Nebraska Newspapers

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Poqe 2
THE NEBRASKAN
Wednesday, May 1 1, 1955
Nebraikan Editorials
One Exhausting Week!
A Faculty Senate action Tuesday' reducing
examination periods to one week, effective next
year, arouses doubt as to the wisdom in such
a more.
The proposal to reduce the exam period
was passed without debate and with an ob
vious split among the various colleges, some
college representatives vehemently opposed to
the proposal. As evidenced, those representa
tives from the college of Arts and Sciences ex
cluding the departments housed in Bessey Hall,
especially objected to the proposal. While rep
resentatives from Teachers College, the physical
education department and others anxiously
voted without debate and in support of the pro
posal. This noted division in faculty opinion as to
the desirability of the proposal bears out fund
amental objections on the part of students.
However, the decision was made by the fac
ulty and student objections necessarily take
the form of a prediction as to future attitudes
toward and troubles in the reduced exam period.
Included in the proposal is the re allotment of
time for each exam an the consolidation of
exams into a one week period. Exams next
year will each be two and one-half hours long
and three exams will be scheduled daily. One
"refresher' day will be allowed before exams
begin and one post-examination day will be
allowed for registration and commencement,
exercises.
Students and faculty members hurt most by
this proposal are those who attend or teach
strictly lecture courses, I.e. political science,
history, etc Also effected are language stu
dents and those students who are enrolled in
lecture courses which require excessive out
side reading. Faculty members in charge of
lecture and language courses seem to realize
the need for time to review on the part of
students. Outside reading material will prob
ably not be readily available now that students
have only one day of review and a concen
trated examination schedule the rest cf the
week, nor will it be within the average stu
dent's ability to review outside reading ma
terial throughly in so little time. And one must
realize the fact that the student with three or
four lecture courses in which outside material
plays an important academic part will be at
severe disadvantage.
Of course, the proposal becomes doubly sin
ister if it is placed into perspective with the
present grading system and examination proc
esses. Those instructors who give objective
exams will be less effected with grading head
aches "and their students less effected by the
reduced review time. Multiple choice, true and
false and short answer exams take little more
than a factual knowledge of a subject to pass
while essay examinations are graded on the
basis of facts plus insight based on thorough
ness of knowledge of the subject Grading an
essay examination is difficult on the part of
most instructors and cannot be merely checked
against a master set of answers as can an
objective exam.- The short time allot ed to In
structors in which they must grade exams
and turn in grade reports plus the reduction
in examination periods gives to believe that
either more objective exams or shorter essay
exams will be given with more emphasis on
facts than on insight
The possibility that -some students may have
exams scheduled during - every examination
period exists and even if this is true for only
one or two days out of the week's period, it
is only logical and human that students under
this pressure handicap will not do their best
on the exams. Actually the concentrated exam
period looms as a two-handed monster. Stu
dents, according to traditional standards, are
expected to express knowledge of an entire
course in a short final examination, and they
are graded to great degree on the results of
that exam. Pressure, vague knowledge which
can only be cleared up by study and review,
difficulty of one course as opposed to the ease
of another, all go up to form a picture of
reduced student efficiency on final examina
tions. Instructors should not, therefore, expect
final exams to be indicative of a student's best
work and a change in the grading evaluation
tecomes necessary.
The reduced exam schedule sounds discour
aging on paper and visions of harassed stu
dents and frustrated instructors seem quite
realistic. However, the proposal must first be
tried to be more justly criticized, but at pressnt
the reduced examination period seems to prom
ise more disadvantages to both students and
faculty members than advantages. J. EL B.
Seventh Rush Party
Next fall, breathless coed rushees will be
flattered, favored and feted at seven rush par
ties instead of six.
The additional party will be on Thursday,
making three parties for that day. PanheHenic -Council
was dubious about adding to the al
ready hectic rush week schedule, and the de
cision passed with only a 7 to 6 vote.
Major objection from sororities has been the
fear that both sorority members and rushees
would become too tired. Another party might
just make everyone even more confused and
exhausted.
The advantages of another party, however,
outweighs such objections. The rushee will get
a much better deal She win have a chance
to take a good look at one more sorority. The
more sororities with which she becomes ac
quainted, the better. She can give courtesy
parties and parties where she will not have
a chance to pledge and still have alternatives
to choose from.
Open House impressions are brief, hazy and
too often misleading. It is the "second look"
.during the parties which really convinces a
rushee which sorority will be her choice.
Of coarse the system works both ways, too.
Sororities will have another chance to impress
a few more girls. And since more coeds will
be coming back for parties, sororities too will
have a firmer base for their judgements.
