Thursday, December 12, 1963
COUNCIL TAKES:
A Single Step
The problem of student drinking, or drinking as a
whole, is one which cannot be rationalized or analyzed.
When you bring the problem up for discussion at any
gathering, whether it be the floor of a legislature or on a
more personal basis, there are always two sharp divisions.
On the" student level the idealists says We are at the
University in the pursuit of an education. Alcohol has ad
verse affects on thinking. Alcohol is bad if it does this,
because it blocks our pursuit And, besides we should try
to upgrade the masses and save them from themselves.
The realists say: In the beginning there was alcohol.
Since that time alcohol has become an integral part of
our lives. Besides we enjoy it. And they do. 1
Yesterday Student Council was faced with the problem
of establishing a committee to determine if there is a
drinking problem at the University. This in itself is ab
surd. If yon agree that more than half the students are
under the legal drinking age you have circumvented the'
problem. Nebraska doesn't allow these students to drink,
but their peer group does. In fact if these students live
in fraternity and sorority houses, drinking is almost en
couraged. Do not house parties and primers go hand in
hand.
Dick Weill, Student Council vice president and Uni
versity debater, gave a stirring oration on why the council
should not pass the resolution saying there had not been
enough student reaction to prove to him that a problem
ven existed.
This statement was capped with an appropriate re
mark from Mike Barton: "There are 94 men in my house
who have an interest in this problem, but the reason they
axe not overtly excited is because it is like fighting City
Hall."
Barton proved that he is a council member who thinks
more than superficially and emotionally. He said that even
if students can't get liquor laws changed by the state
legislature, the Student Council has a responsibility to
speak for the student.
Smart kid, that Barton!
An old Chinese proverb says: A journey of a thousand
miles begins with a single step.
Hmmmmmmmt
GARY LACEY
Too Much Propaganda Gives
Swede Wrong Idea Of Berlin
By Britt-Marle Thuren
Lund, Sweden Just back
from Berlin, which was
wrapped up in fog and haze.
I am beginning to think
that that city will have some
sort of smog within a few
years. Berliner Luft! Other
wise the city is just like
you imagine it political,
ironical, cruel, sentimental,
business-m i n d e d alto
gether paradoxical like
most 'of Europe, but more
so. It is the most European
city I know, although it
looks Americanized. With
, all the empty lots and bold
freeway constructions, it
makes me think of Lot
Angeles, and one forgets
why it is so empty and
new. Another thing is that
it has a good reason for
looking Americanized. It is,
simply. American radio
programs, American troops,
American schools, Ameri
can restaurants . . .
Like a young Berliner
said to me, "Berlin and
all of West Germany is'an
American satellite. It will
be for a long time. Thank
goodness." That is a good
way of looking at politics,
free of illusions, rage or
despair. West Germany is
an American satellite, and
let's not avoid the true
words. They may seem ug
ly, but to put everything
in beautiful words can easi
ly get the wrong effect.
I saw en example of that
during an international con
ference in Berlin a few
months ago. There were
people from 48 countries in
oar group. One day we took
a tour of East Berlin. First
we got a feeling of what a
ridiculous world we live
in. Almost hah of ns had
to get special permissions
from their consules, or they
would not be admitted back
into their home countries
with an East German stamp
in their passports. Of
coarse, the passports are
not supposed to be stamped
anywhere within Berlin at
alL according to the four
power agreement, but you
never know.
Then, when we got into
East Berlin, it was remark
able bow the reactions fol
lowed nationalities. AH the
people from Spain, South
America and other very
rightist countries, were
shocked to see how good
everything looked. Most of
us felt more anti-communistic
than ever, but I won
der about some of those
people. "Our papers tell us
people in Communist coun
tries, and especially in East
Berlin, starve, lead a ter
rible life . . . and they
smile and look well dressed
and walk gaily through the
streets . . . O.K., lots of
ruins and not much traffic,
but there are even fewer
cars in my home town . ..
no, it does not look like a
city should, but if I be
lieved so many obvious
lies, the rest could very
well be lies too."
