Pcce 2
Tuesday, May 22, 1956
THE NEBRASKAN
Ncbraskan Editorials:
trrnt man 'on campus
by Dick Kbler
n
The iosf Ind The Best
All year The Nebraskan has been editorializing
en the prevelance of student Apathy and faculty
lethargy at the University. Sometimes student
minds and faculty intellects seem to either
slumber heavily under the covers of academic
preoccupation, or wander freely through non
scholastic fourth dimensions.
At the present time, however, there is quite a
bit of justification for these attitudes.
It is the last week of school, when the whole
scholastic load of a semester falls all at one
on student and instructor alike.
It is spring at last, with balmy breezes and
star-flecked evenings putting students' minds on
subjects not actually academic The lure of
sandy beaches and cold beer make the struggle
between duty and spirit a little unequal.
It is, for a certain wonfly and mature element
of the student body, almost time for graduation,
and the elimination of four years strain, pain
and all-night study sessions.
It is the time during the school year when
students are most anxious to just get the devil
out of Lincoln and as far away from the learning
process as they possibly can.
It is, in short, the last week in the semester
the most frustrating, strenuous and wild-eyed
week in the year, when everything happens at
once and cannot, for pete's sake, ever be fin
ished. Put it all together the last-minute term pap
ers, reading reports, lab problems, hour tests
and, of course, the picnics and you have the
best week of the year.
And, thank goodness, the last. F.TJ).
New Vitality
The Corn Cobs, according to a statement of
policy by fhe president, has injected new vitality
into this rich and often listless pep organization.
It is about time.
Corn Cobs exists on this campus mainly to stir .
up enthusiasm and "pep" at University athletic
contests. During the years of their existence
they managed to pick up little duties like telling
N-flowers, dance tickets and yearbooks, from
which they garner a tidy profit for their own
offers.
I reent years it has seemed to casual ob
servers that the Cobs were more interested in
selling and making money than in how the
Cornhuskers fared against Kansas. Cob workers
made a good deal more noise selling yearbooks
thaa when the football team made a touchdown.
Part of this attitude came from the method of
electing new members the organization was
required to take the top 16 workers according to
points collected from work hours, attendance
and sales.
Recently, however, the new Cob officers re
leased a statement indicating that in the future
the organization will not base their selection of
members solely on activities, but will also con
sider qualities of spirit, enthusiasm, initiative
and interest.
The Cobs will also make their membership
more flexible, keep seniors active and not take
any more than two members each year from one
organized house. .
The Cobs are making these moves in an
attempt to bring back more of the "pep'' spirit
to their group. In this way they will try to be
more in accord with their purpose and the needs
of the student body. And, for the first time in
the last few years, they might easily attain the
position of prominence in the campus extra
curricular world they seem to have lost.
Welcome back! F.T.D.
r
From The Editor's Desk
' 4
. Will Af of Tolerate
d Pn
ineiBles'
It has been my observation
for sometime that Nebraska
rests in a stranglehold of con
servative elements.
Its most widely circulated
newspaper, its large farm
groups, its big political inter
ests, its important economic
factions appears almost in
variably as an outgrowth of
this fundamental Midwestern
conserVatism.
The temper of the state, the
atmosphere of the institutions,
the prevailing expression of its
people ' are reflected in the
arch conservatism of the tra
ditional Nebraskan.
This is neither good nor bad,
but simply an observation of
the way of life with which Ne
braskans are identified.
The only thing which Is bad
about this posture of affairs,
it appears to me, is that a
definite effort is being made
by the groups in power to im
press their conservative con
cepts upon the populace and
specially the University.
Whether the view be liberal
or conservative, whether it be
reactionary or radical, wheth
er it be Democratic or Re
publican, it is important that
it not be imposed upon the
people as gospel truth.
There is no hazard, no un
certainty, In letting somebody
else tell you what to think, it
approximates sheer damna
tion. I have no quarrel with the
fact that Nebraska is conserv
ative, but I do have a quarrel
with people who explicitly and
implicitly, directly and indi
rectly, through official com
munication or casual sugges
tion, relentlessly push the phi
losophy of their vested inter
ests upon the populace and
upon the institutions which
the populace supports.
These men do not believe in
freedom; these people put no
faith in democracy; these
forces place no premium on '
the dignity of man and "his
God-given right to question in
herited values, challenge con
stituted authority and search
through error to truth.
These interests have no
other use for an institution of
higher learning than to repro
duce their own tailored objec
tives, instill their own narrow
philosophy and protect their
own vested interests.
