Decision Time Again
Senate Should Stand for Its Ideals
Whether On Campus or Not
The ASUO Senate will be considering
two motions tonight. One is to request
funds to send a student and a faculty
member to Mexico to study the possibility
of a student project being, established there.
The second will call for support of the
right of student organizattions at Stan
ford University to take public stands on
issues affecting affairs beyond their camp
us without prior University approval.
Neither seems to us to be too contro
versial. The motion to allow student organ
izations to make public stands without
University approval, is merely a matter of
freedom of speech. Stanford University
organizations, like organizations of individ
uals not attending a University, should
have the right to say whatever they want
about whatever they want. They will be
held responsible under libel law for what
they say publicly. This is really all that
limits an “outside” adult’s freedom of
speech. A student’s right should be simi
lar.
The Mexico project stems from a com
mittee established by ASUO President Neil
Goldschmidt at the first of the year. It
may eventually offer an opportunity for
students who are interested in doing some
thing of value, to contribute their time and
efforts to assist needy Mexicans. It may
also offer a chance for students to learn
something about people in another land.
It i? our belief that projects which offer
real aid, such as this one, should be more
numerous in student government. If stu
dents should not be thus idealistic, who
should?
But we are afraid the ASUO Senate
will see these as controversial matters.
They will not stand against freedom of
speech or helping needy Mexicans. But,
if the past is any indication, they may very
well stand against involvement of student
government in matters beyond this campus.
We hope that if they decide to take
such a stand, they realize that in doing so
they must, in these cases, refrain from
standing for freedom of speech and also
refrain from offering students the oppor
tunity to help other human beings in need.
Footnote
With the student lobbying program go
ing strong in Oregon and the physical fit
ness program going strong in the Nation,
one hardly has time to fully dedicate him
self to these worthwhile causes without
neglecting his studies. There is a solution,
however. Why not hike the sixty or more
miles to Salem and back up our lobbying
effort? This would not only show our sup
port for the President’s physical fitness
program but it would also help back up
our lobbying committee. Those legislators
would know we really mean business if
5,000 or more student would go all that
way just to watch the Oregon legislature in
action.
This idea has other advantages too.
Such a hike would certainly indicate a need
for President Kennedy's mental health bill
besides graphically demonstrating the need
for a medical care for the aged bill (notice
that all of the hikers are young*. It would
also eliminate the need for a Domestic
Peace Corps. All the unemployed kids could
hike around, supporting various president
ial—even governmental—measures.
Come to think of it, if we hiked to
Washington, D C., we might be able to
swing federal aid to education and really
get something done.
Letters to the Editor
On House Mothers
Emerald Editor:
One line in the article, “Sigma
Chi Fraternity—House Mothers
Useless,” in the Feb. 14 Emerald
intrigued me. This line is, “In
addition, the house purchased
tickets to all University func
tions for her, took her to dinner
every Friday night, and provid
ed a place for her to stay during
initiation week.”
Could you enlighten me on
why it was necessary to provide
a place for her to stay during
initiation week? I would assume
that the behavior was such that
the House Mother would either
be embarrassed or would be in
the way of the activities carried
on. Am I right?
J. 0. Lindstrom
Business Manager
U of O
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7
■^Jom
ar
The Fifth Stage In
‘Whitewash Hazing Plan
With the release of the "Let
ter of Clarification" (letter of
ratioalization is a more discrip
tive term), the campaign to
“whitewash" the hazing contro
versy has entered its fourth
stage. The first stage, it will be
recalled, was initiated by Dean
Hawk’s rather inopportune re
mark to The Oregonian that a
"crusading editor" was respon
sible for exaggerating the scope
of the hazing. The second was
carried out when ASUO Vice
President Art Erickson request
ed Ron Buel's resignation at the
last Publications Board meeting.
The third was executed when the
Senate, under the skilled guid
ance of William Vertrees, voted
to ask for Mr Buel's resigna
tion. The fifth, and probably the
final stage will be moderate
report from Student Affairs
verifying what the fraternities
usually say about themselves —
that they are the most upright
ly American (the best) of all
American (good) institutions.
At most, three houses will be
closed. The others will be ex
KaftH
THIS CLASS, Abnormal Psychology 450, meets three times a week
in Rm. 313 Allen Hall, and is taught by Fred Fosmire, associate
professor of psychology. Seventy-one students are registered for
the class although 313 Allen was designed for 48 people. Fosmire,
when interviewed, said that an average of twelve to fifteen students
have to sit behind him or out in the hall.
msmak ■mmmmmmmMMmmmm/M:, mu,
Les; than two hours after the Emerald called Emerald Hall to
check on the number of students taking the class, Fosmire re
ceived ? note indicating that his class could have the use of 133
Commonwealth beginning Monday, Feb. 25. The departmental
secretary had earlier in the term spent two days trying (unsuccess
fully) tc find Fosmire another classroom. Photo by Iligham
empted on grounds that their
socalled hazing wasn't really se
vere enough to be considered
hazing at all
The “Letter of Clarification”
absolutely drips with piety. We
are supposed to believe, for ex
ample, that it was The Emer
ald's fault that IFC President
O’Connell’s statement was mis
understood According to The
Emerald, he said (and to this
date he has not denied the state
ment): “It was agreed that the
large majority of houses were
guilty in various degrees of haz
ing.” What other impression
could the statement have given?
A majority means, if my arith
metic is correct, some figure
over fifty per cent Adding the
word “large” implies, even to
the most unperceptive mind,
well over fifty per cent. Dean
DuShane, in a front page story
in a recent Oregonian, verified
.Mr. OX'onnell's statement — it
was only two-thirds of the
houses If that isn’t widespread,
I don’t know what to call it.
Apparently, then, the exclu
sive objection of the “Letter of
Clarification" centers- around
the relative severity of the haz
ing and the existence of perver
sion The administrative direc
tive prohibiting hazing does not
specify that guilt depends in any
way upon the degree of severity.
If simply says that hazing, with
in the accepted definition of that
term, no matter what its de
grees. is illegal.
Perversity is another matter.
Even if it did occur, no one,
especially the participants, is
going to admit it. To do so
would be to admit a criminal
act. To admit knowledge of per
version would make one an ac
cessory to a criminal act.
What is most disappointing
about the entire affair is its
visciousness. In attempting to
save face, the fraternity system
has allowed certain of its mem
bers to carry on a "scapegoat
ing” campaign designed to de
stroy the credibility of a news
paper and the personal charac
ter of its editor. And a budg
(Continued on page 3)
OKK<;<)\ DAILY KM KRAI.D
The Oregon Dailv Kmc rale I is published
seven limes in September anti five clays a
week during the school year, except Mur
ing examination ami vacation periods by
the Student Publications Hoard of the
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class mater at the post office, Eugene,
Oregon. Subscription rates: $5 per year;
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Opinions expressed on the editorial page
are those of The Emerald and do not pre
tend to represent the opinions of the
ASl"() or the University.
RON HU EL, Editor
MARTY KKTKLS, Business Manager