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• EMERALD
Hazing: Is It a Problem?
Little can be gained by passage of the
bill which would make hazing on Oregon
college campuses a misdemeanor. True, sad
istic hazing cannot be condoned, but before
such a bill is passed the State legislature
should determine its possible usefulness.
Is it needed? Can it be enforced? And, does
it add anything to what is being done al
ready to abolish whatever hazing exists?
IN BRIEF, the bill states that “No per
son in attendance at an educational insti
tution in this state shall conspire to haze,
attempt to haze or engage in hazing which
is the commission of any act that injures,
degrades or disgraces any person attending
the institution.” In an unusually lucid and
penetrating style, it adds “No person in
charge of or teaching in an educational in
stitution in this state shall permit an act of
hazing or of attempting to haze any person
attending the institution.”
These sentiments cannot be disputed. But
consider what they imply. They imply that
on the campuses in this state there is at
least the possibility of the existence of de
graded, disgraced, and even injured students
tormented by what are apparently sadistic
monsters while administrators, who must
certainly be corrupt to allow such goings
on, knowingly permit the situation to exist.
With these implications we must take issue.
While not positive about the condition of
the students, we are quite sure that the ad
ministrators, at least on this campus, are
not corrupt.
WHAT REALLY MATTERS is whe
ther we gain anything from this bill. The
bill is a statement that the ill treatment of
students by other students should not be
permitted. This seems obvious. But it still
doesn’t tell us where having fun ends and
being bad logins. Neither does it tell us the
location of the thin line between embarras
sing a person and disgracing him, making
him feel ridiculous and degrading him, or
giving him a few brief moments of pain
and injuring him.
Nor will the proposal provide a needed
tool to the administrators who can already
dangle the threat of suspension or expulsion
over the heads of wayward students. Ad
ministrators already have all the incentive
and ability to eliminate hazing which this
law would give to them by threat of court
action. Besides, hazing doesn’t appear to be
that much of a problem, at least according
to the ASUO Senate Student Relations and
Communications Committee which recently
resolved to so inform the ASUO Senate.
In short, then, we see little use in the pro
posed law. It tells us nothing we didn’t
know and forbids nothing that wasn’t al
ready forbidden. Neither is the proposal,
itself, clear on just what it would forbid.
It gives the decision as to what should be
abolished to the administration, and that’s
where the final say is already.
(Quentin (J3r
Teen
Senator Calls NSA Decision Unfortunate
By QUENTIN BREEN
Senator-at-Large
Last week the ASUO Senate
went on record as opposing
membership in NSA. The major
reason presented for non-mem
bership was that the Senate
should devote its efforts to cam
pus problems, and not be con
cerned with the problems of na
tional scope in which an organ
ization such as the National Stu
dent Association is involved.
IT IS unfortunate that the
student representatives of a
supposedly intellectual commu
nity such as the University of
Oregon should be of such an
opinion. Although we are a part
of the campus community, we
are members of a larger group,
a responsibility which we can
not ignore. And as members of
this larger group we should
have an interest in its prob
lems and issues, especially those
which directly effect the con
stituency of the Senate — the
students of the University of
Oregon. Surely the Senate could
devote at least as much time
and consideration to the dis
claimer affidavit provision of
National Defense Scholarships
as it does to the sending of the
rally squad to the Liberty
Bowl.
It is to be hoped that the
Senate will reconsider its re
sponsibilities and realize that
we can’t always remain in the
comfortable womb of security
which is the University commu
nity. In most other countries the
University student not only has
more interest, but has consider
ably more influence in the na
tional government than we have.
This situaton is not improved
by attitudes expressed by stu
dent governments such as ours
which shrug off all interest and
responsibility for anything of
national scope. For us to deny
a concern about national affairs
in favor of our internal situation
is shameful.
THE FIRST step would be
for the Senate to realize its re
sponsibilities to its constituency
in questions of national scope.
Having' made the decision to
become interested and involved
in this sphere, a decision as to
the best means of becoming in
formed and most effectively
making our opinions felt where
it counts is in order.
Possibly NS A is not the most
effective means of accomplish
ing this. However, the Senate
must conside* all the alterna
tives open to it and make its
decision on the basis of which
organization or means will best
suit its need for information and
expression of opinion. The im
portant thing is that the Sen
ate realize its obligations in the
area of national affairs and act
accordingly.
Letters to the Editor
Emerald Editor:
The article concerning plans
for the new stadium which ap
peared on the front page of Fri
day’s Emerald is worthy of
some comment. Hayward Field
is outdated and far too small.
This is shown by the perennial
problem of student seating. The
aid of the Alumni Association
in this endeavor will be invalu
able because of their great pres
tige. Their financial aid will eli
minate the otherwise prohibitive
cost of this much needed addi
tion to the University of Ore
gon. Congratulations Alums.
R. J. Carsner,
Junior in English.
• «
Emerald Editor:
I have been considering the
plans for the new 40,000 seat
stadium. If some speculation
will be tolerated, I’d like to
present some supporting argu
ments for such a stadium which
were not included in Friday’s
article. I simply submit them
for the sake of the record.
FIRST, the proposed site is
quite close to both the Univer
sity and downtown Eugene. Con
venient access will be available
from freeways now completed
or in the construction stages.
