+ EMERALD EDITORIALS +
Worth Saving
The fate of the University test files appar
ently will rest with the Student Union board
at its next meeting. The library has requested
that the files be removed from the reference
room and the ASUO senate test file commit
tee has requested space in the SU for them.
Reasons for the library's request are basic.
Many of the files have disappeared, as no
checking out system was set up for them. The
library at no time accepted responsibility for
them ; it merely offered its space.
Disappearance of the files raises the
question of the files’ value. Originally the
files stemmed from honor code plans. If
the honor code would fare no better than
the removal of the files would indicate, its
chances of success would be slight.
The ASUO committee has made plans to
replenish the files and obtain as complete a
file as possible with faculty cooperation.
How extensive the file will be remains to be
seen.
Right now the question seems to he wheth
er or not the files are worth saving. We think
they are. They offer the unaffiliated student
access to past files such as presented by many
houses. This equalizes the opportunity for
every student. A complete file would be a
great study aid. And it would protect against
instructors who give the same exam year
after year. The arguments for the system,
then, seem favorable.
But why should the ASUO committee go
to a great deal of trouble assembling the files
if they are to disappear? We believe Loris
Larson has the answer when she suggests
that they be made available under supervi
sion.
She has suggested a plan whereby the
files would be available during midterms
and finals on a limited basis, with volun
teer student supervisors. The idea is good,
but insufficient. The files should be avail
able at all times.
We suggest that the SU board seriously
consider placing the files in the browsing
room, where they would be more readily
available, and yet under supervision. Either
that or the board could assign the task to a
SU committee.
At any rate, as the center of campus ac
tivity, the SU has a definite service function
to perform. And we believe that the SU is
the logical place for the test files. It remains
up to them to select the place for the test
files. It remains up to them to select the place
and decide upon the rules governing the use
of the tests, for the matter should be placed
in student hands as much as possible.
—(S.R.)
Who Thinks What?
- Reprinted in today’s Emerald is a letter
which, we believe, is criticizing the Emerald.
We’re just not quite sure on what count.
The writer points to the Emerald’s sur
prise over the fact that 51 per cent of Ameri
ca’s college students do not know the mean
ing of SEATO. The editorial did not indi
cate or did not intend to indicate surprse,
but rather to indicate concern.
Secondly, we think, the writer is criti
cizing the Emerald because it does not
editorialize on the world situation.
It has been the Emerald’s aim to present
significant world news in its news columns
through the facilities of the Associated Press
wire. Interpretative comment on the news
has appeared almost daily on the editorial
page.
The editorials, and when the news de
mands, the news itself, is devoted primarily
to the campus, for we feel that our first duty
is to report and to comment upon happen
ings on campus. We have hoped that “In
terpreting the News” would offer sufficient
comment on the world scene. The writers
of the Associated Press are certainly well
qualified to comment on the news of the
world.
We’ve worked on the assumption that
the students were primarily interested in
campus happenings. If we’re wrong, we’d
like to hear about it.
Until we hear otherwise, however, we’ll
operate on the same assumption. This will
probably be a surprise to the writer of the
letter, but most of the Emerald’s editorial
writers do think about the world situation,
but they keep their thoughts off the editorial
pages in order that campus comment can
best be served.
The letter writer is, after all, in a major
field (political science) which deals in large
part wth international affairs, and would
have more interest, we believe, in interna
tional affairs than the average reader of the
Emerald.
Our Mistake
A second letter to the editor, which also
appears in today’s Emerald, brings up an
interesting point.
Over a story on the results of an Associ
ated Collegiate Press poll of student opinion
reporting that the majority believe President
Eisenhower will run for a second term ap
peared the headline, “College Students Want
Eisenhower.”
The letter writer, Vergil Dykstra of the
Philosophy department, points to the fact
that many of the students polled would prob
ably want a distinction made between what
they believe will happen and what they want
to happen.
Our guess is that the story was turned in
close to the deadline, a headline that would
fit the required .'pace was written, and the
story was allowed to go into the paper. From
that point on. the checks made are merely
mechanical, and the headline got into print.
In this case it was an oversight* but one
which we're glad was pointed out so that we
can guard against a recurrence.
The Emerald isn’t in the 1956 political
battle yet. It it does enter it, we’re sure that
headlines like the one mentioned won’t be
employed as tactics.
