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University Daily Kansan Tuesday, Nov. 10, 1953
Mid-Term Brings Kansan Changes
It's mid-term again.
And while to most students that means just an extra burden of hour exams, to the Kansan staff it's a complete change. The beginning of another trial and error period, of increased work and worry for the advisers, and a chance for the new editorial staff to warm up in a hurry.
It has always been the custom for the new staff to state the policies that will govern the page and we're no exception. We're going to be straightforward right down the line. That's for sure. There'll be accolades and condemnations. That's for sure, too.
To us the editorial page carries trust and responsibility as well as a chance to push our ideas off onto such readers that we have. That is why we like to think that the page will serve to stimulate, not dictate opinion. The material will be written by a great variety of people with a great variety of opinions. You should get both sides of a lot of questions as well as some informative background material.
We also believe that the purpose of the page involves more than giving the few of us who have the opportunity to spill out ideas to the many of you. That's why we are eager to hear from you. We will endeavor to run all of the letters we receive—as long as they remain under 200 words, don't carry a good thing too far, AND are signed.
And here, friends, we must insist. We'll be glad to withhold your name from the printed letter, if you so desire, but for us to consider them at all, they must be signed.
So we're ready to go. There will be two vacations to break the spell so we don't think it will be too bad. At least we hone not
—Clarke Keys.
Kansas Gold Value Lies In Delight, Not Dollars
It used to be a mystery to us where Prof. George Barlow Penny got the material for part of the lyrics to the alma mater. "Far above the golden valley" seemed to refer only to wheat—and there are very few wheat fields within sight of the campus.
But now it's obvious. That line could only have been written during the last stages of fall.
Fall, when the whole valley suddenly turns as if touched by the magic of Midas. When every time you walk down the campus you feel as if Mother Nature personally had arranged a thousand bouquets of yellow flowers in your honor.
Fall tries to make a lasting impression before she takes her annual leave. She shakes her kaleidoscope, then holds it up to the sun, and settles for one color—a mottled gold. And she crowns every tree and bush with her halo.
Then, optimistically, she whips out her fan and stirs up some vigor in preparation for mid-terms. She temporarily folds up the clouds like you do blankets in Indian summer—she lights some stars, and then gives the all-clear signal to nights made for hayrack rides.
And all the time she smiles above Mt. Oread, secure in the knowledge that she holds the highest degree in aesthetics and design.
She always goes a little wild with her final blaze of multicolored glory before making her last stand—the golden valley.
Texas can have its black gold—we'll take Kansas gold, redeem- able in dollars but in delight. —Eileen Foley.
An experienced Kansas editor has recently written an editorial deploring the lack of the old fighting spirit and bile of the famous old editors of Kansas apparent in the present day press of the state. And the idea has been picked up by a few of the thought-provoking men in the state who can remember when a reader could get more blood and thunder from the editorial pages of his newspaper than all of our modern television escapes put together.
There's an old adage that says, "The pen is mightier than the sword." And mighty it is. But that same sword covers more area and hits with a greater impact when swung with the smooth side out. It doesn't do the immediate damage that way, but the effect is greater
There's no doubt about it, there is a lack of that old style writing that stirred up the countryside, one way or another. And a mighty good thing that it is gone, too.
So too, have our writers learned that the sharp, stinging word hits home a sharp blow, but doesn't carry the lasting effect that a logical presentation carried on in a sane manner can accomplish.
There have been many cases, even some you might recall, where the blasting, blind type of opinionated writing, not only by professionals, but by the average citizen, has turned the impartial observer against the writer simply because of his methods. That same observer might have been swayed the other way by a logical process of though
The Editor's Idle Thoughts
Criticism and opinion of anybody and anything is great and necessary if conducted on a fair level. By a person's very entrance into the social whirl of life, one opens himself to criticism. And it's a measure of maturity indeed when one can take the condemnations without losing the temper.
But let's hope it all is done in a responsible light. Don't have the point so sharp that it goes right on through without causing any damage.
University of Kansas Student Newsman
News Room KU 251    Ad Room KU 378
Member of the Kansas Press Assn., National Editorial Assn., Inland Daily News Press, Represented by the Negotiate Press Assn. Represented by the National Office Service, 420 Madison Avenue, N.Y. City. Mail Subscription rates: $3 a semester or $8 a semester in Lawrence. Published in the Magazine, Kingbury afternoon during the University year except Saturdays and Sundays. Unlimited examination and assessment period entered second and third season. Tel. 17, 1910, at Lawrence, K. Post Office
lawrence Klan. Post under set of March 3, 1879.
