Oregon It Emerald
LOUISE MONTAG
Editor
ANNAMAE WINSHIP
Business Manager
MARGUERITE WITTWER
Managing Editor
GEORGE PEGG
Advertising Manager
JEANNE SIMMONDS
News Editor
MARILYN SAGE. WINIFRED ROMTVEDT
Associate Editors
Art Litchman, Tommy Wright
Co-Sports Editors
BYRON MAYO
Assistant Managing Editor
MARYANN THIELEN
Assistant News Editor
BERNARD ENGEL
Chief Copy Editor
ANITA YOUNG
Women’s Page Editor
GLENN SNYDER
World News Editor
BETTY BENNETT CRAMER
Music Editor
Editorial Board
Mary Margaret Ellsworth, Jack Craig, Ed Allen, Beverly Ayer
Published daily during the college year except Sunday*, Monday*, and holiday* line
Snal exam period* by the Associated Students, University of Oregon.
Entered a* second-class matter at the pottoffice. Eugene, Oregon._
A Sutmu Reiatt. . .
Queen Pat rules over the happiest Junior Weekend Oregon
has had in the last five years.
When the campus sang of Queen Fllie in 1942, the forces
of war already had closed around the ivy-covered walls. \V hen
students paraded in the March Gras last year, the echoes of
marching feet sounded in their minds.
But this year the shadow is gone. Queen Pat s. subjects
are numbered in the thousands. Her cares are numbered only
by the weather man.
And if the traditionalists and the anti-traditionalists can
agree that a dunking is better than a drenching Oregon rain,
her realm will be free of discord.
Hail Queen Pat I! May her short reign be sunny.
tW&ekesidl . • .
Oregon's sons and daughters are celebrating the new arrivals
■—the visiting Oregon Mothers.
Although the moms are sharing the spotlight with Queen
Pat, they’re also sharing all the activities of Junior Weekend
as members of the Oregon family. While the weekend is far
from typical, it is a merry-go-round of events to be enjoyed by
the moms and their student sons and daughters together.
Oregon welcomes the moms to the "State Fair." They’re
all blue-ribbon winners.
Telling the Editor
....mini....
About Hacking ...
In answer to a letter to the edit
or ill Tuesday’s Emerald concern
ing the traditional hacking of all
persons violating certain traditions
of Junior Week, I would like to
express my opinion.
Traditions are a very vital part
of college life. Without them a
college is lacking something of
considerable importance so far as
campus life is concerned.
I believe that the 15 signers of
the article in Tuesday's Emerald
had every right to say what they
did. After all, they did help to
preserve this country and the
things it stands for. I do not, how
ewer, agree with them.
It is my opinion that a little of
what I call fun is highly important
in so far as college social life is
concerned. No one is anxious to
get hacked, but with a little pres
ence of mind no one really needs
to be. If the tradition was doing
any real harm I would definitely
be against it. The tradition under
discussion is not going to do any
person any permanent damage, and
if they are sports enough to laugh
it off it can do them some good in
that they will get the reputation
of being good sports.
—Chuck Herring.
About Regimentation ...
The author of “A Tout’s Report,”
not content with his usual waste
of newsprint, wrote a letter to the
Emerald regarding the status of
veterans on the campus.
From his letter I learned an
amazing thing, that I had fought
in Germany to make the world
safe for the wielders of the paddle.
Please forgive me for not knowing
my own mind', but I always had
the idea that I fought so that any
one could say or do anything so
long as it did not harm any other
person or society.
Yes, it may seem strange, but
I would much rather "swell with
pride and speak of the horrors” of
Buchenwald and of the shadows of
the men we liberated there, than
go into ecstasy over the fact that
I could be hacked for not obeying
some adolescent tradition. In Ger
many we tried to elevate the dig
nity of man, here it is being de
graded. I’ll admit, however, that
we have here only a bush league
group of sadists.
Perhaps the “15 old men" did
not represent the student veterans
as Mr. Lau infers, but I think that
they do. The veterans here are
opposed to any kind.of regimenta
tion. As an example of this one need
look back only to the basketball
games of last term. While the co
eds screeched to a deafening cres
cendo at the slightest whim of the
yell king, the men were conspicu
ous by their silence. Most veterans
are tired of being pushed around
by senseless rules and traditions.
I don’t see how any one who has
been in the service can take any
more of them.
Mr. Lau, a freshman, wants to
return to "prewar standards.”
What does he mean by this phrase?
