Oregon Daily
The Oregon Daily Emerald is published five days a week dur
ing the school year, except during examinations and vacation
periods, by the Student Publications Board of the University
of Oregon. Entered as second class matter at the post office,
Eugene, Oregon. Subscription rates: $5 per school year; $2
per term.
Opinions expressed on the editorial page are thn*e of The
Emerald and do not pretend to represent the opinion of the
ASUO or the University. Unsigned editorials are written by
the editor; initialed editorials by members of the editorial board.
BILL MAIN WARING, Editor LORETTA MEYER, Business Manager
MARCIA MAUNEY, Editorial Paste Editor CHUCK MITCHELMORE, Managing Editor KEN NIEHANS. Ad». Mgr.
SALLY JO GREIG, SAM VAHEY, Associate Editors CORNELIA FOGLE, News Editor
JACK WILSON. Sports Editor DOROTHY BARKER, Ass't Adv. Mgr. CHARMION FORI), Office Manager
EDITORIAL BOARD: Bill Mainwaring, Marcia Mauney, Sally Jo Greig, Sara Vahey, Chuck Mitchelmore. Cornelia Fogle,
Jack Wilson, A1 Johnson.
Chief Makr-up Editor: A1 Johnson
Ass’t News Editors: Cay Mundorff, Joan
Dennis, Nancy Castle, Pepper Allen.
Feature Editor: Phil Hager
Photo Editor: Brant Ducey
Nat’l Adv. Mgr.: Jo Anne Milligan
Classified Adv. Mgr.: Arlene Krauss
Women's Editor: Dorothy West
Circulation Mgr.: Sam Valley
Asst. Sports Editors: Jerry Ramsey, Jim
l^arimore
Executive Secretary : Geri Gobel
Be Proud of Your Liberal Education
‘‘So you go to college. And what will you
be when you graduate?” Sounds familiar,
doesn’t it. That is the American public
questioning us.
It is a difficult question to answer. Es
pecially if we are in Liberal Arts or one of
its departments. The American public ex
pects us to be a something; or else, “Why
are you going to college?”
It almost takes a fearless person to say,
“I am going to college to be educated.” It
is much easier to hem and haw about pos
sibly going into research, or maybe giving
lectures and writing articles.
But why hedge? A university’s primary
purpose is to educate. Training for a pro
fession is secondary. “But you must be
practical,” retorts the public.
We must agree with the public about
"being practical." Of course we are fond of
eating and having a place to rest. However,
practicality needn’t include only the secur
ing of material comforts. Isn't it just as
practical to be able to think, question, and
resolve?
Even though a person is expertly trained
for a profession, he doesn’t necessarily suc
ceed. He forgets, or maybe doesn’t realize,
that he must put his >kills to work in a
complex world — a place where skills can
not stand alone.
There is time to decide on a profession
after an education. We must not let the
public hurry us into rejecting a liberal edu
cation. We should truly be proud to say,
“I will be educated when I graduate.”
(S.J.G.)
Pity the Poor Freshman
Pity the poor freshman, he said, and so
they did. Orient him, he said, and so'they
did. Rush him, he said, and so the}- did.
Now, adjust him, he said, and so they did.
And they gave him Gracious Living and
Rooters’ Lids and Midterms. And blind
dates for the Sophomore Whiskerino. And
now, they said, you’re on your own. And
the organizers of organized pity retired to
watch the growth of the fruits of their la
bors.
Now what, he asked, is wrong with blind
dates for the Sophomore Whiskerino?
Nothing, they responded, it's humanitarian.
And it’s money, answered the sophomore
class, anticipating the ticket sales.
But suppose, he said, that mistakes are
made and the 5-foot 8 girl is lined up with
the 4-foot 11 boy? Aha, they said, but that’s
where the previous benefits come in—train
ing in Gracious Living will take care of
that. The freshman need not worry at all;
we have taken pity upon him.
Pity, he said, the poor freshman.
(C.H.M.)
Sad Dad
“I'm trying to work his way through rollrgo. Madam, anil . .
From the Squirrel Cage
ASUO Cabinet Gaining
Responsibility,Usefulness
By DARKFX BKITT8AN
ASi'O I’ltsldfnl
As you read the article of the
Emerald concerning the A8UO
cabinet meeting, you may have
wondered exact
ly what the
cabinet is and
just where it ftta
into the .scheme
of things. This
group receives
little publicity,
yet it often does
much work in
behalf of stu
dent govern
ment.
It is composed of the ASUO
president, vice-president, chair
man of the Student Union board,
chairman of the Co-op board.
Unworkable, Unrealistic?
Stanford Daily Asks, 'Is the Liquor Law Right?'
Editor’s Note: The editors
of the Stanford Daily recent
ly brought themselves consid
erable publicity and touched
off some controversy in our
neighbor state with the follow
ing thought-provoking edi
torial. We are reprinting it
merely for your information
and examination.
