PAGE FOUR
Published Tuesday through
Saturday mornlnva during
the University year, the
Dally Collegian le a student*
aperated newipiper,
Enteral u leeend-elase Better Jnly S. lilt at the State Celle,., P». Feet Office nader
MIKE FEINSILBER, Editor
Mene,in, Editor. Mike Miller; City Editor. Dos Shoe- , Co-Aml. B«*. M,n„ Roper Vo,el.ln,er. Dorothea Koldys;
. _ „... ' .. a . _ ' _... _ Local Adr. Mir., Faya Goldstein; National Ad?* Mgr., Jerry
aiaker; Cop, Editor, Dotty Stone: Bporta Editor, Roy Wil- Fried; Co-Clrcnletlon Mere.. Milt Lintel. Chrietine Kauffman:
llama; Editorial Director, Jackie Hudgins: Society Editor, Promotion Mgr., Delite Hoopes; Co-Personnel Mgrs., Alette
Inea Althoase; AesUUnt Sports Editor. Rocer Beldler; Photo,- Manbeek, Connie Anderson; Office M,r.. Ann Koesey; Clasol
-ri,. . fled Adr. M*r., Pe,,y Devi.; Secretary. Lll Melko: Reeeareh
raphy Editor Ron Walker. , n d Reeorde M,r„ Virclnla Latehaw.
STAFF THIS ISSUE: Night Editor, Ted Serrill; Copy Editors, Nancy Showalter, Judy Harkison; As
sistants, Ginny Philips, Dave Webb, Vince Carocci, Pat Hunter, Joan DeLacy, Dave Scott.
Hell Week: Healthy or Hellish?
... It Gan Help the Pledge and His House
Fraternity hell weeks are an intangible factor lowly actions, such as singing for the enter
in a man's life. Many seemingly concrete argu- lainment of fhe brothers or shining shoes, a
ments have been advanced against them and fraternity teaches the pledge that he is not
yet they persist. Why? "above" the group. By working on house pro-
Is it because the brothers have sadistic ten- iects, the major portion of which are often con
dencies that have to be satisfied? We do not ducted during hell week, when he would rather
believe so. be pursuing an individual recreation, the pledge
It is impossible to direct criticism against learns to put the fraternity before himself and
Hell Weeks in general because Hell Week will gains a feeling of brotherhood with his pledge
vary from fraternity to fraternity and from . brothers.
chapter to chapter within a national fraternity.
undoubtedly vicious paddling sessions are
out of place. But haven't fraternities eliminated
such practices to a large extent on their own
initiative?
This, of course, is a question that can only
be answered by individual fraternity chapters,
but we feel safe in assuming that most of the
fraternities at the University have, done away
with these practices.
What about the bantering and “mental abuse”
which hell week critics allege is heaped on the
hapless pledge during his week of “terror.” And
can “senseless” stunts really better men, they
further ask.
When properly conducted, these practices
have a definite place in pledge training.
It is a measure of a man's feeling for his
fraternity which enables him to subject himself
to what appears to be a "senseless" stunt to an
outsider.
Fraternities can only function successfully
when every member is willing to suppress his
own interests to some extent to further those
of the group. Every good fraternity man can
cite an instance when he had to forfeit his own
idea and bow to the will of the majority. And
a good fraternity; man must not only accept the
majority viewpoint, but must actively promote
it in the interests of the betterment of the group.
By forcing him to perform embarrassing and
... It Remains an Out-of-Date Public Nuisance
Hell week is no good. It's no good for fra
ternities, their pledges, or the University.
This viewpoint is becoming more and more
popular—both inside and outside fraternity
houses—and for sound reasons.
Hell week, as generally seen at Penn State,
is grossly out of date. If it ever had a place,
it was in the era of coonskin coats, hip flasks,
and goldfish diets. Today it has a place only
in history.
In 1955, pledges have better things to do than
count the windows in Pattee Library or sub
ject themselves to menial harressment and
physical abuse. But paddling, harmful horse
play, childish outfits, sleepless binges, juvenile
antics—all remain. Why?
“I went through it,” some fraternity men ar
gue. “And, by gosh, the pledges are going to
go through it!” This spit-in-the-eye-of-progress
is no argument and no defense.
Others defend hell week by maintaining it
gets necessary work in the fraternity’s house
done. This reason was advanced in an Inter
fraternity Council poll taken earlier this year.
If getting work done is the object, a lot more
work could be done in a lot less time if the
horseplay would be eliminated. Some houses,
recognizing this, have instituted work weeks, as
hell week's worthwhile replacement.
