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DON-ATIONS
By Don Amsden.
To many students of Greek so
ciologv, it may come as a sur
prise that St. Valentine's Day was
not always celebrated by the
presentation of 8 count 'em 8
beauty queens.
So, in the interests of liberal
education, I give you a few of the
old Valentine practices. Earliest
Valentine custom (wouldn't you
know it) was a lottery. By the
simple process of drawing a ticket
bearing her name, a young Ro
man swain earned the privilege
of courting the girl whose name
he'd drawn. (What the gals
thought of thjs is not on record.)
Then the early Christian church
attempted to put the practice on
a more noble plane. The names
of young women were replaced
with those of saints whose vir
tues the young men were sup
posed to copy. This reform met
with something less than wild en
thusiasm. As one anonymous wag
wrote, "To expect a woman and
draw a saint is ever a disappoint
ment to mortal man."
Romance and the old-style lot
tery returned. Then the name of
Valentine was given to both the
man and girl participating:, in
honor of a martyred bishop by
that name. Finally it became cus
tomary to wear the ticket or send
it to the drawn Valentine. And so
today greeting card manufactur
ers grow fat and rich printing
sentiments that any grade school
child expresses better when she
write, "I love Johnny Jones" on
the sidewalk.
Another Valentine's Day cus
tom in early England was the be
lief that the first person encount
ered on Valentine morning was
either a destined husband or wife.
Due to the obvious hazards, this
led no doubt to many elaborate
stratagems and probably was the
original source of the remark, "I
shoulda stood in bed."
Other customs have been prac- j
tised. One was making the
"Dumb" cake so-called because
the woman making it had to do
Hertzler Book
Weaknesses Of
BY EUGENE HERMAN.
"Previous sociologists have been
strong on emotion and hope and
weak on basic facts and prin
ciples," explains Professor J. O.
Hertzler of the sociology depart
ment in his book, "Social Insti
tutions." Although only recently pub
lished, the book has been ac
rlaimed as a creat contribution
to sociology on the basis that it
presents the fundamentals in a
sound and logical way, something
that heretofor had never been
successfully accomplished.
In a general way, "Social In
stitutions," which is published by
the University of Nebraska Press.
analyzes the normal operation of
that great social mechanism, nu
man society, of which all indi
viduals and erouDs are a Dart.
It is devoted to a study of the
umversal luncuonai devices
known as social institutions; the
book is especially concerned with
the causes, functions, composi
tions, implementations, relation
ships of institutions, and the ef
fects upon institutions of a great
array of internal and external
changes.
Special Attention.
Special attention is given to the
great pivotal institutions the ec
onomic system, the marriage and
family system, the legal and mili
tary system and the religious and
ethical system.
Pointing out that this book will
not appeal particularly to the
headline readers or the searchers
for sensational or lurid patho
logical details, Professor Hertzler
explained that "this book is for
those students of the social
sciences who wish some know
ledge of the coherent factual ma
terial, the principles, criteria, con
ceptual structures, and the ana
lytical categories relating to the
normal operation of that great
social mechanism, human so
ciety." Questioned as to an author's
opinion of his work, Professor
Hertzler stated, "It was fascinating
to me at least." He has written
three other books, "The History
of Utopian Thought," "Social
Progress," and "Social Thought of
the Ancient Civilizations," be
sides contributing to four other
books, writing numerous articles
In social-scientific and semi-pop-,
so without speaking. (A qualifi
cation that undoubtedly hastened
the death of the custom.) The
cook was obliged to climb the
stairs backwards and place the
"Dumb'' cake under her pillow
which assured her of dreaming of
her lover.
A variation of this was the
writing of a lover's name on a
piece of paper at midnight, Val
entine eve, laying the ashes on a
looking-glass previously marked
with a cross, and placing the
whole under the pillow.
(Both of these practices must
have had the same practical ef
fect as eating crackers in bed.
Perhaps for this reason their pop
ularity was short-livd.)
