PQC3 2
Friday, December 16, 1955
THE NEBRASKAN
Nebraska Editorials:
'Room In Our Hearts'
God Sent Us
His Only Son
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS
by Dick Biblar
Happy Holidays
Through the stillness of the snow-drifted night
comes a tiny, merry sound.
Soft and high at first, it sounds like the chuck-
ling of the wind, until it comes closer and be
comes more distinct, and a sound of tapping
as from tiny hoofs is heard on the shingles.
Not everyone can hear this merry, jingling
sound; perhaps it is only the wind through the
trees. But children can hear it, even if grown
ups cannot. It is the sound of Santa Claus and
his reindeer and his sleigh.
Santa Claus is strictly American, like base
ball. Like baseball, he derived himself from
customs and traditions brought over from Eu
rope by his ancestors. In Europe it is Saint
Nicholas and cricket; in America it is Santa
Claus and baseball.
Saint .Nicholas has always been a - ery busy
figure. He is the patron of robbers, special
guardian of virgins, children and sailors and
the protector of scholars. He is also known as
the patron of pawn brokers, through no fault
of his.
Because he once made gifts of gold to a man
to provide dowries for his daughters, Saint Nich
olas started the idea of giving presents in secret.
A legend attributing him with miraculously re
storing the lives of the three boys killed by an
irate innkeeper, Saint Nicholas has been deemed
the patron of children.
In Europe he visits houses on Christmas Eve,
dropping gifts down the chimney much like
our own Santa Claus. Children place their
shoes, stockings and baskets under the chimney
to catch the gifts being dropped down. He is
reputed to ride a white donkey or a gray horse.
The Dutch brought the Saint Nicholas customs
to New York from where they spread across the
country. Santa Claus is a corruption of the
Dutch "San Nlckolass." Santa has since spread
back across the Atlantic to England, down to
India and across the jungles into Australia,
where he is as popular as in the United States.
Santa has become immortal through the fa
mous poem, "The Night Before Christmas," by
Clement C. Moore, which makes him a jolly old
elf "Saint Nick," who rides "in a miniature
sleigh drawn by eight tiny reindeer" a far cry
from a gray horse and a white ass.
So, on the night before Christmas, countless
tiny ears will be glued to the chimney, waiting
for a tiny, ageless sound of sleigh bells. F.T.D.
The, Christmas season it Indeed fine. It proves
a welcome and heaven-senttreak in the drudg
ery of school work, activity-bustling and pro
fessor-baiting. It is a time for long sleeps and
watching too much television.
It is also the time for New Year's Eve.
In some respects it is a shame to end up a
perfectly good vacation period with New Year's
Instead of coming back to school fat, sleek and
clean-shaven, students often return to the scho
lastic wars white of face and foul of breath.
It can be ghastly.
New Year's Eve has, of course, the usual his
torical background, dating back to the Romans,
who could throw a really fine orgy when they
felt like it. This has carried over into modern
times almost intact. Some of the Romans might
even be a little startled.
The Romans did it because of religious sig
nificance, and the beginning of the new year.
Modern man celebrates largely because it is
New Year's Eve, and everyone else is doing it.
New Year's without a little party? Heavens!
About the only real excuse for staying home and
going to bed early on New Year's is a death
certificate, extreme old age or a frisky liver.
Another tradition has been built up around the
first day of the year that of the bcwl games.
It all started with the Rose Bowl back in 1902,
and has spread to cover almost every ether
conceivable bowl that could exist, including a
Refrigerator Bowl, which seems a little un
likely. The Gator Bowl is another rarity, approached
by the Ice Bowl in Alaska, which is played be
tween the University of Ahska and a service
team, and which every year ends in a 0-0 tie.
Players are more concerned with cold-weather
survival than the dive-buck.
Bowl games prove a fine occupation for the
morning after. Post-mortem celebrations can
be held quietly in front of the television set
around a bowl of chilled tomato juice, cringing
slightly at the crowd noises and the clatter of
a cat walking across the rug.
Such is our New Year's. It is an old tradition,
and a bubbly one. When the bubble breaks and
the tongue becomes coated with moss and small
animals, there is a good bit of bitter revelation
and stern vows to spend a "safe and sane" holi
day next year.
As you well know, next year never comes.
