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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 25, 1957)
The Doily Nebraskan Monday, November 25, 1957 Daily Nebraskan Letterip Editorial Comment Page 2 ''A -A j J 4 An Apology Regarding the Student Tribunal Charter, the Daily Nebraskan printed on November 11 of this year that there had been an alteration In the charter between the time it was print ed on May 1 and the second printing on May 6. Tha editorial continued, "For as far as we can see the only source of the error is the pied type which a member of the council of last year had juggled by some printer." The editorial had implied that the coun cil member was at the same time a staff member of a local newspaper and, there fore, had access to the galleys of type. For this erroneous judgment on our part, we most sincerely apologize. There ta absolutely no evidence that the Individual so charged was responsible for the typographical error which appeared in the charter printed Monday, May 6. The consideration of the Daily Nebraskan in printing the editorial was not to defame any Individual. Rather, we believed then as now that it is important for the University and the students to have the best possible charter. Since the two versions of the charter dif fered, we presumed and wrongly so thai more than the mechanical fragility of a lino type machine was involved. It is obvious this is not true. The Daily Nebraskan in , making this apology does not, however, change its stand that there are some definite inadequacies in the charter and that the work being done by the charter committee at the present time is not being wasted. We had been led to believe that until the charter was approved by the Regents, it could be altered. It is evident from the statements of the chairman of the charter committee that it probably wilt be changed. This committee is gathering material from all over the nation which it will digest and from which it will cull the very best ideas. The activity is essential to developing a strong and honorable Student Tribunal which will serve the University on the highest of plains. But for the oh so human error which this newspaper made in its judgment and accusa tion, we apologize. Pat On Our Back The old phrases about American com placency were hurled back at us by Colin Jackson, British analyst, who visited the campus during the latter part of last week. Jackson, who has journeyed to the shores of the U.S.A. six times and was a visiting lec turer in political science here at the Uni versity cited specific instances of where the American public is complacent. And it seems that he is absolutely correct. Concerning this topic, the Daily Kansan from KU comments, "KU students have been accused of complacency so frequently of late it is a wonder that Watkins Hospital isn't flooded for requests, not for Asian flu shots, but for blood transfusions." Jackson, who has watched the American people react to Sputniks as well as to the British and French activity in the Middle East, said Friday that the older generations of citizens here are willing to sit back in their country clubs and be inclined to look at the president on television and not really hear what he is saying. He implied that the universities are the only refuge of individuals anymore. Rather pessimistically, he wondered if even the pro fessors are listened to by the students. The Briton made a good point when he implied that the present structure of Ameri can society is a vicious circle. "If people's bellies are filled, then they will not be critical citizens. On the other hand, the problem we face is keeping the bellies full and the in dividuals critical." Jackson believes that there is a nucleus of Americans maybe ten per cent of the popula tionwho care what is going on. "There's hope here," he added. "It might even be chaotic if everyone were displeased with the affairs of the world." And well it might. University students, you might well guess, are within the ten per cent the commentator is concerned about. "If you young people could get a little made about the present situation, if you could compete with the Russians not just to meet their standards but to better our own, if you could realize that the world around you is in danger, then we've got a hope for the future," he stat ed. But, as usual, most persons who hear words such as these will say, "Fine and good. Now get out there (meaning someone else) and do something about it!" We certainly live in an interesting world. The Closing It seems strange that the Library, one of the few refuges frcm boredom during the va cation period, is going to be closed over Thanksgiving. Of course, to many students this will mean little. They will be gone from the campus and possibly far from the thought that think ing can be done on a full festive stomach. But for the professors and the students who have much to do and the proverbial short time to get it done in, the Library's closing is near tragic. Certainly the weeping should stop on our part. We suspect the Library's management has not made the move to close the building during the vacation out of spite toward any one. Extra hours of keeping a building open, ex tra working forces, extra costs make the maintenance of an open library over the holi days probably impractical. Perhaps we're a little too practical some times, though. When