Page Two
Editorials
Cooking the Campus
The Student Government Association began a new
practice this Spring with the election of a president for the
coming year. This marks the first year in Behrend's history
that the election of an SGA president has been conducted
in the Spring Term rather than in the Fall Term.
At first, the idea seemed like an advantageous one.
Students coming to the Behrend Campus would have the
leadership of an experienced, qualified leader who had been
chosen by people who were well acquainted with his .capahi
lilies. And the incoming president would have the entire
Spring and Summer terms to prepare for his office in the
Now, however, there is cause to wonder about this new
Vractice, and especially about the recent elections for the
presi7lency. The biggest question raised is: "Who is Bob
Cook?"
In the SGA elections two weeks ago, there were two
candidates listed for the office of SGA President. Bob Cook
was not one of them. Bob Cook. however, did receive_three
write-in votes. The other two candidates received 73 votes
apiece. Because of the tie, naturally, a run-off election was
necessary.
Bob Cook was not one of those who were tied for the
office. In fact, he was far from it. However, in the run-off
election. Bob Cook obtained the unanimity of those voting,
even though he was still a write-in candidate, and even
though he had not been a significant candidate in the initial
election
The results of the run-off election indicate a lack of in
telliQ:ent reasoning on the part of both the SGA, which con
filleted the election, and the student body, which elected
Mr. Cook.
This is not to say that Mr. Cook is not qualified to fill
the office to which he was elected. Indeed, he may be the
most qualified individual for that office in the history of
the Behrend Campus.
However, the fact that he did not officially enter his
name as a candidate for the position, and the fact that he
himself did not actually campaign; for the position, nor
employ anyone else to do so. indicates either a serious
doubt on Mr. Cook's part as to his own capabilities, or else
an uncertainty as to whether or not he really wants the
position.
On the other hand, the wisdom of those students who
elected Mr. Cook must also be seriously questioned. Certain
ly. not everyone who voted for Cook was well enough
acquainted with him and with his capabilities to be certain
Cook was definitely the only candidate worthy of the position.
How could they be ? Did anyone hear him come forward and
declare any sort of a platform ?
Also. the submissiveness with which the student body
allowed the Cook name to be entered on the ballot during
the iun-off election should be scrutinized. A run-off election,
supposedly, is intended to decide a TIE, not to be a corn
pletel:v new election!
We urge, therefore, a careful consideration of this mat
ter on the part of both the student body and the SGA, with
the possibility of another run-off election, this time conduct
ed in the proper manner, with only those candidates who
were originally tied for the office of SGA President.
Otherwise, it would seem that we are hardly operating
cur SGA within the bounds of the democratic philosophy
on which this country was founded.
Here We Go Again
Well, you asked for it. After continued threatening on
the part of the SGA. Air. Campbell, and the administration,
a move has finally been initiated by the SGA to close the
student lounge.
While the move sounds like a rather drastic one to take,
what other choice is left Certainly, the unending misuse of
the lounge and its furniture cannot he expected to be tolerat
ed forever.
For this reason, the NITTANY CUB regretfully endorses
the action being taken by the SGA in moving to close the
lounge.
While it had been our hope that misuse of the lounge
would eventually come to a halt, it appears that nothing of
the sort is happening. Instead, abuses are continuing with
disturbing regularity, with no sign of their eventual sub-
siliing.
One wonders who the students are who commit these
acts of vandalism. Could they be the same people who slash
convertible tops and automobile tires, the same people who
write the obscenities on restroom walls ?
Through their acts of destruction in the student lounge,
they place themselves in the same category.
Strangely enough, most of those who use lounge reg
ularly certainly LOOK adult enough. It seems hard to be
lieve that they might be responsible for some of the destruc
tion taking place.
No matter what the case, however, closing the student
lounge seems to be the only action that can be taken to
save the building from complete annihilation. Regretfully,
we comment the SGA for its decision.
