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By FRANK PARTSCH
Looking across my cluttered desk, past my cluttered
ashtray and out over the rooftops and finally leafing trees
barely visible in the light of a new day, I began to won
der as all college students do at one time or another
what is it all about? How does one feel when he has
finally realized the greatest ambition of his years as a
student; realized it and then found it gone before he
had scarcely grasped onto the reins?
The editor usually allows himself a final editorial, in
which he indulges in whatever reflecting and sentimental
izing he deems necessary to impress his readers with the
constant pressure, heartaches and endless personal satis
faction he finds while occupying the Chair in 51-E, Ne
braska Union. Being sentimental for sentiment's sake
alone is dishonest, but if some value is inherent in a sen
timental remark, it is by definition twice as effective.
I hope that the following remarks will in some small
way serve to explain me, my goals successes and failures
as an editor, and the goals,. successes and failures of the
campus of this University during the last semester.
Gary Lacey, whom I hold to be one of the better
writers among recent Daily Nebraskan editors, said in
HIS final editorial: "I could tell yon of the sleepless
nights, of (Je irate people who come into the office each
day to complain because their story wasn't run, or their
name was left out or misspelled. I could tell you of the
stomach aches that plague you because you smoke too
many cigarets and drink too much coffee . . .
"What people think of you isn't what counts, how
ever. What does count is that you be true to yourself,'
abide by the principles that you have made for your
self, and never compromise to please ... If you win a
given situation, be proud, and if you fail, at least you
will know you have tried.
"That's all you can do."
The view looking east from 517 Cather Hall is not
particularly inspiring. Straight down, five stories below,
17th Street that obnoxious sound chamber winds and
bumps up to Vine and Holdrege. Then, the warehouses, the
four or five strands of railroad tracks treading their
way through the dust and rock of Area Two, and the
shabby little houses, hovering between red radio trans
mitters and shaded by innumerable trees.
No Green, Except . . .
When I first learned about Lacey's sleepless nights,
the leaves had not yet appeared. The only beauty to
meet the eye in those days of wrestling with the stu
dent discount card case was the wierd clusters of ice
and frost that clung to the naked branches. Next year,
as I bask in the faraway hills and green fields of re
tirement and study, I will wonder if I ever even saw the
ice or the leaves, and doubt it. The days went too fast,
the nights were too long. I snapped at too many friends,
irritated too many enemies, ignored too many potential
sources of aid and comfort. All in the continual effort
to beat the clock and yet retain some resemblance of a
student.
"That's all you can do."
This semester, the Daily Nebraskan had two pur
poses cut out for itself. One was to improve its degen
erating strength and influence; the other was to ready
the student body for ushering in a new era of campus
and world awareness, an era hastened by the new stu
dent government, college riots throughout the nation, and
the civil rights movement. I felt that these two tasks
were closely tied together, and that success in either
without the other would be a betrayel.
And for a time, it looked as if the campus were
well on its way toward a movement of sorts. But we
forget that anything that happens during a semester is,
as Lacey says "but a minute in the history of the Uni
versity ... to rehash recent happenings and try to re
late them into the whole would be fruitless." We saw a
few rumblings, which ended quickly when the leaves ap
peared and Pioneer Park became a refuge from academ
ia. Then came the election, whose wave obliterated most
of the remains.
The movement will arise again, as students become
discontented, but, as I hold little use in such vague terms,
I will decline to forecast and remain in this past se
mester. Perhaps the greatest single personification of t h e
movement (the movement being the awakening of sleep
ing minds and consciences) was the interest in the new
student government and its mother, the constitutional
convention. Here we saw real heat, real issues pitted
against one another, a real government in the making.
We saw the NEW University student being forged and
tested.
Significant Fact
The fact that the objectors to a government of the
students remained so far above the scenes as not to be
come a major hindering block is significant in itself.
They were mostly the older students, seniors who had
participated in the IFC Slate's selection of all past stu
dent governments, those who winced to see power pass
ing from the smoke-filled room into the ballot box. This
fact is significant in that the aristocrats among us are
now a sterile minority.
Another interesting entry in the establishment of
student government here was the appearance of a rudi
mentary political party. One party is a rather strange
way to run an election in the midst of the bipartisan
society in which we were reared, and its effectiveness in
the election at this point is only a matter of conjecture.
I remember how, before I was lured into the Daily
Nebraskan office on the pretense of being an activity
minded non-Greek, P used to take long walks on Sun
day afternoons, and sit around on the green grass at
night and watch the stars. In those days, a freshman
could take 17 hours, waste four hours a day, and pull
a 7.0.