young people with eager minds or young people with simply curious minds wish to direct their attention to gaining new knowledge from books, new self-discipline from the use of a library, new confidence in their ability to search critically the pages of great books, they should be encouraged. We are curious as to how many who would have used the library during the holidays would be willing to say anything about it to the librarians. We are curious as to whether the desire for knowledge would have any precedence over the "practicality" of keeping a building open. We would like to have the facilities of the library available to the students during the holidays. from the edit First Things First. . . At least we won one-fourth of the game Sat urday. The Huskers bowed but had little to bow rheir heads about. For 18 seniors, it was the last time they'll don a Husker uniform. Lincoln Star sports writer Don Bryant point ed out that both teams have not been up to par this season it was Oklahoma's worst season in five years and the worst in NU his tory. At least local sports writer Dick Becker won't have any "student apathy" pictures to print this week maybe he'll have to stick to sports pics . . . with the exception of our uniformed cheerers, almost the entire student body and alums remained until the final sec onds of the game this week. For Your Information: The second bouquet presented Nebraska Sweetheart Ruthie Gilbert Friday night at the Kosmet ceremonies (the first bouquet was from Kosmet Klub) was from the disbanded (?) TNE's. Thought for the day: Only 13 more school days until Christmas vacation. Students at Pitt are complaining about some campus signs that are cluttering the lawns. The signs say, "Let's Keep Our Campus Clean." Homecoming Queen at Washington State Col lege was a Swedish exchange student, Ingrid Oretorp, who expressed her preference for certain Swedish dating customs over those she by Jack Pollock found in America. Said Ingrid, if a boy asks a girl for a date in Sweden, "It means much more interest in her." And at dances in her homeland girls are quite likely to go by themselves, rather than with a boy. "I think I like the Swedish plan better," she said in an interview with the campus paper "Daily Evergreen," ' ecause you never dance more than one or ... o dances with a boy. At least you can't get stuck with a bad dancer for the evening." Evidently for lack of anything else to discuss, students have been debating pros and cons of motives for joining (but not necessarily par ticipating in) campus activities. At Kansas State College, one coed, a junior in elementary education, in a superb summarization of her profound judgment said, "A student should par ticipate in only those (activities) in wh'ch he is genuinely interested." Which actually does have some merit. Let those who want activities join to their heart's content. Let those who want to study study no one's forced to enlist for campus activities. For those who are genuinely interested, or who engage in activities to gain experience in their vocational lines, let them join so far as they can help themselves. For those patriots who actually join to serve the University com munity, bring along your friends with similar aspirations . . . Daily Nebraskan FIFTY-SEX TEARS OLD la aeaaemle year. , ... ,. . . Catmt aa aeroa etaat aaUU M tae Boat atfle Ml Member: Associated Collegiate prew ux. Nwruu, u luw i. Intercollegiate Press editorial staut uimiucii ..... Mltur aek r-ollork Representative: National Advertising Service, uitoriai tditor ick thusn j Manacln bdltor Baa ttaraoloaki Incorporated Newt Mllor sr Publish at: Room 2. student inioo ",:::::::::::::::::::::::::Er. Lincoln. Nebraska tD m Bob Irflan4 ehif, uaeou, rtcoraau Carola Fraak. Genre Mayer, Oar Korr. Kml Hints 11th A R Sport Writer. . . Ke line. Del Haamoaaea, Boa Baa beta. Harold rrtedmaa. Hob Win. M tVaOr etaka ki aabitaaaa Mnadar. Taeadaf. Staff Writer BobM Botterfleli, Pal ffaaaaaaar aa4 Irtdii ortnf tbe ebool year, eicept Klannlr-, Emm L.tmpo, Herb FTobaaeo, Hraa Smltb arma eaeanoaa aaa run patios'. aa m taaaa a brrtar, Margaret Wsrtmaa. avMlafeet aarlac aotast, or atiavat of tb laterrti Reporters Sharoa AhraJirjii, Jo At. a lu'eeraaka naaer la aatborlaatlea af the Oanunmr Ja Andrraoa, Mary Apklnr, Joo Url'tln, tiarl Hatha aa ataaeat Affair a aa npmtmm of ataoeat aplaiea. war. Karen Karrer, Roberta Knanp. lianrte. kaaua, FaMteatoa anaer tba iarhdiettaa at tb aabeaanmute Marato Koop, Carol tonikoaaer, Garry Lanpheimer, aa ataaeat raMleattoa hall a fre fmat editorial Janet tra4r, Jallenne Mebrlnc. Soanae Rrtrhatadt, aaaaarakta aa to part at la aaammitt or aa tae joaaa Slmpktn, Hoeleal Thompaua, Artene Tarn, aart a aay aaeaaher af tnr faealty af tae I nlver.tty. or HI fH.vr.Sa sTArr ZZrTl ILuTl'l r. re" Bln- Maaace, Jerr, el,entla SXES fnrtktaaV -ZZ L Z .-t Baalne. MW... .Tom Keff. S.an halm.. . . . . a a aVLat BfOB rfMt alHuOo. rataa in 13 -A aaawatar at M tat CtrealaUaa Maaaiat . a aim am ai Hiatal fit"! Hartal Alumnus Sounds Off Via Mail To the Editor: Although my copies of your journalistic joke are received somewhat later than on campus, I have followed your articles on the Student Trbunal with some interest. My former connections with that Charter should give me some bases for observations. 