The daily collegian. (University Park, Pa.) 1940-current, December 02, 1960, Image 4
PAGE FOUR ditorial 0 Thoughts While Playing 'What Happened To Now that it is nearing campus electi_on time again we thought it--might be a good idea to take a look at some of the past campaign promises Looking at old platforms and promises is a good game which might aptly be titled "Whatever Happened To ...", Just take the case of the last election campaign which promised, among other things, to see about organizing student lobby groups to protest things like taxes on text books. Now we thought that lobby groups were kind of noisy people but we guess that those advocated by Uni versity party are trying a new technique which utilizes non-organization and silence. University. party also • advocated later hours for the Pane° Library but we guess Mr. McComb didn't wind enough support for the idea on their written planks. Maybe somewhere someone - is thinking of doing more than writing the idea down but he's being very quiet about the whole thing. Another University party plank stated: "recognizing the fact that student spirit is founded upon tradition, we advocate the establishment of a University archives." We think the University party, not wishing to alter traditions, decided to be very 'quiet about its subsequent work on this plank. Then around last election time, we heard talk about SGA members attending meetings held by other campus organizations and something about those students who sit on Senate Subcommittees submitting written reports or reporting to the Assembly. University party was swept into power during the last election and so we thought we might be hearing more about some of these things, unfortunately, such has not been the case. Upon checking with the highest University party candidate who is now our SGA president, we found that he did not know anything about many of these planks. He explained that upon becoming president he became bi-partisan and consequently had little to do with party work. Evidently, this has beep the case with many assembly men. So we can only conclude that they found the plat forms merely useful to campaign on. Some of these assemblymen also wish to abolish platforms and parties because they do not do anything. Well, it is these assemblymen's fault that platforms are not carried out. If they refuse to carry out or try to carry out planks they campaigned on, then they ought not to be re-elected. We are not suggesting that failure to carry out plat forms is by any means limited to University party. What we are suggesting is that the voters must hold 'parties and the freshmen, sophomore and junior assembly mem bers responsible for the platforms in future elections. We are suggesting that the student body, In order to make SGA meaningful, must examine campaign issues and vote next week on the basis of the issues and candi dates. Then next spring, the voters must determine whether or not the party in power has tried to fulfill its promises and whether or not the assemblymen have done their jobs. Indirectly, the voters determine what kind of SGA we have by first electing assemblymen and then holding them and the parties who nominated them responsible. But most students will probably decide not to vote claim ing SGA is just a joke. Ultimately, the joke is on the non voting - students. Afterthoughts It is interesting to note that the University Senate approved the bowl half-holiday during a fit of laughter following a joke related by President Eric A. Walker. Perhaps laughter does "save the day." Those students who take delight in writing boring notes on campaign posters ought to be made to read them all sometime, inion 1:::3 THE DAILY COLLEGIAN. STATE COLLEGE. PENNSYLVANIA DELL, HOW LONG DO YOU THINK IT CAN BE KEPT FROG % BEING . COAVIERCIAUZED?DONT BE NAIVE; DO 'IOU THINK IT CAN BE KEPT NON-CCOEROAL FOREVER?! GOOD 6R(EgI. SOrtiniciES SOUR NAIVETINESS AMAZES ME: `'NAPIETtNESS?" Letters Williams Challenged TO THE EDITOR! In reply to Comer Williams' statement that he is "positive" that the Governor "does not have any power" to interfere with ad ministration-student affairs, as acting Campus Party Chair man and author of our plan of action, I hereby challenge the veracity of his statement. Indeed, if Mr. Williams chooses to dispute the matter, I offer him the opportunity to accompany him to the Capitol. Perhaps then he'll be inclined to withdraw his hasty conclu sions. —Dennis Eisman, Acting Campus Party Chairman (Editor's Note: Williams is a sophomore candidate for as. sembly and is being endorsed by the unchartered Liberal Party. He was asked by the Collegian to comment on the Campus Party plank which calls for notification of the gov ernor, state legislature and alumni if SGA-approved bills are stalled by the administra tion.) Gazette Arnold Air Society Review Board, Class A Uniform, 7 p.m., 217-218 II 1111 Interlandia Folk Dance, 7:30 p.m., RUB ballroom IV Christian Fellowship, 12:46 p.m., 218 HUB IV Christian Fellowship, 7:30 p.m., 111 Boucke Model Railroad Club, second annual auction show, 7 p.m., 121 MI Newrpan Club, pizza dinner, 6 p.m., Chapel lounge Social Psychology Group. 