. if
-Prrr Aprils 1953
Page 2
The Dailv Nebrcskan
Editorial Comment
English Vs. Journalism
Some members of the University fac
ulty are in the midst of a current con
troversy started by the Nebraska Coun
cil of English Teachers. The English
teachers have recommended a change
in state law that would require 4 years
of English for high school graduation
without allowing substitution of speech or
Journalism to fulfill part of this require
ment It is no great secret that the English
department does not agree with many of
the views of the Journalism school and
vice versa. The big disagreement is
probably reflected in the views of Dr.
James Miller, chairman of the Univer
sity English department, and Dr. 'Wil
liam Hall, director of the University
School of Journalism.
Miller contends that the proposal "is
aimed at strengthening the student in
tvery area including speech and journal
ism." He says that to allow substitution
of another course for a basic English
course "is to mislead and short change
the students."
Hall, meanwhile, answers that he be
lieves the English instructors who made
the proposal were making a mistake in
promoting literature at the expense of
"the fundamental skill of communicating
welL"
There is little doubt that few College
students have been subjected to exten
sive views of literature before enrolling
in a college English course. There is al
so little doubt that an appreciation of the
great literature of the world is an es
sential part of being an educated man.
There does seem to be a need for more
emphasis on the reading of literature
in high sftiools, and not just the drilling
of grammar do's and don'ts. It would be
desirable to see 4 full years of "basic"
English study in high schools.
At the same time, it is just as import
ant to high school students to be able to
clearly express their own ideas both in
writing and speaking. Journalism and
speech courses are then also vital to de
veloping a person into an educated man.
No matter what one may personally
know, unless he is able to communicate
clearly with others he weakens his own
knowledge by failing to use it to its full
potential Journalism in high school helps
to train the student to concentrate on
getting the facts of an event, getting
them right, then recording them in an
interesting manner. This is a type of ex
perience which few English courses can
daily provide, but which as stated is
vitaL
Speech is probably one of the most
ignored subjects in our nation even
though talking is the way in which we
most directly inform and persuade other
people. The majority of college students,
high school students and what have you
point up the sad state of oral communi
cation in the United States by their in
ability to stand in front of more than 3
people without turning green or making
such a bundle of nervous gestures that
their message is destroyed. More em
phasis on speech courses, then, would
appear to be the answer.
But then you get to the point where you
realize that these are all important and
that it probably isn't possible. to stress
any of these subjects as much as any
group of instructors might desire. This
seems to be the case with the English
teachers proposal. It makes sense if it
can be done without sacrificing journal
ism and speech, but it doesn't make
sense if either of these courses are ig
nored in order to concentrate more on
the so called basic English courses.
Teacher Tangle
Figures released by the National Edu
cation Assn. point out how important the
teacher controversies really are. The
Association has estimated that 116,000
new teachers will be graduated in the
United States this year, but that only
about 85,000 of these will actually teach.
How many are needed? The Associa
tion says the schools could use 220,000.
This means that the classrooms will be
shy about 135,000 teachers next fall.
One of the big detriments to the pro
curing of sufficient quantities of new
teachers is apparently the salaries paid
by private industry in contrast with
school salaries. The education group esti
mates, in fact, that since 1953 about
100,000 persons qualified to teach have
not entered the profession after gradua
tion from college.
Nebraska itself has felf the effect of
large exoduses of newly graduated teach
ers to out of state positions because of
better wages. One of the things which
local school boards must do, possibly
with state help, is loosen the purse
strings wider. And here at the University,
the administration might do its best to
improve the available teacher picture by
assuring that needless red tape such as
dual matriculation does not rob the
state of prospective teachers because of
the blind refusal to allow persons other
than those in Teachers College to re
ceive teacher's certificates.
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AY DAD MAS A BETTER
UNDEUSTANDINS OF TWE M02AI
PROBLEMS CONFRONTING OUR
YOUTH Of TODAY THAN YOUR DAD
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From the Editor
private
"Stir up a few more issues," the young
lieutenant said as he shook my hand
Saturday afternoon. It was Sam Jensen
speaking. Sam. Still smiling, pudgy and
happy. Sam, serving Uncle Sam down at
Riley, had come home to the University
to spend a few hours renewing old mem
ories. "What do you have in mind?" I was
tempted to say. But I know what Sam
would have had in mind. Run Pogo for
Congress this year, he might have said.