This is dangerous! I wish
politicans could realize that
some people, when indoc
trinated with too much pro
paganda, start to distrust
everything without actually
having to see the propa
ganda disproved, like in
this case.
5 Something similar h a p
pens to me every time I
get to Berlin. I feel very
sorry for the poor West
Berliner who cannot take
a weekend trip to the
countryside or who hesitate
to buy expensive furniture,
since you never know how
long you will get to keep
it. But when Berlin greets
me with a whirlwind of pro
paganda in the farm of
harsh posters, grim statis
ticians and sentimental
guides on bus tours along
the wall well, they ask
for pity and that makes me
unable to feel it. This does
not go for individuals, of
course, for if individuals in
Berlin were like those bus
guides, Berlin would not
have survived the blockade.
In our international group
there were other reactions.
There were Laotians who
had not been able to see
their relatives for years, be
cause they live in the north
ern "closed ' part of Laos,
And Korea is divided too,
and Viet Nam (if you per
mit me to mention that
name these days). Hong
Kong is a sort of West Ber
lin all by itself. And what
about all the South Afri
cans who cannot even visit
their wives without a spe
cial permission although
they live in the same coun
try? In Berlin it is taken
for granted that their prob
lem is the biggest and most
tragical in the world. The
Pakistanians in our group
Dear Editor:
In addition to the many
examples of administrative
mish-mash that are being
constantly pointed o u t in
the Daily Nebraskan, there
is another.
On December 4, Dean
Snyder gave a speech. The
title is "How to conform and
still be yourself". Sound
contradictory? Not to Dean
Snyder. It appears that the
mumbled politely that the
division of their country is
of a different kind, but the
wall cannot have seem as
outrageous to them as to,
for example the Austrian s
who are happily reunited.
The East Germans
erected the wall, and it is
a shame to humanity as it
cuts across street car
tracks and play grounds.
But yet, they seem to have
the easier part of the dis
cussion. Maybe their pro
paganda is just more clev
er. When they get senti
timental, which is not too
often, they say they are
fighting for a cause, doing
it for their children, pro
tecting poor people who
don't understand what is
best for them and have to
be kept away from western
brainwashing. There is
something very dignified
over a man who says he
is fighting for a cause,
whatever that cause is.
"Western propaganda says
West Berlin is a needle in
the flesh of our socialism.
Well, naturally, no one
wants a needle in the flesh."
West Berlin bus guides
say they have their grand
mother on the other side,
and now that the wall has
been made higher they can
not even wave to each
other. These things almost
make me forget some other
basic facts, but the ma
chine guns of the vopos w ill
remind me, over and over
again.
The Berlin problem Is
absolutely unsolvable under
present political balance.
One must never forget it;
it has a bearing on all other
political issues maybe more
than it deserves. But in Ber
lin, on the other hand, it
must be forgotten.
And it is. Let's build the
biggest apartment building
in the world why should
it not be situated in Ber
lin? Let's go to Elack Bot
tom to dance! Let's take
a trip to Spain, by air of
course. Let's be friendly to
the tourists; they can help
us in some indirect way.
The freedom bell in the
City Hail tolls every day
and the flame at Reich
skanzlerplatz, that will
burn until Germany is re
united, burns and bums and
people hope it will not burn
eternally and they forget to
look at it.
Really, Dean Snyder?
only way to be yourself is
to be like the group but
not just any group her
group. All women students
were to attend this speech
and when not enough
came, Dean Snyder sent
mimeographed copies to all
women students in the dor
mitories. In this speech she says
that a typically "bad"
statement such non
conformists make is that
"the administration is all
wrong." Perhaps she ought
to stick to the subject and
forget brainwashing.
