Anatomy of a Convention
GOP Model Convention Offers Stiulents
A Lesson in American Polities
Although there is nothing particularly
glamorous or exciting about the procedural
groundwork presently being laid for the
Young Republican Model Convention, stu
dents should not overlook the fact that the
convention itself could be one of the most
colorful and exciting events to hit the Uni
versity campus in a number of years. The
YRs hope to capture much of the enthusi
asm of the Republican National Conven
tion. There will be delegations from every
state in the Union istaffed by representa
tives of living organizations) as well as
placards, parades and speeches. And it is
the first model convention to be held at the
University since 1952.
It would be difficult to find a better year
or a better setting for a mock GOP conven
tion. The State of Oregon's unique primary
law assures the presence of every legiti
mate candidate's name on the spring pri
mary ballot and a number of Republican
hopefuls are planning active campaigns
here. It is probable that the major candi
dates themselves or their representatives
will be present for the mock convention.
Barry Goldwater. Nelson Rockefeller and
Margaret Chase Smith all plan vigorous
campaigns in Oregon and it is likely that
they will make campus appearances during
the spring.
The mock convention planned for April
24 and 25 offers a unique educational op
portunity to learn, not only how candidates
are nominated for the presidency and vice
presidency, but also how platforms are de
veloped. It ought to arouse considerable
interest in political matters on the campus
As an educational experience the mock con
vention might well be viewed as a preview
to the summer GOP and Democratic Na
tional Conventions and a chance for the
student body to become fully grounded in
the procedures used at national conven
tions.
We are hopeful that students, regardless
of their political preference, will lend sup
port to the GOP Model Convention. It
should be a program in political education
that will reflect credit upon the University, i
Living Groups and Civil Rights
Reaction to the ASUO Civil Rights Week
and voter registration fund drive in some
quarters of the campus has been anything
but positive. The negative reaction by some
individuals and living organizations seems
to stem from a reservoir of misinformation.
The purpose of the week is to stimulate in
terest in civil rights with particular empha
sis on the problems in the backward state
of Mississippi. The decision of the ASUO
Senate to endorse the week and fund drive
is a vote of confidence for the dignity and
worth of every human being and under
lines the right of every American citizen to
exercise the vote. The ASUO Senate's deci
sion rejects the succinct Southern slogan:
“If you're black, stay back.’’
But what of the nature of the fund drive
and the program it will support? In a sense
the program which will send college stu
dents from Oregon and several other uni
versities to the South during the summer
could be called a "domestic Peace Corps ef
fort." The students will not be agitating,
they will not be demonstrating. Their pur
pose in going to Mississippi is a positive
humanitarian effort. They will be teaching
illiterate Mississippi Negroes how to read
and will give them instruction in the theo
ries of democracy and constitutional inter
pretation. The students will endeavor to
prepare Mississippi Negroes so that they
can cast a ballot in the best American tra
dition. Some students will live with Negro
families while others will operate com
munity centers which will offer education
al. cultural and recreational opportunities
to underprivileged Mississippi Negroes. We
do not believe that any student can oppose
this program with honesty and good con
science.
The week and fund drive presents living
organizations with an opportunity to dem
onstrate concern for problems outside of
the pleasant boundaries of the campus
Greek living organizations particularly
have an opportunity to dispell the charges
of discrimination and racism which they
are occasionally confronted with. We are
hopeful that both individuals and living or
ganizations will respond enthusiastically to
the ASUO Senate's Civil Rights Week and
fund drive. It could offer vivid documenta
tion to the belief of some that the Univer
sity student body can exchanged with genu
ine concern for contemporary social prob
lems.
Footnote
"The hell you will” or “over my dead
body" are the typical reactions of many par
ents when they learn that their sons or
daughters are interested in becoming Peace
Corps volunteers. The Peace Corps Wash
ington. D C. information staff has recog
nized this problem and is attempting to
combat it with an advertising campaign and
brochures.
What the Corps wants to dispell is the
image which some parents immediately
conjure up with their young daughter liv
ing in a mud hut in a remote village fight
ing exotic tropical diseases. Parents are be
ing informed that the Peace Corps experi
ence can be an asset to one's career, that
every volunteer is within a few hours of
modern telecommunications systems, that
there are Peace Corps doctors in every
country which volunteers visit, and that if
political strife necessitates it immediate
evacuation facilities for volunteers are
available.
Letters to the Editor
Law Team Arrives
Emerald Editor:
Unfortunately the Emerald
was eleven days late, on Febru
ary 12 in reporting the latest
arrival on the Oregon athletic
scene—The Oregon Law School
basketball team.
This delay was unfortunate.
Had proper publicity been given
sooner, the University commu
nity would be in wild anticipa
tion waiting to see these men
emerge from the hallowed halls
to seek victor}' on the basketball
court. As it is. the frenzied
excitement of all fans has been
diminished.
The team won their season
opener February 1 against the
Portland Frosh 57-55 at the
Memorial Coliseum in Portland,
and this Friday, February 14.
at 6 p.m. the law men make
their debut in McArthur Court
against the Oregon Frosh.
The Oregon Frosh should be
reminded that, “Justice con
quers over all.’’
