The Oregon Daily Emerald i» published Monday through Friday during the college year from Sept. 15 to June 3, except Nov. 16, 26 through 30, Dec. 7 through 9, 11 through Jan. 4, March 8 through 10, 12 through 29, May 3, and 31 through June 2, with issues on Nov. 21, Jan. 23, and May 8, by the Student Publications Board of the University of Oregon. En. tered 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. Unsigned editorials are written by the aditor; initialed editorials by the associate editors. AL KARR, Editor BILL BRANDSNESS, Business Manager PAT GILDEA, ELSIE SCHILLER, Associate Editors KITTY FRASER, LAURA STURGES, Editorial Assistants JACKIE WARDELL, Managing Editor JOE GARDNER, News Edtior SAM VAHEY, Sports Editor Chief Makeup Editor: Paul Keefe Asst. Managing Editors: Len Calvert, Bob Chief Night Editor: Anne Hill Patterson Chief Copy Desk Editor: Gloria Lane Asst. News Editors: Dorothy Her, Gordon Rice, Sally Ryan Somebody Goofed Monday’s bandwagon rally notwithstanding, that vague thing called “spirit” at Oregon has been even more conspicuous by its absence this year—but there's a lot of disagreement as to why and as to so what. Here are some of the trickles we've been bearing in the cur rent discussion about the apparent inertness of students, especially at certain sports events on Saturday afternoons: • College students are too sophisticated to get in there and yell for their team. • Oregon students are free thinkers, and, as such, refuse to join the crowd and cheer. * • Fraternity men think that they’re above yelling. • The rally squad is composed of an inept yell king, unco operative yell dukes, and willing but unsensational song queens. • The rally board is sitting on its heels, showing no in itiative for rallies, noise parades, and game stunts. • Oregon, until the last two games, hasn't been a winning football team. ' • No one has any time to turn out for rallies. • Oregon studehts choose to expend their energy in dem onstrations for their favorite candidates rather than cheering at football games. These are not just possible explanations for the lack of spirit shown; we have heard every one of them expressed at one time or another these past few weeks. And there is quite a bit of truth in some of them. It Ccn Be Overcome We agree that there is a tendency for college students, es pecially at Oregon, to refuse to cut loose and yell at games— but for the most part this can be overcome by imaginative and inspiring means. There will still be quite a few of us who won’t chant ‘‘silly-sounding” phrases, but most of us will respond to top-notch yell leading and aggressive grid play with spirit of pur own. That’s all anyone should want. The rally squad certainly is trying to whip up spirit, but it is in a position where it is fighting the students to yell, not leading them. A combination of four straight losses by the team (until its current winning streak), relative inactivity by the rally board, uninspiring, unimaginative and hackneyed yells and methods at games, artificial rallies (but Thursday night’s was an improvement), the yell king doing the wrong thing at the right time as far as appealing to the rooters, and a detached feeling in the stands have served to hold back possible displays of oomph. But, as we say, it wouldn’t take a miracle to convert the stands into willing noisemakers. Even now, many of the towns people of Eugene and Portland have boosted the Ducks at the * games, as have the Hayward field Knothole club members. [With the right conditions, we think students would, too. * Voluntary Atmosphere Needed Something got students going Monday, after the USC vic tory, even if a lot of them never saw the game or saw it in comparative silence (except for natural outbursts at the fre quent Oregon high points in the game.) What is needed now is capitalization upon such moments, by ipspirng rally efforts. Then, we think, a voluntary atmosphere of vocal spirit would do a lot to satisfy Cas’ desire for consistent support—not just when Oregon wins. The Oregon squad has been supplying Oregon students with a vital factor for spirit lately—inspiring play and a chance lor the students to see the Webfoots win at home, which should do a lot to improve “spirit.” The problem, on the whole, is one of student attitude and loyalty to the University of Oregon in general. Withi© that context, the job is one for the rally board and rally squad to inspire students, especially at the games. They haven’t done so the past few years, and particularly this year. Letters to the Editor Back to BA Emerald Editor: I do not ordinarily engage in this type of correspondence, but if I don’t write this letter, I fear that I shall run mad. It is in re gard to your (and I use the term in its most liberal meaning) "critic.” I did not say anything when he reviewed several New York stage plays, which, due to pressing engagements here on campus, I shall probably miss seeing this season, nor did I say anything when he ruth lessly shredded “See How They Run,” which I thought was ex cellently produced and present ed. Biit when I read his review of “Limelight"—that did It! As it seems that anyone with the literary or phonetic ability to utter “I um a critic” is given a column and a byline, I thought A Day at the Zoo Ugh by Bob Funk fcmorald Columnist He was drinking a cup of cof fe. He hated coffee; hated it so much that as a general rule he passed it up for Coke. He also hated Coke, but not as much as coffee. They did not serve Coke for breakfast, and this was breakfast. He knew It was breakfast because he could smelt the everlast ing smell of She everlast