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University Daily Kansan Monday, Sept. 29, 1958
AGI Ideas
Election fever is a dread disease, and it seems to have hit the campus early this year. The Allied Gréek-Independent party has come out with its new platform, even though elections will not be held until April.
AGI was swamped at the polls last spring, and it is admirable that they have been able to rebuild their organization so rapidly. This year they are the opposition party, and the platform reflects this to some degree.
Here is the platform, and some comments which may be pertinent:
1. To work toward elimination of discriminatory practices in all public places in Lawrence.
Fine in theory, but this is the most objectionable plank in the platform to us. There is already a group on campus, working without much noise and proceeding as rapidly as it can to end local discrimination. Another group could end up working at cross-purposes and defeating the whole program.
If this work is taken up by a political group, it will eventually be slowed or undone by political hacks. To suggest taking over the program is a grandstand play, and a slap in the face to the present group, which we think is making more progress than could be expected from political anointees.
2. Raise student wages.
This is a much-needed idea, and we will appreciate anything the AGI can do with the problem. We fear that little can be done by a student group concerned with wages, but we are glad to see an attempt made.
3. To gain a voting seat in the ASC for each school.
A good idea, but belated. The ASC is already considering such a plan, to be presented in a referendum October 13.
4. Change Student Government Week to fall instead of spring.
The reasons seem to be valid—to increase interest in student government early in the year. It looks like a plan that should meet little or no opposition.
5. Publication of an ASC communique each week, to be sent to all organized houses. The communique to contain roll call and minutes of the last ASC meeting.
This also is designed to increase interest in student government. It seems a good idea, although it duplicates the work of the Kansan to some extent.
6. A pledge to consider and seek solutions to any campus problems that arise.
A catchall plank. No comment.
AGI has come up with a good platform, although not an outstanding one. All the main planks are vote-catchers, designed to draw the favor of most campus groups. If the party can do useful work on all its proposals, it will be a precedent in campus politics. If it can accomplish any of its aims (except to interfere with the Human Relations group), it will benefit the student body.
We hope they are not merely tilting at wind-
mills. —Al Jones
Missouri's Golden Year
The University of Missouri School of Journalism marks its 50th anniversary this fall. On their golden year, the Missouri scribes deserve a grateful ovation for their contributions to the profession.
Probably one of the most famous producers of communications talent, the Missouri school received a significant honor last Monday.
Surpassing in national acclaim the Founder's Day ceremonies honoring Walter Williams, first MU journalism dean, was the issuance of a special four cent postage stamp by the government commemorating journalism and freedom of the press. The stamp was presented to MU by L. Rohe Walter, special assistant to the postmaster general.
This is the first time the government has given special recognition to any school of journalism. And about time, too. Fifty years is a long time to wait before giving praise to our most important medium of communication.
Journalism has come a long way from the
dry, erudite publications around the turn of the century. It took many men to push it up. People like William Allen White, Ernie Pyle, James A. Michener, Walter Lippmann, Bill Vaughan, and many others—other men and women with different views and hopes, but one common love for truth and righteousness. It has gone through eras of empire building, sensationalism, politics, war and depression on its climb to higher principles and standards. No profession, save politics, has borne the brunt of slander and hypocrisy for so many years.
There have been periods of bad journalism. Newspapers, competing for prominence, circulation or publicity, have sometimes stretched news stories out of proportion. Others have taken false and unfair stands. These practices have injured many innocent people and groups. That was poor journalism. Through proper education at Missouri and other journalism centers, we hope that phase is finally ended. John Husar
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS
"I WISH TH' COMMERCIALS" WERE LONGER- I NEVER GET A CHANCE TO STUDY."
Daily Hansan
University of Kansas student newspaper
Founded 1889, became bweekly! 1004,
March 25, 2017.
Telephone VIking 3-2700 Extension 711, news room Extension 376, business office
Member Inland Daily Press Association. Associated Collegiate Press. Represented by National Advertising Service, 420 Madison Ave., New York, NY. Provides international Mail subscription rates: $3 a semester or $4.50 a year. Published in Lawrence, Kan., every afternoon during the University year except Saturdays and Sundays, University holidays, and examination periods. Enrolled in school for grades 17, 1910, at Lawrence, Kan. post office under act of March 3, 1879.
NEWS DEPARTMENT
Malcolm Applegate ... Managing Editor
Leroy Lord, Pat Swanson, Martha Crosier, Doug Parker, Assistant Managing Editors; Jack Harrison,
City Editor; Jeanne Arnold, Society Editor; Martha Pearse, Janice Howden,
Assistant Society Editors; Bob Macy, Telegraph Editor; Jack Morton,
Assistant Telegraph Editor; Jim Cable, Sports Editor; Don Culp, Assistant Sports Editor.
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT
Bill Irvine ... Business Manager
William Feitz ... Advertising Manager;
Robert Lida. Classified Advertising
Manager; Kam Kane, Circulation
Manager; Claude Book, Promotion
Manager; Dave Whalen, National Ad-
vertising Manager
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Al Jones Editorial Editor
John Husar, Associate Editorial Editor
. . . Books In Review . . .
By John Husar
IT ALL STARTED WITH MARX, by Richard Armour; illustrated by Campbell Grant. McGraw-Hill. $2.95.
Humor as written today usually carries an edge. An edge that penetrates the reader just far enough to enable him to feel the purpose behind the joke. Rarely is humor written purely, innocently and just for fun. Richard Armour's work is one of these exceptions.
His hilarious farce, "It All Started with Marx," is a shot in the arm for tired, old blood. His humor has no mystic point to it. It simply and openly pokes fun at well-known Communist leaders, both present and liquidated, and their doctrines, causing the reader to make light of existing world tensions by losing track of them.
By introducing fiction into loose biographies of famous Socialist heads from Marx to Khrushchev, Armour comes up with an absurd history of the Communist regime. His intrepid thoughts are moulded together with delightful words.
Two instances from the book should provide a fair idea of Armour's talents. The first one pictures the kind side of Nikolai Lenin displayed during one of his stays in Siberia. Of Lenin: "Wild game grew unafraid of him and would often lick the top of his head, seeking salt."
Another one of the passages reads: "Trotsky is known as 'The Father of the Red Army.' Since history records that he sired only two or three sons, there is obviously more to be known about this indefatigable campaigner."
Adroitly slipped onto the pages between swaths of prose are poignantly funny caricatures of the book's heroes sketched by cartoonist Campbell Grant. The illustrations augment the author's pen in the endeavor to ridicule completely the Russian set-up.
Holding a Ph.D. in English from Harvard, Armour is well-versed in the writing field. His contributions to literature now number 18 books, plus some 4,000 poems. "It All Started with Marx" is the latest addition to a current series of five humorous books, the others being "It All Started with Columbus," "It All Started with Europa," "It All Started with Eve," and "Twisted Tales from Shakespeare."
A few years ago, a man named Joey Adams came out with his own version of "On a Slow Train Through Arkansas." This work apparently set the pace for the bevy of dragging, monotonous corn that since has been published under the name of humor. Comparing this to Armour's "It All Started with Marx," the latter is a welcome breath of fresh air.