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One of the pleasures of editing an alumni newsletter, and working with alumni in general, is receiving correspondence such as the one that I received from Martin Meadows last June. Martin and I had met at the 50th reunion of the Class of ’52, and he was following up on my interest in reading one of the issues of his daily dorm “newspaper,” The Daily Finger.
The one-page Finger, perhaps named for its finger-pointing journalistic style, was typed twice a day to get its circulation of, well, two. Posted on the bulletin boards of Stan Ray Hall in Vets Dorm I (which was located adjacent to the cemetery), this new competition reportedly left the Emerald staff “quaking in their editorial boots,” especially given rumors of a mimeograph machine and an all-out circulation war.
Fifty years later, a machine at Staples has digitally enhanced my copies—though Meadow’s letter was typed on the same Hermes Baby typewriter he’s used since his undergraduate days.
To give you a glimpse into the package that made my Friday afternoon, and perhaps, a glimpse into the class of ’52, this 1951 volume of the Finger includes: reports on an “injury-riddled” Ducks football squad who were determined to give radio listeners a thrill by upsetting Idaho, or at least by suiting up Coach Len Casanova; columns which reported fictitious thefts—a complete set of the Encyclopedia Brittanica anyone?—and reviewed fictitious books; a dorm glossary, i.e. “Conscience: that which hurts when everything else feels good”; classified “odds,” such as the one announcing the loss of an accounting textbook (“If found, keep it as a reward”); and of course, the limericks, which (sorry Martin) I am unable to print.
It also contains mock-historical reflections about classes not being cancelled in celebration of the university’s 47th anniversary. And, while it is not exactly a historical glimpse into university life, it did give me the idea to celebrate, as the 125th anniversary comes to a close, the one aspect of campus life that hasn’t yet been addressed: fun.
This rare letter to (and from) the editor reminded me that, sometimes, the most memorable alumni experiences have to do with taking off your shoes to dance in Mac Court or being woken up by your dorm mate’s paper route.
Thanks, Martin. The Finger, however unintentionally, has made a good point.
Jill Leininger
Cascade Editor
Is the UO becoming a family tradition? If you belong to a multi-generational family of Ducks, we’d like to hear your story. Please email or call the Cascade editor, Jill Leininger, at alumnidev@cas.uoregon.edu or 541-346-3950.
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