UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VOLUME XIII.
SHOSTAC PLAY A HIT
"Stuff of Laughter" Best Dramatic Production in K. U. History
NEVIN'S MUSIC PLEASED
Great Credit Due Fine Arts School Professor for Part
(Bv Donald D. Davis)
"The best amateur production ever staged at the University," is the verdict of the 600 people who saw "The Stuff of Laughter" at its initial performance in Marvin Grove Saturday evening. Percy B. Shostac, of the department of English, wrote the play, and Arthur Nevin, of the School of Fine Arts, composed the incidental music. University students and alumni participated in a university artisans arranged the scenic settings and the lighting effects. From first to last the production was thoroughly a K. U. production.
NUMBER 152
MEDIEVAL FANTASY
"The Stuff of Laughter" is a medieval fantasy in two parts and a prologue and an epilogue. The prologue is an invitation, spoken by the Spirit of the Stage, to the audience to witness the play. Then the action begins; and we see depicted the terrible harshness of the Middle Ages, revealing the nature of the world. Iceland king who drives his daughter from his court because she will not marry a drunken suitor. Part Two shows the Princess and the Court Fool in the Deep Forest, two days after they have fed from the court. They are weary and fainting, and sleep in the shelter of an oak. The princess the Spirit of the Oak comes to rescue them and leads to the bower of Frejya, Goddess of Spring and Love. The succeeding scenes show their journey to the bower, their struggles with the powers of darkness, and the aid given them by the powers of light. Then comes the epilogue, in which the Spirit of the Stage again appears, to explain that the story has been only a dream
UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS, MONDAY AFTERNOON, MAY 15, 1916
Honors in acting the production are shared equally by Helen Clark, as the Princess; Ralph Spots, as the King of Ireland, and Percy Shostac, as the Court Fool. Miss Clark's portraitage of the young princess was sympathetic and forceful. Ralph Spots' stands in him good stead in the "double" of his the King and the Spirit of the Oak. To his careful, studied impersonation of the two roles, in fact, must a good share of the success of the production be credited. Percy Shostac played the difficult part of the Fool just as it should have been played to secure the proper effect. Merle Smith made a sufficiently drunken lover, and J. B. McNeaugh acted cleverly a minor role. Florence Butler, as Freya, displayed real histrionic ability.
J. B. McNaught, Earle Metcalf, and Helen Topping were the featured dancers. Each did solo work of unusual merit. Other dancers in the ballet were Fritz Schnitzler, Tom Mairs, Gurrie Henson, Ray Gaffney, Robert Dillon, James Shea, Bretherton, Florence Ragle, Mariana Joseph, Josephine Stimpson and Mildred Spake. Dr. Alice Goetz trained the dancers.
MUSIC DISTINCTIVE
The music, which was distinctly individual, as is all of Professor Nevin's work, added the finishing touch to the aesthetic effect of the production. It is not often that music and words are so skillfully blended that the hearer is almost at a loss to distinguish between the two, to tell which it is that is so strangely affecting him. Yet such was the case Saturday night.
Every strain from the orchestra brought out in relief the appeal of the spoken words. And with such an unreliability, adapted to the play that it was indeed difficult to tell which was more beautiful, the play itself or its musical background. Each would have been so accomplished that seem incomplete without the other.
The production will be repeated to night and tomorrow night, at 815 0933.
Red Ferris, freshman Pharmic,
spent Sunday in Leavenworth visiting
his parents. Red planned to see
the baseball game between the
Leavenworth highs and a bunch from
K. U, but there was too much rain.
Theta Sigma Phi, honorary journalism sorority, held initiation, Thursday for Alice Bowley, Helen Patterson and Gail Hall. After the initiation a supper was given the members at Bricken's Cafe.
Prof. F, E. Kester of the department of physics will attend a special session of the executive committee of Sigma Xi, May 20, at Cleveland, Ohio. The meeting is called to discuss the admission of new chapters.
Ira L. Goheen, senior Pharmic, left Thursday night on a short business trip to Alta Vista.
