{ title: 'The Racquette. (Potsdam, N.Y.) 1927-current, December 01, 1927, Page 1, Image 1', download_links: [ { link: 'http://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about NYS Historic Newspapers - RSS Feed', }, { link: '/lccn/np00010012/1927-12-01/ed-1/seq-1/png/', label: 'image/png', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/np00010012/1927-12-01/ed-1/seq-1.pdf', label: 'application/pdf', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/np00010012/1927-12-01/ed-1/seq-1/ocr.xml', label: 'application/xml', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/np00010012/1927-12-01/ed-1/seq-1/ocr.txt', label: 'text/plain', meta: '', }, ] }
Image provided by: Northern NY Library Network
^Ibe IRormal Iftacquette Published Every Thursday of the School Year by the Students of the State Normal School, Potsdam, N. Y. VOL. 1 POTSDAM, N Y. DEC. 1, 1927 No.*M* Fables News >e £ e Shop 'oils, Pies. stricity :e\ i3wi;j MISS BLAIN REPRESENTATIVE OF S. V. MOVEMENT SPEAKS TO Y. W. C. A. Last Monday, evening, November twenty firslt, the Y. W. C. A. held its regular meeting in room 211. It proved, however, to be more than just a meeting because a special speaker was introduced by the pres- ident, Miss Bernice Tyler. Miss Margaret BlaLti addressed nolt only members of the Y. W. C. A., but some of the .faculty, and several outsiders, who were invited for ihe occasion. Miss Blain was born in China, of American parents who were nrs- sionaries. She is a representative of the Student Volunteer move- ment. It was first organized for students who were planning to en- list in the foreign, missionary ser- vice. At present a special depart- ment is connected with it for stu- dents who are not only interested in helping the worthy cause of Christianity! bu^ also for a fund lor worthy students in any part of the world. A convention is to he held soon in Detroit, Michigan, witth rep- resentatives from many univers- ties in the country. The purpose of this is to discuss the problems of students all over the world at large. Miss Blain spoke from her own experiences and observations dur- ing her work in China. She has taught English and European His- tory for the past two years in a Chinese High school at Hongkong She discussed' social and economic problems of interest, especially the marriage problem, which is quite serious in China; Chinese girls are married when they have hardly reached ten y-iars of age, The mis- sionaries and other welfare work- ers are doing much to better con- ditions and giv<3 the Chinese girls an opportunity for an education. The speaker emphasized the fact that Chinese girls have much the same aspirations and ideals as Am- erican girls. They find it particu- larly difficult to obtain the consent of their parents to become Chris- tians. Many Chinese school girls come from conservative homes where the practice of burning pa- per prayers before the shrines of their ancestors_ still remains. Perhaps the greatest problem of all in China is that of her teeming millions of people—a population so d'ense as to be many times larger than that of any olther country. China has had a democratic gov- ernment since 1912, in name oi^y, and has suffeered much as a result of the military leaders of several opposing political factions, who have taken over the reins of gov- ernment for their own selfish inter- ests. Miss Blain stated that the late uprising did not affect her school a great deal, although it did approach Hongkong. Students in China seem to be vitally interested in their government and the devel- opment of its political, religious, and social history, perhaps even more so than many Americans. At the conclusion of Miss Blain's vivid description of the Chinese aitd their customs, Miss Tyler made sev- eral statements, after which the meeting was appropriately closed. At the next Y. W. C. A. meeting December 5, the report of the Sil- ver Bay delegates will be given. This is 'always a most interesting and helpful report and it is urged that every me Tiber be present. This last sentence applies to all old members of the Y. W. C. A. as well as to the new members. AUSTIN PALMER DIES. His Method Of Penmanship Used Here. Austin Norman Palmer, head of the A. N. Palmer Publishing Com- pany, died Nov. 16 at his home in New York Ciy, after a short illness He was the author of the Palmer method of writing, editor of the Am- erican Penman Magazine, and Pres- ident of the Cedar Business College. The Palmer System of Penmanship has been used at Potsdam Normal for the past eighteen years. Many of the graduates here have special- ized in this method and are now suc- cessful supervisors in our large cities. The following supervisors will be remembered at Potsdam Normal: Mrs. Mary McCarter Bald- win, Potsdam; Miss Lois Reidel, Utica; Miss Linnie Merrill, Yonkers; and our present teachers in this de- partment, Mrs. Sophia Fuller Jen- nings and Miss Jennie C. Johnson. FINANCE COMMITTEE TO CONTROL ALL E FINANCE COMMITTEE'S PLAN OF WORK FOR THE YEAR IS OUTLINED. The work of the Finance Commit- tee is outlined below, and procedure following this plan will take effect at once. It has met the approval of the Student Council and Faculty, Nov. 29,1927. The Finance Committee shall have certain duties and powers over all Normal School organizations as fol- ows: 1. The Committee shall have the ight to call for a financial statement of receipts and expenditures from all Normal School organizations that re- ceive money on Normal School prem- ies through sales or admissions of any kind. Statements will be called for at least twice a year, at the close if each semester. 