Hell week, some maintain further, unites the
pledges. This it does. People going through any
hardship together always emerge more united.
But hell weeks create a negative unity. They
unite pledges, at least temporarily, in 'nimosity
toward the brothers. If unity is the subject, a
creative work week could also accomplish this.
What Day is Today?
Today is Pivot dayl Not Froth—Pivot.
Froth is when there’s a sexy woman selling
an even sexier magazine. But Pivot, with a bit
more descrimination and a lot more talent, is
the University’s last remaining literary maga-
Once a year poetry submitted by students
is judged on the basis of its originality and
vorth, compiled, and presented to the students
in the form of Pivot. This year, as an added
ittraclion, the faculty has also contributed.
This year’s issue commemorates the Univer
sity's centennial and also marks the 100 years
iince the publication of Walt Whitman’s “Leaves
if Grass.”
The fact that Pivot has survived its literary
aredecessors, El Dorado, The Old Main Bell,
ind Inkling, is proof that some students, re
jard'.i'ss how few, still want a literary publi
:ation.
Twenty-five cents invested in a Pivot today
Saeeeeeer to TRE FREE LAMCE. eat. ISSt
JACK ALBRECHT, Business Manager
THE DAILY COLLEGIAN. STATE COLLEGE. PENNSYLVANIA
The pledge knows that the brothers have also
gone through this probationary period. If he is
intelligent, he will soon realize that it helped
to give them that basic intangible necessary to
all fraternities —house spirit.
Critics also contend that hell week is a nega
tive approach toward teaching pledges to work
together. Is this really true?
A major portion of hell week in most fra
ternities is the physical improvement of the
chapter house. The fun and so-called "hell" is
only a sidelight. The pledges work together
painting, improving, and repairing. When the
week is over they very definitely have a posi
tive accomplishment to look back upon.
Finally, those who criticize hell week must
remember that too much importance can not
be attributed to the rumors that surround hell
week.
The only men who really know what a fra
ternity hell week entails are fraternity men.
Naturally, fraternity men are not going to
broadcast the facts about hell weeks to out
siders because fraternities are, by their very
nature, secret orders.
But doesn't it seem strange that if fraternity
hell weeks were as bad as some would have us
believe that more than four generations of col
lege fraternity men would allow such a "sense
l»cS" nractice to persist?
While clumsily accomplishing two goals—
uniting pledges and getting work done—hell
week does so at a high price.
Hell week's price is public scorn of fraterni
ties and the fraternity system. Neighbors lose
sleep, borough and campus' police lose their
tempers, and fraternities lose respect.
Earlier this semester, realizing this, IFC at
tempted to curb the public nuisance of hell
week. A code modifying some of the excesses
of hell week was proposed. It was defeated, 25
to 22, with two abstentions. Seeing the hand
writing on the wall, some fraternities adopted
the code for their own chapters voluntarily.
Bui this is not enough. One out-of-line fra
ternity can impose restrictions on all.
If fraternities do not take steps to curb ex
cesses in hell week, the University will. Fra-'
• ternities are always sensative about outsiders
running their internal affairs. This is under
standable. Likewise, fraternities must under
stand actions become necessary when they
won’t live up to their public responsibility.
Professors have been complaining for a long
time that pledges going through hell week are
academically valueless. And, they say, pledges
snoring disturbs the rest of the class.
Unless fraternities demonstrate they can
handle the problems they create, the Univer
sity will take steps to curb hell week practices.
And restrictions imposed by the University will
be a lot more stringent than self-rule imposed
by the fraternities.
It is in the best interests of fraternities that
they curb their hell-raising practices, lest they
themselves be curbed.
Gazette...
CAMERA CI.UB, Election of officers, 7:30 p.m., 213 HUB
COLLEGIAN AD STAFF. 6:30 p.m., 11l Carnegie
COLLEGIAN BUSINESS CANDIDATES, 7 p.m., 217 Wil
lard
COLLEGIAN BUSINESS STAFF. 7 p.m.. 218 Willard
COLLEGIAN CIRCULATION STAFF. 6:30 p.m.. Collegian
office
COLLEGIAN PROMOTION STAFF, 6:30 p.m.. 103 Willard
HOME ECONOMICS CLUB, Clothing Interest <\roup, 7
p.m.. Home Economics
HOTEL GREETERS. Election of officers, 8 p.m., Home
Economics Cafeteria
STUDENT HANDBOOK BUSINESS STAFF, 7 p.m., 203
Willard
YOUNG REPUBLICAN CLUB. 7 p.m., 212 HUB
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
John Beres, Cyril Carroll, Rita Cofsky, Joyce Cojt, Thomas
Davis, Ruth Eshleman, Richard Klein, Lloyd Krull, Robert
Piper, Joan Platt, Virginia Stuer, James Valeri, Lester
Walters, Joseph Waple, Marilyn Ward.
might be a determining factor in one segment
of the University’s cultural growth.
