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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 9, 1957)
Page 2 The Daily Nebraskan Monday, December 9, 1957 Editorial Comment The Flopnik "The Flopnik is the new American line of earth satellites. Or it was, while it existed. Sitn boom! With a mushroom of Came and smoke the hopes of a successful earl; satellite launching quickly diminished. 3"Of course, the satellite was but a little mocking model of the vast Russian Sputniks and Mutniks. Also by its lateness, it would have lost some of its significance. But at least United States would show itself in the running. But it failed. The Vanguard reached height of two to four feet, not a record, of course. Even more discouraging was the lowering fve to ten notches of the American prestige. From a psychological and political point ef view the damage is comparable with the injury suffered last October when the first Soviet Sputnik began circling the earth. It does make a difference. The free nations ef the world look to the U.S. as the fortress of democracy and the guardian of peace. Yet, In science the Sonet Union apparently has Hashed ahead of the powerful United States with all of its scientific resources and pro tective capacity. The explosion of the 72-foot sky giant echoed around the world and was quite a spectacle since the project was non-secret. The dramatic tension was heightened by the disclosal of everything about the preparations for the launching. This unprecedented publicity was unfortunate, less publicity will probably follow in future launchings. Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson tD-Tex) summed it up by calling the explosion "one of the best publicized and most humiliating failures in our history." There is some hint that the big brass ex pected and was prepared for a failure. For shame so much publicity for a test which turned out to be a failure. But may they take consolation that from a failure, they may b ble to learn many valuable lessons for the next try. Let's hope that the failure evidentally one of mechanical nature rather than design will not bold up progress. Let's hope that the full eale, 27-inch sphere will still be able to meet the target date ''some time next year," and that we remember the addage ... "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again." Do Students Read Newspapers? Initial data analysis from a recent survey by Associated Collegiate Press shows that more than three-fourths of the college students interviewed say they read a daily paper regu larly. ACP asked the following question of a representative group of college men and women across the nation: 'DO YOU SUBSCRIBE TO, OR READ REGULARLY, A DAILY NEWSPAPER?" Men Worries Total Yes 79 78 78 No 21 22 22 Almost equal proportions of men and women read a daily newspaper, but college men hold a slight one percentage point lead over the women in their schools. One freshman coed at Wayne State University (Detroit, Mich.) qualified her "yes" answer by stating that, at least, she always reads the comics and the sports pages. A freshman at Tyler Junior Col lege (Tyler, Texas) indicated that he sub scribed to and read his home-town newspaper, and a senior at the Missouri School of Mines (Rolla, Mo.) added that, in addition to reading a morning and evening daily paper, he also xeads several weekly newsmagazines. Lack of time was the major reason given for not reading a daily paper. Almost all the .students commenting on their "no" answer indicated that college itself took up all their available time. One man qualified his state ment, however, by saying that whenever he found the time he read a paper, and another, from the University of Kentucky (Lexington. Ky.) added to his -"no" reply, -"not thoroughly, and not every day.1 Editor's Note: Very few of the students who said they read a daily newspaper offered reas ons why they did so. But the simple fact that ever three quarters of the students inter viewed answered yes to the question is inter esting in itself. One could logically assume from this fact that college students are inter- Jack of All Trades and master of none. The NSEA, Nebraska State Education Association, being the composite group of edu cators of this "'cultural desert," should be well qualified to expound upon the financial needs of the school system. And they will find an alert audience when they chose to tell of these needs, but in tell ing us how to raise the taxes to support bet ter schools they will be reminded that, like children, maybe they should be seen and not heard. As Senator Donald Thompson advised the teachers, "for the good of your organization perhaps you should not assume leadership in the fields of taxation." The teachers avoided generalities in their tax recommendations at the NSEA delegate as sembly which met in Lincoln last week. If they had but stated that the additional funds needed