Peg 2
The Daily Nebraskan
Wednesday, March 16, 1960
Editorial Comment: Pi riMto I I a-5MWf-C
iVeii? Average Ranking $r7
Draws House Comment JSk Jl. JaLll .-JSL. IP
The announcement by the administration
that a new system of computing residence
grades is being utilized has already caused
somewhat of a furor in many campus
houses.
Comments have been that the new sys
tem is good; that it's bad; that it's basical
ly good but could use a few changes.
On the credit side.of the ledger are these
facts: Such a system gives a better pic
ture of house standings since there usual
ly Is a difference of only half a grade
point between the top and bottom house
rating in the grade grouping.
But if listed numerically, as in the past,
instead of as in a group as now, a house
might be listed 11th or 12th overall, and
actually be very close to the top mark.
A slight rise or decline in grades under
the new system probably will keep the
residence in the same grouping, while un
der the former rankings a fraternity, for
example, might drop only a tenth of a
grade point mathematically, but three,
four or five notches in the ranking system.
In other words, the new system is hoped
to provide grade recognition according to
approximate averages.
Individual fraternity and sorority houses
will be able to ascertain their exact posi
tion in their respective groups for national
scholastic reports, if needed, by sending a
representative to Student Affairs for the
Information.
In addition, supporters of the change say
this might destroy the curiousity of "im
mature" students who take a delight in
harassing the students of a residence a
notch or two below them. And it might
increase incentive to be recognized as the
top scholastic house on campus.
But protests have been voiced, too. A
writer to the Letterip column who failed
to sign his name makes his point thusly:
"The nasty old administration isn't mak
ing it (ranking of residence grades) pub
lic this semester. ,
"However, do not let this keep you from
being good little boys and girls and study
ing hard. Just because there's no compe
tition any more, just because the big
brother says it's not important to get the
top grades any more, just because we're
all equal under the point system, that
doesn't mean that you must stop study
ing." The letter ends with the point that
"scholarship is the most important thing."
The third group seems to say the change
is OK, but . . . And one of the suggestions
from this group is to provide a better
breaking point for the groups.
They say the groups have been set up
on too broad a basis, simply by taking the
simple half point and full point breaking
points.
That argument does bear considerable
merit. For instance, 13 fraternities were
in Group III and four were in Group IV, a
total of 17 of 23. A fraternity in group III
might not be happy to admit that it was
in what looked like the bottom half of the
residence gradewise, which may or may
not be true, but at least appears that way.
In general, however, the plan should be
praised, perhaps not because that it is the
best possible, but that it shows an indica
tion that the administration is concerned
with the various problems and events fac
ing residences, especially fraternities and
sororities, and is out to help rather than
"get" organized houses.
Residences do not have a vested right
to expect the administration to go through
the troublesome and time-consuming task
of making up residence rankings and
averages.
In other words, the administration is
doing much more than it has to do, and
efforts to correct or better these volun
tary functions it performs can only be
praised.
From the Editor $ Desk:
It Seems to Me . . .
( , . i
it i
1 J
0 fw-i
Krtns
Pessimists have been saying that if it
doesn't stop snowing soon, there will be
no Spring Day this year.
But maybe more important than Spring
Day is the fact that the weather's been so
bad lately that the
Wednesday social column
has been rather void of
pinnings and engage
ments. Just not the weath
er that turns young men's
minds lightly, apparently.
However, this writer has
Just done his most to pro
vide some impetus to alter
the situation which must
be earning great concern
among salesmen of candy,
cigars, diamonds, etc. Purveyors of the
social column may check this reference.
It should dispel any mention I have
imade in the past as to hating women.
Actually, getting engaged is so much
simpler, than becoming pinned, at least on
my side it was.
Just a couple simple things to do de
cide to become engaged and secondly,
and not quite as easily, purchase a ring.
The Initial decision was blurted out on a
Sanday morning after chnrch, which may
er stay set be appropriate, but not in the
tine of thinking which considers a moon
light evening as (he only proper proposal
time.
The second step, of ring-buying, came
last week in a loca jewelry store.
Conversation went something like this:
"Can I help you, sir?" Answer a wor
ried stare at the counter and silence.
