Nebraska Newspapers

    9 ft. i t
university or iNeprasko
-Nebraskan Editorials-
The Great Ideal
Campus Capers
By Bruce Conner
On the 86th anniversary of the University of
Nebraska, those who somprise it can accept
the day apathetically or they can throw back
their shoulders, settle down comfortably in a
oft easy chair and meditate upon the G-R-eat
advances made at this G-R-E-at University of
the G-R-E-A-t State of Nebraska in true sub
conscious oratorical form.
Or, they can seriously and intelligently pon
der the problem of where the University is
headed. An anniversary calls for retrospection
with an eye to the future. It is not the time
for glorified words hung from pink clouds ex
tolling the greatness of its faculty, students and
alumni. The advances of the past P6 years at
this time should be accepted gratefully and
with pride, but that pride should not prevent
ua from observing the shortcomings of the
University.
Thanks to the men who have administered
tha University's long range building programs
(and to the legislature for appropriating the
urns needed), we have made great strides in
the last decade. But there are still plans and
dreams to be realized. As long as we have
antiquated buildings such as the pharmacy
building, the University administration cannot
relax. The answer is not simple, but an answer
must be found.
Tha physical plant of the University Is only
small part of the factors which measure a
UMOC Abandoned?
Last week AUF abandoned sponsorship of the
Ugliest Man On Campus contest, Instigated as
a soliciting "gimmick" a few years ago.
UMOC was designed to pressure organized
houses and dorms in to contributing more money
to AUF during its annual fall drive. The idea
was to set up an elective contest with candi
dates based on the amount of money their
houses or dorms contributed. A maximum
money goal was set and if the houses met
thia goal they were allowed a UMOC candi
date. AUF has been under criticism for using this
method as a money soliciting device. A charity
organization, AUF was accused of misinterpret
ing charity principles. The purpose of AUF was
not to force students into contributing money
by setting up a competitive situation in which
tudents had to participate or "lose face" but
to create a desire on the part of students to
contribute money to worthy causes by their
own volition. This is the basic principle of
charity and this year AUF seems to have re
newed its responsibility to that principle.
UMOC, by virtue of its purpose, has no place
In the program of a charity organization unless
that purpose Is changed. AUF could have main
tained an annual UMOC election if they had so
desired only on a different competitive basis.
Had the organization merely abolished the pur
pose which UMOC served and maintained the
contest as an annual campus election on a per
aonal competitive basis it would have been
more compatible with the campus spirit.
UMOC has been accepted as an annual tradi
tion, not because of AUF in particular,but be
cause of the interest it has created in the
past among the campaigning candidates and
the student body in general.
The Nebraskan hopes UMOC will not become
a past frivolity. The energetic support per se
that UMOC has had in the past is indicative
that the campus wants and is willing to par
ticipate in this activity. All UMOC needs is a
new "face."-J. H.
university's worth. Its administrators, faculty
and students, backed by the people of Nebraska
and particularly the alumni, contribute to the
real University, which in essence is an ideal
or goal. This Ideal is something which has
never been satisfactorily defined but which
hinges on the word education. The basic problem
of a university is to define education. With this
definition in mind its personnel then have a
direction towards which to bend their efforts.
In this respect the students and faculty have
let the University down. They have missed the
real meaning of the word education. Each
member of the University population is so close
to his individual position that he "cannot see
the forest for the trees." Students think of col
lege as a four-year sojourn without responsibili
ties other than to mind their own business and
protect their interests. Professors become so
concerned with their particular courses that the
courses are isolated from the broad stream
of knowledge called education.
The colleges too are guilty of a sort of isola
tionism. Administrators and faculty members
must place greater emphasis on re-examining
the goals of each college as they fit into a
University education as a whole. They must
conscientiously evaluate the consequences of this
trend toward specialization and recognize its
place complementing liberal education.
