fmmn
WaMISGk
Page 2
Monday, March 9, 1964
FIRETRUCR:
Grs Themselves Block
Reform In Hours Here
By Arnle Garson
I have been told by a
senior member of Associ
ated Women Students
(AWS) that for once the
University is not at fault.
Jane Tenhulzen claimed
that the girls themselves
have been and are still
stumbling blocks in the way
of an even greater liberali
zation of women's hours
and standards.
She was quick to point
out, of course, that senior
keys are still an awfully
long way off and that the
University might not advo
cate such a move immedi
ately. But the fact remains
that AWS Board has con
servative philosophy.
It is this conservative phi
losophy, held by a majority
of the AWS board mem
bers, ' which has deprived
University coeds of proving
that they are actually capa
ble of managing their own
affairs and using their bet
ter judgment.
The Board's attitude con
trasted to the University's
position is perhaps best evi
denced, according to Miss
Tenhulzen, by the fact that
AWS court decisions tend to
be more liberal when Dean
Snyder is present than when
the girls conduct the court
in her absence.
So once and for all, let
me allay the rumors and
suspicions that Helen Sny
der, associate dean of Stu
dent Affairs, the University
administration or any fac
tor other than the girls
themselves is responsible
tor the slow and rocky road
which hours reforms are
traveling.
About two years ago, Fri
day night hours were
lengthened from 12:30 a.m.
to 1 a.m. Last week juniors
were allotted 11 p.m. week
day hours. This indeed is a
slow process; considering
many Big Eight ' and Big
Ten schools have had seni
or keys for several years.
But the real question is: is
AWS, by blocking addition
al reforms, really reflecting
the wishes of the majority
of University women? Miss
Tenhulzen said that admin
istration is usually willing
to go along with the wishes
of the girls, so long as they
remain within reason. On
the other hand, many junior
women were not accepting
the proper responsibility by
campaigning about hour ex
tensions. . .
So on what grounds can
the AWS Board justify (1)
not reflecting the wishes of
the girls that is if the ma
jority of women are not con
servative and (2) not recog
nizing college women as
young adults. (The DAILY
NEBRASKAN pointed out
editorially last week that so
ciety generally does recog
nize college women as
young adults.)
For myself, the truth of
this matter has been quite
a shock. But clearly, - the
blame is with the students
themselves rather than Ad
ministration. And before re
forms are brought about,
the girls themselves (not
the boys who currently do
most of the complaining)
are going to have to con
vince their representatives
that they deserve the adult
privileges and that it is in
the best interests of the
University and society to
grant them.
Cont'd on Page 3
insight Slsewhere
A chance to look again . . .
by ken net h tabor
ERIC SEVAREID
THE TROUBLE:
With Rush Week
Delayed rush, with a pledge week at the beginning ol
the second semester, or an organized open rush, seem to
be the only answers. At least, Spring Rush was not and
the Interfraternity Council, as usual, seems lost for ideas.
An outline of 1964 Spring Rush: rushees were expected
to select 10 houses to attend the first day for 20 minutes
each, then select three of those to which they were asked
to return for the second day. In all, three hours were spent
with each rushee, if he returned the second day.
If a rushee had not been active in open rush, or was
a sophomore or upperclassman, it is hard to imagine him
formulating sound opinions of any of the 10 fraternities.
In Fall Rush, if a rushee had not been active in sum
mer rush, the same situation prevails, except he spends
probably two hours more time at the fraternities of his
choice.
Fraternity men who have been through three or four
rush weeks and open rushes are pretty good at evaluating
rushees with their fraternity's philosophy in mind. But,
every year there are cases, exceptions to the rules, who
just do not fit. This hurts a fraternity as much or more
than the pledges who do fit in help it.
With more high school graduates coming to the Uni
versity every year, summer rush, a financial burden on
fraternities, which are non-profit organizations, is not an
efficient method through which 24 fraternities make their
philosophy known to all rushees as well as vice-versa.
Certainly, the three day Fall Rush and abominable Spring
Rush through which those fraternities just lived, are not
efficient methods either.
In both cases fraternities concentrate on rushees they
have had previous contact with and make hurried guesses
on others about whom all they know is (1) they have
done well in high school or in their first semester at the
University and (2) they are well groomed.
Fraternities across the United States have lost chart
ers because of an unwillingness to change. As soon as
society completes its movement against hazing, you can
be sure it will attack another phase. The word "fratern
ity" has obviously and sadly come to mean "discrimina
tion" to society.
But the system here remains strong, despite weak
nesses in its administrative organization. It will remain
up to each fraternity, it seems, to initiate and carry out
changes that they must in order to survive strongly.
The purposes and accomplishments of the fraternity
system, with respect to each individual member, cannot
be denied or underestimated.
They remain, here at least, a prominent factor in the
process our sociologists call "socialization". The lifelong
friendships and social and business contacts that are cul
tivated through a fraternity lend not only to a member's
"socialization", but to his opportunity.
