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The DAILY NF.HRASKAN
Sunday, November 19, 1939
Kyi
Article $
Contributions from
the student body.
Verse
:
What about
point system
and politics?
By Peggy Cowan
Last week the names of several
boys engaged in activities were
published in the DAILY. These
boys were all over-pointed accord
ing to the present system.
What about this point system?
The idea behind this limiting the
number of activities seems to be
that the activities obviously will
be better distributed, that more
people will stand a chance of win
ning a much-coveted membership
in the Innocents society, and that
Should library open Sunday?
Question draws arguments
Pro
Con
The main library of an educa- In a recent cross-section poll of
tional institution is of very much student opinion conducted by the
importance to the students pur- DAILY, consensus had it that the
suing courses of study in the in- university library should be kept
stitution. By going to the library, open on Sunday. Various reasons
students may satisfy their curios- were given by the students in sup
ity on nearly any question that port of their opinions. Some
arises while they are at work on thought that last minute prepara
their academic or specialized tion of Monday's lessons on Sun
courses, day was reason enough to keep
Furthermore, instructors make "-e liDrary Pn: othcr8 dWed
definite assignments that direct that il wou,d a Sood F,ace to
it will help keep politics out of the student to the library to read P38 n otherwise dun day.
the picture. But will it do this n m k to hig M. Altho the proposed plan has its
last. I . . . fiaait-l0 acnoU it Vina drawhrl(S
signments. mere are very iew -i - -
students who acquire a degree of lhat more toan offsot thom- Chief
flnv kind that do not become among these is the lack of need
thoroughluy acquainted with the
library.
Library is Important.
The library is of such great im-
Here are 13 possible member
ships in the Innocents society.
Each aspirant to membership
must or can have six, seven, or
eight activity points, respectively,
his sophomore, junior ana senior
years. Here again we have any
number of men who can easily
gain this number of points, with
out winning any considerable or
notable prestige. The choice is to
be made from this number
Which will be InnocentsT
How does worth become the de
terminant then instead of politics ?
Take this large group of men who
have done some smattering of ac
tivity work. Which ones of this
goup will be Innocents ? A mem
ber of a smaller fraternity or a
barb group has the same number
of points as a member of a larger
fraternity. But what happens?
The member of the larger organi
sation has behind him a wealth of
support, a "push" that the mem
ber of the smaller organization
cannot have, though, perhaps, he
be twice as sincere in his own per
sonal efforts. Does this plan take
politics out? Of course, it doesn't
System should set a goal.
If the point system were to set
a goal high enough that it would
actually require effort on the part
of activities men to reach it, then
the choice could be made without
politics. If ten barbs or ten mem
bers of a smaller fraternity
reached this goal let them be the
Innocents. It would draw disap
proval from the larger organiza
tions but if the aim of the point
system is, among other things, to
free activities from politics then
this system would certainly come
nearer to effecting it
Writer decries inefficiency of
advisors, untrained student
help, as registration faults
By Wharton Myers. line bright and early at 7:30 in or-
It is Sept. 19 and 20, any year, der to be one of the first on hA
at the University of Nebraska and lh f
the campus swarms with college ' u OUVf
freshmen and transfer students others. He fills out his cla.-w and
who are as ambitious as they are society cards, has them checked,
unknowing, and as illusioned as pay9 nis fce9 nas Ms plcUire
they are uninformed. These fresh- taken i3 attacked by salesmen of j
men must become accustomed to various campus publications anlV
their new surroundings, get ac- enierRCS wttn a peculiar feeling of
quaimea, nu auuve ... un.. ,c discouragement and hopelessness.
members of the institution by tak
ing entrance examinations and
registering,
Where is the fault of Uie regis
tering system ? Upon what, if any
single thing, is the inefficiency of
for extended library hours. Tte
statements of the students inter
viewed do little to lend credence
to this need. In a manufacturing
plant, the managers do not build
portance to students that it seems machinery unless the plant ia
uniair mai universuy nurary WOrking at capacity, ana tne de
should be closed at hours that stu- mand still cannot be met. If they
dent, would like to use books, doubt the efficiency of their work
. , era, surveys are made to deter-
There are seven evenings in a t 9TeedodAm
week, but our main library is only production might not alleviate the
open on four of these evenings, congestion. At all events, new I
Many students would welcome an factories are not built unless there
opportunity to use books at the "iwhT. ..m h,i
main library an hour or one-half m case of lhe library, the
hour before eight o'clock m the presumably pressing need for daily
morning. service can be likened to the manu
facturer's need to satisfy the de
The fact that the library is mands on production. It can
closed more hours over the week hardly be said that the students'
end when students would like to demands on the library's sen-ices
study is a severe handicap to al- warrant the extra expense of keep
most all students at some time or ing open on Sunday. During the
other. For those that work part week days, neither the main read
time, the fact that they must get ing room nor the reserve room pre
the library assignments read In over-crowded. There are, of course,
such a limited amount of time as rush hours, but the majority of the
they find at their disposal is a time there are many vacant chairs
great Inconvenience to say the and tables. During the afternoon,
least. the library is usually well-popu-
We arent primitives. lated, but mornings and evenings
Primitive people are usually &re dul1- And on Saturdays the
able to use the materials at hand patronage of the library is almost
to good advantage, but the stu- non-existent,
dents of our institution who are in So - .
