  isn't  necessary  to  go  far  from  home  to  see  the  world.  As  little  as 
two  or  three  days  of  determined  footwork,  leisurely  plodding  up  side- 
streets  and  alleys,  with  the  resolve  to  notice  w^hat  you  see,  will  reveal 
to  you  some  amazing  aspects  of  Baltimore  City.  You  will  also  acquire 
a  profound  sympathy  for  the  beat  patrolman. 

Your  city  is  a  vast  industrial  and  commercial  center;  if  you  don't 


18 


believe  that,  just  glance  through  the  yellow  section  of  the  telephone 
book.  Baltimore  has  its  foreign  quarters,  as  well  as  New  York  City. 
Baltimore  has  its  slums — not  strictly  tenement  houses,  but  still  the 
very  highest  class,  slummiest  of  slums.  Walk  up  and  down  through  the 
negro  sections — back  of  Fremont  and  Harlem  Avenues;  see  the  Italian 
quarters  south  of  Baltimore  Street,  around  Gough  and  Exeter  Streets, 
or  the  Polish  and  Lithuanian  neighborhoods  of  Camden;  visit  the  great 
oil  refineries  of  the  Continental  and  Standard  Oil  companies;  trek  down 
to  the  shipping  terminals  and  talk  to  the  stevedores  on  the  docks  of  the 
Baltimore  Mail  Line.  The  little  peninsula  whose  tip  is  Fort  McHenry 
is  one  of  Baltimore's  oldest  settlements;  besides  being  a  great  railway 
center,  it  is  curiously  drab  to  explore.  Get  a  good  map — and  then 
study  it.  There  are  free  maps  in  every  gas  station.  Just  ask. 

Vary  your  explorations  of  the  city  with  tramps  through  the  sur- 
rounding counties.  Don't  aim  to  get  some  place  .  .  .  take  it  easy.  What 
can  you  see  along  the  way?  As  "city  guys,"  it's  surprising  how  ig- 
norant we  are  of  the  most  elementary  facts  of  rural  life.  Looking  at  an 
emerald  field  of  young  green  shoots,  I  said,  "How  fast  the  grass  is 
coming  up!"  "This  is  winter  wheat,"  said  my  companion.  There  is 
so  much  to  learn! 

The  country  has  no  roar  of  traffic,  no  street  cars  or  belching 
smokestacks — but  other  sights  and  sounds  call  for  interpretation. 
Birds,  trees,  flowers,  and  insects  are  there;  the  camera  you  carried  in 
the  city  is  still  good,  but  add  to  it  binoculars  and  pocket  magnifying 
glass.  And  what  sort  of  teacher  is  he  or  she  who  doesn't  collect  an 
occasional  specimen  or  three  from  along  the  roadside? 

So  the  wanderlust  is  in  your  blood,  inherited  no  doubt  from  ad- 
venturous, nomadic  ancestors  of  centuries  past.  Therefore,  when  you 
come  to  a  road  you  never  passed  before,  take  it!  Otherwise,  you  are 
wasted.  There  is  no  thrill  quite  like  that  of  being  lost.  And  you  soon 
find  there  is  no  case  for  fear.  Instead,  you  gain  a  new  independence; 
you  become  free! 


19 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Travel  in  the  Antarctic 

MY  experience  through  travel  may  be  expressed  as  Bruce  Rey- 
nolds says  in  his  A  Cocktail  ContinentaU — "It  is  a  grand  and 
glorious  feeling  to  have  been  nowhere  and  seen  nothing.  The 
prize  dumbbell  of  the  crowd!  In  conversation,  about  as  important  as  a 
freckle  on  a  gnat's  knee.  As  useful  as  a  glass  eye  at  a  keyhole.  And  so 
green  you  thought  buttermilk  came  from  butterflies." 

Impressed  by  my  lack  of  the  cosmopolitan  touch  and  ability  to 
talk  glibly  of  Mozambique  and  all  points  east  I  secured  an  interview 
with  one  who  has  really  traveled.  The  subject  of  my  interview  was 
Captain  William  F.  Verleger,  ex-commander  of  the  Byrd  expedition 
flagship,  Jacob  Ruppert. 

Early  in  February,  1934,  Captain  Verleger,  who  had  safely  landed 
the  Byrd  party  on  the  Ross  Barrier  after  terrific  difficulties  with  crum- 
bling ice,  prepared  to  return  to  New  Zealand  before  the  long,  sunless 
Antarctic  winter  set  in. 

"We  had  concluded  a  final  broadcast  from  Little  America  and, 
after  goodbyes  to  Admiral  Byrd  and  his  party,  a  dog  team  started  to 
bring  another  officer  and  me  to  the  Jacob  Ruppert  lying  just  off  the 
barrier.  We  lost  our  way  in  the  snowstorm  and  I  became  thoroughly 
chilled." 

Later  Captain  Verleger  contracted  pneumonia  and  was  desperately 
ill.  A  few  days  later  the  ship  encountered  a  howling  storm  and  the 
captain  was  washed  from  his  bunk  by  a  tremendous  wave.  "Somehow 
or  other  I  managed  to  stagger  up  to  the  bridge  and  take  command  of 
the  vessel.  The  storm  finally  waned  and  I  was  carried  below.  But  I 
couldn't  seem  to  shake  off  the  effects  of  my  illness,  so  Admiral  Byrd 
ordered  me  to  come  back  to  the  United  States.  I  protested,  but  finally 
decided  that  if  I  wanted  to  keep  on  living  I  had  better  return  to  this 
country." 

Captain  Verleger  retired  from  the  navy  in  1924  as  lieutenant,  but 
his  taste  for  strange  lands,  so  characteristic  of  those  who  travel,  led 
him  to  apply  for  the  captaincy  of  the  Byrd  flagship.  He  was  selected 
from  a  long  list  of  candidates  for  the  post,  although  members  of  the 
expedition  receive  only  a  nominal  salary  for  their  labors — one  cent 
each  per  month. 

At  the  Bay  of  Whales  great  difficulties  were  encountered  because 
of  the  constant  breaking  up  of  the  ice  from  the  edge  of  the  barrier. 
Here  the  captain  had  his  first  escape  from  death,  when  the  Jacob  Rup- 
pert was  endangered  because  the  ice  was  caving  in  again.  Captain 
Verleger  leaped  across  to  the  barrier  surface  leading  six  other  men, 
and  began  to  loose  the  cables.   As  soon  as  the  ship  was  free  it  steamed 

20 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


away  because  of  the  clanger.  When  the  captain  and  his  men  started 
inland  for  Pressure  Ridge  Camp,  they  were  obliged  to  leap  across  a 
slowly  widening  chasm,  and  within  a  few  moments  the  ice  upon  which 
they  had  been  standing  collapsed  into  the  sea. 

The  captain  describes  the  Antarctic  as  a  place  of  "desolate 
grandeur."  The  Jacob  Ruppert  sailed  from  Boston  in  October,  1934, 
carrying  ninety-nine  men,  and  reached  Antarctic  waters  in  December. 
One  thousand  miles  south  of  New  Zealand  the  ship  began  encountering 
icebergs,  and  from  that  time  Captain  Verleger  lived  in  a  region  where 
the  sun  never  set,  and  cold  and  ice  were  everywhere.  "One  day,  I 
remember,  we  encountered  4,200  bergs  in  twenty-four  hours,"  the 
captain  recalled.  "They  ranged  in  size  from  masses  of  ice  a  hundred 
feet  or  so  in  diameter  up  to  high  mountains  fifteen  miles  long  and  a 
mile  wide."  The  ice  conditions  made  travel  extremely  difficult, 
but  the  Jacob  Ruppert  went  farther  into  these  uncharted  seas  than 
any  other  ship  had  previously  been  able  to  penetrate. 

Captain  Verleger  lives  in  New  Canaan,  Connecticut.  He  has 
recently  been  made  Admiral  of  the  State  of  Nebraska. 

M.  Cunningham. 

A  Story  of  Red  Sunday 

"  "T  "TicTOR  Alexandrovich,  we  meet  tonight  at  half-twelve  in 
\/  Cherapova,"   whispered  Matvaoff,    and  then  slipped   away 

^  quietly  down  the  boulevard,  unnoticed.  Victor  Alexandrovich 
walked,  seemingly  entirely  disinterested,  onward  as  if  he  had  not 
heard  what  the  speaker  of  a  moment  before  had  said.  But  his  mind 
was  working  actively  as  he  walked.  This  was  December,  1904.  The 
Tsar  had  promised  the  peasants  of  Russia  the  long-sought-for  reform, 
but  instead,  he  appointed  General  Trepoff,  a  most  vigorous  reactionary, 
as  the  new  chief  of  police.  Something  had  to  be  done.  The  Tsar 
promised  one  thing  and  did  another.  This  was  not  good.  The  meeting 
would  settle  that.  The  Tsar  had  overstepped  his  bounds.  He  had 
fooled  with  them  long  enough.  They  would  make  plans — secret 
plans  in  the  dark  woods  of  Cherapova  and  then  .... 

"Dobra  Vetchra  Mat!"  greeted  Victor  Alexandrovich  casually, 
as  he  entered  the  low  narrow  door  of  his  rather  comfortable  shelter. 
His  mother  kissed  him  tenderly  on  the  cheek  and  he  returned  the 
embrace.  "Supper  has  awaited  you  these  last  two  hours,"  she  spoke 
gently  in  Russian. 

"I  am  neither  hungry  nor  could  I  eat  if  I  were,"  answered  Victor 
Alexandrovitch.    His  mother  looked  at  him,  afraid  to  ask  what  she 

21 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


longed  to  know.  He  read  it  in  her  soft  eyes  and  continued,  "We  meet 
at  midnight,"  he  spoke  solemnly.  "I  must  be  there.  We  must  plan. 
You  are  to  keep  the  girls  within  doors  tonight.  There  may  be  trouble. 

•  His  mother  did  not  answer.  She  busied  herself  with  her  supper 
even  though  he  did  not  wish  food.  She  was  hardened  to  such  occa- 
sions. They  had  been  going  on  for  many  years.  First,  Abraham,  her 
husband,  went;  now  Victor,  her  young  son  went.  She  was  afraid,  but 
she  said  nothing.  The  Russian  men  fought  in  the  revolution  with 
arms;  the  Russian  mothers  fought  with  their  hearts.  It  was  a  noble 
cause.   She  could  not  say  nay.   And  if  she  did — he  was  his  father's  son. 

He  ate  his  meal  mechanically.  He  was  in  another  world.  He  did 
not  notice  his  mother,  but  her  eyes  were  constantly  upon  him.  Life 
was  so  treacherous.  She  had  nursed  him  for  all  these  years.  This 
might  be  their  last  night  together.  She  dared  not  sigh  but  bled  in- 
ternally. 

The  moon  had  already  risen  high  in  the  heavens  when  Victor 
Alexandrovich  left  for  the  meeting  place.  In  his  boot  was  concealed 
an  ugly  rabbit  knife,  in  his  jacket,  an  automatic.  He  looked  neither 
to  right  nor  left.  Many  faces  he  passed  were  familiar  to  him,  but  he 
did  not  greet  them,  no — nor  even  nod.  It  was  better  that  way.  If  no 
one  recognized  him  he  was  glad.  The  swine  who  spied  for  the  Tsar 
would  sell  one  out  for  five  roubles. 

The  woods  were  dark.  He  could  not  see  ten  feet  in  front  of  him. 
He  could  see  no  fires,  no  guiding  lamps;  yet,  he  walked  hastily,  cer- 
tainly onward  as  if  he  were  led  by  an  inner  spirit.  Then,  from  utter 
darkness  he  found  himself  in  the  midst  of  his  comrades  who  had 
gathered  here  for  the  same  purpose.  There  was  no  light.  It  was  a 
good  hiding  place.  It  fhad  to  be.  The  business  was  illegal.  It  had 
to  be  a  good  hiding  place. 

Victor  Alexandrovich  was  an  honored  member.  He  had  studied 
in  Germany.  He  knew  the  ways  of  secret  organizations.  He  was  a 
district  leader,  but  this  was  not  a  district  meeting.  This  was  more 
important.   This  was  a  state-wide  meeting. 

They  had  waited  long  enough.  Word  had  come  from  the  leader 
to  march  on  to  St.  Petersburg,  and  march  they  would,  but,  the  time 
was  not  ripe  at  present.  They  had  to  wait  the  signal  from  the  Center. 
"Be  prepared!"  said  the  leader,  "any  day  now." 

January  20!  January  20,  1905!  Orders  irom  the  Center.  "March 
on  to  St.  Petersburg!"  One  hundred  thousand  strong  they  marched, 
and  Victor  Alexandrovich  marched  with  them.  All  of  five  hundred 
miles — by  train,  by  wagon,  by  horse,  by  foot — in  two  days!   No  rest! 

January  22!  January  22,  1905!  They  marched  into  St.  Petersburg. 
All  one  hundred  thousand!  All  unarmed!  They  wanted  reform.  They 
would  get  reform,  or  else .... 

22 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  "holy  man,"  he  who  had  been  selected  by  the  leader,  led 
them.  Straight  to  the  tremendous  square  before  the  palace  of  Nicholas 
II,  in  the  city  which  had  been  built  almost  two  centuries  before  by 
Peter  the  Great,  they  marched  silently.  There  was  complete  organiza- 
tion. The  priest  called  a  halt  when  the  vast  army  reached  the  palace. 
Alone,  he  stepped  forward  from  the  throng  and  addressed  the  palace 
doors.  "Nicholas  II,  Tsar  of  All  the  Russias,  we  would  have  audience 
with  you!"  And  Tsar  Nicholas  II  appeared  on  the  balcony  surrounded 
by  an  armed  guard. 

"You  have  audience!"  he  shouted,  "Proceed!"  And  the  "holy 
man"  proceeded.  "We  have  gathered  here  from  the  ends  of  your  vast 
Empire.  We  are  poor.  We  ask  not  food.  We  are  shelterless.  We  ask 
not  shelter.  We  are  alive.  But  we  do  demand  liberty.  Long  have  you 
sworn  your  allegiance  to  us.  Long  have  we  given  our  allegiance  to 
you.  We  have  defended  you  from  your  foreign  foes.  We  ask  but  little. 
Give  us  our  freedom!  Give  us  our  promised  duma.  Give  us  our  speech 
and  press." 

"You  have  come  from  afar  and  I  have  not  been  warned.  You 
gather  here  and  demand  liberties  on  the  moment's  notice.  But  I  do 
not  refuse.  Remain  outside.  Within  the  hour  you  shall  have  your 
answer."  And  so  they  waited,  gullible  ones.  Had  they  not  yet  learned 
the  falseness  of  their  tyrant?  Had  they  not  yet  learned  of  his  deceit? 
Oh,  poor  wretches,  never  shall  that  day  be  forgotten,  that  Red  Sunday, 
for  without  a  word  of  warning,  from  all  sides,  from  east,  from  west, 
from  north,  from  south  came  the  guard;  came  armed  resistance,  and 
without  a  word,  they  opened  fire  upon  the  defenseless  masses.  They 
shot  them  down  heartlessly,  in  cola  blood.  The  streets  were  stained 
forever  by  the  blood  of  the  fallen  on  that  Sunday.  Eighty  thousand 
received  liberty  that  day;  that  liberty  that  comes  when  all  trouble  is 
over;  when  peace  comes  at  last.    They  were  the  fortunate. 

Our  Alumni 

Gross,  Helen Grades  one-three,  Harford  County 

Hale,  Ruth Grades  one  and  two,  Baltimore  County 

Hanna,  Gertrude Baltimore  City 


23 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Why  Not  a  Garden? 

IF  responsibilities  or  your  pocketbook  determine  for  you  this  summer 
no  "sand  between  the  toes,"  console  yourself  with  a  garden.  It  may 
vary  in  size  from  an  old  dishpan  in  a  sunny  window  to  patterned 
borders;  but  whatever  its  size,  it  will  bring  an  immense  return  in  satis- 
faction. There  is  no  activity  upon  which  you  spend  time,  thought  and 
energy,  that  brings  such  dependable  results.  From  the  following  simple 
suggestions  you  may  cull  an  idea  that  will  inspire  you. 
A  woods  corner: 

Select  a  shaded  corner  against  the  house  and  cover  about  three 
inches  deep  with  leaf  mold  and  earth  brought  from  the  woods.  Plant 
ferns  as  a  background  and  fill  in  with  bloodroot,  hepatica,  saxifrage, 
spring  beauty.  May  apples,  Jack  in  the  Pulpit,  wild  geranium,  and 
wind  flowers.  This  garden  of  wild  flowers  will  return  each  spring 
without  cultivation,  and  will  let  you  know  what  is  blooming  in  the 
woods.  Such  a  bit  of  forest  at  one's  door  recalls  many  joyous  outings 
and  is  an  incentive  for  more. 
A  souvenir  rockery: 

Plan  a  rockery  to  be  constructed  of  stones  brought  back  from 
walks  and  automobile  trips.  These  little  bits  of  many  places,  chosen 
for  their  variety  in  form  and  color,  offer  an  interesting  background 
for  your  sedums  and  rock  plants  and  are  a  memory  book  "written  in 
the  rocks." 
A  water  garden: 

Sink  into  the  ground  in  a  sunny  spot  a  large  bucket,  tub  or  even 
an  old  bath  tub.  (Butter  tubs  can  be  bought  at  the  chain  stores  for  a 
quarter,  and  old  bath  tubs  at  junk  yards  for  a  dollar  or  less.)  Decorate 
the  earth  around  the  edge  with  rocks  and  plantings  of  moneywort. 
This  plant  will  trail  around  the  rocks,  into  the  water  and  bear  delicate 
yellow  blossoms.  Put  a  foot  of  rich  earth  into  your  receptacle  and 
plant  water  lily  roots — one  for  a  bucket;  five  for  a  bath  tub.  Add  some 
goldfish  to  increase  the  charm,  and  a  few  aquatic  plants  that  rise 
above  the  surface,  such  as  arrow  lily,  water  parsnip,  water  hyacinth 
and  water  poppy.  You  will  have  a  garden  that  will  flourish  with 
almost  no  attention.  There  can  be  no  drought  for  such  a  garden,  nor 
do  devouring  insects  trouble  it.  The  birds  and  dragon  flies  that  come 
to  enjoy  it  are  a  great  addition  to  the  pleasures  it  will  provide  you. 
A  miniature  rainbow  garden: 

An  uninviting  sandy  but  sunny  spot  turns  into  a  garden  of  white, 
pink,  red,  yellow,  and  orange  glory  if  you  sprinkle  it  with  portulaca 
seed  (Mexican  roses)  and  water  it  regularly. 

In  his  essay  upon  the  American  Scholar^  Emerson  says,  "There  is 

.  24 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


virtue  yet  in  the  hoe  and  the  spade  for  learned  as  well  as  for  unlearned 
hands." 

Thus  it  is  apparent  that  young  school  teachers  should  find  a 
gardening  hobby  a  fine  balance  for  the  study  and  human  contacts 
which  make  the  professional  side  of  their  lives.  Try  it  once.  You 
will  never  be  willing  to  give  it  up. 

Helen  C.  Stapleton. 

*^Away  To  the  Gaspe!" 

THE  Gaspe  Peninsula  up  to  1928  was  an  unknown  and  isolated 
country.  Today  it  is  the  delight  of  tourists  from  all  regions. 
In  1920  the  Department  of  Colonization,  realizing  the  need  for 
this  region  to  be  opened  up  and  allowed  to  develop  along  normal  lines, 
began  the  construction  oia  road  around  the  peninsula.  Later  the  De- 
partment of  Roads  finished  the  route,  and  in  1928  it  was  thrown  open 
to  traffic.  It  begins  at  Riviere  de  Loup  and  extends  into  New  Brunswick. 

