THE NEBRASKAN
Friday, May 6, 1955
Ncbraskan Editorials
Leaders Among Leaders
This weekend, one of the University' cher
ished traditions will once again be observed
Ivy Day.
Symbolically, Ivy Day represents those per
sons who have been outstanding during their
college careers and might be regarded as an
appraisal of the University's student accom
plishments. Actual recognition, however, comes
from the students themselves through Mortar
Boards and Innocents, not directly from the
University Administration. This recognition,
those in the student ranks honoring others in
the same ranks, has a kind of humbleness and
humaness which far surpasses that recognition
which comes from above. Originating in the
student ranks, this recognition can then be ac
cepted by the Administration as indication that
those honored students were chosen by their
peers as representatives of the best which they
have within their ranks. And from year to
year, the best choses the best, thus perpetuat
ing the high standards and ideals which com
posed the criteria of the first group of "bests."
From this analysis of the dynamics of stu
dent recognition,, an obvious conclusion may
be drawn. Students who were chosen by fel
low students are first, responsible to those who
selected them and second, representatives of the
student body as a whole. The validity of this
conchiiion depends on the depth of responsi
bility and the humbleness which an honored
student feels toward the student body as a
mere student himself.
These students have traditionally been called
leaders because of their outstanding abilities
in human relations, scholarship and unselfish
ness resulting in service. But too often the
fact that these leaders are only among leaders
is forgotten. Those who are leaders primarily
because they hold an office in some campus
organization are not actually leaders of the
student body but only of that small percent
age of the student body which are members
of an organization. Those students who partic
ipate in campus activities are as much leaders
as those who obtain . offices because the re
'sponsibility which they must fulfill in an ac
tivity makes them leaders over those who
are not in activities. This does not mean that
the only leaders exist in activities or that stu
dents are leaders only if they participate in
activities but it does mean that those students
who do participate in activities are traditionally
thought of as the campus leaders and are rec
ognized as such. Leadership therefore takes on
an ambiguousness which is difficult to avoid.
This is the reason for basing the selection of
outstanding students on more than just activ
ities.
Scholarship is another criteria for selection.
Leadership in this field does not connote a
PBK standing but it does imply a compar
ative scholarship standard. Students excelling
in scholarship are conceived of as leaders of
the minds more than leaders of men. However,
where one type of leadership begins and the
other leaves off is uncertain. But scholarship
is based entirely on the face value of grades-
numbers which are actually opinions of instruc
tors based on the degree of student conformity
to the instructor's standards. The grading sys
tem has been constantly under fire for its
supposed meaninglessness.
Service is ambiguous in that itvrelies on opin
ion for a definition. It can only be measured
by general standards which embody an ac
cepted opinion of the majority much the same
as society's moral standards are determined.
Therefore, leadership itself becomes obscured
by the fact that it cannot be measured by con
crete criteria. There is no form which one
can fill out to determine if he is a leader.
Leadership is merely, then, an opinion a ma
jor opinion or a minority opinion, the former
being more difficult to establish and the latter
a common pitfall.
The University's leaders are not counted so
easily as by an Ivy Day ceremony. Those
students chosen for recognition this Saturday
will be merely one small group of leaders
selected from out the vast number of student
leaders on the campus. It should not be for
gotten that these are merely campus leaders
as determined by a set of criteria in which
activities participation plays a major part. The
far greater majority of campus leaders are in
those phases of campus life which have no
connection to activities.
It is traditional that there are Mortar Boards
and Innocents and that their selection depends
on the criteria discussed above. This tradition
is not bad but is a necessary half -evil. The
unfortunate part of tradition is that those who
deserve to be counted among the honored few
who give to tradition its spiritual meaning, are
sacrificed for the mechanical, expedient mean
ing of the word.
Those chosen as leaders among their fellow
students must regard their honor with rel
ative importance. Theirs is not an honor clear
ly defined, theirs is not recognition based on
perfection. But their selection is an honor based
on relativity to the degrees of accomplishments
of all students. They are leaders among
leaders. J. H. B.
fote On Monday!
Wednesday aftenoon the Student Council sat
down for their last regular meeting preceding
the election of officers and holdover members,
passed on the routine matters coming before
them and then adjourned to a much deserved,
gay and seemingly successful picnic. In ad
dition to the regular Council members and of
ficers, faculty advisers, their husbands and
wives, and members of the subcommittee on
student activities attended the year end ren
dezvous. But there was also one special guest worth
mentioning. All year, The Nebraskan keeps
close tab on the actions of the Council. Every
move the Council makes, that is of any in
terest outside their own chambers, is diligently
and usually systematically considered. As is all
too well known, relations between-the Council
and The Nebraskan have often become some
what less hsn cordial.
Yet, this was afl forgotfea when the Council
went-a-picnicin Wednesday evening- By almost
cnanamous acclamation, the dissenters being
part of the loyal opposition, the Council voted
to invite The Nebraskan reporter who has cov
ered Council meetings this semester to the affair-
The motion, as adopted, read to the ef
fect that this paper's reporter was invited be
cause cf bis "devoted coverage of Council
meetings in the Nebraskan."
Well, The Nebraskan is not eligible for a
Pulitzer prize, but this will certainly suffice
There are more serious Student Council mat
ters to be considered, however, over the com
ing weekend. This past year the Council has
been active, it has been aggressive, and it has
worked with what it considered the best gen
eral University interests at heart.
In past years, the Council has been criticized
for "doing nothing " This year much was done,
and the Council has been critized for "grab
bing power " The significant point is that this
year something was done, and all over the
University people became interested in stu
dent government and student life. This will
remain to the eternal credit of the 1954-55
Council.
Monday general elections will determine who
shall constitute next year's Council, and Wed
nesday elections within the Council will de
termine who will lead next year's Stuclent
Council. Both of these elections are of para
mount importance to everyone in the University
community and they should be closely watched.
Even more important than observation is vot
ing. Every student must vote in Monday's elec
tion. Every student who next fall will utter,
"the Council's this, or that," had better vote!
D. F.
Just An Ideal
A southern university recently held an All
Campus Conference and reached the conclusion
that students don't study enough, faculty mem
ber doot teach enough, and administrators
administrate too much
A university expects of students, it was de
cided, the following things:
1. The acceptance by the student of the sta
tus of learner "with a reasonable amount f
that most difficult of virtues, humility;
2. A recognition that education concerns it
self with a body of material and is more than
a methodology;
3. a disciplined behavior appropriate to the
tiigniiy and purpose of the University and in
dicative of true respect for it;
4 A willingness to respect in other and to
cultivate ia ourselves a love cf learning;
5. A vigorous and defiant assertion ef youth
and enthusiasm and unreasoning idealism and
hope.
0a the other hand, the conference decided
ttiitt the student wants the University
1. To present him with reasoned and un
reasocabla programs of study, define it for
Mm mi consistently work to keep. Mm informed
ef it tad m objectives;
2. To maiataia for Mm a rigorous, consistent
mi logical standard for the performance of
Ms acgdraslc responsibilities;
, T give him a faculty dedicated to the
parpo&es ef education and committed to the
idea of the student as both the basic raw ma
terial and the crucial produce of the educational
process;
4. Deal with him always with equity, with
justice and with firmness but never to surren
der to him the central functions of the faculty;
5. To bring to bear upon him and his prob
lems a general Wrest and warm human
sympathy.
At this University the other day, two stu
dents were somewhat shocked when they were
asked if they had prepared for the day's lec
ture in a history class. They read the assign
ments whenever they got around to it, but the
idea that a lecture should be prepared for sur
prised them. The one who had asked the ques
tion confided that it had taken him many long
years even after he had received his degree
to realize how short he ' had fallen of his
responsibilities as a student.
The average University student is a para
doxial thing. He pays money to a professor
to teach him, and then complains when the
professor attempts to teach him too much.
The "snap" courses are popular; the difficult
ones dreaded or avoided. Class preparations
are done as a favor to the professor in order
tbat the student might be "favored" by a high
grade.
The principles laid down by the conference
are high-sounding and constitute an ideal. An
ideal very seldom practiced. K. N. ,
Tho Ncbraskan
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8rrf8v WtiMmM MrerMst Service, EDITORIAL STAFF
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Little man on campus
by Dick Bibler
WEAK THtRFS )
I r YI ffUAS-I HEAR THATS i)
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Hortence 'n Gertrude
Botanical Escapades
Curbed By 1st Ivy Day
By MARY SHELLEDY
and
JANET GORDON
"So here we are under the bleach
ers again. This is no place to
watch Ivy Day from."
Just scream and clap when the
crowd does and you'll see as much
as anyone."
"But why Ivy Day anyway?" .
"A long time ago, when Nebras
ka was even more The Province
than it is now, there wasn't a single
tree around. Imagine, no trees for
professors to hold classes under,
no trees to climb on picnics. There
was naturally no Penn Woods. So
an undercover student organiza
tion sprang up. The Sneaky Tree
Subversives, they called themselves
In the middle of the night, they
would hie fast horses into what
hills there were and plant trees.
By the next spring, a fine start
towards a woods had been made."
'How did the administration feel
about this?"
"There they were, with more
oaks than they knew bow to pa
trol. The coeds were being led
astray. Some had contracted pois
on ivy in embarrasing places."
"The Board of Regents didn't
complain?"
