The President’s Coming: Revels, Heads of Houses, Dads Actions Mark Last Days of Term
Eventually—Why Not Now?
'JMIERE’S often a real psychological advantage in striking
while the iron is hot.
The iron in this ease is (lie warm hand of friendship which
the University as a whole is at this moment prepared to
extend to Dr. Donald M. Erb, president-elect of the Uni
versity.
While it can’t be said to be scorching hot because that
figure of speech doesn’t fit a welcoming hand, it is sugar
coated. It seems almost unbelievable that a man, named
from an original field of fifty, could so universally meet
the approval of skeptical educators.
It would be a strategic move for Dr. Erb to come to the
campus January 1 if it is at all possible for him to make
the necessary arrangements. In addition to the opportunity
to take advantage of the unprecedented enthusiasm, lie would,
if on the campus at that time, actually gain almost a year of
complete administration. For a large part of the budgeting
and planning for next year must be done soon.
The Last Reprieve
£|ATl*RI)AY comes Santa Claus' gift to the oppressed stu
dent who next week must take pen In hand and write
exams.
Now, few students will expect Stanta Claus to bring
them a streamlined report card, so they struggle away with
mental calesthentics to earn for themselves that which the
spirit of Christmas cannot deliver.
Each year for the past seven years there has been an
organized effort to drag the “honing" student away from
books for an evening and to provide him with the insight,
in these darkest days, that life is still worth living.
This effort is made by Yeomen, Orides, and faculty and
takes the form of the Christmas Revels, throe hours of fun
and frolic for one and all at a very moderate price.
When the book blurs Saturday and looks just like the
one you read Just before the last time you went to bed,
remember the Christmas Revels—and that constant cramming
cracks no quizzes.
Lo the Poor Female
JJEADS of houses will meet today to consider a report
of the sub-committee (the discipline committee) in regard
to the revamping of women’s regulations.
The sub-committee has done an admirable, job of con
densing the rules which formerly filled too many mimeo
graphed pages. If is prepared to make few suggestions for
changes in the letter of the law. however.
If discipline is to be extended to the houses and their
presidents acting in their official capacities rather than as
members of the “heads" group, it will be by tacit under
standing as far as the report is concerned. The suggested
rules offered for the group's approval advise few changes
which would make for decentralization.
Through decentralization an element of personal under
standing and mercy could be put into the laws without relax
ing their content a great deal. It should insure better
cooperation for enforcement from the lower division woman
who must carry oppression's burden that standards may be
upheld.
Fast Action
T AST Saturday the Oregon dads roared their way through
^ a heavy schedule of business and took decided stands on
several important issues.
In the all too brief morning session, committees presented
reports, made recommendations, and action was taken
without delay. A record number of dads were on hand for
the meeting and banquet.
When the state board meets it will find a recommendation
at hand from the Oregon dads that they believe action should
be taken to extend KOAC 's facilities to Eugene. I his recom
mendation alone should carry considerable Aveight and there
will be others to back it.
Opening up the question of deferred pledging A\as a
foi'Avard step which may result in action to revamp the
rushing setup. If such action does result, credit for any
reform avill be due the dads, tor fraternities have and a\ i11
continue to assiduously avoid the issue, no matter 1ioa\
practical and needed it is, until it is forced before them for
their attention.
Tunis Aims Unnulled Punches at Enrollment-Worshiping Education--Is Oregon Guilty?
Asleep in the Deep
JUST yesterday I picked up a copy of a not-too-rccent
magazine and started to read an article without; any
particular interest. Before I'd read a dozen lines 1 saw the
author had something. I finished the arliclc avidly and put
the magazine down with a sigh of relief because the Uni
versity’s name hadn’t appeared on the printed page with a
considerable number of names of other schools.
Now, I’ve always held that publicity is publicity—and
that as far as a University is concerned, good or bad—well
it’s all publicity. I didn’t feel shocked when the Sunday
Oregonian revealed many University people on Mr. Odale’s
“dreadful” list—in fact, it seemed to me anyone would be
pleased to stand up and be counted with so many dis
tinguished Oregon citizens. And 1 wasn’t particularly
shocked when I found a half page of pictures showing the
drum majorcss Oregon didn’t have and that Willamette did.