OLD K. U. STUDENT WRITES OF CONDITIONS ON BORDER
James R. Harrison, '18 College, who is now working for the Santa Fe at Douglas, Arizona, writes back some interesting observations of conditions at the border. Speaking of the recent state of the Mexican people he says:
"Such conditions are unbelievable. . . . Some of the abode houses still have huge holes where Villa's cannon shells went through them. . . The men in the room did not enough clothes to cover their backs, but have full equipment of arms.
He goes on to say that Carranza has enough cannon near Agua Prieta to shell Douglas to the ground in a few hours, and that he has over ten thousand men in the state of Sonora to support them as well. The army soldiers on this side of the line.
Harrison worked for the Santa Fe in the Topela offices until recently.
PRACTICE FOR MISSOURI
McCarty Takes Men From Classes for Workout
Coach McCarty gathered the baseball team from their classes this morning and left on the noon train for Emporia where the Varsity will get final practice before the Missouri game. C. J. Poirier will pitch for K. U. in the game this afternoon, which will offer a victory over the game Friday. The offer of the game with the Emporia College came so suddenly that Coach McCarty had difficulty in getting a full team in time to make the train south.
ESTES JUBILEE TUESDAY
Y. M. and Y. W. Will Meet on Links for Conference Talk
The second of the Estes Park Jul
lee rallies will be held Wednesda
evening from 5 to 7 on the golf link
Both the Y. M. and Y. W. will tak
part in the event and members of bot
Associations will be in attendance.
Eats will be served and short speeches will be given by four women and four men. The men will tell why in their opinion, women should attend the Estes Park Y. W. Conference and believe it the duty of every University man to be present at the Y. M. Conference from June 9 to 19.
All those who have ever attended Estes, all those who have promised to attend the conference this summer and any who are thinking of going are those planning to go should call either Anne Gittings or Hugo Wedell.
ALUMNI BOARD TO MEET
Convene to Fird Ways of Aiding University
The annual meeting of the Board of Alumni Visitors will be held at the University, May 18-19, for the purpose of discovering ways and means by which the alumni may help the University. The report of the Board of Alumni Visitors will be presented to the Alumni Association which is held Tuesday of commencement week.
The members of the board are Scott Hopkins, president of the Prudential Trust Co., Topeka, Agnes Thompson, Lawrence; W. M.organ, editor of the Hutchinson News; Mrs. C. S. Smith, topoake, wife of former Governor George Capper's executive clerk; James V. Humphrey, a lawyer of Junction City; and C. L. Davidson, a capitalist of Wichita.
Miss Mille Oliver of Abilene arrived Friday morning at the Alenman house to be a guest of Mary Smith and Emily freshen College during the May Day
Jeanne Kirkendall, '17 College, of Prof. Howard Hill's public speaking class, gave a lecture-recital on "James Whitcomb Riley" before the Pleasant County at the home of Mr. John Lavette at Brackett, Wednesday afternoon.
Mrs. M. C. Tillotson, of Olathe spent the last of the week in Lawrence visiting her son, Elroy E., junior Engineer.
Miss Jessie Jacobs, a fellow in mathematics in the University this year has been elected to a graduate degree at the University of Illinois for the coming year.
Lillian Wolf, '16 College, will teach English and history in the high school at the Alemannia house.
The Mu Phai have issued invita-
tion to the annuus *annur Manda* Day,
which will be held on 25th November.
Blanche Mullin '16 College, will each English in the Burlington high school next year.
2,000 ATTEND MAY FETE H. S. ATHLETES COMING
y Festival Brought Many Out-of-Town Visitors
SCENES WERE GRECIAN
Venus, Diana, and Other Mythological Characters Represented
Send the Daily Kansan home.
Mrs. H, H. Vernon and her daughter Ethel, and Miss Dorothy Tibbets, all of Blue Rapids, came to Lawrence Friday to attend the May Fete. Harry Vernon, 19C., is a son of Mrs. Vernon.
I smile of threatening weather and damp ground, the May Fete was held Saturday after 10 a.m. at 4 o'clock. About 2,000 people many out of town attended the festival. The natural stage was an excellent representation of the haunt of Venus, supposedly on the plain of Henna, in Sicily. The time represent the three days of Venus, beginning the three days' festival in the Spring of the year.
