Is Student Ability "Normally" Distributed?
Instructors say 'No
quit grade curve
Few faculty members retain rigid grading plan;
investigation of marking systems scheduled
BY LUCILLE THOMAS.
The system, of grading on a curve, rigorously denounced
The Official Newspaper of More Than 6,000 Students
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7,
Dr.W.H.Orr
addresses Phi
Beta Kappas
Tells of contributions
given modern surgery
by Pasteur and Lister
Dr. H. W. Orr, prominent ortho
pedic surgeon of Lincoln, will ad
dress members of Phi Beta Kappa
on the subject of "Contributions
of Pasteur and Lister to Modern
Surgery" when the Nebraska chap
ter meets for dinner tonight at the
University club.
Dr. Orr has served in offices of
the State Medical association, the
American association, and the
American Orthopedic association.
He is the author of several articles,
Including "A History of the Ne
braska Medical Society," and "A
Civilian Surgeon's Story of the
Great War."
Having served as a member of
the Medical Corps of the A.E.F.,
Dr. Orr now belongs to the U. S.
Reserve Corps, Medical D'vision,
as a consultant on orthopedic sur
gery.
Presiding at the dinner and
meeting will be Dr. James "Wads
worth, president of Phi Beta
Kappa. About 65 members and
their guests are expected to at
tend, including Chancellor and
Mrs. C. S. Boucher, both of whom
are members of the society.
Tassels to meet
tonight at 7 o'clock
Members of Tassels, wo
men's pep organization, w:l!
meet tonight at 7 o'clock In
room 316 of the Union. Alt
members are required to be
present.
Behind world events
Bev Finkle
Europe is suffering a new attack of the "Hitler Jitters". Today
Spanish loyalist forces, once concentrated about Barcelona and Its
environs, are in wild, hectic flight. Franco's Insurgents are in hot
pursuit and the loyalist rear guard is hard pressed to keep any sem
blance of order amid general chaos.
Three paths lie open from former loyalist territory to France and
'Its havens of refuge. One or these is a pass high in the Pyrenees, and
hundreds already are reputed to be dead in the attempt to scale this
height. Another is a half mile long railroad tunnel bored thru the
mountain side, and the humans who like rats crawl thru it are in con
stant dread of an onrushing train which would scatter them like chaff.
The third is a paved highway from Barcelona to relrpegnon, and this
Is under heavy bombardment from insurgent troops.
France hat opened it borders to all who flee from the terrors of
Barcelona. Men, women, and children, of all ages, have been pouring in
in hor.les too great to stop. French border patrols have worked on 21
hour duty to keep the flood of humans moving. Relief kitchens have
been set up. and starved humans pulp hungrily at morsels thrown
them, for they have scarce seen food in many weeks.
We, youngsters all. cannot remember the horrors of the World war
but the memories of this conflict will remain long with us.
Loyalist troops anxious to defend their mutilated and ravanged
homeland nre being returned to the last strongholds at Valencia and
Madrid. The costs of such transport are being borne by the French
government.
While we must commend France for the aid she now offers to
suffering refugees, we most heartily condemn the free transportation
of foreign soldiers who are still at war. France has placed herself In
the role of an active supporter of the loyalist regime. Germany, Italy,
France and Russia are now engaged in a struggle to determine
whether the government of Spain shall be in the hands of Premier
Negrin or General Franco.
The world sits by tensely waiting the announcement of that little
spark which may plunge the whole "civilized" world In catastrophic
content
Premier Negrin has refused to obey the president of Spain' re
quest for surrender in order to stop the destruction of life and property.
Negrin has fled to France but is willing to sacrifce those remaining
at home. Public sympathy cannot much longer rest with auch a man
who condemns his supporters to needless butchery.
(Se WORLD EVENTS Page 2.)
1939
2-408
Daily Nebraskan seeks
'problem' discussions
In one issue each week, the
DAILY NEBRASKAN will de
vote an entire page to discus
sions of national, international,
state, or campus problems. Any
student or faculty member
wishing to write an article of
not more than four hundred
words on any subject should
address his communications to
"Public Forum Page," DAILY
NEBRASKAN.
'Dad' Elliot
gives warning
Fears anti-semiticism
here; calls for honesty
"Dad" Elliott, veteran youth
leader, sounded a note of warning
for Americans to be on guard
against anti-semiticism as he de
livered a challenging call for the
return of old time honesty in the
American philosophy of life. "Dad"
spoke in the Union Sunday eve
ning inaugurating a week of re
ligious emphasis on the campus
sponsored by the Religious Wel
fare council.
