Page 2
The Nebraskan
EDITORIAL OPINION I
Open House Program
Needs New Twist
Somewhere in the ebb of suggestions, proposals and
investigations passing before Student Council this year,
the idea of an All University Open House lies buried. A
few excuses such as lack of funds or unfeasibility and a
plan to constructively promote the University is scratched
from the Council's records.
Perhaps the Council did lack funds to conduct the
program. Perhaps the number of people involved would
prove too unwieldy. Does this prohibit the Council from
searching for a program to replace Open House and sell
our institution to thousands of high school students
throughout the state?
At present, Builders is the only student organization
on campus designed to act as a public relations service
for Nebraska U. Their aim is to "build a bigger and
better. University." And what better way to "build" an
outstanding school than by appealing to outstanding pros
pective students? This is a big burden of responsibility
for Builders alone. Since the Council has found it imprac
tical to hold an Open House for high school groups, they
might find other means similar to Builders tours, of in
teresting these future college students in the state uni
versity. Members of the Student Council are supposedly the
leaders in any school or college. High school students
would undoubtedly respect opinions from such leaders of
our campus if they were to tour state secondary schools.
There is a particular need of contacting outstanding teen
agers from Omaha, Lincoln and larger towns, who tend
to go east to college because they think Nebraska does
not offer the academic opportunities they desire. If the
Student Council members were to talk to friends in their
hometown or conduct panel discussions in their own high
schools, they could help rid this misconception. The ad
ministration could possibly provide financial aid for the
'fundless" Council to send members out to talk with high
school principals, counselors and students.
This idea may not be a sufficient replacement for an
Open House. It is easier to "sell" our product, the Uni
versity, when prospective students come to us. Remem
ber, however, Mohammed had to go to the mountain.
Student Council must not give up its plan to contact out
standing high schoolers. Next year's crop of freshmen
will someday supply the leaders of our Student Council,
and the quality of the group will depend upon the quality
of its members. G. S.
A Liberal Viewr
At the risk of appearing
overly critical and repeti
tious. I find it yiecessary
to comment on the most
recent development in the
Student Council (that is,
most recent except for the
proposal that the Council
build an all-c a m p u s
Christmas display in front
of the Student Union, a
suggestion which I think
should be disposed of as
quietly and as soon, as pos
sible before the Council is
laughed out of existence).
Faculty evaluation by
students is not a new idea.
It has come up before, both
at the University -and on
other campuses.
In years past, the stu
dent voice has been the
loudest when the academ
ic freedom of a faculty
member is being discussed.
I refer to the C. Clyde
Mitchell and Merlon Bern
stein cases as two of the
most recent examples
where students have
jumped to the support of a
professor, because they felt
lie was being denied his
rights. Involved in the prin
ciples of academic freedom
Is a more or less autono
mous right to teach as the
teacher desires. This is ob
viously not a hard and fast
guarantee as instances
may develop when the
instructor is not working
for the best interests of the
University and its student
body. But, by and large,
faculty members individ
ually control their meth
ods of teaching and have
the right to do so.
Before the Council com
mittee which is studying
the possibilities of an eval
uation goes any further, it
should be proved beyond
reasonable doubt that there
exists a definite need for
such a program. The next
question is, "How do you
ascertain whether there is
a need?" One way might
be through soliciting stu
dent opinion, another
would be to discuss the
proposal with open-minded
faculty members and sound
out the pros and cons from
their point of view. Person
ally in my three and a half
years, I have not , seen the -need
for such a plan. Ad
Daily Nebraskan
Member Attodated Oolleftaie Press. InternaiieBal Pre
representative: National AdTertitinr Service, Incorporated
Published at: Koom 19. Student I n in. Lincoln. Nebraska,
SEVENTY-ONE TEAKS OLD
14 tb K
Telephone HE 2-7631. ext. 422S. 4221, 422T
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By Herb Probasco I
mittedly, there have been
teachers whose teaching
I have not enjoyed. Now
and then, I have felt there I
were some who were un- I
fair. Never, though, have 1
I run across an instructor I
who is not teaching for the
love of the work (they i
surely don't do it for the
money), and who, with a I
little private coaxing was 1
not open to suggestion or
who would not aid me if I
had run into difficulty.
