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University Daily Kansan Wednesday, Feb. 22. 1961
The Ways of Judging
The ways in which a university is judged for effectiveness are many. How large is its curriculum? Does it emphasize the undergraduate programs? Are graduate students able to achieve what they desire educationally? These are but a few criteria. There are many more.
TO BE SURE, THEERE ARE MANY MORE so many, in fact, that if one were to attempt to list all the reasons for a university's effectiveness and importance, those who had no idea of the university's role would be amazed. And not the least of these factors was demonstrated last night when Professor Hayakawa spoke on communication with Russia.
It goes without saying that his speech was important because of these trying times. The
study of semantics is new. In many ways it is more important than the study of nuclear physics. That need not be mentioned here, however. What must be mentioned is the importance of his appearance and the appearance of others at the University. Each time students are presented with the chance to achieve a more grandiose education, the university is becoming more effective. Each time students become more aware of the world about them, the world about them has a better chance of remaining that way.
THAT IS WHY THE FUNCTION OF THE University to bring humanitarians to build humanitarians is so important. And at this University, programs such as that last night insure that this function is being performed well.
The Editors
On Senator Goldwater Editors:
The statement on the back page of the Feb. 13 UDK, obviously put in for journalistic "filler," cannot go unchallenged. The statement by Senator Goldwater—that conservative with a conscience—to the effect that "In colleges where there are no fraternities Communism flourishes," is absurd.
While fraternities may stand for a great many things, by no stroke of the imagination can they be considered as the bulwark of the democratic ideal.
Ronnie Averyt
Assistant Instructor
Political Science
Editor:
--that the Americans heard about it and moreover, meddlesome hints from abroad are not likely to bring sudden relief.
And Then Again
Coming from a nation of teachers, i.e. from Switzerland, I feel almost obliged to join the abundant display of Liberian, German and Lebanese wisdom about American students in Feb. 20 Daily Kansan.
"You go to museums alone, you have coffee alone and you sit alone" -First of all who is "you"? Secondly, I certainly do go to museums alone; I do not care a pin about interpretative chitchat unless such information comes from a competent person.
IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING that Miss McIntosh comments on the segregation issue. After all, on Friday night it was the first time
... Letters ...
"You have to follow the rules of any society you live in if you want to enjoy your stay"—How true! It is not primarily up to the Americans to have coffee with us and to sit with us. Let me admit that I am still waiting for the American who moves away with his cup when I join him. And I haven't met him either who keeps his mouth shut when I address him. Confused as we might be by some rules of a different society, it is again up to us to inquire of an American student about these rules. As for my own experience, proper advice is always gladly given. However we are not expected to behave in a more American way than Benjamin Franklin himself.
WHETHER IT IS MR. HAERTEL'S task to make his audience familiar with interesting, but controversial ideas that have been developed by the Americans themselves, i.e. with Galbraith's "Affluent Society" and Packard's "The Waste Makers" seems doubtful. On the other hand I share Mr. Haertel's concern with today's drive to security. But is it typical for America? Are we in Europe, the promised land for liberals (et al.), better off? Finally, arriving at the New Frontier with a delay of several months, Mr. Haertel asks American students to "jump in now and do things, or they will never be done." Sounds well,
modern and progressive; but that's about all, especially when one is speaking from a lectern in the Kansas Union. What "things" should be done? Just noise ?
"The image I shall take home with me is a simple one, I still feel like a foreigner." Indeed, Miss Kalayan, your image is a simple one. It can't be otherwise since you don't make the slightest attempt to explore some more intricate aspects of American culture than just a girl who doesn't listen to country music because her boy friend told her it was not sophisticated.
I MYSELF WILL REMAIN A "foreigner," too, because there is no reason to junk my Swiss origin—certainly not because I was treated as a "foreigner" (of your understanding) by "closed social groups" like fraternities (which, however, open the doors of their allegedly monastic exclusiveness to foreign students) or by individuals.
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS
I am far from accepting everything that is offered by some questionable branches of a modern mass culture which happens to be the American one in our case. Not even all of these complacent Americans do this, to be sure. But I hope to be able to return to Europe with a keen understanding of another society, plenty of lasting friendships and a fine addition to my European education. What else could a foreign student wish? Fortunately, despite the advice "to do something about it," American students will continue to behave as they did before Friday night. And that's exactly what I like and what I am interested in . . .
