Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 10, 1951)
Otffljn Daihf . _ _ EMERALD The Okkgon Daily Euisald is published Monday through Friday during the college year. per term. Opinions expressed oa the editorial Me are those of the writer and do not Pretond to represent the opinions of the ASUO or of the University. Initialed editorials are written be the associate editors. Unsigned editorials as* written by the editor. Loin a Laison, Editvr Abbott Paihk, BuaiceM Manager A Proposal from the Phone Men Three different types of telephones in each living organiza tion. That’s what may be in store for the University of Oregon < if the phone company’s most recent plan becomes reality. Student pressure against the pay phones is responsible for the proposal—installation of an intra-campus dial phone sys tem. This plan would utilize non-pay phones hooked up only to other phones in the system—in dormitories, fraternities, sororities, cooperatives and University offices. Why three phones in houses? 1. The slot phones would still be needed for off-campus calls. 2. Only on-campus calls could be made through the new phones. 3. The private line for business use would probably still re main in most houses, as many business calls are of the oti campus classification. On the surface the new plan looks workable. Students wouldn’t &ave to dig for nickels for the majority of their calls. But just how much would the installation of the intra-campus system cost the individual houses, and the University adminis tration? Pacific Telephone and Telegraph gave some rough estimates at a student-phone company-public utilities com mission meeting in Salem last Tuesday. They estimated $^.50 per month per phone, in addition to the initial cost of installing the phones and exchange. Organizations are now paying only for pay phones and a private line. Would they want to assume the additional cost of another phone? Would just one phone on the new exchange be enough in each organization? Even now, with two phones in many groups, the lines are jammed during the evening busy period. And these are on-campus calls, for the most part. Would the University administration, which is saving nearly $5000 this year on phone expense cuts, accept the added expense of the new system? Right now we admittedly don’t have sufficient specific in formation on the proposal to accurately judge its merits. I he phone company has promised a complete report soon and it should enable us to come to a decision by January. The ideal situation, of course, would be to remove the pay phones and go back to the old system. But, if this is impossible, the intra-campus exchange proposal may prove feasible for the Oregon campus. Weak vs. Weak, Strong vs. Strong The Rose Bowl agreement between the Pacific Coast con ference and the Western (or Big Ten) conference will last for three more New Year's Day classics. And then what? Rumblings from some of the Big Ten schools indicate that the pact won’t be re-signed come Jan. 2, 1954. President John A. Hannah of Michigan State college has al ready announced that his school will vote against renewal. Op position by Michigan State, the newest conference school, would throw the Rose Bowl question into a deadlock unless some conference members vote differently than they did two years ago. Before Michigan State received voting privileges, the conference voted only 5 to 4 in favor of continuing participation in the Bowl. This should be good news to football fans on the Pacific Coast. Absence of the Big Ten schools from the Rose Bowl would result in better games. And it is the game that counts, not the ranking of the teams. A pair of evenly matched teams will always provide a better exhibition of football than will a top-ranked team and a second rater. There’s no way for the Coast conference to get out of their suicide pact. With the Big Ten ahead the way it is, the Coast would be regarded as quitters if they pulled out. All we can do is hope the Big Ten has really had enough. Some day (pardon our optimism) the Pacific Coast will again have great football teams. When that time comes, the Big Ten could conceivably be represented by its third-place team. We should prevent this by avoiding entangling alliances. When the Pacific Coast champion is weak, pick a team that wron’t butcher it. In turn, when the Pacific representative is powerful, pick a team that will be able to provide strong op position. The Rose Bowl might temporarily lose prestige, although it is now at such a low ebb that there is little to lose. But the Bowl will regain prestige as the Pacific Coast conference re gains strength.—D. D. Q Jlettc<t to Santa Peace on Earth—The Greatest Wish of All Christmas is coming. Santa Claus will soon bo bringing his gifts to young anil old the world over. In our country small boys and girls are laboriously scribbling letters to Mr. Claus, asking for truins and dolls and such. So we thought it was about time we were writing our letter to him, too. It'll read something like this: Dear Santa Claus: Bring warm, dry beds forth from your sled for our men fighting anil freezing in the Korean snow. Draw up jour reindeer In Italy and give the hundreds of flood victims houses with chimneys down which you can drop your Yule-tide gifts. •linglc your liells and quiet the Philippine volcano which has caused so much death and destruction. NiMH* down ini' cmmnrjn HU ill leuvi- food and clothing;, and maybe Mime toys I hind. Reach Into your aaek and xlve thr tiny w orphan* their mommies and daddies buck again. We won’t mind u few less toy* or sweuters new ties here ut home If you e»n only ipake the wishes come true. Itut here’* our