+ 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