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University Daily Kansan Wednesday, Nov. 18, 1959
Sunnyside Rats
The present rat situation at the Sunnyside housing district resembles the scandals born there last Spring. At that time, it was revealed that the University administration was spending over 50 per cent of the Sunnyside rents to finance a "sinking fund" for Stouffer Apartments. Meanwhile, it was learned that little of the rent money was being used to maintain the corroded Sunnyside buildings.
During the Daily Kansan's investigation of Sunnyside's financial structure the slum-like conditions married students and their families lived under were brought to light. Few changes were instituted, however. It was felt that expensive changes could be done without since the Sunnyside buildings were scheduled to be torn down in the near future.
Thirteen of the buildings are being dismantled now, leaving only nine to house married students in 56 apartments. Most of the married students
have moved into new Stouffer dwellings or private housing.
Unfortunately, the Sunnyside slum conditions prevalent last Spring, remain today. Rats which have lived there for years are again challenging the residents' privacy and health. The nine remaining Sunnyside apartments still are firetraps, and the residents' children still are forced to play around mud and garbage.
The situation will not change until all Sunny-side buildings are removed. That is being done. Certainly the rats are dangerous, but the University cannot be blamed for harboring them. Like humans, normal rats insist on coming in out of the cold weather.
It is pitiful that Sunnyside buildings are the least rat-proof structures on campus. Even though mild preventative measures have been taken, the only effective extermination of the Sunnyside rats must be by fire. The students will have to move out first.
—John Husar
Wiley Scholarship
A well-deserved honor was given to Prof. Russell L. Wiley last Saturday with the institution of a band scholarship in his name. The scholarship is funded in part, by many of Prof. Wiley's former students.
That, in itself, stands as a testimonial to the esteem in which he is held. Prof. Wiley's 25-year history at KU has been steeped in accomplishments. They were related in a 700-word article in last Friday's Daily Kansan.
Many words can be spent describing Prof. Wiley's dedication to KU. He has been a colorful and gentle figure on the campus, even allowing us to rib him in a recent editorial titled "Band Vs. Science."
The least we can say about him today is that he has always done his best for the University, which is much more than can be hoped for from the majority of KU residents.
- John Husar
In Review
Editor:
In the review of Sir Ronald Syme's Humanities lecture on Tuesday, November 11, your reporter has created some misinterpretations of Sir Ronald's statements which should be corrected. After a good start he writes: "Only recently, historians have become aware of how meanings of words have changed." But Sir Ronald's point was that Thucydides, writing in the fifth century BC about the revolution in Coreyra, notes how that which was patriotism to one faction was assassination to the other and how the meanings of such words as democracy and aristocracy differed according to the faction to which the speaker belonged.
Thus the point is not as your reporter writes "an action we would consider prudent—might be considered cowardly by the Greeks" but rather that Thucydides wrote
... Letters ...
than an action which one ancient Greek faction considered cowardly another considered prudent.
Your reporter correctly notes later on that "Professor Syme said Plato was somewhat disillusioned with the different ruling systems in ancient Athens." After that, historical fact and Platonic theory become confused in the review. It is true that when the democracy was re-established Socrates was put to death. But the 30 man oligarchy which was put down came just before the re-establishment of the democracy. The review states "Then a dictatorship was formed. It folded too." It is true that Athens had a brief try at dictatorship toward the end of the 4th century under Demetrius of Phaleron, but the tyrant to whom Professor Syme referred was the famous Dionysius of Syracuse of the early fourth century.
The review continues "He explained the abolition of private
property and the status of the family in ancient Greece led to a strict regimentation of the population. For this reason the people tended to be rebellious."
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS By Dick Bibler
But private property and "the status of the family" (sic) were never abolished in ancient Greece though a few brief, unsuccessful attempts were made to do this. It is true, however, that Plato advocated such measures, and this program of Plato described in the Republic was what Sir Ronald mentioned. Since Plato's "ideal" state was not set up, this abolition of private property was not "the reason people tended to be rebellious." I do not recall that Sir Ronald stated that the ancient Greeks were more rebellious than many other peoples in other periods of history. The meaning escapes me of the sentence which follows. "This was perhaps going too far for daily use." Perhaps this refers to the supposed "abolition of private property."