2. The Finance Committee has charge of the student-faculty fee money which can be spent for the lec- ture course, for athletics, for the Nor- mal Racquette, and for minor expen- ses incurred in running the student- faculty organization. Should a con- iderable amount of money accumu- late in the treasury it is to be spent only by vote of the student body acuity. 3. The Finance Committee shall lave general oversight of the hand- ing of money taken in through pub- lic performances, popular dances, the finances of the Pioneer, and all other moneys which affect the entire stu- lent body. 4. The public performance com- mittee, the athletic committee, the Pioneer and the Normal Racquette staff shall prepare for the Finance Committee budgets in advance cover- ing routine expenditures. 5. Bills for routine expenditures shall be approved by the special com- mittee concerned and by the Finance Committee before they are paid. Payment shall be made by check dgned by the student treasurer and countersigned by the faculty treas- urer. 6. All unusual expenditures should receive the approval of the Finance Committee before the bills are con- tracted. 7. The public performances com- mittee, the athletic committee, the Normal Racquette staff and the Pion- eer board shall turn over to the stu- dent treasurer money received fom advertisements, admissions, sale of Pioneers, etc. (Continued On 'Gage 2) POINT SYSTEM IS EXPLAINED. TOTAL OF 120 NECESSARY FOR GRADDUAXIOM. There has been some misunder- standing of the quality credit sys- tem and its applications here in our Normal. In order to heip clear up these points, the Scholarship Commit- tee herewith presents the statement of the system as it is gvven by the report adopted by the State Depart- ment tor ail of the Normal Schools of New York. All the Normal Schools are using the five point grading sys- tem, A, B, C, D, and E. Quality cred- its are given as follows: a letter mark of A in a course shall have a weight of 3, that of B a weight of 2, Jiat of C a weight of 1, that of D or iiJ a weight of 0. To obtain quality credits earned in any course, the weight of the marks, as above, is to oe multiplied by the semester hours credit of the course. Thus a mark of B in a three hour course will give die student quality credits of 2 x 3 or 6 quality credits, while a mark of C in the same course would give only i x 3 or 3 quality credits. At present, ana in the past, there has been the requirement that the student shall complete 120 hours of work for graduation. The new re- quirement is that there shall be at least an equal number of quality credits. That is, each student is ex- pected to have an average of C or bet- ter for the three years work. During the progress of the course the number of quality credits to be earned shall be as followss: During the first semester of the Freshman year, not less than 20. During the entire Freshman year, not less than 40. During the entire Junior year, not less than 40. During the entire Senior year, not .ess than 35. It will be noted that these minim- um requirements total only 115, while the total needed for graduation is 120, thus necessitating the earning of 5 additional credits at some time during the three years. Students who secure quality credits Delow the following limits are to be warned that their work is unsatisfac- tory and their parents are to be so notified. During the first semester of the Freshman year, 15-19 inclusive. During the entire Freshman year, 35-39 inclusive. During the entire Junior year 35-39 inclusive. During the entire Senior year, 30-35 inclusive. Any student failing to earn the above warning minimum at any time may have his attendance terminated by the school. The Scholarship Committee has gone beyond the requirements of this proposal and has issued warnings at each quarter of the semester and hopes to eliminate the necessity of asking for the termination of any student's attendance at the end of the semester. It is not proposed that any elimination will be made at the end of the first mid-term, at least, but only at the end of the semester. In our Normal, the termination of at- tendance shall be for a period of at least one year. If, at the end of that time the student wishes to apply for re-admission, such application may be made through the Scholarship Committee, which may approve the application with the provision that the student enters on probation. The operation of the quality credit tequiremenlt is not reetroacttive 1'i GIRLS BASKET BALL Practice Starts This Week Directed By Coach Maxcy The first practice for the Normal girls team was held Monday evening. Their schedule is incomplete as yet but there will very likely be a game with Trinity girls of Watertown sometime prior to the Christmas va- cation. The girls varsity lost heavily thru graduation