The  inhabitants  of  this  region  are  French  Canadians,  hard  work- 
ing and  friendly.  There  is  something  very  pathetic  about  these  people; 
they  seem  so  utterly  cut  off  from  the  modern  world,  yet  you  feel  certain 
they  experience  a  subconscious  longing  for  it.  This  may  be  because 
there  are  few  automobiles  (the  ox-cart  and  horse-and-buggy  suffice), 
and  no  means  of  communication  except  the  mail.  The  villages  are 
widely  separated  and  consist  of  only  twenty  or  twenty-five  houses. 
But  always,  no  matter  how  small  each  community  may  be,  there  is  a 
church  about  which  the  village  life  seems  to  revolve. 

The  region  itself  is  most  beautiful.  The  St.  Lawrence  River  ac- 
companied us  to  Gaspe,  and  there  it  met  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  At  times 
we  drove  only  a  few  yards  from  the  river;  on  one  side  the  rocky  coast, 
on  the  other — a  sheer  mountain  wall.  At  times  we  left  the  level  river 
drive  and  steadily  climbed  steep  mountains  not  knowing  what  would 
greet  us  at  the  top.  Sometimes  it  was  a  level  stretch.  At  other  times, 
it  was  a  sudden  drop.  Now  we  were  on  the  top  of  a  mountain  looking 
down  upon  the  treetops  and  gazing  at  mountain  peaks  behind  us,  and 
the  great  St.  Lawrence  before  us.  Now  we  were  in  a  valley  hardly 
able  to  see  the  top  of  the  mountain,  with  a  dense  wood  on  either  side. 
We  went  through  such  villages  as  St.  Fabien,  Trois-Pistoles,  Grande- 
Vallee,  Madeleine,  Restigouche,  and  many  others,  all  beautiful  in 
their  French  simplicity  and  strange  folk-lore. 

It  was  an  invigorating  trip;  the  old  in  sharp  contrast  to  the  new, 
the  beautiful  mixed  with  the  ugly,  and  the  evidences  of  gradual  awak- 
ening after  centuries  of  dozing. 

Dorothy  Fastie. 

25 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


THE  TOWER  LIGHT 

Published  monthly  by  the  students  of  the  State 
Teachers  College  at  Towson 

Editors 
William  F.  Podlich,  Jr. 
C.  Haven  Kolb,  Jr. 


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I.  H.  Miller 


Circulation  tAanagers 
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DEPARTMENT  EDITORS 

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Sarah  Strumsky       Morris  Miller         Mary  McClean 


Library 
Wesley  Johnson 

Social 
Larue  Kemp 
Mildred  Melamet 


Music 
Sarena  Fried 

Art 

Charles  Meigs 


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Sidney  Tepper 
Hilda  Walker 

Secretarial  Stajf 
Anna  Stidman 
EuLALiE  Smith 
Belle  Vodenos 


$1.50  fer  year  20  cents  per  cofy 

Alice  Munn,  Managing  Editor 


Travel  and  Study 

It  is  generally  conceded  that  there  are  three  ways  in  which  teachers 
can  most  profitably  spend  their  summers :  travel,  study,  and  work  in 
some  other  field.  Greatly  to  be  desired  is  the  combination  of  two  of 
these  avocations.  Consequently,  the  "study  as  you  travel"  courses 
now  being  offered  by  many  universities  are  becoming  increasingly 
popular.   Look  into  them. 


16 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


A  Traveler's  Tale 

THERE  was  once  a  man  who  was  captain  of  a  stout  ship.  Able  he 
was,  and  wise,  but  years  were  bending  his  shoulders  and  bleach- 
ing his  beard,  so  he  called  his  nephews  before  him  and  spoke  to 
them  in  these  words : 

"My  boys,  the  time  has  come  for  you  to  prepare  yourselves  for 
the  responsibility  which  will  be  yours.  When  I  am  gone,  you  will  be 
entrusted  with  this  noble  ship;  you  will  determine  her  course;  you  will 
be  accountable  for  her  cargo.  Therefore,  I  am  sending  you  to  a  place 
of  learning  where  you  may  be  instructed  in  the  arts  necessary  for  the 
proper  management  of  the  ship." 

The  nephews  were  deeply  moved  by  their  uncle's  words  and, 
assuring  him  of  their  desire  to  live  up  to  his  hopes  and  expectations, 
they  hied  themselves  to  the  place  of  learning. 

Many  years  later  they  rejoined  their  uncle,  and  after  they  had  all 
greeted  him  in  the  proper  manner,  he  said  unto  them: 

"My  nephews,  it  is  fitting,  while  I  am  yet  here  to  help  you  if 
need  be,  that  from  now  on  you  take  complete  charge  of  the  ship  with 
no  interference  from  me  except  in  case  of  emergency." 

So  it  was  that  the  old  captain  retired  to  his  cabin,  and  the  nephews 
took  upon  themselves  the  directing  of  the  steady  ship. 

A  long  while  they  sailed  without  mischance,  when  suddenly  they 
found  themselves  in  the  midst  of  a  sea  of  water  spouts,  one  of  which 
hit  their  vessel  squarely  and  raised  dreadful  havoc  with  it. 

The  old  man  was  disturbed  by  the  unseemly  gyrations  of  his  boat, 
and  he  scrambled  on  deck  to  see  what  his  nephews  were  doing  to  pre- 
serve the  ship  in  this  time  of  peril.  He  found  them  deeply  engrossed 
in  various  books  upon  the  history  of  ship  carpentry,  the  principles  of 
oiling  troubled  waters,  and  the  philosophy  of  mathematical,  astronom- 
ical, and  radio  navigation.  When  he  rebuked  them  for  thus  occupying 
themselves  at  such  crucial  moments,  they  replied  unto  him,  saying: 

"My  dear  Uncle,  there  are,  as  our  noble  instructors  have  always 
told  us,  any  number  of  possible  solutions  to  this  evil  which  has  befallen 
us,  and  all  of  them  have  their  good  points  and  their  bad  points.  What 
we  must  do  is  gather  the  facts  of  the  situation,  consider  each  suggested 
solution  in  a  perfectly  neutral  manner,  consider  the  traditions  of  this 
ship  and  then  act  in  a  totally  non-partisan  fashion." 

"But,  my  nephews,  our  vessel  will  go  to  pieces  entirely  if  you  do 
not  quickly  close  her  leaks,  clear  her  decks,  replace  her  sail,  and  lay  a 
course  out  of  this  storm-swept  area!" 

'  'Now,  now.  Uncle !  You  are  trying  to  indoctrinate  us !  You  must 
follow  the  example  of  our  worthy  professors  who  presented  to  us  all 

27 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


the  facts  they  knew  and  then  told  us  how  we  could  get  still  other  facts; 
only  when  we  knew  all  the  facts  were  we  to  use  our  own  immature 
minds  to  reason  the  whole  question  through  and  arrive  at  the  solution. 
Strange  to  say,  however,  we  never  had  what  were  considered  enough 
facts  to  attempt  to  answer  any  such  vital  question  as  the  one  we  are 
now  facing,  and  so  we  are  quite  unprepared  to  handle  this  situation." 

And  the  old  man's  heart  was  so  full  of  disgust  for  the  teacher  of 
his  nephews  that  all  he  could  say  was : 

"Hell!" 

The  Music  Educators  National 
Conference 

A  Symposium 

MUSIC  EDUCATORS  IN  NEW  YORK 

THE  week  of  March  29  to  April  3,  1936,  during  which  some  eight 
thousand  music  educators  from  all  parts  of  the  United  States  con- 
vened in  New  York  City  in  the  interests  of  music,  afforded  a  rich 
feast  of  musical  and  educational  features.  The  occasion  was,  as  the 
National  Conference  President,  Herman  F.  Smith,  said,  "A  three-in-one 
combination  of  convention,  festival,  and  school." 

From  the  wide  range  of  topics,  speakers,  round-tables,  demonstra- 
tions, and  musical  events,  music  educators  received  sufficient  guidance, 
thought-stimulation,  and  inspiration  to  carry  them  back  to  their  own 
communities  believing  more  firmly  than  ever  in  the  purpose  of  their 
national  organization;  namely,  "to  make  music  a  living  force  in  the 
life  of  the  nation  and  of  every  citizen  by  discovering,  encouraging  and 
developing,  as  a  part  of  the  educational  routine,  every  child's  interest 
and  talent  in  music." 

There  were  moments  during  this  conference  when  one  felt  inspired, 
even  carried  away  by  just  being  a  part  of  a  great  audience  in  which 
music  was  the  common  interest.  To  hear  three  thousand  elementary 
and  highschool  children  raise  their  voices  in  song,  accompanied  by  a 
highschool  symphony  orchestra,  at  a  festival  given  by  the  New  York 
Public  Schools  in  Madison  Square  Garden,  was  an  experience  not  soon 
to  be  forgotten.  To  be  in  the  audience  when  children  presented  Dr. 
Walter  Damrosch  with  a  beautiful  tribute  for  all  that  he  had  done  to 
enrich  their  lives  musically,  gave  one  the  feeling  of  having  participated 
in  an  historic  musical  event.  To  hear  Mrs.  August  Belmont,  Chairman 

28 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


of  the  Metropolitan  Opera  Guild,  with  all  her  charm,  her  beautiful 
speaking  voice,  and  perfect  diction,  was  a  privilege.  Mrs.  Belmont  at 
the  National  Conference  Dinner  challenged  the  group  to  awaken  within 
the  youth  of  today  a  desire  for  the  best  in  music,  that  such  an  institu- 
tion as  the  Metropolitan  Opera  Company  may  live  and  contribute  to 
making  America  a  great  musical  nation.  To  attend  the  International 
Folk  Festival  at  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House  and  see  the  dances  of 
Arabia,  Armenia,  Bulgaria,  Denmark,  England,  Finland,  France,  Ger- 
many, Scotland,  Sweden,  Switzerland,  and  the  United  States,  made  one 
realize  that  the  New  York  Folk  Festival  Council,  through  its  many 
member  groups,  is  weaving  into  the  pattern  of  American  life  the  music, 
the  dances  and  the  best  of  the  cultures  of  the  people  who  are  helping 
to  make  the  United  States  of  tomorrow. 

And  so  one  came  away  from  such  a  rich  experience,  marveling  at 
the  perfection  of  performance  of  not  only  one  choral  group,  but  of  many 
such  organizations;  of  not  just  one  band  but  of  the  many  instrumental 
ensembles,  heard  during  the  week.  One  realized,  as  never  before,  that 
it  is  to  such  school  organizations  as  these  that  we  must  look  for  the 
fostering  of  musical  art  in  America. 

Hazel  MacDonald. 


HOME  THOUGHTS  ON  THE  MUSIC  EDUCATORS 
CONFERENCE 

Apart  from  sheer  pleasure,  one  derives  from  a  national  music  con- 
ference emotional  and  spiritual  stimulus,  and  new  and  challenging 
ideas. 

One  comes  away  with  renewed  pride  and  faith  in  music  as  a  chosen 
profession;  one  has  experienced  the  esprit  de  corps  that  develops  with 
finding  oneself  a  member  of  a  company  of  many  thousands  who  have 
a  common  purpose;  one  has  felt  pride  in  the  accomplishment  of  fellow 
teachers  as  exhibited  by  the  work  of  many  choruses,  orchestras,  and 
bands;  and  one  is  glad  to  be  among  those  to  whose  teaching  is  en- 
trusted the  beautiful  art  of  music. 

This  sounds  like  smug  complacency.  Not  a  bit  of  it.  There  is 
another  emotion,  engendered  by  a  music  educators  conference,  which 
is  not  conducive  to  any  reclining  in  placid  satisfaction.  The  conference 
suggests  too  loudly,  "Go,  and  do  thou,  likewise."  Perfect,  indeed, 
must  he  be  in  his  own  conceit,  who  is  not  filled  with  the  spirit  of 
emulation  by  such  rich  and  varied  offerings,  who  does  not  have  new 
vistas  open  up  to  him. 

29 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Specifically,  for  me,  the  conference  did  several  things.  First  of  all, 
it  reamrmed  my  faith  in  the  slogan,  "Music  for  every  child,  and  every 
child  for  music."  Secondly,  as  the  Glee  Club  may  suspect,  it  renewed 
my  determination  to  set  an  even  higher  standard  for  our  performances. 
And  the  sight  of  so  many  gowned  choruses  rewhetted  my  desire  to 
see  our  Glee  Club  gowned  in  academic  costume,  so  that  we  may  look 
as  much  like  a  unified  ensemble  as  we  hope  we  sound.  Finally,  visits 
to  the  National  Broadcasting  Company's  studios,  and  some  demonstra- 
tions there,  opened  up  possible  new  opportunities  for  usefulness  in  the 
field  of  educational  broadcasting. 

Emma  Weyforth. 


MUSIC  EDUCATORS  CONFERENCE 

The  current  issue  of  Musical  America,  niter  devoting  several  pages 
to  the  Music  Educators  National  Conference,  regrets  that  it  has 
not  been  able  to  so  much  as  mention  all  of  the  events.  Attending 
the  conference,  I  could  but  regret  that  it  was  impossible  to  be  present 
at  all  of  the  sessions.  Even  so,  I  came  home  with  food  for  thought. 
I  hear  again,  in  memory,  the  music  performed  by  various  school  or- 
ganizations, or  recall  the  ideas  presented  by  leading  music  educators. 
To  bring  you  anything  of  the  music  is  impossible  in  writing.  I  must 
content  myself  with  the  educational  theories. 

The  entire  membership  of  the  conference  is  devoted  to  the  ideal 
of  music  for  everyone.  It  is  not  agreed  upon  the  philosophy  of  teaching 
music.  One  group  seems  to  believe  that  the  love  of  music  is  a  fragile 
thing.  To  these  people  the  teaching  of  technical  facts  seems  very 
dangerous.  They  are  certain  there  will  be  unhappy  results.  The  other 
group  believes  that  the  love  of  music  is  innate  and  that  it  seeks  ex- 
pression. To  them,  it  becomes  a  matter  of  course  to  teach  facts  or  skills 
w^henever  they  may  be  contributory  to  freedom  of  musical  expression. 
Judging  from  the  audience  reaction  to  speakers,  this  latter  group  is  in 
the  majority. 

Attending  sessions  of  the  instrumentalists,  I  again  found  two 
opposing  theories,  only  now  pertaining  to  the  development  of  musical 
expression  through  instruments.  Perhaps  they  are  specific  examples  of 
the  general  philosophies  referred  to  in  the  foregoing  paragraph.  Be 
that  as  it  may,  some  instrumentalists  believe  in  class  lessons  on 
heterogeneous  groups  of  instruments.  They  feel  that  the  chief  object 
is  to  become  acquainted  with  instruments  and  to  learn  something  of 
what  it  means  to  play  in  an  orchestra  or  band.  Really  learning  to  play 

30 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


the  instrument  may  come  at  some  future  date.  Other  teachers  are 
equally  devoted  to  class  lessons,  but  only  on  homogeneous  groups  of 
instruments.  They  believe  that  time  and  effort  expended  should  enable 
the  student  to  play  well,  whatever  he  attempts  to  play  at  all.  To 
them,  haphazard  results  are  the  foe  of  musical  growth  and  also  of 
musical  appreciation.  It  is  obvious  that  these  teachers  do  not  lack 
for  numbers  in  their  organizations  as  is  shown  by  the  marvelous  band 
of  the  Joliet  Township  High  School.  This  band  is  the  outcome  of 
experience  in  music  and  careful  teaching  from  the  grades  up. 

Finally,  the  conference  is  gradually  developing  the  music  depart- 
ments of  the  schools  into  a  peoples'  conservatory.  Eventually  this 
will  lead  to  a  non-professional,  music-loving,  music-performing,  and 
music-consuming  public,  to  be  found  alike  in  city  and  country.  Hence, 
I  am  convinced  more  than  ever,  that  all  who  teach  music  must  demand 
of  themselves  and  of  their  students  the  best,  be  it  in  choice  of  music,  or 
in  manner  of  performance.  To  this  end,  you,  the  students  of  this 
College,  may  contribute. 

Elm  A  Prickett. 

The  Library — at  Your  Service 

Clemens,  Samuel  L. — "The  Innocents  Abroad" — New  York:  Harper  and  Bros.:  c.  1911, 
409  pp.  Two  volumes. 

""TJxcuRsiON  to  the  Holy  Land,  Egypt,  The  Crimea,  Greece,  and 
|H  Intermediate  Points  of  Interest."  Thus  was  Mark  Twain 
-*— ^  tempted  to  go  abroad  in  1867. 

The  Quaker  City  left  New  York  in  June,  1867.  One  of  Twain's 
first  experiences  was  that  with  the  captains.  Each  time  he  did  some- 
thing, a  different  captain  would  correct  him  until  finally,  "Now  I  ask 
you,  do  you  think  I  could  venture  to  throw  a  rock  here  in  any  direction 
without  hitting  a  captain  of  the  ship?" 

"Well,  sir;  I  don't  know,  I  think  likely  you'll  fetch  the  captain  of 
the  watch,  maybe,  because  he's  a-standing  right  yonder  in  the  way." 

Several  nights  at  sea,  the  party  danced  on  the  upper  deck.  The 
description  is  rich: 

"Our  music  consisted  of  the  well-mixed  strains  of  a  melodeon 
which  was  a  little  asthmatic  and  apt  to  catch  its  breath  where  it  ought 
to  come  out  strong;  a  clarinet  which  was  a  little  unreliable  on  the  high 
keys  and  rather  melancholy  on  the  low  ones;  and  a  disreputable  ac- 
cordion that  had  a  leak  somewhere  and  breathed  loucfer  than  it 
squawked.  The  Virginia  Reel,  as  performed  on  board  the  Quaker  City, 
had  more  genuine  reel  than  ever  I  saw  before." 

31 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Twain's  description  of  one  of  the  passengers  is  amusing:  "The 
Oracle  is  an  innocent  old  ass  who  eats  for  four  and  looks  wiser  than 
the  whole  Academy  of  France  would  have  any  right  to  look;  never 
uses  a  one-syllable  work  when  he  can  think  of  a  larger  one,  and  never 
by  any  possible  chance  knows  the  meaning  of  any  long  word  he  uses; 
or  ever  gets  it  in  the  right  place;  yet  he  will  serenely  venture  an 
opinion  on  the  most  abstruse  subject,  and  back  it  up  complacently 
with  quotations  from  authors  who  never  existed,  and  finally  when 
cornered  will  slide  to  the  other  side  of  the  question,  and  come  back  at 
you  with  your  own  spoken  arguments,  only  with  the  big  words  all 
tangled,  and  play  them  in  your  very  teeth  as  original  with  himself." 

The  descriptions  of  France,  Spain,  the  Azores  are  likewise  exceed- 
ingly humorous.  If  you've  never  before  had  the  desire  to  travel,  you 
will  after  reading  this  book.  Twain's  style  will  never  grow  old.  It  is 
still  as  fresh  and  clever  today  as  it  was  in  1911.  If  we  can't  go  to 
Europe  in  actuality,  we  can  at  least  go  merrily  on  a  la  Twain. 

Other  Travel  Books  (already  reviewed); 

1.  Anne  M.  Lindbergh — "North  to  the  Orient" 

2.  Rockwell  Kent — "Salamina" 


A  Guide  to  Educational  Features  of  Baltimore. 

Made  by  Freshman  I  and  IV:  State  Teachers  College  at  Towson:  1935-36. 

The  guide  has  as  its  purpose  to  aid  students  and  teachers  in  finding 
authentic  information  on  Baltimore.  The  guide  has  been  compiled  as 
a  result  of  a  felt  need  to  know  Baltimore  better.  Dr.  Tall  first  expressed 
the  need,  and  it  was  realized  in  actuality  by  Miss  Bersch,  who  directed 
the  preparation  of  this  document.  It  includes  associations,  banks, 
cemeteries,  churches,  government  of  Baltimore,  hospitals,  hotels,  in- 
dustrial organizations,  libraries,  markets,  monuments,  museums,  no- 
table Baltimoreans,  parks,  radio  stations,  residential  districts,  schools, 
theaters,  transportation,  and  water  supply.  Each  student  shared  in 
making  the  guide,  which  contains  much  worthwhile  information.  It 
is  shelved  in  the  reference  room.   Read  it  and  know  your  Baltimore. 

