The White Falcon - 06.01.1945, Blaðsíða 2

2
The University of Iceland
- ABROAD IN ICELAND -
Just to keep you up to date with things at home . . . the
most popular songs right now are. . .“I’ll Walk Alone”. . .
“Dance With a Dolly”. . . “The Trolley Song”. . .“Always”
“How Many Hearts Have You Broken”. . .“Together”. . .
The most popular radio shows... Boh Hope... Fibber
McGee and Molly. . .Radio Theatre. . .Mr. District Attor-
ney . . . Abbott and Costello . . . Bing Crosby . . . Joan
Davis-Jack Haley . . . Edgar Bergen . . . The poll marks
the drop of Winchell from the top for the first time, as
well as Edgar Bergen’s descent to eight]] place... .John
J. Anthony can now talk to himself about his own pro-
blem for his program was dropped some weeks ago by
Mutual network . . . Another midseason casualty was the
Barry Wood-Patsy Kelly show, over NBC . . . “The Voice”
Sinatra also is looking for a new sponsor, his contract
with the vitamin firm being terminated without a rene-
wal . . . But he does not have to worry; he has four other
offers awaiting his decision.
Through the University
of Iceland, a free college
education is provided for
all students felt capable
of benefitting from higher
learning.
Upon completing high
school, all students have
an opportunity of taking
the university entrance
examinations. If they
pass, they may then choose
any field or profession
taught, all leading to a
degree, at absolutely no
cost to them. In addition,
scholarships are provided
even for living expenses
in the cases of needy stud-
ents.
Degrees in medicine,
law, economics, theology,
philosophy, engineering
and dentistry may now be
earned at the university.
All degrees are called
“Candidate” instead of
the American “Bachelor.”
Many of the schools are
.new, this being the first
vear for the school of
dentistry. The first stu-
dent of the engineering
school will not graduate
until 1946. The majority
of the professors on the
faculty have received
their educations in Ice-
land, supplemented by
some study abroad, al-
though a few of the older
members were educated
in Denmark, Sweden and
Germany.
One handicap that Ice-
landers face in studying
for a profession is the fact
that one must first -be-
come proficient in a for-
eign language, preferably
English, for few technical
textbooks have been trans-
lated into Icelandic.
Co-ed education in the
university is not yet
strong, only about ten-
percent of the present en-
rolment of 350 being
girls. Due to the longer
“basic” courses of second-
ary education in Iceland,
the college graduate is a
bit older also, the average
age being 25.
Founded in 1911, the
University of Iceland,
with its principle of free
higher education, may
well be looked to as a
working example for
many other countries to
follow in the post-war
world.
Many Icelanders still go
abroad for college train-
ing., Many at the present
time are in American uni-
versities, a number being
at the University.of South-
ern California, Minnea-
polis, Iowa and others. Be-
fore the war, many went
to schools in Sweden, Den-
mark and Germany. For-
eign students also come to
the University of Iceland.
A number of Scandinavi-
ans have studied Iceland-
ic here as a background
for higher language deg-
rees, while others have
been engaged in geologic-
al research and studv.
ICELAND’S mm. INAUGURATES
WORLDWIDE NEWS BROADCASTS
New Year’s Day, at 1800
hours, the Republic of Ice-
land began the first of a ser-
ies of shortwave broadcasts,
beamed all over the world,
including America. It was
the first such broadcast ever
attempted here and will hen-
Mr. Bjarni GuSmundsson
ceforth he a. weekly feature,
giving a compilation of local
and international news af-
fecting Iceland, enabling
former citizens now living
abroad to keep in touch with
their country.
Mr, Bjarni GuSmundsson,
press liaison officer, will
conduct the broadcasts,
which will be in Icelandic
at present, but later an Eng-
lish translation will also be
given. Mr. GuSmundsson
pointed out that the news-
casts will he particularly
welcome to Icelanders
abroad, for to many it will
he the only link by which
they can keep abreasLof re-
cent happenings and deve-
lopments in Iceland. Due to
;wartime transportation dif-
ficulties aiuFcensorsliip, loc-
al newspapers often do not
reach other countries for as
long as three or four
months. It was therefore felt
that such news over the air
would fill a real need.
(Continued from Page 1)
ans with no previous aca-
demic credits — if they can
pass an intelligence test and
provided they display a wil-
lingness to learn.
Yale, which does require
previous high school or col-
lege credits for enrolment,
hut which is offering special
courses designed to fit vet-
eran needs.
Holy Cross, which allows
enrolment at any time and
offers four months refresh-
er courses for which college
credits are given.
University of Pennsylvan-
ia, which — like tile Univers-
ity of Southern California —
is pit 11i !ig_parlieu 1 ar. s.tress on
soldiers’ readjustment to ci-
The best selling books that are now being read back
home are . .. “Forever Amber,” Kathleen Winsor’s torrid,
sexy romance . . . “Green Dolphin Street,” an earthy love
triangle . .. “The Razor’s Edge,” by that past master of
fiction, Somerset Maugham . . . “The Robe,” by Lloyd C.
Douglas ... it has stayed on the best seller list for nearly
two years . . . “Leave Her to Heaven” and “Earth and
High Heaven” ... Among the best non-fiction are . . . Bob
Hope’s “I Never Left Home” . . . “The Time for Decision”
. . .“Yankee From Olympus.”
* * ★
Back home the cigarette shortage remains as acute as
ever . . . even the children have become aware of it ...
Shortly before Christmas, a little 2-year old girl meeting
her first Santa Claus in a Manhattan department store,
when asked what she would like for him to bring her,
solemnly replied, “Cigarettes” ... A familiar sight in Penn
Station arid Grand Central is a line of anxious hopefuls
following a “refill” truck around to the newsstands . . .
hoping to be the first to grab any fresh supply of ciga-
rettes ... In addition to a shortage of a meat and lemons
in most place, the shortage of sugar caused many house-
wives to discover the baby’s formula, dextrose, to be a
happy substitute . . . until stocks of that were soon as-
scarce as sugar.
In addition to the new “Seven Lively Arts” put on by
Billy Rose, other new amusement fare included George
S. Kaufman’s adaption of John P. Marqarid’s “The Late
George Apley” . . . Another World War II play, “The
Streets Are Guarded” . . . and “Rhapsody” the musical for
which Fritz Kreisler wrote the music, the best part of the
show . . . Ethel Barrymore enjoyed all the fanfare of a
second opening night when she returned to the National
Theatre to reopen the dramatization of Franz Werfel’s
“Embezzled Heaven” which had closed for a month due
to the star’s illness.
vilian life. Both universities
have found that veterans
consider fraternities and
similar campus activities
“childish” and have establ-
ished advisory boards for re-
turning servicemen.
Oklahoma A and M, which
permits a revision of the
curriculum for servicemen
to allow the vets to_take any
combination of courses they
need.
Ohio Slate, which announ-
ces that reports and grades
will he disregarded if it is
felt that they are due to re-
adjustment or to emotional
problems resulting from
military service.
Temple University, which
is allowing six credits for a
special six week’s refresher
course for servicemen.
THE WHITE FALCON is published weekly by and for the
American Forces in Iceland, under supervision of Special Ser-
vice Section, Iceland Base Command. Some material is supplied
by Camp Newspaper Service, New York City, republication
of which is prohibited without CNS approval. THE WHITE
FALCON has been passed by the censor and may be mailed
home for one-and-one-half cents.
IBC Special Service Officer .Lt. Col. Lee F. Gilstrap
Supervising Officer .,....., Lt. David Zinkoff
.......;Sg£_J
porter L'i:.pv!.’: 1
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