PAGE FOUR
Vle Datil; Collegian
Sacco/nor to ISE !PREZ LANCE, tot. 1357
Published ruesday through Saturday mornings inclusive
sunny the College year by the staff of ebe Daily Colleirisa
of ray Pennsylvania State College.
Fasteren as second-eines eaatter July 6. 1931. At the State
College. Pa. Post Ottiee ander the net of Mardi 3, 1879.
Collegian editorials represent the viewpoints of the writ.
era, not \ necessarily the, volley of tie newspaper. (Insigne'.
editorials ' are by the editor.
Mary Krasnanak,
Editor
Managing Ed., Ron Bonn; City Ed.. George Glazer:
Sports Ed., Ernie Moore; Edit. Dir., Bob Fraser; Makeup
Ed., Moylary Mills; Wire Ed.. Len Kolasinski; Society Ed.,
Carolyn Barrett; Feature Ed., Rosemary Delahanty: Asst.
City Ed., Lee Stern; Asst. Sports Eds.. Dave Colton, Bob
Vosburg; Asst. Society Ed., Greta Weaver; Librarian, Joan
Kuntz: Exchange Ed.. Paul Beighley: Senior Bd., Bud
Fenton.
STAFF, THIS ISSUE •
Night editor, Jim Gromiller; copy editors - , -
Lynn , Kahanowitz, Chuck Henderson; assistants,
Sally Sapper, Chiz Mathias, June Reizes, Betty
Allen, John Phillips.
More Care Needed
In Forum Choices
After reviewing the facts surrounding the
signing of Upton Close as a bonus speaker for
the Community Forum, that group's general
committee has decided to allow Close to speak
April 7. ,
The decision, made with only three of the
13 members of the committee taking an oppo
site view, was made, not because the , com
mittee has any sympathy for the anti-Semitic
views of Close, but largely because the corn
mittee was aware that banning any speaker
after he has been engaged might set a dan-
gerous precedent.
If there ever has been a speaker who does
not deserve a forum on a college campus, it
surely must be Upton Close. But in banning
Close a precedent would be created which could
be cited - in banning other speakers.
A large part of the value of any university
.or college lies in the fact that such institutions
are free to allow all shades of opinion, both of
the right and the left, to be presented to its
itudents. This duty of a university—to present
contrasting views of all shades—must not be
tampered with, nor undermined. •
Refusing to allow Close 'to speak would have
undermined that freedom no matter how much
virtue there might be in denying him a plat
form.
The issue has been settled in a manner which
reflects nothing but credit on the committee.
The committee has resolved a bad situation in
a fashion which leaves Penn State an institution
where freedom of expression is not in danger.
Still left to be taken, however, are steps
which will guarantee that the likes of Upton
Close are not again dignified by the Com
munity Forum.
The decision to engage Close as a forum
speaker can be chalked up to nothing but sheer
negligence. Needing a bonus speaker, the selec
tion committee, which ironically enough was
chaired by Dr. Gerald B. M. Stein, the B'nai
B'rith representative on the forum group, ap
proved a contract . without looking into the
man's record.
In considering Close, the• committee of Dr.
Stein, forum chairman Clayton Schug, and Mrs.
S. Lewis Land, found that •he had two virtues:
he was available for only', $3OO and he was
available for a suitable date: Being duly quali
fied, Close was engaged.
The point at which .Close should have been
turned down as a' Community Forum speaker
should have been by this" committee. Close's
record of bigotry does not qualify him as a
speaker for the Community Forum, and this
record should have been known by the com
mittee.
As we think of the forum, it is' a platform
for the expression of ideas of both the right
and the left as well as ,the middle of the road.
The view of religiou s intolerance is above
and beyond political issues, however, and has
no place in a democratic Society. '
With its fingers badly burned this once, the
forum
. should have learned a lesson. We feel
certain more care will be taken in the selection
of future speakers.
Today Is Poll Day
Today for the first time Penn State students
will have an opportunity to express their opin
ions in a Presidential preference poll. The poll,
which is being conducted by the Daily Colle
gian, is the first of a series which will be made
before elections.
The poll ballot appears on page 2 of today's
Collegian.
There will be no advance claims made as to
the accuracy of this poll. It is not being con
ducted on any statistical basis nor is there
guarantee that some students will not cast
more than one vote.
The degree of accuracy of this poll will be
determined by the number of students who
participate in it. If a large number do partici
pate, then some degree of accuracy could be
claimed, with' the ever constant factor that
there may be some double voting.
In the last poll conducted by the Daily Colle
gian, just one week prior to the 1948 national
elections, 53 per cent of the Penn State students
polled favored Thomas E. Dewey. One or two
conclusions can be drawn from this: either the
campus pollsters were kvrong or students were
wrong.
While the accuracy of this poll is not guar
anteed, the results should nonetheless be in-
leresting. .
Edward Shanken
Business Mgr.
