Gerald
He Oregon Daily Emerald is published Monday through Friday during the college year
(ran Sept. IS to June 3. except Noe. 16, 36 through 30, Dec. 7 through 9, 11 through Jon. 4,
.March 8 **»™*gb 10, 13 through 29, May 3, and 31 through June 3, with issues on Nov. 21,
Jan. 23, and May 8, by the Student Publications Board of the University of Oregon. En
tered aa second class matter at the post office, Eugene, Oregon. Subscription rates: $S per
, school 3$2 per terra. *
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. Unsigned editorials are written by
the editor; initialed editorials by the associate editors.
Fraternities and Prejudice
The issue of fraternity exclusion of racial groups from me
bership which started the recent rash of “Letters to the Editor,”
goes much deeper than exclusion clauses.
It is a matter of the sociological tendency of a major portion
of our population to harbor feelings of intolerance and semi
hypocritical “tolerance.”
We would divide Americans into three groups regarding
conditioned feelings toward real and supposed “other races”:
1. Those who just don't like people with skin of a different shade.
2. Those who honestly feel no hatred toward such minority groups,
but who deep-down wouldn't care to have them be an active part
of their own intimate group.
S. Those who would personally never give the matter much
- thought, who are genuinely unprejudiced to the extent that they
don’t care one way or the other what color skin or slant of eye and
acquaintance has.
Most of the latter group go their natural way; a few get mad
about the prejudicial acts they see around them and try to do
something about it.
The discrimination against racial groups in the factor}', the
schools, fraternities and sororities is caused by members of the
second category, as well as the first. They would rather “choose
their own friends” mostly because society has helped form such
feelings. They feel that way of their own volition, but a lot of
the tendency would be removed if it weren’t for apprehension
about what others would think.
Exclusion clauses, which about two-thirds of the frater
nities on campus have in their charters, are a reflection of
prejudicial tendencies in our society. To eliminate discrim
ination in public matters, laws can go a long way. In pri
vate matters, the prejudicial foundation must be the target.
This is a combination of both, and must be so treated.
But this does not necessarily mean “educating” the person
who discriminates on the surface. Many fraternity men would
just as soon have Negro and Oriental friends as members of
their groups, if it weren’t for fear of harming the unity of their
national chapters—for economic as well as loyalty reasons.
And we are pretty much convinced that if a lot of fraternity
and sorority members found that at Oregon it was a natural
thing to have other “races” represented in their membership,
they would become used to the practice. Status quo is a big
thing in human relations.
But the whole problem has no rigid correlation between one’s
fraternity or independent status. Exclusion clauses are an artic
ulation of a characteristic of a large segment of our society.
Surprise
“I’d like to see the look on Mrs. Stokes’ face when she hears about
this.”
Letters to the Editor
Not Enlightened
Emerald Editor:
For a brief moment, after first
glancing at the letters defending
fraternities in Wednesday’s Em
erald, I was led to believe that at
last I, as a "poor unfortunate,"
was about to be enlightened as to
"Greek views on life, etc.” How
ever, I was cruelly misled. Not
only did neither letter accomplish
anything constructive on this
point, but both were filled with a
remarkable string of feeble gen
eralities which could be refuted
by any seventh-grader of normal
IQ.
The first letter, by the gen
tleman with the long and sin
gularly unimpressive title, was
absurd enough to claim that
"argument does no good—only
harm.” If that Is his opinion of
the merits of argument, wheth
er in a newspaper Or not, it is
evident that he has neglected
several vital links in his educa
tion.
In the second letter, the claim
is made that “most of the brill
iant and successful men graduat
ing from Oregon" have been fra
ternity members. The implica
tion is that such men were suc
cessful because they were Greeks,
which is clearly a ridiculous
brand of logic.
The letter further states that
“a fraternity broadens one
more than any other college
experience.” Very interesting.
In what portion of the anatomy
does this broadening occur? Is
it not true that, as so well de
picted in a Bibler cartoon in
the Emerald last year, frater
nities tend to produce a stereo
typed representative of the sys
tem? And, granted that con
tact with other students pro
duces better understanding of
people, isn’t such contact to be
found in greater quality and
quantity within, aay, the dor*
mltories rather than within
the stultifying confines of a
fraternity? Or dtoes the exclu
siveness of fraternity member
ship guarantee such contact?
