VMI Cadet. October 17, 1955

              TIIK VIRCilNIA MILITARY INSTITUTE. LEXINGTON, VIRGINIA, ()( TOIIER 17, 1955
COLUMN ONE ^57's Ring Figure Boasts Les Brown And Hal Mclntyre
JKRE REAL
It is a fact that when wc begin
to find fault wc often continue in
our complaining until we have lost
sight of any real purpose. We com-plain
for the sake of complaining.
As a result of this habit we often
overlook some opportunities that
are presented to us.
There is probably not ope man
In the Corps that has not at one
time or another cursed the town
of Lexington for its isolation from
the re.st of the world and complain-ed
about the entertainment facili-ties
that arc often found to be lack-ing
here. Certainly Lexington is no
metropolis and cannot offer as
much in the way of metropolitan
entertainment tare as the larger
towns arc able to do. At the same
time we are criticising, wc are dis-regarding
one form of entertain-ment
that is provided. This is the
Rockbridge Concert Series that an-nually
presents four outstanding
programs with famous performers
in varied fields.
There is a general indiffercncc
to the scries on the part of the
Corps of Cadets that is not alto-gether
understandable. The use
that the Timniins Music Room is
put to during the course of a
school year indicates that there is
no lack of enthusiasm for this type
of musical or theatrical presenta-tion.
What then is the cause of the
indiffercncc?
There arc several possible an-swers
to this question. One factor
that contributes, to this indiffer-ence
is the attitude that was men-tioned
above. Some people just
want to complain and don't want
to take the advantages offered. Yet
there arc other things involved
when you arc a catlct. The policy
in the past on the part of the In-stitute
has been to keep men un
der confinement from attending
these programs regardless of the
fact that the men in question own-ed
ticket.";. There are some cadets
that really don't want to take the
chance on buying and not being
able to attend. While their status
at the time of Ihe concert docs
rest ba.sically on their own actions,
it docs seem a shame that a man
who accidentally slept through a
class would be restricted from us-ing
his ticket and seeing one of the
rare entertainment attractions of
note that appears in Lexington
during a school year. It is hoped
(hat the Institute will take a more
lil)rral view toward men under
confinement during the on coming
hcason. A statement on this mat-ter
at the present time would cer-tainly
clarity some cadet's minds
. tibout buying.
The decision to buy a ticket still
remains with the individual, but if
a cadet really has a desire for en-tertainment
on a scale not usually
offered in Lexington, he cannot
fail to grasp the opportunity that
the Concert Series provides.
Terpsicliorean
Talent Criticized
By Hop President
Dancing is traditionally a cadet
accomplishment, or we at least
would like to think so, but our
skill in the art is not all that it
should be these days. Kntirely too
many boys began dancing on a
trial and error system, worked out
a style lhat was passable, then
never bothered to learn anything
new. Add Ihe number who fall in-to
this calogory to those who don't
dance at all, and we see lhat a sur-prisingly
small number of cadets
are accomplished dancers. A rem-edy
to this situation would greatly
improve the VMl hops, to say noth-ing
of tlie benefit the individuals
would receive. The problem is
solved very cllectivcly at the ser
vice academics by holding compul
sory dancing clas.sos lor all fourth
clai-smcn.' A man nuist attend
thi'sc ria.sses nnlil he is dcclareil
profii iiMit, a goal which is rcat hed
by requiring liiin to dance with
Hlhnr members of his class.
II lias now become possible for
VMl cadets to remedy their indivi
dual shortcomings along this line
for Miss Anne duVal, of Washing
Ion, D. C., is beginning a class for
cadets and Southern Seminary
girls on October 2U, to run for
twenty lessons on Wednesday af-ternoons
through the winter. In
(C'ontinued On Page U)
Openings Successful As Corps Dances To Lunin In
First Formal EDent Of Current Academic Year
Friday Ni^Jit Exlravaganza
Features ^'Band of Renown''^
Lr.s Brown, with "The Hand of
Renown," and Hal Mclntyre's
"Band All America l,ovcs" will
play for Ring Figure, Class of '57.
Les Brown will be featured Friday
night, November 28th and Hal Mc-lntyre
the 29th.
The Renown Band
"The Band that Hope Built" is
most famous for its work with Bob
Hope. This association has proved
advantageous to both. Les Brown
has kept top musicians in the or-
Capitol. The recent "Les Brown at
the Palladium" is fast becoming
one of the orchestra's best-selling
albums. Previous albums on Coral
such as "Sentimental Journey," arc
steady favorites
The Brown Band consists of four
trumpets, four trombones, five
saxes, guitar, and rhythm. Don
Fagerquist does solo trumpets, and
Ronnie Lang is spotlighted on alto
sax.