The seismograph in Blake Hall recorded a slight tremor which is probably a result of the earthquake which occurred in Wyoming Friday. The time recorded here was 8:35 in the evening.
One of the mist impressive scenes of the afternoon was the appearance of Alma Mater and her attendants. The steps of Alma Mater's throne were particularly effective. The Grecian atmosphere was carried out in the lighting of the incense on the altar by the lighting of the candles on the offerty of the Libation carriers.
Another Quake
Following the first Latin chorus Pan and his companions appeared; their dance was applauded heavily. The setting of Diana's dance was typically a hunting scene; the deer hounds and archery middens completed the picture. The Wind Dance was as animated as the dances of Pan, Apollo and Bacchus. Ray Gafney was a hit in the role of Cupid.
Venus was supported by a chorus of rose dancers, who with the mountain nymphs and dryads, formed a pleasing group about her throne. The cloud dance followed by the storm and bright rainbow was one of the unusual and successful of many of the original features of the day.
As dusk settled over the campus, the seniors with lighted tops, left the throne of Alma Mater and presented them to the waiting juniors.
FINE ARTS TO BANQUET
Annual Dinner Friday Night in Gymnasium
Math Club Will Picnie
Discontinued Because of Injury to Canoes
A clever stunt program will be given between courses in which both faculty and students will take part. Following the dinner Dean Harold L. Young, the mastermaster and call for responses from many present and former students.
The number of candidates in tomorrow's journalism election was reduced to eleven this afternoon when Bertha Elehaneur withdrew from the race for women's secretary in favor fo Gail Hall.
HOLD NO WATER TOURNEY
Before the building of Potter's Lake the carnival was held on the river and was a big event. All the boats not in the races were decorated for a parade. Canoe races, tugs-of-war, swimming races, and tilting contests usually constituted the larger part of the tournament.
The annual dinner of the School of Fine Arts will be given Friday night, in Robinson Gymnasium. The affair is in charge of a committee at North College and tickets may be obtained from the man of the committee, or from the fine arts office, as early at Tuesday. For several years this dinner has been a true family reunion for the Fine Arts students, graduates and faculty. It is not an exclusive affair and it is especially interested may attend.
The Mathematics Club will lay aside everything this afternoon pertaining to the science of mathematics and go out for a picnic. They will take a lunch along and not return until the stars appear.
The Water Carnival which has been a feature of Commencement Week for years, will not be held next month, as the owners object to the canoes being carried from the river to Potter's Lake. Unless wrapped and carried quickly the sun's heat cracks the filler of the canoes.
University Will Have Over Two hundred visitors to Entertain
MUST BEAT M. U. RECORD
Tigers Showed Real Hospitality to H. S. Boys at Columbia
Two hundred high school students are going to be guests of the University of Kansas this week. Most of these are progressive freshmen and every one of them is a prize athlete from his high school. K. U. students will be given a chance to show them the advantages of this institution by persuade a number of them to make Kansas their future alma mater.
ALL EXPENSES PAID
G. MISSOURI ONE BETTER
The annual invitation meet in which the stars of the tracks from Kansas and Missouri will compete will be held Saturday afternoon. Invitations have been sent to the high school athletes who took first in the interscholastic season. The athletic association will pay the expenses of these students to the meet Saturday. In addition to this any athletes in the state who wish to enter the meet may take part but they will have to pay their own expenses. After that athletic association agrees to take care of them.
The majority of the students who will come for this meet have just returned from a similar meet at the University of Missouri and have their systems full of the wonders of the Tiger institution. Kansas now has a splendid showing that give a splendid showing will give Kansas a large bunch of athletes next fall. The reports from Missouri indicate that the entertainment offered these men was the best the country offers and we have to show some warm salir to bent it.
STUDENTS MUST CO-OPERATE
"I in the entertainment of these visitors are in charge of the co-operation of the students of the University," said Coach Hamilton this morning. "These men are the pick of the high schools of the state and they are the men that we need to teach them so that the students to show them a good time and show them the advantages of this institution. Most of them have not made up their minds yet just where they will attend school next
"This is the biggest opportunity of the year for the fraternities and clubs to line up men for next fall. But this should not be the only motive. The students should be interested enough to participate." K. U., instead of rival institutions."