Second, such a stadium would
be of value to groups far be
yond the University itself.
Events of all kinds can be im
agined.
THIRD, with an adequate sta
dium Eugene could conceivably
become one of the great cen
ters for Northwest sporting
events, competing with now
famous “Bowl cities” for New
Year’s Day Games and the
like.
Fourth, the revenue derived
not only from gate receipts but
from out-of-town visitors would
be a soon to local merchants.
FIFTH, the proposed design
seems like a style setter. Its
combined uniqueness and sound
ness will certainly influence the
designs of other stadiums
throughout the country.
Sixth and last, such a sta
dium will be an incentive for a
broader athletic and recreation
program at the University.
Alan Berg,
Grad in Biology Student.
* *
Emerald Editor:
Although the new University
of Oregon 40,000 seat stadium
will not be completed while I’m
still an undergraduate, I’m very
happy to hear that plans are al
ready well on their way. In the
last few months we’ve been
hearing a lot about new dormi
tories and classrooms, but hard
ly anything is mentioned about
new recreation and athletic fa
cilities (Millrace notwithstand
ing). Consider the proposed
school population explosion by
1970. Will Hayward Field be
adequate for the crowds? Prob
ably not. It’s already over
crowded now.
(Continued on page 3)
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Paul Sbuff
‘True University Education
Includes Many Things..
By PAUL DULL
Pfofeimor of History
A true university education
includes many things, the ab
sence of any one element debas
ing it, but the presence of any
one part not guaranteeing it. It
is with this understanding that
I state my case by request of
the Emerald’s editor for the use
of the kind of essay test that I
employ in my classes.
I BELIEVE in the essay prob
lem form of examination. An
examination is more than a
means of testing a student's
knowledge of specific subjects
studied, or the testing of his
memory, or the testing of his
scholastic industry since the
last examination, or the testing
of his intelligence quotient, or
the application of the hickory
stick. If constructed properly,
it can be an additional step in
the educational process. If it is
merely the former things, I
surely believe our gadgeteers
could work out the proper ma
chinery and formulae wherein
we could correlate a student’s
IQ, his industry, and his interest
in the subject to work out an
equitable and admirable class
curve with no examination
whatsoever. If it is the latter,
it can do these things perhaps
slightly less well, but it can also
attain other goals better. It can
take emphasis of rote memory
of lectures and texts to place
emphasis upon how to use the
“facts” to analyze problems,
how to relate facts in one con
text to problems in another.
In essence, I believe that is
why students being graduated
from the. College of Liberal
Arts are preferred by employ
ers to students who do not have
a university degree. In a hypo
thetical case, I gravely doubt if
personnel managers of General
Motors hire our students be
cause of the subject matter tak
en in the four years of univer
sity work. Surely they wouldn't
be personnel managers if they
weren’t realists, and as realists
they must admit the amount of
“facts” retained for instant use
is rather minuscule. I can name
one in my own experience: the
battle of Hastings was fought
in 1066. Then why are our
graduates chosen ? I believe be
cause the university degree is
indication that students are
trained so that they may be given
probiemH, understand how and
where to find the relevant data
first to state the problem cor
rectly and then to solve it effec
tively. Substantive essay ques
tions, and by this I do not mean
those that ask a student to state
the four (was it four?) causes
of the Crusades, give university
students this training.
A SECOND major benefit ac
cruing to essay examinations is
teaching literacy, and if that be
accomplished, literary ability. I
am constantly both amazed and
dejected at the lack of both in
many students exposed to essay
questions in my courses. A uni
versity education can never be
attained if one's knowledge
must be constantly tested only
by lines drawn by a graphite
pencil, by the marking of an
X, or a choice between writing
T of F, or by drawing a circle
around or a line under a word or
phrase. If any colleague believes
this invidious comparison or fa
cetious derision, I welcome his
help on grading my next essay
examinations. I shall set aside
the papers of those students
whose backgrounds have con
sisted chiefly of courses in
which “objective” tests are
utilized. I shall also keep handy
for him a potion of stimulants
for he will need them. One can
only learn to write by wilting
(Continued on page 3)
OREGON DAILY EMERALD
The Oregon Daily Emerald it published
four lime* in September and five dayt 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 rates: $5 per year,
12 per term.
Opinions expressed on the editorial page
are those of The Kmetald and do not pre
tend to represent the opinion of the ASUO
or the University.
JIM BOYD. Editor
STEVE MILLIKIN, Business Manager
LARRY LYNCH, Managing Editor
RON BUEL, News Editor
TED MAIIAK. Editorial Editor
DAN PFAFF, Asst. Managing Editor
KEITH POWELL, Associate Editor
PETE DOWNS, CRAIO McEWAN,
Sports Editors
DULCY MORAN, Wire Editor
BARBARA CHANTRY. Women’s Editor
NICOLA ROACH, Entertainment Editor
JAN KAUTTO, Church Editor
BARRY DeVAULT, Photo Editor
EDITORIAL BOARD:
Jim Boyd, I-arry Lynch, Ron Buel,
Ted Mahar, A1 Ilynding, Keith Powell,
Gayle Charles, Sue Hunter, Gayle Os
bourne, Dan Pfaff, Fred Crafts, and
Howard McGDsson.