"The purpose of educa
tion is to persuade you to
like what you should like
and dislike what you should
dislike." Really, Dean
Snyder, do you pretend to
know enough to tell anyone
what they should like and
what they should dislike?
Education in this country is
not cramming dogmas
down one's throat it is
supposed to be a search
for the truth.
Aside from these little
gems of wisdom, she says
"The purpose of education
is that you should change,"
and then contradicts this
WE NEVER CLOSE
,''' , , , ' it
. Lin 1
LADIES
SEAMLESS
NYLONS
DIVIDEND BONDED GAS
16th & P Sts.
Downtown
with "what you are is what
you can be."
"The only answer beyond
law and governing is tyr
anny," says Dean Snyder.
Besides having little, if any
thing, to do with conform
ing, she might refer to a
dictionary, where she
would find "t y r a n n y"
means "Law and govern
ing of an absolute ruler."
Rather means the same
as law and governing,
doesn't it?
The dean quotes Shake
speare, "To thine own self
be true and it must follow
as the night, the day. Thou
can't not be false, to any
man". I will continue to be
true to myself, even if
Dean Snyder doesn't be
lieve I am being true to
her which is what I
"should" do.
Perhaps our dear dean of
women should follow the
only intelligent thing said
in her speech, "Respect
others for what they are."
and stop trying to change
people who don't conform
to what they think is "good
for them."
Very Sincerely,
F. Jeffry Pettier
'THE BEST'
WITH
GAS
PURCHASE
Lincoln
When one has lost a
friend, they often re
member him as they knew
him typically or as they
saw him last. It is certainly
no different with a leader
who was well known to
Americans as the torch
bearer of a new generation.
It is still difficult to com
prehend the assassination
of this country's 35th Pres
ident, John F. Kennedy, but
perhaps it is the price we
pay and have paid four
times throughout our his
tory for the free and open
society which tolerates fa
natics. -
This writer and 10,000
other college interns re
member him as he spoke to
us on the south lawn of the
White House at the end of
a challenging summer in
Washington. The President
had long been a supporter
of summer employment in
federal executive and con
gressional offices for inter
ested students. For the sec
ond year the White House
gates were thrown open so
that we might hear he who
had represented this young,
vigorous generation In Con
gress and Anally the presi
dency, for the short period
since World War II.
His theme was employ
mentfederal employment
and w h a t its future holds
for interested and qualified
college graduates in the
decade ahead. He pictured
the federal government, as
well as all levels of public
service, in need of these
graduates to lead govern
ment, not as a negative but
a positive force in this com
plex American society.
Those who watched and
listened that day, whether
toll
T1S THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY
If you have been reading this column and I hope you have; I
mean I genuinely hope so; I mean it doea not profit me one)
penny whether you read this column or not; I mean I am paid
every week by the makers of Marlboro Cigarettes and my
emolument is not affected in any way by the number of people
who read or fail to read this column an act of generosity
perfectly characteristic of the makers of Marlboro, you would
say if you knew them as I do; I mean here are tobacconists gray
t the temples and full of honors who approach their art as
eagerly, as dewy-eyed as the youngest of practitioners; I mean
the purpose of the Marlboro makers is simply to put the best of
all possible filters behind the best of all possible tobaccos and
then go, heads high, into the market place with their wares,
confident that the inborn sense of right and wrong, of good and
bad, of worthy and unworthy, which is the natural instinct of
every American, will result in a modest return to themselves
for their long hours and dedicated labors not, let me hasten to
add, that money is of first importance to the makers of Marlboro;
all these simple men require is plain, wholesome food, plenty of
Marlboros, and the knowledge that they have scattered a bit of
sunshine into the lives of smokers everywhere; if, I say, yoa
have been reading this column, you may remember that last
week we started to discuss Christmas gifts.
i
1 w imi Someone iiid&dtiilisttm.
We agreed, of course, to give cartons of Marlboro to sfl oa
friends and also to as many total strangers as poaaUa. Tods?
let us look into some other welcome gifts.
