Page 4_
JHE RECORD.
.Thursday, November 12, 1942
Geo. Norms-Statesman <&***?*<*
Politicians, the saying goes, worry about the next election; statesmen, about the next generation.
Senator George Norris fits the latter category. So intent was Senator Norris on solving the great problems facing the present and future generations, that he found little time to return to mVNebraskan constituency and wage a campaign for reelection to his senatorial post.
His defeat at the polls on Nov. 3 was a sad blow to the 81 year old senator. -"It is a repudiation," he said, "of my 40 years of public service." That, we hasten to assure him, is not true. We do not know why the people of Nebraska failed to send him back to Washington. The press, the president and the people of our nation were solidly behind him. Perhaps it was because he has risen above state boundaries, as he had previously risen above party lines. Perhaps he will be able to serve us better as a national statesman now that he is unhampered by geographical and parliamentary limitations. We believe so.
We know that the American people as a whole have not repudiated Senator Norris, and we cannot believe that the people of Nebraska would do so either. They could not repudiate a career* so promising with marks of fine
• • ik-Maple Sugar Distilling
Another campus mystery has been solved. The Record's roving reporter cornered Father Wendelin the other evening and came back with "the goods." The mystery had to do with another building (no, not the one behind the science hall. We solved that in the last issue of the Record), the building that is being put up just off the main road as you near the campus proper.
According to Father Wendelin, who is supervising the work, the building is going to house the equipment for the evaporation of maple sap, which in turn will be made into Maple syrup.
Operations will not start till next spring. Then, around the last of March or the first of April, the workmen will begin to tap the sap. This year Father Wendelin plans to have at least one thousand trees tapped. The tapping season is very short and lasts anywhere from two or three days to two weeks. It is during this period of time that the maple trees freeze at night and then thaw out during the day, making for a good steady flow of sap.
It takes from twenty-five to thirty gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. But when you have that one gallon, you have the real stuff. According to those who have tasted it, it is much better than can be bought in a grocery store.
statesmanship. They could not forget his efforts at parliamentary reform, his dogged, uphill battle to defeat lame duckism, his fight to give the people the fruits of their natural resources through the TVA, and his struggle to establish the unicameral legislature in Nebraska. We regret that Mr. Norris was not re-elected, especially at this time when statesmen are so few in our congressional positions, but George Norris' career is not yet over: now he belongs to the nation.
Library Mystery
The invention of printing in 1456 is recorded in history as the greatest step made in modern times for the diffusion of knowledge and education of the masses. But now, after some 500 years have elapsed, there seems to be one exception to this otherwise categorical statement; there seems to be danger that the printed word will not be diffused at one particular spot on our otherwise saturated globe —and that spot is St. John's.
True, the printed word finds its way to our library; likewise true, all material relevant to the various classes is earmarked and moved to the reference library. But at this point some devil's advocate, seemingly fearful that the mass of students at St. John's will arise if allowed to peruse them, whisks off all the currently assigned volumes and returns them only when such assignments are due or overdue. The net result is that the St. John's masses retain their "man with the hoe" mental capacities and it is supposed that the fellow with the forked tail chuckles and pulls his beard in high glee as he rests somewhere among the books.
How to deal with such a creature is hard to say. Perhaps the answer would be to lie under a library table some night, catch him plying his trade, and sprinkle him with holy water. Or better still, perhaps the thing will note, as a result of this public statement, that his activity is known and will give up his unsocial practice.
We don't know what the answer is, but something should be done. That we do know. ' J. G. P.
Gets Varied Reaction
Saroyan brought to St. John's some- something distinctly novel and modern.
thing new, something different as he They accepted a mouthful in trying to
lent the Johnny thespians one of his interpret Saryoan as Saroyan does him-
latest, surrealistic plays for their in- self in trying to portray character with-
itial Stage production last Monday, out action. Perhaps, the mouthful can be
"My Heart's in the Highlands" gave swallowed by degrees.