Les 'band is always in dcmarid
across the country. It holds the re-cord
for Palladium appearances,
being there eighteen times. The or-ginization
has never sloped gain-ing
popularity since Les stepped
off the Duke campus. While at
Duke, incidentally, Les led a school
band, the Blue Devils.
Hal Mclntyre
The Saturday night band leader
is Hal Mclntyre, a Glen Miller
alumnus. Hal played four years
with Miller, then formed his own
orchestra. It has since enjoyed
steady popularity in the nations'
ballrooms and at college dates.
ginization .since its inception in
1940. The orchestra has been vot-ed
number one in the land for '55
by DOWN BEAT and METRON-OME.
JO ANN GREER
Les will feature vocalists Butch
Stone and Jo Ann (iierr. Jo Ann
follows a host of grrat Les Brown
vocalists, iiicliidiiig Doris Day and
Lucy Ann Polk.
Miss tircer docs (liib-siiiging for
the movies, singing lor Rila Hay-worth
in "Affair in Trinidad" and
"Mis.s .Sadie Thonipson."
A few novelty niiinbrrs are
handled by Les' brother Stuniph
Brown, who also does the bass
trombone work.
I,es' Rcroids
The Brown band records for
.M...
HAL McIMVRi;
JO ANN GitEER
Hal's have been among the most
.successful engagements at the Pall-adium
in Los Angeles, the Para-mount
Theater, New York, and
Frank Dailey's Meadowbrook, New
Jersey.
Vocalists
Hal brings with his orcheotia
Jeanne McManus and a vocal
group. The Mclntots. The instru-mental
spotlight shines on Hal
himself on the sax.
The Mclntrye band currently re-cords
with Decca, after previous
Victor and MGM contracts. Hal
and the band have been featured
in four Columbia musicals, and
they have been favorites on radio
and television.
The Menioriul (iurden flaiikud by the new acudeniic building and '94 | The highlights uf this first big weeiiend were the sensatiunul football game
Hall was the scene of the past weeitend's festivities as the Corps of Cadets at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, the dances with tiie music
and their dates stepped out for (he first formal dance of the 1955-56 session. | of Lester Lanin, and the usual barrage of picnics and parlies.
From the Dinner Roll (^iill foriiiation at noon last .Saturday the im-pact
oj the VMl ladet Corjis was felt from Irxington to Charloltes-villc
where the "liig lied " lyiiriieyt d to play the Wahoos oi' the Uni-versily
of Virguiia. The Iooll)all game was not the only rea.son for the
festive spirit lhat cliiuactcri^sed the cadets, tor it was llif weekend of
the Opening Hie tirsl loriiial daiicc set of Hie academit' year
lU55 5ti. The game was a loaiing baltlc Iroiii start to finish as Hie teuni
lought against Hie Iiiiivcr.sily team,
and the crowds i i i l l i c slaiids! the si coiid big night ot the Open
ktood and clicercd in many mum-1 m^ (l.iiiri's. Tlir dates vanished
ents of len.se ••xcitemeiit. The oe i (rom sight as Ihe cadets retiinied
casion was iiiore than an ordinary i to the military life for a brief pel
out. of town football game since a
great part of Hie Cadel Corps was
on hand tliiimgh Hie bus Iraii.spor-tation
that was made avaiialiic to
and from the game
ioil liilliiwiiig llieir return to har-racks.
It was only a sliorl time,
however iinlil the cadets aiiiergi'il
to piek up their "regular gal,"
U l l l l l l l I I I * IJMHH.-. tmliielilr "tlilllililildl l di inaitve- " lio. .r. t.h. .e» evening.
While Ihe game was not a scor^ or to gruel Iheir parents who were
ing victory it reinained a victory down for the weekend Then it was
of th Cadet spirit in lhat iieithfr, off to town Mr a quick but spirited
cadets, officers nor alumni could' hupper before the rush buck to
stop tulking about the afternoon's | the lii.slilute where another night
action. The Corps returned fo^w- i of entertainment awaited cvery-ing
the game to Lexington wnere ont;.
the weekend festivities were to Tlie crowd started to gather as
continue in the gymnasium with tars pulled up and discharged
their loads at Ihe parapet or at the
rrceplloii room wliicli was rapidly
filled with excited voices and pret-ty
girls.
