SORORITIES IV
Alum Influence Hinders Progress
(Ed. Note: This Is the last in a series of four editorials discussing
'ftorority-alumnac relations.)
In November, 1952, George Stadleman of The Dalles asked
£hat further study be made of the present system of sorority
•pushing. -
Stadleman, outlining his reasons for asking the alumnae as
sociation for a review and re-evaluation of sorority rushing,
$aid:
“I believe it is a matter iof the administration and not a
^matter for someone on the outside. I do believe that the sys
tem at present is not any better than the system at Oregon 25
years ago.”
Sorority alumnae are united in opposing delayed rushing and
•deferred living although the former is the logical solution to
the latter. Dormitory counselors voted unanimously last spring
tor delayed rushing.
Mrs. Carl Koppe, president of City Panhellenic, felt that
delayed rushing would divert students to other schools, espe
cially Oregon State college. She is opposed to deferred living
because it doesn’t give the sorority enough control over so
cial habits, grades, and study hours.
Rushing during the over-crowded registration week was a
.concession to the demands of sorority alumnae, who wanted
push week to precede registration.
Sororities are most often criticized on grounds of racial
and religious discrimination.
Mrs. Koppe declared that neither Panhellenic nor any indi
vidual had written rules barring Negroes and Orientals. Mrs.
Mary X. Plummer, former national president of Theta, said
there was no quota on Catholics, and that it was “not unusual’’
to pledge a Jewish woman.
One of the main points in Mrs. Glenn Frank’s (widow of a
University of Wisconsin president) controversial article on
sororities was the quota on Catholics. She declared in a na
tional magazine, that it was not proportional to the number
of Catholic women enrolled at Wisconsin, or on any other
campus of which she knew.
Mrs. Koppe said that Jewish girls could always pledge their
own sororities, such as the chapters at the University of
Washington. Few campuses have such groups, and the Jewish
sororities have only recently been recognized by National Pan
liellenic, despite repeated appeals.
Mrs. Plummer said she felt the solution to the racial prob
lem could best be solved by parallel development—that is
colored girls, too, could form their own sororities. It is doubt
ful that such groups would be admitted to National Panhel
lenic.
.Recently a few college fraternities have pledged colored
students on threat of losing their charters. An editorial writer
for the Christian Century praised the fraternities for their
broadmindedness and courage, and hoped for a new era, but
remarked:
“Most of the agitation for lowering of racial bars has come
from student members of fraternities, changes brought about
in a face of determined opposition from older alumnae.”
We are not suggesting that all alumnae are enemies of prog
ress, but that the more liberal are outnumbered. This is indi
cated by the predominance of older alumnae in alumnae char
ters, sometimes to the extent of forcing the younger alums to
form their own organization.
Sorority members themselves are not united in seeking
change. Many consider such reforms as racial and religious
equality so utopian as to be beyond consideration.
Many faculty members and administrators who are in a posi
tion to make some changes are alumnae themselves, or take
the realistic view that tradition is extremely difficult to uproot.
Yet it seems as if the continging dominance of alumnae in
sorority affairs, and especially in the policy-making decisions
Of the organizations, can only impede progress.—(H.J.)
Dazhf
EMERALD
The Oregon Uaily Emerald published Monday through Friday during the college year
~ext*pt Jan. 5; Mar. 9, 10 and 11; Mar. 13 through 30; June 1, 2 arid 3 by the Student Publi
cations Board of the University of Oregon. Entered as second class matter at the post office,
JLugene, 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
.editorial staff members. Unsigned editorials are written-by the editor.
Xarry Hobart, Editor
Sally Thurston, Business Manager
Helen Jones, Bill Gurney, Associate Editors
Jim Haycox, Editorial Assistant
Al Karr, Managing Editor
New Editor: Kitty Fraser
Asst. Managing Editors: Judy McLoughlin
Paul Keefe
Sports Editor: Larry Lavelle
Asst. News Editors: Laura Sturges, Jackie
Wardell, Len Calvert.
Wire Editors: Lorna Davis, Andy Salmins,
Virginia Dailey, Valera Vierra
Nat’l Advertising Manager: Carolyn Silva
Layout Manager: Jim Solidum
Classified Advertising Manager: Beverly
DeMott
HKN, GOVERNOR TO SPEAK
Lunch Tickets Selling at SU
Tickets for the Dad’s day lunch
eon must be purchased this week
at the main desk of the Student
Union, according to Norma Hult
gren and Joan Cartozian, co-chair
men of the luncheon committee.
Tickets will not be available Sat
urday.
Paul Patterson, governor of Ore
gon, will speak at the luncheon on
the topic, “The State.” Harry K.
Newburn, University president,
will address the group on “The
University.”
Fathers arriving by bus or train
Friday evening and Saturday
morning will be met at the respec
tive depots and brought to the
campus by the members of Skull
and Dagger, sophomore men's ser
vice honorary.
Members of Kwaraa, sophomore
women's service honorary, will reg
ister the fathers from 9 to 11 a.in.
Saturday in the Eugene hotel lob
by, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on
the second floor of the SU. Re
sults of the registration will deter
mine the awarding of the tro
phies, which will be awarded at
the basketball game Saturday
night.
Reserved seat tickets at $1.80
are on sale at McArthur court for
the Saturday basketball game.
General admission tickets can be
IT
picked up by the fathers when
they register Saturday.
The general admission tickets
plus registration tags will allow
the dads to see the game down
stairs with their sons or daugh
ters, in the special section in the
balcony, or in any general admis
sion seat.
Saturday morning hostesses will
be on duty in the SU to guide tours
through the building and to furnish
information about it.
'Y' Fun Fest Scheduled Saturday
The evening program for the
mixer of the International Fun
Fest, to be held Saturday at Ger
linger hall, has been announced by
Ted Goh, general chairman. The
mixer is slated after the basketball
game with Idaho.
Numbers on the program in
clude Alan Robinson from England
in a piano number accompanying
Diana Starr, freshman in music,
singing; Marin Bcringucl from the
Philippines doing a Philippine
dance; Basdeo Maharajah from
Trinidad doing a calypso dance
with Adriana Jaunlins, Latvia;
Mineko Imai from Japan dancing
a Japanese folk dance; and John
Scow performing Austrian and
Italian and Mexican folk dances.
Achim Jurchen, special student in
journalism from Germany, will be
master of ceremonies.
WIFE'S HEARING POSTPONED
The preliminary hearing on a
check charge which faces the wife
of an Oregon faculty member has
been postponed in San Diego.
Mrs. Donald W. Allton, wife of
D. W. Allton, assistant professor
of music, is suspected by San
Diego police of cashing $800 worth
of bad checks in the San Diego
area. A warrant was issued for Iier
in December.
Mr. and Mrs. Allton have pre
viously denied the charge, stating
that professional forgers were to
blame.
According to the Associated
Press, the hearing has been post
poned in the Superior Court of San
Diego until Mar. 9.
SiAGa&itia+t
FOR DAD'S DAY HOSTESS
"A date with dad"
NANCY GREEN
Sponsored by: