PAGE TWO T11E DAILY NEBRASKAN, TUESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1938 n I ?. ( j : THE DAILY NEBRASKAN THIRTY-SEVEMH YEAK EDITORIAL STAFF falter tt Murae Aiim-lata editor at ...Dun Werner Mnnml.it Editor Helea Peeeo New, Mltiire Miirrli LIPP, Howard Kaplan, Barbara RoKweter, ICd Sleeves, Marjorla Churchill, Joa relief, O.N lilltt IHBLB BUSINESS STAFF Boatncia Marnier Bob Wadhame Aulitant Manaerrs franJi Johnson, Arthur HUI Clrealatkra Manasr Stanlrj Mlohaal Night Editor Deik Editor .Kaplan .Sleeves luder directum of th Hlndenl Publication Hoard, Mltnnal Office University Hall 4, Huiiwm OHIce Inlvrrilt) Hall 4-. Telephone Ua U11H1. Mghti a71Wv. UssitS (Journal). SUBSCRIPTION RATE 11.60 year HI nil, cop a 1. 00 a ermtatw IJ.M mailed cent, ll.ou eemeetet mailed entered a, eecond-claee matter at th poitaffloa Is Lincoln, Mrbratka, undn act ol eungreea, March a. Ilia, and at aprrlal rate ol poetaaa prorldrd foi In tret loo I10II, act el October I, Mil, aatborlird January 10, 111, J937 Mtmbft 1938 Plsjocicifed GottG6ate Press Distributor of CDlle6iflleDi6esl rublUhrd seen lure day, Wednesday IhdrMlaj, r rider and Hunan rmirnlnia ol the academic near h elud.nle nl the tnl eeralle ol Nrbreeke, under the eunervlnhto ol the Hoard ol Pub Ileal tola. National Advertising Service, Inc Cillif feMiiaers Httnttmlttltt 4SO Madison Ave. NlWYoaK. N.Y. chicoo ReeroN . bam ratNaieco ketANaiLBt roaiLAKo iiArru 9nqiwJnq Merrill Vi s T mm '"i a i in ' On. ihsL Avl To the Pub Board; Gi'ntlenini, you nre meeting tomorrow to rhoosc a new stnt'f to suffer, sin, nnd shine with the Daily Xehnisknn for another semester. Since this is the lust letter 1 ahull ever write you, lunr with me, I'd like to make some sug gestions. There is something you should consider besides staff positions. It is in your power to initiate, a change in policy on the Nebraskan, which would have a most vital and important influence on this campus. But first 1 must tell you a story. I made it up so it's probably not very good. Any way, my story concerns a mythical group of athletes, say about 200 of them. These ath letes are all potential football players, but, as yet, they know nothing about the sport. They are victims, or benefactors, of newspaper pub licity. These 200 athletes, all fine physical specimens, have heard a lot about football and they want to learn to play it. Consequently, they find themselves at a university in the fall. They all turn out for the first football practice, get their suits, and betake themselves to the stadium greensward with the school's coaches. The coaches make a few speeches, introducing themselves around, and then assign limbering up exercises for the first day. The next day the football enthusiasts go again to the stadium and go thru some drills that are not too exciting. The boys begin thinking that football isn't what it's cracked up to be. On the third day one of the boys brings a jack knife with him and smuggles it into his football suit. When the coaches start their instructions, he nudge a companion and shows him the jack knife. "Know how to play mumbledepeg?" asks the culprit. "Sure, let's play." Two others join the little game and these four don't pay much attention to football that afternoon. The next day there are three groups of mumbledepeg at the stadium. The brighter boys Coach Jones calls them the better boys all bring their knives after a few days, and mumbledepeg becomes the important activity of many of the men who could have become the best football players. These mumbledepeg players really came 1o learn how to play football, but, well they already knew how to play mumbledepeg and football was a little complicated, and the cam pus daily was lots more interested in mumble depeg as something with more originality and sparkle, than football. Consequently, the best potential football players never became very good football players. Their attention was distracted by mumbledepeg. In later years at this school mumbledepeg became so popular that a mumbledepeg mansion was built at the corner of 14th and R for them to relax in. I suppose you publication board moguls think this is rather a strange story. Athletes coming to school to learn to play football and spending all their time playing mumbledepeg. But here's what the story means. Football in the story represents academ ic studies at Nebraska. Mumbledepeg rep resents extra-curricular activities. Students