* * *
Unrealistic, arbitrary, un
workable — these words and
many others have been applied
with considerable justification
to the California law which pro
hibits minors from purchasing
liquor or consuming it in pub
lic places.
The quesion goes deeper than
the mere consideration of the
age at which young people
should be allowed to start drink
ing, and it goes beyond the
moral argument that individuals
should be discouraged from
drinJung as long as possible.
The question must be resolved
by looking at facts as they are,
not as they might be if . . .
The state liquor statute, as it
is now, encourages persons to
break the law. This is unfor
tunate but true.
If a person is brought up in a
home where parents allow drink
ing in moderation so long as the
drinking is done with their
knowledge, it is unlikely that
when he moves out into a col
lege or a job this person will
suddenly stop drinking. Whether
right or wrong, students in col
lege consider themselves adults
and they feel they have the ca
pacities to judge their own ac
tions within the natural re
straints imposed upon them by
society.
The law must be written and
enforced with this knowledge
and Understanding, for an un
necessary law that is willfully
broken by a great number of
those at whom it is aimed is a
detriment to the spirit of law
obedience.
This also applies to the Stan
ford Fundamental Standard,
which is broken both in letter
and spirit by a great many who
simply ignore the liquor pro
visions and consider themselves
in all other respects thorough
going supporters of the Funda
mental Standard.
The Fundamental Standard
cannot be changed to sanction
violation of the law; it is the
law which should be changed.
We take no issue with Frank
Fullenwider and the men of the
Alcoholic Beverages Commis
sion, for they are only doing
their job in enforcing the law,
however, unworkable it may be.
For the same reason, we con
sider Cabinet’s recommendation
(that the ASSU sanction no ac
tivity to be held on premises
where liquor is served) a neces
sary and good measure.
It is the proper task of the
ASSU to divorce itself complete
ly from activities that permit, if
not encourage, wholesale viola
tion of the law.
However necessary this ac
tion may be in the short run, it
will not solve the problem in the
long run. The problem is that
this is only a stop-gap propo
sition.
And in the meantime it will
bring to an end many harmless
but worthwhile activities be
cause liquor is sold on the prem
ises where the activities are
held.
And it certainly will not stop
Stanford students from drink
ing. The significant dangef is
that drinking will be done sur
reptitiously—in cars and out
of-the-way places.
Many arguments are brought
up against lowering the legal
drinking agefand these too have
their points. It is as difficult to
set an arbitrary age limit for
drinking as it is for voting, for
the capacity to handle both de
pends so much on the individual.
Partly because of the war and
also because of the economic de
mands that are imposed on
yoimg people, they often become
relatively self-sufficient before
reaching the age of 21. By the
age of 18 or 19, most young
people have graduated from high
school and have started an in
dependent existence either in
college or at a Job.
Several states have recog
nized the problem and permit
drinking at 18 or 19. Their prob
lem with teen-age drunk sprees
and other delinquencies seems
no greater than ours.
What can Stanford do- ASStJ
Cabinet in their discussion last
Thursday night came up with a
good short-run answer; possibly
further discussion by this and
other bodies can come up with
an answer to the long-run prob
lem.
If the problem is approached
from a rational, not an irration
al we-want-our-booze approach,
the state legislature may be
come convinced that more prob
lems may be cured than caused
by permitting persons over 18
or 19 to use their own discretion
about drinking.
Rmerald editor, AWS president,
public relation* chairman, *ocial
chairman, athletic chairman, and
director of student affair*.
They are to advise and assist
the president of the A8UO in
administering the affairs of Die
student body association. The
cabinet is also supposed to sub
mit proposals to the Senate de
signed to promote the objective*
of our student government In
addition they have the right to
attend and speak In Senate
meetings.
These functions are quite flex
ible and the cabinet can become
a highly significant organisa
tion 01 one that exists merely
on paper. The public relation*,
social, and athletic chairmen are
presidential appointments and
they can be of great assistance
to the A8UO by aiding the
president in their respective
areas.
In the past few years there
has been a tendency to Increase
the usefulness of the cabinet. I
certainly concur with this trend
of thought and I hope to In
crease further the responsibility
of the cabinet. It can usaist the
Senate by discussing certain
problems and making proper
recommendations or at least giv
ing the Senate the benefit of Its
discussions.
On occasion the Senate might
see fit to allow the Cabinet to
make final decisions on some
particular Issue. Thfs has been
done already this year in connec
tion with the Winter Carnival
sponsored by Portland State col
lege. The cabinet being a
smaller group, found It much
easier to meet with Portland
State representatives and ferret
out the necessary information.
I have the utmost respect for
this year's cabinet and I feel
that they will prove themselves
a very worthwhile organization.
I am sure that the Senate re
alizes the value of the cabinet
as was demonstrated by its ac
tions on the Winter Carnival.
As the year progresses and
we become better acquainted
with our responsibilities, I know
that we will increase our effec
tiveness in this business of stu
dent government.