Hazing
The Questions Are Dis-heartening
But the Answers May Be* Worse
During fraternity initiation last week, of
the houses initiating, only a very few did
not use hazing practices. Some of the hazing
techniques involved physical violence, per
sonal degradation, and in an appaling num
ber of instances, outright perversion. Presi
dent Flemming's action and the resigna
tion of Tribunal Chairman Ken Wilson
indicate the extent and seriousness of the
offenses. A description of the list of the
alleged offenses is both nauseating and un
printable.
What happened last week raises some
serious questions:
• Where do fraternities find the people
to devise and administer such initiations?
Where do they find people who will stand
by and let such things go on? And where
do they find people who will endure them?
e Why has the administration done
nothing in the past to stop such practices?
Can these things have gone on for decades
without the administration finding out
about them? Are housing needs at the
University so great that these terrible com
promises had to be made? Did the Univer
sity depend that much on the financial as
sistance of fraternity alumni?
• How many share the responsibility
for such practices? The entire University
from Student Affairs to the lowliest pledge?
The fraternity system alone? Each indivi
dual fraternity? Groups in fraternities too
powerful to oppose? Each fraternity mem
ber?
e Why are people who participate in
such practices regarded as the socially
elite, as the leaders of campus life? Can
sororities absolve themselves of all blame
for what went on last week and in years
past? Have they shown indifference or
even tacit approval to what has gone on?
• How many of our good friends have
taken part in such practices? How many
people who have done these things are
pinned? Engaged? Married?
• How many parents have taken part in
such initiations? How many of our profes
sors? Our civic leaders? Our national lead
ers?
• What sort of standards will these
people instill in their children? What stand
ards will they bring into business? Into
society? Into government?
• Do these acts represent the true
character of the fraternity system and its
members?
% Would anything ever have happened
to stop these practices had not President
Flemming stepped in ’
• And there is. finally, one last ques
tion: How many people on this campus
really regard such practices as wrong?
Pleasant Reversal
We are pleased that the University ad
ministration did not propose that the fees
for Susan Campbell and Hendricks be rais
ed $45 so that their charges would equal
charges in other dormitories.
What with tuition probably going up $30
next year, all dormitory fees most likely
being raised $40 and books increasing be
tween $5 and $10 per year, the under-priv
ileged student does not need any more
blows to his pocketbook.
As it is now, under-privileged women
may request to live in Susan Campbell or
Hendricks, thereby saving $45. To take
this away would increase prices next year
for under-privileged women not $80 but
$125.
Susan Campbell and Hendricks were
purchased with state funds, and have been
paid off for a long time, unlike our other
dormitories.
It should also be remembered that the
University has a policy which requires
students to live in the dormitory their
freshman year if they do not have relatives
in Eugene.
And then there is the fact that the Eu
gene campus has a large dormitory surplus
of several hundred thousand dollars, ex
emplified by our recent dorm fund contri
butions to the University medical school in
Portland.
Irregardless of what dormitory officials
say about sinks in the room, central loca
tion, and a new fire-control system. Hend
ricks and Susan Campbell facilities are just
not equal to those in our other dormitories.
The dorms are older, noisier, have more
people per room, and have a five-minute
walk to eating facilities.
We are in agreement with the policy
that our dormitory system cannot justifi
ably operate in the red. We believe, how
ever. that the administration has also wisely
decided not to operate too far in the black.
Letters to the Editor
I
Brotherhood
Emerald Editor:
In the ASUO Senate meeting
Thursday evening, Senator Bill
Vertrees said, in his speech
concerning the USNSA, that all
men believe in brotherhood and
it they didn't there is some
thing wrong with them. From
his following actions, we might
be lead to wonder if he is
possibly the someone there is
something wrong with.
Brotherhood includes showing
consideration for your fellow
men. However, when Tad Mc
Call, newly appointed senator,
began to give a carefully pre
pared speech on the NSA issue
Vertrees ridiculed him by fla
grantly playing the part of a
waiter; choosing this time to
serve coflee to the spectators.
This hardly exemplifies his doc
trine on brotherhood.
Such conspciuous inconsidera
tion w'as a detriment to the dig
nity of the Senate, and to the
excellent speech about the
USNSA which Vertrees had giv
en earlier.
1 do give Tad McCall my ad
miration for being responsible
enough to prepare his arguments
on the USNSA issue. The “si
lent” senators from each class
could do well to follow his ex
ample.
Missy Schmid,
Freshman, Literature.
Pro Shelter Signs
Emerald Editor:
For several days on this cam
pus it has been fashionable to
damn bomb-shelter signs. This
seems to me perfectly absurd
for two reasons.
First, no one knows if shel
ters are really effective, since
we’ve not had a chance to test
them yet. Thank God. People
who are optimistic say they
might be; pessimists say they
aren’t. I side with optimists
(it is an American tradition),
and if that day really comes so
will you wc will both be head
ing hopefully to the safest place,
following the signs. (You may
be muttering under your breath
"This is an illusion! Hopeless!”
but you will be by my side,
nevertheless.;
Secondly, the notion that the
signs suggest a breach of faith
in this nation’s struggle for
peace, or that the signs may in
duce the citizens to complac
ency, is perverse reasoning, re
ductio ad absurdem. The signs
signify nothing more than this
nation’s awareness and prepar
edness—a condition that lamen
tably did not exist on Decem
ber 7, 1941. IWe were at that
time, historians say, seeking a
settlement with Japan.) 1 am
gratified that we have benefit
ed something from that experi
ence, that we are today some
what less naive. For two points
remain clear: morality between
nations is still non-existent, and
/
"till more n Tho5£ Pj.a4tt> whterJ im Tut ao ww/
Letters to the Editor
Shutout Sky
kmerald liditor:
Whom can I thank for the
perfectly made, eiegantl) con
ventional machine-pleated drap
erics that now hang in the Stu
dent t nion Annex'’ The sun
is finally obliterated, the sea
gull sculpture hidden, tin squir
rels and the trees are beyond
distraction Along the pathways
outside, one of the shrubs was
beginning to bud, and it isn't
even Spring! At last the sky is
shut out -clouds scud across it
in totally unpredictable pat
tern,, anyway- and the bomb
shelter is padded; it seems so
much more secure, - oinehow.
