ICHIGAN
DILY
,.s..
II this were to prove impossible, a
mr branch of the Dramatics Commit-
trol tee would have to undertake the
so- solution. Regulation of some sort
to is necessary. An investigation of
the situation last year returned
recommendations which evidently'
ch- were not thought applicable to this
r campus. For their own good, the
dramatic societies must cooperate,
.so. with each other, and in this man-
~ard ner satisfy themselves and their
14" fellow-students:
IE~
1W
,IW I
NO
WEATHER
TODAY
. j
Cullen Kennedy
fee
uter
rna.
ksend
IA
er
GOING, GOING-!
University of Michigan politics,
once one of the most characteristic
traits of the Michigan campus, are
rapidly becoming extinct, and their
chances for an active rejuvenation
seem fortunately entirely too infi-
nitesimal to give much optimism
to even the most ambitious of the
campus politicians. The All-Campus
elections held Tuesday show this
trend.
There once was a time when the
All-Campus elections were looked
4orward to months in advance by
he back-slappers who were inter-
ested in seeing the right man get
in. Now, it seems, politics are dying
a rapid death.
Some 231 students, who were
either sentimental in believing that
such an ancient tradition as the
elections should be kept up, or were
sincerely interested in seeing their
man get into office, voted Tuesday.
Several weeks ago when the pro-
posal to change the student council
was voted on 1,170 cast their ballots,
while last year 1,000 voted at the
annual elections. When one con-
siders that there are more than
9,000 students in attendance, the
conclusions are easily reached.
That students are losing,. or, have
already lost interest in the elec-
tions, is common knowledge. Merit
systems, nominations by organiza-
tions,, and failure of other bodies to
function are all causes for this
trend.
All-Campus elections once were
essential in the life of the student.
When the campus was small and
both students and faculty were of
a liberal mind, imbued with the
idea of a student government and
representative control over campus
affairs, the elections served their
purpose. Lately they have turned
into nothing more than a contest
of B. M. O. C.'s to.see who could
outdo the other in raking in votes.
With the years also have come the
T reforms in the several campus or-
ganizations.
1 It is not with regret that we note
the passing of the elections. If they
were important or valuable to the
student body, there would be need
for a caustic comment; but since
the purpose of the event died long
before the present politicians be-
came active, we look on it as one
of the old relics of bygone days,
and hence non-essential to present
student problems and organiza-
tions.
er
MAY 21, 1931
LAND GOODMAN
MATICS
.e campus dramatic situationj
always, in the past, been the
e-t of many futile efforts at
;anization or regulation. Yet,!
ite of important changes made'
Le beginning of this year, it
ars to be no better than it
one, or five years ago.
is recognized that even on a
us the size of Michigan, the
ber of actors and actresses who
able to give creditable perfor-
ces is limited. Consequently,
exists, and always has exist-
i sort of competition between
rarious organizations to obtain
best for their individual per-
ances. The second problem
hi has usually confronted the
iatic groups has been the ques-
of housing the rehearsals and
ictions adequately. With the
fer of the Mimes the abre to
University, various organiza-
besides Play Production have
ed their presentations there.
construction of the Lydia
telssohn' theatre has offered
ier solution to the: question.,
auditorium this year has also
used frequently for outside
ictions brought here under thet
ces of some local group.
the main, however, this year
een characterized by an abun-
c e of dramatic productions,
local and professional, and
perhaps resulted in a some-
lower grade of presentations.
ips the need for larger box
receipts has actuated this in-
e. Nevertheless, the d a t e s
to have been arranged last
without a view to conflicts,
ttractions being presented tlye
night, or else following each]
so closely that rehearsals of
roke in'on the production of
ier.
only apparent remedy for
ituation would be an advance
iment of dates by a commit-
omposed of members of the
is 'organizations, which could
into consideration the dates
e more or less permanent pro-
ns throughout the year. Due
d would be given to the nec-
amount of tire for rehear-
id staging, so as to permitI
Group to ernnd its maximumi
We have always maintained that7
the Americn Press is fickle and1
now we have positive prpof of it, or
at .least it is positive to our way
of thinking. Last summer, when
there was no rain but plenty of]
draught the papers told of nothing
but how dry it was (the weather);
but now that it rains nearly every,
day we never hear about the
drought. A good honest, straight-'
forward Press would give news of"
the drought only during the rainy
season, which begins May 20th and
usually extends to (and includes)
May 23rd of the following year.
