EMERALD
"Building a Better University”
Needed: Mutual Understanding
Apathy is dead. The members of the
student body are more than ever interested
in campus issues.
Those of us who have been familiar with
the workings of student government in the
last year realize the tremendous progress
that has been made. A year ago students did
not care to express concern about ROTC,
frosh orientation, department curricula, ad
visor-advisee relations, dorm food, athletic
policy, tuition, women's rules, election sys
tems, academic responsibility, etc.
Apathy is dead, but in its place has come
a somewhat overzealous attempt by some to
get easv and fast answers to big problems.
In the last school year we have made real
progress toward making the University of
Oregon a much better university. World
Affairs Week, the new election system, and
the new ASUO Publicity Committee are a
few examples of this progress. However the
progress that was made occurred only be
cause the administration, the faculty, and
the students worked together with a feeling
of common purpose.
The new election system for instance was
a result of cooperation from a faculty mem
ber in the law school, a member of the office
of Student Affairs’ staff. Senate members,
and interested students. There are many
Conferences
Various campus organizations, including
both living,groups and activity honoraries,
are in the habit of staging, or at least
taking part in, annual conferences or re
treats during the school year.
These conferences and get-togethers are
quite numerous—in fact, too long to list
with any justification; and the great
quantity existing brings forth a question.
Are they really worthwhile?
Of course, it’s hard to generalize about a
thing like this because of the varied inter
ests and goals the meetings represent, but
one thing is sure—some of them are lack
ing in value and merely waste the time and
money of everyone concerned.
This statement can be backed up merely
by asking someone who belongs to a cam
pus honorary if he thinks the national con
vention or district retreat is a necessary part
of the whole group’s operation. Chances are
the answer will be an indifferent shrug or
at best, in most cases, a half-hearted at
tempt to justify the existence of the meet
ing.
Again, it must be emphasized that a few
of these meetings do serve a very worth
while purpose and are necessary to the suc
cessful operation of the entire organization
—national fraternity and sorority conven
tions could certainly be included in this
category.
But how about the UO chapter of Sigma
Rho Phi, national mending honorary? What
is the necessity of sending two or three
delegates to a district conference in Seattle
other instances of this cooperation that re
sulted in similar progress.
However with the new student interest
there could develop a problem that might
well stifle progress for all. That problem is
a possible lack of communication and under
standing between the students, the faculty
and the administration.
This paper is on a sort of middle ground.
We can see and feel the strong student body
desire for action on one side and the admin
istrative details that require time and try
patience on the other.
It is our desire that all parties understand
the situation. The administration and the
facultv should recognize and welcome the
new interest of the students and realize that
this will mean that new action must be
taken in answering old problems. The stu
dents should use wisely their new inter
est and the responsibility that is coming
with it. They should realize that the mech
anics of government do not lend themselves
to overnight change. Big problems seldom
have simple answers.
If the students, the faculty and the admin
istration understand each other and work
together to solve the aforementioned prob
lems as they did the problems of the past
year, solutions are sure to follow.
for the annual rules and principles meeting
when the group does nothing on its own
campus but exist in name only for those
few who happen to share an interest in it.
Granted the above example is hypotheti
cal, but 'the fact remains that it does have
a parallel or two, or three, or more that hit
pretty close to home.
Opinions have been expressed by several
students who are members of campus hon
oraries and organizations both pro and con
on this subject, and a very limited cross
section seems to indicate that the conferen
ces are looked upon as a general waste of
time and something that could better be
left out.
However, these people are quick to point
out that in some cases, merely getting to
gether with other students and discussing
common subjects validates the entire meet
ing, no matter how worthless it might be
otherwise.
In the final analysis, of course, the worth
of student conferences and annual retreats
and the like must be determined by the in
dividual student who attends them. Still,
the fact that many, many dollars are spent
on arranging and encouraging the continu
ance of these meetings warrants a close re
evaluation of whether they actually serve
the purposes they were intended.
Think it over the next time your particu
lar organization slates a convention with like
beings on another campus in another part
of the country.
And ask yourself is it worth the time and
effort?
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Emerald Editor:
An editorial in last Thurs
day’s Emerald pointed to an an
nual loss of $40,000 by the ath
letic department. This deficit is
made up oy a head tax on each
student of $13.50 per year. The
editor suggests thai perhaps the
individuals so taxed should be
represented in decisions on how
to spend the money.
He questions the choice of
“minor” sports to be supported.
A more important question
that should be raised is whether
inter- collegiate competitive
sports of any kind should be
supported by the students. The
real students on this campus de
rive no benefit from any of these
activties anyway—they are too
busy with more adult concerns.
