Oregon Daily . _
EMERALD
The Ouaw Daily Eukkals i> published Monday through Friday during the college year,
except examination and holiday periods, with issues on Homecoming Saturday and Junior
Weekend Saturday hy the Associated Students of the University of Oregon. Entered as sec
ond class matter at the post office, Eugene, Oregon. Subscription rates: $5 per school year, $2
Opinions expressed on the editorial page ere those of the writer and do not preCend to
represent the opinions of the ASUO or of the University. Initialed editorials are written hp
the associate editors. Unsigned editorials a*-s written by the editor.
Loan a Lasso if, Editor_ Aaaprr Paine, Business Manager
Phil Bettens, Managing Editor _
Geetcuen Geondahl, Bill Clothie*, Don Dewey, Associate Editors
Gketchex Geefe, Advertising Manager
Why Not Scrap Hell Week?
There’s a trend on America’s college campuses today that we
hope spreads to the University ot' Oregon.
We refer to the idea of substitution a fraternity “Help Week”
for the traditional hazing of “Hell Week.”
Nationwide publicity has been given recently to the policy
adopted by inter-fraternity councils in several universities of
having fraternity pledges join in constructive community
work as a pre-initiation project instead of putting them through
a series of antics which at best accomplish nothing construc
tive and at worst may do considerable harm.
We list but two examples: at the University of Maryland,
the first project of the “Fraternity Help” program was the
clearing of an unsightly vacant lot. Other proposed projects
are the building of playgrounds for children and the renovation
of an old library.
At San Jose State, pledges and active members joined to
paint the First Congregational church “as a step in the direc
tion of changing fraternity hell week into help week.”
It’s at San Jose State that Oregon’s IFC President Dick
McLaughlin is now attending a regional IFC conference; be
fore he left, McLaughlin told us that he expects that the “help
week” idea will be one of the major topics of discussion.
One of Oregon’s fraternities inaugurated the “help week”
idea last year with a pledge project at the Children’s Hospital
—but didn’t dispense with hell week.
We may be wrong, but we’ve always understood that the
only reason advanced by fraternities for hell week was that
“the boys ought to go through something to make them ap
preciate initiation” and “this brings the pledge class together.”
It seems to us that this end could be accomplished—and ac
complished better—by working together on something con
structive rather than destructive.
The matter of “help week” will undoubtedly be coming up in
IFC soon, as the end of the term approaches. It is to be hoped
that Oregon fraternities will seize this opportunity to rid them
selves of an old bogey and join in a progressive national move
ment toward useful community service.—G. G.
Forced Attendance No Solution
‘‘Lets require them to attend.”
That seems to be the uppermost solution in many students
minds to the problem of poor attendance at group, or campus
wide, functions.
Illustration: The other day ASUO cabinet members were
discussing the poor student turn-out for anniversary events,
and student assemblies in general. They agreed it would “look
better” for the school if more attended.
How would they promote attendance?
Compel the freshmen to attend, as they do at OSC, said one
student. Reasoning here was that if students have to attend
when they're freshmen they’ll probably still be going when
seniors.
Make assemblies a “house function” and pair living organi
zations, said another. The large turn-out for rallies was used
as an example. Living organizations, some by means of fines,
compel their members to attend rallies.
Have each living organization sing songs when the students
are assembling. In this way, the contributor reasoned, students
would have to come because they’d want to make a good
vocal showing.
We think they’ve got the wrong approach. Simple human
nature makes persons dislike things they “must” do. There’s
enough of this in University life anyway. Students must go to
classes, read textbooks, take tests, and so on.
Students will turn out for something that interests them.
Whether they should or should not be interested in these cam
pus events is beside the point here. They obviously aren’t. And
no one’s going to change the situation by telling them they
must be interested.
If student officials'feel obligated to make it “look better”
for the school by trying to increase attendance, they might
investigate ways of promoting the assemblies. Or, perhaps a
poll could be taken to discover what students don’t like about
the hour, or content, of programs.