for school expansion should be met through a broadened tax base or some such inexplicit terminology, they would probably hear little objection. But few intelligent citizens will hesitate to admolish the NSEA for its support of the sales tax the tax that tax authorities say is not based on the ability to pay, but that taxes the able and unable alike. Perhaps the NSEA should limit itself to teaching, allow the legislators to pass lax measures and leave the trading to Jack. from the editor First Things First. . . Inter-service rivalry, prevelent throughout the U.S. armed forces and carried out to a lesser extent at the University through the Reserved Officers Training Corps programs has evidently provided the impetus for making the opening social season function a top-notch affair. To revitalize what becomes just another dance except for costumes, last year the Navy B.OTC department planned each phase of the event, decorations, etc. with minute care, with the end result being the first financial success the ball had had in years, with some 1,850 persons in attendance. The Navy sponsors U ) flew in the NavCad choir as additional entertainment, 2 initi ated the reserve seat sections and (S) offered a ticket combination which included tickets, dinner for two, corsage, and transportation from the dinner to the Ball and back again to stimulate interest and make the Ball some thing more than an enlarged Union Saturday evening fox trot. Not to be outdone this year, the Army sponsors utilized the facilities of new Pershing" auditorium, which, coincidentally, were appro priate for a Military Ball since the auditorium was named after the late U.S. Army Gen. "Black Jack" Pershing. The Army spectacle, complete with formed doormen and blazing spotlights. eluded a fast-moving and varied program uru- tn-of by Jack PoBock entertainment, interspersed with the music of Ralph Marterie and his troops. As a profes sional non-dancer, I include this year's Military Ball among the most enjoyable social events I ever attended over the last 20 some years. Except for what seemed an over-lengthy Grand March (we would have called it a "forced march" in the service), the Eall met with great reception from the crowd. With an estimated 2.500 dancers, non-dancers, and spectators in the crowd, this year's affair will probably go down as another financial success. The Army Ball Committee even enlarged on the reserve seat section idea, selling "space" to financial backers who were given box seats away from the mass of humans on the dance floor. With continued interest by the services in improving the season's social opeDer, the NU Military Ball will become something that should be one of the top social functions in the state. Think I'll save my costume far next year again. While we're on more or less of a military tone today, it might be of interest to note Russia's latest claim to fame. In addition to kunching the world's first space satellite, the Soviet Union last week announced another first a Soviet personality has invented a cinema device, known as "Cinerama. Waxtl Lowell Thomas bears about this. Daily Nebraskan rrJTY-SEC YEARS OLD Member: Associated OsUegiate Press IntereoIlerUte Preas Eejeeaeauare: National Advertising Service, Incorporated Psblisbed at: Room 20, Student Caiea Uaeola. Nebraska Htb It R fta DaOr RcbrMkaa to aaBBtaaa' Mootar. lunate. MMtV aaa tlMw lnsf ciac aohaal nmr. aa mt Aasaat 4. mix. EDllvaxii. siarf .m f-oUwt as MaravMwa utiiifeva' canoe aJMTaat, b aaVjaa mt ta ImlwMlf mt Mitirami saaaar Vnm aataartaauaa mt Cat caanraittea aa fttaara aHaa a aa wyrwaua mt ataot-at vtrtataa. a Saaiwat raMlrattnau at-oH a abar a Kmt amaliy mt aar 1 alvtvattr. ar eraaa aetata aar t aiwH . Tar Nffbraafcaa ataff mm p-atwiallv rv afwietftftia) tar m-wmt taw? aar mt mm ar aai a mm ariaw. trmmmn . tM. fraaaerivaaa rata mm KM met mvttmum mt H mm ttrtW . . , . . . m mm mm mm mm mm mm mm my m Vatturial Cottar .-....... ... Mauat-mc l.iu aimn Editor ................ frtwn iaitar . tfcou Mara ftirat Meat Edltnr..... Bofe (Man Cw bdivun Beb Irelul x-f. C&rala f rank. Cajvrr Mwrr. Gary feMtdtrk. ftrnic Mlnal StwrM W rite ... Dot Baamaaam. Boa Shaanaa atart Mrtter atotoMa aaxtartteM, rat f'laaatcaa, Eaaair Umpa, Hark ilatiaaua. VAraa Smita- awroT, Margaret ftrrtmaa. aViata-ma . ... mm Ktmv. imm Aafrrao. - C-arl Hatha way, tun Karrer. Boberta iuaawa, Marnla Koa, Oar. rt LaupaWafter. JUnw JtfeuriMf, &uaaa Br-k-awtaal. aVnal ruanpaaa. ai Totau. Dim WlUaj, Im Tartar. KlaMKttSf TII BvMara Maaact atonr Mtnatla AaatMaat tMMtaea Manager.. ,Ian fttU St kjUmaa Bob aaatat ested in day to day happenings of their country and the world in general. We don't, of course, know what kind of news they read (political, foreign relations, domestic, or human interest ( but just the same, we can be comfortably sure that their interests are not completely confined to on-campus happenings and that they have