NEWS STAFF
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS by Dick Bibler
Executive Editor Ken Coy
Managing Editor Ed Howard.
Assistant Don Tice Mae
News Editor Evans, May Betz
Assistant Philrey Shirley
Sports Editor Stan Hamilton
Assistant Ken Bronson
 Society Editor Larry Lemmon
Assistant Elizabeth Wohlgutmh
Feature-Exchange Ed. Sam Teaford
News-Ed. Adyivor Caldwell M. Pickett
Editorial Editor Clarke Keys
Assistants Jerry Knudson.
Chuck Morelock
BUSINESS STAFF
Business Manager Ed Smith
Retail Adv. Mgr. Jane Megaffin
National Adv. Mgr. Ann Answorth
Classified Susanna Urpry
Circulation Mgr. Max Urpry
Promotion Mgr. Gordon Ross
"YES" to both your questions—This IS a required course and there IS a way out of it."
Letters:
A Soldier Writes from Korea; Students Also Have Worries
To the Editor:
I was wondering if there is anyone at the University who would care to write to a lonely Marine way out here in Korea. I've been here for six months and a person gets pretty lonesome.
The only thing a guy looks for over here is "mail call." I don't seem to be doing so good so far.
I am willing to correspond with any person or persons who would care to write. Hoping to hear from someone in the very near future, I thank you.
Pfe. Victor Moralez
1225275-USMC
r&S Bat. 1st 90 AAA Gun Bn.
1st Marine Div. FMF (Reint.)
c/o FPO San Francisco, Calif
To the Editor:
According to the letter by Russell O. Settle Jr., published in the Kansas Nov. 5, studying for the purpose of getting good grades is a detriment to getting an education. To remedy the situation he proposes a system with only two grades, passing and failing. Think for a moment what would happen under this system.
Since a student does not have to worry about grades, he concentrates his study on those subjects which are the most interesting to him, although still cramming at examination time to pass the subjects he has previously neglected. Isn't this basically the same method of study most students follow now?
What about the reputation of the University? Under our present system a student must get a certain number of gradepoints to graduate, requiring either a C average or some extra hours. If the proposed system was adopted we would have two alternatives. One would be to fail any student getting below C in a course. This would be a disadvantage to some students and an advantage to none.
The other alternative would be to lower the University's standards. While this might make earning a degree a little easier, it would also lower the value of that degree. I think most of us are here not only to get an education, but to get a useful education. Changing the grading system will not help us do that.
Wayne Tefft Engineering Freshman
Wayne Tefft
To the Editor:
The editorial in the Nov. 5 Daily Kansan by Miss Mary Betz is, I think, deserving of comment.
She said, "While we're thinking of do-nothing organizations on the Hill, why not mention the . . . Young Democrats . . . ?" This brash statement concerning one of the largest and most vigorous clubs on the Hill may be attributed to a complete ignorance of the true situation.
I would suggest she visit our functions instead of forming her opinion from discussions with a foreign student. I am, however, pleased to learn that, after attending meetings of both Young Democrats and Young Republicans, the student who desired to be enlightened joined Young Democrats because of the greater enthusiasm.
Of course the enthusiasm is greater in Young Democrats. We have something to be enthusiastic about.
Outside of numerous social events, which Miss Betz apparently loathes, we have key persons in the Democratic party for speaking engagements. For example, Nov. 17, at 7:30 p.m. in the Jawahra room of the Union building, Mr. Richard Bolling, Representative to the United States Congress from Missouri's Fifth District, will address the members of our club and all interested persons. It will be an excellent chance to hear an informal talk and ask questions. I invite Miss Betz to this meeting.
In regard to Miss Betz' novel conclusion that the Young Democrats and Young Republicans should hold debates, I can only say this. The Young Democrats and Young Republicans have held a debate, open to all students, every year for a good many years. I invite Miss Betz to this traditional debate.
Donald N. Dirks
President
University of Kansas
Young Democrats.
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'Sounding Board For Political Barbs
The Kansan editorial page has been deluged of late by many letters from various factions of the campus political parties. To such an extent, in fact, that our space problems are prohibitive. Since most of the letters are simply rehashings of previous epistles, the editor must take some action to curb the volume.
Therefore, a form of political "sounding board" will be set up whereby the editor will periodically, if the run continues, choose letters that he feels best represent each side and give them equal play. This board won't be printed more often than once a week, and possibly not that often. But all letters will still be considered and no points will be omitted.
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