+ EMERALD EDITORIALS +
Glorified Greeks
Official rush weeks are over, for both
men’s and women’s houses. There are lots
of bright, shiny pledge pins now being worn
by smiling freshmen faces.
And there are a lot of freshmen without
these pledge pins. Some of them wouldn't
take one for anything, for they are com
pletely against the Greek system.
But some of them would like them, and
went through rushing periods for the ex
press purpose of acquiring one. They
dropped out of rushing, for some reason or
another, and now they are part of the cam
pus majority—the Independents.
All entering freshmen, regardless of
whether they were registered for rushing,
received some specific orientation on Greek
living. And most have had some informal
knowledge of it, too, through contacts with
parents’ friends and with relatives who
were Greeks.
Some of this information was correct, and
gave them the right idea—but some of it,
undoubtedly, was misleading.
Greek living, regardless of information
given about it, is just that—living. It’s
group living, and all of the sentiments and
song-singing and bond-pledging are inci
dental to its purpose.
Any handbook of any Greek house will
give the purposes of the fraternity. They
always stress scholarship and good campus
orientation above all else for their members.
Independent students can live up to these
ideals as well as Greeks—maybe even bet
ter, according to the individuals.
College is, after all, a period of individual
adjustment to the environment—adult life
as well as campus life. There are many an
swers to the question of where to best find
this adjustment.
Maturity, or adjustment, is a very per
sonal, private matter. For some it is found
best in Greek houses, and for some it is not
to be found there at all. Those students left
off the pledge lists should keep in mind that
they are, first of all, students of the Univer
sity and even above that, individuals in
their own right.
Pledges of Greek houses are told this
by upperclassmen in their particular house.
Independents can and will find it out for
themselves. It is to be hoped these Inde
pendents won’t glorify the Greek system
even more than Greeks themselves do.
—(A.R.)
Ur essed tor Silence
W hy do the Oregon students wear such
dressy outfits to football games?
We’ve always had the understanding that
the students who occupied the cheering sec
tions were there primarily to cheer, and
watch the game. It would seen}, to us that
the natural attire for such activity would
be casual campus clothes, cords and sweat
ers for the men and skirts and sweaters for
the women.
Before the game, an announcement was
printed in the Emerald stating that the
women were to wear wool dresses or sweat
ers and skirts; and the men were to wear
It
slacks. These clothes seem very sensible,
considering tlie cool night air, and they
wouldn’t seem to throw a damper on cheer
ing spirits.
But even after such an announcement, the
average student shows up in either a suit
or sport coat; very uncomfortable for yell
ing and very susceptible to getting dirty,
which further tones down the student. 'Phis
is the reason the men showed such reluct
ance to defend our goal posts against Wash
ington.
Perhaps there are parties afterwards;*
perhaps the women are more readily ac
cepted into the Portland night clubs if they
are "dressed up.” But we’re sacrificing one
awful lot of spirit and noise just to be
dressed up for a party after the game is over.
This is just another example of the Ore
gon student’s pseudo-sophisticated attitude,
which seems to remain aloof and independ
ent from being a part of an organized activ
ity.
Students say, “To yell at football games
is high schoolish. We go to Oregon now,
which is called the Country club, and we’re
too grown up to cheer for our team.”
If such is true at a Country club, we don’t
want to be called one anymore.—(S.V.)
It's No Secret
Mention college athletics today, and the
man on the street immediately shudders
and automatically thinks (if the big, black
monster that seems to be a necessary evil
in this business of higher education.
And well it might remain a monster, for
there is a cloak of secrecy that seems to >ur
round its big business type operation. One
policy of the Oregon Athletic department is
aimed at tearing away part of this cloak,
however.
1 his fall, for the seventh year since Leo
Harris took over as athletic director, the
department released a financial statement
for the preceding school year. And even bet
ter, Oregon's athletic big business shows a
nice operating profit, as it has every time
since the policy began, according to Ted
Bouck, athletic business manager.
In spite of the fact that Oregon loses
money on all sports except football and bas
ketball (this is expected, Bouck says, “We
just hope that we ll lose less than usual,”),
radio and television rights and the income
from the two profit sports more than make
up for other losses.
The profit from the year’s operation may
be helping to make more successful athletic
teams, but the important item is that it is
giving many men who would probably not
otherwise be able to attend college, the
opportunity to do so. And it’s proving that
though this business of collegiate athletics
may be big, it’s not losing money at Ore
gon.—(C.H.M.)
Footnotes
If you think things are mixed up around
here, how about Oregon State college’s
Department of Confusion. We don’t know
if it really exists, but a letter from India
came to the college library with that ad
dress on it.
Letters to the Editor
Emerald Editor:
Please no more short pants.
Those who attended the game
Saturday at Portland were
probably as much surprised as I
was to see the boy cheer leaders
wearing short pants.