You remember he was running the
swampy little guy for president last year.
That would be a good issue. Compare
the traits of Pogo with the traits of Phil
Weaver. Would Pogo be prompted to
study closely an issue which a constitu
ent asked about? Or would he give a
direct answer?
Yes, I certainly think Sam was right
when he advocated the creation of new
issues. But I'd like to leave Pogo out of
the picture and drag on some new names
to the comic book scene.
1) Student council members could be
equated with that fun loving, blanket
hugging, dog patting gang from Peanuts.
Those Charles Schultz characters have
do rhyme or reasons for doing what they
do. And yet they go ahead with wreck
less abandon. Just like the council toss
ing out helpless journalists from the
council chamber when it comes to elect
ing tribunal members.
2) Faculty committees (in general)
could be equated with Jiggs. Always able
to get out of tough spots and usually
unscathed. Of course, Jiggs rarely ever
passes his predicaments on to his friends,
opinion
... dick shugrue
as committees so often refer trouble
some business to other committees.
3) The Division of Student Affairs
could be equated with'Daddy Warbucks.
Powerful, shifty, using devious means
to reach a hoped-for goal. But, who
would be the Punjab of the Adminy Hall
group?
4) The AWS could be equated with
Juliet Jones. Pure, wholesome, looking
out for the best in people, avoiding all
sorts of real problems if possible and sit
ting in judgment of the folksies "around,
yet rarely ever catching the people who
really give the University a bad name.
5) And even the Daily Nebraskan could
fit into this comedy scene. I've heard the
paper compared with Donald Duck, al
ways squacking, using little ducks to stir
up trouble and having a close relation
ship with Goofy.
No one's immune from being called
names, then. The paper, for example is
either remembered as a rabble rouser
or a do nothing. There doesn't seem to
be a middle of the road. I for one would
like this paper to be remembered as a
rabble rouser.
I think the rabble can be roused with
some tact. I think some problems can
be brought out into the open which might
have lay back and slept for twenty years.
But if a good-old college paper can stir
up a little thought 'among the students
and faculty provoking some, satisfying
others as well as telling the news, then
the paper is doing its job.
And it's a satisfying feeling to know
zt people around you might violently
iisagree with what you say, but at the
same time will stand behind your right
to say it . . . and so forth.
. .SIXTY-SEVEN TEAKS OLD
Kemben Associated Collegiate Press
latereoUeriato Prem
KeprecenUtlve: National AdvertUiiif
gerrir Incorporated
Fftblished at: Room M, Student Union
Kta ft S
Lincoln, Nebraska
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"Yes, Tlii Is The Department Of Defense"
'
MI-nM in."oa.Taa ml n. XmV
Nebraskan Letterip
To the editor
Concerned people from all
walks of life have petitioned
our government and the Rus
sian and British governments
to stop nuclear bomb tests.
Scientists from all over the
world have raised their voices
warning the governments
against continuation of those
tests.
In protesting continuation of
tests nobody assumes that
stoppage of bomb tests by it
self will be all that is needed
to avert nuclear war though
thoughtful people can't adopt
the naive pretension, offered
to us from East and West
alike, that preparation for
bigger threats of massive re
taliation which bomb tests
represent preserves the
peace.
What are the arguments of
fered for continuation of bomb
tests?
To develop 'clean bombs' for
tactical use, says Teller. We
ask: who can reasonably ex
pect that the introduction of
nuclear weapons into tactical
warfare will not in due course
lead to their general applica
tion? Nuclear warfare does
not follow rules of the 19th
century type localization to
battlefields and enemy terri
tory. Not to mention even the
perversion of calling an in
strument of killing 'clean'.
To develop clean antimissile
and antiaircraft missiles, says
again Teller. While I visited
Los Angeles last year I wit
nessed some public instruction
on this topic. A drone's elec
tronic system went out of con
trol and so the drone was sup
posed to be shot down to pre
vent it from falling into Los
Angeles. Even though this
event was foreseeable, some
80 shots failed to bring the
thing down it went of its own
accord ouV into the Pacific
Ocean, and half a dozen forest
fires started from those anti
aircraft missiles. We ask: can
the antimissile missile de
fense system be taken ser
iously. Even a 90 effective
antimissile system is no good
in preventing destruction
from the 10 missiles com
ing through, enough to finish
us off.
