Wild Notes...
Philosophy
...by Fred Young
While still near the first of
the term, it would be an idea of
sorts to state our musical philo
sophy—the why and if of our
future content.
The musical audience com
prised of all of us who listen and
react has a very important
function in the music world. It
allows acceptance and deter
mines greatness. It cultures
crumbs and builds banks.
The audience will rarely seek
the music. Music must do its
own promoting by being easily
accessible, familiar, and com
prehensible. If it fails in any of
these three the audience will
doubt music.
What of it? Maybe our clay
should be conceded. But, this
will serve notice that we are
aware that music, and its pro
genitors, are still groveling for
the better thing. They may not
be sharping the country’s eco
nomic structure, yet they are
building to that which knows
no distinctions concerning its
parishoner’s wealth or creed.
Naturally, we’re all victims of
—easy. We like to hear those
hit tunes again. But, the audi
ence is vested with great re
sponsibility. It shouldn’t disre
gard more interesting sounds
and better musical thoughts be
cause they don’t conform to the
accustomed. Actually, its a
challenge to the audience to
keep pace with music — for in
the end no two forces could
realize as great a give and take
as these two.
Our endeavor in relating of
things musical will strive to
just that—things musical! Few
bit tunes will find it their good
fortune to stray within these
confines. More, we’ll attempt to
percept and discuss that new—
the masters who might other
w i s e pass by unobserved.
Dance, listening, exciting mu
sic. But, with the emphasis on
moving ahead and maybe even
pushing that audience just a lit
tle.
English jazz-pianist George
Shearing, who tipped top-rung
over there and then hit 52nd
Street anticipating new fields in
this country, seems to be rapid
ly climbing in our jazz stature.
A little less abstract than Len
nie Tristano, Shearing is con
sidered one of the oldest mem
bers of the modern jazz society,
and understandably so after
catching his current MGM re
cordings of "September in the
Rain,” “Good to the Last Bop,”
and others on the hard to get
Discovery label.
Much playing, as we Remem
ber of Art Tatum in his fabu
lous heyday, and block-chords
as we had only known thus far
by Tristano. Gillespie (Diz) re
cently stated that modern mu
sic’s greatest contributor this
year was George Shearing.
An Englishman to watch.
Low Cost Federal Housing for Eugene?
By Bill Stanfield
The question of low-cost Federal housing,
which could affect married veterans on the
campus, and whether Eugene and Lane county
could ask for a Federal housing survey has
again reared its head.
In a surprise action during the early summer
months, the Eugene city council took a brief
survey of Eugene and passed a resolution ask
ing Governor McKay to decontrol rents in Eu
gene. With hesitation, McKay signed the de
control request suggesting that Eugene, and
other Oregon cities, take advantage of the hous
ing survey apparatus that the federal govern
ment has set up.
At a meeting of the city council Monday
night, another housing resolution came before
the members regarding whether Eugene should
ask the government for Federal aid in housing.
The resolution, submitted by the Lane county
housing committee, stated that since several
private apartment houses and privately con
structed housing units were being planned in
Eugene, there was no present need for Federal
housing.
A Survey for Eugene
In an hour-long heated debate prior to a vote
on the resolution, pro and con representatives
argued not only on the proposed bill, request
for housing aid, but also on whether Eugene
should request that a Federal housing survey
be held in this area.
Frank Reid, chairman of the Lane county
housing committee, took the stand that since
the government had set up the machinery for a
survey and since the survey would not cost Eu
gene a cent, that the city should ask for the
survey just to see how housing is here.
He pointed out that merely asking for Fed
eral assistance in taking a survey does not obli
gate the city to enter into any housing project.
If the survey showed that Eugene had adequate
housing, the subject would be dead. If the sur
vey showed that Eugene was lacking in hous
ing, the city could either accept or refuse Fed
eral housing.
In any event, if the city eventually accepted
housing aid from the government, no Federal
project could be started without local approval
and any that was begun would have to meet
with local specifications.
Reid reported that citizens in many of the
larger cities and counties in Oregon were anx
ious that local governments take advantage of
the machinery and that housing authorities
were going ahead and asking for Federal sur
veys.
Public vs. Private Housing
When questioned as to whether Federal
housing would be in competition with private
enterprise, Reid pointed out that it was the con
sensus of the housing" contention that public
housing would in no way endanger private en
terprise.
By law, public housing would have to rent at
a 20 per cent cheaper rate than the average rent
for the city according to the survey. If the sur
vey showed that two bedroom houses were
renting for $50 a month, then too bedroom
houses that the government built would have to
rent for $40 or less.
Public housing would be limited to those per
sons who are unable to afford the market rental
price. Veterans attending school under the GI
bill of rights are among those who would be en
titled to live in a Federal housing unit. Excep
tions would be made in the case of veterans who
have a high income in addition to their govern
ment allowance.
In a heated rebuttal to Reids suggestions, a
local realtor accused the Federal housing pro
ject of being centralized government and im
plied that it was no more than communism. He
pointed to Federal housing projects in England
and Holland as typical examples of what hap
pens when the government steps into housing
and said that if American citizens allowed the
government to take one step in the area, then
soon all housing, both private and public, would
be completely controlled by the government
and a man's home would no longer be his own.
The city council finally voted against asking
the Federal government for housing aid, but
postponed until a later meeting any action on
whether a survey should be requested.
Individual members of the council indicated
that a survey request proposal might be accept
ed favorably.
Free Lancing...
A Ski Squad?
...by Bill Lance
Skiing as a school sport?
Rival colleges say it is because Oregon is
afraid to field a team that might not be a win
ning team. The University Ski Club says it’s
because skiing is not considered a spectator
sport and is therefore not a paying sport.
Leo Harris, director of athletics, says, “I per
sonally like skiing myself, but at present the
athletic department is unable to sponsor it with
out curtailing some of the other sports we are
sponsoring.”
Perhaps all of these persons are correct. It is
not for this column to dispute, however, a few
facts are definitely in order. There are some fine
skiers now attending the University. Among
these are Jack Sills, Matt Vranizan, Dick Port
wood, John Carson, Larry Black, Saul Zaik,
Kenney Van Dyke, Ted Callaghan, Jim and
Tom Donohue, Bill Vranizan, Allen Mann, and
Jack Muntzel.
Last year these boys beat Oregon State,
Williamette, and Pacific at a meet sponsored by
the U. O. Ski Club at the HooDoo Ski Bowl.
They also beat California, Stanword, San Jose
State and others in the Down Hill Slalom at
the Vanderbilt Memorial Intercollegiate Ski
Meet last winter.
Oregon appears to be the only Pacific Coast
Conference college that does not consider ski
ing a school sport. Skiing is a major sport at
the University of Washington^and at Washing
ton State. At Oregon State it is a minor sport
with participants receiving letter awards and
expenses. The Oregon Ski Club has always paid
its own way.
Ritin at Random...
Advisers
...by Jo Gilbert
The exec council has decided
to investigate the possibilities
of academic credit for extra
curricular activities, all of
which is peachy keen. But how
about investigating the aca
demic situation as it is before
adding to the confusion as it
stands? By that I am suggest
ing that somebody do some
thing about the advising system
here at the University. This, I
know, is a time honored subject
of many Emerald columnists
and editorial writers, but why
do so few of the professors pay
attention to the reams of paper
used on this subject? After all
this is an institution from which
the students are supposed to
profit, and how can they when
too few persons take the time
to help them?
The registrar’s office has add
ed new cards; everyone goes
through more red tape—but,
there is still something wrong
when the Oct. 5 Emerald an
nounces 880 students were be
low a 2. last year, and proudly
also remarks that this is much
less than previous years. Yet,
when the University has en
trance requirements where stu
dents have to make average or
above school grades it seems
strange that so many fall below
a “C” average. They can’t all be
just plain stupid.
Much attention is given the
student when he falls below the
2., but how much attention is
given him before then? If there
was more help extended to the
student before he failed to make
his grades, there might be few
er who would find themselves
with pegged grades.
All of which places more of
the burden on the profs. It is
their job to act as advisers to
(Please turn to page three)
Does the Shoe Fit at Oregon?
The Emerald will reprint editorials, articles and columns which have appeared in
other publications, it they are considered to be of interest to the students of this Univer
sity. The following item, from the University of Mississippi daily, is the first such article.
“The only thing I can see wrong with Ole Miss,” a comparatively new mem
ber of the faculty told us this week, “is the great gap between students and tea
chers.” We agreed with him, then heard him out on a couple of other observa
tions.
“The student body has started something that may bridge that gap,” he con
tinued, “and that’s the plan inaugurated last semester for student evaluation of
their instructors. That’s probably the most democratic thing that’s happened
here in years.”
Again we agreed, then he said something that startled us.
“But there are some of the oldtimers on the faculty who are laughing off
their students’ evaluation of them. I’ve actually heard some of them brag that
they haven’t even bothered to find out the results of their evaluations. They
seem to feel that the whole idea of teacher evaluation will blow over in a se
mester or two. I’m afraid some—and I do mean some—of the instructors don’t
take the evaluation too seriously.”
We knew that there were a couple of instances last year when teachers abso
lutely refused to pass out the evaluation forms. We knew that many of them
passed out the forms and made slurring remarks, self-righteous criticisms of
them. But we didn’t know that some faculty members were laughing the mat
ter off.
The instructor with whom we had the above conversation was right when
he said that there is a great gap between teachers and students here. If the
teachers are hardheaded enough to dismiss students’ efforts to bridge this gap
then we feel only pity for them. They are simply widening the gap.
We feel sure that the majority of our faculty members consider the teacher
evaluation plan a good idea, a worthwhile enterprise. This is not meant as a
criticism of the majority, but as a plea to the minority to accept the students as
the mature-thinking, mature-acting young men and women they can be if given
the opportunity.—Albin Krebs.