Robert R. Ropelewski,
Editor
THE NITTANY CUB
A POEM
AGAIN?!
WHAT BEHREND NEEDS
People with spirit. People
with spirit. People with
spirit. People with Spirit.
People with spirit. People
with enthusiasm. People with
spirit. People with zeal. Poeple
with fun and levity in their bos-
People with spirit
WHAT BEHREND LACKS
People with spirit. People
with spirit. People with spirit.
People with spirit.
People with spirit. People
with enthusiasm. People
with spirit. People with
zeal. People with fun
and levity in their bosoms.
People with spirit.
Pfft—Spat upon the lack of
SPIRIT on Behrend Campus
Anon.
P.S. Let's get some gung-ho-ism
on this campus.
' ED. NOTE: The NITTANY CUB
wishes to state that the above
poem was published because we
of the Editorial Staff feel that
both sides of the issue should be
presented.
Behrend Lacking Spirit! If that
isn't nonsense! We at the CUB,
always swamped by the number
of people entering the office with
offers to help, can no more be
lieve that this campus lacks spirit
than we Can believe that Behrend
students would misuse their stu
dent lounge.
This student is obviously mis
informed! From our view-point
this campus does indeed have a
great amount of spirit.
The very fact that eight people
applied for the seven vacancies
on the SGA Spring Term council,
and four people applied for the
four positions of carry-over mem
bers far next year speaks glowing
ly of the spirit on this campus._
The Spring Term play, ANDRO
CLES AND THE LION, is an ex
:client example of this excessive
spirit. Dean Lane practically had
to fight off would-be actors and
actresses clamoring to get into
the play. And rehearsals were so
well attended that he finally
called the whole thing off be
cause of over-enthusiasm on the
part of the participants.
Students with spirit. That's
Bchrend!
New College
Created In
University
STATE COLLEGE—The College
of Chemistry and Physics will be
discontinued July 1 and the de
partments now included- in it will
become -parts of the new College
of Sciences, John R. Rackley. vice
president for resident instruction,
announced recently.
The new college will include the
departments of chemistry, physics,
biochemistry and mathematics,
he said. Statistics and .computer
science, scheduled to become de
partments at a later date, will be
part of the mathematics depart
ments.
Additional departments to be
included in the College of the Sci
ences are botany, zoology "and
bacteriology.
The formation of the new col
lege is a result of a Board of
Trustees decision in January. At
that time the Board decided to
improve the University's organi
zation by grouping the Universi
ty's non-vocationally oriented de
partments and curricula into
three "core" colleges: the College
of the Liberal Arts, the College
Ethics Pose
Challenge
A character in one of our con
temporary novels was made to
say, "All ethics are the same. All
are good; what we really need is
to learn to apply our ethical
standards." Here we find one of
the fine sounding half-truths
which clutter so much of litera
-1 tare today.
Certainly most of us do need .
to come up with the gumption to
live by our standards, but can we
honestly say that ethics are al
ways of the same quality? No!
There is an ascending scale topped
by what this writer believes to be
the highest: the Christian ethic
of love.
At the bottom of the scale
there are codes of conduct which
not many subscribe to with lips
but which appear in lives. "Don't
rock the boat" . . "Everybody
else does it, why not me?" . . .
You get the point; no need to
belabor it.
Communism also belongs on
this lower ethical scale. With it's
doctrine of the state as an end
in itself it says that what is good
for the state will be good for
the individuals in it. Such a rela
tive ethic depends on society, it
I has no objective ideal which can
raise the aspirations of society.
The dialectic materialism of
communism also fails to recognize
that man is more than an animal
whose needs are satisfied when
the stomach is full. We have
higher needs of personality and
character which can be fulfilled
only by something outside of our
selves which is higher and can
?make
us extend ourselves.
Higher on the scale are con
cepts
commonly held, the better
but not the best. "Everything in
moderation" is often a good view
point
but it has its limits. No one
should take heroin in moderation. i
There are times, too, when we
should be more than moderate,
as in tolerance or zeal for a high I
cause.
