Pasadena Chronicle, March 17, 1927

LrJ u. VOL. XVIII PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 1927 NO. 21 Brilliant Presentation at Hand SUPREME LAW OF LAND IS SUBJECT Constitution To Be Discussed By High School Orators Over the Country Nation Wide Contest All H. S. Students Are Eli¬ gible to Enter Competition for Prizes Once again the students of P. H. S. are offered cash prizes, trips to Washington, trips to Europe, and high honors both for the indi¬ vidual and for the school. The only requirement for obtaining the above-mentioned is a well organ¬ ized and original oration on the "Constitution of the United States.” In order to further and increase interest and respect for the su¬ preme law of the land, this mam¬ moth oratorical contest has been instituted by the many newspapers of the United States. Any student who is nineteen years old or under may complete at the P. H. S. semi-finals which will be held in room 401-C during the week of March 28. The speech- years old or under may compete es must not be over ten minutes in length and the orators may talk on any phase of the general topic that they may desire. The winner of the P. H. S. fi¬ nals will be entered into the dis¬ trict group and the winner there group will go to the Southern Cali¬ fornia semi-finals, and the student that comes out first in this contest will enter the South-West district finals. The finalist that receives the judges’ decision from this group will go to Washington and also receive the trip to Europe and the privilege of competing for na¬ tional honors. CLUB PICTURES FOR THE . “ANNUAL”BEING TAKEN The club pictures are being taken rapidly for this year’s Annual. All members of different clubs should watch the Bulletin, as the time for the various clubs’ pictures is print¬ ed in it each day. Of the fifty-two clubs to have pictures taken, eleven have already been snapped. The pictures are being taken during advisories and all clubs are urged to be on time, as the photographers will not wait for late members to arrive. The faculty adviser of the club should be present. No picture will be tak¬ en unless the receipt from The bank is presented. Any new information about any club, or any new members names, should be written and put in Miss Snyder’s box, or taken to room 205-C. JOHN MARSHALL “UKE” CLUB ENTERTAINS H. S. Honor Students Will Sell Candy Speaking on the subject of operas and other forms of enter¬ tainment always brings to mind that none is complete without lots of refreshments. From picnics to professors’ conventions the univer¬ sal cry is: “When do we eat?” The mind gleans abundance of knowl¬ edge from observation and hearing, but the stomach — -ah! that inevita¬ ble tease, demands more than ab¬ stract quantities, it must have con¬ crete substances, though not as hard as sidewalks. With this idea in mind the noble youths and maidens of our illus¬ trious and intellectual organization; the honor society, will make its pleasing appearance at the evening performances of “Briar Rose” in the form of chic-candy girls and lots of sweets for everyone’s sweet tooth. This candy which has been made from pure cane sugar bought by the masculine element of the club will be exchanged by petite maidens for any spare nickels, dimes, or other “chicken-feed” which dingles in your pockets. Not only will you satisfy your¬ self, but you will help the society to send an extra delegate along with Marion Schoeer, stace treas¬ urer of the organization and offi¬ cial representative of P. H. S. to the California Scholarship Federa¬ tion which will be held in Fresno, April 9. This convention is the second of the school year and is known as the spring convention. Accordingly, gentle readers, come with plenty of shekels in your pockets and dig deep in order to enjoy yourselves and help a worthy “Briar Rose 99 Bursts Forth In All Her Colorful Splendor\ Gorgeous, Spectacular Prologue Consisting of Three Entirely Different Scenes, Exquisite Costumes, Beautiful Scenery and Lighting Effects Capacity Audience Views First Presentation DRAMATISTS WILL HONOR SHAKESPEARE Many Out-of-Town Reservations Made; Faculty Members Urge Attendance; Rapid Ticket Sale Predicts Adequate Receipts; Authors Attend Declared by many to have sur-rnating as court jester, command passed “The Marriage of Nan- In perhaps one of the most enter¬ taining of assemblies held this semester, the P. H. S. student body was honored by a program through the courtesy of the John Marshall Ukelele club, under the direction of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Walker, faculty members of the junior high school. The club has been organized to promote student life. The fifteen members meet once each week at the end of the seventh period. The entertainers played many popular pieces much to the delight of their audience. Their present¬ ation of “Don’t Sing Aloha When I Go,” was very well done. The rest of the numbers were exception¬ ally