Wednesday, November 1 1, 1953
Page 2
THE NEBRASKAN
EDITORIAL PAGE
'Ao ke The independents?
The Nebraskan last week oublished a Let-
terip from a member of a University co-op
an "independent," according to the writer.
The letter asked lour questions, two of
which implied that the writer felt that inde
pendents were being discriminated against in
( Campus activities. .
The Nebraskan checked the facts in each
of the four cases and discovered that the
answers to his questions were perfectly logi
cal and reflected no discrimination.
The letter also stated:
"There ARE some independents attending
this University ... We Just want to exist on
this campus without fair share of participa
tion in campus activities."
This statement raises a number of funda
mental questions:
1. What are independents?
2. In what activities are independents for
bidden to participate?
8. Why are independents so rare in other,
non-forbidden activities?
4. Are members of co-op houses Justified
In calling themselves independents?
. ,
To answer the first question is also to
answer the second. Theoretically, an inde
pendent is a non-Greek. But this classifica
tion means nothing. Actually, an independ
ent is a student who belongs to no 24-hour-a-day
organization. He owes his allegiance to
no group.
Because he is a member of no organized
house, he is automatically eliminated from
participating in a score or more of campus
activities which are necessarily based on or
ganized houses. Among these are UMOC
competition, Kosmet Klub fall show, Home
coming displays and house social functions.
The third question is more difficult to an
swer. Although the number of independents
which participate In campus activities is
small, their mere existence proves that inde
pendents are not outlawed from these activi
ties. One answer perhaps lies in the inability of
independents to organize themselves into some
type of potent political or social organization
on campus. While BABW has succeeded, in
dependent men and women have failed utterly
in efforts to organize an Independent Student
Association and to make a good showing in
campus-wide elections. By definition, inde
pendents appear unable or unwilling to be
come part of an organization which possesses
much power.
Another answer is that, for the most part,
independents appear uninterested in partici
pating in non-scholastic campus activities.
They frequently assume an attitude of indif
ference, or even superiority, toward activities.
Perhans a refusal to associate with Greeks
prevents some independents from taking part
in activities in which fraternity men partici
pate. This refusal may be based on the belief
that fraternities monopolize activities in order
to keep independents out.
But the existence of independents in activ
ities in the Innocents Society and Mortar
Board proves that non-Greeks can become
active in campus affairs, if they wish.
The answer to the fourth question may
have begun to appear in the answers to pre
vious questions.
Actually, organized houses of non-Greeks,
Margin Notes
Weather Or Not . . . Investigate!
Taking his cue from examples set by Con
gressional investigators, tie Chief of the
United States Weather Bureau ordered a
probe to find out why Government forecast
ers were fooled by Friday's surprise snow
storm. The bureau, which usually runs up an 80 to
90 per cent accuracy average in the long run,
will now have to watch its step.
Looking into the future and coming up with
the wrong answer is likely to be a punish
able offense.
Passing Of A Monarch
Remember when King Farouk was kicked
eut-k-and the secrets of his private chambers
were revealed? A fabulous story, with pic
tures of nudes, cheap sex books and bits of
women's clothing.
Already reporters are attempting to create
the same interest in the personal affairs of
late King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia. A news
story two days after the king's death quoted
a congresswoman on the details of Ibn Saud's
harem.
Big Business Of Football
Opponents of big-time college football will
have a hard time proving that the pigskin
game has become a giant business.
The U.S. Supreme Court is against them. In
a Monday decision the Court ruled that pro
fessional baseball is still only a sport and
hence not subject to federal anti-trust laws.
If the ruling applies to professional base
ball, it should include "professional" college
football
Including co-ops, have more In common with
fraternities than they have with independents.
Co-ops, like fraternities, are eligible to par
ticipate in hour dances and oWr social func
tions, nomination of Eligible Bachelors and
the many other house activities denied to true
Independents.
There is no mysterious wall between a
Greek fraternity and any other organized
house such as a co-op. Except for a national
organization, secret ritual and rush week,
there is no substantial difference between the
two.
