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UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1942SUN
Commentary by the KANSAN Editorials * Features * Patter
WHY CONVOCATION?
Convocations are an accepted part of University life, yet all too often students choose to ignore their opportunities; convocation means an hour of rest to break the schedule of the morning classes.
Convocations are designed for enjoyment, and they constitute an interesting and entertaining addition to the formal classroom type of education. Speakers are carefully selected leaders in their fields, yet many students forego the opportunity to hear talks which would command large admission prices anywhere else.
In a recent editorial, the Indiana Daily Student bemoans the fact that so many students fail to realize the intellectual potentialities of a program designed to teach while entertaining.
Here on our own campus we have been faced with the problem of indifferent students who prefer to spend their convocation hour in some coke joint.
Perhaps it is the urge to assert their independent spirit that causes students to stay away from a free program. Or perhaps these convocation dodgers have never been able to raise their level of entertainment above coking, smoking, and juke boxes. —G. S.
Answering charges that American fighter planes were of an inferior type, a House military subcommittee has announced, after investigation, that statistics indicate the performance of our planes has left little to be desired.
OUR FIGHTER PLANES
This announcement is undoubtedly intended to end an embarrassing discussion about the merits of United States planes. That it will close the agreement is highly questionable.
The first indication of criticism came late last spring when Maj. Alexander P. de Seversky pointed to "inferior military characteristics" of our fighter planes in his book, "Victory Through Air Power."
The principal objections were that the planes were ineffective in action above 16,000 feet where, in this war, all important fighting takes place, and that their armor was inadequate.
During the summer, British military men began complaining about American ships sent to England, claiming that they had many faults of which we were unaware. Actually, our Air Force leaders have known from the beginning all details—inadequacies included—of the performances of our fighting planes.
The touch-off came in August when British officials took pilots of the famous American Eagle Squadron from American-made Bell Airacobras and put them in Britian's superb Spitfires for operations over the continent.
At almost precisely the same time, American pilots in Egypt blandly admitted publicly that they preferred the Spitfire over any American fighter plane.
Such developments threw a cannonade at our airplane industry, but luckily it had discovered its own faults and was already doing something about them. Existing models found to be deficient had been redesigned, and production of vastly improved planes was started.
Work on planes with inherent, unremedial
Screeched one newspaper headline: Marines In Solomons Outnumbered 10 to 1. Which should make it a fairly even fight.
Just Wondering
weaknesses was suspended, and production mounted for such new types as the Republic P-47, the Thunderbolt, which is supposedly equal to anything that flies, in speed, maneuverability, ceiling, and armament.
The planes to come promise big things for America's air battles. If this nation can reach the point where it masters the skyways of the world, the weakness in her early planes will be easily forgotten. B.C.
Editor's Note: National Newspaper Week is being celebrated throughout the nation this week, October 1-8. In these words, Edwin F. Abels, editor and publisher of the Outlook, and president of the National Editorial Association, sets forth its purpose: "Newspaper Week should be a time of reaffirmation of the ethics of the profession. Information that inspires leadership must be grounded in truth, simply told, fearlessly presented. No greater service is possible on any battlefront."
OFFICIAL BULLETIN UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
Vol. 40 Sunday, October 4,1942 No.10
Notices due at News Bureau, 8 Journalism, at 10 a.m. on day of publication during the week, and at 11 a.m. on Saturday for Sunday issue.
TRYOUTS for the Dramatic Workshop will be held from 3:30 to 5:30 o'clock Monday and Tuesday at Green Hall. All students are eligible for participation. Prospective members should have their own reading prepared before hand. Bill Kelly, president.
All girls interested in joining the K. U. Women's Rifle Club are requested to sign up for preliminary rifle marksmanship exercises not later than Monday evening at the bulletin board at the door of the rifle range. Mary Lou Nelson, Captain.
STUDENT DIRECTORY—All students who have changed their addresses since Registration, please notify the Registrar's Office immediately in order to complete their records for publishing the Student Directory. G. St. Aubyn, Editor.
EL ATENEO, the University Spanish Club, will hold $ ^{42} $ first meeting Thursday, Oct. 8, at 4:30 in room 113 Frank Strong hall. Refreshments will be served and all who speak Spanish are cordially invited to attend. Margaret Welch, President.
Margaret Welch, President.