really come here to study, or the bright ones do, but learning to study, settling down in other words, is a bit tedious so they imme diately begin fiddling away their time at the mumbledepeg of activities. Activities at N. U. are preventing some of the best young minds in the state from getting an education, meaning by education that understanding, refinement, tolerance, and appreciation of value to be had from associating with good minds and good books. It is the best minds that go into activities. The activity ruts are so deep here and the . empty via of dubious honor in Innocents - and Mortar Board so often stressed as the proverbial pot of gold that students with .good minds, but as yet little discernment, are drawn into the maelstrom. Participation in one activity might serve as relaxation instead of a distraction. But there is no such thing as moderation among the more competent students. If they go into activities they have to try to get enough of them to make Innocents or Mortar Board, and this is fatal. The good minds and the good books are neglected for activity haunts, out lines of courses, and cramming. The result is often, as has been the case of the Nebraskan this semester, ineligibility. The emphasis on activities as a part of education is largely misplaced. Activities of fer, not education, but the opportunity to ap ply what is already acquired. Nor do activi ties develop personality because it is the stu dents with fine personalities, for the most part, who engage in activities. Any necessary eon tact with people, so highly lauded by pro ponents of activity careers, might better be had with some intelligent conversation over a coke or in a fraternity or rooming house. The notion of activities as an opportu nity for practicing the business manage ment of people, and the carrying of respon sibility is false because college is not life ; it is a preparation for it. It is the one opportu nity for standing apart in life as a spectator and getting a bit of perspective on the bustle. Why, then, has the harmful tradition of extra-curricular activities grown up at Ne braska? The spurious honor attaching to Inno cents and Mortar Board is a partial answer. If the sororities and fraternities were to use Thi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi as talking points instead of the activity honoraries, it would help. The real explanation of the emphasis on activities is in the Daily Nebraskan. The Ne braskan is the dean of student activities. It not only acts as a stepping stone to the hon oraries for a few people, but it helps to make every person who is tapped or masked on Ivy day. In fact, the great share of activities on the campus are nothing more tangible than pub licity in the Daily. And often the Nebraskan is little more than publicity for these ethereal activities. The Nebraskan must take the lion's share of responsibility for the mumbledepeg at tne university. You, gentlemen of the pub board, can remedy this. The Daily Nebraskan needs a wire service. Either an AP or a UP wire would make an almost incalculable differ ence on this campus. 1 the Daily staff had wire news to serve up for the campus every day, it would not have to run columns on Student Council meetings where nothing went on; it would not have to rewrite an ag campus party story five times during one week for the odd hundred persons who will attend. It would not have to give a string to Kosmet Klub; and so thru the whole gamut of activities much less significant than those mentioned. Activities would have to be activities. There would be fewer of them, and perhaps even a few significant ones. You will answer that a colleire dailv should print campus news. The answer now is that the real news of the campus is never unearthed. Features and news stories are missed every day. We pseudo journalists be come so engrossed in activities ourselves that we cannot see anything else. Wc dish up per functory tripe because the emphasis is wrong. AVe are so deep in the activity ruts that we cannot see out. Furthermore, if the Daily had a wire serv ice it could become more than an activity it self and a waste of time for those engaged in it. Newspapermen in the state have told me that activity writing for the Daily Nebraskan is the worst possible experience that a journal ist could have. "We learn false news values. We pad. The writing is sloppy. The proof reading is so bad that n corrigendum should be