The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 37, No. 6, Ed. 1 Friday, October 28, 1949 Page: 2 of 8
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Two
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THE THRESHER
Shown above is Teddy Montz congratulating Froggie
Williams, Rice's outstanding ten-second man, after Sat-
urday's game, while Mighty Joe Watson looks on.
Book-banning
Houston tax-payer's high school seniors will no longer be exposed
to the brutal facts printed on page thirty-seven of American Govern-
ment, their civics text written by Prof. Frank Magruder and used in
the city's schools since 1944. At least, such would seem to be the
case if the School Board's Monday motion to ban the books is com-
pletely carried out. Civics student now will have to use approved
reference books to find the "truth" about our "pure" democracy.
It is interesting to note that two paragraphs in the 700 page book
were responsible for the ban and' that all the classes have read far
past the offending paragraph. And it is certainly worthwhile to
understand the real motivation for the ban: . . public free educa-
tion and old age assistance are examples of Communism, 'each accord-
ing to his need,' " states the book. The answering comment from the
School Board was: "Each according to his need is not democracy.
Everyone is given the same, no matter what his needs."
It seems to us that the School Board members would do well
to examine the theories of democracy, socialism, and communism be.-
fore they make such rash statements. It also might be enlightening to
look into the 1 VA and similar organizations. ffl
And what has been the effect of the publicity given this para-
graph? It has drawn attention to the very things which were found
objectionable, it has promoted the attitude of "burn the book that
burns the conscience," and it has caused somewhat of a run on the
libraries in town. I he whole affair is more than vaguely reminscent
of the .fiasco at the University of Texas several years ago.
0
Excuse
1 he only excuses we can offer for reprinting an article of the
editor's (see next column) is that it is good, and with the first non-
Field House dance of the year coming up, we think it is timely.
Entered as second cla9s matter. October 17, 1918, at the Po^t Office,
Houston, Texas, under the act of March 3, 1879.
Subsc ription Rate $1.00 Per Year
Represented by National Advertising«Service, Inc., 420 Madison Ave., New York City.
Published every Friday of the regular school year except during holiday and
examination periods by the students of the Rice Institute.' Editorial and
Advertising offices are in the Fondren Library on the campus.
Temporary Editor Emmett McGeever
Business Manager Tom Smith
Assistant Business Manager Ernest Voss
Associate Editor Werner Grunbaum
News Editor Ruey Boone
Editorial Advisors Bob Mcllhenny, Finis Cowan
Sports Editor Howard Martin
Assistant Sports Editor Ted Lockhart
Fanfare Editor Patsy Brady
Society Editor Marty Gibson
Make-up Staff Allyce Tinsley and Harold Melnick
Reporters Beverly Brooks, Don Eddy, John Blake-
more, Tom Tenney, Bill Hobby, Pat Byrne, Ted Cornelia,
Georgia Hink, Alec Thompson, Bob Schwartz, Dewey' Gonsou-
lin, Betty McGeever, Lee Mary Parker, Nina Shannon, and
Westerbrook Christian.
Council Sets Date
For Queen Election;
Also States Rules
The Election Committee and the
Student Council have set the election
for Homecoming Queen for Monday,
October 31. At that time all mem-
bers of the student body (including
Freshmen) may vote. Another elec-
tion has been scheduled for Nov-
ember 11, at which time the Edi-
tor of the Thresher and the junior
representative to the Student Coun-
cil will be elected. A resume of the
rules governing nomination and
campaigning procedure is given be-
low. A complete set of election rules
is on reserve in the Student Asso-
ciation Office or may be had from
any member of the election commit-
tee. Failure to comply with these
rules can cause a candidate to be
dropped from the election.
No person on probation may hold,
or run for, an elective office.
