Oregon*# Emerald
MARGUERITE WTTTWER-WRIGHT GEORGE PEGG
Editor Business Manager
BOB FRAZIER, TED GOODWIN
Associates to Editor
JACK I* BILLINGS
Managing Editor
BILL YATES
New» Editor
MARYANN THIELEN and
walt mckinney
Assistant Managing Editors
BOBOLEE BROPHY and
JUNE GOETZE
Assistant News Editors
JEANNE SIMMONDS
Feature Editor
DOUG EDEN
Advertising Manager
BERNIE HAMMBRBECK
Sports Editor
BILL STRATTON, WALLY HUNTER
Assistant Sports Editors
ROGER TETLOW DON JONES
Chief Night Editor Staff Photographer
Signed editorial features and columns in the Emerald reflect the opin
ions of the writers. They do not necessarily represent the opinion of the
editorial staff, the student body, or the University.
Entered as second class natter- at the postoffice, Eugene, Oregon.
No Snow Job
Sounds, quite similar to muttering in the ranks, have reached
this office concerning the adoption of a new constitution by
the ISA senate. It seems that you can snow some of the troops
some of the time, but you can't snow all of the troops all of
the time.
Tn a letter to the editor published in the January 10 Emerald,
two Independent women object to the adoption of the consti
tution without a vote by the students it affects. The ISA senat
ors passed the new document unanimously, but some of their
constituents were not too well informed about the action until
it was announced in the Emerald. The letter appeals for a more
■democratic way of handling such action.
The ISA president answers the accusations in a letter today.
He indicates that the constitution was adopted by the senate in
order to expedite matters. Evidently he believes that since
the senators are the duly elected representatives of the students,
their approval of the new constitution was enough to merit
its acceptance.
Bickering
All this bickering may seem petty, but actually it is a healthv
sign that there are students interested in their government.
If we are going to play at democratic student government at
all. it should at least he active. And students should partici
pate at times other than merely on election day.
Nevertheless, it must be realized that many of us have ideal
ized democratic government to an impracticable degree. As
Walter Lippmann once said, “Democratic government is not
the direct expression of the will of the people. The people do
not govern. By their occasional mobilizations as a majority,
people support or oppose the individuals who actually govern."
This is true on the campus as well as on the national scene.
In the ISA, it is the senators who govern; the students merely
lend their support or opposition to them. In the Greek party,
the governing is ostensibly done by the Greek bloc made up
•of two representatives from each sorority and fraternity, and
.actually done by an anonymous few who, through the bloc,
direct the political actions of the Greeks.
In no sense do the majority of the students govern at all.
Democrats
I o sonic political thinkers it seems foolish to even pretend
that the people are sovereign. In reality, they say, a minority
does and must govern. And they advocate that our demo
cratic processes he abandoned altogether. On the other hand,
there are democrats who insist that the voting powers of the
general public tends to check the arbitrary actions of the gov
erning few, and insures that representatives who generally
concur with public opinions will do the governing.
We agree with the latter view. Misses Goetze and Rrophv
have a legitimate gripe. A constitution which affects all mem
bers of a party should be referred to the party members for
consideration before adoption. If the ISA senate felt that a
special election would be too cumbersome, it would have been
possible to present the proposed measure to the students in
some other way. An assembly could have been called, speeches
in living organizations could have been made, and the text of
the constitution could have been published in the Kmerald.
We believe the ISA officers and senators acted in good
faith. However, all politicians should remember that you can
snow some of the troops, etc.
The American people cannot be too careful in guarding the
freedom of speech and of the press against curtailment as to the
discussion of public affairs and the character and conduct of
public men—Carl Slutrz.
Not Wanted: Jim Crow
The racial problem on this campus has been largely un
noticed. The smug comment that there is no racial problem
here has often been heard. This may either be wishful think
ing or weak-kneed refusal to recognize facts.
The fact remains that there is a potential racial problem
here. The campus has all the ingredients to cook up a nasty
kettle of Jim Crow. We have members of several races among
the student body; w-e also have prejudice and intolerance, both
among students and faculty although the latter attempts to dis
guise its personal shortcomings as much as possible.
The only reason that the problem has not become acute is
because members of the so-called “white" race are in such an
overwhelming majority.
The attitude of some University personnel that any situa
tions like this likely to arouse public indignation should be
kept quiet only tends to drive the hate-peddlers underground.
The only way to cure trouble is to bring it out into the open
and allow the sterilizing caustic of public opinion to clean it
out. Avoiding a potential problem is an almost sure way to
bring it on.
The letter from the One World Club, published today, is a
definite indication that minority groups are beginning to take
cognizance of their status on the campus. It is pretty well
known that some sororities jmd fraternities will not pledge Jew
ish students, or members of colored races. It is less well-known
that colored students have accused faculty members of discrimi
nation.
If there are any University regulations dealing with the
rights of colored students, then let them be made clear. And if
these regulations in any way condone discrimination, let the
voices of democratic students and taxpayers erase them forever
from the rulebooks.
Telling the Editor
ABOUT ISA
Discredit has been brought to the
constitution committee and sena
tors of the ISA through the infer
ences in the letter written jointly
by Roberta Brophy and June Goetze
in Friday’s Emerald.
