The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 27, No. 16, Ed. 1, Friday, February 2, 1940 Page: 1 of 4

Local T. L P. A. Contest Ends Next Saturday! Don't Put It Off Enter Now!
"SfyJwsSS
PICKWICKEROFF
PRESS TUESDAY
PICKWICKEROFF
PRESS TUESDAY
"A Glad Heart Makcth a Cheerful Countenance." Proverbs 15:13.
Volume 27
ABILENE CHRISTIAN COLLEGE ABILENE TEXAS Friday February 2 1940
Number 16
. SPEECH MEET MAY BE LARGEST IN EIGHT-YEAR HISTORY
AT LEAST TWO NEW COLLEGES WILL COMPETE IN
THIS YEAR'S INVITATIOIN
TOURNAMENT
From advance acceptances of invitations to attend ACC's
eighth annual intercollegiate sicech meet indications are
that this year's may be the largest in the history of the
tourney.
Northwest Stnto Teachers Col-
lege of Alba. Oklahoma is new
to the meet which attracted thirty
debato teams last year. TCU is
turning after several years' ab-
sence. There may bo other new-
comers on the campus by the time
this reaches print.
Program
Friday February 9
Morning
8:00-9.00 Registration of Con-
I tcstants Sewcll Auditorium.
9.00 Preliminary Contests in:
radio speaking men's oratory
women's oratory men's extempore
speaking women's extempore
speaking men's poetry reading
women's poetry reading.
Afternoon
Assembly Sen ell Auditorium.
1:15 Round 1 Preliminary de-
2 Preliminary de-
3 preliminary de
bates.
2:40 Round
bates.
4:00 Round
bates.
Evening
7:00 Scwell Auditorium. Finals
in: radio speaking men's oratory
men's poetry reading women's
oratory women's poetry reading.
Saturday February 10
Morning
8:15 Round 4 Preliminary de-
bates. 10.00 Finals in men's extem-
pore speaking at ACC Chapel ex
ercises Scwell auditorium. Announ"
cement of teams winning three or
four of "preliminary debates.
10.45 Final's in women's ex
tempore speaking Scwell auditor.
ium.
11:00 Round 1 Elimination dc
bates.
Afternoon
1:30 Round 2 Elimination de
bates.
3 00 Round 3 Elimination do
bates.
Evening
7:30 Finals In debate.
There will be no Bible reading
division in the contest this year.
AROUND THIS
LAIR
Teachers are messier'n students
For proof sco Vernon Hollings-
worth who sweeps tho seats in
Bennett Gym following a basket-
ball game. Still does that prove
anything except tha tho profs have
more cash to buy more peanuts
and popcorn than the students they
prey upon 7
ica unacrwooas wife swears
Ted's going to shave his head and
scratch up his pretty faco until
after KETCII-UP DAY next Toes-
day. Already his "good looks"
KETCH-UP DAY COMES TO LAIRITES AS CONCENTRATED LEAP YEAR
Roberson On New
Sun. TSN Program
ACC Is Now Tied For Number Of
Network Broadcasts
"Archaeology and the Bible" Is
the title of a new scries of radio
talks to be heard weekly over TSN.
These fifteen minute lectures by
Charles Hcbcr Roberson M. A
are scheduled for 12-30-12:45 each
Sunday afternoon beginning this
Sunday.
Roberson who has done advanc-
ed work In Hebrew Greek and
philosophy Is head of ACC's Bible
department and has been a mem-
ber of the faculty since 1932.
This new weekly program Is in
addition to the regular Monday
night broadcast at 8:15 and gives
us as many regular programs over
tho Texas State Network as any
college or university in Texas.
Only other schools scheduling two
weekly programs are NTSTC at
Denton. Texas university and
Hardin-Simmons university.
TU Debaters Will
Meet ACC Squad
HereThis Month
Other New Meets Also Scheduled
For Season
Prickly Pear From
Press Early In May
Snapshot Contest Closes Tues.
rcbruar)' 20
The 1940 Prickly Pear will come
from the press between May 1 and
m ulii kvn it. firt fn.t May fifteen editor Leslie King
encounter with tho University of
Texas in Abilene sometime the lat
ter part of this mjnth according
to announcement made by Fred
Fred . Barton debate coach
The debate was scheduled during
Mr. Thomas A. Rousso's recent
viait to the ACC campus for the
West Texas Speech Clinic Mr
Roussc is coach of tho Longhorn
speakcis A definite date has not
jet been decided upon Mr Barton
said.
Meets Redlands In March
Continuing its policy of meet-
ing schools of tho first rank in de-
bating circles tho Wildcats will
meet tho Universiy of Redlands
from Redlands California on the
ACC campus the 18th of March
This will be the second debate in
as many years for the Lairltcs
with a California school other than
in tournament competition ns they
met tho University of Southern
California in Sewell Audlorlum last
spring.
Plan Two TourncjB
In addition to the above dual
meets ACC is to meet the Uni-
announccd this morning. "Wo will
distribute the books ns near the
first of May as we can and are
making every effort to bring the
annuals out cnrl" says King
February 20 is the deadline set
for all entries In the snapshot con-
test which cnnies an award of a
1910 Pilckly Tear to the submitter
of the winning scries Tho win
ning sciies of photos will be print
ed In the feature section
Winners of tho Beauty and Beast
contest sponsored by the Prickly
Pear w il be included! n tho annual's
feature section. The election will
take prnco Monday after chapel
Lectureship Is
Drawing Wide
Publicity
12000 Invitations Go
Out With Program
More than 12000 bulletins con
taining the program for ACC's
23rd annual Bible Lectureship to
be held here beginning February
18 have been mailed from the col
lege offices.
Church of Christ ministers con
ducting programs over 75 radio
stations have been sent requests
to announce tho lectureship; 2870
ministers and 5000 churches have
been mailed programs and invita-
tions; and over 1000 programs
have been mailed by students of
ACC to their friends and parents
This has been done in nn attempt
to draw to Abilene Christian Col
lege the largest crowd ever as-
sembled for tho lectureship pro-
gram Last year tho scries at
tracted 750 visitors from fourteen
states.
.Ti-IO Preachers on Program
Between thirty-five and forty
ministers of the Church of Christ
are cxr-ected to appear on the pro-
gram which consists of eleven
lectures and six panel discussions.
The lectures will be delivcrci
two each day at 11 am. and 7"30
nnd panel discussions will bo held
nt 9:15 a m. and 2:30 p m. on Tuos-
day Wednesday and Thursday Tho
lectureship will close Thursday
February 22.
Classes will meet on a 15-minutc
schedule from Monday through
Thursday resuming regular sched-
ules Friday morning.
Music Clinic Has
ACC Delegation
Clint Cooke Milton Cronfil
Clydo Hadcn Rowland Howell and
Douglas Fry took membership in
the Texas Music Educators Asso
ciation during its convention and
clinic at Mineral Wells February
1 2 and 3.
They were accompanied to the
clinic by D. W. Craln director of
the Wildcat band nnd Leonard
Burford head of the ACC music
department.
AH five of tho students named
expect to direct bands next year.
The band conducors' section of
the clinic was under tho direction
of II. E. Nut instructor nnd sec
retary of the Vandercook school of
music at Chicago. Noble Cain
choral conductor for National
Broadcasting Company had charge
of the choral division nnd Henry
Sopkin of the American Conser
vatory of Music in Chicago con
ducted the orchestra division
BEAUTY MEETS BEAST IN CORONATION AT
HALF-TIME IN McMURRY-ACC
BASKETBALL GAME
KETCH-UP DAY will come to Abilene Christian Col-
lege this Tuesday. This desijrnation was chosen by the
committee in charge of arrangements because that is the
day our quarter-of-a-thousand co-eds are going to have to
KETCH UP on all the chasing which they would normally
spread over the the 36G days of Leap Year.