Bill Carey, ASUO president, said, “Compulsory attendance
would not be effective.” We agree wholeheartedly.
--Letters to the Editor
Let the Bonfire Burn
Emerald Editor:
I am now accepting contribu
tions which will be used to re
pair the shattered morale of the
Misses Hart and Thurston, whose
woebegan letter appeared in
Wednesday's Emerald.
These ladles, who are members
of the Homecoming Publicity
committee, wove a heart-rending
tale of hardships and difficulties
which would hard to surpass any
where. Thus, because of their suf
fering, students should give up
"one more night of sleep In your
own bed; one more chance to
nibble at the Thanksgiving left
overs; a Friday night with no
closing hours other than those
designated by your parents.”
Meanwhile those poor ladies
have to stay and suffer on the
campus, although this has come
about through their own choice,
as I presume they weren't forced
to serve on the commit tee.
The Misses Hart and Thurston
then attempt to threaten the stu
dents with a warning about a
projected OSC burning of our
bonfire. We had our fun. let the
OSC students have theirs.
In conclusion, I suggest that all
Oregon students remain on the
campus during Christmas vaca
tion and have a cozy little dinner
together. Why should we all go
home for a lousy two weeks for
mere animal comforts when we
could stay here and prepare our
studies for winter term ?
Martin Meadows
Mad at Madwoman
Emerald Editor:
“The Madwoman of Challlot"
struck this particular author like
a bulldozer crunching over a heap
of rotten cabbage. After viewing
this far from notable dramatic
abortion, one is prompted to be
come either abusive and belliger
ent or to maintain a polite and
disgusted silence.
However, having a social as
well as an aesthetic conscience I
am forced to express my opinions
on this subject. Preliminary to
attempting a clarification of the
plays failings, I might mention
its only virtue its brevity. The
affair that took place on the
stage of the University Theater
Friday night has managed to ac
camplish for the drama what the
puritan revolution in England and
the Watch and Ward society in
Boston had failed to do. That is
to demonstrate forcibly that the
way to kill the theater is to let
it kill itself.
Unfortunately the lighting and
the acoustics were so excellent
that one could see and hear every
thing that teas said including the
conversation among the members
of the cast backstage, which was
a good deal more interesting than
the sentimental tedium presented
in the guise of dialogue. The only
thing the actors (lid well wan get
In each other’s way, except for
the Madwoman who also got In
her own way.
The high point of this evening,
for this viewer, occurred when a
minor member of the cast, either
because he was drunk, blind or
disgusted with the whole thing
stumbled (or was tripped) buck
stage and destroyed a section of
the scenery.
About the play Itself, little can
be said that is printable. "The
Madwoman of Chaillot" is fant
asy. It is composed 80 per cent of
berry sentimentality and 20 per
cent of vulgarity. It would, in
all probability, have been no more
enjoyable if the proportions were
reversed.
(liradoux, the author, who In
dead and cannot defend himself,
undoubtedly intended the Mad
woman as a comedy. That the
University Theater also hail this
purpose in mind is Impossible to
determine on the basis of their
presentation.
Giradoux, who was never much
of an Intellectual giant, has man
aged to say in two long, dull,
talky acts what the average re
tarded idiot usually coughs up in
two minutes under five grains of
sodium amytal.
I feel that the University Thea
ter, even under the skillful direc
tion of Mr. Robinson, will have a
good deul of trouble in ever ap
proaching the level of The Mad
woman in is future production.
Allen Hcrtzog
On Treatment of Islam
Emerald Editor:
I have attended a number of
talks and discussions by Dr.
Means of the religion department
on Island in the present-day Mos
lem world. It appears that he is
trying to emulate Dr. Mayo who
wrote the book "Mother India."
We, in our countries, refer to
that book as "The Report of a
Sewer Inspector." If Dr. Means’
talks are published in book form
I think we will detect the same
familiar odor.
Muzhanil Islam,
Pakistani student
fynxMti the Mvufue...
HO YEARS AGO
Nov. 8, 1921—Every student is
asked to send letters of a "per
sonal and appealing nature" to
alumni inviting them haek for
the Homecoming celebration.
