DAILY NEBRASKAN
Friday, May 12, 1943
Editor Condemns UN' Complacency
An open letter to the student body, the faculty, the administration, the
Nebraska legislature, and the Nebraskan staff:
Four years ago we ventured into the office of what was then The
Daily Nebraskan (official newspaper of 7,000 students) and asked for an
assignment. Norman Harris was pouring over papers in the editor's of
fice. Next door, the Awgwan staff was pasting covers of previous publi
cations over half of the wall space. Around the corner, Bob Aden was
dusting of typewriters for Cornhusker workers.
Freshmen entered the junior division for the first time in university
history; the Awgwan became Awgwan Flash; Nebraska went to the
Rose Bowl; Ag Love hall and Field House construction was begun; out
going Gov. R. L. Cochran recommended a $200,000 cut of the university
appropriation; Innocents Society initiated a new diagonal parking plan;
Mortar Board stated its objections to women in politics.
In 1940, the university was alive. It was not the perfect state uni
versity, but it was trying hard to be among the best. Students were
concerned with the welfare of their school. Outside of university circles,
interest in college affairs was still keen. Classes were fairly well attend
ed. Social events had reached a maximum in lavishness. Activities were
filled to the brim with ambitious workers; the Daily Nebraskan mirrored
campus events dutifully, lashed out at mishaps, approved worthy cam
paigns. That was 1940.
After Pearl Harbor the university population began to decline. Alum
ni and out-state boosters became interested in war emergency planning.
Students were restless, and the carefree tone of college life changed to
one of uncertainty and suspense. Until this year, the university was in
a state of constant fluctuation. The draft, activation of the ROTC, ar
rival and departure of ASTP and air corps kept the tempo ragged, the
future cloudy.
It has been almost three years since Pearl Harbor three years in
which to make the necessary adjustments to altered circumstances
brought about by the entrance of the United States in World War II,
three years in which to set up emergency organizations, three years in
which to perfect curriculum to measure up to war needs; three years in
which to acquire a new standard for campus life.
Evidently three years has not been long enough. The University
of Nebraska, altho it has tried, has not succeeded in accomplishing what
it should have. It has not been the fault of faculty or students alto
gether. They have been in need of assistance, have received little but
intangible advice. Among the many thousands of alumni throughout
the state and nation, only a small percentage have directed any effort
toward improving university welfare.
But students and faculty have done little to deserve much thought.
Acceleration of studies was proposed to aid students who wished to
go into the service to complete college courses early. The plan fell
through, both because of lack of proper coordination and because of
failure on the part of students to apply themselves to studies. The phleg
matic attitude on both sides did little to encourage improvement. Any
effort to remedy the situation was met with passive resistence by unin
terested faculty members and even more uninterested students.
Such is the case with practically every effort to arouse interest
Early in the semester a campaign was begun to promote the university
with an eye to badly-needed increased appropriations. It, too, was
dropped for lack of interest; and, in several instances, for active re
sistance by those who believe that the university needs less money and
less enrolment.
We cannot understand the attitude of those who simply do not
care. We have been accused of evidencing a false interest in univer
sity affairs to further our own purposes. We maintain that any interest
in the University of Nebraska, its administration and its undergraduate
life, is healthy for an institution which is gradually becoming the horn
of apathetic population. It is obvious that those who do not take an
interest in their college will never take an interest in their town, state,
or country. A college student cannot begin too soon to discover that
he is as much a part o fthe world as his father and grandfather, and
that he will benefit by interest stimulated in college circles.
Keeping this in mind, we enumerate, as a parting word, conditions
which should be brought to the attention of Nebraskan readers. We
hope the Nebraskan continues to stand as a buffer for any groups at
tempting to act contrary to university well-being. We hope the Ne
braskan will, as Alan Jacobs urged in his last editorial a year ago, "watch
the university. You will find that a student newspaper has to do a lot of
screaming before it is heard by university officials, but keep screaming."
First of all, we think the political system on the campus could be
greatly improved, but we think it is the Student Council's prerogative to
do so. Panhellenic's latest plan was drawn up by sorority presidents.
We do not believe that sorority presidents have a right to dictate to the
rest of the campus. We suggest a closer study of politics, and a revi
sion of the status quo to include at least two political parties. The na
tional government has been functioning for years with the exact bi-party
system Panhellenic, the dean of women's office, Mortar Board and AWS
rejects. A definite registration for all party members, under a definite
platform, should enable party leaders to hold a fair primary to select
those who will run on the final ballot. Party caucuses and conventions
are too liable to the persuasions of silver-tongued politicos. And avoid
disfranchising anyone because of sex . . . what is expedient in national
affairs should be adequate for the campus.
