Page Two.
THE SALEMITE
Friday, October 17, 1941.
^alemite
Published Weekly Member
The Student Body of Inter-Collegiate
Salem College Press Association
SUBSCEtPTION PBICE - $2. A YEAK - 10c A COPY
Member
Pissocided GollG6ioie Press
Distributor of
CDlle6ioie Digest
rcphkbbntbd for national advertisinq by
National Advertising Service, Inc.
College Publishers Representative
420 Madison Ave. New York. N. Y,
CmCAOO * BOtTOH ■ Los AH6Ei.ES • SaN FKAKCfSeO
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Editor-In-Chief Carrie Donnell
Associate Editor Barbara Whittier
EDITORIAL STAFF
Ne^s Editor Doris Shore
Sports Editor Louise Bralower
Music Editor Alicc Purcell
Faculty Adviser Miss Jess Byrd
Sara Henry, Leila Johnston, Julia Smith, Frances Neal,
Daphne Reich, Katie Wolff, Mary L. Glidewell, Elizabeth
Johnston, Barbara Lasley, Margaret Moran, Marie Van Hoy,
Helen Fokaury, Margaret Leinback, Mary Lou Moore, Betty
Vanderbilt, Mary Worth Walker, Elizabeth Weldon, Mary
Louise Rhodes, Lucie Hodges.
FEATURE STAFF
Feature Editor Eugenia Bayn«es
Mildred Avera, Dorothy Dixon, Anita Kenyon, Nancy
Rogers, Nona Lee Cole, Elsie Newman, Ceil Nuchols, Mar
garet Ray, Dorothy Stadler, Elizabeth Griffin, Betsy Spach,
Kathryn Traynham, Reece Thomas, Marian Goldberg.
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT
Business Manager Nancy Chesson
Assistant Business Manager Dorothy Sisk
Advertising Manager Mary Margaret Struven
Exchange and Circulation Manager Dot McLean
ADVERTISING STAFF
Flora Avera, Becky Candler, Doris Nebel, Betty Moore,
Adele Chase, Mary E. Bray, Mary Lou Brown, Nancy Mc-
Clung, Sarah Lindley, Allene Seville, Elizabeth Griffin,
Dorothy Stadler, Margaret Kempton, Sara Barnum, Jennie
Dye Bunch, Lib Read, Harriet Sutton, Ruth O’Neal, Yvonne
Phelps, Elizabeth Bernhardt, Edith Shapiro.
INFORMATION
PLEASE — ^
We freshmen are grateful to the upper-
dassmen for their kind advice and help in our
efforts to learn the customs and rules of Salem.
The quiz which we took on the handbook was
not pleasant, but we must admit that it was
helpful.
There is one form of instruction which we
have failed to receive, however. The absence
of this instruction was evident in chapel, Tues
day morning. After Dr. Stanbury compli
mented Salem students highly, we freshmen
made our ignorance known by alternately
standing, then sitting when the recessional was
announced.
It seems, of course, that by this time we
should know how to conduct ourselves in chap
el, but since we have never been told, we are
not sure whether we do the right thing at the
proper time. Our sophomore sisters were quite
willing to instruct us in tlie art of crawling the
length of the athletic field like cattle; I won
der if they would consent to teach us how to
act like ladies in chapel.
—K. W.
IT HAPPENS TWICE
A WEEK
The seniors sit bolt upright, their lowered
eyelids hidden behind the tassals of their mor
tar boards.
The freshmen open pink, blue, and white
envelopes and read avidly of events in the lives
of family and friend.
The sophomores cautiously crumble cello
phane wrapping and bite into peanut butter
crackers, supplementary to their hasty break
fasts.
The juniors, reclining comfortably on their
backbones with their knees propped on the
seats in front, catch up on knitting, lessons,
and last night’s sleep.
The faculty look intelligent and grunt in
approval, (not of the students, however).
It happens twice a week from 10:20 to
11 ;10. And it’s not in tlie smokehouse or the
dining room, or the students’ activity center.
Ts it absolutely necessary that more be said?
—B. W.
A great thing is a great book; but a
greater thing than all is the talk of a great
man. —Disraeli.
Me CU*t
■UNE INSPIRATION
L a seraaine pass6e Monsieur
Charles Morgan nous a rendu viste.
II est poli graoieux, vrai gentilhom-
me anglais. Le fainuex auteur nous
a parl6 en quelques causeries, et par
consequent nous a donne i quoi
penaer.
Une des idSes les plus int6ressantes
qu’il a exprimees c’etait cello qui con-
cerne la France et sa vie spirituelle.
A' present, il serait, peut-etre, facile
d’oublier la France ot tout ce qu’elle
represente, mais on ne eherche pas
longtemps les sources de notre civ
ilization sans se rendre compte quo,
comme a dit Monsieur Morgan, “La
France est une idee n6cessaire ^ la
civilization.’ ’
Dans son article dans “L'Atlan-
tique” pour le mois d’ aout 1’auteur
nous dit que, malgrS la situation qui
niaintenant confronte la France, ce
pays ne s’est pas encore rendu spirit-
uellement. Meme 4 ce point elle ag
it de manifere que le monde fasse
attention & ses idees critiques.
On peut voir une grande v6rit6
dans ses mots, quand il dit que el
respect fran^ais pour les libortes do
1’esprit individuel, et I’abilite des
fran^ais de resister a la regimenta
tion, ensemble font une contribu
tion n^cessairo S, la civili^tion.
SUNDAY’S BEST
LISTENING
Variety
P. M.
1:30 This Is the Life, CBS
2:30 University of Chicago Bound
Table Discussion, NBC
4:15 Tony Wons’ Radio Scrapbook,
NBC
4:30 Behind the Mike, NBC
5:30 How to win $5,000, NBC
5:30 Musical Steelmakers, NBC
0:30 The Great Gildersleevo, NBC
(i:30 Gene Autry’s Melody Eanch,
Dear Mom, CBS
6:45 Comments by Mrs. F. D. Eoose-
velt, NBC
7:00 Jack Benny, NBC
7:30 Screen Guild Theatre, CBS
Dorsey, NBC
8:30 Bergen & McCarthy; Abbott
& Costello, NBC
8:00 American Forum of the Air,
MBS
9:00 Manhattan Merry-Go-Eound,
NBC
9:30 Am(?rican Album of Familiar
Music, NBC
10:00 Hour of Charm, NBO
10:00 Take It or Leave It, CBS
Drama
P. M.
6:00 Silv.er Theatre, CBS
7:30 Screen Giuld Theatre, CBS
7:30 Captain Flagg and Sergeant
Quirk, NBC
I OPEN forum]
It seems rather odd after having
been flatteringly lectured to as adults
by Mr. Carles Morgan to watch
many good lines being cut out of
the Pierrette’s coming attempt
‘ ‘ Stage Door ’ ’. When I read
through the play, I found no pro
fanity, no cracks, no obscc*nity that
would corrupt my mind. Perhaps
I just think the idcfa of cutting a
college production is odd because
I have been drilled so v.ery much
on the maturity any college girl
might have if she would give her
mind a chance. Also I remember
having read from Mr. Chaucer the
Miller’s tale . . . the obscenity did
not corrupt me because I certainly
did not admire the character port
rayed. Chaucer was an artist pre
senting an honest picture, and I
don’t hold him personally degraded
because he happened to present a
depraved character. Actors and
actresses, too, are artists — their
I worth is measured by their ability
to portray a character accurately,
though it be as different from their
own as the Nun from the Miller
(again Mr. Chaucer). If we cut
plays at Salem because the girls
are too young to hear an occasional
damn without adding it to their
shouting vocabularies—then Salen
has a purpose and an attitude far
different from the one I have
learned to love and respect. If we
cut plays because the towns peo
ple and the powers what be don’t
think it’s lady-like for a Salem girl
to utter an off-color remark, then
I think those who object are stand
ing in the way of, if not art, cer
tainly some very fine amateur mat
erial. I, for one, would like to
ask that we be treated as sensible
young ladies who are capable of
quite intelligent discernment.
An insulted Salemite
8:00 Helen Hayes Theatre, CBS
8:30 One Man’s Family, NBC
8:30 Crime Doctor, CBS
8:30 Inner San turn Mystery, NBC
10:30 The Adventures of Sherlock
Holmes, NBC
10:30 Columbia Workshop Presents
26 by Corwin, CBS
Fine Music
P. M.
12:30 Radio City Music Hall, NBC
3:00 New York Philharmonic Sym
phony Orchestra; Leopold Sto
kowski, conductor, CBS
4:30 The Pause That Refreshes on
the Air; Albert Spalding, CBS
5:00 Family Hour; Gladys Swarth-
out, CBS
9:00 Ford Sunday Evening Hour,
CBS
As late as 1919 in a midwest col
lege now out of existence, women
students were not allowed to play
croquet “because it made them
take immodest postures.”—A.C.P.
- 'Week
We hadn’t intended for the ques
tion of the week to turn into a list
of complaints. However, the stu
dents were dutifully pursued,
tracked down and quizzed on the
subject “What suggestions can
you make that would improve
Salem?” —to which question the
students tackled and came forth
with the following apt suggestions:
It seems that quite a few fresh-
mtm would like very much to have
less noise during quiet hour (quiet
ness is more inducive to deep
thought, then, too, the proverbial
“thinking cap” fits better when
peace prevails—according to Hazel
Watts').
In view of the fact that our
fro.shmen are “lesson conscious”
and most willing to concentrate
all during the week—another fresh
man has come through with the sug
gestion that “what we’d really
like are a few more overnights”—
this from Ann Guion.