When co-ops associate themselves with un
organized independents and describe them
selves as non-Greek (their only common
bond), they are simply diminishing "the op
portunities for cooperation between Greek
and organized non-Greek. '
Only when co-ops recognize the similarity
in form and purpose of these two group will
they actually do what the letter-writer de
scribed as "our part to advance fraternal re
If co-ops continue to fight the battle for
unorganized independents, they can never as
sume their "fair share of participation in
campus activities."
Independents are not interested in organi
zations and, to a large extent, in campus ac
tivities. If they were, most of them would
not be independents. K.R.
Twisted Logic
The Omaha World-Herald concerned itself
with "The Test of Freedom" in an editorial
Sunday.
It quoted a statement by a Columbia Uni
versity professor to the effect, "Freedom is
where you can get out if you want to. Free
dom is where, if you don't like It, you are at
liberty to go away. This Is your key test
the right to quit."
The professor was referring to what free
dom meant to one under the heel of Commu
nist domination.
Few people would deny that, for the op
pressed peoples behind the Iron Curtain, this
would be a valid definition of freedom.
But the World-Herald blandly extended
the professor's remarks to imply that this is
the test of freedom to those living in a free
nation.
It said, "There are worse evils than eco
nomic inequality or discrimination because
of race, religion or social prejudice. If they
get too bad any individual can remedy them
for himself by moving away. But the great
est evil is slavery and slavery is the denial
to move away."
The World-Herald statement is an example
of attempting to put into black and white
something which has many gradations.
The right to move away is a dubious one;
it implies that if you do not conform to what
someone (presumably the majority) expects
and demands, there is no alternative of co
existing as a minority.
A democracy, as The Nebraskan under
stands it ,is composed of minorities by defi
nition. If no minorities exist, or are al
lowed to exist, you do not have a democracy,
but a totalitarian form of government.
The World-Herald observation is a danger--ous
one because it implies the right of the ma
jority (or those setting "standards") to Insist
upon either conformance or "the right" to get
out. Is this any different from slavery?
When one is denied the right to live within
the laws of the land according to his own
conscience under pain of "the right" to quit,
can this be freedom?
The World-Herald, it is hoped, cannot seri
ously advocate this sort of "freedom," which
is precisely the same kind imposed behind
the Iron Curtain. E.D.
Educational Trend?
An exchange student from Germany had
some strange words to describe trends, in
European education.
In an interview reported in Tuesday's Ne
braskan, Hans Steffen first pointed to funda
mental differences in high schools and uni
versities of the two continents. The main
differences, he said, are that European uni
versities are more advanced, that they have
fewer restrictions and that students in Euro
pean universities are older and more mature
than in American schools.
These principles are usually accepted as
primary differences between American and
European educational systems.
Steffen pointed to a new trend in German
education, however, which might reduce these
differences. He said that Germany is moving
toward a new type of education similar to the
progressive education in this country.
If the new type of teaching, as Steffen
said, is intended to "give children the oppor
tunity for independent thinking," the trend
appears healthy.
But if the new progressive education means
lowering German university students to con
form to American levels, the influence of our
educational system must be condemned.
K.R.
Jim: TMha&kcuv
FIFTY-THIRD TEAR
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EDITOR'S NOTE: The follow
ing Is" the second of two articles
presenting opposite views of the
principles of John Dewey, father
of progressive education. Both ar
ticles are from the Des Moines
Sunday Register. Today's article
was written by Albert Lynd, Bos
ton businessman, who had seven
years of teaching experience at
Harvard College and Stanford
University.)
European domination of Ameri
can educational theory ended with
the 19th century, when John
Dewey published "The School and
Society."
For most of the last half-century
the "philosopher of science and
freedom" was the strongest in
fluence upon the New Education
in America.
I respect Dewey's genius and
his rugged intellectual integrity.
His prose is not fluent, but it has
a powerful effect even upon a
layman without philosophical pre
tentions. No matter how far you are from
agreement with him, you must
aamire his systematic pommeling
of every trace of what he finds
amiss In time-honored systems of
Ideas.
if some of these ideas happen
to be those which you believe im
portant, tne experience is nice
watching someone bludgeon your
grandmother, while proving to you
that she clearly deserves it.
The most important question
here is not whether Dewey s views
of the nature of man ana tne -verse
are right or wrong. That is
as you please.
The question is: How many par
ents would agree that his ideas,
if they understood them, are those
which should determine the for
mation of their children?
