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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 23, 1950)
Just a Slap on the Wrist? The 25 members of TNE have received slaps on on the wrist. “Constructive” slaps on the wrist. They have all been put on probation—meaning they will not be allowed to hold any student elective or appointive offices. But these student^ may retain or accept offices in their fra ternities. This does not seem consistent. These past members of TNE have shown that they are not deserving of the respon sibility or the trust given them by members of their houses. It is a black eye for any fraternity to have a past TNE member as an officer. True, these TNE members have shown a cooperative atti tude by working with the administration (since Saturday) in exposing and breaking TNE. But wasn t it a case of cooper ating in the hopes (though no deals were made) of getting off easier?; for without cooperation expulsion would have been the order of the day. Yes, it is hard on these TNE members not to participate in campus activities, particularly for those members who are sophomores or juniors. But it would have been hard on the stu dents had these TNE members succeeded in gaining power. These 25 students went into TNE with their eyes open. The University policy, and the policy of many fraternities towards TNE and any such secret organization, must have been known to them. Now TNE has been exposed. The 25 students have not met the full brunt of the penalty that might have been imposed against them. They have met up with an administration that has taken what it considers a constructive method of prevent ing and destroying TNE. The 25 should consider themselves lucky. But can TNE be completely destroyed without complete ex posure? Now TNE and its membership has been “exposed” to a select group of the administration. Most students have no idea who is in TNE; a few students have correct ideas as to who the 25 men are; and many students speculate who is and who isn’t. Undoubtedly many innocent persons are being ac cused of TNE membership. The 25 men are being treated as gently as if they had failed to get a 2. last term—no campus offices^ Belonging to an illegal, secret fraternity is certainly no lighter than cheating in an ex amination—an offense for which students have been expelled. If the administration wishes to keep these TNE students in school under the present “cooperative” circumstances we may go along with it. But to allow these students to accept respon sible positions in their houses; to allow these students to play around as if they had committed no grave error; to allow these students to accept a slap on the wrist only; to allow students to think, by virtue of the soft action against the 25 TNE mem bers, that “nothing much happens, why not try it? The admin istration before said expulsion, and didn’t do itto allow these 25 members to go unexposed is to allow TNE to reorganize on this campus. j The 25 members should be named. It is unfair to the students to withhold this list. It is unfair to those students whose names are linked with TNE by virtue of their withdrawal from the election. It will be tough on the 25. But action against TNE must be tough if it is to be effective. TNE is a tough organization, it uses rough tactics. It will take rough action to exterminate it. The Privilege to Work Turning briefly away from our nationally known political scene (even the Washington, D. C., Post ran a small paragraph on University politics), we’d like to look at a more pleasant as pect of campus life. By the end of the dinner hour tonight 20 sophomore women will have received the privilege to sell football programs, usher at concerts, handle polling booths during elections, and per form innumerable other duties next year. They will be members of Phi Theta Upsilon, junior women’s service honorary. But as such, they will earn scholarship money to help needy students through college, they will generate University good will, and they will be considered the cream of junior women, to be looked at with respect. Phi Theta (or the ptooies, as they call themselves—after the initials PTU) have selected successors who have shown much quality and leadership abilities in a good amount of campus activity. No limit was set to the number of girls one house could have. Each individual petitioning was considered as just that—an in dividual. We congratulate both old and new members. (Now, back to the political scene.)—A.G. No Political Riots There (The following editorial appeared in the Oregon State College Barometer, under the headline “No Political Riots Here!” Since it is priceless, we decided to reprint it.) There are noisy student elections and then there are ones at Oregon State college. After reading about the “riot” at the University of Oregon in yesterday's newspapers, we must admit that we like the more quiet and more effective student elections at OSC. Let’s compare student politics at the state’s two major colleges. At OSC this year, the student elections were CLEAN. We use the term “clean” on a comparative basis, realizing there were such petty irregularities as “electioneering at the polls,” and a very few stuffed ballots here and there which more-or-less balanced them selves. But Oregon’s elections smell of such foul factors as Theta Nu Epsilon (TNE) influence, Greek blocs, the aforementioned rioting in the street, and con*' oiled student government. There are two major parties at Oregon. The United Students Association (USA) is composed of both Greek and Independent students and is based on a coalition. The other party, Associated Greek Students (AGS), is composed of a tight bloc of fraternities. There have been days in the