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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 30, 1951)
- The OlEGOM Daily Eyiuls it published Monday through Friday during the college year, except examination and holiday periods, with issues on Homecoming Saturday and Junior Weekend Saturday by the Associated Students of the University of Oregon. Entered as sec ond class matter at the post ofice, Eugene, Oregon. Subscription rate*- %> per school yrar, W per term. Opinions expressed on the editorial page are thoee of the writer end do not pretend to represent the opinions of the ASUO or of the University. Initialed editorials art written bp the associate editors. Unsigned editorials a** written by the editor. Lotus Lassos. Editor Abbott Paint, Business Manager Phil Bsttshs, Managing Editor Gaetchen G son haul. Bill Clothies. Don Dewey, Associate Editors Opportunity Knocks Again A fellow who may be president of the United States someday will be on campus next Tuesday. He's Sen. Paul H. Douglas, Democrat from Illinois. He'll speak at a student assembly at 1 p.m. in the Student Union on "Problems Pacing Our Nation Today.” Worth hearing, don’t you think? We do. More Student Government? Every student election campaign and most activity-wise bull sessions on campus end with with a plea for an abstract something which is lumped together under the heading of “more student government.” We think that is a desirable end. But we’re wondering how we, as a student body, can expect to be granted more student government if we fail to take seri ously those governmental organizations that we already have. Take the student court, for instance. Its backers from the beginning have maintained that student control of traffic prob lems is one step toward an eventual, hoped-for enlargement of student control over other disciplinary problems. But in many cases Oregon students fail to cooperate with the court and, in general, to assume responsibility in helping to solve the traffic problem here. The student court attempts to handle student traffic vio lations; warning summonses are sent to offenders requesting them to pay their fine or appear before the court to plead their case. If the students charged with violations fail to heed re peated warnings, the case is turned over to the administration s Office of Student Affairs—and student government has suffered a setback. Incidentally, the authority of the student affairs office is such .that it can take disciplinary action of a much more serious nature than the court, with its fines system, can. We’ll wager that before the student court is given wider jurisdiction over disciplinary matters, it will have to prove that it has the support of the student body behind it. If Oregon students are really interested in "more student government,” why not take this elemental step of fuller co operation with a governing organ we alseady have—G. G. 0*t the Staqe.... 'Petticoat Fever's' Slip Showing By Wes Kotnnson Although both my program and ticket said it was the opening night performance of “Petticoat Fever,” I think what I saw last Wednesday night was not an opening performance, but instead was a final dress rehearsal. I hope so, anyway. From the . looks of things, the play just wasn’t quite ready to come out from under the wraps when it went before the public eye in the Arena Theater Wednesday. Give it a couple of performances and it may be okay. But as it went on the boards the first night, it won’t sell. With proper timing and stag, ing, it’s easy to see that “Petti coat” could be a hilarious comedy. Even as it was presented Wednes day night, J£e play was pretty funny in spots. The gags were as sharp and explosive as any thing one might find in a Kauf man and Hart or Garson Kanin play. The characterizations were good, especially Hike Heming way's portrayal of the stranded English flier. But there were so many strains on the audience in so many other ways, the light and gay humor just couldn’t keep the show from falling down. These strains On the audience were, for a major part, due to the inadequacies of the arena theater. Some arena theaters may be fine, but the one at 104 Villard leaves much to be desired. The setting of the play, for example, was a wireless station on the coast of -Iitbi’aOdr: -Try- as “I* migltt,* *1* JUBI C'MJiuu l manage iu uau.^'i t myself to that polar region while staring across the room at the players, half the audience, and a blackboard. This play is one that needs painted scenery, flats and risers to set mood and place if a play ever did. Secondly, pretense, the founda tion of the theater, was complete ly absent, thanks to the char acters tropping in and out be tween acts to change scenery, plus some bumblings members of the audience who walked onto the set in the middle of the play. This arena style of presentation is intended to be more intimate, but in this case it merely showed everything to false and sham, which of course it was, but you aren’t supposed to know. The sad fact was that the audience was just too close. A person gets much more enjoyment out of an oil painting if he doesn’t jam their nose up against it. The same is just as true of many plays, in cluding “Petticoat.” By the third performance, this show should be considerably changed from the Wednesday night run when everything seem ed so bad. By the time it closes, it might be approaching as close to excellence as it can get under the circumstances. Whatever the case, it can’t be much slower than it was on opening night, and still many people enjoyed a good bit of it. Let’s put it this way: it has possibilities, but "Petticoat” has gotten off to a pretty bad - start.- - - - ■ ■ THE ART OF GETTING GOOD GRADES HERE'S HOW ...the students Make Schedules Don’t think about the A’s too much, think more about what you'll get from your courses, and iike them—learn to like them if necessary. I believe In regular class atten dance, keeping up, and schedules —the kind of schedule that makes you really wXrrk to get your as signments done In the alloted time and gives plenty of free time for relaxation—that's very important. Actually, my sched ules usually get lost. But during final week I really use one. I try to get an over-all picture of each course, anticipate exam questions, and make lists group ing ideas, so I can pull facts to gether quickly. At an exam I read all the questions first and make com plete notes on what I want to say. I rarely start with the first question—it usually frightens me most, so I return to it later. And I try to divide my time among the questions. But that’s about it. Except that I always wear some thing bright during final week. Sleep—Don't Cram The very question of "how to get