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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (March 10, 1955)
+ EMERALD EDITORIALS + Operation Easter Egg A triple-threat opportunity to promote the University lias been offered hv the Junior class with its plans of Operation Easter Egg April 9. The event has been planned to pro mote the Eugene area public relations of the University, to show the campus the ease with which a worthwhile activity can he handled, at the same time having fun, and to provide an Easter activity in the Easter spirit. Actual contributions of students to the Eugene community have been seriously lim ited in the past. \Ye feel that such projects as Operation Easter Egg or fraternity help weeks can go far to increase the standing of the University in the minds of the citizens of the community. We are glad to see stu dents themselves take the initiative in such a positive public relations program. Critics of another campus weekend have found it lacking in constructive purpose. Members of the steering committee, how ever, said that the service angle was omitted because of the time and work necessary in planning it. The juniors are out to prove that such a service project can he handled quite easily and successfully with a minimum of work and a maximum of fun. Finally, the juniors have planned a tra ditional Easter activity—not just an activity for activity’s sake. For this they are to he commended. Plans for the weekend already have been okayed by the Interfraternity council, the Heads of Houses and the Inter-dorm council, so their cooperation is assured. Operation Easter Egg meets with the approval of the office of student affairs and has the support of the Eugene Active club. Coupled with the leadership of the Junior class officers, who have already displayed an unusual amount of initiative for a University group, success of the project is more than likely. We cer tainly hope so.—(S.R.) Neutral Policy The subject of campus politics has already begun to fill the page.- of the Oregon State Daily Barometer. The OSC paper kicked off the 1955 season last week when one of the parties chose its candidates and plat form. Accompanying the long news story was what we believe is a strange statement of editorial policy with regard to campus poli tics. It amounted to what we believe is an excellent statement of news policy for the coverage of politics, but a rather flat edi torial policy. “The Barometer has never chosen sides in campus politics. We feel that we can best represent the students of Oregon State college by observing, interpreting, and com menting,’’ the statement said in part. Nothing against their policy—it’s one which quite a few papers follow. We feel, however, that an almost diamet rically opposed policy is the only one which a newspaper should follow. We feel that the newspaper, which by nature of its being is closer to politics and politicians than the average busy student, should take a stand editorially. Editorials are clearly labelled as opinion, and the readers will usually take editorial comment for what it’s worth. The news columns, we feel, should even go to extremes to provide equal coverage of candidates and parties, but the newspaper should take a stand in its editorial columns. This is as much a duty as a right. Politicians lij<e to skirt the real issues and come out with sweeping, generalized statements. Part of the job of a vigorous editorial page is to keep the politicians on the stated issues—and even to discover the feeling of politicians on some of the more obscure but often controversial issues which have been overlooked. Spring term is only a few weeks away, and with it the spring elections. Scanning the surface of the campus, there don’t ap pear to he any real issues shaping up. Campaigns without issues can result in popularity contest-type elections, which generally leave even the winners without any great feeling of elation, and which can result in a poor administration the follow ing year. We hope this won’t be the case on the Oregon campus this spring; we hope that there will be issues, candidates who stick fo the issues, and one of those exceedingly rare things known as a well-attended elec tion. Thinking Again Perhaps persistency is a virtue. In today's Kmerald appears another letter requesting that the Kmerald editorialize on state, national, and international news as well as on campus news. Before discussing the pros and cons of such a policy, we feel that a few miscon ceptions should be cleared up. The phrase “addicted to the AP wire” is indicative, apparently, of a feeling held by more than just Bill Swenson, the writer of the letter. Strangely enough, the wire copy does not flow magically into the Kmer ald office. Would finances permit, the Emer ald staff would welcome the chance to work with the UP and IN’S wire service and ad ditional features like Reuter’s, if British press service, and XEA feature service. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. As for by-lined columns of opinion, the Emerald does not run them. Not only would these duplicate the columns offered by the professional papers received in the Eugene area, but again the cost would be prohibi tive. The “Interpreting the News” series of the Associated Press does not come under the heading of “opinion.” Rather, it's the plac ing of the individual events in a broader per spective by correspondents whose experi ence qualifies them for the task. As for the Emerald’s function as a "me dium of professional training in journalism,” this is true only to an extent. The Emerald’s first function is that of campus newspaper. The Emerald was not established, nor has it been continued, with the idea of a laboratory for journalism students in mind. Many campus newspapers are run that way, to the exclusion of all but journalism ma jors. While such papers often portray a me chanical excellence, we feel that when stu dents are devoting their own time rather than doing a class assignment by working on the student paper, that the superiority of such a situation will be reflected in the paper. As fof commenting on world affairs, an other consideration has been made: Are the Students interested? ' The Emerald’s editorial* staff in the past has considered the idea of commenting on events outside the campus, but space and reader interest have been the deciding fac tors. and we’ve stayed pretty much with campu^ subjects. On the assumption that letter-writer Swenson speaks for others as well as him self, we’ll give the idea a try spring term. Campus comment, however, will continue to take precedence. Footnotes Much happened between the last meeting of the Class of 1955, during Orientation week in 1951, and its Tuesday meeting to elect per manent officers. We can look back with pride on the University's progress in our short stay. a Letters to the Editor : q ■I .. And To Stimulate" Emerald Editor: I greatly appreciated your edi torial response to my letter of March 1. My belief that the Emerald should editorialize more fre quently on other thnn campus events stems from five basic as sumptions. If these assumptions are wrong, please let me know. If they are right but not In keep ing with Emerald policy, I would appreciate knowing that too. I present them herewith: 1. Most college newspaper staffs feel that they are mature enough to publicize in their col umns their opinions of state, na tional, and world news, and do so. 2. Most newspapers which print news of events occurring beyond their locale of publica tion contain editorial opinions of such news. As the Emerald often appears to be addicted to the A I* wire. It seems to me thut Emerald opinions on such A I* wire news should logically follow. 3. Most newspapers publishing by-lined columns of opinion also print their editors’ opinions on the matters with which the col umn writers deal. They certainly do not let such columns suffice, as you admit you arc doing, as their only offerings of opinion in a particular area. While I agree with you that the AP writers “... are certainly well qualified 0 to comment, on the news of the world," it Neeme to me that nil journalists should be to Nome degree or other qualified to state their opiniona on the ii#wh liiey are printing. If you do not feel your«eIves ho qualified I think you should question your Journal istic capabilities. -I. I have been (jlvi'ii to un derstaml that the Emerald Is a medium of professional train ing in jotirnullNtn. I have there fore assumed ttiat the Emerald editors would wek'ome the op portunity to submit to public reading and attack their opin ions, not only on campus af fairs, hut also on affairs which do not Immediately touch them, though, and because, these affairs are of far greater significance. B. A newspaper, it Heem.s to me, has two primary purposes: to inform and to stimulate. How ever, a person will only become Informed because he la stimu lated to do so. If the Emerald ih truly concerned that only half the nation's college students know the meaning of SEATO land a.SHumedly similar examples can be cited with regard to the percentages of informed students on national, state, and local newsi, I hope the Emerald will attempt to stimulate the students it reaches through its editorial columns. Respectfully, \V. 1$. Swenson History Test ftHH “Don’t Worry about those chapter* we skipped—I believe I've covered them adequately |n the final.” The Oregon D„ly Fmerald .'bli.hed five .!.y. . week during ,he aehool year e.eepl examination and nnliu period., by the Student Hublliallon. Board ..I the Unlr. raity of Oregon, .i hu.d'ye"-‘l^Tterin" *"««»•. Oregon. Sober,iptlon i.tr.: If. pel Opinion, eipreoed on the editorial page, are thn.e uf the writer and do not pretend In terra [h" "l”"lon* »* 'h<r ASUO or tile Cniacraity. I reigned editoriala are written by the editor; initialed editorial* by rnen»b«*r* of th«* rditorial board. JKRRY HARRELL. Editor DONNA HUN BERG, Buatpcn Manager ___ DICK LEWIS, SALLY RYAN, Associate Bditois iULL MAINWARING, Advertising Manager PAUL KEEFE, Managing Editor GORDON RICE, News Editor NANC Y SHAW, Office Manager JF.RRV CI.AUSSEN. CHUCK MITCHEI.MORE. Co-SporU Editor* KW™dl,R!«USaMyRyanerry Harre"' PaUl ^“^eTUw^ Gordoa Bic. Jacki. < hief Makeup Editor: Sam Vahey Asa’t. Managing Editors: Valeric Hersh, Dorothy Her Ass’t. News Editors: Mary Alice Allen, aro Cra.g, Anne Mill, Anne Kitchey, non Robinson Feature Editor: Dave Sherman Morgue Editor: Kathy Morrison Women's Page C o Editors: Sally Jo Greig. Marcia Mauney Ass’t. Sports Editor: Buzz Nelson Managing Assistant: Sanford Milkcs Nat h Adv. Mur.: Laura Morris < ireulation Mur.: Kick Hayden '\s‘* 1 !>Mice M«r.: Atm Baakkonen* (I asst fied Adv.: Patricia Donovan ( o-Layout Mgra.: Jon Wright and Dick k oe kxccutive Secretary : Beverly Lnrnlon iV 1 ^v- ^Kr v Kvejyn Nelson I hotography Editor: Dale Turner Photographeni: Larry Spaulding, Rodney Sunderland