+ EMERALD EDITORIALS +
Of Planks and Men
The platforms are out. the issues are
drawn, and the campus political horses are
at the starting gate.
Let’s stop for a minute to consider the
platforms of the United Independent Stu
dents and the Associated Greek Students.
How much is chaff and how much is palata
ble grain?
The Primary
First of all, AGS is out after the abolition
of the all-campus primary again this year.
This plank was hardly unexpected, even
though things have been quiet since the
party hassle over the primary last fall.
UIS, we assume, still favors the all-campus
primary—though Heaven knows it doesn’t
help them any. The Independents chose to
remain silent on the question in their plat
form, thus the assumption that they'll fol
low their previous line of supporting the pri
mary.
Greeks vs. Independents
Second, from interest if not significance,
is the fact that there seems to be developing
a real split along Greek vs. Independent lines
—the split is Greek Week.
We’ve maintained from the beginning
that if the all-Greek celebration is to re
main a social-athletic function with no fur
ther meaning, it would best be done away
with. But it’s Greek-planned, financed, and
executed, and even if “class conscious and
discriminatory” in nature, it’s the Greeks’
business.
We’ll have to go along with Bud Hinkson’s
remark at the AGS platform meeting. “We
shouldn't need to announce a stand just be
cause UIS did. Greek Week is none of their
business.”
Deferred Living
Both parties gave recognition to what we
believe is a real problem—How is deferred
living working, and along with it. how could
the fro$h dorm counseling program be im
proved ?
. Both parties have a vested interest in
deferred living, but IF the AGS examina
tion or the UIS investigation gets bi-parti
san leadership, determined leadership,
chances are that something will come of
the examination.
Here’s the ki*d of issue that will separate
the political men from the boys—it’s the
kind of thing that’s touchy. After you ex
amine and recommend, you’ve got to follow
through, ask why your recommendations
were not implemented, and keep asking un
til they are implemented or until you’ve got
a good reason for their rejection.
Tax Burden
UIS didn’t take a stand on “unjust dis
crimination against Greek living organiza
tions through student affairs use of pledge
fees for its own purpose.” But how could
they? We know a lot of Greeks who didn’t
even know' where the money went until the
current campaign — some probably don’t
know yet.
Careful examination will probably lead
many campus politicos to our conclusion
—a good deal of that money, which be
comes the Pre-Freshman Week Account,
goes for promoting the University and
therefore we won’t deny that we can and
should help foot the bill. The state board
won’t let the University have promotional
funds of that nature, and the money has
to come from some place.
But we agree that Greek and Independent
alike should share this expense, if it’s to be
incurred. A tax on some for the benefit of all
is unjust.
Reorganization
Both parties acknowledge the need for
some sort of governmental reorganization.
I'IS stresses the cabinet (which, incidental
ly, this year’s AGS administration promised
a year ago to reactivate) and AGS speaks
in elusive political language: “Functional iti
novatiort in .the legislative and executive
branches of our student government.”
The 'Race
A big issue, and one which we don’t want
to see become political, is the Millrace. AGS
states in positive language that it wants the
Canoe Fete as an addition (which it already
is) and restoration of the Millrace.
I TS didn’t mention it. Why not?
\\ e’ve editorialized, perhaps, even preached
about the Millrace. We want it restored. It’s
a big job that will take big leaders, and a
job that none of us will see completed while
we’re here, but a job that should be done.
ft 4!
Meaningful, hut likely to be put aside after
the campaign are several issues : popular elec
tion of the yell king (AGS), study space in
the library Friday and Saturday nights
(UIS), parking facilities (UIS), and a hous
ing area for married students (UIS).
Most of those who’ve thought about it
come to the same eventual conclusion
about a yell leader—no matter who he is
he doesn’t get the respect that he (and his
position) deserve. Popular election might
be the answer—we don’t claim to know.
Study space in the library on weekend
nights would be a fine thing for those who
would use it—how many would? It’s up to
the senate to find out, then act.
Parking facilities and housing are good
issues—they show deep thought by students
about the university’s problems. But, as far
as we’ve been able to learn, work is being
done on these things and can’t be hastened
much.
It’s the job of the senate, however, to help
keep the state board and the University ad
ministration aware of the fact that the stu
dents too consider these pressing problems.