A new chancellor-has attempted through
close contact with students to unite the self
interested student with that ideal or goal of
a university which gives its buildings and per
sonnel meaning. But in his effort to under
stand the students' individual problems, he has
not been met with a similar attempt to under
stand the over-all workings of a University,
Unfortunately, students and faculty members
have developed a self-satisfaction hinging on
selfishness that is depriving the administration
of the moral support and understanding that is
necessary before the University of Nebraska
can fully realize the ideals in the minds of its
founders 86 years ago.
Our University is a good one. On its 86th
birthday we have no right to ignore the strides
which have been made during this century. It
is not the time to glory in these strides, but
rather it is the time to continue the strides
through a greater understanding of what edu
cation is all about. K". N.
Spring Preview
Warm weather and optimism seem to have
a definite relationship.
The warm spell, which should remain for a
few more days, makes the carefree young man
more carefree and the spirited young woman
more spirited. '
A campus hero, inspired by visions of ver
dant picnic acreage, attempts a flying leap
over one of the many small, muddy streams
which flow through the campus streets. He
fails to reach the required distance and be
comes very wet.
A group of students pick up the remains of
previous snowfalls and snowballs and loud words
are exchanged. But spring really isn't here.
The mud may mix with the white snow, and
it is definitely much easier to journey to classes
in 40 degree weather than in temperatures of
very few degrees above zero.
While this pleasant weather is here, why not
enjoy it, and when it leaves, as the weather
men say it must, we can look back on this
diversion as a preview of coming spring months.
S. J.
Campus Circuit
Businessman Stresses Need
For Humanities In College
Reprinted From The Daily Tar Heel
University of North Carolina
We watched a Business Administration major
thumbing through his class cards yesterday
(economics, business organization, accounting,
corporation finance) and reflected on a speech
made this year at State College by William
Euffin of Durham, president of Erwin Mills
and former president of the National Associ
ation of Manufacturers.
The over specialized college graduate, said
Mr. Ruffin, who ought to know, "can feel the
lack of enough training in the humanities, in
language and literature, in the arts."
And he added:
, "Describing a man as "well-rounded" has, I
Suppose, long since become trite, but give me
a better expression. At least give me a man for
leadership in Industry and commerce who Is
a good speaking terms not only with the
technical phases of his own business but with
many other Important facts of life to which
be will find himself exposed the languages,
literature, the arts and, neither last nor least,
religion.
Ila will find himself sorely in need of them
and in my opinion cannot develop his full po
. tential without them. He will even find it diffi
cult to hold his own in the lower echelons of
Industrial and business leadership unless he is
well-rounded man.
"I predict . . . there will be more demands
from industry and business to give broader
education on the liberal arts courses to the
college man working for the specialized degrees."
These are not, we repeat, the sentiments of
an English professor, but of a businessman.
They have been echoed, in the last 12 months, by
such distinguished Southern businessmen as the
personnel director of the R. J.' Reynolds To
bacco Company, the president of Carolina Pow
er and Light Company and the vice president
of the Norfolk and Western Railwaj i.e Gen
eral Electric Company is spearheading a con
vincing national crusade for the humanities.
The Ford Motor Company is emphasizing liberal
arts education as training for its new employees.
There is, in all this, the suggestion that a
graduate of the University may be a whiz in
accounting and business organization and still
not be prepared to succeed in business without
a little Plato under his belt; that, in fact, the
progressive corporations of the day might pre
fer an employee made intelligent through hu
manistic studies and sciences humanely ap
proached to the most aggressive business-trained
graduate.
There is one consideration more: that the
strength of a democratic society is directly
proportionate to the number of its citizens
whose thinking is not limitrd by their occupa
tion and, their class. If, in the end, democracy
has any implications, one of them is that its
citizens must become involved in it, and not
just through their jobs, but through their lives.
This seems to us to place the one-track mind
behind the times and to form a sermon to the
student with the one-track batch of class cards:
Greek civilization may be as important as cor
poration finance, to your employer as well as
to yourself.
