PAGE TWO UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 19 --- THE KANSAN COMMENTS Practical Joking Is April First Custom Over Entire World know." "The first of April, some do say, Is set apart for All Fool's day; But why the people call it so, Nor I, nor they themselves, do know." Poor Robin's Almanac. April Fool's Day, unique in its consecration to practical joking, is of uncertain origin. The prevalence of the custom over all the world and the close coincidence of the days set apart for it seem to indicate a very early origin. Beginning in France with the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1564 is the most likely explanation. Formerly, the French followed a custom of paying formal visits to friends on April 1. With the calendar revision, these were changed to January 1, but mock visits were continued on the former date, especially to "those who might forget the new order of things." India has a custom of befooling people by sending them on fruitless and foolish errands at the feast of Huli, which ends March 31. A general festival was celebrated April 1 in Great Britain in ancient times, and from the beginning of the 18th century, it was a common custom. It may also be a relic of the festivities held for the vernal equinox from March 25 to April 1. The Scotch have done for April Fools' Day what the Irish did for Potatoes. Although the custom did not originate in Scotland, the Highlanders made the most of it. Making April-fools of people is called "hunting the gowk" or cuckoo. The French also have an appropriate name for the April-fool. The poisson d'avril or April fish means actually a young fish, one easily caught. A favorite trick of the Scotch is to send the April gowk from house to house bearing a message of supposed importance. Often it reads, "This is the first day of April, Hunt the gowk another mile." This continues until some one gives the trick away or until he catches on. Tomorrow is April Fools' Day. The seriousness of war will prevent some nonsense, but practical jokers will not forget their one special day entirely, and to be forewarned.is to be forearmed.-R.T. Rodney Selfridge Visits KU To Be Stationed Garden City Lt. Rodney W, Selfridge, a sophomore at the University last year and a member of Pi Kappa Alpha, was a visitor on the campus Wednesday. In the army air corps, Lieutenant Selfridge completed his flight training at Victoria, Texas, and has been assigned to Garden City. Lt. Selfridge, whose home is in Liberal, played clarinet in the University band. Rock Chalk Talk By PAT PENNEY Mystery of the week: Doings of Theta hell week have every one baffled. Only evidence that there is such a thing in progress is the haggard countenances of Theta pledges. Rumor has it, though, that Annette Bigelow really wowed 'em the other night with her rendition of a ditty entitled "Sweet Violets." Tradition says that actives never laugh at pledges' performances during hell week, but straight faces just couldn't be maintained at "Big's" song. *** Don't see much anymore: V-12 physical ed. classes have suddenly lost their appeal. An announcement was sent around at the request of Miss Hoover telling the boys not to look through the cracks into the girls' gym anymore. Morale has hit such a low since this announcement was made that the Navy is seriously thinking of putting windows between the gyms. Jollife Hall had a hell week of its own last week, when the girls took to playing tricks on one another. The housemother and the house president, Betty Barnes, took it all in their stride with a sickly smile, and claimed that the ingenuity of the pranksters was unsurpassed. - * * Prof. Lynn Discusses Blue Stocking Period Picturing the aftermath of the English Blue Stocking literary period, Prof. Margaret Lynn of the English department told English majors yesterday afternoon of the work of Frances Wright, Frances Trollope, and Harriet Martineau. The term "blue stocking" was derived from the appearance of Benjamin Stillingfleet in the popular conversational assemblies of English society of the eighteenth century in ordinary everyday blue worsted stockings and came to be applied to a woman affecting literary taste and learning, Professor Lynn explained. Miss Wright, Mrs. Trollope, and Miss Martineau were products of this period and each visited America to write about it. Following the lecture, tea was served in room 313 of Fraser hall with Prof. Lulu Gardner of the English department presiding at the tea table. Mrs. John E. Hankins was chairman of the tea committee, and Prof. Sara Laird of the English department is chairman of the department's general social committee. Prof. Helen R. Hoopes of the English department is chairman of the Jean Richardson and Cricket Stenger, freshmen, started the whole thing by putting crackers in Fran Clay's bed, and short-sheeting all the beds on the porch. Tricks progressed from this old stuff to putting ice cubes in the beds, coating the door knobs with shoe polish, taking slats out of the beds, locking the front door so that guests had to stand outside for hours, hiding pictures of boy friends, changing everyone's clothes around, and fixing the front door bell so that it rang for about a half hour in the middle of the night. Marjorie Hedrick and Lennie Moe fixed a life-sized dummy in jeans and a plaid shirt and hung it from the bathroom ceiling, then went downstairs crying, "Oh, she couldn't stand it any longer! What have we done?" Great confusion reigned when some one locked all the doors, stole everyone's keys, and the master key was found to be locked up in one