And how many communities, if
consulted, would be likely to ap
prove a philosophy which, is
plainly uncongenial to certain loy
alties which most plain, unphilos
ophizing people hold to be impor
tant: belief in super-naturalism.
in a transcedent natural law, in
the immutability of certain moral
principles?
Dewey's great influence upon
American education is usually ex
plained by his disciples on t h e
ground that his philosophy is pe
culiarly congenial to the spirit
of American democracy.
His authority is more probably
explainable as an historical acci
dent: he was the only first-rate
American philosopher to take an
intense, evangelical interest in
the lower schools.
,
For our graduates in education
who are uneducated in anything
but their own trade, Dewey is to"""
the American school what Aris
totle was to the medieval school
simply "the Philosopher."
His name is used as a charm
within the profession and an ex
orcism, without. This is an in
teresting fate for the century's
most consistent foe of dogmatism.
Dewey's educational theories
ase Agaios-" John Dewey
are consistently related to his ba
sic philosophical views.
His philosophy is usually called
instrumentalism. The implication
is that knowledge is not merely
that descriptive information ac
quired by the viewer of a scene.
Rather it is something which is
begotten and exercised in action
and which is an instrument t for
more intelligent action.
Other points which are prom
inent in Dewey's thought
There are no eternal truths.
Man is wholly a biological or
ganism. The mind does, not learn
or know as a spectator; rather
knowledge results from the inter
action of a human organism with
the environment.
The only test for truth In an
Idea, therefore, ts in its conse
quences In the-life activities to
which it leads. The only way of
intelligently testing and control
ling these consequences is through
the method of experimental sci
ence. Truth is always relative, be
cause the consequences of an
idea may change with time or
place. Since the environment is
in constant change, the conse
quences of any activity involved
with it are subject to change.
The search for knowledge must
be continuous and arduous, but
it is not an aspiration toward any
"ultimate reality" in the universe.
It is a search for principles
which will "work" here and now,
in a changing situation.
There is no mind or "soul" In
the traditional sense. This, if
anything, ts the key doctrine of
Deweylsm.
Most previous philosophy,
Dewey believed, has been in
fected by a double error of the
Greeks: that there is some per
pect or "ultimate" reality in the
universe, and that it is discover
able by the use of a special in
tellectual faculty.
Dewey finds no evidence in
man of a nonmaterial faculty
which thinks, or can be filled up
with knowledge like a sponge.
Man is an organism engaged in
an instinctive effort to adapt it
self to the environment.
Mr. Dewey's view of the mind Is
critically important in his educa
tional views. The process of
learning, for him. Is not the ac
cumulating of a mental stock of
Information.
It is the acquisition by the or
ganism of certain habits. Chil
dren are not born with minds.
They acquire habits, including
those of thought, which are not
diferent in mode or origin from
other habits.
Since there is no mind or
thought apart from environmen
tal interaction, it follows that
there is no such thing as a soul
or even a "self" which can exist
and be educated apart from its
own experiences.
There are no fixed moral laws.
For centuries, Dewey believes,
men wasted energy and con-
The Challenge -
State 'Watchdog' Beset
Pressure Of Time
By
By ROBERT B. CROSBY
Governor Of
The State Of Nebraska
(This is the eighth in a weekly
series of articles treating the
problems, issues and challenges
of the day as viewed by represen
tatives of various fields of en
deavor.) The Constitution of the State of
Nebraska gives the Governor su
preme executive power in the
state and charges him to "take
care that the laws be faithfully
executed and the affairs of the
state efficiently and economically
administered." You might say,
then, that the Governor is sort
of a watchdog, selected by the
people of Nebraska to protect
their rights and liberties and to
enforce the laws by which the
people govern themselves.
Time will always be the great
est challenge to the Governor of
Nebraska. It is extremely diffi
cult to become familiar with the
administration of the many ag
encies of the state in a period of
two years.
A new Governor becomes im
mediately aware of the challenge
of time because his inauguration
takes place after the Legislature
is in session, and, consequently,
he is plunged headlong into guber
natorial duties.
