Student Union Board
Although its existence goes largely un
noticed, there is a Student Union Board
that makes policy decisions for activities
and events within the Student Union. This
year the board has made some important
decisions that will have a great effect on
the extra curricular educational and recrea
tional programs offered to future Univer
sity students.
The Recreational Council that is being or
ganized to handle outdoor sports clubs is
a plan that has been established this year.
The council will streamline the organiza
tional structure of sports and games, a pro
gram which has outgrown the Student Un
ion Directorate.
The board has also taken steps to estab
lish an off-campus recreation camp financed
through the Student Development Fund.
Informal student discussion groups as well
as weekend athletes will be able to use the
facilities of the proposed camp.
A highly-praised academic retreat pro
gram has been initiated and carried out by
members of this year's board. Through the
retreat plan, students and faculty have been
brought together in an informal setting
for discussion on various topics of interest.
Several art objects that will soon go on
display in the Student Union have been pur
chased through direction of the SU Board.
This is part of a program to provide visual
art for enjoyment in places frequented by ,
students.
Besides these more ambitious programs,
the Board has also provided funds for maga
zines in Taylor Lounge. A magazine rack
with a variety of reading will be perma
nently established in the lounge before i
long.
The plans that have been made by this
year’s board will give the new board that
will take over at the end of the term greater
administrative responsibilities in the next
year while offering a more varied education
al and recreational program to students.
Majority Report and Responsibility
Critics of the Majority report on the
University discipline code have pointed out
that the philosophy which the majority
report supports is a dangerous one. These
critics feel that such a philosophy could
lead to unbridled recklessness; that the
freedom of many individuals could be hurt.
They remind us of the need for controls
and guidance in an interdependent com
munity.
We would like to point out that the Ma
jority report is not a leeway to complete
freedom; it is not a sanction for any and all
types of individual behavior. The report
points out that “the student should be di
rectly answerable to the community for vio
lations of its required code of conduct. The
University, in turn, should only exercise
its disciplinary powders when the student's
conduct directly and significantly inter
feres with the accomplishment of the Uni
versity's goals. The report also reminds us
that the student is both a member of a
University and the broader community “and
responsible to each in the appropriate areas
of their authority and responsibility.”
Unrestrained freedom is impossible in
current society, for the freedom of one
group or individual beyond certain limits
infringes upon the freedom of others. The
people writing the majority report realize
this. They have not called for uncontrolled
freedom. They have, however, made a dis
tinction between the areas of responsibility
which should and should not concern the
University. And more importantly, they
have placed the responsibility of freedom
on the individual student.
For the philosophy of the majority report
to be acceptable and workable, the student
is going to have to assume more responsi
bility. No longer will he have the ' protec
tion” of the University standing between
him and the community. He alone will be
responsible for his actions. And because he
has more freedom, he will have to make
sure that his actions do not hurt the rights
of others.
Some question whether University stu
dents are willing to "become adults." We
are reminded of what is taught in some
sociology classes on campus: Two functions
of the University are )1 to extend the per
iod of infancy and 2) to isolate youth from
the adult world. We believe that those
functions only create greater problems in
the world and do not aid the student in
becoming a responsible adult. A college
should help students with their transition
into the adult world, not separate this
transition from that world. The majority
report has recognized this fact: ‘ The ap
proach to the regulation of student conduct
should be .based on the premise that the
development of responsible behavior is not
effectively realized by policies which un
duly prolong independence and immatur
ity.”
Those writing the majority report are
well aware of the problems involved if
their philosophy is accepted. They have
staked much on the hope that students will
respond in a mature, responsible manner.
Are students able and willing to accept
such responsibility? We think so. We hope
they are given the chance to do so.
'•‘WHY DON'T YOU TRY A 50-Milt HIKE AND A COU> SHOWER?’
Letters to the Editor
Ridiculousness
Emerald Editor:
It amazed me to read the
graduate student's letter this
morning. Of all the nonsensical
ideas I’ve ever read, this is the
worst. The U.S. National Hank
is a good dependable bank It
sells checks in the same man
ner and for the same price as
other banks do Banks must
charge something otherwise
they will lose money. And, if
you want to bank at the Citi
zen’s Bank, go ahead I won't
bank there because of a per
sona! reason Actually 1 think
this graduate student wrote a
worthless and trivial letter.
Frank Oulman,
Freshman, Languages.
* * *
NSA Resolutions
Emerald Editor:
Student body of U. of Oregon
just voted to join National Stu
dents Association. NSA passed
these five resolutions at its last
annual convention:
1) Defense of Japanese stu
dents rioting against former
President Eisenhower.
2) Praise for Fidel Castro's
educational “reforms.”
3) Recommendation that the
House Un-American Activities
Committee be abolished.
4) Criticism of U.S aid to
such allies as Spain and Portu
gal, but not a word of complaint
concerning U.S. aid to Yugo
slavia and Poland.
5) Denunciation of U.S meas
ures to achieve nuclear superior
ity.
Resolution 5 encourages shod
dy work and shoddy work sunk
the Thresher, so U. of Oregon
PU CocfSuJt
A Dissection of NSA Legal Arguments
lonignt, tne Ai>uu senate
will hear claims by some stu
dents from the Law School, with
Walt Grebe as their spokesman,
that if the University joins the
National Students Association
it will be a violation of the
rights of those who might dis
agree with some of the opinions
expressed by NSA.
The law students’ argument
hinges on the fact that Univer
sity students are obligated to
pay money into the student ac
tivity fund. Part of this money
would go to pay the member
ship fees for NSA. They claim
that NSA takes stands of a poli
tical nature with which they
might disagree, although these
stands are taken in the name
of students in general. Thus,
since they are compelled to pay
money which goes to support an
organization engaging in politi
cal activity, the law students
claim that their rights under
tne first ana r ourteentn amena
ments are being violated
THESE CLAIMS, and the ram
ifications involved, form a very
complicated matter, but they
raise an interesting point for
consideration as well. Although
NS A and student fees are a
fairly trivial issue in the field
of civil rights, they reflect the
increasing necessity for deter
mining what compulsory organ
izations can and cannot do.
There are two 1961 Supreme
Court cases from which infer
ences can be drawn which might
relate to the Law Students’
claims, but neither of these cases
is actually a precedent as such.
One case, IAM v. Street, in
volved a union which main
tained an active political inter
est, including supporting candi
dates for office, contributing to
campaigns, and taking stands on
political issues. Membership in
the union was compulsory for
certain worsens unaer a union
shop agreement.
In this case, the Supreme
Court did not rule directly on
the constitutionality of the is
sue but instead interpreted the
federal labor legislation in such
a way that the individual’s con
stitutional rights were protect
ed. The Court assumed that
Congress, in making the law, in
tended to protect civil liberties.
Under this interpretation the
use of compulsory dues for po
litical purposes by this union
was declared illegal, although
not directly unconstitutional.
The other relevant case, Lath
rop v. Donohue, concerned the
Wisconsin Bar Association, also
a compulsory organization. Here,
the association was apparently
taking stands on state issues of
interest to lawyers, although
some members disagreed with
the stands.
In this case, the court never
reacneci a majority ruling on Un
constitutional issue.
There were, however, several
minority opinions which men
tioned, among other things,
that the Association might have
a right to take stands on mat
ters relating directly to its
members but that more general
political activity might take the
group too far into politics.
IT CAN be seen that neither
of these cases clarifies the issue
very much as regards NS A. Cer
tainly, they are not firm prece
dents.
Since the Supreme Court has
never ruled on a case quite like
NSA, the claims of Mr. Grebe
and his fellow law students arc
open to a great deal of dis
pute, it might be worthwhile to
examine some of the various
points which a court would have
to resolve if a case like this
ever did get to court.
(Continued on page 3)
students are helping to dig
their own watery graves
t\ of Oregon students specific
ally adopted resolution 3
Texas, Indiana and other uni
versities are ousting NSA.
Lawrence Meissner,
Iteer Island, Ore.
Opening Blast
Emerald Editor:
This newspaper last Monday
reported the current fulmina
lions of a twice defeated local
politician, who wants to "aid”
a three-day student "research”
conference on campus to re
China policy as he secs it I
think this man shows astonishing
lack of judgment in assuming
he can do more in three days
with China policy than is done
in classes by half a dozen resi
dent faculty who have devoted
much of the past fifteen years
to analyzing precisely this prob
lem.
Should students want to side
ject themselves to three days of
“managed" bombast, fluster and
bluster, it is their privilege in a
free community. Only a few
would be fooled, however, into
seeing such sessions as more
than the opening blast in a re
election campaign
Forrest K. Pitts,
Chairman East Asian
Studies Program.
About Letters
Letters to the editor must b<‘
signed and should include, if
from a student, the writer's
year and major. If not from a
student they should contain the
writer’s position at the Univer
sity or his address.
OREGON DAILY EMERALD
The Oregon Daily Emerald i% published
•even lime* in September and five day# a
week during the school year, except dur
ing examination and vacation period* by
the Student Publication# Hoard of the
University of Oregon. Entered a# second
class mater at the post office, Eugene,
Oregon. Subscription rates. $5 per year;
%2 per term.
Opinion# expressed on the editorial page
are those of The Emerald and do not pre
tend o represent the opinions of the
ASUO or the University.
RON BUEL, Editor
MARTY KETELS, Businesi Manager
TED MAHAR, Managing Editor
EVERETTE DENNIS. New* Edftir
PHIL COGSWELL.
Editorial Page Editor
LARRY WILLIAMS,
Advertising Manager
JOHN BUCHNER, Sports Editor
DULCY MORAN,
Assistant Managing Editor
RON COWAN, JIM PKAKE,
JANET GOETZE,
Assistant News Editors
GEORGE BIGHAM, Photo Fditof
LINDA BROWN, Entertainment Editor
CATHY NEVILLE,
Associate News Editor
DICK RICHARDSON,
Feature Editor
EDITORIAL BOARD :
Ron Bud. Phil Cogswell. Ted Mahar
Evcrette Dennis,
Dulcy Mo.an, Lind; Brown
Bob Forsyth, Hal snow,
Grant Ledger wood, I)« ug Ragen
Janet Goetie, and Bill lutchiaon