<2lp Satlg Collegian
SueeaMOr to THE FREE LANCE, est. 1887
Published Tuesday through Saturday mornings in
clusive daring the College year by the staff of The Daily
Collegian of The Pennsylvania State College.
Entered as second-class matter July 5. 1934, at the State
College, Pa„ Post Office under the aet of March 3, 1879.
Collegian editorials represent the viewpoints of the writers,
not necessarily *he policy of the newspaper. Unsigned edi
torials are by the editor.
Dean Gladfelter
Editor •hsSsb**
Managing Ed. John flalbor; News Ed., Stan Degler;
Sports Ed., Ray Koehler; Edit. Dir., Herbert Stein; Society
fid., Deanie Krebs: Feature Ed., Janet Rosen: Asst. Sports
Ed., Art Benning; Asst. News Ed., John Ashbrook;
Asst. Society Ed.. Bcttina dePalma; Photo Ed.. Wilson
Barto; Senior Board: Jack Boddington, Bill Detweiler.
Asst. Bus. Mgr., Thomas M. Karolcik; Advertising
Dir.. Harold L. Wollin; Local Adr. Mgr., Hugo R. Mandes;
Promotion Mgr., Laura Mermelstein; Circulation Co-Mgrs.,
Edward W. Noyes, Gerald F. Veager; Personnel Mgr., Ed*
win Singel; Clansilied Adv. Mgr.,, Shirley Faller; Office
Mgr., Loretta Stempinski; Secretary, Winifred Wyant:
Senior Board: Norma Gleghorn, Delores Home, Mary
Kauffman, Sue Halperin.
STAFF THIS ISSUE
Night editor: Bob Vosburg; asst, night editor:
Norma J. Philip: copy editors: Dottie Laine,
Lee Stern, Len Kolasinski; assistants: Ted
Soens, Mary Stark, and Amie Bloom.
Advertising manager Stephanie Herlitz; as
sistants J. Dulick and B. Rosenthal.
Re-Evaluation
People in the atomic age—even the intelligent
and educated—are not quite sure where they
are going or what moral values they hold. To
day’s world presents questions of world hunger,
fear, disease, and hatred which thus far have
not been soluable on the basis of. the old, es
tablished philosophies.
THE TECHNOLOGY for such solution exists.
Yet, as Norman Cousins has pointed out, social
thinking of modern man, which axiomatically
lags behind technological thinking, is obsolete
for the atomic age, and a sound underlying so
cial approach to modern problems has not been
formulated.
Under pressure of forces dividing ihe world,
current generations are despairing of ideals
on which American democracy was predicated
and are succumbing to antithetic ideas and
conditions exemplified in submission to a con
scription program and emphasis on conform
ity in thought.
Although some scholars have made attempts
to evaluate current mbrals, we still are not sure
what our morals are, and, whatever they are,
we’re equally uncertain whether they are the
right values for us at the moment.
A re-orientation of the faith we live by is
needed as a foundation of the peaceful world
we seek. Opposition to a program we don’t
like communism —is not enough. Although
this is not the first time that disintegration of
moral values has threatened a civilization, it is
the first tme that adequate information and re
search facilities and techniques have been avail
able for systemmatic re-evaluation of social
philosophy.
ONE APPROACH to the problem would be
establishment of a commission on re-evaluation
of ideals composed of scholars in philosophy,
psychology, and the social fields. Such a com
mission could investigate intensively the entire
field of human relations, pooling knowledge,
ability and methods to re-examine basic modern
precepts and to formulate a new program for
living. Should it be able to produce a new ap
proach to social affairs, it might help halt the
drift toward despair and ‘destruction which is
enveloping us.
Here would be a vast opportunity for some
university or universities interested in human
affairs to assign its best scholars to attacking
the problem of determining whether the old
moral ideas still apply, whether new ones must
be sought, what those new ideals might be, and
whether any ideals at all are consistent with
modern social and technological conditions.
The men who could do the work are men
connected with universities which, as the seat
of higher learning that copes with man's un
derlying problems, should have a primary
interest in forwarding such a program. Well
informed scholars in non-university circles
also could be invited to take part.
We suggest that Penn State and her intellec
tual leaders take the initiative in seeking estab
lishment of such a commission to re-evaluate
moral theory as a bold new approach to world
understanding and harmony.
