Students air views
on class attendance
No. 9
JOE BELDEN
Studrnt Opinion Survey of Amrriea
AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 22. Abolition of compulsory class
attendance in colleges, a subject seldom mentioned two decades
ago, has become an issue of the day. That development seems
largely a result of pioneering by edticalors like Hubert M.
Hnteliins with his Chicago Plan, which allows students to
attend classes at their own discretion.
Few schools, however, have fol
lowed the lead taken by the Uni
versity of Chicago. The major
ity of the nation's colleges still re
quire compulsory class attendance
in varying degrees. !
Although educators discuss the
question among themselves, sel
dom have they asked the opinions
of the students, who are most vit
ally interested in the question. The
Student Opinion Surveys of Amer
ica are able to give voice for the
first time to the students' views
on the issue.
The nation's college youth were
astfed, "Should compulsory class
attendance in colleges be abol
ished?" Yes, said 63.5 per cent.
No, said 36.5 per cent.
Even though the poll revealed a
sizeable majority who favored
abolition of compulsory attend
ance, the fact thac more than a
third opposed the idea is signifi
cant. It, invalidates the claim of
Mortarboards
to honor coeds
at annual tea
550 women receive
bids to Sunday event
recognizing scholarship
More than 550 Nebraska coeds
will be honored Sunday afternoon
in Ellen Smith hall at the annual
scholarship tea sponsored by Mor
tar Board. Invitations have been
sent to all university women who
had 80 averages for the two se
mesters of last year.
Climax of the affair will come
with the presentation of Mortar
Board awards to three senior
women who have been outstand
ing in scholarship, leadership and
service on the campu.s. Names of
the three to be honored will not be
revealed until 4:30 o'clock Sunday
afternoon when the awards are
made. The tea will be held from
3:30 to 5 o'clock.
Receiving line.
In the receiving line for the tea
will - be Miss Elsie Ford Piper,
Mrs. F. D. Coleman, Phyllis Cham
berlain, Frances Boldman, Harriet
Cummer, Josephine Rubnitz, and
Barbara Rosewater.
Presentation of awards will be
in charge of Patricia Lahr and
Bonnie Burn. Other Mortar Board
committees are Barbara Rose
water and Helen Pascoe, publicity;
Phyllis Chamberlain and Betty
Clements, tea; Virginia Fleetwood
and Virginia Nolte, music; Fran
ces Boldman and Velma Ekwall,
decorations, and Ruthanna Russell
in charge of general arrangements.
Bridge filings due
tomorrow af 8
Play opens Saturday;
teams ta play 24 hands
Deadline for intnes in the fia-tcrnity-sorority
bridge tournament
has been set for 8 o'clock Thurs
day evening, Mrs. Romans, di
rector of the tournament, said
Wednesday. Playing will begin at
2 o'clock Saturday afternoon nt
the Union and continue until 21
hands have been played. The play
ers having the gr eatest number of
points W'iil win.
Contestants may choose their
own partners, the only stipulation
being that each player must be
long to a fraternity or sorority.
Prizes will be awarded to the win
ners and will lc determined by
the number of entrants.
Uni women employees
to hear Dr. Louise Pound
The Campus club, whose mem
bers are women employed on both
city and ag campuses, will meet
for a dinner at which Dr. Louise
Pound will speak, Feb. 27 at 0
o'clock in Ellen Smith.
All who have not already made
reservations may do so by calling
Miss Mabel Strong of the English
department. Price of the dinner is
CO cents per plate.
manv elders that practically all
students, if given any say, would
want to do away with compulsory
presence in classes.
Breaking down the results sec
lionally, sentiment favoring aboli
tion is strongest in the East. The
Middle Atlantic states showed a
majority of 63.7 per cent who an
swered "yes." In the West and
Midwest, students were more
evenly divided on the issue. In
the West Central states, which in
clude the Chicago section, a bare
majority 53.8 per cent were for
abolition.
A sophomore art student in the
Glendale Junior College of Cali
fornia pointed out that some stu
dents can get their work without
regular attendance.
Speaking for the opposition, a
senior arts and sciences student in
Bates College, Maine, believes that
most students are not mature
inough to allow lifting of compul
sory attendance requirements.
Fresh band meets today
at 5 for pictures
Freshmen band members will
meet in uniform today at 5
o'clock in the campus studio to
have their Cornhusker pictures
taken.
CunkSe talks
to Sinfonid
Speech tonight ends
group's Charter Day
Frank Cunkle, instructor in
organ and composition on the
School of Music faculty, will give
an address on "American Music"
when actives and alumni of Phi
Mu Alpha Sinfonia. men's profes
sional music fraternity, climax the
celebration of their 18th annual
Charter Day with a banquet to
night in the Union at 6:30 o'clock.
