Looking around Mt. Oread with the two faces of Janus
Somewhere in the dusty past of Roman mythology, there was a fellow with two faces who served as a household god. His name was Janus, and his double countenance symbolized the opposite sides of a door.
"It's Me Again, Grandma"
Nowadays, of course, a fellow with a condition like Janus' might be labeled a schizoid or, as the more blunt and less learned among us might say, a two-facer.
Janus might be called those names, if anyone remembered him. But they don't. Since the wise Romans named the first month of the year after him centuries ago, poor Janus has suffered anonymous seclusion.
BUT MAYBE A RESURRECTION IS IN order. Even though the hill called Mt. Oread is a far cry from mythology's Mt. Olympus, maybe we should take the wraps off Janus, cart him up our own hill and place him in some appropriate sanctuary—like the Strong Hall rotunda.
With one pair of eyes, our new god could watch the University rake in millions and build seven story suitcases. With the other pair, he could stare as Stouffor Place playground degenerated into a Kansas jungle of weeds that
even the Viet Cong would fear.
If such a vision doesn't shake the plaster off the old boy, he could turn his two faces towards KU women (why not?). Clearing the Roman wax out of the first pair of ears, Janus could listen to the chatter proclaiming women's rights and individual freedoms. Or, with the other pair, he could listen to administrators, crying "identity crisis" at the top of their shrill voices, herd the mini-skirted coeds into their respective pens.
BUT IF SUCH CONFUSION STILL FAILS to satiate KU's Janus, he could enjoy a more complete orgy by turning his head a few more degrees—watching campus cops write scores of parking tickets while thieves freely rob buildings and dormitories, and listening to professors fighting for human freedoms while the University Senate meets behind tightly sealed doors.
But if our Janus should tire of all this, we might have to help him out—boost his morale.
Every now and then, one of us will have to whisper to the old boy the students' motto, "Illigitimati non carborundum." That, for the uninitiated, roughly translates to "Don't let the bastards grind you down." -Dan Austin
The people say...
To the Editor:
I am writing to express my disagreement and disgust with the changes in the Commencement proceedings as outlined in the article "Commencement Altered" in the May 5th edition of the UDK.
It appears that the Administration, in its quest to streamline the University and its functions, has finally attacked and sliced up one of the most traditional aspects of university life, Commencement
exercises. This ceremony used to represent the only formal public recognition of the time and effort spent in the last four years to earn the distinction "college graduate." For students and parents alike, it was a proud moment for the graduate to walk across the platform to receive his diploma. For both the Phi Beta Kappa and the struggling "onepoint" student, the pomp and ceremony and the tradition of
Commencement was long remembered.
New Seat
The Daily Kansan, student newspaper at The University of Kansas, is represented by National Advertising Service, 18 East 50 St. New York, NY, 10022 postage paid at Lawrence, Kan., every afternoon during the University year except Saturdays and Sundays. University holidays and examination periods, accommodations, goods, services and employment advertised in the University Daily Kansan are offered to all students without regard to color, creed or national origin.
Beginning this spring however, Commencement "is designed to save time." It is no longer necessary to attend this ceremony and walk across some platform to receive a diploma; it will merely arrive in the mail accompanied no doubt by a form letter thanking you for attending the University of Kansas. KU appears to be taking on some of the aspects of an "earn-a-college-degree-by-mail" correspondence school. One of the few personal touches at this University, i.e. where they say your name, not your student number, is finally being eliminated.
In some cases expediency is certainly a desirable goal but is it really necessary to cut short an hour or two the well-deserved reward for four years or more of time and effort. If we were to be most expedient, why be bothered with even having Commencement? Such a proposal would surely be approved by Vice-Chancellor Nichols since it would save even more time.
Lary A. Robinson Iola Junior
But even more disappointing, you will no longer be officially recognized as a graduate at Commencement and will sit in the audience as a "candidate for graduation." In other words, you will attend a graduation ceremony at a University where after four years you still have not earned the right to be called a graduate.
It doesn't require extraordinary perception to see how certain University officials who must be present each year could be tired of waiting while diplomas were wanded out and would favor Commencement changes to expedite the proceedings. However perhaps they should remember that for most, college graduation comes once in a lifetime and they would like to remember something impressive, not an envelope in the mail.
Daily Kansan editorial page Tuesday, May 9, 1967
2
To the Editor:
Since I have lived in Lawrence and have been employed at the University of Kansas, I have had occasion to meet many KU students. Many of the students I have met are fine, mature, upstanding citizens—then there are the other ones. The ones who make me wonder what they are doing in college, when their behavior is such that a first grader would surely have more sense.
I decided to write to you and your paper as I am sure the UDK is read by more students than any other newspaper. And, I am hoping that this will be read by the right persons. But, the sad fact it, it probably won't. But, perhaps it will make someone else more aware of the type of conduct of some of our students.
DURING THE TIME I have lived'in Lawrence I have become friends with a very fine, hard-working family. The parents in this family are both intelligent, friendly people. They have three lovely children (ages 4, 6 and 7). These people are working hard to give their children a good deal of advantages and this doesn't stop at material advantages as they are trying to raise their children to become able, worthwhile citizens. And, for the ages of these children, I might say that they are some of the best-behaved children I have seen for their age groups. Perhaps this will give you some idea what kind of people my friends are.
Recently my friend took her children to a local frozen custard stand. As she drove up to the stand a carload of KU students drove up at the same time. Her children proceeded up to the stand to buy their treats and apparently this aroused something in our four KU men(?) students that these little ones should be there first and what's more get waited on first. (After all, who would dare to walk before them? Boy, do they have a lot to learn!) At any rate, these men(?) proceeded to call these children "Old Black Joe, Little Black Sambo, etc." Naturally these kids were defenseless. (If you recall, when you were their ages, you would have been, too.)
MY FRIEND SENT her children back to her car and confronted these men(?) She asked if they were KU students and they confirmed this with a yes. She said she was speechless and wasn't sure what to say, but she did tell them to watch their mouths and not say things like that again, but our big ment(?) shouted loud and clear as they drove off "Old Black Joe, etc." Now I ask you, was this necessary? Was the whole incident necessary? Who do some of these students think they are to expect the world to bow down before them when they behave in such a manner? Shouldn't collage-age people behave like they have an ounce of maturity? Are these men? In my mind, they are nothing but the lowest form of coward—the kind of coward who thinks he's a man in the crowd, but alone, he's nothing. Strange thing is, in the crowd, he's still nothing. And would they have been men(?) enough to say these things to my friend and her children if her husband, father, brother, cousin, or uncle were there?
I hope this was one isolated incident. It is really sad. Who knows what their words did to the hearts and minds of any one of these children? Let's hope the wounds aren't too deep.
Sincerely,
Elaine Shuckahosee