Later, in England, a young girl
who wished to know her future
husband was advised to enter the
churchyard at midnight and, as
the clock struck, run around and
around the church repeating con
tinuously:
I sow hempseed, hempseed I
sow,
He that loves me best
Come after me and mow.
(How many "mowers' appeared
in answer to that touching sum
mons, history doesn't record. But
it seems likely that they preferred
the nearest cozy pub since the
custom did not persist.)
More mercenary English chil
dren began to beg fruit and
money from door to door on Val-
entines Day. And, for some ob
scure reason, in some parts the
pennies were heated previously
on a shovel. The unwary child,
of course, got his fingers neatly
burned to a crisp. (Here we have
the forerunner to the hilarious
hot-foot of today!)
On Valentine s eve, in 18th cen
tury England, the door was
opened carefully and a valentine
(attached to an orange or an ap
ple) was thrown in. If a lucky
heave happened to catch the be
loved squarely in the eye, I sup
pose it meant she would look at
no one else for that year or at
least for a day or two.
Discusses
Sociologists
luar periodicals, and compiling
numerous reports such as his "Ne
braska Changes in Population,"
which was written in co-operation
with the state of Nebraska.
Volume Features.
Special features of this 376-page
volume include: the first system
atic treatment of the implemen
tation of institutions; examina
tion of institutions and social
change, including the effects upon
institutions of modern nobility
and contact, and the transition
from primary to secondary group
relations; the transmission of in
stitutions in time and space; a
detailed analysis of the tendency
of inflexibility; a special exam
ination of the relationship of in
stitutions; the disorganization and
re-organization of institutions; and
the relation of social organization
and institutions to world peace.
This last topic is a fascinating
one, for it shows what the sociolo
gist thinks about world peace.
Professor Hertzler sets the fol
lowing as basic principles: 1)
Peace in an area, whatever its
size, is a matter of order and se
curity; 2) Order and security rest
upon some final authority armed
with coercive power; 3) Authority
functions throuch a minimal
amount of essential social ma
chinery, a framework of organi
zations and institutions; and 4)
The effectiveness of the machin
ery rests upon substantial sup
porting opinion and will.
New Activity
AnnouncedFor
Student Union
Ag student Union is sponsoring
a series of bridge lessons under
the instruction of Dale Ball every
Tuesday from 5 to 6 p. m. Les
sons will start with the presenta
tion of the fundamentals of bridge
and, will continue, depending on
the demand, with a series of six
advanced lessons.
Week-end Union activities will
include a coffee hour from 5 to
5:45 p. m. Sunday evening, fol
lowed byp a movie at 8 p. m.
A party for graduate students
will be held Friday at 7 p. m.
THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
Hastyhoof
Given No
Valentine!
Finally Selected
Fraternity Queen
BY TOTTIE FIDDOCK.
"Will you be mine? Valentine,
that is?" drooled Horace Hasty
hoof to the exotic blonde he had
cornered under the bleachers at
a basketball game.
In reply the blonde tossed
Horace through the basket, made
a score for the home team, and
dissapcared.
Walking home through the de
serted and slushy streets, Horace
sobbed bitterly to himself be
cause he had never in all his
life had a valentine. "What a
crude custom what a primitive
device, what a devilish, unpol
ished absurdity Valentine's Day
is!" he growled aloud. He wished
he could find the joker who had
invented the stupid tradition and
gnashed his teeth with rage.
Never a Success.
Poor Horace! He had never
been a success at hearts of any
kind. When he was five years
old and in kindergarten, he sent
a valentine to the little girl with
long curls and a pink dress, but
she only laughed and used it
for a blotter. He had robbed
his little sister's piggy bank to
buy it, too.
When he was a little older,
he fell in love with his teacher,
and since his sister had become
cagey with her piggy bank, it
was necessary for him to touch
his father to buy the beloved
one a gift for the great occasion.
Father, good old Father, came
through with a nickel. So the
teacher got no gift and Horace
got no valentine.
The other boys he knew got
valentines every year from all
kinds and shapes of girls; pretty
ones, ugly ones, fat ones, dumb
ones and, of course, the smart
ones. But nobody ever sent a
valentine to Horace.