Of course if students don't want culture,
there's always Froth.
RdKorlnb represent tin
viewpoint, of the writets,
not necenarUr the poller
of the pnper, the student
body, or the University.
set of Mnreh S. lift.
—Mike Miller
—The Editor
—Jackie Hudgins
Little Man on Campus
longratulations—Your written application
en accepted—we couldn't read a word 71
'A Column of Clips...
Today's
College
Maybe the biggest bargain in America is a college education.
The cost is $6OOO and the college receives $4OOO. The student re
ceives $2OOO worth of bonus education. So estimates, the head of a
large insurance firm.
[ Devereux 'C. Josephs, chairman of the New York-- Life Insur
ance Company, said last week that this $2OOO loss per student is
putting many an educational in
stitution into difficult straits
He estimated that, not includ
ing living expenses, it costs an
average of $6OOO to educate a
Bachelor of Arts and the average
private college receives only $4OOO
for this service.
MAILMAN KNOCKS
ONLY ONCE
Republicans announced with
fanfare an attempt at restoration
of twice-a-day mail deliveries a
year ago March and started tests
on double service in Indianapolis,
Minneapolis, and Dallas.
But there’s been no report on
the result of the tests since they
were announced. Fiscal troubles
have halted progress on the G
OP’s 1952 platform promise of
“more frequent” mail service.
GEORGE WASHINGTON'S
CLAIM TO FAME
George Washington made news
last week. He joined the Philadel
phia chapter of the Sons of the
American Revolution, brother
group to the more well-known
DAR.
Washington, general secretary
of the Sons of the Signers of the
Declaration of Independence, is a
descendant of the first President’s
family. ■
HAPPY BUT DRY 109TH
“General" John Sailing, one of
three surviving Confederate vet
erans, celebrated his 109th birth
day Sunday with a huge cake. He
confided to visitors that he wish
ed he could 'have an “occasional
snort or two” of whiskey, which
he’s been forced to give up.
The general still smokes cigars
because he recevies a gift box
every two weeks and “it would be
a' shame to waste them,” he said.
SHHHH
If New York is noisy, put no
blame on the city’s police force.
They’re tried.
In fact, during April the police
made 3906 arrests, issued 1677
summonses and warned 13,082
persons about the noise they were
making.
The arrests were made after
warnings had been ignored, police
said.
STUDY OF STUDY
Harvard Graduate School of
Education has received a $50,000
gift to start a study of how Amer
ican boys and girls can best be
taught the basic history and work
ings of their country’s govern
ment and economy.
iucouat. MAY 17, 1955
' *1 nI«V —=
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Tg. PJMUISS
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C’ggVmfO TSifr)
Bargain...
Education
.Compiled by MIKE FEINSILBEI
Interviews Set
For Encampment
Interviews for students who
wish to attend student encamp
ment at Mt. Alto next fall will
be held from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. to
morrow and Thursday in 218 Het-
zel Union.
Ninety students. will be chosen
to attend encampment. Of these,
80 per cent, or 66, will be chosen
by position. The remaining 20
per cent toll be selected from
those interviewed by the Encamp
ment Committee.
Peter Kiefer, Encampment Com
mittee chairman, said all students
who wish to attend should appear
for an interview, except those who
have . already been tentatively
notified that they will be invited.
He said a final list of those who
have been selected to attend will
probably be presented to All-
University Cabinet at its meeting
Thursday night.
ROTC Open Houses
Scheduled for Thursday
Army, Air Force, and Naval
Reserve Officers Training Corps
units will hold open house in ob
servance of Armed Forces Day
Thursday afternoon.
The 112th Aircraft Control and
Warning Flight of State College
Air National Guard will also hold
open house at the armory loca
ted on the University farms.
The Armory will be open from
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Various exhibits
will be placed in the Armory,
and a special exhibit will be set
up on College avenue in the bor
ough. Reserve Officers Training
Corps units will march in a pa
rade beginning at 7 p.m. Thurs
day.
Tonight on WDFM
7:21 Sign On
7:2S Associated Pres* New*
7 :80 Marquee Memories
8:00 Behind the Leeturn
8:80 Music of the People
8:00 Informally Youra
9:15 News
0:80 This World of Music
10:85 Sica Off
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