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THE NEBRASKAN
Tuesday, December 15, 1953
EDITORIAL PAGE
ole00 Preparation Forgotten?
The chars that University freshmen are
not prepared for college work appears to
have drawn blood among state educators.
Usually comments such as those expressed
by Dean J. P. Colbert, Col. C. J. Frankforter,
Wilbert G. Gaffney and J. M. Reinhardt
never reach the ears of men responsible for
conditions which prompt discussions of
What's the Trouble with Our Freshmen?"
But the statements these men made during
a Union-sponsored seminar have drawn com
ments from four delegates attending the 87th
Delegate Assembly of the Nebraska State Ed
ucation Association.
The comments were published in The Sun
day Journal and Star in a story The Ne
braskan believes was overplayed, not because
of the importance of the subject, but because
Figures Can Lie
Dean J. P. Colbert's suggestion to inform
high school principals concerning the rank
ing of University students from their schools
Is sound.
As pointed out in the lead editorial on this
page, the need for college preparation must
realized by educators.
One problem, however, is encountered. An
example is a certain Nebraska town which
has had a weak high school English depart
ment for five or more years. Out of a class
of 40 who were graduated last spring four
came to the University this fall. Two of the
four, both good students, were placed in
English 3. (English 3 is now described as a
"high" English course, although its require
ments shoulu be met by every high school
graduate.)
The school received a note from the Uni
versity, complimenting it on its high rank
among freshman students on the basis of
English. Considerably less than SO per cent
of the freshman class, of course, is placed in
English 3.
The Ugh school new is satisfied with its
poor department -simply because .two . stu
dents happened te have learned a little Eng
lish at home or en their own.
The problem of low freshman standards is
difficult Figures, as it has shown, lie.
Nevertheless, high school educators must
realize the problems their graduates encounter
at a university. The duty to inform them of
these problems belongs to the university.
SLR.
Queen With Brains
The aristocratic colony of campus queen
dom will soon have another member. Not
that the number of queens is small, it is not.
Not that admission to the ranks of campus
royalty is selec it isn't
In view of these trends (there are at least
, 20 different queens at NU), The Nebraskan
is again sponsoring the Miss Bag Mop con
test She win stand as the Phi Beta Kappa
ot the ladies of the purple. Her average will
be at least 7.0.
She will net be known for her activities,
for she win have none. None, that is, save
Iter studies. She will not be known as a
campus socialite, at least te the extent she
will not be engaged, married, pinned or even
going steady.
Her votes will not have been bought, sold
uor traded; for she will have been inter
viewed and selected by a board composed of
six male Nebraskan staffers.
But, we hope, she win be beautiful. Beauty
and brains are not necessarily a strange
combination.
She win not be presented at the climax of
big publicity build-up to a paid audience.
Nebraskan readers may find out her name
simply by reading it in the paper during the
last week of the semester.
There was a day when the title of queen
carried with it a degree of respect But, that
was in Europe, not America.
Here, every girl is a queen. Miss Rag Mop
will not be a queen above anyone else. She
wd be a queen representative of what The
Nebraskan believes is the fundamental pur
pose of a university scholarship. EJ.
Honor At Stake
Who said musicians arent temperamental?
A recent example is the tenor who quit in
the middle of "Carmen'' and just walked off
the stage.
And then there was the case of the flute
player who was dishonorably discharged from
the Mexican army because he played sour
notes. This disgrace would not have resulted
In the supreme penalty except that the mis-'
take was made during a rendition of the na
tional anthem in the presence of Presidents
Eisenhower and Ruiz Cortines.
Protesting, the unfortunate flutist com
plained that the director of the army band
was a trombonist and knew nothing about
Cuies. Furthermore, he challenged him to a
musical duel. If the director would meet him
en tha field of honor, they could battle it out
-musically, of course.
A trombone and a Cute at five paces, yet.
M.H.
of lack of intelligent comment from the four
persons interviewed.
For the most part, the delegates said
nothing important.
One statement, made by Dr. Harry Burke,
xuperlntendent of Omaha city schools, is in
Aeresting. Dr. Burke attempts to throw the
responsibility for the freshmen back into the
laps of the University but succeeds only in
farther indicting the secondary schools of the
state.
He said, "The University ought to recog
nize it owes something more than the usual
stereotyped approach to people who are meet
ing the academic disciplines of a university
for the first time."