A list of the men who will be guests of the University is on file at Manager Hamilton's office and will be shown to all students interested. The list will be given in the Daily Kansan as soon as completed.
Hold Session at Cameron's to Consider Problems
Y. M. C. A. CABINET CAMPS
The Y. M. C. A. Cabinet tramped out to Cameron's Bluff, where they spent Saturday night and Sunday, at the University. At University Y. M. C. A. and the plans of each of the committee chairmen. Every cabinet man, with the exception of one who was representing the army against Missouri, was present.
The reception of the incoming class next fall was discussed by Lester Evans, the chairman of the new students committee. It is the present freshmen who meet the freshmen of next year at the train, direct them to the registrar's office and aid them in enrolling and in finding rooms.
Many of the misconceptions held by University men in regard to the Y. M. C. A, and the work of the Cabinet received attention, and plans were suggested as to how these false ideas might be corrected.
Prof. Merle Thorpe, of the department of journalism is making a weeks trip to several towns in the state to deliver high school commencement addresses. He will be in Whitewater the 15th, Erie the 16th, Quenoque the 17th, Whiting the 18th, Perry the 19th, and Horton the 20th.
PROF, THORPE TO DELIVER COMMENCEMENT SPEECHES
The Weather
The Forecast: Fair and continued cool tonight, almost frost, Tuesday, fair weather, summer.
Prof. John N. Van der Vries will give three high school commencement addresses this week. Wednesday night he will speak at Morrill, Thursday night at Robinson, and Friday night at Seneca.
GRIGGS SELLS CIGAR STORE
— FAVORITE LOAFING PLACE
The Griggs Cigar Store located at 827 Massachusetts street passed into the hands of Mr. E. Anderson, Friday. Mr. Griggs has been located in a quiet reading room at the back of the room has always been a great place for students to spend their idle hours. Griggs will always be remembered as the man who has provided the students with little red and blue pens which adorn the suit cases and traveling bags of almost every student.
TWELVE SEEK PLACES
Many Want Plums in Tomorow's Election of Journalism Students
Twelve students of the department of journalism are out for places in tomorrow's annual election of officers to be held by the Associated Journalism students, the name adopted for organization of the newspaper students.
Running for president, Edwin W. Hullinger, news editor of the Kansan, and a junior in the College, has no opposition. For vice-president there is one who will associate news editor of the Kansan, and James Carter. For both men's and women's secretary three candidates fled, Vaughn Timmins, Lloyd Whitside and E. Curry, Burkman Ikee and Beaun Berna Eichenauer, are the three female candidates. Two women are also out for treasurer, Marie Buchanan and Dorothy Cole being the opposing candidates of arms only Herbert Laskett Fleld.
According to the constitution only those students actually enrolled in courses of journalism at the present time, can vote. This will limit the number of students voting to about three hundred.
Guy Serivner, now president of the organization, said today that the usual printed ballots will be provided for tomorrow's election. The polls which will be located in the Journalism will be in open from 8:30 to 1 o'clock.
NO FOOTBALL SCHOOL
Demand for Training Insuficient as Yet Says Dr. Naismith
There will be no football school at the University of Kansas this summer as was suggested by Dr. A. R. Kennedy, formerly coach at the University and at Haskell Institute, and at present coach at Washburn College in Topeka. Dr. Naismith, who was suggested by Dr. Kennedy as the proper man to codet such a school as to produce players of starting. "While I think that football training would be a good thing, and that the University could handle it, I do not think that the call for such a school is strong enough yet for us to establish one. There is the regular summer work for coaches and football men at Champions, Illinois where the better football men go. We have regular classes in coaching here during the winter sessions and during the spring seasons all at theences for the men who will coach next fall. I believe that this is all that there is any demand for at the present time."
"BACK TO NATURE" NEW FAD OF SALPHS. Witness Their Cow Bell.
The Sleep and Eat House, pardon me, the Sigma Alpha Epiphone house has something novel in dinner gongs. The cute new song around 1244 Ohio must listen to the gentle tinkling of a cow bell. One must realize though that a cowbell vigorously shakes does not emit the sound of a bassoon or the Bossie browsing in the clover field.
