An Inquiring Report
STUDENT GOVERNMENT EXAMINED
By Doug Leichliter
CUB Managing Editor
“What are your opinions,
criticisms, or impressions of the
Student Government Association,
its Executive Committee, and the
work it has accomplished in the
past and present, and what do
you think of its future? ”
This was the question that was
posed to some of the members of
S.G. A. at the end of last term by a
reporter of the Nittany CUB.
One of the most recurring and
predominant criticisms of S.G.A.
by those members interviewed
was the apathetic nature of its
VOLUME XXII NO. 18
Construction continues on the new picnic shelter being built in the
grove. Funds for the building were donated by Mr. Norman W.
Wilson of Erie in memory of his wife.
News Around
The World
The 24th congress of the Soviet Communist party unanimously
endorsed the progress report that Lenoid I. Brezhnev gave last
week. The report, which took six hours to be given, only took six
teen seconds to be approved.
The report, which has been supported by over 250,000 letters and
telegrams, proposed conferences on four major issues. First of all,
a conference was proposed on a disarmanent of conventional forces
on a worldwide basis. Secondly, Brezhnev suggested that the
Soviet Union, the United States, Communist China, France and
Britain- meet to discuss nuclear disarmament. Thirdly, a con
ference was proposed to dissolve the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) and the Warsaw Pact armies. Finally,
Brezhnev suggested a conference to discuss environmental control
and cooperation in space.
Pennsylvania figured outlast week that its rising relief costs will
consume every cent of the new 3.5 income tax.
A few facts point out the huge increase in relief. In July 1969,
532,476 people were receiving aid totaling $52 million a month. In
December 1970, eighteen months later, 735,428 people were
receiving aid totaling $B3 million a month.
Right now, over 800,000, one out of every 14, are receiving some
sort of aid, and'this figure is rising by almost 20,000 a month.
Currently Pennsylvania pays out $1 billion a year in relief.
An Egyptian proposal to reopen the Suez Canal, with an Israeli
pullback as part of the"condition, was turned down by Israel last
Sunday.
In a statement to the Labor Party Conference, Israeli Prime
Minister Golda Meir called this proposal an “Egyptian-Soviet
political settlement”, but stated that she would resume discussions
with Egypt.
This refusal was met with some disagreement. Senator William
Fulbright, D - Ark., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, stated that Israel is baiting the Communists in an
attempt to use American Foreign Policy.
Major Harvey G. Brown, one of the six jurors who convicted Lt.
William Calley Jr. of murder in the My Lai massacre, in a letter to
President Nixon asked the American public to think hard about the
conviction, and not to let themselves be controlled by their
emotions.
Brown stated that support for Calley has brought many people
together, yet everyone should consider what the cause really is.
- (Continued on Page 3)
members. Linda Juliano said
that it is, ”. . .always the same
people that are making the
motions and most of the people
that are there never question the
motions. They just figure, well,
we’ll just push, it on through.
They don’t take the time to
question a motion.”
Lana Watkins also seemed to
support this when she said, “I
think that S.G.A.’s biggest
problem is overcoming their
apathy.”
Another point of view was
taken by Ken Mushrush. He
appeared to hold the opinion that
Compiled by A 1 Quinlan
CUB Staff Writer
the problem was with the student
body when he said, “I think if the
students would stop being
apathetic and support everv
organization on Behrend
Campus, the campus could be
strong..”
Mr. Woerner, the faculty ad
visor for the S.G.A., agreed with
this idea. He noted that S.G.A.
has, “Certainly been hampered
somewhat by the lack of response
on the part of the student body.”
He went on to say, “I haven’t
seen that much response from the
student body into the S.G.A.
When they have, S.G.A. has
PUBLISHED BYSTUDENTS OF BEHREND CAMPUS
OF
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
STATION ROAD, ERIE, PA. 16510
Progressive Frat
Looking For Members
University Park (APS) - Zeta
Psi fraternityis offering a special
program to Commonwealth
Campus men who might be in
terested in joining a fraternity
when they transfer to University
Park.
Students participating in this
program may live in the Zeta Psi
house for one term without
obligation. There students will
have the options of rushing Zeta
Psi or any other fraternity during
the term.-
Peter A. Sopko, Com
monwealth Campus rush
chairman, announced the special
program this week.
“The fraternity system at Penn
State is undergoing a progression
away from the traditional
fraternity concept,” Sopko said.
“Zeta Psi in particular has been a
strong _ advocate of this
progression and has accordingly
updated all of its policies.”
Sopko said that Zeta Psi began
a new pledging program six
months before a similar plan was
approved by the Interfraternity
Council. Pledging permits a
prospective fraternity member to
become familiar with the house
functions and to meet the
brothers.
A student indicates his interest
in joining a fraternity by par-
The Student Mobilization
Committee plan for a massive
peaceful antiwar demonstration
in Washington D.C. on April 24
is now in full swing. The march
how has the potential of
becoming the most significant
demonstration in the history of
the movement, both in
terms of its size and in terms of
the effect it could have onNixon’s
expansion of the Indo-China war.
