Page 2
EDITORIAL
RAM NEWSGRAM . . .
Investigation Needed!
CHARGE TO THE RAM COUNCIL:
An immediate investigation of the Ram
Newsgram, its editorial policy, its news
content and its purpose.
Throughout the year, The RAM News
gram has been published with the fol
lowing statement in its masthead:
"A WEEKLY publication of the Resi
dence Association for Men of the Uni
versity of Nebraska. The opinions ex
pressed by contributing writers do not
necessarily reflect the views of the Resi
dence Association for Men or of the
Management of Selleck Quadrangle."
However, it is quite evident that the
time has come for the RAM Newsgram
staff to begin answering to some type
of editorial or publications committee.
Once a newspaper, be it a metropolitian
daily, the Daily Nebraskan or a junior
high publication, begins to substitute
hearsay for fact in either its news col
umns or editorials, the publication no
longer can pretend to be anything but a
printed rumor mill.
AND, ONCE a newsaper falls into
this category, its personnel should im
mediately re-evaluate its purpose and
policy.
What has prompted our charge for
an immediate investigation?
IN THE February 12 Newsgram, an
editorial entitled "To Kill a Dinasaur"
appeared. In the editorial the writer at
tempted to point out that representatives
of the fraternity system had once again
shown that the "demise of hell weeks"
is not fast approaching.
To prove his point, the writer singled
out a particular fraternity and its mem
bers' actions and comments in order to
present a radical attack on fraternity
hell weeks.
HE BEGAN bis account of an en
counter with "hell week participants" by
saying:
"During the past week, one or more
pledges of Sigma Nu fraternity were
From the
"Fraternities Must
Adapt To Changing Con
ditions" This headline in last
Wednesday's Rag ap
peared as one of the lead
stories. It spoke rather
optimistically of the sur
vival in the future of the
fraternity systems.
It is nfortunate this
outside observer, exam
ining the institution from
without, cannot share the ,
same optimism, and must
take exception to the ar
ticle at far as it concerns
the Nebraska campus.
I cannot help but feel
that the lone voice of Don
Ferguson, who is sincere
ly asking for and who is
dedicated to reform with
in the fraternity system,
is like "one crying in the
wilderness," for by aQ
appearances his admoni
tions are sot heeded by
most of the fraternity
leaders who occupy pow
erful and influential posi
tions. The fraternities of this
campus still follow the 1
philosophy of "keg, com
bo, and collection of cou
ples approach to social
life ... " They show no
signs of wanting to adapt
to changes and reform
themselves from within.
Take the actios of the
Student Council (predom
inately Greek) back ia
December. Steve ' Chris
tense Introduced the ret
Men for the Council to
go ra record as resisting
action to baa discrimina
tory clauses from their
cotuiftntions as4 by-laws,
aad to encourage volun
tary actios by the fratern
ities themselves toward
adapting more liberal
constitutions aad by-laws.
Who objected to con
sideration? None other
than Chip Kuklin. It car
ried by the necessary
two-thirds majority, thus,
in effect, defeating the
resolution. It was not
even considered impor
tant enough for discus
sion. What is really precious,
Is the line of thinking ex
pressed by Don Durt,
council president, after
the meeting. He said that
be did not feel the prob
SEVENTY-SECOND YEAS OF
PUBLICATION
Telephone 4T7-S711, ext. 25SS, 2589, 2SM
Slember Associated Collegiate Press,
Izsismsiisssi Press RepresestsUve Ma
ttoaal Advertising Service, incorporated.
Pctilibed at: Room 11, Stodent U&tan,
liscola S, Nebraska. '
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lem would come to Ne
braska for at least sev
eral years, and perhaps
never. "To consider this
motion now, even before
the problem begins,
would serve no useful
purpose," Burt com
mented. This, to me, is gross
procrastination. It is like
waiting unto Russia bas
launched a nuclear at
tack before starting to
dig your fan oat shelter.
Remember that card
section abortion during
the televised Nebraska
Missouri football game
when two Cora Cob
pledges were abducted so
. the card section could be
sabotaged? At the time,
the big sub rosa scare
was on and served as the
scapegoat for the poorly
executed plan. Actually,
according to very relia
ble sources, this was the
work of a social fraterni
ty and not a sub rosa
group.