THE DAILY COLLEGIAN. .STATE COLLEGE, PENNSYLVANIA
Amendment Would
Hurt Government
•
After almost one month .of discifs - Sion; the
proposed amendment to the All-College Consti
tution dealing with student fees is scheduled to
come up for a vote when cabinet meets tonight.
The amendment, introduced by senior class
President David Olmsted, would require that
a statistical poll be conducted to determine
student opinion on any recommended change
in student fees if a- petition signed by ten
per cent of_the student body requests such a
poll to be taken.
For a month now the merits and shortcom
ings of this poll have been the chief topics of
conversation among stud6nt government lead
ers, politicians, and students interested in better
student government. -
It has been claimed that a statistical poll,
which would not be _binding• on-cabinet as it is
now' proposed, would be used to give cabinet
Members an idea of student thinking. This
as far as we can see is its only, virtue. On the
red side of the ledger there is enough to make
'this amendment detrimental to student govern
ment, rather than helpful.
From the very basis of this poll—that it be
initiated upon a petition signed by ten per cent
of the students—to its end result—that it be
used merely as a' guide for cabinet—the amend
ment is marked with dangers.
Experience with petitions shows that almost
anybody can get- students, or other people
for that matter, to sign almost any kind, of
petition. Such..was the case recently when
the D ail y Collegian circulated a petition
which, among other things, gave the bearer
of the document the right to hang the signer
by the neck until dead. Of the 165 students
asked to sign the petition. 70 did.
Just how easy it is to get students' to sign a
petition was illustrated 'two .years ago when•
cabinet was hearing the' pros and cons of the
Student Union assessment. At that time a peti
tion bearing the signatures of 740 students was
presented to cabinet by parties who did not
have the respect of a large portion of the stu 7
dent body. .
The proposal for a statistical poll of -ques
tionable accuracy creates the possibility of a
situation where a poll may indicate student
thinking to be in one direction while cabinet
may act in another. If indeed a poll could be
guaranteed in accuracy, we could say cabinet
was not being representative of the Student
body. But if 1936 and 1948 are any indication,
the accuracy of these polls is questionable.
The - result of such disagreement would be
the creation of a breach between students and
their government.
One of the points madi in discussion on the
amendmentlhas beery that it would !wen un- ,
necessary crut c h which cabinet would be
forced to lean on. The amendment _tends to
take the responsibility for governing away
from the respongible:elected representatives
of student gOvernrnetit.
One of the benefits gained from participation
in student government is that the values it
teaches = among 'which 'is responsibility are
preparation for . greater.Tesponsibilities in later
years .and- away from ;the college campus. The
amendment robS student government leaders of
the opportunity to learn from this responsibility
and it robs the student body of the opportunity
to bear• the responSibility of electing qualified
and responsible officials and the responsibility
of making their wishes known to these elected
representatives.
The amendment • does all this and more. It
caters to the apathy of students and the refusal
of students to take an• interest in their govern
ment, for it says to the student who just doesn't
care and who does not wish to participate in
the affairs of the community that he need not
bother with government. It 'says to this student:
"We know you are apathetic, but that is okay;
we will cater to that apathy rather than combat
it"
And that is exactly what this amendment
does: caters to apathy.
The framers of this amendment and those
who suppoit it are condemning the basic
concept of representative democratic govern
ment: that the basis for government is in
elected repreentatives, and going further, in
the ballot box, and in the contacts, personal
or otherwise, which the voter has with his
representative;
The strangest thing to come out of this entire
controversy is that while proposing the amend,
ment as crutch for student government because
of a lack of faith in the current representative
system, Olmsted and his friends have used well
the very system which they condemn.
The issue- is being discussed; student opinion
is being obtained, a decision will be made. The
issue is being taken to the elected representa
tives of the students and a representative vote
will be recorded tonight in cabinet. •
So on one hand we have the picture of Olm
ste-d saying the representative system does not
work and needs a crutch. while the same Olm
sted is illustrating by his actions that it does
work.
A vote for good government, student gov
ernment which is more than a debating so
ciety, will be a vote against the amendment.
To be of use In the world is the only way
to be happy—Hans Christian Andersen
"God will., forgive ate;• that's his business."
—Heinrich Heine
Little Man On Campus
"Professor Snarf, would you mind !.f we stapled one of our little
folders to all the bar 2 papers before you turn them back?"
The Old
Millstream
If you want to get married and, don't have the dough, take a tip
from Serbs and earn the money for the festivities—and the first year
of married life—at the wedding ceremony.
It seems there's an old Serb custom that the wedding guests at
a Serb splicing have to pay a slight fee for dancing with the bride.
Most of the guests desire a dance with the bride. When you have 500
or more guests at a ceremony, that
means' the bride and groom-stand
to make some nice moola. •
Nick and Mira •Lalic h, of
• Baltimore, raked in $9OOO a few
. weeks ' ago frord such a cere
mony. The bride was slightly
tired from the three days of,
continuous partying, but an old
custom, especially a Serbian
custom can't be ignored. Any
way, who would ignore $9000?