1 knew it wasn’t in there because it was news when we
didn't or did have a drum majorcss but because the paper
was asking the public to have a quiet chuckle over our ideas
of morality and the woman’s place.
# # # *
'J^O get, hack to the article, it appeared in the October
number of Scribner’s under the by-line of John li. Tunis,
who’s had a wide sprinkling of articles on education in the
better magazines for some time.
Mr. Tunis’ thesis is Ibis: There ought to be enough slu
dents 1o go around to all our colleges but there isn#'t because
the big colleges take so many. And the rest of the universities,
medium and small, are engaging in everything from prose
lyting to blackjacking to get students onto their rolls.
The authors' expose of methods used in getting students
is complete. lie goes through the list of practices common
among student-seeking institutions in regard 1o scholarships,
lie tells of high-salaried vice-presidents, field secretaries, and
plain publicity agents who personally contact prospective
student:; with the intention of convincing them, usually, not
that the institution they represent has the best academic
standing but that its students have the most fun and get the
biggest scholarships.
In Ohio, 33 schools spent $15Q,000 or $14 per student in
competition for the matriculating freshman last fall. One
school with a student body of 330 sent out 209,525 pieces of
promotional literature last year.
Indiana schools were not above kidnapping in at least
one incident, Mr. Tunis discovered in his survey. Three stu
dents who had matriculated at one institution were taken to
another school, offered an increased inducement, and
prompt l.y signed up.
One president is quoted with the frank statement that
many small colleges have debased standards in the dangerous
effort to expand their institutions. One advises that his school
needs more students who can pay, another said his college
has to offer financial inducement to 90 per cent of its
students.
gJMALL wonder I was relieved when tlie final paragraph
revealed that Mr. Tunis hadn’t included Oregon in liis
roll call of institutions which are prostituting education. For
li is list is the blacklist of higher learning, the list no college
which retains any standards should be on.
Judging from Mr. Tunis’ research, many institutions have
completely forgotten their function as disseminators of edu
cation, their duties to the student and to society in the hot
fight for larger enrollment. They spend sums entirely out
of proportion to their budget to get students, and in some
cases it seems even the president is ready to go out and
drag ’em in by the hair.
Education is in a sad plight indeed of the institutions
intrusted with its dissemination have changed their god—•
and this article indicates that they have. Mental cultivation
has been superseded, iu the schools touched by his analysis,
and enrollment has been placed on high.
But why enrollment as the high priest? Full dormitories
may mean increased revenues but over-crowded class rooms
and over-worked professors do not indicate that the amount
of information assimilated is any greater in the aggregate
and it is certainly less for the chosen individual as compared
with his gains in more favorable surroundings.
Lowering the barriers of the institution of higher learn
ing, even in the manner proposed by the general college, is
breaking faith with the student, for the level of each class
is brought down. In state-supported institutions it should be
labeled misappropriation of public funds when any educator
induces a student to enroll or permits him to enroll when
it is apparent tlie student lacks ability or inclination to make
something of his opportunity.
0 matter how strong the popular belief, the institution
of higher education is not the home for social culture
or the haven for idle souls. It can do nothing for (a) the
student without ability to assimilate the type of knowledge
in which it specializes (b) the student who isn t interested
in assimilating. The best thing it can do for cases (a) or (b)
is to tell them it isn't the place for them just as soon as it
can be certain.
But, while education should be raising its standards ami
leaving technical training and readjusting of mal-fitted stu
dents to places intended to handle such tasks, Mr. Tunis
article indicates a great many institutions have kicked aside
all barriers and will take anyone—nay, go out and get him—
to swell the mass sacrifice at the feet of deified enrollment.
The only advantage from such action is that economic
barriers are also shoved aside in the mad rush for students.
However, Mr. Tunis shows many of the scholarships offered
are fakes or gyps in one way or another.
Dark as Mr. Tunis paints the general picture, 1 couldn’t
help, along with a feeling of relief, a selfish bit of happiness
because Oregon didn’t get any publicity from him. This is
one fist I hope she never makes—the blacklist dis-honor roll
of schools which have bartered their academic standing and
principles for increased enrollment and a little gold. L.M.
SIDE SHOW
Edited by ... .
Hill Cummings, Campus
l’aul Deutschmann, National
Campus
The -.first step ..toward the
adoption of deferred pledging
was taken by the Oregon Dads
last Saturday morning at their
annual mass meeting when they
voted to accept the report of a
ccmmittee favoring the event
ual abolishment of all pledging
of freshmen.
By taking this action, the
dads do not mean to rush de
ferred pledging through; they
realize that the housing prob
lem and the financial condition
of living organizations make it
impossible to adopt the plan at
the present time. Nevertheless,
it is a step in the direction of a
revolutionary change in the fra
ternity setup at Oregon. If the
change is made g r a <1 11 a I I y
enough, the fraternities can
stand it; otherwise they cannot.
Two proposals were included
in the committee report, which
was read by Chairman Loyal H.
McCarthy of Portland, subse
quently elected president of the
Oregon Dads for 1937-38.
The first proposal: Pledging
of freshmen should he deferred
until the beginning of winter
term, the first year after the
plan’s adoption; until the be
ginning of spring term, the sec
ond year; until sometime near
the end of spring term, the
third year, and thereafter lim
ited to students who have ac
quired at least sophomore stand
ing.
The second proposal: Pledg
ing should be limited to a cer
tain percentage of freshmen,
say 75 per cent, the first year;
50 per cent the second year; 25
per cent the third year, and no
freshmen thereafter.
* * *
1 tilth these proposals would
tend to lessen the financial
shock to fraternities, allowing
them to gradually adjust them
selves to the new system. It is
upon this gradual adjustment
that the success or failure of
the change depends. Eventual
ly, when housing conditions are
perfected so as to accommodate
incoming studcrtts, d e f e r r e li
pledging will lie advisable, hut
the time for this is in the dis
tant future. Consequently
house managers and house pres
idents, who showed signs of
uneasiness when they learned
the Dads had broken the ice,
have nothing to worry about for
a long, long time.
(Please luni to pat/e three)
In the Mail
DO A CUSTER?
To the Editor:
I liuve been noting with min
gled emotions of approval and
disapproval the flowering of the
newly formed C.C.C.C. How
ever, it seems to me that the or
ganization should put forth
more concrete evidence to sup
port their contentions. Mr.
Lackey is to be congratulated
upon his fine, frank, and fear
less expression of his convic
tions, but does he stand on firm
ground? And more important,
to the students of the Univer
sity is the question, "Where
does the Emerald stand?”
The Emerald, as a school pa
per, is irrevocably committed to
the proposition of voicing the
opinion of the majority wish or
desire. As a student of this in
stitution and therefore an in
terested party, I demand some
unequivocal statement of the
attitude of the University Press.
The question is one that is of
importance to the entire student
body, and so the Emerald can
not afford to quibble of vacil
late.
Let us hear from you, Mr. Ed
itor!
Charlie Ackerson.
Editor's note: We are indebt
ed to Mr. Ackerson for his im
plication that The Emerald
could voice student opinion if it
so desired but the nebulous
character of that abstraction
would prevent anything other
than trial ballooning. The Em
erald is not and has never been
dedicated to the discovery and
articulation of student senti
ment — it pursues, admittedly
often in a hesitant and ill-in
formed manner, that which is
true and right, regardless of stu
dent opinion.
We cannot, and it is sadden
ing, believe that the inquirer
has perused the Emerald’s col
umns with the avidity he indi
cates in search of an opinion
in this matter. On page one of
Saturday’s edition, at the foot
of the page under the heading,
“The Coaching Situation, (An
Editorial)” appeared a rather
definite statement of opinion.