From the time lliat the cadets
emerged from tlieir rooms in their
lornial atlire until early or late
the nexl nioining, the night held
nolliing but laiiciiialing adven
lures. The walk lo.the 'U4 Hall
where the music of Lester Lamn.
pi'oniinejit .society maestro, could
be audibly heard tillering up over
the iiiiiiioi tilt garden to b.ii Kieks
uas the begiiiinng of Ihe eveniiu;':-
exploits
The danee in il.sell was a ter-rific
success though llii' floor was
not as crowiled us it hud been the
previous night. The decorations of
the Hop Committee had turned the
gymnasium into a wonderland of
pastel color for the evening; thus
providing a perfect setting for the
night's amours.
'Don Fas(niale' First Highlight
Of Promising (Concert Series
From the dance there wus a
iiiglit. The liariacks was silent as
the (adets inoveil in and out and
mil) the iiiuiil tor the last parting
horns Willi dat<t,.
This wei'keiiil, marked by both
the gieut disnlay of spirit and the
ventures of a typical Hop week-end,
actually lornis only a pre-lude
ol the Ihings that are to
come III lilOK. It is only a short
time until the next set of dances
and another weekend that every-one
alway; renipmbers . . Thanks-i;
iviMi; .iiiil Kim; Figure. The plans
uii' ili:iwiii!; til a i lo.se as the mem-liei.
s III Hie Seeoiid Class plan their
IIIKIII when they receive their sym-bol
of thiee years at the Insti-tute.
In many ways, the Ring
Figure is the beginning of the
end, but in another light, it is also
the beginning of the upper class-man's
life at VMl. Fur after this
rush back to barracks as' taps could there remains only the rush to-be
heard fadiUK iuto the cold tall j (continued un page 6)
When Boris Goldovsky's Opera
Theatre presents Donizetti's comic
opera DON PASQUALE in Lexing-ton
Tue.sday, Oct. 18. at 8:15 P. M.,
in the Lexington High School Au-ditorium,
subscribers to the Rock-bridge
Concert Thcuter Series will j
.see and hear a limeful and enter-laining
comedy. The young Ameri-can
singers who make up the j
Opera Theatre will perform DON
PASQl'AI.F under (iotdovsky's di-rection
in a new idlomutic English
translation. Schooled in dramatic
as well as miisicul arts, the singer
devoir as iiiiieh nire lo their act-ing
as til their siiiKing. There is
ample oppoiliiiiity in the opera for
bolli dramatic and vocal display.
The lilulur heiv of the opera, a
wealthy old liaclii'lor Don Pas-quale,
propo.ses lo have his nep-hew
Ernesto marry a ricli and no-ble
lady. Ernesto reliises to do this,
explaining that he is in love with
a charming impecunious yound wi-dow
named Norma. Provoked by
his nephew's disobedience, Don
Pasquale derides lo punish and dis-inherit
him by entering into mar-riage
himself.
Don Pasquale's physician, Malu-testa,
intent upon helpiv^g Ihe
young couple, pretends to hiive dis-covered
a suitable financee fur
Don Pasquale in the person of his
own sister, Sophronia, who is being
educated in a convent. When in-formed
of his uncle's forthcoming
marriage to Malatesta's sister, the
crushed Ernesto writes Norina a
larewll note, telling her ol his in-tention
to leave Europe forever.
Next, Malatesta persuades No-rina
to impersonate his sister and
to go through a muck ceremony
with Don Pasquale. Urged on by
her love for Ernesto, Norina con-sents
to play the pare, and bed
modesty, simplicity of nwiiiiieis
and loveliness so fa.scinalc the old
man lhat he falls into the liap and
proposes to her.
The unexpected arrival of Krnc-}-
to threatens to upset everylhiiig
by revealing Norina's true identy,
but Malatesta manages to restiain
the young man who ends tip by
.serving as witness to the maniage
contract. Besides appointing No-rina
his heiress, Don Pa.squale at
once makes her ab.solute niislrrs:,
of his fortune. Having atlaiiied her
aim, Norina proceeds to make Don
Pasiiuale's life miserable. .She
.squanders his money and treats
hiin in a most humiliating and ol-fensive
manner. The climux U
reachcd when Don Pasquale dis-covers
a billetdoux, revrallng thut
Sophronis has arranged a .secret
ineeting with a lover in Hie gar-den
thut very night. Mulatesta is
summonud and advises Don Pas-quale
to catch the guilty wile with
her lover and to drive her Irom
the house.
In the final scene, the lovers
meet in the garden, but Malatesta
helps Ernesto to escape unseen. He
then advisus Pasquale to avenge
(Continued un page 3)