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University Daily Kansan Friday, December 17, 1954
A Merry Christmas to All-Even the Lawyers
Although it causes a sharp pang deep in our page forms and hurts us right here, an accolade must be given the lawyers.
Despite their libel suits against us, despite their Mr. Lydick's support of one of the Wisconsin senators, and despite their general criticism of our superior efforts, we have to say something nice about them.
Call it infusion of the Christmas spirit.
It seems that lawyers not only can rant—they can sing. It seems that they not only can distract the feminine populace of the University—they can, at the Yule season, nearly atone for whistles, catealls, and step-counting by performing traditional carols in a rather effective fashion.
For after all, that's what they, believe it or not, have been promoting.
Orchids to the idea men. Whoever conceived the idea was a genius. Orchids to the organized. Whoever collected the songs and persuaded the gentlemen of Green to sing them was a master of persuasion And, orchids to the singers. Whoever is singing is singing well.
So, Merry Christmas to everyone, from the Kansan. Merry Christmas, even, to the lawyers. —Letty Lemon
Onions to the Monster Turning in Strong Hall
Many people have complained and complained, "when is the Kansan going to say something about the Strong hall Christmas tree?
We figured our predecessor, Mr. Stewart, had said just about enough last year. And we figured that if his remarks—with which we wholeheartedly agreed—couldn't persuade the administration that arty Christmas trees didn't have it, ours couldn't.
Alas, we have tried to avoid this.
Mr. Moore, design instructor and chairman of the decorations committee, said that in most nativity scenes, the Virgin Mary wears clothing of blue and white, whereas after the birth of Christ she wears different colors. The committee felt that since the tree would be standing only before Christmas, the nativity colors would be appropriate.
There are many Christmas legends as to why the evergreen is symbolic of Christmas. This year, as last year, the design department got the evergreen symbolically intermixed with the Virgin Mary.
Next year let the journalists decorate it. Let the geologists decorate it. Let the lawyers decorate it. But let it be a traditional Christmas tree with its original and God-given green unpainted.
We think the Christmas story is beautiful. We think every part of it has a meaning. Why glop together two parts, however, to make one ridiculous Christmas tree?
Let's not confuse artiness and tradition. If we've gotta have another tree like this year's, why have a tree at all?
Letty Lemon
University of Kansas Student Newspaper News Room, KU 251 Ad Room, KU 378
Daily Hansan
I am writing you concerning the recent balloting for a name for the new field house.
Member of the Inland Daily Press association, Associated College Press association, Represented by the National Ad-
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To the editor:
... Letters .
$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, 17, 19世纪 at Lawrence, Kansas post office under act of March 3, 1879.
SENIOR STAFF*
Editorial Editor  Lettie Lemon
Editorial Assistants
Dot Taylor, Amy DeYong
1 strongly believe in a "free press," but I also believe the University press should reflect the thinking of students who now attend the University of Kansas and also the thinking of the alumni.
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS by Dick Bibler
I am one of the many University of Kansas alumni who believes Dr. James Naismith, the "Father of Basketball," should be honored. Dr. Naismith's name is found in every textbook relating to basketball. He is world-known and honored and should receive the recognition of his own state.
Dr. Naismith's name should be listed on the ballot, and it should be brought to the attention of the present students that Dr. Naismith made the game of basketball possible, and it is not often that we can honor a man known to the world of sport and who "belonged to us." Dr. Naismith also established the physical education department at Kansas university.
Dr. James Naismith was an understanding, unassuming gentleman. I was one of his students, later instructed in the physical education department, and I. like many other students, sought his advice often. It can be truly said that Dr. James Naismith was many a school boy's "Mark Hopkins."
"Mark Hopkins sat on the end of a log
A school boy sat on the other. Mark Hopkins taught not as a
a log
pettagogue But as an elder brother."
You guessed it!! I'm for naming the field house for Dr. James Naismith, or the Naismith-Allen field house. If the city's action in naming the street for Dr. Naismith is preventing us from naming the field house for him, let's change the name of the street.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you.
Bill Mifflin
I noted with interest the AWS' rejection of the freshman girl's petition for extension of men's visiting hours on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights. I am a mere man who is, perhaps, entering a controversy which is none of his business. I do feel, however, that since most men on the campus are affected indirectly by AWS regulations I might at least express my opinion.
