PAGE FOUR
Editorial Opinion
Customs: Why?
There have been some questions raised or. campus
within the past few days concerning the purpose of
freshman Customs. The Customs program, which seems
to be becoming more enthusiastic by the day, has been
questioned from the standpoint both of individual pro
cedures and overall usefulness.
The purpose of Customs is to instill spirit and
feeling of unity into the freshman class, and also to make
each new class conscious of the traditions and institu
tions of the University.
The methods of the Custom program—the dinks, the
buttoning and curtsying, the songs and cheers--all help
to bind the freshman class together under the common
and good-natured bond of "protection" against the upper
classman. The Customs are not harmful but only some
times a little demanding and normally humorous.
And yet, if handled well, Customs accomplish a great
deal. Freshmen, by necessity if not by desire, learn much
about the campus, the University and its traditions, and
student institutions and practices.
Customs should make a freshman feel he belongs to
the University community, and that he may have to
suffer a few discomforts and endure a few pranks in order
to earn his membership in that community. And when he
does, he will be all the more grateful for it.
And, Customs is fun. Stop a few freshmen today and
ask them—almost all will tell you they actually enjoy
Customs and their only regrt is that it is not enforced as
enthusiastically as it might be.
Customs provides freshmen with a chance to meet
each other and to meet upperclassmen. The program
imparts a feeling of familiarity which might be a long
time in coming if the freshman class waa absorbed into
the University quietly and without notice.
If Customs continues as it has the past few days, the
University will have gained a spirited, unified and
interested class.
Keep Parents' Interest
Many parents showed a great interest in the Uni
versity last year when they donated more than $BOOO for
the Stone Valley recreation project. And student leaders
want to maintain this interest.
All-University Cabinet last night sent to its public
relations committee for study a proposal to form a Uni
versity parents association.
Such a group could be valuable in four ways:
e It could promote more parental interest In the
University and even in their own children.
• It could help raise funds for worthwhile projects.
• It could serve as an easy way to contact a large
group of persons interested in the University.
• It could well serve as a pressure group along this
line, perhaps the 'flood of letters received from parents
two years ago was influential in lengthening the
Christmas vacation so that no students were forced to
travel in New Year's Day traffic,
Cabinet members preferred a parents association to
a mothers` club. After all, appeal to Home, Mother and
the American Flag are all very fine, but why exclude
Dear Old Dad.
A good many problems are involved in setting up any
organization of the size and complexity of a parents
association. But the idea has definite merit and should
be thoroughly studied.
A Student-Operated Newspaper
Ilt• Battu Tottrgiatt
Successor to The Free Lance est 1889
Published ['nude, through Saturday morning during the Unites.*lts feat n •
Daily Collegian is a student-operated newspaper (interest as defend-class matter
Jells t 1334 et lb. State College Pa Past Office andel the act of March $ ISM
Mall gribseriptlon Priest $3.1 per ismeiter $5.10 cm tail
ROBERT FRANKLIN
Editor 4EO`.
City Editor. David Fineman: Managing Editor. Richard Wayne; Sports Editor,
Lou Prato; Associate Sports Editor, Matt Mathews; Personnel and Public Relations
Director. Patricia Evans; Copy Editor. Lynn Ward: Assistant Copy Editor. Dick
Fisher: Photography Editor. Robert Thompson.
Credit Mgr., Janice Smith; Local Ad Mgr„ Tom Burke,: Asst. Local Ad Mgr.,
Robert Pirrone; National Ad Mgr., Betsy Brackbill: Promotion Mgr.. Kitty Bar.
gert: Personnel Mar., Mickey Nash: Classified Ad Mgr., Barbara Ryan: Co.
Circulation Mgrs.. Mary Anne First and Murray Simon: It Is and Record.
Mgr., Mary lierbein: Office Secretary. Myla Johnson.
STAVE TIIIB ISSUE: Night Editor, Lianne Carden): Copy Editor. Rill Jaffe:
','ire Editor, Lolh Neuharth: Assistants: Nicki Wolford, Sandy Padw•e, Susie
I.loin-inin, Rob Mac Lean, lull Bather, Gietchea Harrison * Carol duChacek, Judi`
Grundy, Zandy Slueson, Stephanie Eatreicher.
THE DAILY COLLEGIAN, STATE COLLEGE. PENNSYLVANIA
FRANK VOJTASEK
Business Manager
Interpreting
India, Pakistan
Settling Issues
By J. M. ROBERTS
Associated Press News Analyst
The prime ministers of Pakis-
tan and India have just been con
' ducting border negotiations under
as principle which has long been
advocated and sometimes applied
in the search for peace between
the West and the Communist
sphere.
That is the principle of separat
ing issues for which there is some
hope of agreement and working on
them, leaving aside more com
plicated matters for future ref
erence.
In that fashion, after years of
fruitless effort and pressure by
the United Nations, India and
Pakistan have now settled eight
of 15 border issues. .. .. .. ..
