Page 14 - TheGoldBug1943-44

PAGE TWO The Gold Bug. Weatem Maryland College, West:mimier, Md., December 2, 1943 The magnetism of the tree could not Christm.s Thoughts - - . be overcome even by the tempting haps, with the family around the tree Christmas honors the Christ of justice and charity, of freedom and peace. Be- again. "And she brought forth her firstborn food, and soon we returned. Time had But Christmas has changed this year cause Christmas is this and is deeper son, and wrapped him in swaddling flown, and with the sun peeping into the and we enter the holiday season with than all accumulated symbols, we will clothes, and laid him in a manger; be- new day, we started for the Christmas thoughts of our loved ones away for a be celebrating, wherever we are; rejoic- cause there was no room for them in Service, decked in our Christmas finery. while, of those shedding their life blood ing because even now, He gives hope the inn." Who can forget or adequately describe that we may·have an even better way for peace. . Out of this beginning grew the the beauty of the hours when our of life. Traditions will perhaps be broken, Christmases we have known from the hearts were at peace ~with God and While many are yet training for their some familiar faces will be missing, less time we were old enough to scramble man? designated jobs, many more already are abundant finery and food may be dis- excitedly from our cozy covers and pat- Filling the air with good wishes, we in the thick of the horror. They see the played, some gay lights may be dimmed, ter downstairs, barely able to contain wended our homeward way. to the terrific cost of this war to themselves, but the eternal light of Christian Fel- our exuberant cries until we had mi- groaning board where we feasted on the and to the peoples of the world. Yes, lowship remains, and we may fervently nutely examined our socks. As the fam- even without the restrictions of this "THANK GOD" and sing "Glory to God ily struggled in, the noisy excitement good things that forever help to sym- year we tend to be much more serious in the highest, and on earth peace, good Mer- bolize Christmas at home for us. made us forget anything so trivial as than usual. will toward men"! food until Mom would suddenly send us rily the day passed with visits and in- --eoJd.llouxvuJ q.u..- scampering to breakfast. numerable sweets, to end at last, per- Archbishop Spellman has said that On Being Swung By By Alvin H. Walker, P.F.c. Prof. Alfred de Long By C.det Walter West For the benefit of Engineers, Freshmen, and those re- I must confess that an evening's As I see it, the primary duty of Every 168 hours, following an astronomical precedent maining upperclessmep who failed to discover me last dancing to the music of the aver- a dance band is to create definite even the dubious WMC Physics department doesn't dis- year or the year before, I shall take this opportunity of age college swing band leaves me rhythmic patterns for the dancers. pute, there comes into the drab life of John Q. Cadet an introducing myself. My name is Alvin Walker, and my in a state of mild mental confusion But modern swing music employs interlude toward which he has labored-for five long days home's the U.S.A. Before entering the Army, I used to and acutely thwarted motor re-. rhythm in a manner peculiar to its of harrowing encounters with a mercilessly overwhelming of labs, lectures, and exams, study-the succession write a little column in this space. And, (as someone flexes. own needs. Strange as it may "WEEK-END." Officially, it begins at 3 :20 on Saturday, will probably tell you if I don't), 1still do. As I go home, 1 mumble in con- seem, swing music is a reversion to and ends at 7:30 Sunday evening; actually, to the fun- I am five feet, eleven inches tall; weigh 160 pounds in fusion. Have I been to a dance or a type of polyphonic or many- starved, physics-r-avaged mind of young John, it starts as my stocking feet; have blue eyes, and a little straight a concert? Is it proper for me to voiced music which flourished in brown hair. Or, 1 should say, a little bit of straight dance at concerts? Who gets paid the 16th and 17th centuries. soon as the Sat. morning Physics test is over and ends brown hair. Some people say I have expressive hands, but for doing what for whom? Who In this type of music, whether with the cruel, reverberating jangle of the 6:15 bell on you know how people are. No one has ever complimented swings and who gets swung? composed or extemporized, each Monday morning. my feet, though: which, frankly, doesn't surprise me. voice or part progressed across the • 'W1ud "'-2>. At present, I, too, am a member of the A.S.T.P. sta- page with its separate figures and simply settled ques- Although "what to do" is a rather tioned at Yale University, studying Japanese and related accents in a horizontal manner, tion in Westminster, and has as many interpretations as subjects. In case you haven't a clear idea as to just what but not