Page Two S ..;7F 4 ' A e • Each year at this time a certain apathy seems to arise among students toward student government. This year is no exception, as evidenced by the Letter to the Editor on this page. Nor is this problem a local one. The main campus seems to be having the same trouble at this time. Let us clarify the matter NOW, students, and keep peace hereafter! To begin, you, as members of the student body. see relatively few of the vast number of tasks under taken by the SGA simply because the SGA does not adver tise each and every one of its accomplishments. The fact is that the SGA is intended to be more than ar, initialer of social functions. Social activities sponsor ship is only a poi Lion of the council's purpose. Article 111 of the organization's constitution states - not at all exaggerativelv its purpose: a. Promote the welfare of the student body and make recommendations to the Committee on Student Af fairs regarding - student welfare. b. Maintain. regulate. and initiate customs and tra ditions of the Behrend Campus and University. c. Initiate and coordinate social functions and acti vities of the student body for the welfare of the student body and the Behrend Campus. h. Act upon any complaint or suggestion made to the SG-4_ by any member of the student body. The job is not as simple as it may sound. One such "unseen" function of the SGA is the allotment of funds for various activities and to the many clubs and student or f2;anizaions on campus. This job is a tremendous one, for the student activities budget is far from unlimited. The warm welcome and fine program of events for you freshmen during Orientation Week was made possible, to a great extent, by the SGA. The convenience of the SGA office in Erie Hall also cannot be denied. True, there are times during the day when the office is not open. But remember: The students who keep the office open for your convenience are doing SO <it the sacrifice of their own time! Situations may, and often do arise to prevent them from keeping their office schedules. Is this any reason to begin condemning the entire SGA or any of its members? it certainly is not ! And the juke-box. Many are complaining that the re cordirigs are changed too infrequently and that too few are changed. Any student having a genuine interest in SGA affairs may have noticed the juke-box committee's re port in the minutes of the October 24 meeting of the SGA. These minutes, as are the minutes of every SGA meet were posted on bulletin boards in Erie Hall for ex amination by interested students. The final sentence of the committee's report said: "The dealer has promised to ser vice the juke-box with 4-5 new records every two weeks." Nothing more than that was ever promised by any SGA member. What about the pool table? Before school recessed on December 7, a contract was signed by SGA representative Robert Williams and an Erie Businessman. That contract called for the removal of the pool table soon after school had ended and its return—completely recushioned, re covered, and leveled—before January 7. Failure to carry out that contract was due strictly to the company that had contracted the job, and not the SGA. By now, the light should be getting through. Possibly, it is becoming apparent that the student body, rather than the SGA, is the group in the dark. Communication could be greatly improved if only YOU, as members of the student body, would read the posted minutes of the SGA meetings, or even question SGA members of recent develop ments. A recent editorial in the Daily Collegian summarizes well your role with the SGA: ... without strong student support it can do nothing. :Each" Person on this expansive campus can contribute to the betterment of this university, student body and him self in - his own way through student government. If students are dissatisfied with the job their student 'government is doing, or if they have become uninterested because they feel student government is "doing nothing important," let them examine their own ideas for this University's betterment. Let them use their imaginations. Let them make our potentially vital student government into the driving force that it should be. -- In a university as large as Penn State, student gov ernment should be a body of stature, responsibility, respect and influence. Student government is not given to the students, but is made by them. We cannot condone the behaviour of students who sit back and criticize . .. who jeer at attempts to better the University . . . AND DO NOTHING to correct the situ- ation. They do not deserve a better Penn State." AMEN ! ASLEE -T ALL! Bob Ropelewski, Editor THE NITTANY CUB Big Brothers Have Big Winter By Me/ Ross For many or us football fans the end cf the world had arrived when Florida upset our mighty Nittany Lions in the Gator Bowl: however, this is not the case in other Penn State sporting circles. for the winter sport's season is just beginning. Such as basketball, wrestling, track. gymnastics, and a little known rifle team are either continuing or beginning their season. The basketball team under the tutelage of head coach John Egli has been the dark horse team in the East. Leading the team in scoring is 6'5" co-captain. Earl Hoffman, who has rippled the cords with a 20.0 game average. Giving Hoffman ample support have been team-mates Ron Av iillion, 6'6" sophomore forward, I ball hawk guard Bob Weiss, Tom IMalincak. 