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Wednesday, March 19, 1952 . -

 

a

THE

COLLEGE “NEWS

Page Seven

 

Pastors Discuss Ethics
And Faith Of Christians
Continued from Page 3

Christ, it was affirmed that one
first must know who Christ was
in order to know why His teach-

ings are important.

When the question of Judaism
was brought up, it was suggested

__that people should go back to their
tradition and find out what it is.

The new trend in Christianity re-

‘quires a fuller knowledge of the

Old Testament.
Even though Christians believe
that they are: saved by faith,
orks must enter in, for faith
must be exemplified in the works
of Christians.

M. Peyre Criticizes
Standing of Scholars

Continued from Page 3

unhypocritical. The ideal life in
America is that of the business-
man; this has several unfortunate
results tor the scholar. It forces
him into a regularity of living
which is not conducive to the soli-
tude needed for slow intellectual
maturing and artistic productiv-
ity. Quantity of output replaces
quality; the creator may “read a
book which has not been written,
in orde: to write a book which no
one will read”, There is here,
however, a remarkable lack of
jealousy among colleagues and
far fewer professional “inflated
egos”.

One stimulus to the migrations
of the past fifteen years has been
a sense of “tragic urgency”, a
knowledge that the classical and
other cultures could not survive on
the war-ravaged continent, and
that the only hope was to carry
them over to this country to be
grafted on and preserved for the
future.

Criticism in this country has a
keener and !ess negative approach
although we kav: less skill and
have lost the so-called “urbane
style” of the English. Our writ-
ing of the English language has
been undermined by the vogue of
the business or “Washington”
turn of speech, making critical
language into mere technical jar-
gon. The United States has more
political freedom than many other
countries, but this does not mean
that we have here more intellec-
tual freedom. The two have never
been as interdependent as we are
led to believe. Perhaps a lack of
originality and courage springs
from our free thinking. An un-
fortunate trend in our thinking
today is complacency; M. Peyre
said that now more than ever we
must study foreign languages and
civilizations in an attempt to
bridge the all-important gap, but
instead we seem to be increasing-
ly satisfied with a meagre study
of our own culture. We have a
tendency to use science as a guide
to everything, as something to
“keep up with”, Although this
gives us an honesty of approach,
the soluble problems with which
science deals are changed and out-
dated within twenty years, where-
as the insoluble questions alcne
are worthwhile in that they al-
ways fascinate and lead us on.

Standards must be flexible, and
the only critical question we can
ask of a creator is “has he been
faithful to his own inner vision
and inner word?” To do other-
wise is to fail him in understand-
ing and open-mindedness.  Liter-
ature must be irrational, and we
must not use another’s work a3
a vehi!) to demo, strate our o.vn
This is «.
sad prac:c: of many contemp.-
rary critics. The scholar or crea-
tor, on the other hand, has the
duty of leading the public away
from the comics and television

(“the chewing gum of the eyes’).

Combellack States Ignorance of Homerists,
Points to Influence of Old, Learned Audience

Continued from Page 1

single author, a trend followed by
all but a stout few by the end of
the nineteenth century. Out of
the clash of learned forces, how-
ever, has grown, in the last fifty
or sixty years, a reaction, a “Uni-
tarianism”, insisting that each of
the epics had one, if not the same
author. Still there is no sign of
a truce, for the scholars interested
in linguistic phenomena feel there
are many authors. Each school,
working on assumptions, is stub-
bornly trying to convince the oth-
er!

Ignorance, again, makes 1mpos-
sible a conclusive statement of the
way the poems were presented.
They could have been sung in
small pieces to banquet gather-
ings, or offered in larger sections
before large gatherings in towns.

Because of concrete knowledge,

a theory that Thackery influenced.

Fielding is labelled absurd. Yet
equally absurd theories about
Homer can go undetected in a fog
of ignorance. Homer could have
‘been influenced by some non-ex-
tant work, and today’s criticism
may be faulty because the ex-
istence of a pattern is not real-
ized.: As the problem of Homer's

 

Four Assumptions Form
Basis of Carbon Dating

Continued from Page 3

grates so that a balance is reach-
ed. The approximately half life
of C14 is 5570 plus or minus 30
years.

Therefore, if more than half the
amount of C14 in a substance is
gone, the particular substance
‘must be at least 5570 plus or min-
us 30 years old. To find the amount
of C14 that was originally in a
piece of decayed wood, for exam-
ple, a current sample of wood is
taken and the percent of C14 mea-
sured by a Geiger counter. Then
this percent is compared with the
percent of C14 found in the decay-
ing substance and the difference of
the two percentages shows to what
extent the wood has decayed and
thus how long the process has been
going on. Knowing the half life of
C14, and then measuring the re-
maining life time by the Geiger
counter, the archaeologist or geo-
logist, or any interested person
can determine how long ago the
substances were living.