To have the lead in offering
a threat of instant retaliation,
says the SAC. Dr. W. H. Pick
ering, the eminent leader of
American rocket research. Di
rector of the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory of Cal Tech, was
asked by the New York
Herald Tribune, Jan. 22, 1958,
to give his judgment about the
automatic push button rocket
defense system. We can but
Good For Grins
Just before Christmas a col
lege professor read the folp
lowing on an examination pa
per: "God only knows the an
swer to this question. Merry
Christmas." Across the paper
the professor wrote: "God
gets an A; you get an F.
Happy New Year." (The
Reader's Digest)
quote him. 'Within a few
years every city on the globe
will be living with a threat
of sudden death it's life de
pendent on one man's action
... the soldier on guard in
an isolated 1CBM launching
site . . . Military strategists
have concluded that the only
answer is the threat of im
mediate and total retaliation
... To attain the capability
of instant retaliation the mili
tary planner finds himself call
ing for long range radar
devices, elaborate computers,
and a complex communi
cation network. Under
these circumstances if a per
iod of international tension
lasts for any length of time,
failure of the equipment is
almost inevitable and mu
tual destruction cannot be
avoided'.
Bomb tests should be ended
because they are immoral. Al
ready the fallout from bomb
tests, and still more so that
from an ever increasing num
ber of bomb testing nations,
causes thousands, perhaps
millions of people to die pre
maturely, each generation on
earth, not to talk of the more
serious genetic damage affect
ing our progeny.
Fallout connected with
bomb tests is, however, but
one evil. Bomb tests, mis
siles, air-bases and similar
ensignia of 'strength breed
fear and distrust and are the
most potent causes of an ac-'
celerated arms race, and that
must be stopped.
The actual guilt of bring
ing about a nuclear holo
caust certainly does not lie in
the perhaps quite accidental
launching of the so called
first shot put in the
preparedness . and will
ingness to incinerate
millions of innocent people,
and in engaging in power
politics based on' threats of
massive retaliation. If any
nation is sincere in not being
willing to be a part of that
crime, the proof of her sin
cerity lies in the end of prep
arations of weapons for it,
and in a change away from
a national policy based on
imagined military strength to
one based on co-operation and
mutual aid.
Why single out bomb test
ban to start with? Because
bomb tests are easy to detect.
The hearings of Sena
tor Humphrey have shown a
lot of interesting facts. Bomb
tests in which the military es
tablishments are interested,
ie., either superbomb tests or
tests of missile warheads, are
selfpolicing; they cannot be
hidden. Even underground
tests which are of practically
no importance at alL and
might therefore even be tol
erated, can be detected from
far away. Inspection can
therefore be achieved by a
handful of internationally
trusted people.
Cessation of bomb tests
will bring trust, confidence,
faith and hope an honest
step towards peace.
HERBERT JEHLE
Tidings . .
Politics ... are but the
cigar smoke of a man.
H. D. Thnreau.
"1 happen to like John, Ken
nedy," one of my friends told
me. He said he didn't care
what I said
about him,
John Ken
nedy was his
man for
p r e s i dent
come '60.
"Well, sir,"
told him,
I like Ken
nedy too."
And I do.
But, like
A
ft. , 2
&fZ)
Gary
him or not, I don't think he
will be the next resident of
the White House.
Now let's set politics and
religion aside and talk about
"principles."
Ward writes:
Ez to my princerples,
I glory
In hevin nothjn' o' the
sort;
I aint a Whig, I aint a
Tory,
I'm jest a canderdate, in
short.
Joke though many do about
it, it's a mighty sure thing that
sometimes principles do a pol
itician more harm than good.
Everything a candidate says,
every stand a politician takes
is bound to make a few more
enemies for him. Someone is
bound to disagree with each
thing.
And so, when Mr. Kennedy
stands up on the floor of the
Senate and takes a stand on
civil rights, for instance, he
is gaining the votes in Massa
chusetts that he needs for re
election to Congress, but at
the same time he is losing
votes in the South that would
be needed to elect him presi
dent. It would seem that the best
policy for the ambitious per
son in Mr. Kennedy's position
would be to keep his mouth
shut. I believe he has become
more and .more aware of this.
