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Nebraskan Editorials:
THE NEBRASKAN
Wednesday, April 4, 1956
4 Spsaker For Commsncenisnf
In their last meeting before Easter vacation
the Student Council rejected the proposal to have
a commencement speaker at graduation exer
cise this year.
Suggestions to include student speakers on the
program were also discouraged. General opin
ion -emed to be that the seniors themselves
didn't want a speaker, the commencement cere
monies were long enough anyway and it would
t difficult to get a top notch speaker for the
occasion.
The Convocations Committee, the student
faculty subcommittee which is preparing the re
port for consideration by the Faculty Senate, has
also pretty much decided, from all indications,
not to have a commencement speaker this year.
The committee, however, has indicated that it
would like to hear the opinion of the student
body, the Council and especially the graduating
seniors concerning the desirability of a com
mencement speaker.
The reasons for not having a commencement
address may all be valid; nevertheless, it seems
a shame that the University could graduate its
seniors without the traditional commencement
speaker.
There are already too few opportunities to
bring outstanding personalities to the campus,
and, if the commencement address is to be
discontinued, one more avenue will have been
closed.
The appearance of a noteworthy speaker for
graduation exercises is not only good for the
University and the University community, but
also makes commencement more than a cere
mony for dispensing diplomas and honorary de
grees.
Graduation and the commencement exercises
should be a symbol for scholastic achievement
and, as such, should demand a program worthy
of this accomplishment.
Without a speaker, or some worthwhile pro
gram for the graduates to attend, the graduating
seniors may as well shed their black robes,
dangling tassels and sloping mortar boards and
wait for their diplomas' in the mail. B.B.
Welcome Situation
With the announcement of the Inter
fraternity Council slate for Student Council
positions and the scheduling of interviews by an
independent student coalition for Council posts, it
seems quite likely that campus politics may
reach a new fervor this spring.
Last year's try by the independents was a late
and rather unorganized attempt but this year's
campaign should bring out one of the largest
votes in independent history. The IFC commit
tee is in its second year of filtering and endors
ing candidates having taken over the reigns
dropped by the faction after its demise.
One thing is certain. If a two-party system
would improve the caliber of Council members,
then a two-party system is what student govern
ment needs and has needed. After a meteoric
rise in the quality of Council members last year,
the membership of the campus governing body
slipped back into its more usual mediocrity of
past years.
This year's Council has done little besides at
tempt to clarify its duties and functions. On sev
eral occasions, it has acted without thought con
cerning precedent, deliberation or forethought.
At other times, the Council has attempted to
stand for something right and wrong but these
times have been altogether too few.
The only way that qualified people, can be
elected to the Council is for qualified persons to
seek election. If two parties if they can be
i riled parties attempt to put forth the best possible-
candidates within their constituencies, then
it seems only logical that student government at
the University will improve.
The only rotten apple that would remain in
the basket is the selection of women and repre
sentatives of those organizations which have po
sitions on the Council. Too often, organizations
elect students to the Council only as an after
thought without much deliberation. Last year,
one organization had to be pushed several times
just to select a rather hesitant representative for
the Council.
The appearance of an active opposition to
Greek control of Council elections is a healthy
and welcome situation. Although it does not
seem likely that many independent students will
be elected, it does appear likely that the quality
of candidates for office will improve and the
Student Council might actually take its constitu
tional position as "supreme student governing
body." SJ.
Voting Booths
With the approach of the all-Universty spring
elections, it might be well for the Stvdent Coun
cil to review the accessibility of its polling
places.
Last year, the only voting booths on the down
town campus were in Love Library ; The lines of
prospective voters became so long and confused
that many people were discouraged and never
cast a vote.
This situation can and should be remedied in
this year's elections. Especially when the in
terest in the Student Council elections will prob
ably reach an all-time high.
A preliminary suggestion would be to have
two voting booths in both the Library and the
Union thus accommodating nearly three times
as many voters as the previous method. B.B.
From
rrcsuotn
Vital h
The Editorial Page
vt campus ff ess
r Fres Expression
mm man on Campus
by Dick Bibler
By FRED DALT
Editorial Page Editor
A constant source of dis
cussion, and occasionally vio
lent action, is the matter of
freedom of the collegiate press.
In most universities and
colleges, the press is given free
reign editorially, with the re
sponsibility of picking staffs
and allocating funds left to a
faculty - student publications
committee.
. Recently, however, there
J has been wide dissension in
southern schools over the edi
; torial freedom of their press.
In three outstanding cases
Florida State University, the
University of Georgia and the
University of Texas suppres
sion of the press is coming
directly from the administra-
tion.
At Texas and Georgia, po
litical forces outside the
schools are pressuring the edi
torial staffs as to what should
et should not be printed.