Dr. Zimmerman explained the
technique used in this work. He
showed a diagram of the Geiger
counter, explained the mechanism,
and stressed the skill necessary to
keep out outside factors which
would influence the process. He
ended the lecture by stating that
carbon-dating is based on four as-
sumptions: ;

1. The Decay Law has been the
same for the past 20,000 years; it
has not been influenced by glaci-
ers.

2. Cosmic radiations have been
the same for the past 20,000 years
or longer.

3. There is an equilibrium and
a complete mixing between vari-
ous sources of carbon.

4. There is no exchange of car-
bon atoms after the death of the
plant or animal.

 

Germany and others has perform-
ed a greater service to its people,
in this respect, than ours. Amer-
ican literature is generally lack-
ing in ideas and originality.

M. Peyre felt that it is the task
of foreign scholars in America to
help this country to understand
the rest of the world. It is equally
urgent that they convey to their
own countries the fact that Amer-
ica is not just a capitalistic power
but has a soul and spirit of its
own, and this may be done most

 

The literature of France, England,

 

successfully tniough literature,

predecessors or models arises,

Homerists create, work out, and|_

criticize sources. Again, because
of lack of knowledge, no one can
prove them wrong.

The ignorance of the cultural
milieu of the poetry is more seri-
ous because only part of the

poetry is understood, out of gen-|

eral cultural context.

This ignorance was non-existent
for the audiences who saw Homer.
They had a deep relevant knowl-
edge, and Homer wrote for them.
As they pay more attention to
Homer’s poetry, critics realize
that he was less the naive rustic,
more the learned scholar, The sim-

plicity is that “of a Greek temple, |.

not a shepherd’s hut.” The Homer-
ists, however, too often neglect
the audience, learned in old
legends and capable, as today’s
audience is not, of seeing rich vis-
tas behind the guideposts of pass-
.ing references.

The audience inherited know]l-
edge of more than the main out-
line of the legends, and needed no
footnotes, Mr. Combellack stated.
Of course this, like the orthodox
theory, is only guesswork, but it
would’ explain many passages that
seem to be irrelevant interpola-
tions.

The archery contest at the fu-
neral games for Patroklos, in the
Iliad, for example, could be ex-
plained, not as interpolation of a
highly improbable sort, or a mo-
mentary lapse in Homer’s genius,
but as a deference to the knowl-
edge of the audience. The listen-
ers probably knew that one man
hit the string tying the target
bird to the ship, while another hit
the {pigeon itself. Therefore it
would seem more logical to them
if Achilleus announced these con-
ditions for awarding the prizes
than if he named the second prize
for some feat which, according to
the legend, could not be accom-
plished. The speech becomes a
“kind of remembrance of time’s
future”.

The author treating tradition
works differently, and creates dif-
ferent effects for a listening audi-
ence. Too often critics forget this,
and create in themselves an in-
terpretive blindness that could be
cured by a closer attention to
clues furnished by the epics. In
explaining passages, they may ne-
glect qualities of Homer which ap-
pear only with a knowledge of his
cultural heritage and his audience.

Minute Special Touches
Improve Movie’s Quality
Continued from Page 2

can play outside whenever he
wants to, he has a dog to play with
and he never has to practice for
concerts. A chase enters in, but
this time has a special twist: while
his friend Rocks is being threaten-
ed with a gun, seven-year-old Se-
bastian grabs the wheel and starts
the car. This throws the gangster
off his guard, enabling Rocks to
overpower him. By this time the
police come. fe

Deciding it is wrong to keep Se-
bastian any longer, Rocks turns
him in. However, his captivitiy
has taught Sebastian a few things.
He refuses to play unless he gets
an increase in pay, a dog, and
Miss Frisbie for his guardian. The
movie ends with the suggestion
that Sebastian has spent a summer
with Rocks.

It is not easy to show someone’s
reformation as a side issue in a
movie without having it cloy. Yet
Rocks, played by Robert Shakle-
ton, is always the good-hearted
American who is somehow in the
position of a thug. Miss Frisbie,
in her dowdy clothes, is a perfect
governess. Bobby Henery, who

 

 

also starred in “The Fallen Idol”,

Fall.

Deanery Sales,Come Up in the Spring;
Donations Are Welcome--Just Anything

(Ladies of Bryn Mawr, please hark to this call,
It’s meant for each one of you, meant for you all,
And will damage your pocketbooks hardly at all!

The purpose and point and intent of this tale,

Is to ask you to help with the Deanery Sale.