good. This society has been touring Pasadena and have been strumming the strings for many outside organizations. They played for the “Pot-latch” at Pasadena high school; for the Elk’s banquet; for the Y. M. C. A.; for luncheons; and at the present they are preparing a program for the Playground Community Service banquet. The club has also entered the ‘Uke’ contest that is being sponsored by the Examiner. William Shakespeare’s birthday is to be celebrated by the South¬ ern California high schools with a dramatic contest on the works of the immortal dramatist that is being sponsored by the Oral Arts Association of Southern California. This contest is held every year in the month of April and this year the date falls on the great author’s birthday. This contest, which will be held at the Community Playhouse, through the courtesy of Gilmore Brown and the Board of Directors, is to precede a similar contest that will be held in Berkeley for the state title. The purpose of this contest is to further interest in the Shake¬ spearean dramatic works. Any high school student may try-out for the high school eliminations. This year, for the first time, the Pasadena Evening high school will be allowed to compete with the students of the day school. Miss Elizabeth E. Keppie, chairman of the Southerna California contest, says that perhaps next year the junior highs will be showed to compete. The students trying out for the contest must prepare a short selection, from any of Shake- peare’s works, of sixteen to twenty-five lines. The selection must not be over twenty-five lines as any pupil who has more than the specified lines will be un¬ conditionally disqualified from further competition. Each high school in Southern California is to send two students, a boy and a girl. P. H. S. will hold the elimination contest in the week of March 28, for the purpose of selecting the repre¬ sentatives that will uphold Pasa¬ dena at the Playhouse. Miss Keppie says, “We hope this year to have the finest con¬ test ever. I think that we are fortunate in having the Playhouse to stage the contest in and we really appreciate it.” Gilmore Brown and the Play¬ house directors have made this an annual event. R.O.T.C. Has Inspection Day Taking place on Tuesday, March 15, the local unit of R. О. T. C. was inspected by a major of the ninth corps area. Major Waddel was the inspect¬ ing officer and he was accompanied by Major Tei'rell of the University of California. Every man in the Battalion was inspected personally by the major and asked certain questions regard¬ ing military drill, the rifle, and oth¬ er things pertaining to R. О. T. C. work. The officers were then made to explain certain movements to their companies. After the inspec- CLUB HOLDS SHORTSTORY CONTESTS All Who Enjoy Writing Are Invited to Try Their Skill There’s Prizes, Too! nette,” and agreed upon by many others as being one of the finest amateur productions ever given before a Pasadena audience, “Briar Rose,” which is being presented by the combined glee clubs of P. H. S. and P. J. C., was presented before a capacity audience yesterday afternoon. The opera will be given tonight and tomorrow night. Students, faculty members and ousiders are urged to be on time, as the curtain will go up at 8:15 sharp, the length of the opera mak¬ ing it necessary to start on time. No one will be seated during any scene in the prologue or any one of the acts. In regard to “Briar Rose,” Miss Lula C. Parmley, under whose direction the opera is being pre¬ sented, makes the following state¬ ment. “I am indeed most happy to be able to present as altogether a charming and brilliant light opera as “Briar Rose.” It is con¬ ceded to be a masterpiece for pro¬ duction by institutions of higher learning. Musically speaking, “Briar Rose” is a gem, ranking with any of the Gilbert and Sulli¬ van or Rhys-Herbert light operas. It abounds in sparkling and haunt¬ ing melodies and wonderful chorus effects. The plot is intriguing, the action swift. Gorgeous scenic ef¬ fects and stunning hand-painted costumes charm the eye. These are enhanced by other exquisite and dazzling features. An exception¬ ally strong cast promises a fine interpretation of this delightful opera fantasia, in this our annual offering.” One of the most outstanding fea¬ tures of the opera are the elaborate costumes, of which here is no doubt but that they are the most gorgeous ever used in a school production in Pasadena. Selected after careful study and only then on the ap¬ proval of well-known costume authorities, they lend a lavish per¬ fection to the stupendous pro¬ duction. Entirely new scenery, amounting to hundreds of dollars, has been constructed. Beautiful lighting ef¬ fects add to the beauty of the opera. The title roles of “Briar Rose” are ably taken by Virginia Yerxa and Donald G. Novis, both of whom deserve a great deal of credit. Don will be remembered for his splendid work last year. Others winning