Fall Term Grades
The fall term grades issued yesterday weren’t qiute as bad
as they seemed at first glance. For a year now, we’ve been ac
customed to expecting the all-campus average to hover around
the 2.4 mark, but such has not always been the case.
Just one year ago the Emerald was revealing an all-cam
pus mark of 2.353, which is exactly 0.02 lower than last term’s
average.
Fall term seems to be a chronic sufferer of the lowest grades
of the year. Could it be that the first to find that they can’t
quite hack the college grind pack up and leave?
One thing appears certain now, however. The busy foot
ball schedule didn’t have quite the effect on studies that some
feared it might. Fall term was one long succession of—the
day of the game, the night to celebrate the game, the day to
hash over the game and the celebration, and five other days in
the week. Despite the best football average in the history of
the school, scholastics took no nosedive.
Maybe what proved to be the salvation for the students was
that the football schedule ran out before finals appeared on the
scene. Of course there was the ensuing discussion over wheth
er or not the football team would be going to a bowl—then to
•what bowl. But there was a long enough lull so that the books
could be hit hard enough to give the grades a final assist.
Certainly one would expect spring term at the “U" to result
in the lowest grades of the year, but the statistics don’t back
up this theory. Despite sunbathing and picnicking, the women
manage'd to walk off with a -2.520 average-last spring, and the
men eked out a 2.431. Maybe relaxation is the secret to success.
But before advocating such drastic measures, we’d like to dis
cover the reasons why some people didn't fare too well. It just
might have been an overdose of that type of medicine.
Activities apparently don't seriously hamper the student.
Mortar Boards averaged 3.41: the publications all reported
heavy shares of workers with three-points and better; the ex
ecutive council found its busy members did far better than av
erage.
Pending thorough investigation, however, we’ll come forth
•with no weighty theories on the subject. Instead, we’ll content
ourselves with this observation: Even if you busy yourself
with activities, you can’t go wrong if you make full use of your
time, have each day's lesson in hand before the prof starts to
lecture, and allow time for relaxation.
There’s your solution. Now just try to follow it. J. G.
Student Morals
Every so often the subject of college students’ moral stand
ards rears it gray-locked head.
Inquisitors usually conclude that the souls of the students
are black indeed, and drop the matter after a few diatribes.
It was refreshing, then, to read in yesterday's Emerald that
Chester C. Maxey of Whitman college and Dr. E. H. Moore
of the sociology department answered in the negative when
asked if student morals are degenerating.
Dr. Moore remarked that this charge has been leveled at
students many times in the past. So it has.
The exploits of students, grouped together as they are in
rather colorful surroundings, are apt to make news. Their rou
tine activities are never heard of. This is one factor that will
give an erroneous opinion of student life and morals.
And too, at college age, many men and women realize with
a big or little jolt that things may not be quite as they were
. written in the catechism or elementary history book. And they
become ’‘radical," leveling off later to opinions as conserva
tive or more conservative than those of their elders.
There are many incidents, from eating gold fish to preach
ing Marx from a soap box in the city park and experimenting
with free love that may indicate that students are “going to
the dogs."
But recently a pollster (and you can honor his findings or
not, said that more college students believe in God and go to
church regularly than do the old folks. Church-going is one fac
tor in morality. Investigation into other matters would prob
ably reveal that college students behave very much as their
■ elders do—but are more noisy about their sins. B. H.
Oregon If Emerald
The- Oregon Paii.y Emerald, published daily during the college year except Sundays,
*4or.davs, holidays, and final examination periods by tlie Associated Students, University ot
Oregon Subscription rates: $2.00 per term and $4.00 per year. Entered as second-class matter
»t the post office, Eugene, Oregon.
BII.T. VATES. Editor
Kob Reed, Managing Editor
VIRGIL TUCKER. Rusincs? Manager
Tom McLaughlin, Ass’t. Bus. Mgr.
