Poge 2
The Dailv Nebroskan
Wednesday, February 5, 195 3
Editorial Comment
Hell Week Antics Bomb
Frat Life; Change Needed
Wayward Wanderings
By Ron Mold
University fraternity members are busy quil
ting their pledges now oa grade averages. It's
11 part of the annual informal survey that
typifies these organizations in order to deter
mine how many of the neophytes will be eligible
for the mystic initiation rites.
But before initiation, even if the pledge does
make his average, he must face Hell Week.
The name Hell Week may have disappeared
from the literature of many fraternities, but
here and iiiere throughout the country and
round the campus the "stunts" that character
ized this week of hazing still prevail when time
arrives for the pre-initiation triaL"
Eating goldfish, spending nights in haunted
houses, walking back from country road excur
sions in pajamas or shorts, and similar Hell
Week pranks do not play an important role
at the University.
Most campus fraternities realize the foolish
Bess e such juvenile escapades.
II k possible, however, that all of them do
rot Thus, the pause for consideration.
The fraternity in America is facing constant
criticism from hawk-eyed observers who feel
that fraternities contribute little or nothing to
student's college life.
Jf the fraternity a student belongs to forces
him to do indecent and malicious acts in order
to determine his "worthiness'' for initiation, the
fraternity actually doesn't help him.
Not only do these sort of pranks hurt the
student, but they damage the reputations of
all other fraternities and the college as well.
Hell Week ran and has been made to mean
much more at many campuses across the
country.
"Help Week" is the name it has acquired in
many fraternities. This "help" is aimed at bo;h
the student and his college. It may also be
beneficial to the community.
The student may benefit if the fraternity uses
time during this "trial week" to emphasize
scholarship, better intra-fraterr.ity brotherhood,
and improved personal traits.
The college may benefit by being assured a
better student, scholastically and personally.
Again, the college benefits because it need not
fear bad publicity as a result of acts instigated
by over zealous but poorly motivated fraternity
members.
The community may benefit by work projects
and cleanup campaigns carried out by the
pledges during this week. Numerous civic or
ganizations such as the YMCA and the YWC.
caa always find ase for the efforts of tea to
thirty fraternity members.
And surprisingly enough fraternities that have
tried this have discovered it does not take the
"fun" out of the event. Instead, it often adds
much deeper meaning to fraternity li.'e.
All University fraternities might make con
scious efforts this year to give "Help Week" a
"trial."
Points For Our Gals
For the benefit of the AWS and the students
who must be burdened with "points" while
being troubled with the problem of working
their way through college, these comments:
As far as the Daily Xebraskan is concerned,
we believe the use of points with regard to
our staff is outmoded, outlandh and should
be outcast.
Fortunately, we have only three girls on the
staff who have to file points with the AWS.
Because they are copy editors, they are handed
three points each as they work their way
through school.
A little letter from the AWS has asked us
If we believe the positions are overpoinied, and
if so, what suggestions should be made.
Well, mama's little girl has come to college,
presumably to throw off the yoke of childhood,
aad she fs immediately burdened with the yoke
f activity pouts.
In all fairness we might mention that the
purpose of the point system (according to the
AWS) is to increase the efficiency of campus
organizations by proviiLng them with officers
who will have the sufficient time to devote to
the organization, to benefit the students by pro
tecting their health and assuring them the
necessary time to meet their scholastic require
ments, and to benefit the campus as a whole
by distributing the offices among the many
students capable of assuming the responsibility.
This, ia effect, means (or so it seems) that
girls hare no common sense, the most qualified,
the best leaders, shouldn't lead, responsibility
should be doled out whether one is most quali
fied to accept it or not
The AWS states its purposes as, 'to encourage
women to achieve aad maintain a successful
balance of scholastic endeavor social life aad
extracurricular activities ... to promote high
ideals of conduct in University women."
But only if this a.-chiac points business is
dropped could the AWS add, "To encourage col
lege women to come out of the crib and diaper
stage."
From the Editor
private opinion
dick shugrue
A
Despite our personal feelings regarding the
guilt or innocence of Charley Starkweather (who
needs no introduction) I might make a few
comments about the treatment the press gave
the search and capture of the accused mur
derer. Marderer Caught," "Mad-Do Killer
Nabbed," "Punk Kiler Shot ia Wyoming."