The Vox Populi party succeeded in spite of itself
to elect several of its Greek candidates. Now this is all
right, but I understand that many independents feel that
they were betrayed into giving their votes to their Greek
breathern and get nothing in return. This would indi
cate to me that one of the prime excuses for the party'
the erasing of the notorious "split" either got itself
pushed aside, or was momentarily overlooked in the heat
of the campaign.
And here's the rub. So many independents who
thought the new constitution meant an end to a minor
ity's domination of student government received a rude
shock when they discovered that they lose even a fair
election, if not enough votes are cast in their favor.
Cliche Mongers
But what am I saying? I'm starting to talk just like
the rest of the cliche-mongers. Greek-independent, hell.
Nobody lost that election but the losing candidates them
selves. Greek or non-Greek, it is now our student body
government. Yes, I'm anti-Greek, and I'm anti-independent
I'm anti-stereotype, and that takes care of both.
But I'm getting pretty tired of hearing it said that the
independents lost that election.
"That's all you can do."
Every student should Have the opportunity to feel
what the editor of the Nebraskan experiences. In one
day he might alienate ten people professionally, four old
friends for whom he had not the time for a few re
laxed words; he might have the opportunity to console
someone or to explain something, and that can make
his day a success.
Lacey's sleepless nights come in several varieties.
There is the night of indecision before a big editorial.
Also the night of refighting a lost battle. And the night
of vainly recording the few words of praise from "the
rare person who agrees with something you have writ
ten." Most of the sleepless nights, however, are because
you're just so damned exhausted you can't sleep.
"Okay," you ask me, "suppose we no longer think
in terms of Greek and independent, but we feel that
we have independent candidates superior to any Greek
in the slate, and we know that lesser officials will be
elected because not enough independents vote?"
Hidden, Not Buried
Well, for those of you who have only hidden the
hatchet, I have a few things about that, too. If you are
bound and determined to elect nothing but independents,
you "must convince enough independents that they must
vote, and that they must vote a straight ticket. You
need a strong all-inclusive party, which can excite enough
resentment within the non-affiliated students to make them
hate anything with a pin, make them vote and work and
plot and scheme. I don't like this.
Or you could start at the bottom and organize a
plan of independent unity that would instill a spirit of
healthy competition between both groups, one that would
take in all areas of student life, rather than just the
polling booth.
The first thing that must be taken into consideration
in revitalizing the independent "system" is coeducational
housing. This can be the strength or weakness if the
entire dream. I have always been an ardent foe of coed
housing, because I get anarchist and isolationist urges
every now and again, but I can hardly deny that I see the
girls as a great means, of drawing interest to a dormitory
government. I leave the minor details to you, oh gung-ho
independent.
My major objections to the present system are (1)
the absence of a body which would parallel IFC for all
non-Greek living units, a strong body with some legisla
tive, executive and even judicial powers; (2.) the con
stant presence of advisers in every phase of dormitory
government. These ed-psych jocks seems .to delight in
letting the student think for himself, but, from my own
2Vfe years experience in dormitory government, I was
always embarrassed whenever I saw one of my Greek
brethern doing something for himself WITH NOBODY
GLOATING ABOVE HIM, at least not within seeing dis
tance. In order to make any independent system work, you
must combine the proper blend of youthful enthusiasm
and sage experience. I understand that many of the or
ganizers of Abel Hall are realizing this, and I like this.
At this point, that's all I can do.
For the definitions of "student government" have
never been set down; we see it only from a student's
point of view, and will never fully realize its full pur
pose until we can look backward and evaluate our ex
pediences there as parts of our entire college experience.
When we speak of "success" and "failure" of student
government I'm including residence hall government
we are speaking of vague and empty ideas, for we dont
know what comprises success and failure if we can't
even define in concrete terms the overall purpose.
Rough Analogy
Student government could be roughly compared to
state government. When the federal branch has taken
the powers it deems necessary, the remainder goes to
the states. In the same way, student government is giv
the power unclaimed by the legislature, the Regents and
the administration. Here the analogy ends, for the pow
ers of student government are defined rather than dele
gated by implication. This is on of the first points we
should recognize when planning our participation in stu
dent government.