The added party wiH not mean any more
work in party planning. No rushee would be
allowed to attend more than one party at a
house daring a single day. Therefore, it would
Just mean repeating a party already organized.
Other campuses at colleges of comparable
size have rush week systems which include
far more parties than seven. Some have as
many ss seven in one day shorter in length,
however. University PanheHenic has received
national recognition for its fine - organization,
but fiie most frequent objection according to
2iss Snyder has bees the low number of
parties.
The aeven& party will be used next year,
and if it proves too exhausting for coeds, it
w2 be dropped.
One more party wOl not make much difference
Is sore feet and forced smiles. But it may
saaka a difference in the number and satis
f aetiaa-ef pieces. 3L H. '
Today's Crisis
The large percentage of voters in Monday's
Student Council election proved two things.
First, Student Council activities this past year
have impressed more people and stepped on
more toes than ever before and, second, for
the first time in many years, independent
voters have presented a threat to Greeks.
Obviously the increase in voters did not come
entirely if at all from the independent group.
Only one IFC -backed candidate (in pharmacy)
lost the election. Greeks have been heaving a
sigh of relief throughout the campus today,
and independents are facing up to the fact that
if they are to put men into office they are going
to have to bring more of the independents
to the poll come election time.
The climax will come this afternoon when
the Council elects its officers for the coming
year. The present Council is in trouble; those
who on the basis of past work are under con
sideration for the job of president, are un
available because of offices in and commitments
to other campus organizations.
Students elected a group of live-wires in Mon
day's election. It will be a tragedy in student
government if a group of officers capable of
leading Council members does not result from
today's meeting. K.N.
Rare Break
The Spring Event Committee, whose activ
ities have long been shrouded in secrecy and
thwarted by the early April riot, is finally
about to launch the results of its months of
planning and plotting into the University stream.
The first annual Spring Dance will be held
tonight in the Coliseum to the strains of Billy
May's orchestra.
The Spring Event group has been criticized in
the past for their cloak-and-dagger secrecy and
their smug tip-toeing about. The unexpected
impact of the riot bushed up the criticism be
cause it was realized that there was little reason
for a Spring Event which was planned to take
the place of riot which had already happened.
The Committee, however, was cf sterner
stuff. Or perhaps they had already contracted
the band. At any rate, they arranged for a
Spring Dance.
This in itself is a very nice gesture on the
part of the Committee. As naughty as the stu
dent body might have been, they are still get
ting treated, and very nicely. We almost don't
deserve it And the Corn Cobs, who are ad
mittedly wealthy, have agreed to underwrite
the dance so that tickets may be sold for the
very nominal sum of fifty cents. University
students seldom get a break like this one.
Whether or not the Spring Dance will be
success depends on the ability of University
students to take advantage of a good thing.
It is doubtful that this campus will ever be
able to dance to a top band like BiHy May
on a Wednesday night ia informal dance for
Only 50 cents. F. D.
The Neb
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EDITORIAL STAFF
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ItTTl! MAN ON CAMPUS
by Dick Biblar
V"
"Where 0. yo9 buy yi.r leotardt, Miss Williams?"
The Self-Governed
'Average Student'
Is Modern Problem
By LOUIS SCHOEN
In last Friday's Nebraskan, an
editorial referred to the paradox
ical average University student.
"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 th?t the
student might be favored' by a
high grade."
These characteristics of the "av
erage stadeatn are perhaps the
most important "problem in mod-
era education. They are the re
salt of a lack of moUvatio for
learning ia the student. I think the
blame for this lack caa be placed
definitely oa the primary and sec
ondary school systems and per-
haos a laree dejrree of It in
the borne.
It should be the responsibility
of parents and of teachers in pri
mary and secondary schools to de
velop in the student a sincere m-
Quick
Quips
In Hungary a commissar asked
a peasant bow the new potato
crop production plan was coming.
"Under our glorious leader,"
answered the peasant, "our po
tato crop has been miraculous!
Why, if we were to put all the
potatoes in a pile they would
make a mountain reaching to the
feet of God."
"But you know there isn't any
God!" said the commissar.
"There arent any potatoes ei
ther," replied the peasant
"YouH have to hand it to Ve
nus deMilo when it comes to
eating."
"Why?"
"How else could she eat?"
A young man took his city-bred
gorl friend into a night club which
was decorated elaborately in cow
boy style.
They were there a short time
when the girl arose and excused
herself to go and have her face
made-up.
She returned a moment later,
her countenance a blushing red.
"Ted," she said "youH have to
help me- Am I a heifer or a
steer?"
A kindhearted old gentleman
saw a little boy trying to reach a
doorbell. He rang for him, then
said, "What now, my little man?"
"Run like hell," said the little
boy. "That's what I'm going to
do." '
Maybe It's a good thing men
dont understand women. Women
understand women and don't like
them.
