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EDITORIAL
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Reader-Examines
Activities Card
The institution of the acltivities card this year raises
an important question concerning the authority
students have vested in their Student Government
Association. •. . ...
That question is: When should our elected officers
and representatives act in our behalf, and when should
they get direct student input via polls or voting
referendums prior to taking action?
Before giving our response to this question, it’s
important to present the facts and sequence of events
in what has become a controversial issue among
students.'
The concept of an activities card was presented at
the May 29, 1975, SGA meeting by Paul Bailie, this
year's appointed social committee chairman.
This last SGA meeting of the school year Included
the newly elected SGA officers. The activities card was
approved at the meeting on a trial basis for the fall term
by a vote of 10 to 2.
Paul worked on the procedures for the card over the
summer with discussion and approval by Scott
Deardorff, SGA president, Roberta McLeod, student
activities coordinator, Jenry South, director of student
affairs, and social committee members.
Most students first heard of this extra expense
during registration.
When asked why students weren’t notified prior to
the start of school of this extra expense so it could be
planned for, both Bailie and Deardorff replied there was
no time.
According to Bailie, 111 activities cards have been
sold for the entire year, 1 for 2 terms, and 43 for one
term. There are 2570 students enrolled this term. Only
six per cent have bought activities cards.
SGA is scheduled to vote on continuing or
discontinuing the activities card at the end of this term.
Bailie says he is counting on SGA approval because he
sold cards for the entire year. He says it would not
have been feasible to work on a one-term basis. If the
card is not approved, refunds will have to be made to
those who paid for more than one term.
Whether the activities card is approved or not, The
Reader believes the complaints about this additional
expense can be used by SGA to examine the amount of
direct student Involvement It gets prior to making
decisions that affect students.
The Reader has two suggestions. Student opinions
should be sought if any SGA proposal will mean an
added expense for students, and when any proposal
will directly alter students’ lives (the “common time”
proposal is one such example). These opinions should,
be obtained by voting referendums or by a poll taken of
the student body. This poll, in the form of a yes or no
question, could be published in The Reader.
We are not advocating an impotent student
government. Rather, we are suggesting an attempt at
more direct participation by students.
There is an inherent tendency In any government to
insulate itself from its governed and to slide into the
“we know what’s best for you” attitude. Let’s guard
against both.
The Capitol Campus Reader
The Pennsylvania State University
The Capitol Campus
Middletown, Pennsylvania 17057
ph. 717 • 944-4970
The C.C. Reader is published by the students at Capitol
Campus every two weeks during the fall, winter and
spring terms. Printing is done at the Middletown Press
and Journal. The Reader office is located in W-129, Main
Building.
The opinions expressed in this newspaper do not
necessarily represent the views of the students, faculty or
staff of Capitol Campus or The Pennsylvania State
University.
PhylliaSchaoHar
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C.C. Header
Faculty Forum
What Makes Jacob Run ?
By Jacob L. Susskind
On a canvass of my ward, I
met a young man who told
me he was recently gradu
ated from college with a
major in political science. I
introduced myself and asked
for his vote.
“I can’t vote for you,” he
replied.
“Why not?”
“I’m not registered.”
This conversation rein
forced my belief that
knowledge without action is
sterile. No doubt this recent
college graduate had
“learned” the democratic
theory of participation in
government'. He probably
had courses in the theory
and analysis .of political
processes and institutions.
His instructors were doubt
less well versed in the
literature.
What had gone wrong?
Why wasn't this intelligent
person actively involved in
his own governance? In the
political process of his own
community? Why hadn’t his
education prepared him for
participation In the exercise
of his franchise?
This was not the first time
these questions occured to
EDITORIAL
Elections Reflect Apathy
The recent SGA elections reflect the apathy that has
become synonymous with Capitol Campus. Where
enthusiasm and desire to experience a functional
government In action should have misted, there was
instead the need for a delayed election. After three
weeks of posted encouragement for students to run for
the Senate, only four students had filed petitions with
the Screening Committee.
