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Pag 1
The Daily Nebraskan
Tuesday, December 10, 1957
Editorial Comment
College Population Boom Creeps Up
While Puzzled Educators Stand By
The president emeritus of the University of
Cincinnati reported Sunday in his annual sur
vey of U.S. student populations that many
college freshmen next fall will find themselves
at schools of their second or third choice."
Dr. Raymond Walters indicated in his report
that the record high of 1,755,103 full-time
students and a grand total of close to two and
a half million or more than 1,000 campuses
show that America is sold on higher educa
tion. But the relative comparison of the figures
of Americans in college and those in the Soviet
Union is the important matter to be considered.
From about 760 Russian schools 71,000 engi
neers were graduated in 1956, Walters reported.
America produced only 28,835 from 151 accred
ited institutions.
Despite the boom in the desire for advanced
education, educators such as Walters agree
that restrictions on admissions will become
the rule of the thumb.
Financing higher education is also a basic
problem. A conference of college students meet
ing at a Midwest institution this past week
agreed that financing the colleges, paying the
teachers and coping with other money prob
lems were the primary problems of education.
Once again it becomes evident that college
leaders are going to have to leave the class
room and the easy chairs and move into the
lab of practicality to solve this very real situa
tions. How it can be dm is still a puzzle. But that
it must be done is no puzzle.
Colleges in America must not turn away eager
young students from their doors. But they
must not lower their standards to allow masses
of students masses of anyones to enter into
the kingdom of higher education.
The Housing Code
yt
The minimum housing standards code which
will give the University and not the city stu
dent housing jurisdiction seems to be a good
idea.
Under the terms of the code those student
houses which do not comply
with the code's stipulations
may be declared "off lim
its." The authority for this rul
ing comes from the rules of
the Board of Regents which
states that undergraduate
students must live in ap
proved housing.
" And E. W. Simpson Jr.,
director of the University
Division of Environmental
Health, claims that the code will be tailored to
meet existing conditions in dormitory and fra
ternity housing and will require only minor
changes.
Stricter sanitation standards for basements
and conformance with minimum space require
ments in dormitories are two aims of the code,
according to Simpson.
At the present time many of the student hous
ing units don't meet the proposed requirement
of 50 square feet of space per occupant in all
rooms used for sleeping.
Apparently the code would not be put into
effect, thus giving those houses to be affected
r t at-
Court y Lincoln Star
Simpson
an opportunty to make the improvements.
In some cases the improvements will be
merely moving students in from the dormitories
of fraternity houses to the house's rooms.
Students may have a tendency to believe that
this code is working to eliminate old fraternity
houses which have been on the campus almost
from time immemorial.
However ,the fact of the matter is that the
code is being drawn up to insure the students
the best possible sanitation conditions in the
living quarters on the campus and around it.
It is interesting to note that the completely
non-antagonistic report of Simpson is and will
continue to be well received by the students.
The report which came out in the spring had
the antiseptic tone of antagonism and many
students especially those in the Greek bouses
took it that way.
Now it is clear to see that the code is being
set up for the general welfare. Ample time is
being given to the student houses to comply
with the report. There can be no question as
to the value of good housing.
Alas, we must admit that such a report brings
with it the nostalgic words of "Old Black Joe"
which go, "Gone are the days . . ." But those
days when the students were automatically
associated with a garret and a candle in a
bottle are gone.
Now we must live within the realms of de
cency. That starts, we suspect, with decent
bousing.
The Traditional Things
Sunday the University will again be privi
leged to hear "The Messiah" which has become
a tradition at Christmas time.
Directed by David Foltz, chairman of the
Department of Music ,the Handel oratorio will
be presented in the Coliseum at 3 p.m.
It is a wonderful thought that the University
supports this program so well each year.
We suspect that the true spirit of Christmas
dwells very strongly and very realistically on
the campus. But pushed aside by the day to
day cares of students and faculty alike the
apirit of the Nativity of Christ must exert itself
at least once a year and at that time deeply,
sincerely.
We will pause, then, Sunday to hear the ora
torio.
We can hope that to the students will be
imparted the true spirit of Christmas. It exists
amid the tinfoil, as so often pointed out. It
exists in the window display downtown. It lives
in the churches and in the houses. But once in
a while when we can stop studying long enough
and look into ourselves, at that time when our
hearts are lifted up to the heavens by music,
whenever the occasion arises to find the spirit
of Christmas, the spirit of self-sacrifice, we wiU
find it.
