Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012, May 18, 1955, Page Two, Image 2

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Oregon Spirit
"It was just great." was a comment of one
of the co-chairmen of the 1955 Canoe Fete
Steering committee when he finally took a
well-earned breather following the comple
tion of the Fete Sunday night.
The people who guided the first Univer
sity .Canoe Fete in 14 years to completion
despite every conceivable type of mishap
showed, even in their relaxed moments, why
the Fete was the success it was.
Not content to let it rest, they were ana
lyzing mistakes, planning recommenda
tions for next year’s fete, and reworking
technical details in their minds.
Also prominent in the conversation were
verbal reminders to themselves of the many
people who deserved thanks and recognition
for their work on this year's Canoe Fete.
Most frequently mentioned was the name
of Howard Ramey (“We never would have
made it without him”) tireless instructor in
speech who devoted endless time and effort,
not to mention his own equipment, to make
the show a success.
And on they went into the night—making
notes of persons who would have to be
thanked — students, faculty, alumni, and
friends.
‘‘Weren't the orchestra and the singers
great?” was one question — a question we
don’t think needs an answer.
The University Orchestra and the Univer
sity Singers were among the major reasons
why the Canoe Fete was such a success. The
music, beautifully planned and presented,
» gave the show a smoothness and scale which
set the Fete far above th£ level of the average
college float parade or similar event.
And on top of long hours of practice for
their performance in the chill night air—
the musicians didn’t get to see the full
beauty of the parade of floats because of
their location.
Yes, everyone was great — the professors
tvho served as advisors (and frequently as
technicians and laborers), the people from
the SU who gave the chilled workers hot
coffee during the float construction Sunday,
the physical plant, the city, the various chair
men.
But in the final analysis, we have to go
along with Co-Chairman Bob Schooling’s
comment — “It was the kids, the whole stu
dent body. Did you ever see anything like it ?”
No, we didn’t. But we‘re proud and hap
py to be part of it, and we hope we’ll be see
ing it again for a long time to come.
For the thing which made the Canoe Fete
great was the tiling we do so much talking
about and searching for, but the thing that
pops up w hen you least expect it — Oregon
spirit.
We're Tired
We're still tired. And we probaldv will be
clear through final week. Junior weekend has
ceased to be a mere weekend—it has become
a week and a w ay of spring term life.
The word “weekend" is a misnomer—and
w e hope that the junior class officers for next
year w ill see fit to bring this to the attention
of the board of deans. The event calls for a
three-day weekend, with no classes on
Friday.
(’.ranted this will meet with disapproval
from the faculty, but why force class attend
ance on students who are too tired or to ex
cited to benefit from any lecture? Class at
tendance traditionally hits a low the Friday
of Junior Weekend. Perhaps the women are
afraid to brave the wall* leading past Fenton
pool. Perhaps some are cleaning house for
their incoming mothers. Perhaps some are
resting up for the prom. And some are bound
to be working on the floats or other Junior
Weekend activities. Wherever they are, they
aren’t in class. And they aren’t likely to be.
The calendar for next year has already
been drawn up—with the usual two-day pro
vision for Junior Weekend. Two days are not
enough, especially with the addition of the
Canoe Fete. When the request was made for
the additional day this year, the application
w as turned dow n because not enough notice
was given. Surely the board of deans would
consider such a request again after this lqst
weekend, even if the calendar has been ap
proved. Such a request should be made this
week by the officers of next year's junior
class, for the next Junior Weekend will be
their responsibility.
Footnotes
Remember the bathtub which floated along
behind the comedy float in the Canoe Fete?
I he 1 ri-Delts and Alphaholics were quite
careful not to let the bathtub sink, not be
cause they were worried about the bather’s
health, but because a lost bathtub would have
cost $24.
INTERPRETING THE NEWS
Marshal Titos Neutrality Plans
To Face Severe Tests In Future
By J. M. ROBERTS
AP News Analyst
President Tito’s announcement
that he intends to maintain
something very close to neutral
ity in the East-West conflict
probably anticipates what the
Russians will ask of him.
Molotov, in his unexpected
speech at Vienna, made it clear
that a neutral strip in Cen
tral Europe is very much on
the Russian mind these days.
Neutral zones have never been
effective in keeping the nations
of Europe from one another’s
throats, but Russia seems to
think it better than nothing as
the strength of the West rises.
