tpum i - OWU DRC Home - Ohio Wesleyan University

Page 2
Ohio Wesleyan Transcript
Wednesday, September 26, 1951
AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER
ESTABLISHED IN 1867
EDITOR NORMA JEAN ALLISON
MANAGING EDITOR CLIFF REICHARD
BUSINESS MANAGER
. Assistant Ediior
'Associate Editor
News Editor
Issue Editors Nancy
CHARLOU RIPSCH
Pete Mason
Joy Edwards
Jack Collins
Champion, Bill Elbon,
Jane Litiick. Dave Howard
Co-Sports
Editors
Joe Somma, Bob Drake
Society Ediior Ros Seabury
Copy Editor Eleanor Bryenton
Picture Editor Mary Margaret Speers
Feature Editor Bill Klann
Advertising Mgr. Bill Creviston, Dave Carlo
Circulation Mgr. Gary Castle
Published weekly. September through Mav except during University
holidays and examination periods, at the Delaware Gazette.
Entered as second class matter, under Act of March 8 1897
Post Oftjce, Delaware, Ohio. Subscription rate S3 a year- - maii
subscriptions. S3.50 a year. National advertising representative
National Advertising service, 420 Madison ave., N. Y., N Y
Editorial and business offices, P. O. Box 364, Quonset 5, 70 South
Sandusky, Delaware, Ohio.
Your Opinion Counts
The Memorial Union building is no longer the
scene of steel beams, bricks and blueprints. It is
a reality and a functioning part of the university.
For the freshmen, of course, there is no adjustment
to make. They have never known any other
.locations for th places now assigned to the Union.
It is the sophomores, juniors and seniors, th faculty
and Administration who must look around and
note the changes which have been made.
As with any new thing, the Union cannot become
an integral part of the total university in a
few days. It is still a novelty, subject to lengthy
discussion and criticism. Everyone is still comparing
the actual building with the ideas he had and
the mental picture he formed while it was still incomplete.
This situation can develop into one of two things
it can either result in much harmful criticism,
making the adjustment period longer and more difficult,
or it can bring forth good constructive suggestions
for improving the planning and the use
of space to solve the problems which face the people
who are in charge of administering the Union.
The outstanding comments from the students
have been that the snack bar is too small and the
first floor is too large to be used much. The Tub
was often filled to overflowing, and the students
thought that the new snack bar would, in view of
this fact, be larger. The general sentiment is that
the students do not want expansive lounges, but a
place to relax for that hour between classes over
a coke or coffee and a cigarette. There have already
been numerous occasions when the capacity of the
snack bar was inadequate to acommodate all the
people who wanted to find a chair.
"" This situation cannot be remedied immediately,
and several suggestions have already been made
about expanding the capacity. The private dining
"rooms will be open all the time as soon as the elevator
is installed and the dining hall on the second
floor is in operation. Some think that the need
for more table space exceeds the need for the
bowling alleys which are to be placed adjoining
the grill.
" The administration has asked that everyone
concerned with the use and operation of the Union
he patient until the many problems have been ironed
out. This does not mean to "suffer in silence,"
but to give serious thought to the present shortcomings.
Make your opinions known to the people
w ho are in a position to act on suggestions.
Red Cap Welcome
You who wear the little red caps are going to
; like Ohio Wesleyan . . . most everyone does. As time
goes on, you are going to like it more and more;
and every part of your college life will have a material
and emotional significance.
Life here at Wesleyan is centered around three
things; scholastic endeavor, social life and co-curri-cu-
activities. If you participate in all three, you
will lead a more full and well rounded college life.
JToo much emphasis on the scholastic leads to
staleness; too much emphasis on the social detracts
from and sometimes defeats the obvious
reason for coming to college; too much emphasis
on the co-curricu-
lar may
lar
have somewhat the same
effect.
Consequently, it is necessary for you as fresh- -
men, to make proper time allotments for each, remembering
that too much weight on any one of
these phases may lead to an unhappy life here at
Wesleyan.
One of the first things you will be confronted
with, here at Wesleyan, is a compulsory chapel at
1 1 a. m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. At
first, you will resent the fact that you have to go
to chapel, especially when there are bluebooks and
quizzes that afternoon.
There have been movements started on campus
to do away with compulsory attendance at chapel,
but as Registrar Conger and others have pointed
out, ths is one of the things which makes Wesleyan
different from other colleges.
