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University Daily Kansan Thursday, Oct. 13, 1955.
Lawrence Needs Social Progress
Last week, the Lawrence City Commission rejected a proposal to amend city ordinances to allow dancing in establishments serving beer. The proposal never even reached the formal consideration stage.
Lawrence is a city expanding physically. It is not matching this physical expansion with social progress. The norms which the two organizations are enforcing changed in progressive communities years ago. They had to change, otherwise physical progress would have meant nothing.
We feel that the organizations in particular, and Lawrence people in general, are prudes.
It appears that Lawrence folks want to have their cake and eat it too. They have set up a mecca to retreat to after their night's enjoyment, where they can point to other communities and say, "We have a Christian city."
This is nothing but hogwash. People here are no better Christians than most other people in America.
What is really ironic about the situation is that just outside the city limits establishments selling beer encourage dancing and are frequented by Lawrence people.
They think they are protecting something sacred by not allowing dances in the places where beer is sold. We've seen a lot of dancing in taverns, and can't recall ever seeing any where someone's morals being endangered.
But if Lawrence is a Christian community there should be no fear of this—or should there? And if these groups of righteousness really want to carry on their crusade, why don't they have all movie scenes depicting drinking and dancing together banned? See how absurd this is?
We wonder if Lawrence is really a progressive city or if it's just a hick town trying to act grown up? Until we see some attempts made at social progress, we'll be inclined to believe the latter.
by Dick Bibler
—Leo Flanagan
Lawrence has an old Santa Fe engine setting in the park. A train has a fascination for almost everyone, and when an engine is placed where you can actually climb into the cab the fascination doubles.
There is something about the passing by of a train that causes momentary stoppage of all work. Children run out to wave at the engineer and usually are rewarded by a wave of his hand. Older people count the cars of freight trains and speculate about the destinations of people on the passenger trains.
But even a salute from a real engineer cannot compare with the thrill of sitting in the cab of a real engine, especially when you're six, seven, eight, or nine years old.
There is something about sitting there with your elbow hanging out the window. The park is no longer a park but a broad flat plain and you are redballing down the tracks at least 90 miles an hour. You signal to the fireman to shovel in more coal and you push the throttle forward.
Train's Fascination Lives On-In Park
The park swings and the sliding board stand idle while the kids swarm over the engine.
"HE'S IN PRIVATE CONFERENCE WITH MISS LUSH-CARE TO WAIT?"
Kids who have trouble getting into bed at home have no trouble at all climbing to the high steps of the engine.
Many retired steam engines have been placed in parks throughout the country. Unfortunately most of them have high iron fences around them. Here in Lawrence there is no fence surrounding the engine. The lid of the wood box has been locked to prevent accidents, but otherwise the kids are allowed to climb, inspect, and play as much as they want to.
Swings are fun and sliding boards have their place, and no doubt jungle gyms and merry-go-rounds will be around for some time. But still, nothing can compare with having a real steam engine to play on. Even with all the miles it traveled the old steam engine in Lawrence park has probably never served a better purpose than it is serving now.
—Darlene Montgomery
... Letters
Editor:
I suppose I'm expected to maintain a dignified silence, but that's how ulcers develop. We in the library can retain our balance in the face of the editorial implication that we contribute to sin because students will steal reserve books. We are accustomed to staying calm when a presumably dispassionate faculty member proposes that our regulations should apply to everyone except him.
But when my good friend Frank Burge runs an alluring ad in the Kansan blatantly proposing, "Why not stay away from the Library every night this week," I refuse to take it lying down reading a book.
Those Union folks had better watch their steps. We've had lots of evening business and propose to keep it, pizza or no pizza. Librarians may indeed be white rabbits, but never underestimate the power of a look.
This is unfair competition. Ive known good universities that had no Union but I've yet to see one without a library.
Robert Vosper Director of Libraries
Editor:
An article in the Oct. 7 issue of your fine newspaper prompted this letter to you with a hope that it will alert students as to the handling of magazine salesmen.
The article to which I refer is entitled. "Phony Aroma Hovers Over Magazine Sales."
Magazine companies have formed an organization known as Central Registry to control activities of roving salesmen. The rules of Central Registry specifically prohibit "stemming," the practice of soliciting business at the edges of compuses. Therefore, when a magazine salesman or saleslady, and I agree that the latter is more attractive, participates in "stemming," the offended need only call the police station or the Chamber of Commerce and report the infraction.
When such a call is made, efforts are made immediately to intercept the offender. The need for such interception arise from the fact that reports of these activities are made to the Central Registry and the person involved is reprimanded or even fired. Therefore, it is necessary to have a documented case before registering infractions with Central Registry. We need such information as the name of the person engaged in "stemming," the firm for which he or she works, and other information to support the charges.
Another practice, in which students engage, is the practice of giving checks for magazines and then stopping payment before the check has cleared the bank. We
suggest that the students make up their minds before giving a check, rather than after it has been given. Many times after a check is given, and payment stopped on it, the magazine solicitor has cashed the check at some store. When it is returned from the bank marked "not honored" the local merchant is the victim.