The dinner follows the Sinfonia
convocation to be held this after
noon at 4 o'clock in Temple as one
of the School of Music convocation
series. The Nebraska chapter,
Upsilon, was established on Feb
ruary 23, 1921, with 24 charter
members.
Varied entertainment has been
arranged featuring Warren Hamel
and Richard Morse in a double
piano duo. They will play "Lazy
Rhapsody," by Howard Jackson,
and "Deep Purple," by Peter de
Rose. The Sinfonia brass sextet,
composed of Duane Harmon, cor
r"t; Edward Edison and Richard
White, french horns; Herbert
Cecil, trombone; Robert Buddeng
berg, trumpet; and Theodore
Diers, tuba, will play several
selections, including "In Festive
Mood" by Carl Busch, a Sinfonia
member.
Wadsworth talks
on French poet
Valery most significant,
professor tells faculty
Declaring that Taul Valery is
a "poet of the intellectuals," Prof.
James R. Wadaworlh, acting
chairman of the Romance Lan
guage department, delivered a
paper on "the most significant of
contemporary French poets" be
fore a group of the faculty gath
ered in the Student Union, Tues
day evening, to hear this second
of a series of three faculty grad
uate scholarship lectures.
Professor Wadsworth quoted
Valery as stating that the bio
graphical facts of a poefs life
have little to do with his works
and proceeded to analyse Valery's
life to show how that poet's per
sonal history influenced his works.
Wadsworth felt that factors
whic.'j shaped his writing arc: The
age he was born in, his parentage,
the place of childhood, his school
ing, the poets he admired, periods
of thought in which he cndulged,
his recognition by the world and
Ms vocation as a teacher. The pro
fessor analysed several of these
points in detail.
The Official Newspaper of More Than 6,000 Students
WEDNESDAY, 1EBKUAKY
Hicks co!!s on
government
to cooperate
Prof tells crcditmen
that U.S. should meet
business halfway
Prof. Clifford M. Hicks told
members of the Sixth district
conference of the National Retail
Credit association that the gov
ernment should "meet business
half-way" and "give life to its
words on cooperative action,"
speaking at the Cornhusker Tues
day. The road ahead, he said, is
"curving slightly to the left." Gov
ernment deficit financing has so
far smoothed the road, but now
the way "shows prospects of be
coming very bumpy and hilly."
Prof. Hicks criticized the pub
lic works projects which he be
lieves will not pay a return pro
portionate to the investment made
in them. Business, he stated, lacks
confidence in such projects and
will not invest in them.
The government poured out
money which was not invested in
machinery or other capital goods
but which went back to the banks,
he charged.
Discussing business, he urged
capital investments to encourage
production and lower prices. "The
business man must remember that
revival can not be for his gain
alone," he said. He named prac
tices which "fostered by govern
ment and condoned by business. . .
are seeds of destruction."
Council acts
to oppose tax
Greeks fight application
of social security levy
The Interfraternity council took
action last night against payment
of social security taxes by men and
women who work in social fra
ternities. The move will result in
letters to congressmen from coun
cil members, fraternity stewards
and treasurers and fraternity
members, opposing the tax as ap
plied to fraternities.
Members of a committee which
will outline the campaign from
the Nebraska campus include
Lewis Lee, Phi Gamma Beta, Her
mit Hansen, Beta Tlieta Pi, and
faculty advisors Trof. Schramm
and Dean Harper.
The present law provides that
college fraternities- pay the fed
eral old age benefits tax which
amounts to two percent of the
payroll (half from the employer,
half from the employer1).
Council makes two points.
The council agreed that:
1. "The time to tax for old
age pensions is after the stud, nl
. has finished his education and is
earning his living as an active
member of society, not while ho
is working his way through col
lege. 2. "College employees pre
exempt. There is no material
difference between student em
ployees of the col leg.; and stu
dent employees of the fraterni
ties." The opposition to the tax on
fraternities is nationwide. It be
gan in the cast when the Amhonrst
student daily started a campaign
to call the attention of congress to
the burden placed on college stu
dents working through school.
Since then, fraternity groups on
numerous campuses have taken up
the battle.
Matinee dance time
changed to 5 o'clock
Matinee dances will be held
from 5 to 6 o'clock Wednesday
afternoons In the Union ball
room. The time has been moved
up a half hour.
22. 1939
Z 108
THEOS BERNARD.
. . . slows up heart at will.
X ' v
Jt-
5 " "WSW
. . ka will not pay.