At this point it can be seen that many hardy souls
will forsake the cause of student government, because
so much of it is already "cut and dried." From this
quarter come the charges of "rubber stamp for Adminis
tration." And this is well and good. However last se
mester when I referred to many student activities as "su
pervized playroom projects and chaperoned progress," I
overlooked the fact that there was a plaoe in these ac
tivities for people who could see the potential good in
their respective organizations while at the same time re
alizing the limitations. These are campus leaders.
So my condensed advice to independent organizers
would be:
realize your limitations.
work to help one group, rather than hurt another.
unity is only effective and desirable when it is unity
of groups rather than merely unity of leaders or govern
ing bodies.
work from the bottom up rather than from the
top down.
With the appearance of more and more new residence
halls, independent organizers are facing a great chal
lenge. They can step into the harness WITH their Greek
brethefn and work together for a better student body
or they can continue to struggle on many fronts, pro
viding smatterings of progress annually, but neglecting
the Indians in favor of glory for the chief.
Unity is good much groundwork must be laid, how
ever, and many decisions and commitments of personal
dedications must be made. If it is to be done rieht
"That's all you can do."
(To Be Continued)
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CORKers
by Lynn Corcoran
t. Poor Ron Psota. The Elections Committee is forcing '
him to go through the ordeal of an election all over again
Even after Mr. Psota has been assured bv Alan P Bates of
the Sociology Department that the irregularities mentioned
by Ted Suhr were so minor that they made little dif
ference. How minor is one vote, Sociology majors'
I FEEL LIKE fMfiONS HOMS
13 THE "H0CK OF CKACHA"!
FT
ID -
SIS
BASE-R
The Phi's discovered this
weekend that water balloons
sometimes behave strangely
when thrown. It appears, look
ing at the front of their
house, that one of the dye
balloons that they threw in
the Xi's moat ricocheted back
and hit their house.
Read
Nebraskan
Want Ads
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Symphonies Unusable
Dear editor,
May I reply to the recent
letter from the troubled,
and over-worked graduate
student who signs himself
"Ringing Ears"? I believe
that I can supply some
helpful information on t h e
operation of the Ralph
Mueller Carillon.
A few points:
The carillon is essential
ly a folk instrument; sophis
ticated electronic equipment
has not changed its musical
function. It is restricted to
"tunes." Symphonic music
is unusable.
Only certain types of
tunes sound well when
played on bells. Fast mov
ing melodies become a jum
ble, and some tunes don't
sound well because of the
unique bell harmonics
(certain intervals produce
en unpleasant clash).
A continuing effort is
made to program pleasant
music. It is doubtful if all
hazards of inappropriate
tunes could be eliminated.
Such embarrassments are
regrettable but impossible to
anticipate.
The Mueller Carillon is
played automatically sever
al times a day. A clock
nr .nanism rings the hours
and any time discrepancies
are corrected as rapidly as
possible. The carillon is
played manually every Srn
day afternoon at 3 o'clock by
the student carilloneur. Mi
chael Veak. Don't threaten
him; he is prepared o de
fend himself he has a fine
supply of molten lead whioh
can be released from the
top of the tower by the mere
flick of a switch; any plans
you may have, Ringing
Ears, for an attack on the
tower, should be abandoned
immediately.
Sinco Ringing Ears
mentions circus music, per
haps I should paraphrase a
famous circus personality,
and remind Ringing Ears
that, "You can please
some of the people some of
the time. . ."
Myron J. Roberts.
Professor of Organ
and Music Theory
Simple Minded
Dear editor.
I will have to agree with
the person who complained
about the carillon tower
music between classes. It is
noor in that simple-minded,
irritating songs are used.
Although I don't know
what special requests Mr.
Mueller made for use of the
tower, I'm sure he didn't
intend to irritate students
with it (as any student who
has a 10:30 class in a build
ing near it can testify to.)
If there is a change from
those nursery school tunes,
I'm sure the whole campus
would appreciate it.
D. W. Overlurf
WE NEVER CLOSE
The Daily Nebraskan
Fntered m second rtant matter at the trait office In Lincoln. Nebraska, under the act oi Auut 4, 1912.
Tha Dally Nebrakan la puhllMhed at Room 51, Nebrank a I'ninn, on Monday, WednMdHy. Thuraday and Friday dtir
tfif the arhnol year, encept during vacation and final exnmi nation periods, and onre during 4ufut.
It la publlwhed by I'niveralty of Nebraska atudcntu under the Jurisdiction ot thp faculty Subcommittee on Student Pub
Heattonfl. publications ahall he free from nenaorahlp h.v the Subcommittee or any perann niitmde the I'nlvermty. Member
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