"Oh, you'd like to see some diamonds.
Well, we have a very nice selection . . .
etc."
The young lady of my choice was along
by her choice.'
The salesman parried queries at her for
while. "This is a very popular item.
Would! you like to try it on?"
A pleased yes, a closer squint, a frown,
and a, "No ... I don't exactly believe
that's what I had in mind."
Daily Nebraskan
SSXrr-OTN TEARS OLD
Umber Associated Collegiate Pi-eat, Inter
collegiate Pratt
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rnfcUalsed at: Room to, Student Union.
Lincoln, Nebraska
14th
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KUITOK1AJ. STAFF
Eotta .. ...Canal KrM
Manarlnc Edltar t anara Laakir
Mcwa Editor ..Hr Pnibaaw
Sparta Etltor .Dara Calbooa
At Hrrm Brtar Harm hmw
Capr Kalian Pat Daaa. Gary Sanra,
u Oratsasa PhcllMrc
TtlxM Varn Editor ft, nZ
Staff Writan Mika MMror, Aaa Mn,r
Oarala Laaihanaa
iamket SUtf Wrtam Bart Makltarta,
Farmai
Btnoncia staff
Pmlmw Maaasar Stan Kalraaa
AMiataat Hanailai MJW OU itr4,, dmmtimm
OraM, Ardith Khlara
ClraalaMoa Maaasw Doag Tniriiaal
For the Heck of It
By John Heeckt
That the conduct of
American foreign policy in
all its aspects has left
much to be argued in the
post-war era is scarcely an
arguable point today. The
primary reason for our fail
ures in this area arises
from the fact that Ameri
ca was pushed into a posi-,
tion of world leadersip dur
ing and following World
War II which she had pre
viously refused to accept.
Prior to World War II,
the United States was con
tent to let other countries
dominate the field on inter
national relations, interfer
ing only when her own nar
row interests were endang
ered. We were prone to take
a rather isolated view of the
world.
The results of this atti
tude were that we came out
of World War II with little
of the experience that our
position demanded and had
to learn in a rather short
space of time the lessons
that other major countries
had learned over centur
ies. The field where expert
ness is critically lacking is
in cultural and area knowl-
edge of countries formerly
of little interest to this
country, but now of critical
importance. Because of a
lack of knowledge of for
eign cultures and lang
uages, many of the pro
grams of economic aid
which the United States has
sponsored have been main
ly failures.
The agents which have
had the responsibility for
these programs, and the
personnel working under
them, have had too little
knowledge of the essentials
for cooperation in the coun
tries where they were sta
tioned. In many countries
the political and economic
representatives of our coun
try have succeeded in
arousing more hatred than
admiration for the Amer
ican people simply because
they do not understand the
people that they are repre
sented to.
That the United States is
becoming more and more
sensitive to this shortcom
ing is well-illustrated by
the success that such books
as the the "Ugly Ameri
can" have had in this coun
try. The book mentioned
has beome a best-seller as
a highly critical and too
factual exposure of the
shortcomings of America's
representatives abroad, par
ticularly in the Far East.
' American u n i v e r s i
ties, perhaps the first group
to become generally aware
of this problem, have in
augurated programs at
many institutions to help
correct it. Schools such as
the University of Washing
ton, University of Michi
gan, Cornell, Harvard,
Stanford, Columbia and oth
ers have set up area study
programs on the Far East,
Southeast Asia, the Middle
East and the Slavic coun
tries including Russia in an
attempt to train special
ists in these areas for
teaching positions and gov
ernment service.
Some high schools, e. g.,
Omaha Westside, are be
ginning to offer limited pro
grams in these areas. The
University of Nebraska has
shown an increased interest
in these areas by expand
ing the offerings in politi
cal science and history to
include the Far East.
The history department
offers rather extensive
study in the history of the
Continued on Page 4
A Few Words ...
. . . Of a Kind
E. E. HINES
By Carroll Kram
Words like solitaire, prongs, carats, dol
lars were tossed around indiscriminately.
Then, aha, salesman says, "We'll get
our diamond expert."
