• • •
A Shorfr Short Editorial—
Ga>iicatu'iei
... were in extremely bad taste—and not very funny.
Better Advising Needed
Disclosure on this page yesterday of the case of a Univer
sity freshman forced to leave school this week because of im
proper advising points up a serious problem facing this school
which needs attention.
It’s true that the case cited was an extreme. Becoming en
rolled in “wrong" courses seldom leads to withdrawal.
However, we suspect that there are few students on this
campus who have not at one time or another fallen victim to
inept, or just plain sloppy, advising.
The consequences of not giving students proper guidance
in the selection of courses is obvious. With society increasing
its demands on education, a student simply hasn't time to
waste on improper studies. In the span of four short years he
must crowd into his schedule only those courses which will
benefit him, directly or indirectly, upon leaving school.
There is no time for “duds.”
The problem is not one which can be solved easily.. The
blame for the University’s inefficient advising system cannot
be laid to any single cause. Many advisors for instance, have
too many advisees. In some cases a conflict exists concerning
the “role” expected from an advisor, some placing more re
sponsibility on the student than others.
We suggest, also, that the influx of veterans following the
war upset a system which had, up until then, functioned toler
ably well. It seems quite possible that the present confusion
was inevitable. We suppose other schools are similarly plagu
ed.
The Emerald does not pretend to have the answers. Never
theless, we believe the problem is extremely serious and should
receive immediate and positive attention by the administration.
ARE Grades Indicative?
Donald M. DuShane, director of student affairs, made a
statement to the Emerald earlier this week which, if he had
thought it over, he probably would have revised. The state
ment*^-” Certainly nothing is more indicative of the Universi
ty’s educational success that a rising grade point average.”
A letter to the editor today takes issue with this statement
by pointing out that a GPA may be indicative of scholastic
success but not of educational success.
That a student is able to give back the professor’s lectures
or remember enough of a book to write something on it in an
exam does not mean that the student is getting an education.
He may have passed the requirements of the course with fly
ing colors, but how much of the subject matter will he retain
and has it become an integral part of his knowledge?
It’s unfortunate but true—education, the type that enriches
the personality and life of an individual, cannot be computed
on an IBM machine. B.B.
Oregon W Emerald
Thk Oregon Duty Emerat.o, published daily during the college year except Sundays,
Mondays, holidays, and final examination periods by the Associated Students, l diversity of
Oregon. Subscription rates: Sd.OO per term and $4.00 per year. Entered as second-class matter
at the post office, Eugene, Oregon. __
BILL YATES, Editor VIRGIL TUCKER, Business Manager
Associate Editors: June Goetze, Boblee Bropiiy, Diana Dye, Barbara Heywood
Advertising Manager: Cork Mobley _
BOB REED, Managing Editor
Assistant Managing Editors: Stan Turnbull, Don Smith
BOB TVVEEDELL, City Editor
Assistant City Editors: Ken Metzler, Ann Goodman
NEWS EDITORS
Chuck Gretl, Hal Coleman, Steve Loy, Vic Fryer, Diane Mechain
Why No Big-Name Bands?
Williams Explains Situation
Editor’s Note: There’s been a
lot of -discussion this year regard
ing- dance bands. Students have
questioned whether the best
bands available have been ob
tained. So, we sent one of our aee
reporters to the man who should
know—Dlclc Williams, education
al activities manager. Here’s a
report of the interview:
By Larry Meiser
AFTER ALL THIS DICKERING
SORRY TO ADVISE VENTURA
MANAGER REFUSES DATE
BECAUSE OF RISK IN FLY
ING AND MISSING OTHER EN
GAGEMENT. HAVE CHECKED
ALL OFFICES, CANNOT FIND
OTHER ATTRACTIONS. CAN
ONLY OFFER MILLION APOL
OGIES. SORRY AGAIN, RE
GARDS.
MILTON DEUTSCH
ASSOCIATED BOOKING CORP.
* * *
That telegram gives the rea
son why Charlie Ventura was
not engaged for the junior prom
even though the dance commit
tee agreed to meet his demands
for flying expenses from Vallejo
to Eugene to Oakland plus $770.
The juniors, in an effort to ob
tain a good band for the prom,
were willing to pay the $1400 to
tal and take a chance on losing
money. No cooperation!
And Ventura’s band was the
only band of any caliber available
in the Northwest for the date be
side Jimmy Zito's.
A lot of questions fly across the
campus concerning the booking
of band. Everyone seems per
turbed. All kinds of charges have
been made. Here are the ques
tions I asked Dick, and his an
swers :
Could Count Basie have been
signed for Junior Weekend?
The junior prom date was not
changed to coincide with his ar
rival in Eugene because it is tra
ditionally around Mothers’ day.
Also the earlier date would not
allo\^ sufficient time for prepara
ration. Basie is on his way back
East and would not return for
the* University engagement at a
later date even if it were possi
ble.
A charge has been made that
the University places a time lim
it on contracting bands. Is this
true ?
No such ruling exists on this
campus.
Why then doesn’t the Univer
sity go after bands earlier?
No band tour for the North
west jells much before 10 weeks
of its fulfillment. College dates
are incidental to the long en
gagements and are usually avail
able only after places like Jant
zen Beach take their choice. In
cidentally, we have kept the
prom date in mind all year when
contacting booking agents.
Why has Oregon State been
able to obtain big name bands?
I would assume that their
scheduled dance date coincided
with an available band.
Wouldn’t big name bands at
tract large enough crowds to
make a dance pay?