Advancing to the sophomore class
we hav« the following suggestions.
Marian Golder: “a ventilating
machine and a comfortable, handy
sofa in the smoke house — since it
is such a social center—maybe the
girls who smoko will pass the hat.”
Sara Lindley wishes the girls had
more opportunities to meet the
town people. Mary Lewis thinks
that, in order to become better ac
quainted, the day students should
have their meals at school at tables
with boarders. (She thinks they’d
also enjoy the now dining hall —
who wouldn’t I) Sue Willis another
sophomore, has come through with
a suggestion dear to the hearts of
all of us: “Best is essential to
every college girl!” Comfortable
beds are needed in the dorms I
Speaking for the day students
Barbara Weir, Sara Sands and MiU
Avera feel that “ye old dining
hall” could still be improved upon
— at least a place to hang their
coats, would be greatly appreciated
by the day students 1
Louise “Mill” Miller has plenty
of suggestions (but there’s the pro
blem of time and space and the
shortage of both). She says: “Cease
chattering when you enter chapel
—it’s the wrong time to catch up
on your gossip”.
From the senior class Wyatt Wil
kinson’s suggestipn: “Raise the
flag!” At a time like this we
should really have our colors fly
ing.
These are the suggestions that
have come to this week’s question
box. Salem’s best interests are at
heart.
ARE WE MORONS?
“See it — and condemn her if you can!”
These dramatic words ended the preview of
“That Hamilton Woman.” Having seen the
picture in another city, this sentence struck
me with peculiar significance. Why can’t we
condemn a man for abandoning his wife; a
woman for infidelity? Are we so gullible that
we must accept Hollywood’s glamourized in
terpretation of a cheap affair? Is immorality
any more to be tolerated in Lord Nelson than in
the man next door?
Lawrence Olivier in correct historically
tight pants and Vivien Leigh, fetching and
tragic, protray the “great” love of Lady Ham
ilton and Lord Nelson. We, the audience, are
expected to cast aside all petty moral question
ings, all conventionally hide-bound prejudices,
and go and do likewise if we dare. The only
catch is that we are bound to be condemned.
AVhy? Because only Leigh and Olivier, in the
Hollywood version of Nelson’s life, are above
tlie laws of society today. Unfortunately, many
a little dime store clerk and soda jerker might
arrive at the logical conclusion that what is
all right for Lord Nelson is all right for them.
Are we morons? We are treated like mor
ons, and if we accept the treatment, the an
swer is in the aifirmative. According to the
critics, “That Hamilton Woman” was above
average. “Meet John Doe” was rated excellent
and review in “Life.” What a disappointment
it was when we were asked to believe that an
intelligent newspaper woman “didn’t know
what she was doing” when she wrote John
Doe’s speech nominating a political boss for
the presidency; especially since she had just
a mink coat and diamond bracelet from the
said “boss!”
In a maudlin anti-climax, John Doe decides
not to commit suicide after all, and stalks
heroically toward th*e dewy-eyed members of
the John Doe Club. I knew the director would
not let him jump, and the lady behind me had
kei^t us all informed about wliat was going to
happen, but I still had a stubborn hope that
for once we would be spared a saccharine con
clusion.
Are we morons that we so consistently
overlook the obvious faults in an average nu)V-
ie; structural weaknesses in plot, loose, illog
ical philosophies, sloppy sentimentality, acting
often subordinated to a liair style? (e.g. Ve
ronica Lake.) Not so long ago, the bill boards
screamed: “Garbo Laughs.” And because
Garbo laughed, we were supposed to form a
line at the box office. Popular standards of
taste have been so debased that when a su
perior production like “Citizen Kane” appears,
two-thirds of the audience are bewildered or
annoyed.
No amount of insult to our intelligence will
stop us from going to the movies. Some of us
who realize the calibre of the movies may
squirm a little and say brightly: “But wasn’t
Clark Gable wonderful!” It seems to me that
the time has come for us to stop wearing our
superlatives thread-bare, and realize that not
even Gable, for all his manly charm, can make
a movie.
There are others who will agree with all
I have said. They will argue that the average
man has no desire to appreciate a movie like
“Citizen Kane.” They will sit through any
number of bad movies, smugly conscious that
they alone are aware of the picture’s faults.
Why bother to do anything about it, they ask,
when the public lacks the intellizence or the
appreciation to make a change worth while?
This is a form of intellectual isolationism which
is worse than ignorance or laziness.
In the Renaissance the rabble in the streets
knew and demanded good art. Today good
movies fail because the public' is accustomed to
bad ones. Why shouldn’t we demand an artis
tic produce for our twenty-eight cents? One
of the responsibilities of a college should be
to “act as leaven” throughout the mass of the
people. We must do our part toward raising
the standards of the movies!
—A. K.