6'6", center, and the field general Bobby Donato. The !Lions have looked impressive in compiling a 10-2 record with wins over Syracuse, Maryland, Tem ! pie, and Bucknell. In the wrestling arena Penn State's matmen are ably in structed by Coach Charlie Spei del. Although the wrestling out look is not as bright as that of Egli's cagers, the team has def inite possibilities. As Coach Spei del stated: "We're quite strong in the lower weights, but there is (Continued on page 3) LETTERS Student Questions lictiveGovernment When we freshmen entered Behrend this past September we expected a great change to occur in regards to social activities. So cial activities are an important part of college life. We helped elect leaders in the S.G.A. whom we hoped would help make our first year in college a memorable one. I do not think that the S.G.A. has stimulated this part of college life to the satisfaction of the student body. This past quarter was speckled with a min imum of activities. The fault must lie with the S. G. A.! They are the students' voice on campus. But what voice of influence has spoken out? My ears have been open and have heard nothing im pressive. At the end of the first quarter we were promised that the ancient and badly worn pool-table in Erie Hall would be completely reno vated during the Holidays. But what greets us as we return in January? The same excuse of a pool-table. The pool-balls seem to shy away from the cushions. I wonder why? Of course, one great accom plishment was achieved during the first quarter. A new juke-box was added to - Erie Hall with the promise that the records would be changed every two weeks. As each two-week period approaches we see, at the most, three or four new records added. Are we sat isfied? There are other arguments I have, such as faithful members in the office at all times, but they are immaterial, or are they? You must ask yourself this question: Do you want an active campus with a varied social life or do you want an empty year to look back on? A need of improvement in the S.G.A. is certainly evident. ik Larry Youtz (2ml, Engr.) AsitLooksFromHere Ed.'s Note: In addition to his duties as pastor of Messiah Lu theran Church in Wesleyville, Reverend Schweikert is also chap lain of the Behrend Campus. He has graciously consented to write this and further columns for the NITTANY CUB to add a wider scope of view to this newspaper. Everybody wants you educated these days: father. mother, prof. employer, pastor or priest, even God—" Study to show thyself ap proved of God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, right ly dividing the word of truth." You have been commanded from all sides to be educated, to know about the formula for soap. the influence of Plutarch on Shakes peare, the evolution of the horse, the cause and cure of thumb sucking among infants, the rise of Hitler and the rules for soccer. Those who push you believe you will come out a better person after hacking through the dense jungle of data known as a college edu cation. Perhaps you are here in college only because those who are your advisors think it a good idea. Maybe you have other ideas about college and couldn't care less about social pressures and Charter Application To Behrend S. G. A. The following is a copy of the charter application submitted to the SGA by the NITTANY CUB. Each student organization on campus was also requested to do so. The formality of the whole affair so overwhelmed us that we could not help but be completely honest. I.—All student clubs and organizations on the Campus of the Pennsylvania State University must be chartered with the Student Government Association of the Behrend Campus. lI.—No University funds shall be allotted to any clubs or organi zations until such time as this application has been completed, turned in, reviewed, and been approved by the Student Government Associa tion of the Behrend Campus. application must consist of the following items: A. Constitution. 1. All clubs and organizations must have a constitution. For some strange reason, this organization does not have a constitution. I just can't understand it. Somewhere along the line we've become a delinquent organization. B. Purpose of the club or organization. Our purpose is to inform all the uninformed and misin formed students of the Behrend Campus. (Maybe we should change our name to THE INFORMER, huh?) An indication of how the club or organization is going to be financed, if at all. We plan to declare bankruptcy if the SGA doesn't come through with some money for us soon. Times (s) and place (s) of regular meetings. Every now and then we get together for a little chit-chat. Any place will do. We're not particular. Names(s) of advisor (s). Our advisor(s) name (s) is William Hover (s). Names of offices and present officers. Editor(s)—(s) Robert (s) R. Ropelewski (s) . Number of members Mumber of nembers: 15, maybe. Any restrictions as to membership of your club or organiza tion. We don't allow no dirty guys who don't like to write what we tell them to; or worse yet, who don't like to write at all or who write too much, even. I. Any other pertinent information Any other pertinent information. Just ask Dave Craley, he'll tell you. THE NITTANY CUB • - • .i• ; ss ... 2 _,p 3:rt • ::?” N• ‘1 % .1 855 ‘'‘‘% Editor: Bob Ropelewski; Ass't. Editor: Paula Harris; News Editor: John Thompson; Sports Editor: Dave Craley; Feature Editor: Pat Casinelli; News Staff: Bob Williams, Mel Ross, Mary Gene Shea, Larry Youtz, Joanne Vogel, Barbara Duda, Alice Bachman, Ginny Tompkins, Denise Scovel, Bill Bethune, Ed Paauwe, Pat Coggeshall; Photography: Ed Paauwe. Monday, January 21, 1963 hitting the books. Maybe you are here only in search of The Good Time: the songs, the steins, the proms and the parked car. And after all, if you can stay in col lege for two or four years you will have that much longer to avoid a steady job. If this is your reason for being in college, here is a sug gestion. Talk your folks into let ting you drop out of school and then have them apply the money they would have spent for your education on a new car for you. This will work out well for both since you will have all the fun with no study worries and your parents will have something to show for their money. Should you decide to stay here might it not be wise to present your parents with something they will cherish even more than a car as a return on their investment: a mature son or daughter. one developed in personality, morality and responsibility toward life. College is a hit or miss proposi tion: you can't go back and learn later what you should learn now. It is even possible to get a degree without being changed a degree. "We grow too soon old and late too smart." Must it be? Why are you in college, anyway? Not too respectfully submitted. Robert R. Ropelewski, Editor .
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