The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 37, No. 23, Ed. 1 Friday, March 31, 1950 Page: 2 of 6
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I'wo
J
THE THRESHER
Song-Bird
Words & Casting pearls . . .
Last Sunday, Mr. James Morehead. Assistant to the President
of the Rice Institute, gave his first public singing performance.
Mr. Morehead is already a qualified architect and an able and
experienced administrator. Now he is leaving the home pasture for
newer, greener fields, setting his cap for greater achievement.
In this new venture, he deserves the whole-hearted support of the
student body. There are several ways in which we can sponsor and
assist our new Rice songbird. The first and most important is letters
to the radio station which presented him, and to Mr. Chillman, also
of the Rice Architecture department, under whose auspices Mr. More-
head appear. It is the responsibility of the students to assure our
singing star a public and a public outlet.
Secondly, some campus projects should be utilized to gain a
large scale campus response. If possible, the APO or the Rally
Club could inaugurate a nick-name contest to provide a "nom de muse,"
such as "Frankie," "Sugar-throat," or "The Velvet Fog."
7HEK/CE m 7MZESHEK
Entered as second class matter, October 17, 1916, at the Post Office,
Houston, Texas, under the act of March 3, 1879.
Subscription 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.
Editor Emmett McGeever
Business Manager Tom Smith
Assistant Business Manager Ernest Voss
Associate Editor Bill Hobby
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, Pat Byrne, Bob Schwartz, Dewey Gonsoulin, Betty Mc-
Geever, Lee Mary Parker, Nina Shannon, Bernice Davis, Julia
Martin, Shirley Arnold, Tim Weakley, Farrell Fulton, Shirley
* Armstrong.
Letters to the Editor
To the. Editor:
The Rice Institute Student Asso-
ciation this year is faced with the
serious problem of choosing an edi-
tor of the 1950 Campanile from a
field of candidates who have not
been trained specifically for the job
of editor. In previous years, you will
remember, an assistant editor was
elected to serve immediately under
the editor and learn whatever he or
.she thought would be of benefit
during the next year when he or she
automatically became editor.
This year one of the candidates,
who is in the run-off election set
for next Monday, has promised to
have full color in the 1951 Campa-
nile providing he is elected its
editor. If this candidate had in-
quired about the possibilities, he
would have found out that the 1950
Campanile seriously considered a col-
or section. During the past summer
an executive committee composed
of the editor, business manager, and
associate editor thoroughly investi-
gated ways to have such a section
and found that it would be impos-
sible because a 304 page black and
white book costs a total of $13,000,
and the Student Association blan-
ket tax opportionment contributes a
little better than $5,000 of this total
cost. The rest, as you know, must
be made up through advertisements,
and charges to students for their pic-
tures and to organizations for their
pages.
Color sections using full natural
color as the candidate for the editor
advQcates, would cost^$257.60 for
each eight page section run through
the printing press, and $242.00 for
each four page lithographed section.
This estimate, of course, does not
Include the cost of engraving each
(Continued oh Page 4)
Mus/c
CO-
To the Editor:
Concerning the proposed Student
Association by-law legalizing "write-
in" votes, there are several points
which have evidently not been
brought to the attention of the stu-
dents. First of all, such a method as
has been suggested would totally
defeat the present election method,
in that there would be no purpose
in requiring petitions to be submitted
by candidates if it is possible to
write-in anyone's name on the bal-
lot.
Any student wanting to run for
a position in the Student Association
is given ample time to turn in a
petition in correct form. As for cases
of "modesty or technical difficul-
ties"—outstanding students could
easily be contacted by anyone inter-
ested in seeing them run, far enough
in advance so that petitions can be
turned ift to the election committee
and the candidate's intentions can
be announced to the whole student
body, along with the rest of the
legal candidates.
Several instances have been cited
from other schools showing the dis-
advantages arising from legal write-
in voting. Often a group of campus
jokers band together to write-in
ficticious candidate such as "Joe
Bliftstick" for an important position
in student government—and he wins!
Then the students could well ask
themselves "Where dogs that leave
us?" Can any of those staunch ad-
vocates of this by-law say that such
a. thing can never happen on the
Rice campus?