The bewildered freshman
undoubtedly often finds f
himself at wits end, be- 1
cause of the seemingly in-
difference of some ins true-
tors, but the situation is
never hopeless. He can al- i
ways turn to an upper- I
classman friend for advice
or get up the courage to 1
pay a personal call on his I
teacher and tell that teach-1
er that he doesn't under- I
stand this or that One I
may often find that the in-1
structor is totally unaware i
that he has not made him- I
self clear to his students I
and, therefore, will be only I
too happy to straighten out 1
the problem.
The point is this: Can a I
sound evaluation of a facul-
ty member be made by 1
taking a poll of the stu-1
dents in his class and then
attempting to apply the I
mean result toward im-1
provement of that individu- I
al's teaching methods. I
submit that personal con-1
tact with the instructor is 1
the best type of evaluation. I
Naturally, with the size of I
some course enrollments,
it is not practical for every I
student to visit individually
with his professor, but it is 1
highly unlikely that every I
student would find a need 1
to do so. I nave never I
found a professor that!
would not find time to talk, i
and it would be a rare case i
for any who wouldn't. I
With these thoughts in I
mind, I urge the commit- I
tee studying the proposal 1
of an evaluation plan to han- I
die with care. They must be I
careful not to bring about I
any resentment on the part 1
of the faculty. Buildings I
and equipment are all nec- i
essary, but without the I
great minds to put them to f
use, they have no purpose.
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1 ri, ,,,, ii T i S MINNEAPOLIS STAR
Spirit Can Hardly Match
I The Size of the
By Eric Sevareid
Last Tuesday night's dra
ma wrung out the specta
tors as well as the princi
pals. In the gray early hours
of Wednesday, when these
u-atH aro
being writ
ten, the
spirit can
hardly
match the
size of the
event. So
these
words may
be p o o r
com pan
ions in the
"-
VI
Sevareid
the general
parade. But all profession
al observers imagine them
selves addressing a new
leader in person, and my
own communication, in its
bits and pieces, goes
about like this:
You have done an as
tounding thing, considering
that your face and name
were obscure until one
night in the Chicago stock
yards four years ago. But
perhaps this is astounding
only in traditional terms.
Communication is instant,
now; instant reputations
can meet the times.
Anyway, the country has
not responded to what you
were, did or did not do
in the past. In your case
the country considered the
past "a bucket of ashes."
Your past record was no
more than the record of a
hundred others. You were
neither hero nor sage. The
people have taken you at
face value, voice value,
first value; that is, present
value. We are the most con
temporary of peoples. Our
youth is our oldest tradi
tion, as Oscar Wilde said,
and in that perfectly valid
sense you are traditional
and well rooted in the
American soil and story.
Like political writers, I
am a romantic at heart;
belief in heroes is my se
cret vice. It has been bad
form in recent years to re
veal this particular vice. I
hope you turn out to be a
great man in the book
sense, in the history pro
fessor's sense. But you have
to arrange about that, your
self. Tuesday's vote didn't
prove It. I hope you dis
courage press agents and
quick-book biographers who
try to prove it a priori,
they will make things
harder for yon in the long
run.
On its face, the vote
seems to say that half the
country is against you. I
don't think it is. You have
too much thrust to be in
timidated by the statistical
result, anyway. A house
divided statistically can
stand. But it can't move
unless you move it.
On its face, the divided
vote gives you no mandate.
Forget about thaj. Lincoln
was a minority president;
so was Truman. What the
statistical stalemate gives
you is the wonderful chance
to write your own man
'JUST A BVMPV
date, and a whole Congress
is there to witness and en
dorse your signature.
On the face of the divid
ed vote, half the country
wants to "move forward",
as you have put it in a
manner that makes even
the emptiest cliches seem
bursting with meaning, and
the other half wants to sit
where it is. This isn't quite
true, either.