In order to remain such in the future, they must
change. And the next change should come In rushing, the
kind that is fair to both rushee and rusher.
One solution would be to let the fraternities pledge
rushees anytime during the course of the school year, af
ter a certain time, at their own and the rushees' discre
tion. Maybe a better one would be to organize open rush
to make certain that the rushees have the opportunity to
visit each house and time to formulate a valid opinion. "'
Both necessitate the demise of "rush week".
Returning to South Viet
Nam for the third time in
five months, Defense Sec
retary Robert McNamara
is working on a reassess
ment of our position in that
sector of the "cold" war.
It has been plain for a
long time that something
was amiss in the S o u t h
Viet Namese conflict. Re
ports from that country re
port U.S. troops anywhere
from near victory to near
defeat.
McNamara's return to the
battle area is probably on
ly a token gesture an at
tempt to find out first hand
wJiat the situation really Is
combined with profuse as
surances to all involved that
all is, or at least will be
well.
The cause for this par
ticular visit seems to be an
incident last week in which
one Viet Cong platoon stood
its ground against 2,000
troops of the Viet Nam
government, the end being
that the Viet Cong crack
soldiers burst through the
lines which surrounded
them, killing and wounding
many as they made their
forced exit.
There have been some ac
tions of late, however, which
have not been simply ges
tures on the part of our gov
ernment. Soon after the
Viet Namese government
had made of few of its own
changes (a five-day cease
fire for a "New Year" cele
bration followed by a pay
increase for its enlisted
men) we began some ef
forts of our own.
The first change made
from our camp was the re
placement of the Assistant
Secretary of State for Far
Eastern Affairs. Previous
holder of the post Roger
Hilsman seemingly came to
it with a host of recom
mendations from neck to
knee. With his intellectual
training from Yale and his
military experience from
the Far East, he became
well liked by both his im
mediate superior Averell
Harriman and Kennedy
himself.
Unlike Kennedy, who re
fused to accept Hilsman's
resignation, LBJ was evi
dently not so taken with
him. At least his passage
hasn't seemed to be disturb
ing to Johnson. In fact,
very few cared much for
Hilsman. As quick with
lectures as he was with
facts, unpopularity seemed
to become him.
The job has gone to Mc
George Bundy's brother,
William P., former Assis
tant Secretary of Defense
for International Security
Affairs. It may be of great
help in attempting a solu-.
tion providing McGeorge re
tains his position as Presi
dential aide.
One of the objections
which has been levelled at
our handling of the Viet Na
mese situation has been the
Internal and eternal squab
bles -between the Defense
Department and the State
Department (one of many
such arguments including
such organizations as t h e
CIA, DIA, etc.). McGeorge
is a Special Assistant to the
President for National Se
curity Affairs. Such a com
bination as McGeorge and
William Bundy might work
very well together even to
the point of ending some of
the bureaucractic bicker
ing. Another change has been
the creation by the John
son administration of an en
tirely new post and a new
department. This new de
partment is to evaluate our
past actions in Viet Nam
and report them directly to
Secretary of State Dean
Rusk.
One of Averell Harri
man's assistants, William
Sullivan, will head this
force, which is to be con
nected with more than one
department involved in the
South Viet Nam crisis. It
should contribute to a re
lieving of tensions; if not
between Viet Cong and Viet
Namese forces at least be
tween the State and De
fense departments.
Whether these changes
are practical or political is
hard to tell; perhaps they
are a combination of the
two, which would be strange
indeed; not nearly so
strange though as the
changes themselves as they
relate to the problems at
hand.
It is hard for most of us
to see how changing the
head of this department
is going to do away
with the things which
seem to hinder American
victory. The problem we
face in South Viet Nam is
the need to wage a warfare
of guerilla tactics without
much experience for that
sort of. thing.
Knives and mud balls
seem to be typical weapons
in the warfare there, and
what our troops need more
than anything is time; late
ly this need seems to have
been filled. Patience is the
keynote in Viet Nam.
This is the warfare in fce
field. In the towns and cities
action varies anywhere
from window pot-shots to
blowing up softball games
not what we would usual
ly call warfare. But it is an
insurrection that seems to
befuddle the U.S. troops sta
tioned there.
In addition to this, the
war in Viet Nam does not
restrict itself to the mili
tary. In Saigon, it is t h e
policy of the Viet Cong to
attack and destroy as many
Americans as possible,
whether military or civilian.
Again this is accomplished
by small sabotage crews
picking off individual peo
ple. Further adding to the
American plight is the in
stability of the South Viet
Namese Junta under Gen
eral Nguyen Khanh whose
own forces are divided in
their loyalties so that any
time his position could be
usurped.
If Khanh's position were
to be taken by another there
Cont'd on Page 3
Goldwater Most Interesting,
And Unexplained Candidate
By Eric Sevareid
However he fares in New
Hampshire, the senator
from Arizona and the po
litical writers will not be
finished with one another for
some time.