Since Professor Syme's lecture was very brilliant and subtle those not well trained in ancient History may very well have had difficulty in following some of his comments. I hope that these suggestions of mine may clarify some of the ideas touched upon in your review. They are suggested in a spirit of helpfulness, not of criticism. They represent my interpretations of what was said by Sir Ronald Syme, one of the greatest of living historians of the Ancient World.
James E. Seaver, associate professor of ancient history
Dailu Hansan
University of Kansas student newspaper Founded 1889, became bweekley 1904, trweekly 1908, daily Jan. 16. 1912.
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NEWS DEPARTMENT
Jack Harrison ... Managing Editor
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
George Bord and
John Hamer
Co-Editorial Editors
John Hamer
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT
Bill Kane ... Business Manager
Got your letter the other day and the poetry was appreciated. One of my English professors compared you with Keats—Sam Keats, the guy who runs the corner grocery. He dabbles in words too. Everytime he gets his hand caught in the cash register drawer.
A lot has happened since our last correspondence.
Freddie Babe!
Erom George DeBord
Students at Michigan State University may have their school closed on them because of revenue difficulties. Minnesota University has a problem with bus drivers. And here at KU we are entering the annual budget fight.
So, you see there is plenty of action in Collegeville and a lot that needs to be done. As Harry Ritter said the other day, today's student is in a tough fight with a short stick.
Like I said old KU is sending some guys up to the capital to argue about the budget pretty soon. Getting money from the governing powers has long been one of our major trials.
Our budget gets the knife so often that it's referred to in Topeka as the KU Cadaver. And it usually looks pretty sick by the time the politicians are through doctoring it.
We need some new buildings
to take care of that mob of little kids you used to play with down the block. They're all grown up now and are about ready to pound on our all-knowing doors. There must be a million of 'em.
But the governor and some of his friends don't want to give us any extra money for buildings because that's bad politics. They've got a good thing going with the farmers and don't want to lose it by being uneconomical.
So, unless something happens pretty soon, we'll have to jam the smart kids in and kick the average ones out. But this will help us in our international relations. At least the youngsters who get left out, will be better prepared to understanding how underprivileged people in other countries feel.
It will make for clearer thinking too, since the majority of our citizens won't have their brains all cluttered up with knowledge.
Well, enough of the trials and tribulations of the campus plodders. How's things with you? Must be great bouncing around from cloud to cloud chasing angels and sleeping it up. Did you ever find anyone to give you a bath? Our new dog had one the other day and really liked it. She drank about half the bath water before I could get her out of there. She ought to be a great duck retriever.
Well Freddie Kid, swing easy and I'll be thinking about you. The quail season opened Saturday.
George
By M. K. McKinney Asst. Instructor of English
"The Darkness and the Dawn" by Thomas B. Costain Doubleday & Company, Inc. $3.95
Mr. Costain has written about Attila the Hun in his latest historical novel, the scene of which is laid in Italy, eastern France, and a part of southeastern Europe about A.D. 450. The author assures us in his conclusion that he wishes "to make it clear that in telling the story . . . I have adhered quite closely to such facts as history supplies of the spectacular conqueror . . .." What the exact facts are I am not prepared to say, but I am sure that he has used the broad outlines of the pertinent historical facts.
I FOUND THE MOST interesting parts of the book those that deal with the customs of the Huns—the settling of disputes between individuals by duelling on horseback with whips, the method of divination called "the flight of the arrow" (with a human body used as the bow), and the veneration they had for their horses. I don't mean to imply that the rest of the book lacks any interest; I just mean that I was not so absorbed in the story as I have been in some other historical romances—"Romola" or "The Talisman" for example.
The story deals with that time in the Roman Empire when it was being overrun by the Huns. The central point in the plot was the Battle of Chalons in 451, when, because of defeat, Attila's power began to wane. The book goes ahead then and tells Attila's story to his death two years later.
MR. COSTAIN TELLS of the founding of Venice by the inhabitants of northern Italy who fled from the advancing Huns, and he also tells how Pope Leo I stopped Attila at the gates of Rome. Mixed in with these historical events are the vicissitudes of Nicolan, a Roman slave; Idico, daughter of Macio, head of the Roymarecks; Ivar, the Briton; Aetius, the Roman dictator; and many other fictional people.
If you have nothing better to read and if you like historical fiction, you might enjoy this book, but I would not recommend it. It is not a book that you would want to add to your library. This is not history, but a novel with historical trappings.
Ira R
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