PAGE SIX
EDITGRIAL
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
SUNDAY, MAY 5, 1940
The Kansan Comments -- EDITORIALS ★ LETTERS ★ PATTER
Babbling Voices
"Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth; and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth." (Genisis 11, 9.)
Today, too, German, English, Italian, Russian, and Scandinavian propagandists confound all mankind. Each country babels so loudly and meaninglessly, that no one can understand, and the radio and the press scatter this propaganda jumble to the whole world.
It is expected that the Nazis would call upon the neutrals to discount the "lies" of the British "Ministry of Misinformation" and warn the English that Neville Chamberlain's "warmonger" cabinet is profiteering in munitions stock.
It is to be expected that in his speech appealing to the American public, Lord Lothian, Great Britain's ambassador to the United States, would use such words as, "We shall win because, to quote words once used by one of your great Presidents, 'We stand at Armageddon and battle for the Lord.'"
It is to be expected that the dry British sense of humor would return to satirical techniques of Alice in Wonderland, depicting Hitler as the world's number one "Blunderbuss" when, for example, in Adolf in Blunderland, Hitler is asked what size he would like to be, says, "Oh, I'm not particular as to size, as long as I'm bigger than the British Empire and the Dutch Empire and Belgium and the Balkans all rolled into one. You see, ninety million people is such a ridiculous size to be. My head needs more space all the time."
Finally it is expected that in his German White Paper, Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop try to show that Britain had long prepared an invasion of Scandinavia, and that Germany had been forced into invading first or self-protection.
All of this "Babel" is to be expected. It is daily tripe that falls on editor's desks and radio listener's ears. Nothing but such stories and emotional appeals could possibly be expected in times of world conflict. Although the United States, too, must tolerate this barrage of falsehoods, it is hoped that it will never be compelled to enter into the European ward of contagious insanity.
★ ★ ★
YOU SAID IT
"Flunks" and Professors Editor, Daily Kansan:
Assuming a student attends class and is the least bit interested in the course, he should never receive a mark of failure. Many students have torn their hearts out working for something they just couldn't comprehend, talked to their instructor about their work, and then received a flunk. With all the investment a pupil puts in school is a flunk the right thing? Is it at all possible for a man to lose something when he takes a course? The law says you do because three grade points are subtracted from your record. That infers that you know less at the end of the course than when you started and this is a fact that no Dean or Professor can deny. If this is the case the teacher is double rotten.
Many failures are a result of poor examinations. Many instructors will talk and discuss something in class for days and weeks, but when exam time comes you hear nothing about it. Believe it or not, it is being done. Examinations are considered by many teachers as tricks, and not to find the scope of knowledge of the students. It is a game of great fun to guess what the instructor will ask. If a subject is important enough to ask on an examination? Instead,
important enough htо ask on an examination? Instead, the tricky professor, in making up the exam inwardly smiles and says, "here's something on the bottom of this page they won't get."
The writer does not mean to infer that all professors are this way, because everything isn't bad and everything isn't good. This is a law of nature. There isn't a student on this hill, which a passing grade does not mean a great monetary value to him as well as time, pride, and a certain psychological effect.
Many teachers are inconsistent and don't know how to make up an examination. They don't even know, many times, what was discussed in class. All they know is that certain chapters were assigned and themselves don't even know the important points in that chapter. No professor wants a student, but the teacher doesn't care if he flunks them. There would be fewer failures, under normal circumstances if the college teacher would ask this question before giving the grade. "What does this grade mean to the student?"
A SENIOR.
★ ★ ★
That many college freshmen know more than the average senior is a known fact. But if it gets too well known, we won't have colleges anymore and then what would the professors do?
UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
OFFICIAL BULLETIN
Vol. 37 Sunday, May 5, 1940 No. 143
ALPHA PHI OMEGA: There will be an important meeting of the National Service Fraternity at 4:30 tomorrow afternoon in the Pine Room of the Union building. All members please be present.-Kenneth Troup, secretary.
ATTENTION: All cases to appear before the Student Court should first be appealed to the Clerk of the Court, Bob McKay, telephone 2903.-Gene Buchanan, chief justice.
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE ORGANIZATION: The regular weekly meeting, open to students, graduates and faculty members, will be held Tuesday afternoon at 4:30 in Room C Myers hall—Patricia Heil, secretary.
EL ATENEO: The last regular meeting of El Ateneo before the spring picnic will be on Tuesday, in Room 113 F.S. at 3:30. Election of officers will be held. Members please plan to attend.—Louise Bush, president.
FIRESIDE FORUM: Fireside Forum will meet this evening at 7 o'clock at the home of Mr. and Mrs. King at 1100 Ohio. Mr. King will continue the discussion of "A Modern View of Religion." Everyone is welcome. Lorraine Polish, public chairman.
NEWMAN CLUB: There will be a discussion and business meeting Tuesday evening at 7:30 in St. John's Church Hall—Albert Protiva, vice-president.