“But why have these sales?” you may ask with good reason.
‘Our reply: “At the end of each Deanery season .

All profits are used with most diligent care,

To refurbish and paint, and to mend and repair.

Not a nickel is left . .. we don’t start with too much...
For needed equipment, improvements and such.

Thanks to money trom Deanery Sales in the past,

The cubicles now have a bathroom at last.

And two shabby bedrooms are shabry no more, ”

New paint, drapes, and bedspreads, new rugs on the floor.
Other Deanery plans must be kept on the fire,

Until Sales can provide all the cash they require.”

If by chance-you are off on a cruise or a tour,
Won’t you pick up some items with local allure?

If you’re staying at home... and a few of us may!
\Won’t you knit, won’t you sew,
Sweaters and booties and soakies and caps,
Cuddly blankets for small people’s naps.
Little boy playsuits and dresses for sister,
Aprons for missus, her daughter, her mister.
Napkins for cocktails and napkins for teas,
Lampshades or bureau scarves .
If you’re one of the ladies who lack finger arts,
- Buy a few likely items in giftshops and marts:
Fancies and frillies for dressy-
Gay belts and earrings for want-to-be-seen-agers.

Cases for cigarettes, ashtrays and frames,

Toiletries, lipsticks and scent for the dames.

Argyles and scarves, wallets, lighters and ties,
Handbags of every description and size.

Beads, bits of jewelry, pendants of jade,

Linens and petitpoint, ends of brocade.

Gloves made of nylon and gloves made of hide.

Gifts for the debutante, gifts for the bride.

Place cards and placemats and china and glass,

Odd bits of silver and old bits of brass.

Vases and flowerpois, teacups and trays,

And paraphernalia for cock:ail buffets.

Stuffed dogs and dollies and all sorts of toys,

To gladden the hearis oi small girls and boys.

Wherever you live won’t you help with The Sale?

You can bring things, express them or send them by mail.*

won't you paint or crochet:

. . make what you please.

up teen-agers,

Ladies of Bryn Mawr, please hark to this call,
It’s meant for each one of you, meant for you all,
And will damage your pocketbooks hardly at all! (

*The articles you send us before May 15th

will be sold at our big Commencement time

Sale... the rest at Alumnae Weekend in the —

Packages should be addressed to

Mrs. Donald Wilbur, Sale Chrmn., The Deanery, Bryn Mawr

 

**Science At Bryn Mawr’’

New Booklet Modern In
Continued from Page 2

gives a sufficient and concise ac-
count of the progress that can be
made in the study of each sci-
ence, but it stresses, rather than
competent instruction and _ intel-
lectually stimulating relationships
with others in the field, the instru-
ments with which the laborator-
ies are equipped.

Little mention is made of Bry
Mawv’s particularly able and qual-
ified faculty, whereas many stu-
dents interested in the sciences
would find the opportunity to
study under such scientists a de-
ciding factor in choosing a college

 

steals the show. His mature in-
terpretation, combined with a cer-
tain naivete, makes the more his-
trionic school of child actors seem
ineffective.

The film has some very good ef-
fects which help to lift it out of

the class of a SS and
nothing more. There is . tian’s

fingerbowl of hot water after a
concert,'in which he has to soak
his hands while the press clusters
around him; Mr. Gorrick’s ubiqui-
tous secretary with her ubiquitous
box of candy; and the not fright-
ened but amazed look on a girl’s
face as she gets up from the floor
of the car which ‘Sebastian has
just driven.

In addition, there is music by
Mozart and Schubert throughout.
The movie was filmed with the

 

 

Austrian Tyrol as a background.

Proves Absorbing Topic,
Approach and In Design

for study. Some mention might
have been made of the outstanding
faculty in the physical science de-
partments,* and the easiest and
most unpretentious way would
have been to include their names
under their photographs.

Among the bright aspects of the
written material is the emphasis
on the fact that the advanced stu-
dent, through the honors work pro-
gram, can embark on programs of
independent research and can
specialize in particular aspects of
her science. In addition, the im-
portant point that undergraduates
have the advantage of being
taught by the same professors who
instruct in the graduate school,
thus receiving even beginning in-
struction from competent men and
women, is stressed. The fact that
students are informed of the lat-
est advances in scientific research
through tl®® journal clubs points
up the spirit of progress which ac-
companies scientific study at Bryn
Mawr.

On the whole, the pamphlet is
attractive and gives a satisfactory
picture of opportunities for scien-
tific study. It should attract many
who are interested in these fields
of specialization, as well as help
those who intend to fulfill only
their one-year requirement to
make a happy choice. Perhaps it
will be only the first of a series of
such publications elaborating on
the various departments of study

 

at Bryn Mawr.