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
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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
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Advertising Manage!