Hubby  and  friend  wife  were  going  over  the  family  budget.  Fre- 
quently, he  ran  across  an  item,  "H.  O.  K." 

'  'My  dear, ' '  he  said, '  'what  is  this  H.  O.  K.?'  * 
"Heaven  Only  Knows, ' '  she  replied. 

.    32 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  College  Record 


Assemblies 

March  10 

SPONSORED  by  the  Chi  Alpha  Sigma  Fraternity,  Dr.  Ivan  E.  Mc- 
Dougle,  Professor  of  Sociology  at  Goucher  College  and  Research 
Professor  of  Pennsylvania  Relief,  gave  us  one  of  the  most  thought- 
provoking  and  dynamic  talks  of  the  year — "Facing  Reality." 

"This  is  a  terrible  age  to  live  in."  Economically  we  are  living  in 
the  Twentieth  Century,  but  socially  we  are  still  back  in  the  days  of 
the  Confederation.  Laws  enacted  for  the  purpose  of  alleviating  distress 
fail  to  accomplish  their  aim.  In  the  midst  of  this  hopeless  muddle 
unemployment  mounts  steadily  and  will  continue  in  that  course.  To 
illustrate,  the  constant  decline  of  hand  labor — all  steel  tops  on  Chev- 
rolet cars  are  made  by  72  men,  who  merely  press  a  few  buttons;  a  new 
experimental  tire  plant  utilizes  only  l]/2%  of  the  labor  required  in 
existing  factories.  With  the  recent  labor  turmoil  in  Akron,  there  is  no 
doubt  that  plants  will  be  renovated,  thus  removing  91}/2%  of  the  labor. 

Has  the  business  slump  hit  the  manufacturers?  Let  us  see  what 
sort  of  profits  are  made.  The  manufacturing  cost  of  a  package  of 
cigarettes  is  three-eighths  of  one  cent.  A  tube  of  shaving  cream  costs 
no  more  than  one  cent  to  make,  excluding  the  container,  which  costs 
more  than  the  contents.  Face  creams  can  be  made  for  seven  cents, 
minus  the  cost  of  the  jar. 

With  the  apparently  exorbitant  profits  on  the  one  hand  and  dire 
need  on  the  other,  what  is  the  Maryland  legislature  doing  in  regard 
to  the  unemployment  problem?  Numerous  reports  and  recommenda- 
tions made  by  various  committees  of  experts  have  been  heedlessly 
turned  down  by  the  legislature.  Instead  of  facing  the  situation 
squarely,  the  Maryland  lawmakers  are  spending  their  time  in  aimless 
bickering,  ignoring  every  proposal  because  of  the  chicane  of  some 
lobbyist.  No  doubt  at  the  end  of  the  session  some  new  law  will  be 
concocted  in  fifteen  minutes,  the  time  required  for  the  late  Gross 
Receipts  Tax.  We  are  faced  with  the  question  of  what  our  legislature 
will  do,  w^hen  they  apparently  fail  to  see  current  trends  and  problems. 
In  one  of  the  committees  Dr.  McDougle  found  that  only  a  single 
member  had  read  a  book  within  the  last  two  years.  What  is  the 
voter's  problem  "when  the  master  minds  of  the  legislature  do  not 
have  a  platform  worthy  of  a  first-grade  primary  school  pupil?" 

33 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


March  24 

Dr.  Florence  Bamberger  talked  to  us  on  "Teaching  Tolerance 
Through  the  Social  Science  Approach." 

We  know  that  there  are  fundamental  similarities  in  all  societies. 
Beside  the  biologic  function,  we  have  the  urge  of  people  to  live  to- 
gether, and  the  realization  of  the  need  to  preserve  the  group  by  creating 
norms  and  standards.  These  facts  may  be  put  into  basic  patterns,  as 
for  example:  "When  men  live  together  closely  they  need  a  lot  of  care 
for  property."  Obviously,  there  are  innumerable  ways  in  which  this 
protection  is  carried  on.  If  the  child  in  the  schoolroom  is  impressed 
with  the  realization  that  all  societies  have  fundamentally  the  same 
aims  and  purposes  regardless  of  the  exterior  emblems,  rituals,  or  signs 
employed,  his  viewpoint  of  alien  societies  will  be  decidedly  more  sym- 
pathetic.   Thus  we  shall  produce  individuals  who  are  truly  tolerant. 


April  6 

It  is  always  a  pleasure  to  have  Dr.  Weglein,  Superintendent  of 
Public  Instruction  of  Baltimore  City,  speak  to  the  College.  His  talk 
on  April  6  gave  a  very  encouraging  outlook  for  the  city  students  and 
for  the  county  students  who  are  planning  to  teach  in  Baltimore  City. 

According  to  Dr.  Weglein,  more  changes  in  education  have  been 
made  in  the  last  thirty  years  than  were  made  in  the  preceding  300 
years.  In  recent  years  great  stress  has  been  laid  upon  the  teaching 
of  Social  Studies — educators  believe  that  this  branch  of  education 
makes  a  great  contribution  to  good  citizenship.  Increased  emphasis 
has  been  placed  upon  the  training  of  teachers,  principals,  and  super- 
visors. Subjects  of  controversial  nature,  presented  impartially  from 
every  angle,  are  finding  their  way  into  the  various  curricula.  Teachers 
are  continuing  extensive  study  after  leaving  college.  Beginning  teach- 
ers are  realizing  the  value  of  methods  set  up  by  outstanding  educators, 
and  are  willing  to  conform  to  definite  rules  of  procedure.  Each  of 
these  changes  indicates  a  decided  growth  and  improvement  in  the 
teaching  profession.  But  before  a  teacher  can  hope  to  achieve  great 
success  she  must  be  well  acquainted  with  the  aims  and  objectives  of 
public  education  in  the  United  States,  of  the  school  system  in  which 
she  teaches,  of  her  particular  school  in  the  system,  and  of  the  subject 
that  she  teaches. 

Walter  Rheinheimer. 

Sarah  Strumsky. 
34 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Notes 

The  Traveling  Faculty: 

During  the  Easter  vacation  our  instructors  scattered  themselves 
over  much  of  the  North  American  landscape.  The  South  called  Dr. 
Crabtree  to  Jacksonville,  Florida.  Miss  Rutledge  was  content  to  stop 
at  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  while  Miss  Steele  and  Miss  Hill  jour- 
neyed to  Virginia  to  visit  Miss  Sperry.  In  the  opposite  direction  went 
Miss  Munn,  Miss  Kestner,  Mrs.  Brouwer  and  Miss  Giles.  The  first 
two  went  to  Long  Island — Bridgehampton  and  East  Hampton,  respec- 
tively— and  Mrs.  Brouwer  and  Miss  Giles  betook  themselves  seven 
hundred  miles  to  Michigan.  Not  so  distantly  strayed  Miss  Blood  and 
our  Registrar.  Miss  Blood  surveyed  Allegany  and  Garrett  counties 
from  a  pleasure  rather  than  a  geographic  point  of  view,  and  Miss 
Tansil  attended  a  convention  of  Registrars. 

Biology  Teachers'  Convention: 

Several  members  of  the  Natural  History  Group  attended  some  of 
the  sessions  of  the  Third  Annual  Biology  Teachers'  Convention,  which 
was  held  at  the  University  of  Maryland,  College  Park,  on  April  18. 
Dr.  Lynch  presided  at  the  afternoon  session.  Among  the  lectures 
illustrated  by  slides  and  motion  pictures  was  a  most  interesting  one 
on  the  development  of  the  oyster,  by  Dr.  R.  V.  Truitt.  Dr.  Truitt  will 
come  to  the  State  Teachers  College  on  May  19  to  speak  in  the  assembly. 

Bon  Voyage! 

Our  nurse,  Miss  Powers,  was  married  during  the  Easter  vacation 
to  Mr.  William  Miller  at  the  home  of  her  mother  in  Norfolk,  Virginia. 
Mr.  Miller  is  in  aviation  work  in  Chicago.  "Miss  Powers"  will  leave 
us  in  June.  Although  we  shall  all  miss  her  greatly,  we  sincerely  wish 
her  success  and  happiness  in  her  new  career. 

The  marriage  of  Miss  M.  Eulalie  Smith,  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
J.  Brooke  Smith,  to  Mr.  John  Evans,  Jr.,  on  March  21st,  at  Rockville, 
has  been  announced.  Mr.  Evans  is  the  son  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  John 
Evans,  of  Baltimore. 

Class  Officers  0936-1937^ 

JUNIOR  OFFICERS  SOPHOMORE  OFFICERS 

President — Edith  Jones  President — Catherine  Schottler 

Vice-President — Walter  Ubersax  Vice-President — Francis  Hev^tes 

Secretary —  Secretary — Edgar  Perry 

Treasurer — Charles  Hopwood  Treasurer — Louise  Drake 

Social  Chairmen — Alma  Taylor  Social  Chairmen — Sarah  Hatton 
Rebecca  Howard  Mary  Owens 

35 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Impressions  of  New  York 

New  Yorkers  never  seem  to  lose  their  hats — we  did,  many  times, 
and  felt  dreadfully  conspicuous.  Broadway  at  midnight  is  great  fun — 
we  liked  the  lighted  fish  sign  best.  A  senior  boy  has  all  the  statistics 
concerning  it.  Why  don't  New  Yorkers  ever  know  where  anything  is 
located?  We  adopted  a  motto,  "When  in  doubt,  don't  ask."  Con- 
sidering the  habits  of  taxicab  drivers,  we  can't  understand  the  popula- 
tion of  New  York  soaring  to  such  heights  .  .  .  we  narrowly  escaped 
violent  death  many  times.  You  don't  think  the  tall  buildings  are  as 
tall  as  the  picture  books  showed  them  until  you  get  to  the  top  of  one 
of  them.  The  skyline  at  night  is  more  thrilling  than  the  post  cards 
could  ever  show.  The  ferry  boat  ride  to  Staten  Island  is  keen,  and  if 
things  work  your  way,  the  round  trip  can  be  made  for  only  one  nickel. 
You  can  wander  for  hours  underneath  Grand  Central  Station.  It  takes 
just  one  minute  and  a  half  to  shuttle  from  Grand  Central  Station  to 
"Times  Square,  ask  Miss  Woodward.  Why  did  Hopwood  ever  go  to 
Chinatown?  Chinese  music  played  on  a  Chinese  fuerta  (flute  to  you) 
is  bad  enough,  but  the  Funeral  March  is  execrable!  And  Chinatown 
is  as  thrilling  as  some  of  the  stories  about  it — two  senior  girls  can't  be 
wrong.  Boys  at  Newark  Normal  School  were  called  from  classes  to 
dance — music  has  Sutch  charms — and  got  credit  for  the  classes.  The 
Statue  of  Liberty  is  all  "lit  up"  at  night  to  express  the  "spirit  of 
America."  Miss  Rutledge  has  become  the  New  York  Policeman's 
Guide.  The  New  York  trip  did  have  its  educational  values — witness 
a  solid  group  discussion  at  2:00  A.  M.  The  He  de  France  really  is  some 
little  boat!  With  plenty  of  money  we  should  like  to  live  in  New  York 
in  one  of  the  $10,000  a  year  Park  Avenue  apartments — after  all,  we 
were  only  there  five  days. 

Eleanor  Schnepfe. 


The  Campus  School 

Announcing  the  Campus  Chronicle:  "the  newspaper  for  pupils  who 
care."  This  hectographed  publication  of  irregular  date  of  issue  is 
administered  by  Linn  Hover,  its  editor,  ably  assisted  by  a  canny  Busi- 
ness Manager  and  a  cracker- jack  corps  of  reporters,  most  of  whom  are 
members  of  grade  seven.  The  Tower  Light  wishes  its  esteemed 
contemporary  every  success. 

Spring  is  reflected  in  the  rooms  and  activities  of  the  Campus 
School.    Rock  gardens,  aquaria  (balanced,  of  course),  potted  plants, 

36 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


insects,  and  cut  flowers  all  abound  in  greatest  profusion  correctly- 
arranged.  College  students  will  get  many  useful  suggestions  from  a 
tour  of  inspection.  Spring  has  brought  conservation  week,  which 
focused  the  efforts  and  attention  of  the  pupils  upon  the  enhancing 
and  preservation  of  school  and  home  grounds. 

During  the  past  month  the  various  classes  have  been  exceedingly- 
active  in  the  preparation  of  plays.  Among  those  presented  were 
Briar  Rose  and  Rip  van  Winkle. 


The  Orchestra 

This  is  a  trying  time  of  the  year  for  us.  The  winter  heat  puts  our 
piano  out  of  tune  so  much  that  we  can  no  longer  use  it  with  the  organ. 
Rehearsals  have  to  be  divided.  We  are  hoping  for  several  sunny  Mon- 
days so  that  we  may  rehearse  in  the  auditorium,  where  the  organ  and 
piano  will  be  more  nearly  in  unison. 

For  the  first  time  this  year,  all  of  our  second  violins  are  with  us. 
Many  uninitiated  think  the  second  violin  is  '  'second  fiddle. ' '  Actually, 
this  is  not  true;  second  violin  is  more  difficult  than  first  violin  from 
the  ear  standpoint,  though  easier  from  the  technical.  Besides,  a  good 
second  violin  part  connects  the  high  first  violin  part  to  the  heavier 
instruments  of  the  orchestra,  making  for  a  unified  whole. 

We  are  hoping  to  give  some  time  before  the  close  of  the  year  to 
rehearsals  by  the  string  ensemble. 

Malcolm  Davies  conducted  the  Orchestra  at  the  rehearsal  on 
Monday  during  Miss  Prickett's  attendance  at  the  Music  Educators 
National  Conference. 

Kaleidoscope 

"Cada  uno  es  como  Dios  le  hizo,  y  aun  peor  muchas  veces" — Cervantes. 

As  we  were  saying  when  we  were  interrupted,  the  Seniors  are 
/^  back  and  the  male  Sophomores  are  departed  to  do  battle  in  the 
■*•  ^  just  cause  of  democratic  education.  Of  the  former,  nothing  need 
be  said:  they  will  make  their  presence  sufficiently  known.  (Kindly 
endure  practices  of  Light,  Oh,  Gracious  Glow!  Its  pseudo-heroics  are 
designed  to  steel  the  heart  for  the  parturition  pangs  of  June  16.)  The 
Sophomore  student  teachers  went  cheerfully  forth,  eyes  shining  with 
youthful  idealism.  Even  Miss  Birdsong  was  deeply  impressed  by  their 
fine  spirit.  She  personally  joined  in  the  inspiring  send-off  tendered 
them  by  the  denizens  of  the  lower  men's  room. 

37 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


While  we  are  in  a  pedagogical  frame  of  mind  let  us  express  our 
horror  at  the  subversive  propaganda  emblazoned  upon  the  walls  of  a 
science  lecture  room.  "Successful  education  disturbs,  upsets,  and  leads 
to  change.  Veritas  vos  liberabit."  Is  this  not  a  tactical  blunder  on 
the  part  of  the  Opposition  and  a  frightful  oversight  on  the  part  of  the 
Orthodox? 

We  find  that  large  portions  of  our  field  have  been  appropriated 
this  month  by  our  neighbor,  As  You  Like  It,  and  a  New  York  Tripper. 
Concerning  the  New  York  Trip,  however,  we  have  discovered  two 
heretofore  unpublished  bits  which  we  present  forthwith. 

The  two  girls  who  went  to  Chinatown  and  the  Bowery  at  mid- 
night were  trailed  by  a  policeman  (cop,  bull,  brassbuttons,  bluecoat) 
for  one  of  two  possible  reasons.  Since  it  might  be  just  as  insulting  to 
hint  that  they  appeared  to  need  protection  as  it  would  to  announce 
that  they  seemed  suspicious  characters,  we  shall  not  mention  their 
names.   Besides,  we  don't  know  who  they  were. 

The  other  bit  is  rather  vague.  It  seems  to  be  concerned  with  con- 
ventional gatherings  in  hotel  rooms  at  late  hours.  We  gather  that 
the  boys  were  reluctant  to  go  back  to  their  own  drab  stalls.  But 
really  we  know  nothing.   No  one  will  talk. 

This  is  May.  This  is  the  month  of  Walpurgisnacht,  "when  any- 
thing is  rather  more  than  likely  to  happen."  This  is  the  season  when 
the  lambs  are  fattened  for  the  June  matrimonial  market.  This  is  the 
time  of  whirling  Maypoles,  the  Internationale,  red  riots,  and  the  great 
god  Pan.   This  is  the  Essence  of  Romance.   Therefore! 

O  lieb'  so  lang  du  lieben  kannst! 
O  lieb'  so  lang  du  lieben  magst! 
Die  Stunde  kommt,  die  Stunde  kommt. 
Wo  du  an  Graebern  stehst  und  wagst! 

Which,  freely,  is  love  while  yet  you  live.   Examples: 

Term  papers  or  stimulating  skirmishes  with  Cupid?  That  is  the 
question.  To  be  a  realist  or  to  be  a  sap?  The  sun  is  warm,  and  the  sap 
flows  out  into  the  glen,  his  typewriter  left  poised  on  "the  Khedive  of 
Egy."  Alas,  the  maid  of  March  is  forgot!  The  swain  whose  burning 
glance  was  so  scorchingly  portrayed  last  month  has  deserted  his  class. 
The  mistress  of  May  is  a  Freshman,  and  a  fellow-artist.  But  what  of 
Fischel?  And  how  long  can  the  devotee  of  Cytherea  continue  success- 
fully to  dodge  three  instructors  at  once? 

Although  our  commentator  on  New  York  had  the  advantage  of 
being  on  the  spot,  she  has  not  followed  the  situations  through.  We  are 
able  to  report  that  the  girl  with  the  oft-punned  name  has  received  a 
missive  via  letterpost  from  the  Newark  violinist.  The  visit  is  to  be 
July  4,  even  as  previously  reported. 

38 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


of  uncouth  language  (to  put  it  mildly),  while  the  other  leaned  against 
a  fence  and  calmly  contemplated  him.  When  the  vociferous  (oh,  boy!) 
one  had  run  out  of  words  and  breath,  the  silent  one  said,  "Are  you 
troo?"  "Yes."  "You  ain't  got  nuffin' more  to  say?"  "No."  "Well, 
all  dem  tings  what  you  called  me,  you  is." 

I  hope  I'm  not  starting  a  fad,  but  lately  limericks  have  crept 
insidiously  into  my  consciousness,  and  they  will  out.   Here's  another: 

Cleopatra,  who  thought  they  maligned  her. 
Resolved  to  reform  and  be  kinder; 

"If,  when  pettish,"  she  said, 

"I  should  knock  off  your  head. 
Won't  you  give  me  a  gentle  reminder?" 

There  is  a  fable  going  the  rounds  that  a  certain  young  Freshman 
one  day  sat  on  his  watch  all  the  way  to  school  because  he  wanted  to 
be  on  time.   Mr.  Meigs  could  learn  something  from  such  an  example. 

It  seems  that  even  fifty  years  ago  there  was  such  a  thing  as  Pun, 
but  then  it  was  called  a  play  on  words.   Witness  this  example: 

Two  brothers  there  were  of  Sioux  City; 
Each  one  thought  the  other  tioux  pretty. 

So  each  took  his  knife 

And  the  other  one's  life. 
Now  which  of  the  toux  dioux  yioux  pity? 

Since  this  seems  to  have  deteriorated  into  a  verse  column,  might  as 
well  go  the  limit  and  finish  off  with  another  lyric. 

Little  Willie  from  his  mirror 

Sucked  the  mercury  all  off. 
Thinking,  in  his  childish  error. 

It  would  cure  his  whooping  cough. 
At  the  funeral  Willie's  mother 

Smartly  said  to  Mrs.  Brown, 

'Twas  a  chilly  day  for  William 

When  the  mercury  went  down." 

Conclusion:  Read  the  third  sentence  in  the  first  paragraph  of  this 
column,  and  maybe  you'll  feel  a  little  better. 

