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University Daily Kansan Monday,Dec. 5.1960
KU's Mature Administration
During the last two weeks the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) and Sigma Delta Chi, professional journalistic society, held their national conventions. Both of these national organizations, one concerned primarily with campus problems and the other concerned primarily with national problems, expressed deep concern over the progress of the American Press' fight for freedom of information.
SIGMA DELTA CHI HAS CONDUCTED AN eight-year fight with the federal and state governments to gain and insure the nation's press free access to administrative records which do not jeopardize the nation's security. The 16,000-member national society has met increasing success on state levels (Kansas included), but the federal government refuses to cooperate with the crusade for freedom of information.
Rep. John E. Moss, D-Calif., who has headed the House of Representatives' Freedom Committee for the past five years, spoke at the Sigma Delta Chi convention and cried out against the suppression of administrative records by government agencies. He said that a study conducted by his committee showed that more than 90 per cent of federal classification is needless. He continued to say that this over-classification breeds only contempt for the system and for the government officials.
The problem on campuses across the nation is not of such magnitude, but many school papers do not have the freedom or are not, surprisingly enough, willing to exercise the freedom to criticize the school's administration. Furthermore, many schools cannot take stands on campus politics or even comment on national or state political campaigns. The Associate Collegiate Press held a number of panel discussions led by student editors and each of these discussions finally ended considering censorship of campus newspapers—how to combat it or evade it.
THESE DISCUSSIONS BY STUDENT editors left the KU editor at the ACP convention with a feeling of smug superiority. This superiority stemmed from the KU administration's mature approach to the problem. Never has the Daily Kansan been censored and never has the Daily Kansan been told not to comment on any political matter. This administrative stand recognizes that in a democracy criticism by a free press is one of the foremost means of keeping public officials aware of their responsibilities.
- John Peterson
Electoral College Useless Editor:
The letter by John Hodge which appeared in the UDK Tues., Nov. 29, indicates a faith in the electoral college which seems to me to be completely misplaced. The electoral college does not in any way act as a check in preventing the American people from choosing an unqualified person for the presidency. The electoral votes are cast in a manner determined by the popular votes cast during the general elections. The only exceptions to this are illustrated in a few of our southern states. In those states the local politicians are attempting to control the electoral votes not in order to insure the people of a highly qualified president but rather in order to acquire a high degree of bargaining power which they can use to further their own political ambitions and the ambitions of those in the state who wish to maintain bigotry and prejudice in defiance of civil liberty.
The electoral college was designed to give the American people the illusion of choosing the leader of government while in actuality that right was to be kept within a small group of individuals self-designated as intellectually enlightened. This type of plan might well be called representative democracy through representation. Whether this was a praiseworthy undertaking or not is debatable. The fact is that the electoral college no longer serves any legitimate purpose, original or otherwise, and therefore, should be done away with.
for clowning celebrities. This check is known as the two party system. It is a check which does not interfere with election by popular vote. Its theoretical efficiency may be questionable, but in practical application it is far more efficient than the electoral college ever was.
Mr. Hodge seems to be worried about letting the complete choice of a president fall into the hands of a biased and uninformed public, especially those poor souls out in western Kansas who only get to read a small town paper now and then — that is if they can read. Mr. Hodge can stop worrying. It so happens that there is a very good check which greatly reduces the possibility that the American people will blunderingly turn the presidency into an ornamental seat
What do we have to lose? The electoral college should be lifted from our way of life and confined once and for all to the history books in which it belongs.
Bill Myers
Kansas City junior
* *
Hodge on the Spit Editor:
This is an open letter to Mr. John Hodge. Dear Mr. Hodge
Dear Mr. Hodge,
Let me enlighten you somewhat on the significance of athletics here at the University of Kansas.
Many students come to college to enjoy the broader aspects of higher education and not simply to be educated in the narrow technical sense. This includes joining the university in recognizing the efforts of a football team that has contributed much towards the enhancement of our university's prestige.
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS
BETTER LEAVE HIM ALONE - HE'S LOOKING FOR THREE MORE WORDS TO FINISH A 10,000 WORD THEME. "
I believe I am safe in asserting that Mr. Wescoe has had considerable experience in educational administration and is well qualified to make decisions for the good of our university. I, personally, am happy that he does not take the "bah, humbug" attitude towards athletics which you have so profoundly expressed.
Achievement on the athletic field is an integral part of a university's search for distinction.
You mentioned in your open letter to Mr. Wescoe the injustice of our educational system in failing to provide sufficient funds for many qualified and deserving students. Certainly this is a big problem facing our universities today. How can you advocate "education for all" then turn around and criticize someone who uses his physical skills to obtain a college education"
Just because an athlete is awarded a scholarship does not mean he is "awarded" a diploma. On the contrary, the time and efforts demanded of a college athlete makes the acquisition of his diploma even more significant.