1. The original draft of the Charter was written during the winter of 1956 by Sam Van Pelt and myself after we had attended the Big Seven Student Government Convention in December, 1955. In May the student body overwhelm ingly authorized the Student Coun cil to work on a tribunal proposal. The mandate was accepted by the Student Activities Committee of the Student Council, which gath ered materials and discussed ideas for most of the last school year, 1956-57. A Charter was written, and that Charter was discussed with the Student Council advisers as well as Dean Colbert and Mr. Pit tenger. The Student Council sub mitted that Charter to the student body last May, and it was adopted. 2. Your editorial pages have re cently made a so-called expose of typesetting manipulations by mem bers of the Student Council last year. I choose to call your state ment of the facts an inaccuracy rather than a lie. The editor at that time was Fred Daly, who had in a series of editorials dating back to the spring of 1956 sup ported a tribunal. The night that the proposed charter went to press Daly was out of the city. At that time Mr. Shugrue, the editorial page editor, took it upon himself to write an extraordinary front page editorial against the proposed Charter. When two members of the Student Council were made aware of this situation, they made every effort to contact Fred Daly, who finally reversed Mr. Shugrue's us urpation and did not run the ed itorial. There were no alterations Senior Survey ron warholoski Since everyone else in this office Is availing themselves of the free advertisement of a column, I thought that one more wouldn't hurt the already gummed-up works. Besides, I want and need something to defend myself with from the merciless attacks of my colleague in the struggle to get the paper out Sara Jones. I'm not really sure just what this column is going to talk about columns already appearing weekly in our little picture magazine run the gamut from hysterical jabber ings to ridiculous nonsense. (As to which columnist I am referring to, I leave it to the imagination of the readers, if there are any.) I'm rather excited about start ing a crusade. The pronouncement of the eleven faculty members who advocated the change of the condi tions for granting a teacher's certi ficate is something that has been needed for centuries around our morbid little university. I have yet to hear any of the people that I know in Teacher's College enunci ate one nice word about any of the education courses to which they are subjected. I must say that eleven profes sors would have the gumption to jump ahead of the administration in proposing a policy which affects so many people completely sur prised me and I must admit that it's an added welcome. It seems that our administration has to be prodded into everything construc tive except raising tuition and the idea of having some faculty mem bers of the side of the prodders is a comforting thought. I'm not really sure that everyone reads the Letters to Editor sec tion of our progressive little pa per; but for those who neglected to read that particular section in the Tuesday November 19 edition, I would like to bring their atten tion to a particularly interesting letter. M. K. Elias, an instructor in the graduate college had this illumi nating bit of wisdom to pass on. The letter read and I quote "there are some aspects in our University of Nebraska, and not so much in our pre-college educational sys tem, that are in dire need of revi sion." That statement lets the imagina tion run wild, doesn't it? Of course, one has to be an embittered sen ior to realize just what is really meant; for by then, one has seen the procedures of education in oth 'er universities and has had tima to ponder and wonder about the good old University of Nebraska. As a closing thought, and since we- are discussing the University, I wonder if the proposed stager ing enrollment, which was the main reason given for the tuition increase, is going to materialize. I'm betting against it. made in the proposed Charter. 3. The recent advocacy by cer tain members of the Student Coun cils and of the newspaper to radi cally' change the proposed charter is a direct disavowal of the opin ion of the student body. When the student council submitted the pro posed charter to the student body, it was asking its electorate to ac cept the charter. At that point he Sudent council resigned control of the charter by submitting it to the students. As stated above, the stu dent body accepted that Charter last May. How is it possible for the elected representatives of the student body to deny the actions of the student body as well as the actions of the previous Student Councils? The student body has not asked for a new charter; it accepted one already, and it has a right to expect its representa tives to see to the immediate im plementation of that Charter. 