PAGE FOUR Editorial Opinion To March Or Not To March The Academic Senate at Michigan State in approving a program of voluntary ROTC has set a valuable example for this University to follow. While the program has yet to receive the final ap 'noval of their Board of Trustees, the major point is that academic and administrative officials have recognized the futility of carrying on a compulsory ROTC program. For the past three years, the fight to abolish com pulsory ROTC has been Waged on this campus by student leaders. Different plans for bringing this abolition about have evolved through the years but they all boil down to the same essence—give the students a choice. Our Senate-Go-Round has accepted, rejected, passed around and all but thrown proposals offered by SGA and the former All-University Cabinet into their wastebaskets. One of the excuses given by the administrators in refusing to consider voluntary ROTC has been that as a land-grant institution, Penn State must retain ROTC. But, they have failed to recognize that shifting to a vokintary program would not alter the University's obligations. ROTC would still be here. The only difference would be that the programs might contain quality and not quantity. The ROTC issue is not dead. It never will be dead on this campus despite the continued efforts of both the armed services and the administration to make it more appealing to the college student. And it never will die while the student is required to undergo a compulsory program as a pre-requisite for a diploma for academic achievement. This issue is going to come up again ,and again as long as student government continues to represent the wishes of the students. How the University Senate and the Board of Trustees can ignore the constant antagonism felt in requiring such a program cannot be understood by those of us who have seen the issue arise over and over. The compulsory versus voluntary issue should be settled once and for all in the near fture. We should take a lesson from Michigan State and solve this problem through action, not passiveness. Trend Toward Progressivism A must progressive Women's Student Government Associa tion will attempt to modernize regulations for women students Wednesday night. A proposed- plan approved by Dean of Women Dorothy J. Lipp and the WSGA executive committee which would lengthen hours for women and abolish the blackmark system will go to the WSGA Senate for final approval. For many years, while the University as a whole has been adjusting to the modern trends of education, the rules governing the women on this campus have remained static. It is high time that realism has won out over idealism in trying to regulate women of college age. If passed by Senate, the plan will give both freshmen and upperclasswomen extended weeknight hours and will abolish the ridiculous practice of regulation through the blackmark. The women students who have spent a year or two under the present rules should appreciate these new measures more fully than the freshmen who have had the chance to grow along with this progressivism. At long last, coeds are being considered in a mature perspec tive. They will be better able to use their college days as a foundation for future conduct, In the past the policy seemed to follow a line of trying to protect women who were old enough to leave the parental fold and come to college, but not old enough to be considered able to regulate their standards of conduct. These rules will officially herald a new policy of recogniz ing trust in her to act in good fashion, Perhaps the new trust placed in the college coed will bring about a new and mature attitude which will penetrate into every aspect of her college life, THE DAILY COLLEGIAN. STATE COLLEGE PENNSYLVANIA Letters ROTC Plan Needs Attention TO THE EDITOR: Since the Uni versity is currently considering the tri-semester and quarter semester system, now would be the proper time to re-evaluate the compulsory ROTC program. Under the land grant act of 1862, the University is not re quired to make ROTC compul sory, but merely offer it. Except for the Navy program, the ROTC programs here are inadequate and boring for most students. The programs are also wasteful. In the Air Force program it takes a detachment here at Penn State of between 20 and 30 offi cers to turn out less than 100 of ficers each year. While the Army has nice new green uniforms, they are still playing with the same old antiquated World War I ma chine guns. If ROTC were made voluntary here at State, it is probable that the Armed Forces would still turn out the same number of officers each year, while the majority of freshman and sophomore male students here at State could de vote six credits worth of time to more worthwhile causes SGA Average Needs Change TO THE EDITOR: I would like to comment on the recent letters to the editor concerning the schol astic average required for mem bership on the SGA Assembly. I am certain that a lot of the people who are capable of leading students and who are intelligent do not make outstanding grade averages. Some of these people have to work their way through school and, as a result, their grades are not the best possible. Others are in fields of study where good grades are not easy to attain. Many of these people would be very interested in participating in student government if the re quirements were not so rigid. I am sure that some of these people would be able to do a job just as well and probably better than some of those who are presently members just to have an activity. In the future, the requirements should be reconsidered by SGA members in the hope that their judgment will permit more ca pable and interested students to participate in student govern ment. I am interested in hearing more comments on this subject. In regard to the letter written by another student, I don't think that he should have been so "shah low" in his thinking before he put his pen to the paper, Gazette TODAY Ag Council, 7 7 10 p m., 212 HUB Alpha Kappa Psi business meeting, 7 p :IL, Theta Delta Chi Artist:, Series, Netherlands Chamber Choir, 8:30 p at., Schwab Bridge Class, 6:30-8:30 p ni., HUB main lounge Christian Fellowship, 12 :45-1 :15 p m . 