When he implies that "the academic dis
ciplines of a university" are so different from
high school disciplines that they are entirely
new to incoming freshmen, he admits that the
high schools are not preparing students for
further education. In not expressing alarm
at such a situation, Dr. Burke appears to say
that college preparation is not even a func
tion of the secondary school.
The facts agree with Dr. Burke. Foreign
languages, higher mathematics, literature and
history, normally believed to be college pre
paratory courses, are being minimized in, or
eliminated from, the curricula of secondary
schools.
In their places are substituted vocational
agriculture, home economics, office practice,
woodworking, metal working and a number
of other courses designed to teach a trade.
In other words, the high school student of
today is trained to step into the world and
make money not continue his education
through a college career.
Yet as Dr. Burke himself points out
1 "More people are attempting to do work on
the college level" than ever before.
One of the delegates interviewed, Ashland
Superintendent Prosper Pyle, recognized the
problem when he said, "It (the problem of
the freshmen) reverts back to the high
schools, which should encourage the good
students to go to coUege, and not those who
arent capable of doing college work."
A college education is a valuable experi
ence, and everyone should have an equal op
. portunity to attempt college work. As Dr.
Burke states, students "have a right to try."
But their right is seriously Jeopardized
when their high schools do not prepare them
te make the most of that right The college
freshman has been cheated when his school
has forgotten nin in an attempt to turn out
stenographers raid farmers.
Part of the reason for the vocational train
ing in high schools is the emphasis now
placed on pragmatism or Deweyism. If the
practical effects- of the training cannot be
observed, the course of study has no purpose,
according to this line of thought
In noting results, perhaps these educators
win someday see what happens to many
floundering freshmen and include these facts
in their charts and figures. If the Union
sponsored seminar accomplished this purpose,
even in a small way, the afternoon's discus
sion was a success. K.R.
Why A Degree?
Have you ever heard of a tall, dark, hand
some young man named Richard Leweliyn!
Or maybe the question should be, have you
ever heard of Charles AnteU's Formula No. 9
or Rybutol or Skin Deep?
Both old and new Cornhuskers should re
member toe name Leweliyn meaning Vern
Leweliyn, captain of the Cornhusker team
that beat Knute Rockne's Four Horsemen.
Like fattier: like son? Not so in this case,
yeung Lewelljm quit school at 14 while his
father was graduated from -the University
CoUege of Law.
Leweliyn, a 27-year-old, has only talked a
hair tonic into a $10,000,000 gross in one year
from his sales of the tonics on television.
Is it worth it to sacrifice a college education
for $10,000,000 a year? G.IL
Margin Notes
They're Selling Everything
The Nebraskan expressed concern last week
about talk of selling the United States Post
Office to a private outfit
Tuesday's paper told of rumors that the
Knights of Columbus were negotiating for
purchase of Yankee Stadium.
It looks as though the next thing to be of
fered up for sale is the Student Union. The
building should bring a good price, since The
Nebraskan goes with it
Big Press
Although not in the same category with
Chicago, St Louis, New York, etc., Lincoln
is a convention city in its own right
Thirteen individual conventions were held
here during November total personnel was
3264. Journalists accounted for the biggest
single group. Top-in -size convention was
that of the Nebraska High School Press As
sociation. Never underestimate the power of
the press. Even on a high school level they
make their presence known.
H1TX-TBXXS YEAR
Member: Associated Collegiate Press
Aivwrffcfag representative: National Advertfeteg Service, Inc.
42t Sfadise Ave, New. York 17. New York
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Little Man On Campus... By Bibler The Student Speaking
H III I ' v
AH That Glitters
The Saga Of Prairie Mary
"Your paper is obviously worth an "A" but that would be
to suggest no room for improvement so I feel you have a "B"
Follow me?"
The Challenge
Is Democracy Declining
In The United States?
By JOHN G. BITZES
(The following is the 12th in
a series of articles treating the
problems, issues and challenges
of the day. A senior in the Col
lege of Arts and Sciences, Bitxes
recently became a member of
Phi Beta Kappa, national scho
lastic honorary.)