past when this sort of thing prevailed at Oregon State. We believe that those days are gone forever. We feel that at Oregon State we have the finest Greek-Independent feeling among the schools on the coast. This reputation has seeped out. During the recent Blue Key conference at OSC, a Nevada delegate stated in a speech that OSC has the “ideal” fraternity system in the nation. We feel that this reputation has been gained because our fraternities and so rorities have been able to cooperate and live compatibly with their Independent counter parts. A coalition party is tne answer to ciean politics. This year, we have three coalition parties and no Greek blocs at Oregon State. We hope that next year they are all composed of part Greeks-part Independents. The Greeks alone cannot stand! The Independents alone cannot stand! A house divided against itself cannot stand! Yes, the University of Oregon had a politi cal riot on its campus Thursday. Students were said to have tossed beer bottles and used mobbing tactics on police who tried to stop the riot.. The school as a whole is being di vided and is losing prestige throughout the nation because of this riot. We are a little sickened at the entire politi cal set-up among our brothers at the Univer sity. We hereby invite them to observe stu dent politics at Oregon State, where the set up is not perfect but is healthy and is stead ily showing improvement. We're not making headlines with our student elections and we’re darned proud of it! (As long as OSC is patting itself on the back, might we add something? There is a distinction between apathy and cleanliness that the Baromenter apparently wished to overlook. Last year at OSC the stu dent body president was elected from the Peasant party, with a “do-nothing” platform. At Oregon elections are not termed clean if there have been stuffed ballots and election eering at the polls: no indeed, at Oregon we have Law students who would contest such a thing. OSC may be “lily-white” in politics by its standards; but the University at least takes its elections seriously enough to have candi dates running who will do something in of fice; and students are interested enough to defeat candidates whose ethics are question able; and the University doesn’t tolerate “stuffed ballots here and there which more or-less” balance themselves.—Editor.) That's Where the Money Goes (The first Of a series of articles concerning the physical organi zation of the University is pub lished today. It concerns the gen eral, overall setup. Subsequent ar ticles will concern the breakdown of expenditures, and the frame work of the business office, the office of information, the office Of student affairs, and Student Union-Educational Activities.) By TOM KING The distribution of funds through the state’s vast educa tional system is implemented by the administrative structure. Thus, to grasp the physical frame work of the educational system it is necessary to become familiar with the basic administrative hierarchy. Ultimately, at the highest level, are the people of the state, whose payment of funds to the state government makes possible its function from the government the line extends to the State Board of Higher Education. The state system is composed of five institutions: the Univer sity of Oregon (including the Medical School and Dental School in Portland), Oregon State Col lege at Corvallis, Oregon College of Education at Monmonth, Southern Oregon College of Edu cation at Ashland, and Eastern Oregon College of Education at LaGrande. By power of state law, the board is specified to “have and exercise control of the use, dis tribution, and disbursement of all funds, appropriations and taxes . . . for the use, benefit, support and maintenance of institutions of higher learning.” These funds are derived mainly from the following sources: (1) A millage appropriation on all taxable property; (2) continu ing appropriations from the state for defined purposes; (3) speci fied sums from the national gov ernment assigned' for purposes by act of Congress; (4) income from student tuition and fees; and, (5) other sources such as sales, ser vice charges, and gifts, etc. Authority extends from the State Board through the Chan cellor to the presidents of the var ious institutions. Since these ar ticles concern the University of Oregon, we shall trace the frame work extending from and around President Newburn. This may be illustrated graphically: PRESIDENT (H. K. Newburn) ACADEMIC DEANS (Deans of all Schools and Colleges) (Please turn to page three) 9*1 the Rcuj The Ideal of American Democracy Dear Mr. Editor: Japan is now occupied by America. However, America is trying to give the Japanese people what she thinks best— that is, the ideal of American democracy. I believe such a holy occupation has never ex isted in the world's history. I am always grateful to Ameri ca for that and am always wishing that the American oc cupation policies will succeed in Japan; we Japanese do not want our mother-land com munized. It goes without saying that the ideal of American democ racy will be most effectively realized in Japan when the cultural occupation policies are brought in operation with full understanding of the Jap anese mind and culture. I wish I could contribute in in any sense to the friendship and understanding between America and Japan by the op en lectures I am now present ing. I sincerely wish to have my following last two lectures heard by as many students as possible: 1. The Japanese Language and the People, May 23 (Tuesday), 1 p.m., in 107 Friendly. 2. Japanese Literature and the People, May 25 (Thurs day), 1 p.m., in 107 Friendly. Sincerely, Steve Masuyama Instructor in Japanese Graduate Exchange Student