PAGE FOUR
Editortal Opinion
The Problem Is Action
Student government at this University seems to have
reached the peak of apathy and absurdity as evidenced by
the lowest voter turnout in recent years last week and
the legal mess in which the present SGA system finds
itself over legality of elections and seating of members.
But the problem is more than just placing blame for
this rnes:.>. The problem is deep-seated, not in the structure
(several structures could be made to work), but in the
fact that most of the time has been wasted on structural
changes and relatively little has been done for the stu
dents.
Over-concern with self-perpetuation of the system
has blotted out the real purpose for student government—
governing the students and representing their interests.
Student government—not just SGA or any specific
system
,but the whole concept of student. government—
now is caught in a deadly cycle. The present members of
student government complain because no one will vote
or take an active interest in'student government.
Students counter that their apathy is caused by the
fact that student government is just a political mess and
does nothing for the students
Both are right, but nothing will he accomplished
until both wipe the slate clean and start over by taking
a positive attitude toward student government and what
it can and should do.
The present members of student government are
going t 6 have to take the first step.
"or two years the present student government sys
tem (the SGA elected-representative system with definite- .
ly constituted executive and legislative branches) has
floundered and has dwelled almost exclusively upon
mechanical changes to its own system.
It has passed very few measures that have stated
unequivocally the stand of the students on the issues Of
vital importance to them. It has not represented the stu
dents' interest. It has suffered from the lack of devotion
to the job by most Assemblymen and the lack of inspira
tional leadership from the executive branch.
This does not mean that the structure of the organiza
tion has to be changed but rather that the attitudes and
work of those in it must be changed.
Of the 13 bills passed by SGA this fall, five concerned
the mechanical structure of the system. Two backed worth
while projects of student government—Stone Valley
cleanup and mock national election—one set up a com
mittee on the infirmary which we haven't heard from
since and two merely lended support to projects that were
also being sponsored by other organizations.
The only actions that really represented the students'
stand on a topic of interest to them were the creation of
the SGA non-discriminatory housing list, the request for
extended library hours and the request to open the HUB
lot for students on a trial basis.
Suppose student government rose up and took a strong
stand on an issue that vitally affects students—one that
has been floating around for some time or one that hasn't
even been mentioned.
Suppose student government stood up and said, "The
library facilities at the University are wholly inadequate
for the necessary academic study of 16,000 students seek
ing their degree here."
Or suppose they took an issue that has apparently
gone unnoticed—that many of the best qualified profes
sors are leaving for more attractive positions elsewhere.
Suppose student government—the representatives of
the student. body—said, "The University is losing good
professors at an alarming rate, and the faculty is rapidly
becoming inadequate to give a proper college education
to 16,000 students."
The University may he able to take some action or
they may be unable to do. so because of lack of finances.
But stands like these from a student body are going
to be picked up by the wire services and read across the
whole state.
And *hen this happens legislators may receive phone
calls and letters and they may awaken to the situation
that exists at their state university and they may be less
prone to cut the University's appropriation the next time
around.
It is the job of student government to point up the
needs as seen by students, and if strong stands are taken,
it might be surprising to see the action that results.
OIR
Tollegiatt
Successor to The Free Lance, est 1887
Published Tuesday through Saturday morning during the University year. The
Pails Collegian is a atudent-operated newspaper Entered as second-class matter
July 6. 1934 at the State College Pa Post Office under the set of March S. Mt
Mail Subiteription Pricer $3.00 per semester $5.00 per year.
JOHN BLACK
Editor °4oZt)°,
STAFF THIS ISSUE: Headline Editor, 'Lynne Ceretice; Wire
Editor, Ann Palmer; Night Copy Editor, Polly Dranov; Assistants,
Joan Mehan, 011ie Hirnes, Dick Leighton, Dottie Spahr, Eve
Bowers, Diane Ryesky, Phyllis Hutton, Joan Hartman, Barb
Baer, Karen Wrem, Sue Bicksler and Bruce Henderson.
