Oreagn Daily t
iEMERALD
The Oregon Daily Emerald is published Feb 4 thru 8, 11 thru 15, 18 thru 22, 25 thru
29, March 10, Apr 2 thru 4, 7 thru 11, 14 thru 18, 21 thru 25, 28 thru May 2, May 6 thru 10,
12 thru 16, 19 thru 22, and May 26 by the Associated Students of the L Diversity of Oregon.
Entered as second class matter at the post office, Eugene, Oregon. Subscription rates: $5 per
school year, $2 per term.
Opinions expressed on the editorial page are those of the writer and do not pretend to
represent the opinions of the ASUO or of the University. Initialed editorials are written by
the associate editors. Unsigned editorials are written by the editor._
Out with theiSmoke-filled Room
Politically-minded Oregon students are now weighing the
advantages and disadvantages of an ASUO-sponsored direct
primary election for the two political parties—AOS and LSA.
A senate committee has been suggested—but not yet appointed
—to study the matter.
(The proposed primary calls for ASU O-staffed election
booths where students could pick up ballots for their respective
parties and vote for the persons they wanted to see on their
party’s slate. The two slates decided upon in this matter would
then be presented to the students in the general election.)
The argument for a direct primary is obvious: to give indi
viduals a direct voice in the makeup of the party slate.
Virginia Wright and her USA friends who proposed the
primary for all Oregon parties (USA already holds an open
primary meeting where the students attending can vote on the
party slate) are not alone in their conviction that it is the only
democratic way to build the slate.
Sen. Paul Douglas (D.-Ul.) and Rep. Charles Bennett (D.
Fla.) are now agitating for action on their'bill for primaries—
aided by federal funds—in all 4S states. Only 16 now have
presidential primaries.
We see little hope for immediate success on the national
scene. As usual, this latest push for a nation-wide primary
comes too close to election time.
But it does seem possible that Oregon students will con
sider the suggestion intelligently, and take appropriate action.
Opposition seems to stem wholly from Greek bloc members.
Presently they operate on the basis of “house votes. Bach
sorority and fraternity belonging to AGS has representatives
which take the majority reaction of the house hack to an AGS
meeting. The candidates receiving the support of the most
houses are placed on the slate.
The Greeks like their system.
One of their members, Dave Rodway, said in a recent senate
meeting that he thought the direct primary would "discriminate
against the minority.”
How? He feels that the “small” houses, which under the
present setup, have as much say as the “big” ones in selecting
the party slate, would lose their equal status. That’s quite true
but, utilizing the principles of majority rule and individual
equality, how does he justify the fact that 60 individuals be
longing to a “big” house have only as much voice as 17 belong
ing to a “small” house?
What if the majority vote within a house between candidates
A and B happened to be 15 for A, with B drawing 14 votes?
If all the individual votes for B within the party were added,
they might total more than the individual votes for A, even
though the latter drew a majority in more houses. Under the
present setup in AGS, A would go on the slate . .. leaving B,
who more students actually wanted, out in the cold. I his is
discrimination against the MAJORITY.
Of course, maybe the few individuals directing the AGS
party fear they would lose control of the slate selection ... and
well they might.
Student leaders are always bemoaning the “lack of interest in
student government.” Might we be so bold as to suggest that
more individual students might become more interested if
they, as individuals had a greater voice in the selection of
student leaders?
The principle behind direct primary elections is sound. Even
though we can’t see the end of the smoke-filled room selected
party slate ahead on the national scene, we do hope Oregon
students will get a chance to try a direct primary here this
spring.
This Is No Time for Cocktails
Ever since the Class of ’52 presented Les Brown at its
Sophomore Whiskerino, the campus has been clamoring for a
“name band.” blow we’ve got one. The Class of 52 has signed
Dick Jurgens for the Senior Ball this Saturday and it’s up to
us to give them a little support.
On some campuses all-school dances are a big event as they
once were at Oregon. It has become the fashion to go to a pre
dance cocktail party and never quite make it to the dance. Un
important, you say? We don’t think so.
We think if the student body gets out and supports the
Senior Ball it can lead to only one thing: Bigger and better
dances at Oregon. We’ve heard that Dick Jurgens played for
the most successful dance ever held at Oregon, and we’re look
ing for a repeat performance.—R. N.
-So THIS lx Oregon
Two Spring Terms at Oregon?
It Could Happen Only at 'Cal'
-By Jim Haycox - - ■ --
It was suggested that a column
be devoted to the subject of what
it's like at Oregon to have two
spring terms. It's a dangerous
subject. To
even mention
the possibility
of warm
weather
w ould, you
k n o w, bring
December
back with her
skirts flying.
It is like the
story w li i c h
appeared i n
the Emerald
not so long
ago mention- JIM 1IAYCOX
ing a big storm to come the next
day... it didn’t. It is like a
column once wiitten about nasty
weather in California. The day
it was to have appeared our own
gutters were overflowing.
To mention the weather is like
prodding a stubborn boy. He will
do just about anything . . . you
tell him not to do. Perhaps it
would be best to say nothing . ..
so far I certainly haven't. Per
haps it would be best to talk
about the weather somewhere
else . .. like California.
Of course we can never hope
to have those wonderful tropic
winters and balmy summers that
they experience. It would, In fact,
be too much to hope that any
other state could be so blessed.
