The Akron Beacon Journal from Akron, Ohio • Page 33

SECTION AKRON BEACON JOURNAL -WAD FA WEEK THIS vv villi EDITORIALS NEWS REVIEW THE NOTEBOOK SUNDAY, MAY 30, 1943 HERE'S THE STORY OF AKRON AND KENT STATE UNIVERSITIES TODAY Iks i I mm II li' IV I 1 if 5 r) Air Cadets Take Over Kent Dorms; Girls Switch Courses, Look Ahead Old Social Life Almost Extinct; Cutting Of Classes Reaches New High Mark AS FOR THE FACULTY, 22 men snd wompn already have gone into service with the military organizations or the federal government. Included among these are the heads of several departments, and two of the most popular of the history professors. The new faculty members are younger, less experienced, and in the case of several brought in with the ink still damp on their diplomas, students complain, "They treat us as though we are high school students. Why, one of them even makes us outline our lesson each day like we've been doing since we were in the eighth grade." Cutting of classes lias reached a uew high at the university, another example of the unrest among the Htudents. Administrative officials and department heads threaten failing She hasn't found many who are eager to take short courses in order to finish sooner.

"The girls can't see wasting their time, though." Desn Smallwood noted. "They resent slipshod teaching. Their sense of values and sense of proportion hHve been challenged by the war." The girls aren't us interested in Joining the services its one might expert, either, Miss 1 A' mar said. "No one has signed up for the WAVES and only three have gone directly from school Into the WAACS." There Hre more niarriHges on the campus now than ever before, Dean Smallwood said, but they're not the "fly-hy-night" type. "The girls who are married are the ones who've known the boys for some time." She.

remarked on the increase in the number of engagements. More cutting of classes Is being- done this quarter, Desn Smallwood stated. "Some of this is due to the girls visiting their boy friends -in army camps," she explained. "They're pretty good about making up missed work, though." By IXKIXA rOKMKR KENT STATE UNIVERSITY, like everything else, has "gone to war." Professors are teaching courses they've never taught hefort. Five hundred army air crew men have moved into the dormitories.

The summer catalog is full of new war courses. The co-eds "'are meeting new people and new ideas. And how is it affecting them? "Is what I'm doing the most important thing I can do in this war?" That's the big problem of the college girls. They're wondering whether it's worth it to stay in college whether It's the right thing to do. The general unrest in the country caused by the war has, of course, hit the campus.

The un-settledness ill the home snd family caused by members going Into service and the appeal made by radios, movies and publications have helped to cause restlessness on the campus. By JANE RIEKER I RETURNED SATURDAY to the university from which I was graduated four years ago and found that eince 1939 a century has passed on the Akron university campus. Married women some already widows and soldiers' fiancees are predominant in the campus scene. The curriculum has changed so that almost every course slants toward preparing students for wartime living. The old social life is almost extinct.

Quality of the professors has changed, A military atmosphere pervades the cam-pus and the pre-fllght students have crowded activities completely out of the university student building, although regular rampusites still are allowed the use of the building lounge. Naturally, it's the changeover from a peacetime to a wartime existence that has thrown the sun-speckled Hilltop campus into a place of uniformed routine and uneven emotions. Most noticeable change is the minority of male students on the campus which once boasted three men to every girl. True, there are upwards of 200 army pre-flight students. But, one sorority woman graphically put it, 'They aren't our Akron men.

And they're just young kids." grades with only slight effect. The men ee-cially feel that as long as they're practically In uniform they shouldn't suffer for a few extra classes missed. The fraternity houses are emptying faster than Rommel's ranks when the Yanks arrived. Already Phi Sigma Alpha, formerly the local Alpha Sigma Omicron fraternity, has closed its house. There are only four members left in school.

By contrast, the sororities are going great guns, and average a higher membership than any of recent years. Instead, what used to be "The Greek's," eating place of hundreds of Hilltoppers until the student building cafeteria opened, is now the "university restaurant." Operated by the school, the cafeteria shares its building with the music Dr. Mary L. Sniallwood, dean of women, and Dr. Lester H.

Munzenmayer, director of placement and education teacher, agree that the co-eds have been affected by the draft snd subsequent removal of hundreds of men from the campus. "Those are some of the factors in this general unrest," Dean Smallwood said last week during an interview-survey of college ideas. "The restlessness spreads from faculty to students, too," Dr. Munzenmayer noted. LAST FALL, APPROXIMATELY 540 men en- Trn scnnoi as regular uhv BLuueiics.

i-semiy uv THE INTRODUCTION of the 500 army aircrew men on the campus has increased the social activity considerably. "They've pepped up the life of the campus," Miss Hungerford says. "There are new faces, new ideas and new ways of dancing." Social activity Is directed through the Women'! War Activity committee, Miss Lamar explained. Every Saturday night various groups have sponsored dances. On Sunday afternoon a listening hour of classical music Is srranged by the Radio Workshop.

The health and physical education department directs a dancing class open only to aircrew students. "We want to treat the cadets here as we would have our men treated on another campus," Miss Colley said. The aircrew students are called "cadets" by the students although they aren't officially cadets until they have finished their training. Only two or three girls out of 79 who left at the end of last quarter said they left because they couldn't find a place to stay, Dean Smallwood told. Fifteen of the girls were graduated, four had low grades, six had taken only one course, seven transferred and three went to live with their army husbands.

Miscellaneous reasons such as marriage, illness and employment accounted for the rest of the girls' leaving. "The girls haven't left to go to work even though we are in a highly industralized area." Dean Smallwood said. "There are a lot of students working, but they're stilt going to school." "The morale is better since the army men are here," Miss Lamar asserts. "The social activity made an adjustment for the girls moving off campus Hnd tied them back sgain with the college." A "TOUGHENIN'G-UP" PROGRAM is under way in the women's physical education cla.ssos, and co-eds are learning to be less esthetic and more energetic. Before the war, women who wanted to become dietitians had to take their advanced work at some other college.

Now they may earn their degree by taking the complete new range of dietetics courses offered in the university home economics department. Introduction to aviation is being offered for students who, with relatives and close friends in the air corps, now want to know the difference between a slipstream and a stabilizer. This Rummer, for the first time, the campus will have nurses of City, Peoples and St. Thomas hospitals as students. The nurses' training program is handled through the hospital training directors, and will include credits in English, mathematics, social studies and scienre.

of these slready have left for military service 84 in the last week alone. With about 290 men remaining on campus, deferred until the semester's end or for other reasons, there are around 450 women. And more will register next fall. Four years ago, a weekly tea dance, a fraternity hop and similar campus occasions were on most every co-ed's social book each week. By comparison, the present social life is negligible, for who wants to dance with a male buried under the attentions of a half-dozen other females? To counteract the drop In social events, an association of student organizations has been set up this year on the campu, to plan affairs in which all students can participate, and to which the pre-flight men usually are invited.

Speaking of the army men stationed on the campus one graduate of the 1941 class, a popular co-ed with sorority affiliation said last week, "I think the university students are getting a little hysterical. The girls are turning into wolves, and hang around on the steps of the student building waiting for pre-flight students. There just aren't any men. And most of the best professors are gone." On the other hand, Adviser of Women Mary Giddings Keating contradicts the statement, saying, "There aren't any more female wolves than when we were in school but the opportunity is better." That's why the women who pursue more obvious to the graduate, Mrs. Keat- 1 nk.

Immii Uaam VVi ut--I 1 i rimtok by K. J. KliM' Mild Jorry Heiiiiau (if Dip Iti'aion liiiirnnl THE QUALITY OF ACADEMIC work this quarter is the worst it has ever been. Dr. Munzenmayer believes.

Dr. Raymond Clark, psychology teacher, and Miss Marguerite Lamar assistant professor of accounting, said they haven't noticed work dropping off. "If anything, my students study more," Miss Lamar said, "but that may be bees use my subjects are more specialized." She commented that many of the girls are going into vocational work that has a bearing on the war. An example of this is a map-making course lieing studied by 21 girls who will go to work in I). when they finish this quarter.

"Ohio Slate university couldn't get one girl interested in this kind of course," Miss Lamar said. "Kent is far ahead of most of the state universities in planning war activities," Miss Lamar went on. She recently returned from a conference at Ohio State where WRr activities were discussed. Students interviewed agreed that many viewpoints have been changed in regard to future vocational plans. Frances Murphey, Hudson junior and editor of the college newspaper, says there is an increased seriousness in considering what part the student will play in the future.

"Those who do ehanpe their vocational plans do it with a great deal of thought." she said. The majority of girls wants t.i finish school, Je.in Hungerford, Portage Lakes senior, believes. "They are more serious. They feel they're lucky to he in school RAFtRARA COLLKY, Kent sophomore, commented that some girls are switching to courses applicable to reconstruction sfter the war. Mary Jane Lynch, Ynungstnwn sophomore, feels that some girls are temporarily changing their vocational ideas.

"When the men come hack they will handle their noimal work," Miss Lynch remarked. Dean Smallwood said she's surprised that there isn't as much vocational upheaval as might be expected. FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, more of the college women are coming to school for career studies instead of husbands. The university is cooperating fully. On the campus rolls are the names of many wives of soldiers, who married their campus sweethearts and went off to war.

But the young' women who enter school next fall will come to study. There will be few men left to marry. On the blue-star service roll In ivy-covered Buchtel hall, below the faculty list are these figures: 436 students in service, -344 alumni similarly involved. Total, 852. IIIR fJlllilLS UUI.

l3iic diiuuiu jiavui urni student, faculty member snd now a dean, since 1932. 1 ne women aoviser saya me muiop Eiunenis Simply reflect the general Confusion of everyone in wartime, and "are settling down pretty well." MISS MURPHEY SAYS THERE is a disruption of school life and a constant tension between the civilians snd the army men. "The civilian men sre Just as welcome at the social activities as the army, although they don't think so," she said. Miss Hungerford who rates the soldiers as "a godsend to the girls" believes the majority of the girls don't plan on hecoming serious. "We want to see them have a good time.