At least a neutralized Yugo
slavia adjoining a neutralized
Austria would give Russia a pos
ition from which to argue in con
nection with Germany, whether
or not she has any real hope of
preventing West German rearm
ament.
The signs from Germany in
dicate that, since alliance with
the West has become a fact, neu
trality cannot be made to work
for such a powerful nation, and
is a price she would be unwilling
to pay for reunification.
For Tito, however, with
Yugoslavia’s natural orienta
tion toward Eastern Europe,
and with her intent to develop
as an independent Communist
state, neutrality would be an
advancement from his recent
position of cold war with the
Soviet Union and her satel
lites.
Tito may find it difficult to
make such a position work, de
spite his announced determina
tion to keep his relatively new
friendship with the West, with
its economic aid. Neutrality is
not a posture to be assumed at
will, but must be worked for
with all nations.
Russia’s determination to end
the long conflict with Tito is not
necessarily tied to any single fac
tor of her policy. The spectacle
of a Communist state doing pret
ty well without being connected
with international communism is
a dangerous example to other
states and a constantly galling
challenge to Moscow.
Tito says he told them clearly,
however, that they needn’t come
to Belgrade expecting to get
their fingers back in the Yugo
slav pie, or to separate her from
new Western friends, and that
they agreed.
This, along with the fact
that Molotov, who helped Stal
in kick Yugoslavia out of the
C'ominform, is not included In
the Russian negotiating party,
shows the Russian visit is by
no means merely a courtesy
call. Khrushchev and Bulganin
want something specific. For
the Communist Party chief
and the Russian premier to go
together tags the trip as ex
tremely important.
Khrushchev said recently he
didn’t need to go around peering
over Bulganin's shoulders at
things like a Big Four confer
ence, where matters of state pol
icy would be concerned. That
makes the trip to Belgrade look
like a party as well as a state
matter.
THE LOOKING GLASS
New Delinquency Show
Finishes Run Tonight
By Ian Calvert
Eimnld Columnist
A movie intended to make the
puhlic aware of Juvenile delin
quency as it is overflowing Into
aome American schools will fin
ish its successful run at the
Heilig tonight.
Those who have not yet seen
“Blackboard Jungle" are missing
n true dramatic treat, done in
the memorable style of such
films as “On the Waterfront."
Unfortunately, it gives the
impression that schools such as
that depicted in the film are more
wide-spread than they really
are. However, it is well that the
public be made aware of the seri
ous problems which face teachers
in several "big city" schools.
One of the points In favor of
the film Is that It makes no
attempt to give a elear-eut,
hlaek and white answer to why
boys will art us those In the
picture. There an- ninny rea
sons and no one Is really sure
which one is the right answer
to the why of juvenile de
linquency.
Glen Ford gives the best per
formance of his career as the
young Navy veteran fresh out of
college and filled with the ideals
of teaching Thrown into a “gar
bage can" of education, the film
graphically depicts the struggle
which Ford undergoes within
himself to keep his faith in the
students and his fight to win
the confidence of the boys.
Briefly, the plot of the story
concerns Ford’s experiences in
the school which include a knife
fight, stopping an attempted
!Rp«\ an alley beating and anony
mous letters. The temptation to
leave the '‘Jungle" and go teach
in a "nice" school is very great
for the new teueher.
The movie makes one even
more grutcful for the teueher
who truly believes In what he
is doing and ladle ves I hut any
student Is worth saving. More
of the Ford type might result
in u better edueutlonul system,
staffed with teachers who real
ly «lo "rare.”
Acting as a counter-balance
to Ford s optimism is Louts Cal
hern. who portrays a cynical
teacher who has to be shown
that there really is some gf>od
in the boys he faces every day.
But. the real stars of the show
are the boys themselves, all re
cruited. we understand, from a
Los Angeles high school. Their
terse, underplaying gives the
film flavor which would have
been entirely lacking otherwise.
Adding to the realism of the
film was the background music
of such Ja xi. artists as BIx
Beiderbecke, Stun Kenton and
Bill Haley. The strong beat of
the music fitted the film per
fectly.
With the "Blackboard Jungle"
is a d-'hghtful co-feature which
many students will remember
from the University Theater,
"The Happy Time."
The film is a fairly faithful
adaption of the successful play
which deals with a boy growing
up and discovering that love for
a girl is different from the love
he feels for his mother.
Women's Ways
or'ecjoi'7
PfeOCLO
The Oregon Da.ly Emerald ,* published fire da,. a week during the school vear except
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