A man needs a woman to take
care of him so she can make him
strong enough for her to lean on.
Demonstrating a complicated
educational toy to a customer, a
toy-shop clerk said, "Of course the
whole thing's very confusing
only a child can understand it."
terest in learning. Most often, in
stead, they develop in him a nega
tive attitude that the learning pro-
the attitude that the learning pro
cess is being forced upon him
against his own will and perhaps
even against his own best inter
est. These are problems, of course,
which must be solved first of all
in the teachers colleges. Thus there
has rightly been increasing empha
sis in teachers colleges on psy
chological aspects of teaching. But
can a teacher who is well-schooled
in psychology but has only a smat
tering of general background know
ledge ie., of a liberal arts train
ing properly motivate the stu
dent along a sincere and active
scholastic career? This is, of
course, the major contemporary ed
ucational issue. Its solution de
pends on a more moderate atti
tude from both sides in the con
troversy. Its solution at the earli
est possible date is imperative if
western civiliation and western
morality are to survive this age
of peril.
AnoOier Nehraskaa editorial last
week stated what It called the
"case for senior hoaoraries." It
apheld "the fact" that "a nni
versal trait, and ae especially
popular ia the United States," of
human beings Is to crave secret
fraternal organizations. "R. H.
the writer, obriously did not con
sider the hnge portion of the pops
latkm persons who set only are
not members of lodges, frater
nities, etc., bat who abhor the very
formaliitic secrecy which Is the
foundation f these arganiations.
I would suggest the vast majority
of independent students at this Uni
versity are among this anti-fraternal
groap.
Probably the editorial writer's
statement would apply to virtually
all members of fraternities and
sororities.. These opposing atti
tudes, of course, are one of the
chief points of contention between
Greeks and independents. It is the
basic source for many of their dif
ferences. For many of the anti
fraternal independents consider the
f ormalistic hodge podge of the se
cret order to be a little more than
an opiate for the lonely, confused
masses.
Lefierh
Here's To Bermudas
Dear Editor:
Congratulations to you, Jan, for
proving Monday that some people
actually LOOK GOOD wearing
Bermudas. We NUBS (Nebraska
University BermuaVSociety) are
a quiet group, interested in com
fort rather than conversion; hence
we do not campaign noisily for
new members. Nevertheless, we
are always happy to welcome any
one who decides to join us. You
are a credit to our organization,
and we are proud to have you.
F. Jay Pepper
II I
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Schneid Remarks-
Wonder If He Knows
Mrs. Calabash?
By STAN SCHNEIDER
Some people on this campus
know practically everybody. 1
can't figure out how they do it
Let me give you an example.
I met a guy the other day and
n o matter
whoso Dame I
mentioned this
guy claimed he
knew him. We
talked about
the new Inno
cents and he
knew every one
of them. He
also knew all
the new Mor
tar Boards and
and could give me a ran down on
most of the professors on campus.
After a while I began to think
that this individual, who we shall
call Joe to be clever, was top
candidate for varsity gasser. The
conversation stemmed around
ROTC and he knew everybody in
the corps. Well, at that particu
lar time the guy who carries the
little flag in all the big parades
walked in so I thought I would
test him. I called the flag bearer
over and sure enough old Joe knew
him. He even knew the Colonel.
I was a little surprised at the num
ber of people this guy knew,
We began to talk about politics
and sure enough Joe knew about
every one there is to know. To
make sure, we flew to Washington
and Joe knew them all.
He walked right up to John Fost
er Dulles and Joe said. "John, how's
your old foreign policy?" .John
turned around and said, "Oh, Que
moy and Matsn." We could hardly
stop laughing at that good one
We went directly to the Presi
dent's office and Joe didnt even
knock- He went right in and slipped
Ike the old grip and said, "Ike,
how's your old bald head?" Ike
clasped his hand warmly and said,
"Fitch, Fitch " Another bit of quick
humor.
By this time I was a little sur
prised. No one uses Fitch any
more. Some guys you just cant
trust.
I decided to give him the supreme
test. I said, "Joe, 111 bet you
dont know the Pope."
"We were kids together, he said.
We used to fish in the same stream.
By STAN SCHNEIDER
Of course he always caught mora
than I did." "
This time I knew he was. kidding
so to embarass him I thought
we would go to Rome and let him
prove it.
When we got there It happened
to be Easter Sunday morning and
millions of people hail gathered at
St. Peter's Square to see the Popo
who was supposed to make a publio
appearance on the balcony. When
he came out on the balcony Joe
told me he was going up on the
balcony to prove that he knew the
Pope.
Sure enough, out on the balcony
came. Joe. He shook hands with
him. Milliions of people in the
square screamed and yelled,. At
that time a little guy standing
beside me poked me in the ribs
and said, "Hey, buddy. Who is
that up there with Joe?"
!
war v J
Jokers ...
A disk jockey, urging listeners
to take advantage of a special of
fer, announced, "Merely drop us a
postcard and give the postman
only $2.95 when he delivers your
48 unbearable children's records."
Another radio announcer de
scribed the advantages of owning
a certain new car: "This is the
automobile that is designed to give
you years of travel-free care."
Student A: "Where are you go
ing in such a hurry?"
Student B: "I just bought a new
textbook and I'm trying to get to
class before it goes out of date."
Good
Readers
Always Use
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1 lLmmm
- Kith
f Amf ftr f 8jf Bef ," e f
SUMER IS ICU1IEN IN
Sumer is ievmen ia;
Lhude ting euecu!
Thus, as every schoolboy knows, begins T. S. Eliot's immortal
Hiawatha. And no wonder "The Boy Orator of the Platte (aa
T. S. Eliot is commonly called) was moved to pen such light
hearted lines! For summer (or the "vernal equinox as it is
frequently referred to) is the happiest season of the year, mild
and balmy and contented-making.
Which brings us, of course, to Philip Morris Cigarettes. They,
too, are mild and balmy and contented-making. But that is not
alL They are also genial, placid, and amiable. But that is still not
alL They are, moreover, smooth, pacific, and lenient But hold!
There is more. They are, in addition, tranquillizing, clement, and
dulcet.
Indeed the list could go on and on, until every adjective ia
exhausted that would describe the mildness of Philip Morris,
the subtlety of their blending, the delicacy of their flavor. What
more perfect companion could be found to a summer's day?
What more apt complement to a summer's night ?
If you have been pleased with Philip Morris through the win
ter and spring as who has not who has a taste bud left in his
head? you will find your pleasure compounded, your enjoyment
trebled, when you smoke Philip Morris in the warm and joyous
months before you.
My own plans for the summer (except that I will smoke Philip
Morris through all my waking hours) are still vague. I have been
invited to attend a writers conference, but I don't think IH ac
cept. I've been attending writers conferenn far vmra and I
always have a perfectly rotten time. The trouble is that Alexin-
J T w-v - . . ,.
ore uumas ana Harriet ijeecner Stowe are always thaffe. Not
that I have anything against these two swell kids ; it's just that it
breaks my heart to see them. Thpv'r n in Inv an tm'h! Ho.
voted and so hopelessly! Dumas will never divorce Jane Eyre
while she is with Peary at the North Pole, and Miss Sfcowe has
long since despaired of getting her release from the Pittsburgh
rirates, so nana in nana, brave and forlorn, they go from writers
conference to writers conference while Duma
y 4 VU UiO M
umental Stiver at Yale.
No, thank you. Ill do without writers
I think instead I'll try to imnrove IHV fishinc Aa TvaaV W1tn
once said, "No man is born an artist or an angler." I often turn
to the works of Walton (or "The Fordham Flash" as he is fa
miliarly called) when I am searching for a choice aphorism- In
fact, I told him so when we met mm vn f . if,M
conference. Walton was accompanied, as always, by Henrik
Ibsen (or "The Pearl of the Pacific" as he is known as) . They -RsenJ-The
Pearl of the Pacific") and Walton ("The Fordham
Flash") -were collaborating on Mister Robert at the time, but
they fell to quarreling and abandoned the project and the world,
as a consequence, was deprived of a truly robust and entertain-
nig mureuj.
It is not uncommon, I must say, for writers to fall into dispute.
They are, after all, a sensitive and high-strung lot 111 never
forget what illiam Makepeace Thackeray (or "The Body" as ha
was universally called! once ad n -v.. ..
writer," said Thackeray, "and I'll steal his wife."
Wel as I was saying, I think 111 give writers conferences a
miss this summer, and I recommend that you do the same. Why
don t you just take it easy? Swim and fish and sail and smoke and
read and slaen and tan vnnr i;tv,
for you because-if I may get a little misty in this, my final
column of the year-I think yon should know that it's been real
;u.r ueuvenng tms nonsense to you each week,
w intw-Sin let.me tate what Jaae Austen (or "Old
m"Nothr? " iS the rld over) once said to
me. .Nothing is so precious as fn"pncv; .x. :J j .v.
..Wc - .v ... .. WJ't one saia, nu wig
richest man in the world ia the one with the most money."
CaUs Statea. lsi
.... . re a like to have your ouintont
on this troe cam iMrm j , . -
Mgr. Phdtp Morn, College D,pl., 100 Park Avenue, A. York, N. 1 .
t