218 HUB Economies Facaler Seminar, 12 noon, HUB dining room "A" Father Havarde discussion, 7. p.m., 211 HUH Five O'Clock Theatre, "Dernonnigratiostm" 5 p in., Little Theatre, Old Main Intercollegiate Conference on Government, 7-10 P.m 2C3 HUB Nittany Grotto, 7 p rn., 121 Mineral In. dustries Pi Mu Epsilon, 7 :30 p.m„ 12 Sparks Placement. 8 a m.-5 p.m., 203. 212-a HUD Schuhplattler Dance Club, 710 p.m., 8 White Sigma Tau Delta, 7-0 P.m , 210 RUB Student Handbook business staff, 7 p.m , 10 Sparks WDFM lire broadcast, 7 :00-3 .30 p.m., HUB assembly room WUS, 7:00-8:30 p.m., 211, HUB David Atkinson, William Bailey, Dennis Broil, Thomas hockey, David Fowler, Jac queline Greenberg, Barbara Hannum, Shar on Barad, Dorothy Harrar, Leroy Hibbs, Bradlee Karen, Leila Kuchas, John Lasky, Michael Laxorchak, Francine Lembo, Julia blather. Thomas Newell, Paul Pratt, Mi chael Raiser, Carolyn Rush, Barbara Rice, Nancy Stang, Nixon Stuart, Robert Schmidt, Joanne Taylor, Samuel Woolsey, Vernon Zeita. Activity Cards Available Activities cards are available in the Dean of Women's office, 105 Old Main. All women must fill out one of these cards in order to be considered by the hat aocities for tapping. —Anthony Gift, '62 —John Dunkle, '6O if OSPITA L re-FLECK-tions Rushees, Have Fun; Think Seriously Too! Name? Curriculum? Hometown near Philadelphia or Pittsburgh? Interests? Sound familiar to anyone? These questions should have a familiar ring to anyone participating in this past weekend's Open House, a pro gram which officially marked the beginning of sorority rush ing, The next two weeks will have an important bearing on many rushees' college careers. Two weeks is a rather short time in which to choose the girls you are going to live with for the remainder of your days at Penn State. Two weeks to choose the group with MISS FLECK which you will be working, studying, associating and most of all living. And graduation does not end your connection with sorority life—a sorority woman remains one for her entire life. Once the step has been taken, she is a member of a life-long organ ization. These are a few of the many reasons why sorority rushing should be taken very seriously by every woman who partici pates in the program. Meeting people is-fun, and so are the chatter dates, parties and cof fee hours—through these as pects of rushing you have the opportunity to get to know the many sorority women on cam pus as well as fellow-rushees and potential pledge sisters. But every rushee should con sider the relative and absolute importance that sororities will hold hold for her after the fun of rush is over. Sororities are fun for most of their members, but these members have at one time been faced with the prob- r - D0 to EVER WORRY MOOT 746 [MD gm* %MC NAME 6 MOWN? _A 1r 1 1 11 /11 0144 %;""„te A Student-Operated Newspaper 55 Years of Editorial Freedom 00 Bugg Toltregiatt Successor to The Free Lance, en. 1887 Published Tuesday through Saturday morning during the University year. The Daily Collegian is a etudent•operated newspaper. Entered as second•elass matter July 5, 1934 at the State College, Pa. Post Office ander the set of Hardt I. 0675. Mall Subscription Price: 93.00 per semester -- $5.00 per year. DENNIS MALICK GEORGE MeTURIC Mier • 460'3 Business Manages Member of The Associated Press and The Intercollegiate Press Managing Editor, William Jaffe; Assistant Editor, Catherine Elea; Publie Relations Director, Loth Neuharth; Copy Editor, Roberta Levine: %ports Editor, Sandy Paciwe: Assistant Sports Editor, John Black: Photography Editor Martha Scharr; Member, zanily sipespa, Local Ad Mgr., Willful'. Rent Ass't Loral Ad Mgr., Chester Lucid(); Credit Mgr., Murray Simon; National Ad Mgr., Nancy Froebel; Classified Ad Mgr.. Sara Brown; Co-Circulation Mgrs., Loretta Mink, Richard Kitzinger; Promotion Mgr., Darien(' Anderson; Special Page Mgr., Alice Mahachek: Personnel Mgr., Dorothy Small; Office Secretor'', Bennis Bailey Meyer: Research and Records, Margaret Dimperie, STAFF THIS ISSUE: Night Copy Editor, Cordie Lewis; Wire Editor, Janet Durstine; Headline Editor, Meg Teichholtz; As sistants, Margie Zelko, Emily Nissley, Lynn Cerefice, Sandy Yaggi, Joan Mehan, Sunny Schade, Ellie Sulkis, Saralee Orton. TUESDAY. FEBRUARY 23. 1960 by cathy fleck lem of analyzing their indi vidual needs and deciding which sorority would fill these needs to the greatest degree possible. During the next two weeks rushees must also think about sororities in other than the usual social terms. When you have considered the general idea of belonging to a sorority, should you decide that such an organization will enlarge your outlook during your college years, then it is time to decide which sorority is the one for you. This is the moqt important question that will confront you in the next two weeks. This decision should be ar rived at by you and you alone. Consider yourself first and foremost, forgetting about friends who might be in a sor ority. Then try to fit yourself into the group where you feel you will be most at home; with the group that you will enjoy sharing projects, ideas, prob lems, and happiness; with the group where you will not have to put yourself in an artificial light completely alien to the real YOU. If you can honestly tell your self that you can be a vital part of sorority life, then you are on the right track, Rushing is a wonderful ex perience in college life. How wonderful it can be for the coed who participates in the program will depend upon the attitude of the individual coed. The rushee should enter into rush ing with a broad outlook on the sorority system which eventu ally will narrow into the one vital answer—" This sorority is the one for me!"
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers