Page 2 University Daily Kansan Thursday, March 10. 1955
Is It Honorable Or Dishonorable?
The objective of the honor system to require students to act honorably in all the relations and phases of student life is indeed commendable.
The dishonorable student poses much more of a menace than most of us realize. He puts a false value on the diploma that we receive, he can help give a poor impression of the University and its students as a whole, and puts a useless burden on the instructors. The time spent by the instructor in evaluating and suggesting improvements on a student's work is wasted because he is actually giving the cheater no true evaluation of his work, and he is not able to offer suggestions for improvement in places where it is needed. He is wasting time that should be spent on the student who is actually working for improvement.
Anyone who has taken many tests at KU can see that we need a system more honorable than the one we have now. But would the proposed system cause the downfall of all or any of the dishonorables? Will it catch anyone that would not be caught under our present system or lack of system?
Those who might get caught under this set-up would probably be some poor Joe who had never cheated before, and was just trying to get through one of his required courses, while the unscrupulous habitual cheater who has gone unnoticed so far would remain unnoticed.
At present, the only thing that prevents irritated students from reporting dishonorable conduct he has witnessed is the attitude of instructors, and the student body in general, towards a"stool pigeon." This attitude would be difficult to dispel under this kind of a system.
To dispel the prejudice against stool-pigeons, the whole campus would have to take part in the program with an unquestioning support and fervor that could not last through more than one year, or perhaps one semester.
We do need a system, so let's hope the steering committee for the honor system can revamp the suggested system, to give us one more fair and workable.
But if the original system is held to, may we suggest Joe McCarthy as the perfect leader to do this system justice.
Jack Fisher
... Short Ones
First the long ropes of beads from the flapper era, then disappearing waistlines, and now the predicted return of rosebud lips. The "wholesome" American coed is soon going to look like another Clara Bow—constantly saying "prunes."
The cheerleaders came through in fine form at the K-State game by cutting right in on the visitors' yells—all of the fine theorizing on KU's sportsmanship was slightly shattered.
And someone should muzzle the next guy who's tempted to yell a catchy phrase during the singing of the alma mater—such as the one who reminded the "farmers" that they should stand up.
Rumor has it that the business students who inhabit Strong basement will be overjoyed when the more vocal members of the fine arts department have a building of their own.
Winning our first game in the fieldhouse was like christening it with champagne and giving everyone free drinks on the house.
3-10 POSTMAIL $INDICATE
As a member of the UVO and a person who is sincerely interested in the welfare of all students of this University, I would like you all to re-examine the proposed "honor" system.
Letters
To the Editor:
Those of you who are vets have had intensive drilling on the principles that a police state is founded. You have heard and seen, time and time again, the horrors of living in a world where everyone is spying on everyone else. It is perfectly clear that if this proposed honor system goes into effect, you will be living in such an atmosphere. Is this what democracy is? Is this what you fought for?
Please, veterans, I beg of you, reevaluate this program before it is too late, for the sake of the freedoms of democracy for which you fought.
Carol A. Burgess College freshman
An open letter to prospective suckers;
A student, while doing her spying.
Encountered a problem most triving.
For—fancy the treat! She saw herself cheat
At solitaire, honor defying.
If it's brought 'fore the Honor committee
They'll say, "Now look here,
my young pretty.
my young pretty,
As a matter of honor,
As a matter of honor,
We know you're a goner;
Dishonorable dismissal—more's the pity.
We have received a copy of the UVO proposed honor system, requesting that we sign the honor pledge they have set forth. If a majority of the Student Body signs this pledge, the UVO is confident it will go into effect.
Honor system? Then why not begin with the assumption that we students are capable of honor, instead of imposing outrageous restrictions on us, as if we were small children or criminals? Must we sacrifice our integrity to conform to a system of "secret investigations," which only provides a flimsy excuse to pry into private lives and steal private property? What happens to the sacred rights given us by our Constitution when this unholy document goes into effect? How could any system better fit us for a police state in which every member was a policeman?
We think **An honor system** is a fine idea and we agree we'd like to see an end to cheating in class, passing of bad checks, dishonesty, and shady campus elections, but can an "honor" committee elected before we have an "honor" committee to regulate the election be trusted with the enormous power and secrecy this plan would give? We feel that the evils of a system based on fear and suspicion and a court of no appeal operating on the guilty-until-proven-innocent theory would far outweigh the disadvantages of the status quo. Can a system of confiscating property be called an honor system? And yet every student must be investigated who sees a suspicious action and doesn't investigate it. But who, we ask, is going to investigate the person who doesn't investigate the person who doesn't investigate the person who . . . ? We wonder how the UVO ever thought up such a circular system, but the real invidiousness of the system lies in its ambiguity. Just what is meant by those undefined terms, "dishonesty" and cheating?" For what "degree of adjudged guilt" is "dishonorable dismissal" to be the sentence?
Although we are not opposed to an honor system per se, we cannot condone the UVO proposed system. We urge that all members of the student body read the honor system resolution thoroughly before forming an opinion or signing the pledge.
Sincerely, Residents of Templin Hall
Canada's Province of Ontario is larger than France and Spain together. Its northsouth reach of more than a thousand miles spans climates favorable to both polar bears and peaches. East and west it shares an international border from New York State to Minnesota
No Easy Solution Seen For French Instability
For the 21st time in the postwar decade the France Assembly last week elected a new premier. He was elected on the Radical Socialist ticket, the party of Mendes-France, the last premier, which is neither radical nor socialist.
The instability of government in France is now generally recognized, although no one seems able to introduce a measure that will improve the situation. The present premier, Edgar Fauré, (pronounced "for"), a member of 10 governments in six years, told the National Assembly that "governmental instability" is one of the "serious ills from which France suffers."
This instability is due to several causes, chief of which are the complicated election laws encouraging a large number of parties. There are 13 officially listed parties in the National Assembly and many small unofficial parties which are not listed.
The premier depends on a majority vote of the Assembly to stay in office. The difficulty in forming a new government every time an old government is overthrown illustrates how flimsy this power is.
Another cause of French instability is the native individualism of the Frenchman. He can never quite agree with anyone else. For similar reasons he dislikes party discipline.
The main reason that the constant governmental upheaval has very little effect on the conduct of the country's business is the France has a group of highly trained and carefully selected officials that carry on the essential functions of government. While ministers change about every six months, these men, the "high functionaries," as they are called, remain. In France it is considered an honor to be a "high functionary."
The Inter-fraternity sing is approaching, and hopes are being aired that the directors will go through all those calisthenics again this year while trying to emit music from the brothers and sisters.
While we're trying to do something about the turnstile in the library, can't we do something about the gab sessions held by the employees?
Any change to make the French government more workable would depend either on armed uprisings of the citizens or on the consent of the parliamentary representatives. It seems unlikely that such actions will take place. —Gordon Hudelson
For those who doubt the power of soothing words, note the Arizona house of representatives which recently voted to have all future bills read by a charm-school speech counselor.
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS by Dick Bibler
"Well, well, if it ain't our coach."
University of Kansas Student Newspaper News Room, KU 251 Ad Room, KU 376 Member of the Inland Daily Press association. Associated Collegiate Press association. Represented by the National Ad Council. Mail subscription rates: $3 a semester or $4.50 a year (add $1 a semester if in Lawrence). Published at Lawrence University year except Saturdays and Sundays. University holidays and examination periods. Entered as second class matter. Sept. 17, 1910, at Lawrence, Kan.
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