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University Daily Kansan Wednesday, May 1, 1957
Waxing wire clotheslines provides A tutu is a very short projecting protection against corrosion. skirt worn by a ballet dancer.
Libya ...
A Country Caught By Old And New
Nationalism and the time-honored bootstrap method have marked the mid-century emergence of dark Africa to its place in the sun. In the roster of Africa's independent nations, it is only Libya which has not achieved sovereignty by these two forces.
The large ( $2\frac{1}{2}$ times the size of Texas) desert country is in North Africa, on the Mediterranean Sea. It was made officially independent in 1951 by the United Nations. Sovereignty was virtually thrust on the country, and it was a gift the receiver was practically unprepared to receive.
(2) An illiteracy rate of 90 per cent. (There were only 14 university graduates in 1951 and virtually no one with technical or administrative training.)
(3) Three un-united provinces - Cyrenaica, Tripolitania and Fezzan—embodying different cultural backgrounds.
These were the country's qualifications for selfgovernment in 1951:
(1) Universal poverty among the sparse population of little more than one million persons.
(5) No concept of formal governmental procedure. (There had been no pre-independence incubation period under the watchful eye and helpful guidance of the U.N.)
(4) No power or mineral resources, no native labor and capital, and a subsistence agricultural economy which has been the only kind possible because of adverse climatic conditions.
In the case of Libya, the way to self-sufficiency will obviously be slow, but time, which can sometimes be hurried effectively through the motivation of desire, hasn't been accelerated there.
The bootstrap method is having to cope with "the will of Allah," the force of the centuries-old heritage of the Koran. If poverty, hunger and sickness is one's lot, there is no need to resist. The old ways, as favored by Allah, are not easily or quickly reconciled with modern social reforms.
There have been actions, however, which show that some Libyans, even contrary to Allah, are trying to hurry the process, and the effects haven't been satisfactory. It is agreed that one of the first steps toward responsible self-government is the replacement of foreign administrators by Libyans.
This has been successful in police departments, where promising young men have been thoroughly trained and have proved their efficiency when on the job. In the civil service department, though, Libyans have not been able to perform the duties they were rushed into without adequate training. The method of getting native teachers into the schools has not been too successful, either. Last year, 177 Libyan teachers were graduated, and most of them were only 14-17 years old with an education background of eight years.
It may be that the slow ways of Allah will work to an advantage for Libya. If this philosophy, and the more tangible reasons, prevent the country from becoming a victim of precocious intense nationalism, the bootstrap method will have the chance to prove itself. While other African nations are proving they can cope with the problems of sovereignty, it is doubtful if Libya can or will want to, for quite some time. In this light, the country seems deserving of U.S. and U.N. aid and guidance.
Joan George
In a recent series of articles in The Nation, several leading U.S. educators characterize the present college generation as one that is "conservative" and "lacking in purpose."
Today's Students-Hoboes Attending Tea
The conservative plight is unfortunate, for in this age of atomic warfare "tomorrow's leaders" should be thinking more freely than ever before. Instead, virtually all educational America is chugging the word "adjust" like a freight train pulling out for Utopia.
It is paradoxical that in these same articles the educators should pine for the "good old days" when the student mind wasn't quite so sterile.
Just why the present college generation is drifting into quiet conservatism is a question which many students would like answered.
It is odd, too, that today's professor who purportedly was a "liberal" in his rah-rah days now has few liberal thoughts for his students in the classroom.
There are those who insist that our high level of prosperity has given rise to conservatism. As one KU professor has remarked, "Perhaps we are living a don't-rock-the-boat- while- its- sailing- smoothly philosophy." Perhaps there is a good deal of truth in the idea that a
hungry man thinks more than one who is well-fed.
And there is no doubt that advances in the field of psychology have brought conservatism into teaching methods. Breaking into the student's sphere of contentment and giving the old emotions a hearty stir has become the most ghastly and unpardonable crime.
And then, of course, there is McCarthyism. Determining just how much this technique has influenced educators would be a difficult task, but most students can't even remember when they last heard an un-American comment from a professor. Everything about the Great American Dream seems to be just fine, thank you.
Another part of the answer may be that society is becoming so complex that the effort to gain adequate knowledge in any field but your own becomes such a formidable task that is isn't worth the struggle. The contagious thought among many students seems to be that ignorance of anything but your own job is bliss if you happen to wear a charcoal suit, eat gracefully, and live in suburbia.
It is impossible of course, to unearth all of the reasons for the present generation's conservatism. The effects, however, are clearly
Like a bunch of hoboes at an afternoon tea, the present generation is hesitant and afraid. Students are understandably reluctant about plunging into an intellectual community where they are certain to meet with disapproval.
apparent and deeply felt among the students who are beginning to question its foundation.
We can only hope that the budding intellectual realizes that he is facing an age in which he may have to battle fiercely so that he may stay intellectual. In this battle he not only need to face the holy sacraments of contented educators, but he will need to rid himself of the tranquilizer injections which he received at such an early age he could not resist.
... Letters ...
From sultry coastal plains beside the Red Sea, Yemen rises in tiers to mountain peaks 12,000 feet high. Moisture from clouds breaks against the rugged barricades, setting the region apart from arid neighboring deserts.
Dale Morsch
I, too, hesitate to wash dirty linen in public. However, I feel that the unfortunate remark made by the American at the recent International Club banquet certainly is in need of an explanation, not by the perpetrator of the act, but by the instigator.
An Apology
Editor:
The individual who publicly and unwittingly, and perhaps stupidly "joked" about the newly formed African free state did so at my suggestion and as a result of my (not his) reflections concerning certain dishes on the banquet table. We were to present the American offering on the program, and in the interim between performances while an instrument was being shoved into position for our act the unfortunate remark came forth.
Characteristic of many quick "opportunities" to "be funny," this one was licited before
thought and respect for others was considered. For one awarded an A. B. in human relations, culture and behavior, this certainly bespeaks of faulty learning and poor competence in the field.
I, as well as the other American who was the instrument of my obtuse and crude suggestion, wish to express our sincere apologies to Mr. Vosper and the community as a whole for any misinterpretations which were implied and perhaps inherent in this "joke." We should also like to thank Mr. Vosper for calling attention to our negligence and thoughtlessness, and for reminding us of our obligation to be considerate of, and respectful toward, all of our fellow men regardless of national origins. I promise that in the future I shall attempt to channel my energies in this direction.
Alfred Slater Jr.
Graduate student
Kansas City, Mo.
Daily Hansan
University of Kansas student newspaper
1904, daily Jan. 16, 1912.
truespyle 1908, daily Jan. 16, 1912.
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