I
f
>sdj
, (
I I
ft
: !
; 'V!'
Page Two
QUEENS BLUES
January 26, 1950
Sure Cure
For The Blues
We confess that the weeks and months of assiduous nur
turing and caring for this child which was dropped in our
lap have given us a real affection for it and a concern about
its future. We speak of The Blues, and we hasten to add that
we are much more preoccupied with its adulthood than we
are with its semi-attractive adolescence.
At present there are many criticisms which could be
leveled at The Blues with full justification. It carries too little
real news. Too much of the copy is padding and fill-in. Many
articles bear marks of superficial reporting and hasty prepa
ration. There are too few solid features, written by the same
people issue after issue, to give the reader the feeling of unifi
cation and continuity which he needs. On the other hand, too
much of the material is prepared and re-written by the same
small staff, and as a result it lacks variety and versatility. We
are as fully aware of these criticisms as anyone; in fact we
have good reason to be better acquainted with them because
we live with them week after week. We now turn to the prob
lem of how these things may be corrected.
First, it is time for the Queens student body to become
aware of the fact that The Blues is its paper. Every student
has the same responsibility to The Blues that she has to stu
dent government, S. C. A., or to any other activity. It is true
that not every individual has the ability or the time to be an
active member of the editorial or business staffs, but she can
at least give news tips to reporters and editors; she can look
ahead and withhold announcements, thus giving The Blues a
chance to “break” real news. An example of what we mean is
afforded by the student who asked The Blues to run a story
for a certain student organization and then gave the story to
a chapel assembly the day before The Blues appeared. If a
majority of students are unwilling to accept these responsi
bilities we think that they should seriously think about the
desirability of continuing to have a college paper.
Secondly, too few students show any interest in working
on the paper. To be effective The Blues should have an edito
rial staff consisting of four to six junior editors, twelve to fif
teen sophomore reporters and feature writers, and twenty to
twenty-five freshmen who are learning “the business.” Un
less there is a backlog of personnel and material the quality
of the product will suffer. Excellence is inevitably the result
of selectivity. The same principle holds for the business ad
ministration of the paper.
In the third place, too many people who do occasionally
accept an assignment take it as a personal favor to the editor
who asks them to do it. This is in no way a criticism of the
faithful few who form the backbone of the staff and without
whom the editor would die a speedy journalistic death. The
plain fact is that far too often students think of The Blues as
the editors’ problem and not their own. Not only is it difficult
to find reporters, but many who write articles write them as
an unwelcome chore to be discharged as quickly as possible.
Copy, like the Koran, is scribbled on sticks and stones and
camel bones. It is frequently both illegible and ungrammati
cal. Not only this, but the article has scratched the surface
of the news only. The real story, or what would be the story,
has been left untapped and unexplored. We know that these
failures are not deliberate; they are the result of inadequate
training and experience and of a lack of genuine interest.
Group interest in and demand for a paper or anything else
is merely the sum total of individual desire. If The Blues is
worth the time and cost required to publish it, it is worth the
contribution of every student to its being and welfare. The
valid test of the paper’s continued existence depends on the
ability of a large number of students to say to themselves,
“I not only think that Queens should have a paper; I am also
eager to work on it and have a part in producing it.” Students
who merely want some one else to do a job do not really want
it done.
All the cures for The Blues may be included in one,
namely the resolution of the majority to participate, work,
think, and give even a minimum of time toward its publica
tion.
As if in anticipation of this editorial the contributors to
this issue of The Blues have been unusually prompt and effi
cient in their assignments. As we go to press we can say to
those who have helped that never before has copy been as
well prepared and required as little editing and re-writing as
it has in this number. We commend and thank everyone who
has had a part in it.
Barter Theatre
Plays Moliere
Moliere’s famous comedy ‘The
Imaginary Invalid” was present
ed recently to an audience of
Charlotte theater-goers by the
Barter Theatre of Virginia. The
play, an adaptation of the French
original, was skillfully played by
the Barter troupe although over
acted in some instances.
The plot concerns the self-cen
tered desire of the “imaginary in
valid” to marry his daughter,
Angelique, to a doctor so that
medical advice will always be
available for his imaginary ills.
The maid, Toinette, in sympathy
with Angelique and her lover
Cleante, thwarts this plan with
the aid of Angelique’s uncle, Be-
rolde.
The portrayal of a gullible hy
pochondriac was Moliere’s means
of satirizing the doctors and med
ical profession of his day, and his
sly ridicule of physicians and hy
pochondria gives many laughs,
including the array of medicines
and lists of peculiar diseases of
the invalid and the visit of the
two quack doctors, Diafoisus, a
most pedantic “pere” and foolish
“fils”. The comedy ends with a
burlesque ceremony conferring
(in “kitchen Latin” and nonsense
syllables) a medical degree upon
the imaginary invalid himself
who has decided to become a doc
tor, since as Moliere puts it, “di
seases would not dare attack the
sacred person of a physician.”
Frederick Warriner made the
most of his role as the imaginary
invalid with clever gestures,
amusing facial expressions and
versatile use of voice. The audi
ence laughed repeatedly at his
graceful capering around the
stage in his pink “nightie” and
cap. In fact the use of color in
the costumes was most skillful
and artistic. Pink, yellow, and
blue with an occasional dash of
red blended into pleasing and de
lightful setting.
An interesting thing about this
last play of Moliere’s is that the
author, playing the part of the
imaginary invalid (Moliere was
both playwright and actor) was
fatally stricken during the per
formance of the play and died
shortly afterward.