THE DAILY COLLEGIAN. STATE COLLEGE. PENNSYLVANIA
CHESTER LUCIDO
Business Manager
PLAN VI '4
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THE "MAD PUNTER- a
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Gazette
TODAY
Ag Student Council, 7 p.m., HUB
Agronomy Seminar, 4 p.m., 111 Tyson
Alpha Kappa Pai, 7:15 Sigma Chi
Angel Flight. 7 p.m„ HUB altaembly
CCC Committee, 7 p.m., 201 Douche
Dairy Cattle Committee, 10 tt.m.-4 p.m.,
212 HUB"
Ed Council. 6:30 p.m.. 217 HUB
1.11 , .. Seminar. 4115 p.m., 207 F.E
German Christmas Shia . , 7:30 p.m
Schwab
Hunter,, 8:1 5 5 p.m., 111 Bouche
ICC, 8 p.m., 203 111.113
1 VLF, 12 :t5 p.m.. 218 HUB
IVUF, 8 p.m., 218 HUB
LA faculty meeting, 4:15 p.m., 121
Snark4
LA Student Council, 6:30 p.m., 212
HUB
Meditation Chapel Choirs, 8 p.m.. Helen
Eakin Eixenhower Chapel
MI Student Council, 7 p.m., 216 HUH
Nittany Grotto, 7 p.m., 121 MI
Panhel, 6:15 p.m., 201 HUB
Plant Science Club, 7:30 p.m., 111
Tyson
Psychology Colloquium, 8:15 p.m., 214
Bourke
Social and Rec Ed Committee, 4 p.m.,
212 HUB
Sociology Club, 1:911 p.m., 2(it Boucke
Sociology Club, 8 :15 p.m.. 11 Boucke
Hat Society ('arol Sing, 3:30 p.m.. in
front of HUB
Senior ChM Ad Board, Class Gift Com
mittee, 7 p.m., Phi Mu suite
HOSPITAL
Larry Barton, Eric Berg, James
Black, Leslie Blair, Rosalyn Bonas,
Gail Buchanan, Stanley Christman, Wil
liam Crawford, Eugenic Cstrscu, Nichol
as Falcone, Robert Fisher, John Gander.
John Glatt°la. Howard /licit. Dennis
Harnish, Judith Ann Harris. Stephen
Jacobs, Walter Marslund, Charmaine
Merlin°, Shirley Mertz. James Murphy,
Judith Northrup, Samuel Palley, Ju
dith Price. Donald Restler, Gertrude
Biedman, Carolyn Rosol, Dennis Schaef
fer, Ruth Silbey, Susan Stotzer. John
Sweeney, Marian Uramey, Robert
Wechsler, Kirsten Wescott, Carol Wolf,
Hsrry Wolf.
Interpreting
Population Overrides Advances
By . J. M. ROBERTS
Associated Press News Analyst
The Western world, depend
ing heavily on being able to
create improved living stan
dards and a dynamic economy
in the underdeveloped world
to forestall advancing commu
nism, is leaning upon a reed
of very doubtful strength.
The trouble is that improved
economic con
ditions a r e
not keeping
pace with in
creasing pop
ulation, which
is greatest in
c o untries
where least
supportable.
Take India,
for instance.
T r e mendous ROBERTS
strides in agricultural methods
Snowed
Student Gov't
Overtakes Froth
Before the SGA elections last week there was a drive under
way to play a joke on student government by voting for an un
slated party dubbed "Piddle Party."
However, of the one in six
103 students chose to waste
their ballot in
this fashion.
My funny
bone is rare
ly tickled in
the morning
over my first
cup of coffee,
hut when I
read in Fri-
Colic-
gian that SGA
had only been
composed of
a handful of
legal members for nearly a
year, I broke into a long
laugh.
Later, upon talking to re
porters who were present at
the meeting or was it meetings,
I found that the members, le
gal and illegal, also thought
it hilarious. In fact, I am told
the meeting resembled a
school yard during recess time.
Penn State's student govern
ing body apparently liked this
comedian role and they made
one last attempt to overtake
Froth on Friday. That was
when 48 members crowded
around a table meant for 42.