No doubt this music soothes the aching heart of their homesick freshmen whose bed-time lullaby was accompanied by this bovine interpretation of musical art. Perhaps there is to be a "back to nature" movement among the fraternities who would like to try the simple life for a while.
MORNING PRAYERS
Week of May 19 to 19
Leader: The Rev, Paul Dansingberg, Pastor All Souls Unitarian church, Kansas City Mo.
Tuesday: "The Sacraments of Life."
Wednesday: "And But for You."
Thursday: "The Dread of Respon-
sion."
FLAYS NEW EFFICIENCY
Friday: "The Power of Expectancy."
Send the Daily Kansan home to the folks.
Prof. Carl L. Becker Attacks Practical" Ideals in "Standardized" Education
FIRST FACULTY LECTURE
Virtually a Farewell Talk to the Students of K. U.
It was an unusual and striking address that was given by Prof. Carl Becker Thursday afternoon when he set a brilliant precedent for the series of faculty lectures which are hereafter to become a University institution. His subject was "On Being a Professor" and he skillfully billed with a veiled irony that sank deep into the minds of his hearers and at the same time exposed the universal conception of professors as queer beings as a colossal falacy.
Professor Becker touched the point of his address in his opening remarks when he said, "A minor use of the newspapers and magazines is that they convey much information which one does not easily acquire by observation and experience alone. It was in this way, through the itinerary, that we first learned of the forlorn state of that ancient and once honorable company of College Professors. Notwithstanding the unselfish devotion with which they pursue a noble calling, so I was led to infer, professors are frequently without influence in their own communities, only by close and humiliating economies have a little free pocket money, and relatively privileged citizens can tranquil mind or properly nourish what the Germans call the Inner Life.
Having myself been for some time a professor, ploiding along contentedly enough for the most part, I was extremely sorry to hear—as I say from my own experience in the table situation." Speaking of his own advent into the ranks of the pedagogs, Professor Becker continued, "It was a lad that I came to know a fierce looking little old man in an ancient shiny frock coat who came every aspiring to prepare our fireweed. In my view he was not only by profession a weather prophet. He was a good wood sapper, but it was the common belief of the community that as a weather prophet he was visionary and an incurable idealist, inefficient to the last degree, and of no practical use. But with so many thought to be mildly demised; and by so some special popular instinct, everyone called him "Professor."
"When I went to college we did not know, or at least not with the same certainty as now, that spiritual benefits could be standardized, or the effeci- ces required in our work measured and tabulated and precisely set down in terms of material value.
"I was of a nature to be fascinated by my professors. Some few of them, and some more than others. The reason for this fascination being that contrary to all I had supposed, they were not mere road guides, uninterested in the country because they lived in heart. Rather they impelled by some uncontrolled inner demon to venture beyond the beaten path, scarcely knowing whither they were going, or what they might find; but pursuing still, seemingly interested in the quest itself, rather than in the end of it. And so they welcomed me, even something, even if I found it not. What I should seek, or where it might be found they never told me.
"The four allotted years were finished before I had more than begun to get the lay of the land. Less than ever did I desire to return to the known world, and tread in daily routine the dusty streets of Now and Away." When it came time always in this unknown country, so far removed from reality—From that moment I was a lost man. I was bound to become a professor.
"Professors, it need scarcely be pointed out, are extremely impractical people, absent minded, as even the most ill-motivated person continually occupied with profound intellectual problems, little concerned with the external world of reality, which together with their place in it, makes much disposed to take for granted."
PROF'S SALARY AN INVESTMENT
PROF'S SALARY AN INVESTMENT
The truth of this has been clearly explained when noted local statesmen and successful business men eloquently described how they worked on different festival occasions, clearly pointing out that the salary the state pays the professor should bring something in return.
“This new idea,” continued Mr. Becker, “I looked at for a long time from every point of view. A good deal of light was thrown on these problems by that other truth which was explained to us either more frequently or less accurately than the uncloistered outside world. We were assured that the knowledge acquired by students from learned professors was an excellent thing in a
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