USNSA
ASUO Senate Has the Opportunity
To Take a Progressive Step Tonight
The members of the ASUO Senate have
a rare opportunity tonight to take a signi
ficant step forward, not only for student
government here, but for the entire Uni
versity. The step forward would be to join
the United States National Student Asso
ciation.
Faculty and students who sometimes
stand a few paces away, figuratively speak
ing, and take a long slow look at the at
mosphere which pervades this campus, in
variably find themselves labeling the Uni
versity of Oregon, “an ensentiallv provin
cial school.” Even those who praise our
fine faculty will admit that the average
University student is really not too con
cerned with much else than his own little
world of the Student Union, the dormi
tory or fraternity, and the grades he will
receive next term.
And the representatves of these stu
dents, ASUO Senators, have consistently
reflected this attitude in student govern
ment. Their theory has been, “If it doesn’t
concern this University directly, let's keep
out of it. If it can't directly benefit or im
prove upon what we already have here,
we don’t want it.” We do not blame the
Senators for this attitude. They have cor
rectly interpreted the past attitude of their
constituents.
It is with this background that member
ship in NSA, once again comes up for con
sideration of the Senate tonight.
We believe it is time for each Senator
to re-evaluate his position on NSA. For
NSA could do a great deal for this Uni
versity. And the students of this Univer
sity have a responsibility to do all they
can to make NSA as good as they can pos
sibly make it.
The main value of NSA as we see it, is
that it is a meeting ground where students
can exchange ideas, information, and opin
ion. The National Student Congress is the
heart of this exchange. A two-week assem
bly of student members from throughout
the nation, this congress consists primarily
of seminars and legislation on bills pre
sented by its members.
Legislation which the congress passed
last year concerned such issues as federal
aid to higher education, the House Un
American Activities Committee, nuclear
testing, the role of the federal government
in civil rights, and many other subjects
of interest and importance to students who
value their role as student citizens.
By sending capable delegates, selected
by the entire student body because of their
stands on national, international and stu
dent affairs, to this Congress, the signifi
cance of student government on this cam
pus would increase greatly. And when
these students returned, the exchange of
ideas, and issues which are important to
students all over the nation, could be called
to the attention of the students of this
campus. No longer would the University
of Oregon stand aside, out of the main
stream of American student life.
But more than this, a “no” vote by the
ASUO Senate would be a renunciation by
students of their responsibility in national
and international affairs. For what NSA
does in these areas is of great value.
NSA has held the only non-Communist
international union of students together
for many years. And student politics around
the world are given much more importance
than in the U S. NSA holds a Southern
Student Human Relations Seminar in the
South each year, and also conducts such
programs as a recent drive to register Ne
gro voters in Raleigh, N.C. NSA is the
only group that represents students in the
area of higher education on the national
level. NSA is the only student group on
such bodies as the American Council of
Education and the American Association
of Deans of Women. In this area, NSA has
not wavered in its attempts to maintain
academic freedom and student rights and
to stimulate democratic student govern
ment.
Travel study tours, its student govern
ment information service, and its college
press service should not go unmentioned
as direct benefits to the University of mem
bership in NSA.
With opponents of NSA, we agree that
the organization is not perfect. But it is an
organization that could bring stimulation
and real excitement to our student body.
It is an organization that can best be im
proved from within. It is an organization
that offers the students of this University
an opportunity to meet responsibilities
they have long neglected on the national
and international levels.
The choice tonight for the ASUO Senate
is one of either taking a long step forward
into the mainstream of student activism in
the 1960’s, or leaving our student body en
trenched in its stagnant ditch of provin
cialism.
Letters to the Editor
/
Lethargic Us
Emerald Editor:
Tradition, once indicative of
pride and esprit de corps, seems
to be a thing of the past. It now
appears that to uphold any tra
dition simply takes too much
time and energy.
Recently a large “0”-shaped
object, which is symbolic of
something—I forgot what, was
removed from Skinner’s Butte.