a very cultural environment are With conditions such as those
denied the nrivilee-e of usinir the existing, it is hard to believe that
library to the best advantage, for the library should stay open on
the chances are that the hbrarv Sundays. Before demanding addi-
will be closed when they have tional services, it would be wise
To register, me iresnmen musi the plan based? I believe that
go to his respective college and tncre are lwo fauits: The advisory
see his advisor, get his credit slip. system and tne employment of un-
fill out his schedule, and have the trained students for the registra-
schedule signed by the dean of his tion p-jod
college, the dean of men or women ,-..
as the case is, his advisor, and the vovisor Tim.
assignment committee. Exhausted The advisor is the first person
from this first lap of the race the the freshman contacts when be-
student snends a restless nicht of ginning registration. His effici-
wondering what to do on the next ency may make the freshman's
day.
Comes the dawn.
Dawn comes and he stands in
time to while away.
America looks south, asks
'Polar possessions-why?'
By Carroll Browning
Yesterday the motorship North Antarctic is not justifiable, even
Star sailed quietly out of Boston on the grounds that the country
harbor and headed southward to- is sparsely settled,
ward Philadelphia on the first lap Do we in America want far
f its long voyage to "Little Amer- flung territories which may in
ica" at the South role. Loaded the future bring us in conflict with
down with everything from phono- foreign powers, or which in the
graph records to a 27-ton snow present would require tremendous
cruiser, plus a crew of 45 men, sums to be spent to make it ten
the North Star represented the able? Admiral Byrd argurs that
advance first half of the United "Little America" might provide a
States Antarctic Expedition. new and safer base for a United
Just what is the purpose, the States-Australian air route; yet
reason, for congress to set up the improvements upon the land and
necessary funds to send an expe- proper study of atmospheric con
dition to the wastes of Antarctica? ditions would require an expendi
The purpose seems little hidden, ture of large sums of money for
for it has been generally admitted a planned airline which "might"
by all concerned that "Little prove successful.
America" will be held for a num- Scientifically worthy.
ber of years and finally claimed The Antarctic Expedition will
as United States territory. It undoubtedly uncover many scien-
seems a pity that the scientific tine facts and figures which will
research which will be carried on explain the origin of polar winds,
is simply an excuse for furtner tneir direction, velocity, and so
conquest and penetration of other on, as well as other helpful facts
continents; it would have been so For scientific gain the expedition
nice to send down an expedition is noteworthy, but for teiTitorial
which was purely scientific to in- gain, which is admittedly its ma
crease the helpful store of knowl- jor purpose, the expedition Is
edge for mankind. selfish and open to condemnation
Air bases? It is not to the credit that the
The idea that the United States United States should send an ex
needs more territory for air bases pedition to the South role for the
and the like is quite nonsensical; expressed purpose of adding ter
ror experience has proved to us ritory, and incidentally to increase
that governing - distant territory the store of human knowledge
brings more grief than benefit Certainly the order should be re-
witness the Philippines, Cuba. We versed. In matters which concern
who deny conquest to European the welfare of humankind, selfish
powers in the settled Americas Interests should be pushed to the
icrget that our invasion or me hackgrouna.
for the students to ascertain
whether they are making full use
of those now available. The library
is open for business 76 hours a
week under the present schedule.
The best thing for students to do
Is to utilize these hours to the best
advantage; after that, the need for
additional hours to study on Sun
day might not be so great.
No more easy
money for
education?
By Frank Hallgren.
Chancellor Boucher was quoted
recently in the New York Herald-
Tribune as stating that no longer
could one make a plea for funds
in the name of education and ex
pect great results. Apparently the
days of easy money for education
are over.