They're all swell kids." Another aspect is noted by Dr. Munzenmayer. "Since the aircrew men have rome the girls are worrying ton much about dating," he said. "They can't have dates in the evenings, 'cadets' on weekends and still get good grades." Dean Smallwood has noticed two types of girls -one who says, "Oh. boy! here's a man." snd the other who says, "We'll treat them like we want our boy friends treated in other towns." THE PICTl'RES I'pper Left Pre-Fllght Students Davis Somers, Flint, and Bill Sorgel, Milwaukee, Stan Somerville and Rosemary Lentsrh, Akron, t'pper Right A group of Tre-Flight students Akron IT.

Center Mrs. Betty Replogle, who with other civilian students, has been forced out of the Student Building cafeteria into the now university-operated cafeteria In the old "The Greek's." Lower centei- A group of Alpha Delta PI sorority girls looking over an old Tel-Buch recalling other and happier campus days. THE TOWN CRIER By KENNETH NICHOLS NO DOUBT many of you, from time to time, have complained about the high cost of meat but we know about a man here who paid $3.50 a pound for turkey and liked it. This man, Herschel Hess, of I municipal court, and his wife, I were down in Knox county for a The turkey from Knox county cost $550 cents a pound and Mrs. Hess was doing it up in the oven when she smelled smoke.

She investigated. The turkey was okay. But the smoke continued. Mrs. Hess investigated again.

She found a charred envelope in the oven and then she trad a horrible memory. There had been 30 bucks in the envelope. Mr. Hess, however, was not too disturbed about this loss when informed all about it. While the turkey actually cost $35, it was tasty and, furthermore, he had won his point about the dangers of oven banking.

THERE'S A NEW and interesting radio program heard each Wednesday night called "Good Listening." The last pitigram featured a playlet that contained the names of several cities. Contestants it's a sort of quiz contest were to pronounce the names of these cities correctly. All of the contestants miseed out. They should have pronounced New Oilcans, "New Or-lce-ans." but didn't, and Los Angeles. "Los An-jell-us." but didn't.

The announcer scoffed. The next test conccmrd a news announcement heard earlier, that evening over the Columbia, broadcasting system. The announcer read the announcement. It was, this announcement, about President Roosevelt's ultimatum to the strikers in Akron, O. The announcer pronounced it "Ay-krun." mm about planes, he didn't know how to fix his car when it broke down in front of the Akron hotel.

Jim Scott, the public relations expert, who was a sort of godfather to the lieutenant during his visit, tried mightily to find a mechanic who would come out and fix the flier's gas buggy. He tried an automobile association, told them who the customer was, related how he had shot down a number ol enemy But all the man at the other end of the telephone line wanted to Kn-nv ws, "Is he a member of the association?" He wasn't. Finally, at the Akion Auto lowing Co. they found a mechanic named Thomas Deifs He fixed the car. The flier asked "How much do I owe you?" To which Deisa replied.

"Not a cent, buddy. I owe you." funeral last week and on the way back stopped at a farm and purchased a 10-pound turkey. It is necessary to digress here for a moment and inform august precincts one day went two boys answering to the names of Jim Loftus and "Weary" Jim and Weary aren't boys anymore. Jim is a businessman downtown and Weary is interested in the theater business. But, as we said, this was a long time ago.

They speedily found out that Jim was underweight! So the two retired to a corner to concen-tiate on that problem. It was decided that Jim should eat enough bananas to hiing himself up to par. They med to the coiner fruit stand and there Jim ate banana after banana until he couldn't stand een the sight of one more. Back they v.ent to the lecruitmg station. Jim was weighed.

He was still a half-pound underweight. The navy man refused to concede the point. Jim was "out." That wss too much-that and the bananas. Jim wreaked an swful vengeance on the navy department befoie hey earned him out of the place and don't mention bananas to him even af v. UX I you that Mrs.

Hess had been in i i I the habit for some time against i i I her husband's wishes, too of Mcaola using the family oven as a safety deposit vault OFFICE SCENE: There was this girl, call her Mrs. Smith, and she was talking on the telephone to a new girl in another office. The new was making inquiries of Mrs. Smith about some shipments and the subsequent records thereof. "I need those records right awsy," said the new girl who was right here in Akron, "so put them in an envelope and send taem AIR MAIL." Mr.

Hess had warned her that the time would surely come when some untoward accident would occur and the family bankroll, so to speak, would be done to a crisp. Mrs. Hera said this could not happen. 1 LIEUT. JOHN Y.

C. ROTH, of the srmy air corps, wss In friwn this week fulfilling a spesking Jnd while the lieutenant knows all IN THE LAST WA Rathe U. S. navy recruiting station was down on Howard St. and into its.