We must be grateful that this opportunity to
hear the oratorio presents itself each year so
that we can pause long enough to find the great
spirit of Christmas.
from the editor
First Things First. . .
by Jack PoDock
America "horse and buggy" educational
system in the nuclear age and suggestions for
improvement of same were discussed thoroughly
last weekend by the father of America's atomic
submarine. Bear Admiral H. G. Kickover.
The Chief of the Naval Reactors Branch of
the VS. Atomic Energy Commission was prin
cipal speaker at the dedication of the Nuclear
power training school at the Navy Submarine
base et New London, Conn. Starting tomorrow,
the Daily Nebraskan win carry excerpts from
Kickover's speech in a three-part series about
America's current choice between educational
revamping or catastrophe.
., A Nobel prize winner has criticized college
students for limited knowledge of English,
vocabularies filled with slang, weak mathema
tics and inadequate knowledge of languages,
soienoe and literature. The question is, does the
fault lie in the students themselves or in the
system?
The critic was University of Chicago profes
sor Dr. Harold C. Urey, who also charged that
college students have no effective study habits,
little idea of thoroughness, read no books or
seldom do and do not enter into conversation.
Here, definitely, the student is at fault and
with a small percentage the students have but
one answer: Guilty.
Dr. Urey, by the way, has reached his period
of usefulness at the University of Chicago. Hav
ing reached the compulsory retirement age of
65 he leaves the University this school year.
Like many other schools, the University of
California believes in ability and recognition of
the individual, and has hired Urey, who will
assume a new post at California next fall.
Summing up changes needed in this country's
educational system in a recent speech before
members of the Central Association of Science
and Mathematics teachers, Dr. Urey said a
"new respect for the intellectual" is essential.
Said Urey, "It 6eems that the population of
this country has a considerable predilection for
trusting essentially stupid people and mistrust
ing those who are brilliant."
At Wilmington (Ohio) College comes word that
the school is discontinuing the degree of Bache
lor of Science in Education and that it will
establish a master's program for teacher edu
cation. The discontinuance of the BS. m
Education will not affect certification of under
graduates, but will increase courses in litera
ture, language and cultural subjects that candi
dates for teaching will be expected to take.
Meanwhile, back at at the home front, there
remain only eight more days (excluding Satur
days) of educational opportunity in the class
room at the University during the year of 1937.
Daily Nebraskan
FIFTY-SIX YEAS OLD
Member: Associated Collegiate Press
Interoolletiate Frets
fcepreseaUtive: National Advertising Service,
Incorporated
"" " Published at: Room 20, Student Union
MM
Lincoln, Nebraska
14th AVE
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berrer, Margaret Wertman.
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Readers Sound Off
Through Rag Letterips
Real People
Tlw Galley Slave
by dick shucrue
To the Editor:
Apparently Mr, Menuey is one
of these people who regurgi ates on
paper whatever he reads on the
editorial page. I refer in particular
to his plea for "real people" in
last Friday's Daily Nebraskan. I
am afraid Mr. Menuey has con
fused the popular cry for "indi
vidualism" with his "real people."
J can see a definite need for "in
dividuals". That is, people capable
of forming their own decisions, ad
justing to their needs and capa
bilities, and not being afraid to be
leaders by trying something new.
However, this idea of "real peo
ple" who won't identify themselves
with society is getting way out on
the limb of unreality.
Unrealistic, because man is a
social being. From birth till death,
man is dependent on other people
not only for his physical needs,
but for his emotional, intellectual,
and moral needs. Assuming this
to be true, how can man satisfy
these needs if be doesn't commun
icate, and how can ht communi
cate if he isolates himself from
society? He can't, and yet Mr.
Menuey suggests this when he
asks us to be "real people." We
can't run around telling our fam-
Coal
Bin
cole
jim
Noel.
In an era of skepticism and anx
iousness, and near panic since
some satellites have been shoved
off this earth, it's good to know
that Americans haven't lost all
doubt of the species and trust for
God. We still sing joy ki the Ad
vent season and therefore express
faith. That is, no matter how out
of reason the outlook appears, we
keep confidence in hunting for so
lutions. And the University Singers
helped us do that Sunday by an
nouncing for some and reminding
for others the yule occasion. For
even though the strings for hang
ing on seem loose at times, and
the cynics get hold, the musiciaas
call hope out of our minds and
thereby give courage. Which is es
pecially appropriate at this time
of year.