4. The accepted Charter of the Student Tribunal is a workable and The Galley Slave dick shugrue No man is good enough to pass judgment on his fellows unless the evidence which will support the charge is ture. No man with honor will main tain that he is right in accusing another of petty and malicious ac tion unless he can penetrate the mind of the accused. With these thoughts in mind I read the letter from a former stu dent at the University who is now attending some Ivy League school. That individual charges that I, through personal spite and whim, during the last semester tried to halt the student tribunal. This is untrue. I have been willing to give my whole hearted support (whether that be much) to the student trib unal. I have attempted to carry out my duties as editorial page boss of this rag in light of the needs of the University, rather than my personal ambitions (and we're all ambitious). I had an op portunity to examine the charter which was passed by an uncon scious student body last spring and I found that the charter is not only unworkable in its present form it borders on the ridiculous. I was erroneously informed by the author of the letter on this page as to the nature of the charter, however. He told me that the passage of the charter merely meant that the students wanted A charter, not necessarily this charter and that the council of this year could work out a suitable form. This was the understanding of the personnel at the newspaper in general. It has been charged that the editorial opinion of the newspaper is such that it is discouraging the tribunal. I would suggest that the individual who has been so quick to fling the charges talk with the chairman of the tribunal commit tee for the truth. In regard to the charges that a member of the council was re sponsible for a typographical er ror in the charter as it appeared in the May 6 Nebraskan, we have apologized. Circumstantial evidence, which sometimes sends men to the gal lows, led us to make the charge. The individual involved was at the printers, he may have had cause to change the charter for he wanted it to be passed, and the changes were made. However, we accept his state ment that he had nothing to do with it for he respected as a man of honor. That should close that episode. As far as we are concerned it is closed now that a public apol ogy has been made. I personally won't demand an apology from the writer of the letter on this page since there are more im portant things to do than to boost my own ego by such a demand. But I will say that I don't think the charter as it stands can work for the good of the University. As this newspaper has mentioned before, Chairmen Dave Keene of the charter committee is polling all the universities and colleges in the nation which have tribunals to discover how they operate, with in what borders they function, and just about any other material re garding the charters he can. This seems to me to be the sensible way, the prudent way, to handle the charter. One can't write a document like that and expect to reflect the sentiments of the University at large if he has mere ly one helper. But with hundreds of persons lending suggestions, complaints, criticisms, the charter should be much more successful. Now Keene has stated that he wants - gripes from the students about the charter. These should be substantiated rather than mere opinion. In other words, if a stu dent is dissatisfied with a partic ular section he should say why the section seems wrong to him and make some suggestion for its improvement. Some persons have charged that a tribunal can never work at the University. Hogwash. It can and should, if the student body works together to make it a strong tool which will establish and enforce a uniform code of justice for the students. The Gadfly Sara Jones The current intra-college con troversy over the certification of teachers brings into sharp focus two problems long recognized and yet long ignored by Nebraska cit izens. First, Nebraska's requirements for a teaching certificate are among the lowest in the nation. Second, secondary teachers are generally underpaid, overworked and accorded little social standing. The eleven professors have not come up with any new and shat tering statement. They have only stated that which everyone knew already there is a teaching prob lem in Nebraska. Sputnik came as no surprise either, but suddenly America was forced to realize that her smug confidence in her own superiority was ill-founded that thirteen stripes and forty-eight start were no protection against a superior technology. Consider the facts. Starting sal-' ary for a secondary teacher in Nebraska is about $3500. Social standing of a school is almost nil. Retirement plans do not provide the security which students right ly or wrongly are demanding. As one Arts College instructor put it, "Any physics major who graduates with a degree in Arts College and decides to teach is insane." The proposal of the eleven will not solve anything. In the first place the Issue is already being obscured by petty rivalry between the two colleges Involved. Second ly, only the most vehement pro ponent of the liberal arts phil osophy would maintain that all teaching methods courses should be sacrificed to courses in subject matter. Every college student can name four or five of his Instruc tors, past or present, who are skilled In their subject matter and hopelessly inadapt in presenta tion. Possibly out of the controversy may come a method by which highly gifted individuals in Arts College may be able to gain a certificate by means of a short ened teaching course. This would at least provide a few extra teach ers, of the type that would like to teach a few years but not make it a permanent profession. But the long-term solution can come only from the citizens of Nebraska and from all the Uni versity students. First of all Nebraska must real ize that she gets just what she pays for. Every