NOTICE TO ALL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS—Dr. E. J. Gibson is at the Watkins Memorial Hospital each Tuesday afternoon from 2 to 4:30 p.m. for discussion with students on problems of mental hygiene. Appointments may be made through the Watkins Memorial Hospital. Ralph I. Canuteson, director of Student Health Service.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Student Paper of THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Lawrence, Kansas
Publisher ... John Conard
EDITORIAL STAFF
EDITORIAL STAFF
Editor-in-chief ... Alan B. Houghton
Editorial Associates ... Maurice Barker, Mary
Eleanor Fry, Bob Cole-
mon, J. Donald Koum
BUSINESS STAFF
Business Manager ... Oliver Hughes
Advertising Manager ... John Pope
Advertising Assistant ... Charles Taylor, Jr.
Rock Chalk Talk
DEAN SIMS
What's this? The Sigma Kappa pledges walked out Friday night and aren't expected to return until sometime Sunday.
--pool on my racing dive and they say that counts off.
The Teke pledges took their walk-out Thursday evening. In addition to playing the customary pranks (firing cooks, turning off the utilities, hiding the bedding, etc.) they tackled the actives, threw them into their beds and tied them down (ye gods, no respect). The pledges finished tearing up the house and then left town for a party.
The (undoubtedly toughest on the Hill) pledge class came back to the house in time for class Friday morning.
Never before have I ever heard of the pledges being so mean to the actives. Maybe a new regime is coming in.
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The A. O. Fi's have the right idea when it comes to buying war bonds and stamps. They have a rule that says each member must, before being admitted to meeting, present a twenty-five cent war stamp at the door. With the stamps collected, the house will buy war bonds.
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The Kappa's are back having fun again. Their national secretary left yesterday sp the lid's off.
***
He cleared his throat.
A mathematics professor walked into class last week, mounted his podium in front of the room and surveyed his class. A sea of freshman caps met his eye.
He cleared his throat. "I'm certainly glad to see all you young men have bought your freshman caps," he commented and smiled.
"But I wish you'd take them off in class." he said without the smile.
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The Templin hall upperclassmen have a tradition whereby the freshman members are initiated into the house. The initiation usually consists of the upperclassmen arousing the frosh at a wee hour in the morning and sending them on a scavenger hunt.
Two upperclassmen Friday night felt that three of this year's freshman class needed two initiation instead of the traditional one.
So at 3:00 a.m. Saturday morning the three "different" freshmen, Jack Tio, Ralph Norquest, and Charles Burns, were awakened and advised to dress and go downstairs to begin the big initiation.
Told that the other frosh were already on the scavenger hunt, the three were sent out.
Naturally, it was only a matter of seconds until they found out that they had just gone through a preliminary initiation.
And returned at 7 a.m.
The three grinned sickly and returned to bed.
Just in case anyone sees some pieces of Templin hall flying through the air, it won't take much guessing as to who put the dynamite under it.
Wonder What A Frosh Thinks?
Letter Exposes Co-ed
If you wish to determine how the "other half" lives, go among them. If you are desirous of an unabridged, uncensored opinion of a college frosh on life atop Mount Oread, open his mail.
Upon this premise, we have innocuously purloined and inadvertently opened the confidential correspondence of a naive but learning fact Kansas co-ed $ ^{ \textcircled{1} }$
Upon this premise, we have advertently opened the confider but-learning-fast Kansas co-ed. Here it is; may mankind and science benefit by the revelations.
Dear Folks,
Just got back to the house from Quack club tryouts and besides being cold and slightly on the drowned rat side, feel fine. You were all wrong when you thought studying up here would make me pale, stooped and near-sighted. They physical condition us every day till we can't stand up.
That Quack club I was talking about is some kind of a swimming organization. According to the sophomore who sits next to me in Spanish it's a good go, so I showed up at the pool this morning for try-outs. Kind of doubt whether I made it. I hit the bottom of the
Getting around this place is a snap now that I'm on to it. but I certainly had a few bad moments the first of last week. Monday, for instance, the way I saw it, my Spanish class was in a room in the west end of Ad, second floor. Several men in sailor pants and undershirts said it wasn't, but I didn't become thoroughly convinced until after a chat with the officer of the day. He was a very convincing man.
This college life reminds me of a walking marathon more or less. Your success seems to be determined by your ability to move the lower appendages. The longer and faster you can walk the farther you go on Mt. Oread. We walk every-
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