Yc shall knotv the truth and the truth shall make ye free.—John 8:32
A Dream Nears Reality
Saturday was a happy day for students and alumni of the
University, for it was then that the state board of higher edu
cation gave final approval to bids for constructing the student
union building. Thus the project which sprang up spontaneously
more than 25 years ago will become a reality by January, 1950.
In the spring of 1923 the need was, seen for a place for stu
dents to gather in their spare moments. The Class of '23 under
took the project, liy the end of the year nine campus groups each
donated $1000 to the fund. The seniors voted to pay $10 each for
ten years. Computations based on building costs at that time
indicated that the money could be raised by the end of the ten
year period. But ten years later the country was deep in depres
sion, and the necessary funds were not forthcoming.
Still the dream persisted. Each year saw the building a little
nearer reality. Individual gifts swelled the total, but building
costs also rose. Students donated Co-op receipts and breakage
fees. Then last year the executive council of the ASUO gave its
approval for adding a five dollar building fee to the regular
tuition, 'l'lie students were polled on whether they were willing
to pay the costs themselves, even though most of their college
generation would not he on the campus to enjoy it. I he students
approved the action, and the state board made it official.
With the assurance that money would he forthcoming to
•finance the structure, the state board was enabled to float a bond
issue. But headaches accompanied this move, too. No Oregon
firm was willing to handle the bonds for a low enough interest
rate, but a Chicago firm agreed to do the job. President Harry lv.
Newburn, who had been spending much of his time on the stu
dent union problem, helped with the details, aided by J. O. Eind
strum, University business manager, H. A. Boi’:, comptroller of
the state system of higher education, and Stanley R. Darling,
attorney for the University. Still the state hoard, in the interests
of economy hesitated to award the bids, which were slightly
'higher than was expected. After a tense moment, they decided to
award the bid.
Now the work is ready to begin. Plans have been changed
from time to time as the dream grew, but the piesent ones aie
designed to provide for every student need. Buildings on the
Student Union site will be moved beginning this week, and exca
vation will begin shortly.
The Class of '50 will be able to enjoy the dream of the Class
of ’23. It’s been a long struggle, but future college generations
vvill be able to testify to its worth.—J. G.
Activities or Grades
At the beginning of every year, many students become
■frantic trying to find the time to do the things that will make
college not onlv a spring-board to gracious living, but also in
itself four years of enjoyment.
Knowing this a student has to strike a happy balance be
jtween the scholastic considerations, and the activitis which aie
of subtler values. Both are necessary; both are time consuming,
j In attempting to build a personality many students see the
j grade vs. activity controversy in black or white. Certainly
(college offers the student more than a scholastic program. Ac
tivities make for an education in living and arc also an educa
tion in giving—-giving one's time and talents to the University
loom muni tv, and receiving in return a memory. It s a matter of
[getting as much from school and still not jeapordizing the
'.future.
It’s an unfortunate requirement that students have to have
grades to graduate, but the system being as it is, a student has
bis head under his arm if he doesn't watch his CPA first, and
[worry about his activities later. Many potential activity
[“wheels" have been knocked out because of a low CPA.
Activities are necessary, but a student might just as well
[forget about them if lie’s going to select his activities indiscrim
jinately.
An activity must fill a specific need and a student can do
ino better than to decide which facet of his personality demands
most developing. And there is no more painless way of filling
a deficiency than by finding the proper activity and working
at it.
So. a controversv over whether or not a student should be
jan aetivitv student, or a grind, becomes a laughable bit of table
talk. No student need be one or the other, but should do the
things he wants to do, he knows he must do, and those which
will be most valuable to him later.—D. D.