M.  C. 


41 


Compliments 

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Sport  Signs  of  Spring 

The  girls  of  T.C.  are  blooming  with  their  baseball  bats.    The 
meaning?   Spring  is  here.    Again,  we  shall  see  our  campus  brightened 
with  tan,  orange  and  green  dots.   As  to  baseball,  we  are  hoping  to  see 
a  Babe  Ruth  flower  from  the  players.    At  the  hedge  near  York  Road, 
we  see  sprouts  growing.    Their  purpose  is  to  get  a  ball  over  a  net. 
Volley  ball  is  another  sign  of  good  weather,  and  if  sunshine  continues 
soon  we  shrill  see  students  practicing  their  necessary  tennis  strokes. 
At  present  the  courts  are  under  the  gardener's  care.   We  could  aid  him 
by  wearing  tennis  shoes  and  thus  help  keep  our  courts  in  good  con- 
dition! 

The  A.  A.  has  budded  out  with  a  new  set  of  officers. 

President — Pauline  Mueller 

Vice-President — Betty  Straining 

Secretary — Adele  Mitzel 

Fall  Manager — Dorothy  Hoopes 

Winter  Manager — Hazel  Naylor 

Spring  Manager — Louise  Firey 

Hiking  Manager — Miriam  Farwell 

(chesterfield  writes 
its  own  aavertisina 


1936,  LIGGETT   &    MYERS   TOBACCO  CO. 


MER  LIGHT 


GRADUATION 


JUNE,  1936 


v^  /w„^^ 


THE 

TOWER  LIGHT 


State  Teachers  College 

TOWSON,  MARYLAND 


CONTENTS 

(George  Horn 
Malcolm  Da  vies 
Charles  Meigs 

page 

"He  Also  Serves — " 3 

Each  Day,  a  New  Day 4 

To  the  Class  of  Nineteen  Thirty-six 5 

To  the  Fourth  Year  Seniors 6 

Au  Revoir! 8 

Chronicle  of  1936 9 

The  College  in  Review 12 

Commencement  Week  Activities 13 

Installation  of  Officers 14 

The  Senior  Banquet  and  Prom 14 

Three  Wishes  by  Gertrude  Carley 14 

Concerning  the  Glen 15 

Musical  Inertia 16 

How  Interesting  are  the  Contents  of  a  Schoolroom 

Waste  Basket 17 

This  Teaching  Job — a  foem 18 

"Believe  It  or  Not" 19 

Paper  Clips 20 

The  Storm 20 

Concerning  the  Bachelors 22 

Senior  Happenings  in  the  Dorm 23 

Poetry 24 

A  May  Day  Ballad 26 

Women  in  the  World  Today 27 

Editorials 28 

Our  Alumni 30 

The  College  Record 32 

Notes  from  the  Glee  Club 36 

Oh  Yes!  The  Orchestra 38 

As  You  Like  It 40 

Sport  Flashes 41 

The  Group  Theater 42 

The  Library — at  Your  Service 43 

Our  Advertisers 44 

1935      Member       1936 

P^socided  Golle6icite  Press 


THE  TOWER  LIGHT 


Voi.  IX  JUNE,  1936  No.  9 


"He  Also  Serves—" 

You,  too,  have  served;  you,  too,  have  waited.  You  have  waited  for 
that  letter  which  was  so  long  in  coming.  You  have  waited  for 
that  call  which  seemed  never  to  become  the  reality.  You  have 
waited  for  that  look  on  the  doctor's  face  which  seemed  to  say, '  'He  will 
be  all  right,  only  let  him  sleep. ' '  You  have  served. 

And  now,  these  fragrant  spring  blossoms  bursting  forth  over  the 
campus  also  seem  to  say,  "We,  too,  have  waited."  Those  first  crocus 
blooms  on  the  hillside,  those  fragile  violets  in  the  glen,  those  golden 
dandelions  on  the  green  repeat  as  they  lift  their  clustered  heads  to  the 
warm  protecting  sun  above,  '  'We  must  serve  now,  for  it  has  been  a  long 
time  that  we  have  waited." 

We,  too,  have  waited.  We  have  known  the  same  anxiety  that  you 
knew  when  you  waited  for  that  message,  for  that  voice,  for  that  look. 
We  have  been  just  as  patient  as  those  early  spring  flowers  which  had  to 
wait  until  it  was  really  safe  for  them  to  serve.  But,  we  have  liked  wait- 
ing. We  have  made  friends,  we  have  spent  such  pleasant  days  together, 
we  have  learned  so  much  to  give  others.  We  shall  miss  those  good 
times,  we  shall  be  deprived  of  those  close  friendships  we  have  valued, 
and  we  shall  look  back  longingly  over  those  years  we  have  waited.  Yes, 
we  too  have  waited.  Now,  we  wish  to  serve.  We  wish  to  help  others 
bear  the  suspense  as  you  have  borne  it.  We  wish  to  help  them  be  as  pa- 
tient as  those  early  blossoms.  It  has  been  a  long  time  we  have  waited. 
Now,  we  wait  to  serve! 

Jane  Bartell. 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Each  Day,  a  New  Day 

ON  graduation  day  there  is  advice  to  be  had  for  the  asking  from  all 
one's  friends.  Life  has  a  technique  which  makes  for  success  if 
one  can  only  find  it,  and  Plutarch  has  said,  '  'Character  is  long 
standing  habit."  Goethe  wisely  remarked:  "What  each  day  needs, 
that  shalt  thou  ask.  Each  day  will  set  its  proper  task."  A  Modern  ad- 
vises: "Never  do  today  what  you  can  do  tomorrow,  but  never  put  off 
till  tomorrow  what  should  be  done  today."  But  such  terse  maxims  de- 
mand elaboration  if  one's  philosophy  is  to  be  worked  out  consciously 
and  followed  in  thought,  in  word,  in  action,  so  that  it  may  lead  on  to 
success.  One  might  well  ask  one's  self  '  'What  is  success?' '  It  is  a  relative 
term  certainly  to  be  defined  by  each  according  to  his  urges  and  satis- 
factions. The  money  reward  so  often  confused  with  success,  may  mean 
little  to  one  person  but  all  to  another.  Yet,  "what  shall  it  profit  a  man  if 
he  gain  the  whole  world  and  lose  his  own  soul?"  Beauty  may  be  abso- 
lutely necessary  to  one  and  austereness  and  law  and  order  to  another.  I 
can  give  you  no  wisdom  more  potent  for  your  thinking,  oh.  Students  of 
the  Class  of  '36,  than  a  poem  from  the  Sanskrit  that  was  sent  to  Dr. 
William  Osier  by  de  Haviland  Hall  and  mentioned  in  the  great  physi- 
cian's virile  address  called  "A  Way  of  Life"  delivered  to  Yale  students 
years  ago: 

"THE  SALUTATION  OF  THE  DAWN 

Listen  to  the  Exhortation  of  the  Dawn! 

Look  to  this  Day! 
For  it  is  Life,  the  very  Life  of  Life. 
In  its  brief  course  lie  all  the 
Varieties  and  Realities  of  your  Existence: 

The  Bliss  of  Growth, 

The  Glory  of  Action, 

The  Splendour  of  Beauty; 
For  Yesterday  is  but  a  Dream, 
And  Tomorrow  is  only  a  Vision, 

But  Today  well  lived  makes 
Every  Yesterday  a  Dream  of  Happiness, 
And  Every  Tomorrow  a  Vision  or  Hope. 
Look  well  therefore,  to  this  Day! 
Such  is  the  Salutation  of  the  Dawn." 

Your  friend,  always, 
Lid  A  Lee  Tall. 


LIDA  LEE  TALL 
President 


LOUESA  J.  KEYS 
Senior  Class  Adviser 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


To  the  Class  of  Nineteen  Thirty-six 

IN  the  Journal  of  the  National  Education  Association  for  April,  1936, 
Dr.  C.  A.  Beard  makes  these  statements :  "For  the  training  of  minds, 
a  trained  mind  is  required.  For  the  dissemination  of  knowledge  a 
mastery  of  knowledge  is  required.  The  union  of  the  trained  mind  and 
knowledge  makes  scholarship.  So  the  teacher  is  under  obligation  to  be 
a  scholar — not  a  pedant  but  a  scholar  dedicated  to  the  cultivation  of  the 
mind  and  the  transmission  of  knowledge  ..." 

This  is  a  bit  of  philosophy  to  write  upon  your  hearts;  one  by  which 
to  live  and  grow. 

A  trained  mind  continually  adds  to  itself.  It  is  an  open  mind :  one 
willing  to  search  out  and  to  seize  upon  every  opportunity  for  improve- 
ment; one  that  uses  all  its  forces  and  thirsts  for  more.  Masteryof  knowl- 
edge is  a  life-long  process.  Formal  training  can  only  lay  a  foundation 
on  which  to  build,  hence  the  most  valuable  training  comes  from  life's 
experiences. 

You  go  forth  now,  each  to  find  his  own  niche,  each  to  assume  new 
responsibilities  in  the  teaching  world.  Every  experience  will  give 
something  to  you  and  take  something  from  you,  but  the  trained  mind 
accepts  the  new  as  material  with  which  to  build  more  than  is  lost. 
Wherever  life  may  lead  you,  with  whomsoever  you  may  be  associated, 
make  an  earnest  effort  to  have  every  contact  broaden  and  deepen  your 
understanding,  give  all  you  have  that  you  may  build  more,  ana  scholar- 
ship will  be  the  result. 

On  such  achievement  education  depends. 


LouesaJ.  Keys. 


fi^C^wiSl^^S^ 


Class  Song  of  1936 

The  class  of  '36  is  fine 
We'll  try  to  prove  our  name 
We'll  stand  by  Alma  Mater  true 
And  thus  we'll  share  her  fame. 
We're  small  but  like  the  jewel 
We'll  glow  with  all  our  might 
And  from  our  Alma  Mater  true 
We'll  carry  forth  her  light. 

Elinor  Wilson. 
Doris  Middleton. 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


To  the  Fourth  Year  Seniors 


o 


N  September  the  seventh, 
nineteen  hundred  and 
thirt}'--two,  more  than 
two  hundred  students  climbed 
the  curving  road  past  the  larch 
tree  and  the  honeysuckles  for  the 
first  time  and  entered  the  open 
doors  of  the  then  State  Normal 
School.  Scattered  among  this 
freshman  class  w^ere  twenty-two 
young  people,  who  were  unac- 
quainted with  one  another  and 
who  felt  their  strangeness  in  the 
college  that  was  so  different  from 
the  high  schools  from  which 
they  had  been  graduated.  It 
was,  nevertheless,  these  twenty- 
two  freshmen  who  were  destined 
to  become  the  second  fourth  year  senior  class  in  the  college. 

The  importance  of  the  second  fourth  year  senior  class  is  not  in  its 
position  in  the  college,  but  rather  in  the  achievements  and  in  the  con- 
tributions of  its  individual  members.  Let  us  push  back  the  curtain  of 
the  past  and  catch  a  glimpse  here  and  there  of  the  fourth  year  seniors. 
On  many  occasions  during  the  past  four  years  these  students  may  have 
been  seen  acting  as  presiding  officers  with  various  student  groups.  A 
wealth  of  titles  can  be  found  after  their  names  in  the  annals  of  college 
and  class  organizations.  At  soccer  and  at  basketball  the  cheers  of  spec- 
tators have  acclaimed  the  skill  of  two  of  them,  or  if  the  scene  changes 
to  the  quieter  atmosphere  of  the  science  classroom  it  is  one  who,  with 
quick  strokes,  puts  a  diagram  on  the  board  that  makes  a  puzzling  ques- 
tion clear.  If  the  class  is  one  in  history  instead  of  science,  it  is  another, 
when  the  discussion  has  reached  an  impasse,  who  moves  with  rapid 
steps  to  the  map  to  point  out  the  historic  situation.  At  the  time  that 
the  glee  club  and  orchestra  broadcast,  or  when  they  transport  the  stu- 
dents and  faculty  beyond  the  walls  of  the  auditorium  with  their  music, 
some  fourth  year  seniors  are  among  the  performers  and  frequently  one  is 
soloist  and  another  the  accompanist  for  the  occasion.  Just  before  last 
Christmas,  when  the  art  rooms  during  free  periods  were  a-buzz  with  de- 
signing, block  printing  and  the  cutting  of  paper,  fourth  year  seniors 
were  the  leaders  in  making  Christmas  cards  for  the  benefit  of  the  Tower 
Light.  Once  a  month  some  late  afternoon  or  on  Saturday  morning,  one 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


might  hear  such  mystic  sounds  as  these — "quotations  capital  T  t-w-o 
hearts  quotations  dash  quotations  capital  B  dash" — issuing  from  a  room 
on  the  lower  floor  of  the  Administration  building.  This  is  not  a  pe- 
culiar form  of  telegraphic  message  carried  on  by  fourth  year  seniors;  in- 
stead, it  is  just  twoofthem,  the  editors  of  the  college  magazine,  reading 
proof.  These  suggestive  sketches  are  but  a  few  of  the  many  ways  in 
which  the  fourth  year  seniors  have  impressed  themselves  upon  the  col- 
lege life. 

As  the  years  pass,  the  students  who  know  you,  Fourth  Year  Seniors, 
will  go  out  from  the  College.  Faculty  members,  who  can  recall  your 
questioning,  your  various  points  of  view  and  your  help  especially 
in  trying  and  unexpected  situations,  will  grow  fewer.  Faces  strange  to 
you  will  take  their  places.  Inasmuch,  however,  as  your  ideas  and 
your  efforts  have  served  to  influence  the  life  of  the  College — to  establish 
its  standards  and  its  policies — new  students  will  walk  in  your  foot- 
steps and,  unsuspecting,  will  listen  to  your  voices  echoing  within  these 
walls. 

To  you  I  say, 

"The  course  is  finished.   Let  us  bow  our  heads 
And  stand  awhile  in  silent  reverie. 
Here,  in  the  shadow  of  your  Alma  Mater, 
And  dream  the  dream  of  all  you  mean  to  be." 

In  your  dream  of  the  future  it  is  this  that  I  would  have  you  remem- 
ber. Your  undergraduate  course  only  is  finished.  Graduation  exercises 
are  appropriately  called  commencement.  The  title  of  the  degree  which 
you  merit  is  derived  from  the  term  baccalaureus ,  used  in  the  guilds  and  in 
the  early  universities  to  designate  one  who  had  completed  certain 
studies.  Baccalaureus  really  meant  a  beginner.  After  attaining  his  rank, 
the  baccalaureus  was  permitted  to  give  some  instruction  himself  while 
he  continued  his  studies.  Your  studies  are  not  finished.  Whatever  are 
the  degrees  that  you  attain,  whatever  is  your  status  in  the  profession  of 
teaching  or  in  life,  there  is  a  world  of  knowledge  about  you  that  you 
have  scarcely  touched.  You  must  go  on  learning,  if  you  would  serve 
best! 

Anita  S.  Dowell. 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Au  Revoir! 

THE  days  have  grown  to  weeks,  to  months,  to  years — the  years,  so 
seemingly  short,  have  led  to  commencement.  We  know  that  we 
are  about  to  enter  a  new  adventure.  It  is  hard  for  us  to  express  our 
feeling  .  .  .  there  is  a  joy  ...  a  saddened  joy  which  fills  our  hearts.  Life 
it  is — but  a  life  that  takes  one  from  a  world  of  memories  to  one  that  is 
new  and  strange.  Of  course,  we  shall  always  be  a  part  of  you.  Before  we 
go  we  feel  the  need  to  express  our  appreciation  to  those  who  have 
helped  us  to  succeed.  To  those  we  send  a  message  of  gratitude. 

It  would  be  futile  for  us  to  try  to  express  in  mere  words  what  we, 
one  and  all,  should  like  to  say  to  our  President,  Dr.  Tall.  To  know  her 
is  to  honor  her.  We,  who  have  felt  her  influence  so  often,  cannot  fail 
to  have  assimilated  some  of  her  ideals  and  principles. 

Miss  Keys,  our  honorary  member,  has  been  a  blessing  to  our  class 
in  many  ways.  She  has  been  more  than  a  teacher  to  us;  she  has  been  our 
friend,  our  guide,  our  courage. 

To  those  of  the  faculty,  who  have  labored  so  diligently  for  our  suc- 
cess, we  extend  our  sincere  thanks.  We  all  wish  that  we  had  the  simple 
greatness  that  pervades  this  body  and  we  hope  that  they  have  not  la- 
bored in  vain. 

To  the  whole  College  we  leave  our  record  of  virtues  and  faults,  as 
well  as  our  loyal  love  and  a  promise  to  keep  your  spirit  with  us. 

Paradoxical  as  it  may  seem  we  are  eager  to  leave.  We  hunger  for 
the  new  beyond.  We  live  for  the  joy  of  seeking.  We  seek  for  the  '  'joy  of 
living."  To  quote  Richard  Halliburton,  "Realize  your  youth  while 
you  have  it.  Don't  squander  the  gold  of  your  days,  listening  to  the  te- 
dious, or  giving  your  life  anew  to  the  ignorant  and  the  common.  These 
are  the  sickly  aims,  the  false  ideals  of  our  age.  Live!  Live  the  wonder- 
ful life  that  is  in  you.  Be  afraid  of  nothing.  There  is  such  a  little  time 
that  your  youth  will  last — such  a  little  time." 

Now  we,  the  Senior  Class  of  1936,  purposefully  and  joyously  go 
forth  to  seek  new  worlds  of  love,  friendship  and  beauty.  We  sign  off 
enthusiastically  because  we  are  anxious  to  carry  your  principles  to 
lands  where  they  are  needed. 

Edward  Brumbaugh. 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Chronicle  of  1936 

1.  It  came  to  pass  that  on  the  sixth  day  of  the  tenth  month  of  the 
thirty-third  year  of  the  Twentieth  Century  of  our  Lord ! 

2.  There  registered  in  the  Auditorium  of  the  Maryland  State 
Normal  School  a  shy  and  unassuming  group  of  younglings. 

3.  And  they  were  gathered  together  as  Freshmen  in  the  name  of 
"1936." 

4.  Yea,  for  one  whole  week  there  were  celebrations  likened  unto 
dancing  and  singing  and  the  Lighting  of  the  Way. 

5.  Unto  the  class  of  1936  was  given  by  the  most  high  priestess  of 
the  House  of  Tall,  a  prophetess  of  the  House  of  Keys,  Louesa. 

6.  And  so  it  was  that  they  took  from  their  tribe  leaders  unto 
themselves. 

7.  The  chief  being  of  the  House  of  Brumbaugh. 

8.  And  to  record  their  acts,  they  did  choose  one  Mackey  Hergen- 
rather. 

9.  Thence  the  tribe  of  1936  ventured  into  Normal  and  found  it 
unto  their  liking. 

10.  And  verily  they  did  enjoy  themselves  on  that  day  of  days 
known  to  all  as  Campus  Play  Day. 

11.  Likewise  thereafter  did  the  Freshmen  settle  deep  into  the 
Paleolithic  Age  and  chromosomes  and  the  turmoil  of  the  World  Today. 

12.  And  behold,  after  four  months  had  passed,  1936  welcomed  joy- 
ously the  holy  day  of  all  the  year — Christmas, 

13-  And  there  came  to  pass  in  the  first  month  of  the  thirty-fourth 
year  of  the  Twentieth  Century  of  our  Lord,  the  sixty-eighth  anniversary 
of  their  beloved  House. 

14.  And  lo!  on  that  eighth  day  of  March — Girls'  Demonstration 
Night — the  tribe  of  1936  was  victorious. 

15.  And  behold  there  were  to  be  seen  on  the  sixteenth  day  of  that 
same  month,  the  male  members  of  their  tribe  participating  in  the  long 
waited  Men's  Revue. 

16.  And  when  this  was  celebrated  verily  did  they  set  aside  the 
twentieth  day  of  April  for  their  dance  in  order  that  they  all  might 
gather  together  as  one. 

17.  Time  passed  and  it  became  a  necessity  that  the  tribe  part,  each 
unto  his  separate  way  for  three  long  months. 