"Do unto others as you would
have them do unto you" is better
yet (even though the cynic tries
to ruin it by saying "Do unto
others before they do unto you")
but is too subjective, it needs a
controlling objective standard.
There is one that is best—the
Christian ethic of love for God
and man. It challenges the best
in us as it takes us beyond the
confines of requirements; it gives
life to law. It emphasizes motiva
tion as well as deed, knowing that
the thought is father to the deed.
of Art and Architecture and the
College of the Sciences.
In January, departmental re
organization was initiated with
the creation of the College of Art
and Architecture. This college
gr o u pe d together departments
which were formerly located in
the colleges of liberal arts, engi
neering and agriculture.
Besides the creation of the re
organized sciences college, various
other departmental relocations
will occur July 1, Rackley said
Editor: Bob Ropelewski: Ass't. Editor: Paula Harris: New's Editor:
John Thompson; Sports Editor: Dave Craley; Feature Editor: Pat
v ,
Casinelli; News Staff: Bob Williams, Mel Ross, Mary Gene Shea, 4
Larry Youtz, Joanne Vogel, Barbara Duda, Alice Bachman, Ginny
Tompkins, Denise Scovel, Bill Bethune, Ed Paauwe, Pat Coggeshall;
Photography: Ed Paauwe.
Associations to
Meet at Behrend
The Behrend Campus will host
the Organization of Student
Government Associations Spring
Meeting on Friday and Saturday,
May 17 and 18.
Registration will begin at 5:30
DID. on Friday, May 17. James P.
Runzo,. president of the SGA at
Behrend, will welcome the group.
Mr. Jerry C. Stokes, president of
the Perry Plastics Co. and a mem
ber of the Behrend Campus Ad
visory Board, will be the luncheon
speaker on Saturday, May 18.
According to John R. Thomp
son, chairman of the housing
committee there are provisions for
36 people to stay overnight at
homes of the students here at
Behrend. This leaves 20 other
delegates without a place to stay.
Anyone willing and able to house
a representative for the Friday
night of May 17, is asked to
contact John immediately.
Behrend SGA delegates to the
OSGA conference: James P. Run
zo, SGA president; Donald H.
Barney, SGA treasurer; David C.
Craley, recording-s e ere tar y,
OSGA ; Robert A. Williams, stu
dent activities chairman; Robert
L. Cook, president-elect, SGA;
Paula P. Harris, treasurer-elect,
SGA.
"Election of '63"
Behrend students and Behrend
alumni will be talking about the
"election of '63" for years to come.
Not only was there an unprece
dented tie between the two candi
dates for the 1963-64 S.G.A.
Presidency, but a write-in candi
date surprised all concerned with
a smashing victory in the Run-
Off Election.
Behrend's '63 election saga be
gan on Thursday, April 18, when
Michael J. Ropelewski and Ray
mond C. Elder, candidates for the
S.G.A. presidency, tied with 73
votes each. James P. Runzo, elec
tion commission chairman, called
a run-off election for Tuesday,
April 23, to break the tie. When
all votes were tabulated, Robert
Lowell Cook, a write-in candidate,
was declared the winner by a de
cided plurality. Other Behrend
students receiving write-in votes
were Roxanna Samuelson, Ronald
Aitken, and William Sanko.
Such an ethic cannot be passive
as in some religions but must work
actively for the good,
Rightly interpreted it is never
soupy sentimentality but often
hard. Since it stresses the welfare
of people it cannot be just "do
goodism" of the type exhibited by
the Boy Scouts who came back
torn and bedraggled from doing
their daily good deed. They had
helped a little old lady across the
street even though she did not
want to go across.
The Christian ethic of love
challenges the best in each of us
and can do most to develop char- 0.
acter for ourselves and for society.
If you are looking for a high
calling, why not accept this chal
lenge?
!MEM
Thursday, April 18, 1963