Education and the Press
Oregon Newspapers Have Serious Shortcomings
In Their Failure to Report Education s News
Not long ago an alumnus of the Univer
sity returned to the campus for the first
time in 15 years. We encountered him in
the Student Union and over a cup of coffee
he asked us questions which demonstrated
his concern for the University. But at the
same time the content of the gentleman's
questions fully illustrated his lack of con
tact with the trends in higher education.
Ironically, the man is quite interested in
education, but although he reads two of
Oregon’s daily newspapers he rarely comes
in touch with news of education.
This alumnus is not unlike other citizens
of Oregon who are concerned about higher
education, but have no physical contact
with Oregon's colleges and universities. His
problem is that he relies on the Oregon
press for news about higher education. The
bland news diet which this state’s press
offers him features only the most overt
events. If the fraternities are hazing their
pledges he hears about it. If a professor
receives a national honor he hears about it.
And if the students demonstrate he hears
about it.
But outside of the most superficial, easily
available news the average Oregon resi
dent has no access in the press to the story
of trends and new developments in higher
education. The state's press, for example,
has virtually ignored the development of
the graduate education program and its
impact on the educational process. Nor has
our state’s press illustrated any awareness
of the tremendous economic impact of the
increasing grants and contracts w’hich some
University departments have been receiv
ing.
Educational philosophy—the changes in
the development of policy under new presi
dents (Flemming at UO and Jensen at OSU)
at the state’s two major institutions—has
virtually been left untouched. Some of the
state’s papers occasionally mumble about
the possibility of Federal aid, but few have
surveyed the considerable influence of Fed
eral funds at our institutions of higher edu
cation. Are they aware that federal monies
have completely changed the picture of
graduate education, both in enrollment and
scope, or that some departments have
gained national renown only because Fed
eral funds have kept top-quality professors
here?
Some observers maintain that higher ed
ucation in Oregon has a weak base of Sup
port. If outspoken legislators accurately
represent their constituencies this would
seem to have validity. We are not asking
that the state press give first priority treat
ment to higher education or proclaim un
equivocal support for educational projects,
but we are hopeful that the press will recog
nize its serious shortcoming in this area and
endeavor to offer the citizens of Oregon
comprehensive educational reporting. Cer
tainly weekly newspapers in remote sec
tions of the state cannot be expected to
send teams of reporters to the campuses,
but the state’s 21 daily newspapers have an
obligation which they are not meeting. We
are hopeful that the editors and publishers
of Oregon, on the campus today for their
annual convention, will give thoughtful
consideration to the criticisms they will
hear from students and members of the
faculty. They might also utilize some of
their time in digging out stories previously
unreported. It takes an educated society to
lubricate democracy’s machinery and the
responsibility of the press to report news
of concern in the field of education should
not be overlooked.
Mark O. and the Logs
Rolling logs on Oregon beaches have
been quite a problem lately. Several deaths
have been reported in the last couple of
months. And when accidents of this kind
happen the public looks to public officials
for answers. This week the citizens of our
state received one from none other than
Gov. Mark O. Hatfield. The governor has
ordered the State Highway Department to
burn the logs. Now it isn't any secret that
Mark Hatfield is not an outdoorsman, but
wje were unaware that he hasn't visited the
Oregon beaches. If he had surveyed Ore
gon’s beaches from Astoria to Brookings
he probably would have come to the con
clusion that there are neither enough men
or gasoline in all of Western Oregon to han
dle the job. In an election year we could
have expected a more imaginative proposal
such as a log problem prayer breakfast, but
1966 is two years away.
The Second Curriculum
The Condon Lecture fund and the Eric
W. Allen Memorial Fund are providing two
outstanding speakers on campus this week.
Sherwood Washburn, a University of Cali
fornia anthropologist has been the Condon
Lecturer. Barry Bingham, editor and pub
lisher of the Louisville Courier-Journal and
Louisville Times, will be the Allen Lecturer
today at 2:30 p.m. in the Student Union.
These two funds have brought outstand
ing speakers to the campus for several
years who are able to discuss topics of cur
rent interest in the scientific and communi
cations fields. Their talks aid in sitmulating
the thinking of students within the speci
fied disciplines and augment the education
of students in other fields. They are con
stituents of the “second curriculum” the
University endeavors to provide its stu
dents.
Anthropologist Washburn has brought to
che campus information he gathered while
working with primates in Oregon and the
Far East. Bingham, one of the distinguished
editor-publishers of the South, will discuss
the “One-Ownership Newspaper Town,” a
topic of increasing concern among journal
ists and newspaper readers.
We hope students will realize the educa
tional enrichment intent of lectures estab
lished by special foundations, and will at
tend them with this in mind.
