December 1932 Omegaphone
President’s Message
Brothers:
This space is dedicated to those of the Alumni of Omega Chapter who have so ingloriously failed to help this letter to be everything that it should be. The Alumni News in most issues, as in this issue, is practically a vacant spot. Do you not realize that this letter is primarily for the benefit of the Alumni? We are doing our utmost to make the letter representative of both the older and younger members of the chapter, and as far a the actives are concerned we believe we are succeeding. In the older members continue to ignore our pleas for news, would it not be as well for us to discontinue the issue? Come through, Alumni! Help us to make this letter more interesting to each and every one of you. We are more than willing to spend the time if you will only supply the substance.
It might not be amiss at this time to mention the fact that out library shelves are not yet filled. Some of you have helped us in this project to the best of your ability, but what about the others? We shall be grateful to receive anything you have to offer in the line of library material.
Finally, show us that you are interested in what we are doing by visiting us at your earliest opportunity. We have plenty of room and are always ready to welcome this who have been graduated from Penn State. We extend a cordial invitation to all.
Fraternally yours,
Robert Young
Alumni Day
Our celebration of Alumni Day this year turned out to be a big success. Nineteen alumni were back to the house and together with the actives, they managed to make a very interesting week-end.
Brothers Chapman, Geuder, Horner, and Irwin reelected to their respective offices in the Alumni Corporation, and it was suggested that we invite the Grand Chapter to hold one of their meeting at Penn State. The Grand Officers are seriously considering our invitation.
The alumni present were: Chapman, ’20, Conard, ’32, Fugate, ’32, Page, ’32, Sinclair, ’32, Cassel, '19, Irwin, ’16, Horner, ’16, Keene, ’32, Decker, ’31, Maize, ’29, Hamm, ’30, Anderson, ’31, Way, ’27, Clinger, ’29, Booden, ’28, Bowman, ’29, Heil, ’30, and Maize, ’32.
On Monday, November 21, the chapter entertained Mr. Fred Fuller Shedd, Editor of the Philadelphia Bulletin. Mr. Shedd discussed topics of current interest with the brothers, and the luncheon proved to be a very interesting one. In was though the efforts of Brother Hofford of the Journalism Department that we were visited by such a distinguished guest.
Houseparty Again
Down in the annals of Theta Chi history for 1932 will go a record of one of the best houseparties ever held in State College. Doubt me not, for the affair was acclaimed by one and all present as an outstanding success. Your recorder could go on for hours telling of the cherished details that will furnish material for “bull-sessions” in years to come, but space forbids.
A few facts, however, will go far to show the reader ho much fun was packed into those two , short days. Who will soon forget the sweet voice of the girl singer with the Weldon Hall Orchestra - who, by the way, were first rate in appearance and music? One song, at least, will always revive in most of us, memories of this party. To describe the appearance of the very capable miss Jones as she snag “Cigarettes, Cigars” - takes a finer pen than mine, but has she really been selling cigarettes and cigars as her song implied, none of us could have resisted such high-powered sales pressure.
A formal dance the first night was formal in dress only. The atmosphere was one of carefreeness and joviality, with here and there a dash of sentiment and romance. Tuxedoes and evening gowns lent an air of elegance and sophistication to the dance, but prevented no one from enjoying himself to the utmost.
The football game was, fortunately, one of the few we won, and elevated our spirits considerably. The weather was semi-perfect and out team looked pretty good against the University of the South. It would have been a shame, indeed, to disappoint the H.P.Q. by losing.
That night within the walls of the Theta Chi house a good old Bowery Ball was held - with all the fixin’s - this is, all but one, and Congress is tending to that now. Again Dick, Soul and his orchestra rendered alternating fast and slow music. Again miss Jones warbled the sweetest of melodies. And again the colored lights played over a swaying group of Theta Chi’s and guests. The spirit of mardi gras reigned for the last time and a twelve, hostilities ceased, and band left, the lights were put out, and everyone went to bed to go to sleep.
As a concluding note, it might be mentioned that as a remembrance from the house party girls, the house received a very much needed set of andirons and what goes with it.
Intramural Activities
The intramural Football season started last month and found ourselves out to the running almost before it began. Due to the large number of injuries last year, the athletic directors altered the game to touch football in hopes that a large percentage of accidents would be eliminated.
The excluders drew the Sigma Nu lads for their first melee and were left with the short end of a 7 to 0 score. Johnny Schwenk, the Flying Dutchman, and Grand Slam Wilby couldn’t acquire the custom of gently tagging the ball carries and hope for the return of the old style football next year. Small, Heutchy, and Llewellyn smeared the opposing players’ faces in the mud to their heart’s content and think they received the best of the bargain, although the team did lose the game.
As far as the auction bridge tournament went, Theta Chi better stick to contract. The contest was played with duplicate hands, two teams attacking part in the playing. The wonder team of :Slick” Saunders and “Poker Face” Dunlap didn’t give “Crooner” Baxter and “Misdeal” White a large enough lead 0 so that say - and lost by a mere twenty-four points to the T.K.E. combination.
Our local talent is now turning to the basketball court and with such sterling material as Frey, Gilliard, Wilby, Asplund, Heutchy, Decker and Oakes, Omega chapter is not going to be satisfied with anything less than the championship - All aboard team - here we go!!