That phenomenon HeH
Week has been official
ly terminated, but by an
indications it unofficially
is still as strong as ever
as evidenced by one
pledge class caught play
ing with firecrackers late
at night last weekend.
Getting back to that
front page story.
From my interpretation
many of the optimistic
views and opinions ex
pressed in the story were
obtained at the National
tnterfraternity conference
in Pittsburgh. Doesn't this
seem a biasing factor?
Doesn't H seem most logi
cal that men attending
the conference would tend
to be pro-fraternity? Also
there is no time given to
adverse views and recent
fraternity failures.
Williams College and
the University of Wiscon
sin are two such failures
I have in mind. After 129
years after the first fra
ternity was founded at
Williams College, last
spring the board of trus
tees adopted committee
recommendations to abol
ish fraternities as living
units.
As for the University of
Wisconsin, according to
Daily Nebraskan
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Friday, February 15, 19631
chased into Selleck Quadrangle by a par
ticularly sadistic group of actives and
forced to take refuge in the rooms. Sel
dom in peacetime will you see anyone
so terrified. The torture which awaited
them seemed to consist mainly of var
ious unpalatable foods, but it was bad
enough to cause them to threaten var
ious track and field records of escap
ing." v
HOWEVER, THE writer FAILED to
adhere to the journalists creed the
objective reporting of the facts.
Did the Newsgram writer realize that
the fraternity WAS NOT in the middle of
hell week? Did the Newsgram writer
know that the pledge was being chased
by the active because the active was
trying to steal the pledge away from his
pledge class which was leaving on its
pledge sneak? Was the Newsgram writer
told that "various unpalatable foods"
were awaiting the pledge? And, how
sadistic was the group of actives?
IF THE on-the-scene-observer would
have analyzed the situation more care
fully, he might have realized that the
"peacetime terror" was nothing more
than an example of the excitement and
fun connected with pledge sneaks.
However, the subject of your misin
terpretation is secondary to the fact that
you have misrepresented the facts . . .
YOURS COULD be an important
function that of serving as the voice
of the independents on campus. You have
many people to applaud, many events
and activities to cover and you are rep
resenting a large percentage of Univer
sity students.
Perhaps if your publication would
always keep in mind the principles of
objectivity, your newspaper would be
come an even more respected means of
communication among your readers.
MAYBE WITH more direction, may
be with an effective editorial policy set
up by the RAM Council, your paper win
serve a purpose.
by george a. peterson I
the November 14 issue of
the Rag, the Wisconsin
"faculty members passed
a resolution this week
stating that all fraterni
ties and sororities mast
demonstrate a t o a o -,
my from their national -organizations
in selecting
members." If not, they
were to be subject to uni
versity policing.
These certainly aren't
examples of voluntary re
form and an inter-recognition
and desire to adapt
to changing conditions. If
Nebraska's chapters don't
start making a more de
termined effort the same
could easily happen here.
Another part of the
story that was questiona
ble in my mind was the
reference to the Syracuse
plan where "residence
halls" have brought in
"lecturers, one-act plays,
recitals, and other forms
of cultural programs
..." Is "residence
halls" in this cast used
the same as "fraternity?"
If not, then what it say
is that fraternities are
modeling their programs
after those initiated by
other types of living units,
supposedly to meet strong
competition, thus insur
ing the survival of the
fraternities.
In challenging the fig
ures which "indicated
that undergraduate
berikip in fraternities
over the past five years
has Increased from 1,57ft,
S7t to over Ijmm,"
I point to the rising col
lege enrollment. I ask If
the Increase is la propor
tion to the Increased en
rollments? By now, if you Greeks
have stayed with me this
long, you are no doubt
forming such descriptive
adjectives about me as
"uninformed," "p r e j u
diced," and "just plain
stupid." However, this is
your image to this par
ticular "outsider" and un
less you start listening
and acting as Don Fer
guson has suggested, I
feel I can safely predict
that the fraternity system
on mis campus win con
tinue to . . . FADE . . .