'Natually the Board held closed
meetings. But nothing could be
done. It had gotten to the place
where students were having all-
night tree parties. Whole hillsides
were becoming forests. The local
field-scratchers petitioned the Ter
ritorial Government. Things had
clearly gotten out of hand."
"But it was much more beauti
ful than fields of stubble, wasn't
it?"
'That's not the point. The or
ganization was ciearly unauthorized
Nebraska was beginning to get
some shade, yes, but it was thought
pretty sneaky."
"No Student counter-activity?"
"Thai's what happened next. The
administration got together a group
of faculty and students to plan how
to avert the next rasb of tree-
Quick
Quips
Two drunks were looking up at
the sky.. Finally they stopped a
third drunk.
First "Hey, pal, do me a fa
vor. Is that the sun going down or
the moon coming up?"
Third '"Shory. pal can't tell
you. I m a stranger in town my
self.
An Irish soldier on duty in Egypt
during World War II received a
letter from his wife saying that be
cause of the war she would have to
dig the garden herself. "Bridget,
please don't dig the ganien," wrote
Pat. "That's where the guns are."
The letter was duly censored and
in a short time soldiers came and
dug up the garden from end to end.
Bridget, worried over the inci
dent, wrote to Pat, asking what
she should do. Pat's reply was short
and to point: "Put in the
spuds."
A knight of olden days, called
away to the wars, locked his beau
tiful wife in a suit of armor. Then
he gave the keys to his best friend
with the admonition, "If I don't
return in six months use this key
to set my wife free."
He then galloped off to the wars.
About 10 miles from the house he
saw a huge cloud of dust approach
ing him from the direction of
home. His trusted friend galloped
up and said: "You gave me the
wrong ky."
breeding."
"A Spring Event committee,
beh?"
"Too true. The Committee de
cided that if the students 1 ad an
authorized way to express their
desire for trees, the bad publicity
could be averted.
"They planned all one winter,
working by the light of their buffalo-oil
lamps. When the planting
season came, they sprang their
plan.
"Ivy Day. That's what they
would call it. They'd delegate au
thority to certain students to plant
a few sprigs of ivy nov trees,
which are clearly too exuberant,
and which would eventually clutter
un the campus.
"Certain reactionaries in town
thought that the original Subversive
Foresters should be punished for
their irresponsible actions. The best
way to do this was to honor those
who hadn't been caught with shov
els and saplings. Green thumbs
were to be taken as proof of guilt.
"By this time, the whole affair
was getting national press cover
age. The citizenry was alarmed
at the possibility that one sprig of
ivy wouldn't contain the high-spirited
students. As s matter of fact,
someone had set up a still, but
i: was quickly discovered by the
revenooers."
"But Gertrude, what about the
honors to the shovel-less dozen?" '
"Since some were innocent
that's what the committee nuned
them. The Innocents."
"But why d'id they name thir
teen Innocents?"
"They got carried away."
"Whoops, Gertrude! The crowd
is screaming what's happening?"
"Peer through those ankles and
find out. To go on with my story:
Ivy Day might have been a wash
out, but for one Jiing.
"A group of We jh exchange stu
dents, who had been disappointed
at finding no green valleys to be
poignant about, started a Letterip
campaign for a Maypole. To add
color to their lives, the Welsh group
also wanted daisies planted amid
the scrub-oak and ivy."
"So that's how the Daisy Chain
got started?"
"The Daisy Chain, and somehow
a May Queen, too, found them
selves in the Ivy Committee's
smoky schemes."
"But why have children in the
court, too?"
"One year there was a slip-up
ll'd been very warm for April.
"To the pits!"
"Hush, Ho. tence, that's tonight."
"But how on earth did Ivy Day
ever turn out to be fun?"
"It isn't really fun. Everyone
sits around biting their nails and
feeling full of anxiety. Ivy Day
is enjoyable only for the spec
tatorsand the little high-school
girls who come around to make
points with the sororities."
"With their best adolescent wig
gles for ths benefit of the boys,
too, Gertrude."
"But the Sneaky Tree Subvers
ives got the last laugh. Under
their own trees, the third genera
tion turns Ivy Night into a bac
chanal festival."
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Independent Candidates
Submit Council Platform
(Kdltor'i Nol The folowliw plilform tit
Independent candidate for Student Council
in the tint received by The Nebraskan. The
Nebraska offen space on the editorial pan
to any student running for the Council who
wlse to male his platform known to the
Student body.)
For the first time in many years,
there are independent candidates
from every college running for Stu
dent Council positions. We, the
undersigned candidates, present
the following statement of policy:
A. In regard to past Council
action:
1. We endorse the recent Student
Council policy for limiting leader
ship responsibility in activities.
This will give independent students
without organized backing a
greater opportunity to reach lead
ership positions.
