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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 15, 1965)
Marilyn Page 2 Cui i Of Mike Jeffrey, business manager Monday, Nov. 15, 1965 The Changing Life The Greek system at the University faces the same problem outlined by a California sociologist whose study, is presented in part today. The problem is one of change change on the college campuses 9cross the nation, changes in the college stu dent himself. Most collegiate members of the Greek sys tem would agree that fraternities and sororities cannot and do not hold the same function they did 20 years ago, ten years ago or even five years ago. The question is: are they fulfilling the needs of their members today, in 1965? Many would, without hesitating, respond yes. Others would simply avoid the question. A few would correctly, intelligently say, no, all needs are not being met. It is the people who make the realistic, negative re sponse that will be the saviors of the fraternity-sorority system, if it is to be saved. The more mature college student of 1965 does not need the security and assurance of a devoted sister or brother hood. In fact, many students despair of the rules and obli gations that have necessarily been a part of Greek life. The student of 1965 expects more from Greek life than a pin, a ritual, Monday night seranades, and house parties or he should if he doesn't. Four college years spent in an unchallenging atmos phere is unfair to today's college student. His life is full of changes, adjustments which occur at a faster pace than ever before. If the Greek system is to continue changes must occur equally as fast, the system must not only pro vide the proverbial "home away from home." It can no longer be only a medium for social activity, but it must challenge the 1965 student, make him aware of the fast moving world in which he lives. The Greek system must offer more than the roman tic's view of the ivy-covered hall, and a life of fun, frolic, joy. fellowship and brotherhood. Life is just not that way in 1965 and the new student is not about to be fooled in believing the Greek fairy tale version. Because of the nature of a fraternity or sorority the alums as well as the collegiate members must be aware of the new challenge. Those alumni members who still view the house as the institution they were a part of in 1928, 1939, 1955. or even 1960 must be convinced that many of their methods, solutions and views are no longer ap plicable in 1965. Nebraska will be one of the last campuses strongly af fected by a changing world, a changing university com munity and with it a changing student. But Nebraska will be affected just as the campuses on the coasts. If the Greek system here will but feel the new atmosphere and adopt itself, it can be a strong and important part of University life. Students' Message The Rhodesian problem is of paramount importance to a small group of University students the African stu dents. THEIR CONCERN is verbalized in a statement to be sent to governmental officials in Africa, and in their pledge to volunteer to go home and fight if necessary to insure Ian Smith's defeat. Most of the students agree that the nations of Africa must have help from the outside to win the struggle. And all fear that Wilson, with a very slim majority in Parlia ment, may lose in his effort to provide British military help. MANY FEAR that the African nations will turn to any hand even a communist hand if it holds a promise of helping to overcome Smith and others like him. The prob lem is complex, the Rhodesian situation , unwektv, - The African students have taken a positive means of expressing their concern, their point of view. May their timely statement stimulate their fellow countrymen to boldly defy and defeat Ian Smith's new regime. Marilyn Hoegemeyer H I IN CASE OF , Iftgpfc m EMERGENCY tlfflp fl HIM &M$ I fgllf 'i ill I 1 llll ' Campus Opinion Union Problem Is loom Space Dear Editor: Due to the increased number of students and ex panded organizational ac tivities on campus this fall, the Nebraska Union has found itself approaching ca pacity during the more pop ular hours of the week for organizational meetings. Room reservations, there fore, are becoming increas ingly difficult and resulting in" problems and misunder standings. It has been ne cessary to change room designations in order to satisfy the greatest number of groups and individuals on g!.en days at given hours. This has caused some concern among var ious organizations. The Nebraska Union is mindful of this concern, and in attempting to meet the problem is asking or ganizations booking space for activities in the Union to publicize only the d a y, hour and building; and to request all concerned to check the Daily Calendar for final room designation upon entry to the building. Such a measure is pre dicated on the fact that our special-use room space is limited. For example, the Pan American is primarily a food service area; and must be used as such. Any group booking a special-use room for other than its primary use must be advised that such a booking is in jeop ardy, if another group has need for that special-use space even if such a need arises at a later date than the original reservation. The Nebraska Union feels compelled to continue this policy of retaining space as signment privileges to meet the rapidly increasing ser vice demands of its campus clientele, to whom we feel a strong commitment. The only alternative to this pol icy" is to begin denying stu dent organisations in their room reservation requests, because of the insistence of prior rights by other organ izations. Such a measure is, however, not in keeping with the philosophical disposition of this management or the campus at large. The Nebraska Union feels the full cooperation and un derstanding among the var ious student organizations and