These were just some of the headlines
splashed across papers from Newport News
to Oakland. The kid was convicted long before
he reached the safety of the
Kebraska Pen walls.
Aad the press was respoa-' -""
sJble, Certainly television . ,v
journalists, too, share the5"
blame for the miscarriage ol I
Justice. John Daly referred 1 "J f
to Charley as a "teenage
murderer" Others of less &'
note made similar mistakes.
It is all well and good to
toss the blame on someone,
on Starkweather, for thatl
matter, if he has admitted
the killings.
However it must be remembered that the
initial confession extracted from the swivel
haired Loncolnite was out ia Wyoming before
lie had been given a chance to consult with an
attorney. Certainly I would be naive to say that
be should have yelled for a lawyer when he was
disarmed and dragged in.
But the end result of the pre-coirrictiog by the
frees and the electronic journalists leads me
So believe that Starkweather will never find aa
obiased Jury ia the U.S.A.
Perhaps he doesn't deserve a jury trial.
And yet there's something basic- perhaps it's
contradictory in our concept of justice which
maintains that every man is innocent until
Miminnir aMafaanf
proven guilty. I suppose this means before a
court of law and not before the journalists of
our land.
A fine line raa probably be draws between
decent graphic journalism and the kind which
was used to the Starkweather business.
Pictures of the young Ward boy mourning and
the family and friends of the youths from Ben
net will linger in the minds of any citizens in
this neck of the woods who might be called t9
sit on a jury.
Just a loak st the res-ohs of the Nebraskan poll
to find out what the feeling regarding capital
punishment is will tell you that the vast ma
jority of the students on the campus have been
prejudiced by something.
And speaking of miscarriages of justice ...
Around the University, often, the feeling that a
student is guilty until proven innocent seems
to prevail.
Just take a look at the last card you got from
the library which tells you to bring your bank
book right over; you have lost a book.
Or even worse, glance at the last letter you
have received from the Division of Student
Affairs which tells you to pay your library fines
or don't graduate. This sort of letter doesn't
take into consideration the notion that the li
brary might have misplaced a book, or that
you never had it in the first place.
Another example comes to us from the Uni
versity Police. They, too, have a habit of
sending out nocuous letters to the students tell
ing them they are guilty, pay up, or get out.
Not, "You are to appear in court . . ."
Perhaps the inclusion of a student tribunal
into our youthful lives will help alleviate such
medieval practices.
At any rate, I hope our friends in the plush
new offices in the building across the street
can see the student's point of view.
EUTI-KLVLM TEAES OLD any Member ef Chr faeoltr of the t'nHrerettr. The
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Member: Associated Collegiate Press eeoaeintr tar wbm ttr, w, e te be
Intercollegiate Press "rtn- t .
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incorporated Lnieeie, Webraeaa, anser the act at Aasant , 112.
Published at: Room 20, Student Union evitoeiax. ststt
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The University of Utopia has
just completed a new student un
ion at a cost of Sll billion. It
was opened last week at a cele
bration a school sponsored beer
blast which was climaxed by 10,-
000 students' gathering on the
steps of the new building anJ
shotting in unison, -Ve may be
ignorant, but we've got entertain
ment !"
e e e
In a speech on the union steps.
1 M. Tepid, president of the Uni
versity of Utopia, recounted the
fund-raising drive. He explained
that funds for the new building
had been acquired through three
means: (1) each student was re
quired to sign a twenty-year note
pledging 15 per cent of his inccm?
until 1978, (2) money was saved Dy
economy cuts in classroom facili-
Just
Between
Us
By Doc Rofjsers
"We've got one up there. It's
somewhat late and it's only a
smidgen, but it is Hying high and
is apparently prepared to stay up
for some time.
Politically, the U.S. satellite, the
Explorer, has much international
significance. It has regained for
us much of the prestige which
we lost at the time of the earlier
Russian successful launchings and
our own failures. Frcm behind the
iron curtain as well as from allies,
have come the messages of con
gratulations. Bargaining with the Soviets will
no doubt be a little easier now.
Already Russia has set forth new
terms for its proposed summit con
ference. We are ags;n on an ap
parently ec,ual footing. BUT let's
not get too COCKY!
They still may be as much as
five years ahead of us in m,sse
development and research.