ing eggs curd ling or frying o r whatever you care to call it, in about a ton of old grease. Old-grease-encrusted eggs; this is the way we start our day, he thought, with loud gurgling noise which meant “let’s gdt the hell out of here and go back to bed.” He would have gone back to bed, except that going back to bed meant missing classes; missing classes meant flunking courses; flunking courses meant not graduating—and he was going to graduate if it killed him and every member of the family. Jones was sitting next to him, gnawing on a piece of toast. No body could gnaw louder than Jones. “Jones,” he said, "you’re mak ing me sick to my stomach.” “You’ll feel better later,” Jones said. Jones was such a charming optimist. The Optimist of the Breakfast. Table, Mr. George Arnold Jones, Alpha of Oregon scroll number 259, GPA nil, IQ doubtful. He doubted if he would feel better, Jones or no Jones. He would have to sit through his eight o’clock before the time of the morning would come around when he would feel bdtter, and if he did sit through the eight o’clock he would have a fit or something from boredom. Maybe things would be better at nine, when they were drinking coffee and playing the slot machine. The Invincible Slot Machine, in ten colors, special when lit. He always liked the place that it said “SPECIAL' WHEN LIT.” It reminded him of his fraternity brothers. This morning it re minded him of Joan, too. She had been pretty special when lit, Saturday night. Saturday night seemed a long time ago in a lot of ways, but she was the kind of girl that left a bad taste in your mind for days. tha't I would take advantage of these entrance requirements and join thin hallowed group. I am not going to mention the fact that “Limelight” is in itself a unique achievement in that it was produced, directed, musical score written and the leuding role portrayed by one man. Fur ther, I will not mention that most of our New York and Lon don critics said that this was un doubtedly a screen classic, critics who, to say the least, are slightly more eminent than our own mod ern representative of the Edin burgh Review, and, to say the most, are probably a great deal more qualified. But I will say this: if only taken for its warmth, Its hum an kindness, its love, its hum or, Its pathos, “Limelight” Is a memorable picture, a picture to la* seen and to be enjoyed by anyone who has the feelings to It was time to go to class. .Jones was making groaning noises as If he meant to get out of his chair. Jones didn’t need to groan so much; he was going to a class you could “C” If you had blood and were breathing, a class full of beau tiful girls (Jones said so; if Jones said so, it must be true) and pleasant dreams. Jones wouldn’t, have anything to do but sit there letting his cof fee dissolve his egg, and look at the beautiful girls. He got out of his chair; some thing must have happened to some of the muscles in his legs last night; they had come untied, or something. He picked up his notebook; it had peach jam on it. Maybe he would lick it off during his eight o'clock. He put on his coat; the poor damned old coat that had to get up in the morning and go along to class; the coat that was made out of one part wool to one part old rain-sog to one part cigarette smoke. And he walked out of the front door of the fraternity house with Jones. Somebody had written "Trick or Treat’’ on the sidewalk in lipstick. “Trick,” said Jones. "Treat,” he said, wondering a little what they were talking about. They walked off down the sidewalk together. do no. (Of course, If one does- . n’t ... ) In closing, may I suggest that, your "critic,” as hard as It may seem, give up the field of artistk* criticism and go back to business administration, Less eminence,' but more money. Chris Chisholm On "Irresponsible Drivel' Dear Emerald Editor: The demands of an Emerald reader are necessarily not many, —but why, in Sam Hill, doesn't the Emerald get a critic? needed one: it still needs on-v The ineptness of the person no* brazenly writing under that pseudonym has been demonstra ted beyond question with the credible imbecility of his receat review of Chaplin's IJmeligkw The emptiness of such unfit retted criticism is self-apparent* Criticism should perform a con structive or informative func tion: it has no other end. Tb* critic is above all a responsible person, expected to reveal some justness and thought In his pro nouncements, or at least to try to, whether he be humorous op sad, entertaining or didactic. Most men can tear down, f.** can build. The bad, irrespon“iht« drivel of the "Emerald critic'* can set no precedent: it can onfy wound and disgust the thought-*1 ful, amuse the groundlings, and lower the standards and moraje* of a paper already dartgerou iy_ low. Sincerely, Don H. Hensley Winston Cozine Why the Dads' Lounge?. Emerald Editor: After reading in Wednesday'*1 Emerald that the Young Demo crats are sponsoring a program^ Sunday evening featuring Sen-J ator Wayne L. Morse as speakerj I couldn't help wondering why their meeting was being held :**< the Dad's Lounge of the StudcrJj Union where the audience wuuid I be limited to only 200 people. H A man who has aroused tile ( controversy that Senator Morsi'e has would surely attract a mu ti larger audience nnd hence, »v*r1 though it would distract froir" the informality of the t dk. should warrant the stage of tty | Student Union Ballroom wheru all interested persons would haw * an opportunity to hear his views* Larry Schwartz The Big Chance i promised that you could play during the Jast half, and I want you to know that I’m a man of my word.”