“Vital Statistics”
Today and Friday, tlie Emerald is contin
uing a three-article series begun Wednesday
on where the student dollar goes.
We belive that this information should be
classified as “vital” for all students.
If students understand where their tuition
money goes, especially that portion devoted
to educational activities, we feel that they
will realize that they have a share in the ad
ministration of this money, and of student
activities in general.
It’s also important that students under
stand the vast range of activities which must
be serviced by the $4.50 from each student.
Students can, if they take the initiative, as
sume a large share in the administration of
their activities. It's up to the students.
Footnotes
Professor C. B. Beall (pronounced “Bell”)
teaches a course called JJante and his Times.
At least, that’s what it is called in the offi
cial schedule. One of the members of the
class informs us, however, that- Beall in
forms the class at the beginning of the term
"that the course is “Through Hell with Beall.”
* * *
If you’ve ever been to Fort Lewis or to
the Okefenokee swamp, the UO campus after
several days’ rain probably brings back old
memories.
* * *
With apologies to A. K. Hausman:
Ale, man ale's the drimk
For fellows whom it hurts to thimk.
A DAY AT THE ZOO
Competition Is Tough
But the Fit Survive
By Bob Funk
Emerald Columnist
One time In that little-known
period of history between Lillian 1
Russell and prohibition, there |
was a great big dark drippy pri
meval rainforest in the far West
that depressed everyone and
made travel scary and difficult. |
The national Congress, in the in-;
terest of keeping unwary trav- j
elera out and the essence of pri
meval rainforest in, declared this
jBrea Obscure Western Rainforest
National Park, and forgot nbout
jit. That is, It was only mentioned
i once-thereafter in the Congres
1 sional Record, when Senator
Souirm gave a speech entitled
i "Is the Administration Selling
the Western Rainforest Down a
| Communist River?"
Which speech was never re
j butted..
Anyway, to
imuK ui
the forest. Af
ter it was set
apart from
less drippy
and t r e c - e y
areas as a
monument of
Nature, no*
body much
VTVTIIl III II1YTI c.
; This led to a legend that It was
virtually uninhabited except by
j elusive mountain goats and sweet
i little deers.
This rumor was unfounded.
Actually, the forest was Inh ib
it ed by two fierce tribes of no
madic little *<|uirt* culh-d the
Malubreezles and the (irabulg
plllggers. Both the Saltlhreezies
and Urabulgpluggers spent
most of their time chunking
acorns into robins’ nests far
up in primeval trees. Their zest
for this sport was (H-rhups
somewhat unexpllca hie, par
ticularly to the robins, who,
during the season, were ulways
hatching oaks Instead of eggs.
Anyway, chunking acorns Is
; all right for a while, but just for
j a while; and after that, the game
needs some new element, some
new color. And if that new cle
I ment turns out to be competition,
well this just happens to be Am
| erica, like Mr. Bones explained
j to Mr. Interlocutor, and c«mpe
' tition and America and compe
! tion . . .
Well, sometimes you can’t see
: the plot for the digressions. Any
, way, the Salubreezies and Grab
I ulgpluggers tried competing
i among themselves for a time,
but this led to angry fist-fights
around the dinner table and brok
en homes, so it suddenly occurred
to them that it would be more
natural to compete with each I
other as groups, since they;
couldn’t stand the smell of each
other when the wind was right,
anyway.
Now, competition Is all very
I
well when Kate In blindfolded
anil the dice are unloaded anil
tin' ili-uli'r huN short *lmi'n;
hnt I Ills m as not tin* raur with
the Swlubreeiies ami Grabtilg
pluggers. Tho HiiluhriM-7.it-, hail
thi- unfortunate tribal habit of
beginning to smoke moss from
tin* north sides of trees at an
I'arly a it i*. Few Haluhrcezles
i-vi-n Rot enough growth to
liavi- tln-lr growth stunted.
Tln-y wi-ri' all nhort; easily
overlooked; anil when they
chunked m-ornn nt hlrdsneHts
tln-y hail to use iipi-ra glasses
to mi- where tin- aroriiH wont.
