A Last Editorial
The last few Emerald Editors, upon leav
ing office, have written their final editorials
on a somewhat personal note. I cannot help
but reflect in somewhat the same personal
vein as they.
About a year ago, the then Dean of the
University School of Journalism, Charles
T. Duncan, said in a speech that he felt
the Emerald has over the years reflected
the spirit of the University of Oregon more
than any other institution. At the time I
thought it a rather funny thing to say.
After the past year I am still not sure he
was right, but I have come to realize what
he was driving at. For the Oregon Daily
Emerald really is a unique thing. And the
position of Emerald Editor is also unique
Being Emerald Editor for this past year
has meant many things. I learned early. I
believe it was around the time I wrote some
editorials on the athletic system here, that
unlike any other job on campus, when you
make a mistake it is automatically a public
one. It was a lesson that was to be drummed
home again and again.. Often I turned an
envious eye to those students whose every
action did not have ramifications in print,
whose every little mistake was not called
to their attention. It has been a rather
searing way to learn.
I was also to find out what it is like to
be unable to avoid dislike, sometimes in
tense dislike. An Emerald Editor cannot
help but become somewhat paranoid, un
less. that is. he is willing to give up his
self-respect. I leave the Emerald with the
strong belief that I have made twice as
many enemies as any other single student
on campus. An Emerald Editor soon rea
lizes that either he makes these enemies, or
he stops criticizing where he feels criticism
is due. For being Emerald Editor is pri
marily a lesson in what people are like. It is
a lesson that few' people have an opportun
ity to learn so young in life. In order to
speak out for what you believe, you must
step on some toes. And whenever you step
on toes, you will make enemies—that is
how people are. They do not like criticism
or disagreement.
But being Emerald Editor means much
more than this. The Emerald position has
its good side as well. Perhaps its really
singular aspect, and I think the thing Dean
Duncan was driving at in that speech last
spring, is the perspective of the University
that the Emerald Editor has the opportun
ity to acquire which no other student really
can.
Being Emerald Editor is being a specta
tor of meetings, Eugene City Council meet
ings, State Board of Higher Education
meetings, Ways and Means Education Sub
committee of the State Legislature meet
ings. ASUO Cabinet meetings, ASUO Sen
ate meetings, Student Union Board meet
ings, Budget Board meetings, Publications
Board meetings, and even an occassional
IFC President’s Council meeting.
Being Emerald Editor is a chance to talk
to President Flemming almost regularly in
his office, a chance to have a personal chat
with the Governor or the Attorney General,
a chance to have the Dean of Faculty tell
you why students shouldn’t protest the
firing of a certain good teacher, a chance to
see the number two and three University
administrators almost come to blows, a
chance to talk to Gus Hall, Linus Pauling,
Aldous Huxley.
Being Emerald Editor is getting to know
administrators, faculty, legislators, and just
plain students—lots of them.
The Emerald Editor, like no other stu
dent, has an opportunity to see the Univer
sity in circumference, to know it from top
to bottom, its good side and its bad.
And probably unlike some other years,
the Emerald Editorship this year has meant
working with capable and intelligent
friends: Ted Mahar, Phil Cogswell. Dulcy
Moran. Everette Dennis, Janet Goetze. Dave
Sands. Linda Brown. John Buchner,, and
my wife among others.
But most importantly, the Emerald Edit
orship lets one stand up and be counted. It
offers the chance to try to make changes
and improvements where you believe they
are needed. It is an opportunity to do some
thing worthwhile.
I hope that some of the things the Emer
ald has stood for this year will not be lost
to the transiency of students. I hope there
will be students who will stand up and be
counted for a more equitable code of stu
dent conduct, for a Greek system that is
more in line with educational objectives
of this University, for a student govern
ment that is more closely aligned with the
classroom, for the rights of students to rep
resent themselves wherever possible in the
University structure, for the principle that
higher education should be allocated on
ability, not ability to pay.
I leave this unique position, this Emerald
Editorship, with neither sadness nor joy,
but only with the feeling that there is a
great deal left undone. (Ron Bucl)
Footnote
In leaving office, we of the Emerald
would like to offer our special thanks to:
John Hulteng, Dean of the School of
Journalism and the Journalism faculty and
staff for their willingness to help whenever
asked.
Herb Penny. Director of Information and
Jim Shea, Director of Public Relations
for their encouragement and willingness
to give straightforward information when
ever asked.