Date fever has hit a new high
on the campus as kittens have bus-
tled about trying to snap up tho
soft spots In a hurry. Wesley Cox
reports that ho has had nn offer
to take a girl to the show Tues-
day night provided he will pay
his own way and furnish transportation.
Mrs A. B. Morris dramatics di
rector in ACC lead an original
cutting of Thornton Wildcr's "Our
Town" at a meeting of tho Junior
Women's Forum unit Thursday
morning at the Wootcn hotel.
Iinvn ntfvnAtwl 4- lilm U .it.
4t. t t t! v . i. v 'vcrsity of nn Antonio in Abilene
tlons of Leona Finch who phoned. '. t i i
o.nn .. 'i r ' ..- n February 21. Trips are alsc
. r m . n'so planned to the Trinity Univcr
to the McMurry game and dinner . .. . v ....
McMurry game and dinner
afterward on wrong-way-day.
0 Maybe Ted if you'd investigate
you'd discover what others know
There ain't no such co-ed as Leona
Finch.
"Dallas ain't so big if you know
your way around" disclaims Per-
rnelia Scruggs after her success
ful chisel nt Katherlno Cornell's
performance Saturday. Permella
nnd Pat Patterson not only filled
two scats about a dollar better
than those they purchased at the
b. o. but wound up next to a guy
sporting OPERA GLASSES. And
did Mrs. Morris and company Iz
7I0 while those two watched la
Cornell in close-up while the rest
back-rowed it!
Cadenzas are circulating all over
tho clarinet section In band prac-
tices this week. Can it be these
"special practices" which aro on-
nbllng tho likes of Ganus and
Moser to steal tho Howell thun-
'dcr? These practices aro Craln's
new attempt to Improve the band
(Continued on page 4 )
sity tournament nnd the Louisiana
Normal Speech meet at Nachi-
toches Louisiana this spring.
ACC speakers won laurels In both
theso meets last year. Mrs. A B.
Morris associato teacher of speech
aids in coaching the Individual
speakers.
Schug Biography In
International
Collection
CORRECTION
Dr Trancis M Keichowlle re-
cently elected president of the
American Association of Teachers
of Spanishe is had of the lan-
guage department of New Mexico
University and not of New Mex-
ico A & M as stated in The Op-
timist last week.
Columbia Broadcasting System
research reveals that farm families
listen to their radios on an aver
age of 5 hours 18 minutes a day.
Nine Initiated to
"A" ( At brims
Members Will Donate Fic Dollars
Each Tor Recorder
Nino students were initiated to
the "A" club boys honor organiza-
tion in Abilene Christian college
last night in the home of Dr. G
C. Morlnn club sponsor.
Initiates weie Scwel Cox. Hel-
muth Stromqulst Garvin Beau-
champ P H. Hill Gaston Cogdcll
Gmln Toms Bojd Reese Louie
Welch and V. W. Kelly.
Recorder
Tho lecoullng machine which
the club is puichnsing for its 1940
pioject is to be ready foi use be-
fnrn thn spmostnr nnrl Thi nom-
nlM snt nf nnulnmrnt. will i1P When The Optimist went to press
placed In one of the auditorium tho onl Beauty candidate were
studios and will bo used in the L0'3 McBiMc Betty Rose Hen-
Frame-Up
Rumor has it that there Is a
frame-up afoot among a group
of Zellncritcs who have been al-
most perpetually stood up this
year to date the leading Romcos
and KETCH UP by ditching them
in favor of an evening's knitting.
And Lawrcnco Smith is nlmost
violently KETCHING UP with the
gal who asked him for a date
to tho McMurry-ACC ball game
by setting the game up to Monday
eve to chisel the unsuspecting
Wildkittcn out of n free show.