Associate KJitors: June GocUe, Bablee Brjpiiy, Diana Dye, Barbara Heywaod
Advertising Manager: Juan Minnaugh
-- Footnotes
Why Not Draft and Dance
Pools, Too? Suggests Callahan
By Michael Callahan
Whoever first said that “in unity
there is strength,” didn’t know the
half of it. He should also have said
that “in unity we
all save money
hand over fist.”
A small item
buried in yes'ter-.
day’s news wire®
carried the idea
that started me
off on this track.
According to the^
story, a brave <
little band of Stanford students
tried to make a deal with certain
garages down near the Farm. If
the students all patronized that
one garage en masse, could the
owner offer wholesale price reduc
tions ?
The results have been little short
of fabulous. Price cuts, said the
story, have ranged from 2 cents
on a gallon of gas to 40 cents on
lube jobs.
That brings to mind all sorts of
interesting possibilities. Herewith
I offer a few modest proposals:
(1) The draft. According to the
latest word from the Washington
brass, the armed forces have filled
their quotas of men and are toying
with the idea of cancelling all draft
calls for the next 18 months. How
ever, there's one “if” in this pros
pect. Voluntary enlistments must
provide enough men to replace
those who leave the service, or they
start mailing “greetings” again.
Well, that's fair enough. It now
behooves us on this campus to band
together in a “keep the ranks
filled club.” We could offer this
plan to all colleges (and a few of
the high schools) and so form a na
tion-wide union. Under this plan,
we will agree to provide enough.
men (chosen by lottery) to replace
all those who leave the forces. In
return, the powerszatbe could per
manently suspend the draft. Fur
ther, since all their worries will be
over, they might reasonably be ex
pected to cut back the time of ser
vice quite a few months.
However, lest it be said that this
gives the purple shaft to those who
hold the winning (losing?) tick
ets in the draft, all members of
the union could kick in $1 or so
per month to help soothe their
feelings.
Which should create some of the
richest and happiest buck privates
the army ever saw. And, without
draft worries, those who stay home
with the books should be happy.
Even the armed'forces, with all the
healthy, intelligent men they want,
would be happy.
Logical, isn’t it?
(2) Campus dances. The big beef
on campus dances these days
seems to be the steady series of
five-piece combos that are signed
to provide the music. By uniting,
all this could be changed.
If a certain en masse attendance
at the dances could be guaran
teed, big-named bands might be
lured here more often. And, in ex
change for the publicity tied in
with playing on a Unified Campus,
the bands might be persuaded to
knock a little off their prices. The
time may come when we will pay
the same $2.40 to hear Tommy
Dorsey that a few of us will pay
to hear something called Wally
Heider.
And again, everybody will be
happy.
Footnote: Membership blanks in
the Unity Plan will be available
soon. Form a double line to the
right, please.
American
AIRLANES
By Tom Marquis
I agreed to go out to HASH for
an interview with Mimi and Boh
only on the condition that a rescue
party stand by in case I couldn't
negotiate the terrain. Usual par
for the course, which is loosely ti
tled a road, is two broken springs,
a flat tire, and a set of quivering
kidneys.
The HASH studios are set on
stilts, which serve a double pur
pose. First they keep the people
and equipment above the rampag
ing waters of the wandering Wil
lamette, and secondly they raise
the program level.
I stepped from the tranquility of
the still night into an aura of
confusion. It seemed impossible
that a mere two individuals could
be responsible for all the frantic
activity that was taking place.
The fact that Bob is tied to the
control board means hat one per
son is really responsible, at least
for the physical part. That person
is she of the smooooth voice—
Mimi. Bob specializes in confusion
of the mental type.
The surprising thing is that so
little of all this is apparent from
the easy-chair side of the mike, a
tribute to good timing, self-con
trol, and a tremendous amount of
coordination.
Mimi de Temple, 125 pounds of
blonde vitality, is the old timer of
the show now. She started in Sep
tember of 48 after one of those un
believable breaks reserved for the
chosen few. One day the phone
rang, not an isolated instance I'm
sure, and a voice inquired if she
would like to become a disk jockey.