At Florida State, the news
paper staff is fighting to keep
their paper away from editor
ial control by a faculty com
mittee This control has come about
mainly because of the paper's
apposition to the school's presi
dent. The paper The Florida
Flambeau claims this control
stems from the president's
efforts to squelch any opposi
tion to his administration.
At Texas U., the state gov
ernment itself has opposed the
policies f the newspaper. The
paper has repeatedly spoken
against Gov. Allan Shivers and
the Harris-Fulbright natural
gas bill and has asked for
moderation in racial integra
tion. The Texas University Board
of Regents, appointed by Gov.
Shivers, has led the attack on
the paper. They claim The
Daily Texan has "gone out of
bounds" in discussing such
matters.
Editors of the Georgia Uni
versity Red and Black have
supported Sen. George to run
again for the Senate, while
outside interests connected
with the University seem to
approve former Gov. Herman
Talmadge.
After an editorial advocat
ing the end of racial segrega
tion in 1953, Georgia U's Board
of Regents clamped a board
of control on the paper. The
staff is slowly putting life back
into its editorial issues.
The papers in etch of these
three schools have the support
of the student body. They dis
cuss campus, national and
state issues, frankly express
ing their opinions and what
they believe is the general
opinion of the students.
Where they get in trouble,
however, is when they pick up
issues deemed "sacred" by
their peers. The lid is then
clamped on. If no lid is avail
able, a new one is rapidly
fabricated by administrative or
even state action.
The University of Nebraska
is fortunate no such situation
exists here. True, there have
been occasions when opinions
of The Nebraskan and the
- administration have been quite
different.
Aside from informal confer
ences with the paper's editors
as to the advisability of poli
cies differing from those of
the University, no indications
have been made toward con
trol. This is as it should be. As
long as a college paper is ra
tional in its arguments and
fair in its opinions, it should
be given absolute freedom in
the statement of its policies.
The ultimate purpose of the
editorial columns of a campus
newspaper is to provide an out
let for student voice, and a
means of fair, constructive
criticism of campus affairs.
The final result of the sup
pression policies of the above
mentioned southern schools
and others like them will not
work for the good of their re
spective universities, as they
seemingly are intended.
,
Instead, they stifle the very
freedom of thought and expres
sion that is so vital in educa
tion. Intellectual curiosity
goes for naught if its outlets
are controlled.
The students and the faculty
of this University should be
thankful that its press is free,
even if they dont always
agree with it.
The Nebraskan
FETT-FIVE YEARS OLD . "". I -
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No Student Interest
In National Politics
By JACK FLYXN
I attended the Republican Found
er's Day Banquet the other night
and in looking over the coliseum
I found that I could count very
few Republicans.
I doubt that all the students not
in attendance profess the Demo
cratic political faith and it does
not seem likely that there has been
a great falling out among Repub
lican students.
I do not like to think that the
consolidation of government and
throwing off of responsibility which
has been going on since the passing
on of the town council form of
government has developed a robot
society and political automation.
The marked absence of students
at the banquet would suggest that
such has happened. If so, John
Dewey's leaders, who should be
a great force in directing our dem
ocratic society, 1 have failed in
their duty.
The key to the successful func
tioning of any democracy is the
individual's vote. However, the
marking of an X or the pulling of
First Sight Of University
Proves Awesome To Boy
When I was just a toddler, not
more than nineteen or twenty, my
parents had a very special way of
rewarding me for being nice. If I
had been a good boy for a whole
week at a time, Mummy would
give me a bag of horehound drops
and Daddy would take me off to
visit that fountain-head of wisdom,
and den of iniquity that is called
the University of Nebraska.
How well I remember those
trips. I, in a new pair of knickers,
and Daddy, impeccably attired in
simple but expensive-looking
shirtwaist and stout corduroy
breeches, would first hitch o 1 d
Towser to the dog-cart.
Then Mummy, wiping her eyes
on the hem of her skirt, would slip
out of the house, press a pack of
fags into my hot little hand, and
bravely bid us farewell. And off
we would go, across the rolling
prairies of the Golden West.
These excursions were the high
points of my young life. I would
gaze longingly at the strolling sun
drenched students, idly flinging
oaths at snow-bound professors.
and look forward eagerly to the
day when I too would be a college
student.
But on one occasion, our visit
was not happily timed, and what
saw that day changed my en
tire view of college. (That I finally
matriculated anyway is a tribute
to my courage and fortitude, not
to mention my mother's desire to
get me out of the house.)
A few daj'S before the particu
lar afternoon of which I write, a
student had been convicted of
drinking beer, and now he was to
be sentenced. What an awesome
sight that ceremony was!
Row upon row of students, in
various attitudes of fear and des
pair, were drawn up on the Mall.
