Prof of the week
fh lAILY
Official Newspaper Of More Than 7,000 Students
1
Vol. 39, No. 77
Lincoln. Nebraska
Sunday, January 21, 1940
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f owneEI to speak Charter Pay
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WlEBflASKAM
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by Bob Aldrich.
High pricsta of education
that's what Dr. Earl H. Bell, as
sistant professor of anthropology,
calls teachers who place them
selves upon pedestals and dispense
knowledge with a know-it-all at
titude. Better relationships between
teachers and students movement
has its strongest faculty booster
in Dr. Bell. He speaks enthusias
tically of the possibilities in edu
cation when teacher and student
work side by side, Instead of pull
ing in opposite directions.
He also speaks with stinging
sarcasm of the teachers who
"deify themselves." There's only
one thing that arouses his ire
more a docile student.
Docility prevents thinking.
"That's the thing I hate most
these students who sit back and
listen to the drippings from the
tongue of the master. That doesn't
develop thinking. That's the phil
osophy of nazi leadership."
"My philosophy of education Is
two men sitting on a log trying
to solve a problem. There ought
to be more democracy in educa
tion. My door is always unlocked.
I've never told a student I' was
too busy to see him and hope I
never will."
Works with students.
Before having his picture taken,
Bell insisted upon including
George Bartos, young assistant
and head of the W.P. A. archae
ology lab, in the photo. "He and
I work together," Bell said,
"Teachers ought to find out the
Interests of their students," he
continued. "For example, I've got
a fellow here taking a minor in
anthropology. He's interested in
army work. So we're getting to
gether on a study of the military
tactics used by Cortez in Mexico
and Pizarro in Peru. The teacher
ought to puzzle out problems
along with his students not hand
it down with the dignity of a high
priost."
"There are three kinds of edu
cation learning, ' believing and
thinking. Almost any animal ex
cept a moth can learn. And edu
cation was set up to make us be
lievenot think. That's what it's
doing now."
Conventions necessary.
It is up to intellectuals to try to
change the status quo as slowly
and painlessly as poesible, Bell
says.
"Oh, we have to have conven
tions. But it's a bad thing when
they center around an older civili
zation that has gone overboard.
Then they are out of harmony. We
have changed our material culture
tremendously in the last 100 even
60 years but our idea of social
values has not kept pace."
Bom on a farm near Shellrock,
la.. Bell was graduated from high
school there in 1921, attended col
lege for six weeks one summer,
returned to become principal of a
ten grade school for one year. At
tending Iowa State Teachers col
lege at Cedar Falls, he worked in
a laundry and in the library there.
Came here in 1931.
From 1925 to 1927 he was su
perintendent of another Iowa
school. He began his doctor's
study at Wisconsin in 1927, was
assistant there In anthropology and
social psychology. Coming to Ne
braska in '31, he got Ida Th. D.
from Wisconsin in '32,
DAILY itaff photo.
He lives two lives one with his
work as a teacher, another with
his research. He is director of the
WPA archaeology project in the
basement of social science but
that's a story in itself.
During the past year he has been
collaborating with the U. S. de
partment of agriculture. M. L.
Wilson of the ag department diS'
covered his doctor's thesis, a study
of a small midwestern community,
and got him working on a revision
which he 8 finishing now.
'Co-author' with students.
He has a book on Nebraska
archaeology. "The students and I
wrote it together," he explains. He
has written numerous articles. Wist
year, at a meeting of the American
Archaeological association, five pa
pers were read by Nebraskans
two by Bell, three by students.
Well built, dark featured with
black, curly hair and a bat-wing
moustache, Bell is lively, talkative,
friendly, not at all the austere
pedagogue. He would rather have
a bull session with a student than
deliver a formal lecture. He hates
with all the fervor of a born rad
ical the state scenery and trap
pings that obscure education from
its real purpose.
Most people connect anthropol
ogy with stories of digging into
long hidden ruins. That's part of
the work every summer Bell
leads expeditions on digging trips
into Nebraska, scooping dirt eight
hours a day and writing half the
night. But he sees anthropology
as a live, vital study man s strug
gle to adjust himself to a changing
world.