"HE DON'T LOOK LIKE MUCH COACH—BUT YOU SHOULD SEE EDDIE HERE GO UP AFTER THOSE REBOUNDS."
Peter Frigee
Swiss graduate student
Editor:
***
Congratulations on your fine editorial of Feb. 20 on the intellectual laziness of today's college students.
Futile Stimulus
It was interesting to read on the same page the letter from Scott Stanley, Jr. The two items presented an intriguing contrast. The latter also seems to be calling for more intellectual vigor, but at the same time Mr. Stanley wants to preserve the "natural conservative bent" of the Kansas student body. To this end he would somehow inject more conservatism into the faculty.
One must agree with Mr. Stanley that intellectual stimulation is vital in a university, and we must also concede that the Kansas student does tend toward conservatism; but given these two premises he certainly reaches an invalid conclusion. A conservative at the lecturn facing a group of conservative students is not my idea of how to get intellectual stimulation.
Fortunately, Mr. Stanley has been stimulated a little — at least enough to write a letter to the editor. This indicates that someone must have been needing him a bit.
John G. Grumm
Assistant Professor of Political Science
English Proficients
Sex in Review
(Editor's Note: Following is one of the ten prize-winning English Proficiency essays from last Fall's examination. The next examination is March 2 at 7:30 p.m.)
By Linda Gump
When John O'Hara's novel, "Butterfield 8," was first published, a Saturday Review critic expressed a desire to know what O'Hara's books would be like if he knew any nice people. Apparently the Saturday Review staff is still looking for an author who writes about people who would be worth knowing.
However, when one examines the novels which are issued forth daily from the publishing houses, one suspects that it may be a long time before the Saturday Review critics find their "worthwhile" character. Unfortunately, the majority of fictional characters, whether they are found in a "best seller" or in some obscure publication, are not people whom the average or above average reader would like to know.
THE WOMEN DEPICTED IN CONTEMPORARY WORKS are frequently quite unappealing. Whether they are portrayed as members of high society or as the average American working girl, they all seem to have one major avocation—sleeping with as many men as frequently as possible. Granted, we live in a society renowned for its double standard in regard to morals. Yet, it comes as a surprise to be told that the difference between what society preaches and what society does is as great as modern authors would have one believe. There is a big difference, at least of degree, between the girl who has an affair or two and the girl who plays musical beds.
Consider, however, the women who have dominated some recent novels. Marjorie Morningstar, a heroine of recent years, apparently had no talent whatsoever except sleeping with various and sundry men. Yet, the reading public was treated to a rather thick tome devoted to an account of Marjorie's search for a husband and to the favors she bestowed frequently on assorted undesirable men. Or read about that symbol of American girlhood, the secretary, in "The Best of Everything." It is to be hoped that the author exaggerated the stupidity of her heroine, because if this is a factual portrayal of the average young woman, the young women of today should hang their heads in shame.
TO BE SURE, ONE CAN GAIN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF amusement from these modern heroines, but they can give the reader nothing that would be termed "worth-while."
Women are not the only ones to suffer at the hands of contemporary writers, though. Many of the men in today's novels are quite deficient in admirable qualities. A very popular type at the present time is the professional or business man who is apparently quite capable in his field, but who neglects to use his abilities to the utmost because his attention is distracted by some woman or by some event.
The hero of John O'Hara's "From the Terrace" is a splendid example of the potentially good business man: he makes a fine start, but becomes involved with a woman—naturally, not his wife. This intelligent, well-educated gentleman does end up with his spouse; however, after doing so, the only thing he is capable of doing is meeting friends at train stations.
THE READER MAY FIND RELAXATION IN THE DESCRIPTION of these new "heros," but he is more likely to feel contempt, rather than admiration, for them as people.
Indeed, although not all books are devoted to weak, unprincipled characters, one feels that there must be a complete shift in the attitudes of most contemporary authors before either the Saturday Review staff or the reading public find many worth-while characters.
If the future of the physical world is in the hands of the scientists, then the future of the human world—the idea how to live in that world—is in the hands of the humans.—A. Whitney Griswold
Worth Repeating
***
When people seek freedom, they are always impatient.—Ralph J. Bunche
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