Fade . . . fade ...
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Guard
Reolies
To Attack
It is too bad indeed
that some individuals on
this campus, cannot think
in any terms other than
personality conflicts. Re
cently, one such "individ
ual" felt the urge to com
ment on a recent article.
It is too "bad that that
one individual is so con
structive that she must
lower herself to the level
of the immature and at
tack personality instead
of the issues.
In addition to this im
mature action on the part
of one who gives the im
pression of purity in act
and deed, she demon
strated through her wordy
literary incompotenence,
that she has an inability
to read correctly and
think about what she has
read attempting to see it
in the context and man
ner in which it was pre
sented. ' This young lovely, who
shattered her own image
as being an outstanding
contributor to the activi
ty world, should have
spent her time defending
the good points of her
"pete." Oh yes, she tried.
For example, to point out
how she can't read cor
rectly, she referred to
Ahmad Jamal too bad
he was here last year and
not this year. It is also
too bad that she isnt
aware of the success last
year of those other
groups which did appear.
And, we might add, the
Union didn't lose their
shirt.
She noted that First
Glance was non-profit.
This is truly great to
hear especially since no
one even asked about it.
The question was what
do they do with the funds
from the Student Direc
tory? OH YES then she at
tacks FRATERNITY. Ac
cording to the Greek def
inition of fraternity, all
"sororities" except one
the one she belongs to
call themselves "Frater
nal Organizations for
Women." We apologize to
her for excluding her
from the group of Fra
ternity which includes a
considerable, .number of
Greek Won e n. Then
again, maybe it is too
bad that tbey can't be
long to a "sorority."
Fraternity, Miss C, bas
been under attack and if
yon win read the paper
once ia a while other than
when yon write, yon
woo Id discover that It bas
net beea unmolested. The
columns and articles of
the recent days have
beea very critical of the
system one which must
adapt and become a part
of the institution or get
lost
So, what you should
have gotten from the ar
ticle was this that too
many organizations have
lost sight of goals. They
lack leadership which 4s
willing to become unpop
ular ia order to really
lead not be a wishy
washy -middle-of-the-roader
who will compromise
and take the defensive.
IF YOU REALLY be
lieve that the organiza
tions of which yoa have
beea a part are worth
two boots (or three), yen
should have made an ef
fort to ten the campus.
Maybe yon do do some
good but bow many peo
ple ever know it unless
they hear about it. Your
actions would be covered
in fuU on the front page
of the Nebraskan editor
Jensen isn't anti-anyone
in the news-columns, yet.
And, if you or any oth
er organization is not ful
filling any purpose; if aU
you do is meet and spin
your wheels giving an
endless -number of work
ers ' extra points; if you
become defensive instead
of combating opposition
with strong offensive,
positive programs; then
that organization de
serves the well-known
boot!
The major problem
with organizations on this
campof is that they are
anwliling to take pride ia
what "Utile" tbey do ac
complish. Many "leaders"
become timid when con
fronted. If tbey believe in
what tbey are doing, why
don't they talk about it?
Why da tbey always have
to be apologetic and dab
ble la personality con
flicts? Criticism is justi
fied anytime that tnere
Is room for Improvement
And Show as the per
fect Organization!
Yes Vicky, there is a
Santa Claus someday he
may even make you pos
itive instead of negative.
don ferguson
File It Under ...
NEW BUSINESS
Okay, gang, now that
we've gyred and gimbled
and sprayed our pellets of
wrath among the troops,
hopingA perhaps, to find
the target at least once,
let's begin to think posi
tively! Let's not think in
terms of "isn't" and
"can't", but rather in
terms of "is" and "can."
Last Spring a Lincoln
newspaper opined that,
"The legislators, the Uni
versity and teachers col
leges and, most impor
tant, the people of Nebras
ka can benefit greatly by
the best possible under
standing between the Leg
islature and the education
al institutions."
In t h a t editorial com
ment can be found the ba
sis' of the Student Council .
