•EMERALD
Suggestion to the Honoraries
The sophomore and junior honoraries
have recently been bombarded with criti
cism for confusion- in purpose of their or
ganizations. As it stands now, the sopho
more honoraries (Kwama and Skull and
Dagger) and the junior women’s honorary
(Phi Theta Upsilon) are participating in a
treadmill of “service” activities — such as
selling programs, ushering at concerts, etc.
and are mainly concerned with earning
money for scholarships.
Fund-raising for scholarships is a worthy
goal and should be continued. But the
wrong organizations have been doing the
right job.
The Emerald offers these recommenda
tions: *
1. Exclude compulsory “service” activi
ties for honoraries. The run-of-the-mill sell
ing of programs, monitoring tests and oth
er “busy work” can be handled capably by
an entirely separate organization. There
are plenty of willing workers who would
gladly perform these tasks. We suggest
that AWS be given authority to adminis
trate the service duties now performed by
the honoraries. This would add strength
and purpose to AWS and also help stream
line and strengthen efforts for scholarship
fund-raising.
2. Make the present honoraries genuinely
for “honor” alone. If the group would
choose, it could meet and undertake any
problem it wanted to. lint it would not he
restricted to time-consuming busy work
and would he freed to take on problems and
projects of a much more significant nature.
Druids, the junior men’s honorary, at
present is organized in this manner. There
are no restrictions or obligation as to what
the group can do. Technically, it may work
towards any goal it terms worthy — either
individually or as a group.
These suggestions have been generally
accepted by several student leaders' and
University officials. They do not prohibit
a member of an honorary from belonging
to the service group. They make a clear di
vision between “service” and “honor” and,
most important, allows already over-work
ed “student leaders” more freedom in se
lecting the jobs they want to do for the
school.
Members of Phi Theta Upsilon, Kwama
and Skull and Dagger would be wise to
consider these suggestions.
Russian Guest
For the first time in a long time persons
came to a University assembly in droves and
left talking about what they had heard.
Georgi Safirov of the Soviet Embassy
spoke for 35 minutes like a man selling
vacuum cleaners. Smiling as warmly as he
could, using the words “friendly” and “co
operation” and “respectful” again and
again, Mr. Safirov told how the United
States and the Soviet Union had been great
allies during World War II, and how the
cultural exchanges between the two coun
tries had been successful.
Like a good salesman and a good Com
munist, Mr. Safirov believed in what he
was selling. And the audience, in good
American tradition, probably didn’t believe
a word of it. They paid attention because
for many this was the first live Russian
they had seen. Many didn't know' much
about Russia — its people or its history —
but they did know that the smiling fellow
up there represented a country that is de
termined to make the world, including
America, a Communist dictatorship.
Mr. Safirov showed a great deal of cour
age after the speech. He consented to an
swer questions from his critical listeners.
He did all right answering questions until
he asked one himself. The listener had
asked why there was barbed wire on the
borders of the Iron Curtain countries, if
the Russians advocated free travel.
“Have you ever seen the barbed wire?”
asked Safirov. Then the student answered,
"Yes, I saw them, sir — I am a Hungarian.”
Amidst the ovation, it’s likely that ('.eorgi
Safirov never experienced a more uncom
fortable moment in his life.
Nothing much was accomplished at the
talk. Both the speaker and the audience had
closed minds — perhaps a “first” in Uni
versity assemblies.
If there was something wrong with the
thoughts of the audience after the speech,
it wasn’t that they had shut their minds to
Mr. Safirov. What likely was wrong was
the thought that other peoples couldn’t
possibly be taken in as they had not been
taken in. There is evidence that Mr. Safirov
and his friends have in fact done a marve
lous job of salesmanship in other countries.
— Letters to the Editor —
Emerald Editor:
The belligerent efforts of sev
eral questioners following Tues
day night's speech by the rep
resentative of the Soviet Union
showed a complete lack of taste
and a distressing absence of
perspective.
Of maybe eight questions
asked Mr. Safirov, about two
were in the realm of common
courtesy. The majority of the
questioners tried not to enlight
en but to vent emotions. They
were painfully obvious in their
attempts to accuse rather than
ask. They were absurd in trying
to hold Mr. Safirov to account
for alleged wrongs of bis gov
ernment. And they exhibited a
tone of intolerance—"my coun
try saint, your country sinner”
—that would compliment a
i—**■ United States government prop
agandist but that would dis
grace a free university.
The level of intelligence dis
played was brought to its nadir
by the student who attempted
to ask if Russia’s foreign policy
was influenced by "some 600
million little yellow people.” The
student was cut off, and prob
ably wondered why.
Mr. Safirov’s speech was sin
gularly courteous and he him
self bore earnest good will. That
he could have been accusatory
toward the United States was
clear. That he was not, should
have earned him a similar meas
ure of respect from any listener.
Those five or six questioners
who caused embarrasment for
the audience as a whole should
be roundly condemned for their
injudicious attacks.
Don \V. Robinson
Senior in Journalism
Emerald Editor:
To Mr. Safirov:
You talked to us Tuesday eve
ning. The title of your address
was: "Soviet Foreign Policy.”
