PAGE SIX
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1942
The KANSAN Comments...
WE'RE HAPPY FOR ANNIE
After lingering nine days, haggard, platinum-blonde Raven Sherman, heroine of Terry and the Pirates, died of injuries in the Chinese mountains. At Chicago's Loyola University, some 200 students faced the east, stood with heads bowed in memoriam. —TIME Magazine.
We consider the action of Loyola students a fitting tribute to the passing of one of the better funny-paper folk. Raven's death leaves a place which cannot be filled, but we hope artist Milton Caniff will bring Burma back safely. We also thank the artist for again doing away with Captain Judas. As you know, Burma set Judas on fire some time ago, but he escaped with a singed beard. Now that Dude Hennick has shot him in the tummy, we hope the scoundrel is out of the way permanently. The comic strip needs a new villain, anyway.
But enough of morbid thinking, let us rejoice. Little Orphan Annie, Punjab, and Daddy Warbucks have been saved from suffocation and mine damp. The Asp, who in Sunday's paper disclosed that he is also known as the Grim Reaper, was especially prominent in the rescue attempt. If Loyola held a mourning for Raven, it is only fitting that we celebrate the good fortune of Annie and her friends.
We therefore suggest a convocation this week in which the Chancellor and campus leaders give speeches in praise of the Asp and his grim compatriots. During the convocation it would be nice if some teacher of dietetics would explain how L.O.A. and company stayed in the abandoned mine three weeks without anything to eat.
OUR GRADING SYSTEM IS WRONG
Why have grades? What are they good for? The usual answer is that they act as a stimulus. Of course, this is true, but the stimulus is too often misapplied.
The student is working for a grade instead of actually trying to absorb knowledge. It is an application of the same principle when you offer a dog a bone, and then make him perform certain steps and antics before giving it to him. The dog has no understanding of what he does. All he knows is that he has to go through certain movements before he receives his reward.
It is still the same principle when Johnnie's mother offers to buy him a bicycle if he will refrain from mauling his small sister. Johnnie promises, but when mother is away, he abuses his sister and threatens her with more of the same if she tells. Nevertheless, Johnnie gets the bicycle.
In our grading system, grades are supposed to indicate the standard of the student's work in a course; what he has accomplished, ranging from excellent to failure. Yet, in many cases, the grade represents the student's attitude in the subject, or even the professor's attitude toward the student. It may indicate the ability of a frat brother, or the student's ability to take adequate crib notes.
Contrast Kansas' system with that of the University of Chicago. At Chicago, the student enrolls in a course, with or without credit, as he pleases, but he does enroll with the intention of learning something. Sometimes exams are given in order to let the student know his progression. Whether he passes or fails is not consequential. In fact, nothing matters, until he,
himself, is ready to take the examination for the course. It is an examination set up by a board of examiners outside the professorial staff. The student may take the exam after the first quarter, or wait two years. And there is no need for the fraternity file; copies of past exams may be purchased at book stores.
How can school marks be considered accurate when in one instance the marks of 142 English teachers varied in grading the same composition from 50 to 98?
It seems that we are repudiating the purpose of study. It is essential that we refuse to let those grades fool us. As an index to knowledge they are a minus quantity.-S.S.
On Act. 8 the Kansan printed an editorial criticizing the condition of the American flags at the north end of the stadium during the K.U.-Washington U. game.
New flags were put up for the Iowa State game. We hate to take all the credit, but___.
The fellow in Haswell, Colo., who killed 200 rattlesnakes in one day must have been pretty busy, too.
OFFICIAL BULLETIN UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
Tuesday, Oct. 28, 1941
Notices due at News Bureau, 8 Journalism, at 10 a.m. on day of publication during the week, and at 11 a.m. on Saturday for Sunday issue.
MEN'S STUDENT COUNCIL: Next regular meeting will be Monday, Nov. 3. Pine room, 8 p.m.—Fred Lawson, secretary.
CLASSICAL CLUB: Will meet this Tuesday evening, Oct. 28, in the Pine Room of the Memorial Union building. Professor A. F. Walker will present a paper entitled; "Cicero's Son at the University." Everyone interested is welcome to attend—Bill Muxlow, president.
TAU SIGMA: Tau Sigma will hold formal pledging services in Robinson gymnasium, Tuesday evening at 7:30 p.m. Everyone is to wear street clothes and bring work clothes. Actives are requested to come at 7 o'clock.
JAY JANES: The Jay James will meet Wednesday, 4:30 p.m. in the Pine Room. Wear uniforms to the meeting for pledging services.—Genevieve Harmon, president.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
QUACK CLUB: Quack Club will meet Wednesday evening at 8 o'clock p.m.