Enter diamond expert, complete with
onyx and diamond centered ring.
A few clandestine words with my fi
ancee, a rush to the display window, a
hurried return, a smile of satisfaction on
the young lady's lips.
"How do you like it?" the diamond ex
pert says.
"Isn't it pretty?" she says.
"Yeah, fine," I says.
Having never purchased a diamond be
fore and trying to maintain a manly atit
tude toward the whole thing, my reply
must have seemed rather disinterested,
although it really wasn't.
How can you be disinterested in some
thing that expensive?
I mustered up courage. "We'll take it"
Transaction completed, girl smiling, we
left.
That completed most of my preparation,
but the fiancee still had a round to go.
She calmly went to sorority Monday
night dinner, snuffed out the passing
candle; screaming ensued; romantic
sweetheart song was sung, interrupted by
hasher spilling soppy piece of pumpkin
pie on one of the sisters.
As a sequel fiancee passed out candy
not the usual chocolate gooies, but suckers,
which must be indicative of something.
For myself, I made no hints or an
nouncements over at 519 No. 16th. The
brothers were burling epithets at me
since the "A" basketball team's Thurs
day night win over the Selleck champs
wasn't in the Monday Rag.
I contained myself to the kitchen. Be
sides, they'd have harassed me.
I've also noticed that people are quite
presumptious, mentioning things like,
"When's the date?" or "WhenH she get
the other ring?"
Maybe I'd better read a book on social
mores.
lV;aJ
E. E.
My f u t u r e generations
shall be well-informed of
the fact that Jack London
was not a Nebraskan, and
did not live through
the snow-n
weary
winter of
1959-60.
No one,
I shall
tell them,
who had
m u s h ed
thro ugh
the never
ending slush and
snow of such a land in such
an outlandish year, could
have -written romantic tales
of a north land where
wolves circled ever-nearer
the dying campfire of the
injured trapper.
The grim realities of Ne
braska winter would have
buried any such romantic
fancies under a white, chill
avalanche that daily ex
panded, .bursting far be
yond forecast limits like a
carelessly o v e r-yeasted
loaf of bread.
"What Arctic hunter ever
heard a wolf's wail half as
terrible as the whining
groan of a battery shud:
dering in the icy grip of a
ravaging Nebraska wind?"
I shall ask.
"How could a snow-blinded
traveler stumbling be
hind his howling team of
Huskies begin to experi
ence the misery that at
tends thousands of anony
mous 'p i 1 o t-navigators of
slipping, sliding ice-windowed
shells?" will be an
other question.
Posterity then will be
challenged to tell me how
anyoneeven the injured
trapper Jabbing blazing
sticks into the eyes of
starved wolves, still hun
gry after eating all' the
dogs and then leather har
nessescould feel more
alone than the ill-clad mo
torist carrying an empty
gas can as he tramps down
a darkened highway to a
service station which may
not exist.
If only Jack London had
experienced what I have
experienced . . .
Until theother day when
I noticed a sign in the book
department of a Lincoln
store, I hadn't bad a strong
desire to possesi an FM
radio.
The desire-awakening ele
ment in the sign was the
name Gilbert Highet, whose
radio talks now are being
aired by KFMQ once a
week.
Highet is in instructor in
classical languages at an
Eastern university Co
lumbia, I believe. S"me of
his radio talks have been
printed in book form, two
... ff ttim twifnfr
available in Love Library.
His essays (radio talks)
are distinguished by some
of the most lucid and
graceful prose that I have
ever read. They cover
every subject from Zen to
Sherlock Holmes, and
never fail to provide a
potpourri of stimulating
thoughts.
This is one program I
recommend sound unheard.
I feel that the purchase of a diamond
ring is one of the most important investments
that you will make in your lifetime.
You should know everything about the
product you are purchasing, no matter how
large or small your investment.
This is the reason I am inviting you to stop
in at SARTOR'S where I will explain all of
the important areas in your selection of a dia
mond ring. There is absolutely no obligation
involved. The most important thing to me is
to make sure that you make the right selec
tion and know all
there is to know
about it.
DOIS HAM ANN
Qua Taar
lM V Strait
12;
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