And the carolers Sunday after
noon did a good job of proclaim
ing the festival and preparing Ne
braskans for the Nativity. Full
house both times and a lot of ex
hilarated persons afterward, I no
ticed. And that's good.
In other words, Christmas is one
event that is never pushed out of
Us rightful dignity by even the
most insidious misanthrope. And
that's awful good, for it indicates
that there is little doubt in the
brains of Americana where im
portance ought to be placed, even
though it would seem different, as
described here before.
At any rate I've found some
interesting evidence about the real
and false, et cetera which was
preached last time. Albert Schweit
ser, for example, who is worth
looking at for about any ideal that
could be named.
Yousuf Karsh, the Ottawan pho
tographer, interviewed him and
took his picture, which is printed
in the Iecember Atlantic. The re
marks Karsh makes indicate a
rather unconscious search for
achieving special effects and mak
ing impressions. He says, for in
stance, that Schweitzer made no
attempt to impress him. He re
ports wanting to photograph hdm,
holding an album of Bach. But
Scbwitzer protested, saying that
to play Bach's music with a cam
era would be like 'choucroute gar
ni', whatever that means. Anyway,
the idea the photographer had was
to try and make Schweitzer look
like a musician by having him
pretend to be carrying around an
album that be would ordinarily
never do. But Schweitzer refused.
The doctor fooled him. You
know, false fronts, sense of val
ues, impressions. This wise fellow
knew what was important and
what was not. Too bad there aren't
more Albert Schweitaers around.
ily and everyone else to go to hell
just because that's the way we
feel; not without isolating ourselves
from those things we hope and
need to attain. We have to abide by
certain rules of society even though
we don't like them.
I realize Mr. Menuey said so
cial roles and not society, and yet
social roles are intertwined with
society and very necessary. What
kind of teachers would we have if
they didn't play the teaching role?
How could a college graduate
teach kindergarten if he or she
behaved as "real people", specif
ically, refusing to do such things
as using simple language and par
ticipating In children's games? The
roles of the teacher, military offi
cer, foreman, businessman, public
official, and many others, are all
very necessary and essential to
the welfare of ourselves and our
country.
A last reminder, let's not con
fuse individualism with isolation
ism. Gary Jacobs
Shugnie
which
To the Editor:
Nebraska's recent football sea
son was probably a flop. And the
recent American fizzleneck wao
more of one. People who let sucn
failures discourage them, however,
should glance at the records of
the 1957 Military Ball for a whole
lot of inspiration.
Only two years ago fhe Military
Ball was at an all-time low on
this campus. Prestige was prac
tically nill; it had lost money foi
several consecutive years; there
was good reason to believe that
one more year of failure would
witness its demise from the cam
pus scene.
Then last year, the Navy
stepped in. With full support of
the University administration and
the city of Lincoln, the NROTC
unit reserved the trend, brought
the Military Ball back into tie
limelight as the prime social
event of the year. By drastically
changing the format and adding
all kinds of inovations, they not
only boosted its campus standing,
put its books back into the black,
but they tacitly threw out a chal
lenge to the Army ROTC unit to
do a better job this year.
Those who attended the bail
know that the Army met this chal
lenge. They took the ball out of
the Coliseum and put it into Lin
coln's brand new Pershing Audi
torium; they provided a famous
and danceable band; they added
such pleasantries as waiter serv
ice to tables; and searchlights out
front. Many people agreed it was
the finest formal University func
tion in years.
If the interservice rivalries can
continue to produce such magni
ficent results, the Air Force unit
should really give us a treat next
year.
R. W. B.
ACP Poll
A magazine called Creative
Writing is planned by a group of
ambitious students in cahoots with
a faculty advisor culled from the
English Department.
This is all
well and good
but highly im
p r a c t i
cal. I suspect,
however, that
the magazine
people have
examined the
financial p i t
falls of this
type of maga
zine and will
take into ac
count the money worries
have accompanied thoughts about
this kind of book and any other
kind of student publication.
Obviously some outside help is
being garnered for the book if it
is to be a success. Nevertheless,
excessive amounts of the green
stuff are needed for the venture.
I am not opposed to the idea of
a literary magazine run by the
students. . . especially those who
would set themselves up as judges
of fine literature, creative liter
ature or experimental literature.
There is a need both on this cam
pus and on other college campuses
for such books to be published
wisely and regularly.
But what burns me up is the
fact that the people who would
start off on such a venture leave
the present sources for this bind
of material high and dry in taking
off on the adventure.
This newspaper hasn't suffered
too much from a lack of things
to print in the past semesters.
