Grunt and Groan Nothing short of hair pulling, ear tugging or low punches was beneath his dignity. By Ed Darlington I have never been considered a patron of the arts, but a short time ago, friends prevailed upon me to attend an exhibition of dramatics that I feel called upon to describe. The principals in this histrionic art are known to the theatrical profession as "rasslers" and the narrative which they enact has slightly more flexibility and variance of plot than the Passion Play. The theme of this old story is simple enough. The hero is foully tortured by the villian. This scoundrel pays no attention to the curses and pleas of an innocent bystander (called a "ref") who frequently becomes embroiled in the conflict while urging the villian to desist from his evil practices. After a period of time the hero, accompanied by the delighted cheers of the audience, soundly threshes the villain. Occasionally, however, this standard operating procedure of battle is reversed. The villian whips the hero, the audience is outraged, and sensation seekers like me are overjoyed. On the occasion I refer to, a Mr. Gene Bowman was co-starred with a Mr. Chief Little Wolf in a two-out-of-three falls, one-hour time limit. This event proved to be the high-point of the evening, following a rather dull preliminary in which one contestant bumped into the other and then apparently collapsed from sheer exhaustion. Mr. Bowman appeared first under the blazing incandescence of the ring-lights. He separated the red rubberized ropes in a dignified fashion, climbed through, stripped off his bathrobe, and stood quietly in his corner, rippling his biceps for the benefit of the female element in the audience. He was a large gentleman, solidly built, with a handsome face but a somewhat vacuous expression. Chief Little Wolf (it was never very clear to me. what he was chief of) arrived as the first applause was dying out and made the ring platform fairly quiver when he deposited his bulk on the soiled canvas. Few mortals have been endowed with the physique of the Wolf fortunately for the manufacturers of the bathtub and the rocking chair. His coppery hide was stretched over his frame much in the manner of the skin on an oversize sausage. His shoulders could span (without much exaggeration) two ax-handles, and tapered off to approximately the same number of unit measurements across the beam. His face was, as the saying goes, ugly as sin and filled with a brute ferocity. Mr. Little Wolf was evidently trying to convey to the audience the impression that his coffee had been cold that morning, his shoes hurt, and that he was insanely jealous of his opponent's good looks. After a brief introduction by the referee, in which much emphasis was placed on the shady ethics of choke-holds, gouging, and punches not delivered with the forearm, the gladiators locked horns and commenced to careen about the ring. In almost no time at all it became evident that the Wolf was portraying the role of villain. This elicited great surprise on the part of my friends, who were explaining the while that the Chief was usually an exponent of fair play. But tonight showed a flaw in this normally crystal-clear reputation; the Chief systematically shattered every code of good sport and Boy- (Concluded on page 24) Page twenty I Chose Mechanical Engineering As a small boy I was always interested in building things and working with tools of all kinds. Among my first toys were a small tool box and an erector set. As I grew older, I built a tool box and thereafter spent all my spare money on tools. In high school my favorite classes were Industrial Arts and Auto Mechanics. My greatest joy came when I was working on machines, repairing and making them over. When I bought my first automobile I spent half of my time under it. During the war when shoes were rationed, my brother and I were so hard on shoes I began repairing them with a small shoe repair kit belonging to my grandfather. I fixed up some crude machines, such as an emery wheel and a buffer driven by a small old washing machine motor. In time I acquired some old shoe machinery and piece by piece I overhauled and put them into running order. I worked some in a shoe shop to improve my work and opened up my own shoe repair shop, which I have been operating for over two years, being open evenings and Saturdays and Sundays. From time to time I would tear down and rebuild and improve my various machines. Now I have a complete mechanized shoe shop. Because I have always been interested and handy with machines, my parents and my teachers have advised me to take up mechanical engineering as it deals chiefly with machinery and the power to operate it. Engineering plays a vital part in modern life. The highways, railroads, airplanes, and other means by which we travel, the water supply, communication and sanitary systems that serve our homes and industries, and countless other contributions to our lives are being improved through the work of engineers. Bob Lloyd I May Choose the Regular Army It is understood that any vocation has its good and bad features. This fact is also true of a position in the regular army which I am considering as a possible career. Here are some of its aspects. One of the most important benefits the army has to offer is retirement. After