Footnote
Noting the current beard controversy
whisking around campus, and the infiltra
tion of “Beatlemania” into our contempo
rary culture, one could be led to think that
maybe modern homo sapiens not only de
scended from the apes but are desiring a
return thereto.
In the midst of this, we noticed in a
recent edition of the Register-Guard that
the University’s All-American swimmer,
Dick Boyd, has announced possible inten
tions of shaving himself, head-to-foot, be
fore the upcoming swim meet here. This
procedure, as all good swimmers know,
enables the body to glide through the water
with much less insistence and thereby
greater speed. Another swimmer noted
that he whacked seven seconds off his time
by whacking off his unnecessary hair.
So, the bearded ones may conquer the
world, but it doesn’t appear likely that
they will conquer the swim meets, at least.
Herblock m
I .V 5
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"They Have This Wild Idea That The House Of
Representatives Should I5e Representative”
‘Miiutmiiiiii.
...jiat.fl Wonderfill Governor
Log Burning Brings
New Oregon Industry
By LINDA BROWN
editorial Board Member
Oregon's Governor is a won
derful man. He’s hardworking,
hard traveling and always eager
to bring new industry into Ore
gon. Why, just this week he
asked the Highway Department
to burn all the logs on the major
beaches in Oregon I personally
think this is tremendous. Tht.
simple declaration will undoubt
edly have a tremendous impact
on the Oregon economy
To begin with, more Highway
Department men will have to be
hired It will certainly take
more men to keep up with High
way Department duties and to
burn all the logs on the beaches
More Salaries
More men will mean more
salaried people. Of course Ore
gon taxpayers arc paying this
salary, but it shouldn't upset
them too much because these
workers have to pay taxes so
the money w ill all be going back
to the original source, where,
ever that is.
There will definitely be a
need for log patrollers who
would make sure stray logs
don't take it into their heads to
come rolling up on the beaches.
The log patrollers could busy
themselves day after day shoo
ing the logs back into the ocean
or stacking them for burning, or
something. And during critical
stormy periods we could have
special storm troopers — men
who could quickly band together
and rid the beadles of its dan
gerous intruders.
All of these men would of
course have to go to a special
log patrolling and storm troop
ing training school. And right
away we increase Oregon's in
dustrial capacity. A training
school means buildings, teach
ers, lawns—all sorts of construc
tion. And of course, having
training will give prestige and
status to the graduates. Log pat
rolling and burning could be
come a skill. Maybe even an
art. And thus contests, critics
and reviews will be necessary
and this will involve many peo
ple and create more jobs.
Shelters Needed
And what about all those log
less beaches? People won’t be
able to build bonfires or have
wind shelters. There will defin
itely be a need for some sort of
replacement. Thus Oregon’s re
search laboratories could busy
themselves inventing an instant
ly disposable lag. The market
would be tremendous. Little log
stands could open up at the
beaches and log disposal cans
would of course have to he in
vented and installed All tlm
would, of course, create more
jobs.
Oregon’s lumbermen should
all be behind our Governor’s
edict. No longer will people he
getting free wood off Oregon \s
beaches. They will be forced to
purchase it. And instantly dis
posable logs would of course use
Oregon timber. No longer would
Oregon lumbermen be able to
complain about the decline in
timber sales.
other industries would nattir
ally develop in the wake of lug
burning. For one thing, a special
fire corps will probably have to
be established ... in case the
log patrollers and storm troop
ers can't handle the situation
Besides, there are undoubtedly
enormous complications involved
in burning all the logs on the
beaches Certainly the patrollers
would just want to patrol and
others would have to burn 'a
union would probably originate
- another job opportunity)
Smoke Control Needed
All that smoke is going to
create problems too. There will
have to be special committees
on smoke and smog control and
new devices will have to be in
vented to help prevent smoke
congestion.
Log burning also has serious
implications for our nation's de
fense. The sinoke could be an ef
fective screen against any spy
planes overhead. We could be
developing rockets and things
and no one would ever know
And have you considered the
amount of fuel necessary to burn
the logs? Not to mention the
matches. We would have to es
tablish our own plants to pro
vide the necessary igniters.
1 haven’t yet mentioned one
of the most important outcomes
of log burning. What is going
to happen to all our major
beaches while this burning is
going on? Where will people go?
Tourism I'uaiTected
To Oregon’s minor beaches of
course. Which will then have to
(Continued on paye 3)
OREGON DAILY EMERALD
The Orcgi n Daily Emerald U published
twice in September and five days a week
during the academic year, except during
examination and vacation periods by the
Student Publications Board of the Uni
versity of Oregon. Entered as second class
matter at the post oflice, Eugene, Oregon.
Subscription rates $5 per year; $2 per
term.
Opinions expressed on the editorial page
are those of the Emerald and do not pre
tend to represent the opinion of the ASUO
or the University.
EVERETTE DENNIS, Editor
JIM SPEER, Business Manager