Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 23, 1944)
Oregon If Emerald ANNE CRAVEN Editor ROSEANN LECKIE Business Manager ELIZABETH HAUGEN Managing Editor FRANNIE MAIER Advertising Manager MARGUERIT WITTWER News Editor LOUISE MONTAG, PEGGY OVERLAND Associate Editors Jane Richardson, Phyllis Perkins, Vingmia Scholl, Mary Margaret Ellsworth, Norris Yates, City Desk Editors Bjorg Hansen, Executive Secretary Betty French Robertson, Women’s Editor Flora Furrow, Assistant Managing Editor Winifred Romtvedt, Assistant News Editor Darrell Boone, Photographer Betty Bennett, Music Editor Phyllis Amacher, World News Editor Gloria Campbell, Mary K. Minor Librarians EDITORIAL BOARD Norris Yates, Edith Newton, Carol Sibulsky Published daily during the oollege year except Sundays, Mondays, and holidays and final examination periods by the Associated Students. University of Oregon. Entered as second-class matter at the postoffice, Eugene, Oregon. fynee&am &J the PteiA. Week John Stuart Mill said it in his pamphlet, “On Liberty” when lie wrote . . The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is that it is robbing the human race—posterity its well as the existing generation.” Through, the history of man’s supposed civilization, intolerance to new ideas has con sistently attempted to withhold from him startling and unusual innovations in the fields of religion, politics, and morals. Great libraries and superb writings have been destroyed—the unortho dox thinkers have been persecuted. And even today, with more enlightened interpretations of security, race, color, psychology, prevalent in society, there is evident an even more violent and persistent censorship. Surprisingly enough, it is the soldier who has become the center of a wave of censorship. In the Soldier’s Vote Act, later amended, reading material available for the armed forces was seriously restricted, and there were widespread attempts to prevent such books as Carlson’s “Under Cover” from reaching them. But this new control has not been concerned only with what the servicemen read. In the field of fiction many would-be protectors have attacked numerous books on the basis of moral filth. “Strange Fruit,” “The History of Rome Hanks,” "The First Lady Chatterley” are only a few, and the persecution is growing as persons and organized groups in the country feel increasingly threatened by criticism of their deep-seated con victions on politics, economics, and morals. It is in view of this new problem that the American Library association has instituted a Freedom of the Press Week for libraries, running from November 19 to 25. The purpose of the week isn’t so much to stimulate reading on the dangers of censorship, as to give libraries an opportunity to take a con certed stand on the right of the individual to read what he wants. A display featuring famous treatises on this individual right—Milton’s “Areopagitiea” and Voltaire’s “Candide”—is being shown at the library on the campus, and an article re cently published by the American Library association bv Kim ball Young, former assistant professor in psychology on the campus is being featured. Celebrated during this week also, is the tercentenary of Milton's "Aeropagitica” and the 250th anniversary of Voltaire. 1/Uhat About *)■'he Student? On I fecembcr (>, a proposed change in the advisory system ■will l>e considered by the faculty. On the whole we think the faculty committee's recommenda tions are a step in the right direction, mainly because it looks as if the new system would eliminate the present rapid run through-the-mill technique now employed during registration. However, an important section of potential advisers has been completely left out of the proposal. We are referring to the students themselves. \’o doubt a similar idea will be prevalent in the students report for it seems only appropriate that those who have taken courses here and are looked up to as “the old and wise seniors could easily advise new students who are starting out in their field of study. It has long been obvious that one of the difficulties of our present advisory system has been the large number of students assigned to each professor. Registration day becomes a whirl wind ot students, none of whom get as much advising as they need simply because their adviser is weighted down with too many advisees. Here then is where the seniors could step in and help. W e suggest that near the end ol spring term the dean of each department recommend as advisers a number of students w ho will return as Seniors the next school year. These students would meet together and talk over the problems of advising, courses, requirements, and other pointers they should know. Then they could be used to augment the teachers included in the advisory system. The final sa\ on schedules should come from a faculty member. Another suggestion we would like to make would eliminate ! A PcuUe fob 'lluirtbi 1 It is a very famous tradition that we are practising ‘ today, and one,that is exclusively and typically American. It is not a very old one when considered in comparison with the customs that other nations and races celebrate, because we aren’t a very old country, and neither is it very representative of our national temperaments and char acteristics’. We take what we can get while we can get it and we enjoy it to the limit of today with little thought of tomorrow. We are not given overmuch to reflection or meditation upon the reasons behind the origin of this tra dition because we have lost almost completely the spirit that it was first intended to be celebrated in. The student today is probably concerned at the moment with mental pictures of roasting turkeys, steaming po tatoes, hot vegetables, sauce, stuffing, mince pie, and all the other traditional trimmings. He is preparing hitn self for a good “feed” and the greater glutton he can make of himself the bigger sport he will be for the company. This is a day set aside by the nation for eating and every one’s creative forces and digestive ecpiipment are concen trated on that one goal. But during the process someone should pause for a moment and consider just why he is doing all this. Apart from the sheer epicurean purpose behind it, there lurk some subtle and somewhat melancholy ideas which should lay hold on everyone’s conscience during the day. We are giving thanks for what we have and we arc doing it in the best manner possible—by enjoying to the fullest those gifts of ours. And if there are 'many of us that are not able to enjoy them or can only do so in a makeshift manner that they were never accustomed to before, then we are doubly grateful for this day. Because of these latter ones who are at this mdment probably doing a lot of remembering, the day is made a little sweeter and a little sadder for us. Sweeter in the sense that we are enjoying a restricted and precious privilege and sadder because all Americans are not united in carrying out a very strong American tradition. the large number of new students who arrive on the campus fall term with only a slender knowledge of the University. Why not set up a group of speakers—upperclassmen from each of the several departments — who would travel to the high schools during spring term and hold meetings with seniors planning to attend the University. They would be able to answer questions on the fields of study, courses necessary for those fields and for graduation, and activities on the campus. A new advisory system is definitely needed. Xo matter whether or not a change is made, it is a good sign that the system has been brought up and discussed. FLOWERS! FOR THAT HOUSE DANCE DATE Varied Selection of Corsages Chase Gardens 58 E. Broadway • Phone 4240 Heilig 'MY PAL. WOLFE" — plus — "MOONLIGHT and CACTUS" "THE MERRY MONAHANS" with DONALD O'CONNOR JACK OAKIE EUGENE ARMORY SATURDAY NOVEMBER 25 * III # \ PERSON Presented by MCA ft ft TED WEEMS and his famous ORCHESTRA DANCING 9-12 Admission . 1.25 Tax .25 Total 1.50 DANCING Every Saturday Night 9 ’til 12 at the EUGENE HOTEL with ART HOLMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA in the Persian Room ROLLER SKATING Matinees Saturday, Sunday, 30c Nights, except Monday 7:30-10:30, 40c Party Rates PARAMOUNT ROLLER RINK 25 W. 7th Phone 1789