One July afternoon in 1946, I
stood at the top of the Washing
ton Monument in Washington,
D. C, and admired a beautiful
capital city which for me sym
bolized a great democratic na
tion. It felt good to know that
I was a small part of it all, for
that month marked the 20th
year since my parents had been
accepted by the United States
as refugees from political - and
religious persecution in the Near
East
"
Here in America they have
been able to pursue freely their
Christian beliefs and to rah 1
family in a democratic atir
phere free" from fear, civil str.
and terror. My parents had
often related to . us children
what it was like to live in a land
of fear, suspicion and distrust;
however, it was hard for us to
realize what it all meant be
cause we were living in a land
where even the children of a
laborer, like my father, were
free to go to college and to bet
ter themselves. Yes, in 1946. I
felt safe, proud, and good down
deep.
a
Military service, however, was
to carry me away to Europe in
1947. At the age of twenty-one,
I was perhaps too young to serve
well in the capacity the army
had chosen for me, but I was
young enough to learn and to
become familiar with the nature
of the fear that my parents had
so often spoken of. I saw that
for many Europeans under dic
tatorships it was a common
practice to spy and inform on
their neighbors.
I saw the graves of hundreds
of men, women and children
who had lost their right to live
' Just because someone pointed an
accusing finger at them. The
pity of it all was that many of
the victims were innocent by
standers or unfortunates, who
happened to lose the personal
favor of someone in the Fascist
Party or Communist Party, de
pending on which was in power.
It was shocking for me to
learn that men couid be so per
verted. It felt good to leave all
that behind me in 1949 and to
return home.
a a
Unfortunately, conditions at
home were not to allow me to
forget the fear that I had grown
to recognize so well in Europe.
During the past four years, I
have witnessed a distressing and
ominous fear creep among us.
It is a fear that has created a
' tool for ambitious and unscrup-
University
Bulletin Board
TUESDAY .
YVTCA Discussion, 6:30 p.m,
Downtown YW Building.
Kesmet Klnb Active Meeting,
7 p.m., KK Room, Union.
Spanish Clnb Party, 7 40 p.m.,
Union.
Contemporary Poets Program,
8:30 p.m., Morrill HalL
Office of - Publie Relations
Open House. 3-5 p.m., Adminis
tration Annex.
Power Plant Open House, 3-5
p.m., and 7-9 p.m. University
Power Plant
WEDNESDAY
Nagaty Lecture, 11 ajn., Bet
sey Hall Auditorium.
Chess Club Meeting, 5 p.m.
Union.
Fh Chi Thets Meeting, 7:15
p.m. Union.
Student Council Lecture Se
ries Program, "Mechanics of Re
production,' 7:30-8:30 p.m. Love
Library Auditorium.
Ag Christmas Frorram, 8 p.m,
Ag Activities Building.
THURSDAY
Delta Omieron Vesper Serv
ice, 8 p.m. University Episcopal
Chapell
ulous politicians and that has de
prived our nation of the free
doms of thought and of expres
sion as I once knew them. The
point has been reached where
no one is "free from the iniqui
tous finger of the inquisitor,
a a
Innocent men are having their
reputations destroyed by false
and baseless accusations and by
innuendo. Men are being ac
cused of being socialists for sup
porting institutions like the TVA
and Social Security. A Demo
crat is automatically labeled a
radical and a Communist, and a
Republican is quickly accused of
being a reactionary and a stooge
of McCarthy. Not even the re
ligious institutions of our nation
have been spared from this
mockery some people call safe
guarding the American democ
racy from the red menace,
a a
I believe that the fear that
generates this chaos is couched
in two evils. One is that too
many peopre nave been pos-
By HANK GIBSON
This is the story of little
Prairie Mary, a Pi Phayse from
Ruptured Springs, Neb. Mary
had a happy life in her quaint
Sand Hills home and may have
gone on to be a wonderful home
maker if she hadn't made her
big mistake in at University.
It is my hope that the sad and
rather poignant tale this story
tells will cause you to feel pity
for little Mary and, perhaps,
even forgive her.
a a a
Mary began her college career
a shining example of goodness.
She always went to class, never
missed a convocation and fol
lowed to the letter all the rules
of the UNKVD, which was the
coed police force and governing
body.
That is, she was a shining ex
ample of goodness until she met
Rasputin. Of course, it could pos
sibly have happened with any
one, but it did happen the night
of Rasputin's fraternity's annual
"Come as you Bathe" Ball.
Little Prairie Mary insisted
that Rasputin take her home
from the dance in plenty of
time to make the curfew, and so,
even before the last strains of
"I'll See You in My Dreams"
had faded, they were in Raspu
tin's car, heading for the dorm.
But the car's headlights were
not very good, and it was too
late when Rasputin saw the hole
in the street dug by some revel
ling drunks. Neither of them was
hurt but the car was incapable
of motion when they climbed out
of the hole.
