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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 7, 1963)
Letters To the Editor f ( mil W tin I jrmn /»//</«• .*) statement: “I think the peo ple of this stute should decide whether they want to keep the high standards in education we have, which are higher than we can afford. Should Be Repeated "If you want them, they should vote for the tax bill, if not, they should vote against it.” As Dean of Faculties Robert D Clark put it in a letter to the editor of the Eugene Regis ter-Guard, Senator Pearson’s "comment should be repeated If the people want the present standards . they should vote yes on Ballot Measure No. I.” The .Multnomah County legis lator has made his position clear lie would lake us back to 102(i for he believes that the educational system which mold ed Walter Pearson is good enough for the rest of the state. Even more frightening than this crusty foe of education is the constituency that elects hint The Oct 15 election will accurately reflect how much the Pearson mentality reflects the state's attitude toward educa tion. • • • On Discrimination Emerald Editor: Regarding the charges of dis crimination against Oregon fraternities: Mr. Sanders found that no Negro is currently a member of an Oregon fraternity. Further more, he visited six out of the 22 on campus and was not pledged. We have it on no less an authority than Jim Williams, IFC Rush Chairman, that this was because Mr. Sanders didn’t sign any preference cards, thus removing himself from rush al together However, Mr Sanders says he did sign the cards Now out of these “facts,” Mr Sand ers drew the conclusion that discrimination was being prac ticed. I visited eight fraternities during formal rush. I was asked to pledge two. I was flatly re jected by two, and the rest OREGON’ DAILY EMERALD The Oregon Daily Emerald is published twice in September and five days a week during the academic year, except during ex amination and vacation periods by the Student Publications Board of the University of Oregon. En tered as second class matter at the post office, Eugene, Oregon Subscription rates $5 per year; $2 per term. Opinions expressed on the edi torial page are those of the Em erald and do not pretend to rep resent the opinion of the ASUO or the University. Everettc Dennis, Editor Larry Williams. Business Manager in search of a hip elective? SWINGING 101 Prerequisite: open to aware college males. Scope of course: jazz star Dave Bruheck, cap tivating new singer Barbra Streisand, top Broadway producer David Merrick, plus fashions, fiction, humor & more. REQUIRED READING: NOVEMBER SHOW BIZ ISSUE NOW AT YOUR NEWSSTAND marie no comment one way or another. There was no explana tion a.s to why 1 was rejected. Now following Mr. Sanders line of reasoning, I’m justified in charging the fraternities with discrimination. As he said, quote “If I had been rejected by ail of the fraternities 1 visited, and given no reason for this rejection, I would have had to assume that they had judged me solely on my merits as a person and found me unsuited for their or ganization.” unquote. Since Mr. Sanders has assumed that that is not what they did, he has charged discrimination. Now we may as well face the facts as to what type of an or ganization a fraternity is. Basic ally, it is today as it has been previously, nothing more or less than a home, in every sense of the word, for a group of men with the same likes, dislikes, tolerances, prejudices, etc. All the fraternities have minimum G.P.A.’s for their pledges and members, and certain other aca demic and social requirements which one must meet to pledge and remain a member of that fraternity. But in the final analysis, the standard used to choose mem bers is "Would I like that man for a friend and a brother?” We all know that people pick their friends by strange stand ards Some people don’t like those w'ho smoke. Some don’t like people who comb their hair a certain way. The list of these criteria is endless. In other words, it is personal opinion, eccentricity, and yes, pre judice which determines who gets ad mitted to a particular frater nity. From his remarks, Mr. Sand ers evidently wants to set up a system where each fraternity has certain requirements (height, weight, G.P.A., style of dress, etc., etc., etc ), and each person who meets these quali fications gains admittance, re gardless of the feelings of the individual members. I think we can all realize what would hap pen. Fraternities, as fraternal or ganizations, would cease to exist. They would become noth ing more than a group of “hon oraries.” each one “honoring” a different physical class of peo ple The close comradship, the kinship of beliefs and ideals, the "homeness” of fraternities would vanish. And not only docs Mr. Sand ers predict that they will van ish, he goes on to say that it will be their own fault. Quote “Fraternity men point to the fact that they have no discri minatory laws in their constitu tions; and I point to the fact that they have no Negroes in their fraternities. I think it is time we tore down this web of hypocricy that stretches be tween fraternity laws and fra ternity practice ... If the fra ternities do not meet this chal lenge, if they attempt once again to shirk their social duty, then, by their own hand, they will have ceased to exist at Oregon.” unquote. But, Mr. Sanders, if fraterni ties do cease to exist at Oregon, it will be the fault of those, who, for whatever reasons, have taken away from the fra ternities man’s most basic right —the right to choose one’s own friends and associates by one’s OWN standards, WHATEVER they may be. I sincerely hope this does not happen here at Oregon. Stephen McLaughlin, Freshman, Honors College, Business and Law * * * Modest Proposal We have at the University a segment of our population call ed the Honors College. It is composed of approximately 400 students who ranked in the up per 10 per cent of their high school classes. Special opportu nities and provileges are ex tended to these “bright” stu dents—as special curricula and teaching techniques and a beau tiful private lounge. All this is to the good—and extension of opportunity and privilege toward the able. We also have on our cam pus approximately 1,500 stu dents who fell below a “C” average during the fall term 1962. I propose that this Uni versity in a sincere spirit of halpfulness form a “Dishonors College” in which special op portunities and stimulation are afforded for this segment of our population. In all seriousness, the University might inaugu rate a specially designed curric ulum to help these students, par ticularly able professors, noted for their creative, stimulating and challenging teaching. For many poorly motivated students their past academic ex periences have been sterile and humiliating and their actions have been largely escape and