Lately the policies he advo
cates, like the politician run
ning on the platform of
mother, flag and country, will
lose no votes.
But since the Senator is a
relative newcomer to the are-
By Doc Rodger s
na of politics, he has had the
problem of becoming well es-
tablished in his home state be
fore him. Now, having estab
lished' himself with his con
stituents, he may retire to ;
principle-less campaign fo
the presidency.
Now comes the big objec
tion to my argument. I'm told t
that if Kennedy ean't be elec-
ted president, no other Sena-
tor or Representative can 1 ;
either. Right! Who's left?,
Governors. j '
It isn't a hardfast rule, but
it is more likely that presi- i
dential candidates will be
chosen from among the gover-i
nors of large states than from; ,
the group of distinguished Con-!
gressmen. - i
To save myself the bother!
of hunting up the facts on this, j
and to spare you the bore-1
dom of reading those figures,'!
I'll not extend the past rec-ii
ord which would, 1 believe,1
prove mis is true. ;
I'm told that Abe himself ;
had a Tew discrepencies in his ,
campaign procedure. It seems j
that in northern Illinois he , j
would tell them one thing, and '
in southern Illinois he would i
conform to a different kind of
politics.
But that's neither here nor
there, in fact it might well
be hogwash.
The fact is, a candidate . ,
must be careful that nothing,
he says will lose him votes. ;
And often the best way to !
avoid this is to say nothing.
And there's where the gov
ernors come in. Who says less
than a governor. They declare
a few special holidays, desig
nate weeks as "careful driv
ers week", "potato planting
week" and "old maids week" i
but all these make friends, no
enemies.
Del Rasmussen tells the
one about the candidate for
re-election who stopped his
automobile in front of the
farmhouse, and addrtised the
old farmer who was sitting
under the apple tree:
"What are your politics,
neighbor?
"Wal, stranger, politics is
kinder mixed up here at our
place. I'm a Republican, the
old lady is a Democrat, the
baby is wet, and the cow is
dry."
- Y
i"
1
dVb
Basoco
to
greater
My Weal Or Woe
by dick basoco
the "tradition." And I doubt
that the two hundred people
who gather to see who gets
crowned May Queen, tackled
Innocents, or tapped Mortar
Board is by any stretch of
,the imagination most of the
people at Nebraska. Why, 200
people hardly even constitute
a minority out of 8,000.
And probably most of those
loyal individuals who did take
a break in their beer drinking
to watch the proceedings
wouldn't be there if they didn't
have to sing in their group's
chorus.
Spring Day, which is almost
non-existant this year, is on
the way out for sure if some
thing can't be done to improve
it.
If all Spring Day is going to
amount to is a bunch of frater
nity boys and sorority girls
pulling each other through a
pit of mud, I think nobody will
really miss Spring Day too
much anyhow. Except that
maybe we'U have to go to
school that Friday; and that
would certainly be a bad deaL
It's been suggested that may
maybe Spring Day could be
Iowa State's "Viesha Day."
It sounds like a pretty good
idea. By inviting a bunch of
high school students down for
the weekend, the U of N could
get in a real good "rushing"
lick.
That is, If Spring Day could
be made impressive and Ivy
Day meant something to soma
one besides who ever happens
to be lonored that day. And
both can, indeed, be "tradi
tions" in every sense of the
word.
The up coming week end
has made me start wonder
ing about what the "Cornhusk
er tradition" you hear about
every now and then really
means.
Like I've
heard that
the migra
tion to Colo
rado every
two years is
getting to be
a "tradition
I think this
means that
we trundle
out to Boul
der to cheer
the team on
heights.
But it would probably be
nearer the point if we admit
ted that somewhere between
the time we enter the. city
and the time we are supposed
to be at the stadium, most, of
the "tradition" upholders get
lost in the dark confines of
Tulagi's, and about the only
cheering that is done is by the
bartender as he pushes an
other pitcher across the bar.
And it's the students, not the
team, that gets the effects of
the "cheering" in regards to
"height."
And such is the coming
week end. All these people,
myself included, are running
around saying, my, aren't
Spring Day and Ivy Day love
ly traditions? and Nebraska
certainly has a fine tradition
in Ivy Day, etc.
But a tradition sort of con
notes something that is en
joyed or participated in by
most of the people involved in
