+ 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