The dorm was several blocks
away, however, and but a few
minutes remained until the cur
few hour. In a desperate attempt
t self-salvation, little Mary
dashed toward the dorm, leav
ing Rasputin, who smoked, run
ning far behind.
a a a
But the fates were unkind to
the poor child that night. She
arrived just in time to see the
massive iron door slide shut and
hear the sickening sound of the
bolt slipping into place.
Panic stricken, Mary racked
her brain to think of some way
to get into the building. Finally
she decided on a desperate gam
ble. If only her roommate would
tie some sheets together and
drop them out of the window
she knew she couid find the
strength somewhere to climb to
safety.
After a short, hushed, con
versation her roommate obliged,
and soon she was in the dorm.
But after the thrill of success
had worn off, agonizing thoughts
beean to fill Mary's mind.
Had someone seen her? Could
she trust her roommate not to
squeal on her? Would this be
the end of her college life? She
thought back on the girls she
had known who had broken thrT
rules.
Generally the offenders were
carried off secretly in the night
bv the UNKVD, no one knew
where. She thought of her best
friend, Lydia, who had come in
one night after midnight. It
wasn't very pretty.
a a
After several days of torturous
interrogation, Lydia was shot by
the UNKVD. Then there was
Lydia's roommate. She had been
a pretty girl, but she was the
onlv one who could prove Ly
dia's guilt. She lived through
questioning, of course, but it
would have been better if she
hadn't. The UNKVD has a way
of marking one for life.
No, there was no use trying
to get away with it She was
sure te be cauht and then . . Jt
was unbearable. S cm e h o w,
someway she would beat the rap.
But there was only eme way.
Slowly she walked into the
tile-floored cubicle next to her
room. She tied a shoelace to he
handle and stepped into the
white bowl. Leaving a note beg
ging forgiveness, she pulled the
shoelace and went to her watery
grave.
Letterip
Position Of The Educated
C
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Dear Editor:
As a student here at the Uni
versity, I have just come across
an idea which truly disturbs me.
I have heard, from many of the
better students here, statements
which indicate that we students
are becoming members of a kind
of aristocracy.
These students complain about
Ida H . litIMtnaHm which
sessed by a frightening oppor-. they find In the man en the street
tunism. An opportunism that
puts personal gain and safety
over the rights and freedoms of
others; and an opportunism that
causes a turncoat to accuse an
other falsely in an effort to show
loyalty to what his sick mind
labels as democracy.
Cynicism is the ether evil that
has corrupted many American
minds. A cynicism that seeks to
destroy man's respect for and
faith in man; a cynicism that
seeks to reveal the evil In every
thing one says or does; and a
cynicism that gives birth to
whisper campaigns and that
marks men as spies or traitors
without giving the accused a
chance to defend or to face his
accuser.
a a a
I have come to believe that if
we, the American people, do not
check these two evils that are
poisoning our society before they
engrain themselves in our way
of life, we will soon find our
democracy a part of the past
The evil I saw in Europe will
be transplanted here along with
all of its bloody paraphernalia
of demagogery, inquisition and
terror. Already, the America I
knew in 1946 is no more. What
is in store for us tomorrow? It
is up to us.
and sar. from their positions as
members of the educated, that
they are frightened that the mul
titude has free relga ta govern
ment a a
They point to the admitted
mass-hysteria of the McCarthy
supporters as an indication of the
gross lack of wisdom in the citi
zenry as a whole. As a conse
quence, and because they art
real believers in the idea of free
dom, they conclude that there is
no hope and proceed to isolate
themselves in contemptuous bit
terness against the follies of the
illiterate, prejudiced and emo
tional mass of the citizenry.
a a a
I am no ideal democart I be
lieve that as a general rule, the
man on the street is, at the
moment short-sighted and alto
gether too practical to contribute
overtly to the greatness of our
government
Bat I also believe that the wis
dom which comes from study and
constant evaluation and from the
meaning behind a college degree
is not a personal virtue. I be
lieve quite strongly that there
are as many intelligent and cap
able men and women living the
"detestable bes of the bour
geois" as there are "enlightened,
circumspect men ef real substance."
The Colorado Dail
Totalitarian State Methods
Generate Blinding Hysteria
(The following editorial -is
reprinted from The Colorado
Daily, student publication ef
the University of Colorado. At
C" recently, the scheduled lec
ture of Aaron Copland, distin
guished composer, was can
celled, allegedly because a
Cnrresmaa had charged that
Copland belonged to between
21 and 30 subversive organiza
tions. Later that same week,
a student at CU released a
statement charging that The
State of Asia" is what may
well be called a Communist
book. He proposed te have it
banned. Both incidents relate
to this editorial.)