We maintain that the whole unsavory reputation associated with
the word "politics" is encouraged instead of discouraged by heads of
activity organizations and members of Mortar Board and Innocents whose
mental hazing of underclassmen workers for years has given an ex
aggerated importance to the so-called honors. We believe that Phi Beta
Kappa is more important than any other student honorary on the
campus, but we fear that it will never be so recognized.
Most of all, we hope that the Nebraskan will never allow itself
to be dominated by these groups, or by any others. We hope it will
continue to reflect student opinion, to object strenuously when neces
sary, to praise when warranted. Putting out a college newspaper is
not easy; it requires tact and nerve and persistence. It requires honesty
and reliability. It is discouraging at times. Often it is exciting. It is
never dull.
In the past semester we have tried to create a Nebraskan which
conformed with our idea of a good student newspaper. We have had
the help of a willing and competent staff. WTe have seen the paper rise
and fall in eight semesters. We hope that future editions of the Ne
braskan will improve, and reflect improvement in the university and
everything connected with it
And we hope that during the next year and the year after and all
succeeding years the University of Nebraska will earn the sincere in
terest of students, faculty, alumni, and citizens of the state.
JUNE JAMIESON.
Hell and High Water
By Les Glotfelty
This is the swansone: for the last time Ne
braskan readers will peruse the paper to see
what innocent white lamb of the university
has been undeservedly or otherwise slaugh
tered on the ill-reputed literary chopping
block of Hell and High Water. We are truly
sorry that this year has ended for there are
so many more things we'd like to "touch
upon." Next year this column or its coun
terpart will still be in the Nebraskan, but we
won't be writing it. Instead, we are turning
it over to someone younger and perhaps
wiser. Just what the new columnist will do
to our beloved brain-child won't be seen un
til September; we can only hope that our
treasured inches will be used fully to exer
cise the right of a free press.
We may have gotten a little out of hand
this year (as we heard so many times from
so many people) ; maybe we won some
friends; undoubtedly we made some ene
mies; we exaggerated a little occasionally;
but essentially we told the truth about
things we thought people had a right to
know. We wrote a few funny things, and we
wrote some pretty sad ones sad in more
ways than that in which they were written.
To the Mortar Boards (the old ones we
mean), who have taken most of the verbal
onslaught (and to "Cac" Wells and Rae
Lock who howled about it the loudest) we
say "so long and we'll miss you."
We hope our successor will evoke even
more comment and criticism than we did.
Complacency is bad medicine and there is
too much dirt under the edge of UN carpets
for students to quit thinking and wondering
about things. Sure, people griped and even
threatened us, but it's the things we didn't
print that would have really given them
V . . . - Mail
Clippings
Pat Chamberlin, Censor
DON McDOWELL, Sigma Nu and varsity swim
mer, received a promotion from second to first
lieutenant at his Ninth Air Force Mustang Fighter
Station, in England. He received his promotion two
days after being awarded the third Oak leaf cluster
to the Air medal for "meritorious achievement in
combat flights." He destroyed three ME 109's in
an air battle over Brunswick, and has participated
in 23 missions over enemy territory and has four
and one-half German planes to his credit.
Second Lt HAROLD "FAD" CULLINAN, Phi
Psi, is back doing the town with frat brother Sec
ond Lt. TIM MORSE. Fad will report back to
Camp Jackson, South Carolina this weekend, while
Tim returns to Camp Atterbury, Indiana, the fol
lowing weekend.
First Lt. DONALD A. FARLEY has been
awarded the Air Medal "somewhere in England"
for "meritorious achievement in completing with
distinction five photographic reconnaissance mis
sions over enemy-occupied Europe.' As a pilot for
a photographic squadron he flew alone and un
escorted through enemy-infested skies in his un
armed "Lightning" to obtain vital information and
pictures of nazi installations.
something to scream about.
We aren't apologizing for anythin
said, or more important perhaps, for any
thing we haven't said. We love our fellow
men and women in spite of it alL . .
The typewriter cools off, the bullet-proof
vest goes back in the mothballs, Donaldine
goes back to her showcase in Morrill hall,
our head goes up, and we go home, where,
thank heavens, no one ever heard of Hell
and High Water. And that's thirty!
Sunday, May 14
Lovely gifts from Magee's for a lovely, lovely Lady. In
the third floor Ready-to-Wear department choose for
her... or give her a gift certificate and let her choose
...a dress-fashion artfully designed by:
Nelly Don Paul Sargenl
Frances Dexter Klafter & Sobel
Arthur Veiss
$2.S5 to $35.00
From the Accessories Shop, first floor, Mother would
love to have slips, gowns, gloves, scarves, pcilumes,
colognes, purses, billfolds, compacts, jewelry or hankies
...just so they're from Magee's.
Add !i final fovea of glamour to fool Mover's Doy Wnxtalo '
bf eslrfot for on juisi Woye's giitmo , . . lJy
ncuJvd. ot mo cbary to you!
fAAGEES