The Nebraskan
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Givin' 'Em Ell
Arise, Proofreader!
Ye Vengeful Ghost
"Emll put it together as a special project In geology and he hasn't
figured out how to get out of it yet."
Where There's Smoke
High Schools Fail
To Prepare Student
By JOHN GOURLAY
and
MIKE SHUGRUE
Nearly 50 per cent of fraternity
pledges will not have made 'their
initiation averages first semester
if University statistics hold true.
This is miserable and inexcusable.
We grant that fraternity pledges
represent only about 25 per cent
of freshmen at the University.
However, this fraternity problem
highlights the existence of a well
recognized freshman problem.
This percentage should make
every University student pause to
consider. What is the problem?
Much of the blame for this poor
showing goes to our state high
schools. Many school graduates,
even those with high grades, are
not well prepared for college
work. They don't have what college
professors call "foundation."
Nebraska high schools are too
easy. Too many teachers are medi
. ocre. Schools do not require stu
dents to work and study. Attend
ance for three years is almost a
guarantee of a
diploma. A
minimum of ef
fort lands ade
quate g r ades.
Courses are
watered down.
Emphasis o n
"a d j u sting"
and "develop
ing personal-
.. . . . s
above tne ac
Gourlay quisition of
solid knowledge.
Hieh school athletics are over
emphasized. They are the only
thing many schools care about. So
cial life is ridiculously out of pro
portion. The attitude of most stu
dents is one of inditterence ana
even scorn toward the pursuit of
knowledge and the preparation for
later life.
The result is that our schools
are turning out graduates unpre
pared for college; immature in
their outlook on life and mediocre
in their ability to think and reason.
Turning again to fraternity pled
ges, we may say that these men
are also hampered by their initial
contacts with fraternities during
the summer rushing period.
Most future fraternity pledges
get their idea of college and college
people at this time. The constant
round of wining and dining early
i ?
Iff
Lelkrip
(Editor's Notet Letters to The Nebraskan
mutt be typewritten, double spaced and m t
not exceed a maximum of 150 words, the
Nebraskan reserve the right to edit lettera
submitted. No letter will be printed if it
Is not accompanied by the name of the
author. Names will be omitted, from publi
cation upon request.)
Yes, Americanism!
Dear Editor:
In view of the strong efforts be
ing made by many individuals and
groups to curtail free thought, the
impact of the new J. Leroy Welsh
Americanism Award on the prob
lem is worth considering. Many
hatemongers claim they are for
"Americanism" This is only nat
ural, since Americanism is an ac
ceptable ideal which is hard to de
fine.
I am glad Mssrs. Carson and
Holmes are aware of the dangers.
but I don't believe the award is as
dangerous as they fear. The first
quality upon which it is to be
awarded is "outstanding effort in
upholding the fundamentals of con
stitutional government and the bas
ic principles of free institutions."
Unquestionably these aims in
clude rather than preclude free
thought. The second quality i3 to
be "extraordinary interest in civic
affairs, and in governmental af
fairs of his community, his state,
and his nation." Nothing subver
sive about that; it's downright sen
sible. The third quality is "active
support of the basic virtues of the
Judeo-Christian tradition dedicated
to the dignity of man." It's mean
ingless, but harmless.
On the whole the award is worth
while. The real challenge will be
to select the staff members who
have made genuine contributions
to Americanism.
F. Jay Pepper
, it Ur
For The Record
Dear Editor:
To set the record straight and to
terminate question to me on the
subject, please record that I am
not the "John Carson" who was
signatory to a letter of advice to
the faculty concerning Leroy
Welsh's Americanism award.
John W. Carson,
Graduate Student,
Department of History
inculcates in them the partying
principles of the College man.
They are given no reason to be
lieve that their free-as-a-bird high
school attitude must change. This
breeds in them a desire to conform
and they tend to accept these
"college" habits.