Arthur S. Flemming, University Presi
dent; Carl Webb, Publications Board chair
can; and A. L. “Si” Ellingson for their
support throughout the year.
Ken Metzler and Burt Benson for their
excellent assistance as directors of Student
Publications.
Bob Frazier, editorial page writer of the
Eugene Register-Guard, and Gregory Wan
nier, professor of physics for their help
and encouragement.
Letters to the Editor
, “Tampering”
Emerald Editor:
I wish to comment both upon
your story and editorial con
cerning the recent “tampering”
action taken by the Ways and
Means Subcommittee on Higher
Education.
Both your editorialized story
and editorial imply an argument
for an automatic, rubber-stamp
government in which the sub
committee has had the gaul to
refuse to perform its stamping
function.
A major injunction brought
against state governments since
World WTar II is their failure to
operate responsibly.
The subcommittee’s action is
a good argument against such an
injunction. The subcommittee is
performing its function in being
concerned with the broader gen
eral interests of the state as
well as that of the University
of Oregon and the other state
institutions of higher education,
interests which obviously are
not always the same. Sugges
tions such as that of Rep John
Mosser, that “B” budget items
for improving education might
take priority over some build
ing requirements, might never
be heard muchless have a possi
bility of becoming a reality un
der the system you support.
Yes, the subcommittee almost
“ . . . opened Pandora’s box.”
The latter would not be so bad
as you would have us believe in
that the legislature would be
put in a position of being sensi
tive to more interests than only
those of the several institutions
of higher education. Further
more, through naivete at best,
you simply end up arguing that
lobbying should not be removed
from the State Board of Higher
Education to the Legislature.
The priorities-list system is
good as such because the State
STOWAWAY
Letters to the Editor
Correction
Emerald Editor:
I am grateful for the broad
coverage given my interview in
the Emerald, but I should like
to clarify one point that may
be misunderstood. 1 do not rec
ognize the direct quote. ” I real
ly have no idea whether I'm a
Catholic poet or not," as being
my own It sounds as if I were
discounting or evading the com
mitment of orthodoxy
While I certainly feel that in
the deeps of creative art no
merely conventional attitude or
rational formula ought to sub
stitute for, “inspiration", I
should hope that anything I
wrote would emerge as pro
foundly Catholic. The tension
between freedom and orthodoxy
Hoard should know best what
it needs—as any interest group,
state or otherwise, should But
to assume that the list should
go unquestioned and perhaps
unchanged is a denial of the
concept of representative gov
ernment.
Lastly, I am not against the
University's getting library
funds, “ . . . seventh rated on
the list”; I am only against the
mechanism which you advocate
to obtain those funds
Peter M. Weil
Grad. Asst.
Anthropology
is central to the situation of the
Catholic artist and cannot be
evaded. Both element* must he
engaged at full stretch.
Brother Antoninus
OREGON DAII.Y EMERALD
Th*.* Oregon Dally Emerald ;* jiuldbtbed
•even time* in September and bee day* a
week during the acbool year, rtcrfi dur
ing examination and vacation pe* ' by
the Student Publication* Board <>t the
Univcr*ity of Oregon Entered a* **• «d
claa* mater at the po«t <Mice. Eugene,
Oregon. Subscription rate* $S per )'*f;
$2 f»er term.
Opinion*. e*pre^*ed on the edit rot page
are thote ol The Emerald and do nos [vn*
tend .o trpre*eni the opmotn of the
ASUO or the University.
HON BUEL, Editor
MARTY KETBLS, Manager
TED MAHAR, Managing Editor
EVERETTE DENNIS. New* Edh*
PHIL COGSWELL,
Kdii'trial Page Editor
LARKY WILLIAMS,
Advertising Manager
JOHN BUCHNER. Spurt* Editor
DULCY MORAN.
Aatlvtavit Managing Editor
RON COW AN, JIM FRAKE,
JANET GOETZE.
Aotilmi New* Editor*
GEORGE HIGH AM, Photo Editor
LINDA BROWN, Entertainment Editor
CATHY NEVILLE,
A**<»ctate New* Editor
DICK RICHARDSON.
Feature Editor
EDITORIAL BOARD:
Ron Burl, Phil Cog*well. Ted Mahar
Evcrette Dentil*.
Dulcy Moran, Lindi Brown
Bob Fonyih, Hal ino*.
Grant hd|f«fw«*oH, D« ug Ragen
Janet Goetre. and Bill lutrhnwrm
* HM*PtNESS IS f\ COPsUTlON."