If all the students would look at
both sides of this question and con-
sider them carefully, then tell their
representatives on the Student Coun-
cil what they think, the problem
(Continued on Pqge ^
By Tim Weakley
The Symphony is putting out a
darn good program this week; all
Wagner. The works will be the
Funeral March from "Gotterdamn-
erung," the Prelude and Liebestod
from "Tristan und Isolde," Prelude
to Act I of "Die Meistersinger,"
"Siegfried Idyl," and the Good Fri-
day music from "Parsifal."
Wagner's music is one of the
greatest of all examples of the in-
dependency of the character of the
artist and the art he produces. Ris-
ing above the despicable character
of the composer like roses growing
from an ash heap, Wagner's music
epitomizes the emotional in music
with a depth and feeling unmatch-
ed by the dripping sentimentality of
some later composers. Anyone who
wishes to may say that Wagner's
operas are static for a great deal
of the time, and will receive imme-
diate agreement from me; but only
a fool will disregard the heights of
beausy and tenderness to which his
music at times rises.
Of the five operas from which the
above selections are taken, all are
tragedies except "Die Meistersin-
ger," Wagner's only comedy and one
of his best efforts. The Prelude is
a recapitulation of the themes of
the whole opera, concluding in an
incerdible bit of counterpoint with
five themes going on at one time, no
mean trick.
"Gotterdammerung" and "Sieg-
freid" are both' from the Ring cycle
of four operas; both selections are
frequently played independently as
concert works, while "Seigfried
Idyl" has been recorded very com-
petently by Fritz Reiner.
"Tristan und Isolde," told "hun-
dreds of times in almost every me-
dium of story-telling, is well hand-
led by the opera, and the selections
chosen, especially the Liebestod, are
beautifully-orchestrated miniature
rehashes of the music of the entire
opera.
Wagner's final opera was "Par-
sifal," composed and for years per-
formed only at Bayreuth. A religious
play, "Parsifal" was performed un-
der rigid circumstances set by pre-
cedent; not the least confusing of
the restrictions set is the rule
against any applause at any time
during or after the show. I trust
that the audience Monday may ap-
plaud, since the Good Friday music
is exceptional, with the composer
employing his above-mentioned trick
of incorporating the main musical
signatures of the whole work in the
single excerpt.
Low as my and other's opinion of
Wagner may be, he was one of the
greatest masters of orchestration
and emotional appeal of all times.
This is undoubtedly the best program
that it has been my pleasure to
announce to you, and I recommend
heartily that you don't miss it except
for the most extenuating reasons.
To The Editor:
One of the candidates for the edi-
torship of the Campanile has prom-
ised to do the year book in natural
color. I do not deny that this is a
fine idea—if he can raise enough
money to pay for the engraving! For
example, the cost of the engraving,
if the picture is to be printed in
natural color, fit a picture 9" x 12"
(the size of a Campanile page) is
$465.00. This is for the engraving
t>nly. It does not include the cost
of printing. Does the candidate
realize the cost? I think not.
Henry L. Walters.
by BID Hobby
The subjects for this week's ex cathedra pronouncements
are provided by an interesting little publication called "The
Southern Patriot." Its staff box informs that it is published
monthly by the Southern Educational Fund, Inc., of New
Orleans, La.
Nothing is known here about tually will be "equal" to those at
the Southern Educational Fund the University of Texas,
but judging from the pubUca- right to equ.Ueprt education
,. ... ,, ... , which Sweatt asserts is a personal
tion, it is a reasonably liberal one> an(j the State can discharge its
Southern group interested in the obligation to him only by providing
advancement of the Negro, and ap- him such education 'as soon as it does
parently not in the somewhat ob- for applicants of any other group'."
noxious fashion of the National As- Were it otherwise, "his constitutional
sociation for the Advancement of right would have neither meaning
Colored People. nor value.
Two significant test cases on the "The United States in these cases
constitutionality of segregation in again urges the Court to repudiate
tax - supported educational institu- the 'separate but equal' doctrine as
tions have been the suit filed by an unwarranted deviation from the
Heman Marion Sweatt of Texas for principle of equality under law which
admission to the UT law school and the Fourteenth Amendment explicit-
the somewhat similar McLaurin case iy incorporated in the fundamental
in Oklahoma. charter of this country.