published for each edition. But we make Innocents and Mortar Board ourselves and make others Innocents and Mortar Boards. Instead of being a laboratory for jour nalists, the Nebraskan is a joke. It is not written by seniors in the School of Journal ism, but by freshmen and sophomore and junior activity workers. It prints bad news badly. A wire service would bring a serious tone to the Daily, to the campus, and to the School of Journalism. Why don't you talk it over today at the nueting of the board, gentlemen? Signed, The Departing, Disillusioned EDITOR. Finals are all right in their place, but no far we haven't succeeded in find in" that pluce. This, In substance, seems to be the campus opinion on the subject of semester examinations. Long the practice at Nebraska, they are In fairly general use thruout the colleges and universities of the country. The recent trend, how ever, seems to be away from the semester examination and toward the comprehensive examination given at the time a certain courae has been completed and the Indi vidual la prepared for It. How do you stand on the sub ject of finals? What is good about them or wrong with them? Have you any suggestions which would change them? CHICAGO SOLOISTS PRESENT DEBUSSY OPERA TOMORROW (Continued from Fage 1.) tire opera takes only an hour and a quarter. Maria Matyas, who sings the role of Ua in the presentation has been with the Chicago Opera com pany before in many performances, Including that of "Lakme" with Lily pons She also appeared with th Metropolitan opera in New York last spring where she will re turn again this year. Her other triumphs have been the role of "Jack" in "Jack and the Bean stalk," Carmen in ths opera "Car men," and Hansel in "Hansel and Gretcl." The last role she played musical world she is known as "the most famous boy in opera." Mary Garden's Protege. Robert Long has appeared with the same company in the leading tenor roles of "Faust," "Martha," "La Travlata," and "Rlgoletto." His extraordinary talent and bril liant vole so attracted the atten tion of Mary Garden that she awarded him a scholarship in her opera repertoire classes. In addi tion to opera work Mr. Long has been heard in concert work and regularly over the radio. Raymond Koch is a well known opera soloist, and has sung the leading roles of many of the fa mous works. He is a master of the oratorio style and is famous for his Interpretations of Elijah in over 400 times and thruout the Mendelssohn's "Elijah." He has been proclaimed by some critics to d ine master of the role. Members of the Beatrice Wom an's club last week enloycd an Il lustrated lecture by Dwight Kirsch, chairman of the depart ment of fine arts. "The Mercuration and Arslna tlon of Beniothieone" is the title of an article by Dr. A. W. Weit kamp and Dr. Cliff Hamilton of the chemistry faculty. The article was published in the recent issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society. Dr. Weitkamp Is now research chemist for the Standard Oil company of Indiana. He received his Ph. D. degree from Nebraska in August, 1937, Arts and Solences Junior: They're Just a pain in the neck to me. They put too much empha sis on that one grade it counts too much. You can't tell me that anyone can come in and in three hours adequately express the knowledge that he's gotten in a whole semester. "Too many profs seem to go into exams with the Idea of seeing how many of their students they can flunk. In that short a time, only the main points of a course can be touched on, yet a prof usu ally drags in some minor point you've never heard of. Id say cut them out let each prof give his own testa and make up his grades on a basis of class room work, attendance, and the grades in these smaller tets." Engineering college sophomore; "The examination idea is all right. You must have some kind of tests to see if the students are getting the courae. What I don't like is all of them being given practically at once. It's impossible to have all the main points about all your courses in your head at once, and that's Just what we're supposed to do right now. If the exams were given, but were spread out over a much longer period, it would help a lot." Arts and Sclenoes freshman: "I don't know anything about them, except that they have me scared. My sorority mother has told me some about them, and I wish that's aU I'd hear about them." Blid Sophomore: "Theyre unfair. I don't like them because