The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 46, No. 29, Ed. 1, Friday, April 24, 1959 Page: 2 of 4
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Texas Digital Newspaper Program and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Abilene Christian University Library.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
THE OPTIMIST
:
APRIL 24. II5t
THINK ON THESE THINGS . . .
VAQE2
1
1
iflK
'
I
.1
M
ilre
i V "J?
EDITORIALS . .
We've Got Some Candidates;
See What the Difference Is
We've got our candidates some of them anyway.
At least there is brisk competition for the top two
positions in the Students' Association the president's and
vice president's offices.
There is enough strength among the candidates to give
every student a reason for voting Tuesday. It does make
a difference who wins this election.
If a voter can not see any difference now active
participation in this afternoon's political rally will give
candidates a chance to show the difference.
Combining the rally and All Student's Day was a
wise move by this year's Students' Association. It will
make it easier for voters to dissolve ignorance in interest
for better balloting Tuesday.
There should be competition for the offices of secretary
and treasurer. Since the Student Court has announced
that no write-in balloting will be acknowledged in Tues-
day's election these candidates have virtually chosen
themselves for us.
We are not saying that the candidates for the two
uncontested offices are not capable. They may' well be
flie best people for the jobs. But American tradition seems
to carry with it the idea that competition is good for the
30Ul.
Probably the two candidates would feel better if they
were given the chance to win office by virtue of voter
choice.
Next year's Students' Association officers need to
work towards placing student government in a light
which will encourage persons to want such responsibility.
How About This?
We've found it! It's the perfect example of a bad
attitude.
Today the Students' Association presented the school
with enough money to make up the difference between
what students pay and the actual cost of operating Abi-
lene Christian College.
Students paid for today in the "Pay for a Day" pro-
.gram. Then after having paid for today the Association
grabbed power and turned school out.
Perhaps the day is coming when a collection will be
taken up in chapel one day and the students will pay for
the next turning everybody out for a rest.
How about tomorrow?
THE WPTIMIST
fubllthad waakly axcapt during lummtr vacation by th studtnti of Abllant Christian
Coltog. Subscription! On Dollar pr yar. Entarad at tcond data mattar Jun 39
IfJt at th pott offlc of Abllana Taxas undar Ad of August 24 1912. Addrosi ill
communications to Th Optimist Station ACC Abllana Taxas.
SUtor
Associate Editor
Jajslstant Editor .
feature Editor
Society Editor
iPkotographer
DENNIS RENNER
HAROLD STRAUGHN
MARILYN MATNEY
BARRY JACKSON
BARBARA ANTHONY
DAVID DALLAS
Advertising Manager
JTaculty Advisors
BILL "MOSES" OSBORN
REGINALD WESTMORELAND
LANECUBSTEAD
Judy Brandon Mlko Cummlnst Ennlo DaVoto Shlrlty Wilson Franca Msrbury
Mancy Rlckart Jack) Thomas Malba Young Charts! Woolrldga Ann Parrlsh Galnas
Clyd Forbss Phyllis Goodwin Jarry Bob GrMf Billy Pnn Evalyn Robarts
i Faldar Carolyn Hal Barthall Robarton Urt FUhar
What About Cleon Lyles?
By JIM SAMUEL
"What did you think of Cleon
Lyles?" This is the question wo
arc asking each other just as we
always do after gospel meetings.
Personally I thought he was
extra good. Wo might cite his dis-
cussions on giving and Peter's
guilt complex as ample support
for this opinion.
PERHAPS TWO of the hardest
things for a preacher to do Is to
determine the listeners needs
and secondly to preach to the
ones that arc there and not to the
ones that aren't.
Brother Lyles dealt with the
real problems that exist here and
consequently he really went over
big.
Few speakers and this is espec-
ially true in chapel are able to
DESCANT
". . . w dncant and yal afaln
datcaar
Uttan th saprawa rhanw of
Art nd aVmg . . ."
-W. i. Yaat
by WILKES BERRY
iBMssB
ifJjBI f?rrJjkkH
R5Fijs
"The Sound and the Fury" is
all fury and very little sound.
Most of the time the characters
glare at each other in numbing
silence or lacerate each other with
masterful sarcasm.
Although the movie claims to
be based on William Faulkner's
book virtually the only point of
similarity is the title.
A bewigged Yul Brynner is
cast Jason Compson the hard-
working and despised stepson of
a fancy Mississippi Delta family.
Actually the family is rather run-down-at-the-heels
in AD 1059
and has been since AD 1865.
JASON HAS set himself the
somewhat awing task of restoring
the Compsons to the glory that
was theirs before down South be-
came tht low-down South.
Jason'r undertaking was com-
plicated by the fact that the fam-
ily dinner table looked like a
round-table discussion at a meet-
ing of the 'AA. Jason approached
the problem from several differ-
ent angles.
Qucntin (Joanne Woodward) is
something of a Mississippi beat-
nik at some obnoxious age twixt
twelve and twenty. She was nam-
ed for an uncle whose greatest
fault was not that he committed
suicide but that he did it in the
best bedroom.
QUENTIN IS THE unwilling
companion of her step-uncle (Is
there such a thing?) Jason at Sun-
day afternoon tea in all the best
sitting-rooms of Jefferson Miss.