Actually, the country
wants to go somewhere,
it just doesnt know the
address it has in mind. It
knows it wants something
different but doesn't know
how to label it. You are in
the position of the advertis
ing man you can "create
wants." A trial offer is all
a President can give us,
anyway returnable after
four years if not fully sat
isfactory. I am persuaded that you
are one of the men in poli
tics, one of those who want
position in order to do
something with power. Not
one of the boys who want
position in order to do
something with power. Not
one of the boys who want
position in order to be
something with title.
So the place ought to be
jumping for months to
come. Covering Washing
ton in recent years has
been a bit like covering an
endless convention of certi
fied public accountants.
Most of ns have been turn-'
ing out noiseless copy from
our noiseless typewriters.
The exclamation mark key
is rosty. Most of us will
love to bang on it. praying
the finger for that key
hasn't totally atrophied.
This isn't just oor prob
lem; unless you stir our
glands, you aren't likely to
stir the glands of the na
tion. LITTLE MAN
mid w&A
T
Election
Still, while you seem
very young yourself, many
of us are getting along and
with age comes inconsist
ency as well as caution. So
we want you to be impa
tient with many of the hide
ous, haggard problems still
cluttering up the place; but
we are also afraid of your
impatience when it comes
to the explosive problems
like Berlin or China or
Cuba.
When we were a kid coun
try we could blunder
aroupd. Now America has
large feet and the yard is
full of land mines. Hire at
least a few scared worriers
to help guard your mind, if
not your body.
It's strange how the
world's image of America
always becomes the image
of the single individual who
sits in the White House. So
you can't create a new im
age of America until your
own image is completed.
All we've got so far is the
outline sketch. Believe me,
a lot of-us want to fill it in
and we're reaching for our
strongest, brightest colors.
Water colors, right now,
that will wash; but we're
hoping we can switch to
oils, worthy of being hung,
one day, in all the best gal
leries at home and abroad,
including the Hall of He
roes. Out ism. HmU Sysdjcal. Inc.
ImsI Chance for Pics
Anyone wishing to have
thcii pictures taken for the
I96I Cornhusker must sign
for a picture appointment
betwi-en the hours of 9 a.m.
and 3:45 p.m. in the base
ment of the Student Union
at the desk near the new
t'nivmilv Bookstore. The
finu! deadline for Individual
shots i Nov. 18, according
to Jerry Gale.
ON CAMPUS
Just A
Its a pity more people
couldn't have seen the Tal
ent Show presented Sunday
evening at the Student Un
ion. It was so nice to see
University entertainmen:,
with fresh, virtually un
known talent going through
their routines for the en
joyment of the audience.
As In any production, the
Talent Show took up a lot
of time with practices, try
outs and final polishing.
Let's hope-the final bene
fits are provided for the
entertainers.
Last year, a similar show
was presented by Univet
sity students, with the end
result being a proposed
tour of big Eight campuses
The idea was to merge the
cream of the crop from
each of the Big E i g h t
schools and tour the cam
puses with this review.
But, alas, like so many
other dreams, this one feil
through and the Nebraska
Gosip
By Leon Gosip
To Neil Ferguson:
. c-o Phi Kappa Psi;
Dear Neil:
Regarding your request
for suggestions on the
Christmas, Display: Flush
it, buddy.
This Student C o u n c i 1
project (the latest of many
to come out of the mouths
of babes) is as ridiculous
as any seen on this campus
in many a moon. What
could be more revolting
than a bunch of h a 1 f
crocked students sipping
cider and putting a ho-ho-ho
Santa Claus in front of
the Student Union! Here
we have paid through the
teeth to get a presentable
building and Tempero's
Reich decides to mar it
with a corn-ball display
"we could do as a cam
pus." He knows as well as ev
eryone else around here
that the only ones who
would help erect the Santa
would be eager little activ
ity girls and clods. So, I
repeat, forget the whole
idea and do something
worth while.