A’s" places a student in an articicial position, since there is often an unfortunately treal dif ference between A’ing an exami nation and actually learning a great deal. However, the great emphasis upon grades places a premium on earning high marks. First, there is an obvious dif ference in types of exams and grading habits of individual pro fessors. It’s a wise idea to get useu tu tiitrac ci» bsjkju I have found that staying up late to cram does more harm than good. If it comes to a choice be tween studying and sleep, the extra rest enables one to think more clearly in the examination. I have also found It wise to base enough outside interests to make it necesary to budget my study time; this makes for higher con centration and eliminates inat tentiveness. In an essay exam, organization is important. It pays off to take a couple of minutes to note the main points you plan to use in your answer—otherwise it's easy to forget some and panic in mid exam. Throughout the course, if I find some points unclear, I don’t hesi tate to ask the professor for clari fication. If a student is really puzzled most instructors are glad to help out and his assistance will not only help in exams but will result in a greater under standing of the subject. Apply Knowledge A student might offer all sorts of helpful hints for getting the most out of his college course, but such a discourse can too easily involve him in a catalog of suggestions indicative of nothing but individual idiosyncracies. If one must suggest a basic procedure, the best, it spems, would be to want to study, learn how to study, and then do it. Important too is the application of what he has learned. Pick Professors Making an “A” grade doesn’t necesarily mean making the most of college. What does? Of course the factors are many and they vary with individual goals. Let me simply pass on one or two tips given me several years ago— points too often overlooked in this educational merry-go-round. One is the importance of pick ing professors. If we hear re peatedly that a professor is out standing—or that he has some thing to offer which is appealing though he may not be the most popular faculty member—it cer tainly is worthwhile to take a course from him. We can read and study on our own after college, but the in formation and inspiration a fine professor can offer will not be available then. Another is the importance of meeting people—the foreign stu dents, professors, activity stu dents, adrainistraU>csr-saJl-t|)Q dit Fliml week In drawing close, anil fall term grade* will soon he recorded on transerl|its In Emerald hall. tirade* are something that, out of necessity, cause all University of Oregon stu dent* and teaching faculty members some concern. So, 4we thought you might he Interested In hearing some tips on grade-making from students who apparently know how—the members of Phi Beta Kappa’s Senior Six. Four compiled by the deadline. The Other day we asked these students — Catherine Black, Jackie Prlt/en, Vir ginia Wright, Oretchen (irondahl, Anita Holmes and Oerald Berremun—to write on how to make A’s. Then, thinking of the other Important person In volved In this grade busi ness: the professor, we ask ed two faculty members to tell why they give A’s. Vic tor P. Morris, dean of the business administration school, and Carlisle Moore, professor of English, com plied with our request. ferent types milking up this unique college community. A vet eran several years ago summed this up by saying that his college "coffee talks" were more Import ant than many of his courses. Another point the importance of taking advantage of all the University has to offer. Time is a limitation, of course, but the visiting speaker, musician, forum, dramatic offering will never again be as accessible to most of us. Don't Talk in Class Here are some commonly over looked points that I practice to get A's: 1. Keep mouth shut in class unless called upon. Comments and questions in class only reveal your ignorance, as they invari ably fall into one of three cate gories: ja Rephrasings of the prof’s own words, bi Complete irrelevancies. o Things every one already knows or can figure out. 2. Attend class, study, do read ing and assignments, take ac curate and lucid notes, be able to anticipate and answer any and all exam questions correctly. 3. Don’t become infatuated with the sound of your own CPA. 4. Pay no heed to the advice of books, pamphlets, newspaper articles or individuals purporting to tell you how to get good grades. HERE'S WHY ... the professors Creative Ability In my judgment un "A" should go to the Individuals who show marked creative ability to under stand the content of a course and to think through the Issues to reasonable conclusions, rather than to those who nrc merely .skillful at reproducing the lan guage of text an<l lecture. Em phasis should thus be on com prehension and analysis rather than on memorisation. The difficulty, of course, Is to find the means of detecting and measuring genuine comprehen sion and analysis. More than Essentials Since I teach English, most of the reports I assign and the tests I give call for sustained ex pository writing, containing clear expression ami effective organiza tion of ideas. The Ideas them selves must be sound, but this does not mean that they must re flect my own opinions. What I look for In u student’s work Is (1) mastery of the ma terial In f|iiestlon, and (’I) evi dence of Intellectual excellence, as shown in his ability to reason in und around tin- material, put ting particulars in a larger per spective and adding something Over and above the Imre essen tials of the question. It is this extra something, I think, which indicates the "A” student. I do not grade according to a curve, apportioning grades arbitrarily; rather I try to main tain a set of standards, subjec tively' arrived at no doubt but based on my training and ideals as a teacher, which enable me to decide when a given piece of work is "average," that is, worth a "C"; when it Is clearly "above average,” that Is, worth a "R"; and when it is dearly "excellent," and worth an "A." Border-line cases must often be worked out numerically, but the quality of excellence is, in my mind, in stantly recognizable. I think the best interests of the University, and of the students too, are served by keeping stand ards high. fynxMtt Ute M&ujue,.. ■JO YEARS AGO Nov. 30, 1031 — Practically every eollege In the country has subsidized athletics, declares I)can Christian Gauss of Prince ton in an article In December's Scribner’s magazine. How NOT to Get A's “Ha, ha!—If you’ve read to here you’ve read over 18,000 words, ya. i big fat ehalr warmer! Tell ole Ed and Dill what Prof. Snarf said, Worthal.”