The Nebraskan
Tuesday, March 21, 1951
Conscience of a Libera
Overset
Page 2
By Steve Gage
"East is East, and West is W e s t, and ne'er the twain
shall'meet." Yet Kipling's words have been given the lie,
the White Man's burden has become Man's burden, right
here on the University of Nebraska campus. And those of
us who are prone to resist this worldwide mass-into-mass
integration need not leave the campus to practice our so
called "white supremacy" or to exercise our smug and
comforting prejudices.
But what about those of us who been privileged to go "be
yond," to travel extensively throughout the rest of the Uni
ted States or to live in other parts of the Kosmos? What
are those attitudes which we bring back to Nebraska and
to the NU campus? Does the presence of cosmopolitan
view aid or hinder a student at the University? These are
questions which I am not going to attempt to answer in
this column, but in abstaining from analyzing them my
self, certainly I hope each of my readers will visit with
either some American exchange students or some foreign
students so each' of you might give an objective answer to
each of the above questions. Such is wishful thinking.
Today I would like to introduce to the Nebraskan read
ers two outstanding University freshmen. These are stu
dents who will certainly not increase Nebraska's chances
to have again a winning football team but who will, by
speaking their opinions and living their college lives, add
to the all-important meeting of the four winds here at
Nebraska. Their common discussion topic: a short but
painful critique of culture here on campus.
The first student I would like to introduce is a native Ne
braskan, a freshman from Hastings, Christy Froschheu- ,
ser. A political science major, Christy is pursuing a "re
gional" minor in Latin American affairs to inform her
self on a section of the world of which she has dear and
provoking memories. While attending Hastings High
School, Christy was chosen to participate in the student
excange program of the American Field Service. She was
assigned to South America where she stayed for one se
mester with a Latin family in Cordova, Argentina. During
her stay there, she traveled extensively through the coun
try, was granted a private conference with the Argen
tine's President Frondiri and attended the local schools
when possible. -
Upon coming back to Nebraska, Christy received a Re
gents scholarship to NU. As a Chi Omega initiate, she is
active in YWCA, Red Cross, and Nebraska International
Association. Enough said of her ample qualifications;
here are her views on culture at Nebraska.
"Lately several people have been lamenting the fact that
young Nebraskans, armed with college diplomas and
staunch determination, have been migrating across our
state's borders in increasing numbers into those states
which offer greater opportunities for success. Most of
these young people have become restless and dissatisfied
with what little they feel Nebraska has to offer them, and
they are attracted by what they consider to be more
"sophisticated" areas of our nation.
"It may be true that other states are culturally more
advanced than Nebraska, due to such factors as greater
industrialization and population. But still, if a person will
take the time to look around him, he can discover that,
surprisingly enough, some culture does exist right here on
our campus. And a great percentage of this culture is the
product of our contemporaries' efforts. Our lack at Ne
braska University is not of cultural facilities, but rather
of an interest in these facilities.
"Let us look at a few specific examples. When was the
last time you visited the art galleries at Morrill Hall to
view the work displayed by members of the art depart
mentor have you perhaps jtist not been able to find the
time at all? Have you gone to any of the concerts or re
citals presented by both students and faculty of our mu
sic department? Have you heard any of the internationally-known
speakers who have come to the University this
year to try to enlighten Nebraska students? If attendance
at these functions is any Indication of interest on the part
of Nebraskans, It is evident that we are lacking in our
enthusiasm for cultural enlightment.
"No wonder we aren't all exceedingly proud of our cul
tural activity. How can anyone be stimulated by some
thing that is practically dormant? Why are Nebraskans
guilty of ignoring culture and simultaneously complain
ing that Nebraska is practically void of any aestheticism?
This writer has seen Latin American university students
packed into a hall to hear a chamber music group per
form; the same degree of student body enthusiasm is wit
nessed here on Friday afternoons as students fight for
booths at "Jazz and Java." This is fine; but why is a
University musical group of a more serious nature forced
to play to a room full of frustratingly empty chairs?
"Extending our sights to the city of Lincoln, we can find
Community Concerts and Lincoln Symphony concerts,
both of which offer internationally-acclaimed talent. Look
ing out to the rest of the state, we find Omaha at the apex
of Nebraska's culture.