Driving?
Following almost every vacation, the Daily
Collegian prints an account of one or more
auto accidents in which Penn State students
were injured or killed.
WITH ANOTHER SNOW upon us, chances
are greater than ever that the first issue follow
ing Christmas vacation will contain a story
about injuries suffered in holiday auto acci
dents. The reader of this editorial could be one
of the victims.
Common sense rules of safe driving are
familiar io all of us. If is their application
during the holiday driving that will deter
mine to a large extent the length of _ Colle
gian's accident story. And th «» 1 application
may be the factor that keepj the reader's
name out of the story.
Owen E. Landon
Business Mgr.
John Ashbrook
L.iiLy Si...it. Cw
E;xam Schedules
Thb .sbhioJ clafefe has sef'up a committee t 6
investigate possibility of abolishing final exami
nations for eighth-semester seniors.
ANOTHER PROJECT WHICH the entire
student body might undertake would- be an ef
fort to have the College adopt a shorter and
more simplified final exam schedule.
Yesterday the Collegian printed the exam
schedule for this semester. It filled 130 inches
of space in the newspaper. For many students,
this lengthy schedule, will cause inconvenience
because of the number of conflicts which are
certain to arise due to the method of exam
scheduling used.
Many schools—Pift, for example—use shor
ter and simpler schedules based on the limes
at which classes are held during the school
week. In this fashion, it is possible to avoid
conflicts completely, the schedule is less com
plex, and students keep their hair from turn
ing gray. .
Of course, such a schedule necessitates giving
the final in the same room in which the class
regularly is held, and this would mean that use
of departmental finals would be precluded. But
we doubt if that would be such a great evil,
and we think the College would not harm itself
by giving the simplified variety of scheduling
a trial.
Value Demonstrated
Latest achievement of the campus student
work agencies is institution of floral service for
big weekends. Other agencies in operation now
handle sale of newspapers and of magazines,
and dry-cleaning service.
ADVANTAGES TO BOTH student salesmen
and student customers are apparent. They in
clude convenient door-to-door deliveries and
quick and efficient service. Agency work pro
vides additional income for students who other
wise often find the financial problems of a col
lege education too rough.
Student self-helps of this, nature are of con
siderable value on any campus. Their value at
Penn State has been and is being demonstrated
day after day.
Safety Valve ...
Absurd Punishment
TO THE EDITOR: In reading William Clark’s
letter concerning the punishment which he and
a “number of us small men on campus” propose
to mete out to the members of the Beta Theta
Pi house, it seemed to me that these gentlemen
have an axe to grind.
While I agree with him that episodes of this
type should be strongly discouraged, as indeed
it was ($35 is no bargain for any Christmas
tree), the absurd punishment proposed does not
“fit the act.”
Mr. Clark (and his nameless friends) proposes
to fine fraternity approximately $7 per man for
something which he has no assurance was
known to the greater part of the men in the
house. Does not this seem to be a manifestation
of the unfortunate attitude of some indepen
dents to club the fraternities at every oppor
tunity on any pretext, rather than a cry of
righteous indignation? Contrary to anything
these gentlemen may have heard, the fraterni
ties are not densely populated with wealthy
young men. If the men concerned were from a
Nittany or Pollock Circle dormitory, would Mr.
Clark propose the same punishment? I think
not.
Perhaps I have misstated the case. But at any
rate, my recommendation to Mr. Clark is a cold,
shower followed by a quiet evening pursuing
“The Merchant of Venice.” “The quality of
mercy ...”
Reprimand On Snowballs
TO THE EDITOR: It is usually thought that
when students reach a college level they have
also reached a certain degree of maturity. The
actions of many students on campus in recent
days has tended to bring affirmations of dis
approval and condemnation. These juveniles
that see fit to throw snowballs at buildings and
students, particularly the women, are a menace
to the public safety.
Enough damage has already been caused by
the unthinking and oblivious students on cam
pus. Many dorms already exhibit the mark of
indifference through rampant and reckless be
havior. Something should be perpetrated to
remedy this situation. Perhaps these offenders
of common decency can divert their energies
into more useful channels of endeavor.
Gazette...
COLLEGE PLACEMENT
.Seniors who turned in preference sheets will be given
priority in scheduling interviews for two days following
the initial announcement of the visit of one of the com
panies of their choice. Other Students will be scheduled
on the third and subsequent days.