His liberal ideas are based on a
strons belief in the democratic
scheme. "I have more faith in the
judgement of the masses farm
(See BELL, page 4)
Feb. 7 opens
debate season
Team meets Creighton,
Marquette on isolation
Nebraska debaters will begin
their regular session Feb. 7 and 8
with debates against Creighton
and Marquette university, both in
Lincoln, on the question of United
States isolation.
Members of this year's team are
Otto Woerner, Howard Bessire,
Harold Turkel and John Stewart.
Debates with Iowa State college,
Drake and Grinnell are scheduled
for Feb. 21, 22 and 23.
The University of Missouri is
arranging a series of debates with
Nebraska to be held at Columbia
during the third or fourth week in
March. Probable question of de
bate will be the national war ref
erendum. Other arrangements call
for a series of debates next month
between Nebraska and Kansas
State college.
Lack of expense money has
made it necessary to reject sev
eral offers to debate in distant
communities, said Dr. H. A. White,
of the department of English, de
bate coach. Several dates are be
ing saved, however, for visiting
teams who will be in this terri
tory during the next few weeks.
The weather
The weatherman is beginning to
contradict himself for Nebraska
it's fair all day today and contin
ued COLD,
Inquiring reporter . . .
Finds more things happen
to people than anyone else
by Paul Svoboda.
Life would be a very drab af
fair if it ran in consistent cycles
where one could depend upon the
future as being very similar to
the past. However to the youth in
his late teens and early twenties
certain events occur that disrupt,
either temporarily or permanent
ly, the life of an individual.
These events may or 'may not
be important in the minds of oth
ers because of their seeming in
significance, but to the individual
who experiences the event it may
be of utmost importance.
Over a period of time certain
things stand out and this is what
your reported attempted to discov
er in todays interviews.
THE MOST SIGNIFICANT
THING THAT HAPPENED TO
ME THIS LAST SEMESTER
WAS:
Don Young, arts and sciences
freshman.
...That I experienced a change
from being a somebody to a no
body. In high school I was some-
Countryman
staff headed
by Thcckcr
Faculty committee
appoints Cooksley
new managing editor
Wendell Thacker, ag junior, will
head the staff of the ornhusker
Countryman as editor-in-chief for
the next two semesters, Dr. L. F,
Garey, chairman of the ag faculty
publications committee, an
nounced today. New staff mem
bers were also named to other
positions.
The Countryman, ag's student
monthly with a circulation of
more than 1,200, will be edited
and published by a staff of 35 stu
dents who were selected by the
committee at the regular mid
year election. The magazine has
been published on ag campus for
16 years in its present form.
Leo Cooksley, Junior, will fill
the newly created position of
managing editor and will handle
the business staff of the maga
zine. He has been circulation man
ager for the past year. Sylvia
Zocholl, junior, was re-elected
home economics editor. Norma
Jean Campbell, sophomore, and
Edith Sic, junior, were named as
(See COUNTRYMAN, page 3)
Civil service picks
new group Feb. 5
Announcement of civil Service
examinations opening to college
students junior professional assist
ant posts in 27 fields was made
yesterday. The closing date for
filing is Feb. 5. High rating can
didates will draw $2,000 per year
as: administrative technician,
agronomist, archaeologist, biolo
gist (wildlife), engineer, informa
tion assistant, librarian, meterolo
fist, plant breeder, public welfare
assistant, rural sociologist, soli
scientist, textile technologist, agri
cultural economist, animal breeder,
archivist, chemist, entomologist,
geographer, legal assistant, metal
lurgist, chericulturist, poultry hus
bandmen, range examiner, social
anthropologist, statistician, veter
inarian.
A four year college course lead
ing to a bachelor's degree with
major study in the field of optional
subjects chosen is required. Appli
cations will be accepted from
senior students, or in the case of
the legal assistant option, from
law students, now in attendance
at the university.
what of a big shot; here I am one
of the ducks in a very large pond.
Equally significant was my en
trance into a fraternity which cer
tainly has changed my outlook on
college.
Shirley Phelps, bizad freshman.
...I shot a rabbit during Christ
mas vacation and killed him dead.
Somehow it gave me a sense of
superiority or power.
Adrian Foe, arts and sciences
freshman.
. . . School and joining a fraternity.
