'CARDBOARD CASTLE' UNDER FIRE
Vets' Dorm Conditions Examined
*•
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By Joe Gardner
Emerald Attitfant Now* Editor
Since their construction on cam
pus in 1946, the Veterans’ dormi
tories have been ridiculed by the
students living in them, defended
by tin administration as the best
that can be expected for a “tem
porary structure” and called by
fire officials a possible menace to
fire-safety.
Lester Barker, Eugene fire
marshal, Thursday morning said ‘
that the buildings difintely fall
short of the minimum fire require
ments of the city building code in
many respects. Among the specfic
charges leveled by Barker against
the dormitories were the lack of
incombustible doors from rooms to
hallways and the sub-standard
condition of the fire doors in the
halls.
He also stated that fire insula
tion in the corridor walls and ceil
ings is sufficient to withstand only
a 15 minute blaze. The require
ment calls for one hour protec
tion.
1m re Trap
Date in December, the Eugene
Register-Ouard ran a series of ar
ticles on Eugene fin-traps. While
not specifically calling vets’ dorms
a firetrap, the newspaper did in
clude a story on the poor fire con
ditions that prevailed in the build
ings. A reporter accompanied by
Eldon Winkley, deputy state fire
marshal, made a tur of inspection
at that time. Winkley subsequently
called fbr a complete fire-safety
inspection.
The stories of succeeding fresh
man classes about the so-called
"Cardboard Castle’’ are amusing,
but a personal inspection by this
reporter last week failed to reveal
some of the charges made against
the buildings. Many of the defects
so often attributed to vets dorms
were noticed, however.
The buildings, originally used in
Portland shipyards, arc of pre
fabricated plywood construction.,
Heat flues running the length of!
the halls aic littered with paper
and dust, a decided menace to fire- j
safety according to Parker.
No special fire precautions were ■
observed in the rooms used for!
ironing. Windows in the doors of
these rooms which would permit
passers-by to detect the presence
of fire, were suggested in the Reg- !
ister-Guard article, but they have
not been added. Also, according to
one resident, only one fire drill
was held during fall term.
Fire Doors Slide
The fire doors separating each
unit into three parts were said to
be out of order by the Register
Guard. Such was not found to be
the case last week. All the doors j
checked slid open easily when re- j
leased. They are fastened shut by j
heat fuses which are designed to
release the doors when a tempera
xl LOVE YOU'
Valentine's Day American Holiday;
Foreign Nations Have Similar Days
By Don Wenzl
Emerald Reporter
Valentine's Day is as American
as hamburgers, apple pie and ice
cream. But the only ones who seem
to remember it are little kids and
advertisers.
It is not known exactly who made
the first paper heart sent to a
loved one inscribed “I love you.”
But interviews with foreign stu
dents indicate the custom as now
observed is strictly American, and
that it is spreading through Amer
ica’s wide postwar contacts.
Janine Etchepare said that in
France ,a predominantly Catholic
country, the day is observed as a
saint's feast day and is little differ
ent than any other feast day.
“Since the war,” -iliss Etchepare
said, "the custom has begun
growth. Although it has not the
commercial magnitude as here in
the States, French merchants are
pushing the day, and Feb. 14 is a
great flower-selling day.”
In Czechoslovakia, Iren Kudriav
cev reports there is no such day
as Valentine’s Day.
“I can’t remember any particular
Carson to Hear
KWAX on AM
Plans are now under way for the
installation of a transmitter which
Will enable Carson hall residents to
pick up campus radio station
KWAX over regular AM radio
sets.
According to Elwood Kretsinger,
assistant professor of speech, this
is part of a long-range program to
wire all dormitories on campus
with a direct line from the broad
casting station that can pick up all
KWAX programs on a frequency
of 880 kilocycles. Completion of
the Carson wire will be made by
next month.
The transmitter itself is being
built by Kretsinger at a cost of
aproximately $200 from a KRO
gift fund. Commercial transmitters
of the same size cost $1800. This
is to be installed in one of the
steam tunnels leading to the dor
mitories from the physical plant.
Work on the project was begun
three weeks ago.
Emerald Classified ads bring re
sults.
day set aside for lovers in my coun
try," she said. "Last year was my
first experience with Valentine’s
Day. The custom is peculiarly
American and I love it."
"Valentine* -Day is for the
young, and young in heart .isn't
it?” asked Judith rederson of Den
mark.
"We don't have a day exactly
like Valentine's Day, but we do
have a day called Fastelavns Dag.
It can be on any Monday in Febru
ary ,and is primarily for the
young."
Miss Pederson explained that
Fastelavns Dag is something like
Halloween in America. The chil
dren dress up in costumes and
masks, and go around to ail the
houses asking for candies, cookies
or money. There is no school on this
day and time normally spent in
school is spent in this Danish ver
sion of "trick or treat."