I think it significant that the sen
ators unanimously accepted the new
1 constitution, realizing its superior
ity over the clumsy out-moded and
somewhat vague instrument under
which the Independent Students’
association operated in the past.
The ladies’ statement that “most
of the students whose interests
these senators were elected to rep
resent had little or no knowledge of
the provisions of th constitution” is
an unjustified reflection upon the
senators.
Early in November a constitution
committee was appointed by the
senate. All meetings of the commit
tee and the senate were open to any
interested parties—who were really
interested in offering constructive
criticism.
Many suggestions offered by stu
dents not on the committee were
evaluated first by the committee
and then by the senate. Their sug
gestion “that final approval of the
document be delayed” was deemed
inadvisable by the senate as was evi
denced by its unanimous adoption
of the constitution.
As it now stands we have a
strong, workable organization. This
document, more than any other in
existence on this campus, offers
unlimited opportunity for practic
ing democracy.
Our senate meetings will be held
every two weeks. The meetings will
be open to any interested members
of the Independent Student’s assso
ciation. We hold no secret meetings
and visitors are entitled to express
their opinions on the floor of the
Senate.
I sincerely hope that all indepen
dents will read the new constitution
when it is distributed and partici
pate in senate meetings.
Howard R. Lemons, President
Independent Students’
Association.
ABOUT GRADES
Friday afternoon slightly more
than fivd thousand students formed
the traditional queues to learn the
results of their past term’s endeav
ors. This needless waiting, and ag
gravating inconvenience, was the
result of a University’s growing
pans.
The problem of how the grades
should be announced has been han
dled rather badly and as a natural
result there has been considerable
complaint, both among the students,
to whom the question is a vital one,
and also to the editorial page of the
Emerald.
For any school of large size this
task is not an easy one, and for
this reason I believe that in all fair
ness the administration can not be
blamed too heavily. However, many
schools are faced with this problem
and it seems to be that U. of C. has
the answer. There the situation is
placed squarely in the student’s lap:
if he wants his grades before they
have completed the administrative
cycle he simply gives each of his
professors a self addressed postcard
along with his final, and goes home
knowing that in several days he will
have the results.
By the way, it will work at Ore
gon too, for I followed this system
and received all my grades before
Christmas.
Vern Flake
ABOUT JIM CROW
At a meeting of the ONE WORLD
CLUB held Wednesday evening,
January 8, 1947, it was brought to
the attention of the group that
there are certain “Jim Crow’’ regu
lations regarding the dormitory pol
icy here at the University of Oregon.
The facts, as presented to the
club, are these: A colored girl and
a white girl, out of friendship and
on a voluntary basis, decided to
(Please turn to page seven)
SIDE PATTER
BOB WHITELY
The Law School announces with
justifiable pride .... The Beauty
Contest of the year! Today’s Side f
drippings deals entirely on the
new and unique innovation of-the
law school freshman class to find
“The Ideal Girl the Law School
would rather, commit a Tort upon.”
For days the freshman class of
the Law School have been hard at
their books peeking out the front
window at Fenton Hall wondering
who those beeyootiful gals are
that amble by in between classes.
Weird sounds emanate from the
room as the sweet young things
jounce by. One freshman girl from'
Fossil swore a cougar was trapped
in the room as She walked past
one recent gusty day. Having
called a special meeting, the born
leaders of the class have proposed
a popularity contest open to all
girls between the ages of 13 and
25 who attend the university. This
is strictly a non-political contest,
no bloc meetings, no secret gather
ings, and approval of the weekly
winner will be taken orally. If
you gals take any thing but Musics
Appreciation, you are bound to
pass the Law School portals, where
the eager freshman will judge you
on your individual points and
merits. All that is required as an
entry blank is a friendly smile and
a slight nod as you rush to your
elementary geography class. For
winners of the weekly contest, the
committee will formally call at
her living organization where a
situable gift will be bestowed.
Names of the winners will appear
each Tuesday in this column. The
time element is no problem at all,
as the lawyers will have their
operatives stationed at the newly
scrubbed windows at all times
from 8 till 5. As an added feature
for this week’s contest, the winner
will receive the big con^)ination
special, a date to the Sigma Nu
house dance, a date to the Law
School winter term tea dans
annte, ALL with the pride of the
Freshman class, and former King
of Hearts in 18 . . . oops, 1943, Ed
Dick’s little brother Roger.. The
overall winner for the term will_^
be presented with a suitably en
graved compact from the lawyers,
and a mass date at Tiny’s. Judg
ing will be on personality of your
walk, clothes consciousness, rav
ishing smile, and other physical
attributes. Remember co-eds, the
first week’s winner of the Law
School’s search for beauty will
have a lively weekend with ROG
DICK! Push pull . . . click click
. . . look chic! Look sharp ....
feel sharp .... BE SHARP ....
WIN WITH THE LAW SCHOOL!
PD ADV.
REMEMBER THAT SPECIAL
PERSON ON A SPECIAL DAY
Come in and see our
complete line of charming
remembrances for
VALENTINE’S DAY
THE GIFT SHOP
963 Willamette
Eugene