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Page 2 Thursday, April 30, 1964 C.
Dear Editor;
Last weekend some 46 for
eign students who were vi
siting the Campus and
participating in the People
to People Soccer Tourna
ment had a first hand ex
perience of Fraternity Life.
Fourteen Fraternity houses
were gracious enough to
accommodate them over the
three-day tourney. I think
this was a great step for
ward in international rela
tions and the Interfratern
ity Council deserves high
praise for taking such a re
markable step.
These players, represent
ing Iowa State, Kansas
State, and Creighton Uni
versities, came from lead
ing African nations such as
Nigeria and Ghana and as
distant and unheard of
places such as the Ivory
One
Dear Editor :
Once again Student Coun
cil elections are just around
the corner. Again the ma
jor issue is fair represen
tation of the student body.
It will no doubt be the stand
of a majority of the candi
dates that this problem can
be solved by putting repre
sentation on a basis quite
different from that present
ly employed. Advocating
such is all well and good,
but supporters of such a
change are forgetting one
thing. This is that the stu
dents do not seem to want
representation change. Such
has been proven by the de
feating of variety of pro
posed amendments to the
constitution. This majority
opinion has been aug
mented by an opinion
poll expressing the same
sentiment. Therefore, if the
Student Council really
wishes to be representative
of the student body, it is
mandatory that the basic
means of representation be
unchanged.
Faced with this situation,
Student Counci1 should
attempt to make only those
changes absolutely neces
sary in creating a satisfac
tory system. How can this
be done. The answer is as
toundingly simple. Give the
students an opportunity to
determine council member
ship. At the present time this is
definitely not taking place.
Hand - picked candidates
supported morally and fi
nancially by the Interfra
ternity Council (IFC) have
an overwhelming advant
age. This advantage has re
sulted in their nominees
completely dominating elec
tions. Five to six men
making up the IFC inter
viewing board are able con
sequently, to determine the
greatest proportion of coun
cil make up. By aiding can
dates not only by covering
half of their expenses, (the
candidate's fraternity
covers the rest) and by giv
ing the IFC candidates ex
cellent organizational sup
port, the candidate himself
is allowed only to sit back
and wait for the new council
year to begin.
The organizational support
Includes not only the name
backing of the IFC, but
complete backing within the
fraternities through team
captains whose job it is to
see that members get out
and back IFC candidates.
This is the means and type
of control evident in politi
cal machine run city gov
ernments. The conse
quences of this sitution are
unfortunate. In most col
leges IFC candidates will
run in essence, literally un
opposed. In " my college
(Business Administration)
there are only two candi
dates for the two seats allo
cated the college. Both are
IFC backed candidates.
Undoubtedly there are
qualified individuals who
would run if they had a con
ceivable chance, but there
are few if any with the nec
essary financial wherewith-
Fraternities Good
Coast, Haiti and New Guin
ea. These students are
bound to carry with them
the memories of NU and
the warm welcome they re
ceived from the fraternities
when they return home.
From my contact with
them, I was able to realize
that they were highly
pleased with the facilities
provided by the houses and
was told that some of them
had fun discussing interest
ing topics with the house
- members. The participating
houses were: Sigma Nu,
Acacia, Theta Xi, Kappa
Sigma, Alpha Tau Omega,
Sigma Chi, Chi Phi, Farm
House, Delta Upsilon, Phi
Kappa Psi, Triangle, Alpha
Gamma Sigma, Beta Sig
ma Psi and Pi Kappa Psi.
I deeply appreciate the
efforts of the house mem
Representation
all and organizational back
ing needed to compete with
IFC candidates. The IFC
definitely should urge fra
ternity participation in
council elections, but they
should not have the power to
determine the outcome as
they do at present If the
former was the case more
students would run for
Council, and voter partici
pation would be greater.
In allowing the student
body as a whole their due
rights, it would also be es
sential to abolish organiza
tional representaion. Organ
izational representation re
sults in the council's being
composed of many repre
sentatives who are elected
by only a fraction of the
students.
With a Council based on
college representation alone
and devoid of IFC interfer
ence, rule by the few would
be eliminated. Screening of
candidates could be ac
complished through convoca
tions held in the respective
colleges at which candi
dates would give short cam
paign speeches. Such would
be especially successful if
the University would dis
miss classes during the
time.
The DAILY NEBRAS
KAN'S write up on candi
date views is already an
excellent means of inform
ing the student. Concerning
organizational backing,
non-partisan representation
wculd be far better than
single group representation,
and possibly better yet than
non-partisan representation
would be a bipartisan rep
resentation system modeled
after the national party sys
tem. This might really
stimulate student interest.
Such a representation
Good Show
Dear Editor:
The Union is to be com
plimented for bringing the
remarkable talents of Ad
diss and Crofut to the Uni
versity. My husband and I
first heard them at Chi
cago's "Gate of Horn" a
year ago-for $10 a couple.
Their show at the Union
April 17 was more than
twice as long for $1 per
person and only a very
few attended.
Steve Addiss and Bill
Crofut are extremely ver
satile and capable musici
ans and their work as sing
ing ambassadors abroad is
a challenge to every young
adult. It's too bad more
didn't hear. them. :
Mrs. James V. Risser
I About Letters
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F.
i.
Hosts
bers in making arrange
ments for these foreign
guests and on behalf of the
People to People organiza
tion thank them for their
open arms.
At the same time I must
not forget the Tri-Delts for
accommodating the three
ladies who showed up with
the soccer teams. I realized
that I could not house these
Soccer fans in Theta Xi
which was next on the list!
My sincere thanks to Joann
Ebers and Cassie Wild for
making the last minute ar
rangements for them.
My personal thanks to
Tom Brewster (IFC Presi
dent), and Loren Fairbanks,
(People to People Chair
man) for arranging a hearty
welcome for these foreign
friends.
Vinod Kotecha
Plan
system as I have proposed
is not a panacea, it is mere
ly a brief discription of a
possibility. At the very least
it is far better than the
present discriminatory set
up, and as such would re
sult in three general im
provements over the pre
sent system. These would
include greater participa
tion of candidates and vot
ers, greater acceptance by
the students, and would re
sult in a better and more
representative student
council.
Jim Ensz
Trip Offers
Dear Editor:
A regular reader of Cam
pus Opinion cannot fail to
notice at least a tinge of
parochialism in the major
ity of the contributors. Such
parochialism is not surpris-
Good Choice
Dear Editor:
This year I feel that the
University ofNebeaska
Foundation Board did an
excellent job in selecting
Dr. Jackson to receive the
Distinguished Teaching
Award in the Physical and
Technological Sciences.
In my opinion, no better
choice could have been
made. Having had two
courses under Dr. Jackson.
I found it a pleasure to at
tend his classes. His clear
and well-organized lectures
inspired student to work
harder just to please him.
I wish every student could
have the opportunity to take
at least one course under
Dr. Jackson.
A Former Student
MN, I'M Nor EVER,
COUNCIL REPRESENTATION
Eliminate Slate, Organization Steps;
Campus-Wide Election For Officers
By Rick Spellman
There are several aspects
about the coming Student
Council elections which I
think are worth mentioning,
and I also think it is possi
ble to relate the results of
the present electoral sys
tem to a few general ob
servations of the Student
Council, especially in its re
lation to the IFC.
As you walk around the
campus, you are hit with
thousands of posters thumb
tacked on bulletin boards.
This is encouraging, be
cause few will disagree with
the importance of good stiff
competition. Take a closer
look. There is no equal time
there are far too few
bulletin boards to give each
candidate a fair crack at
the only form of competi
tion involved in these elec
tions: finding space for your
campaign slogan. Even if
there were space, it is still
a joke. Something called an
IFC slate has long before
entered into the picture, and
their poster is by far the
most impressive.
What is the effect of this
slate on the student council?
In my opinion it is this:
The greek system here at
Antidote
ing, nor is it particularly
distressing, since one of the
prime goals of education is
elimination of whatever
binders are imposed by
time and place on our clear
vision. And of course we
are its victims to one ex
tent or another.
May I suggest a pleasant
antidote: Student Council
and the Big Eight have
made it possible to save
about $180 on round trip jet
fare to London. Paris and
Amsterdam. The group
flight leaves New York
June 16 and returns from
Europe September 9.
Cost is only $361 round
trip, and students, faculty,
employees (and their par
ents and dependents) are
eligible. More information
can be obtained from me
in Burnett Hall B-3, or bv
calling Ext. 2428 between 1
and 3:30 p.m. If Harvard
can send five plane-loads,
and Iowa State over a hun
dred passengers, then sure
ly Nebraska can persuade
at least twenty-five people
to take advantage of num
ber in such a venture.
Perry Weddle
G-OiM' HOME."
the University composes
about 20 of the student
body, but they have the
loudest, practically the only
voice which represents our
campus. It would be futile
to try to define or under
stand the meaning of a stu
dent council on this basis.
