Occidental College - La Encina Yearbook (Los Angeles, CA)

Page 33 text:

A difference in the tone of the editorial pages of che respective editors was notice- able. The shift was from right to left. Miss Pfeifer's editorial staff tended toward conservatism while Mr. Lee mustered a parcel of radicals who pondered great problems and hoped, somewhat Wistfully, to pick an occasional fight. The editors ask laurel wreaths for patient Charles Iennings, Ed McNeill, Ierome Hull, Muriel Cuoodhart, Willard Williams, and Allen Daily. The annual embalms the events of a year and the school paper reports immedi- ate happenings, but they are not quite suflicientg for a student desiring quick in- formation on school affairs needs something more detailed and less cumbersome than either. For this purpose, the two handbooks: Frosh Bible edited by Burns Lee and Kenneth White and the A. W. S. Handbook compiled by Vivian Iay. A student who knows everything about the school but still needs information finds her address and phone number in the Campus Directory, published this year by Meb Schroeder and Iohn Mclnnis. Print, however, is not the only means for student expression: quite a large num- ber ofpupils favor the voice. Of these, those who like to sing find the glee clubs a refuge and those who merely like to talk, perhaps with gestures, cluster around dramatics and forensics. Despite the generally curtailed expenses which prevented ambitious trips, the combined glee clubs managed to stray off the campus and confront perhaps more audiences than any previous club. The most noteworthy activity of the music department was the producing, in conjunction with che dramatics department, of Offenbach's parody on classical opera, Drpheus in the Underworld. Neither Mr. Baer nor Mr. Hartley will accept full credit for the presentation, each blaming the other, but it is safe to assume that, except in matters purely musical, Kurt Baer had the more responsibility. Mr. Hartley supervised the singing and directed the orchestra, Mr. Baer acted as the general producer. The performance in the Greek Bowl on May 19th might possibly have been the first in this country. Ar least, considerable difficulty was encountered in securing an English version of the operetta, there being only two copies in the United States. Miich of the play was translated by Baer, who was familiar with it, having assisted Max Rheinhart with its presentation in Ger- many. The cast of seventeen was headed by the versatile leads, Mary Bustos, Fleetwood Jefferson, Charles Hirt, Arthur Buell, Ethel Phillips, and Kenneth White. The costumes were gay in the Baer manner. The season, brought to a dramatic close by Drpheus in the Underworld, go

Page 32 text:

have taken over a room in Erdman Hall. Their big moment was a share of the Co-ed Hop, celebrated in the Union-. Chairman: Frances Grotthouse. One last group, the lower class women's organizations, attends to the little niceties about the school such as the arranging of bouquets, decoration of tables, lighting of candles, and straightening ofneckties. They have officers too: Florence Williams was president of sophomore, and Ruth Babcock of freshman women. The men students, though organized, do not present as elaborate a program for the year as do the women. Two major events split the year. The first semester fea- tured the stag dinner, and a controversial lecture by Dr. Ira Cross, of Berkeley, on the collapse of Capitalism. It took an earthquake to postpone the annual Men's Day from March 24th to April ZISE, at which time Iudge Harold B. Landreth spoke to a group of awed high school seniors. The invited guests gained their first impression of the school by paying a small sum for their dinner. Aside from these spectacular functions, the A. M. S. is a fairly quiet body. Problems of interest to the men are aired once a week at the Wednesday chapel. Publications make a further division of student activity. Une of the most vital, of course, is the yearbook. This year's annual, as may have been noticed by this time, is one of innovations, Editor-in-chief Helen Dallas has gently shooed away the sacred cows feeding under las encinas. Though it is customary for an annual to Pat itself on the back, it is unnecessary to call attention to the new ideas. Suffice it to say that the book is at bottom individualistic and a departure from the rut, and that should excuse everything. Credit is desired for the various slavies on the staff who did the pick and shovel work. Assistant-editor Marjorie Adams found her red hair of value as supervisor of studio photographs, her task was to scare camera- shy students and professors toward the Martiiu studios. If your face is on straight, all credit goes to assistant-editor Gordon Goodhart and I-lelen Webei', who spent hours cementing photos to baseboard. Iohn Maclnnes, not an assistant-editor, snared the advertising. All writing for the book was done by Virginia Ayars and Paul Iohnson, except for certain obscene portions which were written by the jani- tor who takes in the flag every afternoon. A glance at the annual staff page will show ,many interesting, earnest faces too numerous to record here. Alone more important than the annual, The Occidental appeared once a week throughout the year under the guidance of Ruth Pfeifer, the first semester, and Burns Lee, the second. News, both sport and prosaic, was capably handled by the stafs of both editors, and emphasis on the Big Campus idea was well sustained. 29

Page 34 text:

opened in September with Baer's ambitious presentation of Everyman. The allegory, though modernized and garnished with incidental music, retained much of its power. Its medieval atmosphere intensified by bright costumes and an elabo- rate outdoor setting. The large cast, which had been rehearsing since lune, per- formed with uniform ease, at the head ofthe list, Henry Kleinbach, Esther Haus- child, Shirley Haynes, and Charles Hirt. Dorothy Bell surprised and pleased with an intricate, and mildly insinuating, dance. For their next performance, the dramatic artists moved indoors and gave Dandy Dick, a Pinero comedy, before the usual capacity audience. The produc- tion was one of those theoretically Iunior plays Wherein everyone but Juniors take part. The Gccidental Players stepped into the gap, furnished the necessary re- cruits, and the play Went on. The story Was a diverting mixture of horse racing and the gay nineties. For special commendation, Laddie Powers, Bernard Mel- ekian, Priscilla Reed, Lovell Van Meter, and Charles Hall. Mechanical details, to be fair, were attended to by Iuniors. Another strong department of campus activity is the forensic division. A pug- nacious quartet of debaters, True Boardman, Bernard Melekian, Donald Eareed, and Paul McKalip quarreled with U. S. C., Utah, Weber College, Pomona, and Arizona. War debts furnished the bone of contention for all but Arizona, who growled over radio broadcasting as a menace to culture. The team defeated U. S. C. and was in turn defeated in a radio debate with Utah. The rest were non- decision. By Way of special diversion, Takeshi Haruki and Donald Eareed enter- tained a Thursday chapel when the former defended the Iapanese indiscretions in Maiachuria. Though the men's team made no trips this year, the Women traveled to Bakersfield. In addition, the team, made up of Elizabeth Mullens, Francis Iacobsen, Marie Carroll, and Dorothy Bell met Redlands, U. S. C., U. C. L. A., and hosts of others. Dr. Lindsley coached the men and Miss Gilliland preened the Women. A glance at oratory enables us to conclude this section on a modest note of tri- umph. We have been concerned in a general way with student activities, and, if possible, achievements. May We call, then, for a Hourish of trumpets for Donald Fareed who Won the Southern Conference extemporaneous speech contest and thus added another bright trophy to 0ccidental's cupboard. Nor shall We deny a chivalric blast for Esther Hauschild Who placed third in the vvomen's division. 31