That this is more than an il
lusion is attested to by the nu
merous pressures which have
been impressed upon the in
tellectual freedom and aca
demic independence of our
own University.
Those who fought for these
principles long agothe con
stitutional freedom for our
country, the academic free
dom for our universities, the
intellectual freedom for our
"Western civilization, risked
"'their lives, their fortunes and
their sacred honor'
We shall have no benefi
ciaries, and shall certainly de
serve none, if we lack the re
sourcefulness and courage to
preserve the heritage which
has been won for us.
It is high time that we
faculty, students and respon
sible citizens let people know
that we dont like to be pushed
around.
It is high time that we came
to the realization that the
price of freedom is retained
only by eternal vigilance.
It is high time that we find
out that the defense of free
dom calls for vigorous action
by people who '"get angry
when these rights are violated,
and make themselves heard
until the wrong is righted."
It's just about time that we
tell the people who run this
state that we will not tolerate
them tampering with the prin
ciples which safeguard our institution.
From The Slot
cadeirtic freedom
Uiliizely To disappear
By SAM JENSEN
Managing Editor
What is a University?
y definition, it is an Insti
tution of universal learning. It
la a testing ground for thought
and theory and it is a battle
ground of ideas. A university
is the meeting place of diver
gent views with the desired
end being the realization of
truth and natural law.
Our University is universal
enough. Subjects of instruc
tion range from animal hus
bandry to Greek philosophy
and from medicine to the his
tory of art. Our University
provides the means to re
searchthe work that goes on
la most academic depart
ments without heraldry. And
if it is not "realized that new
truths are being found each
day, it is certainly acknowl
edged that seeds of truth are
being implanted in the minds
of the University's 7,000 stu
dents each day.
What then, is it that the Uni
versity is not?
First of all, it is not a pri
vately endowed institution. It
is dependent for its support
upon the taxpayers of the
state of Nebraska. And as is
any public institution, the Uni
versity is sensitive to public
opinion. Very few state uni-'
versities, if any, can be
ranked, in terms of liberalism,
with the private eastern col
leges of the Ivy League.
Any adverse comment about
a state institution is a black
mark on the record of the offi
cials who are appointed to be
in charge of the institution
whether or not the comment
is grounded in fact. There
fore, it is to the credit of the
University administration and
faculty that there has been no
question raised as to The Ne
braskan's -right to comment
on the issue of Clyde Mitchell
and his transfer of duties.
Secondly, the University of
Nebraska is located in the
center of the bread basket of
the nation. Nebraska is not
an Industrial state nor is it an
area of strict community cul
ture. To most of the state's
inhabitants, "academic free
dom,"' is a term of vague sig
nificance, but the inference
that "outside pressures" are
influencing the state univer
sity' policy is a matter of
concern for any citizen.
Academic freedom at our
University may be the issue
of concern at the present time
and although the current de
bate is distasteful to all par
ties concerned, ii seems un
likely that academic truth or
freedom of expression will
completely disappear from
this state institution, conserva
tive as it may appear to be,
now or in the forseeable future.
The Nebraskan
rnTT-nvs teaks old
'Member: Asscltt4 Collegiate Press
liiiereoSeglate Press
SsjnreseiitatSve: NsiSoafii Advertising Service,
Incorporated " I
rsbSsaea at: Room SO, Student Union
14th & &
University af Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
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EDITORIAL STAFF
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Rag 'Crusade7
Story Justified
I imagine that many of you are
waiting hungrily for roe to blast
out ruthlessly at the Administra
tion as my parting gesture of de
fiance before graduating.
I decided, however, to wait on
that until they send me the first
request for money as an alum,
because right now I imagine the
administration is a little touchy
and short-tempered. They're in a
corner and they know it
When the Mitchell report comes
out this week, the cowardly and
the brain-washed and the misin
formed will probably all run to the
Nebraskan's side anyway, so
there's no need to try to prosely
tize. However, a couple of things need
to be said, and, as you know, I'm
not adverse to saying them.
First of all. Dr. Pfeiler's rather
showy but still well-done letter in
Friday's paper brought up some
Nebraskan Lettorips
Pfeiler's Comments On Nebraskan Criticized
To the Editor:
One does not lightly take ex
ception with a man whom he holds
in the highest esteem and whose
opinions he respects as being schol
arly and responsible. However, this
writer deems it something of a re
sponsibility to comment on the re
cent letter of Dr. W. K. Pfeiler
which was printed in The Nebras
kan. .