school district must be willing to sacrifice a few buildings for a few teachers, must raise me levy and do without. Maybe a few Touchdown Clubs could donate their $25 and $100 for better teachers instead of better football teams. And then, most important, Uni versity students must realize that the only way we can have good teachers is to have good students go into that profession. Those Teachers College students who chose that college because the courses were easy, or jobs were plentiful can get out. Arts College students who sneer at the profes sion can remember that they are contributing to problem and can take a Ixig look at hem selves and re-evaluate the profes sion they have chosen and mayoe decide their services are needed more in another area. But above all, this is not a time for petty intra-college squabbles and inert agreement that some thing really is wrong. It's time for Nebraska and for the Univer sity which should mold Nebraska to act. worthwhile plan. In spite of tha trivial flaw of a too high averag requirement for Law School rep resentatives, the Charter provides for a reasonable system of student self-discipline. The Charter as sumes a degree of mutual confi dence between student and admin istration in the deliverance of cases to the Tribunal. Some have qualification could lead to an emasculated Tribunal; however, if there cannot be confidence in ad ministrative sincerity on t h i a point, how can one expect greater sicerity in a stronger plan or even sincerity in allowing any stronger plan? Both the students and the administration will have to prove themselves, but this can be done as witnessed in the func tions of AWS, Student Council, IFC, etc. There can be no perfect Tribunal, but this one allows for growth and responsibility within a reasonable framework. T h i plan is not so radical that it lacks any chance for administrative ac ceptance. I regret that this leter h a grown so long, but it takes spac to correct easily made mistakes. I hope that the personal whims and spites of a few will not destroy a plan that was made for and accepted by the student body. Marvin Breslow toadie... by bob Ireland A distinguished British com mentator voiced his opinion con cerning the present condition of United States public education Friday at the second Daily Ne. braskan press luncheon of the cur rent semester. Colin Jackson, commentator of the British Broadcasting Company whose business it is to periodically feel the international pulse and to express it to his listeners had much to say regarding the brand of U.S. education and most of it wasn't very pleasant. Jackson first of all asserted a very sincere and deep feeling of anxiety towards what he termed the U.S. "Country Club Set" who after achieving success in business retire to the golf links and tha palatial sitting rooms and seem to assume a dangerous condition of complacency. It is up to the present crop of college students, the ones who ara now most active in expressing opinions, to continue their present feeling of concern and refashion the American educational system to a more practical and cultural design. Both Jackson and Dr. William Hall, director of the University School of Journalism and also a luncheon guest, both stated that now is time for educators around the country to express their ideas and take command of the situa tion. The educational reform meas ures which are being called for by national leaders in lieu of alarming Russian scientific ad vances will have to come from the people, both of these men stated. And both added quite prudently that the motive for this education al metamorphis should not be tha Sputniks alone but a basic desira on the part of the people to achieva greater culture in our present sys tem. The cry has been asserted long and loud from educators around the country that culture has been lacking in public education for the past few decades. The United States has for too long been governed by the axiom what is right for the businessman is right for the country. This maxim of national progress has thus partially produced tha desire for what might have been educationally inclined people to pursue more lucrative professions. One of the results thus being that the educational fields suffered both in quantity and in quality despite those few dedicated and competent men who remained on to assume the leadership of edu cation's battered and torn ship (I grow Churchillian as my zeal increases.) Of course the lack of culture in educational systems cannot solely be attributed to the less stringent requirements on the part of ad ministrators. A large amount of blame rests on modern conveni ences (such as the common car) and their influences on the modern student. Times are easier and students today (including yours truly) have much more leisure time to drive, and play. Too little time is spent reading and obtaining culture. People complain that too 'ew students are interested in science. Colleges can't force students to become cultured. They can how ever, by altering their required curricula, at least expose a better brand of education to students and thus warm their appetites. I DID YOU EVER SET THAT SHOT YOU LUEl?ES3tU0CI?!ED VA30UT, LINUS? J r UH.MUH... IT DIDN'T ) KHVZT A BIT., amS fill ' iiJ then you V 0M,YE5..r DIDN'T EVEN (CflED ANYUiAYll 0V NEVES WANT TO LET 'EM THINK THEYEE SETTING AUW WITH ANYTHING! mmm r WU7J