Mimi, whose main interests lie
in the entertainment field, was
quick to accept. It was the first
step toward putting the old home
'towns of Portland and Oswego on
the map.
Other principal in “top of the
knob’’ doings is Bob Davy. New
to the show, Bob is definitely not
new to radio. A graduate of the
University of California, he did
graduate work in radio at Wiscon
sin, and worked at the state’s large
educational station WHA “oldest
station in the nation.’’ His main
activity at present is that of in
sructor in radio at the U. of O.
Like normal people disk jockeys
have their pet peeves. On a request
show it’s the people who ask for
requests dedicated to 100 or more
friends who come in for special
mention. It is really tough trying
to sustain interest with too many
long list of names to read.
I wouldn't be surprised but what
visitors who mess with the controls
come in for their share of unkind
thoughts. Being still under the in
fluence of my recent visit with
Hawthorne I thought it behooved
me to demonstrate some of the in
sidious techniques I had picked up
at the feet of the master.
Soooo—I proceeded to fade a
record a la Hawthorne style much
to the horror of Bob Davy. My ef
forts not being appreciated I re
tired in a huff to an adjoining room
to prepare my copy for the presses.
Isn’t that always the way. Try
With the
Legislators
Salem
The house killed, almost unani
mously, a bill yesterday which
■would have prohibited persons un
der 21 years of age from going
into any place where alcoholic bev
erages are sold.
In the voice vote, only one vote
for the bill could be detected.
The measure, by Rep. Joseph E.
Harvey, Portland, would have pro
vided a maximum penalty of $500
fine and six months in jail for any
person who knowingly lets a minor
enter a place where beer, wine or
other alcoholic beverages are
served.
The house action came on a rec
ommendation by the house alco
holic control committee that the
bill be defeated.
Rep. J. O. Johnson, Portland,
committee chairman, said the bill
is unnecessary because state liquor
commissions prohibit minors from
being in any place where alcoholic
beverages are served.
Rep. Raymond Coulter, Grants
Pass, said the bill would keep mi
nors from entering many restau
rants, hotels and depots, because
many of those establishments serve
beer and wine.
Harvey said he would make an
other attempt later in the session
to pass such a bill. He would pro
vide that all persons carry cards
with their pictures 'to prove they
are over 21.
But legislative rules forbid in
troduction of any bill which has
been defeated earlier by 'the same
legislature.
Washington
INAUGURATION SIDELIGHTS
A 53-year-old woman was the
first person to arrive at the capitol
stands to see the inauguration.
Capitol police said Miss Florence
Simenhoff, a naval gun factory
employe, arrived on the scene at
5:45 a.m. EST carrying an Ameri
can flag.
The nation’s only living ex-presi
dent, Herbert Hoover, did not see
the 32nd president take office. He
had been in the capitol but returned
to his home in New York last week.
President Truman’s reassurance
of the United State’s faith in the
United Nations went straight to
the U.N.’s topman. Trygve Lie, sec
retary general of the U. N., wit
nessed the inauguration as guest
of the Norwegian embassy.
The ceremonies at the capitol
were heard all along the parade
route over loudspeakers. When Phil
Regan sang the “Star Spangled
Banner,” the thousands of men
along the route removed their hats
and stood at attention.
As Mr. Truman talked, a small
boy stood at the base of the plat
form—stolidly stuffing a banana
into his mouth. It was cold enough
to see the president’s breath as he
addressed the crowd.
It too.k the president 21 minutes
to go through the speech. He fin
ished at 12:51 p.m. He was inter
rupted by applause 12 times.
The moon was white
The road was dark,
I gave a sigh,
I gave a moan,
I cursed my fate,
I was alone
to do something for people and all
you get is a frosty reception.
I'll probably get over it though
and when I do I’ll start tuning in
“the top of the knob for Mimi and
Bob.”