In a certain
sense he is
! much the
most inter
e s t i n g of
the candi
dates, yet
he has not
really been
explained.
His views
Severeid have been
explained, and the vision of
America that he would like
to recall to reality seems
clear enough. But the spe
cial psychology of the man,
the method of his thought
as distinct from its sub
stance, has not been re
vealed. Nor have we who presume
to unravel the daily myster
ies accomplished this in re
spect to others who claim
competence to act as first
trustee of the fate of millions.
Mr. Harold Stassen is a
good example. Who has
really detected what It is,
deep in his viscera, that
makes him stir and paw in
his harness every four years
like the proverbial fire
horse at the sound of the
gong? It is something more
complicated than simple
ambition.
I have often thought that
political writers make very
poor use of the tools of mod
ern psychology. Sports wri
ters and Hollywood gossip
ists do better laying bare
the inner souls of their hero
es and villains than we who
write of the characters who
perform upon this far more
important stage.
One of our troubles is that
we are habitually judging
political men in their rela
tion to the "themes and is
sues," as if the warp and
woof of their minds con
sisted of "positions" on this
objective problem or that.
This is what we have been
doing with the fascinating
Goldwater psyche; yet,
surely, the interesting and
special thing about him is
not the conclusions h i s
thought has led him to, but
the process of his thinking.
Admittedly, getting into this
is, for the amateur in psy
chology, to tread a mine
field in poor light. One can
booby-trap himself very eas
ily and that may be what
I am about to do.
Right or embarrassingly
wrong, I have come to the
conclusion that in the world
of political thought he is the
mechanic contrasted with
the engineer. Woodrow Wil
son once said that govern
ment is not a machine but
a living thing. He explained
that it falls, not under the
Newtonian theory of the uni
verse, but under the theory
of organic life; that it is ac
countable to Darwin, not to
Newton.
Perhaps, after all. the
simplest way to explain
THE GLASS -SUPPER
Goldwater is to recall his
passion for mechanical
gadgets the household pan
els that slide, the flagpole
that lifts at the push of a
button, the radio and auto
mobile knobs and panels
that respond to his touches.
This is an entirely reput
able avocation; the point is
that it is the hobby of a
human psyche that is very
different from tbe one that
paints or writes or gardens,
or even the one-that cre
ates furniture in the base
ment workshop. It is em
phatically not the psychol
ogy of "the ponderer, the
shaper and leader.
The senator appears to
view American society and
the stream of world history
in static terms. Touch this
button, he seems to be say
ing, and the Cuban problem
will be transformed; pull
this lever and China will be
taken care of; put your fin
ger on this clause of the
Constitution and policy X
becomes literally and un
questionably un-Con-stitutional.
" I have the impression that
he sees American society as
General Eisenhower seemed
to see it in 1952, as if
through the lens of an ele
mentary civics book: a fixed
mosaic with labor in its
place, management in its,
industry, agriculture, city
and small town all in their
proper and appointed
spheres, with political phi
losophies whether "liberal"
or "conservative" neat, self
contained and separate, nev
er flowing in and out of
each other's main currents.
One gets this Impression
much more from his ex
temporaneous speeches and
much less from his writings.
But the speeches are the
pertinent evidence for the
reason that his writings are
essentially done for him by
others.
The mechanistic approach
to government and world af
fairs is not synonymous
with the conservative phi
losophy of life; there are
nominal liberals who are
governed quite as much by
this state of mind, who are
Con't on Page 3
COMMUNITY CONCERT
MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
March 9 March 21.
1964-65 Concerts.
Bernard Peiffer Jazz Trio
Ferrante and Teicher
Chicago Opera Ballet
De Paul Chorus
Birgit Nilsson
TICKETS $8.50 ADULTS; $5.00 STUDENTS
Membership Available Only during Campaign.
Tickets for Single Concerts Are Not Available.
Get tickets at Pershing Auditorium Headquarters
Phone 477-4337 & 477-4548
mil mm M ..hi iiuui.iii i,miiiiiuiiiiuii .i.i ;--"-$MmH!fimiiim?:
Hip lie Mi?
i 1 ' M J
J ; MlMJI1' J
IN CONCERT
with
RONNIE SCHELL
PERSH1XG MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM
WEDNESDAY, MAR. II 8 P.M.
ALL SEATS RESERVED:
3.50 3.00 2.50 2.00
Tic ket, on Bale at Perahlnr Municipal Auditorium
or br Mall
WE NEVER CLOSE
,1 - ' ; , 5 J I"
' f """T" I; I
'V i .-. fit
i ? V ; 0 ' f J a - if
j " y ' jj P
'; - . ' ' - " v fagf
K I r Li I
in
c:
BALL POINT mS
WITH GAS
PURCHASE
DIVIDEND BONDED GAS
16th & P Sts.
Downtown Lincoln