Individuals often cause their own
downfalls through lazines". If they
had to learn to work and produce
in high school
they would
probably have
continued , to
do so in col
lege. Some, of
course, are
naive about
college. Many,
learning little
while receiv
ing good
grades in high
school, are ov-
By ELLIE ELLIOTT
I shall not continue this column
where I was so rudely interrupted
last week, because what I was
going to say would have made my
readers awfully unhappy; and I
certainly do not want to make you
unhappy. Far be it from me to
disturb one's peace of mind. In
stead, I shall descend from my
pedestal and
muse.
I have been
brought face to
face with real
ity ... or,
rather, with
the ghosts of
reality. I have I , V
been shocked
into me reau-
ration that the 1S
pencil of the
proofreader is
more powerful than the mind of
man . . . and more powerful than
the typewriter that is- the instru
ment of this mind.
Shakespeare in all his glory could
not have Imagined a character so
sublimely non-subsistent as a proof
reader. In fact, Big Bill might
have learned a considerable
amount o technique in his crea
tion of ghosts, had he had the
rr- m
4
Quick
Quips
Shugrue
erconfident of their college abili
ties. The University has a responsibil
ity in this situation. Every student
should be here to get an education.
People who are in school but don't
want an education have rio place
here. If University graduates are
not going to be prototypes of high
school graduates, . the. University
should demand more from its stu
dents and weed out sluffers may
be those who survive would gradu
ate with more than a diploma.
Slogan on a restaurant near the
Hoover dam: "Best by a Dam
Site."
The Maharajah of an interior
Indian province decreed that no
wild animals could be killed by
the populace. Soon the country
was overrun by man-eating tigers,
lions, panthers, elephants and
boars. The people could stand it
no longer and gave the maharajah
the heave-ho. This was the first
instance on record where the reign
was called on account of game.
Some people have no respect for
age unless it is bottled.
A self-made man is usually an
example of unskilled labor.
opportunity to observe this twenti-eth-century
ghost of our.. The myr.
iads of vengeful ghosts appearing
in "Richard III," Julius Caesar,"
and "Hamlet," were mere appren.
tices, in both vengeance and the
art of ghosting, compared to the
proofreader,
The proofreader, for reasons ob
vious to all ne apaper readers and
writers, dwells in a cave deep be
neath the river Styx. There, with
his eyes closed, enveloped in neb
ulous mediation, he sits. Before
him, stretched upon the rack, are
the stories and columns for to
morrow's paper. As he reaches
blindly for his leviathan of a black
pencil, tremors of omnipotence lev
itate his whole being.
He manipulates his tools the
rack and the pencil with a mag.
nificent dexterity equalled only,
perhaps, by the executioner in
charge of la guillotine. The bodies
upon the rack are stretched so out
of proportion that their maker
would not recognize them. The
foot becomes indiscernable from
the head, and either might be in
discreetly delegated to oblivion, as
the demon cries "Touche!" and
thrusts his lead point home.
The cave reeks with the honest
sweat of industrious labor. His head
throbbing in three-quarter time, his
fingers numb, he diligently propi
tates pronouns, instigates insipid
Inversion, and slashes subjective
similes. On his wall, flashing in
red neon, is is motto: "Mine not
to reason why; mine but to con
fuse. The final paragraph must
go; leave the reader to peruse."
Finally, the proofreader, ex
hausted, slips the bloodied pulp
into a clouded bottle and tosses
it into the Styx, whence it drifts
soggily down to the newspaper
mill, and thence to the reading
public . . .
And so I muse ... ah, wilder
ness. USE NEBRASKAN
WANT ADS
Room and board available at the Norrla
House Co-op at $12.60 per week. Meals
alone art J9.00 per week. Ph. 2-5848
at 1725 Q Street.
Wanted: A rlrle from FaaMrtKe tor a
9:no a.m. class Jion. through Friday.
Will help pay car expenses. Call
4-71T4, Dee Craig.
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