+ EMERALD EDITORIALS +
For Better Spirit
We hope that the rally hoard is being extra
careful in its screening of potential members
of next year’s board. The possibilities of the
group will be outnumbered only by the diffi
culties and problems it will face.
Even the most enthusiastic of freshmen
will admit that the state of Oregon spirit is
poor, with the possible exception of Aggie
games. Is this because of traditional rallv
procedures? Or are we in an unspirited
slump?
Fall term failings in spirit may be charged
to spirits and seating, for the men and wom
en respectively. But what about winter term?
And what is forthcoming for spring term?
Tradition alone is not enough, no matter
how deeply ingrained in our webbed feet.
We also need the prerequisites of a po
tentially good game — which implies a
reasonably good team. Attendance was
not such a problem during football season.
A full house for a team that blows hot and
cold on alternate nights, with no middle
ground, hardly attracts a spirited crowd of
basketball lovers. This is basic.
From there, we cannot but agree with Alex
Byler in his proposals to improve school
spirit. Byler has given considerable thought
to the problem, and has come up with some
constructive ideas. We doubt very much if
the current board, or the new one. for that
matter, will go along with Byler's ideas.
They’re not in line with traditional thought
patterns on campus. 1 hey represent some
original thinking.
He suggests abolishing selection of femi
nine members of the rally squad. We agree—
partially.
We liked the comment of one father, here
for Dad's Weekend, who said it was just like
old historical times—“women dancing for
men.” Oregon’s bevy of beauties make very
fine half-time entertainment, but they add
little to Oregon spirit. First, they direct their
dances toward the women’s section — with
very little result. Across the way the men sit
glassy-eyed, arousing themselves for an oc
casional whistle. One member of the rally
squad said that there would he a lot more
spirit if students would join with them in
the yelling “not just watch us.” \Ye agree.
But when they put on such a floor show,
who is to blame the students for just watch
ing? It’s rather distracting. The women are
a very nice addition, hut why not limit their
functions to pure entertainment, rather than
having them distracting from the yells.
Byler also suggested selection of a single
yell leader—male. How effective this can he
has been demonstrated at recent games. A
single man would find it easier to command
Ahe respect and attention of a crowd—and
would be less distracting from the veils.
Complaints have been frequent on the
very yells themselves. Students are
“jumped” with a yell they don't know, so
as a result, just stumble through it. We
like Byler's suggestion for short staccato
yells—they are more peppy. They are also
easier to follow and easier to learn. Pos
sibly the board could agree on what yells
are to be used and mimeograph copies of
them for distribution in the various cam
pus living organizations.
The athletic department has noticed the
poor attendance of women at athletic events.
May we venture two possible reasons for
such low attendance? One: the women do
not understand the game, thus do not enjoy
it. Two: the prestige factor. In answer to the
first, perhaps it would be possible for some
group to sponsor an assembly for women at
the beginning of each sports season. The
coach and team members could explain some
of the basic fundamentals of the game.
The second is more difficult to answer. We
understand that at OSC women do not even i
consider missing a game—they're expected
to attend every one. Just how they arrived
at this state of affairs is uncertain. There is
evidently no loss in prestige from going to
the game with the girls.
We hope that the new rally board will give
these and any other possible solutions an 1
adequate hearing. ()regon need not be bound
bv hoary traditions, rather new ones should
be developed to meet current needs. And
right now we need some changes to develop
spirit. — (S.K.)
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CAMPUS COMMENT
Superstition Method
For Cooling An Exam
By Sam Frear
Emerald Columnist
Everybody knows that educa
tion is broadening in men hh
well as on females. And educa
tion is useful. Perhaps a con
ventional function is the libera
tion it achieves for the individual,
I freeing n i m
from the fet
ters of super
stitton and ig
jjj norance.
Kcluc a t i o n
sets no bounds
for an indi
vidual's ment
a 1 investiga
tions, and it
allows him to
travel unham
pered by ritual or (Iukiuh.h or
taboos through the hazards of
contemporary existence. Fear of
the unknown Is cast aside.
Cr at least it should be.
Just suppose what would hap
pen around here if we let super
stition invade the sacred ritual
of, say, taking examinations.
These, of course, could not be
superstitionalized because they
ure reserved for the unknown nr
(inexplicable. And everybody
knows about exams although we
admit there are times one can
be hard put to explain them.
Think of how distracting life
would be if you went into an
exam with all kinds of ritual
taboos to clog your mind. Sup
pose you scurried into the exam
room hoping to get in seven and
one half minutes of cramming
before ye olde book bookies were
passed out.
And just as you discover a
munchy little paragraj h you
hadn't noticed la-fore, someone
knocks your book on the floor,
exclaiming. "If you don't know it
now, you'll never know it."
This superstition could be try
ing to the perfectionist.
Or suppose, once the exam got
started, you were busily scrib
bling along:, Jotting down gobs
of all kinds of misinformation
you didn’t know you knew. If
any, a question asked the earth’s
circumference and you answered
25,000 miles, It’s a good thing
there Isn't some old superstition
that says "never erase an an
swer, the first one Is always
right." If that were so, half the
people would flunk the exam,
without the opportunity to t ut
down the answer they Just know
is really right the earth Is 225.
000 miles around.
Used to be that there was a
belief held fervently In all quar
ters of the campus, that the first
person to finish the exam either
flunked it or passed it with an
"A." Well, modern education has
finally gotten this miscompre
hension all squared away. Every
body knows they get an "A.” So
nobody hus to fidget when some
wise guy leaves after writing
only 20 minutes.
It’s fate. And you can’t argue
with that.
Finally, after it is all over ami
you proceed wearily and accord
ing to your wont coffeeward.
Sitting thre relaxed, unambiti
oui’. carefree, guy. and all that
tail la- really keen, as they say
in Voncalia. Hut this jollity
might la* confiscated If super
stition frowned on back batting
and didn’t let you say, "Boy. I
think I really cooled that test!"
The reasons being, of course,
that if you think you cooled a
test, you really flunked it, and
vice versa.
So. jusu don't fight the prob
lem. I-ive with it and don’t let
anybody talk you Into a big fat
"C" when you know you could
have a "B" just by doing all these
things. Couldn’t you?
What Is It?
the only clue I’ll Rive you Is that It came from the Strimli
Cafeteria.’’
Fhu Oregon Daily Emerald is published five «lavs a week during the school year
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fnitUU? u! 1 ,C AuU° ‘t* 1i“lv,'n,i,y- Unsigned editorials are written by the editor;
initialed editorials by members of the editorial board.
JERRY HARRELL, Editor PONXX'RCNBERGj'm^M Manage
a --—_RU ^ I-KW1S, SAU.V RYAN, A update Editor*_
?ACLKEEiE, Managing Editor blLE MAIN WAR l,\'(;7Ad»erti»ing Manager
CORDON RICE, News Editor NAM Y SHAW, Office Manager