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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 1966)
OREGON DAILY EMERALD Opinions expressed on the editorial page are those of the Emerald and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the ASUO or the University. Opinions expressed in signed columns are those of the writer. LOUIE ABRAMSON Business Manager MAXINE ELLIOTT News Editor CHUCK BEGGS, Editor BOB CARL Managing Editor PHIL SEMAS Associate Editor WILBUR BISHOP, JR. Advertising Manager ALLEN BAILEY Associate Editor Page 6 University of Oregon, Eugene, Monday. February 21, 1966 A Reasonable Proposal Semite's Request Deserves Good Consideration The ASUO Senate's resolution asking that two representatives of the University student body be allowed to attend faculty meetings is a reasonable and moderate proposal. It deserves full consideration by the faculty. The bill, passed unanimously Thursday night, provides that the ASUO president, plus one other student appointed by him and approved by President Flemming, be permitted to attend the meetings of the full faculty. They would also be allowed to state their views before the body, if given majori ty consent by the faculty. We have long felt that students have a right to be heard before the faculty ses sions. The general faculty is vested with the power to make important decisions which affect the students' pursuit of educa tion at the University. Changes and addi tions in curriculum are acted upon by the faculty. Rules regarding student discipline are formulated by the faculty. It was the faculty that gave final approval to the Code of Student Conduct now in force. But through all these decision-making proces ses. the student voice is never heard at the faculty meetings. It seems strange and a bit unfair that the faculty chooses to do its business behind closed doors, and refuses to pay direct at tention to an important sector of the cam pus—the students. This newspaper, along with the Eugene Register-Guard, asked last fall that members of the press be admitted to the faculty meetings at which the Mosser Plan was being debated. We were refused by a nearly two to one vote. Very little is done to promote good will among faculty and students when the dis cussions that lead up to the more important decisions are carried on in secret. Allowing the student body president, the most rep resentative spokesman for the students’ views, to appear before the meeting would do a great deal to enhance this relationship and promote that good will, A mutual trust and understanding between students and faculty is essential in a University this large and growing larger. One faction cannot af ford to be alienated from the other. Of course, it is hoped that the two repre sentatives would be listened to by the fac ulty before the decisions were made. To day’s student has a high stake in his educa tion, and is deeply concerned with it. He should also have a strong voice in the poli cy-making discussions that shape much of that education. A University, traditionally a place for free exchange and discussion of ideas, is no place for closed-door meetings. No Crime Wave Here At a recent Conduct Committee meeting. Associate Dean of Students Fran cis Nickerson beamed as he announced that the students of the University had gone another whole week without experiencing a single criminal arrest. He said this was the fifth week during the school year students had stayed out of trouble with downtown police. Though Uncle Sam and midterms prob ably had more to do with this docile be havior than Dean Nickerson or an improve ment in human nature, he and all the stu dents still have a right to be proud. After all, where else does one hear of a community of 12,000 going a whole week at a time without an arrest? > potvn By The Old. !yj. fflv-Racej Hum imiiitniinttn Letters to the Editor All letters to the editor must be typewritten and double spaced. Letters not over 300 words in length and those deal ing with one subject will be giv en preference for publication. All letters must be signed in ink and must give the class and major of the writer. Letters not meeting these criteria will be returned to the letter writer. The Emerald reserves the right to edit letters for style, gram mar, punctuation, and potential ly libelous content. Table Tennis Emerald Editor: The gentleman in charge of the all-campus table tennis tournament by providing for his own interest and success in the regional tournament de prived the University of skilled and more competent representa tion in that tournament thereby depriving the University of its deserved championship In the regional tournament each school is allowed three representatives—two for singles and a best combination includ ing one of the singles for doubles. The gentleman in charge of the all campus tourn ament was defeated once in the all-campus tournament. Two others were defeated once and twice respectively. 