“In the evening, we have barrel
breaking pa; ties," she said. "A
wooden barrel containing a cat and
many gifts is set before a group of
young people. They line up and
each take Ins or her turn at trying
to break the barrel with a wooden
bat.”
Miss Pederson said the barrel
breaking can be compared to the
Mexican pinata at Christmas time.
If a boy breaks the barrel, he
chooses a girl to be queen and she
is called the Cat-Queen. If the girl
breaks the barrel, she chooses a •
| Cat-King. i
j "There is a gift in the barrel for i
! each person at the party," Miss
Pederson added.
Elfriede Kralik of Vienna. A us- >
tria, say that Austria too has no :
Valentines Day, but like Miss
Etchepare reports that post-war
American influence has caused an
increase in flower sales on Febru-!
ary 14. _
"From January 1 until the night j
before Lent is just one big party in !
Austria," Miss Kralik said. "The
tempo quickens to get all the par- j
tying done in the last three days
before Lent. These days are called
Fasching Dienstag — days before |
the fast days or Lent.
"I used to go to a ball at least
every other night during the party
season," she stated. "There were
balls every night during the Ball
season. One goes to so many par
ties, you are glad to see the Lenten
season arrive.
Miss Kralik said the balls begin
at S in the evening and last till five
in the morning, "Each boy is to
dance with each girl at least once
before, and once after midnight, or
he isn't considered to have good
manners,'1 she said.
At each party a girl with her
ticket is given a small gift like a
scarf, handkerchief or some other
small gift.
Buy Your Burgers
By the Bag!
Mth at Willamette Dukes 2-GO
Burgers Deluxe.25c
Hot Docj .15c
Milk Shakes . . . Ig. 18c, giant 25c
Popcorn.5c, 10c, giant 25c
Open 11:30 wk. nights — 12:30 wk. ends
turn of 365 cicgrers has been
reached.
Since, according to Barker, the
combustion of wood requires a 400
degree temperature, smoke and
gas fumes alone would be suffi
cient to break the fuses. Fi:e in
sulation at the point of the doors
runs the entire width of the build
ing.
H. P. Barnhart, director of dor
mitories, stated that the Univer
sity has in reality not received
much criticism of the buildings
from the Eugene fire department.
All the recommendations of the
fire marshal have been taken care
of and an attempt has been made
to comply with all the necessary
codes, he said. Greatest concern
of the administration, according to
Barnhart, is the tampering with
the fire alarm system by dorm
residents. -
Heat-activated
The alarm system at vets' dorms
conists of heat-activated wires
running the length of the halls
and into individual rooms. Fur
ther fire precautions noted in the
buildings last week were 15 fire
extinguishers and two direct wire
phones per unit. According to the
Register-Guard article, a full-time
watchman whose sole duty is to
patrol the area is there each night.
A total of 259 male students now
live in the vets’ dorms. There are
no occupants above the first
floor, and every first floor room
Jazz Band Mixer
Slated For Feb. 20
"Experiments in Modem Jazz, ’
will be the theme of a band mixer
to be presented by music students
m Gerlinger hall Feb. 20. Follow
ing the program, a small combo
will play for dancing.
Dean Theodore Kratt of the mu- |
sic school will begin the program
with a speech on the "Outlook for
Bandsmen in 1953.’’ Dick Stuart
and Dick Ramsdell. graduate stu
dents in music, will give a sympo
sium on modern dance music. The
rest of the progiam, under the
chairmanship of Robert Moore,
sophomore in music, will consist
of arrangements for large dance
band, dixieland and combo groups.
»
opens directly' on the outside. !'
Every rffort is being made to re
place vets’ dorms by 1955 statW
Barnhart. Construction of a r cfv/
men’s dormitory is first or. the pri
ority list of non-state financfid
buildings. "In the meantime, the
University will do everything with
in its power to keep vets’ dcrrjls
safe foi student occupancy," lie
said? r
■ — —sm
Prof to Attencl
Drama Confab
Howard Ramey, instructor >rv
speech ati«f technical director #f
the University theater, will attest**
the Northwest Drama conference
at the University of Washington in
Seattle, Thursday through Sattitr
day. He will represent both
University and the University the
ater. ‘ U
This is the first time in five
; years that the conference has rjet
been held on the UO campus. 1
Representatives of amateur or
ganizations from ten Northwestern,
states will meet and discuss topljr.*
pertaining' to all phases of theater
"ork at the confab. The program
will feature speakers from
fields of The theater including higV
school, university and college, ciiic
and community, and children's the
ater. ,
BATTERIES
Bradway-Httyard Shell Sersie,
East Broadway at Hilyard
THURS., FEB. 19
EUGENE ARMORY
CONCERT. 8 to 9:30
DANCE TO 1 A M.
■hi H'AMt MOOfRN'-AMiRICA 5
. I ;';»5AN OF MUSIC 1
p - STAN .-. -a I
KENTON
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MUHK
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FLOWERS TELEGRAPHED —WE DELIVER
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