(See REPORTER, page 3)
Choral group
makes first
appearance
Madrigal Singers, octet,
uni singers, glee club,
to give winter festival
The newly foinaed Madrigal
Singers, joining with three other
choral groups, will present a win
ter choral festival in the coliseum
today at 3 p. m. Tomorrow's pro
gram will be
the first public
appearance for
the Mad ri g a 1
group.
The concert,
is open to the
public and will
be directed by
W. G. Tempel,
assistant pro
lessor of voice
and choral mu
sic.
Highlight of
the program
will be one of
the nation's fa
vorite Nee to
spirituals "Shadrach." Members of
the men's octet will be costumed
during this number,
The Glee club and the university
singers will be appearing for the
(See CHORUS, page 4)
Jane Shaw
new Y prexy
Simmons, Carnahan
McMahon also elected
Approximately 350 university
women Dravea me suozero weather
to vote in Friday's Y. W. C. A.
election and to name Jane Shaw,
Pi Beta Phi, their 1940 president.
Miss Shaw
was chairman
of the personnel
staff and had
served on the
finance commit
tee. She aided
in the finance
drive for two
years and was
assistant chair
man this fall.
Patricia Mc
Mahon was
named presi
dent of th; ag
college Y. W.
unit and Wini-
"
... ?
Itili Htaptrton,
Journal and star.
r:::-:"':;;1
Jane Shaw.
Journal It Star.
f red White was named representa
tive to the ag social council.
Other condidates chosen for of
fices in the citv camnus elnrttnn
were Jean Simmons, Delta Delta
Delta, vice president; Jean Carna
han, . Chi Omega; secretary; and
Ann Hustead, Kappa Kappa Gam
ma, who went uncontested in the
election of treasurer.
Priscilla Wicks. Delta Delta
Delta, is the retiring president of
the organization. New officers will
assume their duties at the bee-in
ning of the second semester.
Feb. 15 marks
71st birthday
of university
Chicago, coast alumni
to celebrate; speaker
once edited Nebraskan
Marking the 71st anniversary
of the university, Charter Day will
be celebrated Feb. 15 on the
campus when Herbert Brownell,
'24, of New York City, former edi
tor of the NEBRASKAN, delivers
the annual address for which a
distinguished alumnus is always
chosen.
Brownell Is a member of the
law firm, Lord, Day and Lord, and
was head of the legal department
for the New York World's Fair.
When attending the university he
was made a member of the Inno
cents society and was elected to
Phi Beta Kappa.
Chicago alumni will meet two
days earlier for a reception and
dinner in the Furniture Mart. San
Francisco alumni are also plan
ning a dinner. Other clubs are
expected" to continue meetings
similar to those of preceding
years.
Last year at the annual Charter
Day celebration on the campus,
Miss Edith Abbott, dean of so
cial service administration at C
cago university, spoke at the con
vocation in the coliseum on "Fron
tiers in Social Welfare."
Few students
fail to register
by deadline
Late comers will submit
schedules Feb. 2; fees
payable Jan. 26-Feb. 1
All but an. approximate dozen
resident students completed their
second semester registration be
fore the deadline Saturday noon,
according to Dr. A. R Congdon,
chairman of the assignment com
mittee. Students registered for the first
semester who have not completed
second semester registration will
be allowed to register Friday, Feb.
2, upon payment of a late regis
tration fee.
No actual count has been taken
to determine the exact number of
students registered but it is felt
that second semester registration
will approximate that of the pre
ceding semester.
Pay fees Jan. 26-Feb. 1.
Fees are payable in Memorial
hall Jan. 26 from 9 a. m. to 4
p. m., Jan. 27 from 9 a. m. to 12
noon, and from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1
9 a. m. to 4 p. m.
Second semester classes begin
on Monday, Feb. 5. No changes
in registration will be considered
until then.
A. A. Reed directs
educators session
Dr. A. A. Reed, director of the
extension division, presided at a
luncheon for local educators in
terested in problems of adult edu
cation in the Union Saturday noon,
Herbert C. Hunsaker and James
Creese of New York City, field
reoresentativM for rh a
Association for Adult Education
in Nebraska to take part in the
first annual oonfrpnr ct tho Mo.
braska section of the association
Friday at Kearnev.
for the meeting.
Dr. Reed was chairman nf th
Friday evening: dinner meetinc on
co operation for community educa
tion, ana ur. u. ti. Werner of the
department of education wai
chairman of the noon lunch
meeting.