"Making the generalization that Nebraska has nothing to
offer, Just because what is offered is appreciated by rela
tively few people, can greatly defeat our progress In cul
tural development. The personal rewards that can come
from occasionally venturing into the world of the arts
through the pursuit of knowledge outside of class include
becoming a more interesting person and getting some va
riety into a somewhat monotonous schedule. Perhaps
and let's be idealistic for a mement interest in the finer
things offered at the University would even help sell Ne
braskans on Nebraska.
"What is needed is the rediscovery (or discovery, as the
case may be) of Nebraska's potential as a modern, forward-looking
state. Nebraskans can't be forced to become
glorified culture-crusaders; there is a necessity for a
personal desire to take advantage of those potentials.
Let's take what Nebraska gives; it is through use that
what she offers us is improved upon and refined. This is
the challenge that is issued to young Nebraskans."
The second notable student' I would like to introduce is
George Brock. George, whose father is a civilian now
connected with the United States Army foreign establish
ment in Teheran, Iran, is, by birth, a native of Alexan
dria, Virginia. However, George has lived in Austria,
Germany, England, India and Pakistan and has traveled
throughout much of the world with his family. He comes
to the University from Karachi, Pakistan, where he stud
led under the University of Nebraska pre-college exten
sion program. Here he is a political science major and
hat became a member of Palladian and the N.I.A. And
here are George's views on culture. (
"It is the vogue all over the world to look at Americans
askew and call them ugly. To be sure the American is
ugly and especially so on this campus. Not only does he
not show one iota of interest in his own exciting culture
but he does not even inquire about the other interesting
cultures on campus. A rare treat is offered here yet the
American on this campus squelches the thought of inter
nationalism, of creativity. He is ugly because he is un-.
informed, uninterested, and at the very basic, uncultured.
It seems as though he had been doused in apathy.
My first thought was that the departments were to
blame because they did not provide the programs nor the
stimulation nor the challenge; however, after being con
fronted many times with bull dog looks and exhausted
tones by those that arrange the programs I soon found
out that the majority of the students on campus can't be
bothered, that they see no stimulation in the programs.
(Continued to Page 4)
Daily Nebraskan
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Tubllshed at: Room 51, Student Union, Lincoln, Nebraska.
Daily Nebraskan
'Lady Produces
Faculty Comment
To the editor,
After reading Mr. Bor
off's review of "Lady of
Eternal Springtime" in The
Nebraskan last Friday, I
went to the production on
Saturday night with antici
pations of disaster. Now,
having seen the play, I am
happy to report that I found
it very engaging. Instead of
the worst University Thea
ter production of recent
years, I regard it as one
of the happiest.
Like Mr. Boroff, I have
no knowledge of the other
scripts which were submit
ted in the Ballard contest,
but I thought Bernard
S a b a t h ' s whimsical and
genuinely perceptive exten
sion of the Helen story
eminently suited for a col
lege theater production.
The dialogue combines
the racy colloquialism and
poetic flights which charac
terize the work of Christo
pher Fry, but without the
ostentation which I often re
gard as a defect in the lat
ter. (I find It hard to be
lieve, incidentally, that Mr.
Sabath's line actually
read, "Stars are strewn
like pedals of a flower . . ."
as reported in The Nebras
kan.) In my opinion, both
Helen and Menelaus were
entirely believable.,- Both
were invested with consid
rable -complexity and per
ceptiveness as they ex
plored their ambivalent
feelings toward each other.
Their joint recognition that
hers was no longer the face
that had launched a thou
sand ships was gently
humorous and genuinely
moving. The play is con
cerned with faded glory,
with the acceptance of mu
tability. Eternal springtime
is a delusion which crum
bles before the realities of
a long, hot summer and a
dusty fall. The disillusion
ment may be that of the
m I d d 1 e-aged man who
comes back to the empty
stadium to contemplate the
playing field where he had
once made an eighty-yard
run or of the Aksarben
princess who goes back
home to McCool Junction,
but Helen's experience is in
some ways the experience
of us all.