F. T. D.
One Way Out
After sincere and very honest, well-meaning
attempts at solving what should be called the
annual rush week mess, the Interfraternity
Council is right now just about the same place
it was a few months back. There is still no plan;
there is still no easy solution and even worse,
it almost appears that there is now no hope.
Now, to begin with, it must be admitted that
nobody is going to find a perfect plan. But if
the men in all the fraternities represented in
the IFC really want to work at solving the prob
lems common to the entire system there are
ways and means.
One of these was proposed by the report of
the Rush Week committee. It called for legal
izing spiking, that horrid practice which every
one knows about but which scares most groups ;
so much that nothing is said.
In essence, the entire plan for legalizing all
presently illegal activities merely admits the
inability of the IFC to cope with its own prob
lems and almost shows the non-Greek that the
IFC only wants to glaze the surface of fraternity
life with a coat of good public relations while
the inner surfaces are allowed to slowly rot
away, a full sight of anyone interested enough
to look.
Yet, all need not be bleak. If the fraternity
men at Nebraska really want to show ihey can
control themselves; if they want to demonstrate
that they are prepared to sacrifice individual
loss for the good of 'the system; if they really
want to cure the evils of Rush Week; then there
is a way, for there will at that time be a will.
Parts of this "way" already exist, but tjey
have not yet been unified. The newest pro-'
posal, presented at the IFC's Wednesday meet
ing, is part of this plan.
This measure will set up an enforcement
agency for the IFC. It will be representative
of all the fraternities on the campus. It will
guarantee specific assignment and responsi
bility. Then, the IFC should reconsider the old rule,
only recently voted out of law, making all con
tact with rushees during rush week other than
that during regular rush dates illegal. This
measure would give the enforcement committee
a rule with the so-called teeth in it.
Finally, what might be called an executive
court should be set up. Composed of the execu
tive committee of the IFC, men from the Dean's
office and alumni IFC representatives, this
court would have the power and authority to
reprimand or penalize any fraternity engaged
in illegal maneuvers during or immediately prior
to Rush Week.
Now it is admitted that this three part plan
might cause embarrassment to those groups
caught committing any of the ageless fraternity
crimes of spiking, hotboxing, after-hours contact
and the like.
But, how much better this small bit of poor
public relations will be in comparison to the
present smooth surface job of good public re
lations with the well known sham existing be
low the surface in plain sight. D. F,
NU's Free Press
Recent discussion by many members of the
Student Council, both privately and on the as
sembly floor, leads The Nebraskan to believe
that many members are not fully aware of the
relationship between the Council and the Board
of Student Publications.
Hero are the facts.
The Pub Board is the subcommittee on Student
Publications, which means that it is a subcom
mittee of the larger faculty committee on Stu
dent Affairs. This committee, in turn, is one
of the major committees of the Faculty Senate.
As a committee, it has three student members
and five faculty members. The faculty grcup
Is selected by the Committee on Student Affairs.
The student members are picked, annually, by
the Student Council.
Thus, in fact and In theory, the Pub Board
derives all of its authority from its parent body,
the Faculty Senate. The student members are
Invited to join the committee and are eiven
voting privileges at the discretion of the com
mittee. Tha only authority, then, of the Council is to
pick the three student representatives at the be
ginning of the year. The student members re
port periodically back to the Council to let the
student body know what the Board is doing.
However, technically, this is a matter of courtesy
and not obligation.
Perhaps one reason for much of the misunder
standing is that most all of its other committees
are composed of Student Council members. The
Pub Board, however, is not confined to Council
membership for its representatives-but may
be filled by any qualified sophomore, junior or
senior in the University.
The Nebraskan thinks the present situation is
sound and wholeheartedly supports the theory
that the Student Council should have no control,
implicit or explicit, direct or indirect, over the
Pub Board except for the selection of the stu
dent members.
After all, it's difficult, and virtually impos
sible, for the 33 members ol the Council to un
derstand completely the physical setup of the
Rag and the Cornhusker. Most Council mem
bers would, then, be unqualified to exert control
of any kind over either the student members or
the committee itself.
Any move on the part of the Student Council
to place the Pub Board under its jurisdiction
or tell the student representatives how to vote
would be an abridgement of the rights of the
free press which, The Nebraskan is very proud
to say, exists at the University.
The present system is good.
It should not be changed. B. B.
