University Daily Kansan
You Think It's Cute? Take Another Look!
We've been wondering, since we saw that Jayhawker-emblazoned car speeding up to Lawrence last week end, just what, if any, connection there may be between intelligence in the classrooms of our universities and just plain common sense in the big, wide world.
From our ivy-towered environment we've been pretty well converted in recent years to the theory that a college student has, by necessity, a certain amount of intelligence.
As traffic accidents and highway fatalities mount steadily above the total number of war injuries and murders in this country, we begin to have an inkling that some of the automobile crashes could be avoided. Pure carelessness can contribute a better opportunity for wrecks than all the bad weather and poor road conditions put together.
But we flung off our rose-colored glasses this particular afternoon, to stare with amazement at the anties of the student driver zooming carelessly in and out of heavy traffic. With mingled wonder and horror we noted the cocky Jayhawks marching across his windshield. . that is, when he went slowly enough for us to see the stickers!
And again we pondered. This higher education has always seemed the additional training which aids a person of average intelligence, one who supposedly has a little common sense.
This driver blithely darted between traffic and charged up hills in the left lane. We were hysterically reminded of an Abbott and Costello movie until we realized this was a busy highway.
Our unenlightened driver sailed on, however, apparently untroubled by such cautious thoughts. Racing up a steep incline, he pulled out of his lane and followed a large truck onto the left side of the highway. He was passing blind behind the truck driver.
Then, logically, college students should have common sense. This driver advertised his college on his windshield. Therefore, this speed demon should (it's unbelievable!) have common sense.
A squel of brakes shrieked abuse as the car before us slower to let the truck and our fellow Jayhawker (we say with shame) scoot to the right side of the road. At the same moment a hitherto invisible car came over the hill. . it wasn't impossible you know Mr. Optimistic Jayhawk!
The only possible conclusion we could surmise was that this driver didn't think he needed his common sense on the highway. And is that, itself, very intelligent reasoning?
The advancing automobile swerved onto the shoulder with a cloud of dust just as the student driver and truck slid past, unable yet to regain the right side of the highway. How fortunate that there was a shoulder there, and that the oncoming car took it so quickly. Lucky Jayhawker, you had a narrow break that time!
But pessimists that we are, we're still wondering what would have happened if there hadn't been a shoulder, and if the driver didn't swerved fast enough. Perhaps it's an integral part of the collegiate atmosphere to be reckless on the highway, but somehow we can't see how that type of driving is compatible with any attempt to be intelligently educated.
—Amy De Yong
Near Cherrapunji, on the south slopes of Assam's Khasi Hills, 684 inches of rain were recorded in the first nine months of 1954. Since the rainiest season is now over, this frontier will hardly break the world-record 900-inch total for one year already credited to it. Averaging more than 400 inches a year, it has a close rival in the western slopes of Hawaii's Kauai island.
The first try toward this "grown up" feeling is leaped upon by the "campus woman", and there is high competition in houses and dormitories toward the ultra-sophisticate, but as shown by a recent series of hour dances and open houses, one of the main institutions of this character is to be lacking—and that is courtesy. Several persons, who have attended these functions, have related many embarrassing accounts of rudeness.
It seems that on our ascent up the Hill we must undergo the transition from juvenile to adult. The idea is specifically hinted at in many lectures and convocation speeches, and the abrupt onset of independent freedom has made us aware that we can think for ourselves.
At a recent open house one gentleman's dancing partner was dragged from him by one of her sisters, introduced to another gentleman, and the whole group left for another party. He didn't mind the confiscation of his partner, but at least the sister could have waited until the dance was finished. He did not enjoy being in the middle of the dance floor with empty arms.
One Man's Opinion
At the same dance another girl took it upon herself to leave her partner in the middle of a dance so she could go talk to the "cute guy" in the blue suit. The guy in the blue suit may be the man of her dreams and the guy she left in the middle of the floor a "gooey bird", but he is capable of human feelings. In fact, this particular gentleman banged the door rather hard when he left.
The purpose of the hour dance and open house, presumably, is to promote good relations on the Hill for your house. Frankly, a great many of us are unimpressed. Most of these occasions have been nothing but practice fields in the grand art of "snubbing."
The ratio may be two to one, girls, but our society has yet to compensate for it by rejecting the rules of good manners and graciousness.
