Towson University - Tower Echoes Yearbook (Towson, MD)

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Walking Museum QCondensed from Science Digestj IAMES o'eoNNoR IUST AS man's clothes show buttons that do not function and buttonholes that do not open, so in our body there are structures which are the dwindled relics of organs once actively in use. These obsolete human organs so necessary to early man. are in most cases small. and familiar only to the anatomist. Their persistence shows us that the past lives on within us, even in trivialities. In the corner of our eye there is a little fold. between the eyeball and the red caruncle at the inner angle of the eye. Now there is no doubt as to the origin of the fold which anyone can see in the looking-glassg it is a dwindled relic of the third eyelid which is present in most mammals, and in birds. You have all noticed, no doubt. a horse standing by the side of a street moving its ear-trumpets or ear-pinnae, perhaps to locate the approach of its master who has been delivering some goods. Many mammals do this. and the movements seem to help in the localization of sounds. Man at one time was able to do this. but now his ear-moving muscles are typically vestigial. tThink of the advantage of such ears in listening to the almost whispered announcements during the asscmblyxl In the human body there is also evidence of a certain sense organ, called the organ of lacobsen which would enable us to detect more easily some odoriferous in- gredient. say a poison in the food. that we take into the mouth. But in man it is a vestige often disappearing altogether: and the openings to the organ, which would normally be located far forward on the roof of the mouth. are closed. Many of these obsolete organs appear in the embryo alone. others are present through out life. They are nour- ished by the body but are quite functionless. As Osborn has put it: They are mere pensioners of the body draw- ing pay. for past honorable services without performing any corresponding work . It is interesting to note that the number of dwind- ling human organs is slowly but surely increasing. How far can modern civilization go in throwing into disuse the functions of organs of the human body? At present, wisdom teeth and little toes are on their way out. After these-what then? omen' s ats DOLORES STROBLE IN THIS present day and age. there seems to be a hilarious uproar when the dusty old family album is dragged from its secret place and the solemn, but comi- cal pictures are thoroughly scanned. Modern debutantcs and sophisticated maidens are simply frustrated at the mere idea of wearing a complete battleship. guns and all. on their crowning headsg and so they scoff at their grand- mothers and kin for adorning themselves with such implements. Nevertheless. I. a member of the female species, am going to reverse the tables, so that the old family album may have the last laugh. No. modern damsels. don't turn awayg nay. stay and try to visualize how ridiculous your twentieth century head-garb appears. To begin with. it must be clearly 14 understood that a hat is used for protection. to attract the eye of masculine passcrs-by. and to reveal the traits of the wearer. Now. with that dehnition embedded in your mind, we can proceed to discuss the most popular topic of the day. womcn's hats. First of all, let us examine the fruit- covcred pie plate with its delicious and juicy grapes, pears, and peaches that makes one's mouth water: with this type it seems dangerous to twist the head because the action may produce a sudden torrent of scattered fruit just like the wind disperses apples from a heavily laden branch. This sort of head protection. although not worn with confidence, does arouse a sense of hunger. Included in this group is the QContinued on page 3Ol TOWER LIGHT