2:15 p.m., 212 HUB Abroad Akar', Margaret Anthony, Warren Bentzen, Catherine Craig, Marilyn Conner, Elizabeth Footer, Lin da Hendricks, Martha Johns, Suzanne Kirkpatrick, Leonard Krauss, John Rabets. Barbara Roland, Sharon Sav age. Kenneth Shiner, Regis Tandarich, Nancy Wynn, Peggy Mitchell. WDFM Schedule . FRIDAY 8:30 Stock Market Report 8:50 News and Weather 4:00 Critic's Choke 6:00 Three at Fire 6:00 Studio X 6:66 Weetheracope 7:00 Album RerieW 7:80 Portrait of a City 7:56 News Roundup 8:00 Starlight Review 9:00 Light Classical Jukebox 9:45 News, Sports, Weather 10:00 Ballet Theatre 12:00 Midnight Mood 1:00 Sign Off TODAY HOSPITAL small talk Platform Platter by nicki wolford The platforms proposed by the University and Campus parties and the uncharted Liberal party for the upcoming elec tion certainly look better than many we've seen in the past. However, the argument against and explanations of some of them are decidedly weak and we hope they are better explained in the next few days For example, in arguing against a Campus party plank on ROTC, Wayne Ulsh, a Lib eral party "endorsee" advanced the idea that all plans to elim inate compulsory ROTC aren't any good because the decision is ultimately up to the Board of Trustees. This is ridiculous and illustrates a defeatist atti tude typical of too many stu dent government people. A good student plan or con stant student pressure to get rid of our obsolete ROTC pro gram might lead to a faster institution of a voluntary pro gram—that is if the ROTC' question is not conveniently dropped after the election is over. On the other hand Ulsh came up with a fairly good point which ought to be kept in mind when considering a rather am bitious University party plank. The party intends to promote a plan which would provide for SGA coordination of such groups as TIM, Leonides and the community councils. Ulsh in questioning the plan used an obvious truth—SGA is not now even working near its constitutional limitations and should do more under its pres- Snowed Seasonal Sincerity Campus party's method of implementing their platform, which includes bringing pressure on Governor Lawrence and members of the State Legislature, has appeal to the average student because it posseses the potential of bringing results. However, there are some very interesting questions that shroud this proposal. First, why has Campus par ty promised to take such dar ing and forth right action just prior to election time? I wonder? Second, if the members of Campus party really believe in the proposed methods of obtaining their goals why must MYERS they wait until after the elec tion to press for their achieve ment, Since we believe that public pressure on elected officials is the only method of obtaining many of the much-needed re forms on the Penn State cam pus, we are indeed sorry that no truly sincere group of stu dents has emerged from the Editorials are written by the editors and staff members of The Daily Collegian and do not necessarily represent the views of the University or of the student body. A Student-Operated Newspaper 56 Years of Editorial Freedom O'llto Daily Totirgian Successor to The Free Lance, est. 1887 Published Tuesday through Saturday morning during the University year. Trio Daily Collegian le a student.operated newspaper. Entered as second-class matter July S. 1931 at the State College. Pa. Post Office under the act of March 11. 1879. Subscription Price: $3.00 per semester 05.00 per year- Member of The Associated Press and The Intercollegiate Press JOHN BLACK Editor 4113*1 City Editor: Carol Blakeslee; Assistant Editor, Gloria Woiford; Sports Editor, Sandy Padwe; Assistant City Editor and Personnel Dlrector..Susan Linkroun; Feature Editor and Assistant Copy Editor. Elaine Miele: Copy Editor. Annettelie Rosenthal: Photography Editor, Frederic Bower; Make-up Editor, Joel Myers. Local Ad Mgr., Brad * Davis; Assistant Local Ad Mgr.. Hal Reishort_ National Ad Mgr., Bessie Burke; Credit Mgr., Mary Ann Crams; Ann Credit Mgr., Neal welts; Classified Ad Mgr., Constance Klesel; Co-Circulation Mgn., Basilan/ Abu, Richard Ritalnger; Promotion Mar., Elaine allekat raionsd Becky Kokudiet Office Secretary. Jeanne 3ont FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2. 1960 ent system before branching out. Eventually all campus or ganizations may be re-organ ized-with a form of SGA at the top. Such plans were discussed at a WSGA retreat last spring and such reorganization might become a reality as the corn , munity living concept develops. But right now the organiza tions which University party feels SGA should control are in the process of reorganizing in view of the community liv ing concept and perhaps SGA ought to wait until they are in a less nebulous form. SGA itself is not at the pres ent time ready for such an undertaking but it is commend able that University party recognizes an eventual change in SGA might be advisable. Of course, I assume that since University party put such a plank in its platform it in tended to do something about it in the next few months and was not merely lending sup port to an idea which will evolve in the future anyway. If the latter were the case, then the platform would be as meaningless as those in the past. by Joel myers jumble of campus political parties this semester. A well-organized coalition of students and alumni could ac complish many of the things now desired by• the student body. Namely: a University stu d e n t-run bookstore, im proved library facilities, a stu dent-o per ate d AM radial station, expanded parking fa cilities and sufficient appro priations from the State Legis lature so that no further increase in tuition and room and board is necessary. It seems that none of these things will be achieved until a group of truly sincere and self-sacrificing students begin to actively push for their at tainment. This would require a year-round rather than elec tion-time interest in these goals. Because no such group of year-round politicians has ap parently appeared, a vote in the upcoming student election would be nothing more than a ballot in a popularity contest rather than a choice between two specific programs. CHESTER LUCIDO Business Manager