It might be well for counselors and house mothers to dust off Emily Post and conduct sessions in common courtesy. It might even be a better plan to establish such a course on the curriculum for all those whose eventual major will be marriage.
-Dee Richards
Courtesy and respect of another's feelings are major factors in the growth toward accepted maturity. The trend on this campus, though, seems to be toward the female Marlon Brando.
The nuthatch is the only tree-climbing bird that climbs down the trunks of trees head first.
Prior to 1913, robins were classed as game birds in some southern states.
UNIVERSITY
Daily Hansan
University of Kansas Student Newspaper News boom, KU 251    Ad Room, KU 376 Member of the Kansas Press association, National Editorial association, Inland Waterways Association, Legislate Press association, Represented by the National Advertising service, 420 Madison ave., N.Y. Mail subscription rates: $3 a semester or $4.50 a year (add $1 a semester if in Lawrence). Published at Lawrence, Kan., every afternoon; durances vary by location and Sundays. University holidays and examination periods. Entered as second class matter. Sept. 17, 1910, at Lawrence, Kan., post office under act of
MARCH 3, 1879
EDITORIAL STAFF
BUSINESS STAFF
Business Manager Dave Riley
Advertising Mgr. Audrey Holmes
Nat. Adv. Mgr. Martha Chambers
Mgr. Mgr. Dave Conley
Classified Mgr. Winnie Kostka
Promotion Mgr. Bill Taggart
Business Adviser Gene Britton
Editorial Editor Court Ernst
Editorial Assistants Gene Shank
NEWS STAFF
Executive Editor... Stan Hamilton
Lettie Lemon
Elizabeth
Managing Editors... Wohlgemuth
Dolly Leibgood
Dot Taylor
News Editor... Amy DeYong
Asst. News Editor... Ron Grandon
Sports Editor... Jack Lindberg
Asst. Sports Editor... Tom Lyon
Sports Editor... Nan Hsu
Asst. Society Editor... LaVere Yates
Telegraph Editor... John Herrington
News Advisor... John M. Pickett
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS by Dick Bibler
"Ive got one student that I dread to see put up his hand."
Public Occurrences BOTH FORREIGN AND DOMESTICK
CAMPUS
Like as not, freshman elections will point the way to stronghold parties on the campus. And more than likely they'll point toward AGL.
Watch for Bermuda shorts to be abandoned in this cold weather, despite all the "let's wear 'em" spirit drummed up in AWS.
Be prepared for repercussions from up K-State way. They've been hit twice now—directly and indirectly—from KU: First with post cards; second by the wildcat-abduction attempt.
Keep your eyes open for an investigation—eventually—of Watkins hospital by the All Student Council. Dr.Canuteson invites the investigation into students' complaints. He has said he would like for the ASC to hold open discussions of the Student Health service as long as the discussions are founded on real information.
NATIONAL
Voter apathy may be a good thing for the Republicans—and it might even be a good thing for the Democrats—but whichever, efforts will be made by both parties to rouse voters out of the apathy and toward the polls.
Soon color TV sets will be down to the price where the average family can afford 'em.
Sen. Paul Douglas must carry Chicago to return to Congress. His margin will probably be far below his 1948 triumph in that city.
INTERNATIONAL
Watch for an AWS ruling changing men's calling hours. But the change won't be as drastic as the freshman women would like.
Look for a lot more to be said about the Saar. Regardless of how it appears on the surface, the issue is far from settled.
The Sour Owl, campus humor magazine, is scheduled to hit the stands soon. It should be one of the best in many years.
After a recent editorial boosting panty raids, look for one or two—but not in the manner in which they were conducted in 1952.
SPORTS
Everyone's just a little confused by this time on the Philadelphia Story No. 2. Will the Athletics go to Kansas City or will they stay in Philadelphia? We predict Kansas City after the dust clears.
... Short Ones ...
Democratic candidate for governor George Docking won't have a chance in the Nov. 2 election if he loses either Sedgwick or Johnson counties, but the two counties are traditionally Democratic in State elections.
Here's the latest definition for love life: First you're pinned, then you're nailed.
Our eight o'clock class reminds us of a poem; "Out of the night that covers me. Black as a pit from—class to class—test to test.
For the seniors, graduation might be compared to a book: "From Here to Eternity."