The IFC obviously thinks
it is in a better position
than the student body to de
cide who is and who isn't
qualified. I would hate to
mention the political riga
marole involved when the
slating goes on. but this is
not the point. The point is
that the Council has not rig
orously dealt with the prob
lem. The IFC's technique
has worked better for a long
enough time in the past to
establish a continuous, hard
core greek influence on the
council. There is no reason
for either the IFC or the
Student Council to object,
one by fact, the other by
farce.
If the IFC came right out
and supported one candi
date in a campus-wide elec
tion for president, say, I
I don't think anyone would
put up with it. Their influ
ence would be obvious. But
this is the way it is now
when the IFC hand-picks 90
per cent of the Council
through their slate, be
cause chances are pretty
good that when the Council
elects its own president, he
will have been an IFC slat
ed candidate.
When the Council elects
its own officers, the quest
ion is said: Do the quali
fied have the right to choose
the qualified? Just say ev
erybody got together and,
as a joke, ran a goat for
president in an all-campus
election. This time they
really get together and
have the thing elected. Our
student body would be led
by a braying, filthy animal
conducting meetings from
a grass carpeted stall.
Would the campus suffer?
Sure, but the goat would
prove to be the only quali
fied thing available for the
job, and he would have the
backing of the herd. The
point is that the campus
leader will have cam
pus backing, not IFC or an
isolated Student Council's
backing. The students have
no one to blame but them
selves, but they do have
something to say.
Is there a solution? I think
there is. One of the funda
mental problems which al
lows the extent of IFC in
fluence on the Student Coun
cil is the lack of participa
tion and concern on the part
of the students. Apathy is a
problem, yes, but apathy is
a result of what?
What stifles a sense of
campus wide competition
when it comes to electing
the council? I believe that
once again the election pro-
WE NEVER CLOSE
Cicfcir
25
DIVIDEND BONDED GAS
16th & p Sts.
Downtown Lincom
cedures of the council are
at fault it offers no basis
for competition. A campus
wide election of major offi
cers have the following ef
fects: the office would be
come valued and sought aft
er because of the genuine
prestige involved; the bur
den of proving oneself
would rest on the candi
date's ability to win votes
student votes, not Council
or IFC votes; the candidate
would have to work for the
prestige to be gained the
way an officer of the Coun
cil should.
He would visit various fra
ternities and living halls as
the campaign came down
to the wire. The harder the
campaigning, the greater
the success. He might have
to publish views in the
DAILY NEBRASKAN and
encourage meaningful de
bate on the issues. (He
would also use the bulletin
boards.) I don't think that
two weeks is too much time
for a person to spend work
ing for something he want
ed. Competition would weed
out the uninterested and un
qualified. We would have a
respectable election.
The second basic problem
which contributes to our
apathetic way of life at the
university is the lack of
over-all unity and interest
within the student body. Ev
erybody knows this. But it
is not the students' fault. I
have pointed out that an in
dividual's vote is largely a
lormaiity, and I don't ques
tion the lack of interest
which results. Several large
campuses include class
presidents on the Student
Council. Believe it or not,
this tends to unite classes
together, and allows young
er, capable students a
chance to prove themselves.
There are numerous advan-
effes
tages to class councils, but
I am concerned omy with
the effect they would have
on the Student Council.
I am totally opposed to
the fact that various organ
izations on campus are al
lowed to send voting repre
sentatives to the Council.
A Student Council, accurate
ly defined, should not be
composed of people whose
primary interest is obvious
ly that of an activity other
than the Council itself. This
results in reducing the Coun
cil to a second-rate organ
ization on campus not only
in fact, but in the minds of
a considerable proportion of
its members. Each and ev
ery member should ba
backed by popular support,
and have proved that his
vote is deserving of a wider
influence than the votes that
come off the floor today.
I don't feel as though I
can stress the value of an
effective Student Coun
cil enough, and the Univer
sity of Nebraska certainly
needs one. If the adminis
tration and the boys down
town giggle at the present
Council, a Council which is
by its very nature responsi
ble primarily for its own
image, then the giggling will
go on forever unless the
Council digs back and
changes the very basis on
which its exists today. I feel
that it is up to the Council
itself to realize its own
weaknesses, and to take the
necessary improvements
upon itself. Some members
will simply have to face the
consequences of what is to
day non-existant loyalty to
the student body and take
the initial step. Otherwise,
nothing will happen, as usu
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