Student Paper of THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Lawrence, Kansas
EDITORIAL STAFF
Publisher ... Stan Stauffer
NEWS STAFF
Feature Editor ... Betty West
Managing Editor ... Chuck Elliott
Campus Editors ... Heidi Viets, Orlando Epp
Sports Editor ... Clint Kanaga
Society Editor ... Jean Fees
News Editor ... Glee Smith
Sunday Editor ... Milo Farneti
United Press Editor ... David Whitney
Re-write Editor ... Kay Bozarth
Copy Editors: Anne Nettels, Mary Margaret Gray
Editor-in-Chief...Charles Pearson
Editorial Associates: Bill Feeney, Floyd Decaire,
BUSINESS STAFF
Business Manager Frank Baumgartner
Advertising Manager Jason Yordy
Rock Chalk Talk
Subscription rates, in advance, $3.00 per year, $1.75 per semester. Published at Lawrence, Kansas, daily during the school except Monday and Saturday; entrenched as second class matter under the 17th grade; post office at Lawrence, Kansas, under the Act of March 2, 1879.
By HEIDI VIETS
By DEAN OSTRUM, Guest Conductor
Pangs of extreme hunger nearly caused chaos in the house of S.A one night this past weekend.
As the story goes, Dayton Sharpe, Alph active, woke up in the middle of the night with a gnawing appetite. Too hungry to go back to sled yet too tired to walk down to the basement kitchen, Sharpe took the ear way via the Sig Alph dumb waiter.
On arrival in the basement, to his horror Sharpe found the door to t waiter locked. Unable to go up and at the end of both of his rop panic-stricken Sharpe hollered for help. Brothers, freshmen, and ev waiters soon arrived for the dramatic rescue.
Sharpe may be found late any night at the Sig Alph house eati crackers in bed.
Inmate at Watkins Memorial hospital the past few days has been t beauteous blonde belle who is regular editor of this column. Unable escape, Heidi is likewise open for rescue. There is strong suspicion note censoring, so if you write Veits, be careful what you say.
It would seem Theta pledge, Dorothy Fizzell, kitty from the city, developed a new "line" for open house cutters.
After cutting in on Fizzell at the Theta party Friday night, How Sells, junior independent, was at quite a loss for what to say.
"You having a good time tonight, little boy?" Dorothy murmured,
"At least you're original," was Sells stammered answer.
Sigma Nu's are de-dogging. Clara, infamous mother of five fatherloups, has taken an extended trip "to the country." Three pups were give away, and two remain. Phone 1277.
Dynamiting at the Dine-a-Mite was interrupted Saturday night partying Phi Psi's dashed in during intermission from their hill-billy ba Unable to find any room. Psi's and their dates, not proud, sat down the floor.
Refreshments were provided by Barbara Winn, Pi Phi pledge and I date, Bob Trump. Their jug of "Preserved Tarnip Joos" was passed, a according to Bob, not a brother was passed by.
CLASS OF '00
At football games and in local coffee houses one may distinguish them by the upturned brim, the strained smile, and the conviction they are carrying that times have but surely changed. They look at their sons and daughters with ill concealed wonder, and ponder the ennul of the youth of today.
Be Nice to Harry, Boys Time and Tide
As soon as autumn leaves begin to drift and it hurts to barefooted over those cold early morning floors, then is the season of the alumni. Like swallows taking over Capistrano, the settle down over campi, and proceed to proceed.
They stare with frenzy at other returning contemporaries and secretly convinced that old Joe has not kept his weight down the way he should, pat themselves reassuringly around their dimpling waistlines and sit up straighter.
At fraternity and sorority houses, they marvel at how easy things are for this year's freshman, and gathered in class-conscious little groups around a silver trophy filled with cigarette stubs, recall courtly days of raccoon coats, and "twenty-three, Skidool!"
"It's So Easy Now"
It Seems Like Home
They delve deep into their pockets for the new wing or contribute a mite for the new record player. They get pushed into corners by calloused seniors who fail to realize that next year they will have joined the has-beens.
If the team wins, the world looks rosy and benign, but if the boys have a bad afternoon, they hold an Irish wake far into the night, consoling themselves over a piano built for two, but holding seventeen.
On Sunday they sit careful around in overstuffed chairs, remembering other Sundays when they stood at windows looking out into f nights, hating their books, and waiging couples walking by, securing leaves on the side walks.
They go home, driving away from the Hill, wishing as all alums do a will for evermore, that they had all other four years, and thinking abo" "You Can't Go Home Again" line
So scorn not the lowly alum, for he is walking now through the valley of the shadow, remember that t day you walk down the Hill, my lit college Joe, you're just one of t boys who gets smiled at patiently, and for whom people open doors.
Your Time Will Come
Buehler Delivers Two Speeches to Out-of-Town Groups
Prof. E. C. Buehler, professor of speech and dramatic art, delivered two speeches before school group in Hutchinson yesterday. In the aftermoon he spoke on "Lend M Your Ears," before a junior high school assembly and in the evening he addressed the P.T.A. association of Liberty High School on "How Influence on Voice and Speech."
Both talks concerned the rapid growing importance of voice and speech in our everyday life.