In my case, I submitted my
budget to the Legislature for con
sideration just 16 days after my
inauguration. It was a difficult
task to work on the budget with
the time element hanging so heav
ily over my head, but each new
Governor is subjected to this ex
perience. In addition to this, I had a
novel experience, however. On
the day after my inauguration,
the Supreme Court of Nebraska
ordered the State Board of Equa
lization, of which the Governor
is chairman, to equalize assess
ments of property in Nebraska
at actual value. Subsequent
ever.U left no Moubt that this
had to be done immediately.
The Governor's time is not his
own it belongs to the people; but
he must budget his time wisely
so that he does not become en
tangled in a maze of relatively
unimportant activity. During re
cent weeks, I have devoted a
great deal of time to an activity
which I consider extremely im-v
portant for every Governor: visit
ing the many institutions under
the supervision of the state.
This was not an easy task be
cause many of our instltutioift
are so closely related to human
misery and suffering. I was
pleased with the condition of most
of the places I visited; others did
not meet the required standards.
One thing that was prevalent
wherever I went, however, was
a wonderful spirit of co-operafion
among state employees and an
intense interest in their work. All
of the citizens of Nebraska
should be very proud of our state
employees, and we should be
grateful for such wonderful peo
ple who are willing to devote
their lives to the service of others.
One of the most serious duties
of the Governor is serving as
chairman of the Board of Pardons
which has authority to grant com
mutations of sentence, pardons
and paroles. Dealing with human
misfortune is never pleasant, and
this is particularly true 1n crim
inal cases.
I have always considered one
of the most important duties of
the Governor to be that of keep
ing the people of Nebraska in
formed on affairs of the state.
Every effort is made to keep the
people abreast of the affairs of
their government through news
channels and public addresses by
myself and other government per
sonnel. -The 1953 Nebraska Legislature
authorized our state government
to spend $194,776,039.12 for the
period from July 1, 1953, to June
30, 1955. That is a great deal of
money, and it indicates the size
of state governmental activity
even in Nebraska where we have
always been economy-minded.
Of course, it is impossible for
the Governor to supervise per
sonally the use of these funds just
as it is impossible for the Gov
ernor to perform personally all
of the functions of state govern
ment. I feel indeed fortunate to have
a staff of exceptionally well qua
lified department heads to keep
Nebraska government on a very
high level, and I confer with them
as frequently as possible in or
der to have the benefit of their
advice and so that we can share
each other's problems and chal
lenges. Nebraska citizens should
not neglect visiting the Capitol
and meeting the fine people work
ing there.
Space does not permit me to
list all of the boards and commis
sions in Nebraska state govern
ment and the people engaged in
the various activities. Be assured
that there are many, however,
and it is the duty of the Governor
to be accurately informed on the
functions of the many agencies
of government so that he can
properly attend to his responsi
bility as "watchdog."
It. is true that there are many
challenges facing the Governor
every day as well as a great
many serious and important du
ties to perform, but there are
also many satisfactions to the
Governor. I think that my chief
source of pleasure as Governor
has been my close contact with so
many fine Nebraskans, both priv
ate citizens and those in public
office. '
A particularly burden some
problem can be considerably
lightened when one realizes that
as Governor his actions are de
voted to the wonderful people of
Nebraska.
fused themselves by efforts to
find in religion and philosopny
a set of immutable moral truths
to which human nature should
be made to conform.
In most of the older religious
traditions human nature was
viewed with suspicion and sub
jected to efforts to make it be
have properly within relation to
some ideal.
, Dewey Insists that human na
ture itself is the only source of
workable moral guides.
Human happiness is the con
sistent aim of Dewey's moral
theory, as he does not believe
there is an future existence in
which the sorrows and inequities
of this life may be redressed.
Democracy is a moral value
because it is the social order
which encourages each indi
vidual td make the most effec
tive use of his powers for living
'vith maximum satisfaction, or
in the scientific view, to achieve
the most successful relationship
of the organism to its environ
ment. Pragmatism justifies progres
sive education. Dewey's basic
philosophical assumptions are
more than well hinged to his
rejection of the traditional dis
tinction of mind and body is an
indispensable assumption.
Progresslvlsm is logically con
sistent with instructmentallst
philosophy right down the line.
If there are no absolutes In the
history of ideas, It is of course
quite sensible to throw out of
our schools much of the lore of
the past.
A school program related to
the view of man as a monistic
biological organism should in
volve the student in lively ac
tivities around the solution of
problems of living which most
clearly beset him.