The Orfoon Dau.y Tmfrat.d, published daily during the college year except Sundays,
Mondays, holidays, and Itnal examination periods by the Associated Students, University of
Oregon. Subscription rates: $2.00 per term and $-4.00 per year. Entered as second-class matter
nt the nostoftioe. Eugene. Oregon.
im.L VATI'S. 1-Mjtor
Don Fair, Managing Kditor
VIRGIL TTCKKR, Business Manager
Tom McLaughlin, Adv. Manager
Associate Editors: June (doet/.e, ijobolee Iirophv. Diana Dye. Barbara ile>wood,
Dick Kevenaugh, Assistant to the Kditor
t
The Green File
By Brubeck
Freshman Weak!
-Lau of the Press
Columnist Goes Behind Scenes
Of a Fourth Estate Sanctuary
By LARKY LAU
I’ve decided it’s about time to
do a bit on the pressbox, one of
the most important cogs in any
athletic machine. A shed-like af
fair, it sits high atop one of the
grandstands at almost every sta
dium. In these super-reserved en
closures all over the nation are
written the stories that splash
across the sports pages of a thou
sand and one daily newspapers. It
is no secret that Bowl contenders
and All-Americans are made or
broken by decisions made in the
“box.”
In this sanctuary of the fourth
estate sit sportswriters, telegra
phers, publicity men, scouts, pho
tographers, a few selected stu
dents and an occasional visiting
fireman. Saturday both the san
Francisco Chronicle and Examin
er had men covering the Webfoot
Gaucho tilt. The affable Don Mc
Leod covered for the Oregonian,
pint-sized George Bertz for the
Journal, and the slow-smiling
Dick Strite for the Register
Guard.
At eitner ena oi tne dox are
the radio rooms where sit the
sportscasters and their assistants,
knee-deep in name boards and
other necessary informational
data needed to give the radio lis
tener a complete picture.
It’s a long-standing tradition
that no women are allowed in the
pressbox. Whether this is due to
the distractive power of the fe
male figure or because the
scribes enjoy cutting loose with
an occasional oath, I don’t know,
but the rule applies equally to
Mrs. Harry K. Newburn and or
dinary Molly Poots. Atop the
pressbox at Hayward field is an
open, railed-in section reserved for
the photographers. At rare inter
vals the wife of some biggie will
make the alpine climb, but never
to the pressbox itself. Of the PCC
schools, Stanford alone, whose
pressbox is a reserved section of
the stands, violates custom.
There is no such thing as heat
in a pressbox. To a sportswriter,
exile to Siberia is no worse fate
than having to cover a game at
WSC or Idaho where it really gets
cold. Multnomah stadium is no
better than any of the rest. For
the Oregon-UCLA squabble of
1946, half-frozen scribes had great
There is a nasty rumor that on
the cold days newsmen are prone
to take a wee nip of spirits to
maintain body temperature; I
wouldn’t know about that.
Boss of Oregon’s pressbox is
Art Litchman, a one man wave of
good public relations. His hard
working assistant, Bill Stratton,
aided by sports veteran Johnny
Kahannanui, keep detailed sta
tistics on every move made on the
field. Within 90 seconds after each
quarter, ..each ..sportswriter ..is
handed a mimeographed copy of
all that transpired. This means
“the boys” can do less note-tak
ing and more spectating. The
game becomes less of a chore,
difficulty in guiding stiff fingers
(Picas3 turn to page seven)
"In My
Opinion"
-From Our Readers
To the Editors,
It is with regret that I find the
Emerald following the lead of the
Oregon daily newspapers in fall
ing for the “Rose Bowl fever.”
Generated by smart sports writ
ers who know the surest way to
ruin a team’s championship
chances is to make them think
they are champions before they
have yet won a game.
Since this is my first year at
the University of Oregon, and my
first year in Oregon, I probably
have no right to express an opin
ion yet on your policy. But I like
the U. of O. very much, and I
hate to see our chances of going
to the Rose Bowl ruined by un
wise journalism.
Last year I was in Louisiana.
Louisiana State was picked by all
the experts to be tops in the
Southeastern conference; but
they got the old swell-head and
ended up pretty near the bottom.