The yell leaders and their ac
tions represent the University of
Oregon. The student body for
this game wore slacks and high
heels. I think it strange that the
rally squad appeared in short
pants.
Observers were surprised and
mildly shocked to see the spec
tacle. A lady on my right com
mented: “They’ve got a lot of
intestinal fortitude to get out
there before God and everyone
else in those short pants.”
After a rather unsportsman
like yell, “Dirty, Dirty Huskies,”
the same woman, an Oregonian,
again commented: “They sound
as sissy as those pants look.”
To show that not only adults
but also students, object to the
new attire, a freshman girl or
the way home said: “If l.iey’re
going to show off their knobbj
knees, they should have a con
test.”
Here is one vote in favor ol
dropping the short pants and
otherwise representing our
school to the best of our ability
Sam Thompson
Sophomore in Liberal Arts
U M ' , i
Second Week of Class
j
l
1
"This is the most important class yol/Il be taking—
so iu expect a little extra work from you this term.*
College Capers ...
From Coast to Coast
FKOSH ARE STILL IN THE
news.
One enterprising Texan did a
land office business selling li
brary cards to gullible fresh
men. One girl even bought two.
That was the downfall. Before
she could give it to her boy
friend they broke up. She
phoned library authorities to ask
for a refund.
The business ranie to a sudden
end.
DK. LEON' A. GREKN'BERT
of Yale university has a mes
sage that is sure to Is* of in
terest to many Oregon stu
dents. He says that lieer isn't
an intoxicant and should he
reclassified as a non-intoxicat
ing beverage.
He contends that a human
stomach doesn't have the ca
pacity to hold enough hecr to
raise the alcoholic content of
the hlood to 0.15 per cent, the
point where consistent air
normal behavior appears.
TO KEEP IN MIND next time
your registering for classes:
A coed from Indiana discov
ered while registering that the
man at the desk was also teach
ing the class. Not being timid,
J
shp asked if he wan a good
tea her. if his students liked him,
and if he was married. Appar
ently satisfied with the ana wars,
she enrolled in the course.
ATTKNTION PHVSK U.
1*1.A NT!
Iteeent ly Installed on the
Idaho state college rumpus
"as an automatic sprinkler
tj stein.
It Is hydrostatically oper
ated bj a relay control located
on a clock In the school library.
Some sprinkler heads are the
bubbling type, others rotary
and pop up types, all of which
are recessed in the ground
alien not in use.
SOMETHING TO BE ADDED
to our agenda of activities?
Pledges of Washington State
college sororities chewed their
way into the finals of the sec
ond annual Lambda Chi Alpha
"Watermelon Bust" on that cam
pus.
A Sigma Kappa, took first
Place honors In the meet and won
the coveted (?) title of “Miss
Watermelon Bust of 1955" in
the wild contest In which three
quarters of a ton of watermelon
was consumed.
oK'ec^ot'?
SfeQCLD
The Oregon Daily Emerald •» published five day. a week -luring the tchool year except
during examination and vacation period., by the Student I’ublicati-.n, Hoard „f the I ni
versity of Oregon Entered as seemid class matter at the post office, Eugene, Oregon Sole
acriptton rates: $5 per school year; $2 per term. 1
Opinions expressed -m the editorial page are those of the writer and do not pretend to
represent the opinion* of the ASUO or the Iniversity. In.igned editorial. are Irittenby
the editor; initialed editorials by nicmliers of the editorial board. y
GORDON RICE, Editor
SALLY RYAN, Editorial Page Editor
DONNA RUN BERG. Business Manager
JA( K RAD1CH, Advertising Manager
JERRY C7.AUSSEN, ANNE HIU., BOB ROBINSON, A.wciate Editor.
SAM VAHEY, Managing Editor
ANNE RITCHEY, News Editor
CHUCK MITCH ELMORE, Sports Editor
J°AN KALNN ILLE, Asst. Advertising Mgr.
NANCY SHAW, Office Manager
EDI IORIAL BOARD: Gordon Rice. Jerry f lausscn Ann#* iiiii <t, i ». it
Anne Ritchey, Bob Robinson, Sally Ryan. Sam vX; '
Ass’t. Managing Editor: Valerie Hcrsh
Ass’t. News Editors: Bill Mainwaritig,
Marcia Mauney, Loretta Meyer,
Cornelia Fogle.
Feature Editor: Carol Craig
Women's Editors: Mollic Monroe, Cay
-Mundorff.
Nat'l A civ. Mgr.: T.aura Morris
Classified Adv. Mgr.: I’at Oushnie
Ass’t. Office Mgr.: Becky Towler
Circulation Mgr.: Ken Klanecky
Executive Secretary: Shirley Tarmentrr
Ase^t Snorts Editors: A1 Johnston, Jack