The Nebraskan
ITDTT-nVJS YZAB3 OLD Entered u wl class mtr at th post afflM fas
.... ,.,, Lincoln. Nebraska, under the act of AaroM 4, ItlU
Kaaslsen Associated Collegiate Press EDITORIAL STAFF
Istareollegiate Press Editor Dick fwUntna
Eprsritstivei National Advertising service, 5Tt!f..:::::::::::::::;f?78ira5e
Incorporated Nmn Editor , fred Daly
9&2bM at: Eoom J$r Student Union hTk! llllli::: " :." bo 'li.'
142s AH 4f rnor ' LmK XJtSU
fjjifvmlty f Nebraska Mrht News" Edliw"."V.V.'.'.r.!".r.".'..'.".".Hmr? Sbenedr
,., Lincoln, Nebraska Reporters: Barbara Sharp, Arirae Rrbek, Sara Alex-
'. - " . , , . . ander, Carolyn Butler, George Keyer. We ptttack.
Tsar Fsfmwkna to published Tuesday, Wednesday and Bill Olsen. Bab Island, BUI fliteTdack Carta. Julie
ifjfe-y SsrtP the school year, except during vacations Dowell, Mary Peterson, Marianne Thvgeson, Alary
S!-!.jl Wf perMs, ana an tune le published during Hartman, Sylvia King, Oermatne Wright. Mary II-
A $. by staoeute t the University of Nebraska under Naney Pe Long, Aylce riitehnian. Pat Tetrne,
tHi SKmSisai: ml J.Vi VosiimUr u- Snnn-ui Afmirs s5"?5 VTV?3?! Go.ffUiia Sim.r. Ann Hair. Omnia
pi an esnression of student opinion. mMlratfc.ns ander i!ai,ih,rl:.'lm'' Ur Lt? 1Kp,en Janltc -
ft mrf-fifm ef the Subeonvnlttee on Student Pubura- . " iJ.'!!? 11 '...... - w ..
?.. be free from editorial eeaeorshlB e the Editorial Seeretary . , . . . . Maurme Newhouea
Jrt of tna RatwommtUee. ar ea the part ef any member BUSINESS STAFF
the fsmolty of the University, or on the part ol any Business Manager George Madsea
Demon ootS the Inlvenlty. The members of the asa't Business Managers ...Bill Bedwell. Barbers Klrke,
hebreskna staff are personally responsible: for what tbey Connie Hurst, Mirk Neff
say, e da or cause to be printed. F .i.-ury 8, Circulation Manager Don Beck
WOW! HOW'S Trf CHOVV IDCM?'
Alvin M. Petersen
University Lutheran Pastor
Lutheran Student Foundation
In a commercial recently it was
said, "Christmas is getting more
expensive each year," and we were
urged to start saving for next
Christmas now. And it almost
seems so, for the stores get their
wares out in early November, and
each year the packages are stacked
higher around the Christmas tree.
Did God make a mistake? Did
He gamble and miss? Is it possi
ble that in the tinsel and wrap
pings, if these were pushed aside,
we would not find the Christ?
The circumstances at this sea
son are quite different from those
of the first Christmas. Christ
slipped into the world almost un
noticed. He was in the world ....
yet the world knew him not; he
came. to his own, and his own peo
ple received him Hot."
Just a few saw the star and the
: V ) S. Activities'
The "facts of NU political life,"
as outlined in an editorial Tuesday
by Dick Fellman, are supposedly
this:
1. The independent element is
lazy.
2.. The Greeks perform the neces
sary functions of government and
do it "downright well."
3. unless someone starts a two-
party system, he should not at
tack the status quo.
However, we think there are a
few political facts of life that were
overlooked.
First, let's look at the proletar
iat, both Greek and independent,
wmcn permits itself to be ruled by
a small oligarchy.
One of these "lazy" groups is
composed of working students. Af
ter toiling 30 hours a week in order
to eat, and carrying 15 to 18 se
mester hours, they do not have
time to slap posters all over cam
pus urging people to attend a Ralph
Flanagan dance.
One must belong to the bour
goise (those either partially or fully
subsidized by Papa) to meander
around in the Union all afternoon.
Few Innocents, Mortar Boards (or
for that matter, Phi Beta Kappas)
have received these honors without
having at least board and room
provided for them.