The best job of acting is done
by Margaret Leighton who por-
trays Quentin's mother. She de-
serted her daughter as an infant
and has now returned a tired
faded ex-belle who realizes that
the parties are over.
She is especially convincing
when she meets her daughter for
the first time and reveals that she
can't advise Quentin about any-
thing except beaux and clothes.
ETHEL WATERS with her un-
bounded command and natural
dignity plays the Mammy flaw-
lessly. She functions as a con-
science for the family and as a
symbol of the stability of the old
the Compsons free of
scandal is every bit as frustrating
as silencing Alvln and his har-
monica. Jason locks them in their
rooms cuts the trees down near
their windows so they can't climb
out and has one of them com-
mitted to an insane asylum.
Jason begins to think that
sprucing up the Compsons is as
hopeless as reviving Stonewall
Jackson but then Quentin finds
herself: "the only Compson in
fifty years to get up off her
knees."
"The Sound and the Fury" is
an exceedingly entertaining com-
mentary on the old Southern gen-
try a society that is "too poor to
paint and too proud to whitewash."
BITS AND PIECES
Seven Men Destined for Moon
Found to Be Studious Happy
By DOROTHY GOODWIN
Everyone who doesn't like
being considered archaic must
sooner or later get around to men-
tioning the new frontier. This
week your capsule digest features
the wild blue yonder . . . the one
'way out yonderl
Reader's Digest suggests vary-
ing conflicting motives for our
big push to outer space. Some
military strategists believe a U.S.
rocket base on the moon would
be the supreme deterrent to any
earth agressor. Scientists believe
satellites may have value as "eyes
In the sky" over enemy territory
and may serve as communication
relays or aids for navigation.
Other experts think the propa-
ganda rivalry with Russia is the
most Important aspect of the
push. The conclusion of the article
is however that the most basic
motivation is man's enduring and
Insatiable drive to explore and
know his environment.
America has recently chosen
the men who will be the first to
start this exploration personally
for the western side. From a field
of 55 volunteers seven young test
pilots came through grueling tests
with flying colors.
U.S. News and World Report
describes these seven men as hav-
ing much In common. Rather than
being the swash-buckling adven-
turous type each Is a studious
happily married family man In
his thirties. Each Is a college man
a military officer an active mem-
ber of a religious body . . and
each Is eager to bo the first man
to be shot aloft In 1061.
Apparently their families are
Just as eager If the young wife
pictured on television's Today is
representative. Seems her hus-
band one of the lucky seven was
away on duty when notification
came that he had been chosen.
Since acceptance was necessary
the ambitious young help-meet
called Washington and accepted
for her husband.
get the attention that ho got.
After hearing his unusual com-
bination of wisdom and humor
we were made to see what a valu-
able attentlon-gttter a little wit
can be.
ANOTHER THING this man.
has proven Is that the pulpit is
not dead true a lot of the speak-
ers who stand behind it arc yet
the public preaching of the gospel
is still an effective method.
The only constructive criticism
that might be offered comes as a
result of that very hurried first
chapel address.
All these mlle-a-mlnute chapel
speeches would be more effective
if speakers would say less but
say it better.
It's no wonder why Brother
Lyles is in such great demand as
a speaker. His manner and style
are worth a good study by all
young preachers.
I wish there were many more
like him don't you? . . . think on
these things.
by DENNIS RENNER
Life in a chicken yard is said
to be faclnntlng.
Some observers have actually
offered a comparison of chickens
with human beings. These ob-
servers find analogies galore but
never offer a suggestion as to who
is copying who.
My old farming uncle likes to
sit out in his porch swing to rest
in the breeze. He has a good view
of his barnyard and con watch
the fowl live.
He says it's more fun than
standing on a corner by a drug
store. Chickens roally live loo
in a democratic way accord-
ing to my uncle.
"It's every chicken for him-
self" he says. "Except when some
hen has a little brood of her own."
Chickens are capitalistic too
according to my observant uncle.
"Take in the evening when it's
time for a fowl to latch on to a
limb for some shut eye.
"It takes them a long time to
settle down to pacified slumber"
he says.
"They've got to light a while
first fight over the choice
spots which offer the most
comfort and shelter."
And then from before the be-
ginning of daylight my uncle gets
in on a daily contest to see which
rooster is the best rooster.
"He who crows first wakes
everybody up" seems to be the
motto says my uncle
"And after the first crow tho
roosters launch a volume test.
"But no matter how proud a
rooster gets he never stays on top
forever." philosophizes my uncle.
"Whether it's the hen who has.
won the right to peck all tho
other hens or the rooster who
manages to crow the loudest and
wake up the most things the
end is only one surprising hatchet
swing away.
"And thaf axe falls si the will
of the people who yote on.
chicken or beef for Sunday
dinner."
My uncle has always puzzled
me. I can never figure out just
how far he means to carry out his
comparison of people and chick--ens.
But I like to hear him talk.
v
m
mmmwmxmmmmmmtmm
rtwimm
If a
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 46, No. 29, Ed. 1, Friday, April 24, 1959, newspaper, April 24, 1959; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth95943/m1/2/: accessed April 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.