It was Moliere’s disillusion
ment as a result of the inability
of doctor’s to cure his own di
sease that caused his constant
ridicule of the medical profes
sion. He believed that “Most men
die of the remedies for their ills
and not of the diseases them
selves” and that “only the robust
who have the strength to stand
the remedies of doctors should
seek their advice.”
And so, in his famous classic,
the great French genius holds up
to ridicule the foibles of man
kind, and in doing so has amused
audiences through the centuries.
Smart Spring
Clothes for Queens
Reynolds, Inc.
— Your Roving Reporter —
Carolyn Fraser, managing-edi
tor of the Blues, approached your
roving reporter with the sugges
tion that the question for this is
sue of the Blues be—“Do you
think the United States should use
armed force to defend Formosa?”
Upon questioning several students
and faculty members, I realized
that most people have only a
vague idea of the situation in For
mosa, an even vaguer idea of its
location, and almost no idea as to
why the United States should be
interested at all. So, I concluded
that the most logical thing to do
would be to give a bird’s-eye
view of the situation surrounding
this island.
In the first place, where is For
mosa? Formosa lies off the coast
of the Chinese province of Fuch-
ien, south-west of Okinawa, and
south-east of Shanghai. It is 235
miles long, from 70 to 90 miles
wide, and has an area of 13,890
square miles. Formosa’s economy,
formerly buttressed by Oolong
tea and a world monopoly of cam
phor, has collapsed because its
old trade ties with Japan were
cut and its new ones with China
were choked by civil war. With a
population of only 6,000,000 it is
overcrowded by an influx of 1,-
000,000 refugees from the conti
nent.
The subject for nation-wide
controversy has been whether
the United States should fortify
Formosa against attacks and pos
session by the Chinese Commu
nists. President Truman settled
this question when he made this
statement: “The United States has
no desire to obtain special rights
or privilogos or to establish mili
tary bases on Formosa at this
time. (It) will not pursue a course
which will lead to involvement in
the civil conflict in China and
will not provide military aid or
advice to Chinese forces on For
mosa.” But, concluded the Presi
dent, the U. S. will “continue the
present ECA program of eco
nomic assistance of which $100
million is yet unspent.”
This statement created two fac
tions; one group was for saving
Formosa. This group said that
Formosa lies hundreds of miles
near the mainland than the ad
vanced American bases on Oki
nawa and the Philippines. In the
event of war with Communist
world, American possession of the
island would facilitate a naval
blockade of China and air raids
against the Chinese mainland.
From Formosa could be launched
hit-and-run landings on the Chi
nese coast. Besides, it is less vul
nerable to typhoons than Oki
nawa.
Those who advocate abandon
ing the island retort that not even
the Joint Chiefs of Staff consider
Formosa vital. They believe the
island valueless to Chinese Com
munists. In American hands For
mosa would be valuable but not
essential.
Formosa’s best hope for survi
val lies in keeping the Commu
nists from crossing the 100 mile
Formosa strait. Generalissimo
Chiang Kai-shek has used the air
force in defense of certain Chinese
cities.
So, America is again concern
ed vitally in world problems. The
defense of this small island is a
matter causing much debate in
Washington and throughout the
world. While Communism
spreads throughout an entire na
tion, we debate the issue of For
mosa.
Radio Program
(Continued from Page One)
Miss Helen Strickland, was the
first program. The cast was se
lected by tryouts of Queens stu
dents who were interested in be
ing on the radio. The next pro
gram, by Raymond Casner, is
entitled “The Spirit of Kings
Mountain” and this will be fol
lowed by “The First Church of
Charlotte” written by Betty Nor
ris.
If anyone is interested in writ
ing a radio script or trying out
for the casts, see Miss Strickland.
QUEENS BLUES
PATRICIA KEESLING Editor
JUDITH KINNEY 'Z'^ZrUanaging Editor
CAROLYN FRASER Managinl Editor
ANN BAILEY Circulation Manager
FLORENCE DAVIS Make-up Editor
SARAH McMAHAN .77. Business Manager
Reporters; Mildred Hancock, Rachel Stevens, June Patterson,
Louise White, Murphy Alexander, Ruth Mitchell, Mary Jo
Graham, Bunny Fowler, Bootsy Stafford, Jane Boyd Hum
phries, Bobby McCormick, Frances MaePherson, Belva Morse,
Coleen Lyn, Wanda Oxner, Gordon Freeman, Kathrine Hick
man, Jane Edmonds, Juney Major, Aliena Doggett, Emily
Shipp.
ALICE REYNOLDS Advertising Manager
Staff: Betty Pratt, Frances Mimms, Jacquline Otey, Peggy
Reeves, Virginia Easter, Dee Dee Shepherd, Sarah MacNair.
MARGARET HOWELL Head Typist
Assistant Typists: Ann Howell, Ann Smith, Nancy Hill, Betty
Mae Woods, Joyce Tucker, Pat Hill, Nora Norman, Jackie
Carter, Clarise Lance, Martha Kirvin.
Vol. XXVII
January 26, 1950
No. 6
SELWYN WASHERETTE
MASTER CLEANERS
2125 Colony Rood
Open 8 AM-9 PM Weekdays 8 AM-1 PM Saturdays
Phone 4-6319
SEIWYN HARDWARE And GIFT SHOP
2904 Selwyn Avenue
Telephone 6-5214
DOUGLAS FURRIERS & CLEANERS
1415 Elizabeth Ave.
Store your furs where you can obtain them Immediately
GOOD DRY CLEANING