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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 5, 1977)
More Than Poise One of the first questions candidates for this year’s homecoming queen contest were asked in their interviews was: "Put youself in this situation. You're walking down the street and since you are an attractive girl, men are looking at you. You drop your undergarments. What do you do?” This question elicited a shocked response from many quarters on campus, including some of the girls who were interviewed. Some thought it was downright crude; others were appalled at the lack of intellectual depth in any of the questions. The homecoming committee defended it self aptly, explaining that the question was asked to test poise rather than to get a specific answer. And poise, after all, was what it was looking for. The committee further added that questions of great intel lectual depth had been eliminated because "they only got the girls all confused and flus tered.” Committee members referred to a re port from a past queen selection which urged them to drop such questions. Asked what they thought a homecoming queen was or what she embodied, members of the homecoming committee emphasized an attractive appearance and poise, above all. One of the members said, "It’s sort of based on student opinion. They want a pretty girl, someone who is poised. They want somebody they like.” In this light, members of the homecom ing committee cannot be criticized. They have worked hard and have directed their judging criteria toward finding just such at tractive and poised candidates. As such, the questions used in jduging are not incorrect. They are aimed at finding the kind of girl the homecoming committee believes a homecom ing queen should be. What is incorrect, how ever, is the general conception of what the homecoming queen is. True, the homecoming queen should be poised and attractive. Most co-eds are just this. Most run-of-the-mill contests ask for no thing more. But the homecoming queen should possess, in addition, those capabilities which will enable her to fulfill special func tions her position will require. These functions require such things as being the official representative and hostess of the University during her reign, meeting and talking with several adult groups such as alumni, administrators, and newspaper peo ple, and upon occasion, giving small talks to special groups. In fact, the only time the homecoming queen gives a major talk before the students, themselves, is during the half time of the homecoming game, with just as many adults present. Obviously such a girl must have certain mental capacities and conversational talents in addition to her aesthetic graces. Questions of intellectual depth forjudg ing candidates then, should not have been eliminated. Much of the trouble in the past has been that depth question went along these lines: "What do you think about the Cuban problems?” or ’’What should we do about Russia?” These are questions that even world leaders have been unable to answer, especially in the short time allotted candi dates. Questions aimed at eliciting college level, practical knowledge of various issues should have been carefully prepared. Unfor tunately, homecoming queeen selection committees seemed to have gone to the oppo site extreme. Civil Defense Here At a press conference Monday, President Flemming and Colonel Farnsworth, head of the military and air science department, spoke of the University’s plans for civil de fense. Their comments were impressive. Eugene is one of the safest spots in the nation in case of atomic attack. It is definitely not a strategic target, or, at least is way down the list. The only real strategic target in the state is Portland and the wind would only blow fallout from Portland two days out of 30. Despite these facts, the world situation still makes one apprehensive as to the degree of his security in case of war. We are pleased to note the University’s progress towards this security. Not only has an emergency civil defense organization been set up, and each member of that organization briefed, but a permanent CD control center is planned for Johnson Hall. A study has been made of the areas that will be safe in case of fallout, and a mobile civil defense unit is already in operation. Plans have been made for each stage of an attack. The food and water situation has been inventoried and the dormitory people are aware just how long students can be fed and with what ration considering the present in ventory. Also encouraging is that the University’s program is well co-ordinated with that of Lane County. The University evidently realizes that it is responsible for 9600 people and has taken steps to provide for their safety. Just Jogging Along Physical fitness has been in the news lately, both because of the 50-mile hike in itiated by President and other Kennedys and, on the local scene, because of the surprising popularity of weekend jogging. As we recall, the jogging started a week or so before the hiking, and we expect that it will continue for a longer time. Once a person hikes 50 miles, he probably