Nomination is still made by pet-
ition: 25 signatures plus that of the
nominee required for nomination to
a major office (editor of the Tresh-
er); 10 signatures from the nom-
inee's class plus that of the nominee
required for nomination to a class
office (representative to the Student
Council). Each petition, accompan-
ied by a $.50 ballot fee, must be
delivered to a member of the Elec-
tion Committee not later than 12
o'clock noon, of the 10th day pro-
ceeding the election, in this case,
Tuesday, November 1st. Certainly
petitions may be turned in anytime
before that date, and the Election
Committee advises "the earlier, the
better". Members of the Election
Committee are Ralph Atmar, Mar-
tin Haest, and Carolyn Douglas.
Nominating petitions must be ap-
proved by the Student Council be-
fore a nominee shall be construed
as a candidate.
Candidates must limit all expenses
incurred for both primary and run-
off elections to a maximum of $25.
They must submit a detailed account
of all such expenses to a member of
the Election Committee before noon
Thursday, November 10th. In case
none of these persons can be reach-
ed to turn in expense accounts, can-
didates may place such items, add-
ressed to the Election Committee,
in any of the Student Council sug-
gestion boxes. These boxes will be
checked at the deadline time by the
Election Committee. Students using
this method are warned to be cer-
tain which boxes are Student Coun-
cil suggestion boxes rather than
campus mail, etc. because should an
expense account be placed in the
wrong receptacle it will probably
not reach the Election Committee on
time and can not be accepted. Can-
didates who fail to comply with this
rule are automatically dropped from
the ballot.
Printed campaign advertising on
the campus should be limited to pos-
ters, blotters, signs, and school pub-
lications. Any other forms of printed
campus advertising must be ap-
proved by the Election Committee
before being put into use.
Signs and posters must be con-
fined to the area* west of Lovett
Hall and north of the road behind
East Hall. Signs placed in the gravel
areas west of Lovett Hall must not
be in direct line with Sallyport and
Fondren Library unless they are
hedge height or less. Larger signs
in this gravel area must be off to
the sides.
Size of signs is limited according
to a maximum area in square feeti
no sign may have an area greater
than 20 square feet (i. e. 4x5, 3% x
5l/i, etc.)
Posters may be tied to suitable
trees, but nailing or otherwise
harming the trees will be prohibited.
No signs may be placed on the in-
side or outside walls or bulletin
(Continued on Page 3)
Alcohol Merely
Releases Spirits,
Releases Students
(Ed. Note: This article is reprint-
ed from one of last year's Thresh-
ers.)
By Emmett McGeever
Words &
Music
by Bob Bradbury
To those of you who have never
been to Houston's Alley Theatre and
especially to those who have been,
the current play, "The Gentle Peo-
ple," should be seen.
... . . ,. , t This drama represents about the
;i l""w my daughter doesn't peak realism that can be Jtaged
in nn " - " "Intimate" style. On the 15 feet
square stage there is a pier extend-
drink on dates," she's always so
thirsty in the morning."
"My dear, are you letting your
daughter attend those Rice dances?
Haven't you HEARD!!!"
Everywhere, one hears comment
on the dipsomanical attitude of the
ing over real water. Moored there
is a real boat, with an outboard
motor. What's more the Alley's tech-
nical ci'ew has even contrived a fog
that spreads realistically over the
coming generation, and particularly water
of that part which attends the Insti-
tute. Very few slanderous remarks
are made of the University of Hous-
ton, St. Thomas University, and
Massey Business College. Nor is this
local. Pupils at our state university,
and its earthy affiliate A & M, al-
though prideful of the shady repu-
tations of their respective institu-
tions, are whispering, "But have you
ever been to a Rice dance?"
Why do these rumors arise? Are
they well grounded? The issue is
clouded by emotion, traditional inhi-
bitions, and the W. C. T. U. It seems
to the (pardon) naked eye that in an
age of "isms" (and indeed, college
students have always been fond of
"isms") that, instead of going com-
munistic, atheistic, socialistic, budd-
histic, states' rightsistic, matricid-
istic, Rice Institute (the students)
is whole-heartedly alcoholistic. To
an outsider, it .would appear that
any affair, except those sponsored
by the EBLS, quickly degenerates
into a drunken brawl.
To an insider it looks the same
way.