an awareness of the "outside world' of which they will soon be a part. AND firVT MY DAD A RflV OM ntr Wrvrunnu cr " " ' war, a-J I ! a I IMiaf kll W1 OUR HOUSE. WOUT BURN DOWN AGAIN THIS YEAR Into The Limelight dave rhoades Two weeks ago a rather bitter editorial in the Daily Nebraskan suggested that the Activities Com mittee of the Student Council was '"irresponsible'' and should be cen sored by the Council. The editor ial referred to a motion from the Student Activities Committee rec ommending that funds derived from students i.e., money ob tained from the selling of tickets to a dance) which is later spent on social affairs for a particular organization be limited. . The editorial resulted when the Daily Nebraskan checked with Mr. Clare Harper, Treasurer of the Student Activities Fund, and found discepancies in what Mr. Harper had asked for in the matter and what the Committee -as seeking the Student Council t9 approve. The editorial went on to comment that . . . they (the Committee) were using the prestige of his of fice to enact the measure." At the next session of the Student Council, Connie Hurst, Chairman of the Committee originally proposing the motion, requested and received permission to take it back to the Committee for "further consider ation." The Council will soon be discus sing the new recommendations which, in effect, merely rubber stamps the policy already estab lished by the Administration. The Council will be asked to approve expenditures whatever they may be incurred in carrying out the "expressed and approved aims and purposes of the organization as set forth in its constitution" except money spent for a "limited num ber" of students. a a This is quite a watered-down pro posal from the original motion. Nevertheless, the action of the Student Council on this matter in forms the various campus organ izations of the policy established by the Adminstration. Perhaps groups which find their treasury overflowing will, in the future, find better ways of following the "spirit of their constitutions" than giving dinner parties for themselves. Perhaps also the Administration will be more emphatic in enforc ing organizations to follow the es tablished policy. a a a This week the Library Commit tee of the Student Council will pre sent to Mr. Lundy, Director of Love Library, two major suggest ions. The first will emphasize the desire on the part of students to have the library open during va cation periods. The second sug gests that a box of some type be placed outside the library so that students having overnight and re serve books can place them in the box end not have to wait in 20 de grees of gusty winds for the slots to open. a a Anyone meandering through the library this week noticed a dis play of publications of the Hu manities Faculty across from the circulation desk. The display ar ranged by Mr. Kreissman of the Humanities Department is drawing much attention and many favor able comments. Mr. Kreissman should be commended for taking the time to contact the various faculty members involved and ar ranging the display. I hope an ar rangement can be made to have other departments and colleges display their publications. I talked with Prof. James Olson of the History Department recently and he commented that his de partment would "cooperate fully" in any such display. These dis plays give students an opportunity to see the accomplishments of other departments. Through These Doors george moyer Warning to would be joumalistf. Enter any newpaper office with a ready made armor plated skin. Nobody is more in the middle and more alone than the news paper reporter who makes a mis take. Then he must go around for a week or bo with his collar turned up and his bead down avoiding streetlights and slinking through dark alleys. He is way layed while sitting at his type writer by everyone from Lie editor to the copy boy and gets a thorough raking over the coals ny all of these. Recently, a reporter here made a mistake. I will undoubtedly bs heavily censored for admitting h sort of thing can happen on tne Daily Nebraskan.) She was cover ing a report made by a commit tee of the University cfcapter of the American Association of Uni versity Professors which was a study of the committees of the Faculty Senate. She understood from the chairman of the cox mittee, J. L. Sellers, that the com mittee report had been neither ac cepted nor rejected. Perhaps, this was a misunder standing for the young lady has been getting irate letters frsm other members of the Association calling her treatment of the as ter biased and pointing out ft?, the report was rejected by the Association as a whole. And it was. Since the young lady is a litUe new at the business of being bounced around by people for something she wrote in the paper, she is taking the matter rathtr to heart. She is frimly convinced that she beard Mr. Sellers cor rectly and she is just a lithe amazed that the world, even the University world, can be this rough. She made a simple and basic mistake, not too uncommon amoc; reporters everywhere. She simply forgot that some people have axe to grind and therefore, any job of reporting fcas to come from both sides of the question. Tail is not s censure of her, but a com plaint against those people woo will hide things they don't want known from reporters in spite of the fact that, this information is vitally necessary for a correct and unbiased story. Certainly, such stories are the wish of the Daily Nebraskan and, I hope, all the members of the faculty also. I ir ,Vt Htf 1 7ELLY3J M S0WETH.U)C: 7H!5 6 VStf PESOriAL, AO I DOfc'T HAM VOJ TO LAU&r4. t ' af Y YtXJ J-iAVcS 2-7 SQMET;r5 I UE AUAKE AT Ki&tf USTEMiNa F02 A VOCE TUTuM!l TV" (IIP Hire HAHAHAHA 1 IT" - The Galley Slave by click slmgrue Shugrue If you overheard one of the top level administrators of the Uni versity say that it is not the place of the student to be taking an active part in political affairs, rather he should be here to study and to learn, I wonder if you would be dis turbed. More than likely not. And this ho hum reaction of the average student makes me a little sick. I heard an administrator say words to that effect and I was quite alarmed about the fact that he fails to recognize the import ance of the student's place not only in regard to the issues which face both the administration and the students, such as academic freedom, the right of the student to an active voice on joint com mittees (call it a privilege if you will, the duty of the University to establish consistent social poli cies with respect for the laws of the state, social policies which will be adhered to by students who entertain students as well as others connected with the Univer sity who entertain students and myriad other right heaped upon us all in a free society. Two distinct schools of thought have sprung up in the modern world concerning the place of the student. One of them, like the one ex pressed by the administrator, in timates that students are too dumb to handle their own affairs, too immature to be treated as adults, too ignorant to be banded the civil and social rights report edly accorded every man in a truly free society. A young lady who has repre sented the National Student As sociation was in the city recently and described the liberating ef forts of that organization. She had been a regional secre tary of the NSA and had the op portunity of visiting schools which had established local participation in the national organization. "It is our belief (and this is the second school of thought; that students should have a voice in the legislation which affects them. The age of the voter, the pay ment of taxes by those who cannot vote, the right of the stu dent to participate actively in those political endeavors he sees fit . . . these are all issues with which the NSA concerns itself," she told me. Administrators are likely to pooh-pooh such ideas, chuckling that the NSA is for radicals and pinkos. Just like the ignorant people Mrs. Roosevelt referred to who label everything they do not aa Commies. I have never heard an administrator on tiis campus re fer to the NSA as any of those things. But I have heard it re ferred to as "Left." Whatever that really meant. The basic objection which the old folks at home have with this type group is that students who get into it are likely to go way overboard in asking for conces sions. They think we'll demand the moon. But in this day and age, it's a wonderful thought to imagine any American youth would want to take the trouble to man the moon. Schools like The State Univer sity of Iowa and Michigan havo joined, many of the eastern schools have joined. They are go ing places fast with NSA. This year the national president of the organization is a graduate of the University of Texas. The organization is not centered around the Ivy League. There have been repeated at tempts to get the University of Nebraska interested in the NSA. Last year a fellow named Pom roy who was vice-president of the group came here from Pittsburgh to talk with students and admin istration about our joining. That's the last I heard of it. The NSA may have been lost on the parliamentary table. It may have been defeated. But I hop it's not forgotten. It is important for Americana and especially Students to get hep with the times. It is our duty to act with regard to our liberties. If we don't, we won't deserve to have those liberties. Letterip T H oue To the Editor. I wonder how many students on this campus realize that there is no longer an International House. Evidently the compilers of Builders do not. for it is still listed as an Independent bouse. Probably there are a considerable number who never did know of its existence. For over ten years, the red brick bouse at 1520 R Street next to the State His torical Society ), has been a borne for countless foreign girls who have come here to study; many of them, unused to the American way of life, and not well versed in the language, found at Inter national House a home and orien tation center combined. Usually there were just as many Ameri can girls living in the bouse, so there was plenty of opportunity to become, at least partially Americanized. Last semester, it came to our ears that the Administration had deemed it necessary to close In ternational House; we mere never officially notified of this decision, which seems ill-mannered, to say the least. VShen we pressed for an explanation, it was explained that it was "uneconomical to run such a small house, and anyway, it is much more democratic for the foreign girls to live in the Women's Dorm." We were all quite willing to pay more each semester and keep our house, but this alternative was not offered to us. What exactly "more dem ocratic" means, I don't know. But I do know that it can be a very unnerving experience for a foreign-speaking student to be thrust into a massive dormitory full of giggling co-eds, most of wbom ha ye no desire to room with for eign girls, and many of whom regard a foreign accent or a colored skin something to be thimned, or smirked at in faint embarrassment. But do not let me give the impression that all American students are like this; the students who lived in Inter national House and who work with Cosmopolitan Club, are among the finest ambassadors this country could have. My pouat is this if International House had been retained, foreign girls many thousands of miles away from home, could find in it a con genial, family atmosphere, meet ing American girls who are spe cifically interested in internation al students. It could act as a meeting place for all the foreign students ca campus and their American friends; and I wonder now many people realize that this year there are over 250 foreign students here at the University, representing 52 different countriei. International House now bouses the Faculty Club an organization which, if rumors are correct, is not a financial success. The roomf which used to bouse 33 women students are now empty and unused, except for those oc cupied by the caretaker. If the needs of the Faculty were so great that this highly successful international living group had to be dispensed with, why is the bouse standing unused? As far aa I can ascertain, it is used for oc casional committee meetings which could just aseasily be held iin the Student Union. The firm social event of the Club was held a few weeks ago; it was, ironic ally, a tea for foreign graduate students. Was this a coincidence, or was the Administration per haps, feeling a little tbat International House was no longer available for the foreign students on campus? By all means let 'a have a Faculty Club, but I think the need for an International House is just as great. This letter is intended only as a complaint at the closure of In ternational House, and not a gen eral invective at the treatment of students from overseas. Wa foreign students are very grate ful for the opportunity afforded us to study at the University of Nebraska; we are more than thankful for the numerous acts of friendship and hospitality w have received while living in this country (and surely Nebraska must take the prize for open hearted friendship.) But Please American students do not forget what a very dif ficult experience it can be for a foreign speaking student to adapt himself to the American language and way of life. If you have the opportunity to assist a foreign student, to offer him encourage ment or advice of friendship, do not hesitate to do o. It will be very much appreciated, and you will be doing your country a serv ice for who knows, that man may some day be Prime Minister of Jamaica or the Foreign Minis ter of Iran, and bis future actions may well be colored by the treat ment be receives is the United States today. If you are still not convinced, just imagine what you would feel like in a strange town in Afghanistan or Argentina with no hamburgers, no milk shakes, no American buddies. See what I mean? Clare C. Cooper Nebraskan Courage To the Editor: I was glad to see that The Nebraskan had the courage not only to retract but apologize for statements obviously referring to me as the "meddling" council member who had "juggled" the type of the student tribunal story last spring. It is my hope that charges of such an irresponsible and un substantiated nature may never again appear in this campus news paper. I also trust that the Council and The Nebraskan will be able to work together throughout the remainder of the academic year, particularly in regard to institut ing the student tribunal. I hope this council will be re membered as the one which fi nally put the tribunal into oper ation. My best wrrr-es for an emin ently successful year. Bruce Brvgmaa