The Chancellor, resplendent in a
beige uniform, his chest draped
with form letters from the Divi
sion of Student Affairs, sat astride
Jess Jesting
a magnificent stallion. Behind him
stood the rest of the administra
tors, gazing watchfully over the
crowd.
The offender, hardly able to
stand, was pushed forward by the
security police. The Chancellor,
without locking at him said in a
bored tone, "Not an acceptable
member of Our University Com
munity." Then with a negligent wave of bis
hand he consigned the poor fellow
to the laboratories of Bessey Hall.
No voice of protest was raised,
and his screams soon faded in the
distance.
Daddy inquired of a near-by cit
izen, and learned that this had
merely had been a warm-up
for the real business of the day. A
writer for the Nebraskan had been
fkbrashati letlerip
Fraternity Discimination Clauses
The Nebraskan editorial on the
Colorado "discrimination Clause"
action is to be commended for a
logical interpretation of what "to
be discriminating" means.
It falls, however, into the trap
so often laid by promoters of this
type of thing. No matter how laud
able the cause, individuals and
organizations try to turn the issue
to their own ends.
On other campuses the adoption
of anti-discriminatory resolutions
has been step No. 1. Step 2 is the
one which Colorado has just taken
the required abolition of the
"discriminatory clauses" from
House charters.
Step 8 is to require a gesture
of "Good Faith" on the part of
those Houses who removed the
clauses. This act of "Good Faith"
is the activation of a member of
the group previously excluded.
Sometimes no suitable candidate
has been available on the smaller
campuses. The promoters of the
change have then provided one.
To refuse to accept this candi
date is to say that one hasn't
"Good Faith," according to the
promoters.
To say, as The Nebraskan does,
that Houses (or any other social
group, for that matter, which
selects its members) can still
utilize their free choice over mem
bership on an individual basis is
simply not the case.
The selection process which we
call pledgeship goes out the win
dow. Houses, in effect, cannot re
fuse activation to anyone from the
preciously excluded group. To do
so, would be "discrimination" no
matter what the grounds.
This situation is an example of
an issue which is seemingly legiti
'mate, but on examination begins
to smell of coercion of the vilest
sort.
Before any campus group takes
action on this topic, it would be
well to examine what is really
going on.
CAUTIOUS
Blunders In Interpretation
To the Editor:
In reply to Mr. Gardner's letter,
I would like to point out a few
blunders in his interpretation of
the reasons for the failure of the
Mock Political Convention.
He states, for instance, that the
Democratic delegates to the con
vention attempted to add a touch
of reality to he convention. I do
not agree with this statement.
Since when are the Virgin Islands
and Hawaii in favor of segrega
tion? Yet the delegates representing
these territories voted with the
Southern states on this issue. I
could list many other such instanc
es which point out the shortcomings
of the Democratic delegations, but
I believe this to suffice.
Mr. Gardner thinks that the at
tempt of the radicals to dominate
the convention was a success. This
appears to make as much sense
as saying that Nazi Germany was
successful in World War II.
After trying in vain to muddle
the convention using typical Demo
crat procedure, they led their pup
pet delegations into walking out.
Is this success?
Mr. Gardner repeats the phrase
which has become the byword of
the defeated radicals on campus:
"The Republicans didn't have
enough people present to cast their
entire vote." I can't imagine how
he can gather enough effrontery
to make this statement.
The Republican delegations were
challenged several times, each
time proving that everything was
legal. What delegations were found
guilty of fraudulent acts, such as
voting for delegations not present,
etc.? The Democrats.
I suppose that Mr. Gardner and
the radicals cannot realize why
the Democrat delegations failed to
elect their man. The simple reason
that the students of the University
selected Dwight D. Elsenhower as
their candidate for President of
the United States is that he in tlie
man, the only man, qualified for
the office.
J. L. F.
Thank You
To the Editor:
We would like to express our
appreciation for the good publicity
and the accurate reporting you
gave to out Eleventh Annual So
cial Casework Institute held here
at the University March 16-17.
Thank you so much!
AtIs Krlstfitgftti
Associate Professor
reported for producing an obscene
column, and was soon to be drawn
and quartered before the entire
company.
Feeling that I had seen enough
for one day, Daddy whipped up
the dog, and we were soon mak
ing our way across the fields to
ward home.
1 slept at the foot of the bed that
night, fondling a fifth of scotch,
and crying my eyes out. It was
nearly a year before I was com
pletely recovered. In fact, some
people still think there's something
wrong with me.
a lever at the polls is secondary to
the selection of nominees.
It is the duty of every citizen, and
expecially the "highly-educated"
college student, to insure that the
names of the best men, not the
good or better men, are placed on
the ballot.
If we are to continue the prac
tice of selection of candidate for
public office by political parties
we must make sure that these po
litical parties are directed by the
has at her command.
People who come from out uni
versities and colleges make up
the majority of this group. You
are one of them.
The broad generalizations, se
lected because of their emotional
value and put forward in political
speeches, are an indication of the
The Mirage
politician's estimation of the in
telligence of the voter. This should
not be. You can change it.
Join a party and demand that its
members be both honest and ob
jective. If you do not desire to ac
tively participate in one of the rec
ognized parties or to form a new
one you should at least demand
honesty and objectivity from your
soap box on the sidelines.
Some may point to the recent
mock convention as a contradic
tion of my thesis. I do not deny
that mock conventions and the
like are worthy.
However, a mock convention is
not reality and the value of par
ticipation in unrealistic situations
such as mock conventions lies in
the knowledge gained.
And if the participants do not
follow through by putting this
knowledge to work in future politi
cal activities the mock conven
tion is a failure.
A meeting of the Mickey Mouse
Club, a panty raid, a dog fight
a burlesque show all would
have a large college attendance
while a political meeting goes un
attended. Why? Whc -e do the stu
dent's values lie? They seem a bit
perverted to me.
with
(Author o ''Bartfoot Boy With CAaafc," aJe.j
MONEY ISN'T EVERYTHING
I have asked the makers of Philip Morris an enterprisingr
and aggressive group of men; yet at the same time warm and
lovable; though not without acumen, perspicacity, and drive;
which does not, however, mask their essential greatheartednessT
a quality evident to all who have ever enjoyed the beneficence and
gentleness of their wares ; I refer, of course, to Philip Morrli
Cigarettes, a smoke fashioned with such loving care and ten
dered with such kind regard that these old eyes grow misty when
I think upon it -1 have asked, I say, the makers of Philip Morris
that aggregate of shrewd but kindly tobacconists, that covey
of enlightened Merry Andrews, that cluster of good souls bound
together by the profit motive and an unflagging determination
to provide all America with a cigarette forever gentle and
eternally pleasing -1 have asked, I say, the makers of Philip
Morris whether I might use today's column to take up the
controversial question: Should a coed share expenses on a date?
"Yes," said the makers simply. We all embraced then and
squeezed each other and exchanged brave smiles, and if our
eyes were a trifle moist, who can blame us?
To the topic then : Should a coed share expenses on a date? I
think I can best answer the question by citing the following;
typical case:
Poseidon Nebenzal, a student at Oklahoma A and M, majoring
In hides and tallow, fell wildly in love with Mary Ellen Flange,
a flax weevil major at the same school. His love, he had reason
to believe from Mary Ellen's sidelong glances and maidenly
blushes, was not entirely unrequited, and by and by he muBtered
JP
loe m not entirety UtitfGUiteC
up enough courage to ask her the all-Important question: "Will
you wear my 4-H pin?"
'Tea," she said simply. They embraced then and squeezed
each other and exchanged brave smiles, and If their eyes were
a trifle moist, who eah blame them?
For a time things went swimmingly. Then a cloud appeared,
Mary Ellen, It seems, waa a rich girl and accustomed to costly
pleasures. Poseidon was bone-poor and he quickly ran out of
money. Unable to take Mary Ellen to the posh places she fancied
and too proud to tell her the reason, he turned surly and full of
melancholy. Senseless, violent quarrels developed. Soon it ap
peared that the romance, ao promising at the beginning, waa
headed for a breakup, but at the last moment, Poseidon man
aged to blurt out the truth.
'ih'eloved arar,an!'' cried Mary Ellen, grappling him
close. Oh, proud husbandman! Oh, foolish reaper 1 Why have
you not told me before? I have plenty of money, and I will con
tribute according to my ability."
Poseidon, of course, protested, but she finally persuaded him
of the wisdom of her course. From then on they eplit all ex
penses according to their Incomes. Rather than embarrasa
Poseidon by handing him money in public, a joint bank account
raV!vUp,t,ili h,m te write checks- Into this account each
week they faithfully deposited their respective allowances - 85
cents from Poseidon; $2300 from Mary Ellen.
TwiilTked fin! ?on H tha arguing and bickering,
lij JaPPy--ly happy! And what's mora, when they
S uVh,e? h nic ,ittle ne8t eff-eight million dollar.
- with Vhich to furnish a lovely apartment in Lubbock, Texas,
where today they operate the local laundromat.
So you ee? You too can salvage your failing romance if you
will only adopt a healthy, sensible attitude toward money.
(Mk Hmlmia, 1M
..HI!" Ut?t b$!e,'hn " o Philip MorrU. PopuUr prtt.
till pre-Ufor ihh, Amrlta', fntk tlgarttt,, AM mnhtr, bring
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