especially high honors are : Harold Thompson, who does an especially fine piece of acting and who possesses a fine voice; Eunice Erikson, as the queen, who with Floyd Brehm, as the king, furnish the audience plenty of amusement; Donald Anderson, as the peacock cavalier, whose lovemaking to Maxine Doer- schlag is one of the delightful fea¬ tures of the opera; Dorothea Ben¬ son, who shows a remarkable range of voice; Mary Margaret Davies, whose character acting rivals that of any ever seen from the local stage and who possesses a voice of rich quality; Leroy Custer, who as the tailor keeps the audience in constant laughter while he is on the stage; Katherine Kuhn, who as the fairy queen has an opportunity to demonstrate her lovely voice; Donald Wilcox, whose chief occu¬ pation is that of sneezing pro¬ vokes many laughs; Frank Gra¬ ham, who does a fine piece of char¬ acter work; Marion Worrell, who as a member of the royal staff of cooks displays his impertinence be¬ fore the teasing peasants; Gustav Ciliax and Donald Jones, alter- the attention of the audience with their foolery and songs; Harriet j tion was over> Companies C and D Nelson, who as the spinning lady, | moved out to company drill, while Stories Should Be From One to Two Thousand Words in Length gives a fine interpretation of a difficult part, and Helen King, who as a kitchen maid cannot conceal her love for Peterkin, Donald Wil¬ cox. That the opera is attracting widespread interest among the music lovers of Southern Califor¬ nia is evidenced by the fact that Hollywood high school and Lincoln high school of Los Angeles, as well as Alhambra, Glendale and Ana¬ heim high schools are sending large delegations. Other schools sending representatives are Manual Arts, Fremont and Los Angeles . high schools of Los Angeles, Compton Union high- school, Gardena high school, Santa Monica high school, and the University of Southern California. The G. Schirmer Music Store of Los Angeles will also be represented. Besides the schools named, many music department heads from other schools will attend. That the Chronicle readers may know the opinion of some of the faculty members concerning the opera, the following statements are quoted. Dean John W. Harbeson says, “If Don Novis’ solo, “Castles in Dreamland,” and the quartette number which has been sung before several service clubs of Pasadena are any indication of the opera, I want to say that the people of Pasadena have in store one of the greatest musical treats they have ever received from high school or college talent.” Miss Margaret Frey, secretary to Mr. Harbeson says, “I am look¬ ing forward eagerly to witnessing ‘Briar Rose.’ With such a splendid cast and under such able direction, I know that this opera will be the finest production eve r given at Pasadena high school and junior college.” Miss Louise Mitchell, of the at¬ tendance office, who is a graduate of P. H. S. and who participated in “Pinafore,” says, “There has been a great change in the presentation of musical productinos of P. H. S. since “Pinafore,” the first opera or operetta given here was presented. With the larger numbers partici¬ pating it has been necessary to have more pretentions productions, a larger staff of directors, and more experienced players. P. H. S. and P. J. C. are to be highly com¬ plimented upon the high quality of operas presented, of whimh “Briar Rose” is undoubtedly the finest. To Miss Parmley and those who have assisted her a great deal of appreciation is due, as it is only through their untiring efforts that such a production has been made possible. companies A and В took up ex¬ tended order. The last fifteen min¬ utes were taken up with Butts manual, which was done very well by the cadets. The Battalion was then dismissed. The officers of the unit then met for the first part of the fourth period in the Military Office. Ma¬ jor Waddel asked the officers many questions on map reading. Ques¬ tions on the scale of miles used, contour lines, symbols, and the visibility of different points on a map were answered by the officers to the majors satisfaction. Now that the inspection is over the men are looking forward to the maneuver which is to be held in the near future. THIRD CONCERT WILL NOT BE CANCELLED That the Philharmonic orchestra conecrt to be presented in the high school auditorium April 1, will not be canceled, is the statement issued by John Henry Lyons, director of music in Pasadena schools, and un¬ der whose auspices the children’s concerts are given. Although the conductor of the orchestra, Walter Henry Rothwell, is dead, the regu¬ lar schedule for the remainder of the season will be maintained. According to Mr. Lyons, Emil Oberhoffer, conductor of the Min¬ neapolis Symphony Orchestra, will wield the baton for the remainder of the concerts, including tne young people’s concert. Mr. Oberhoffer is well liked in southern California music circles, having been guest conductor