One characteristic of a totali
tarian state is the presence of
"scret informers" who keep the
officials posted on movements
and statements made by such
persons ss teachers. And al
though the United States is not
a totalitarian country, the same
type of method is ruthlessly be
ing used by amateur investiga
tors who have designated them
selves as official "informers."
It would be difficult to predict
the exact effect that will be
caused by the recent announce
ment of an amateur sending an
informer around campus in a
hunt for "red" books. But only
a glance at the situation reveals
that the effects could be disas
trous, especially to an individual
teacher.
Every time a member of the
University faculty walks into a
new class from now on, he may
wonder what "secret informers"
have been planted in the room.
He would certainly have full con
fidence that remarks he makes
do cot advocate a violent over
throw of the government but
be might fear that an "informer"
would misinterpret what he says
or take a statement completely
out of context
And what about those students
who come into a professor's of
fice and ask for sources of in
formation on somewhat contro
versial subjects? That "Black
Silence of Fear" which Justice
William O. Douglas wrote about
may become a reality right here
at the University.
If this minute example were
compared with the situation in
Washington, where the problem
is greatly magnified, it is easy
to see why capitol correspondents
so often refer to that hysteria
which seems to grip the nation's
capitol. For back there, they
have not only the FBI and loy
alty review boards, but also
three Congressional committees
and a host of amateurs who ap
point themselves to impute guilt
by association and make as
sumptions based only on partial
facts.
Justice Douglas recently re
ported that in New York City
alone, at least 58,600 wire tapping
permits were issued ta 1952, a
practice which he quotes Oliver
Wendell Holmes as labeling
"dirty business."
The University has received
only a sampling of a situation
which is endangering the entire
country, a country which we
thankfully refer as a "demo
cracy." How can we hope to
save this democracy from its to
talitarian enemies when we allow
such use of totalitarian methods
methods which result in a blind
ing hysteria. ;
Moreover, I think that no one
is more responsible for the re
vulsion in which each of these
two groups holds the other than
the educated man who, while pro
claiming, in a voice pregnant
with pseudo-modesty, that he is
better able to lead the world
than his grocery-man neighbor,
isolates himself from the every
day world and says, "The Devil
take it; he might as well have
it now as wait unto the mob
delivers it to him." These men,
for all their immediate correct
ness, are doing no more than
feeding the Philistines, who al
ready have received with sus
picion the men and ideas they
cannot understand,
The real position of the edu
cated maa is not one ef bitter
ness and contempt It is, instead,
one ef humility and compassion,
and while be is being humble
and compassionate, he dares not
be deferential or patronising, and
must avoid pity.
In each of these is obviously
a condescending thing, and the
man outside washing the win
dows does not want to be petted,
e wants to know.
The man who is fortunate
enough to have survived the ini
tiation into awareness and real
wisdom (and if education cannot
accomplish these things, it is a
horrible waste of time) has the
responsibility, as a thinking hu
man being, to return to humanity
on the outside to spread the
word.
He can accomplish nothing
from a soap-box, where he makes
a demonstrative ass of himself,
nor from a recess in which he
has hidden himself to avoid the
mess which he believes is being
made of the world.
I can think of no more ignoble
and debasing result of education
than it should build a clique of
retreatists and pessimists. I can
think of no more deliberating a
misdirection of wisdom and ideal
than one which results in con
tempt for and rejection of the
ignorant
Unless humanity as a whole is
capable of greatness over and
above the selfish, evil and im
moral, then the concept of cul
ture and the dignity of man is
pure poppycock. And I, for one,
refuse to believe any man who
so decries,
BERT W. BISHOP
QhicMsiL
By CHICK TAYLOR
Tve always wanted to strike
a happy medium," he said as ha
punched the drunken spiritualist.
a a a
The young lady, a hardy
senior, looked down her nose as
a tiny fresh
man cut in
during the
dance.
"And just
why did you
have to cut
in?" she asked
nastily. "I'm
sorry' ma'm,"
was the reply.
Tut Im working my way
through school, and your part
ner was waving a $5 bill at me.'
a a a
"Who was that girl I saw you
out with last night?"
"I wasn't out; I was just dol
ing." a a a
She was a musical woman
you could tell by the cords in
her neck.
a a
"Are they strict about attend
ince in ROTC classes?"
"Hah, Strict? You remember
Brown, don't you? He died in
class yesterday, and they propp. i
him up until the end of the lec-f',
ture." W
m
M
SNOW-