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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 8, 1963)
Fraternity Housemothers The Emerald Stands Against Mandatory ‘Adult Supervision’ There are people who believe that housemothers are the answer to all that ails our fraternities. We do not. We believe that there are several im provements that can take place in frater nities. We believe that fraternities should begin now to demonstrate that they are positive educational influences in the col lege community. We believe that they are beginning to realize, even if a little too slowly, that their hazing practices are in congruent with the academic objectives of this University, and, are personally degrad ing. The imposition of mandatory house mothers. however, will not bring fratern ities to an immediate realization that in order to survive the future they must change. The existence of housemothers in fraternities will not convey the idea to fraternity members that they should be come leaders in the solution of social prob lems, instead of defenders of the status quo as they are at present. Housemothers will not contribute one iota to making fra ternities cognizant of the fact that they should be the major leaders to the cultural and intellectual development of this campus, not debunkers of the creative and imaginative intellect as they are now. It is our belief that long overdue steps are now being taken, both by fraternity leaders and the University administration, to remove the stigma of hazing from our campus. We cannot see how housemothers would improve the progress being made. Furthermore, there are problems in volved in forcing fraternities to accept housemothers. Who will pay their wages, the fraternity or the University? If they are responsible to the University, should not the University pay their wages? Can the expenditure of state monies be justi fied in such a case? There is no doubt that housemothers would benefit some fraternities, merely from the fact that there would be a woman in the house during meals and at other times. Housemothers could teach members of fraternities manner and self-discipline. We give credit to those houses which have voluntarily decided to hire housemothers. However, there are times when the wrong kind of housemother, or any “adult supervisor” for that matter, may do much more harm than good. The manner in which college students best learn to become ma ture is through being placed in an environ ment in which they are forced to make their own decisions. This theory is prac ticed in the classroom, and it should be practiced in other areas of student life as well. The line between “adult supervision” in the matter of hazing and “adult super vision” in other areas of student life is a difficult one to draw. It is almost contra dictory to claim that the University should interfere in the matter of hazing, but should not interfere in other areas of fraternity life. Yet this is our belief. The University was justified in taking action on hazing because it crossed the boundary into the area of an insult to the dignity of human beings. It is our belief that the University administration should play as small a part as possible in matters of stu dent life that do not cross this boundary line. Only by having the opportunity to make mistakes, to assume responsibility, and to come to their own decisions through testing what is right and wrong will fratern ity students, or any students, become ma ture. The National Legislature With all the attention which the state legislature is getting from Oregon’s state system of higher education, it is easy to forget that proposals are also being con sidered by the legislature in Washington, D C. which might have an impact on in stitutions throughout the country includ ing the University of Oregon. Of immediate concern on the national level is President Kennedy’s proposed om nibus aid to education bill, which is large ly an extension of the National Defense Education Act which expires this year. If this bill is passed, the benefits which will accrue to the University of Oregon will be both direct and easy to see. At a recent news conference Univer sity President Arthur Flemming pointed out that the University has been one of the greatest beneficiaries of the NDEA provisions. It is logical to assume that any extension of the provisions will help the University to a similar extent. Geographically, the University is fairly distant from Washington, D.C. It is en couraging to note this physical distance has not unduly put us out of touch with pos sible aid which can be received through federal action. Contacts maintained by the University’s president and other adminis trators also benefit the University. But even as people in the District of Columbia are aware of the University of Oregon, it is desirable that the whole Uni versity comunity, not merely its adminis trators, become awaro of what is occurring in Washington. l\x> many people are too likely to let the physical distance encour age ignorance about how the University might be affected by various policies under consideration. We should not let th^ immediacy of the state legislature detract from the govern mental issues which concern this, and other Universities on a national scale. Letters to the Editor Protection Emerald Editor: I am but a poor ignorant freshman, who wishes to ex press my thanks. I speak on be half of the whole student body, whether I have their support or not. I want to thank you, Dean Hawks, Dean Wickham, and Dr. Flemming, and the student gov