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University Daily Kansan
Monday, Sept. 13, 1954
Our Statement Of Editorial Policy
It hardly seems possible, but the summer is over and its time to embark on another year of school. Many of us come back eagerly and many grudgingly, but in a few days we'll all be settled back into what seems to most of us the normal way of life.
Every new editorial editor of course has a few new and different ideas than his predecessor, and we're no exception. At first glance, the editorial page will look just about like it did last year. But we're going to attempt to shift the emphasis some this fall.
We assume that the average college student is interested in national and international affairs and wants to read not only the facts but also editorial comment on such affairs. Therefore, the world news front will play an important part in our page.
Although some of us are dubious about the merits of the Pogo strip, we have found again and again that it has one of the widest readerships over the campus of any Kansan story or feature. We will try to run Pogo every day if possible, for we fully realize that it is frustrating at best to any ardent Pogo fan to wonder each day whether or not his favorite comic strip can be found on the editorial page.
One thing we feel has been neglected and slighted in the past is comment on current campus affairs. Often in the past the page has been so crowded with interpretative stories of a national nature that readers undoubtedly wonder if we feel that the problems and affairs on our own campus are not worthy of space. This is definitely not our belief, and we hope to make available to our readers our ideas and opinions about what is going on right here at KU.
We also feel that students are interested in what is going on at other colleges, particularly our sister schools within the Big Sever conference. Last year our "Across the Nation's Campuses" was a regular feature, although actually we shied away from editorial comment and treated it as straight news, which makes its proper place on the editorial page doubtful. We will continue a similar feature this fall, but we will fill our function better as editorialists by not only telling what is happening at other schools, but to also comment on trends and problems on other campuses. Many of the happenings at other schools are matters which have also concerned us, are similar to matters facing us at present, or are affairs which well may become a concern on this campus in the future. Therefore, this will be more of an editorial feature than a news feature. We will comment on what we think is good and bad among trends on other campuses.
This being an election year we intend to devote an adequate amount of space to that. Many college students are voting citizens, and nearly all will be upon graduation, so we feel that it should be a part of our education at KU to keep well informed on the political scene. We don't feel that it is the place of a college daily to take a dogmatic stand in favor of party, candidates, etc., so we will try to be as impartial as possible in our treatment of political news. We think our job is not to tell people who we think they should vote for, but rather to give them adequate information concerning all candidates and issues. In this way we hope that the reader will not only decide for which candidate he would or will vote, but will understand what each stands for and thereby be in a better position to make up his mind and understand why he favors the candidates that he does. On the editorial page this fall we will carry informative background material on the key Senate races, with special emphasis on information about the men running for office in our own state of Kansas.
Getting out an editorial page every day has its trials and tribulations at times, and tempers sometimes grow short. We wish to make it clear right here and now, however, that we are going to do our best to refrain from any and all sarcastic and bitter comment. We will try to edit out of all copy any smears or uncalled for comments. We will also pay especial attention to the "Short Ones" column, which was often criticized with good reason in the past, to see that all questionable comments or observations are eliminated. We feel that this is taking unfair advantage of persons and has no place whatsoever in an alert and proper editorial page. Thus we hope to keep free from all criticism of this nature.
At this time the staff wants to invite all students to send us your letters and comments at any time. Sometimes we get off base without realizing it. The letters we receive help us to do a better job, for without them we have no idea whether or not the students like what they read on our page. As in the past, unsigned letters will not be printed, but names will be withheld if the writer so desires. We hope to receive a good many letters from you. Not only do they receive wide readership, but we want to know how the students feel about the job we are doing. Let us know when you think we're off the beam, but let us know when you think we're doing a good job too. We don't expect our page to be perfect, but with your help we'll do our best to make it as good as we possibly can.
Now we've given you some idea of how we are approaching our treatment of the editorial page this fall. At times you will like it and at other times you won't. But after all these mighty words and statements of policy we're going to keep our nose to the grindstone to try to live up to what you expect from us.
Court Ernst
- Someone said that after looking over all the candidates for election this fall he was sure glad only one could be elected.
Some people just can't give a new coach a chance it seems. Football practices had barely begun this month when the fireworks started. Our good luck to Coach Mather and the boys this fall. We hope he can weather the storms both on and off the gridiron.
What is the ID card good for? This question enters every new student's mind and should be answered because the little piece of cardboard which every student receives at the start of the school year will be his most important possession at the University.
Your ID Card Is Important
The ID card is received by every student who pays full fees. It is used for admission to athletic events, concerts, lectures and plays, voting in Hill elections, receiving the Student directory, admission to the hospital, and cashing checks.
It is the only valid means of identification a University student has and is given the student by virtue of being enrolled at the University.
The ID cards can be picked up from Sept. 22 until noon Sept. 24, in the rotunda of Strong hall. Since they will not be available for use at the first football game Sauray special tickets for the TCU game will be issued at the time of enrollment.
If a student loses his card he must deposit $10 at the business office for a temporary card. The deposit will be refunded if the ID card never is found or if when found it has not been used after the date that it was lost.