The Grabulgpluggers, however,
were what In known to the acorn*
chunking trade aa natural ath*
letic talent. There Wan one Grab
utgplugger, In fact, that hail
never .smoked tree mosa in his
life; who had never eaten any
thing but vitamins; and who had
never seen nnyone really close
up since IMS, aince he was
twenty-three feet tall and then
had been a low fog aince then.
Being twenty-three feet tall in
the arorn-i hunklng trade is hav
ing natural athletic talent with
gold stars and asterisks. All you
hud to do was bite the acorns off
the trees, store them in your
cheeks until the next chunking
event, ami then spit them into
the nests. If you ever missed,
no-one ever knew, because of the
fog.
Th*» Salubreezles and th*
Grabulgpluggers formed an ath
letic league called the Northern
Division; they always meant to
have a Southern Division, too,
but it was just alw-ays one of
those clubs that remains a local.
There wasn’t much outside en
thusiasm for acorns.
Every year the Salubreczie*
played the Grabulgpluggers six
teen times, and vice versa played
vice versa the same number of
times, and when the season end
ed the statistics were Ilk*- this:
W L FP PA Moult
Grabulgpluggeri
32 0 1.000,000 000 WhooPEE!
Saltibreeries
0 12 000 1.000.000 Boo.
Which means thut the Sulub
reezies came in second. In ;i
league of thin size, second was
only of small and fleeting satis
faction.
One morning a Salubreezie was
sitting out In the wilds thinking
uboul being twenty-three feet
tall and not getting any taller,
when a robin came fli-fht-flit
ting down like robins always do,
and started sticking his nos*
around on the ground for a
worm.
"You ate the only worm that
lived here-abouts yesterday for
lunch.” the Saluhreezie grumbled.
"I know that, shorty." said the
robin, "but I heard he had a
cousin visiting him and ”
"And a old bald-headed eagle
(Contimied on fmiir scirn)
Em"*ld. <■ publl.hed live day. . »,,l during Ih. aelronl y.ar aa.rpt
K^r?d .. . i.T*l " b\,1,r !»>•«•«"< I'ulrli. all.,,1. Board of ih„ Uni,, ,ally of Or, gun.
.2!r ,"r; |n ir™" m“"rr .. 0""'% *“««•«• O'**-- Subarrlption ..... 13 P«f
??*" *r' “< ~rlt-r and do no. pr.I.nd In rr-pra
i.dl a ad ' li'u , „h* *?U0 "u,,! 1 u»,,,„,d editorial, are -rill.,' I,, .1,, .d.lor;
mutated editorial* by mrmh>r» oMh* cJnorinl board.
JMR.Y HARREI.L. Editor_ DONNA RUNBERG, Buiinen Manager
- DICK LEWIS, SALIaY RV.A \. A '■<■< i.it. Kditort
_5J_LI. M A I WVAK I N(I, A'lvrrtiMDK M. . r* r
TT-——. .... -K _ NANCY SHAW,'Office Maimer
, I-AI SSEN, ( lire K Min IIEI.MOKE. Co Spoils Kihinrs
/.Warri. il Kir.-1‘sl.Hy K>,mrry ,l*rre11' K"" ’ "" >• Our.l,,.. Kier. jaekie
PAUL KEEFE, Managing Editor
LOkOON KICK, News Krl.toi
' J»wwup ivoitoj : »am Vahey
Ass’l. Managing Editors: Valeric llcrsh,
Dorothy Her
Ass't. News Editors: Mary Alice Allen
kar°i.Va,*> A,mc Hil*. A"»c Ritchey,
Hob Rob in.son
Feature Editor: Dave Sherman
Morgue Editor: Kathy Morrison
\Vomen’s Page Co-Editors: Sally Jo Greig
Marna Mauney
Ass't. Sports Editor: Buzz Nelson
Managing Assistant: Sanford Milkes
' I Ad\ M y \ 1 .;ni! a Mot i is
< irculation Mgr.: kick Hayden
As.'t Oftiice Mgr.: Ann Haakkonen
( lahsificd Adv.: Patricia Donovan
( o Layout Mgr».: Jon Wright and Dick
Koe
Lxecutive Secretary : Beverly Landon
Ass't. Adv. Mgr. : Evelyn Nelson
Photography Editor; Dale Turner
rnotogrardiera • Larry Spaulding, Kodney
Sunderland