Will we take this insult lying
on our back? No, of course not!
Suppressing a lethargic yawn
vvc will merely roll over on our
side and look the other way.
Jerald Tucker
Sophomore in Business
* * *
Amendment
Emerald Editor:
Dear Mr. Pearson: I have, of
late, heard a rumor concerning
the conservative political move
ment in this country which dis
turbs me, and concerning which
I hope you can enlighten me. Is
it reaalv true that the conserva
tives in this country want to
make certain changes to the
Constitution of the U.S. in the
following vein?
Article I
“Congress shalj make no law
respecting the establishment of
religion (read; “conservatism”)
or prohibiting the free (read;
“conservative”) exercise there
of: or abridging the freedom of
speeeh (add; “for conserva
tives,”) or of the (add; “conser
vative”) press; or the right of
the people (read; “conserva
tives”) peaceabiy to assemble
and to petition the (add; “con
servative”) Government for a
redress of greviances (add: “con
cerning liberals.”)
L. D. Scott
Grad. Student
Psychology
* * *
Theft Charge
Emerald Editor:
In announcing the recent rash
of thefts on campus. II. P. Barn
hart bbserved that the thefts
coincided with fraternity initia
tion week. The thefts also coin
cided with Religious Forum
Week, and followed the tuition
raise. If any of you hate frater
nities, religions, or tuition-rais
ing legislatures, now is the time
to draw brave and ingenious im
plications.
But keep this in mind: the
charge of theft, whether by
sneaky innuendo or by direct
accusation, is not a funny busi
ness.
W. J. Holly
Sophomore in
Philosophy
* * *
Misleading Signs
Emerald Editor:
I am dismayed at the appear
ance of “Fallout Shelter” signs
on camnus. The entire civil de
fense program is misleading. It
implies that -,ve may be sale in
the event of nuclear war. It
may condition us to accept nuc
lear war as tolerable anti even
desirable. It may condition us
to accept a military way of life,
which is inconsistant with our
country’s tradition. For these
reasons it mav increase the like
lihood of the very war it poses
1 S/vf t*)NT tluST LEAH FORWAKb."
What People Are Saying
On Membership In USNSA
“The United States National Student Association has a
15-year record of outstanding service to the American
student, his campus and his nation. Its contributions to
international understanding and cooperation and to im
proving the welfare of individual students are vast
—The Michigan Daily, fniversit} of Michigan.
* * *
“The NSA congress was not only a legislative meeting,
but an intensive educational process as well.”
—The Daily Texan, University of Texas.
* * *
“USNSA would be a very fine thing for the student
government of this University to join ”
—University President Arthur S. Flemming.
* * *
“The National Student Association has splendidly artic
ulated our national ideas and reflected the vigor of our
college and university young people. The WSA has be
hind it years of useful activity and experience. It has
made generous and effective contributions in many areas
of public policy—foreign affairs, civil rights, academic
freedom and international student exchange.”
—President John F. Kennedy.
* • *
"1 welcome this opportunity to congratulate each of your
members on the splendid work you are doing to advance
student aims and to contribute to our American way of
life.”
—Richard M. Nixon, former Vice President
of the United States.
* * *
“The Thirty-seventh Annual Meeting of the American
Association of University Professors welcomes the devel
oping program of the National Student Association for
making an informed student opinion effective in Ameri
can higher education and for extending the influence
of free education to other parts of the world.”
—American Association of University Professors.
to protect us from. I urge the
members ot this university to
refuse to participate in a pro
gram which is useless, at best,
and very probably dangerous.
Joyce L. Ktnrich
Institute of Molecular
Biology
About Letters
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signed and should include, if'
from a student, the writer’s
year and major. If not from a
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writer’s position at the Univer
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intelligently-written columns of
campus or more general interest
either by students or faculty
members. Columns submitted
should also be double spaced.
Preferred length is <?e*ween two
and three typewritten pages.
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