And then there are those whose
purpose is the broad quest of
knowledge. Though some enlight
ened schools have, for the nucleus
of their activities, dinner clubs, dis-
Base Shallow,
Needs Less Push, Honors
cussion groups, etc., NU's activi
ties for the most part are as for
eign to academic pursuits as a
house painter's dabbling are to ar
tistic creation. These few thought
provoking clubs that we do have
(NUCWA, language and drama
clubs, etc.,) are sparsely attended
Tale Of Two Cynics
because they do not provide the
tangible benefits and publicity
needed to be tackled or masked.
And what are the motives of this
ruling oligarchy, which we are told
rules so well?
Most aren't really so gung-ho in
activities either, but enter because
of house pressure. Usually, the
make-scmany-activity- points- a
week-or-else system prevails in the
Greek houses. Independents, sans
pressure, stay out.
Only a few students, who win
positions and are therefore com
mitted actually to stick with activi
ties four years. Seniors (except
Mortar Boards and Innocents) are
rare in activities, since the high.
honor has already passed them by.
Therefore it must be concluded
that most present activities are
not intrinsically worthwhile and
that "most "activity people" are
here because of house pressure or
an interest in what the activity can
do for them materially.
It is time the University stopped
building activities around the goals
Nebraskan Letterip
Oil U Policy ...
(Eds. notet The follow bis letterle was
received some time aro by The Nebnukan.
Beeanse tt is donbtfnl If Seor Gusher
or his school. Oil I, existed, the letter
was not printed. However, "reliable
sources have revealed that the article was
actually composed by critical elements ef
the -V slvsrtltr debate squad on southern
trip. Thus, k can now be published.
Dear Editor:
Recently, we at Oil U heard that
your Student Council was in
vestigating the- status of activi
ties at other Universities. As the
secretary of our student council,
I am writing you this letter to
explain how the activity system
at Oil U operates.
All freshmen are required to
join an organization which we call
"Pebbles." The work which they
do in this organization is vital
to the welfare of our University.
They form a cheering section at
the Central Texas Chess Cham
pionships, sell tickets for our an
nual Oil U. Review, take orders
for our Bi-Annual and drill wells
for our homecoming displays.
For each function which a
freshman participates in he re
ceives a pebble, when he collects
two hundred pounds of crushed
rock, he advances to our upper
class organization known as
"Stepping Stones."
Stepping Stones, being a select
body, does not concern itself with
menial tasks. Instead, members of
Stepping Stones concentrate on de
veloping their leadership ability.
They supervise our annual char
ity drive, WRS (We Rock Stu
dents), the work of Drillers (the
organization which publishes our
53 week calendar) and the activ
ities of Oilers and Gassers (our
male and female pep groups which
sell aspirin at the chess matches.)
Also, they constitute the member
ship of the Friction Society which
supervises the action of our Stu
dent Council.
When a Stepping Stone reaches
the end of his Junior year, he is
eligible for admission to our sen
ior service organisation, the "Do
Gooders." On Poison Ivy . Day,
487 (sometimes 480 depending upon
our selectivity) Stepping' Stones
are branded for membership in
the Do-Gooders.
They are selected on the basis
of their criticism of faculty pol
icy, low grade average, number of
times they speak at Student Coun
cil meetings, and friendship with
past Do-Gooders.
Although members of this organ
ization officiate at dances and ex
change trinkets with opposing
schools at soccer matches, their
load is generally light. They are
our campus leaders and they must
be free to give advice to Pebbles
and Stepping Stones.
We, at Oil U, feel that this sys
tem has worked well. We realize,
as we are sure you do at Ne
braska, that the primary value of
college life is found in activities.
We know that the rewards gained
from activities far outweigh those
of class work.
Only activities can adjust a per
son socially, teach him leadership,
make him a BMOC and enable him
to get a job in a large corporation.
Thus, we are submitting our plan
of training your people with the
hope that it will help you to
achieve the noble purpose of ac
tivities. Sincerely yours,
GEORGE GUSHER
Secretary
Oil University Student Council
Dallas, Texas
of Inocents and Mortar Board.
Charity and University promotion
the fronts usually used by these
dens of poor politics are a stu
dent's duty and not an activity. An
activitiy should be a student's extra-curricular,
search for knowl
edge. Two groups we would like to see
established, but which would not
produce BMOC's, are liberal and
conservative political clubs. If they
worked in the manner they do at
Princeton, they would form the
nucleus of the campus political
parties.
(Mr. Fellman has expressed the
desire that students have an in
sight into the field of politics.)
