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University Daily Kansan Friday, Jan. 19, 1962
A Busy Semester
Final examinations are almost here. Another semester, with all its activities and difficulties, is drawing to a close.
The activities this semester have been many and varied. They range from the formation of a chapter of Young Americans for Freedom and the disaffiliation with the National Student Association in the political arena to the controversy over KU's World Crisis Day.
Discrimination continued to be an issue and many of KU's Negro students took part in a protest march to Strong Hall to present a petition asking that discriminatory renters be dropped from the university housing list.
KU's budget was checked by Gov. Anderson and he made substantial cuts from the funds
requested by the university administration. Funds for the traffic control plan that was designed to regulate traffic entering the campus were eliminated.
A new class schedule plan was decided on by the university and this fall classes will begin meeting on the half hour, beginning at 7:30 in the morning. It will be interesting to see how many of the 7:30 classes can muster a majority of their students at that hour in the morning.
There were many other changes and events, both large and small. Activity will be virtually suspended except for final examinations during the next week, but the second semester will bring new issues and a renewal of some of the old ones.
—William H. Mullins
By Richard Currie
A superbly played farce opened in the Experimental Theatre last weekend. "Purple Dust" by Sean O'Casey is the comedy, and it slashes hilariously at the British readiness to bow to tradition. O'Casey slaps his Irish folk for a similar tendency, but finds in them the hope and lilt which distinguishes these irrepressible people.
Two British gentlemen go to Clune na Gerra, Ireland to renovate Tudor Manor, as they call it. Their Englishness (Basil who passed through Oxford, says, "The people here (Fish) are helpless, superstitious and arrogant") is constantly ridiculed by O'Cassey through the Irish charm, especially that of Philip C'Demusey, played by Robert Shoffner, Charlottesville, Va., sophomore.
'ODEMPEY REPRESENTS the grand, gloriously legendary past of Ireland. He is well-versed in its mythology and hotly resents the imperiousness of the Englishmen who disdain him. His words (God himself is the Englishman's butler) bite sarcastically. Yet in his hostility O'Dempey offers life and love to those who benefit from the past, not sink in it.
Cyril Poges and Basil Stokes, the ancient Englishmen, played by Janni Lindbaeck, Oslo, Norway, graduate student, and James Heaton, Ealdwin special student, are O'Dempsey's opposites. While Cyril intends "Efficiency, efficiency,
that's English, I'm English!" Basil lectures with a dissertation on a primrose, designed to demonstrate his tedious scholasticism. Both are hilarious clowns and their every act is satirized with accuracy and wit.
But the joy and worth of "Purple Dust," for this reviewer, lies in the magnificent dialogue it employs. In this, Shoffner in his first KU performance, excels. His control and mastery of the Irish tongue speak virtuosity. The words flow lovingly from his mouth to delight the ear. Devotion to the wonders of the Irish tongue is in the play, and it is brilliantly demonstrated in a stunning soliloquy about Ireland's historic hatred of the English.
The same is done by O'Killigian, the construction man, played by Robert Bettcher, with Basil's mistress, Avril, played by Karen Pyles, Wichita graduate student. But here the run of the hills of Irish lore is more like the descent of a subway train; it fades away because of weak characterization. Miss Pyles tries but it seems pretended and with little meaning. Bettcher lacks the buoyancy to make O'Killigian real.
SHOFFNER IS ADEQUATELY matched by Souhuan, Cyril's mistress, played by Julia Callahan. Souhuan is entranced by O'Dempsey's magic. He leads her away from the pomposity of the English cobwebs, which she denounces "English yare indeed, God help you."
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS by Dick Bibler
On Religious Indoctrination
There is widespread concern among foreign students in the United States that, generally with the kindest intentions, Americans attempt to indoctrinate them in matters of religion. This is reported by Dr. Richard C. Mills, executive director of the International Student Center in Los Angeles, in the current issue of the newsletter of the National Association of Foreign Student Advisers.
*MASTERFULLY WRITTEN PROFESSOR SNARF—ITS SELLOD MY PLEIAGUE TO SEE A TEST WITH SO MANY ANIMOUS QUESTIONS*
Foreign students have registered surprise over what they consider an American tendency to fail to distinguish between secular beliefs and religious faith. As an example, Dr. Mills cites the frequent popular equation of the atheist with the enemy of the state.
Althouh many Americans clearly abstain from any such indecision attempts, he adds "the fact remains that with our Judeo-Christian heritage, and our growing tendency to interchange religious convictions with political theory, we may all be guilty sooner or later of making demands upon our friends and acquaintances." In extreme cases, he reports, American hosts have tried to dissuade Indians from maintaining their religious vegetarianism. Cordiality Cited
Dr. Mills believes that the most serious objection to the combination of lack of understanding and an attempt at even friendly indecision is that it breaks down communication between the Americans and their visitors. He feels that such communication is best furthered by an understanding and acceptance of differences, not by an attempt to erase them.
Ignorance is often as much a problem as zeal. The report quotes an Indian student in Los Angeles: "I feel quite at home here. People are quite cordial and they have great sympathy for foreign students. One thing I can say is that the Americans with whom I have talked about religion have quite preposterous notions about other religions."
UNIVERSITY Dailu Hansan
(From the Oct. 29, 1931, New York Times.)
