Education and World Affairs
Awareness is the Biisic Ingredient in Liberal Learning
A distinguished group of educators have
drafted a report which charges that the
U.S. College is failing in its responsibility
to prepare Americans for world leadership.
The report, “College and World Affairs,"
bears further examination for the educa
tors have perceptively analyzed some of
the short-comings of American higher edu
cation.
The report maintains that “too few insti
tutions ... in the nineteen years since the
war ended, have taken vigorous action to
educate our youth to meet the require
ments of a changing world.” Many colleges
and universities have failed the purposes
of liberal education “by emasculating or
cheapening the curriculum or by permit
ting the course structure and the college
community itself to become weedy with
modes of living and learning antithetical
to liberality of mind and spirit,” the report
maintains.
But this report goes a step further than
most. It looks at U.S. education with his
torical perspective and comes to the con
clusion that “both the power and respon
sibility came to the U.S. before either the
government or the people were prepared
for it. They had neither the knowledge,
the outlook, the skills nor the understand
ing required.” The report continues, “un
fortunately the condition still exists after
twenty years.” Much of the recent educa
tional advances have been little more than
reactions to the Russian sputnik.
Most interesting is the positive program
calling for a break with emphasis on west
ern-oriented teaching. In its program for
action in education the educators suggest:
—More cooperation among colleges, pool
ing facilities to offer common language
and area studies programs.
—Increased interest in non-western cul
ture and languages.
—Focus on the dynamics of interaction
and change.
—Less emphasis on broadening the cur
riculum and more on concentrated study
in areas iu which present faculty members
can contribute most.
*—More courses with a comparative ap
proach, analyzing and scrutinizing similar
programs and problems in other nations.
—Emphasis on the importance of text
books which have not kept pace with the
results of scholarly research and develop
ment of methodology. An awakening on
the part of faculty members who do not
recognize the contribution to effective
teaching which text books make.
Faculty members at the University ought
to examine the report and its recommen
dations. In many areas the University like
other institutions of higher education is
not doing an effective job in interpreting
the significant changes in other nations.
We concur with the report which regards
an intelligent understanding of the chang
ing world as the basic ingredient of liberal
learning. Awareness need not remain sup
erficial in the educated man. As the report
states succinctly, ‘‘any unawareness is cer
tain to be ignorance, probably compounded
by arrogance.”
WUS and the Red Hot Professor
A new innovation in this year’s World
University Service week festivities is the
“Red Hot Professor” contest, a novel but
frankly rather shocking plan to raise mon
ey by electing 10 faculty members to ride
in the annual donkey basketball game. It
is hard for us to believe that the same
faculty which objected strenuously to the
Donald Duck cartoons on their parking
stickers will support this idea, even for a
worthy cause.
Under the announced rules of the con
test, professors may be nominated for the
“honor” by making a 10 cent donation in
their name. The ten professors receiving
the most nominations will then be voted
on during WUS week by donating money
in the name of the favored candidate. This
plan may actually be a shrewd way of get
ting faculty members to donate large sums
in the name of the opposing candidates and
prevent their own election. Unless this is
the case, we can’t see how the WUS week
committee can expect anyone, student or
professor, to take the contest seriously.
Finalists will play in the first half of the
donkey basketball game, a tradition which
in the past has seen the ASUO Senate and
the Ugly Man candidates play basketball
while mounted on donkeys. This is fine for
students who really don’t mind the after
noon fracus but it is a little hard to believe
that even 10 of the University faculty
would feel that WUS week was a cause
worthy of such an unusual faculty effort.
The major part of the annual WUS week
activities traditionally centers around the
Ugly Man contest, a good chance for stu
dents to painlessly contribute money while
having fun. If the committee feels that
faculty members should be involved in the
drive, efforts should be made to plan some
more serious event which would appeal to
the segment of the campus not interested
in donkey basketball games. A coffee hour
or a series of films might raise money for
WUS activities and yet be in keeping with
the reason for the entire drive, to aid
world-wide education.
Lesser Breeds
It is not news that Alabama’s Gov.
George Wallace is not too fond of colored
folks. Also, though, there are other folks
of whom the governor is not too fond. This
is very important as the governor seeks the
Wisconsin vote in the April 7 Democratic
presidential preference primary. Wiscon
sin, be it remembered, is the home of many
persons of middle European ancestry, not
ably Poles and Germans.
Rummaging through its files, the Mil
waukee Journal finds that the governor,
only last May, sought to explain the South
to the Times of London. The people of the
South, he told the Times, are like the Bri
tish, pure Anglo-Sxon stock. But the rest of
the United States, he told the Times, is
“full of Poles, Italians, Germans, and other
lesser breeds.”
— Eugene Register-Guard
Letters to the Editor,
iiiiiiuyiu
Immature Readers?
