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On the Air...
Appeal to the Masses
...by Marty Weitzner
Several recent items coming' out of the radio studios this
week are leading us to believe that for the first time in a long
while, the radio medium may become of general interest to the
student body.
As long as we have been observing the scene, it seems that
student radio at the University has been the property of those
intending to make a career of such work. The rest of the school
didn’t seem to give a darn. There were programs from the
School of Music, and several members of the faculty did some
speaking on their favorite topics, but other than that, interest
in University radio activities was pretty well centered around
the speech department.
Of late however, we have seen several other departments
come peeking around to the studios; some of the visitors came
away pleased with what they saw. The athletic department
has been given a great way to spread its publicity through the
state. We may one day land a couple of good athletes who will
come here after being influenced in part bv listening to "Web
foot Muddle’’ shows which now are carried over nine stations.
. IS<
1 his week a publicity group boosting Homecoming has
come upon the idea of using radio. Under the direction of Bob
Hinz, newly appointed student program director, a variety
show concerning Homecoming will be recorded and sent to
stations requesting the program. Perhaps a number of alumni
or other interested people will be influenced in part to come
down for the festivities after hearing the show. An awful lot
can be sold through radio, as we have been taught by the sing
ing commercial. If it works for dish soap, it can work for the
University of Oregon.
Little by little, we begin to get information concerning
KDUK. Only the fear that a last minute bug will squash the
whole works, keeps those in charge from coming out and nam
ing an approximate starting date. We can say however, that
barring developments that may crop up after this article sees
light, KDUK will come out before beer party and picnic time.
When it comes, it is expected to be a cross between what
we got last year, and what one would expect of a perfect camp
us station. The staff will be experienced, variety of programs
will be greater than we heard last spring, and broadcasts of
Mac Court and intra-mural events is a near-future possibility.
The only catch is,#that not everybody on the campus will be
able to snap on the radio and hear his fellows speak. What
with federal rulings, limited budget, and lack of intra-campus
publicity for the whole thing, you may have to run over to your
pals front-room to get a play by play of the intra-mural soft
ball finals. It’s too early to start giving details on the situation,
but if the finished product isn't liked no one can say he wasn’t
warned.
Oregon W Emerald
The Oregon Daily Emerald published daily during the college year except Sundays,
Mondays, holidays and final examination periods by the Associated Students, University of
Oregon. Subscription rates: $3.00 a term, $4.00 for two terms and $5.00 a year. Entered as
second class matter at the postoffice Eugene, Oregon.
Don A. Smith, Editor
Joan Mimnaugh, Business Manager
Why Study—Foreign Languages?
By David M. Dougherty
Head of the Department of Foreign Languages
Foreign language study should be consid
ered an indispensable part of any program
leading to the bachelor’s degree. Learning
even one foreign tongue brings us into direct
communication with the way of life of a great
people—more than 100 million for Spanish,
more than 75 million for German, 65 million
for French, 200 million for Russian, 50 mil
lion for Italian, and so on.
Obviously no one can learn all these lan
guages in college, but that is no reason for
not getting started in one or two of them.
Only in the original language is really direct
contact possible with other peoples of the
globe, particularly those of Europe and Lat
in-America. Our civilization came largely
from the nations of Europe—from France,
Germany, Greece, Italy, and Spain, as well as
from England- Why not get started on the
way to understanding at least one of these
great peoples at first hand ?
In this connection the stress on the living
language now given by members of the for
eign language staff must be mentioned. Of
the 21 full-time members of the Department,
nine learned the language they teach as their
native tongue. This means that students have
the opportunity of learning modern lan
guages with authentically correct accent.
Emphasis is given to the spoken language
in first and second year courses as well as in
those in composition and conversation. And
in all classes where the language is stressed
considerable use is being made of such mod
ern teaching aids as wire and tape recorders.
In the courses which deal with civilization
and literature, frequent use is made of our
growing collection of film strips, slides, col
ored photographs, and recordings of great
works of music and literature.
The objection that many introductory lan
guage courses are lacking in “content" must
not outweigh the advantages of getting a
good foundation as freshmen. Lack of “con
tent.’' real or imagined, can be made up rapid
ly if the student is well grounded in a lan
guage from the start. This is one reason why
freshmen have everything to gain by contin
uing language work done in high school or by
starting a new language in college.