The demonstration has the
broadest support of any previous
demonstration, both workers and
students included. Some en
dorsers of the demonstration so
far include Senator George
McGovern, Senator Vance
Hartke, 13 members of the House
of Representatives, Mayor Carl
Stokes, “The Guardian”,
People’s Coalition for Peace and
Justice, War Resistors League,
Catholic Peace Fellowship, the
“Militant”, College Young
Democrats, Young Socialists
Alliance, representatives of the
United Auto Workers, the
Teamsters Union, United elec
trical Workers CUE),
April Antiwar
Demonstration
responded.”
One idea that was expressed by
many of the members was that
S.G.A. itself is improperly
organized. Jim Crawford said,
“Personally, I think the Student
Government in general is
structured incorrectly. I think we
•have too much student govern
ment, too many people with
overlapping duties.” He also said
that the other standing com
mittees of S.G.A. should be up
dated to be more in line with
current happening, with the
possibility of the addition of a
Safety Committee whose function
ticipating in the fraternity’s rush
program. If a rushee is accepted
by the fraternity, he begins the
pledge period which leads to
fraternity membership.
James N. Gross, Zeta Psi
president-elect, said, “I feel that
our new liberal pledge program
is a good reflection of the
progressive attitudes of the house
members.”
Cleaning duties and general
harassment are being phased out
of the pledge routines.
The Zeta Psi house is one of the
newest fraternity houses at Penn
State. It is located two blocks
from campus, and it includes a
heated outdoor swimming pool.
Zeta Psi is one of 62 fraternities
at University Park. There are 24
sororities, all located in
residence halls.
Students at University Park
have the options of living in a
dormitory, on off-campus
apartment or a fraternity house.
“Next term we’d like to send
out representatives to Com
monwealth Campuses during a
class day,” Sopko said. “We’ll set
up an information desk to tell
(students) about Zeta Psi and
answer their questions about
fraternity life.”
More information about the
Zeta Psi program is available
Amalgamated Meatcutters and
Butcher Workmen, California
Federation of Teachers, as well
as -many other prominent in
dividuals and organizations.
Locally, the Edinboro Student
Mobilization Committee has
reserved two buses to go to
Washington. -They will leave
downtown Erie 10:00 p.m. and
from Edinboro at 11:00 p.m.
Friday,: April 23rd. Departure
from Washington will be 6:00
p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $13.60
round trip, food included.
For those who can’t make it to
Washington, a donation so that
others can go will be appreciated.
The Edinboro Student
Mobilization Committee holds
meetings every Thursday night -
at 8:30 in the basement of the
World Culture building. at
Edinboro State College.
Everyone is invited to attend.
For bus tickets or further in
formation write:
Edinboro S.M.C.
C.U. B-4
Edinboro State College
Edinboro, Pa. 16412
would be to act, “as a watchdog
on the Business Office and the
Security Office and things like
that.”
Even Dave Carr, the president
of the Student Government
Association apparently agreed
with this contention when he
noted, “One problem with S.G.A.
at the moment is that its purpose
is pretty well undefined and
clouded. The purpose of the
organization has to be redefined
and in doing so the imput of the
faculty and the administration
and the student body has to be
(Continued on Page 3)
THURSDAY, APRIL 8,1971
from Zeta Psi Fraternity, 225 E.
Foster Ave.. State College, Pa.
16801.
Information is also available
from the Interfraternity Council,
Panhellenic Council (for
sororities) and Organization of
Town Independent Students (for
students living in off-campus
apartments). Correspondence to
these organizations can be ad-
dressed to 202 Hetzel Union
' Building, University Park, Pa.
16802.
Lobbies
Open
The most interesting and
perhaps the most important topic
of the Joint Residence Council of
Behrend Campus meeting that
was held last March 4th, was the
new revised visitation policy that
will go into effect this Friday,
April 9th.
The newest addition to the
visitation policy was the an
nouncement that the dorms
lobbies will now be open for 24
hours a day, seven days a week.
This has been an experimental
step that was used during the
latter part of last term, but en
compassed the weekends only.
The only other point of major
interest concerning the visitation
issue was that Mr. Kochel
Campus Director offered to
change the visitation hours; not
in duration, but only when
visitation could be held. Mr.
Kochel offered the JRC a change
to 8:00 to 1:00 or 8:30 to 1:30 on
Friday and Saturday evenings
from the 7:00 to 12:00 that was
used during last term. He also
offered to change the allotted
three hour visitation period on
Sunday afternoons. The Joint
Residence Council decided to
take the option and elected to
change the Sunday visitation
hours from 2:00 to 5:00 in the
afternoon to 8:30 to 11:30 on
Sunday evenings, but decided to
keep the present hours on Friday
and Saturdays.
Another gain made by the
students was that the room doors
are now permitted to remain
closed according to the
discretion of the occupants.
The JRC also made plans to
hold a panel discussion for drugs
that will be held on April 15th.
The proposed discussion was still
in the planning stages then, but so
far they hope to have three
pharmacists, an ex-addict and a
doctor speak of the discussion
meeting.