For this is the time of the day when the school
as a whole can corne together and be together as a
unit. This is one of the things which attributes to
the obvious fact that Wesleyan is a friendly school.
With the hope in mind thai you will budget
your time and take part in all phases of Wesleyan
life and that you learn to appreciate some of the
things which the university requires of you, the
Transcript also says, "Welcome Freshmen."
Students, Dogs
And Professors
BY LEROY HOFFMAN
According to the senior bench
sociologists, the constituency of
Ohio, Wesleyan can be conveniently
divided into three classes:
students, professors and dogs. In
the case of the students and professors,
the origin of the species
is easily traced. The students come
mainly from formerly wealthy
families. (That is, they were
well-to-d- o
until they sent their offspring
here.)
The professors come from the
well-sprin- gs of
intellectual en-
deavor, other colleges and universities.
In this respect they are
self-perpetuati- ng and constitute
a vicious circle. Following this
line of reasoning you arrive at
that age old dilemma, "Who came
first, the professor or the university?"
The ancestry of the dogs is less
clear, as any campus observer can
testify. As to the comparative ratio
of these three classes, the students
seem to be declining in
number due to a phenomenon
known as selective service.
Just how selective the service
is, however, is a matter of violent
controversy. Professors are increasing
in direct proportion to
baby carriage sales and dogs seem
to be holding their own, too.
Although the classes may appear
to be plainly distinguishable,
this is not always the case. Students
can usually be identified by
their white bucks and saddle
shoes and professors by one of
their two suits. Dogs, on the other
hand, may overlap the other classifications.
You have perhaps heard the
following comments made about a
professor: "He leads a dog's life."
It is particularly difficult in the
case of professor Postle to separate
the man from the dog. Or
maybe you remember hearing this
about a student: "Isn't he a dog?"
Or "You dog!"
The author does not pretend to
present an exhaustive picture in
this brief column, but merely
wishes to introduce the topic for
further philosophical discussion
and speculation. Anyone wishing
to pursue the subject may find
him in the Memorial Union most
any afternoon surrounded by
beautiful women.
Roving
Reporter
BY ANK'T. SCRIPT
During lhe . Jew days before
classes started when the campus
was filled with students catching
up on the news of the summer and
generally enjoying the sights
without worrying about neglected
studies, the main topic of conversation
was the Memorial
Union building. Sinoe-th- e union
will play a large' part in student
activity this year and in all the
years to come, it seems only natural
that one of the first questions
asked among groups of students
was, "What do you think of
the Union?"
The answers to this question are
very interesting, not only because
they express student opinion, but
because they show that the students
really observed, the new
surroundings carefully and are
very concerned over appearance
and use of the Union.
Bill Kuhner.The outside architecture
is good, and so is the furniture,
but the color schemes in
some places are not attractive.
The snack bar is too small to handle
the crowds, but maybe it
could be expanded some if they
could put in some more tables.
Marilyn Newman: We really
need more room in the snack bar
to have enough tables and chairs
to accommodate the "rush hour"
crowds.
Jim Lipperfc There aren't
enough women in here and no
room to sit with them, so there's
no use coming in.
Hank Anderson: It looks very
nice, but there's too much space
upstairs and not enough downstairs.
Joanne Plank: The decorations
apparently have no continuity. I
think the snack bar is too small.
More chairs would help.
Tom Seldon: The cafeteria is a
little small, but the rest is spacious.
It would help distribute the
crowd if we could have an upstairs
refreshment bar.
Shirley Culp: It's the most wonderful
place I ever saw.
Helen Simester: The entire
building seems to have been very
poorly planned for effective use
of the Union.
Dale Renner: From my point
of view as an alu:m, it's terrific.
The general layout is good, and
the impression is wonderful.
Tom Gerslacker: I was surprised
that the snack bar is so
small. I think it will be inadequate
for crowds.
Eleanor Gammill: It couldn't
be better.
Dick Davenporl: I like everything
but the colors of the furnishings.
Voiiy Bun.U.k.: The snack
bar is too small.
On the basis of these first impressions
of incoming and returning
students, the major comment
centered on the size of the snack
bar. That is the place which will
be used most by students and
they have evidently thought about
what they want. It will be interesting
to see whether these will
be lasting impressions.