As Dr. Pfeiler points out, it is
obviously true that there are usu
ally at least two sides to a ques
tion. In my opinion, The Nebras
kan has made some mistakes in
its handling of the current contro
versy, but failure to realize this
obvious fact is not one of them.
The Nebraskan is aware, I am
sure, that the administration right
ly did not clamp a censorship on
the paper, but it is far from clear
that in return The Nebraskan has
taken a position which was irre
sponsible. The principle error which The
Nebraskan has made in connec
tion with the current controversy
was its failure to make sufficient
ly clear to its readers what was
legal and what was not.
It should have emphasized more
strongly the fact that the admin
istration is within its legal right
to remove a department" chairman
or any other administrative officer,
from chancellor on down, for any
cause whatsoever, or for no cause
whatsoever. .
i a
It should have been emphasized
that the attack on academice free
dom from outside pressures was
a legal one, and that therefore no
complaints to the committees on
academic freedom and tenure
were to be expected.
Then, if it wished, The Nebras
kan could have continued by point
ing out that the attack was no
less real, and that intimidation
and some restriction of academic
freedom inevitably accompanied
the attack.
However, The Nebraskan is not,
in my opinion, guilty as charged
by Dr, Pfeiler of using loaded
words, placing quotation marks im
properly, and failing to print views
opposed to its own editorial views.
The work "demotion, which Dr.
Pfeiler charges was deliberately
used ulteriorly for its psychological
influence, appears to be approp
riate in this case.
It is certainly true that a writer
or a speaker should always be on
his guard against using loaded
words if he intends to be honest,
but "'demotion" is no doubt what
Dr. Mitchell felt.
At this University, at least,
where rotating chairmanships are
nearly unknown, the position of
department chairman carries a
prestige which the position of pro
fessor does not, and almost any
department chairman, Dr. Pfeiler
more than likely included, will feel
demoted this seems to be exact
ly the right word) if he is asked
to step down at a time when he
does not desire to do so.
It is common journalistic prac
tice to paraphrase part of a quota
tion for the purpose of saving
space or clear presentation. When
this is done, the part of the quota
tion not paraphrased is normally re
tained in quotation marks, so that
the reader will know what words
are quoted directly.
Dr.. Pfeiler's objection to this
practice on the part of The Ne
braskan seems to b frank, "but
not fair.'"
If one remembers that The Ne
braskan serves as something of a
laboratory for journalism students,
and then uses the very same cri
teria for judging responsible jour
nalism used by Dr. Pfeiler the
Praised, Not Scolded
I am sure that many members
of the faculty, including the under
signed, would not wish, with Dr.
Pfeiler, to jump so heavily, if at
all, upon The Nebraskan and its
capable and brave editor.
a
Nor would they feel it necessary
to cast suspicion upon the integ
rity of the editor's motives. The is
sues of institutional autonomy and
its relation to academic integrity
are vital.
Without these things autono-
my and freedom) a university in
the proper and original sense of
the term cannot exist. In raising
here issues and promoting .their
discussion The Nebraskan and its
editor have been courageous and
contributed to s healthy intellec
tual atmosphere upon this campus.
For these things they should not
be censured and scolded, but
praised.
Edgar X. Juhnsoa
Profeasor of VHhUhj
Proud Pi Xi Writes Nebraskan
To The Editor:
As a graduate of Nebraska and
a Pi Xi alum I found much inter
est and concern in this year's Pixie
Press and counter articles in The
Nebraskan.
Down here in Miami I dont re
ceive too much news coming from
the -campus, but I was very fortu
nate to receive a copy of the Pixie
Press and two copies of The Ne
braskan with "'anti-Pi Xi" articles.
a
In the paragraphs that foEow, I
would like to relate a few things
that came to mind after reading
the Pixie Press and Nebraskan.
These following paragraphs should
be especially interesting to people
who are "'down on" Pi Xi.
First of all I would like to say
that 1 was proud to be a member.
It is probably evident from the
list which is floating around Cam
pus that a fine group of fraternity
men are represented In the mem
bership of Pi Xi.
This so-called '"underground" or
ganization made my senior ypar
an unforgetable one and the friends
I made through the organization
will prove as ever lasting friend
ships, as of course do all friend
ships in a closeknit group.