of 'the rooms. The situation was remedied, after about 8 hours of anguish, when one of the doors was removed and the master key retrieved. V-12 Charlie Nash of PT7 became the unsuspecting victim when several of the girls fixed cookies with alum in the iceing and served them to him with tea. Waldemar Geltch Is Judge For Competitive Music Meet Prof. Waldemar Geltch, head of the violin department of the School of Fine Arts, was in Kansas City, Mo. Thursday as a judge for the junior division of the Competitive Festival sponsored by the National Federation of Music Clubs. Professor Geltch is a member of the National Advisory committee, and chose the selections for the violin and viola for the national competition. committee which sponsors departmental meetings for English majors and staff members. BUY U.S. WAR BONDS Pharmacist Mates Report To Great Lakes Station Professor Sandelius opened the discussion with consideration of political issues of national and international importance. Dean Twente discussed the necessity of an extended adult education program in the post-war period. William H. Collier, pharmacist mate third class; Stuart P. Davis, pharmacist mate third class; and Francis T. Fox, pharmacist mate second class of the Naval Training Station left Lawrence recently to report for duty in the Naval hospitals at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station. KU Mail Keeps Pace Of Old Rates Increased postal rates apparently have made little difference in the quantity of mail sent out from the campus according to R. C. Abraham, superintendent of the University post office. Sandelius, Twente Discuss Post War As most of the air mail correspondence is to men overseas and is not affected by the new rates, the additional two cents on this type of postage has not had any detrimental effect on the number of letters sent out. Although the campus post office handles a great deal of parcel post business, the one cent per parcel increase in this line has not decreased the number of packages sent out. Very little local mail, which also costs more to send now goes through this branch office. Mr. Abraham said. Prof. W. E. Sandelius of the political science department and J. W. Twente, dean of the School of Education, participated in a panel discussion of post-war problems last night at Wayndote High School in Kansas City. The panel was sponsored by the Wayndote High School Parent Teachers' Association with Principal J. F. Wellemeyer as chairman. He also stated that it was too soon to notice the difference on insured mail and money orders, but he thought it probable that many of the latter, especially on small amounts of money, will be sent in the form of bank drafts, which will be slightly less expensive. EASTER GREETINGS War Casualties The war department announced today the names of 18 Kansans making in action. One of these was a naval forces. He was Pfc E. Samples, U. S. Marine Corps Rcs serve, 701 Third Street, Garden City Drake's for Bakes Staff Sgt. Earl E. Matheson, Columbus; 2nd Lt. Ivan E. Moody, 40 South Minnesota, Wichita; Sgt. Jace E. Osborne, 5201 East Elm street, Wichita; 2nd Lt. Loren E. Page Chapman; 2nd Lt. Jerry B. Payne Route 1, Belvue; Staff Sgt. Wallace A. Reed, 935 Tenny street, Kansa City. Soldiers missing in action were European area T Sgt. Charles W. Barnhison, Troi Staff Sgt. Kenneth R. Bishop, Leo Sgt. Salvador Shavez, Osage Cj 2nd Lt. Robert L. Clayton, Route Admire; T gt. Willard H. Clothic Sylvia; Staff Sgt. Hubert A. Hur Chautaquait; 2nd Lt. James F. Lyn 4613 West 49th, Kansas City. 2nd Lt. Paul D. Straw, McCracken Sgt. Fred C. Sudan, 420 Clay street Clay Center; 2nd Lt. Don W. Truax 419 Walnut street, Halsted; Sgt Jack E. Williams, Route I, Muncie Lt. James Lynn was a former student at the University. BUY U.S. WAR BONDS WANT ADS LOST: A Sheaffer fountain pen with my name on it. If found please call 267. (Don't worry,mom). Marian Miller. 696-122 OFFICIAL BULLETIN UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Friday, March 31, 1944 Notices at news Bureau, 8 Journalism, at 10 a.m. on day of publication NOTICE: Students who missed either the Psychological or Aptitude Tests may make them up April 21 in Room 306 Fraser. Psychological at 9:00 a.m. Aptitude at 2:00 p.m. A. H. Turpier Director Psych. Tests. The Medical Aptitude Tests under the auspices of the Association of American Medical Colleges will be given at Kansas University on April 28, 1944. All students not in the A.S.T.P. who have not previously taken the test and who desire to do so, should register in the medical school office in Haworth Hall by April 1, 1944. A fee of one dollar will be charged each student taking the test. Parke Woodard. University Daily Kansan Student Paper of THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS LAWRENCE, KANSAS EDITORIAL STAFF Editor-in-chief JEANNE SHOEMAKR Editorial associates JEAN JONES NEWS STAFF Managing editor VIRGINIA GUNSOLLY Assst. editor ANNE LOUSE ROSMAN Campus editor DOUGLAS WILSON TITLE, JOEL PANE, KATI GORBILL Society editor HANNA HERBIC Sports editor CHARLES MOFFET News editor JACQUELINE NOLELL News editor BUSINESS STAFF Business Mgr BETTY LOU PEKING Advertising Mgr RUTH KREHIER The Kansas Press Association 1944 Member National Editorial Association A Free Press in a Free Nation Subcription rates, in advance, $1.75 semester. Published in Lawrence, Kansas, every afternoon during the school year except Saturday and Sunday, and University holidays. Entered as second class matter September 17, 1910, at the post office at Lawrence, Kansas, under act of March 3, 1879.