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University Daily Kansas Monday, March 9. 1964
KU Civil Rights Push
A renewed vitality has come to the commitment to better human relations at KU, centering around the newly-formed Civil Rights Coordinating Committee.
Seeds which in times past have fallen on barren rock now find their way to fertile ground.
CRCC was formed to direct the civil rights demonstrations during spring rush and Greek Week. These demonstrations are aimed at the de facto segregation among fraternities and sororities.
More important, CRCC is seeking to broaden the base of pro-civil rights expression by enlisting the support of various campus organizations and living groups.
Because of this, the protest stands to be deeply meaningful.
The upcoming pickets could well be considered radical in the context of our non-volatile society, protests appearing to be the stuff of extremists. Not so, however, for the tide of events is changing. People who are not radical in terms of personality—call them moderates—are committing themselves to what is considered radical
International Club and People-to-People
action—purposeful and responsible as it may be.
Some campus organizations have not yet been approached for a commitment. Among them are the International Club and People-to-People.
The tie, which is both logical and spiritual, is the common commitment to bettering relationships between man and man.
However, because of the logical tie between the two internationally-oriented groups and the CRCC movement, the two elements could conceivably dove-tail into unity.
I-Club and People-to-People, by lending their weight to CRCC would be recognizing the greater issue—that the movement is for more than Civil Rights. Implicitly, CRCC is for human relations, understanding, a capacity for tolerance.
Fraternities
Some fraternity members, as of now, have interpreted the CRCC program as being a protest against fraternities—as a threat, thus an affront. It is not that at all, for in a deep sense it is a plea for greater brotherhood—a plea for carrying fraternity in Greek houses to its highest plane.
Tom Coffman
Military Ball
I would like to join Mr. Miller and Miss Gray in voicing my criticism of the ROTC and its "Military Ball."
War once was a method of resolving differences of opinion and conflicts of interest among groups. War was waged by a minority—the military—on a minority—the opposing military—and usually led to a victory for one side.
One hundred billion dollars of the world's resources are being wasted on the current buildup of tension between the East and the West. The thermonuclear conflict that this buildup is preparing for has little in common with anything that could be called war: whole populations would be murdered, and there surely could be no sort of "victory" for either side.
The People Say . . .
Instead of supporting the Military Ball, let's attend the Un-Military Ball. Instead of joining the ROTC, let's work for a stronger Student Peace Union. Instead of accepting the arms race we have inherited, let us work together for the human race.
The preparation for organized violence has always been a tragic affair. In the modern world of mega-bombs and over-kill, it is not only tragic, but impractical, unjustifiable, and immoral. Thermonuclear incineration of hundreds of millions of human beings would be a crime unparalleled in the history of the human race.
Charles R. Hook Topeka freshman
In opposition to those defeatists who claim that nothing can be changed, I believe that international machinery for resolving disputes in a civilized manner can and must be created. And I believe that we, as morally responsible individuals, can and ought to work for a lasting peace.
Greek Week
All things considered, it can well be concluded that the coincidence of Greek Week with Holy Week is a planned one, and that seems particularly appropriate.
Since one of the acknowledged purposes of the Greek system is the expression of coinciding Greek and Christian ideals, the observance of Greek Week could not occur at a more suitable time than the week containing Good Friday and leading up to Easter Sunday. Just as the Greek and Roman world engaged in festivities commending their way of life both before and after the crucifixion of the troublemaker who insisted on reminding them of the one God, so can the Greek system on the KU campus enjoy celebrating during this period of time in the Christian year. The Greeks will be able to enliven the world by their songs, races, and dance. It is indeed fortunate that Peter Nero will be here on Saturday night as a preview
to the iovful celebration of Easter.
Indeed, the activities of Greek Week are well planned to fit in with the season. The highest moment in the Christian Year is inaugurated by a celebration of the highest moment (or week of moments) in the Greek Year, and the lowest moment in the Christian Year may thus be completely hidden by the excitement of the Greek holidays. As Lent may easily become depressing, just as Good Friday almost inevitably becomes a time of real sorrow and loneliness, it is most fortunate that the Greeks are insightful enough to ignore the dark moments through happy hours of their own.
Lest the non-Greeks fail to recognize the very real validity of this proximity of the celebration of the Greek system to the high festival of the Christian faith, and its surrounding customs, let us more carefully compare the two: Item: Just as the celebration of Greek Week is superseded by Easter Sunday, so too was the pagan world muted and overcome by the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Item: Just as the divinities of the Greek and Roman world were exalted in ignorance of the true Lord, so too is the Greek Week Queen raised up in defiance of the crucifixion of the Christ. Item: Just as Jesus' birth as a Jew for the life of the whole world shocked the Greeks and Romans in their carefully segregated cults and cultures, so too does the concern of the Christian faith for all men annoy the non-integrated Greek system on the KU campus. Let us with gratitude to the Greek system greet this fitting observance of Holy Week.
Paul B. Thomas Wichita sophomore
P-t-P Helps
I would like to ask Miss Inking whether she is quite sure that what she has written concerning People-to-People reflects the truth for most of the foreign students.