Does tie want to go back to the
“country club" era? Does he want
to get back to the old time political
(Plciisc Turn to Page Seven)
From Oratorical Display to'State Fair’...
Evolution of Oregon’s Junior Weekend
By Dorothy Kienholz
“As I sit and dream at evening
Of those days now past and
gone. .
This year, returning veterans
and alumni will find many changes
in the University of Oregon’s an
nual Junior Weekenu.
The picturesque canoe fete has
been converted to a float parade
which will travel down Willamette
street and up Thirteenth to the
campus Saturday afternoon.
Last winter’s flood destroyed
part of the race walls and crushed
student hopes for reviving the ca
noe fete.
“And I think of all the old friends
Whose memories to me return,
I can see them all in fancy
As they were in days of yore...”
In order to appreciate the sig
nificance of Junior Weekend, one
must return “to those days now
past and gone” when students here
at Oregon struggled strenuously
over class colors.
In the Beginning
The year 1890 marks the be
ginning of the traditional Week
end, at that time sedately called
the Junio» Exhibitions. Professor
Luella Carson initiated Junior Day
so that juniors would have pre
liminary preparation for the ora
torical contest which commence
ment had become after the Failing
Beekman prize was inaugurated.
Consequently, Junior Day was
enlivened only by the presentation
of a music and oratorical program.
Soon, however, the day became
the occasion of a great free-for-all
between sophomores and juniors.
Flag Waving
Wily junior’s conceived the idea
of adopting a flag of junior colors
with the class numerals upon it.
Hidden until Junior Day, it was
fastened to the end of a pole and
flown triumphantly from a win
dow in the nor thwest tower of Vil
lard hall. The struggle centered
around' the class attempt to fly
the banner and show the sopho
mores their lowly status.
Tactics of warfare became more
complex. Under the driving force
of necessity, ingenious devices were
hatched up by juniors, only to be
outdone by more ingenious sopho
more schemes.
Professor Straub was asked to
hide the flag one year, and it was
because of his protection that the
junior class had a flag to raise
when Junior Day arrived.
Flag-Pole Sitters
During the presidency of Dr.
Chapman, a flag-pole was erected
near the location of the present
staff. Walter B. Dillard, Eugene
county clerk in 1944, and two other
juniors, spent the night before the
traditional day in a large covered
wooden box, which was hoisted
halfway up the pole. With a hose,
food and water, they guarded the
flag and its staff from possible
attack.
However, before they 'were able
to raise their flag the next morn
ing, sophomores captured the hose
and showered the junior strong
hold. This persuasive weapon
forced the juniors to accept tem
porarily a lower station in life as
they made a hasty retreat via the
pole.
Spirit vs. Classes
The class spirit which flourished
so mightily on Junior Day inter
fered with college work. Less than
half the students enrolled attend
ed classes. It was this state of af
fairs which induced President
Campbell to make Junior Weekend
a real holiday and to replace de
structive activity with construc
tive work.
Instead of painting class signs
on buildings, demolishing proper
ty, and tormenting each other, the
entire student body worked on cam
pus projects, such as making
paths, paving walks, building and
repairing buildings, and dredging
and clearing the millrace. This
scheme was inaugurated in 1903
under the name of “University
Day.” The work accomplished that
day was the tearing down and
burning of the fence that formerly
enclosed the entire campus.
In its new form, Junior Day ap
pealed to all classes. The girls’
share in the wosk was an all
campus dinner served in the eve
ning between Friendly -and Mc
Clure. After completing their as
signed tasks, the boys entertained
the girls by forming a serpentine
and exhibiting their “rah rah”
spirit.
Ladylike Applause
A May, 1912, Emerald relates,
“These inspiring college yells
(Oregon Oskiwow Wow and Rah,
Rah, Rah, Oregon) called forth ve
hement applause from the women
of the University who may ap
prove but not participate in such
outbursts of college feeling.”
The inscription, “University
Day,” on several of the walks
which surround Deady hall, stands
as evidence of the origin of Ore
gon’s famous weekend, which be
came Junior Weekend officially in
1908.
Passing the Buck
Painting the “O” on Skinner’s
Butte became a junior class task
in 1908, but mighty juniors usual
ly drafted freshmen for the man
ual labor while they tyrannically
supervised the job.
In 1911, the first “Canoe Carni
val” as it was called, was held.
James Mott, late congressman
from Oregon, presented a fiery
campaign which won the queen’s
crown for Ruth Gibson. The entire
carnival and queen’s reign was
brought to a hasty close by cold
winds and rain.
The Canoe fete became a regu
lar weekend feature after 1913.
The original floats were single
canoes decorated with streamers,
lights, and flowers. Gradually sev
eral canoes were lashed together,
and were finally replaced by the
prewar barge type float.
Theme Selection
The juniors added the theme
which centered the weekend around
one main idea such as “Alice in
Wonderland” or “M elody in
Spring” or this year’s “State Fair.”
Prizes were offered for the be3F
floats, and houses paired-off for
competition.
Some alumni will remember the
year when a float called “Statue
of Liberty,” came floating grace
fully down the race. The strong
current got the best of the swim
mers guiding the barge, and the
lovely Goddess of Liberty executed
a beautiful swan dive in front of
the grandstand.
Burlesque Version
Some will remember how the
sun shone hot on the bleachers
crowded with mamas and papas
and their University children, gath
ered to witness the 1939 burlesque
canoe fete which displayed a dis
continuous stream of horesplay,
dunking, and contests—the prize
winning entry, a takeoff on a Ve
netian gondola, gaily bedecked
with crepe paper, which overturn
ed after it passed the grandstand;
the float which consisted of a satflpe
on famous men with Mussolini and
Hitler playing checkers in front,
with F.D.R. yelling “my friends”
in typical Rooseveltian manner on
the back of the float, and the canoe
races.
Sports events, superseded the
work party in 1914. Other weekend
features were dramatic club plays
and the Prom, which always ended
festivities.
Added Attractions
Later additions were the tradi
tional terrace dance, the all-campus
song contest, the sunlight sere
nade, the mothers’ luncheon and
the frosh-soph tug o’war.
In the reconstruction of High
way 99 through Eugene, the Uni
versity and state highway depart
ment have drawn plans for a beau
tiful “plaza” and amphitheater\3»“
front of the Dads’ gates, to be used
as the center for weekend activi
ties. The rough excavation has al
ready been done to create a lake
in front of the Anchorage and
gives hope for the possible* return
to “the good old days” when the
water still ran deep and cold past
the Anchorage.
Way Back When . . .
Six-Foot Poles Kept
Oregon Couples Distant
By Trudi Chernis and Dottie Habel
Thirty Years Ago
The new 400-page Oregana came
out, dedicated to William L. Hay
ward. Main decorative idea
throughout the book was the Uni
versity flower, the chrysanthemum.
Dean Collins, ’10, wrote “On the
Mill Race” especially for the book.
“Never in the history of
University politics have the
students shown so much ‘zaz’
in an election as they did yes
terday in the annual choosing
of student body officers. Nev
er before has such a large per
centage of voters turned out
to the polls in ‘Old’ Villard to
take part in student body af
fairs.” That was 30 years ago.
What about 1946?
“Cubby Hole” was the name at
tached to the room where “cubs
and scoops, geniuses and would
be's assemble to write and rewrite
the stuff that is peddled out to the
Emerald readers.” Only one dis
senter to the idea was heard, the
complaint being that it sounded too
“comfy” and that it wouldn't be
long before “aesthetic professors
and moony loverjs” would call it
their own.
Notice included in an Emer
ald shoe ad: “The two very at
tractive and b u s i n esslike
young ladies who secured this
ad promised that it would
bring in most of the young la
dies and all of the men for
shoes. Help them to deliver the
goods.”
Twenty Years Ago
“God of the Sea Rovers” natS—
the winning artistic float in the
canoe fete of Junior Weekend.
Kappa Omicron and Sigma Pi Tau
entered the float, which depicted
hoary Vikings before the god.
First prize for humorous floats
went to Alpha Xi Delta and Kappa
Sigma, for “Noah’s Ark.” The ark
was filled with strange animal
noises, Noah steered the boat with
an automobile steering wheel, and
on sides of the ark were signs, such
as “Post No Williams,” “Four Out
of Every Five Have It,” “Two Can
Live Cheaper Than One.” On the
tail lantern, unlighted, was a sign
reading, “The Light That Failed.”
A report from a student
committee outlining the schol
astic situation at Oregon made
recommendations for a fresh
man college distinct from the
major University. The fresh
men would be given to under
stand their insignificance as
members of the social commu
nity. Through the process of
well-organized traditions they
would be brought to realize-^^.
the limitations of their abilities
and capabilities. Each year the
(Plcctsc Turn to Page Seven)