Introduced by Gilber Savery,
president of the student section
of the Religous Welfare Council.
"Dad" opened his speech with
praise of the Swedish system based
on the homely virtues of Christian
conduct. Swinging to Germany he
interpreted the situation and em
phasiied the feeling among the
"sane minority" there that anti
semiticism wil sweep the United
States within 15 years.
"When I got back and saw the
sweep of anti-semiticism and the
sources of the propaganda," de
clared "Dad," "I was not so sure
that they were wrong."
Elliott deplored the fact that
"we are loaded heavily with peo
ple whose philosophy fs simply
graft, but found a ray of hope
(See ELLIOTT on Page 2.)
VOL. XXXVIII, NO. 82.
Mortar Board
deposits $100
in Loan Fund
Chancellor Boucher
to contribute money
from out-state talks
A deposit of $100 with the uni
versity finance office by the Mor
tar Board officially opened the
Student Loan Fund, yesterday.
With a promise from Chancellor
C. S. Boucher to contribute all
money that he receives from out
state lectures to the fund, Phyllis
Chamberlain, president of the or
ganization, has written letters to
the leading campus organizations
requesting contributions in an ef
fort to swell the fund to $1,000
by the end of this semester.
The Student Loan Fund, con
ceived by the Student Council,
Mortar Board, and, university offi
cials, is to be a permanent fund
to assist students needing finan
cial help for a short period of
time. No interest will be charged
students securing loans until the
end of a five month period. At
that time loans will be considered
delinquent and interest will begin
at the rate of five percent per
annum.
Contributions asked.
This fund is to be built up from
contributions from university or
ganizations with the Mortar Board
in charge of collections. Accord
ing to Barbara Rosewater, mem
ber of the Mortar Board commit
tee in charge, any contribution
regardless of size, will be wel
comed and will help swell the
fund to the thousand dollar goal
Any organization or person who
contributes to the fund relin
quishes all claim on the contri
bution.
Money will be held in the office
of the finance secretary and all
contributions or withdrawals from
the fund must pass thru this office
Collection of all loans will also be
made thru this office.
No loans will be made in greater
amounts than $50. The Dean of
Stu'ent Affairs or such persons
as he may appoint will administer
the fund and make all loans. No
security is required, the only cri
teria being good character in
Dean Thompson's judgment. In
special cases, the time available
on loans will be specified ac
cording to the needs and the con
dition of the loan.
The Mortar Board committee
which has made arrangements for
the fund Is composed of Barbara
Rosewater, chairman; Betty Cle
ments, and Phyllis Chamberlain.
AU contributions for the fund
should be sent to Phyllis Cham
berlain. Debate tryout
filings due today
Judges to pick teams
for Colorado trip soon
Prof. H. A. White announced
yesterday that the names of all
students who expect to compete
in the debate tryouts for Feb. 14,
must be filed in his office by
noon today.
The affirmative and negative
teams selected will make the
Colorado debate trip In March.
Speakers going on this trip will
not be able to participate In any
other large trip but will enter
home contests.
"Resolved that the nited States
should cease to use the public
funds for the purpose of stimu
lating business,1 is the question
to be discussed.
by university students past and present, is rapidly declining
on the Nebraska campus, the DAILY NEBRASKAN learned
today after two weeks of survey. Instructors in many depart
ments, preferring to remain unquoted, expressed a growing
antipathy for the system of judging a student's ability accord
ing to a "normal curve of distribution."
j ro!t ;
i f.-: . ': :-;::::v:::::::'"v.-:-:v:'"'-' :':";" ' :'v ?
- - ,
U . . I J
I V --A 1
5 ( '' '' I
CHANCELLOR BOUCHER.
...donates speech money.
Y. W. installs
new cabinet
Officers-elect assume
duties at service today
A special vespers service for
the installation of the newly
elected officers and cabinet of the
Y. W. C. A. will be held this eve
ning at 5 in Ellen "Smith.
A program, arranged by Mary
Bullock, in charge of the affair,
includes a flute solo by Jean Sim
mons who will be accompanied by
her mother, Mrs. Robert Simmons
and a prayer which will be led by
Miss Bullock.