We really go for the "State Bulle-
tins" that appear daily in a promi-
nent Ann Arbor morning news-
paper. Usually we only spend
enough time on them to consume
three-quarters of a bowl of cereal
and about an inch of coffee (out
of one of those thick mugs) but
yesterday morning we drank an
inch and a half of coffee and fin-
ished jour cereal and three bites of
toast (well-buttered, thanks) be-
fore this particular section was dis-
posed of. As a result we are or-
ganizing a political party to cam-
paign for changing the name of
this department from "State Bulle-
tins" to "The Riddle Box." If we
continue being puzzled every morn-
ing as much as yesterday we won't
even have time to read (and laugh
at) our own column before we have
to rush off to our ten o'clock.
* * * * *
Last night both town and*
gown were disturbed by a large
troop of horse. .They, the troop,
ambled about Ithe streets of
Ann Arbor at a fearful gait and
shrieked and yelled just as
though they were racing about
at breakneck speed, jumping
over stone walls and things. Its
really one of our better tradi-
tions but we fear for it. Some-
one is almost sure to become
alarmed at seeing so many
horses at once and will- report
the whole affair to the authori-
ties. Then there will be anoth-
er terrible mess and the "Gar-
goyle" will have something to
write "Campus Talk" about.
* * * * *
We just found out that Ralph
Barton, who draws caricatures for
well-known magazines, shot him
self. We canthelp feelingdepress-
ed about the affair, not because we
are sorry for Ralph, for anyone
who kills himself because of a love
problem deserves to be dead, but be-
cause' we will miss his very clever
and amusing art work.' There is no
doubt but what American humor
has sustained a very real loss.
- ** * *
OH BOY! A NIFTY
A recent classified ad reveals the
f oll o w i n g "Moths -Flame -
Thrives! Yourfur." The ad carries
little or no interest for bus as we
have very little fur, (our friends will
testify to this statement if .neces-
sary), and even if we had a lot we
wouldn't have the slightest fear of
Moths, or flames, though we're not
so sure about the thrives. Maybe it's
something like fleas.
* * * * * .
We certainly admire the B&G
boys. They're digging in a new
place now, under sidewalks and
everything, just back of Angell
Hall . beside the Law building.
The delvers are most consider-
ate. Yesterday they carefully
dug all around a big thick root
that stretched across the path
of their excavation. Its little
things like this that will save I.
the country from another eco-
nomic depression.
* * * -* *
The other day we went on a tour
of inspection of the grounds of the
new Law Quadrangle and were dis-
tinctly reminded of the battlefields
of France. (No, but. we've seen pic-
tures of them, you dope). There was
a small army of men (10) working
on the landscape and they were en-
gaged in planting trees and bushes
around in corners and nooks, just
like we used to hide Easter Eggs. It
all looked so utterly futile that we.
decided to give them a little assist-
ance. There was a little bright red
tag wired to each and every plant.
so we got out our pencil and began
to label the plants either "tree" or'
"bush," as the case might or might
not be. ' Wherever possible we as-
certained and recorded the sex of
the various shrubs. This was no
doubt a great service to the work-
ers, for now they will be able to
situate the shrubs.. in accordance
with God's great plan. Determining
the sex of a plant is no mean job,
as it involves a thorough knowl-
JMUfSIC AND DRA
STUDENT PLAYS
Friday and Saturday evenings of
this weept will see the production
by Play Production in the Labora-
tory Theatre of the four student
plays eligible for two minor awards
in the Avery Hopwood contest. The
program for Friday evening in-
cludes three one-actplays: "Swamp
Mud" by Harold Courlander, a play
of negro life; "Gin Joint" by Hober-t
Skidmore, a slice of cabaret life
with its forced gaieties; and "The
Well" by Richard Humphries, a
farce in commedia dell'arte style.
Saturday evening, "The Blue An-
chor," a five-act play by Richard
Humphries will be produced. This
is an historical play of American
Revolution intrigue.
These four plays were selected for
production and final elimination by
the three judges: Thomas Dickin-
son; Paul Osborne, author of the
"Vinegar Tree" and Daniel Quirk,
director ofTthe Ypsilanti Little
Theatre. These judges will be pre-
sent at the productions Friday and
Saturday evening and will select
two of the four plays for awards
of $250. Tickets for this production
are available free of charge at the
box office of the Laboratory Thea-
tre.
FESTIVAL RECORDS
By a peculiar coincidence, tlii9
Brunswick list for June contains
the means by which two of the best
musical experiences in the recent
Festival can in some sense be per-
petuated. I refer to the Beethoven
Second symphony and the Handel
Aria "Dank Se Dir, Herr' sung by
Eleanor Reynolds. Stock's exciting
performance of the Beethoven sec-
ond must have reaffirmed for many
of us, who had perhaps forgotten,
not only the symphony's "eight-
eenth-century" beauty, but, subtly
fused with that beauty, the very
interesting anticipations of the more
familiar, more dynamic Beethoven
that was to appear only a, year
later. It is certainly an etraordin-
ary symphony and its Larghetto
probably ranks among the best of
Beethoven's slow movements. Erich
Kleiber, one of the guest conductors
of the New York Philharmonic
Symphony this past season, leads
the Berlin State Opera Orchestra,
supposedly the best orchestra in
Europe, in an excellent reading that
is as nicely adapted to the gramo-
phone as any symphonic recbrding
of recent date. It is contained on
Brunswick Records 90140-90143.