Dick Jurgens was the last big
name band on the campus. He
was here for last year’s senior
ball .The main reason we en
gaged him at $2000 was that the
senior class was “well heeled”
and could afford a certain loss if
things didn’t pan out. Tickets
were $3 a couple, the highest
price ever charged for any Uni
versity dance. The big name band
was there but still the dance lost
$300. Few campus organizations
can afford to lose that much
money.
What are the chances of a
Northwest college circuit for
bands ?
I can’t begin to describe the
impossibility of such an arrange
ment. First the colleges would
all have to arrange their sched
ules together. Saturday night
dates would be the most desir
able but some of the colleges
would have to take Friday night
dates. And mid-week bread and
butter dat^s would have to be
arranged to make the tour pay.
What booking agencies are
contacted for bands?
Throughout the year Oregon
has worked with the seven agen
cies on the west coast trying to
obtain big name bands. Included
are the Federal Artists corpora
tion, Associated Booking corpor
ation, General Artists corpora
tion, Reg De Marshall, William
Norris Agency, Frank Foster,
and the biggest national agent,
the Music Corporation of Amer
ica. We even ran down several
bands directly when we didn’t
know their agents. Freddie Mar
tin was one of these but he had
a tour scheduled in the East. We
completely exhausted the agen
cies.
Williams elaborated further-:
“A few other points should be
brought out about this band sit
uation.
“Ted Weems was the only band
offered for the senior ball and He
wanted SI500. No one seemed to
think that the contract would
pay. We got Wally Heider for
$875 and still lost money.
“On February 14 we received
word that Tommy Dorsey might
be in the Northwest. I contacted
him but the tour has not, as yet,
jelled. Benny Goodman was to
be in the NW and Oregon State
indicated a desire to have him but
the Goodman tour didn’t mate
rialize.
“Band’s.this year have not been
available for the University.”
From Our Mailbag
Letters to the Editor
OH, COME NOW!
To the Editor:
I have a comment on a com
ment; but first, repeating the
Emerald's quote from Donald M.
DuShane: “Isn't it wonderful.
Certainly nothing is more indica
tive of the University’s educa
tional success than a rising point
average.” Come now, Mr. Du
Shane!
As long as students are being
graded mostly on a cure basis, a
rising grade point average does
n’t necessarily mean anything
other than that some of the de
partments have skewed their
curves up to the right. Although
I do believe that our professors
have finally realized that stu
dents are working harder and
getting more from their courses
than ever before, and have there
fore shifted the entire curve up
ward where it belongs, yet I
would take exception to the no
tion that grades are a measure of
educational success.
Perhaps they are a measure of
scholastic achievement, but cer
tainly not of educational success.
Sincerely,
(Name withheld)
Something Very Fine Happened Monday Night
By Bud Hurst
Once upon a time, in a land we
all know very well, there were
two professors. They were hon
est men and studious men;
thought fid and earnest in their
thought. They were also very
wise.
One day. while walking from
ciass to the faculty club, they
started talking of what the goals
of education should be. They each
Bad their own opinions on the
subject but were eager to hear
the other's argument. They had
not talked long when they rea
lized what they had stumbled
onto.
“Why not.” said one of them,
•'get together some night with
some other folks anil talk about
the goals and purposes of educa
tion?”
“That’s a good idea," echoed
the other, “and it might he a
good idea to include some stu
dents. In fact, it is essential that
we do so.”
They were very wise men.
Last Monday night six mem
bers of the faculty and ten stu
dents sat down in the Faculty
club on the I'niverslty of Oregon
campus and started to talk.
Their conversation was most en
lightening. This is what they
said:
It is agreed that the success of
any progressive system of educa
tion is dependent upon a mutual
understanding', in even' respect,
among all the parties concerned.
It is agreed, in the strictest
sense and from a practical stand
point, that this same mutual un
derstanding' will be hard to
achieve. The nature of man will
make it so—but it can be done,
by an honest effort on the part
of all concerned to put forth ev
ery effort to that end.
It is agreed that the personal
element in student-faculty rela
tions is a very real thing and will
have to be recognized.
It is agreed that the world of
today and the way of life under
which we live and to which we
must adhere to a certain extent
in order to sustain ourselves, de
mam) certain concessions. Educa
tion cannot be completely ether
eal or conducted solely on an in
tellectual plane.
It is agreed that these discus
sions shall be continued and
broadened to include more peo
ple and more diverse viewpoints.
This then is what happened last
Monday night. Nothing which the
stark realist would call “con
crete” was accomplished. No
earth-shaking conclusions were
drawn. Sixteen people, young and
old, simply sat down and talked
about something that is very
close to us all. They think it was
worthwhile.
Is it agreed ?
To Michael Callahan,
Considering your obvious an
cestry, Michael, I’m surprised
at the stand you take concerning
the recent alleged attack upon
the British navy by Chinese Com
munists. Be that as it may, how
ever, Michael ( leave us be not so
belligerent. On second thought,
Michael, leave us be!
Ten years in the Philippines,
Michael, has taught you that the
White man is entitled to Pres
tige and Respect. Having just
finished four years of the type of
thing you advocate for gaining
these much abused words, I’m in
clined to disagree with you. I'll
grant you that the White man
feels the need for Prestige and
Respect, but so do the Yellow
men, and the Black men.
Your footnote, Michael, pointed
out that history repeats itself
and quoted the source as a “wisa
man.” Whoever that man was,
I’m sure he would not acknowl
edge your misuse of his words.
Many wise men have been nur
turing faith that this world of
colored men and Purple cows
could eventually know peace. You
say that this hope is in vain since
history keeps on regenerating
itself. So I would assume, any
way, from your solution to the
problem.
Don’t mix the conflict betweei*
Democracy and Communism wit it
a dose of color, Michael.
Robert C. Green