Wright Aeronautical corporation will interview January
graduates in aeronautical engineering and mechanical
Engineering Thursday, Jan. 11.
Owens-Coming Fiberglas corporation will interview Jan
uary graduates in M.E., 1.E., Chcm. Eng., E.E., and any
one interested in sales work Wednesday, Jan. 10.
AT THE MOVIES
Saturday and Monday
CATHAUM: All About Eve
STATE: Let’s Dance
NITTANY: Gigi
—J. A.
—J. Paul O'Brien
Alpha Chi Sigma
—Gerald L. Krupp
Solomon E. Jaffe
Little Man On Campus
"I was chosen to play Santa for our sorority an' I'm just waiting
'til they all get to bed. Who are you going to play Santa for?"
Contrasts Found
In 1950 Christmas
Christmas 1950 is a contrast between the red of Santa’s suit and
the red spilled on the snows of Korea.
After we give our Christmas gifts, dad will find himself with a
hand-painted excuse for a tie, and mother will notice that the beau
tiful .negligee is thr.ee sizes too small, and both gifts will find their
way back to the campus. Meanwhile, GI Joe will be giving his life
this Christmas to preserve our freedom.
FOR JOE,- Christmas 1950 will not mean the exchange of gifts
but the exchange of hot lead across acres of blood-spotted snow.
He’ll have visions of the multi-colored lights that blaze along Col
lege avenue, or other hometown streets, while he hangs empty cart
ridges on a straggly tree—if he has time.
And as we prepare to leave the burden of textbooks, bluebooks,
and reference books to feast on a delicious, browned turkey, front
line GI Joes huddle in frigid foxholes and munch hard biscuits
washed down with coffee made from melted snow.
Christmas usually has pleasant connotations. There are parties,
mistletoe kisses, and gay farewells as we leave a friend's home to
visit another. /
Joe will have all that too but with variations. He’ll inch forward
cautiously on a raiding or reconnaissance party; he’ll kiss the frozen
earth when machine guns crackle; and he’ll wearily bid the Hung
nam beachhead goodbye and prepare for other beachheads.
We’ll joke about Saint Nick back home and hope that he brought
us that tennis racket, evening gown, set of golf clubs, and on and
on. Joe’s asking for a stocking filled with tanks, guns, planes, and
reinforcements.
AS WE SEND greetings to each other and then stack them on the
fireplace mantel or elsewhere, Joe sends his own greeting from the
barrel of a rifle at the advancing enemy column moving down a
mountainside.
Thus Christmas 1950 is strikingly similar to the Christmases of
’4l to ’44. They were just as dismal, desperate, and depressing. There
was the Battle of the Bulge.
However, then and now, we felt that our Christmas would not
exist if totalitarian forces were victorious. But Christmas is just a
small part of the picture. Our troops in Korea are fightng to save
a way of life.
The price of freedom is costlier than any other gift, but a free
world makes every day Christmas.
On Other Campuses
Only 2900 University of Miami students signed up for the 3600
available tickets to the Orange Bowl classic, Dr. Thurston Adams,
director of student activities at the school, said recently.
He said he could not figure out the lack of student interest, but
he added the extra tickets would be disposed of in some way al
though the students may not approve. (
Northeastern University, Boston, Mass., has solicited approxi
mately one-third of its $1,500,000 library fund. Almost $15,000 ofi
the total amount obtained was donated by students in their attempt
to build a new library. So far, $417,884 has been solicited.
Students at Syracuse university last week celebrated the third
anniversary of its-Student Union building. One of the features, of
the festivities was a pictorial display of some 60 student union’
buildings of various colleges throughout the country.
A ten-year old fox terrier became a hero and lost his life ini fire,
at the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity house on the campus of George
Washington university recently. At about 7 a.m. “Terry” raced?
through the house, barking and crying, in attempts to rouse the house
members. When the fire was under control and all the boys safely
outside, Terry was found dead from suffocation inside the house.
The Connecticut Campus, a tri-weekly paper published by thef
University of Connecticut, has been ordered by school senate to re
vise its constitution or face suspension of publication. The senate*
termed the paper undemocratic.
-w —.• *J, i«>oJ
By Bibler
Len Kolasinski i