Only one who has made a thor-
ough study of Riceites, their appe-
tites, habits, and psychological
makeup, can penetrate the grimy
surface to expose the spotless and
pure souls which are constantly en-
shrouded in a 96.8 proof aroma.
Students of our institution of
higher learning are under a terrific
mental and psychological strain six
days a week. They are nervous, key-
e d - u p to the maximum receptive
pitch, unable to relax until Satur-
day night. The foremost non-narcot-
ic relaxitive agent known to man is
alcohol in its various palatable
forms. Nothing is more natural than
that these harassed students should
imbibe.
But, it can be proved to the satis-*
faction of even the most critical so-
cial worker that they do not over-
indulge. A small amount of whiskey
(one or two fifths) is necessary and
sufficient to release these naturally
ebullient spirits (in the metaphysic-
al sense) from their week-long im-
prisonment. Once released, the men
and women feel human again. The
cause of gossip is only the fact
that Riceites have more condensed
humanity than any other compar-
able group on earth, excepting per-
haps Figi Islanders. With the aid
of a "wee drop," this "oppressed hu-
manity" becomes "struggling hu-
manity." Loud are the songs, fast
the dances, quick the repartee, and
a'seeming Bedlam arises.
Some, whose emotional structure
requires a slow drizzling release in-
stead of this majestic cloudburst,
have temporary attacks of coronary
thrombosis and, in comas, gently
slide beneath the tables in an often
misinterpreted gesture. Others,
whom the sudden out-flow of emo-
tions has weakened, are likely to
walk with ^halting step, stumbling,
leaning upon tables for support, and
occasionally upsetting the table with
its contents.
Do not, however, mistake, as many
do, this purely physical weakness for
that state of mental and reflexial
laxity known as inebriation. On the
When the players drink coffee,
it's real coffee in those cups. And
real sandwiches.
The whole setting is so realistic
that the play, in its romantacism
offers quite a jarring contrast to
the surroundings.
It concerns two old men whose
only joy is fishing off Steeplechase
Pier in Brooklyn from a boat they
own. Along comes a typical (what-
ever that is) Brooklyn gangster who
extorts five dollars a week from
them for "protecting their boat from
pirates.' For two-and-a-quarter acts
they passively meet his demands.
Then they up and hit him over the
head, and dump him in the bay, es-
cape suspicion of the law and live
happily ever after
That is romanticism.
The fact that Houston's Alley
Theatre has staged this play, with
its real water, intimate style, has
caused quite a splash in national
theatrical circles. They want to know
how Director Nina Vance has done
it. Margo Jones, of Houston, New
York and Dallas, for one is quite in-
terested. No one can doubt that Miss
Vance has truly pulled a lulu in
staging Shaw's play. What I doubt
is Miss Vance's choice of such a play
to exert all this realistic staging
on.
THIS WEEK
Tonight
Jerome Hines Concert (basso)
Music Hall
Tuesday
"Carnival in Flanders," prize win-
ning French film.
Sunset Theatre
Wednesday
"The Hasty Heart," road show.
Music Hall
Elena Nikolaidi, (contralto), Tues-
day Music Club series.
San Jacinto High School auditorium
Thursday
Burt Ives Concert
Music Hall
0
Council Rescinds
Guidance Motion
To the Editor:
At the Student Council meeting
on October 25, by a vote of 14-2,
the Council rescinded its motion of
September 29 (instructing the ter-
mination of involuntary participa-
tion in guidance activities and the
use of physical violence, etc. . .).
By no means was this action taken
without a great deal of open dis-
cussion and the careful consider-
ation by each of the members pres-
ent.
It is my most sincere wish that
Rice students realize that the Coun-
cil withdrew the above motion (of
September 29) in the hope that the
student body will be satisfied.
BETTY KEYSER
Student Council Repre-
sentative
sharp, and the simplicity of life and
the beauty of argument becomes
more obvious as the evening pro-
contrary, minds are clear, witsgresses.
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The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 37, No. 6, Ed. 1 Friday, October 28, 1949, newspaper, October 28, 1949; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth230820/m1/2/: accessed June 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.