Johnnies their first taste on the local But the abrupt novelty of Saroyan, plus the
Stage of surrealism and it wasn't too technique of simple scenery left the audience
palatable. wondering just a bit, a trifle dazed perhaps—
Two things were glaringly missing—ex- but quite impregnated with what Saroyan
rienced leads and plot. Blame Saroyan for wants- to put across—character and char-
the latter. He likes to portray character much acters' philosophy. He is a descriptionist pure
better than tell a story and did just that in and simple. That the audience doesn't sit on
"My Heart's in the Highlands." The result the edge of its seats is no concern to Sar-
was a pleasing character study but for the oyan. But the audience is important and this
greater part an uninteresting presentation be- writer thinks it does not take well to this par-the
cause th e essential element—moving plot— was absent.
Saroyan tried to spot-passage a haphazard segment of American life and in it show the philosophy of the principal characters. The clever, homely dialogue plus some extra fine setting effects saved the day. Chief selling point of the continuity came through its odd emphasis of the trivial with the important, one might call it emphasis by contrast.
The experience? It must, of course, come with time. With a few exceptions the roles were just a trifle below the quality of past Johnny plays. Chief reason: prep and freshmen actors, still a little stage shy, and still a trifle young. The dearth of veteran talent was noticeable.
Prepster Tischler performed his role of Johnny quite convincingly. His diction can improve but what was lacking there was supplied by a very real interpretatin of— just a boy. One could almost see one of Twain's products in him as he played with his toes or turned somersaults to relieve his boredom. At times O'Henry's folk lore of American life seemed to creep through Saroyan, though, of course, his all important plot was missing.
Bill Kaufman imitated a Scotch brogue well enough to carry his role as the ancient, dreamy Scotsman. A good prospect for future use.
The setting was excellent in its novelty. Surrealistic, Saroyan's plays can be half made
ticular author. As an art form, the surrealistic play holds possibilities. As a popular feature, it is distinctly limited.
Johnnies are awaiting eagerly the next play.
Ed Henry
e
•
NOTES
Soon to be run off the presses at Augsburg college is The Augsburg Handbook, a directory of students' and teachers' names, addresses, and telephone numbers. It will also include the school's social calendar, disciplinary rules and regulations, and the constitution and by-laws of the student society, * * * *
Major Alexander P. de Seversky, one of America's foremost air tacticians and strategists, will appear as a speaker soon at St. Joseph's college, Philadelphia. Pa. He will speak on how we can win this war by air fighting, as he recently explained in his book Victory Through Air Power.
Last Saturday's football game at Iowa State Teachers college, Cedar Falls, la., was the high spot in the traditional "Dad's Day"
through the scenic effects, and the set men are held annually for the paters of the college stu-to be congratulated on one of their finest dents. The weekend was filled out with various pieces of work. The lighting was effective and striking.
Johnny thespians are also to be congratulated for trying something different,
meetings, luncheons, and entertainments.
"Ike. JlelUt&x,
Campus Quiet For Quarter Tests • Taxes Trouble Prof Cerullo
• Father Wendelin Gives Retreat
"Buy a jeep for the Army" is the slogan of a war stamp campaign now being staged at Stratford college, Danville, Va. The Stratford Traveler, the school paper, is sponsoring the drive and operates a booth near the school's candy store. Each purchase is recorded in a book called "The Diary of a Jeep."
Fortnightly Reviews
THE GREAT REPUBLIC. By R. J. S.
Hoffman.
Sketches of the history of organizations for world peace from the Holy Roman Empire to the League of Nations. The "great republic," a supra-national organization, which has survived the old world and must again stabilize the new world is Christendom. AND DOWN THE DAYS. By J. L. Bonn.
Fictionized biography of the daughter of Maria Monk, who rose from the New York slums to a position in Paris society; then disillusioned and dissatisfied sought comfort in the Catholic Church, which institution her mother had so slandorously and sensationally attacked. IN NO STRANGE LAND. By Katherine
Burton.
Short interesting biographies of men and women who became Catholics in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in America. THE REED AND THE ROCK. By Theodore
Maynard.
An inspiring biography of an American pioneer bishop, Simon Brute. He is portrayed as a most charming and saintly laborer in the Lord's vineyard in missionary America. SEVENTEENTH SUMMER. By Maureen
Daly.