18.  But  yea,  each  forswore  he  would  return  before  many  moons. 

Selah. 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


1 .  And  so  it  was  that  in  the  tenth  month  of  the  thirty-fourth  year 
in  the  Twentieth  Century,  the  tribe  of  1936  again  gathered,  now  under 
the  name  of  Juniors. 

2.  And  lo  their  chief  remained  unchanged. 

3.  And  now  the  Juniors  sat  back  while  attention  was  bestowed  on 
members  of  other  tribes. 

4.  And  behold,  diligently  did  members  of  their  own  tribe  labor 
over  those  never-to-be-forgotten  units. 

5.  And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  course  of  time,  a  day  on  which  some 
of  the  tribe  were  to  embark  on  a  new  and  trying  journey. 

6.  And  they  trod  the  path  to  Student  Teaching  sometimes  with 
light  hearts,  sometimes  with  weary  ones. 

7.  It  was  Christmas  again — and  the  most  high  priestess  of  the 
House  of  Tall  said  unto  them:  "Betake  yourself  to  a  happy  and  joyous 
holiday." 

8.  Thence  came  another  joyous  Girls'  Demonstration  Night  with 
1936  as  Indians  turning  the  souvenir  of  victory  over  to  the  Senior  tribe. 

9.  And  so  it  was  that  during  the  next  month  their  House  became 
known  as  the  Maryland  State  Teachers  College. 

10.  And  solemnly  on  the  first  day  of  May  did  the  tribal  leaders  ac- 
cept many  responsibilities. 

11.  And  gladly  they  did  bestow  on  one  Miriam  Vogelman  the 
highest  of  honors — President  of  the  Students  Association  for  Coopera- 
tive Government. 

12.  And  then  they  did  choose  one  Doris  Middleton  as  President  of 
the  Resident  Student  Council  and  one  Hortense  Jachman  as  President  of 
the  Day  Student  Council. 

13.  And  so  it  came  to  pass  that  on  the  eleventh  day  of  the  sixth 
month  the  dearly  beloved  tribe  of  1935  departed  from  their  midst. 

14.  And  there  was  great  mourning. 

Selah. 

1.  And  now  on  the  sixteenth  day  of  the  tenth  month  of  the 
thirty-fifth  year  of  the  Twentieth  Century! 

2.  The  tribe  of  1936  did  come  together  joyful,  for  they  were  the 
leaders  giving  words  of  wisdom. 

3.  Once  again  did  the  tribe  assemble  for  a  dance  to  which  other 
tribes  also  were  invited. 

4.  And  to  their  members  traveling  the  winding  and  hilly  road  of 
Student  Teaching  went  very  best  wishes. 

5.  And  verily,  after  a  hard  struggle  with  the  streptococci,  pneu- 
mococci,  and  typhus  baccilli,  the  Senior  sections  were  victorious. 

10 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


6.  And  lo!  it  was  time  for  the  Old  English  Christmas  dinner  and 
festival — the  last  to  be  witnessed  by  the  whole  tribe  of  1936. 

7.  Thence  on  to  the  last  Girls'  Demonstration  Night.  Members 
of  the  tribe  marvelled  at  the  sight. 

8.  And  to  their  own  Section  Six  do  they  owe  much,  for  was  it  not 
many  of  their  girls  at  whom  all  wondered  for  their  fine  participation  in 
the  gym  stunts? 

9.  And  behold  there  came  a  very  fine  Men's  Revue. 

10.  And  lo!  it  came  to  pass  that  once  again  the  Seniors  did  labor 
very  diligently  in  the  study  of  a  scroll  by  one  Monroe. 

11.  And  also  a  trip  to  the  city  of  cities — New  York — a  trip  filled 
with  wonderment. 

12.  And  truly  a  fine  speech  was  given  at  the  convention  by  one 
MarySutch. 

13.  And  verily  did  they  set  aside  the  sixth  day  of  May  on  which  to 
put  into  the  hands  of  leaders  of  other  tribes  their  responsibilities. 

14.  And  verily  from  Section  Four  did  come  one  Rhoda  Brookhart. 
And  joyously  did  they  hail  her  as  Queen  of  May. 

15.  Likewise  on  that  same  day,  'twas  a  lovely  sight  to  behold  fair 
members  of  the  tribe  paying  tribute  to  the  merry  month  of  May. 

16.  And  now — unto  Section  One  is  the  tribe  indebted  for  six  very 
beautiful  voices. 

17.  It  is  said  that  the  greatest  number  of  student  officers  came  from 
Section  Two  of  the  tribe. 

18.  And  though  quite  small,  Section  Three  shone  also.  For  it  gave 
one  Benjamin  Novey  to  the  basketball  team,  one  Marguerite  Schorr  to 
keep  their  sheckels,  one  Catherine  Rine  as  head  of  the  Marshals. 

19.  And  lest  they  be  forgot,  verily  did  the  tribe  welcome  joyously 
the  support  and  help  of  the  Special  Seniors  and  the  Fourth  Year  Seniors. 

20.  And  now  they  did  set  aside  the  fifth  day  of  June  for  their  big- 
gest celebration — The  Prom. 

21.  But  mingled  with  all  this  joy  came  the  sorrow  of  bidding  fare- 
well to  members  of  the  House  soon,  yea,  too  soon. 

22.  Also  mingled  in  this  sorrow  was  the  dread  of  Professionals. 
And  they  were  sore  afraid ! 

23.  And  alas!  it  did  come  time  for  the  tribe  to  part,  each  unto  his 
own  path. 

24.  And  as  each  parted,  he  did  swear  in  his  heart  always,  yea,  in 
all  ways,  to  remember  the  tribe  of  1936  and  the  days  among  the  other 
tribes  of  the  House. 

Amen. 
Thus  endeth  the  Chronicle  of  1936. 

11 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  College  in  Review 


Freshman: 

Please  excuse  me  while  I  croon 
Never  mind  I'll  be  a  Sophomore  soon. 


Sophomore: 

Who  says  that  I'm  a  dumb-bell? 

I  may  look  funny,  but  I  sure  feel  swell! 


Junior  Qor  Senior^: 

This  younger  generation  causes  a  sensation 
When  I  was  a  Freshman  we  lacked  their  in- 
flation. 


Fourth  Year  Senior: 

I'm  a  Fourth  Year  Senior;  in  Who's  Who 
You  will  find  me  under  Cock-a-doodle-do! 


One  of  the  g:o$  Brigade: 

Ho-hum,  the  alarm  sounds  from  afar, 

Oh,  well,  there's  always  another  street  car. 


12 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  State  Teachers  College 

at  Towson,  Maryland 
Commencement  Activities,  June  Eleventh  to  Sixteenth 

1936 

PROGRAM 

Thursday,  June  ii 

Visiting  High  School  teams  arrive  (our  guests  at  Newell  Hall) 
6:CX)  P.M. — Dinner  in  Newell  Hall 
7:00  P.M. — Senior  Class  Step-Singing 

Friday,  June  iz 

9:00  A.M. — State  Volley  Ball  Meet  (Stadium  Athletic  Field) 
8.<X)  P.M. — Supper  on  Campus 

Saturday,  June  i^ — Alumni  Day 

3:00-  3:30  p.m. — ^Reception  in  Sarah  E.  Richmond  Hall 

3:30-  4:30  p.m. — Class  Reunions 

5:00-  5:45  p.m. — Business  Meeting 

6:15-  8:30  p.m. — Dinner,  Music  by  College  Orchestra 

9:00-12:00  P.M.— Dancing 

Sunday,  June  14 

4:00  P.M. — Baccalaureate  Service,  Auditorium  of  College 

Sermon  by  Reverend  T.  Guthrie  Speers,  Rector  of 
Brown  Memorial  Church 

Monday,  June  ij — Class  Day 

6:00  P.M. — Campus  Supper  and  Class  Night 

Tuesday,  June  16 — Commencement  Day 

10:30  A.M. — ^The  Procession  of  Guests,  Faculty  and  Students  will 

form 
11:00  A.M. — Commencement — Campus  (weather  permitting) 
Speaker — Dr.  Owen  S.  Lovejoy 


13 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Installation  of  Officers 

To  the  tune  of  "Stand  Up  and  Cheer' '  the  two  graduating  classes  of 
1936  took  their  places  in  the  Auditorium  for  the  May  Day  Assembly. 
After  the  singing  of  the  class  songs  the  significant  ceremony  of  install- 
ing officers  for  the  coming  year  was  carried  out.  The  retiring  presidents 
of  the  Student  Councils  and  of  the  Classes  introduced  their  successors 
and  they  in  turn  acquainted  us  with  the  other  officers. 

Edward  Brumbaugh  as  President  on  behalf  of  the  Class  presented 
Dr.  Tall  with  a  check  for  a  hundred  dollars  worth  of  books  for  the 
library — to  be  selected  at  the  discretion  of  a  committee  already  ap- 
pointed. This  gift,  he  reiterated,  was  in  keeping  with  the  class  ideals — 
to  help  the  student  body  to  seek  and  find  truth  that  they  in  turn  may 
lay  broad  and  deep  foundations  upon  which  to  build  happy,  useful 
lives. 

Following  the  installation  ceremonies  the  senior  class  were  enter- 
tained by  the  faculty  at  the  annual  luncheon. 


The  Senior  Banquet  and  Prom 

At  last,  after  three  years,  the  time  we've  longed  for  and  anticipated 
with  more  pleasure  than  we  can  express — the  Senior  Banquet  and  Prom 
— has  come  and  gone. 

But  has  it  gone,  shall  we  ever  forget  this  one  big  night,  our  night? 
From  the  banquet  with  its  savory  food  and  witty  toasts  through  the 
four  hours  of  dancing  in  the  scenic  beauty  of  breaking  dawn,  it  was  all 
we  could  ask  for;  it  met  all  our  anticipations.  There  were  no  cares,  no 
sorrows,  no  disappointments;  we  were  as  one,  a  happy,  joyous  group 
with  all  else  forgotten  under  the  romantic  spell  of  Apollo  and  Aurora. 

Larue  Kemp. 

Three  Wishes 

That  there  shall  be  beauty  for  your  eyes; 
That  there  shall  be  truth  for  your  ears; 
That  there  shall  be  happiness  for  your  heart. 

14 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Concerning  the  Glen 

THE  State  Teachers  College  at  Towson  is  one  of  the  few  institutions 
of  the  State  that  can  offer  unusual  opportunities  to  its  students  for 
outdoor  education  in  science,  the  practice  of  conservation  and 
restoration  of  natural  resources,  as  well  as  real  enjoyment  of  living  in 
the  open. 

Ever  since  the  State  Teachers  College  has  been  located  at  Towson, 
there  have  been  children,  students,  and  faculty  who  have  enjoyed  the  less 
formal  parts  of  our  large  campus  where  Nature  had  full  sway.  But 
there  were  times  when  paths  were  so  overgrown  with  weeds  that  few 
possessed  the  courage  to  seek  the  lovelier  spots  in  the  woodland  areas. 

Year  after  year  individuals  and  small  groups  at  the  college  at- 
tempted to  open  the  way  to  the  parts  of  the  campus  where  all  might 
learn  from  Nature,  share  in  its  restoration,  and  re-create  their  own  lives. 
Often  their  efforts  were  in  vain.  The  labor  of  many  hands  was  needed. 

Our  recent  gains  have  been  stimulated  by  the  misfortunes  of  our 
neighbors.  The  Federal  Government  in  its  attempt  to  give  work  to  the 
unemployed  has  made  it  possible  for  us  to  carry  forward  our  plan  for 
the  development  of  the  Glen  so  that  many  may  avail  themselves  of  its 
advantages.  The  Works  Progress  Administration  has  made  the  great- 
est contribution  to  our  project. 

We  gratefully  acknowledge  the  aid  of  public-spirited  citizens  and 
organizations  who  have  cooperated  in  the  fulfillment  of  the  plan.  Spe- 
cial services  were  rendered  by  the  State  Forestry  Department  and  the 
Extension  Service  of  the  University  of  Maryland  in  our  earlier  stages  of 
development.  A  permanent  record  will  be  made  and  kept  of  all  dona- 
tions and  services. 

The  Glen  Project  represents  varied  interests.  There  will  be  approx- 
imately twelve  thousand  feet  of  nature  trails  included  in  the  campus. 
Eventually  these  will  be  bordered  by  wild  flowers  and  trees  typical  of 
Maryland  and  the  regional  area.  Some  paths  will  be  designated  as 
training  trails,  similar  to  those  in  Bear  Mountain  Park  where  people 
learn  the  flora  and  fauna  of  the  region.  Our  plan  provides  for  the  de- 
velopment of  ecologic  spots,  in  which  plants  may  be  labeled  for  the 
convenience  of  study.  The  State  Game  Department  has  authorized  the 
College  to  make  our  campus  a  bird  refuge.  We  have  already  posted  signs 
that  are  labeled  "Bird  Sanctuary."  The  botany  pool  and  streams  will 
typify  some  phases  of  fresh  water  life. 

Opportunities  for  outdoor  recreation  will  be  furthered  by  the  loca- 
tion of  several  groups  of  fireplaces  in  different  parts  of  the  Glen.  They 
have  been  planned  to  accommodate  large  groups  of  pupils,  students,  or 
sponsored  organizations. 

15 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


There  will  be  a  lodge  about  forty  feet  long  and  twenty  feet  wide 
containing  a  large  fireplace.  This  may  be  used  for  open-air  classes,  an 
outdoor  museum,  or  recreation.  Pure  drinking  water  will  be  piped  to 
the  building  and  to  a  lower  level  in  the  Glen. 

The  Council  Ring  will  be  used  as  in  the  past  for  ceremonies  and 
other  programs.  One  never  cooks  food  in  the  Council  Ring. 

The  natural  bowl  near  the  spring  forms  an  amphitheatre.  Here  one 
may  enjoy  open-air  plays,  festivals,  dances,  concerts,  and  story  hours. 

You  are  invited  to  make  suggestions  of  suitalsle  names  for  the 
trails.  These  will  be  posted  as  guides  for  the  Glen. 

Explore  the  Glen.  Discover  a  place  you  would  like  to  develop  and 
enjoy.  Adventure  awaits  you. 

Stella  E.  Brown. 


€x:^(SL.^3% 


Musical  Inertia 

What  "strap-hanger"  has  not  had  the  somewhat  annoying  expe- 
rience of  being  thrown  toward  the  front  of  the  trolley  when  the  brakes 
arc  suddenly  applied  by  the  operator?  This  is  one  of  the  numerous  ex- 
amples of  inertia  continually  manifesting  itself  in  our  everyday  life. 

Music  shows  at  least  one  aspect  of  inertia.  It  must  keep  up  its  mo- 
tion until  a  cadence  brings  it  to  a  natural  stop.  I  shall  never  forget  one 
evening,  because  of  this  "musical  inertia."  Just  as  a  fine  symphony  or- 
chestra was  excitedly  approaching  a  magnificent  climax,  the  instru- 
ments gathering  themselves  for  a  great  musical  spring,  the  listeners, 
breathless  and  stiffened  in  their  chairs,  awaiting  the  impending  crash, 
the  radio  stopped  dead!  We  looked  at  each  other's  faces,  and  found 
such  comically  dejected  expressions  that  the  emptiness  was  quickly 
erased  by  our  merriment.  But  that  lost  feeling  had  been  there,  never- 
theless. 

What  was  the  reason  for  this?  It  was  simply  that  the  music  had  been 
carrying  us  along;  its  speed  had  grown  and  grown,  taking  us  with  it; 
then,  unexpectedly,  the  radio  had  slammed  on  the  brakes.  The  music 
stopped,  but  we  kept  on  going. 

Fundamentally,  the  only  difference  between  the  inertia  mentioned 
in  the  example  of  the  street  car  and  that  in  the  case  of  the  symphony 
orchestra  is  that  the  former  was  physical;  the  latter,  psychological. 

Edward  MacCubbin. 
16 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


How  Interesting  are  the  Contents  of  a 
Schoolroom  Waste  Basket 

IT  was  adark  and  dreary  day  in  the  little  country  schoolroom.  Not  a 
sound  was  heard  except  the  beating  of  the  rain  on  the  tin  roof,  and 
the  childish  scratching  of  pens.  Sally  Ann  Blake  was  bored.  She 
hadn'tmoved  from  her  seat  in  at  least  a  half  an  hour.  She  had  drawn 
pictures,  looked  at  books,  worked  'rithmetic,  and  written  notes  till  she 
could  sit  still  no  longer.  Furiously  she  bit  down  on  the  point  of  her 
pencil.  Then  her  hand  flew  up. 

"Teacher,  kin  I  borrow  Sam's  knife  and  trim  my  pencil?" — Teacher 
said  she  might.  Sally  finally  reached  Sam,  looking  over  everybody's 
shoulder  as  she  walked  down  the  aisle.  Oh,  if  only  something  would 
happen,  or  make  a  noise!  Knife  and  pencil  in  hand,  she  reached  the 
waste  basket.  A  crumpled  piece  of  paper  was  on  the  floor,  and  Sally 
dutifully  stooped  to  pick  it  up.  Glancing  at  it,  she  saw  the  word 
"fight"  written,  and  being  at  once  interested,  she  unfolded  it  and  read: 
"I  love  Mary  more  than  you  do.  I'll  meet  you  on  the  old  baseball  dia- 
mond tonight  at  ten,  and  we'll  fight.  If  you  don't  come,  you're  a  dou- 
ble-eyed coward.  Bill." 

Being  entertained  at  last,  Sally  began  rooting  in  the  basket.  She 
saw  the  marks  of  a  drawing.  It  was  a  grotesque  figure  of  a  girl  stalking 
across  the  room  with  a  whip  in  hand.  She  had  horns,  pop  eyes,  spec- 
tacles, knot  on  top  of  head,  and  mouth  wide  open.  Underneath  was 
written,  '  'This  is  teacher. 

There  was  a  small  balled  up  piece  of  paper,  and  Sally  loved  the 
mysterious.  Carefully  she  unfolded  it.  Romance  at  last,  for  there  was  a 
picture  of  a  heart  with  an  arrow  through  it!  It  was  Jimmy's  scrawl,  so 
of  course,  it  was  to  Ruth.  "As  sure  as  the  grass  grows  around  the 
stump,  you're  my  darling  sugar  lump."  Under  it  was  Ruth's  answer: 
"Aw,  Jimmy,  did-ja  really  mean  it?"  Then  there  was  an  arithmetic 
test  torn  in  half,  with  an  "F"  on  it.  That  meant  that  Willy  would  get 
a  whipping  when  he  took  his  report  home.  Little  fat  Plumpy  had  writ- 
ten to  Burton  that  if  he  didn't  stop  sticking  pins  in  her  she  hoped  he'd 
have  flat  feet,  and  she'd  tell  the  teacher  too! 

Then  she  found  three  sheets  all  twisted  together,  where  Junior  had 
been  practicing  writing  excuses  like  his  mother.  Among  blotches  and 
smears,  these  said,  "Dear  Miss  Wise:  Pleast  excuse  Junior  from  school 
today  as  I  am  awful  sick.  Truly  yours,  Mrs .  Smith. 

"Oh,"  Sally  almost  squealed.  "Here's  a  piece  of  creamy  station- 
ery like  teacher  uses.  Gee!  It's  got  writing  on  it,  too!  My  dearest 
Henry — ^I'vc  thought  about  you  all  day  long,  but  there  hasn't  been  a 

17 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


minute — ' '  And  right  there  was  where  Sally  made  a  mistake.  She  gig- 
gled long  and  hard,  and  very  gleefully,  with  the  piece  of  cream  station- 
ery right  in  her  hand.  Suddenly  teacher's  voice  cut  through  the  room 
like  a  knife,  "Sally!" 

"Ma-am?"  meekly  asked  Sally. 

' 'Go  to  your  seat !  And  you  may  spend  the  next  recess  at  work." 

"Yessum.  But,  teacher,  who  is  Henry?" 

Teacher's  face  screwed  up  in  a  knot.  Then  it  got  red,  and  then  it 
looked  like  a  thunder  cloud.  And  suddenly,  Sally  was  in  her  seat,  very, 
very  quiet.  And  not  a  sound  was  heard  in  the  room,  but  the  patter  of 
the  rain  on  the  tin  roof  and  the  childish  scratching  of  pens. 