Perhaps ome imaginative rest
aurant supplier could be pre
vailed upon to supply those nice,
plastic-shaded, pastel candles for
each table This additional touch
would create an atmosphere con
ducive to more innocuous ideas
and soft, pale shadows of
thought, a veritable haven from
the crudities of prostitution and
pretease
Not only c-jii students eat in
.secluded groups in this room
now freed of nakedness and
vision, but soon, ! understand,
they are to be intellectually fed
a.s well. Little placards will be
placed on the slightiv bizarre
tables (round in a square room,
but some incongruities can be
overlooked), suggesting some
thing to think about, iniorming
ail alike of the topics currently
being discussed by those who
realize the value of words, the
necessity of involvement in all
the popular issues. For instance,
1 hope one of them deals with
how to spell aesthetics- with or
without the "a"?—because I
think its important to know how
to spell it; otherwise, people
just imagine, or just feel their
way, with no established norm
to guide them. Overly enthusias
tic excham -s will he subdued
by the yards and yards of ex
pensive fabric, this, avoiding the
sparks of free will which might
otherwise be ignited into action.
Thank goodness 1 will no
longer have to eat my sand
wiches by the Millrace It is
cluttered with tourtured re
mainders of a violent storm,
broken trees wliich would re
quire much too much time and
money to remove. Now 1 can
spend that hour of respite,
heretofore wasted in contem
plation, in the comfortably ac
coutered diningroom, protected
from external threat. This is a
modest appreciation.
Jane McLean,
Eng. Grad.
unpri pared ness is an invitation
to disaster.
Will Strong,
Graduate,
Interdisciplinary Studies.
Too Much Money?
I-hm raid IltlUor:
•la;. 1 be permitted to <-\pr< s
doubt about the wisdom of
■ j.t .udinj' $300 of undent iilor
ou the free speech platform'’ It
is a part of lay knowledge if
not a formal sociological axiom
that the more money that is
spent on physical installation-,
the greater becomes the dill
enlty in using the facility !
can foresee that any student
who wishes to use the propo** 1
platform will have to clear with
Student Union authorities at
least a week in advance i
that their "free" speech will not
conflict in schedule with 1 11
day at Four or the annual
Mushroom (Soiling Conte*-! of
the Signify Nothings. Such is
the marginal disutility of pi *
nisnent investment.
(orrest It. Pitts,
Assoc. Prof. «f (ii-o
graphy.
About Dropping
ATTENTION Al b .MICKEY
MICE:
Hope you heeded (he E:<u
aid's urgent announcement la ’
Friday concerning the drop
date "withdraw now and avoid
the grade." After reading the
Emerald's warnin’ to grade
seekers. Dr. Stephenson (hi
tory dept.) wittily quipped, "all
mice drop now and save the tax
payer money!" This makes
sense Heal sense Time out for
self • evaluation Ask yourself
what you're really here for.
Meanwhile rest assured that
occupants of those now empty
classroom chairs have squeek
ed ofl to the SC for a cheese
burger and coffee.
Patricia Anderson,
Soph in Pre-Law.
OREGON DAILY EMERALD
The Or«*K 1 I > * if Emerald T |
t»c »*ii times 1*1 Sept*-tr»her and five da t
week during tlu < Ikm.| year, except iltir
i»»K cxaimnal.on ami y.m :tiui peri t l.y
the Student Publications Hoard «»f tTic
I’nive; ,tt> id Oregon Entered a* . I
class matter It the p sf office, Kugn.e,
Oregon. !*tib: 11 iptit n !.«!<• $5 p*: y.;
$2 per tciin.
(Tpiniutis e> pie < d • »n flic editor ial • »•
those of The I. in mu Id .md <lo n< t \ i>
tend to repp sent tl < pinions .,i the
ASl O or tin l invi i it .
RON lim, 7'lditor
-VIAK'fY KLTELS, Hti-ine>s M..nayp r
I Kli M AH A it, Managing I* • l»t«»r
EVERETTK Dh\M>. New Editor
Hi i, ( (x; ;\\ ell.
Editorial I' t> c I*l«li»■ i>
LARR S VVI I.UAMS,
Adterii ng Manages
LARRY CRAN KS, Sports Editor
m L< Y MORAN.
A'-ishnt Man.i.pny Ed tor
LAVE SANDS, JIM KRAKK,
JANET C ) KT/.K,
Assistant Nevss I 2 i tors
CKORCK UCH AM, Photo Editor
LINDA HR( \VN,1t!i crtaiimieiit T*A1 it• ir
RON ( OWA V, CATHY NEVILI K.
I 11 ORA NYU LIAMS,
Ashociatc New ** Kditols