Oregon W Emerald
MARGUERITE WITTWER-WRIGHT Ed.tor GEORGE PEGG Business Manager
BOB FRAZIER
Associate to Editor
JEANNE STMMONDS
Managing Editor
BILL YATES
News Editor*
BERNIE HAMMERBECK
Sports Editor
DON FAIR, WALLY HUNTER
Assistant Sports Editors
walt McKinney
Assistant Managing Editor
EOBOLEE BROPHY and
JUNE GOETZE
Assistant News Editors
I
BARBARA TWIFORD
Advertising Manager
PHYLLIS KOHLMEIER j
Executive Secretary
uon Jones, t'tan rnotograpner
REPORTERS
13eth Basler, Bettye Joe Bledsoe, Diana Dye, Ruth Eades, A1 English, Luwayne Engwall,
Virginia Fletcher, Joanne Frydenlund, Chuck de Ganabl, Laverne Gunderson, Dale Harlan,
Donna Kletzing, Janice Kent, Pat King, Phyllis Kohlmeier. Betty Lagomarsino, June
McConnell, Barbara Murphy, Laura Olson, Carol Jo Parker, Nancy Peterson, Helen Sher
uaa, Virginia Thompson, Jim Wallace, Sally Waller.
MEMBER — ASSOCIATED COLLEGIATE PRESS
ASSOCIATED PRESS WIRE SERVICE
Sigped editorial features and columns In the Emerald reflect the opinions of the writers, j
They dd not necessarily represent the opinion of the editorial staff, the student body, or the ;
Univerfitiy. j
Entered as second class matter at the postoffice, Eugene, Oregon.
Qotterdammerung ?
If the Affiliated Students association meeting Thursday night
was any indication of the true attitudes of Greek politicians toward
campus politics, the coming election, and the University as a whole,
then the Greeks have been sold down the river.
If honesty, integrity, loyalty, and brotherhood are the ideals to
which the fraternity system is dedicated, then the Greeks have prosti
tuted themselves to the interests of a small minority group.
If clear-thinking and rational consideration for the Interests of
the University of Oregon are attributes of groups or individuals who
claim to he the cream of the student body, then the cream has gone
pour.
* * *
The fraternity and sorority reprsentatives at that meeting acted
for the most part like a herd of blank-eyed, muddle-headed sheep with
wool over their eyes being led around by their noses.
The old double-cross, the old stab-in-the-back seemed to be the
accepted treatment for free-thinking “brothers.” But we are here
concerned more with issues than with individuals.
This is the logic employed by the Greek leaders:
1. The purpose of the Greek party is to place Greeks into positions
of prominence on the campus, with the welfare of the student body
as a whole merely a secondary consideration.
2. Candidates must be chosen primarily for their vote-getting
possibilities. Such matters as their leadership ability, their competence
as executives, their interest in promoting the University as such or in
/democratic student government as such, their personal attitudes
toward political platforms or ethics or responsibility or service to the
^University—these things were barely mentioned, much less seriously
considered.
3. Yell kings are unpopular, therefore poor material for political
positions ; Tom Hazzard is a yell king; therefore he is unpopular and
unfit for a political career. His service to the school, his extensive
activity record, his sincere concern for an active and purposeful stu
dent government, his intolerance of TNE, scarcely entered the dis
cussion.
4. Athletes are popular therefore vote-getters. Stan Williamson
is captain of the basketball squad; therefore he is the logical choice
for president of the student body. The administrative duties of a
president, his ability to impress high school students when traveling
with the Oregon Federation head, his capacity to organize and get co
operation were taken for granted—evidently the ball tossing skill of
a man insures all of these other factors.
* * *
When the Emerald editor mentioned that Bernie Hammerbeck,
sports editor, and Art l.itchman, director of the athletic news bureau,
had described Wiliamson as a well-liked man and a fine athlete, Don
Malarkv, Sigma Nu president, jumped to his feet, said that Hammer
heck and Eitchman were Independent politicians and made other un
true and sfanderous statements about the sports editor. Eitchman and
I hammerbeck actually are completely disinterested in politics.
The Emerald editor pointed out that the Greeks would only lose
prestige and whatever respect of the campus they now had, if Greek
candidates later proved to be incompetent student body officers. Bloc
Leader B. G. Cox retorted that it was more important that the bloc
be "kept together" by the simple method of “passing around" student
positions from house to house—the merit of the candidates evidently
considered secondary, although Cox did emphasize the importance of
Toward One World...
Majesty of Intelligence and Moral
Honor Considered Essential to Man
By QUIRINUS BREEN
Dept, of History
For One World Club
I am, as every man is, by inclina
tion an ■ isolationist; a worshipper
of the idols of the cave and tribe.
But it has been rumored that I am
no longer safe, no matter how com
forting my idols try to be. I have
come to believe this, rumor. The
most responsible scientists and
statesmen tell me I had better be
lieve it. In fact, it is commonly held
that there is safety in nothing short
of Willkie’s “One World” or some
thing very like it. This is a pretty
tall idea. I should like to think it
realizable. The more I think about
it the better it looks. But then I
realize that perhaps I was born
thirty years too soon. When I was
in college nobody worried about one
world. I grew up in a tribe in which
everybody felt secure in his cave.