Following the prayer, Muriel
White, retiring president, will give
a short farewell speech after which
she will introduce the newly
elected officers and cabinet. The
new officers are: Priscilla Wicks,
president; Maxine Lake, vice presi
dent; Irene Hollenbeck, secretary;
Ann Hustead, treasurer; and Helen
Kilr.icr, Ag president.
New cabinet members.
Members of the new cabinet who
will be installed are: Dot Glen,
Faith Medlar, Jean Simmons,
Charlotte Utt, Mary Lou Daly,
Ella Jo Marshall, Mary Jo Henn,
Helen Able, Frances Van Anda,
Maxine Iake, Pat Sternberg. Joy
(See Y CABINET on Page 2.)
Entries due for
carnival booths
Women's houses must
file by 12 noon today
Plans by women's organized
houses for booths in the Coed
Counselors' annual penny varni
val must be submitted at Mrs. Ada
Wcstover's desk in Ellen Smith
by noon today. Selection of the
booths for the carnival to be held
Saturday, Feb. 18, in Grant Me
morial will be made by Elizabeth
Smith and Maxine Lake.
Tickets for the affair are 15
cents and may be put chased from
anw Coed Counselor, Coed Coun
selor board member, or from se
lected persons in each "organized
house. The ticket Includes 5 cens
admission ' and 10 cents to be
spent at any of the concessions.
Each ticket purchase is accom
panied by one vote which may
be used in voting for the most
popular bdoth in the carnival. At
the end of the afternoon the win
ner of the contest will be awarded
a trophy.
Dancing will be featured at the
carnival and refreshments may be
purchased at the booths. Co-chairmen
for the event are Coed Coun
selor board members Fern Steute
ville and Faith Medlar.
Without having any idea as to
what a grade curve really is, most
students use it as a peg on which
to hang their complaints for low
grades. The grade curve is built
on the idea that the majority of
students are just average, and that
the brilliant students and the dull
students are about equal in the
minority.
Formula unfair in small classes
That is, in a normal class, the
distribution of intelligence is such
that about half of the students
will be deserving of a grade be
tween 75 and 80, 15 percent of the
class will probably be worthy of
80-something and 15 percent will
deserve grades in the 60's, and the
remaining few will be equally di
vided between the very bright stu
dents and those who should flunk.
This priniciple may take the
form of a strict formula that
works fairly only in large, usually
elementary, classes. In the small,
more advanced classes, where an
unusual number may be brilliant,
the practice of the curve works
an obvious injustice.
At present there is no all uni
versity ruling to regulate the pol
icy by which colleges, deparments,
or instructors distribute their
grades. As a matter of depart
mental policy, the English depart
ment deems it wise to place the
majority of its grades in the 75
to 85 class, but no rigid rules are
followed, and, according to Miss
(See CURVE on Page 2.)
Medlar services
set for today
Funeral of professor
arranged for 10 o'clock
Funeral services for Arthur W.
Medlar, associate professor at the
university, will be held at the
Warren Methodist church at 10
o'clock today. Rev. W. L. Ruyle
will officiate.
Professor Medlar had been head
of the rural economics department
at the university since 1918. He was
a member of Gamma Delta Sigma,
agricultural honorary society and
was active in university affairs.
Surviving are his wife, Lucy;
two daughters, Mrs. Burton Mar
vin of Chicago, and Faith; three
brothers, Dr. Clyde Medlar of
Verdon, Dr. Edgar Medlar of
Mount McGregor. N. Y., and War
ren Medlar of Kimball; two sis
ters, Mrs. Millard Bigelow of
Payette, Ida., and Mrs. Oscar
Toothman of Natrona, Wyo.
The body is at Castle, Roper and
Matthews mortuary.
Hoffman explains
cancelled lecture
Did not speak here due
to misunderstanding
Former New Jersey Governor
Hoffman in an interview Sunday
at Omsha, said his lecture sched
uled at the Union Sunday after
noon was rancelled as the result
of a misunderstanding. Hoffman
had told the sponsors of the lecture
that he would not touch on the
Lindbergh case in his talk, but that
he would answer any questions
that might be asked.
Hoffman said he believed that
because it was Sunday and be
cause the lecture had been adver
tised as a safety talk, the sponsors
thought the attendance would not
be large enough.
Hoffman told interviewer! he
still feels Ilauptmann was not
guilty, and he did not like the New
Jersey Justice Bruno received. He
has not changed his opinion one
bit since thetriaL "I have my cwn
opinion on what happened, and I
still think there was 'Something
Rotten in Denmark'," he said.