These clubs, which would discuss
the controversies between Burke
and Locke, Wilson and Lodge,
Roosevelt and Hoover, would cer
tainly be more satisfactory than
the "build-me-toward senior-honor-ary".clubs
which discuss struggles
for campus power.
child. Our generation, although it
keeps the tradition, is in danger of
missing the content. What is the
central fact of Christmas? God
sent His Son; the Word became a
human being I
Is God being ignored? Can w
push Him around as we want to
and make out of the season what
we like? Oh, no I God will neither
be ignored nor possessed. He it
not at our mercy, nor has He ever
been.
Everything about the story ol
salvation in the New Testament
conveys perfect planning and tim
ing. When the right' time came,
God sent forth His Son.
One wonders why in the year 4
B. C. on a certain day, during the
night, the fullness of time had
come. There is no doubt that God's
intervention was due. From the
point of view of history, the world
was. at a low ebb religiously.
Little "light" shone only in
the hearts of a few who expected
a Messiah. These were the days
of brutal conquests; human life
was cheap; slaves were as num
erous as free people; women were
chattel to be exploited. It was a
dark world.
Some have suggested that the
fullness of time meant that, since
Rome had "united" the then
known world and the Greek lang
uage was the r,niveral tongue, the
time was propitious for the spread
of the Gospel. Whatever we may
attempt as an explanation, it was
God who chose this timing.
And He chose the method, the
mode! He chose to become a hu
man being, to be born of a lowly
peasant. That baffles many.
Looked at as being God's way of
saving the world, it appeared
mighty weak and inadequate. It
almost seems that if Herod had
found the child, with one sword
he could have foiled the plan of
God.
But you don't tell God how to
do anything. St. Paul puts it this
way: "For consider what have the
philosopher, the writer and the
critic of this world to show for all
their wisdom? Has not God made
the wisdom of this world look fool
ish? "For it was after the world in
its wisdom had failed to know
God, that He in His wisdom chosa
to save all who would believa by
Gospel message."
'Ecumenical Approach'-'
Jackson Reviews
Morton Volume :
By EMILY JACKSON
Danforth Graduate
Oberlin College
Eds. note: This Is the second In monthly series of book reports sponsored
tinder the auspice, of The Nebraskan and the Religious Emppasl, Cont Mtae
Lml Jackson, the first Danforth Graduate at the University In five yesTreview.
thebook. "The Chrlsttaa Theology i An JSeurnenleal Approach" by Walter MuvhaU
eHW lJV
In these days when students are working and thinking about tha
Ecumencial Conference of' the Student Volunteer Movement at Athens
Ohio, in December, I can think of no better book to stimulate thinking
on the ecumenical problem than this one.
Written by a man well-known in ecumenical circles and professor
of theology at the Graduate School of Theology, Oberlin, Ohio, this
book presents the wisdom of a man who all his life has considered
himself a mediator among theologians.
Here Dr. Horton not only points out the major differences and
major points of agreement among theologians today but brings in his
own penetrating analysis of what the problems are to which religion
is trying to speak.
He believes that an ecumenical approach to theology can only be
based on the idea that there is a universal necessity for an ultimate
object of trust and devotion, for a final goal of hope and endeavor, and
for a connection between the object of trust and the goal of hope which
releases power from above into the stream of daily life.
In Christian terms the object of trust and devotion is God, the ulti
mate hope is the Kingdom of God, and the connection between the two
is the way of salvation given by Jesus Christ.
Having consulted with theologians from all major positions both
here and abroad Dr. Horton is perhaps the ablest man in America
today to write a book of this sort.
It is not a book of pat answers to such theological problems as
the existence of evil but rather a real searching among the various
positions for relevant answers, noting the particular contribution which
each position can make to the solution.
The knowledge and nature of God, God and man, Christ the Savior,
and the Church and the means of grace are a few of the topics con
sidered by Dr. Horton. It is significant that in pointing out major dif
ferences in point of view on these topics that he also indicated how
these disagreements can be held in fruitful tension if not resolved.
Now ...
a comfortable collar
you cannot outgrow
The new Arrow Li'do shirt has no
top button at the collar; your
necktie alone closes the collar neatly.
And even if your neck size grows,
the "facpandable" collar stays -comfortable.
Get yours today wear
- k with a tie tonight open at the
neck tomorrow. Priced from $5.00.
-first in foshiorr
SKI IT I Till RANDKIICMIiri 0NBIKWIAI
" I
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