The Serbian colony in the Unit
ed States is rather small and 800
Serbians, a majority, showed up
for the affair. They must have
brought along plenty of pocket
change for bridal dances.
At a Serb wedding, everyone
gets into the act as far as throw
ing parties is concerned. The
bride's parents, the bridesmaids,
and the ushers all hosted parties
within a 24-hour period. It must
have seemed like' IFC weekerid.
But don't get -the idea that
dancing with the bride for money
is the only ancient custom ob
served at Serb knot-tying.
First of all, the prospective
bride receives her engagement
ring embedded in an -apple. Wed
ding rings have been knciwn to
dis'appear when the bride-to-be
hasn't eaten for several weeks.
Another quaint custom ob
served by these Slavic peoples
Gazette . .
Thursday, March 6
ALPHA'NU, 102 Willard Hall,
7:30 p.m.
ART EDUCATION F 0 RUM,
McElwain walnut 'lounge, 7 p.m.
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE OR- .
GANIZATION. 304 Old Main,
6:45 p.m.
COLLEGIAN, freshman • board
and candidates, 9 Carnegie Hall,
7 p.m.
FROTH promption staff, 111
Carnegie Hall, 6:30 p.m.
HILLEL GOVERNING BOARD
meeting canceled.
IN K L I N G PRODUCTION, 9
Carnegie Hall, 7:30 p.m.
NEWMAN CLUB, scholastic
philosophy ,lecture, 317 Willard
Hall, 7:15 p:m.
NEWS AND VIEWS, 14 Home'
Economics, 6:30 p.m.
STATE PARTY WORKSHOP,
10 Sparks, 7 p.m.
THETA SIGMA PHI, Gr.6ge
game room, 8:45 p.m.
WRA SWIMMING, White Hall
pool, 7:30 p.m. = -
COLLEGE PLACEMENT
Aetna Life Insurance Ca. (Group -and
THURSDAY, MARCH 6 1952
By MOYLAN MILLS
is the buying of the bride from
her parents by the head usher.
Of course, the head usher is
usually a sport about it and im
mediately gives her 'over to the
bride-groom. The head usher
and' the bride's parents are
sworn to secrecy and must
never reveal the price paid for
the bride. After all, a litlle
disclosure of this type might
ruin an otherwise happy' mar
riage. •
These weddings are definitely
not fly by night affairs. Fifty
women. worked for more than a
week to prepare the dishes "for
Nick's and Mira's reception. The
wedding cake itself cost almost
$2OO.
So the happy couple is now on
the way with their loot. to Rio - de
Janeiro for a honeymoon. Every.
one else connected with the wed
ding is probably going home to
nurse their empty pockets. Then
they'll have to start saving .their
money for the next Serbian.wed
ding.
Maybe that's why the Serbs are
such a small: group in the U.S.
Who can afford to such luXury as
to dance with every Serbian
bride? Except, of c our se, the
grooms who ,get half - the haul.
Pensions Dents.) will interview June grad
uates in C&F and L.A. Tuesday, March 18.
Delaware Power and, Light Co. will in
terview tune graduates in M.E. and 'E.E.
Monday, March 17. .
Factory Mutual will " interview June
graduates in 1.E., E.E., M:E., C.E. and
Arch.E. Monday, March .17.
Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. will in
terview ' June graduates in E.E., ALE.,
Cb.E., Ag.E., Chem.; L.M.R. and C & F
Monday, Marelk 17.
Radio Corp. of America will interview
graduates at all levels in Chem.,Phys.,
M.E., LE., C.E., L.A., L.M.R. an C & F
Monday, March 17.
Sears Roebuck and Co. will interview
June graduates interested in a career with
Sears Monday, March, 17.
Student Christian Movement will inter
view June graduates •in Phys. Ed., L.A.,
Home Ec., Ed., Soc. and Psy. Monday,
March 17.
Dixie Cup Co. will interview June grad
uates in Ch., 1.E., M.E., Chem. and Corn.
Wednesday, March 19. •,_
Federal Telecominunications Laboratories,
Inc. will interview June graduates in E.E.;
Ch.E. and Chem.' Wednesday, March 9;
National Carbon Division will interview
June graduates in Ch.E. M.E., LE., E.E.,
Cer., Phys. and Chem. Wednesday, March
New Jersey Zinc Co. will interview June
graduates in Ch.E., M.E., Min.E., E.E..
Geo. and Metal. Tuesday, March 18.
They will also interview 1952 M.S.' and
Ph.D. candidates in Ch.E. and Metal. and
Ph.D. candidates only in Phys. and Chem.
Solvay Process Division will interview
June graduates in •Chem.• rind Ch.E. Wed.
neada,y., March 19.
By Bibler