When the elections were finally held several weeks
ago voter tum-out was minimal. The grand finale was
the removal from the ballot (after voting had already
started) of an ineligible senior who had somehow
slipped by the Screening Committee, much to its
embarrassment.
Why are SGA elections a farce? Only last year,
controversial vote counting procedures left SGA
without a President until a special run-off election was
held. At that time, SGA enacted procedures to guard
against future disruptions in the elections. But what
happened?
Do SGA problems exist simply because “things just
go wrong” or is it something deeper?
Is that “something” perhaps the attitude of students
and even SGA members themselves that SGA and other
student organizations are not really that important?
Reasons for apathy at Capitol abound. They are
heard every day. It’s a commuter school. The student
body is “older”. Student organizations don't do
anything anyway. They are all delueions. They are all
cop-outs.
The relationship between student and college should
be more than walking from elaas to car. Interest and
Involvement In etudent organizations can only broaden
the buslnees of living.
The SGA elections demonstrate that the level of
interest and credibility put into an organization by the
etudents determines the out-put of that organization.
If students don’t expect much, not much will be
delivered.
Apathy is pervasive. After the college experience,
who can say which facet of life It will next invade?
Letter To The Editor
All you good sports fans who turn out faithfully to watch or
participate in our home soccer games BEWARE! I
Due to university regulations, parking spaces are limited to
visitor stalls only.
Violators will be visited by our on-the-spot security patrols.
Parking is available in the lot behind the security office.
Parry Foltz
me. Hadn’t people fought
and died for the right to be
free which is the radical
meaning of, “franchise.”
Hadn’t we been on the front
lines with all those freedom
fighters from the signing of
the Magna Charta to the
Voting Rights Bill?
Throughout my years at
school and afterwards, these
questions kept recurring to
me.
I had no ready answers. I
knew, however, that aliena
tion and cynicism regarding
the political process did not
enlarge my freedom nor did
it make me feel better about
myself or my neighbors. The
more I thought about it, the
more I realized that I must
become personally involved.
Not that I consider myself
a savior; but simply as one
actor in the course of history
who may do something to
direct his own destiny. Asa
“professor” of social science
and education, I had to find
out how word and deed
interact; how theory and
practice relate; how I could
Integrate my knowledge and
experience to make a more
perfect whole.
As a candidate for the
Middletown Borough Coun
cil, I met many of my
neighbors in the first ward,
some of them for the first
time. I learned about their
concerns and problems. I
became aware of the
inequities and injustices
which ?fflict those less
fortunate among us. I grew
in understanding and sensi
tivity to my neighbors. I
realized the wonderful di
versity which I encountered.
In short, I became more of
a person. Isn’t that what we
are supposed to get from our
education?
The editors and staff of
The C.C. Reader welcome
letters for publication.
Letters must be typed,
double-spaced, and must
contain the writer’s sig
nature and telephone
number. Anonymous
letters will not be
accepted. However, if the
writer requests; a pseu
donym will be used in
publication. The editors
reserve the right to edit
letters for style, grammer,
and good taste.
Council
Plans Study
A subcommittee to study
the document, “Interim
Procedures for Resolving
Student Allegations of Dis
crimination,” has been ap
pointed by University Coun
cil and will make recommen
dations to the Council.
Dr. Russell E. Larson,
provost and chairman of the
Council, named Dr. Richard
F. Reynolds, assistant
professor of mathmatics at
the McKeesport Campus, as
chairman of the subcommit
tee and as members: Dr.
Robert J. Scanned, dean of
the College of Health,
Physical Education, and
Recreation; David C. Shaf
fer, an undergraduate; and
Kevin N. Wright, a graduate
student.
Council members also
decided to seek information
on the practice of scheduling
more than 13 credits per
term, a matter that also is
under study by the Student
Advisory Board. There has
been discussion of an
additional per credit tuition
charge for students who
schedule more than 13
credits per term. Prescribed
class loads per term, except
in rare cases, have 12 or less
credits.