Out of the Past
Some interesting bits of history glace from the history of the Northeast Club which was the first development of Omega chapter of Theta Chi:
The first meeting of the Northeast Club, a group of students who prepared at Northeast High School, Philadelphia, now at Penn State, was held at Hollabaugh’s on September 15, 1915. A constitution committee and a finance committee were appointed. The club was unable to move into their house, which they rented from Mrs. Thompson, until November, as it was still being constructed. Between September and November they met wherever possible and under conditions that were undoubtedly discouraging. Their financial fortunes varied and at not time were they free from worry. Board was $3.50 and room $1.25 per week.
The pin of the club was designed by Brother Doan, now a Theta Chi and a faculty member at State. In order to stimulate further interest in the club, a dance was held in Philadelphia on December 28, 1915, in the hope of familiarizing N.E. students in Penn State and in the Northeast Club. In addition, a committee of Schofield, Irwin, and Loux were appointed to address the Juniors and Seniors of Northeast High School.
C. A. Barth was the first president of the club, and he relinquished his position to N.C. Horner on the 11th of January, 1916. The first formal initiation was held February 26th, 1916. On the 11th of January, 1915, a motion was carried to levy an assessment of 5 cents per week on members having extra lights in there room and 5 cents for the use of an electric iron. On the 18th, the chairman of the House Committee announced trails for those men who desired to tend the furnace. A motion made to permit smoking at meal time was defeated on March 27. Preparations for a spring house party resulted in the securing of a three-piece orchestra, consisting of drums, clarinet, and violin for three nights at $15.00 per night, with an assessment upon the members of $2.50 for the entire week-end. On Saturday night all N.E. men participated in a cider feed “somewhere in the woods.” This was on September 3, 1916. Even the caterer had his troubles in those days; at one time he protested against the members eating at irregular hours, and this probably accounts for a decision to impose a fine of 10 cents upon anyone who despoiled the kitchen at time not permitted.
The Omegaseer
By the one and only Madam X
Here’s a little ditty written by and dedicated to the all-seeing and all-telling Madam X, She hopes you’ll like it.
With a twinkle in her eye
As she passes by,
She gets the dirt on you and I,
For she’s the maestro of Theta Chi, Uh oh.
And now that we have that off our chest we can get down to the more serious work of the program.
First and foremost we have the strange attraction between Rodge and Lou. It certainly is wonderful how these two lads take to each other. Almost every noon we can find this pair dancing about together to the tuneful vociferation of our trusty radio. And then they’ll stage a wrestling match any old place and any time, which produces in most amusing manner until its is rudely interrupted by a culprit who goes by the moniker of Len. This aforesaid and aforementioned intruder inevitably breaks up this little tete-a-tete and turns it into a rough and tumble brawl. Now we beg of you, Len, cease these unnecessary intrusions and let the boys have their fun, for after all…….
Have you heard the tale of our own “Stan Laurel” and the missing hat and the destroyed derby? It all happened on the way home from a nearby willing on a certain eventful evening. It seems that during the return to the OX Club on of the lads fell asleep and his hate came off. Now between the time when his chapeau fell and the boy awakened, was aroused, or what have you, some mysterious happenings took place, the most mysterious of which was the total disappearance of the hat from the car. When the wearer of the hat who, of course, was not wearing it at the time, realized that it was gone, he uttered some very, very strong statements in which he accused our Stan of deliberately tossing it out of the window. Now this was too much for Stan who, to prove his innocence, immediately put his foot through his own derby - a very gallant act indeed. So you see, friends, what a precarious predicament existed. However, everything turned out all right, for it so happened that the hat did not belong to the boy who had worn it but belonged to another trusting brother who had kindly made a loan of it for the occasion.
Be it known to you all that Bill Lange is Omega’s most notorious late-dater. Bill earned his coveted title during the past house party when he dug the cellar of one the chapter’s greatest lovers. The rumor has it that Bill, after seeing his victim safely abed, hastened over to the other lad’s day and entered into conversation with her. Now, as we all realize the forcefulness of Bill’s gift of gab, it is easy the understand the progress which ensued. However, we wonder if it was worthwhile after all, since they claim that the woman in question stuck the man in question for a feed at the Corner Room. So What?
Shades of Jack Carson were seen flitting about the halls the to her night. Upon investigating the shade (very light) turned out to be Bob Grun wrapped up in Jack;s old bathrobe. And while we are on the subject of flitting, we may as well confess that Crooner Baxter was spied in one of the rare moments that other evening prancing from room to room twittering like a lark. Surely there was some cause for his canary-like utterances. Could it be love?
One lad pulled a fast one the other day. Upon being asked if he played gold in knickers, be a,ed upon his questioner and slyly replied, “No, I only play with white people.” Granted that that was very poor we will say this for the lad, when it comes to putting, he is far from green. Forgive me.
Eskimos, living in houses of ice, had nothing on the OX men last week when our trusty furnace broke down and left us in the clutches of Old King Cold. Result - every Theta Chi made first hour the whole week - we had to get thawed out.
Extra!!!!
Hover sweeps Theta Chi's presidential poll. Omega’s touch-bound, died-in-the-wool, Pennsylvania Republicans go for the elephant party in a big way - 26-2-2 - despite results in other parts of the country. ’Tis rumored that Frey and Rodgers cast the two votes for Roosevelt. Both Gus and the Judge graduate in June and are known to favor unemployment insurance. They refused to comment, on being questioned. As a result of some more investigation, it was discovered that Oakes and Harrison were the Thomas sympathizers. Oakes accuses the rest of the house of not being very weak read, while architect Chet wouldn’t be drawn into any discussion.
Thank you to all those brothers that shared their news.
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