Entering Freshmen are cleared for further
language study by means of a placement test
in the language which they intend to con
tinue in college. In the fall of 1949, 80 per cent
of the freshmen at the University of Oregon
thus tested qualified for the next course in or
der, 12 per cent were put back one year, and 8
per cent were advanced one year. This means
that 80 per cent of the freshmen who contin
ued in language this year received adequate
preparation in high school.
The most exaggerated claims have been
made for translations. Anyone who has look
ed into this matter knows how inadequate
most translations are and how rarely they are
available. For example, Andre Gide’s great
work, Les Nourritures terrestres, first pub
lished in 1897, was not translated into Eng
lish until 1949. And Gide has been one of the
towering figures of continental letters for
nearly half a century.
Even when translations are available they
give us all too little insight into how foreign
peoples think. Between the text and the read
er there is always the translator, who does
his best to make the text at hand conform to
a thought pattern already familiar to the
reader.
Demands for a reading knowledge of one or
two foreign languages are increasing with
the present expansion of graduate study.
This is another need that can never be met by
translations. Articles in scientific and learned
journals are almost never translated and only
the outstanding foreign books in any special
field are likely to be made available in Eng
lish. Properly directed study of foreign
tongues gives the student something even
more valuable than a reading or speaking
knowledge of a language or the understand
ing of a foreign people. I refer to his own in
tellectual growth and development. Probably
no study leads more directly along the path of
intellectual maturity than learning the
thought-pattern of another people. Know
ledge of a foreign language gives a new per
spective, a different dimension, another basis
of evaluation against which to measure one’s
own society, literature, and culture. Foreign
languages, ancient and modern, are supreme
among subjects which foster intellectual
growth, and lead to spiritual enrichment, re
gardless of the student’s eventual field of
specialization.
rree Lancin...
Green Duck Tracks and Hallowe'en
...by Bill Lance
Hallowe’en spirits certainly prevailed
Monday nights as evidenced by the usual
strewn garbage, waxed windows and messed
up clothes lines.
Aside from usual things like bonfires on the
Alpha Phi’s sidewalk, Sue Hefrin’s Crosley
on the Gamma Phi front porch, and Helen
Shreman's sprained ankle, a few rather in
genious bits of treachery were evidenced.
Perhaps the best of these yarns is the one
of Janice Hughes and Carol Cram, Claypool
drugstore employees, who hid and set all the
alarm clocks to go off at intervals during the
5 to 6 p.m. rush hour.
Puddles must have visited Aggieville Hal
lowe’en night as green duck tracks are ob
servable all over the OSC campus.
Speaking of our northern neighbors we
have the tale of Dick Lamb, another intelli
gent and ambitious lad who “wised up” and
transferred to Oregon. Besides his school
work. Lamb had a saw mill job that occupies
his 2 to 7 a.m. hours. His main pain was the
fact that he kept falling alseep in the bathtub,
thus missing morning classes. Usually he
awoke with the rather weird sensation of
blowing bubbles in cold water. Yesterday he
decided to remedy the situation by taking a
text book to the bath with him. About noon
he awoke blowing bubbles between pages of
a well-soaked text book.
Turning to the serious side for a moment
I should like to make a few brief statements
which, perhaps, could summarize a situation
on our campus.
Our football team has been plagued with a
series of tough breaks that would destroy the
morale of any champions. Troubles seem to
come in numbers and they have a way of de
pressing the spirits of their victims. The guys
on our team are only human.
On the other side of the fence we find a
Washington team that is definitely “up” for
this game. They aren’t about to muff a pos
sible chance to elevate their name by lower
ing that of a rival, as evidenced by their asr
sumed attitude on the Rose Bowl vote last
year.
Looking back at our team we note that
they are one of the top teams on the coast in
yards-gained statistics. We know our team is |
great! Lets everybody get out for the demon
stration rally Thursday night at John Straub
Hall, this will be the only rally this year at j
which we will get to hear from Jim and the
boys. Lets help renew that fighting spirit, as j
only a faithful rooting section can, so that
when they go to Portland we can watch them
“BEAT WASHINGTON.”