'f’wo o’clock closing hours? Well, it’s
been tried before, not in a general election,
but in groups like IFC, Panhellenic, and
Heads of Houses, and we’ve heard that it
was the students, not the administration,
who opposed the change.
Might be nice for all-campus dance nights,
maybe even for Saturday nights in general.
The combination student body-athletic
card? We’ve used this issue frequently as a
basis for arguing principle, not specifics.
We’d like to see the new card become a re
ality, but the principle on which it was de
feated is more important than the card itself.
This brings us to our final comment.
UIS has said that the ASUO senate “too
frequently refuses to disagree with the ad
ministration when they have good reason to
do so. We believe that the efforts of this
year’s senate have been misdirected . .
Here is the key. Here is where student
government stands or falls, wins or loses,
is meaningful or meaningless.
Why didn't the AGS mention it? We as
sume it’s because they’re the party in power
and good political sense won’t let them de
nounce the administration they’ve controlled.
If this is not the reason, if AGS is deliberately
dodging this key issue—then here’s one UIS
vote.
So it all comes back to two key words,
“men” and “action.” These are the things
which can make next year’s student govern
ment good, can get things accomplished.
The platform the men stand on is im
portant, as is each plank in that platform
—but the men and their ability to act are
the key.
We haven’t made up our minds. When we
do it will be on the basis of which man we
think will have guts enough to follow up this
spring’s promises next fall.
So mat?
A DAY AT THE ZOO
Hippity, Hoppety Water
Echoed at Song Trial
By Bob Funk
im*r«ld Columnist
They were having song prac
tice. Song practice began every
evening at a .signal (which wax
the house president's adani'K
apple bulging out to accommo
date her last swallow of dessert)
and ended when more than forty
percent of the members had
dropped from exhaustion some
time late at night.
They had not won the sing
since 1927, when the house which
would have won otherwise was
disqualified for inserting a can
can routine into the middle of
their number.
It’s for the house," the song
leader chortled as they lined up
urwuy in me
living room,
t "But we've
Teen practicing
:ver since
Christmas — ”
.he house presi
Jent began,
out the song
eader knocked
out five of her
teeth. The song
leader was large and muscular,
and could knock out four teeth
with just her little finger, doub-,
led up.
“Now sopranos this time re
member that you’re supposed
to sound like tinkly, hippity
hoppety water coming down
from the hills.” The song start
ed, and the sopranos strained
to sound like hippity-hnppcty
water.
‘•You're slurping!” growled
the song leader, stopping them.
"And someone in the alto sec
tion I won’t say who thinks
just because they're short and
Hie standing behind a tall girl
they ran get awny with smoking.
There's no smoking during song
practice." The short alto ground
her cigarette out on the rug. The
song began again.
"More softly,” screamed the
song leader, choking a couple of
the second sopranos. "You got
to give it feeling. Think of your
self there In the forest, In the
evening, with the last vestiges of
sun hanging in torn ribbons from
the topa of the tallest trees.”
Everyone desperately tried to
think of herself In the forest at
evening, but it was no good. The
song began for the third time
(they could not remember more
than once that they had gone
past the first bur on the first
try).
The song leader stopped
them by sitting on the piano
keys from middle C up to K
above high C. It made an aw
ful noise. "You're flatting
again, Glopfia.”
"I can't help »t,” Glopfia sob
bed, "I've got a terrible cold and
my nose is all plugged up and ”
"And another flat and I'm
going to slam the piano top on
your hands again.” They sang
on. Glopfia singing in a rather
nervous, if not hysterical, sharp.
The song began by the altos
singing “In the evening" like
they were the wind in the pines,
and then the second alios came
humming in like the big, mater
nal. mystical liver, and then fh<*
sopranos became the hippity
hoppety water coming down to
the river, and the second so
pranos kept screaming "Alone,
alone, always alone.” After tun
Kiderable confusion at the top of
(Continued on page three)
Intellectual Honesty
ft?
“Now that you have exchanged and graded papers—do we
have anyone who made a ‘1(H)’?”
otrerc^ofn
f?FM.
iNeqolo
rhe Oregon Daily Emerald is published five days a week during the school vear except
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