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University Daily Kansar Wednesday. Oct. 7, 1959
The Decline and Fall
Fraternities and sororites long have been barbed by hostile cries from outsiders. Since the storied days, decades ago, when Greeks headed the first assault on tradition and collegiate compacency, members of the brother- and sisterhoods were exemplified by streams of radical verbiage, viz: irresponsible upstarts, proponents of legalized alcoholism, destroyers of educational usefulness, etc.
In many cases, Greek houses deserved having the classic stercotypes of a pin, a bottle, a rabid cause of little import, and a textbook-doormat to picture their way of life. But many others suffered from the low reputation of their contemporaries.
For many years the Greek system has consciously worked to dispel the general disparaging idea that it is present for purposes exclusive of a college education. And no matter how hard some groups worked to improve the Greeks' reputation, there have always been a few houses willing to knife the system in the back with unrelentless, immature conduct.
Still the improvement persisted. Greeks stressed scholarship, public service, line living, high standards of social conduct, and, of course, plenty of parties to keep the pressures down. The Greeks were not alone. Dormitories and scholarship halls joined the drive to improve student living standards by exercising better organization.
The movement is yet to reach its climax. The big push is surging with such force that a fear has begun circulating that the Greeks are defeating their purpose.
Recently Kansas State's Inter-fraternity Council enacted a measure to do away with Homecoming displays and floats on the basis that such activities displaced valuable study hours.
Iowa State's student body president went so far as to urge de-emphasis of student activities for the reason that they hurt the learning process.
And at KU, certain student leaders are following the wobbly tracks of these other schools, attempting to smother the only purpose for which the Greeks exist—the social advantage. An undercurrent of activity on this campus seems destined to remove Homecoming displays and Kansas Relays floats from the KU calendar.
But floats and displays are not the issue. The scope of the entire "de-emphasist" movement, as reflected in many of the nation's college newspapers, shows a disturbing determination on the part of America's Greeks to minimize those activities which make their way of life desirable to many students.
Most educators will agree that campuses would lose much of their color and would become a bit hollow should the Greek houses close. The Greeks' important function is to provide for education in a social atmosphere. With each step toward alleviating this atmosphere, the Greeks become less integral to the college society.
The "de-emphasist" movement, as long as it continues, spells the beginning of the decline and fall of the Greek empire. If the movement persists, there will be few reasons left for people to join fraternities and sororities. —John Husar
Cummings Is No Beatnik
Editor
Miss (Carol) Heller's printed report of Prof. (Edward) Grier's poetry reading was misleading. It created the impression that Cummings was cited as a Beatnik poet. (It was nowhere stated as such, but the continuity and organization of the article strongly implied it.) I doubt whether that could have been Prof. Grier's intention.
Cummings may share some concerns with the Beatniks but his variety of sentimental humanism, his preoccupation with structure and formal arrangement, and his sense of resolution beyond mere social protest spare him from inclusion. The refinement of his surreptitious wit and the scope of his poetic interest (attentive to universal themes of love and death, time and eternity) are certainly 'unbeaten.'
Further, the aforementioned article stated, "Prof. Grier also read poetry written by three contemporary poets..." Cummings' new "95 poems" published last year qualifies him as contemporary.
...Letters ..
-Harold Zender
Montreal graduate student
* *
Against Red China
Editor:
This letter is in reply to the editorial by Saundra Hayn in regard to her suggestion that the United States recognize the Communist government of China.
The recognition of Red China by the United States would immediately raise another problem that could very likely start what we have been trying to avoid, namely war. What would happen to the Nationalist Government on Formosa?
Without the support of the United States the government of Chiang Kai-shek would most likely fall, and if it didn't there would surely be war because then the Communists would also have legal claim to Formosa due to treaties
we made during World War II when we agreed to give Formosa to the Chinese.
The Nationalists would not bow out gracefully, as in a game of tennis, and the Communists would be more determined than ever to "liberate" Formosa. This is only one problem that would be raised if we do as she suggests.
The Communists are not playing for marbles. A glance at a map of the area should be enough to show that Communist control of Formosa would also put them very close to the Phillipine Islands and also to the island of Okinawa. These islands are necessary for our continuing control of that area, not to mention the importance of Formosa itself.