won’t want to do it again very soon. Joggers, on the other hand (or the other foot as the case may be), seem to eagerly wait for any excuse to jog some more. In one respect, the difference between jogging and the long distance hiking fad is the difference between a participant sport and a spectator sport. Just about anybody can go out and jog at least a little bit, but few of us have the time, training, or inclination to walk 50 miles. One could also say that jog ging is a means of getting in better physical condition, while the hiking is a means of showing the world that you are already in good shape. Because of its greater contributions to our physical fitness (as well as to manufac turers of ligament linament, jogging shoes, and high energy foods) we are happy that the University of Oregon, through its track coach Bill Bowerman, is responsible for jogging’s introduction into the United States. We hope that the national publicity which it might get pretty soon will encourage the spread of jog ging to other towns and cities. For those who really want to continue showing off their superb physical condition, we recommend a combination of jogging and long distance hiking. Eventually people may be jogging 50 miles, and that will be worth seeing. LIVE. AMMUNITION! Letters to the Editor I Misleading Signs Emerald Editor: I am dismayed at the appear ance of "Fallout Shelter” signs on campus. The entire civil de fense program is misleading It implies that we may be safe in the event of nuclear war. It may condition us to accept nuclear war as tolerable and even desir able. It may condition us to ac cept a military way of life, which is inconsistent with our country’s tradition. For these reasons it may increase the likelihood of the very war it poses to protect us from. I urge the members of this university to refuse to participate in a prog ram which is useless, at best, and very probably dangerous. Joyce L. Emrich Institute of Molecular Biology * * * Admires Paper Emerald Editor. This newspaper deserves to be admired for its single-minded defense of the College Side Inn. But from the very beginning of this crusade, when the apologe tic whitewash of "tradition was slapped over that black hole, the effect has been quite negative. What students can be proud of a privately-run "tradition" stand ing in the way of such a badly needed expansion of a student owned service? The Student Union is fine tradition for this modem campus, even without grimy black booths in the Bot tom of the Bowl. Brad Young, Fr. in L.A. * * * Save the Side Emerald Editor: For 40 years the College Side In has been a haven for clusters of harried upperclassmen (and a few mature freshmen) who have sought therein temporary asylum from the rigors of Uni versity life. That it should be destroyed to make room for an amoeba-like advance of pus-colored Co-op cinderblock is a tragedy in itself. That Mr. Young should com pound this by calling the doomed Side a "black hole,” or by at tempting to compare it with that gross conglomeration of brick, marble, indigestible coffee and blaring juke boxes otherwise known as the Student union is much worse. Perhaps Mr. Young is one of that unique breed who believe that the best traditions are those dreamed up by a committee and abandoned in favor of new ones each year. If so, I can only pity him. John Dashney, Junior, English * * * A Dismal Sight Emerald Editor: The scene outside some girls dormitories presents a dismal sight on weekends when coeds and their dates say good night to each other. It is more than just a goodnight, Kiss. Common scenes on Friday and Saturday nights are prolonged kisses and embraces which gradually dissolve into necking and petting. This is neither good psychologically nor morally and hampers one’s mental equilib rium to a considerable extent. Recently the student govern ing board at Long Beach College girls’ dorm issued a decree which stated that there were to be no 'overdisplays’ of affection, when coeds and their dates say good night. This ruling evoked strong pro test from the boys and girls. The decree was soon modified to read thus, Kissing will still be permitted. It’s the 10 to 15 mi nute clinches that are out.’ It is time that the ASUO does something about this ''overdisp lay” of affection on our campus. Such a thing is not at all conduc tive to the promotion of high standards of academic achieve ment. A university is akin to a tem ple of learning and its sanctity should be preserved at all cost. Mohan Goel, Grad. Student in Journalism OREGON DAILY EMERALD The Oregon D«ily Emerald ia published aeven times in September and five days a week during the school year, except during examination and vacation periods by the Student Publications Hoard of the University of Oregon Entered as second matter at the post office, Eugene, Oregon Subscription rates J>6 per year, $2 per term Opinions expressed on the editorial page are those of The Emerald and do not pretend to rep resent the opinions of the ASUO or the Univer sity. RON BUEL, Editor MARTY KETELS. Business Manager TED MAHAR, Managing Editor EVERETTE DENNIS. News Editor PHIL COGSWELL Editorial Page Editor