The ballroom was crowded, we
thought you were going to
speak about the political for
eign policy; but this was not
your intention. So, you told .us
about the exchange of movies,
sport-teams and artists. After
having emphasized that agree
ments in these fields strengthen
the understanding of two na
tions, you asked for common un
derstanding as a basis of com
munication to end the cold war
between East and West.
Do you know, that people in
the free world have the ardent
desire, too to communicate with
the Russian people ? But you
mentioned in your conclusion,
that there is, unfortunately, still
a cold war between East and
West. While you were speaking
about the tour of the Bolshoi
Theatre and the success of the
American pianist Van Cliburn
in Moscow, we were thinking of
the cold war.
What about the army the
Russian government sent to
Hungary? I saw pictures re
flecting the horror of the Rus
sian suppression. But you told
us that the Soviet government
is doing everything for protect
ing human life. Your govern
ment stopped the nuclear tests,
because the radiations endanger
people’s lives.
You look for a better under
standing; so do I. You were
smiling all the time, and when
we asked you questions about
the political Russian foreign
policy, we had the impression
that we hurt your feelings.
(Continued on page 3)
Good Thing He Wasn’t a Pledge
*6o X me* HIM fK* his OU twemv m *
^olin aCenyeH
Hail the New Anthro Queen!
Cedar Rapids Takes Crown
"Let's put up someone for
Anthropology Seminar Drug
Queen. A girl-like." The rrackly
voice felt Its way through the
dat^p, smoke filled chapter
room to the president's seat.
“Okay with me,” the presi
dent said. “All in favor of put
ting up a queen say aye."
The chapter split. Some said
aye; the others raised their
right hands.
The man who made the sug
gestion stood and thanked the
chapter for approving his idea,
lie said that this would really
let the house "smooth In" with
some sorority.
Nominations were opened.
A scholarly looking gentle
man stood and said "I'd like to
nominate for chapter consider
ation Miss Cedar Rapid.”
A crew-cut youth jumped to
his feet and shouted, "Man, that
chick is a stupid scene. She
doesn't have anything on her
mind but sand.”
“You'renot exatcly on a Ful
bright scholarship yourself, old
crew-cut baybees.”
“Now just a damn minute,
who are you accusing of Ful
bright scholarships?”
The president, his shoulders
sagging like an old warrior, In
tervened. He accepted Miss
Kapid's name and explained
that Fulbright scholarships
weren’t really bad.
Another crew-cut slowly rose
and nominated a Miss Minne
Apolis. He said, “she’s really
stacked, and besides she reads
a lot, and is gay, interesting,
rich, witty, a judge of fine wines
and all the girls like her."
Yet another crew-cut youth
stood. He was dressed in a pair
of “go-aheads” a San Onefre
bathing suit and a stolen Eu
gene Active Club jacket. "I
wanna get elected Stella San
Diego.”
The vote was called for. Cedar
Rapid was the chapter’s nom
inee for queen. Minne Apolis
lost primarily because she was
pinned to a Delta Chi at the
University of Alabama. Stella
San Diego received a token vote
because she formerly wai a Chi
Omega at Purdue; even though
every body knows there are no
Chi Omegas ut Purdue. Worth
mention was a fourth place can
didate that snared zero vote
because the president neglected
to call her name.
Cedar Rapid went on to reign
us queen of the Anthropology
Ilrag. Kho duly thanked every
one that voted for her. and
strangely enough—“It’s the big
gest honor of my life.”
A thorough behind the scene
investigation will show how
Mis* Rapids won.
It seems the chapter that
nominated her got hold of an
alumni list. They sent in Miss
Haplds on a wave of absentee
ballots disguised under the
names of various alumni. This
was necessary because no one
remembered to officially enter
her in the contest.
The whole thing puzzled the
Anthro majors. They dropped
school and formed an expedition
in search of "Kllroy was here”
signs.
Anyway', everybody was sorta
happy even though the band
leader forgot to hire side men,
and the couples danced to pul
sating rythnis lapped out on a
waste basket by a date-less so
ciology major.
Our C^onlemfyorieS
The University of Washington
Daily sponsored u "TfJIF Do-It
Yourself Kit” contest recently,
apparently for the "advance
ment and better weekend proj
ects.”
The first-prize winner turned
out to be a do-it-yourself tacho
meter to be attached to the
Latin American Ship of State,
so that the number of revolu
tions per minute could be de
termined.
Second prize was awarded for
"a home-built triangle kit for
those students who do not fit
into the ordinary pattern.”
Prizes were not specified.
Oregon Daily Emerald
The Oregon Daily Emerald is published four limes in September and five days a week
during the school year, except during examination and vacation periods, by the Student
f Ubhcations Hoard of the University of Oregon. Entered as second class maun at the
post office, Eugene. Oregon. Subscription rates: $5 per year $2 tier term
Opinions expressed on the editorial page are those of The Emerald and do not pretend
to represent the opinion of the ASUO or the University. 1
PHIL HAGER, Editor BILL BRYANT, Business Manager
JERRY RAMSEY, Manatting Editor
CHECK BORDENKIKCIIER, Advertising Manager