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS By Dick Bibler
While moral grounds may not sound important to you editors sitting safely on the Hill 8,000 miles from the situation, they would be very important to every country in Asia that has a treaty with the United States. They would all begin to look over both shoulders and sit with their back to a wall while going over the fine print of any treaty they have with us.
I seriously doubt that recognition of Red China would illustrate "a little reason in our policy toward China."
Newark, Ill., graduate student
—Sheldon Shepherd
It Looks This Way . . .
Daily Hansan
University of Kansas student newspaper
Telephone Viking 3-270u Extension 711, news room Extension 376, business office
Founded 1889, became bweikely 1904,
trieweekly 1908, daily Jan. 16, 1912.
Member Inland Daily Press Association. Associated College Press. Represented by National Advertising Services Nelson Avenue, New York, N.Y. News service board and press International. Mail subscription rates: $3 a semester or $5 a year. Published in Lawrence, Kan., every afternoon during the University year except Saturdays and Sundays, University holidays, fall term meetings, second-class matter Sept. 17, 1910 at Lawrence, Kan., post office under act of March 3, 1879.
NEWS DEPARTMENT
Jack Harrison ... Managing Editor
Carol Allen, Dick Crocker, Jack Morton and Doug Yocom, Assistant Managing Editors; Rael Amos, City Editor; Jim Trotter, Sports Editor;
Carolyn Frailey, Society Editor.
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
George DeBord and
John Husar
Sandra Hayn, Associate Editorial Ed-
dition
By George DeBord
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT
Bill Kane Business Manager
I wandered into the Hawk's Nest yesterday wearing the old trenchcoat. It wasn't raining outside, but in light of the downpours of the past two weeks, I wasn't taking any chances. Besides, I could conceal a copy of MAD in the inside breast pocket.
Understand, I'm not ashamed of reading a magazine that is printed in comic book form, it's just that I have no desire to be connected with any movements or stuff like that.
Lately, it seems that one is quickly tagged as a member of an unpopular organization is he fails to adhere to the standards set
Those who are not among the Right Thinkers are the ones who are labeled under such stereotypes as "Beatnik," "Independent" or "MAD Reader."
for our academic society by some unknown group. No one seems to know who these policy-makers are, or where they congregate. But one thing is certain, the PM's do have authority—and all right-thinking students kneel before it.
Well, as I was saying, I didn't want to be associated with any group because I like thinking for myself, so I chose a table in one of the darker corners. To avoid attracting attention, I slid my coveted
Everything went well until I became absorbed in a satire about the crowd at a football game. It really broke me up. I began to chuckle. I read on intently, throwing all caution to the winds.
magazine inside a copy of The Daily Kansan and began leafing through the pages. I assumed a serious expression to further avoid standing out from the crowd.
When MAD selected its grandstand All America, I fell forward on the table in convulsive laughter. The magazine slipped from behind its protective newspaper cover and fell to the floor.
When I had recovered, I reached down for the magazine. All I could see was the title. The rest was covered with a huge black boot.
I looked up into an impassive face. Behind it were several dozen others, equally expressionless.
"Pardon me," I said, shoving the boot aside and picking up the magazine. From the size of his foot I could tell that he was at least a Right-Thinker, if not a PM.
"What's your name, rank and student number?" he demanded.
"What's the charge?" I fired back.
"Encouraging humor in a serious atmosphere, among other things. Don't give me any backtalk."
As the crowd surged closer, chanting defamatory phrases, I turned to the door.
"Satire Lover, Humorist, Liberal, Reactionary," they screamed. Near the door, I saw two members of my literature class.
"Hi, men." I said, happy to see their familiar faces.
They looked at the floor in the universal way people do when they are ignoring someone. "Beat it," whispered the first. "They'll see you talking to us."
As I left, the second one yelled, loud enough for the others to hear. "Can you imagine that? A Mad reader."
"A real Misfit," said the first to the others, as they pushed to the door to make certain I had left.
The relationship of philosophy to everyday problems is vastly overrated. Philosophy won't help you decide whether you should give up cigarettes.-Mason Welch Gross.