last June. In fact, Fran- ces McCabe of Malone is the only .lemlber of last years team hack this year. However, she was one of the steller players on the 1926-27 quint which claimed the girls championship of northern New York. Marion Corcoran of Little Falls is being groomed for the opposite for- ward position to her while Beryl Eastman, Potsdam, will take the pos ition of Miss Parr at center. Miss Pearl Baltz and Miss Irene French, the latter from Norwood are out for guards. DR. CHIN RE-ELECTED VICE-PRES. RETIREMENT BD. AT CONVENTION HELD IN TROY NOVEMBER 21ST. At a convention held at Troy on Monday, November 21st, Dr. Cong- don was re-elected without any op- posing candidate to membership on .he Teachers Retiremnt Board of the State of New York. The Retirement 3oard is in other words the Board of the Trustees of the Teachers Retire- ment of Pension System of New York State outside of New York City. Dr. Congdon was elected to this Board six years ago, was re- jected for a second term three years ago and is now re-electd for a third term. The Retirement Board consists of seven members, of whom one, a bank- er, is chosen by the Board of Re- gents; one, the State Comptroller, is a member ex officio; two are ap- pointed by the Commissioenr of Edu- cation; and three men are elected by the teachers of the state. For the purpose of this election one repres- entative is chosen by the teachers of each city, village and district super- intendeney. The delegates thus chosen meet annually on the Monday of Thanksgiving week for the election of a board member to take the place of the member whose term then ex- pires. The Retirement Board has 33,000 members and about 2,100 annuitants. Dr. Congdon is the vice-president of the Board. Mr. Charles H. Cheney, 1 Potsdam graduate, is the president. CALENDAR. Friday, December 2nd—Crane Tea Dance. Saturday, December 3rd— Popular Dance. Sunday, December 4th—Organ Re- cital. Monday, December 5th— Racquette Editorial Staff Mieetinig at 4:00; o'clock. Y. W. C. A. Meeting at 7:00 o'clock. Tuesday, December 6th—L. B. B. Tea Dance. Wednesday, December 7th—Micora Sale. Thursday, December 8th—Property Committee Candy Sale. Tom Skeyhill's Lecture. AUDITORIUM SCENE OF IMPRES SIVE CEREMONY MONDAY. An oil painting of the late Dr. Thomas Blanchard Stowell was un- veiled Wednesday morning during the chapel exercises. The picture was hung on the south wall of the audi- torium. A most delightful program was given. Many alumni of P. N. S. and townspeople were present which led to the effectiveness of the whole. The orchestra played a fitting opening- selection and then Dr. Congdon gave his address of welcome after which he introduced Mr. Frank L. Cubley, an alumnus of the school and the president of the Village Board of schools. Mr. Cubley gave a most in- teresting biographic sketch of Dr. Stowell's life. Dr. 'Stowell was a graduate of Cortland (Normal and Syracuse University and studied un- cer Agassiz. He came to Potsdam in 1889 and was for twenty years principal of Potsdam [Normal School. He was a teacher is every sense and believed in bringing out the best in everyone. He taught people the meaning of life and how to live. His idea of teaching was to first help the pupil to attain a taste then form habits and lastly acquire subject matter. In this he was ahead of his times and a fore-runner of the pre- sent day ideas of individual respons- ibility and government. - Mr. Cubley says of Dr. Stowell, \He was a cultured Christian gentle- man whose Deity; was character building and whose duty and mission was student success and education. Dr. Stowell wrote a number of text books, one psychology and sci- ence. Upon leaving here he was made dean of the university of Southern California at Los Angeles and when his health failed was given the title of dean emeritus. CRANE HOUSE NOTES. We have found that under cover of modesty one of our number has been composing. It is particularly interesting in that her inspiration comes from fireplaces, quiet, etc to say nothing of a popular local violin- ist. The piece composed is a violin solo called \The Fern\ by Estabrook. Since some of the girls at the house have moved into the dormitory, new talents have been discovered, such as sleeping and talking, for instance Lorena Ramsdell, who gets good practice while eating. Pauline New- ton scores highest in (the snoring contest. It seems that Gene Fay is com- manding a great deal of attention in that she refuses to be sick on Sunday, but becomes distinctly so Monday, so that she may be taken home. Of course no doctor is needed only drug store products. Isn't it queer that one of our Sen- iors gets so fussed when her super- visor questions her? We would ad- vice Pearly Dewd'rop to take a course in self assertion, self expm-.s- <bu and self preservation. If any one needs two capable peo- ple to run a house, such as keeping freshmen in order, etc, call on Marge Trevitt and Kay Whitney. applies to Juniors and Seniors of this year only from the beginning of this semester, 'September 1927. A WORD TO THE WISE. The Tech and St. Lawrence are screeching Normal cheers. What's ze matter with Normal? Let's learn and use our new cheers. Then I they can't get 'em.