One the latter point, I was cer
tainly happy to learn that as
many as seven fraternities (out
of 21 on campus) “practice toler
ance.” This fact in itself js suf
ficient to justify the existence of
fraternities.
Martin Meadows
Issue Sidestepped
Emerald Editor:
The basis of "No Argument’’
as to whether or not fraternities
discriminate upon any racial or
religious group is ridiculously in
congruous. It is merely a basis
of avoiding the question, used by
he who realizes the function and
goal of his frat, thereby protect
ing it by overlooking any weak
nesses in his society rather than
making an effort to improve
these prejudices.
The letters of Wednesday’s
Emerald are very contrasting
—one completely sidestepping
the issue as though he were
living in blissful ignorance,
while the other plainly pre
sents the poor argument* of
“embittered, disillusioned and
U-lnformed independents" with
the concluding fact that at
least seven fraternities ban
racial discrimination, “but
practice tolerance."
Some respect must be granted
to those fraternities: however,
what about the other two-thirds,
and what about the definition of
“Tolerance” ? ? ?
Name withheld by request
-A Day at the Zoo
Social Regression Safe
As Fraternity Meets Again
by Bob Funk
It was evening in the fraternity
house, and there was an oppres
sive sense of intolerance in the
air. Members of the censorship
committee were meeting in the
dining room, blacking out intellec
tual articles in the newspaper.
Several members, reeking of alco
hol, lay passed out on the floor.
A claxon sounded, and there was
a clatter of un
cut toenails on
the floor. The
bondsmen,
wearing identi
c a 1 cashmere
sweaters, uni
form haircuts,
and low fore
heads, ran in a
muttering pack
into the chap
ter room.
The chapter room was simply
decorated. There was a banner
declaring “WHITE IS MIGHT
WHITE IS RIGHT” dominating
one wall. On the opposite wall
was an array of whips and old
Kn Klux Klan uniforms. The
members sat down on various
assorted beer kegs.
“The meetin ull now come ta
order,” snarled the Grand Dragon.
The Grand Dragon announced the
agenda. It was as follows:
1. Report of the committee
for corruption of public morals.
2. Report of the committee on
the 195S Christmas Project—
Racial Discrimination for the
children of Eugene.
3. Hallowe’en vandalism Com
mittee report.
4. Report on the committee
for rephrasing the ritual in ob
scene language.
5. Proposals for pledging.
As usual, committee chairmen
for most of the committees were'
either too intoxicated to report,
or were doing time. The meeting
grated discordantly on until it was
time for the fifth item on the
agenda.
“There's this ull, real nugget,"
slobbered the Grand Dragon, “and
he don’t eat much, so maybe we
oughta nail a pledge pin on ’im.”
The standards chairman arose.
“VVhut culler is he?”
“Sort of a dirty tan,” replied
the Grand Dragon.
“A NON-COUCASIAN?” asked
the standards chairman incredu
lously.
“Naw,” sneered the Grand Drag
on, “he just doesn’t wash.”
Everyone snarled with relief,
and the proposed pledge was
promptly voted in.
"An now,” the Grand Dragon
said, almost in a normal speaking
voice, “we’ll sing the Closing
Song.” The bondsmen stood, and
peering at each other malignantly
through the smoke, they shriek
ed—
“Dear old frat club, we hereby
pledge
To never leave this narrow
ledge
Of intellectual degradation
To which we cling in fond
stagnation.
To never read a classic book;
To never ever bear or brook
The slightest racial deviation
From pure Caucasian pigmen
tation ;
To never know no English
Ut.,
Or when infinitives are split.”
As this ended, there was a tear
(maybe from the smoke) in every
eye. The members file out, gulp
for fresh air. Social regression was
safe for another day.
/7ccents
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iNQRTH.END
SUNDAY THRU TUESDAY
Fredric March
in
“THE MAN ON THE
TIGHTROPE"
plus
"THE ROSEBOWL STORY"
in color
dm
NOW PLAYING
“Man from the Alamo”
Glenn Ford - Julie Adams
also
“Abbott and Costello Meet
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde”
MAYFLOWER
ITI I!tk 3i ALDER DHL 51022
NOW PLAYING
“The Eternal Return’
Jean Marais and
Madeleine Solongne
also
Selected Shorts