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the country for a convention. The three-day affair was Hlled with festivitv. Com Janionshi J. and u Jon reaching t . I I I e Maryland I realized that through a seventy-two hour I . . 1 b I . I period of companionship with scores of fellows, my hfe I i had been enriched. XVhat a wonderful feeling it must be to lead such a i swell bunch of fellows, I thought. XVhy couldnit I be y the one to lead them? I felt sure I could do it if I tried ihard enough. First, I should be Grand Blaster of the ,Baltimore Chapter, then get on the Executive Board. work myself up to the top of the Council, receive the David L. Mark Key, go to the Grand Council and, after ,Serving a year there. give up my position to a younger i frater, and rest on my laurels. All this would be hard iand take a long time. true enough, but it would be easy ifor me. I would . . . r Suddenly my train of thought was broken by the real- ization that I was. at the present time, going to college. I had another ambition. I wanted to work hard to be the best of teachers, to do extra work. to rise in the school system, to teach math. later on, to do - oh. God knows all I wanted to do as a teacher! But how could l do all these things? lrlere I wanted to be a leader of men! I wanted to receive prestige and glory and friends through a national organization. And yet, I also wanted to be- come entrenched in business, to become a super. ultra air-inflated salesman. rushing here and there in my super- charged auto. filling out super-orders for my employer. receiving a super-salary and commission. But how could I do all these things? I had to choose. Bly head ached severely and my eyes seemed afraid to close at night unless they saw three objects which symbolized three different futures. XVould I ever have peace of mind? Wlhich career should I choose? I pondered. I despaired. Then it ea1ne! For no apparent reason at all. I suddenly made up my mind! XVhether I realized the security of a teaching position or the disadvantages of the other careers. I cannot ex- actly say. I think it sufficient, however, to say that I shall teach. Man Without umber EVELYN A. FIEDLER THIS IS dedicated to the vociferous Order of M. O. IP. P. tlvlath is Our Pet Peevej of which the author is a charter member. The purpose is to depict the glorious state of a society upon which the studied shadow of I number has not yet been east. So here we excurse into the Numberless Land, where figures don't lie on any- ibody's mind. l lXflr. Numfree. who shall be our business-man hero, lis awakened on a glorious morning-not by the raucous lsound of an alarm-but by sunlight streaming upon his ieyes and leaking beneath the lids. I-'Ie arouses his wife lifwho sleeps in the shadowl to have her prepare his peapaeity of eggs and toast tfor. remember, he is in- gtinocent of the ability of telling the munber of eggs he lrywants for breakfastj. VV ith breakfast hastily swallowed and with a hurried gglance at the height of the sun in the sky, Mr, Numfree pwclashes to the corner to wait for the trolley. I-Ie gives :Mthe newsboy there a piece of candy for what he hopes nas the paper of the day fit has no date, of course. and. winyyvay. nobody knows what the date isl. The trolley comes bumping along on its unscheduled route. The veyeonductor hefts and serutinizes Mr. Numfree's prof- 'KETCICCI lump of metal. which he eventually accepts as HVLDCTOBER . 1939 l A'retribution for the ride. Our friend grabs a strap and opens his newspaper. Does he turn to the weather re- portg financial sheetg stock market quotation: race sheetg A'Sale advertisementsg itemized casualties on Eastern. XVestern, or automobile fronts? No. he is con- tent with a numberless Short Story tcontinued on the page after the page with the picture of the gla-oomph girll. Arriving at his oflice. Mr. Numfree settles down to read the mail Caddressed to Numfree Clothing Com- pany, The Storied Red Brick Building with the Green Roof, on Main between Oak and Ashnl. Ile rejects an order for a horse-sized box of stout mens suits: terms: lump of gold size of an apple. at the next lunar eclipse -for who would take a chance on the event of another lunar eclipse? tAnd, too. apples are small this seasonl. Mr, Numfrees secretary reminds him of his appoint- ment to call Klr. Smith when the sun shows above the roof of the bulding across the street. Central responds to Xlr. Numfrees telephone receiver-lifting with Let- ters, please . Give me X X Q Z A XY. Smith . While A'Ccntral trial-and-errors for Mr. Smith. Nlr. Numfrces secretary slips in a reminder that she tContinned on page 31 I 13

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MAN'S CLOUDS OCTOBER ELLEN ANNE ELSTE Wfhen our Creator stood on lofty plains And dreamed of skies and eyes which would behold I-Iis spacious heav'nly empire of white trains, . I-Ie did of magic, pearly pillows mold. Ile dreamed of shaping fleeey forms which would Tell brilliant tales of joy and woe of life. lThese come in lives of men in all the worldg These may be clouds of happiness or strife. The happy feather fluffs all lightly play, And like the loves of youth, they disappear. Unseen by them an old man's sky may gray And bear impending doom, unbidden fearg 'But when our final cloud shall drift along Wfe pray the wrath of nimbus be not strong. VESTIGIA TERRENT IAIXIES G. IETT As shades of war, like evening's own. grow long, i And like a blear-eyed moose it lingereth V To drink by some wild shore in the still breath i Of night, then bellows forth a challenge strong I r 7 I wonder if I write my even-song - I For time is frail and soon surrendereth, l And all things have their dawn and all their death, , All, all are east into the ghost-like throng. The sun has fallen from its evening perch I Into oblivion from the skies. f Long after it had gone and others thought ig It dead, I walked abroad to see it rise - A fixed event that frightened minds might search i And find a pleasant hope they had not sought. REVERIE SIIIRLIE DIAMOND if I heard the sound of a woman's tears. Ii More desolate than the sea, xi Sigh through the chambers of the years Into eternity. And in the darkness of the night Wfith the gray dusk astir. L' I waited for the first gold light I l I . . f To guide me straight to her. 5 IOCTOBER - 1939 I 've The The The You hII..1z.fxBif:'1'1r M. Lewis grown to love the greenness of the trees. diamond-studded grass. the summer sky, blue bird's call, the sweetly-laden breeze. sunshine, and the robin. Answer why must destroy my summer friends eaeh year, October. with your red, and gold. and brown. Oh, dOn't you understand. or can't you hear My heart's pierced ery. when autumn comes around? For once. October, grant this humble plea: Spare just one blooming bush, one fiower, one tree. Please leave at least one summer friend for me. - - NOR MAN FRANCES ROBISON A startled yelp pierced the silent night. I rushed to the window, Beneath, On the smooth green of the moon-washed grass Two dogs were fighting - But Twisting Tearing Lashing Shrieking Snapping Lips curled Ears tightly pressed Against fight-maddened heads. I looked again. - One dog is Billy! No not Billy. who so often had pleaded Wfith doggy brown eyes To uplay ball with a well-chewed stick - Not Billy, who had always wakened me By thrusting a wet. black nose On my face. Not Billy. who chased the old dilapidated tom eat Up the peach tree. No, it couldnt bc Billy. For he is at rest under that same peach tree, A yictim of a fight IIE hadn't started - Tears turn a fat moon into a cross Then silence P- So peaceful and still - That perhaps ONE prayer reached its destingif tion - t'PIease. God. don't make dogs hghtf' I5