Our own experts have tula us
that. But they also tell is of
pending missile projects. It seems
the Xavy will soon launch a sat
ellite of its own and the Air Force
has considered the rmon as a tar
get with a launching date set some
time this year.
We have come a long way. For
this, the Eisenhower administra
tion deserves the kudos. Very little
had been done when Dee took the
reirns in I9S2; Trunvan had prac
tically neglected the field. Thus S3
per cent of all expenditures for
research in this field thus far were,
appropriated during the first five
years of the recent Republican ad
ministration. The blame for the lack of earlier
success which Democrats have
tried to place oa Republicans
seems to fall on their own shoul
ders. Their criticisms of Sherman
Adams' enlightenments seem to
fall short in light of these facts.
Seriousness a.?ide, I hear our
satellite set for an April launch
ing will house nut a dog or man
but six Hoistein steers. It will be
the Herd Shot Around the World.
ties hogsheds, chicken coops, rab
bit hatches cr.d cjt'uojses are to
be utilized as classrooms following
a report by a team of U U. effi
ciency experts, (3) instructors de
manding more than $2,500 per
year are not to be accepted.
I had just joined the crowd as
Tepid was reminding them of the
purposes of the new student union.
"We all know" he said, "that the
prime purpose of this new building
is to provide entertainment. There
are two o'.'.ier purposes, however;
first, to promote better relations
between the students and the citi
zens of the state; and second, to
make sure that we are keeping
up with the other meirbers of the
Big EighJ in the rare to see who
can provide the mast lavish enter
tainment facilities.
e e e
Following the speech, the crowd
rushed forward and, hoisting Tepid
onto their shoulders, surged
through the doors to break in the
new facilities. Each student was
personally greeted in the foyer by
Sherman Billingsley, student union 1
manager. Since I had been linger- j
ing in the background during the
speech, I was one of the last to!
get to him. As I was shaking his
hand. I said, "It seems awfully
dark in here." I
"It's because our full crew isn't
working yet," he said. "We have
a unique power system here 500 i
students running on treadmills in'
the basement. This generates all
the power we need to operate the j
lights and the 5.10 automatic pin- j
setters in our bowling lanes. Each j
student here at Utopia spends s j
minimum of to hours a day on
a treadxill. Their payment is a
generous 20 per cent discount on '
all cups of coffee."
"Clever system," I said. "I won-;
der if it would work at Nebraska
"We have a tremendous esprit
de corps here at Utopia," he said.
Rm i
I started to tell Sherman that
he needn't feel uppity about the
whole thing because we too were
erecting a magnificent addition to
our stuaent union, and that ther
was even wind of an addition to
the addition. "This," I told him,
should demonstrate to everyene
how progressive we are at Ne
braska U."
When I chanced to mention ttie
million and a quarter bucks we
had raked up for the thing, my
bragging was interrjpted. It was
Sherman. He was laughing up his
tailored sleeve.
"Do you mean to say," he snick
ered "that you simps could on.y
muster up a million and a quar
ter?" "I'm afraid so," I said sheep
ishly. "Cultural lag, you know."
I wer.t oa to explain to him that
only recently had the folks in our
state begun to realize what a bor
ing Lfe university students weie
leadir. I told fcim that our in
structors worked us until we were
in a state of nervous exhaustion.
e e e
"Lately," I said, "Nebraskans
have become increasingly con
cerned over the lack of entertain
ment at the University. The situa
tion has got to the point where
students have been known to spend
as many as three consecutive
hours studying!
"Incredible." said Sherman
"Come oa, 111 buy you a cup of
coffee." I followed him down the
ball, trying to look interested as
he poi.T.ed out the mam attractions
of the new building. "On our
right," he said, "is the swimming
pooL On our left, the steam baths.
Down this hail to tbe left is the
super market, liquor store, beauty
saon, and new car showroom."
At the end of the hall, we went
through a swinging door and found
ourselves in a large room. Glanc
ing ax the students sitting at tables
gorging themselves, I said, "Tt
must be tbe lunch room."
e
"I can see you're a Phi Beta
Kappa" he said, stepping up to
the counter. "What would you
lie?" I told him that I'd just
like some coffee. He said that he'd
like some too. "Two coffees
please" he said to the woman be
hind the counter.