Editorial
P
I
Kelly Danford Star
In Broadway Debut
Playing With Gilbert
, And Sullivan Troupe
Kelly Danford made his debut
on Broadway this summer by
playing principal roles with New
York's Gilbert and Sullivan
troupe, the Masque and Lyre
Light Opera company.
In preface to his Broadway debut,
Danford put in three seasons
of new England summer
stock. Along with dancing
and singing he swept out the
chickens and cobwebs from the
barns in which he performed in
such productions as "The Man
Who Came to Dinner," "Arsenic
and Old Lace," and "The Little
Foxes."
As a youngster, Danford's interest
in the theater was stimulated
when his father took him to
all the traveling shows which
came to McConnelsville. After
graduating from high school he
studied dramatics at Wesleyan
and received a master's degree.
Recalling the days he performed
in Gilbert and Sullivan musicals
in McConnelsville district,
Danford commented, "I'll never
forget the night I was scalped,"
"We were doing the 'Mikado'
and there was a part where two
coolies carried me on- - the stae
in a sedan chair.
"They set the chair down, and
when the fellow in back of rue
straightened up, his hat caught
the wig I was wearing and lifted
it off my head.
"The audience started to laugh.
Then the poor guy tried to put it
back on me and got it on backwards.
"By this time the whole cast.
y i
An Iron Curtain Around Education!
In the past few weeks, Ohio Wesleyan has been the subject
of much criticism in letters to the Columbus Citizen written
by a "Delaware Resident." These letters said that Ohio Wesleyan
in general, and President Flemming in particular, made a
grave mistake by allowing such speakers as Lillian Smith, Nor-
man Thomas and Dr. Walter Van
Kirk to appear before the students
on the lecture series and .
other programs during the year.
Ohio Wesleyan has been criticized
in the past and probably
will be in the future for many
things by people who do not a-gr-
with the policies of the administration
of this university.
Some criticism can be ignored
and some can be taken as "all in
a day's work." But the sentiments
expressed by the "Delaware
Resident" cannot be passed over
lightly. They touch on the funda- - '
mental principles of education
and intellectual freedom.
"Delaware Resident" objected'
to the speakers mentioned because
of their political views on
the grounds that such views
should not be recognized and
presented to university students.
Such an attitude implies thit
this individual has retreated intellectually
behind the barriers
of righteous indignation against
all whose ideas conflict with his
own. This results in the narrow
minded intolerance which works
against the basic ideas on which
the educational system in a democracy
is founded.
Ohio Wesleyan has always
stood for freedom of thought and
speech, and has tried at all times
to make the students aware of
various opposing views on all
topics. This is especially necessary
when the question involved
is concerned with politics, government
and philosophy.
It is impossible to judge anyone's
ideas fairly if all the facts
are not presented and if there is
no opportunity to know how and
why other opinions arise. A person
cannot call one philosophy
ee
his own until he has found out
what beliefs other people have
and has studied them. He must
draw his conclusions on the basis
of all available material, selecting
the ideas which coincide with
his standards of intellectual,
moral and spiritual values.
Ohio Wesleyan has confidence
in the ability of her students to
weigh all facts presented to
them, to discuss and compare
these facts, and to arrive at conclusions
by the process of investigation
and selection.
We cannot deny the existence
of political theories which are in
conflict with those of our government.
We should not, therefore,
pretend that they have no
place in our lives. If there are
people who do not believe in cur
government, but prefer another,
they must have reasons. Before
we can defend our own beliefs,
we must know what opposition
we face and what standards and
values are used to formulate such
opinions.
Only by listening to what
others have to say, regardless of
their views, can we strengthen
our own faith in the guiding
principles of democracy and
Christianity. Ohio Wesleyan has
faith in these principles and in
the ability of her students to use
them as a basis for judging conflicting
policies.
Other universities have been
criticised in the manner used by
"Delaware Resident" and have
let themselves be weakened by
limiting outside speakers to
people whose views cannot be
criticized. This situation presents
a challenge to the educational
system in our democracy.
was in an uproar. In order to sing
I lifted up the long curls and
when I did, the conductor just
collapsed in chagrin over his
stand."
When asked which end of show
business he preferred, teaching
or singing, he replied, "I like to
sing, but teaching's the best insurance
of eating regularly!"
I STRICTLY
FRESH
i'T'HE New York author of "How
I to Commit Murder and Get
Away With It" got a life sentence
for his fourth felony--- a robbery.