Henry T. Courtney
2nd Year Law
9*9
It Was .Meant to Be
Emerald Editor:
In regard to Mr. Tonn’s let
ter “why beards?” If God had
intended man to be clean shaven
he would not have put hair on
his face.
Mark Gorrell
Bearded Student
Herblock
'»*■% w /V< »• • ,« • v .. » *l f*
Hall Slave And Half Free
Letters to the Editor
■Mbs. j
Praises Play
Emerald Editor:
1 wanted to put on record my
guess that the opening here of
"The Maze," a play which How
ard Richardson adapted from
the French work of David Guer
don, "La Buanderie,” will turn
out to be a great event not only
in the development of the thea
tre but in the slow painful ma
turation of mankind
The play has a peculiar his
tory The French version was
produced in Paris several years
ago. and as is the case in the
theatre so often, the director,
Nicolas Bataille, insisted on
many cuts and changes in the
text. When the play was sold
for a New York production last
season. Richardson was invited
to make the English version He
based his adaptation upon the
original text by Guerson, not the
version that reached the Paris
stage The New York producer,
however, decided to bring over
the Paris director. The result’
The play was again cut and
changed in the identical manner,
and a blurred carbon copy of the
Paris production reached the
New York stage.
For the production of "The
Maze" in the Pocket Playhouse
(Feb 13. 14. 15, 21. 22, at 8
pm.) Richardson has returned
to the version which Guerdon
and he had w-anted, and it was
presented before a stunned au
dience for the recent Drama
Conference. None of its review
ers, so far as 1 know, has re
ceived its full impact. This for
three reasons:
First, it is such racously good
theater that it doesn't need to
have any profound meaning at
all. Possibly it will be produced
for a generation or two as a
good play before it is recognized
as a great one.
Secondly, it is "uncommonly
provocative" as the New York
Times said it was, and offers u
number of meanings. For exam
ple, does it approve ("I could
teach them about love ”) or in
diet Christianity ("Why does he
only have save us. Why doesn't
he finish the job")?
Thirdly, its message (ns 1 get
it) is of the sort that we block
out if we can. for it invades our
self-concept We don't welcome
being told. "Don't you see what
you are doing?”, much less
can we bear, "You could do oth
erwise ” (Ah, that unbearable
line: "You could do the hard
est thing of all You could live
with chapped hands") For 1
think Richardson grabs his au -
dience by the collar of its rav
aged sensibilities and says to
mankind: You will do anything
with your saviors (those persons
in your history and those ele
ments in your psychic life which
can bring you sanity)—you will
hide, despise, fear, deny them,
or you will exploit them, put
them in gold cages, exault, glor
ify, worship them and in the
end destroy them anything
cept accept them and let them
live
Richardson may be misunder
stood here as seriously as the
poet in "Pale Fire,” but at lea-t
1 have opened the discussion I
hope everyone will go to this
outrageously funny play and
see if they agree with me that
from it our sick race could ab
sorb a healing potion, and that
these stains, like those at the
close of the play "will not be
removed for a long, long time
Phyllis Kerns,
(Graduate, Philosophy.
Kxplain Co-op Advice
Kmerald editor:
"There is only one thing
worse than being talked about,
said Oscar Wilde, “and that is
not being talked about." 1'or
this reason alone, yesterday's
editorial was welcome There's
nothing like a pile of rubble on
a bleak empty site for evoking
states of anxiety about what the
new Co op Store will look like
However, we wish to correct
certain ideas expressed in that
editorial about a student com
petition. No professor described
his students as being "too ideal
istir,” and vs to the statement.
■ ( oiiiinued on f>aye 3)
OREGON DAILY EMERALD
The Oregon Daily Emerald i» pubh«hed
twice in September and five tUyi a week
during the academic year, except during
examination and vacation pernd* by the
Student Publication* lizard oi the Uni
versity of Oregon. Entered a* second cla*s
matter at the post office, Eugene, Oregon.
Subscription rale* $5 per year; $2 per
term
Opinion* expreaacd <•« the editorial page
are ?ho*e of the Emerald and do not prr
tend to represent the opinion of the ASl'O
or the University.
EVEHETTE DENNIS. Editor
JIM SPEER, Bu»ine*a Manager
JANET GOETZE. Managing Editor
MARIE FORRESTER.
Advertising Manager
RON COWAN. New* Editor
CATHY NEVILLE.
Academic Affairs Editor
DICK RICHARDSON,
AsMxiate Editor
JIM FKAKE
A*»i*tant Managing Editor
JO GRISWOLD. DAVE JORDAN.
Avoittant New* Editors
RAY MAST. Sport* Editor
JOE BERGER.
A‘>o\'»ate Managing Editor
GEORGE IUGIIAM, Photo Editor
t IIITK BEGGS.
Entertainment Editor
MARY STAMP. PHYLLIS
ELVING, STEVE GREEN,
Anocijte New* Editor*
Editorial Board: Everctte Dennis. Ren
Cowan, Janet Goetxe, Doug Ragen, Dick
Richardson. Dave Sand*. Jerry Utti. R*y
Mast. Pam Paahkowaki, Cathy Neville,
Pat Holt, Simeon Crowther. Dong
Comb*. Joe Berger Jim Fruke, Larr>‘
Derr, Lynn Mascali and hm Pennington.