TIME SHIFT
Because of the Tucsday-to-Mon-
day cage game shift the politico
rally for Beauty and her Beast
will be moved up to Saturday tho
beast will still be crowned bo
tween hahes of the basketball
melee and Beauty and Beast will
reign together on that fateful
Tuesday
Candidates for Beastic aro thick
ns flies In the field arc Wirry
Funny James Hon id Lumley
Rusty Redman Robber Eatherlj
Loon Hcnthorn Pan Bailey Sissy
Young and Bear Meat Melton
speech and music departments to
correct voice defects.
The estimated cost of the mach-
ine is 200. Each member is to do-
nate five dollars and the support
of ex-members also has been ask-
ed in purchasing this gift.
City people listen 0 minutes less.
LAIRITES RUSSIANS DISPLAY ORIGINALITY
IN GEOGRAPHICAL DATA AND OTHER INFO
New Spanish Text Published
This Summer
Dr. Howard L. Schug head of
ACC's foreign language depart-
ment has been selected for a place
In the World Biographical Ency-
clopedia becauso of his work in
Spanish relations in the educational
and religious fields.
This publication which will go
to press In the next few days cor-
talns biographies of prominent liv-
ing men nnd womert from every
(Continued on Pago 2)
A few weeks ago the local news
papers carried the startling story
that a group of forty Russian
prisoners who were quizzed over a
Finnish radio station none had
ever heard of Jesus Christ Hitler
or Mussolini; none could name tho
President of Russia; and none
could namo the capital of Franco
though one ventuied that It was
Berlin.
Wlille hardly comparable with
the record made by the Russians
a five minute quiz igiven by Dr.
Belcher in ono of his Education
classes tho other day (at the re
quest of an Optimist staff mem-
ber) showed that even the students
of Abilene Christian College havo
a surprising dearth of knowledge
along certain very simple and clc
mentary lines.
Continents "A Dozen"
To the question "Number and
namo the continents of tho world"
a wldo diversity of answers were
received some thinking there are
threo continents some that thero
ore four somo that thero aro five
others that thero aro six seven
eight and ono that thero aro no
less than twelve
England was named as a con-
tinent four times; Iceland Cen
tral America Greenland and the
Arctic region all were named
twice; and New Foundland Asia
Minor India and Ireland were
named as continents once.
Republicans Are right
.To the question "Namo threo
dictators and the countries they
rule" somo even more revealing
information was given. Poor Pre
sident Roosevelt much ns ho has
denied having any aspirations nt
all toward being tho absolute dic
tator of his country was named
TWICE as a dictator. And Eng
landdespite her fierce declara
tlons against dictators was found
to havo two King Edward and
King George (tho dastards).
Rayon Is Miscellaneous
Ono of the questions sort of a
multiple cholco affair read like
this; "Is Itayon made of cotton
wood glass or silk?" Obviously it
is made of all four of theso sub-
stances for thoy were all put down
at least once. Your humble cor-
respondent even struck out on this
one. Tho Japanese will bo sur-
prised that no less than eight en-
terprising American college stu-
dents havo found that rayon is
mode of silk. (No doubt our next
discovery will bo that oleomargar
ine is made of butter)
Hogg Was U. S. President
Nino of those questioned could
not nnmo seven presidents of tho
United States besides Franklin D
Roosevelt. Those living "Nawth"
of the Mason-Dixon will bo cha
grined to learn that Jefferson
Davis was once a President of tho
U. S while all true Tcxans will
be thrilled to hear that one stji
dento in ACC has unearthed the
fact tat. besides boing ono of
the Lono Star state's best gover
nors Hogg was also a President
of tho nation at ono time.
King Carol In Dumps
Seventeen of those queried could
not name tho capitals of Russia
and Germany though there was n
disagreement among three of tho
quizzed as to whethes Paris Dan-
zig or Linda (location unknown)
Is tho capital of Germany Ono
student perhnps ahead of his tlmo
by several months or years named
Rumania as tho capital of Russia.