For Mr. Ackerson’s benefit, we
quote: “If rumors, apparently
with some foundation, are true
that Coach Callison does not
have the cooperation of his
team and that the morale of the
team is bad, it would be better
for both Oregon and Mr. Calli
son if he went some place else.”
The editorial further stated it
* was the duty of the board to in
vestigate those rumors and de
termine whether Coach Callison
should be retained next year.
The CCCC opened a delicate
question at an equally delicate
moment. It has attained its first
purpose the matter will be in
vestigated by the athletic activ
ities board, whose duty it is to
determine the personnel of the
coaching staff.
Whether Mr. Luckey and his
CCCCs would be willing to ac
cept a judgment retaining C%1
lison we don't know. The ath
letic activities board should, in
fairness to Mr. Callison and in
the line of its duty, be given a
(Please turn to page free)
infiHliiifl, ■ ■ ■ flliilBiiiilK*,
l!l, II
Pollock's FOLLY
By BOB POLLOCK
THIS BEING THE last Em
erald of the year of our Lord
1937, it behooves me to clean
out the musty corners of my
mind of the gossip I had stored
for that proverbial rainy day
when nobody did any wrong
that could be printed.
There is, for example, a won
der in my simple sconce as to
what ever happened to Marcia
Steinhauser, cx-Miss Oregon,
who was and is the cream of the
Kappa crop. Can it be that mov
ing out of ye olde chapter house
has decreased the charm of a
miss who was once at tire top
of the very slippery social
heap? Or is it any of my cock
eyed business?
HERE’S ANOTHER frayed
bit of gossip that drifted over a
brew to my ears ... It seems
that Saddy night as the Fijis
are behaving themselves, a taxi
whoops up. From the taxi a wo
man is transported into the very
masculine living room of Phi
Gamma Delta. It seems that
the woman, as women have
from time immoral, is in the
'process of adding to the popula
tion.
Ibis distresses the Fijis no
end. No one has ever had a
baby in their living room. It is
unprecedented. {Something has
to lie done.
The story is a bit hazy from
there on, but it seems the wo
man is finally transplanted to
the Sacred Heart hospital and
the child arrives in the custo
mary surroundings. The Fijis,
meantime, had heaved collec
tive and individual sighs of re
lief and went forth to sooth
their shattered nerves. The
cabbie, it seems, thought the
Fiji house was the hospital.
OH, AND A BIT of an or
chid. It goes to the Campbell
Co-op over at 13th and Kincaid
for their Dad’s day sign ... It
said, succintly, “Pappy, Be
Happy.”
It takes all kinds of people to
make what is alleged to be a
world . . . the latest on the Uni
versity of Oregon campus is a
li)0-lb. husky who has report
edly turned down very warm
and cordial requests to be a
union “goon" at $73 per week,
transportation and hospital ex
penses.
Oh, well. Merry Christmas!
DUKE UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
DURHAM, N. C.
Tour terms of eleven weeks arc given
each year. The.se may be taken con
secutive (graduation in three and
one-quarter years) or three terms may
be taken each year (graduation in four
years). The entrance requirements are
intelligence, character and at least two
years of college work, including the
subjects specified for Grade A medical
schools. Catalogues and apn',1 cation
forms may be obtained from the Dean.
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done before Exams- Huskin' to do
your Xmas shopping . . .
Let us do the rustlin' on your laun
dry We will rush right up to get
it and rush it back to you in no
time at all.
Phone I 23
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—sr
This poor old grad, in his freshman daze,
Adopted studious thoughts and ways,
He crammed his Turret Top with fact,
But never learned how one should act.
I
t’s simple arithmetic that the more cars
General Motors sells the greater this organiza
tion grows. And the solid fact back of that
growth is this: General Motors cars must con
tinually offer more in terms of extra value
to win those sales. It is only because General
Motors is great that it can maintain the re
search and improvement program responsible
for such modern betterments as the Turret
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mea.\s Good Measi re
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