What Kind of World?
Were I asked to advise a student
interested in one world, I should
tell him first to develop a concept
of what kind of a world he could
love so>as to be completely devoted
to it as a man of rich intelligence
and whole sentiments. The sense of
panic that so often accompanies [
talk about one world has dangers,!
for it comes from a too exclusive
preoccupation with physical safety.
Important as this may be, a man
must bear in mind that he has a
dignity that repels the notion of
mere safety. We should want safety
compatible with the majesty of in
telligence and moral honor. Of con
cern with this dignity of man, there
has always been a strain in our cul
ture. I should want my advisees to
share this concern. If this were lost
it were hard to make a case for the
preservation of the race, for it were
no longer the human race about
which one were talking.
How?
I should further tell such a stu
dent to inquire from specialists as
to what suggestion is offered in
their respective fields for imple
menting the idea of one world. For
example, we know that western
Europe had one world of a sort in
the Middle Ages. What part did the
medieval philosophical realism play
in its making ? History tells us that
the Romans made one world of the
lands of the Mediterranean Basin.
How did they do it? The political
theorist should throw light on the
ideas and practices pertaining to
the expansiveness of citizenship be
yond national borders. There is also,
a history of practices pertaining to
world languages (Greek, Latin,
and Arabic). The student would
find that his concern with one world
is not something peculiar to the
twentieth century. While he should
not be advised to copy any previous
attempts, he will by study of them
be enriched in his reflection on the
subject. And rich thinking is al
ways- assential to the achievement
of the best.
imining the best possible Greeks for each job. He failed to mention
that the Sigma Nus have had two student body presidents in the past
eight years. Another paradox was the fact that the same group which
last year backed Hazzard to the hilt as a campus leader, etc., this year
would have nothing to do with him! The fact that Hazzard had for
feited support from the Greek leaders this year because he had refused
on certain occasions to “play ball” with the TNE boys was also not
brought up.
Instead Malarky denied that Williamson had any association with
TNE, and accused the Emerald of publishing false and misleading
statements. The general attitude seemed to be: if Theta Nu Epsilon
is running the Greeks, so what? However, a Greek leader had con
fidentially told the Emerald editor that he “was tired of being told
what to do” but was too deeply involved to “talk.” He said he did not
want to jeopardize his chances for a good job after graduation. This
significant matter was not brought to the attention of the bloc, either
... naturally.
Finally the time came to put the Emerald editor on the carpet. And
while W ilbur Craig, president of Alpha Tan Omega, laid on the whip,
she was about as alone as an illegitimate at a family reunion. Craig
brought up the infamous Wright editorial which questioned the merit
of all mothers wearing halos, and this was tossed back and forth by
persons like Bob Daggett, Junior Weekend chairman, who declared
the editorial was a disgrace, etc. The relevance of this discussion to a
political meeting was never made clear.
* * *
It was implied that the Emerald editor was disloyal to the holy
cause of Fraternity in the recent political editorials which were re
garded by the bloc as designed to “split the Greeks.” The editor ex
plained that her only purpose was to break the undemocratic control
of TNE and to encourage independent uncoerced rational thinking as
a prerequisite of democratic action in a purportedly democratic student
government. She said the Greek system was betraying its ideals by
its association with TNE. When she declared that the main objection
the Greeks had to her editorials was their truth, she was answered
with hostile stares and pseudo sophisticated giggling.
Craig demanded to know how the Emerald editors were chosen
(bv the educational activities board, of course), and appealed to the
bloc to find some way to “control the Emerald.” He deplored the fact
that so many Emerald editors seemed to be “independent.” He did not
mention the fact that in the past eight years only two Emerald editors
were Independents. Bud Jermain. Beta, was editor in ’39-’40; after
him came: Lyle Nelson, Sigma Chi; Helen Angell, Tri-Delt; Ray
Schrick, Delt; Marjorie Major, ADPi; Anne Craven and Louise
Montag, Independents, and Marguerite Wright, Sigma Kappa.
\\ hy have these Greek editors, with the exception of Jermain,
consistently run head on into Greek opposition? Possibly because the
editors are usually well-informed enough and intelligent enough to
resist and resent any attempt by minority groups to “gain control.”
As for “controlling” Editor Bob Frazier next year, Larry Lau
gave the bloc the low-down on that angle: “Frazier is one of the most
level-headed, clear-thinking, fair-minded men on this campus, and if
you think you can tell him what to do you’ll find you’ve run into a
buzz-saw!”
That is what happened at the ASA meeting Thursday night.
It is most discouraging to realize that the fight this year is nearly
over and nearly lost. It is most disheartening to be forced to conclude
that the Greeks have lost sight completely of their vaunted ideals, and
make light of the very sword of Damocles hanging over their heads.
It is ironic to be forced now to stand back and watch the Greek god's
saunter recklessly into their twilight.
The average temperature for the
year in Hong Kong is 72 degrees F.
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