(King Carol won't bo pleased nt
this we'll vouch).
Ah well' Ono can't bo cxpectod
to know ovory thing can ono?
i Gascon Cogdcll
queen will bo crowned first and
will attend to the coronation o
hubby personally in the most ap
proved marital fashion.
Originator of tho idea of having
KETCH-UP day on February 13
has not been KETCHED UP with.
When last seen ho was in tho
company of tho Egyptian who
started the Leap Year idea.
thorn Dorothy Schneider and
Christine McLcod.
Coronation Bass-Ackwards
The coronation will proceed in
reverse order with Beauty attend
ed by the runner-ups in Bcastie's
contest and tho next-best Beauties
attending King Painfulpan. Tho
QUIZZICAL QUIZ
If Professor Quiz ever became
a college president he'd turn
things upside down literally He'd
make the students teachers and
have the teachers bring the ap-
ples Tho Professor has a theory
that collego students ore bright-
er than the pcoplo who teach
them. What's more he can prove
it
Tho Professor heard with Bob
Trout on CBS has made several
personal tours around tho country
running informal quizzes at a
number of colleges. In fifteen quiz
contests between students and fac-
ulty students have won fifteen
times. Tho faculty Is doing great
when Its number-ono man scores
as high as tho lowest student.
Tho Professor explains that this
happens becauso students know
less and as a result have moro
limber minds easily adapted for
quizzing. Ho likes college students
on his program.
High school students are his real
problem though. They know still
less and consequently their minds
aro moro limber altogether too
limber. In fact becauso they ans-
wer bo many question correctly
that tho other contestants
Aerial Broncho
Busting Tried
By Bug Dendy
When a man falls out of an
airplane that's tragic when ho
climbs back in that's news. Both
of 'em happened to Julian Dendy
enrolled In the aviation class at
Hardin-Simmons on Wednesday
January 24.
"Bug" was putting his piano
through the paces at 3500 feet
over tho Abilene airport when tho
machine suddenly refused to coma
out of n vice-versa. That left
our little Columbia South Carolina
resident in an embarrassing posi-
tionbut not half so perplexing as
the one ho found himself In short-
ly thereafter
Mr Dendy is proud of tho fore-
sight which led plane designers to
include safety belts in aircraft
trappings But ho wasn't proud
of his own personal safety belt
that Wednesday It slipped. SO
DID JULIAN'
Grabbs Indiscriminate Handful
As he fell from the cockpit
Dendy made a giab and camo up
with a handful of somo portion of
tho fuselage He won't swear
what it was. He won't even swear
that he cared what part it was.
It was a handful.
Tho writer's imagination is a
little vaguo as to how ono would
swarm over a runaway airplane
on the outside unstick a set of can
trols right the plane climb back
in and not faint before landing
but it can bo done. Dendy did it!
Ho even claims that it was a
pretty fair landing.
"Parachute? Yes I had ono
on" says Julian. He remember-
ed it nftcr he was back inside
right side up Providential yes?
Unbelievable No? But it hap-
pened so help mol
Leon Hcnthorn
Pre-Meds Meet At
H-SU Lecture
Preparation For Medical School
Discussed by Mlddleton
Accompanied by Dr. J. P. Gib-
son pro-mod students of ACC
went to Hardin-Simmons Monday
night to hear a lecture sponsored
by tho Pro-Mod Club of H-SU.
"Preparation for Medical School"
was tho subject of an address by
Dr. Edwin Mlddleton of Abilene.
Another feature of the meeting
was an illustrated lecture on tho
life- of cells.
Pre-mod students attending from
ACC were Donley Woodruff presi-
dent Dcrrls Richardson Jim
Clark Sanford Thompson Duano
Moser Dick Milton Ruth Slater
just E. L. Haag Morris Patterson J.
look silly.
fji D. Cone and Sam Jameson.