12.07.2015 Views

View Article - Digital Collections - University of Oklahoma

View Article - Digital Collections - University of Oklahoma

View Article - Digital Collections - University of Oklahoma

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS
  • No tags were found...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

10 THE SOONER MAGAZINETHEY LAID PLANS FOR MIGRATION DAY AT DALLAS.PHOTO COURTESY THE DALLAS NEWSMembers <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Oklahoma</strong> club <strong>of</strong> Texas when they met recently in Dallas to make plans for the <strong>Oklahoma</strong>-Texas game . Right to left, they are : Frank Watson, temporary chairman, and vice-president <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Oklahoma</strong>Association ; Frank Cleckler, C. H. Newell, Shelley Tracy, Ira W. Davis and Weaver Holland. Back row : E . C. Sullivan, HarryL. Atkinson, temporary secretary, Hugh H<strong>of</strong>f, Bert G. Ashby, Henry Meier, Walter H. Meier, A. L. "Bus" Haskins and ChesterColeCreated to support athletics, nothing theRuf Neks ever did so injured their prestige. If the Ruf Neks could not be dependedupon to support athletics in a sportsmanlikemanner, it was difficult to conceivewhat turn their proteges, the freshmen,would take .The regent-faculty committee declaredin part :Prior to the meetings on Wednesday evening,and probably prior to the joint meeting on Tuesdayevening, the candidates elected for initiationto both orders had been instructed to bringwith them to the initiation the number <strong>of</strong> paddleseach candidate had heret<strong>of</strong>ore been requiredby custom <strong>of</strong> the orders to bring to theinitiation ceremony ; and the candidates <strong>of</strong> thetwo respective orders appeared on the campuswith their paddles at or about the time <strong>of</strong> theconvening <strong>of</strong> the two separate meetings onWednesday night .Under the practice <strong>of</strong> initiation heret<strong>of</strong>ore observed,each candidate was required to carrya bundle <strong>of</strong> paddles to the initiation, which wasin the process <strong>of</strong> initiation used by the oldmembers upon the new members . After the actiontaken by the separate meetings, decidingupon private initiation, apparently the <strong>of</strong>ficersand members <strong>of</strong> the two orders who had beenactive in inducing the two orders to abandonthe plan <strong>of</strong> public initiation directed and procuredthe paddles to be piled upon trucks . Thecandidates and a large number <strong>of</strong> old members<strong>of</strong> the two orders with the two truck loads<strong>of</strong> paddles thus proceeded to a point in thecountry approximately two miles south <strong>of</strong> theuniversity, where the initiations were conductedby the two orders separately . The testimony <strong>of</strong>every old member <strong>of</strong> the organizations, whoparticipated in or was present at the initiation,was that only the ritualistic features <strong>of</strong> the initiationwere administered to the candidates, andthat the hazing or paddling feature <strong>of</strong> initiationwas not indulged in by their organizations ; thatthe paddles were put into a pile and burned ;and that no use <strong>of</strong> the same was made in theinitiation ceremonies . The committee was unableto obtain any evidence that the paddling ceremonywas indulged in, as has heret<strong>of</strong>ore been thepractice <strong>of</strong> these orders in their initiations . Fromsome members <strong>of</strong> the faculty and residents livingin proximity to the place <strong>of</strong> the initiation, itdoes appear that some use <strong>of</strong> the paddles wasmade by a limited number <strong>of</strong> the members ;however, to a very limited extent and incidentalto the handling and final disposition <strong>of</strong> thepaddles, rather than as part <strong>of</strong> the initiationceremony, and that the use <strong>of</strong> the paddles, evenin this form and manner, was opposed and discouragedby the greater part or substantially all<strong>of</strong> the members participating in the initiation .The committee finds, upon the frank admissionand statement <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>ficers <strong>of</strong> these two orders,including both those who favored and supporteda public initiation as well as some <strong>of</strong> those whoopposed it, that the abandonment <strong>of</strong> the paddlingpractice virtually destroys the only feature andtradition <strong>of</strong> these organizations worth while andthat unless this practice can be continued thereis little inducement to continue the orders, Therewas also frank admission on the part <strong>of</strong> thesemembers that these practices attracted an element<strong>of</strong> students and members who, despite the efforts<strong>of</strong> the more conservative members <strong>of</strong> the organization,at times control the conduct <strong>of</strong> theorganization, resulting in disorderly conduct andabuses <strong>of</strong> the hazing or paddling practice, riotousspirit and conduct among the members,Your committee, therefore, is <strong>of</strong> the onininnthat these two organizations serve no useful purposeto the student body, but that their influencehas been and could only be if continued detrimentaland destructive to the prnner college snirit,conduct and morale <strong>of</strong> the student body . Yourcommittee recommends that the order <strong>of</strong> theboard <strong>of</strong> regents made on September 27, abolishingthe student organizations named and knownas the Rut Neks and Jazz Hounds and prohibitingthe members <strong>of</strong> these organizations and otherstudents <strong>of</strong> the university from participating insaid organizations and in any other student activitiesas members <strong>of</strong> said organizations, to bemade permanent ; and that the president <strong>of</strong> theuniversity be authorized and directed to expelpromptly from the university any student violatingthis regulation .ONE IN FIVERush week, that season <strong>of</strong> hysteria,ended a boomer week on the Sooner campusthis year with 250 women studentspledged to 15 women's fraternities andwith more than 200 men pledged to 18fraternities .Disproportion between the number <strong>of</strong>active members and the number <strong>of</strong> pledgeswas the outstanding characteristic shownin the final" count . The idea <strong>of</strong> "assimilation<strong>of</strong> freshmen" seems to have gonethe way <strong>of</strong> all flesh in this enthusiasticworld <strong>of</strong> ours and the idea <strong>of</strong> quantityto have taken its place .Disproportion between the numbers includedin the fraternal scene and in theentire campus is another element which,when considered in its proper light, callsfor a discounting <strong>of</strong> the hullabaloo <strong>of</strong>rush week . To the student who takes nopart in it it is really an overemphasizedthing after all for it takes onlv one fifth<strong>of</strong> the university's total enrollment tomake all <strong>of</strong> the racket which signifies

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!