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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 1955)
+ EMERALD EDITORIALS + Wise Action Permission to move freshman pledges into the house this term was given Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity by the office of student affairs is likely to raise controversy on campus. Wc fail to see any cause for protest against the action by even the most staunch advocate of deferred living. The case, as we understand it, does not set a precedent for either the SAM house or for any other of the University’s 20 fraterni ties. It can not really be interpreted as a re laxing of the official administration policy of deferred living for freshmen. Neither can it be charged that the Uni versity is playing favorites by granting the special privilege to the Sammies. The ac tion is but further indication of the admin istration’s generally sympathetic policy toward fraternities and Greek living, which it must acknowledge as a significant contribution to campus life. Last spring term, when several of the smaller fraternities were in financial diffi culties, a similar dispensation was granted the bther fraternities. Scholastically eligible Eugene freshman pledges and members of all the houses were allowed to move into their respective houses. Last year, the Uni versity saved one fraternity from extinction by taking over a $22,000 mortgage on the chapter house. Freshman men who are vet erans are allowed to move into a fraternity during their first year in school. Admittedly, Sigma Alpha Mu holds a u nique position on campus as the only Jewish fraternity at Oregon. Furthermore, the Sam mies have made a significant contribution to the University environment in both grades and activities. It would indeed be unfortun ate were the University to lose such an out standing fraternity. The relatively low Jewish population in the state has meant a diminishing manpower potential for SAM in the past four years. Since 1951, only nine men have pledged SAM. Only four of these remained in school after their first year. A total of 14 men pledged Sigma Alpha Mu last fall term, giving the fraternity its first real chance for a come back in four years. Eight of these are now scholastic ally eligible to move into the fraternity. The administration has made a wise and forward-looking decision in allowing the freshman Sammie pledges to move into the house this term. We hope it will provide the impetus needed to maintain Sigma Alpha Mu in its position of prominence on campus. PSC: The Future (Eugene Register-Guard) There is no point in opposing a bill which the legislature will entertain next session and which would- set up Portland State col lege as a full-fledged and independent school, on a par with the University and Oregon State college. Pressures from the Portland area, backed by very good reason, have made creation of the school a sure thing. What other parts of the state must do now is to watch the Portland situation carefully and to make sure that the camel with his nose in the tent, doesn’t force the other occupants clear out. The present policy of the state board of higher education is that the new school shall be primarily a liberal arts institu tion offering teacher training and serving students living in the Portland area. Board members see it as a “lunch box school,” whicfy students attend for classes only, living at home, probably with their par ents. They do not see a school offering such high-level educational advantages as football and fraternities. That’s fine. It is also fine, with the state board’s idea in mind, that the college be centered in a small area around the old Lin coin High School Bldg, on upper Broadway. The danger will come in another five years, or in another 10. By 1965. the chancel lor’s office estimates, the new school will have 5.414 students—as many as OSC has now. Then the heat will be on for a bigger campus, for more land, and for. the social advantages that are offered at the other two large state schools. Land acquisition in the relatively congested Broadway area is an expensive proposition. It might prove ex pensive enough that the Portland promoters could argue for abandoning that site and moving to the edge of town where land is cheaper. It is not ridiculous to speculate in this manner about the future of Portland State. .The history of the school has been a history of moving by inches. Each inch, the board and the taxpayers were assured, would cost very little. And that has been true. No single development has been a drain on the limited bank account of higher education in Oregon. To date there has been no public an nouncement of a master plan for develop ment of the school. Board members have had in their hands for 10 weeks a thick booklet entitled, "Report on the Prospects of a State College in Portland." However, the report has not been discussed at the board’s public meetings, nor at the public meetings of its committees. It is not unreasonable to ask that the citi zens of Oregon be given a blue-print for the development of Portland State college, and that cost figures be set forth so that this moving by inches won't deceive anybody. Creation of Portland State college is a fore gone conclusion, and it is probably a good thing for the state. However, we ought to know what it we're letting ourselves in for. Literary Magaiine A literary magazine, such as the one pro posed by the group which met Wednesday evening,-could add much to the cultural en lightenment of the University. We question, however, whether it would have sufficient student appeal and be able to overcome sev eral difficulties. Both the Oregana and Emerald have experienced some problems of financing in recent years. The addition of another University publication might add to the financial problems of the yearbook and newspaper and we wonder whether the Student Publications Board would ap prove a literary magazine if it were to cut into revenue of the present publications. Another problem would be that of getting qualified persons to write articles for the magazine and to work on production. This might be hard to overcome in the light of in creasing student apathy toward activities. Distribution would also be a problem