However, it might be interesting
to note that once upon a time the
deparment which is starting off
the work on the magazine used
to present for publication to the
Daily Nebraskan fine literary
pieces.
The paper was elated to print
the materials, which were judged
by a team of experts in the Eng
lish Department.
We have always tried to en
courage the flow of literary talent
into the most available source of
student opinion, the Rag.
But the flow of materials from
Andrews Hall abruptly stopped
last year.
Even the Campus Green
withered after the death of David
Happily.
It is a shame that students think
it necessary to cut off the flow
of literary material into the hands
of the "average student" (what
ever that means) for the sake of
getting an independent publication.
This is especially true consid
ering the cost the Daily Nebraskan
underworte when it printed the lit
erary supplements in the spring
of 1956.
Actually in that semester the
Nebraskan printed three literary
supplements by some of the best
talents on the campus in the stu
dent quarter at, what would cost
today about $600. That indicates
that this newspaper was interested
in the literary aspects of the cam
pus life.
This semester our willingness to
print poetry in the Campus Grsen
and our willingness to show overt
response to the new Prairie
Schooner, both pro and con, seems
to indicate to me that the new
magazine and its directors are be
ing quite unrealistic in their vews.
After all, there is a medium for
the literary talent on the campus.
Costs are exorbitant for the pro
duction of a magazine.
National advertisers tell us they
won't advertise in anything less
than an established publication.
The new publication would usurp
some of the services of the pro
ducers of the paper (in my opin
ion.) Once again, I believe there is a
need for a literary magazine on
the campus.
But it would be at least com
mon courtesy for the creators of
that book and if not courtesy,
good business to consult with the
persons whom they will, in ef
fect, be robbing of some materials.
However, 1 wish them luck in
such a gigantic undertaking.
I hope they have good luck when
presenting their ideas to the Board
of Student Publications.
The Nebraska State Education
Association deserves one of the
strongest pats on the back of any
group in the state.
That organization has had the
guts to come out for a new form
of taxation in the state of Ne
braska. And it doesn't matter if teachers
are teachers. They are citizens
and as such have a perfect right
as a matter of fact they have
a duty, to support a form of tax
which will help them get a decent
wage.
It is appalling that individuals
would say teachers have no bus
iness to ask for tax changes.
It should be obvious to anyone
that there are injustices under the
present form of taxation. Why
some of the wealthiest persons in
the state are getting away with
murder when the time comes to
dig into the coffers and pay the
state's bills.
On the other side of the leger,
Farmer Brown is getting stuck
with the bill because he has a
great share cf the land and of
the personal property.
Because of this, he doesn't want
to redistrict the schools; that
would mean a bigger load of the
taxes on him.
And amidst it all, the teacher
is stuck: a relative pauper.
Here's to the teachers of Ne
braska who are sick and tired of
getting stuck with the bourgeois
share of the bill.
Students Split on Views Regarding
Value of Liberal Arts Education
Initial results of a national poll
of student opinion indicate that col
lege students are quit evenly split
on the question of whether or not
enough emphasis is put on a lib
eral arts education in today's uni
versities. Associated Collegiate Press ob
tained that information from an
swers to the following question,
which was asked of a representa
tive group of students in United
States colleges and universities:
"NOT LONG AGO A MID
WEST EDUCATOR SAID HE
FEELS THAT NOT ENOUGH
EMPHASIS IS BEING PLACED
ON A LIBERAL ARTS EDUCA
TION TODAY. DO YOU AGREE
WITH THIS STATEMENT, OR
DO YOU DISAGREE WITH IT?
WHY?
The tabulated results of the an
swers: A larger number of college men
feel that liberal arts is not re
ceiving enough emphasis in to
day's schools, but the majority of
college women disagree. The basic
point on whkh the issue revolves
seems to be that of specialization.
Persons supporting the view that
not enough emphasis is placed on
a liberal arts education tend to
believe that there is too much
specialization, while those who dis
agreed with the statement tended
to feel more emphasis should be
placed on specialization.
"Over-specialization has robbed
the United States of a thinking
public" was the view of a Colo
rado State College (Greeley, Colo.)
sophomore and a University of
Kentucky (Lexington, Ky.) sopho
more coed agreed by saying "We
are becoming too specialized in
this country. We need to have
more emphasis on general educa
tion in order that we may develop
along a number of lines."