Member Inland Daily Press Association. Associated Collegiate Press. Represented by National Advertising Service. 18 East Sooke New York, NY. Represented by United Press International. Mail subscription rates: $3 a semester or $5 a year. Published in Lawrence, Kan., every afternoon during the University year except Saturday examinations and examination periods. Second class postage paid at Lawrence, Kansas.
University of Kansas student newspaper
Founded 1889, became bweekly 1904,
triweekly 1908, daily Jan. 16, 1912.
Telephone Viking 3-2700
Extension 711, news room
Extension 376, business office
Tom Tupper DEFS America Managing Editor Linda Swander, Fred Zimmerman, Asst. City Editor Bill Sheldon, Sports Editor Barbara Howell, Society Editor.
NEWS DEPARTMENT
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Ron Gallagher ... Editorial Editor
Bill Mullins and Carrie Merryfield,
Assistant Editorial Editors.
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT
Tom Brown Business Manager
An Editor's Farewell
American news media today do not always present the truth in its purest form.
This is not a mute cry. Officials, politicians and names in the news complain the loudest about news distortion. Oddly enough, it is these same officials and politicians that do the warping.
Is press distortion a throwback to the days of the Spanish-American War and the gigantic New York one-man presses of Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst? Or is it perhaps an extension of the "jazz" journalism that characterized tabloids in the early twenties, climaxed by a full, front-page picture of the execution of a woman?
MAYBE IT WOULD be best here to review the maze of complicated channels that a piece of news follows, according to the textbooks, before it reaches the public—from the news source, be it original or slightly abstracted from someone involved, to the reporter, to the re-write man, to the editor's pencil, to the mechanical department, to the proofreaders and finally to the front page or the man behind the microphone.
In the days of the one-man press the distortion came most likely through the re-write man and the makeup department. The old-time editors directed distortion in order to sell papers. The racier they could make the news appear, the better the paper could sell. Competition was murder.
But, through the years, paper after paper has sunk in overwhelming debt, and the one-man editors have abandoned ship. Papers are more often corporations today. No one man or several men have the power any longer to distort the news. There is no one man who can be bribed or duped by shady interest groups. No price is high enough to derail these multi-million dollar manufacturers. Newspaper executives of larger metropolitan dailies today tend to be as practical thinking and as coldly logical and objective as the executives of—oh, the Coca-Cola Bottling Co., for instance. Operating expenses are high and competition is mostly nil. The idea is to stay alive. There isn't time to play silly "yellow" games.
NO, THE TEXTBOOKS have failed us in a way. They continue to ignore the most predominant figure in the modern news process—the publicity man. Herein lies the distortion of the news. If the truth be warped, it is most likely because the real truth is unavailable.
Each and every day a flood of "public relations" mail crosses the desk of the Daily Kansan. But public relations are not what they used to be. Agencies used to ask for space; they used to ask editors to look into their subject matter or write for information. Now the material tells us not only what to print, but where to place it in the paper, how to set it in type and what kind of headline to use. "Flash" releases are issued about everything—in glowing terms.
MOST OF IT is filed in the proverbial round file
We are verbally told—by spokesmen—exactly what to print—without change. We are told that in covering a speech we should allow the speaker to change his text before it gets into print. We are told that we should give no public device a “bad” press—stretch it just a little bit. The Kansan generally goes a little bit further than what we're told, but not without trouble.
You see, we're a funny lot over here. We honestly believe that journalism has some sort of future. We've been led to believe that the truth is more important than a "good" or "bad" press for our friends. We've learned to doubt the words of myriads of "spokesmen"; we've been taught to dig deep for the truth when it doesn't appear to be available. Often the truth must be covered for mere ethical reasons, yes—but that's our decision—no one else's.
THIS TIDE TOWARD government by publicity is not a minor trend, but a nationally sweeping gloom. Think about it. How many times have you seen: "a spokesman for Fred Freeb told reporters today . . . ," or "according to informed Capitol Hill sources." Have you ever wondered how much the "spokesmen" have changed the facts—to avoid a "bad" press. And how many times do the names actually concerned in the news refuse to talk to the people through their news media—preferring instead to speak through their vociferous, verbose mouthpieces—those geniuses, well-educated in speaking a lot and saying nothing. Unfortunately, there are editors who are weakening under the barrage.
BUT WOE BE the day that all editors succumb; woe be the day when the truth and the publicity blurb become confusingly blurred into one; woe be the day when history can be altered by a flick of the spokesmen's typewriters, for this will be the day when George Orwell's horrifying Ministry of Truth will be a reality.
Most important of what we've been taught behind these ivy walls is the terrifying responsibility we take on as journalists—not to the "spokesman," not to the public relations directors, but to you—and you and you—the reader. Rest assured we'll try to continue to be responsible only to you long after we walk down from the Campanile. We'll dig, and dig and dig, trying our best to give you the pure truth.
-Tom Turner
A small group of KU girls, mostly self-supporting, learned about people when they prepared a basket for a family recommended to them as a "needy" family. The girls made a real financial sacrifice to pack what they considered an excellent basket of food. When it was delivered by the grocer the woman who received it checked the fruit, meat and canned goods and said: "I didn't want all this junk. I wanted cake."—Ed Abels
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