The time has come when educa
tional insitutions must evaluate
their functions as only a part of
the multifarious functions of gov
ernment. Education can no longer
hope to receive funds on the basis
of its needs alone. All through the
nation educators are making im
passioned pleas for additional
funds on the basis that the very
foundation of American life is be
ing undermined. The Herald-Tribune
stated that when $10,000,000
was cut from the $226,000,000
budget for education in New York
a great cry went up from educat
ors saying the education of the
state was hopelessly crippled.
No denying importance.
No one will deny that education
is one of the most important
phases of American life and that
it deserves all the financial sup
port it can justly be given. Yet
every person has the right to ask
(See EDUCATION on page 8)
task an easy one; his inefficiency
may make the job an unnecessar
ily difficult one. It is the advisor's
duty to the student and to the
colleges of the university to ar
range a schedule for the student
that conforms with the rules and
regulations of the college as well
as with the selection made Dy me
student When the two cannot be
made to coincide, it is the stu
dent's selection that should be
overlooked and the college's reg
ulations conformed to. This will
make it possible for the student
to avoid conflicts in his work laUj
on.
The advisor's work should not
yet be finished, however. He also
outlines the system of registra
tion to the freshman and makes
his task as eay as possible. Thij
would facilitate quicker hand.ing
of registration ai.d give the fresh
man an encouraging start in col
lege.
Many complaints made.
Many complaints have been
made, too, about the incompetence
of those students who are unem
ployed for the two days of regis
tration. The fault lies with the
university rather than with the
individuals themselves. They are
given their position in the line of
registration and merely told to
stand there, checking one partic
ular item. They are not instructed
in the workings of the whole reg
istration setup and know little or
nothing of its functioning. For
this reason they are unable to
give desired information to equally
uninformed freshmen.
The registration device, as a
whole, is well organized, but un
til these two factors are corrected,
it cannot possibly reach its max
imum efficiency.
Why text book Vobber.es?
A discussion presenting
both sides and solution
BY MATILDA H ALLEY. particular case f the Bengston An instructor is completely fa
Nels H. Bengston, head of the and Van Royen text? miliar with the text he writes, and
geography department and Wil- The student should have the best abe DU, ln across w
ham Van Royen wrote a text book text possible, written by a com- 8nouia 06 awe 10 pul in a
on geography which is used by petent author and priced as inex- ne students. He may be ar.tag
various classes having to do with pensively as possible. The profes- nistic to another author's opinion
that subject at the university. The sor should teach from a text with and may not be able to present it
new book costs J4.2o. which he is familiar, one by a good as well as his own ideas. Ho'
Second or third hand copies are author and one easily understood, ever, this presentation of his idea
from $3 to 75 cents depending The procedure. in both text and lecture may fc've
upon the condition of the texL The professor writes a text. He the student a biased viewpoint.
These authors receive royalties puts the work into it that any The .-student, as well as obtaining
from the book sales as well as other author would and requires a broad viewpoint, should hnve
their regular salaries. the students to buy copies while good text at the least poss'ble ex-
The only requirement in regard he receives a royalty. This seems pense. The price of a . text book
to buying books is that the stu- unfair. This , seems unfair, but written by a professor will ti 't be.
dent find one in which the map in who would be more competent in and is not, higher than the aver
the book of the volume has not writing a text than a professor? acre texts because of compitition.
been used. The same map may be He known students, what they un- The department must accept the
found in a geography outline, derstand. and what thev me intpr- bnok
ested in. Many of the college It is in all consideration a fainy
courses are more general than good idea for professors to write
fields outside of college. A ge- texts for their own pupils, if other
ocranhv class involves renlop-v rnrlinn- 1a Hvpb in jmnnlement the
physics and other specialized sub- books. This is not as neccssaivw
irtfia a VAioafr man in -, t.iAnif & . . n hitt pvr .
J - v n . ivobi iiaa.il iii lilt iii BUt-lllilli; tCJVUS. I'"" 1 ' '
There are over 700 pages in the
text. Technical books of this size
average from $3 to $6.
Is system fair.
Is this system whereby the pro
fessor s write the text books fair
ntifiC
of
to all concerned? Is it right that United States weather bureau thev deal with strictly wi''
fessors write the text books fair would h tv.npmd with sni a t ifrTViv text
ties from texts when they require small part of the geography taught Bengtson and Van Royen way be
the students to buy the books? Is and would not be as able in writ- considered to the advantage o.
it an acceptable nractice in this lnr a ipit th
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