so many of the teachers count them so much on final grades. If you want to, in some courses, you could stay away from class for a semester, cram for a few nights, and get a good grade in tne final and pass the course Maybe someone else goes to class every day, studies, and just be cause he makes a poor showing in tne final, he gets a low grade. "I'd say take them away. Let the teachers handle their own grading problem in their own way. After a semester they know what you can do. I've had profs who said that they could tell within five points what a person would get in his final just by the other work he's been doing all semester. Let them, then." Arts and Sciences Junior: "You can't tell me that a per son can do his best work when he's all hopped up for a final. The grades you get depend too much on how you're feeling and on what kind of a start you get on the test. If you're feeling O. K., and get started all right, yen can really crack it; but if you're all nervous and excited, you can really mess it up. The whole idea seems to be putting a fellow up to bat with two strikes already on him. It s not so encouraging to know that you can ruin a whole semester's work by a slip on the final exam. Id like it a lot better if each teacher would give a little test every week or two and make up ms grades from a scries of grades which would show what a student could do over a period of time, Instead of in three hours." Blzad freshman: "I've heard so much about these finals that I'm getting plenty wor ried. It doesn't seem fair that a student can either get a grade for himself or lose one In the three hours that he's taking a final." Arts and Sciences sophomore: "I favor a comprehensive ex amination system, but not the jumbled up scheme we use here. A fellow may be called upon to take an exam in Spanish in the morning, one In psychology on the same afternoon; English the fol lowing morning, and economics that afternoon. How can anyone keep his facts straight In a situ ation like that? I'd like to see some of the profs try It. "We should adopt a plan similar to that in use in Chicago. When students have completed a speci fied amount of work, and feel that they are prepared, they come and take an exam over the course." Arts and Solenoes sophomore: "I can't see where the present examination system is so bad. It's used pretty generally all over, and thit should prove that it'a woitu something. There just dotan't seem to be any practical substi tute for it. "Anyway, If you've gona to a class for a whole semester, studied, and taken part in class discussion, an exam shouldn't give you a lot of trouble, if you Just take the time to review properly." By Elwood Randol, Whether or not Goodman has gone highhat or whether the ex ponents of the classlco! type have at last seen the light will be con clusively decided tonight on the Camel Caravan when the Coolidge String Quartet will do Mozart's G Major Quintet with Benny doing the clarinet part. The staggering announcement that Goodman will do Mozart follows closely upon the swing master's concert In the staid Carnegie Hall Sunday. Also on the program will be Jimmy Schnowola" Durante who has been finally lured forth. Durante will be heard from Hollywood on Pres Oakle's half of the double feature program which begins at 8:30 tonight over KFAB. Roy Harris has written a new composition called "A Song for Occupations." The Westminster choir school of Princeton, will festure the work this afternoon at 2:00 over the Columbia and KFOR. John Flnley Williamson will direct the oholr and Harris will speak briefly before hs mutle Is played. Let's Pretend, dramatized by children for children, will move from its regular Saturday spot to Tuesday and Thursday afternoon at 5 over KFAB. Eddie O. Robinson, star of the seriul Big Town, will be heard from the big town tonight. The script for the next two shows will be written so that actors in New York can take the supporting parts in the show. Alias Jimmy Valentine, starring Bert Lytell, famous actor of stage and screen, Is the name of a new serial taking the air over the NBC-Blue tonight at 8:30 over KOIL. Lytell Is supported by a good cast In a tense drama that has as its theme the struggle of a former penitentiary inmate to redeem his name and honor. James C. Douglass was ap pointed today to the newly created post of program director of the Central States Broadcasting Sys' tern effective Immediately. Doug las is 