for several times at the Hollywood Bowl concerts played every summer. “I was greatly pleased by the manner in which the Pasadena high school students responded to the last concert. It is a good indica¬ tion for the appreciation of music for the coming generation,” said Mr. Lyons yesterday. The loss of Walter Henry Roth¬ well is deeply felt in Pasadena. For many seasons Mr. Rothwell has led the great orchestra in dif¬ ficult selections. Mr. Rothwell died Saturday of heart trouble, at the wheel of his automobile. An impressive funeral ceremony was held Monday in the Philharmonic Auditorium where the noted conductor won fame with his direction of the orchestra. With the body of Mr. Rothwell lying in state near the conductor’s stand, the orchestra played without a leader, the baton lying against a sheet of music. Do you like to scribble? Here’s your chance: The Little Athenium club of Pasadena high school is sponsoring a short story contest in an effort to encourage the school’s literary talent to great deeds. All students are eligible; even those who are not students in the srict- est sense oi; the word. The contest will begin next Monday, March 21, and will last four weeks, until the end of the Easter vacation. Stories should be from 1,000 to 2,000 words in length. Writers should attempt to keep within these limits, as the judges will be unable to give the longer manuscripts proper attention. Each contestant may enter as many stories as he likes. The tales will be judged upon originality of plot, upon expression, and upon uniqueness and excellence of style. They may be based upon any subject. If possible, manuscripts should be typewritten; otherwise neatly and legibly written in ink on theme size paper, ruled or blank, and en¬ closed in a Manila folder. Only the author’s name may be placed upon the folder. Of course there are prizes. The first one is ten dollars in gold. The creator of the second best story will be awarded five dollars, also in gold. There will be three addition¬ al premiums: certificates awarded to the next best trio of writers. This short story contest, given under the auspices of the Little Athenium, is the first of its kind ever to be conducted at Pasadena high school. There is supposed to be a world of talent within the walls of P. H. S., and the judges will undoubtedly have a hard job of it when they come to pick the best chef d’oeuvre. STILL ROOM FOR THRIFT IN MANY ADVISORIES LOS ANGELES TEAM VICTORS IN DEBATE Proving to be more experienced debaters Wilson Shelton and Solo¬ mon Laykin of Los Angeles high school defeated Josephine Mc¬ Laren and Howard Packard, the P. H. S. team, in a debate last Tuesday afternoon. The ques¬ tion being debated was: Resolved, that Mexico is justified in enforc¬ ing their land and oil laws under the 1927 constitution. Pasadena had the affirmative and Los Angeles the negative. The Los Angeles debaters were more forceful speakers than the Pasadena team. J. C. PLAYERS WILL PRESENT “CANDIDA” Since it will be the second serious effort of the J. C. class of dramatics, the new play, “Can¬ dida” has lured much talent in competition, which has occasioned the delay in naming the cast. Committees and committee chair¬ men will be appointed as soon as the eliminations are over; thus giving everyone in the class a chance to aid in producing the play. This presentation will be carried out more elaborately than last year’s “The Importance of Being Earnest.” It is to be re¬ membered that “Candida,” which was put on in the Community Playhouse not long ago, is one of George Bernard Shaw’s best known comedies of English middle-class life. That there are still entirely too many “do-littles” in thrift, is the opinion of Mr. Walter E. Wilcox, school treasurer and clerk. How¬ ever, the new thrift system does seem to be having a good effect upon some of the rooms, for in quite a few the percentage of de¬ posited was raised this last Mon¬ day. It is hoped by many that the percent of depositers will con¬ tinue to be raised, and that one hundred percent will be attained by all advisories in a very few weeks. As yet, no senior high school in California has achieved the desired one hundred percent, but, a short time ago, one of the junior highs in Los Angeles attained the desired goal. SPANISH PAPERS ARE SPONSORING CONTESTS For the purpose of stimulating interest in Spanish essay writing, La Prensa, the largest Spanish newspaper, printed in New York, is sponsoring an essay contest among the Spanish teachers and students throughout the United States. The contest is divided into four groups of students; high school, college, advanced graduates, and teachers. Although no teachers of P. H. S. have entered the contest, the mem¬ bers of Miss Mary E. Davis’ 12th year Spanish class have each writ¬ ten an essay as part of class work, and according to Miss Davis, the best ones will be recommended, and sent to contest headquarters before April 11, 1927.