ernment. We want to thank you for making the decision of whether or not to drink for us. We want also to thank you for deciding what time college women? should get in at night. We want to thank you also for the multitude of moral decisions you have made for us. We want to especially thank you for making decisions for us regarding our private living or ganizations. You have protected us from the terrible hazing of fraternities. You have protected us from discrimination within living organizations. Thank you for telling us how to run our private living organizations. Again, briefly, thank you for protecting us from the demon rum, and for making decisions for us regarding our morals and our private living organizations. Who knows, if you didn’t we might even have to make deci sions for ourselves. Thank you one and all. Dale Liberty, Jr. Freshman Journalism Ronald Holm, Freshman P.S. Perhaps you should also protect us from dangerous and people such as Gus Hall and Harry Bridges. Letters to the Editor Birth Rate Emerald Editor: In response to Rep C. R. Hoyt’s statement, •Married stu dents who live in state-sup ported housing have a higher birth rate than those who live in privately - owned housing. They are creating a burden on the schol district.", in your Feb ruary 5th issue, it would seem that Mr. Hoyt has grossly mis interpreted the facts For example, out of the fif teen couples I know in our hous ing project, five have one child and two are expecting a child. All of these couples either had their child or were expecting their child before moving into student housing Obviously, the main reason for these couples moving into a cheaper housing unit was for the purpose of con serving money for the contin uance of their education with the added expense of a child. Naturally, the couple without any children are going to have more money to spend on a nicer, privately-owned place to live. Also, many of these students are older and either already have their families or have al ready raised them. As for “creating a burden on the school districts,” how long does Mr. Hoyt think a married student stays in school. There is a span of at least five years from the birth of a child until he reaches school-age. The aver age married student doesn't even begin his family until he is about a junior in college. In fact, all of the married students I know with a child are either seniors or graduate students, and all of the children are less than 1 '•» years old. I suggest to Mr Hoyt that in stead of jumping to erroneous conclusions, lie look a little more into the facts. Susan Johnson Wife of married student with one child. Editor’s Note: Rep. Hoyt refers to state-supported hous ing, not just married-student housing. What is Adjustment? Emerald Editor: I ws really amazed to read Mr. Mohan Goel’s letter to the Emer ald of Feb. 5 in which he with drew naive inferences from the data of my survey which ap peared in Emerald’s editorial of January 28. Allow me at this time to men tion that he was disturbed by the fact that 52 of the 100 for eign students interviewed re ceived adjustments in their courses from their professors. Mr. Goel naively inferred that Asian students “were scared to work hard”; that profesors are setting “a double standard of judgment”; that “these 52 stu dents accepted that fact (?) that they were inferior academical ly;” that they took advantages of the American friendliness; that they had a low IQ. etc. In brief, the figure does not re veal any of these At this time I want to define what is not adjustment! 1 When an instructor makes any adjustment to any student, he is justified democratically and educationally. This means that the course is made for the student and not the student for the course. This is based on the democratic system that the gov eminent is made for the people and not the people for the gov ernment The wise teacher who knows the growth and develop ment of the human beings ad justs the learning experiences because he realizes the exist ence of the individual difference —God-given or man-made. The educational literature, for instance, urges teachers to ad just their teaching to meet the individual differences of the stu dents. Dr Grace Graham found in her doctorate study at Stan ford University that professors there, like here, did adjust their teaching experiences to help for eign students In the Republic of Lebanon, where democracy is at its best, the Ministry of Education urges teachers in its School Syllabus (manhaj sl Taleem) to adjust their teaching to facilitate learning and growth. 2 What is not adjustment? The educational literature re veals that adjustment or flexi bility is not: considering one na tionality inferior to the other, lowering the standard for one race or nationality against a su perior one, setting double stand ard of judgment, etc. Educational adjustment is a sound philosophy of learning to facilitate human growth and de velopment. It implies that hu man beings learn differently be cause courses arc made for them, the teacher is justified to faciliate learning via adjust ment. Elias K. Zain Doctorate Student Sec. Education OREGON DAILY EMERALD The Oregon Daily Emerald in published seven times in September ami 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 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 opiidois of the ASUO or tlie University. RON BUEL. Editor MARTY KKTELS, Business Manager TED MAHAR, Managing Editor EVERETTK DENNIS, Nevis Editor PHIL COGSWELL, Editorial Page Editoi LARRY GRAVES, Sports Editor LARRY WILLIAMS, Advertising Manage!