Like abolishing the All
University Fund. In the
first place, why should we
contribute to the World
University Service, which
is backed by the National
Student Association an or
ganization infamous in past
years for its control by
Reds? In the second place,
those who can afford to
contribute are probably
working and get tapped by
their employers for the
equally oppressive Com
munity Chest. In the third
place, if you can afford it
I Nebraskan Letterip
MI... Md a.1 rill ' " , "-
arurn fmmrnme tfcrm, rrtalak( tat
lloerner Replie$
To 'Shorlfellotc'
To the editor:
The Student Council leg
islation concerning student
organizations which has
currently been receiving so
much publicity and com
ment is the work of the en
tire council.
The procedure was
passed unanimously three
times by this year's coun
cil and was set up by unan
mous vote of last year's
council.
As long as this legislation
remains in effect it is my
job as an officer of the
Council to see that it is en
forced and I intend to do
so. H. W. Shortfellow not
withstanding. JOHN HOERNER
VICE PRESIDENT
Asks Comment
On Letterip Policy
To the editor:
Under the Letterip head
line your policy reads, "Let
ters attacking individuals
must carry the author's
name. Others may use ini
tials or a pen name."
Would you be good
enough to comment on your
interpretation of this policy.
It is my personal feeling
that the recent letters
signed by "Facts", "Coun
cil Member", and "II W.
Shortfellow" were not only
Thought
By Dave Calhoun
entertainers had to be sat
isfied with the routine trips
to state institutions, the
University excluded.
It should be pointed out
that the cancellation of the
trip was not because the
Nebraska troupe didn't ful
fill their part of the bar
gain. It seems Nebraska
was the only campus in the
Big Eight to have enough
spirit to have a talent
show. It was the other
members of the conference
who failed.
This year, however, the
dream may become a re
ality. According to Bill
Connell, chairman of the
Student Union Special Ac
tivities Committee, the en
tire group hopes to be able
take a regional tour includ
ing Kansas, Kansas State
and Iowa State campuses.
Each and every partici
pant of the Show deserves
loud applause for their per
formances. Let's hope they
get a chance to take their
Nebraska talent to other
schools.
Column
and don't work, you're hit .
ting your old man for the
dough, and he, the poor
guy, is also paying through
the nose out in Oshkosh.
This hypersensitive Stu
dent Council, which doesn't
want to get its nose wet
doing anything decent for
the benefit of the universi
ty could be writing a reso
lution condemning the Re
gents for hiking the tuition.
It could be out raking
the as yet unpaved park
ing lots. It could be lobby
ing for five cent coffee in
the already too expensive
Union chow lines.
But no. It seems content
to sit on its sitters and say,
"Oh, that's a fine idea,
Jack. Let's rack the worth
while campus organiza
tions." "Thanks, Judy, and
your idea about a huge
Easter Egg in front of
Love Library will be great
guns, too."
Why is it that the Stu
dent Council vetoed the
idea of an All-University
Open House? I'll tell yon
why. It's too much work,
and they'd rather rah-rah
than dig in. Or better yet,
the faculty doesn't want to
get involved in an experi
ment when the big load of
work would be on the shoul
ders of a bunch of Christ
mas Decorations "experts".
If the Council wants to
talk about a project that
"a'J the campus can work
together on", then do some
thing worth while, like this
open house thing, which
could be a S t a t e Fair for
NU. What's wrong with
showing off the products of
a great state University?
Or is the council afraid
we aren't such great shakes
as a school?
critical of individuals but
were pretty well ill-informed
and unfounded.
Shouldn't these have been
signed with the author's
name?
JOHN HOERNER
A clarification of the Let
terip policy appears at the
head of this column today.
Editor.
Ohio State Takes
Poll on Classics
Ohio State University's
newspaper, the Lantern,
polled students recently on
their knowledge of the clas
sics and found that the one
book almost all were famili
ar w.th was Charles Dar
win's "The Origin of Spe
cies." Other survey results:
Almost all knowledge the
average student has about
the classics stems from be
ing confronted with them
n the classroom m ore
specifically, in college.
Few had read French
and Spanish masterpieces,
indicating, the writer felt,
that though isolationism
may have left, the United
States political scene, it
still reigns unshaken in the
field of education.
Many OSU students re
quested copies of the poll
questionnaire because it
made a good reading list.