greatest wish of all. Drive your sled through the eleur starlight rig l,|Kh over the world and spread the axe-old messag “I’eaee on earth, flood will toward men.” Then ... by some mug-leal power, make It eor I rue. soims—.n H ■ U Oregon By Jim Haycox It started about a month ago; this business of early Christmases for dying children and war-bound About the same time ad v e r t i si n g in newspapers be gan to pick up; only 46 more shopping days until . . . And now the cards begin to arrive; Merry Christmas to Smith Lumber Co. from Ajax Equipment. JliH ll.A ■ VAFA Ana aireauy oanca uaua ringing his boll at every crowded corner; put something in the pot. Sounds, looks and feels like some well-laid-out plot to build up our sentiment and pull the dollars out of our pockets. Well, isn't it ? Christmas has come a long way since that strange clear night al most 2000 years ago w’hen shep herds were frightened by a great, wonderful bright star standing high over Bethlehem. We have so many give-away holidays these days; Father's Day, for example. Of this one my dad used to say humorously: Father's Day was dedicated by the benevolent shirt, hat, tie and sock store of the country.” I wouldn't be surprised at all if each of you, as individuals, agrees with a foreign student friend who says the American Christmas is just too much of too much. “In my country the kids maybe get just one present at Christmas and they are very happy with that. I know some wealthy people who used to crowd the room with gifts on Christmas morning. In an hour or so the two children would be fighting over each other’s presents.” Go to church Christmas eve? I used to but decided to quit kid ding about it. I never went any other time. Well, shall we reform the in stitution? We could try... but we wouldn’t get very far. The over-giving, the false beneficence, the tradition, are too well worn Into us. Supposing you got just one small gift Christmas morning or said you’d rather stay home Christmas eve? Now let's flip the coin. What's on the other side ? Santa Claus ringing his bell is a well-known beggar—but not for himself. He probably stands there because he's got nothing else to do. Certainly he isn't get ting much for the effort—maybe just a few warm meals and a couple of bucks. It’s really no skin off his nose if he rings that bell or not. Then why does he? Or why db we selfish people want to give so much away in one big splurge? Who’s happier Or why do we go just that once-a-year to Church on Christ mas Eve, those of us who sleep 52 Sunday mornings? Well, whatever way you want to look at it, Christmas is soon here; unavoidable, avaricious, melodramatic Christmas. And all added up, the good and the bad, who’s to say we’d be better off without it... or with a new Christmas, spare and wan. The reformer has no trouble destroy ing a thing. But as often as not he fails to provide a better plan ... if there is a better plan. Merry Christmas. A if tiff Z1Ht Beowulf Replaces Santa in Mind: Of Final-laden University S/uder^ Bv Bob Funk It is going to be Christmas. People have been singing Jingle Bells over the radio since early August, and finally it is about torch to the old Yule log. For college students, o f course, Christ m a s spirit meets a pay-* chological im pediment. It is rather difficult to feel very good - cheer - and - ho - ho hoish on your way to a final. BOB FI NK we, me lost generation wno hi the age of five still believed in Santa Claus, have replaced that jolly old elf in our minds with an image of Beowulf. On the glorious morning when you are unwrapping presents, there may be one of those fate ful letters from the University under the tree too. One beginning Seminar on Seminars, C; Philos ophy of the History of the Psy chology of Education, D; and Miscellaneous Subjects, F. After that you are supposed to digest dinner. Actually, It Is not necessary to sully your enjoyment of the Christmas season with dreadful thoughts ubout finals. You can study all term and sleep on the night before your test. This Is done by some persons; however, it Is impractical to sleep on the night before a final If you have not opened the textbook all term. In all the finals we have ever taken we have never had a divine revalalion concerning the right answers. You can lny«nt non f the original answjgr* and n* the professor thutiK that hi- hi , read the booir, Wit unfortun* most of Urf faculty was IwrJ least day before yesterday ,■ most of them have read the I hooks (mime of them wrote , t In fact). To get buck to the s a subject of finals (actually J never left It Just seemed It), we have not met anyone this term who has not been mo, ing about having to stay for last final. This happens e term. When the last final re however, we have a hunch not everyone Is going to be h Home of them will have g home, and some of them \ just no longer be with us <wl are your prospects, anyway ? > It Is a far cry from the th when our only pre-t’hrlMn worry was whether the ehl was big enough for St. Maturity has Its udvantugf disadvantages. With all learning comes the trutir" * > Santa (iaus and this hoi. , horrible cynicism. And so, as Tiny Tim obaer the professors were agains this time, but next term is gc to be MY TERM. And do believe everything you read the papers. fynotn the. Mavjue. 10 YEARS AGO Dee. 10, 1941—University l’r Ident Donald M. Erli will uddri a special assembly at 11 a.m. day on the effect of the V. Japanese war on the activities University students. Christmas Vacation? “Happy vacation son! Glad to have you home for a few days. Ss\j minding slipping into these overalls—just huppens we’re laying-!, floor and painting "round here this week.”