1 was unde feated. For the regional tourna ment the gentleman in charge appointed himself and one who was defeated twice to the doubles team and the singles team. As can be seen, he ap pointed only two men to the regional tournament: two men who were each defeated. Is this logical when he could have ap pointed one more man, who was undefeated? Of course, it could be con sidered logical from his point of view Would he not have had a better chance of winning the tournament? He would have had a better chance of winning but he definitely lessened the Uni versity's chances of winning I would like the Student Union, which sponsors this event, to he aware of this ac tion and to be more cautious in the future. Richard Hon Sophomore, Chemistry * * * “Wrong Topic” Emerald Editor: Apparently Mr. Jackson read what he wanted to read in my letter rather than that which was written My topic was pro tests —not Viet Nam--any pro test, he it Viet Nam, taxes, cut tin*; down park trees, etc. My point was this: I believe that each student should be fully informed about any pro test group to he certain that it is not influenced by elements whose interests are not con cerned with the actual better ment of American society. I will specifically refer to the American Nazi Party, the John Birch Society, and the Communist Party. 1 can not be lieve that these groups are hon estly striving to maintain our principles of freedom. I do be lieve that all of them would and do operate on many a cam pus within the framework of guaranteed freedom to obtain their goals and to destroy this nation. As for accusations and distor tions, I consider Mr Jackson’s entire letter a distorted accu sation—the proof being a re reading and comparison of my letter and his reply. I did not condemn protests per se, inf a ct I viewed them as an “acceptable and healthy activity,” similarly 1 did not sanction all protests. Bob Ackerman Senior, Hus. Admin. Clttil' f ^rit ill Senate, Students And the Issues Editor'ii Note: Chuck Pruitt iii an ASU'O senator-at-large. In this column he comments on the role of the ASCO Senate and the students of the University in both campus and national and international issues. Most of the students on this campus are peons. Other people are making the decisions which decide the course of our lives, and yet most of us just sit back and smugly say that we don't care. All that most of us really ex pect from this university is a G.P.A., a degree, and a reason ably good time. And that is not enough. This University, this nation, this world arc not as good as they should be. Our nation is involved in a war which the overwhelming majority of our citizens don’t understand, half the world goes to bed without enough to eat and wakes up to a grim existence concerned primarily with just staying alive, and students at the University are being bullied by the campus administration without even knowing it. We have poverty, wars, and bigotry because people find it easier to ignore their problems, yet we have a great nation be cause certain men in the past have cared enough about the way they lived to spend some of their winters at the Valley Forg es, Vieksburgs, and Selmas. Must Start Uproar If we are to make a better world, a better nation, and a better University the students and the Senate will have to be come willing to start an uproar. Frankly, the campus has had good reason to be bored by their student government because the Senate has in the past conceived of itself as a body which planned social events and reorganized itself. During this year, however, due to the efforts of men like President Steve Goldschmidt, and Senators Henry Drum monds. Scott Karleigh, and Jim Beat, the situation has been radically changing We still have a few senators who are only interested in changing the rules of Senate meetings, who want to plan ban quets and dances and who want to increase school spirit, feat the balance is changing in favor of those who want to make this University a better place to get an education. Curriculum Work Senators and active students are now working in the area of curriculum so that new courses will be added (such as the es sentials of math); so that grad ing will be changed to the pass or fail system; so that PE. courses will be goared to per mit us to take any course we want as often as we want; so that Graduate School departments will be granted the independ ence to establish their own lang uage requirements; so that a board can be established to re view obvious cases where pro fessors have given students un reasonable grades; and so that programs can be instigated al lowing us to regularly evaluate our courses and teachers. Senators are active in making the University awaro of our recreational and study space needs. There are obviously not enough handball or tennis courts, nor are the library hours as acceptable as they can be. Trying to Change Rules Senators are trying to change the rules and regulations which govern our behavior in order to allow the students an opportu nity to become the guardians of their own morals. If we aren’t men and women by the time we come to this place, we have no business here. Nobody should be required to live in a dorm against his wish (Continued on pane 7)