Students also should know that the claims of magazine salesmen about "conducting a survey," "working their way through college," and all the other convincing arguments that they give are practices frowned upon by Central Registry. The policy of Central Registry is that magazines should be sold on their merits. Therefore, the student should buy them "on their merits" and not because some "classy lass" or "smooth salesman" gains their sympathy.
The UDK is commended for bringing this matter to the attention of the students at KU. It is known that it iterant salesmen realize the "lush" field for peddling their wares among students.
We urge all students to "Investigate before they Invest."
E. R. Zook, Manager Lawrence Chamber of Commerce
Coins In The Fountain
MANSFIELD, O. — (UP) — More than 5,000 of the 60,000 visitors to the Kingswood Center Gardens this spring dropped coins in the formal garden pool, which was meant to be only a part of the scenery. The visitors apparently mistook the goldfish pool for a wishing well.
Daily Hansan
University of Kansas Student Newspaper News Room, KU 251 Ad Room, KU 376 Member of the Inland Daily Press association, Associated College Press association, University of Kentucky advertising service, 420 Madison Avenue, N.Y. Mail subscription rates: $3 a semester or $4.50 a year (add $1 a semester if in college). Mail subscription rate: second class at Kansai, every afternoon during the University year except Saturdays and Sundays. University holidays and examination dates are on the second class matter, Sept. 17, 18th at Lakeside, post office under act of March 3, 1879
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Letters: Reply MadeToKnudson
"Letter Praises Theatre Group" read the heading over Sgt. Jerry Knudson's letter in Tuesday's UDK. Which theatre group? The University Theatre.
Sgt. Knudson's letter is a neat piece of journalistic double-talk. Everybody is praised, both the old and new. Dr. Newfield was bold and experimental and communal, and he was tolerant of Mr. Knudson. And under him, too, it would seem, the "University Theatre had reached a stagnated low indeed." But Dr. Goff "shows promise through his selection of the current season's fare of bringing new vitality" to the University Theatre. How? Is the schedule of plays for this year more "vital" than last year's or the two previous years? That's what Sgt. Knudson's sentence suggests, though it doesn't clearly say so.
His letter praises Dr. Goff for his casting policy, by which he will avoid the cause of the old stagnated low. By "season's fare" and "new vitality" Sgt. Knudson probably means new students as actors. Well. I trust they will be vital or at least pretty fare. It all remains to be seen, doesn't it?
In so poorly conceived a letter as Sgt. Knudson's, it is not surprising to find an important error of fact. The one specific casting offense Sgt. Knudson cites, that of giving the male lead in "The Lady's Not for Burning" to former KLWN radio announcer Bob Allen, was not committed by or under Dr. Newfield. That play was presented in February, 1952, the school year before Dr. Newfield came to our campus. The play was cast and excellently directed by Tom Rea, 'under the supervision of Prof. Crafton.
George Herman Instructor in English
And Another On School Spirit
Is this lack of spirit due to a feeling of piety? Is there a student on campus so reserved that he or she cannot yell like hell? We realize that not a few of our chaste students come to the ball games to see and to be seen. But why not drop your air of sophistication and back those eleven men who are playing their hearts out for YOUR school.
To illustrate the point, consider the group of Lawrence Junior High and grade school pupils in the north end of the stadium. At both home games, they have contributed more than the entire KU student section of several thousand voices, even though they are few in number.
Maybe you are all laboring under the assumption that cheering does nothing for an athlete, but let us give you the straight of it.
Last Saturday we witnessed the most miserable display of school spirit that we have ever seen. When are they going to bury the University? It's dead, or at least its main segment, the student body, is!
To a grimy footballer it means that he's not alone on the field. It means that someone besides himself cares about the game's outcome. It means that the black eyes and split lips are not received for nothing.
What's wrong with school spirit?
We're up here to play football for you and the University. We're willing to give our very best each and every Saturday afternoon and to knock heads every night from 3:30 to 6 p.m. I don't think it's too much to ask of you to back us for just 60 minutes.
How about it Javhawkers!
Robert Cunningham, Assumption, Ill.; Herman Demuth, Guymon, Tex.; Charles Elvin, Haven; Edward Chamberlain, Groton, N. Y.; Donald Lyman, Salina; Rex Eberly, Wichita; Carl M. Turkal, Massillon, Ohio; Duane Morris, Salina; Richard Fromholtz, Massillon, Ohio; Thomas Herzog, Manitowoc, Wise; Homer Floyd, Massillon, Ohio; Richard Crescenze, Massillon, Ohio; Gerry Merritt, Ellis; William R. Baker, Kansas City, Kan.; Duane McIntyre, Gardner; John Burke, Mission; John Husar, Chicago, Ill.; John Quency, McCune; L. William Smith, Albion, N.Y.; Ronald Dean, Massillon, Ohio; Tom Horner, Akron, Ohio; Bob Padgett, Evansville, Ind.; John Walt, Chicago, Ill.; Dale Repens, Iola; Michael Fisher, East Hartford, Conn.; Elmer Laurent, Brackenridge, Penn., and William Dryer, Great Bend, all freshmen.
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