their officers can as sist us in serving the cam pus at large in the most ef ficient manner. Any organization or group desiring information on what constitutes a special use area or any further in formation regarding room reservations may obtain such information from the Reservations Secretary in the main office of the Ne braska Union. A. H. Bennett, Director Nebraska Union Bill Harding, President Nebraska Union Board African Students Protest Ian Smith's Take-Over Poet Must Speak students at the University have volunteered to return home to fight "Smith's part of a two-step protest ol lan Smiths attempt for Rhodesaan independ- African gang as a ence. The University African Student Association decided in a meeting Saturday night to take positive action in demonstrating their disapproval of Smith's actions. Two tele grams will be sent, one to the secretariat of the Organization of African Unity head quartered in Addisababa, Ethiopia, the other to Pan African Students of America. PASOA, headquartered in New York. The telegrams will be followed by 36 letters to be sent to all the heads of govern ment and state in Africa. In the letters the member states will be urged to declare a state of emergency, to mobilize all armed forces, and to call for volunteers and a draft. In addition the University students have asked that the African states encourage the Rhodesian Africans to aid the exiled Rhodesian government "which seeks recogni tion from within and without Africa." The statement further urges that all necessary and effective material, food and medicine be sent to the Rhodesian Africans. -"Arms intervention is the only solution." Sylvester Amanquah, president of the African Student Association said. Thus he explained the Association members' pledge to be ready on call to return home to fight to overcome Smith's new regime. Dear Editor : In response to a letter by Jean Reynolds. "Scrip Fol lows Barbaric Line." The idea that contemporary li terature is degenerate ( your word is "rot") is open to speculation. The condemna tion however of New work (in becoming) is a strangle hold. The infancy of all things is difficult, and new writing has always been stimulating to detractors and friends, the stimulus elicits different reactions. Jean Reynolds may disa gree with what she person ally finds worthless (the en tire issue of Scrip apparent ly), but maybe her liberal "paraphrasing" or corrupt ing of Miss Hodges poem consists of substituting "word" for "dream." The poem originally ended: 'Today The kindest Dream of all Is Dreamless And Miss Reynolds is stepping on that dream and making it dreamless. The writer-poat must speak, must use the only medium available, words, but per haps his best speech is when, he, "Speaks like silence." Got it Jean? D. M. Crook ASE-r By Bob Wetherell The University medical school is testing a "model ambulance" to see how effective it is. We wonder what happens to prospective patients if it is not effective enough. And speaking of this, it seems a possibility that the residents of Abel will probably find out if they continue their escapades with fires and elevators. Sociologist Says "Sororities Face Extinction On Higher Education The Mystery: No Students In Class, Many Excuses Davis, Calif. (CPS) - A University of California sociologist says that sorori ties, long influential i n manipulating t h e campus social order, now face extinction. John F. Scott, professor of sociology at the University of California, Davis, says that factors that caused the growth of these social in stitutions during the first half of the century have changed and that rigidly structured sororities are finding it more and more difficult to mesh with to day's highly competitive campus society. Dr. Scott, who has studied sororities in detail, says he finds them an outgrowth of society's efforts to control marriage and the selection of the "right man." "UNIVERSITY ADMIN ISTRATIONS are not as hospitable to Greeks as they once were," he says, citing regulation changes that tend to minimize the influence of Greek activities on campus. Extensive dormitory com plexes are effectively com peting with sorority housing and off-campus activities are proving as popular and as varried as sorority activities. "But trie worst blow of all to the sorority system comes from the effect of increased academic pressure on the dating h a b i t s of college men," Scott says. Academic competition on most cam puses is keen arid college men no longer have time for the form of courtship that made sororities so exciting, he savs. SCOTT CONCLUDES that the sorority system, "n o t likely to yield to change," will no longer be able to sustain itself. "When parents find that sorority member ship does their daughter little good, the system as we know it will go into history," he says. On the University of Calif ornia's 27.500-student Berke ley campus the predictions made by Dr. Scott are already beginning to come true. SORORITY RUSH PAR TICIPATION was down this fall to 340 coeds as com pared with 437 just a year ago. The dean of women's office could not explain the drop. The sorority representa tive to the campus student government said, however, she felt the drop reflected a "steady trend." "The drop has been about the same every year since I've been here." she said. "It has something to do with the way the university is changing." ANOTHER T R 0 U B L E within the Greek system not mentioned in Dr. Scott's study is either implied or actual racial and religious discrimination. Last spring, the national Sii'ma Chi fraternity organization drop ped the Stanford University chapter from its rolls after it had pledged a Negro. The national body said this was not the reason the chapter was dropped, however. At Yale University, t h e Phi Gamma Delta frater nity chapter just voted to go local in opposition to its na tional's membership selec tion