The Pixie Press this year was
an extremely humorous publica
tion, and 1 imagine even more eo
to the students. The editorials were
excellent. The editorial "'scolding"
the Nebraskan about it's page fill
ers or space fillers certainly hit
home. 1 '
I rehire, of course, that tlve
Nebraskan ij not a humor publi
cation. liowvsr, 2 propose a small
wager with you and your staff. It
is that the Pixie Press, although a
smaller publication, was read by
more people than the Nebraskan
ever is and that the people who
read it covered it completely from
cover to cover, a trait the Ne
braskan cannot boast about.
Sam Jensen's article, accompa
nied by pictures, was almost as
humorous as the publication by the
Press. In that particular article, it
wa stated to the effect that Pi Xi
had too few literate members to
publish a decent paper.
a
This brings two quick thoughts
to mind. 1) that Sam must not
read decent publications because
it is evident that be read the Press
through from cover to cover and 2)
if Sam has taken the time to look
at the scandal list which is around
Campus, and I'm sure he has) he
should look hard, for this is the
list of so called illiterates.
a
These people hold offices that
Sam is incapable of holding and
all the members are at least on
the same level with him.
I would also like to give a pat on
the back to the writer of the edi
torial on Dean Frank Hallgren. A
fine tribute to a very fine man.
a
In conclusion I would like to say
"that Pi Xi is no different than any
other fraternity or organization ex
cept that it is a little more secret
and that it is extremely selective.
It is based on the same principle
of other fraternities and I for one
was very proud to be an active
member.
David loae ta
quotation from C. P. Scott, one
time editor of the Manchester
duardian) it seems clear that
one will be forced to agree that
Dr. Pfeiler's charges against The
Nebraskan are substantially with
out foundation.
a
Dr. Pfeiler's letter upholds the
administration mainly by the clev
er use of an attack on the paper,
yet in spite of this The Nebraskan
printed his letter in its entirety,
gave it a front page news story,
and used two photos of the profes
sor. a
This is not the first statement
opposing the editorial stand of the
paper which has been printed, and
there have been many times when
the paper reported that the ad
ministration refused to comment.
This hardly seems to be an act
of irresponsibility of the kind
charged by Dr. Pfeiler.
a a
Contrary to the opinion of Dr.
Pfeiler, it is my opinion that, de
spite its shortcomings. The Nebras
lan should be praided for a credit
able piece of journalism, by those
whom they have opposed editorial
ly, as well as those with whom
they have agreed.
a
The Manchester Guardian would
be proud of this kind of journalism,
and the commercial press of Ne
braskan would do well to consider
the job done by The Nebraskan
as exemplary.
A Faculty Member
very food points in regard to the
Rag's supposed "yellow journal,
ism" play of this Mitchell story.
The Nebraskan has been criti
cized often for front-page editorial
izing and for bias in regard to the
Miicbell demotion, and is not in a
very food position to answer it
self. First of aS, the reason why some
of these letters have been printed
on the front page instead of the
editorial page is due to simple
space limitations on the often ad
filled editorial page.
The headlining of this Mitchell
story on page one is more thaa
My Bootless Cries
justified since it is the only im
portant issue the Rag has had in
two years. It is a vital issue which
should be loudly proclaimed from
the housetops until the apathetic
students and faculty and towns
men get the idea and do some
thing about this sort of thing.
This has been an example of
crusading journalism. They give
Puliteer Prizes only for that sort
of thing, you know, and if you take
the trouble to read Pulitzer's own
paper, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch,
or even the New York Times, "on
will see that they, too, headline
and build up their crusades on the
front page as much or more than
the Nebraskan has.
Is this yellow journalism? I doubt
it. The line is pretty thin between
plain coverage and yellow journpl
ism. At any rate, this is all legiti
mate news, this is what most peo
ple read The Nebraskan for, it is
what has given the Nebraskan
more readership and attention
than it has had for three years cr
will have, probably, for several
years to come.
And since the Lincoln papers
have been suspciously asleep ci
this for some time, someone bs
to print these things.
The second thing I would Lkr J,
get off my chest is the pox of
cowardice for a lot of the coffee
hour valiants around this campus.
The editor of the Nebraskan has
received no support or very little
from people who could and should
help him.
Apparently roost students and
citizens of this state would just
as soon see this University know
tow to a few Omaha middle-aged
hoodlums.
However, I can only, in this con
nection think of two apropos quotes.
One from deMaistre, who said,
"I'm convinced that every people
gets the kind of government de
serves," and the other from Zo
clesiasues:
"Tanity of vanities; aS is
ity."
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