Senators Program. The
Senators Program has
been organized by stu
dents, and has been de
signed to allow for the
participation of as many
students as possible. The
first phase of the Program
will concentrate on en
couraging living units to
invite a Senator for din
ner. Stndent Council
supplying all interested
thing units with brief bi
ographical information on
the various Senators, as
wen as helpful suggestions
for contacting Senators
and holding discussion ses
sions with them.
Phase two consists of a
series of small noon lunch
eons with Senators and
students from their dis
tricts, while phase three
will feature a series of
speaking engagements by
Senators at meetings of
student organizations.
Now come the all-im
Probl
em
Of The Week
QUESTION: It is known
that there is one counter
feit coin in a collection of
similar coins. What is the
least number of weight
trials necessary to iden
tify the counterfeit?
Bring or send answers
to this week's problem to
210 Burnett. The solution
will be printed next week
along with another prob
lem. SOLUTION: The an
swer to last week's prob
lem: There are 3 permuta
tions aside from the origi
nal arrangement.
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"What responsibilities will you start with at W. L?"
Cutting ones. With plenty of room for your pro
fessional development Western Electee's busi
ness depends on new ideas. And new engineers
toko responsible, immediate part in projects
that implement tho entire art of telephony
including electronic telephone offices, computer-controlled
production techniques and
microwave transmission. On many of these ex
citing advances in communications. Western's
engineers work closely with engineers from our
research team-mate. Bell Telephone Laborato
ries. For Western Electric to maintain the Bell
System's ultra-high quality standards, extraor
dinary manufacturing, process and testing
Western Electric HIANUFACTUR1NO AND SUPPLY UNIT OF THE BELL SYSTEM
An aul opportunity mployir
Pfincipi manufcturirn localipnt in 13 cit
(ngihcermg Htwuth Cwilti, Princeton, N.
portant questions: What
good will it do? Why even
bother to bring a Senator
down here? The answers
to these questions can be
found by examining the
unique opportunity that we
have as students.
A business enterprise is
judged, to a great extent,
by the product it turns
out. At the University of
Nebraska, today, we are
the product! Education is
the business of our Uni
versity, and we, as stu
dents," represent the suc
cess of that business. The
only way a business can
grow is to seU its product
and likewise, an excellent
way to insure the growth
and development of o n r
University is to sell its
product to those who hold
the "purchasing power".
Why not m e e t with a
Senator? Why not tell him
how much your education
means to you, or better
yet, how much it will
mean to your brothers and
sisters, or your children?
You don't have to know
the details of the Univer
sity budget you don't
have to know what per-y
centage of the salary in
creases wiU go for teach
ing. This information is
useful, but not necessary.
rri
quentms
a town & campus
1229 R ST. 432-3645
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chanical and industrial engineers, and also for
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For more detailed Information, get" your copy of
the Western Electric career opportunities book,
let from your Placement Officer. Or write Col
lege Relations Coordinator. Western Electric
Company, Room 6306, 222 Broadway, New
York 38, New York. And be sure to arrange for
a personal interview when the Bell System re
cruiting team comes to visit your campus this
year or during your senior year.
J.
OMUL' center, m men of ,h
Teletype Corp., Mn, III., Utl Rock,
by don hurt
All you have to know is
why the University of Ne-:
braska is important to
you aU you have to
have is an interest in Ne-;
braska government and a
bell of a lot of pride in
your school. You can sell
yourself to a Senator. You
can show him the kind
of mature adult that is be
ing fashioned out of the
"blood, sweat, and tears"
of a four-year academic
adventure. Don't try to
"snow" him you don't
have to! AU you have to
do is be yourself a stu
dent at the University of
Nebraska who is here, for
a good education, and who
is concerned about the
state in which he lives.
That 'should be enough to
make a Senator certain
that this "higher educa
tion" stuff is weU worth
the price.
Five hundred students
have said they are inter
ested in doing something. -Why
not five thousand
or ten thousand? Why
doesn't every single stu
dent take it upon himself
to contact a Senator and
bring him to the campus?
Here's our chance to start
repaying the debt that
each of us owes to the
University.
AlVWf il
ciet p)ut 36 oth,rt , )h(. u s
Ark. Gen. Hq 19b Bro.a.,, N.Y.7.WX