policies. The chapter had pledged the first Negro in the history of the national last spring and had sub sequently been subjected to heavy pressures from the parent body. This fall, the chapter of at the Catholic University of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority at the Catholic University of America in Washington. D.C. terminated its affilia tion with the national group. The local chapter had just joined in May. Pam Hull, chapter president, said the decision was made after some chapter members at tended the s o r o r i t y' s national convention in New York City. "During the convention." she said. "I discovered pol icies of the organization which had not been made known to our group when w e joined." Informed sources within the chapter have made it known on able principles tion.s" involve tion. and tradi-discrimina- Daily Nebraskan iljjljlp.jhijty' rl,iM-iilliiiii!!lii IT AN RAIN AfO RAIN AMD RAW, ROT IM J(5T eomjo SIT HERE BECAUSE I'M STUBBORN! TELEPHONE: 477-8711. Extension 2588. Member AsHoelated Collegiate Press, vertislng Service, Incorporated. Published Nebraska Union, Lincoln, Nebraska. 258!) nd 251(11. National Ad ut Room 51, F.nttrad Mrrmfl ritn mutter al Uir pnl office in l.lnroln. Hhr,k ajnoVr Inr afl fl' Aujnit 4, WIV The flally NUiranknn In ptlhliahtd Monday, Wedneuluy rhur.n.iv B"f rrlH tittiiu inr .U.il yrnr, fltrrnt durlnt yaratlonn and .am prrlodi,. bf fltndenW ot th linlvartllv of Nrhrattka imd-r the MirUdlr-tlati al the Family HubrnmniMOe an Mlurtml I'uhJirallona I'unllralHirn .hull tir trrr Irani flanaorithlD by Ihr Hnhrmiiniittrr or any prrNon otittldr thr DnlvrMllv Mrmbara of th Nabratkao ara rr nponnlnlr- tor what they f-anr to ha nrlntrd 0 STUBBORN : , ! .;.;::4U:!I,,V- '"' '''' i LOT ito NOT STUPID.'.1 '(., , 'in V II, lit The following article, written by a student at the University of Oregon em phasizes our concern about the system of higher education in America. Though not every observation made is pertinent lo the University, the article shows the general frustration which haunts a student desir ing learning for learning's sake. The Edi tor IJy Hob Carl A professor from England, teaching in the U.S. for the first time last year, was astounded when he faced his "first class of American students and found that several were missing. A pretty coed final ly solved the mystery by telling him, "It's Friday and a lot of kids like to go home, so thf-v skin class." THE FOLLOWING MONDAY, again facing his abbreviated class, the professor expressed surprise. However, when some one told him. "A Jot of kids aren't back from their long weekend yet." he accepted this. On his way to the Wednesday class, the professor thought to himself. "At last I'll ret to see all my students." However, when he stared out at the empty seats, he asked. "Where's every one today; where is everybody?" and a cooperative student in a back seat hap pilv answered. "Today's Wednesday, the middle of the week. S'ou don't expect us to stuclv ;dl Hie time, do vou?" SO.' THE PROFESSOR still wonders what is wrong with higher education in America. And this, ttie .W4 question, remains unanswered despite obvious signs ot stu deir dissatisfaction with their education. Students come to the campuses ol America's colleges and universities seek ing excitement and stimulation in their new-found academic environment. And. almost without fail, and even in the out standing centers of learning in the coun try, they find db-'tppointmorit -and disullu sionnicnt.. THIS IS NOT TO SAY that all stu dents, or even most of them, are inter ested in learning for its own r.ake; how ever, those students who are find them selves frustrated by the system w h i c h dominates American higher education. As one 1 Serkeley student has written, ". . . there is a deep and bitter resent ment among many students about then life at the university. It is a resentment that starts from the contradiction between the public image and reputation of the university and their actual day-to-day ex periences there as students." (From the book "Revolution at Berkeley"). In other words, as freshmen and soph omoresand even during their last two years of high school students are forced to attend classes that often are devoid of intellectual stimulation, and taught by dull professors with out-moded ideas and tech niques. A MORE EXTREME FRUSTRATION occurs when a naive students signs up for an introductory course in almost any field. For almost certainly that course will be taught in a large lecture hall, seating somewhere between fM) and 4(H) students, bv the poorest teacher in the department. This is true because the better, more ex perienced professors don't want to waste their time with undergraduates. Today's students have no say in their course offerings or curricula in general. They are introduced to their future alma mater with an oul-dated orientation pro gram, and thereafter, ttiey are told what courses to take, regardless of their likes or dislikes, and are forced to accept what the institution deems advisable. STUDENTS LEARN to get through their education by mastering a four-year system of lectures, reading "lists and ex aminations but they have little to do with genuine learning. However, the outlook is not all black for higher education in America, because some students manage to beat the svstem and get a reasonable education in spite of their institutions of learning. And as the professor from England said, "American students may someday seek an education for iu own sake. Stu dents in Great Britain have tried it and found it to their liking. And they go to classes too." (Carl is a student at the University of Oregon and a member of the edlturlul board of the Oregon Dally Emerald.) The Collegiate Press Service Kosmct Klub Presents November 20th-8 p.m. 8 SIT F 1 iu If w u IlIiuM Advanced tickers 1.50 Box office 1.75 Pershing Auditorium