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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 29, 1963)
ASUO Senate Vacancies In an Inadequate Constitution Process of Filling Vacancies Is One of Worst For several years, the AUSO Senate has been filling its own vacancies. This practice deserves some serious questioning. When an ASUO Senator resigns or is disqualified for academic reasons, the Sen ate calls for petitions to fill the space. Those who petition are narrowed down to three by the six-member student govern ment committee, a standing committee of the Senate. Then the Senate spends about five minutes interviewing each of the three candidates, and elects the new' officer. Several obvious faults are built into this system. In the first place, any shortcomings the present Senate possesses are compound ed by the selection of members who agree with the present Senate. Any possibilities for dissent are automatically lessened be cause of this method. There is also a tendency for the Senate to play political games with the open posi tions. Fraternities with five or six members on the Senate have a pretty good chance to get another frat brother on it. for instance. These problems were pointed out for all to see at the last Senate meeting when there was considerable debate as to wheth er or not the new Senator should be se lected before or after the vote on NSA. It was decided he would be selected before the vote. Then, after being selected, he pro ceeded to give a 20-minute presentation against NSA. But even more apparent than these prac tical objections, is the lack of a democratic basis for this practice. Why should fresh men be on a committee which narrows down candidates for upper-class women’s dormitory representative? Why should sophomore ASUO Senators vote for the graduate representative? We would like to suggest that the ASUO Senate, in revising the ASUO constitution as it has said it is going to do, should con sider recommending to the student body changes in this process of filling Senate vacancies. Perhaps the runner-up in elections could automatically fill all vacancies. This would be more democratic, more representative Or maybe the Senate should even consider the idea of leaving vacancies open, with the exception of the class presidencies and ASUO president and vice president. This would put more of a premium on the selec tion of members who are likely to last' an entire year. In an ASUO constitution which is riddled with loopholes, inefficiencies and inadequa cies. the present process of filling vacancies is one of the worst. A Misunderstood Stand We are somewhat disappointed with the degree to which our editorial stand on the possible appearance of Harry Bridges on this campus has been misinterpreted, as evidenced by recent letters to the editor. We do not stand against inviting contro versial speakers to the University, and will support the right of Harry Bridges or any one else to speak on this campus. We would like to see more such speakers come here. These feelings do not, however, change the reality of dollars and cents, as related to this legislative year. We detest the, “Don't rock the boat” at titude prevalent every legislative year as much as anyone else. But it is also our be lief that the way to change such an attitude is not to fly in the face of it whenever possible. Letters to the Editor On Fraternities Emerald Editor: For quite some time fraterni ties have been subjected to var ious “morality movements”. Why it is that Greek organiza tions are singled out as partic ularly sinful? Perhaps too few people are aware of the Greek side of the picture. I am speak ing from the viewpoint of an in dividual fraternity member— not for all fraternities. Fraternities are not “anti” anyone. It is simply that many national organizations were founded on the belief that clos est brotherhood comes when those of the group are of the same ethnic origin. This may not be each member’s personal belief. However, being a nation al organization, Brothers of the Oregon chapter must be accept able to any other Brother in an other part of the country, as well as to those who have pre ceded us. This is respect, if nothing*else. A person who can not accept these circumstances should not become a member of such a national organization. Rather, he should seek a group with convictions similar to his, or form a group of his own. Possibly this could be the role of local fraternities on our cam pus, for presently the co-ops are the only other living organi zations founded on the concept of brotherhood. Certainly, no one can be justi fied in forcing another person to believe as he does, or even to create a situation under which it is impossible for an individual or a group to hold the ideals they see fit. I understand the University Administration’s pol icy is to guarantee each U of O. farternity chapter the freedom to pledge whoever they wish. I respect and appreciate their con cern, but I also respect the be liefs of my fraternity. A waiver is one way to solve the problem. It grants an individual chapter freedom to pledge as it wishes, but is given with the trust that the chapter still believes as the rest of the chapters do. Is the NAACP trying to deprive us of the right to preserve our integ rity? It might be well to clarify several points. Fraternities re ceive no financial aid from the University or the taxpayers of Oregon. Persons who join a Greek organization do so volun tarily. Fraternities are there fore independent, private groups. It is my opinion that the impetus and responsibility for making any necessary changes should come from within each private organization. I challenge the IFC and the President’s Council to meet the issue square ly, and I ask non-Greeks to rec ognize our rights. Laurence Arnold Junior in Architecture * * £ Closing Their Ears Emerald Editor: I was surprised to see so few professors at the lecture Thurs day given by Robert S. Sum mers. Professor Summers’ “Last Lecture” was devoted to attack I ing the method of teaching used by most University professors. I wonder why the professors did not have time to hear their “spoon-feeding” lecture