Now it can truly be said that
everything at Penn State is ex
panding.
Despite these amusing
Interpreting
'Piddle' Vote Expla
TO THE EDITOR: In Friday's
editorial you seemed to think
that a person who voted for
"Piddle" was trying to play a
joke. I voted for the Piddle
Party, not as a joke, but as a
protest vote for the missing
independent candidate.
When I received my ballot at
the polls there were only three
names on the ballot, two of
these under the Campus Party
heading and one under the
University.
Since I did not approve the
platforms of these parties and
since I did not feel these par
ties would do a good job in
representing me and since the
independent candidate had
been arbitrarily disqualified, I
felt I had no choice but to cast
a protest vote for "Piddle" in
lieu of the independent candi
dates.
I certainly do not feel that
a vote for "Piddle" is a joke
anymore, since the Collegian
considers the SGA a joke.
—Robert W. Mandelslam. '6l
(Editor's Note: We do not ap
preciate Mandelstam's inter-
have been taken, and food pro
duction is way up. Yet the
Ford Foundation estimates a
further increase from the 1959
record of 73 million tons to an
expected 110 million tons of
food in 1966 will still leave a
28-million shortage.
At the same time, there is no
room on the land for millions
and millions of farmers who
are competing for jobs in new
industries against a population
which is rising now at the rate
of about eight million a year.
Recent reports show that the
Colombo Plan, under which
Southeast Asia's agriculture
and industrial potential is be
ing developed, is barely keep
ing even, if that and the
prospect of real improvement
is dim.
United Nations figures show
that the Latin-American popu
lation is increasing at the rate
of 2.5 per cent a year, and the
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1960
by Joel myers
eligible voters that did vote only
events, many SGA members
believe in the "power" of their
organization,
Upon posing a question of
"What has been accomplished
this year?" to one of the more
realistic assemblymen, I was
given a sharp reply which car
ried mention of the saving, of
the Thanksgiving Vacation and
a half-holiday for the Liberty
Bowl.
It is interesting to note that
the Thanksgiving Vacation
will be lost next year due ,to
the adoption of the Quarter
System and the classes missed
on Liberty Bowl weekend must
be made up on the day before
finals.
MYERS
I then asked what was being
done to achieve some more im
portant and certainly more
useful projects like abolishing
compulsory ROTC, securing an
AM radio station on campus,
setting up a student-run book
store, expanded parking fa
cilities and improving library
facilities.
She told me that these studies
had been done in the past and.
said that the reports are on
file in the SGA office.
Cup of coffee anyone.
pretation? of our editorial
policy. That Collegian does not
consider SGA a joke is evi
denced by today's editorial.)
Abrams Praised
TO THE EDITOR: Upon read
ing Mr. Slovonsky's letter in
Friday's Collegian criticizing
the sportscaster of the Eido
phor broadcast of the wrestling
match, we were amazed at the
apparent lack of gratitude on
Mr. Slovonsky's part.
The broadcaster, Mr. Gerald
Abrams, is by no means a pro
fessional., However, we must
remember that Mr. Abrams has
dedicated his own time to en
able the students to watch this
match. He has done so without
any financial reimbursement
whatsoever.
Mr. Abrams, therefore, should
be praised for his efforts to
make a better Penn State, while
Mr. Slovonsky should be criti
cized on making a bitter Penn
State.
—Robert 3. Solot, 61
—Ronald N, Watzman, '6l
Population Reference Bureau
says there is little hope that
living standards can be im
proved while that continues.
The figures indicate that the
world population will double
in the next 40 years.
Efforts are being made to
get started with a food distri
bution program through the
United Nations. The United
States would like to get rid
of her surplus this way.
But the United States may
not have a perpetual surplus.
People are getting weary of
farm subsidies. The President's
Commission on National Goals
suggested increased retirement
of farm land and creation of
jobs in industry for 1 1 / 2 mil
lion farmers in the next dec
ade. More importantly, the
U.S. population is also expect
ed to double in the next 40
years.
ned