The story of a girl's first love related in the first person. Vividly yet delightfully told, it forms good reading for anybody.
ALL WAS QUIET on the campus over last week and it was more than the reaction after a general weekend. The boys who make all the noise as well as those who never make any noise at all were buried deep in the books. The answer lay in quarter tests. Typical opinion Sunday morning—it wasn't worth the while. Tests can be flunked just as easily without studying.
* * * # *
THE ERA OF PITYING the map-maker, who slaves to keep up with the world's changing border lines, is over. The latest victim is the income tax professor, at St. John's, Mr. Saverio Cerullo. Says Mr. Cerullo, "For two years, I've been teaching laws that are a year old. The law changes before I can get my new text. Why don't they pass the blasted things during the summer?" Compensation, however, lies in the fact that even major changes do not affect the greatest part of the laws. It's an awfully big proposition.
—AND HOW ABOUT those two St. John's workman who were trying to find a certain bridge near Roscoe one night recently—kept driving until the wee hours and failing to find it inquired of the next gas station, only to find that they were five miles from the South Dakota border.
REV. WENDELIN LUETMER, O.S.B.,
head of the farm department at St. John's, last week traveled to St. Vincent's abbey in Pennsylvania where he gave a retreat. St. Vincent's is the first Benedictine abbey in the United States and the place from whence the founders of St. John's came.
While the Canisius college glee club was rehearsing "Old Man Noah" recently the whirring noise of a siren was heard and the lights presently went out. But it proved to be only a practice blackout for the Buffalo school.
St. Anselm's college of Manchester,
N. H., has suffered a considerable loss in faculty members. Ten of its professors to date have left for some branch of the service.
A RECENT RECRUIT joined the Record make-up staff this week and in one evening's work he won for himself a lifetime job as a headline writer. "He" is Websters latest production, the "Dictionary of Synonyms."
MORE TROUBLE for Mr. Cerullo. The first week in September he discovered that several of his freshmen accounting students had a conflict with Spanish under Father Bernardo on the last period Saturday morning. The two profs went into a huddle and decided to.share students, one Saturday here, one there. All went well until Father Bernardo was persuaded to hold review sessions on Saturday. Now no one misses accounting, and Father Bernardo is beginning to wonder.
MUSTS
America
"Creighton's School For Rural Life.1' John LaFarge.
Commonweal
"Reports on Religion in Russia.*' Harry Lorin Binsse.
Current History
"The Campaign Against Inflation." J. Donald Kingsley.
Dublin Review
"Christian Freedom." Christopher Dawson.
Harpers
"Explaining Argentina." Isabel Fisk.
Newly-elected president of the Minnesota Education Association, O. J. Jerde of St. Cloud Teachers college, is quoted in the College Chronicle on his views on postwar education. He says, "Education must be streamlined to meet the new order after the war. . .Care must be taken, however, that we do not destroy the basic principles of well founded pedagogy.
*JUe Recond
Published every Thursday by the students of St. John's university. The official newspaper of St. John's and organ of the alumni.
Entered at tho post office at CoHegeville, Minn., as second class matter, January 30, 1925.
Subscription rate $1.00 a year.
Member of the Catholic School Press Association, Associated Collegiate Press, and Minnesota College Press Association. Distributor of the Collegiate Digest, National advertising Service, New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco.
STAFF
Editor.............................J. Gregory Perrizo
Nowb Editor.........................Bill Bosscnmaier
Asst. News Editor........................Bill Henry
Sports Editor...........................Walter Tooley
Sports Reporters........................Julian Wolf,
Heinz Arnold
Feature Editor........................William Durkin
Columnists...............Robert Mertz, Hugh Davies
Reporters..........................Charles Thompson,
Tom Morrow, Robert Renner, Karl Thomes
Make-up Editor......................Francis Culhane
Staff Artist............................... Jerry Fewel
Circulation Managers......Jerry Faue, Gono Charboneau
Typists................................Francis Miller,
Le Roy Haugh, Paul Miler Faculty Adviser...........Rev. Dunstan Tucker, O.S.B.
L
