University Daily Kansan Monday. Sept. 19. 1955 WesternCivNow More Valuable Regardless of what the students who still have to take it think, Western Civilization is a valuable course. It has recently been made more valuable. The new discussion programs should prove of tremendous help to the student in understanding the sometimes difficult material, and in enjoying the always controversial material. There is nothing simple about understanding the great works included in the Western Civ reading. And some of the archaic writing there leave the student as cold as before he read it, or even colder. It is material that must be talked about and discussed before understanding can really sink in. The Western Civilization program at KU has within the last year undergone several significant changes. One is the elimination of the requirement that the exam must be taken by all students entering KU as freshmen before they reach their junior year. But the most significant change is the elimination of the proctor system and the inauguration of the discussion program. Granted, the students who were formerly proctors now have to find new jobs and the UDK always plugs for more jobs on the Hill, but students taking the examination now receive the benefit of the more thorough training of 13 full-time faculty members, the dean of the College, and of about 15 graduate students. In other words, the course has been brought a little closer to the regular type of class. Students now may enroll in two semesters of the discussions and will receive a grade for two hours of credit. They receive the rest of their credits for the course when they complete the test. At least the test is not all-powerful as it once was. But the biggest value of the new program should be the discussions themselves. They are designed to aid the student in understanding the material, and few persons don't enjoy the things they understand. —Ron Grandon Prison Reform OK A Wise State Move The Kansas Legislative Council has an enviable record of research into Kansas problems, and recently it has come up with one of the soundest recommendations so far. This is the $875,000 penal institution improvement program recently endorsed by the council. Without a dissenting vote, the council agreed to recommend to the 1956 Legislature that it provide the required appropriations. The council is apparently looking ahead to the time when Kansas institutions will have to take care of the population that is now crowding the grade schools of the state. And without a doubt, as population figures rise, so does the crime rate. It will be much cheaper in the long run to take care of this proposed rise in the crime rate before it occurs than with the "patch-on" system prevalent all over the nation today. The council is looking at the program from a long-range viewpoint. But passage of the measure through the Kansas Legislature will be another matter. Legislators are not elected for their long-range viewpoint. It sometimes happens that they develop it. Kansas will benefit if the 1956 Legislature has an attitude as long range as that of the Legislative Council. UDK Was Wrong... A bit of a retraction needs to be made. In an editorial Sept. 15, the UDK said that the parking and traffic booklet was wrong in stating that student traffic fines are set by the chancellor. The traffic booklet said no such thing. It merely stated that parking violations by faculty members are determined by the chancellor. The UDK was wrong. The booklet fails to state what the function of the All Student Council is regarding traffic fines and regulations. The booklet does state that the Student Court is still in existence. That's nice. LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS by Dick Bibler "Watch what you say to him now, Freda. A senior girl doesn't want to sound too eager on her second date." Coke Machine Incident Kneeds Explanation The other day when I was down in the basement of Strong or Fraser or Green or maybe the sub-sub basement of the Union, I saw a large man crawling along the floor. He was dragging two enlarged feet of his behind him in a very pitiable manner. ..Oh Well.. By JON Very few actual real-type living persons in this day and age could be expected to know who was the vice presidential candidate on the Bull Moose ticket when Theodore Roosevelt tried to get back into the presidency in 1912. *We like to start this column with something that is true so people will excuse the rest of it.* Now ask yourself truthfully—Do you know? This first bit was intended to make you so curious you would rush to find your American People textbook and look it up. The fact is, we sold our text as soon as we flunked the class, so we don't know either. But it would be a fine thing if a little remark like that started one of those "historical renunciations" and everyone would admit, along with Kitty Kallen (obhh) that little things mean lots. Subject for the Day, Fashions. Well...one eat finally went crazy over the Ivy League. Seems he thought we said Ivie Leaves, and he stole a coupe off Fraser Hall with which to clothe himself. He was kicked out of his first class in Poli Sci 23 for indecent exposure. Oh well... --- Oh yes, we had begun to discuss the revival of the coonskin cap to American fashions. Oh well . . . Native intelligence isn't lost... guy we know proved it in English I the other day. Seems the prot asked him to use a sentence with the word "hypochondriac" in it. The guy didn't answer and the prot asked him "Well, can you do it?" The guy answered, "No." Now, where were we? And that we'll be enough of that Okay, so we'll quit. Why don't you then? Okay, we're goin.' Well. . . You forgot the "Oh." Oh. Spunk is all right, but it’s nice to know when you’re kicked. "What happened?" I asked a group of bystanders. "I am informed," said a well-informed girl with a skirt on, "I am informed that he had a run-in with a machine." "IBM?" I asked without much interest. It had become a rather old story and very funny. I like things to be funny, if possible. "Coke," the well-informed girl said. I thought she must have nice knees. "What happened?" I asked. "The machine wouldn't give him back his nickel. He kicked it. It didn't give. He kicked it again." "Good for him!" I interjected. "Don't interject," the well-informed girl said. I was just aching to see her knees. "He kicked it and kicked it," she continued. "Now just look at his feet!" She turned and disappeared into the crowd of onlookers. I believe this sort of frustration and tragedy could be avoided if those Coke machines had a notice on them telling where to go and what to kick if you don't get back your nickel. That fellow really hurt his feet. "He should of used his knees." I said, gazing after her. Archibald Dome Fostgraduate University of Kansas Student Newsaper News Room, KU 251 Ad Room, KU 276 Member of the Inland Daily Press association. Associated Collegeate Press association. Professional writing service. 420 Madison Avenue, NY, Mail subscription rates: $3 a semester or $5.0 a year (add $1 a semester if in New York). Published by Lawrence Kansas, every month during University year except Saturdays and Sundays. University holidays and examination periods. Entered as second class member. 177-178 office under date of March 3, 1870. Dailu Hansan John Herrington Managing Editor Madelyn Brite, Gretchen Iguene, Irene C Six, Lee Ain Urbn Assistant Man- aging Editor, Rob McIlroy Bob Lyle, Assistant City Editor; Dick K Walt, Telegraph Editor; Martion McCoy, Society Editor; Jane Peele- son, Sports Editor; John McMillion, Sports Editor; Lam J. Jones, Assistant Sports Editor NEWS DEPARTMENT EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT Ron Grandon Editorial Editor Ted Blankenship Associate Editor DEPTMENT SENIOR DEVELOPMENT Manager Paul Bunge ... Business Manager Robert Wolfe ... Advertising Manager; Charles Steed ... National Advertising Manager; Jack Fisher ... Circulation Manager. Municipalities Need Freedom Kansas legislators, who should be busy with complex state problems are still cluttering their limited available time with enactment of laws and regulations to govern this one city or that one, and this one county or that one. As Gov. Fred Hall pointed out to the league of Kansas Municipalities at Hutchinson, so long as the state government retains over-all power to prevent cities from harming each other, "there is much to gain and nothing to lose in leaving a wide range of discretion and initiative to local governments." Perhaps we should say that an amendment to the Kansas constitution was passed last November on this subject, but was worded by the legalistic geniuses who drafted it so that the smallest possible number of literate citizens would guess what it means. When one beats around behind the bushes one gets an impression that the amendment was supposed to open the way for the Legislature to grant limited and increased "home rule" to Kansas cities. But nothing has happened since November, possibly because the Legislature doesn't understand the amendment either (or maybe it doesn't mean anything and never was meant to). Meanwhile Topeka, Kansas City, Wichita and other cities still twiddle the apron strings by which they have always been tied to the Legislature. A Kansas Legislature heavily lop-sided with members from rural counties still attempts to pass on the highly technical and extremely complicated needs of the cities. The cities and towns of Kansas want enough home rule to enable them to use their own best judgment in keeping up with their own growth and with rapidly changing conditions. The rurally dominated Legislature needs the help and understanding of the cities, which are increasingly important votewise now that less than half the state's population is rural. And the cities need the Legislature's understanding. Can't we all have as much self-government as possible? They shouldn't have to run to the Legislature to see if it's all right with western Kansas ranchers for Topeka to earmark parking meter funds as happened. —Topeka State Journal Frank H. Yarnall, president of the association, appointed a special committee to combat misleading advertising. Directors and state branches of the organization are to furnish the association with copies of all newspaper, radio and TV advertising which seems "unethical, misleading, or false." The only thing wrong with the current disc jockey shows—besides the music—is the car advertisements. Go to it. NADA. So it came as a surprise recently when the National Automobile Dealers Association not only admitted as much but launched a campaign to eliminate what it called "blitz" advertising by auto dealers. A UDK headline reads, "Fund Sponsors' Burned Books.'" Well, they told us anything would sell these days. And when they're giving that "New Look" to dea' old Bailey Hall, how about taking three inches off, right about at the ground. It isn't very often that a national retailing association will admit that members of its group have been making wild claims and publishing untrue advertising. Gene Blasi thinks the KU footballers are the best since '52, but we're not taking any bets from Gil Reich. Retailing Group Sees A Wrong ..Short Ones .. It's about time. "State Spending Zooms Since 1935." Yessir, we told them prosperity was just around the corner. Wonder what the baby population is around KU these days?