Towson University - Tower Echoes Yearbook (Towson, MD)

Page 25 text:

THE TOWER 'LIGHT Did You Know That ------ 1 1 Over two thousand years ago itwo Chinese astronomers were beheaded because of an eclipse? These astronomers had learned to predict eclipses. just before an eclipse occurred, they told the emperor a dragon would devour the sun, but that for a certain sum of money they would restore -the sun. Their request was granted, and they proceeded to get gloriously 'drunk to celebrate their goo-d fortune. As the eclipse came on with its terrifying appearance, the fears of -the people and the emperor knew' no bounds. They decided to appease the dragon by beheading the astronomers. This was promptly done, and s-oon the bright disc of the sun began to emerge from behind the moon. Everyone felt sure that the human sacrifice was acceptable to the angry dragon because the sun had been restored. One of the earliest accounts of a meteor fall is mentioned in the Bible? Joshua 10:11. The actual size, period, and position of the planet Neptune were known long before that planet was actually discovered. The seas on the moon are not seas at all. They are vast, open plains. Weeks were divided into seven days by the ancients, probably out of deference to the five major planets visible from the earth and the sun and moon? e The first star catalog, listing the names and sizes of visible stars, was made 2,073 years ago? A Greek, Hipparchus, classified the stars according to apparent brightness and catalogued about 1,080 of them. Stars go through life cycles: young, or dwarfed stars have tem- peratures as low as 2,500 degrees centigiradeg middle-aged, white-hot stars have temperatures of about 14,000 degrees centigradeg and many old stars finally become cool and dark. There are thirty to forlty billions of stars in the star-group to which the sun belongs. Flames of fire, known as prominences, sometimes shoot out from the surface of the sun to a distance of 500,000 miles. 17 1

Page 24 text:

THE TOWER LIGHT a salary of my own--even in a one-room backwoods school! Elizabeth smiled .ind followed the girl into the dormitory. A assay Save for the New York World's Fair Probably the first objective of the sightseer at txhe New York World's Fair next year will be to secure agreeable accommodations for his stay during -the period of the Exposition. From the following figures, it would seem that he would have little difficulty. There are 133,334 hotel rooms in the cityg hostelries in suburban communities in the metropolitan area have 50,000 rooms, Y. M. C. A. clubhouses and sirrtilar semi-public in- stitutions provide 40,000 roomsg and those in apartments and rooming houses add 120,000 more. Thus the itotal transient accommodation is 343,334 rooms. The Department of Medicine and Public Health, which will have headquarters on the Fair grounds, will have facilities for attending to every medical emergency from a finger scratch to child birth. There are to be .ten first aid stations, a large corps of physicians and surgeons, nearly a hundred nurses, ten ambulances, and a mobile x-ray truck under the department's supervision. As many as 250,000 hungry sightseers can be accommodated during the day or night in the 80 restaurants which will dot the grounds. The bill of fare available will provide the visi-tors with a sort of gastronomic trip around the globe. A score of foreign nations intend to include dining halls in their national pavilions. France, for instance, will offer to the gourmet a camzra' mzfais a Porangei Belgium is to specialize in Flemish and Walloon dishes, with delicacies cooked in fig leaves, Cuba will have arm: con 150110, Mexico--famales, frijoles amz' baked pig, Rumania-a wide range of game, Russia-lzlimfs and ltasbag Brazil-colorful assemblies of tropical vegetables. Did someone ask for a ham sandwich? A fact not generally known is that most of the Bibles sold in this Country are printed in Belgium. Partly on this account printing is to be displayed in historic fashion in the Belgian Building at the Fair. Leather binding represents high craftsmanship in Belgium and many examples of this art are to be shown. Another section of this exhibit is to be devoted to rare old manuscripts that are now in the Antwerp Museum. cC0l1fTIIlll'cl mtv! ll10IIflJ.J 16

Page 26 text:

THE TOWER LIGHT The recently discovered planet, Pluto, moves about the sun once in about 250 years. The moon has mountain peaks that tower some 26,000 feet above its surface. These mountains of the moon are higher than most mountains on the earth. It is estimated that as many as 20 million meteors, fshooting starsj, fall into the earth's atmosphere each twenty-four hours. As Others See Us RUTH PATTON Would that God the gift had given us To see ourselves as others see us. A very famous passage and one to be taken to heart. But have we ever thought how its meaning can be reversed? Would everyone be hap- pier if others could see us as we see ourselves? Our sweetest dreams would be realized, our highest visions of ourselves materialized! Deep in the heart of every individual lies the secret belief that he would be a different person if he were a little better understood by his fellow men. Think what an amazing world this would be if we could understand the inner man of our fellows, could see what he most desires to be, and would treat him accordingly. The man who dabbles futilely with paint or clay would become a master artist or sculptor. The discouraged peddler would possess a new personality, brimming with originality and attraction. From the mediocre athlete would emerge a veritable Olympian champion. Courage would rise from fear, beauty from ugliness. It would mean interest for the bored, virtue for the transgressor, fame for the ignored. What an idealistic world this would be. Perhaps too idealisticg too easy, leaving nothing to strive for. Is it possible that Robert Burns' idea is best? That we can make it possible for others to see us as we see ourselves only by first seeing ourselves as others see us? 18