avoidance, the only thing hold ing them to the task of being that of socio-economic necessity. Why not give them a chance at something better? Are we so naive to believe that this group should be treated the same as the average or superior student? These people need help. We arc indeed fortunate to have a Breen, a Johnson, a Greenfield, etc., but could these stimulating teachers be used ef fectively as a team to encour age the poorly motivated stu dent— to capture his imagina tion? What a challenge it could be for them—and their students, knowing that together they would be setting a precedent unheard of at the University level. If the University is in the business of educating all the students under her wing, and 1,500 students need help, then this University duty bound to give it to them. Andre C. Briggs, Graduate Student in Education. * * * Replies to Kelley Emerald Editor: I do not want to question Professor Kelley's right to make a case for Brave New World. His case should not be predict ed in error though. His letter in Friday’s Emerald contained an error—the student court is not make up of ama teurs they are all professional. I am sorry my letter is crude but I could not find our stenog gapher. 1 have to go to the cafe teria for lunch now. R. James, StaiT-Art School. * * * Needs Books Emerald Editor: Being a believer in what I have been taught in three of Oregon’s institutions of higher education—that getting off to a good early start is important —I’m a bit chagrined when the U of O bookstore cannot furnish me with five textbooks, which are needed for immediate assignments. This is my sixth institution of higher learning and the first which could not provide me with at least some of the texts needed, on the first trip to the bookstore. Can some early planning pre vent this sort of thing next term? Five books are better than five order blanks. pink “slipingly” yours J. C. Briggs, Senior Journalism. * ♦ * Vote Yes Oct. 15 Emerald Editor: We Oregon voters are being called upon to make an impor tant decision Oct. 15. Never be fore has there been a greater need »to understand the real is sues involved in an election measure. Oregon’s constitution requires that expenditures must Advertisement The Doctors and Liz Taylor The doctors told Liz she could have visitors from 2 to 5. She said that was too young. If you are young, or even old, you will receive more gratification from a Dairy Queen than from Liz. Try it! be balanced by income—there fore a tax program had to be enacted to produce an approxi mate $80 million to balance a general fund budget oi .$404 million. The $404 million gen eral fund accounts for approxi mately one third of total state expenditures. The two-thirds is spent for highways, game com mission, SIAC, etc., and is fin nanced from dedicated funds from which none of the $80 million could be taken. About 80 per cent of the gen eral fund budget is appropriat ed for education. State aid to local school districts through the Basic School fund and from ap propriations for special educa tion programs account for 35 per cent of the state general fund. It is clear that education, because it represents this siz able portion of the general fund budget, has probably the most at stake in the referendum. State general fund support of elementary and secondary edu cation began in 1942 with edu cators alike recognizing that real property could no longer carry the entire burden of edu cation. It was the people in 1946 who approved the pres ent Basic School Support Fund. The voters in 1950 and the Legislatures since have consis tently attempted to lighten the property tax burden and equal ize educational opportunity by increasing the size of the fund. It was significant to remember that the fund was increased by $19 million in 1961 and $16 mil lion in 1963. making a total in crease of $35 million during the past two sessions. This amount would have been other wise levied as local property taxes. A NO vote could be interpret ed that the people no longer believe that the state should maintain its present level of support—which is now 36 per cent of local district operating costs. Actually, many state groups, including education, school boards, Grange, Farm Bureau, PTA and others have positions urging that the state provide 50 per cent operating costs or more from state rev enue sources. State government expendi tures and particularly those for higher education and commu nity colleges must keep pace with population trends The cit izens of Oregon have long held that education should be avail able to all and not a privilege for the wealthy few. Enrollment in schools of higher education, including community colleges, has increased considerably in re cent years. There are approxi mately 25 per cent more high school seniors this year than graduated in 1963, and 60 per cent more juniors this year than there were seniors in 1962 63. Meeting the educational need of this increasing number will require greater state funds. The growth of community colleges will help to educate these stu dents at somewhat lower costs than possible in our four-year institutions. With college funds in jeopardy an even greater burden will be placed on com munity colleges. The question that plagues the state Legisla ture is how to meet community college building and operating costs without adding to the property tax burden. The 1963 Legislature reduced the per centage of state support for community colleges and greater cuts would be in prospect if the tax program is defeated. Oregon has had a tradition of stable—even conservative—gov ernmental finance. There has not been a major state tax in crease since 1955, although property taxes have increased substantially. Our per capita state tax is ninth out of the eleven Western states, although we probably would be somewhat higher if total state and local taxes were considered. This pattern of an orderly meeting of the most pressing needs for state funds is the real issue in the Oct. 15 election. Our tax structure is reviewed every two years by the Legislature, or the people may initiate change. A YES vote will indicate that the citizens of Oregon are will ing to pay for the services that they have requested and that are necessary in our growing state. Eugene H. Fisher, Chairman Oregon State Board of Education and Member Eikton School Board. Fables for Fun Confucius say, mm day in fan, Ta a friend and Number toe Sea, “With my Smnylwe I’ll fuse Yeur most honorable Queues Because two heads are better than one!” SWINGLINE STAPLER ii«*C»urt>ng 1000 staofes) Larger size CUB Desk Siauier only $1.49 -• \ 1 ■i No bigger than a pack of gum • Unconditionally guaranteed! • Refills available anywhere! t • Get it at any stationery. variety, or book store' m Send in you* owo Smtnglifve Fat»le < PfiieSi for ihost* used | INC. WING ISLAND CITY t.N . 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