Brush-off.
In high school, Horace almost
got a valentine at last. He very
subtly got a date for Feb. 14,
but all she gave him was the
old Fuller treatment, which was
far from what he was expect
ing, to say the least.
Now here he was a college man,
a fraternity man (he was the
sole member and founder of Beta
Upsilon Gamma) and still no one
gave his hopeful heart even the
smallest crack.
With heavy eyes and bleeding
gums, (trenchmouth was one of
his major assets) he made his
weary way back to the BUG
house, which consisted of an im
provised Joxhole outside the
Union.
He peeked despondently into
the mailbox which had contained
nothing but dust for the last 6
months, and found a letter.
At Last.
"At last," shouted Horace joy
ously, "at last someone has sent
me a valentine! With trembling
fingers, he opened the envelope
and reached inside for the mes
sage. There were no hearts, no flow
ers, only a short statement.
"Congratulations," it read, "on
being selected Interfraternity
Queen for the year 1947."
Bridge Classes
Begin
5:00 p. m., Tuesdays
Ag Union
4:00 p. m.-6:00 p. m:
Thursdays
Union 313
Bridge Tournament
2:00 p. m. Sat., Feb. 15
Unioft YZ
Rtginler Ity Sat. Noon
Miss Joan
Sir y:jmmm
V
Courtesy Lincoln Journal ,
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Witt of Nebraska City have announced the
engagement of their daughter, Joan Claire, to J. Collins Troy, son
of Mr. and Mrs. John E. Troy of Kingston, N. Y. The wedding
will be June 18. Miss Witt attended St. Mary college in Xavier,
Kansas, and was graduated from the university where she was a
member of Alpha Phi sorority and Pi Lambda Theta. Mr. Troy
was graduated from Roosevelt Aviation school. He was a member
of Kappa Gamma Chi.
Fun, Frolic, Festivity Featured
At Counselors Penny Carnival
BY JEANNE IIICKEY.
Fun, frolic, and festivity are
in store for you if you are plan
ning to attend the Penny Carnival
sponsored by the Co-ed Counsel
ors to be held in. Grant Memorial
this Saturday afternoon.
Organized houses are setting up
booths for the general public, and
that includes you.
If you want to show a certain
young lady what a whiz of a
dart-thrower you are, there'll be
a booth just so you may dem
onstrate your talents. Perhaps you
want to see what your future
holds after that degree, or whether
it's all in vain. Come and find
out at one of the many unique
entertainments. They will give you
enjoyment just like that you had
when you were a youngster.
Unusual Sights.
If you've never been to a car
nival, your education isn't com
plete. There are sights there that
you will see nowhere else. That
girl you helped thru Sosh last
semester might resemble the char
acter you saw in the last movie,
and that fellow who always
seemed to resemble a "before"
from a vitamin ad may amaze
you with his prowess in hitting
the gong.
Yes, there 11 be food, and most
Remember
VALENTINES DAY
with flower from
HILTNER FLORAL CO.
PLANTS CORSAGES - CUT FLOWERS
135 So. 12 2-2775
Free Variety Show
Don Ameche fir Joan Bennett
in
3:00 p. m., Sunday, February 16
Union Hall room
8:00 p. m., Sunday, February 16
Ag Union
Coffee Hour 5 to 6 at Union & Ag Union
Thursday, February 13, 1947
Claire Wit?
1
.1
indivduals seem to have an in
clination toward participating in
the common sport of eating.
Twenty-three booths made up
of original themes will be enough
to catch your eye but wait un-
till you get inside them! The tick
ets are only twenty-five cents,
and may be obtained from any
coed counselor or at the door.
Drop in around two, you won't
want to leave until the end.
CMTICALS
S RING ZIPPER NOTE BOOKS
CANVAS LAUNDRY MAILING BAGS
Goldenrod Stationery Store
215 North 14th Street
VALENTINES
A grand selection for
your approval
Goldenrod Stationery Store
215 North 14
ON