Such is the fate of modern man
over-specializati- on.
and his
i
Fashion headline: Elbows Tell
Tales About Your Age. Sometimes
they reveal your manners, too.
i
i The coal business has a new mechanical
coal digger, but gold digging
will probably still be done in
the same old way.
Now that the election's over, we
wonder what Henry Wallace will
do with the peace and abundance
he was going to give the American
people.
Lake Superior is larger than the
state of South Carolina, one newspaper
notes. V'pltpr. too!
Are the educators of today going
to revert to intellectual isolationism
by presenting only one
side of questions about politics,
morality, spiritual values and
principles; or are they going to
meet the challenge with the faith
and courage necessary to listen
to and present to the students the
widest available variety of opinions
on these controversial questions?
Ohio Wesleyan has followed
the latter course without fear, because
she is secure in the knowledge
that each time other forms
of government are compared
with our own, the case for democracy
is strengthened. It is the
mysterious and unknown which
attracts people to follow blindly.
People can be taken in by high
sounding1 ideals and theories, but
once the theory is reduced to practice,
they have a chance to judge
more wisely.
Educational institutions have
an obligation to the students of
our country to provide them with
a background which will enable
them to make decisions on their
own in later life. No one is
go-.in- g
to shelter them when they
leave college. No one will say
"You must not listen to that
man his ideas are not good."
There is no screening of speakers
for mature adults in a democracy.
Why, then, during the
time when students are forming
4heir ideas about the fundamental
problems in the world today,
should their sources of information
and education be limited by
narrow-minde- d persons who are
afraid to examine the other side
of a question?
Ohio Wesleyan has always upheld
the principles of academic
freedom, and we hope that in the
future she will never forsake the
ideals of education, democracy
and Christianity which guarantee
the rights of free speech and
intellectual freedom.
1 jaywalkers?
STRICTLY FRESH
THE secret of ya successful flli-- L
buster is to exhaust your audience
before you do your subject
and yourself.
Who can say how very many
winged angels started out as mere
'
It's not altogether surprising
that feminine fashion's plunging
neckline finds some of its most
enthusiastic advocates among gentlemen
with plunging waistlines.
Move yourself; save half, a van-renti- ng
company advertises. . . .
But most movers hope to salvage
a little more than half.
We are not yet geared for peace,
a farm leader says. If that's true,
let's hope we may soon get that
way without stripping too many
gears.
ForYour
FRATERNITY SUPPLIES
Stop At The
0. K. HARDWARE
'
Norma Allison
That Old September Spirit
Well, we're back.
Classes have started, some people are studying, chairmen
are calling committee meetings, and the Tub crew has shifted
headquarters to the snack bar in the Union with no apparent
decrease in numbers. The freshmen are oriented, transfers are
still explaining why they left
other schools and the traditional
chapels are in full swing as of today.
Class cutting will probably
start soon, followed by quizzes
and bluebooks. It doesn't take
long to fall back in the old routine.
With the usual September enthusiasm,
everyone is saying,
"This is going to be a great year."
Filled with visions of 4 averages
and big projects lor every organization
on campus, the student
body sounds as if it's ready to
tackle anything.
Obviously, we aren't all Phi
Beta Kappas and the year isn't
long enough to take in all the
ideas that have come from a summer
away from campus, but
that's no reason to let the spirit
slide, as it usually does after a
few weeks.
Last Friday night a group of
men representing several fraternities
got together and serenaded
Austin Hall women. It was a nice
gesture on their parts, since the
upperclass women usually suffer
Dave Howard
Right vs. Fright
from neglect during the first couple
of weeks while the men congregate
at Stuy. The most outstanding
feature of the incident,
however, was the spirit displayed
by the men arching in to the
tune of a Wesleyan song. They
really impressed the listeners. In
fact they radiated so much pep
and energy that one corridor had
to be quieted by the dorm president
when it took up the singing
with more quantity than quality.
That kind of enthusiasm has a
definite place in campus life.
There will be pep rallies, football,
basketball and baseball
games, and countless drives and
projects throughout the year
which will need student support.
It is these all-camp-
us affairs
which stand or fall according to
the response of each and every
one of us.
This really can be a great year
for us as individuals and as a
group if we retain the September
spirit and carry it right on
through until next June.