RHADAMANTHI: Rhadamanthi, poetry society, will meet Tuesday at 7:30 at the home of Professor Hankins. Pictures will be taken of the group for the Campus Movie. The regular meeting will be held Thursday at 7:30 in the Union Building. Mr. Humphrey will discuss T. S. Eliot. Election of officers will be held. All members please attend.-Gordon Brigham, president.
Subscription rates, in advance, $3.00 per year, $1.75 per semester. Published at Lawrence, Kansas, daily during the school week. Entered as second class matter September 17, 1910, at the post office at Lawrence, Kansas, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
ROGER WILLIAMS FOUNDATION: There will be election of officers for the University class this morning at 9:45 and the Roger Williams Forum this evening at 6:30. Bob Johnson will have charge of the program in the evening and his subject will be "Music, by Sight and Sound." This will be illustrated. The Social half-hour is at 6:00, at 1124 Mississippi Street—Emily Wray, secretary.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Official Student Paper of
THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
WESTMINSTER FORUM: Westminster Forum will meet this evening at 7:30. The speaker will be H. E. Chandler, assistant professor of the school of education. The subject is "How to Choose Your Job." Lois Oakes will lead devotionals and for special music, Mary Etta face will play a violin solo—Bob Talmadge, president.
SENIORS: Seniors expecting to receive degrees this June or at the end of the summer session who have not filed application for degree cards in the Registrar's Office should do so immediately—George O. Foster, registr.
SENIOR RED CROSS: Senior life saving certificates may be obtained by calling at room 107 Robinson gym. —Herbert Alphin.
W. S.G.A.: W.S.G.A. will meet Tuesday at 7:00 in the Pine Room—Doris Twente, secretary.
To Our Parents
This Parents' Day celebration is a pretty good thing for softening up these young sprout college students who know all the answers and if they don't know them, can pick them out of their "crib" notes. Listen, "Sis" and "Bud" you can stop putting on airs for your parents this morning, because they really know all the answers.
Take "Sis" for example. She's probably trying to explain to her mother how she can't keep her hair fixed, buy silk stockings, and get a new formal for the Senior Cakewalk on her "measly old allowance." This is a good time to spring it because Sis can point out her friends who don't have to get along "like I do." And then, Sis will probably be telling just why she's not doing so good in Physiology: "Mean old guy; he just doesn't like me and takes his spite out on me." But her mother will smile knowingly because she used the same old line on grandmother back in the days when it took personality and not a sun-tan and canned repartees to get a fraternity pin.
Bud's case is about the same only on the masculine side. If his father is an Elk, Bud can let him in one some of the Campus life, otherwise he'll have to gloss over the rough spots and talk about his studies—or expenses. Father's probably a little more interested in just how his son is preparing himself for that job after graduation. He wants "Bud" to have a good time but he wants him also to be building toward the time when father won't be around to protect him. We have an optimistic hunch that father is going to be rather proud of "Bud" and the University that is preparing him for that time. He'll probably cheer the son up with a tale about the obstacles he had to meet in school and in getting started in business and life.
A lot of us couldn't have our parents here for the celebration. Some of them were too broke to make the trip and thought a little spending money for the children would be appreciated just as much. They were wrong but that's the way parents are. Maybe the distance was too great or one of them was sick. A lot of reasons could account for their absence. All of us whose parents aren't here are going to spend a home-sick Sunday. We wish they were here to meet those who could come and to see the University. We're pretty proud of it; we're proud of our parents, too—they gave it to us.
ROCK CHALK TALK
By Marilyn McBride
Fred Waring and chorus performed on schedule, and the New Kansas Hymn made its debut. The fraternities listened and wept with the inter-fraternity sing too close to make the hymn anything but a vocal headache. One line in the song sticks in the memory: "The crimson prairie sunset and the Kansas sky of blue."
Sunday Afternoon The hours are slow, the day's no good
I wish I were in Hollywood.
Dinner's over. Church is done.
What do people do for fun
Till Time removes this date adverse
And brings on Monday which is
worse?
The British are taking the long way round now that Italy is teetering on the fence. The Cape of Goo Hope route looks more promising for the British lifeline than the unfriendly Mediterranean.
Reminiscent of Henry Ford's peace-ship sent to Europe during the last war is the Carnegie foundation's
million dollar offer to encourage a hare-brained kidnapping scheme. The capture of A. Hitler seems as feasible as the 1917 Ford scheme to "get the boys out of the trenches by Christmas."
Refreshing contrast to the bouquets and crowns being thrown to campus notables is the announcement of a new award at the Aggus college at Stillwater for the Biggest Heel.
Hungry lawyers tired of the extra long noon-time sessions in Professor Tupy's Agency class have started bringing their lunches to tide them over.
K. U. scoops the national Mother's Day and has its annual Parent's Day this week. From the humblest freshman to the glamor-girl and b. m.o.c., the campus is proud to welcome its folks. Those necessary and important purveyors of moral and financial support. . . . the mothers and dads of the K.U.' classes of '40, '41, '42, and '43.