Rice institute was selected to be
tops in Southwestern conference;
the same fate befell them. And so
it goes. So please be cautious in
what you say until our team has
proved itself. Thank you sincerely
Foster Provost, Jr.
Once Over
Lightly
JEANNINE MACAULAY
Rumor has it that some of you
kiddies might be interested in
hashing over campus gossip, so
here goes, once over lightly. It
is hoped that this will be your
column, with a fair and square
representation of all campus or
ganizations. Any tips on “luff and
stuff” are appreciated and the
phone number is 1.780. Let’s hear
from all the co-ops, dorms, hous
es, and off-campus students.
The deed is done,
The deed is did,
The news and views
Below are hid.
To add to the excitement of the
Saturday football encounter the
Kwamas discovered a small bon
fire in their rooting section dur
ing the second quarter. ADRIAN
NELSON, fireman first class,
equipped with a pitcher of ice wa
ter, put a damper on the situation,
CAMELIA POT, from the Floren
tine Gardens, Cal., was present
also.
Diamond rings blew into Eu
gene like the autumn leaves of
fall. The DG house reports PEG
GY DYE’S engagement to OSC
Fiji, JERRY HEWITT. Alpha
Gam CAROLYN WILLIAMS and
JIM CASTLE, Phi Kap Sig,
passed out announcements
through the mail in late August,
and GUSSIE JOHNSON, Alpha
Gam, started rush week off with
the flashing of her sparkler from
DAVE CASTLEBERRY, ADPi
MIDGE HARRISON and Sigma
Nu STAN WILLIAMSON fol- v
lowed suit.
Other engagements between
Oregon Ducks and Drakes in
clude: Sigma Kappa BERNIECE
JOHNSON to KIRK ROBERTS,
Kappa Sig from North Dakota;
DOROTHY CHAPMAN, AOPi to
TOM DRYDEN, Sigma Chi; DZ
BARBARA KIRSCH to BRUCE
HAMILTON from SOCE; GIN
NIE NIKAND, Tri Delt to DON
CASTLE, Phi Kap Sig; BAR
BARA SUNDETT, Pi Phi to BOB
BARRETT, ATO; BOBBIE FUL
MER, AOPI to Theta Chi TOM
COLLIE; DONNA MAE LYONS
to PAUL KUNKEL, Fiji; EL
DENE BALCOM from Suzie to
DICK, UCLA student; KAY
MARTIN, Suzie hall to PAUL
LANSDOWN; Alpha Chi PAT
WEBER to Kap Sig ED WAL
TERS; LIZ KELLY, Alpha Chi to
WARREN RICHIE, SAE; and
MARGE CHANDLER, Alpha Chi
to Phi Delt STU NORENE.
Summer pin plantings seem to
run close competition to the en
gagements, as fold and silver met
al flew in all directions. Plantings
that are still pinned include: ZTA
ADAH MAE TEEL to TKE BILL
NELSON; ELAINE SHER
WOOD, Gamma Phi, to PETE
HOAR, Phi Psi; Chi O MARGE
RAMBO to AL THOMAS, Phi
Sig; Kappa DI BAILEY to Sigma
Chi BOB DAGGETT; DG MARTY
PIPER to Fiji GORDON WIL
SON; SHIRLEY MASON, Sigma
Kappa to GEORGE BISCHEL;
Kappa GRACE HOFFMAN to
Kappa Sig PHIL PATTERSON;
Alpha Gam ANN JORDAN to
Lambda Chi BILL DAVIS; Pi Phi
JOAN MIMNAUGH to Phi Delt
WALT BANKS; Theta MARY
LOU CASEY to CHUCK MC
DONALD, Sigma Chi; Theta
DEBY COLTON to Fiji STAN
HARGRAVES; Alpha Chi BEV
GRACE to DICK CRAMER. The
ta Chi; Alpha Chi DOROTHY
CASEY to Fiji BOB MATHE
SON; and Alpha Chi NANCY
BEDINGFIELD to SAE GUY
MOUNT.