Of ciurse no matter how
f a r-reaching the implica
tions of the them e, the
playwright must pick a lo
cal habitation or milieu for
its presentation. I find that
I can cheerfully grant him
certain liberties in this de
partment. I had no quar
rels witl. the joyous anach
ronisms of the local produc
tion. Considering the 2,700
years ' which separate us
from the assumed author of
the great Greek epics, and
the three .or four hundred
years which separate h i m
from the traditional and
historical events, some dis
crepancies are probably in
evitable In the most fas
tidious of productions. If
Helen chooses to receive
Lukas before an Egyptian
arch or on a plastic-covered
Empire divan I am
not greatly pained, and I
think I really prefer a plas
tic grape and a mute lute.
PRE -TESTED F8RC
I was not as excited by
the neckline of H e 1 e n's
gown in Act II as was Mr.
Boroff, but I thought this
and her other costumes
were attractive and very
graceful on stage. The yel
low, gold and white worn
by Helen and Melina dis
tinctly aided in the charac
terization as did the blue
gray of the Cassandra-like
Aithra. I thought Aithra's
hemline needed adjustment,
but women have been trou
bled by uneven hemlines
for centuries.
It is interesting to con
sider the possibilities of a
contemporary suburban set
ting for this play. I suppose
that Helen, having tired of
taking her togas to the vil
lage laundromat and being
fed up with frozen grape
pies from the local super
market, would have set out
ST
"t
E. J. Bmol Tobuxt C.,
II' flDStOl
Letterips
to seduce the Good Humor
man. I think I like Mr.
Sabeth's version better.
If the Ballard contest is
to attract quality manu
scripts in the future, I
should think production In
the regular theater series
would continue to be an
important and perhaps nec
essary inducement. Just
once, I think it would be
interesting to see one of
Mr. Ballard's plays which
have now been in eclipse
for decades but which once
apparently loomed rather
large on the American
theater scene.
Finally, whatever the
play, confirmed theatergo
ers are always prepared, in
principle at least, to ac
cept the mute lute and the
singing star.
Marjorie Leafdale
4T
4 t
lib iuItafQ up front that counts
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WlnttM - RilMi. N. a.
Today I am going to
break my original promise
of not carrying on a cru
sade or drive. If, while
reading this, you find you
are violent
ly opposed
to my ide
ology or
whatev e r,
stop read
ing. How
ever, if you
find that
you feel
a p p roxi
mately the
same as I Beatty
do, continue to read.
I have, as most of us,
paid several thousands of
dollars to our University
and city police departments
for parking tickets. (I
might point out right now
that I am not un-American
or un-anything else that is
inherent to our democra
cy.) I admit that I have
broken a law several times
by ovrparking, parking in
the wrong place, etc. I ex
pect to pay for breaking
the law just as most' of us
do.
Whether city and Univer
sity officials realize it or
not, there is a tremendous
traffic and parking prob
lem in this city and espe
cially on our campus. Even
more disheartening is the
fact that the situation is not
getting better.
It is imperative that I,
as many, many other stu
dents and faculty members,
have an automobile. Be
lieve me, if I did not really
need to have a car, I would
be more than happy to
walk or take a bus.
Although my payments to
the University Police and
the Lincoln Police do n o t
run into the thousands, I
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'Or
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have paid a goodly shr
If you want to shock yr. :
self, sit down sometime .v
estimate the dollar b i 1 !
(sometimes more for rr. -j
cases) you have depn -
with for the privilege of
owning a car.
I actually feel as thoirh
the parking situation
(on campus) is as bad as
or worse than any other
problem the University
faces today. I say this be
cause of the large number
of people involved.
Students pay five dollars
for the right to park their
cars in such a place that
it takes 15 minutes to get
to and five or 10 more to
get started. If I am like
any one else who actually,
has a need for a car, my
purpose for using an auto
mobile is defeated before I
get three blocks down the
street.
Instead of parking in a
specified area, we take a
chance (if we are lucky
enough to find a place) and
park on the street. If by
chance you cannot get back
to your car in time Zap!
One dollar!!
Or, instead, if we park
in a meter stall, and again
are unable to put more
money in the meter or just
plain forget the car and its
whereabouts (as sometimes
happens) we are hit from
the opposing flank by the
University police.
I don't intend to blast
either police force as they
have both done much to
aid the student.
If something is not done
soon, due to the increase
in student and faculty
owned automobiles, the sit
uation is liable to reach
chaotic proportions, if it is
not already.
1
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