Oregon daily emerald., January 17, 1950, Page 2, Image 2

From the ASUO Office
Last week an Emerald columnist (Jo Gilbert) wrote an ar
ticle of despair concerning student government, which we feel
overlooks a great deal, in addition to displaying an unusua
attitude for one who has been so interested in student govern
ment in the past. Government on any level is limited in quan
tity and quality only by the interest which the governed take
in their government. If we are in the predicament which she
claims, we are there because of the attitude which she dis
plays.
Fortunately, however, we are much better off, as a person
who reads the front page of the Emerald or attends the ASUO
council meetings will know.
Among the projects which Mrs. Gilbert either overlooks or
considers too insignificant to mention is the Student Union
a symbol of many years of work and perseverance of student
officers and their appointed representatives. The Mill Race
restoration which she discounts with “all parties are for the
Mill Race” is considered as a larger problem by the Execu
tive Council which is trying to create a permanent park for
the beautification of University property—not just a canoe
stream. . _ .. . ,
In addition to these well-worn problems the Council is also
struggling with the following:
1. The rewriting of the Constitution.
2. Investigation of high cost of living in University dorms.
3. Student Traffic Court and possible further disciplinary
action in the hands of students.
4. Campus Talent committee.
5. Faculty Follies.
6. Assemblies.
7. Traditions.
8. Ore-nter. •
9. Campus Drives.
10. ^Student Forum.
11. Faculty Rating.
12. Rally Board.
13. Registration Problems.
14. Activity Scholastic Credit.
This is only a partial list of the projects the Council has, or
hopes to attack this year. In addition, members of the Coun
cil are represented on the many Student-Faculty Committees
and Boards which are coordinating the affairs of students in
activities, scholarship, and social aspects.
Executive Council members also feel that the scope of their
undertakings would be greatly widened if those who cry for
“more student government” would work with us instead of
ridiculing our efforts. .
We feel that the record and prestige of the ASUO Execu
tive Council is constantly improving, and we appeal to Emer
ald columnists, and the Student Body in general, to examine
that growing record, to give us your constructive criticisms,
and to bring to us your problems and suggestions so that we
may better represent and serve you. . CTTr.
Lou Weston, 2nd V-P, ASUO,
Art Johnson, ASUO Pres.
Motivated? Or Just Clever?
Any AGS party member could apply for an Executive Coun
cil position last night without fear of punishment by the party
against his house. .
This was decided yesterday afternoon at a special AGS met
ing.
This, we feel, is as it should be. .....
No political party should attempt to prohibit, either by act
or in spirit, the ASUO Executive Council’s right to select indi
viduals it feels are qualified to hold ASUO positions.
This reversal on the part of the AGS. we must unfortunately
say. was not so much an indication of the group’s higher mo
tives, but rather a smart political move.
Just how smart, we cannot tell.
n Daih/ _
^EMERALD
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column are those of the columnist, and
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Joan Mvmnaugh, Business Manager
Don A. Smith, Editor
11 arbara Hsywood’ Hklkn Sherman. Associate Editors.
Gi.knn Gillespie. Managing Editor
Don Thompson, Advertising Manager
--_ T” riuwinv„” vTlu Mctzlcr. Snorts Editors: John Barton, Sam Fidman.
News Editors: Anne ». Delsman. thief Ni*ht Editor thorns l^rson
A1p’k£r\m StUrid. .St- Tun.huU Cog Bob Funk.
»Vhfc?ZT^l„TRo^ OroudJ. Lena Larson. U,
Women’s Editor: June FiUgibbon*. Mtiser.
A Little Bit More About Cheating
by Hill (loyesiA.
A week ago Steve Lov made a beautiful
case against cheating in his column, but, like
death and taxes, it is inevitable. It was heart
warming to see the Crochety Old Vet wax so
idealistic, and probably embarassing to some
of the second story boys to have their meth
ods exposed. However, Steve knows as well
as the next guy his plea was in vain. As long
as the opportunities for cheating are present
they will be turned-to the'advantage of those
bold enough to use them.
It may be wonderful if the blame should be
laid entirely upon the students. Outside of
school, the individual is encouraged to cheat
by an urge to get ahead. Here there is another
drive. It is the emphasis placed by the admin
istration upon the almighty grade point,which
regulates all student activity outside the
classroom. The bright student rarely cheats
because he has no need to. It is the student
who must struggle to learn,- or the lazy one.
who does the cheating. The reason is patent;
it is considered a lesser evil than flunking out
of school or going on social probation.