Beyond that, they agreed to ban
the use of force in connection
with any of the remaining issues
which were on the agenda of this
meeting.
Unfortunately, this latter agree
ment does not seem to apply to
the one great dispute, involving
Kashmir. That topic was avoided
at the conference.
Kashmir has kept India and
Pakistan spending resources on
military preparedness which nei
ther of them can afford.
And because United States mili
tary aid to Pakistan as an ally
against the Soviet Union also
builds her up against India, this
dispute has had an extremely un
favorable effect on relations be
tween the United States and In
dia.
Any sign that the two govern
ments, created in the partition
which accompanied liberation
from British rule. can begin to
agree is therefore doubly welcome
in the United States.
It is also a mark of the quiet
work being done in many fields
by the United Nations, since the
meeting presumably resulted from
the mission to the two govern
ments carried out by Frank P.
Graham in January.
Board OK's i
Loan Policy
For Students
The Board of Trustees has ap
proved a policy for administering
student loan funds at the Uni
versity, replacing one adopted in
1933.
Full - time undergraduate or
graduate students who have com
pleted their first semester, at
taining an average of 2.00 or bet
ter, are eligible for these loans.
Long-term unpaid loans to
freshmen will not be made in ex
cess of $250; to sophomores in ex
cess of $500; nor to juniors in ex
cess of $750. Seniors and gradu
ate students are eligible for loans
up to $lOOO.
All loans will be made a mat
ter of record with a promissory
note. Each note will cover a peri
od of not more than one year.
Students meeting the general
loan requirements in addition to
those set by the University may
apply for loans at the offices of
the dean of men or the dean of
women.
Gazette
TODAY
Christian Fellowship, 12:45-1 p.m.,
218 HUB
Freshman Customs Board. 6:30
p.m., 217 HUB
Hillel, Sabbath Eve Service, 8
p.m., Host: Sigma Alpha Mu
Fraternity
Hubzapoppin. 7:30 p.m., HUB As-
sembly hall
Interlandia Folk Dancing, 7 p.m.,
HUB ballroom
Lutheran Student Association,
Square Hance, 7:30 p.m., L.S.A.
Center
Penn State Bible Fellowship, 7:30
p.m., 214 Boucke
VGA freshman picnic, Forestry
Cabin -
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
Elaine Ammaturo. Einko Bornemisza,
Gerald Carlson. Michael Carlson, Edward
Caye. Diana Dubois, Gail Dubrow - , Anne
Farley, Carol Fegley, John Glagola. Gary
Grove, Evan Hardman, Andrew Jordan,
Barry Kesseiman. Ronald Kolb, Robert
Konti, Leslie Linschults.: Howard 'Muir-,
luster, Donald Idinnich, Richard Pigossi,
Richard Sabel, Marvin Sauer; Willard
Smith. James swartzwelder.
Little Man on Campus by Dick Bible,
"Ya got a package from yer ma marked
top of the mall
Back Without
Any Welcome
Sufficient welcome, we feel, has been given to the
freshmen. Transfers, too, have been readily accepted by
the administration, faculty and students. But there are
yet some "unsung heroes."
These are the students who were asked to leave the
University within the past few semesters primarily for
scholastic reasons. That is to
say, they flunked out. Some of
them may have left as disci
plinary cases or others may
have been borderline scholars
who were victi mls of over
crowded. colleges.
But many of them are back
now, and no one arranged to
have them greeted by hatmen
nor planned special get-re
acquainted mixers for them in
the HUB ballroom.
No one scheduled special
talks for them by the deans
on "It's good t r-A-r„--xv,., r ; - t
to have you
back." They
s
don't even.. ,
have the du
bious privi
lege of wear
iog customs
that read, , ; - z-1.,
"Back For A
Second Try." -
One by one '5
they re-enter
University
life, taking uo Ward
where they , left off, or repeat
ing what they left out. That is
to say, they are going to classes
now.
We • commend them for the
FRIDAY-SEPTEMBER 19, 1953
'Perishable —.II was."
by lynn ward
determination they return with
—to get the most out of their
classes. And they retain this
attitude, retain it until they
run into a guy they used. to
sit next to in an Econ class.
Then naturally they have to
set up a few Friday afternoon
TGIF celebrations . . . and
then . . .
We doubt that we could wel
come them back :for a third
time. That would be pushing it
a little too far.
By now the freshman wo
men have probably realized
that the irresistible black vel
vet lounging outfit the girl on
the department store college
board sold them last month
just isn't , the practical thing
for Penn State. •
But the fashion magazine&
will continue to -advertise the
highest of fashion for coeds.
The recommended college coat
will •be a wrap-around that
one clutches desperately while
braving the winds in January.
But last year's freshman re
turned this fall, two suitcases
and four hat boxes lighter:
I FORGOT TO SIGN IT!
!/l