Morton gives
fellowship
Son of Nebraska p'oncer
scenes history of father
Mark Morton, son of Nebraska's
J. Sterling: Moiton, is offering a
three year graduate fellowship in
early Ncbraskan history for re
search into the life of his father,
according to word received by J. L.
Scllois, professor of American his
tory. With pn annual stipend" of $750,
the appointee will begin work next
September on a treatise on "The
Work of J. Veiling Morton in the
Founding of Nebraska." Provision
has be.M made for the appointee
to scr.d part of his time in resi
dence rt th? Morion Arboretum at
Lis!?, IM.. th? present home of the
J. Mr: i:r; library.
No previous biography.
A N'Vu,s:;a slu lent, outstand
ing i:i the field of American his
loiy n". experience. 1 in graduate
research, will receive the award
this frxirg. Appointment will be
made by Dean C. II. OMfathcr
Prcfom i;s .Sellers a;: J ChuncelUn
C. fi. Li.iiicVr.
No rec ird has ever b--?i mrulo
of the life of this pione" nor of
the (1 n:ls of the foimd'ng of Ar
bor day, tirade from the corre
spondence and private documents
of the Moiton family. These
papers m well as the f-erit of the
uniinkihed three volume history of
Nebraska written by the" tree lover
have now been ma.lo avaH.-ible by
Mark Morton nnd Sterling Morton,
grandson of J. Sterling.
Acknowledgement of the award
was made to the donor at the re
cent meeting of the university
board of regents.
Rev. McConncll speaks
at Y. W. vesper service
Rev. Raymond McConncll of the
First Plymouth Congregational
church was the speaker at the
Y. W. C. A. Vesper meeting held
Tuesday at Ellen Smith HalL
is" - -
( : I
' ' '' 1
i
4
VOL. XXXVII, ISO. 92.
Bernard talks
on 'Penthouse
of the Gods1
Famed explorer tells
story of life in Tibet,
Far East this Sunday
"Penthouse of the Gods," the
story of amazing experiences in
Tibet and the Far East, will be
presented by Theos Bernard, noted
explorer and lecturer who has
lived as a Tibetian lama, Sunday
at 7:30 in the Union ballroom.
Bernard will bring to Lincoln a
unique collection of colored mo
tion pictures to aid in portraying
the life and customs of the Tibet
ian people.
Became a Lama.
Bernard stayed among the Ti
betians for six months. As the
first man to live in the forbidden
lamasaries of this country, he wit
nessed fantastic religious ceremo
nies that many of the'natives were
forbidden to view. Observing the
religious customs of this totally
church ruled land, he became a
lama and was permitted to see
and study the mysteries that sur
round this Asiatic territory.
On returning to America he was
convinced that Tibet was rich in
material goods of the world, but
that it was far richer in a religious
See TIBET, page 4.
Unsversafy
like business
Faculty sells students
buy, says chancellor
Chancellor C. S. Boucher com
pared universities and business in
the field of salesmanship- por
traying the student as the cus
tomer and the professors as sales
men when he spoke before the
retail sales meeting sponsored by
the Lincoln chamber of commerce,
Monday evening.
With his subject, "Education
and Salesmanship," Chancellor
Boucher first considered the stu
dent as the customer and la
mented that too many university
students are paying their fees and
then not tailing an interest in
what they receive for them.
Value must be received.
"A college degree means some
thing only if the student is' inter
ested in securing value out of thj
credit houis. Many students, but
fortunately a minority, are merely
purchasing credits without receiv
ing full value," he said.
According to the chancellor, the
faculty member is a salesman with
wares to sell. He illustrated this
point with a series of "whats" and
"what-nots" lor pro.Ce."sors which
included: He tnuil not tike a
lackadaisical altitude; mint not
bo too verbose; nur.t not ramble;
must be lo-.ie.il; must be courte
ous, and must concern himsilf
with the institution as a whole.
"University men, like all solen
men, are n.enbeis of a Ira le a. id
must study that trade regularly.
They mu:-: gain lull kn.'A.le
f.lsout their field, as Falcai-ien hi
every cncLavor must lui w ti.eir
field," ho concluded.
Kcppa Piii song fest,
pledging is tcni-l.t
Pledging services nnd a song
Test are included in the Kappa Phi,
Methodist sorority, program for
this evening. Iiiva Mills,' president,
will conduct the pWlging ceremo
nies. Marjorie Smith,' membership
chairman, will speak for the
pledges.
The program following pledg
ing will be directed by VirginTi
Ostcrgard and will be in the na
ture of a song fest. A contralto
solo by Charlotte Dudley and a
piano solo by Margaret Jean
Stroemcr will precede the group
singing. Willa Reed and Ethel
Mook will act as hostesses.