It must have been distressing to many here when a "Delaware
resident" who prefers to remain anonymous wrote two
letters recently to the Columbus Citizen verbally chastising
President Flemming for allowing such individuals as Norman
Thomas, Walter Reuther and Lillian Smith to peak in Gray
chapel.
The anonymous writer accused
these people of being subversive
and intimated in the fashion of
McCarthyism that Wesleyan
might have some red elements.
Dr. Flemming immediately re-
plied that this writer was --
confused
in his thinking. He also
said that whenever he had a
highly controversal speaker here,
he would always have someone
with an opposite position speak,
thus assuring a rebuttal.
Now since its founding 109
years ago, Ohio Wesleyan University
has stood for what is popularly
known as academic freedom.
Although in the past college
officials have not always held
this .objective .as high as they
might have, they have repeatedly
permitted controversial individuals
on campus men like Norman
Thomas and long ago Eugene
V. Debs.
This policy has been especially
evident since the arrival of Arthur
S. Flemming, as president.
Unlike officials from many small
privately endowed colleges who
are governed by stolid Boards of
Trustees and who shake timidly
at the word controversy, the ad- -
Ted Trost
ministration here has brought a
variety of ideas before the student
body by having a variety of
speakers. This has included ultra
conservatives and ultra liberals;
and because of this many students
have left this university
more enlightened and certainly
much more capable of analyzing
the world for themselves 6ince
they were acquainted with so
many from opposite camps.
It is through' such shoddy
thinking as this Delaware resi
dent proved himself capable that
academic freedom in its fullest
sense could come to an end at
Wesleyan. This is possible
through the auspices of pressure
groups whose influence has already
been felt at State where
academic freedom is now limited
with a regulation which provides
screening of all campus speakers.
'
At least, let us hope that the
fear which often accompanies
6uch frenzied accusations does
not motivate our own administration
into limiting the speakers
with liberal ideas. If this should
ever happen, then the words on
the cornerstone of Slocum library
will have become a mockery to
the college.
Specialization In Education!
This week Ohio Wesleyan officially begins its 109th school
year. Like every American university, Ohio Wesleyan faces the
gigantic task of educating young men and young women in a
critical period of world history.
In this present century the educational emphasis is placed
on the need for specialization. So- -
ciety seems to look for specialists",
in the hope that a concentrated
effort in one particular
field will produce greater results
in bettering the world in which
we live.
Consequently, the student is
faced with the problem of choosing
a "major" and then subordinating
all other interests to his
chief objective. Even in sports,
particularly football, coaches look
for outstanding individual skills
in each boy, believing that one
player may be of more value to
the team if he becomes exclusively
proficient at extra point kicking
or defensive play, for example.
It is not my purpose to discuss
the pros and cons of specialization.
Neither am I advocating
that everyone should become a
"jack of all trades and master of
none." It is sufficient to say that
specialization seems to be necessary
in order to meet the challenge
of the times. But I do think
we all should be aware of the
dangers that concentrated specialization
can produce.
For example, a humanist, who
advocates a complete intellectual
approach to man's problems seem
ingly becomes arrogant presumptuous
and ' somewhat egotistical,
when he claims that all the answers
to our problems are seeded
in the intellectual advancement
of society. Likewise, the individual
who specializes in physical
skills believing that "to be in
shape" at all times and that to
"enjoy life always," is the only
way to find happiness, is in
danger of becoming sensual and
even materialistic in his philosophy
of life.
And what about the person
who claims that every answer to
man's "quandry" can be found in
the "things of the spirit" offered
by religion? Is it not true that
complete adherence to religion
as the "saving power" can produce
nothing but fanaticism and
bigotry?
Here at Ohio Wesleyan, each
student has the opportunity t
secure a "well rounded" education.
During our academic years,
each student will be aided in his
quest to develop a sound philosophy
of life. But let us not become
swayed to the erroneous belief
that by concentrated specialization
in one phase of living, we
can find an absolute formula for
building that "better world."
Neither should we become convinced
that the problem solutions
lay entirely in one particular
academic subject or department.
When any university department
claims to have the absolute solutions
for the betterment of mankind,
then we run into a situation
which might well be called "departmental
imperialism".
Speaking positively, let us all
look for an integration of ideas
in our academic experience. Let
us gain knowledge from every
aspect of human endeavor, for
af-tera- ll,
is this not the paramount
objective of a university?
Flowers by Gibson
j