A practical senior coed at Knox
College (Galesburg, 111.) also corn
eluded that there was not enough
emphasis being put on liberal arts
education, and commented "With
liberal arts you can go into al
most any field. . ." A University
of Vermont (Burlington, Yt. ten
ior feels that "regardless of the
desired career, a knowledge of lib
eral arts is a necessity."
In answer to the poll question,
A Few Words Of A Kind
Harry Hungryfellow never had
enough to eat. Each spring fee told
himself, "Maybe this year some
passerby will stop at my bouEe
and plant a garden for me. Tht;n
1 won't have to go hungry.
Strangely enough, however, no
passersby stopped at Mr. Hungry
fellow's house until one day a
stranger noticed bim lying dead
in front of his home. Hungryfellow
had starved to death waiting far
someone else to plant his garden
instead of planting it himself.
Just as Hungryfellow needed
food, Nebraska's educational sys
tem needs money. The state's edu
cators, instead of waiting for
someone else to "plant tbeir gar
den" voted to back an initiative
petition to amend the tax provi
sions of the Constitution of Ne
braska. Then poured forth the editorials.
The Lincoln Sunday Journal and
Star said, "The teachers have ade
quately pointed up the need. A
wiser course might have left the
ways and means up to other
groups now alive to the need."
The Daily Nebraskan said, "And
they (the Nebraska State Educa
tion Assn.) will find an alert audi
ence when they choose to tell cf
these needs, but in telling us now
to raise the taxes to tupporl bet
ter schools they will be reminded
that, like children, maybe they
should be seen and not heard.
The Journal and Star seemed to
sum up the reasoning of both its
own editorial writers and the edi
torial writer of the Daily Nebras
kan with these comments, ... di
rect participation as the active
leader of a specific legislative pn
gram . . amounts to ttie teachers
putting themselves in the position
of telling the people what action
to take."
If the logician who wrote these
words will explain to me how tie
set teachers apart from people 1
will feel extremely enlightened.
Certainly any group has the right
to crusade for its cause as long
as it does not interfere with the
rights of others. Is this right a
sacred cow not to be touched bv
teachers? Are teachers inhuman
ignoramuses incapable of leading
a petition drive, or are some per
sons afraid the teachers will brain
wash the children of the state into
believing that their cause for a
change in the Nebraska taxation
system is greatly desirable?
Both of these papers say, "leave
the trading to Jack, or "other
groups now alive to the need." All
one can truthfully comment is tnat
Jack the Trader must have gat
lost between his home and ine
trading post and that the other
folks may be "alive" but certainly
not "alive to the need.
Stiow me a state more backward
politically than Nebraska, and in
government officials will have to
be carrying spears. This state ha
been dragging along financially
with what is often termed as the
most backward and unfair taxa
tion system in the United States
The Daily Nebraska, however,
would have us think that "tax au
thorities" believe the NebrasJss
system is divinely inspired and
second as s law only to the Ten
Commandments.
a Biola College Los Angeles,
Calif. I senior who disagreed with
the statement asked a question of
his own: "Is libera! arts neces
sarily the answer to our educa
tional problem? In our culture to
day there is very little need for
a 'jack of all trades, master of
non'." "Liberal arts education is
good, but if people did not excel
and specialize, there would be a
few advancements" is the opinion
of a sophomore coed at Tyler
Junior College (Tyler, Texas) and
a Wayne State University (Detroit,
Micb.J freshman coed supported
her disagreement with the state
ment by commenting, "There
should be more emphasis on sci
ence as such, because more sci
entists are needed.!'
With a very flat statement, a
University of Kentucky (Lexington,
Ky.) sophomore backed up his dis
agreement with the educator's
view by saying simply "The day
of specialization has come," and
another student from Wayne State
University dismissed the whole
problem with "Liberal arts are
rather uselss! "
by e. e. hines
Nebraska is so short of
funds that every time a mile of
new road is constructed state offi
cials pat themselves on the back
and act as though they had just
launched a new atomic submarine.
From the condition of our roads
they obviously don't have many
such celebrations.
The same thing may be said
about our schools. The teachers in
this state are among the lowed
paid in the nation. About the only
states which trail Nebraska in sup
port of education are those in
which the adults go barefooted in
the summer and revenue officials
track after moonshiners.
Our tax system is so limited that
"hold the line" cries by the gov
ernor make you laugh. Obvious.y
you can't spend what you haven't
got and never will have.
This state is so reluctant t
spend money that many of its citi
zens would probably hsve the go ,
ernor advocate the building of oit
houses around the Capitol building
in order to save on plumbing cot
and "hold the line."