I suggest that next time students are given an opportunity to join the university in recognizing the efforts of an athletic team you come down from your "intellectual high horse" and join the crowd.
Larry Miller
Topeka senior
As It Seems to Me
By Carol Heller
Art students! Are you tired of hearing people make wise cracks about abstract art?
Are you tired of feeling like an intellectual snob when you defend abstract art?
When you hear visitors to the art museum say, "Any monkey could paint that picture," do you feel like bouncing them out the door?
Then enroll in Prof. Arvid Shulenberger's Literary Criticism course at 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Here you will find the perfect justification for abstract art.
THE JUSTIFICATION COMES IN THREE SIMPLE WORDS: Art imitates nature. The axiom is not new, for it was set forth 2,282 years ago by the Greek philosopher, Aristotle. The Literary, Criticism students currently are studying Aristotle.
By the word nature, Aristotle means "things in the process of change."
These people who contend that abstract art is not art have the definition of art confused. They are saying that art is an imitation of nature. But this is a static definition, and nature is not static. Nature is things in the process of change.
This means that nature is not limited to objects or to the scenery. It means that when an artist paints a canvas full of blue geometric patterns, the product may be as worthy of being called art as when the artist paints a vase of roses.
FOR WHO IS TO SAY THE ARTIST DID NOT RECORD THE shades of blue we see every day? . . the ethereal blue of early morning, the brilliant blue of a sunny high-noon sky, the lavender blue of twilight, the ice blue of snowfall, the deep blue of the ocean and the sparkling blue of a laughing girl's eyes?
To paint a vase of roses is to record a particular moment within nature. It is like snapping a picture...it suspends an infant of time. But to paint the blues of nature is to capture the whirl and change of nature.
The painting of the roses is not a true representation of nature, for the day after the picture is painted, the rose petals will be withered, and the vase may be broken to bits. But the painting of the shades of blue will last forever, for as long as the world whirls on, the shades of blue will change every day.
This is not to say that representational art is not good, for it may capture the charm or horror of a moment we want to keep and remember. And it is not to say that 'all abstract art is good, for as Aristotle said, "A beautiful object, whether it be a picture of a living organism or any whole composed of parts, must not only have an orderly arrangement of parts, but must also be of a certain magnitude; for beauty depends on magnitude and order... the most beautiful colours, laid on confusedly, will not give as much pleasure as the chalk outline of a portrait."
ALL ABSTRACT ART MAY NOT BE ORDERLY. THEREfore, it is not fair to criticize abstract art when it is not orderly, but it is not fair to criticize abstract art merely because an object or scene is not recognizable.
When it is orderly and good, abstract art records everything... the color, texture, patterns; rhythm, movement and change of nature. This is the justification for abstract art.
But should Aristotle's word seem too remote to depend on while you defend abstract art, you may be interested to know that a more contemporary artist holds the same views.
Robert Frost has said that nature is not "the scenery," but "the whole God damn machinery."
Worth Repeating
Herbert Gold is one of the most perceptive and at the same time one of the most exuberant of the young American writers who have made their reputations since World War II. He has not identified himself with the reading public as a stylized professional after the fashion of a J. D. Salinger, nor has he taken on any of the studied decadence of a Paul Bowles or a Truman Capote. His appeal, like that of such contemporaries as Saul Bellow, William Styron, George Elliott and Harvey Swados, has been to the general American audience which, before the war, read Hemingway and Steinbeck, not Djuna Barnes or Virginia Woolf.—David L. Stevenson
Daily Hansan
University of Kansas student newspaper
University of Kansas student newspaper
Founded 1889, became biweekly 1904, trieweekly 1908, daily Jan. 16, 1912.
Telephone Viking 3-2700
Extension 711, news room
Telephone 502-444-5555
Member Inland Daily Press Association. Associated Collegiate Press.
Represented by National Advertising Service, 18 East 50 St., New York 22,
N. Y. News service: United 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 and examination periods. Entered as second-class matter Sept.
17, 1910, at Lawrence, Kan., post office under act of March 3, 1879.
NEWS DEPARTMENT
Ray Miller ... Managing Editor
Carol Heller, Jane Boyd, Priscilla Burton and Carrie Edwards, Assistant Managing Editors; Pat Sheley and Suzanne Shaw, City Editors; John Macdonald, Sports Editor; Peggy Kallos and Donna Engle, Society Editors.
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
John Peterson and Bill Blundell
John Peterson and Bill Blundell Co-Editorial Editors
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT
Mark Dull ... Business Ma