I think I have heard enough comments on the part of foreign students to be able to tell you. Miss Inking, that most of us are grateful to P-t-P: it has not chosen our own friends, but it has given us plenty of opportunities to meet both American and foreign students. (With beer parties, too. Everybody loves them.)
I would also like to ask her whether she feels that she has been quite far towards the students who work on the P-t-P board.
If you say that "... only foreign students are not too frequently met" . . . I can only remind you that one of the most common criticisms of P-t-P, is that the number of American students was always inferior to the number of foreign students present at parties and tours.
You need not be "a lucky fellow"
or a "swell guy" to be invited by P-t-P, but you do need a little effort on your part to make friends with the people you meet. Have we all made this effort, have we all tried to be pleasant and friendly, right from the start? Let us decide whether we have or not, especially before criticizing our "sister" or "brother" for not contacting us at once.
You might have been unlucky, but is this a good reason to make you think it was so with all of us, or to accuse people who have worked hard to have done it all for the sake of "social prestige?" I have personally met quite a few students who have given lots of their time and good will working for P-t-P: they have not done it for prestige, but just to help us, believe it or not, Miss Inking.
P-t-P has not failed in the eyes of the foreign students. We thank you, P-t-P, and we only wish we could help the American students who will come to our countries just as much as you have helped us.
Italy graduate student
Rosella Mamoli
Aids and Awards
Mr. Billings and his staff seldom deal in gratuities, never with platitudes nor condescension. They deal in services to students. Of all the thankless, unsung activities on this campus theirs is the most extraordinary.
Confucius has been credited with saying, "It is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness." This letter is not an attempt to light that candle but an epistle of gratitude to the someone who has—Mr. Robert Billings, Director of Aids and Awards. For those "unfortunate" students who have not yet availed themselves of services offered by this organization, it is my privilege to inform you that the office is called "AIDS AND AWARDS," Room 222, Strong Hall.
Mr. Billings directs the Student Loan Committee guided not by rigid, inflexible laws of finance but by the Golden Rule. He and his staff exemplify the apogee of business-customer relations. They are never too busy to listen to and, if possible, to help a needy student.
In my five semesters at KU they were pestered by me religiously at least once every semester. Neither Mr. Billings nor any one of his staff was ever rude, abrupt, or discourteous with me. They never failed to alleviate my oppressive financial burden. They were always kind, considerate, and impressively efficient.
Mr. Billings and his entire staff deserve more plaudits and laudation. I regret leaving the University of Kansas with the knowledge that my dealings with the Student Loan Office will have to be terminated.
Harold Yoker
Lawrence graduate student
"Absolutely! We Should Stay Out Of Foreign Affairs And We Should Make Other Counties Do As We Say"
Rocky and Federalism Liberal, Conservative?
(Second of a three-part series, written
titles from Hampshire primaries tomorrow.)
By Roy Miller
"He's so liberal he's a Democrat, not a Republican."
That is the Rockefeller image as interpreted by many persons. That is the image Nelson Rockefeller himself saw as a detriment to seeking the presidential nomination in 1960.
The fact is that Rockefeller is trying to look more like a conservative while not losing any of his policies or philosophy that classifies him as a liberal, or at least as being left of center.
ROCKEFELLER SHUNS "liberal" and "conservative" labels. But he says he's "an economic conservative and a human rights liberal."
Rockefeller, who felt the tax cut was long overdue, once said the best cure for the nation's economic growth would be to ease tax rules further on capital spending and to cut corporate taxes to restore profit margins. He also believes in a balanced budget.
Even though Rockefeller is probably the richest American ever elected to high office, the is not fundamentally conservative when it comes to things other than financial matters.
ACCORDING TO an article in Harper's magazine in 1959, "The truth is that he is probably as close to the lect as any man ever to run on his party's ticket."
Rockefeller supports the public accommodations section of the civil rights bill, and he favors the medicare package. He has an internationalist attitude possibly equaling the most international-minded Democrats.
In 1962, Rockefeller expressed his basic political creed this way:
"IN ADDITION TO the fact that
I was born a Republican, I believe in the worth and dignity of the individual—the concept of equal rights. I believe in private initiative and private enterprise: this is the growth factor in a democracy. I believe government close to the people is good government. And I believe in fiscal integrity."
After President Kennedy ran into "news management" trouble over the Cuban crisis, among other things, Rockefeller added to this platform a plank for "the people's right to know."
One of the most remarkable things stated by Rockefeller in his Godkin Lectures at Harvard University was the need for expansion of government at the state and local levels, not at the national level.
Rockefeller emphasized in the lectures on the future of federalism the decision by elected officials, the failure of the New Deal to recognize economic as well as social needs, and the need for new ideas in national politics.
CONCERNING TODAY'S politics, Rockefeller said in the lectures, "To call politics dirty is to call democracy dirty." He said labels have lost their meaning and he criticized what he called a "timidity of leadership."
Rockefeller said "it is time for states to lead" and, in the area of international politics, he placed faith in regional confederations and spoke of a need for world unity through a sort of federalism.
Except possibly in the area of economics, Rockefeller's views are not too different from those of John F. Kennedy.
But the difference is, and it is a big difference in this respect, Kennedy was a Democrat. Rockefeller needs to act more like a Republican if he is to win his party's nomination to the presidency.
DailijfHänsan
111 Flint Hall
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