Gretchen Guinn.
Congress Adjourns, Ike Tightens Grip
It was a long and sometimes tedious session, but Congress finally wound up its work late in August and adjourned until next January.
Legislation considered a victory for the administration included flexible farm price supports, Communist-control, atomic energy, the St. Lawrence seaway, defeat of the Bricker amendment, tax reforms, and extension of social security.
Only mildly successful from an administration standpoint was legislation covering foreign aid, witness immunity, housing, and extension of reciprocal trade.
The President suffered failure in proposed legislation to revise the Taft-Hartley law, grant statehood to Hawaii, give self-government to the district of Columbia, give 18-year-olds the right to vote, and provide a reinsurance plan for health insurance agencies.
One thing appears obvious now, however. President Eisenhower has a firmer grip on his job than at any previous time, and will push hard next January to get the rest of his program enacted into law.
—Court Ernst
Galileo, Italian astronomer and physicist, invented a practical thermometer back in 1592. The instrument consisted of a large air-filled bulb and a glass tube containing water. When the air became heated, it expanded and pushed the water level down, thus permitting a gauge of the amount of heat.
Daily Hansam
University of Kansas Student newspaper
News Room, KU 251 Ad Room, KU 376
Member of the Kansas Press Association.
National Editorial association. Inland Daily News association. Represented Col-lege Press association. Represented by the National Advertising service. 420 Madison avenue, N.Y. Mail subscription rates: $3 a semester or $4.50 a year (add $1 a semester in Law) Every afternoon during the University year except Saturday and Sundays, University holidays and examination periods. Entered as second class matter, Sept. 17, 1910, at Lawrence, Kan., post office act of 1870.
NEWS STAFF
Executive Editor...Stan Hamilton
Managing Editor [ Letty Stan ]
Managing Editor [ Elizabeth Higmuth
News Editor...Any De'Dong
Telegraph Editor...Dana Leibengood
Asst. News Editor...Ron Grandron
Sports Editor...Jack Lindberg
Society Editor...Nancy Neville
Society Editor...Caler Vyletes
News Advisor...Calder M. PICKlett
Editorial Editor...Court Ernst
Editorial Assistants...Gene Shank
BUSINESS STAFF
Business Manager...Dave Riley
Advertising Mgr...Mudrey Holmes
National Adv. Mgr...Martha Chambers
Circulation Mgr...Ken Winstor
With last Spring's Supreme court ruling declaring segregation in public schools unconstitutional, many university administrations across the country are facing the problem anew.
across the country are taking First of the Big Seven schools to find the issue dumped squarely in its lap is the University of Colorado. A showdown vote was imminent this summer, but at the last moment the Board of Regents postponed voting until later this fall so that student organizations on the campus could be consulted before the matter was ruled upon.
Segregation Issue Hits Colorado U.
The anti-racial motion was introduced last May by Regent Vance Austin. It would require all social, honorary and professional fraternities and sororites to eliminate all discriminatory provisions from their constitutions or charters by September, 1957. Membership rolls in June, 1958, would have to show the organizations were not practicing discrimination.
A survey last spring revealed only nine social fraternities at CU have discrimination clauses in their constitutions. However, every Greek-letter group would be required to have a member of a minority group on its membership roll in order to comply with Austin's motion.
Colorado is not the first school faced with having to make a decision on this matter. During the last school year, several eastern universities adopted motions similar to this one introduced by Mr. Austin, and some have already set dates as to when social organizations must produce their membership rolls and prove they do not practice discrimination.
Whether or not one believes in segregation, it seems to be somewhat beside the point in this case. College Greek organizations are private, social groups. They support themselves on a national basis and do not receive financial support from the states or the schools.
With a ruling such as this in effect, these groups would be required to pledge a member of a minority group not because they liked him and wanted to live with him, but merely for the sake of pledging one. If Greek organizations were public in nature, it would be a different matter, and in that case school administrations would be perfectly right in adopting such a policy. It seems to us, however, that they are completely off base in attempting to dictate matters of policy to these private social groups. The national government doesn't have the right or the power to dictate such policy to private fraternal organizations in the country. It would be best if university administrations would wake up to the fact that who belongs to Greek organizations is none of their concern, other than all are students in good standing. The Greek organizations are ready to fight against such policies as this, for it is an invasion of their rights.
—Court Ernst
New Faulkner Novel Requires Patience
A Fable, by William Faulkner (Random House) is a novel so heavily freighted with moral issues that it might well be termed a parable. Vague Bible-like characters are places on the scene of World War I.
A French regiment has mutined, refusing to attack as ordered. The news spreads rapidly and the war is suspended temporarily as though by mutual consent. The question of what to do with the mutineers involves the military at all levels.
The commanding general would shoot all 3,000 of them. He is opposed by the old marshal (God?) who turns out to be the father of the corporal (a Christ-like figure) who started the mutiny by preaching peace. The corporal has 12 followers (disciples) and is finally betrayed by one of them.