Hobart College - Echo of the Seneca Yearbook (Geneva, NY)

Page 31 text:

I f PRESLEY Elvis (“The pelvis’’) Presley first rock-and-rolled his way into public recog- nition with his hit record, “Heartbreak Hotel.” Since then his success has sky- rocketed—in less than a year he sold over six million records. As well known for his hip-rolling style as for his voice, he has become the idol of teenagers, the bane of civic leaders. In the course of just a few months he has been barred from several cities, indirectly caused thousands of dollars worth of theater damage, and (shades of Frank Sina- tra) lost not a few suits to teen-age souvenir hunters. Unperturbed by what ap- pears to some as a social up- heaval, Elvis has continued making records, appear- ances, movies and money. 31

Page 30 text:

Favorable signs of world happiness—how brief!— were in the offering that October in ’54. The Yugoslavia of willful Tito accepted the Trieste settlement. Tito promised Yugoslav investment in Trieste. Russian Smiles were growing cheshirely. Even Ernest Hemingway might be pardoned in such a happy, unmilitant mood, if he delightedly re- ceived a mere traditionalism: the Nobel Prize. A few old signs made their appearance: a Todd jack- et, a style begun in 1928 by a Yale student, is fitted to a Yale freshman. But, the first year of our generation could have as a perfect synthetic symbol, nothing more fitting than “Scrabble” which took the country by storm. It was a game of words yet there was a fearful note in the chaos of its name and the first word written on the board fearful for what would soon worry us anew, what was perhaps the horrid end of generation: “conquest.” But of whom and by what? 30

Page 32 text:

 On October 5, Victor Riesel, crusading; labor ml umnist, was permanently blinded by an acid-throw- ing assailant. The incident aroused angry public reac- tion. Soon the main figures behind the assatilt were un- covered. President Eisen- hower promised to begin an attack upon the underworld infiltration of unions. And so it appears that an at- tempt to protect racketeer unions has resulted in the focusing of public attention upon them. 1956 saw the death of John Florence Sullivan, better known as E'red Allen. He began his career in the 1920’s as a vaudeville come- dian and juggler, but was soon topping radio popu- larity polls in his famous show, “Allen’s Alley.’’ more recently he turned to writing. His autobiography, Treadmill to Oblivion, was a best-seller. Much Ado About Me, his last book, was pub- lished posthumously. Be- fore his death, Allen was panelist on What’s My Line?” But he never felt at ease in the medium of tele- vision and had tried unsuc- cessfully to establish a TV program. With his death we have lost not only a great comedian, but a wry and acute commentator upon the American scene. 1 I I I : .‘52