for a literary magazine. Subscriptions, street sales or what? The group — 23 — which attended the Wednesday night meeting may be avidly interested in such a project at the present time, but for such an undertaking there must be a sufficient staff and assured con tinuity. Skeptical is only a mild way of expressing our opinion on the proposed publication. We can’t see how the problems of appeal, fin ances and interest would be worked out. (P.K.) Footnotes No chance of girls on West side of Car son sleeping in since SU chimes were in stalled last year. The electronic bongs at 8 a.m. are more effective than any alarm clock, they say. * * * Hear we have a rare “ginko” tree on cam pus. That must make us almost as cosmo politan as OSC, which claims to have trees from every country in the world growing in its pastures. College Capers... From Coast to Coast By Lucia Kneppor Emtrild Columnist BOOTLEGGERS were caught by police on an Alabama campuH with 300 gallons cf moonshine whiskey. The stuff was poured out and the smell engulfed tin whole campus. Students were seen looking at each other with a •'what have you been drinking” expression. Local fraternity houses in that vicinity were rum ored to have had their pledges trying to tap the sewers, cups in hand. RECENT EDITORIAL in the Willamette Collegian discussed moves to turn back the tide of "creeping acttvityism." It seems that the school has gone beyond the established purpose of these events. Firesides have developed into major mid-week social func tions and the Homecoming activ ities have grown too big. SIZE 13 SANDALS weren’t easy to find for one of the prin ciple actors in the University of Minnesota's recent production of "King Oedipus." A frantic search was made of all local costume agencies, but finally the Univer slty theatre came up with it* own solution. "King Oedipus" had his sandals In time for the produc tion but they seemed more likely to resemble a pair of canvas shoes, cut-up and painted gold with the artistic touch of red Jewels. ACTIVITIES AND grades Just don't seem to mix at OHO Five "student leaders" failed to make a 2 point luMt term, thus losing their positions on campus. In teresting contrast with our own ASUO senate GPA of 3.1k, with ten members on the honor roll. And they call us the country club! SORORITIES played football at the University of Washington this past year with the feminine stars cleaning up on the football field. New rules were added to the books such as penalties being handed put for guarding too close without a chaperone and picking up the ball-carrier to score a needed touchdown. Strange tro phies were seen appearing in sor ority trophy cases after the te dious football season ... a brown jug, football and a shiny bucket. State of Union Message Described by News Analyst By WILLIAM I- RYAN AP Foreign New* Analyst In effect, President Kisenhow er has told the nation in his State of the Union message that while "today the world is at peace," in actuality peace is im possible in today's circum stances. That paradox was implicit in the message. It is a bitter para dox, and it was there 'because of a much more bitter one ex pressing the credo of Soviet com munism: That peace is only an extension of war. President Elsenhower ex pressed a noble aim for Amer ica’s policy: Encouragement of “the efforts being made in the United Nations to limit armaments and to harness the atom to peaceful use." Yet he also said that "pending a world agreement on armament limitations we must continue to improve and expand our supplies of nuclear weapons for our land, naval and air forces." Is such an agreement on arma ment limitations possible as mat ters stand today? President Eis enhower apparently does not think so, for he said: “All of us are aware of the continuing reliance of the Soviet Communists on mili tary forces ... their steadily growing power includes an in creasing strength in nuclear weapons. This power, combinril with the proclaimed intentions of the Communist leaders to communize the world, is the threat confronting us today.” If the Soviet regime continues to rely on force, and if that re gime is dedicated to the aim of communizing the world, then such a thing as disarmament be comes impossible, and the United States continues to live in a state of suspension between war and peace. Implicit in th<* President'* re view wan the conviction that so long as the Soviet Union is ruled by a regimen of dedicated world Communists, real peace is not possible. The President issued n gi Im warning: "If the Communist rulers understand that America’s re sponse t» aggression will l» swift and decisive—that never shall We buy peace at the ex pense of honor or faith—they will be powerfully deterred from launching a military ven ture engulfing their own peo ple* and many others in dis aster.” That was not merely a restate ment of a "massive retaliation’' policy. There was no bluster about it. Moscow and Peiping can be reasonably sure that it means the "rulers’' of world communism will be held respon sible for future aggressions, and if there must be punishment for that, the punishment will strike at the heart of world commu nism. The President, at the *ame time, underscored how impor tant It is to remember that "the military threat is hut one menace to our freedom and se enrity.” He said Americans must not only deter aggression, •nit also "frustrate the ef fort* of the Communists to gain their goals by subver sion.” This was another warning. It signified the West's awareness that the Communists hope to gain all possible, short of risk ing a world war that might crush the movement and all its leaders. The warning therefore had to be a alear one: The free world, un der American leadership,• would be alert to prevent any more cheap victories aimed at chewing up nations one by one. oreqo m WEQCLD Mamination'and vacMion”* ^Uie'stu lenW^Ii'* ?, ‘*"rln*l <>"' “<'honl year -f <-|>t Entered as second class matler 0l the , i“ !' * “Mirations lloutd of (lie University of (li.-con. school year; *2 a tern. 'h* >•«•«•»«. .. Sol,., ri(.lion rate: *3 per sent tin, opinions of the"ASUO^or'uTr IT*” "* wrl,l'r ""'I >1“ not pretend in repie initialed ed.iorial, by n,ef„l«“ Vt !l„ I'Zirili' bol.d;"1''"'1 “» * *•*« 8
