Page 2
Can cab drivers
lawn order' save
the pea pickers
.
from an-ark-ists?
yr""t-'- '" -
Ifs hoiv you
Pledges learn humiliation
in too many Greek houses
Autumn. Leaves fall. Huskers
lose.
Pledges learn.
WHAT DO they learn? They
learn of the antique heritage of
too many Greek houses. That
heritage is what is laughingly call
ed "pledge training."
Far too often this pledge training
is a boot camp. Or at best a series
of line-ups: the opportunity for ac
tives to unleash a verbal barrage
of garbage and humiliation on
pledges standing at attention.
This legacy of the Greek system
Is a stigma of disgrace comparable,
in its sphere, to racial prejudice
in America.
Many, though fortunately not all,
University of Nebraska houses
continue each semester this
atrocity of humiliation on the
pretense that it molds men.
A FRATERNITY in this molding
process is basically a creature of
three phases: pledgeship, activa
tion, graduation.
These phases, progressing
chronologically, are steeped in the
belief that pledgeship prepares raw
college material into college men
and that the active experience
trains men to assume the
responsibilities of graduates.
A few houses, very few, actually
treat pledges as if they are expec
ting those freshmen to assume the
roles of active members of the
fraternities. They treat them as
human beings, with failings and
personal problems.
rhe snows of
the running of
It was a soft October afternoon.
a Sunday. It had been five days
since we last sighted the fascist
troops, moving south from
Palermo. In the underground office
where we were grinding out the
resistance newspaper, the
typewriters were moving slowly.
There was not much news. Pilar
fell asleep at her desk.
Suddenly from the square outside
we beard a long slow roll of drums.
After the drums came loud quacks,
shouted in unison by the young men
of the Kosmeti, the suicide wing
of the fascist troops. As w. listened
the quacking came nearer and
nearer.
Pablo, who had the fear, dived
into the subscription room. Pilar
reached for her rifle. The door
burst open.
IN MARCHED THE KOSMETI,
20 or 30 young men in single file,
their arms about the waist of the
man in front, still quacking in uni
son. Pilar set down her rifle and
smiled. The Kosmeti were all wear
ing blindfolds and had shaving
cream in their ears. Pilar came
into my office. "They neither see
nor hear," she whispered. "They
are trained from birth go that noth
ing they see will change their
Ideas."
Pilar went back out into the of
fice to watch the show. The
Kosmeti marched around and
around, keeping up the same din
they had started earlier on the
tquare. They were all young and
pale. There were no Corsicans
9
play the game
Many houses, too many, run a
Marine Corps boot camp that
prepares the pledges for an Olym
pics of push-ups and sit-ups, shoe
shines and room cleanings,
degradation and mediocrity.
Behind the guise of fraternalism,
such stupidity is forced onto
freshmen. They accept it as an un
fortunate means to the end of ac
tivation. And then they turn around, upon
activiation, and perpetuate a system
they hated as pledges. "We had
to go through it; why shouldn't
they?"
IT HAS taken over a hundred
years for the active members of
only a few of the fraternities to
eliminate physical and mental
hazing. Too few in that long a
history.
It is time that the pledges
themselves decide to change the
ridiculous and pathetic system
under which thev find themselves.
Consider, pledge, the effects of
rejection of the humiliation that you
undergo in some houses. Walk out.
No fraternity can easily survive the
loss of an entire class. The archaic
systems will have to listen or soon
perish.
And if they will not change, they
should perish.
Actives who enforce verbal or
physical humiliation upon young
men are fools.
Pledges who accept such
humiliation are the bigger fools.
Ed Icenogle
trivia or
the bull
among them. They all wore a pin
of some kind on their lapel. They
all wore the shoes which Americans
call the "wing-tip."
Pilar explained that each year
the Kosmeti hold a fall festival at
a large auditorium in Palermo
named after an American general
from the world war.
THOUSANDS OF PEASANTS
who, like the Kosmeti, can neither
see nor hear fill the auditorium and
cheer at regular intervals while the
friends of the Kosmeti cavort on
stage in a series of short skits,
all of them bad. Each year the
Kosmeti give a trophy to the same
group of their friends. These
friends, according to legend, fly
away to a distant cave after the
festival to begin planning their play
for the next festival.
After a while the Kosmeti
marched out of the room and back
into the square, still quacking.
"After the revolution there will
be no more Kosmeti", Pilar hissed.
Pablo came out of his- hiding place
smiling. He no longer had the fear.