To begin with, I do believe that the reasons given for the rejection were sound. After all, why should one house be given privileges which are not given to everyone. On the other hand, the regulation itself does not seem to have a very sound basis. I presume that the primary reason for these restrictions on visiting hours is that in this way the girls might get more studying done. Unless I am mistaken, however, any girl who does not wish to study is perfectly free to go out any night she pleases.
Suppose now that a couple wants to study together. I think most people will agree with me that in many cases two people studying together can accomplish more than either one would by himself. Why should this ambitious pair be handicapped by having to go to the union or the library where the atmosphere is not nearly as conducive to study as the girl's house, merely because it happens to be Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday. I have tried studying in a good many places since coming to KU and have found that I always accomplish more in a place which is quiet and doesn't have a lot of people around to interrupt. Such places are hard to find either in the Union or in the library.
Since I also like to smoke while studying, that rules out vacant classrooms. In other words, the best place on the campus to study is at home, and when a boy and girl want to study together they should be allowed to do so regardless of what day of the week it happens to be.
Wayne Tefft college junior
Buried in appropriate obscurity in a recent issue (Dec. 13, page 3) of the Daily Kansan is a passage evidently intended as a derisive comment on the coverage of University sports by a "rival" paper, the Cornell Daily Sun.
For the benefit of the extreme few who fail occasionally to read every word of the Daily Kansan,
"Is it true you recently gave your class a test made up of unassigned and inconsequential material?"
Publick Occurrences BOTH FORREIGN AND DOMESTICK
CAMPUS
Students will be a little jittery this Christmas vacation—the relief won't come until the total number of students passing the English proficiency test is announced.
Christmas carolers are serenading—prediction: No one will let rose with a pot of boiling oil.
The toy drive will gain a stature that the Campus Chest didn't quite reach, if present indications of lots of toys prove to be useful.
NATIONAL
With the Republican party split wide open over the McCarthy issue—don't be surprised if the GOP instigates an all-out drive for unity in the ranks—a drive which will continue until the 1956 election.
With the rave notices Marlon Brando currently is receiving from his acting in "On the Waterfront," don't be surprised if he walks off with an Oscar this year.
President Eisenhower's attempt to woo Democratic Congressional leaders into supporting his foreign and defense programs will doubtless find little affection with Republican Sen. Joseph McCarthy, who is apparently out to get Ike now that he's tired of senators.
Traffic deaths will mount again this year despite the efforts of the President and safety publicity. Nothing, not even pictures of accidents, can quite compensate for the mad desire to hit the road.
INTERNATIONAL
If the past few weeks are an indication of the Winston Churchill spirit, stuffier members of parliament will have a few more shirts unstarched
we may recap: It seems that a late issue of the Sun made the gross error of reporting extensively (in one issue, mind you) on varsity swimming, wrestling, and boxing, with one minor reference to fencing, rifle-shooting, and basketball.
Therein, it seems, lies the irritation (if we are correct in our assumption that the Daily Kansan article is petulant in nature). The sports coverage in the same issue of the Daily Kansan, we observe is devoted entirely to basketball.
Now we in our innocence, are fond of basketball too, and are proud of KU's justly famous team (which, we suppose, could clobber Cornell with ease). However, in the event that KU managed to dredge up a swimming team, wrestling team, fencing team, rifle team, and half a dozen others we could name, we wonder how they would fare above Cayuga's waters. Poorly, we feel, poorly, although not, we hasten to add, from lack of will or Kansas spirit (although this has not struck us as impressive at some recent football contests—another minor sport it seems).
The predicted shellacking
might take against Cornell in the hypothetical universal contest would, we think, stem from the fact that Kansans have never had the opportunity to participate in these exacting and demanding sports, nor, we guess, has the author of the disputed article ever seen them played.
We feel that rather than sneer- idly in print, the Daily Kansan might better use its pages to promote a more rounded and interesting KU athletic program—one which would enhance the prestige and morale of the University as well as provide opportunity for varsity competition to a far greater number of students.
Glen E. Wolfenden Technical assistant in Zoology
The most widely used language is Chinese, including the various directs; approximately 500,000,000 persons.
The greatest east-west distance across Texas is 773 miles from Newton county to El Paso county.