Naturally, no excuse can be offered for
someone unwilling to do a fair amount of
work, But there is a case for the worker who
is perched on the borderline or anyone else
who got a grade lower than the one he
thought he had earned.
There is for example the reprehensible es
say examination. Why it is used is a mystery
to most students, for it is contrary to one
principle of learning. When a student leaves
college he is presumed to have learned a few
things that will help him in whatever line of
work he has chosen. He might not use some
of this knowledge for years, but sooner or
later a situation may come up where it will be
applicable. This situation will provide the key
to make him use that knowledge, for it will be
somewhere in the back of his mind, if not
used constantly.
Essay exams do not operate on this prin
ciple. Instead, from a cold start the student is
called upon to write a great mass of facts. He
has no sure way to knowing exactly what the
professor wants. He may know more than he
puts down, but because he has nothing to re
mind him of that added information he might
not recall it at the time. Another great fac
tor to be considered in essay tests is the total
impossibility of grading them objectively.
This columnist once had a couple of po
litical science courses from a professor who
earned his doctor’s degree in examinations.
Significantly enough, he gave only multiple
choice and inverse multiple choice examina
tions.
There is something else—what about the
really fine plan a student suggested last year
for getting closer approximations of grade
point averages? Did it go in one ear and out
the other without significant thoug&i'on the
part of the administration? After all, it does
seem a little goofy to take the rough letter
grades (with a ten to twenty percent span be
tween each grade) and average them out of
two decimal places.
Gnatclteiif Old Vet
A Wish for Good English
by Steae Jlay
Am in receipt of a letter addressed to “Lay
Journalists.” It is an appeal to the editor not
to permit his columnists, namely myself, to
write such “illiterate gibberish.” The writer
of the letter also is of the opinion that such
problems as cheating should not be discussed
in such a widely disseminated organ as the
Emerald.
Nobody has asked me to write for the fac
ulty bulletin yet, so I guess the high-school
students of the state will have to be informed
of our campus difficulties. Maybe it s a good
thing; perhaps they should be prepared to
deal with organized dishonesty when they ar
rive on the campus. I have come to the con
clusion that the faculty is necessarily going
to have to take initial action on the cheating
problem and the Emerald is so far the strong
est pressure group operating on a mass scale
on the campus.
Paul Jaeger (crochety and independent)
complains that the trouble with many women
on this campus is that they have “in-sorority”
complexes.
Art Johnson, Lou Weston, and Dorothy
Orr, are to be commended for sticking their
necks out with this letter yesterday. Not a rab
id independent by any means, Art is a good
friend of Will Urban, and to feel forced to
put a principle before personal friedship is a
good indication of the type of student body
president we have. I feel, as I hope most of
you do, that Art signed the letter not as a
member of the USA party but as the head of
the ASUO.
Wht 1950 llnta llmr
By Sister Mary Gilbert
Press and radio have publicized the 1950
Holy Year; yet relatively few persons know
what it’s all about.
The reason is that primary emphasis has
been placed on history and symbolism, with
little clarification of certain key concepts.
“Indulgence,” for example, is a term which
recurs often in accounts of the Holy Year. It
may be defined as “the remission in whole or
in part of the temporal punishment due to
sin.” But just what does it mean?
A comparison may help. Suppose that a
boy disobeys his father’s command, and in so
doing, breaks a window. He admits his fault.
He asks pardon. He is forgiven.
But the window still has to be paid for.
That need for payment, even after forgive
ness, corresponds to the idea of temporal
punishment dye to sin.
Catholics believe that the merits of Christ’s
sufferings and death were of infinite value.
Saints, too, have amassed merits which far
outweigh their sins.
These “surplus” merits form a kind of
spiritual treasury. As custodian of that treas
ury, the church may apply the fruits of
Christ’s suffering to individual souls.
The Holy Father reserves the right to at
tach to certain works (prayer, fasting, alms
giving, etc.) a value they would not have in
themselves.
The Holy Year, then presents an extraordi
nary opportunity for gaining spiritual favors.
To encourage all in making the pilgrimage
to Rome, a special indulgence is attached to
this practice. At the same time, other indul
gences, normally available to Catholics, are
rescinded during the year of jubilee.
(Another article on the Holy Year will be
printed in Tomorrow’s Emerald.—Editor). 1