in a vertical or harmonic there are cadets when it comes to out-oi-town jaunts; let's subjects boast relationship with Japanese, 1 suggest you pattern. The 'element of time or look at another one oi these "average cadet" situations, tempo was present, but the voices get in touch with someone who has a clear idea. At this remained independent rhythmical- here in quaint, reserved old Westminster fo!. the week-end. stage of the game, I feel I can't be of much help to you. To avoid any inadvertent profanity, we'll ignore what As for the Japanese language itself, however, it is sim- ly. In this respect, the contrapun- Johnny's Saturday afternoon duty consists of and fall in plicity ep'itqmized, 'es any native speaker will tell you. tal music of Bach and swing are Japanese has practically no gr-ammar; and as for syntax, similar, but speaking for myself, I beside him as he's dismissed at 3:20. As he sprints with delirious abandon up the congested if you asked a Jap for the syntax of a sentence, he'd prob- just can't rug-cut to a fugue. walk and into the dorm, he takes mental stock of the situ- But why can't 1 dance to this ably laugh in your koo. Prof. Alfred de Long ation. He has no plans, no date, 68c, and a Balto. street type of music? The answer lies in The only thing about the language that might be con- My young college friends are a definition. Rhythm has been de- car transfer. There's no dance, no party; and the two lo- sidered difficult-and then only by your dulIard-would subconsciously reflecting a similar fined as "the regular recurrence of cal palaces of cinematic magnificence are offering, re- be the system of "honorifics" employed. An honorific is a bewilderment at their dances. I accented and unaccented beats". spectively, "Hot Lead with Bruce Buckshot and his Miracle letter, syllable, or word, which, when added to another notice young couples sitting-out But there is no regularity in the Horse", and "Birth of a Nation." The radio has nothing word, makes the modified word polite to one of three de- dances, others teetering back and accents of modern swing music. A to offer but Sinatra and the Barn Dance, so with a de- grees. These three degrees or levels of politeness are: forth on the floor obviously listen- swing band is no longer a unit of spairing but perenially optimistic shrug, he begins his . Very Polite, Polite, and Common. There is a fourth ing to the performers. Some walk patterns, but a conglomeration of weekly clean-up. category, that of the Impolite, or Downright Boorish listlessly about against the beat of individual soloists, weaving a frag- words; but this is seldom encountered in colloquial Japan- the drum, while a few cavort in mentary melody into a complex, ir- .q~",.eoJd ese, except among people who are habitually impolite to jitter-bug antics which seem unre- regular mass of unrelated rhythms. "I'll just hike downtown and find something to do," he one another. lated to the music being played. I suspect that the band is hav- says. So he takes a cold shower, (there's nothing like a The first three divisions.9f honorifics are used, as you 1 believe the fault lies not in the ing a lot of fun, but the neglected good cold shower to pep a fellow up, especially when might suppose, in addressing members of the corresponding dancers, but in the music, which dancer becomes completely worn there's no hot water) a cold shave, (exactly the same as a three levels of society, i.e., friends, dogs, and women. fails in its function and obligation out trying to follow first the errat- hot shave except that the whiskers don't corne off) and a Toads and armadillos may also be spoken to in the lan- to the dancers through the neglect ic pattern of one soloist and then quick shoeshine (applying shoes to rear of pants leg with guage of the second division; unless, of course, they hap- and misuse of a certain rhythm el- that of another. His rhythmic up and down motion.) Donning his abused, limp service pen to be female, in which case they are classed as wom- ement, which is the very essence of sense is dazed, his feet confused, hat, he strides purposefully out of the dorm, down the en, and dealt with accordingly. Fleas and lice, when ad- good dance music. (Cont. on page 5, col. 3) hill, and into that ethereal dream-world, week-end West- dressed at all, seldom rate more than a fourth-class com- minster. munication. The Insect Br-anch of the Tokyo S.P.C.A. has been cam- .C~B~ paigning for years against this discrimination; but their Campus Person.lity Henry After Johnny's second day in Carroll County the stark efforts, insofar as I know, have been fruitless. Personal- truth was fixed in his mind, that there are two places to ly, I am afraid that if any progress is to be made along go when neither movie is worthwhile; M- and E-'s, that line, it will have to be brought about by a drastic and B------d's. Stopping at the first of these, the evening's change in the personality of the louse itself, rather-than debauchery begins