L.  R.  Headley. 


This  Teaching  Job 

You're  living  to  teach 
(Or  so  they  say) 
You  adore  your  darlings  more 
Day  by  day. 

Those  lesson  plans  are  just  a  joke 
(In  fact  they're  really  a  work-a-day  joke). 
You  may  sweat  and  toil  but  who  minds  that; 
In  the  middle  of  June,  you  bought  a  new  hat. 

Then  there  are  charts,  demonstrations,  and  fairs. 
And  "Remain  after  school" — just  adds  to  your  cares. 

Refrain :  Chanted 

Paper,  on  the  floor,  please  close  the  door. 
There'll  be  no  talking,  enough  of  this  squawking 
We  need  some  books,  hang  your  coats  on  hooks. 

So  you  pray,  'til  you  hair  turns  gray. 

Yes,  I'm  teaching  to  live  but  I  surely  would  give 
My  ink  stained  and  tired  right  hand — 
If  I  only  saw — a  man  without  flaw 
Who'd  endow  me  a  narrow  gold  band. 

18 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


''Believe  it  or  Not" 

BASEBALL  has  changed  a  lot  in  the  past  fifty  years;  so  much  so  that 
the  present  fan  would  hardly  recognize  the  old  style,  either  the 
game  or  the  field  or  the  players,  as  baseball. 

It  was  customary  in  the  old  days  to  play  the  game  on  a  grass 
diamond  (billiard  board  fashion),  with  the  base  line  being  a  narrow 
path  outlined  on  the  diamond,  and  the  pitcher's  and  catcher's  boxes 
simply  worn  places  from  use.  Just  before  the  game  it  was  the  habit 
of  the  grounds-keeper  to  roll  the  greensward,  and  this  was  done  by  a 
horse  pulling  a  heavy  roller  round  and  round  until  the  diamond  was 
finished. 

A  very  estimable  gentleman,  Mr.  Duncan  Clark,  who  was  a  resi- 
dent of  Baltimore,  was  an  eye-witness  to  the  following  story  which  he 
related.  Mr.  Clark  was  a  gentleman  of  the  old  school  of  Civil  War 
days  who  afterward  made  his  home  in  Baltimore.  He  was  a  delightful 
companion  and  had  an  ardent  interest  in  sports,  particularly  baseball 
and  lacrosse.  In  the  latter  sport  he  was  for  a  great  many  years  an 
adviser  to  the  local  squad. 

Back  in  the  early  'nineties  Mr.  Clark  was  attending  a  game  of 
baseball  in  Chicago  when  the  White  Sox  were  hosts.  It  happened 
that  the  usual  performance  of  the  horse  dragging  the  roller  around 
the  diamond  obtained,  but  in  this  case,  as  related,  the  horse,  which 
was  hitched  up  to  the  roller,  was  a  white  horse  with  a  lame  right 
foreleg,  which  caused  a  distinctive  and  characteristic  limp.  The 
fans  knew  the  old  horse  as  "Charlie."  In  about  the  third  inning,  as 
the  game  proceeded,  a  White  Sox  player  attempted  to  steal  second  base. 
A  low  liner  from  the  catcher  was  thrown  to  the  second  baseman,  and 
as  he  advanced  to  catch  the  ball,  the  runner  and  the  second  baseman 
collided.  The  second  baseman,  with  his  left  knee  flexed,  met  the  runner 
with  a  blow  in  the  front  of  the  right  thigh  of  the  player  sliding.  The 
ball  was  caught,  and  the  player  was  "out"  in  ordinary  baseball  par- 
lance; in  reality  was  knocked  momentarily  unconscious.  Upon  getting 
up  and  brushing  off  his  clothes  and  being  walked  about  by  other 
players,  he  broke  loose  and  started  to  hobble  towards  the  bench.  At 
this  point  a  bleacherite,  with  keen  observation  and  quick  wit,  disap- 
pointed somewhat  by  the  player  failing  to  make  the  base  and  more  or 
less  in  derision,  yelled  at  the  top  of  his  voice:  "Yea,  Charlie  Horse." 
This  was  suggested,  of  course,  by  the  characteristic  limp  that  the 
player  had  in  going  to  the  bench  and  which  was  similar  to  the  limp 
of  the  old  white  horse,  Charlie. 

Ever  since  this  time,  in  all  athletic  circles,  the  characteristic  con- 
tusion to  the  muscle  of  the  thigh,  and  sometimes  other  sections  of 

19 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


the  body,  is  referred  to  as  a  "Charlie  Horse,"  which  term  is  now 
accepted  as  a  definite  entity  (such  as  Coles'  fracture,  for  instance),  it 
being  a  contusion  with  bruised  or  lacerated  bundles  of  muscle  in  the 
parts  receiving  the  blow  and  is  accompanied  with  great  pain  and 
temporary  partial  paralysis,  which  is  the  cause  of  the  characteristic 
limp  known  as  "Charlie  Horse." 

Dr.  Ronald  T.  Abercrombie, 
Directory  Department  of  Physical  Education  and  Athletics ^ 
the  Johns  Hopkins  University. 


Paper  Clips 


THE  monotonous  clicking  of  adding  machines  and  the  pounding  of 
typewriters  ceased  abruptly.  The  five  o'clock  bell  was  ringing 
merrily,  telling  the  office  force  that  another  day's  work  was  done. 
Jerry,  oblivious  to  the  sound  of  the  bell,  continued  checking  that  last 
batch  of  bills.  At  the  end  of  five  minutes  he  heaved  a  sigh  of  relief  and 
prepared  to  leave  the  office.  He  always  worked  that  five  minutes  over- 
time. The  boss  would  reward  him  some  day,  he  thought. 

"Anything  else  today,  Mr.  Sullivan,"  said  Jerry,  casting  a  hopeful 
glance  at  his  boss. 

Apparently  provoked  at  the  interruption,  Mr.  Sullivan  looked  up 
wistfully  from  across  the  aisle. 

'  'Why,  yes,  Kelly, ' '  came  the  reply,  '  'I  won't  keep  you  long.  There 
arc  a  few  matters  I'd  like  to  talk  over  with  you. ' ' 

"Recognize  this?"  asked  the  boss  as  he  picked  up  an  important 
looking  paper  and  handed  it  to  Jerry 

"Sure,  that's  the  return  slip  for  that  shipment  of  baling  wire.  You 
remember — the  gauge  was  too  small  for  our  use.  Anything  wrong?' ' 

"Just  this,  Kelly.  You've  cost  the  company  exactly  thirty-three 
dollars  by  making  a  careless  mistake. 

"What  do  you  mean,  boss?"  Jerry  only  called  Mr.  Sullivan  "boss" 
when  he  was  excited. 

'  'To  be  brief,  Kelly,  you  sent  that  wire  by  express  instead  of  freight. 
The  difference  in  cost  is  thirty-three  dollars. ' ' 

"Gosh,  I'm  terribly  sorry.  I'll — . 

"Now  don't  worry,  son.  Just  forget  the  whole  matter.  We  all 
make  mistakes." 

With  a  prayer  of  thanks  in  his  heart  and  a  happy  grin  on  his  face, 
Jerry  turned  as  though  to  leave. 

"Just  a  minute,  Kelly.  One  other  thing." 

20 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


"Yes,  Mr.  Sullivan,"  replied  Jerry  smiling. 

"Do  you  know  what  these  check  marks  mean?"  said  Mr.  Sullivan 
in  a  none  too  friendly  voice,  pointing  to  a  memorandum  slip  lying  on 
his  desk. 

Jerry  shook  his  head  negatively  and  the  boss  continued,  "Each 
check  mark  there  represents  a  wasted  paper  clip.  Listen,  Kelly,  econ- 
omy is  one  of  the  essentials  of  successful  business.  I  try  to  make  it  the 
basic  principle  of  my  department.  Yet  you  sit  over  there  and  throw 
away  paper  clips  by  the  dozen — diet's  see — here's  eighteen  to  be  exact. 
I  won't  stand  for  it.  If  you  can't  uphold  my  standards,  I'll  employ 
someone  who  can .  That '  s  all . " 

With  eyes  nearly  popping  and  mouth  agape,  Jerry  merely  stared  at 
the  boss.  Then  realizing  that  the  conversation  was  at  an  end,  he  turned 
on  his  heel  and  left  the  office. 

Ten  minutes  later,  Jerry  was  seated  on  a  street-car,  homeward 
bound.  Here,  at  last,  he  had  an  opportunity  to  meditate.  Eighteen 
paper  clips  at  twenty  cents  per  gross.  That's  about  seven  for  a  cent. 
Eighteen  would  cost  about  two  and  a  half  cents.  Hmm — two  and  a 
half  cents.  Thirty-three  dollars.  Oh  well,  tomorrow  was  pay  day. 

Frank  Chrest. 


The  Storm 

Dark  clouds  have  snatched  the  pale  moon  from  the  heavens, 

And,  screening  her  from  sight, 

Brood  o'er  the  humid  night. 

All  nature  holds  its  breath;  awaits  with  sickening  fear 

The  dread  storm's  fight. 

A  wild  wind  ushers  in  the  fierce  battle; 

Sharp  lightning  proves  its  birth 

While  thunder  rolls  with  mirth. 

Cold  rain  pelts  roughly  down;  drenches  in  ruthless  play 

The  helpless  earth. 

The  moon  is  loosed  from  storm  clouds'  cruel  clutches, 

And,  beaming  from  on  high. 

Reveals  a  starlit  sky. 

All  nature  springs  to  life;  is  wreathed  in  happy  smiles. 

Sweet  calm  is  nigh. 

Virginia  Hagerty. 

21 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Concerning  the  Bachelors 

"/^^iGGLEs"  peps  Up  the  "Dark  Town  Strutters'  Ball"  and  tennis 
I'  -—.courts  like  a  professional. 

^*--*  In  a  body  with  more  wiggles  than  a  snake's,  mix  a  leaning  to- 
ward "social  drama,"  an  Irish  tenor  voice,  a  movie  director's  tempera- 
ment, and  a  cunning  smile.  Then  pray — because  you've  got  "Quinn" 
(spelled  C-o-h-c-n). 

This  horseman  never  misses  an  opportunity  to  make  a  "Cole"  in 
soccer.  Come  out  sometimes  and  see  Mel-" vin. ' ' 

She  is  especially  averse  to  the  art  of  the  pun,  but  suffers  few  re- 
verses in  writing  verses;  and  she  plays  the  piano  just  as  "coolly." 

The  curly-lashed  Romeo  with  the  violin  and  the  test  tube  is  our 
class  "optimist." 

The  little  girl  with  the  big  voice  has  a  back  that  would  put  a  ram- 
rod to  shame. 

One  of  the  Six  Solid  Citizens  (she  is  also  a  G-burg)  is  probably  the 
best-natured  girl  in  the  whole  College.  Have  you  ever  seen  her  in  a 
hurry?  (Merely  a  rhetorical  question.^ 

Our  "Ned  Sparks,"  with  a  yen  for  Norway  and  plenty  of  rhythm, 
makes  a  swell  book  reporter. 

The  Thinker  can  answer  so  many  questions  that  he  has  earned  the 
above  mentioned  dubious  title.  He  can  also  sleep  with  the  silence  of  a 
veteran — thank  goodness. 

Wee-French  of  the  G-burg  variety  certainly  go  for  the  Marines, 
n'est-ce  pas? 

We  wish  one  guy  in  our  group  would  stick  to  his  music  and  let  the 
puns  alone. 

Mr.  Walther's  understudy  in  hand  dramatics  can  post  a  wicked 
poster. 

His  smile  looks  cute  even  when  he  (not  the  smile)  is  wearing  a 
baseball  suit.  He's  a  good  fellow  too. 

Ever  hear  the  baseball  manager  croon?  No?  Well,  'Dont! 

How  did  Jawn's  "buttahfly  dance"  ever  get  completely  rehearsed 
when  the  danseuse  was  one  of  those  people  who  insist  upon  between- 
class  cigarettes? 

Billy  Bunch  is  more  '  'curious  to  know' '  than  any  woman  ever  was. 
We're  curious  to  know  how  he  looks  when  playing  basket-ball,  and 
where  he  got  his  rosy  cheeks  and  curly  locks. 

Ourbar-room  tenor  makes  an  excellent  cheer-"lieder."  "Whimpy" 
has  a  unique  summer  hair-cut  too 

"Cinder"  is  famous  for  her  line,  "If-you-don't-want-to-buy-the- 
fish  -  lady  -  don't  -  bend  -  'em  -  I'll  -  put  -  'em  -  back  -  on  -  the  -  cart- 

.    22 


D 
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THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


and-someone-else-will-buy-the-darn-stufF."  She  can  play  the  piano  too 
like  nobody's  business. 

"Dimples"  believes  in  art  for  art's  sake,  no  humming  during  the 
symphony,  punny  rhymes,  and  a  variety  of  facial  expressions. 

Josh,  our  master  of  ceremonies,  doesn't  seem  to  get  fed  right  at 
home;  so  he  has  to  eat  his  pencil  or  pen  during  class  time.  Weren't 
his  legs  cute  in  that  King  Cole  costume? 

Serenity-on-a-monument  would  make  an  interesting  cheer  leader. 
Yaroots  would  come  prepared  even  for  that,  though,  we  bet. 

E.M.  and  M.C. 

Senior  Happenings  in  the  Dorm 

Every  night  now,  the  dead  silence  of  slumber  is  broken  (on  the 
Newell  Hall  sleeping  porch)  by  the  two  original  melodies  of  a  Senior 
miss.  Ask  Betty  Straining  if  her  words  aren't  an  outgrowth  of  one  of 
her  courses. 

Frances  Waltemyer  is  doting  these  days  on  the  word  'peach.*  We 
think  the  word  has  an  intrinsic  phonetic  value.  (First  name,  Milton.) 

'That  would  tickle  pigs'  and  'I'll  laugh  a  week'  belong  to  what 
Senior  in  the  dorm?  We  call  her  Dee. 

Gene  'rushes"  around  in  High  these  days.  I  think  he  likes  cherry 
custard  when  Peggy's  along. 

The  dorm  has  been  used  for  lots  of  things.  This  year  the  prize 
should  go  to  Will  and  Steve  whose  daily  rummage  sales  are  quite  up- 
setting (for  their  roommates). 

A  certain  Freshman  lad  is  doing  quite  nobly  with  his  ailment. 
Some  call  it  Waters-on-the-knee. 

What  two  Senior  lasses  have  hidden  musical  interests?  One  prefers  a 
Harp-er, — listening  Hilda?  the  other — a  clarinet  (Bob,  for  short). 

Who  is  our  prize  cradle-snatcher  to  date?  She  robbed  a  squirrel's 
nest — poor  little  Ned ! 

Who  couples  the  first  telephone  booth  at  6:45  every  night?  We 
thought  life  began  at  40 — try  to  keep  up  with  the  Joneses. 

Why  do  the  Senior  Four  girls  prefer  open  cars? — Perhaps  it's  be- 
cause they  are  open-minded. 

A  member  of  Senior  6  has  developed  a  sudden  and  unusual  interest 
in  the  glen  project?  Dee-Dee!  Ayres  is  applying  for  a  position  as  chap- 
crone  and  guide.  (Such  airs !) 

What  fourth-year  Senior  in  the  dorm  is  so  sympathetic  with  the 
Temperance  Movement  that  when  she  was  asked  at  breakfast  if  she 
would  pour  drinks,  exclaimed,  'Poor  drinks!' — Does  she  fear  to  be 
Dissie? 

23 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


Meditation 

I  walked  along  meditating 
A  step  to  a  thought. 
But  all  my  deep  thinking 
Availed  me  nought. 

I  sought  a  way  out 
Yes, — but  where? 
It  seemed  without  doubt 
Life  itself  was  bare. 

It  pays  to  meditate  a  little 
Upon  problems  to  cope, 
As  they  test  man's  mettle 
In  a  world  filled  with  hope. 

IsADORE  Stein. 

As  I  Pass  By 

I  am  the  wild  wind, 

Fearful  and  shrill. 

Chilling  the  souls  of  men 

And  forcing  color  to  the  cheeks 

Of  little  children; 

Cruel  and  overbearing. 

As  I  pass  by. 

I  am  the  wafted  snow, 

Jewel-like  and  glistening 

Hiding  the  ugliness  of  earth,  faintly  tinting 

The  burdened  branches. 

Cleansing  and  concealing. 

As  I  pass  by. 

I  am  the  sweltering  sun. 
Torrid  and  unconquered. 
Burning  the  hides  of  all 
To  shrivel 
Their  very  being. 
Scorching  and  exhausting, 
As  I  pass  by. 

24 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Orientale 

Mercilessly  sizzling  sun. 
Heaving  camels, 
Drifting  sand. 
Waste. 

Hordes  of  hungry-looking  humans. 
Shrieking  merchants. 
Rumbling  carts, 
Hell. 

Cold,  white,  stony  pyramids, 
Black  jade  idols. 
Golden  domes 
Grandeur. 

Luscious  lips  and  lilting  music. 
Soft  brown  bodies. 
Pulsing  hearts, 
Romance. 

Cryptic  mastery  of  the  cosmic. 
Psychic  knowledge, 
Mysticism 
Power. 

S.  Cohen. 

To  a  Dream 

Let  me  sail  to  that  new  land. 
Quiet  dreaming, 
In  moonlight  gleaming, 
Where  white  waves  roll  up  the  sand. 

Let  me  lie  'neath  high  dark  tree. 
Sadly  singing 
Music,  bringing 
Peace  and  dreamful  rest  to  me. 

Margaret  Cooley. 
25 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


A  May  Day  Ballad 

Again  we  celebrate  the  May 
With  gay  festivity, 
I'd  like  to  take  you  to  the  scene; 
Come  away  with  me? 

First  we  see  the  campus 
In  all  its  spring  array. 
Then  we  spy  the  May  Pole — 
What  a  lovely  day! 

We  see  the  children's  faces. 
Adding  to  the  scene, 
Brighter  than  the  sunshine. 
Waiting  for  their  Queen. 

We  hear  the  sound  of  music, 
Then  wait  expectantly. 
Across  the  verdant  campus 
Bright  colors  we  may  see. 

The  May  Court  is  approaching, 
How  lovely  they  all  look; 
Perhaps  this  is  a  picture 
Taken  from  a  book. 

With  song  and  dance  we  greet  her. 
This  lovely  Queen  of  May, 
Happier  she — or — happier  we? 
I  cannot  truly  say. 

Of  course  no  day  would  be  complete 

Without  a  bit  of  fun. 

So  part  is  quite  spectacular — 

By  Josh  and  the  white  mule  done. 

Among  our  skilled  performers, 
We  find  bold  Robin  Hood, 
We  even  hear  Long  John  admit 
'I  guess  he's  pretty  good." 


26 


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w 

& 


CAMPUS  ACTIMTIES 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


A  highwayman  comes  riding  by 
On  a  bicycle  built  for  two. 
And  he  closely  followed  by 
A  reckless  wrecking  crew. 

As  we  are  leaving  this  gay  scene, 
We  feel  a  vague  regret. 
And  murmur  with  the  gathered  crowd, 
'The  very  nicest,  yet." 

Frances  Waltemyer. 


Course  .001— Women  in  the  World  Today 

Female  Relatives 

Female  relatives  are  acts  of  God.  You  cannot  be  held  morally 
responsible  for  them.  There  are  several  isotopes,  but  all  forms  can  be 
known  by  their  insistent  solicitude  for  what  they  consider  your  welfare. 

Sisters  are  why  combs  were  invented.  Sisters  would  discourage  all 
men  from  matrimony  were  men  not  idealists. 

Aunts  send  you  lachcrymatious  cravats  on  Christmas  and  birthdays 
— when  they  don't  forget.  Aunts  know  everything.  Go  to  the  aunt, 
thou  sluggard. 

Female  cousins  are  aunts'  daughters.  They  have  the  disconcerting 
habit  of  growing  up  at  which  time  they  may  become  embarrassing. 
The  unwary  have  been  known  to  marry  cousins. 

