The Jensen Case
A great deal of controversy has been stirred up in the past
two weeks over the University's exchange assembly and the
position of assembly director- Political intrigue, morality and
censorship have all come in for a thorough hashing over in
relation to the assembly and the directorship.
The selection of John Jensen as assembly director at the
Oct. 6 meeting of the ASUO senate served to bring the case
before the public. Jensen’s resignation at last Thursday’s
senate meeting should bring the case to a close. In view of the
current controversy, however, we think a few things might
now be said concerning the past history of this issue.
Late last spring term, ASUO President Bob Summers
consulted last year’s director Gloria Lee about a successor.
Miss Lee suggested Mark Tapscott for the position. Sum
mers accepted the suggestion and intended to recommend
Tapscott’s name to the senate at its first meeting fall term.
It was felt in some quarters, however, that the directorship
should be a position open to petitioners. Apparently there
was no clear precedent for this manner of selecting a director,
but Summers issued a call for petitions the day before the
Oct. 6 senate meeting. Jensen and Tapscott were the only
petitioners.
In our opinion, certain members of UIS seized upon the
selection of an assembly director as a political issue. The issue
was poorly' taken, we feel, and yet we are not blaming UIS
as a party- We do take exception with the individual UIS
senators who proposed to make political capital out of the
directorship.
Tapscott, in his interview, was asked if he had ever been
lead to believe he could have the directorship without petition
ing for the job. The implication, of course, was that Summers
was attempting to railroad through the senate the appoint
ment of Tapscott. Summers explained the situation, but the
damage had already been done. Jensen was selected assembly
director by a rather comfortable majority'.
As soon as news of Jensen’s selection went out on campus,
there was an immediate reaction against the new director.
Jensen had assured the senate that there would be no vul
garity in his show. Jensen’s past performances in campus
entertainment indicated to many that Jensen’s idea of vul
garity differed rather widely from the common standards
of good taste.
There was immediate pressure brought to bear on Summers
for Jensen’s recall. This pressure came from both present
senate members who felt they had not been fully informed
of the issue before voting for Jensen and from other students
outside the immediate area of student government. As far as
we have been able to learn, there was no direct pressure from
the administration, although some members of the faculty
did express their disapproval of Jensen’s selection.
When informed of the sentiment against him, Jensen of
fered to appear before the senate at last Thursday’s meeting
in order to clear his record. After explaining his position,
Jensen turned in a surprise resignation, saying “I think at
this time the best thing you can do is forget about the ex
change assembly because you are getting to the point where
we’re going to find vulgarity in a young lady showing her
ankle.”
We do not think the senate is being prudish in expressing
its concern for the content of a show which represents
the University throughout the state- Nor do we think them
unnecessary severe in criticizing some past performances
on campus.
If some such concern had been shown for Oregon's ex
change assembly last year, the University would never have
received the unfavorable publicity it did when the traveling
show was banned from Portland high schools. The senate’s
very real and sincere coi*;ern over the type of entertainment
presented in that show and in other presentations such as
Friday at 4 last year has lead them to approve an entertain
ment commission which will be responsible for campus en
tertainment. We have already expressed our approval of this
plan.
The new entertainment commission, we feel, can be a posi
tive check over campus entertainment, especially the exchange
assembly. It should not be a censor board that would pass
on every show presented on campus. Rather the commission
should act as a reviewing body to which erring performers
will have to answer.
Some campus entertainers have said they won’t partici
pate in the show, now that Jensen’s out and now that the
senate plans to maintain a check over the content of the
show. We think they are being rather childish over the
whole issue, but we also know how entertainers love to
perform. So we shall wait and see if their “acting blood”
will overcome their present anger.
The real problem now is in finding another exchange
director. We hope the senate has learned a lesson from the
“Jensen case” and will show a little better judgment in its
next selection. All we ask is that they learn the full issue
before voting and don’t allow politics to influence a decision
which should be based on technical considerations.
Daily
EMERALD
The Oregon Daily Emerald is published five days a week during the school year
except examination and vacation periods, by the Student Publication* Hoard of the Univcr
sity of Oregon. Entered as second class matter at the post office, Eugene, Oregon. Sub
scription rates: $5 per school year; $J a term.
Opinions expressed on the editorial pages are those of the writer and do riot pretend to
represent the opinions of the ASUO or of the University. Unsigned editorials are written
by the editor; initiated editorials by the associate editors.
JOE GARDNKK, Editor JEAN SaMINE, B>ninc»ii Manager
"It K I KWIS. I.M'KII' \\ AUDI' II. \ ,t. M ■
I'Al l. KF.K.KE, Managing Editor_DONNA STNHKKi; \ M
.IKKKV IIAKKKI.l.. Nr». Editm GORDON RH'K. Sport ..
v inei ucsk p.aitnr: >ally Kvan
Chief Makeup Editor: Sam Vthey
Feature Editor: Dorothy Her
Assjt. Managing Editor: Anne Ritchey
Aaa't. News Editors: Mary Alice Allen,
^ Anne Hill, Hob Robinson
Chief Night Editor: Valerie Hersh
Asa’t. Sports Editor: Hu** Nelson
Office Mu nailer: Hill MamwariiiR
Nat’l. Adv. Mgr.: Mary Salaxar
Circulation Mur.: Hick Hayden
Aaa’t. Office Mur.: Marge Harmon
layout Manager: Dick Kite
Clanitificd Adv.: Helen H. Johnson
Morgue Editor: Kathleen Morriaon
Woman'* Page Co-editor*: Sally Jo (»reig.