Do ym know $omtone who u tnterc$Ud it America Ifiajrjf
If so, he will surely appreciate a statuette of Millard THkotm
with a clock in the stomach. (Mr. Fillmore, inekieiit&Sy, aa
the only American president with s clock In fist rioraatfa.
James K. Polk had a stem-winder in bis bead, and WSSsfll
Henry Harrison chimed the quarter-hour, butonhy Mt. FSrnosSe
of all our chief executives, had a clock in the stomach. FiackSa
Pierce had a sweep second hand and Zaohary Taylor bad
seventeen jewels, but, I repeat, Mr. Fillmore and Mil. Yuhacm
alone had a clock in the stomach. Some say thai Mb YZtnxm
was also the first president wib power starinej, bub wost
liMtorian assign this distinction to Chester A. Jhiihm. Bo
ever, it has been established beyond doubt that Mb ISknost
wm the first president with a thermostat Small wonder shef
salled him Old Hickory I)
But I digress. To get back to welcome and nrusnnl Qvfctrnas
gifts, here's one that's sure to please-a gift certificate from the
American Chiropractic Society. Accompanying each certificafct
tbb) wionrae littia poem:
Mtirf Christmas, Happy Sew K9
lotomtaen-QiacJ
1 MattowtplmfarmrMmk
Eltuingt m few aekhq ba&i
May yow lumbar ntt from nmmbtr.
May yoW batUom rV ditloclgt,
M ay yow caudd rw daudU,
JoyeuxNadl Hewmx mauagtl
Sites Met Slsliiin
Tht maker of Marlboro, who lake pleatm e in bringing yon
thit column throughout the iclwol year, would like to join
with Old Max in extending greeting of the season.
By Bob Weaver
Democrat or Republican,
would have to confirm that
he certainly did have style
a style we shall soon miss
in the months ahead.
But what of John F. Ken
nedy's uncompleted admin
istration? History will write
the final judgment, but a
p r eliminary assessment
shows that, he was unable
to obtain passage of the
civil rights and tax cut
measures t fi a t he deemed
so vital to American free
dom and economic well be
ing. This was a result of a
"Do-Wrong" 88th Congress
and the failure of it and
presidential leadership to
enact the administra
tions proposals. The United
States is still racked by un
employment and has yet to
come to grips with the
problems of increased ur
banization. Internationally, an in
creasingly independent Eu
rope, especially France, re
jected, for the moment, his
Continued on Page S
The Daily Nebraskan
JOHN MORRIS, managins editor;
SUE HOVIK, newi editor; SUSAN
SMITHBERBER, GRANT PETER
SON, FRANK PARTSCH, Mnior Uif
writers; LARRY AS MAN, MARV
McNEFF, JERRI O'NEILL. JERRY
HOFFERBER, junior Uff writ;
PATTY KNAPP, ARNIE CARSON.
CAY LEITSCHUCK. oopjr (0110111
HAL FOSTER, photosTapher: MICK
ROOD, port editor; MIKE JEF
FREY, circulation msnaier; JIM
DICK, subscription manager; BUJL
BUNUCKS, BOB CUNNINGHAM.
PETE LAGS, business assistants.
Subscription ratal (3 par Mm after
or ts per year.
Entered aa second class matter at
the post office In Lincoln. Nebraska,
under the act of Auiust 4. 1912.
The Dally Nebraskan la published
at room 51. Student Union, on Mon
day, Wednesday. Thursday, Friday
by University of Nebraska students
under the Jurisdiction of the Faculty
Subcommittee on Student Publications.
Publications shall be free from cen
sorship by the Subcommittee or any
person outside the University. Mem
bers of the Nebrsskan art) responsible
for what they cause to be printed.
(Author of "Rally Round the Flag, Boyf
and "Barefoot Hoy Wxtk Cheek.")
EL .sPV