In both these cases the courts have "The color of a man's skin has
ruled that, under the Constitution, if n< constitutional significance. If the
a State does not admit Negroes Constitution is construed to permit
to its educational institutions on the the enforced segregation of Negroes,
same basis as whites, the state must there would be no constitutional bar-
provide "separate and equal" faci- rjer against singling out other
lities. groups in the community and sub-
According to the "Patriot," the jecting them to the same kind of
Justice Department is now asking discrimination."
the Supreme Court to repudiate the "The proposition that all men are
"separate but equal" doctrine. created equal is not mere rhetoric.
Says the Patriot: It summarizes a rule of law em-
The Department of Justice has bodied in the Constitution, the sup-
filed a brief, as friend of the court, reme law of the land, and thus is
in the Supreme Court of the United binding on the Federal and State
States, in the McLaurin and Sweatt governments and all of their offi-
cases which should be read by every- cials."
one in the South concerned with "Disregard of constitutional rights
democracy in education. ^ does not raise issues merely of "civil
The Justice brief assumes special liberties.' It involves considerations
significance because for a second which go to the essence of law en-
time the United States has peti- forcement in a democracy. A basic
tioned the court to "repudiate the postulate of democratic government
'separate but equal' doctrine." Fur- is that a valid law must be enforced
thermore, the brief asserts that and obeyed, even by those who dis-
"racial segregation is itself a mani- agree with it or against whose firm-
festation of inequality and discrim- iy held convictions the law may run
ination." counter. Citizens and officials can-
"The McLaurin case tests the right not be relieved of their obligation to
of Oklahoma to segregate a Negro respect the law, simply because they
graduate student in the classroom, regard it as unwise or wrong. Nor
library and cafeteria. The Sweatt can personal beliefs or prejudices
case involves the right of Texas to justify failure to respect the legal
require a Negro law student to at- rights of others. The right of all
tend a separate school. Americans to equal treatment tender
These cases, states the brief, to- Jaw is specifically guaranteed by
gether with the Henderson trans- the Constitution and laws of the
portation case, "are significant be- United States. Like other legal rights
cause they test the vitality and it must be recognized and enforced
strength of the democratic ideals to by all persons and by every instru-
which the United States is dedi- mentality of governments. To coun-
cated." tenance disregard for such right is
"A wide range of previous de- to sanction disrespect for Mw and
cisions of the court from 1886 to 1948 thereby weaken the fabric of our
are quoted to "show that equality is society."
not an abstract concept but a living The brief is signed by Philip B.
principle firmly rooted in our basic perlman, Solicitor General and Phil-
law." ip Elman, Special Assistant to the
McLaurin, it is stated, studies at Attorney General."
the University of Oklahoma "only Unfortunately; neither the "Pat-
under conditions in which the spirit riot" nor the Justice Department
of free intellectual inquiry plainly brief touches upon some of the
can not long survive." significant issues that have been
It is not enough that Texas has raised, not by those opposed to the
established a law school which even- principle of racial equality and non-
segregation, but by those who fear
that the national government will
use racial prejudice, especially as it
exists in some parts of the South,
as an excuse to extend its power over
yet another are^P of our daily lives.
In other words, these people do
not take issue with the indisputable
fact that discrimination and segre-
Few students at Rice may realize gation are in themselves bad and
it but Rice has one of the few first should be eliminated, as rapidly as
editions of the George S. Baker Col- possible. Rather, they object to the
lection of Early Anglo-Saxon Sea- Federal Government doing the eli-
tological Writings. Practically hid- minating.
den in a corner of the west wing of They object to the octopus grow-
the Science Room it has been obserV- another tentacle.
ed by only a few professors and no • They believe that the eradication
students. It was donated to the Fon- of prejudice must come from within
dren Library in November in No- men's souls> rather than from a roll
vember of 1949 by Mrs. Florence ca^ *n Congress. •
Dingle, whose ancestor was the ori-
ginator of the manuscript. It has
been handed from generation to gen-
eration and finally Mrs. Dingle, the
latest owner, decided it would be of
(Continued on Page 4)
Rare First Edition
Here At Fondren
By Dewey Gonsoulin
Winners of the Chesterfield
Magazine Contest in the RI, stop
by the RI Office to pick up their
cartons of Chesterfields.
Upcoming Pages
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The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 37, No. 23, Ed. 1 Friday, March 31, 1950, newspaper, March 31, 1950; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth230837/m1/2/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.