The Handel Aria with a powerful,
slowly unfolding melodic line is
sung very well by Emmi Leisner, a
German contralto. On the other
side of this single record 90160 is
the more familiar, but no less love-
ly, Largo and the Recitative from
"Xerxes." Both selections have the
organ and orchestral accompani-
ments.
Of course, two of the arias with
which Lily Pons opened the Festi-
val are available on Victor Records.
The "Bell Song" from Delibes'
'Lakme" is on a small record; and
she thereon sings it with more cer-
tainty and more precision than she
did here. A large record issued
last month contains two of Gilda's
arias from "Rigoletto," the "Caro
Nome" and "Tutte Le Feste." Mme.
Pons has also recorded two arias
from "Lucia di Lammermoor."
DRAMA CAMP
The recently announced Lake
Charlevoix Dramatic Camp that is
to be conducted near Charlevoix
Michigan from June 27 to August
23 is attracting nationwide atten-
tion because of its connection with
the National Shakespere Memorial
Competition for Amateurs which
is to be held for the first time as a
feature of the Chicago World's
Fair in 1933. The participants in
this competition will be represent-
ative of the best work that is be-
ing done in the speech arts in var-
ious local communities in the Unit-
ed States, and the selection of the
first Memorial Company of Ama-
teurs will be a culmination to the
educational exhibitminathe speech
arts.
The whole project, of which this
competition is a part, is intended
to serve as a patron for all the
spoken arts of literature. It seeks
to coordinate and to integrate all
work in the speech arts into a com-
prehensive national program. When
completely worked out, the plan
will bring into participation young
people of all ages and will provide
various activities in the spoken arts
of literature, from the speaking of
lyric and dramatic poetry by in-
dividuals, to the most finished
work of complete theatrical pro-
talent of advanced amateurs is
Mom"
S T E PPINGt
""p"
Scientist
and
Salesman
M
J y 1
THE MODE' RN PARTNERSHI P
I \
i~j
. 'N
Like every other modern industry, the Bell
System requires the' combined effort of scien-
tist and salesman. The commercial man has
again and again shown the public how to u'se
new products of the telephone laboratory,
and how to make new uses of existing
apparatus.
Transmitting pictures and typewritten mes-
sages over telephone wires arc services right
now being actively promoted. Scientific selling
by long distance is among many ideas origi-
nated to increase the telephone's usefulness.
In short telephony is a business, with prob-
lems that stimulate commercially minded men
and a breadth of opportunity in step with the
fast moving world of industry today.
"'
BELL SYSTEM
r
'_
,t$,P4 'S
srCAEc
1
A NATTON-WIDE SYSTEM OF MORE
THAN 20,000.000 INTER-CONNECTING TELEPHONES
INTO A
..
M---=-
I
Foremost in Dollar for Dollar Value
. 1y." YY .". ',4.4 y x"44 1JJY1"J 1\ Y'4{ ""
y 4 Y461}" .
'YEAR
f
. E El
J Editorial Comment I
KNOWLEDGE OR GRADES? .
(The Daily Kansan)
A young person graduating from
a college or a university today is
judged largely on the grades he
received while in school. At any
rate, when he applies for a position
he is more likely to be accepted if
he has been a B student while in
school than if he has 'been a C stu-
dent.
This method of classifying col-
lege grades might be very useful to
the student and benefical to the
employer if grading systems could
be standardized and grades were an
actual measure of a graduate's po-
tential knowledge. Neither is true,
however. Just as no two students
are alike, no two instructors can
be expected to think and act alike.
One person who graduates from
college as a B student may be ,po
rated because his knowledge of the
subjects justifies such a grade. An-
other person thinks slowly and does
not learn easily, but at the end of
each semester he is given B's be-
cause of the effort' put forth. Still
another takes his work seriously,
makes an honest effort to improve,
and does good work. He also is
rated as a : student.
The only suitable solution for
this problem, and many others that
arise in'connection with grading
systems, is a complete doing away
with grades. This would be very
impractical and almost impossible
with the system of higher educa
tion now in use, ut would approach
an ideal under some others.
When a boy or girl graduates
from high school and' expects to
attendhacollege he could be re-
quired to take a two-year course.
similar to that of the junior col-
r 3
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