IU get them," I said in a rare
moment of generosity.
ThatU be fifty cents please,
stie said.
"That's where we've got it over
you Utopians," 1 said to Sherm
'coffee's only a dime in Nebras
ka."
PRLVTCVG
fraternity. Sorority & Organiza
tion Letterheads . . . Letters . ,
New Bulletins . . . Booklets
. . . Programs
GRAVES FEINTING CO.
312 North 12th. Ph. 2-2957
WELCOME NEW STUDENTS
TO NU
The Place to U fsr Yclt Kzlrcut Is
BOB'S BARBER SHOP
1315 "V Sreef Norfhside of
Phone 5-9323 Stuart Eldg.
Flattops Our Specialty
University Young Republicans
Meeting
THURSDAY 7:30-9:00 p.m.
Student Union Room 313
Typewriters For Rent
Special Student Rates
NEBRASKA TYPEWRITER CO.
125 No. 11th
Phons 2-4284
13TH & M LINDELL HOTEL
121 NORTH 12TH
! LaLsiii
Oa (feasts
kith
(S th Authm of "RaUf Round Ou flag, BoyaS" and
s try . r. -i i i. i. m
A SCHOOL AWAY FROM SCHOOL
Students majoring in science, like all other American
MudeLts, have a wild yearning for culture, but, alas,
when a student is after a degree in engineering or math
or like that, he simply does not have time to take all th
liberal arts courses his heart pines for.
And what L being done about this unhappy situation?
HI tell you what: Enlightened corporations even-where
are setting up on-the-job liberal arts programs for tbe
newly employed science graduate courses designed to
broaden his cultural ba.e for the enlightened corpora
tion realizes that the truly cultured employee is the truly
valuable employee.
Take, for example, Lambswool Sigafoos.
A week after his graduation, Lambswool reported to
Mr. Femur, the personnel director of an enlightened cor
poration eng&ced in tbe manufacture of cotter pins and
i-irig nute. "How- do you do?" said Lambtwool. "I'm
Lambswool Sigafoos and I've come to work."
"Sit dow-n." said Mr. Femur, chuckling kindlv. "Hav
a Marlboro."
"Thank you," said Lunbswool. "I like Marlboros.
I like their filter and their flavor."
"Me too," said Mr. Femur, blinking humanely. "And I
like their flip-top box. WLen my Cip-top box of Marlboro
is empty, I a-e it to keep fish books in."
"Know what I do when my fiip-top box of Marlborat
is empty?" aked ItmbswooL
"What?" said Mr. Femur, sniggering graciously.
"I buy some more Marlboros," said LambfwooL
"A sound idea," said Mr. Femur, vibrating fetchinglj.
"But enough chit-chat. Come along to the campus."
"Campu?" fe&id Lambs-wool, puzzled. "But I've come
to w ork. Take me to my draw ing board."
"This is an enlightened corporation," said Mr. Femur,
yodelling viciously. "First you must get your cultural
base broadened."
Mr. Femur took Lambswool to the training campus,
which looked like any other campus. It had ivy-covered
buildings, dormitories, fraternity and tsorority bou, a
f tadium, a deer park, and a moat. Lambswool was given
a roommate, a beanie, and copies of the company hymn
and rouser, and the enlightened corporation proceeded to
fill tbe gap in his culture.
"... .... J - 4
First he was taught to read, then to print capital letters,
then capital and small letters. Then there was an attempt
to teach him script, but it was ultimately abandoned
From these fundamentals, Lambswool progressed slowly
but eteadily through the more complex disciplines. He
w as diligent, and tbe corporation was patient, and in tbe
end they were rewarded, for when Lambewool finished,
he could play a clavier, compose a triolet, parse a sentence,
and identify the birtbBtone for every month of the year.
His lengthy schooling finally over, Lambswool was
assigned to an important executive position where he
nerved with immense distinction. . . . Not, however, for
long, because one week later he reached retirement age.
Today, still spry, he lives in St. Petersburg, Florida,
where he supplement hie pension by parsing sentences
for tourist. em...
Bert1 $ a tntenre that' easy to parte: Subject you. Verb
tet- Object lot to like in a Marlboro, who maker$ bring
0ou this column throughout tint ochool year.
. "t. f i ' mm be i a. a a. -a