29 years old, married and the father of one son three years old. He is a graduate of the Hast ings college conservatory of music and the University of Nebraska. He was assistant manager and program director of WAAW. As CSBS program director, Douglas will work directly under Don Searle, general manager, and will have charge of a'l production on all three stations. Heretofore, each station has had its own program director. Searle also announced the resignation of Bob Cunning ham, program director of KOIL for the past two years, to take effect Jan. 14. Cunningham has not announced his future plans. Jeanette MacDonaid, lyric SO' prano and hostess on Vick's Open House, was voted the most popular female star in the recent radio poll conducted by newspapers thruout tne country . . . Harry Johnson KFAB sports reporter, was ap pointed by the National geml-pro baseball congress as director of radio relations for the 48 state tournaments preceding the na tlonal finals at Wichita In August . . . Incidentally Johnson is back on the air with pre-baseball sea. son stuff. He may be heard on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3:30 over K.r Ats , . . Freddy Mar tin picked up a battered valve trombone used In the famous Gr man bands two decades ago Just to show how "you push the first valve down" when the craze was for music to go round and around He liked the Instrument so well he is still using tt . . . Every time the Lone Ranger knocks down an enemy during the episodes heard three times a week over MBS and KFOR, a real live man hits the floor. The professional "fall guy is Ernest Wlnstanley who got his start when he accidentally full dur ing rehearsal. Since then Ernie's 150 pound body has dropped to the floor more than a thousand times DEAR DEL CASINO: "For the last two years my esse has been studied by many authorities in the medical world. After a long Illness, which I had two years ago, I auddenly acquired tne ability to capture radio pro grams with nothing more me chanlcal than my own ears. Due to some predominance of salt In my body there Is an electro chemical bails which makes radio waves passing thru my Body actually have sound. rainy weather, especially, or when I'm lying on bed springs which act as a ground, I get things very clearly. So far I have never been able to get short wave programs. The continual noise sometimes just about drives me orazy and I often go up In airplanes where the noiie of the plane makes m forget the buzzing In my ear. But what I wanted to ell you, Mr. Casino, wss that your voles comes Into my ear very clear and fine. Where I travel, the Columbia station KMOX Is nice and pow erful and of all voices I receive it's yours and Gabriel Heatter's that's the most pleasing. Keep up the good work. Sincerely." E. M., Moberly, Mo. ariw - t - ' ( 1 1 lit liH NEWS PARADE hr Marjorh Churchill P'.. -aV V, 'r"' U75 IN THKKK LL RE A HOT TIME ..." France comes to the end of the third day of its political crisis, with no ministry as yet and lead ers of the Innumerable parties la boring to bring about some sort of reconciliation. Camille Chau temps, premier since June 22, re signed last week, precipitating the crisis and political confusion which has ensued since that time. He returns now to bring some order out of the chaos, to create a cab inet agreeable to all factions mammoth undertaking. What It's All About. For ths past year France's po litical situation has been in a turmoil, Fragments of the peo ple's frontformed to combat fssclsm remain, though disten tion within the group makes agreement along any policy al most impossible. To begin at the beginning: Leon Blum, first people's front premier, Is ousted in the spring of 1937, The Chautemps regime them comes into power, With the resignation of Chautemps, Flnanoier Diplomat Gerge Bon net, radical socialist leader, is appointed by President Albert Lebrun to create a new cabinet. Bonnet finds himself faced with the opposition of the socialist faction, the dominant party. Communists, likewise, are defi nitely antagonistic because of hit demand for decreased gov ernment expenditures. Blum, socialist leader, takes a try and fares no' better. He abandons his effort to form a ministry which would reach be yound the popular front. Now Chautemps is back. By one of the quirks of political fate, the dapper Frenchman (whose name means "Hot Time ) returns to the position of a leader to a be wildered people. He