with a coke (large), tossed off with the by unreasonable attempts to convert the Japanese people. nonchalance of a veteran who can take it or leave it alone. Aside from that one concetvebta stumbling block, then, Maybe it is the effect of the South The secret of his leadership ability Having shot 1/6 of his wad on one reckless sweep of dissi- the, language of Nippon is, as I have said, simplicity epi- Dakota sun. Or maybe it is the re- in this field? pation, Johnny proceeds a little cautiously to the "down- tomized. Next time 1 may have found out a little more suit of living in overcrowded Wash- "I like to meet people and get to town" area-the Great White Way, the beart and hub of about those related subjects. If so, I'll tell you about ington. Whatever the cause, Paul know them. I like to work in pro- this throbbing, pulsating metropolis-Main Street for a them. That is, if you really want me to, I will. Until Henry has certainly acquired a sad grams." block each side of the tracks. then, I can only say-No, come to think of it, 1 can't even case of amnesia concerning the im- • say that. Military censorship, you know. portant events in his life. . .-~~~---~-~ C'.' " .. Catch this pre-ministerial student ;1\;,% i¢ Already the natives from nearby farms and communi- vas he comes from. a Thanksgiving ties are beginning to descend on the county seat, and tile THE GOLD BUG dinner, place him in a warm Novem- street (well, one side of the street) The opposite side is is jammed with humanity. squirming, gesticulating Official student newspaper ot Western Maryland Col- ber sunlight, and confront him with occupied by a decrepit octogenarian named Sam, masticat- the usual line of "0 Theophilus, thou, lege, published semi-monthly, on Thursday, during Oc- ing cut plug in front of the feed atcre, and two hopeful tober, November, January, February, March, and April, :.;!:e:~~r~::swhat does he say? . , t, and monthly during September, December, and May. En- co-eds sitting in the servicemen's "pick-up" station. tered as second class matter at Westminster Post office, This particular Tbeophilus not only - Johnny fights his way through the mob,losing nothing under the Act of March 3, 1879. more than tbree blouse buttons, a garter, and his self-re- :~~i::yt:aet~~~ai~c;::~~;Yo~ec:na~~~ ~ spect, and steps with relieved dignity into the congenial Subscription Price $2.00 a Year placidity of B------d's. The night is young, and there are down this much: I hate interviews!" only 287 cadets on hand. Clutching his 58c, Johhny eases Editcr-In-Chief.c. .Lilfian Jackson, '45 Little by little his stream of into a booth with eleven cadets absorbed in a spirited dis- Managing Editor Mary V. Webb, '45 thought throws off biographical data. cussion of the effect of the Bronsted theory on' contempor- News Editor ... . Bob Adams, '45 Yes, he was born in South Dakota and ary conceptions of titrations in non-aqueous solutions, and Asst. News Editor.. . June Vogel, '46 went to school there. Yes, he worked glances about idly in search of a waitress. Feature Editor.... . Lucinda Holloway, '45 in civil aeronautics before coming to Sports Editor. . Dorothy Rovecamp, '44 Western Maryland. Chu~ch work? • .II_I1~ Copy Editor... . Virginia Voorhees, '46 Oh, yes! Four and a half hours later, a white aproned vision of Cadet Editorial Council: • President of S.C.A. efficient loveliness finally comes over to the booth, smiles Martin Burrus Ernest Morgan Howard Gilkeson At this point he begins to show Stuart Massie Harvey Smallwood the enthusiasm expected of a senior Paul W. Henry sweetly, and, just as he opens his mouth to utter the words Business Manager.... . Dennis Blizzard, '45 that will start a five cent glass of Arrow his way, says Advertising Manager Nevin Lindsay, '47 listed in the collegiate Who's Who. Then, too, he has the virtue of ver- "Sorry, we're closing." With weary steps, his face a Circulation Manager.... Catherine Waring Paul is now president of the Student satility. Whatsoever things are aes- purpled mask of frustrated dejection, he leaves, tossing a Contributors: Betty Waits, Marianna Murray, Shirley Christian Association, with which he thetic have a special appeal to him. wan smile at the "Thank you, Come Again!" sign over Jones, Mary Davies, Margaret Fredrich, Catherine Ward, has worked since his freshman year. He likes classical music, especially the door. Erma Young, Nevin Lindsay, Theo. Jones, Margaret Zink, Before he came to the Hill, he served the works of Haydn and Bach. Mil- Westminster is a silent shadow of its former splendor .. Lee Wallenstein, Janice McKinley, Henry Lamadrid, Au- as Program Chairman for the West ton'S"'JlOetry he greatly admires. by now, and Johnny shuffle!?half-heartedly up the bill, drey Studds, Bonnie Beth Blake, Tommy Berger, John Washington District of the Young (Cont. on page 5, col. 1) stops off at M- and E_""":"s for another coke (large), Del Veccio, Frank Middleton, Jane Beall Adult Department. (Cont. on pa.ge 5, col. 4)