2. We are in favor of open bal
loting in Student Council meetings.
We stand unafraid to have our vote
known to the whole student body.
B. We are not in office and we
cannot make promises. BUT,
We stand "ready, willing and
able" to represent the views of the
real majority of students on cam
pus, the 4,000 independents. More
independent students on Student
Council will mean more representa
tive student government.
The fraternity system has con
trolled the Student Council for
many years, yet this same system
has consistently led criticism
against the Council. We represent
a fresh point of view. Given the
change, we will act, not apologize.
An independent vote is an honest
vote for representative govern
ment. Signed:
Arts and Science: Janice Krause,
Dick Lynch, Ed Kemble.
Engineering: Roy Boyd, John
Kinnier.
Business Administration: John
N. Nelson, Sara Gaughan.
Agriculture: Kay Reeves, Stan
Jensen.
Teachers: Bill Goodwin, Anebele
Blincow, Delores Fangmeier.
Nebraskan Letterip
NU Artists Praised
Dear Editor:
I wish to call your attention to
the current exhibit of paintings by
three students of the art depart
' ment. The exhibit is being held in
the Student Union and the names
of the painters are Jean Sandstedt,
Bruce Connor and Corbin LePell.
The works reveal such technical
proficiency, such a fine sense of
color and design and such power
of expression that the art depart
ment and the University as a whole
shoud regard this show with great
pride. These young artists possess
the gift of creativeness to a re
markable degree, and this gift and
their manifest willingness to work
long hours make one anticipate
for them a successful career. I
hope that both students and
faculty will enjoy their richness
of beauty and of thought that has
gone into the making of each one.
The Student Union should be
thanked for enabling us to see so
many examples of these students'
creative work since opportunities
of this kind are all too rare we
should encourage the Student Union
to use this show as a precedent
for many more to come.
EUGENE N. ANDERSON
Schneid Remarks'
Homeless Wombats
Founders Of Ivy Day
By STAN SCHNEIDER
Before we dive headlong into Ivy fair. In the heat of the riot, Profes-
pay let's stop for a little deep re- sor Bessy.s first instinct was the
flection and consultation on the - ... . . . . ,
meaning of Ivy Day. dcfense of Blde-A-W home.
The first thing you will hear will mQe guarding the home of th
be the ringing of the bells in Ralph Wombats, Professor Bessey noticed
Mueller tower. Every since I came 13 frosh tip-tceing stealthily past
to the University of Nebraska I the Administration Hall. All were
have wondered who feeds the little dressed m red flannel underwear
man who is inside that tower. Some and the Prof mistook them for the
guys will do anything ..for a underwearing faction. With the fer-
Masters degree in music. ocity and manliness of the incom-
Ivy day dates back to 1865 when P""We Plastic Man he yelled
Professor Bessy Bessy, in whose 'shzam" and tackled all 13 of
memory the University dedicated them- Naturally, they all pleaded
Morrill Hall, was advancinc hi Innocent and there you have it.
theory of the refertilization of the Now you have the historical per-
Woulded Wnmhnf. TT reacrmarl trnf SDective which will pnmin vmi fit
if enough Hen-bit or Bladder Ket- get the most out of this Saturday's
mia were planted in the region proceedings. When you ascend the
of the Administration Hall then, wobbly old bleachers and sit in the
in a few short weeks, surely there dew of the early May morning, re
would be weeds. Other theories are fleet a little. Consider the dynamis
being advanced that he was just events that have occurred before
window peeking. . this day and ask yourself, "What
The wombats fed on the plants the heck happened to all them
for the entire winter and. with Wombats?"
the arrival of spring, other Profes
sors discovered that they were cor
rect. He was window-peeking.
Wombats, Wombats. Everywhere
you looked there were Wombats.
Upon seeing this, the then Chan
cellor of the University commented
on the new theory. He said; "Boy
have we got a bunch of Wombats."
Well, I don't have to tell you
that the reaction to this phenome
non was zowie. Students ran the
campus shouting and dancing and
singing and making ivy chains and
breaking ivy chains. Memorials
were erected like the Bide-A-Wee
Home for Homeless Wombats. You
can rest assured that they didn't
have panty raids in those days.
This is explained by the fact that
none of the coeds wore underwear.
But, back to the story.
As is the case in every great
discovery there are a few who axe
against progress. It seems that a
small faction of from five to 25
members of the women's society of
the foundation for the founding of
women's foundation garments tried
to posh the idea of all women
to wear underwear so that the
male students could have a panty
raid. It seems that this society
had a spring event committee who
had no reason to organize a spring
event. To bide their identity they
all wore masks.
In the spring of '86 two thousand
women raided the men's dorm
and resident halls. This is known
in history as The Haymarket Af-
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