That night we went back to the
cave, laughing and joking about the
Kosmeti. We sat around the fire,
drinking wine and eating the good
black bread.
"The bell does not toll for the
Kosmeti," Pablo said.
We laughed and then went to
sleep. It was cold and a fine rain
was beginning to fall. There was
still the matter of the bridge.
Jack Todd
The Daily Nebraskan
by Arthur Hoppc
Oh Tour With Waliace
Thcfe are dark and perilous
times. The candidates are
raising disturbing questions
that plague the uneasy public
mind.
And none has raised a more
disturbing question than
Governor George C. Wallace
in the speech he delivers
twice daily on his road show
tour of the Nation. It is this:
CAN THE cab drivers save
the pea pickers from the an-ARK-ists?
An-ARK-ists are bad. Pea
pickers are good. Cab drivers
are wise.
Though an-ARK-ists are
bad, they are not very smart.
They know a lot of four letter
words. But they don't know
four-letter words like "w-o-r-
k" nr "s-o-a-p."
The way to teach an-ARK-ists
these four-letter words is
to grab them by the hair and
stick them under the jail
house. Sticking them under
the jail house is meaner than
sticking the n in the jail
house. But they deserve it
because they want the Com
unists to win in Vietnam.
Cab drivers don't want
Communists to win in Viet
nam. Cab drivers are wise.
Cab drivers know Com
munists are bad. They are
wiser than pointy-headed
pencil pushers. The pointy
headed pencil pushers of the
New York Times said Fidel
Castro was the Robin Hood of
the Caribbean. But the cab
DAILY
ditorial
George
klip-and date manual
Yes, date buffs, it's that
time of year again. It doesn't
seem possible a whole year
has passed, but it's time
again for the annual Kaufman
Klip-And-Save Date Manual.
As you all know, I take time
out one day each year to help
all the confused un
derclassmen (anyone who
isn't a fifth-year senior) get
out of their ruts date-wise and
begin to live a new, wild,
carefree, un-run-of-the-mill
social life.
Okay, fans, here it is: If
you want to impress your girl
by not taking her to the usual
movie and-or house party this
weekend, you can . . .
TAKE her to the Com
munity Playhouse's version of
"How to Succeed in Business
Without Really Trying." This
is such a great play that a
bunch of Zambisi chim
panzees could put it on and
get laffs. But, since the
tickets to Zambisi cost too
much for the average student,
try the Community
It's how you play the game that counts
by Calvin Rife
The Clamor and excitement
that gradually builds up on
the eve of some significant
and important event has died
down. The boisterous predic
tions and hopes of success
have quieted, for the Big Red
has been defeated. But have
they really lost anything,
other than a score? I don't
think so. In fact I'd be willing
to bet that they gained much
respect and admiration from
many of the more perceptive
football fans.
I had thought that we
Nebraskans were sportsmen
enough to realize that it is
"how you play the game"
that really counts. However,
judging from many of the
comments that followed the
Kansas and Missouri contests
I've discovered that many of
us are anything but true
sportsmen hypocrites
would be a far more accurate
description.
IT SEEMS that as long as
Coach Devaney and the team
are winning they're great
Dear Editor:
Your editorial in the
Cotober 18, 1968 issue of the
Daily Nebraskan is just great.
The first real thing I have
read on the 1968 election.
Also, I agree with the Jac
queline Kennedy postscript.
Sincerely,
Dr. R. P. Hoban
Dear Editor:
I am writing in response to
your October 14, 1968 editorial
"A deaf ear to dissent" which
Daily
fteonnd-claea poetege pjio at Uneoln Net)
TEI EPHONK8 Editor OIXM. Urn 472-2ftB. Boalneag 472-2590.
8ubcrptkn reie art t4 wi armeatef r (b, academle rear.
Pnbhihed Monday Wedneedaa Thmulay nod Pniln during the arbor)! vemr.
erep oaring aaronone and eaern oerioda by the rtudrnta M the HnlvwciW
of Nebraka under iht kinixllrUor of the FaotilH Subcommittee an Htudmi
Pvbltrarwna Publication, ihill tie trrr from eenenrahlp bp ih Hobrommlltee
or any proa utld the tinlverer Member - tha Nebraska ere raapnoalhl
lor what they eauaete be printed.
Uamba Aeaocieied rolieglete National educational Advertising Samoa.
Editorial Staff
Editor Jack Toddl Managing Editor Kd Iceooglei Newa editor Lynn Gettaehalkl
Night Newa Editor Kent Cocknom Editorial Page Aealntant Moll Murrelli Aaalntant
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Band Vorki Senior Sull Wrilere Joho Dvorak l arry Olkhnlt, Oorie Kaufman,
Julio Morrla. Jim Pederaen, Junior Staff Wrllrra Terry Clroba. Holly Roeenberger.
BUI Smith ermen, Connie Winkler, Senior Copy Editor Joan Wagoner; Copy Ed tora
Phrllla Adklaaon, Dava FMpt. June Wagoner, Andrea Wooda; Photograph Chief
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John Fleming! National Ad Manager Fritz Khoemakeri Huaineaa Secretary and
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agera Hon Pavelka, Rick Dorani Advertising Hepreoenlallvea Meg Brown, Joel
Daria, (ikwa rriaaat, Nancy Ciu'iUmU, lae Looker, Todd Slaufhtor.
drivers knew he was a bad
man. They knew it just by
looking at him. Any cab
driver could have told you
that.
The pointy-headed pencil
pushers are smarter, though,
than the pointy-headed,
pseudo-intellectual college
professors. Do you know what
pointy-headed, p s e u d o - in
tellectual college professors
can't even do? They can't
even park their bicycles
straight.
POINTY-HEADED
bureaucrats can park their
bicycles straight. But they
want to ram everything down
rhe pea pickers' throats.
Everything. They're not as
bad as an-ARK-ists, though.
An-ARK-ists don't have pointy
heads. They're scummy.
Kaufman's annual
Playhouse. This play has
great lines and great songs,
and some surprisingly good
performances from the local
gentry.
TAKE her to the
University Theatre's version
of "The Homecoming" by
someone called a Harold
Pinter. This one has neither
great lines nor great music
and most Zambisi chimps I
know wouldn't touch it with a
ten-foot Pole (who migrated
from Poland just three years
ago). But the University
chose to perform this one, so
there must be something
behind this grimy, pointless
dirge. Let me know if you find
out what.
ESCORT her to the
Mueller Planetarium, which
is very inexpensive, yet very
ignored by students for some
reason. Like "The Homecom
ing", the best part of this date
is just after the lights have
gone down.
SNEAK into tbe football
people and everything is fine.
However, as soon as they lose
a game or two they become
"clumsy idiots" who don't
know the first thing about
football.
Sure it's nice to win and we
all want to win all the time,
yet we know that it just
doesn't work like that life
just isn't that way (is it?).
The armchair quarterbacks
who knew that that particular
play wouldn't work on third
down (only after the play had
been blown dead, however) or
that they sure wouldn't have
fumbled that ball are obvious
ly ignorant of the fact that it's
quite a bit different when
you're right down there on the
field trying to play the game.
Apparently many of us are
not aware that our players
and coaching staff spend
numerous hours preparing
both mentally and physically
for each contest. Also that a
sixty-minute contest on a
particular afternoon may not
always show the amount of
time, sweat and effort that
has been put in on prepara
contained the following
quotation: "I'm 22 years old
and I'm tired. America has
worn me out. I don't believe
in God, and I don't believe
that America is the golden
center of the universe. You
can get away with not
believing in one of these, but
not both."
WHILE THIS may be a
dying year of disenchantment
for you and perhaps for some
Nebraskan
- i -- i in, ,r - T - :
Washington is bad. So is the
East. The rest of the country
is good.
Pea pickers are good. They
live in the rest of the country.
Also good are crackers,
peckerwoods and rednecks.
Rednecks are best of all.
They don't mind getting then
necks red from an honest
day's work in the sun.
Democrats, Republicans and
other Easterners look down
their noses at pea pickers,
peckerwoods, and . rednecks.
Californians don't have red
necks because they have bad
weather. Californians are
Easterners.
The pea pickers are sick.
They are sick and tired of an-ARK-ists
and pointy-headed
people. But they are going to
NEBRASKAN
Commeimtarj
stadium, lie with your heads
together on the 50-yard line
looking up at the stars
(clouds). If you are the
moody, transcendental type,
you will find the essence of
life on the 50-yard line at
midnight. It's also fun to play
guerrilla fighter with the
watchman while trying to get
out. The only drawback to
this date is that you have to
ask her to wear grubbies
beforehand, thus ruining
some of the surprise element.
GO into Myron's
(Casey's, The Loaf, etc.) at
the height of the evening,
order two Pepsi's quite loud
ly, and pull out a portable
checkers set. It'll make you
feel superior as hell to all the
drunken slobs around you.
But you needn't point that out
to any of the drunken slobs.
WEAR sweatclothes and
jog out to Antelope Park and
back. This is great for the
physical-fitness buffs, beats
guzzling beer all night at
tion for a game.
Many of us tend to overlook
the effort that our men are
putting forth because of our
intense concentration on the
scoreboard. All we know is
what the scoreboard says.
Wally Provost, World Herald
Sports Editor, said in his col
umn (Sunday, Oct. 20),
"Although they are utterly
worthless today, the statistics
say Nebraska did some things
welL
The home club led in total
offense, 255 yards to 208; got
off two more plays than
Missouri; had a slightly bet
ter punting average; outdid
the visitors in kick-return
yardage; didn't come up with
a single penalty. But all that
counts in the standings is the
final score and the fact that
Nebraska is 0-2 in the Big
Eight."
Occasionally we say, "They
didn't even look like they
were prepared out there. Why
weren't they looking for some
significant part of the student
community, it matters to me
that you imply a certain
universality to the forsaken
tone that you espouse.
I am not tired. America has
given me strength. I do
believe that America is the
golden center of the planet. I
do not have a deaf ear for the
student in Life Magazine, but
I cannot help but wonder
about the need of the power
, elite to keep the shackles on
youth with so little fortitude.
Picking up your ball and
going home might have been
a valid play at 11 but not at
22. I do not believe that the
struggle to understand society
is any more difficult today
than it was twenty-five years
ago or even two-hundred
years ago. Sensitive thinkers
in every age i o u n d e d the
alarm of there day and suf
fered the same pains when
their society did not hear
them.
C o u nterbalandng your
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1961
be saved. What is going f
save them? Lawn order. Any
cab driver will tell you that.
Lawn order will come
November 5. That's because
there are more pea pickers,
crackers, peckerwoods artrl
rednecks than there are an-ARK-ists,
pointy-heads an.i
Easterners.
Once lawn order comes, the
pea pickers will throw tha
pointy-headed bureaucrats in
the Potomac. And they'll stiak
the pointy-headed pseudo-i-tellectuals
under the jajl
house. And they'll stick the
scummy an-ARK-ists under
there, too. But first they'll run
over the scummy an-ARK-ists
with their cars. r
That's lawn order. Ask any
cab driver.
Chronicle Features
some dull party. But watch
out for the Antelope; they at
tack anything moving very
fast.
GO out to the entrance of
Pioneer Park at 11 p.m. and
watch the park close. It's
quite a sight, and educational
as well.
WALK down to the pet
shop, and look at the little
puppies in the window. If she
doesn't just melt and say,
"Oooh, they're such cute little
things", she's not the girl for
you. No sensitivity, no depth
of feeling. Of course, this is
just for those who are getting
serious in their dating, and
definitely not for freshmen.
Well, these are just a few
hints. I'm sure from here you
can improvise on your own.
After all, why should it be the
province of the student to
keep the movie houses and
breweries in business? Arise,
date people! You have only
your boredom to lose.
of those plays?" Yet we
sometimes look over an
evaluated test, that we
prepared for, but didn't do as
well on as we think we
possibly could have done
and then say to the instructor,
"But I prepared for the test! I
just don't know what hap
pened." Fair Analogy?
NEVERTHELESS. I still
think that a majority of us
understand how much football
means to the players
(because they're really the
most important individuals
concerned), the coaching staff
and all the rest of us.
So for those of you who
aren't just "fair weather
fans" that enjoy waving the
Big Red banner when we're
winning and spurting pro
fanities when we happen not
to be on top, I say continue to
back up the Big Red all the
way no matter what. Lets
make our players and
coaches proud of us for a
change instead of always
demading that they make us
proud of them.
disenchantment, Is the ex
citement in realizing those
who have something to say
can be heard simultaneously
by people in almost every
corner of the world. We have
the urgency and the
technological where-with-all
to solve problems that have
been with us since the dawn
of creation.
The modern techniques of
problem solving require ac
tive dlssentors to overthrow
the traditional "modus
operandi" of the establish,
ment. This revolution re
quires activists to be well
educated technlcologlcaliy,
and yet atture to the major
social problems of our time.
My definitions of activist
and establishment may not
coincide with the modern use
of the terms, but those who
ignore the challenges
presented in this framework
must indeed be worn out.
Sincerely yours,
Don F. Costello