20 YEARS AGO
Nov. 8, 1981—Tentative plans
to join with the Register Guard
and Eugene merchants to have
citizens tidy up their luwns along
principal streets during Home
coming weekend are in process of
development.
There's No Easy Way Out
*r4i
A/£*i
7/
X
/JOIN
1 TH'
1
A RMV
v\Y i
<y
Qua VUita'ii. Bpeah...
Germans for West
But Ask Unification
By Frnn* Cesar*
(Ed. Note—Fran* Cesar/, edi
tor for loral polities of the Berlin
newspaper Iter Tag, Is now en
rolled us u speelul student In Ihe
school of Journalism. He here dis
cusses “.Should There Be a West
ern German State?” This will !»■>
the International Uelutlons club's
topic of discussion at 7 p.m. to
day In the Student Union.)
It's quite difficult to write on
this topic set for the Thursday
discussion. A German certainly
will have only one answer. ''No,”
there should be no Western Ger
man State. What the Germans
want is the reunification of their
divided country us quickly us pos
sible.
The Germans want this since
the unfortunate division in May,
10-15, which meanwhile Is com
monly seen as one of certain
reasons for the Fast-West-con
flict which since that time has
overshadowed the world and des
tinuted Its fate.
The reunification of Germany
cun be of great Importance fo.“*
the world peace. In any case
world peace will not last without
u united Germany. Besides Korea
and besides the Austrian State
Treaty (instead of a "Peace
Treaty") the German question is
the big touchstone for Soviet
good will to settle the world
problems finally without a new
Germany Is with tin* West.
Tlierr Is no doubt und no reason
to doubt In Iut future attitude.
That's of Millie for nil of tier
many. And no Wrr.tern tirniiun
nun surpass the desire of all the
Germans suffering under Eastern
terrorism In the Soviet /one le
hind the Iron Curtain. lint th
reason Gcrnnmj Is with the W'-st
and will further lie Is her belief
In world peace, guaranteed by the
greater strength of that side of
the divided world, which has tie1
le tter alms. Hut the Germai -
also recognize thut world pencil
can't lie maintained without |
sia’s participation.
The Germans are with the j
West; Himultanioualy they nev- r
will agree in two Germany^ o: .•
with the Fast and one with ti. ■
West, because they don’t belies
that such a status would advn
the West.
They see it as question of 1 i
manlty first and of political se
secondly to do not close the do r
of a possible solution of the <; r
inan unification problem before
the Soviets themselves close that
door. The Soviets never will do
that unless they want war. The ,
world powers and the West-Ce r
man-Goverment should not su) p
sede the present temporary stiff:
with a definitive stiitus whh h
everybody knows will be the g< i :u
for later trouble.
The Gemmas generally don’t
want separate peace treaties wlih
either present German state. The
main-problems of the fuliirc Irca
ty will be In the Fast, for Instance
the border-problem. How could
that problem he solved In u svf- j
flclent way for all sides, it they
are to get settled by Moscow "ii
the one hand uiiil its compliant
instrument In Fasten Gcrn a'y,
the “Grotewohl-Cahlnett,” on He
other hand.
If the West wants peace \vit.li
Germany it is first of ull easy
to give West Germany a real
peace status now. That will i !,t
anticipate a subsidient treaty and
will rise the hope and belief >f
the Germans in the Soviet 7.'
That all might sound a tat
selfish. Most Germans belon::' to
the West with all their heart.
Germany claims to be an impor
tant part of the Went, parti'
larly culturally and ideolo-ic dly. J
Politically she already ha ■ I
it by nearly eliminate ;;
munists in the past eleclio: :t
how it may be, the evolutii
World War I which fiiviily !
Hiller, not without conri.t.in y. 1
has taught us that the w.-c.-.L
policy is that which consul rs
the reasonable selfish inter .is <'i ^
the peoples. That is good • . •>»
peoples. - v
Thus, “No separate V/cr! a
Germany.”