Nieces  are  girls  that  call  you  uncle  and  solicit  pecuniary  contribu- 
tions ranging  from  nickels  for  ice  cream  cones  to  something  more  than 
that  for  wedding  presents. 

Wives  may  also  be  included  in  the  category  of  female  relatives,  but 
it  is  doubtful  whether  mothers-in-law  classify. 

All  these  creatures  have  been  studied  by  your  professor  on  numer- 
ous journeys  into  the  jungles  of  the  Greater  Family  Quarrel  and  the 
Lesser  Family  Squabble.  Although  the  language  of  the  region  is  often 
incomprehensible  it  was  found  that  one  password  sufficed,  "Yes." 
The  information  presented  here,  it  must  be  understood,  was  acquired 
only  after  many  painful  weeks  spent  far  from  the  civilization  of  Man. 

Recapitulation: 

Female  relatives  are  unavoidable. 

Assignment : 

Find  out  how  Buddha,  John  the  Baptist,  and  Ulysses  tried  to 
solve  the  problem. 

27 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


THE  TOWER  LIGHT 

Published  monthly  by  the  students  of  the  State 
Teachers  College  at  Towson 

Editors 
William  F.  Podlich,  Jr. 
C.  Haven  Kolb,  Jr. 


Business  Manager 
I.  H.  Miller 


Circulation  Managers 
Irene  Shank 
Frances  Waltemyer 
Frances  Oehm 


Advertising  Managers 
Elise  Meiners 
Ehrma  Le  Sage 
Doris  Pramschufer 
Harold  Goldstein 


DEPARTMENT  EDITORS 

Assembly  Athletics  General  Literature 

Max  Berzofsky         Edith  Jones  Margaret  Cooley 

Sarah  Strumsky       Morris  Miller         Mary  McClean 


Library 
Wesley  Johnson 


Music 
Sarena  Fried 


Social  Art 

Larue  Kemp  Charles  Meigs 

Mildred  Melamet 


Humor 
Sidney  Tepper 
Hilda  Walker 

Secretarial  Staff 
K-i^-i^A.  Stidman 
EuLALiE  Smith 
Belle  Vodenos 


$1.50  per  year  20  cents  per  copy 

Alice  Munn,  Managing  Editor 


Ring  Out  the  Old — Ring  In  the  New 

With  this  issue,  Volutae  Nine  of  the  Tower  Light  is  complete.  It 
will  be  remembered  that  in  the  beginning  of  the  year  certain  objectives 
were  enunciated  toward  which  your  magazine  was  resolved  to  strive. 
In  many  directions  the  progress  has  been  indiscernible;  along  other 
lines,  it  has  approached  those  goals.  The  staff  wishes  to  express  its 
realization  of  the  fact  that  any  degree  of  success  with  which  the  activi- 


28 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


ties  of  the  Tower  Light  have  been  accompanied  is  directly  traceable  to 
the  cooperation,  the  good  will,  and  the  hard  work  of  the  students  and 
faculty  of  the  College. 

Yes,  Volume  Nine  of  the  Tower  Light  is  complete;  but  there  are 
many  volumes  yet  to  be  written. 

What  WiU  Your  Answer  Be? 

And  let  ours  also  learn  to  maintain  good 
works  for  necessary  uses,  that  they  he  not 
unfruitful. 

Titus  3 :14. 

IN  the  course  of  seventy  commencements,  over  six  and  one-half  thou- 
sand people  have  graduated  from  the  institution  which  is  now  State 
Teachers  College  at  Towson.  For  hundreds  of  years,  millions  of 
students  annually  have  become  alumni  of  various  places  of  higher  learn- 
ing throughout  the  world.  Why  then,  should  the  graduation  of  less 
than  one  hundred  persons  from  Teachers  College  in  1936  occasion  espe- 
cial remark?  Is  custom  the  explanation?  Will  the  Class  of  '36  be  wished 
well  and  encouraged  to  attack  noble  and  difficult  tasks  merely  because 
the  same  invitations  have  been  given  to  the  preceding  classes?  Let  us 
hope  not,  because  there  are  sufficient  bona  fide  reasons  upon  which  the 
world  can  base  its  challenges  without  resort  to  any  habitual  cordiali- 
ties. 

There  are  noble  and  difficult  tasks  to  be  accomplished;  there  are 
high  places,  opened  by  death  and  created  by  an  expanding  society,  to  be 
filled.  Not  only  is  there  room  at  the  top,  but,  what  is  probably  more 
important  to  those  graduating  at  the  present  time,  there  is  pressing 
need  for  plain  classroom  teachers  in  Baltimore  City,  and  a  crying  need 
for  alert,  thinking  citizens  all  over  the  United  States.  Then,  too,  there 
is  a  need  for  failures.  The  world  needs  people  who  "never  amount  to 
anything,"  yet  through  their  very  failure  to  achieve  what  the  world 
calls  success,  actually  succeed  in  demonstrating  what  is  really  lacking. 
Youth  of  '36,  how  shall  we  respond? 


29 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Our  Alumni 

Washington  County 

THE  Washington  County  Alumni  Unit  held  its  annual  luncheon  at 
the  Hamilton  Hotel,  Hagerstown,  on  April  twenty-fifth.  Sixty 
members  and  their  guests  enjoyed  all  the  pleasures  of  such  an  oc- 
casion; delicious  food,  artistic  table  decorations,  and  an  attractive  pro- 
gram. Miss  Lois  Helm,  President,  presided  as  one  to  the  manner  bom. 
Miss  Rhodes  sang  two  numbers  most  effectively.  Mr.  Brumbaugh, 
President  of  the  class  of  1936  at  State  Teachers  College,  expressed  his 
pleasure  at  being  with  the  group  and  complimented  them  on  their  loyal 
support  of  our  college.  Miss  Munn  urged  all  alumni  to  continue  their 
education  in  order  to  live  fuller  lives  and  to  rise  in  their  chosen  profes- 
sion. Miss  Scarborough,  efficient  field  worker  and  member  of  the  fac- 
ulty at  Towson,  set  forth  very  clearly  the  aims  and  ambitions  of  the 
Alumni  Association,  distributed  and  explained  a  most  important  ques- 
tionnaire, and  gave  out  circulars  for  the  June  program.  She  urged  all  to 
come  to  our  reunion  on  June  13  and  stay  at  the  residence  halls  which 
will  always  have  a  welcome  for  graduates  of  our  College.  The  occasion 
would  have  been  perfect  had  it  been  possible  for  our  President,  Dr.  Tall, 
to  have  been  one  of  our  number. 

We  congratulate  all  Washington  County  graduates  on  the  splendid 
work  they  are  doing  to  further  teacher  training  in  our  State. 


Anne  Arundel  County 

The  Anne  Arundel  County  Alumni  Unit  held  an  enjoyable  and 
inspiring  meeting  at  the  Old  Brick  House,  the  attractive  Colonial  home 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  F.  Conrad  Stoll,  on  April  27.  Mr.  John  T.  Stone,  pre- 
sided. 

The  most  important  items  of  business  transacted  were:  considera- 
tion of  the  needs  of  their  Alma  Mater,  the  vote  to  contribute  to  the 
Culture  Fund  of  the  College,  the  sharing  of  experiences  with  representa- 
tives from  other  County  Units,  and  the  election  of  officers  for  the  year 
1936-37:  Mrs.  Ethel  Nowell  Andrews  was  elected  chairman;  Miss 
Ethel  Cole,  secretary,  and  Miss  Doris  Owens,  treasurer. 

Mr.  F.  Conrad  Stoll,  Mrs.  W.  Hampton  Linthicum,  and  Miss 
Marjorie  Starkweather  entertained  the  group  with  music  and  readings. 
Refreshments  were  served. 

Dr.  Lida  Lee  Tall  was  unable  to  be  present,  but  sent  a  letter,  which 
was  read  by  Mrs.  Clarence  E.  Eason,  president  of  the  General  Alumni 

30 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


Association  of  the  college.  Dr.  Anita  S.  Dowell,  Miss  Mary  H.  Scar- 
borough, Mrs.  Myrtle  Markley  Groshans,  Miss  Mary  Grogan,  Miss 
Hilda  Kestner,  Miss  Hattie  Bagley  and  Miss  Elsie  Amoss  were  guests 
of  the  unit. 

The  following  members  of  the  unit  were  present : 

Mrs.  Robert  Moss  Miss  Ethel  Cole 

Mrs.  Gladys  Moore  Tyler  Miss  Laura  E.  Robinson 

Mrs.  Annie  Norfolk  Grimm  Miss  Erma  Cromwell 

Miss  Etta  Beerson  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  T.  Stone 

Mrs.  Ruth  Parker  Eason  Mrs.  Madge  L.  Bernhardt 

Mrs.  Melva  Schneider  Viscocil  Mrs.  Grace  Upton  Schnepfe 

Mrs.  Delma  Brown  Linthicum  Mrs.  Esther  Parker  Fuchs 

Miss  Marguerite  Norfolk  Miss  Winifred  C.  Boettcher 

Miss  Doris  Owens  Miss  Mabel  Harrison 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  Flowers  Gunderloy  Mrs.  Violet  Hofferbert  Ross 

Miss  Emilie  H.  Sahlin  Mrs.  Julia  Tisdale  Norman 

Mr.  William  B.  Evans  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Hopkins  Crisp 

Miss  Hazel  Barnes  Mrs.  Ethel  Nowell  Andrews 

Miss  Margaret  Nowell  Miss  Helen  Cole 

Mrs.  Mildred  Ray  Celia  Mr.  Robert  Norris 

Miss  Eleanor  C.  Brown  Mrs.  Mazie  Smith  StoU 

Mr.  Hammond  Cantwell  Miss  Lillian  May  Hardesty 
Mrs.  Anna  Welsh  Morton 

M.  S.  Scarborough. 


Where  the  Class  of  35  is  Teaching 

Himmelfarb,  Rose Baltimore  City 

Hoffman,  Morris Baltimore  City 

Hoppert,  Mary Baltimore  City 

Horsman,  Augusta Baltimore  City 

Hyatt,  Rose Baltimore  City 

Irvin,  Mae Baltimore  City 

Jacques,  Jane Gr.  5,  Washington  County 

Jacques,  Mary Gr.  1,  Washington  County 

Jacobson,  Rosalie Gr.  6,  Prince  George's  County 

Karpa,  Bertha Baltimore  City 

Keir,  Ruth Gr.  3,  McDonogh  School 

Keller,  Dorothy Baltimore  City 

Kemmerly,  Catherine Baltimore  City 

Knauer,  Margaret Baltimore  City 

Lambert,  Helene Gr.  6,  Carroll  County 

Leonard,  Nellie Baltimore  City 

Lewis,  Mary  Stewart Baltimore  City 

Lewis,  Klora Special  classes,  Frederick  County 

Loos,  Eleanor Gr.  1  and  2,  Baltimore  County 

Looyman,  Frances Baltimore  City 

Lorenz,  Dorothy Baltimore  City 

Lowe,  Virginia Gr.  1-7,  Harford  County 

31 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  College  Record 

Notes 

Good  Luck! 

Emily  Ross,  one  of  last  year's  graduates,  was  married  this  spring 
to  Mr.  Baron;  Josephine  Wolfe  to  Mr.  Travers;  Helen  Rullman  to 
Brooke  Smith. 

The  Tower  Light  wishes  them  every  success. 

Kecreation 

The  Fourth  Year  Seniors,  because  of  reasons  the  reader  may  guess, 
held  their  recent  kitchen  party  to  be  of  twofold  value.  While  the 
fudge  was  boiling  and  the  fruit  salad  accumulating,  they  betook  them- 
selves to  the  front  yard  where  they  amazed  the  neighbors  with  the 
masterly  way  in  which  they  performed  Little  Sally  Ann,  and  Looby 
Loo.  Four  years'  labor  is  not  lost,  is  it.  Miss  Daniels? 

Dinner 

The  Father  and  Son  Dinner  so  successfully  initiated  last  year  was 
served  again.  The  program  included  a  tour  of  the  W.P.A.  Glen  Proj- 
ect, a  baseball  game,  and  informal  entertainment  by  the  Sons.  It  is  to 
be  hoped  that  this  affair  will  always  have  a  place  on  the  calendar  of  the 
College. 

Steel 

Not  long  ago  a  group  of  the  men  students  toured  a  section  of  the 
Bethlehem  Steel  Mills.  They  returned  with  surprisingly  different  re- 
actions. One  said,  "No  wonder  a  crowbar  costs  so  much."  Another 
remarked  that  making  steel  was  not  work  in  which  he  cared  to  par- 
ticipate, while  a  third  just  said,  "Ain'  it  wunnerful." 

Visitors 

A  delegation  of  students  from  Wilson  Teachers  College  of  Wash- 
ington visited  Towson  on  Thursday,  May  fourteenth.  The  students  of 
our  College  enjoyed  their  fellowship  and  hope  they  will  return. 

Kural  Club  Dinner  B.  Royston. 

Although  the  year  is  not  quite  over,  the  Rural  Club  had  its 
grand  finale  on  May  second,  in  the  form  of  a  dinner  to  celebrate  an  out- 
standing accomplishment:  the  Glen  Project. 

This  remarkable  piece  of  work  was  made  possible  by  our  adviser. 
Miss  Brown,  who  for  many  years  had  dreamed,  and  has  with  the  help 

32 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


of  the  Federal  Government  and  cooperative  friends  realized  her  vision. 
She  spoke  to  us  at  length  regarding  this  beautiful  fifty-five  thousand 
dollar  improvement. 

Miss  Dorothy  Becker,  a  graduate  of  1934  and  an  honorary  member 
of  the  Rural  Club  took  us  over  the  road  which  she  had  travelled  since 
she  left  us.  We  wondered  when  she  had  finished  how  a  teacher  could 
see  and  do  so  much  in  two  years. 

Mr.  Broome,  Superintendent  of  Schools  in  Montgomery  County, 
and  one  of  the  outstanding  educators  of  Maryland,  gave  us  a  very  de- 
lightful, informal  speech.  The  subject  of  his  talk  was,  "You  don't 
know  the  answer." 

Miss  Scarborough  spoke  about  a  personality  garden.  Miss  Diefen- 
derfer  expressed  herself  not  only  through  words  but  through  the  excel- 
lent dinner  she  ga ves  us . 

Wheeler  and  Rush  furnished  spice  for  the  occasion. 

Chi  Alpha  Sigma  Emily  Lewis. 

At  the  most  recent  assembly  sponsored  by  the  Chi  Alpha  Sigma 
Fraternity,  the  Honor  Society  of  our  school.  Dr.  Dowell  introduced  to 
the  student  body  the  following  new  members,  all  Seniors. 

Marion  Cunningham,  Ella  Mackey  Hergenrather,  Mary  Sutch, 
Larue  Kemp,  Sarena  Fried,  and  Catherine  Rine. 

Other  Senior  members  of  the  Fraternity  are:  Miriam  Vogelman, 
Muriel  Jones,  Hortense  Jachman,  William  Podlich,  Isadore  Miller, 
Malcolm  Da  vies  and  Emily  Lewis. 

The  Fraternity  is  now  looking  forward  to  the  annual  spring  meet- 
ing which  will  be  held  on  June  6,  on  the  lawn  in  front  of  Dr.  Tail's 
home.  At  this  time  new  members  will  be  initiated  and  officers  will  be 
elected  for  the  coming  year.  This  meeting  will  also  present  an  occasion 
for  a  delightful  reunion  of  friends. 


Assemblies 


April  21  y  jg}6 

The  short  play  "Lima  Beans,"  supervised  and  directed  by  Mrs. 
Stapleton,  was  a  gay  presentation  of  the  first  quarrel  between  a  newly 
married  couple  over  the  lowly  vegetable,  lima  beans.  The  story  was 
amusing  and  greatly  dependent  upon  intonation  of  simple  words  for 
successful  presentation.  The  acting  of  Miss  Beverly  Courtney  and  Mr. 
Isadore  Seeman  deserve  much  praise. 

33 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


April  2  J  ip^6 

A  much  discussed  but  always  popular  topic  "Manners"  was  the 
subject  of  Miss  Rutledge's  talk.  Manners  are  often  associated  with 
many  shallow  subterfuges  and  banalities.  For  instance  at  Vassar  Col- 
lege it  was  absolutely  indecent  for  a  student  to  leave  the  dormitory 
without  wearing  gloves!  Often  we  find  ourselves  greeting  persons  in  a 
mechanical  manner  entirely  lacking  in  sincerity.  But  "etiquette  in  its 
truer  sense,  is  concerned  with  those  rules  of  the  'game  of  life'  which 
make  it  easier  and  simpler  for  us  to  mingle  with  one  another."  As 
Emerson  said,  "Manners  are  the  happy  way  of  doing  things.  If  they 
are  superficial  so  are  the  dewdrops  that  give  such  a  depth  to  the  morn- 
ing meadows." 

March  ^i 

"An  Adventure  with  the  Devil  Worshippers  of  Kurdistan"  was 
the  intriguing  title  of  the  talk  given  by  Dr.  Cyrus  Gordon.  Dr.  Gordon 
is  an  archasologist,  and  it  was  in  1931  that  these  adventures  befell 
him  in  Iraq.  This  strange  country,  made  famous  by  T.  E.  Lawrence, 
has  many  bizarre  ideas  of  ethics.  Banditry  is  almost  held  in  high 
esteem — the  best  practitioners  of  the  craft  dig  holes  under  the  doors 
and  after  greasing  their  bare  bodies  to  facilitate  entrance,  crawl  through 
the  opening  into  the  dwelling. 

Our  speaker's  guide  had  been  a  renowned  bandit  but  had  been 
caught  and  publicly  flogged.  This  had  brought  him  into  disgrace  with 
his  colleagues,  and  thus  it  came  that  the  bandit  directed  Dr.  Gordon 
to  the  Kurdish  devil  worshippers.  These  people  turned  out  to  be  quite 
innocent.  They  worshipped  the  devil  because  "since  God  is  all  good 
and  the  devil  all  evil,  it  is  the  latter  we  must  propitiate  to  keep  harm 
from  us."  On  the  way  to  and  from  his  destination  the  archaeologist 
was  lavishly  entertained  by  the  local  chieftains.  However  lax  their 
treatment  of  marauders  may  be,  these  tribesmen  have  the  highest  sense 
of  honor  in  caring  for  guests.  At  one  place  Dr.  Gordon  awakened  one 
morning  to  find  two  guards  standing  over  him — they  had  been  there 
all  night  for  his  protection. 

The  Campus  School 

The  final  Te-Pa-Chi  Club  meeting  of  the  year  was  held  on  Tuesday, 
May  12th,  Mrs.  Paul  Criblet,  who  was  introduced  as  President  of  the 
Woman's  Club  of  Towson,  gave  a  delightful  talk  on  "Home  Training 
for  Citizenship." 

The  Campus  School  will  be  represented  at  the  Playground  Athletic 
Meet  which  will  be  held  at  Patterson  Park  on  Saturday,  May  30th. 

The  work  of  the  various  Campus  School  clubs  will  be  brought  to  a 

34 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


close  by  the  middle  of  the  month.  Several  clubs  have  contributed  their 
surplus  money  to  the  milk  fund.  The  Boxing  Club  is  holding  a  special 
bout  for  this  worthy  cause. 

The  next  issue  of  the  Campus  School  Chronicle  is  expected  to  appear 
within  a  week. 

The  Campus  School  rock  garden,  at  the  edge  of  the  parking  space, 
is  in  full  bloom,  and  growing  more  beautiful  every  day.  Don't  miss 
seeing  it. 

The  closing  Exercises  of  the  Campus  School  will  be  held  on  Friday 
June  12th,  at  10:30.  According  to  custom  the  program  will  be  in 
charge  of  the  Seventh  grade,  with  music  the  predominating  feature. 
The  following  selections  have  been  chosen  from '  'Tunes  and  Harmonies" 
of  the  World  of  Music  Series  (Ginn  and  Company)  as  suitable  for  the  oc- 
casion: Morning  Serenade,  The  Pool,  A  Russian  Folk  Tune,  and  A 
Solemn  Pledge.  Rehearsals  are  now  under  way. 