method criticized. If their method is correct, why were they not pres ent to defend or attack? Are our professors that sure that a spoon in the student's mouth is the correct way to teach? Lee E. Harrell First Year Law If # tf Oldest Profession Emerald Editor: If any male wants empirical evidence that girls really are illogical and confused, he has only to observe the coming “Women’s Week”. The theme of the week is “Gay Nineties”, sup posedly celebrating the accom plishments of the turn-of-the century feminist movement. Sus an B. Anthony! Elizabeth Cady Stanton! Freedom! Equality! In dependence! Hurray! . . . That is, until one looks at the last, and probably best attended function of Women's Week—the pledge auction. Ap parently the women of this Uni versity are not as grateful to the Anthonys and Stantons of the nineties as they would have us believe, for at the auction the girls do as women have done, in one way or another, for thous ands of years—they sell them selves to men. Bobbye Stanley Sophomore in Anthropol ogy Carole McMann Sophomore in English - *■ /Wv>.N'fc> "YOU RE HAYING MY SONG." Letters to the Editor Shocked Header Emerald Editor: Having read your Tuesday, Jan 22. issue of the Emerald. I must admit to a great feel ing of shock and outrage 1 feel shock at your editorial entitled “A Rebuttal" and out rage at the editorial entitled Another Greek Exemption.” Why should I be shocked a* the article you entitled The Re buttal''” First, let me quote a few sentences you have written. You have stated that our (The Emerald) job is to report the news " This may be your job but, if so, you certainly are not icporting it very well You have not reported any favorable news about the Greek system this en tire school year 1 would clas sify this as news—why aren't you covering it? This point ties in with a second quote "We would gladly have reported something constructive about fraternities," well, the fact is, you will not 1 will point out three constructive things done by fraternities, one of which was covered in the back pages of an issue, but the other two com pletely ignored. The item that was covered was the holding of Christmas parties for un derprivileged children that at least two fraternities on cam pus held. I might add that if the fraternities had not handed in the articles the Emerald staff would never have dug them out, being too busy covering smut concerning the Greeks. Now, as to the other two items that received no mention at all One, a number of fraternities and sororities have been donat ing money to a professor in our history department, to send a Japanese student through medi cal school. The money raised has been enough to cover a year’s expenses for the student. This has been going on for a num ber of years and, as far as I can tell, has not been mentioned once. But, perhaps you don't feel that this is constructive. Second, a fraternity volunteered a morning's work to the Univer sity in helping clean up branches and other debris that the wind storm left on the campus. Again, no mention in the newspaper that is supposed to be covering the activities of our school. So here I have mentioned three constructive things that frater nities have done, one receiving little mention and the other two none at all. And yet you say you “report the news” and will gladly report something con structive about fraternities. You say you won’t report “only good news,” well, why don’t you try to report something other than the bad news? Regarding the other half of your editorial “Another Greek Exemption,” I have never seen such colored journalism in my life You u >ed every dirty trick you could use. Is it fair journal ism to refer to the sorority girl as "Moilie Mudd' Why didn't you use the names "Moilie the had nasty rotten apple" and "Jane the all American college Kill"’. You could have achieved your objective, putting sororities in a had light, even better. Then you go on to represent the sorority girl as a student just barely making it through college, a 2001 GI’A, and the non sorority girl as the straight and narrow 4 000 student If you would check the grade list I’m sure you will find that this is not the case You certainly weren't kidding when you said you "slightly over exaggerated" the situation But I just pick on small points here Your major thesis seems to he that drink ing is another of the double standards What, pray tell, is your original double standard? I certainly can’t see it If you want to write an edito rial on drinking you should at least sit down and think it out. You state that the sorority girl gets away with coming home drunk, and that no upper-class women in dormitories get away with coming in with so much as the faint scent of one drink on their breath. That statement is so ridiculous that it hardly rates consideration If you feci that the statement is the truth then 1 feel that you have been cooped up in your office too long and it is about time you started getting around campus a little. I would like to ask one final (Continued on piK/e 3) OREGON DAILY EMERALD The Oregon Daily Emerald is ptibti«b(d seven time* »ft Septrmber ami five day* a week •luring the school year, except dur ing examination and vacation periods by the Student Publication* Board of the University of Oregon. Entered a* MCdtid class matter at the post office, Eugene, Oregon. Subscription rates: $5 per year; %2 per term. Opinions expressed on the editorial page ase those of The Emerald and do not pre tend to represent the opinion* of tire ASUO or the University. RON BUEL. Editor MARTY KLTELS, Business Manager TED MAKAR, Managing Editor KVKRLTTK DENNIS. Neva Editor PH*L COGSWELL, Kdhorial Page Editor LARRY WILLIAMS, Adrertising Manage! LARRY <iRAVES, Sport* Editor Dl LCY MORAN, Assistant Managing Ed tor DAVE SANDS, JIM ERA ICE, JANET COETZF, Assistant Nets* Editort CEO ROE BIG II AM, Photo Editor LI NDA BR(.' W .V, Entertainrr ent Editor RON COWAN, CATHY NE IDLE, THOR A WILLIAM! , Associate News Ed'tot » EDITORIAL BOARD: Ron Duel, Phil Cogswell, fed Maliar E erette Dennis, Dav« Sands I nicy Moran. Linda frown Bob Forsyth Gra it Ledger wood Dor a Raimi Jan t Gcetze, and F ill II itchison