The people who really benefit—
the businessmen of Eugene, the
athletes who are paid for their
participation, and the athletic
department itself — should be
left to their otvn devices to keep
the operation out of the -ed. If
any taxes are to be paid it
should he paid by the athletic
department to the Lniversity!
Foundation grants to campus
scientists are taxed by the Uni
versity. Whv shouldn’t donations
to the athletic department also
be taxed.
If the $13.50 assessment on
students is to continue, a better
proposal would be to spend the
$77,000 now given to the ath
letic department on scholar
ships — for real scholars instead
of for football players. Certainly
the editor is quite right, taxa
tion without representation is
as abhorant to University stu
dents todav as it was to our co
lonial forefathers. Press on the
issue! However, do not un
(Continued on page 3)
Senior Anticipation
"tonemes they get fwrry wemoeur when txey6Et
HOLD OF THAT P1PU7MA f
^Alteacl—nitmler 2
AWS President Asks
Help on Rules Revision
By DIANA 8<X>TT
One of the well-worn phrase*
on this campus reads to the ef
fect that the Associated Women
Students are organized because
women have problems which
need special consideration. The
truth of this cliche is shown in
the now prevalent dissatisfac
tion with women’s rules.
No longer is there anyone
among faculty, administration,
and student leaders who denies
that a problem exists. Even
those who have In the past
played the role of the proverbial
ostrich—heads hidden securely
in the sand—are willing to face
the problem.
In the past perhaps even those
most concerned and those who
were working to improve the
situation were a little like the
ostrich. It is too easy for lead
ers of AWS to make small re
visions of unimportant rules
each year. Dissatisfaction is
thus# kept to a minimum, but
the problem remains, ready to
flare up anew at any moment.
Perhaps there has been a
tendency within AWS to become
too busy in the Ivory Tower to
understand the conditions under
which women students must live
and study.
This spring the new AW8 leg
islature haw resolved to pursue
a course of action which is de
signed to straighten out some of
the major difficulties with rules.
First, rules governing women at
the University of Oregon are
created in at least four different
places. In the past AWS has
handled only a part of these
rules, and has assumed that the
others must be intrinsically
good. The inconsistencies and
contradictions in rules stem
ming from different sources have
already been exposed. The AWS
rules committee will, for the
first time, assemble all the rules
affecting women at one time.
Being a person who tries to obey
rules whenever possible, I per
sonally resent a system of rules
which by its very nature pro
hibits obedience.
Secondly, there are too many
rules*, Many should be complete
ly eliminated; others must be
simplified and clarified. The
hearings planned by the AWS
legislature for next week will
provide, an opportunity for every
woman student on the campus to
contribute to the new code which
should develop this spring.
iironp living demands Mime
uniformities In behavior. An
these uniformities are made
most effective by writing them
down and calling them rules, I
do not advocate abolishing nil
rules. Houever, to me it seems
that the fewer rules there are,
the more effective and better
followed they will he.
The AWS Legislature in doing
lt« part to remedy the rule
situation. Now It Is up to every
woman student who lias a gripe
to do her part. Two weeks ago
a letter writer to the Emerald
stated that AWS was not really
interested in the views of the
women on he campus. Being
anxious to hear all constructive
crittclsms and suggested im
provements, I made an appoint
ment to talk to her. I am still
waiting for her to keep the ap
pointment.
It Is time for everyone on the
campus, the average student
as well as those In positions
of responsibility, to work con
structively. There has been
plenty of talk, plenty of gen
eralized gripes! We need action.
We need lists of specific rules
with solid reasoning to support
their elimination or change! liv
ing organization presidents have
been asked to discuss rules In
house or dorm meetings. Spe
cific suggestions will be sin
cerely welcomed by those who
have the task of evaluating
present rules. Only with the
support and cooperation of its
members can the Associated
Women Students accomplish its
goal of solving women’s prob
lems on the campus.
OREGON DAILY EMKRALD
The Oregon Daily Emerald in published
four times in September and five days a
week during the school year, except dur
ing examination 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 latcs: $5 per year,
$2 per 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.
DON JEPSEN, Editor
WARREN RUCKER. Business Manager
PEPPER ALLEN, Managing Editor
JEFF WILLIAMS, News Editor
JOHN R. (JUSTA I* SON,
Editorial Page Editor
SUE CLARK, Advertising Manager
KAREN MAUNEY,
ELLIOT CARSON,
Associate Editors
DICK MCKINNEY. RANNY GREEN.
Sports Editors
MARY JO STEWART,
Women’s News Editor
LARRY KURTZ, Assistant News Editor
EVERETT CUTTER,
Entertainment Editor
JOHN RUSSELL, Photo Editor