Emerald Editor:
Your editorial of April 1,
mentions treating students as
‘mature and responsible indivi
duals’. How about sending a
copy of your editorial to the
librarian? They believe in treat
ing the students as immature,
and irresponsible thieves.
Every time a student wishes
to pass the turnstile, the lady
on the desk implicity charges
him with theft and then tries
to prove this charge by care
fully examining everything that
he is carrying. It is indeed a
pity that all her adventurous
efforts do not yield any victims.
It will be interesting to know
why the ‘mature and responsi
ble’ students of this university
are given the honor of individu
al search (which is the privi
lege of criminals or alleged
criminals only!!) by a ‘mature
and responsible administra
tion’?
Naresh R. Madhok
Graduate in Business
Administration
Herblock
JIUIIIHIIIIIH
“Have Some More Luggage, We Don't Want You
To Go At All Unless You Can Go In
Perfect Style”
Letters to the Editor ■_
‘Poppycock!’
Emerald Editor
Once upon a time. In a far
away city, some people wanted
to put a lighted stop-sign on
top of a hill, contending that it
would make the hill "more
beautiful.” Another group of
people opposed this project,
since to them it “respected an
establishment of a police-state”
—the stop-sign being rather
clearly the symbol of police
authority. The land in question
belonged to the public, and ?
great controversy arose among
the people concerning this stop
sign. Those who favored it were
called "Stoppers,” and those
who opposed it became known
as "Goers.” Candidates for local
offices were elected or defeated
principally on their views con
cerning the stop-sign. Ix>eal
schools offered courses entitled,
"The Importance of Having (or
Not Having) a Stop-Sign on the
Hill.”
One day a stranger came to
the city—which had now be
come very run-down, since
everyone spent all of his time
arguing about the stop-sign
Naturally, he was soon asked to
state his views on the contro
versy. He did so, and as a result
of this, the citizens were again
able to live in harmony; the
neglected city was restored to
its former beauty. The grateful
citizens erected a statue of the
stranger in the city; inscribed
on a bronze plaque at the base
was his full beneficial statement
on the great stop-sign contro
versy: “Poppycock!”
Gene A, Barnes
Graduate Student in
Physics
Vote For It
Emerald Editor:
Student government has been
accused of being a hodge-podge
of glory hounds who in actuali
ty do nothing. This may be
true. However, even the most
biased opponents of student
government realize and admit
that student government can be
effective.
After a quick perusal of the
new constitution it seems the
opponents of student govern
ment will finally be pleased
(if such a thing is possible).
If the new constitution is
passed it will be the first time
in our school’s history that the
terms of student body officers
are defined, and for once we
will know exactly what duties
the ASUO president and vice
president have. We also will
have recall, as well as referen
dum. And lastly, the separation
of powers within student body
governments will have been
spelled out for us.
It does appear then that the
passing of the new constitution
is of utmost importance in im
proving our student govern
ment.
Let's vote . , . but let’s vote
for it!
Larry Williams
Senior, Journalism
• • •
Supports Cross
Emerald Editor:
There has been quite a bit of
banter on the new cross for
Skinner's Butte recently The
city was wise enough to ap
prove it Many people argued
for or against this form on all
kinds of religious, moral and
political grounds. Of all these
zealots, few or none have
grasped the planning and de
sign values of such a simple
but powerful form at that loca
tion
It is something at which to
look at the end of a not very
interesting main Willamette
Street in Eugene, Oregon. It
has visual value especially at
night when its simple form
brings a peaceful and definite
end to the garish proclamations
of troubled and restless busi
nesses and world It is a visual
anchor and mental stabilizer. It
is now part of Eugene; identi
fied with Eugene, at that loca
tion, separately from its mere
religious significance.
Everyone who cares knows
there is too little basic religion
and goodness of any kind prac
ticed honestly in this world.
This form and symbol should
be left to form whatever reli
gious and visual forces it may.
I can’t believe that any nega
tive or even neutral influence
can possibly result from its con
tinued existence.
Nell S. Weikcl
Senior in Architecture
OREGON DAILY EMERALD
The Oregon Daily Emerald in published
twice in September and five days a week
during the academic year, except during
examination and vacation periods by the
Student Publications Hoard of the Uni
versity of Oregon. Entered as second class
matter at the post office, 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, It unities* Manager
JANET GOKT/.K, Managing Editor
MARIE FORRESTER,
Advertising Manager
RON COWAN, News Editor
CATHY NEVILLE,
Academic Affairs Editor
DICK RICHARDSON.
Associate Editor
JIM KRAKE
Assistant Managing Editor
JO GRISWOLD, DAVE JORDAN,
Assistant News Editors
RAY MAST, Sports Editor