In Dewey's view, the habits of
most of us now were forced upon
us during infancy and childhood
when we were pnysicauy de
pendent upon adults. They are
our ciders' habits.
Intelligent management of the.
habit and impulse patterns In
youth is the rationale of pro
gressive education. It explains
those classroom practices with
which most parents are familiar,
including those practices which
have provoked caricature.
Agreement with the basia
philosophy of Mr. Dewey is the
logical price of agreement with
his educational theories.
Precisely because progressive
education dispenses so far with
tradition and stakes so much
upon the educational creativity
of the teacher, It Is method
which would require someone
like a Dewey in every classroom
for Intelligent execution.
In actuality, by the testimony
of their own vapid utterances,
the typical graduates in educa
tion today are the least fitted
group in the community to as
sume the responsibility for re
creating its cultural aspirations,
Mr. Dewey's interpreters en
gage in a forthright effort to en
lighten the adults of my town
and others on the blessings of
instrumentalism.
But it is not their right, in the
meantime, to slip into the
schools of the community a phil
osophy of education, which if
understood, would be rejected
by the great majority of the
people to whom the schools be
long. Even those who take satisfac
tion in the enormous influence
of Jonn Dewey sometimes admit
that his philosophy has not been
very clearly comprenended.
You know your neighbors.
How many of them would vote
for Deweyism if they understood
the philosophical ballot?
The Student Speaking
Hey, Arready
By JERRY SHARPNACK
It has been suggested that in
last week's column I over
stepped the sacred bounds of
human decency by implying that
the knocking about of old la
dies is funny. Funny? It's
hilarious.
The whole idea of last weeks
story came to me while I was
chopping the paws off a three-week-old
puppy. The very
thought of poor grandma getting
shoved around was so funny I
had to stop at two paws and go
inside my spider-infested room
and write up the story.
I cleared my desk of the
works of Jonathan Swift (whose
style I have been copying) and
began to write vehemently. I
hesitated in my typing only long
enough to burn some Bibles I
had stolen from an orphanage.
Being quite exhausted after
the story's completion, I felt the
need for nourishment. Two
babies were baking in the oven,
but would not be done for an
other hour. I had to be con
tent with small spiders until the
main course was ready.
I was bouncing about on my
chair with mouth-watering im
patience at the thought of those
baked babies. They were twins.
Has this little tale shocked
you? Has it demoralized you?
Corroded your thinking? No, I
think not. I also think nothing
so ridiculous would ever cor
rupt any adnlt-mlnded person's
attitude on life, nor change his
philosophy.
Whether it symbolizes some
thing else in the form of a sat
ire or not, it could hardly be
construed to have a literal
meaning.
In regard to last week's
"Grandma" column, I did in
tend some symbolism, however
inexpertly it may have been
realized.
I am thoroughly disgusted and
completely bored with any type
of over-sentimentality and super-virtuous
living. I am tired
of seeing virtuous women con
tinually get the fella as I in
variably have in every movie I
have ever seen. Goody-goodies
have also ruined a great many
otherwise substantial books and
stories; and if there's anything
I hate, it's a goody-goody.
As far as elderly people are
concerned, I have no more nor
no less respect for them than
anyone else. I judge a person
by his abililty and his ideals,
not his age. Last week's piece
was not meant as a dig at our
elders, but as a sort of semi
satire directed at sentimentality.
Mostly it was just a story.
Any piece of writing should
be read critically, and first Im
pressions may not be correct.
Who knows, next week I may
advocate infanticide, which is
not a bad idea at that.
I hate guys
Who criticize
And minimize
The ether guys
Whose enterprise
Has made them rise 1
Above the guys
Who criticize.
Here's your chance to
help pick the only
(r37
For Details
LISTEN
TO
WISHIIR'S
"SPORTS
TEN"
program
on
your Mutual
Radio Station
KOLN
8:05 P.M.
Mon.-Fri.
The 1953 AIl-CoHegft-Xn,
America Football Team tl
sponsored by
Philip Lionais
crtd brought to yoUiby
HARRY
WISLISCI
It is'the ony.An-AmsJtsa
picked byjhGtfaail
(
1
?IM1
;t,lr-..i."!' :