There is something different
about California . . . something
you can almost smell when the
wind lu right.
Seditious persons have, from
timo to time, tried to spread
nasty rumors about the state be
low us. Don't believe anything
you hear.
Now this, I know, is little
enough to say. Perhaps I could
attempt a line or so about the
weather in Iran or India or
Egypt. I fear I would not get
off without retaliation.
My friend, “Bathwater” John
son reports the weather In Iran
Is fine , , . but I don’t believe him
anymore. He's Immature, or have
you heard? He shouldn't even bo
writing a column for be has ap
parently made a grievous error.
He used his own opinion.
T'would be safe enough to say
that "Bathwater's" sins arc not
as scarlet as they seem. Kor my
own part, and I freely own I am
very stupid when it comes to
foreign affairs, I think his critics
are just as sinning.
There's an old saying to the
effect that you’re right only so
long as you keep your perspec
tive keen and your nose clean
and don’t go off the deep end.
That is, deep ending I mean,
which is what “Bathwater's”
critics have done.
I have not so much objected to
their criticism as the way they
have gone about same. They may
continue to be impolite and fran
tic, and they will continue to be
given their due in "letters to the
editor.” But some of them. I fear,
need the growing up Just ubout
as bad as "Bathwater" docs.
A Dili/ nt 1hv /»«
Buttons Off, Toothbrush Soggy,
And Funk Is Reminded of Home
By Bob Funk
There are some persons who
have never quite adjusted to be
ing away from home. We are
one of them. It is not that we get
homesick. Far
from it. Home,
to us, has be
come a vague
con glcmera
tion of a place
you spend the
summer,
where you eat
Christmas din
n e r, and a
place where
interest ing
things happen
when your BOB fUNK
grades arrive.
However, some of the duties
once performed by our mother
have fallen into the sad category
of undone. For instance, the but
ton situation. On our desk we
have four buttons at the present
time. Two of them are the vital,
top buttons off of pairs of pants.
One is off of a white shirt. One
is still to be identified. There is
another button sort of half-way
under the rug which belongs to
a blue shirt which we wear any
way. There is another button un
der our pillow which came off
our pajamas.
Then there is the case of the
toothbrush. When we were in
high school our mother or father
or small sister or whoever was
telling us what to do at the
time Would buy toothbrushes for
us as the occasion warranted.
There are no such persons with
us in Eugene, however, and our
present toothbrush has somehow
wilted, all the bristles having
struck out in their own favorite
direction.
There is the horrible question
of when to take a bath. Some
one always used to tell us “this
is the night you take a bath.” We
never understood the pattern. As
a result there are whole series
of days when we do not take a
bath, only to be followed by seV
oral days when we take two
baths per day. Some day we are
going to work up a chart.
This is probably ridiculous, but
it might be a great help if all
living organizations had a Small
Helps Servfce that would sew
on buttons, examine toothbrush
es, and tell people when to take
baths and get haircuts. As it is,
we will never be really well or
ganized until mother, father, sis
ter, and the dog get their clutch
es on us again this summer.
Letters
to the
Editor
n.«ttrr* for thin column mint l»c 400
word* or lea* in Inigth ntul tiff nr (I hy thn
author or itutlior*. kr(|iir«tn that tiamr* l»n
withheld will he ffiven careful mmidrrft
t:on. I.rttrr* nitty hr mailrd to the Finer
aid editor or left in the Kinrrnld f|iiotn»rt
Adjacent to the Journatiam building )
A Raised Eyebrow
Kmcraid Editor:
W<* raise tin eyebrow . . .
KVVAX is not being broudi ant in
the SU music listening room as
announced in tile Kmcralil Home
time ago.
After harlMiring the secret
hope in our In-art Dial we might
one day hear the "voice of Die
Ducks” we were delighted to read
in th.- Kmeruld that KWAX wan
to Im- |il|>ed into the St'.
Now we shrug our shoulders.
What huppened? Where lies the
fault? Will we ever hear
KWAX?
Please. Let's tiave action.
Jim Dudley
<Kd. Note: The story In tl*»
Kmcralil referred to here (Jan.
31) announced that the si hoard
had given KWAX permission In
use the room. However, they be
gan broadcast log in the SI Mon
day.)
Six for the 'Stars'
Kuicrulil Kditor:
Now Isn't tins a surprise! At
the end of intramural basketball
season, wlio are these men that
have been selected ns the out
standing basketball players on
the "A” team?
I'm referring to Pete Williams,
Dick Kofford. Don Hull, Darrell
Hawes; men that I doubt would
ever have been noticed or Men
tioned if it were not for the fa- l
that It would look bad not to
have any players on the All Star
"A" team that played in the final
game and for the championship.
Did the Kmeruld sports stuff
actually realize their existence ’
It's a elneh that those Interested
in the facts on campus sports
would find It difficult to obtain
factual information by reading
the articles printed throughout;
the season. I can't recall one
particularly favorable mention of
cither of the two teams the
aforementioned men pluyed on
within the folds of our Daily
(CGII) Kmeruld.
if prejudice is not the primary
reason for this mistake, then I
suggest that activity points be
awarded to more observant and
competent Journalists in the fu
ture.
■* t
Bill Owen
These Foolish University Regulations
jpttt
“You’ll have to leave the sorority now, WOrthal—10:30 Is closing
hour on week nights, you know.’’
i