Marcia Mauney
Congratulations
Congratulations, Dr. Wilson.
Today is your inauguration, and we hope it marks the
formal beginning of a very long ami happy period in your
life and in the life of the University.
We think you’re a good president, a friendly one. We
like to see you at baseball and football games. We saw
you Saturday at Portland milling in the halftime crowds
"just like normal people.” That’s what a freshman we know
said when he saw you.
We like to see you at senate meetings and Ktnerald staff
meetings—not as a censor or an administrator, but as a friend.
Your presence at such meetings shows your interest in tis,
in our problems.
We appreciate it, Dr. Wilson. We’re glad vou're here.
-fJW.)
i
Who Gets the Headache?
-1
• fciT-. ^ -J
“Oh, it’s your desk—the former teacher didn’t take time to
empty his desk.”
Biologist-Author
Speaks on Belief
Julian Huxley, noted English
biologist and author, spoke this
morning in connection with Pres
ident Wilson’s inauguration and
Charter Day. His topic was “The
Bearing of Scientific Knowledge
on Belief in a Free Society.”
The 67-year-old lecturer re
ceived his education at Oxford
and Eton. He has taught at Ox
ford, Kings college, Royal In
stitute in London and Rice In
stitute, Texas.
Huxley joined the United Na
tions Educational, Social and
Cultural organization in 1946 and
became director-general of it a
year later. He was an editor for
the 14th edition of the Ency
clopedia Britannica and a mem
ber of the British Broadcasting
company.
Huxley’s two latest books were
published in 1953. Subjects of
the works are “Evolution in Ac
tion” and “The Evolutionary
Process.” He has been author and
co-author of more than 30 books.
Huxley's home is in London
with his wife and two sons, but
he is lecturing in the United
States this fall.
The speech was to be at 10
a.m. this morning in McArthur
court. All 10 a.m. classes were
dismissed to give students an op
portunity to hear Huxley’s ad
dress.
'Social Science' Topic
Of Browsing Lecture
“Where is Social Science Go
ing?’’ will be the topic of the
browsing room lecture Wednes
day evening. R. A. Littman, asso
ciate professor of psychology,
will be the lecturer, and R. j!
Richman, instructor in philoso
phy, will act as discussion leader.
The discussion will be the third
of the 1954-55 school year to be
held in the browsing hoom. Nine
lectures are scheduled for the
fall term series, according to
Bernice Rise, browsing room li
brarian.
Theater Features
Movies on Parade
Scopes from "Birth of A Na
tion,.rha Jazz Singer,” and
other movies will be part of the
presentation of "Early Movies on
Parade" to be shown Wednesday
evening by the Wednesday evc
ning educational theater, Com
monwealth 138, according to Jo
Ann Rogers, chairman of the
Student Union music committee.
Among the scenes from early
motion pictures will be: "The
Great Train Robbery;," "Easy
Street,” “Valpone,” "Henry IV,"
and "All (juiet On The Western
Front."
A March of Times production,
"March of the Movies," showing
the development of the cltfema
through work of the Museum of
Modern Arts will also tat shown.
Admission will be free.
Men's Honorary
Calls for Petitions
Petitions for Skull and Dag
ger, sophomore men’s service
honorary, are due today at 5
p.m, in the Student Union, ac
cording to Doug Basham, presi
dent.
Four positions in the honorary
fraternity are open, Basham said.
Applicants must have a 2.00
grade point ’average. Selection
will be on the bust* of scholar
ship, leadership, and activities,
according to Basham.
ASUO Insurance
Still Available
Oregon Insurance society wiil
meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the
Student Union. Plans to invite
guest speakers in the insurance
field will be discussed.
A second drive will be made to
sell ASUO insurance to students
who missed the opportunity to
buy It during registration week.
This drive will be sometime next
week, according to Doug John
son, president.
Program Muffled
By Blown Fuse
Radio KVVAX, the University
of Oregon's radio Station, was
blacked out Monday night during
the middle of "Scotty's Music
Hall." A fuse was blown due to
an overload of power on the main
switch.
The black out was not seri
ous and KVVAX will resume reg
ular broadcasting this afternoon.
Assistant Analyst
Applications Due
Applications for the position
of Junior professional assistant
for social science analyst must
be returned to Karl Onthgnk,
associate director of student af
fairs, Emerald 206. by Monday.
Applications are also issued from
this office.
Campus Briefs
• Kuama will meet Ht 6:80
tonight at Gerlinger, and pic
tures will be taken. All members
are expected to attend in their
uniforms, according to Helen
Ruth Johnson, president.
• Gamma Alpha Chi, nation
al professional advertising fra
ternity for women, will meet at
4 p.m. today in the Eric Allen
seminar room in Allen hall.
• Kappa I(ho Omieron will
meet ut 7 p.m. Wednesday in
Studio A at KWAX according to
Jim Jones, president.
• Members of Carson 3 and
Sigma Kappa have their picture
taken after 9 a.rn. today at Ken
nell-Ellis.
• Askelepiads will hold an
open meeting Tuesday at. 6 p.m.
at 123 Science building. A movie
"Health the American Way” will
be shown. All pre-medical and
pre-dental students are invited
to attend, according to Walt
Meihoff, vice-president.
• George A. Lo was confined
to the infirmary Monday for
medical attention, according to
hospital records.