was denounced a few years ago as public enemy way-up-on-tne-iist. lie is later ele vated to the position of prime im portance. And now, In his desper ation, the French king brings him back as a political Moses to do his out-of-the-wllderness act with the myriads of different factions and political beliefs. SEARCHING OUT POSSIBLE SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET Investigation of the qualifica tions of Stanley Reed are becun by a senate Judiciary subcommit tee. Indications are that a thoro Investigation will be made. The senate evidently has blcomc wary IN THK IMTRMAHY Lester Trabert. Roscoe Hlnes, Ruskln. Raymond Potter, Alma. Dismissed. Claude Tetherow, Wood Lake, (Note: A typographical error was committed last week among the Infirmary dismissal when the name Barry Ginsbery appeared In place of Harry Ginsberg.) following the Blnck episode, nM,j sre determined that there shall be no slip this time. Approval of most democratic senntor.s nnd Home re publicans is voiced, however, mid there seems tto he no question that the appointment will be confirmed, READY ALU . . , ? Russia casts caution to the winds and nnounccs her new fimi stand toward the fascist nutions. All payments due to Ilullrm firms' are suspended. Ktissmn planes are sent to the aid of China "nt least 100 Russian planes and more than 100 soviet pilots ond meehrinics operating from the Nimchnngu air base, about 400 miles southwest 0f ' Shanghai." Reports from Moscow carry the . story of a heavy program of iiaval construction being planned to com pete with the fleets of Japan, Cier many and Italy. Russia defends her action with the declaration f that Italy has defaulted in debts t owed to Russiiin firms and thiit the three fascist nations either' have never consented to limitation of armaments or have made "scraps of pupr" agreements which they have never Intended to keep. At any rate the two factions are from all appearances "getting set," with ammunition In readiness and with China as the most likely place to play off thoir differences, .Hurry. AND uu will" I Start HtM.iY! I IIRROL p JOANI mmmmmE COMING THURSDAY! BEIRUT ns n 5Hininc . SHEU SING a31 HER WAY INTO JT YOUR HEART f ! 'V '4 TONITE IS Extra on th Stage! 7-l:20 Matter Singtra singing Roaalla' Dean J. E. LeRosslgnol of the college of business administration will apeak on "Revolutionary Die lectlcs" at the graduate scholar ship dinner meeting Jan. 25 at 8:15 p. m. at the University club. Dr. Ray W. Frantz of the English de partment Is in charge of arrangements. Dr. David Fellman of the po litical science faculty haa the lead ing article In the January issue of the Minnesota Law Review. His subject is "The Allen'a Right to Work." Vi ZANE J BOMBSHELL grey's i TH;,:S In I w "Thunder Trail" with Chas. aicWori) Oilbsrt Roland Msrshs Hunt ACTION1 1 LIUE11TY Plus Hit No. 8 What unsaen fare keep .merles from conquering gangland f EC 'MISSINQ , WITNESSES' STUDENT NIGHT Your registration card and 30C will admit you to see -STUART, Hurry! h'ndt FrUar! CLAUDETTE COLBERT TOVARICH' with CHARLES BOYER KXTRA! Charlie McCarthy aV Edgar Bergen March of Time Band Act News With (f? lilt alt 111 ssssa sa 1 1 , Melvyn DOUGLAS Helen WESTLEY 7 Stuart ERWINJ A coiuuiia r&iusi y H Aflrr n :Xn asa a waUantJ inealra warn End "KINQ SOLOMON'S WED. MINES" The Year'l Miraclm 4 u lieu,' Starts NfLSON tlFANOI f ECLiV-rait- ham intua nsu but sura it ititii nou iisut hut limn ikimj mi 25c tii :3 UARITYaow Main mi llnlrony I. If KM Kim llll Ala u Y ANOTHEf V VICTORY AX eZS IhlUiliLi DON TERRY MARY RUSSELL j j t ii-iiiriii' ii f J im rWiii l-rilim. I'-T hrr Hit r1iillilx)t sv NssLi rlmn un I hi, rarlt- TH RRT! ONI.T I MORE DAYS ,Rir. TflWN r.lDl wlta Claire Trevor heart na the raetn pro- ram nil inn with .". (1. KOIIIMsiiN Hit no. i i Wheeler I ana Woolae7 moil CLIERS" 1M4 Oim OHPHKI M 1 A Marine 200 illl D. I aeoni Starts Thursday! I E- On Our STAGE! I 8 Headline Aets of VAUDEVILLE "SENSATIONS Of 1938" ' WaiJ AND LAl'OHS GALOSH NO. 2 Hr runil4 up th aan( hlcu '..lr the famril Mm l.lia . . I. .11 , hrl.k al llir hanita ll llll mn tana ( lnuh pupil. A UvH), exciting rnmrriy-ilrtima ! In "WHERE THERE'S A WILL" Kith WILL HAY LILLI PALMER a Grandpa Snazzy Says ... Ho la THE LOVER . . , PERFECT of Van Buren . BOB BURNS with MARTHA RAYE "MOUNTAIN MUSIC" plu 2nd FF.ATIRE Public enemy to public hero I iMAN OF THE PEOPLE JOSEPH CALL El A 1 FLORENCE RICE ' MAT. 10c SIM EVE. 1Ec I