Do  You  Read  the  Tower  Light  ? 

From  cover  to  cover  a  good  magazine  is  good.  Quite  frequently 
one  judges  magazines  first  from  the  standpoint  of  attractive  appearance. 
In  that  the  Tower  Light  excels.  The  cover,  a  hard  finished  paper,  is 
usually  made  up  of  a  quite  simple  design  that  is  worked  around  the 
name  of  the  magazine.  At  first  appearance  then,  I  should  say,  the 
Tower  Light  is  the  aristocrat  of  magazines. 

Within  the  cover  lie  the  many  different  articles.  A  variety  of  ap- 
propriate subjects,  humor,  college  news,  short  stories,  poems,  edi- 
torials and  athletic  notes  are  regular  copy.  Certainly  this  wide  range  is 
sufficient  to  entertain  any  reader  for  an  entire  evening.  Besides  being 
entertaining,  the  Tower  Light  is  educational.  Summaries  of  assembly 
programs  are  presented  and  can  be  referred  to  for  information.  This 
saves  individual  note-taking  during  the  assemblies.  Book  reviews  of 
the  new  books  of  the  library  are  given.  This  affords  the  individual  a 
chance  to  see  just  what  new  books  the  library  is  adding  as  well  as 
samples  for  personal  needs. 

The  Tower  Light  is  an  excellent  medium  through  which  the 
reader  may  relieve  himself  of  obsessions;  a  given  space  is  devoted  in 
some  issues  to  "Pet  Peeves."  We  propose  a  "Forum  '  in  which  the  dis- 
cussion of  various  topics  and  problems  may  be  carried  on.  What  would 
you  like? 

This,  then,  just  about  sums  up  the  Tower  Light.  It  is  a  magazine 
of  character  with  something  to  please  all,  from  little  sister  up  to  grand- 
father, and  a  permanent  record  of  the  happenings  of  the  "good  old 
days"  at  Towson. 

35 


THE    TOWEK    LIGHT 


Notes  from  the  Glee  Club 

THE  Glee  Club  is  always  a  busy  organization,  but  recently  we  have 
been  more  than  busy.  Commencement  music,  election  of  oiSicers, 
May  Day,  and  Cockeysville  are  the  things  that  are  keeping  the 
Glee  Club  members  on  their  toes. 

We  have  held  our  election  of  officers  for  next  year  with  the  follow- 
ing results: 

President — Leonard  Woolf 

Vice-President — ^Ellen  Pratt 

Secretary — Geneva  Lee  Wilson 

Librarian — LeRoy  Wheatley 

Tower  Light  Representative — Doris  Burtnett 

On  Friday,  May  8,  we  held  a  concert  at  Cockeysville,  Maryland. 
Our  program  consisted  of: 

Salutation — A  Choral  Prologue Gaines 

Confession Schumann 

Jeanie  with  the  Light  Brown  Hair Foster-Nevin 

Semi-Chorus 

O  Lord  Most  Holy Cesar  Franck 

O  Light,  Gracious  Glow Grieg-Bornschein 

Glee  Club 

Morgen  Muss  Ich  Fort  Von  Hier Silcher 

Quartet:  L  Cohen,  R.  Williams,  E.  MacCubbin,  H.  Silver 

Come  Back  to  Sorrento Ernesto  de  Curtis 

Dominic  Provenza 

Keep  on  Hopin' Kathleen  Heron-Maxwell 

Roger  Williams 

Two  Little  Love  Bees Operetta  "Spring  Maid"  Reinhardt 

Trio:  D.  Provenza,  L.  Donner,  H.  Stern 

Go  Down  Moses Spiritual 

Joshua  Fit  de  Battle Spiritual 

Chorus  from  Men's  Revue — E.  MacCubbin,  conductor 

De  Old  Ark's  A-Moverin' Spiritual 

Quartet:  E.  Rush,  R.  Williams,  E.  MacCubbin,  J.  Wheeler 

Dedication Robert  Franz 

Isadore  Cohen 

Loveliest  of  Trees Duke 

Oleta  Hood 

36 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


May  Day  Carol Old  English — Deems  Taylor 

Semi-Chorus 
Spring's  a  Lovable  Ladye  Dear 

Catherine  Schottler 

Hey  Marinka Bohemian  Folk  Song 

Girls'  Chorus 

Charming  Chloe German 

Lovely  Spring Coenen 

Glee  Club,  conducted  by  Sarena  Fried 

Galway  Piper Irish  Folk  Song-Treharne 

Glee  Club 

As  a  result  of  this  little  concert,  we  now  have  ten  dollars  more  to 
add  to  our  fund,  which  we  are  saving  for  Academic  gowns  for  the  Glee 
Club. 

With  May  Day  and  Cockeysville  events  of  the  past,  we  are  settling 
down  to  intensive  work  on  Baccalaureate  and  Commencement  music. 
The  programs  will  include : 

Gloria  Patri Palestrina 

O  Lord  Most  Holy Cesar  Franck 

O  Light,  Gracious  Glow Grieg-Bornschein 

Echo  Song Orlando  di  Lasso 

The  Glee  Club  extends  its  best  wishes  to  the  graduating  class  and 
hopes  that  its  contribution  may  add  just  a  little  to  the  all-important 
closing  events. 


Four  Things 

Four  things  a  man  must  learn  to  do 
If  he  would  make  his  record  true: 
To  think  without  confusion  clearly; 
To  love  his  fellow-men  sincerely; 
To  act  from  honest  motives  purely; 
To  trust  in  God  and  Heaven  securely. 

Henry  Van  Dyke. 
37 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


O  Yes!  The  Orchestra 


> 

M 

^ 

^  ^r* 

i 

1 

i 

WE   are  twenty  but   wc 
would  like  to  be  forty- 


members,  not  years 
old.  This  article  is  for  all  pros- 
pective orchestra  aspirants  en- 
tering next  year,  or  for  those 
bashful  (?)  or  conceited  players 
of  instruments  who  are  in  school 
but  feel  that  the  orchestra  would 
take  up  too  much  of  their  time. 
To  you,  then,  if  you  don't  care 
to  read  this  article,  all  right,  but 
think  a  bit  about  joining  the 
orchestra  next  year. 

A  short  review  of  a  few  inci- 
dents in  the  school  year  from 
an  orchestra  member's  point  of 
view  might  be  enlightening  to 
you  who  sometimes  stop,  look  and  occasionally  listen  to  the  orchestra 
in  assembly. 

September — Those  first  rehearsals — Not  uncommon  are  such  hap- 
penings as:  coming  in  when  you  shouldn't,  tuning  at  the  wrong  time, 
or  playing  at  A  when  you  should  be  at  B.  But  don't  worry,  they  stop — 
they  stop  or  else — . 

Freshman  Mothers — Free  meal — It's  all  right — you  don't  get  much 
to  eat — (No  reflection  on  the  meal  but  rather  on  the  amount  of  time 
we  have  to  eat) — And  well  enough.  There  is  nothing  so  complacent  as 
an  orchestra  player  that  has  finished  a  good  meal.  The  worst  can  hap- 
pen and  would,  were  it  not  for  the  admonishing  glance  of  the  director. 

Christmas  dinner — same  complaint — Playing  in  the  balcony — 
some  fun  serenading  in  reverse:  i.e.,  from  the  balcony  downwards  in- 
stead of  from  the  ground  up.  (It's  safer!  Harder  to  toss  flowers  still  in- 
cumbent in  pots.)  Now  the  show  begins:  The  Halls  are  Decked  with 
Holly  eighteen  times  to  the  tune  of  the  gr-rand  old  Welsh  air.  (The  or- 
chestra left  off  the  "and"  and  just  said  "gr-r.")  The  brass  section  has 
"smoke  in  its  eyes"  after  the  photographer  takes  the  official  photo. 
(Why  won't  he  use  Photo-floods  instead  of  flash  powder?) 

Radio  broadcast — One  occasion  where  Miss  Prickett  won't  stop  us 
to  "go  back  to  three  measures  before  A  and  try  to  play  as  if  it  is  a  com- 
position, not  a  bowing  exercise." 


38 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


May  Day — Pomp  and  Circumstance — (no,  not  the  procession  but 
rather  Elgar's  piece)  only  played  fifteen  times  this  year.  One  trouble 
about  this  May  Day  business:  how  can  a  fiddler  look  at  the  music, 
watch  the  procession,  see  the  director  and  keep  the  wind  from  blowing 
Elgar's  dignified  opus  from  one's  stand  without  losing  one's  sangfroid 
(Yes,  it's  French). 

Commencement — Outdoors  maybe — and  with  luck  it  will  rain. 
Nothing  is  more  fun  than  to  attempt  to  collect  music,  grab  stand,  in- 
strument and  case  and  run  between  the  drops  of  rain  to  the  Ad  building. 
The  least  you  can  do  is  break  a  string;  the  best,  is  to  stumble.  And  until 
you  have  played,  with  the  elements  raging  outside  and  had  every  third 
measure  punctuated  with  a  thunder  clap,  you  don't  appreciate  the 
meaning  of  playing  "under  difficulties." 

Is  it  worth  it?  Well,  orchestra  members  think  so.  If  you  would 
like  to  play  but  think  two  hours  a  week  is  too  much  of  your  precious 
time,  don't  join.  But,  if  you  like  to  play — even  if  you  only  get  a  squeal 
when  you  pull  a  bow  across  the  strings  or  an  unearthly  wail  when  you 
blow  a  sax,  join  the  orchestra.  Here's  a  chance  to  learn  something 
about  music  other  than  that  Bach  is  the  name  of  a  musician,  not  a  light 
alcoholic  beverage.  Here's  a  chance  to  improve  your  playing  and  above 
all  to  have  a  good  time.  But  as  the  plate  at  the  head  of  the  article  is 
trying  to:  II  (repeat).  A  #  look  at  the  music  and  you'll  not  B  i?.  Although 
there's  a  |  (bar)  at  the  beginning  of  each  piece  and  a  II  (double  bar)  at 
the  end,  the  "bars"  are  down  to  you  if  you  want  to  join  the  orchestra. 
If  instrumental  music  is  your  /  (forte),  don't  try  to  "soft  pedal"  your 
ability. 

Malcolm  Davies. 

Youth  (to  fair  companion) — Have  you  ever  tried  listening  to  a 
play  with  your  eyes  shut? 

Voice  (from  behind) — Have  you  tried  listening  to  one  with  your 
mouth  shut? 

TRUE 
College  is  just  like  a  washing  machine;  you  get  out  of  it  just  what 
you  put  into  it  but  you'd  never  recognize  it. 


A  report  from  our  own  Loyola  states  that  the  three  desires  of  the 
college  man  of  today  are:  The  pigskin,  the  sheepskin,  and  the  skin  you 
love  to  touch. 

39 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


As  You 
Like  It 


FROM  a  Men's  Club  meeting  of  three  or  four  years  ago  comes  this 
story  (it's  still  good) :  Mr.  Walther  was  asked  to  speak,  and — won- 
der of  wonders  — he  consented.  When  time  came  for  him  to  talk, 
the  men  leaned  back  and  waited  expectantly.  Mr.  Walther  began,  "Have 
you  ever  heard  the  story  of  Romeo  and  Juliet?"  The  men  grinned;  this 
was  going  to  be  good.  "Well,  it's  like  this,"  continued  he.  "Romeo 
came  to  call  on  Juliet  one  night.  He  climbed  up  to  her  balcony,  looked 
behind  her  through  the  window.  'Isn't  your  mother  home?'  he  asked. 
'No,'  replied  Juliet.  'Isn't  your  father  home?'  'No.'  'Isn't  anyone 
home?'  'No!'  'Well,  you  know,'  said  Romeo,  'I  didn't  come  here  to 
talk.'  And  I  didn't  come  here  to  talk,"  ended  Mr.  Walther,  and  he  sat 
down. 

Reflections  on  human  nature  (by  Philosopher  Wheatley): 
The  average  man  is  afraid  to  wear  the  kind  of  hot  weather  garment 
he'd  like  to.  It  isn't  the  heat;  it's  the  timidity. 

Bass  drummers  now  propose  charging  so  much  per  pound  for  their 
services. 

Living  within  one's  income  means  living  without  worry — and 
lots  of  other  things. 

Long  as  I've  been  going  to  school,  I  still  do  not  know  how  to  cal- 
culate the  horse-power  of  a  donkey  engine. 

It  seems  almost  impossible  to  write  a  column  now  without  putting 
in  verses. 

Affection  is  a  noble  quality; 

It  leads  to  generosity  and  jollity, 

But  it  also  leads  to  breach  of  promise 

If  you  go  around  lavishing  it  on  red  hot  momise. 

(The  verse  is  dedicated  to  Malcolm,  but  only  because  it  rhymes  with 
his  name). 

The  Baby 
A  bit  of  talcum 
Is  always  walcum. 

L.  W.  and  M.  C. 


40 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


A  farewell  note  from  your  regular  columnist  is  in  order.  He  says : 
An  old  joke  always  comes  back — so  does  your  humor  editor. 
Thank  you,  Margaret  Cooley  and  you,  Roy  Wheatley,  for  carrying  on 
so  nobly.  To  the  student  body,  may  I  thank  you  for  your  occasional 
hee-haw.  And  to  you,  dear  and  best  beloved  grads,  farewell — until  I 
see  you  on  next  year's  alumni  mailing  list. 


Your  mite-y  editor, 

Sid  Tepper. 


€i:::^J^-.^iS^ 


Sport  Flashes 


BASEBALL  is  in  the  air.  Already  our  varsity  squad  has  participated  in 
four  major  contests.  Fortune  has  not  favored  our  boys  in  these 
battles  although  we  did  defeat  St.  John's  powerful  nine  in  a  hard- 
fought  game.  The  other  three  contests  ended  in  defeat  for  our  team.  De- 
spite the  losses,  the  team  has  been  playing  fine  ball  against  superior  op- 
position. Ed  Brumbaugh  has  pitched  the  calibre  of  ball  that  is  the  envy 
of  all  prospective  pitchers.  Every  team  that  we  have  played  has  re- 
spected and  admired  his  form.  It  is  usually  the  failure  to  hit  in  the 
pinches  that  has  cost  us  a  victory. 

At  present  Ed  Hamilton  and  Allen  Harper  are  leading  the  batting 
order.  Both  of  these  men  have  improved  tremendously  since  the  begin- 
ning of  the  season.  This  improvement  is  attributed  mainly  to  their 
adoption  of  the  short,  snappy  swing  that  is  advocated  by  Coach  Min- 
negan. 

Although  the  team  has  started  on  the  wrong  foot  we  are  looking 
forward  to  a  flashy  finish.  The  eleven  is  composed  mainly  of  Freshman 
and  Sophomore  members.  This  means  that  next  year's  team  should  be 
far  superior  to  the  present  one. 

The  school  spirit  shown  by  the  students  during  the  games  has  been 
recognized  by  the  squad  and  I  can  assureyou  has  been  much  appreciated. 
Let's  keep  up  this  enthusiasm  and  root  our  men  on  to  victories  in  the 
remaining  contests.  The  team  can  win;  let's  make  them! 

Melvin  Cole. 


41 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  Group  Theater 

By  RtTTH  Nelson,  actress  of  the  Group  Theater — as  told  to  Blanche  Klasmek 

A  BOUT  five  years  ago  three  men,  Lu  Strossberg,  Gerald  Crawford, 
r\  and  Harold  Clurman,  organized  a  group  of  actors  and  play- 
•^  ^  Wrights  into  one  great  company.  Before  they  started,  every 
Friday  evening  a  large  group  of  actors  were  invited  to  meetings  con- 
ducted by  these  three  men  at  which  lectures  were  given.  Later  twenty- 
four  actors  were  chosen  to  join  the  group.  They  had  no  money  and  no 
play  but  were  impatient  to  get  started.  Fortunately  the  Theater  Guild 
gave  them  Paul  Green's  "House  of  Connelly,"  because  they  were  un- 
able to  use  it  themselves.  Since  they  were  now  faced  with  financing 
their  play,  they  hired  a  barn  in  the  country  with  a  few  contributions 
which  they  had  received,  and  began  preparation.  Besides  intensive  re- 
hearsing, they  devoted  their  time  to  classes  of  acting  and  of  voice.  They 
brought  the  play  to  New  York  and  were  given  the  use  of  the  Guild's 
Theater  where  they  presented  it  without  any  scenery  for  prospective 
backers  and  producers.  Besides  assistance  from  individuals,  the  Group 
Theater  was  once  again  helped  by  the  Theater  Guild  which  offered  to 
back  them  to  the  extent  of  fifty  per  cent.  The  play,  which  incidentally, 
featured  Franchot  Tone,  ran  on  Broadway  for  four  months  and  then 
went  on  tour.  Following  this  substantial  foundation  came  other  fam- 
ous productions;  namely,  "Men  in  White,"  which  won  the  Pulitzer 
Prize  and  "The  Case  of  Clyde  Griffiths"  which  is  now  enjoying  a  suc- 
cessful run  in  New  York. 

Every  summer  for  two  months  the  Association  members  and  five  ap- 
prentices go  to  the  country  to  prepare  for  the  play  of  the  following  sea- 
son. Here  they  study,  rest,  write  and  rehearse.  If  a  play^vright  is  writ- 
ing a  play  and  is  not  sure  how  to  end  it,  he  often  gets  the  actors  on  the 
stage  and  lets  them  make  up  lines  extemporaneously.  These  summers 
offer  unique  and  valuable  experiences. 

There  are  several  factors  to  which  the  Group  Theater  attributes  its 
success:  the  personnel  has  remained  intact  in  spite  of  individual  offers 
at  higher  salaries;  the  members  refrain  from  type  casting;  that  is,  one 
player  does  not  always  play  the  same  kind  of  role.  With  good  luck,  good 
talent  and  good  sense,  the  Group  Theater  has  become  the  most  out- 
standing company  of  its  kind. 


42 


THE    TOWER    LIGHT 


The  Library — at  Your  Service 

Five  Books  to  Reread 

To  select  just  five  books  to  reread  is  very  difficult  but  I  shall  reread 
these  five  because  they  present  life  dififerently  and  at  the  same  time 
similarly. 

Carolyn  Miller's  Lamb  in  His  Bosom,  Mary  E.  Chase's  Silas  Crockett, 
and  Ellen  Glasgow's  Vein  of  Iron,  depict  past  ways  of  life  that  are  simple 
and  at  the  same  time  refreshing.  Each  of  them  describes  the  persever- 
ance of  generation  after  generation  sticking  to  the  same  style  and  pat- 
tern of  life.  Each  is  beautifully  yet  simply  told. 

I  should  like  to  reread  Marcia  Davenport's  Mozart.  Miss  Daven- 
port does  not  present  Mozart  ideally  or  with  a  great  deal  of  sentiment, 
yet  Mozart  can  never  die  because  of  her  efforts.  A  man  who  died  so 
young  but  who  accomplished  so  much  is  indeed  a  genius. 

And  finally  I  should  like  to  read  again  Anne  M.  Lindbergh's, 
North  to  the  Orient.  Because  the  Lindberghs  are  famous,  one  is  glad  to 
see  how  human  and  how  humble  they  are.  The  book  is  not  full  of  tech- 
nical language  but  clearly  and  concisely  expressed.  It  is  always  remark- 
ably fresh,  no  matter  how  many  times  you  read  it. 

Probably  none  of  these  books  will  ever  become  masterpieces,  yet 
each  one  is  an  interpretation  of  life  that  is  truly  worthwhile. 

W.J. 

Lawrence,  T.  E. — Seven  Pillars  of  Wisdom — ^New  York:  Doubleday, 
Doran  &  Co. :  1935.  672  pp.  $5. 

Carrel,  Alexis — Man,  The  Unknown — ^New  York:  Harper  &  Bros.: 
1935.  XVIII,  346  pp.  $3.50. 

Kaye-Smith,  Sheila — Selina — ^New  York:  Harper  &  Bros.:  1935. 
304  pp.  $2.50 


43 


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