twenty years as an enlisted man, a soldier may retire and receive one-half of the pay he received at the time of his retirement. This means that a man who enlists at the age of eighteen may retire at thirty-eight, at an age when he can really enjoy his retirement. Few positions in civil life offer so liberal a retirement plan. Other benefits from army life are: A chance to advance until one reaches the limit of his capabilities; purchase of essential articles through the post exchange; and provision for medical and dental care free of charge by the best specialists in the country. The soldier's job is always secure so long as he does his work efficiently. The army man travels widely, for there are army garrisons scattered throughout the world. In his travels he will meet many different types of people. These contacts teach the soldier how to make friends quickly and how to associate pleasantly with almost any type of person. Also a soldier will learn to respect his superiors as a man in civil life seldom does. He learns to take orders and to carry them out quickly, and to the best of his ability. The army offers over 200 technical courses by which an enlisted man can increase his rating and pay. However, the army is not altogether a "bed of roses." When one meets a cross-section of the people who make our country, he invariably meets some with poor habits and disagreeable personalities. Some men cannot express themselves without swearing; others can think of nothing except drinking or gambling. Whenever the soldier is transferred, he has to adjust himself to his new surroundings, and break off old relationships, which is another disagreeable part of the army life. These are a few of the many aspects of a regular army career. Since my future vocation is indefinite, I am considering the regular army among various other careers which I may follow. Palmer Seigfried Teaching Is My Career I have chosen musical education for my vocation. At first I wanted to major in music but I found that this was very expensive and difficult. Also there appears to be little chance for me in this field because there are so many majoring in music. Consequently my advisor suggested that I major in education and minor in music. After thinking over his advice I accepted it. I like to work with children and to cope with their individual moods and personalities. Secretly I have always had a desire to be a school teacher to help these children learn and grow in wisdom. As I gradually progressed through my schooling I came in contact with several teachers. Some of them I found to be of exceptional quality and others just average or poor. Now that I am through school I look back over the years and I find that the only teachers I can remember are those who were the best. Only those who possessed a stimulating personality and a way with children have left an impression upon my mind. I also find that during the years I was under their supervision I enjoyed school the most and learned more. So to thank them for what they gave to me, I want to carry on their work. I might say that one reason I have for wanting to teach is to pattern after all the excellent teachers I have had, using their methods and ways. Another reason is that I feel music should be stressed more in school along with all the other fine arts. To me music is one of the fine thing, s of life and since children need to know and appreciate the finer things they need music. Since I have music myself, I think that I am qualified to help others to learn and appreciate it, too. I plan to attend four years of college and then I want to begin teaching. I want to teach in an elementary school, preferably in Ogden. Margene Robbins I Chose Farming When my grandparents married, they quite naturally chose farming as a livelihood, not because it was pleasing but because it was a necessity. . . . The good earth being the source of every man's livelihood. Together they overcame the wilderness and raised a family. They solved their problems by communing with nature, by digging deep into the soil which gave forth an abundance of life and happiness. My father too became a farmer after the pattern of grandfather. My father learned the rudiments of successful farming from his pioneer father and then he went on gaining his livelihood by conquering the elements and by improving upon the farm my grandfather had begun in his early days. I, myself, have learned to love the soil by working with my father. The lovely soil, which many people speak of as only dirt or land, has been transformed into something beautiful, alive and sweet and rich by my asociation with it. It has become very vital, the very essence from which all life springs. As you dig deep into its rich body in the early spring, and as you plant the small seeds you are faced with a hope, a desire, and a sincere challenge. You are thrilled, amazed and bewildered as you sense what you have begun. As you see the tiny green blades creep thru the gentle soil's crust, you are no longer bewildered but you are truly thrilled as only one who knows and loves the soil. The thrill that comes from knowing he controls the elements, and by so doing, he fills the food bins of the nation gives the farmer an adequate reward for his ceaseless efforts. Harold D. Blanch Page twenty-one