PAGE FOUR
Editorial Opinion
First Step Toward
"Our right to officially express a group
opinion through our highest student gov
erning body on any subject even tho Ugh
we cannot offer full answers because of a
lack of experience, time and funds cannot
be denied or ignored."
Thus reads one of the clauses in a most
impdrtant resolution which will be intro
duced by Walter Darran for Assembly
consideration Thursday night. The resolu
tion itself states• that "effective immediate
ly the SGA ASsembly consider and express
its opinion on issues of University, local,
state, national and international impor-
Lance."
The resolution essentially calls for a
change in the attitudes of our present
assemblymen and SGA officers.
In the past, SGA has been limited be
cause it feels somehow that it represents
not just the students but the University
as a whole.
Presumptuous though it may sound,
this has often been precisely the justifi
cation given by many student leaders for
backing down on such things as compul
sory ROTC—because the administration
might not agree.
These "leaders" are not sitting in 203
HUB every Thursday to present an image
of the whole University to the world, they
are sitting there to represent students and
they have not yet begun to do their jobs.
Whether or not student "leaders"
realize it, their constituency is interested
in things other than cheer contests and in
firmary complaints. The mock election,
which turned out many more people than
the recent SGA fiasco proved that students
might be interested in some of the more
important issues with which they will live
and perhaps handle upon their graduation
to the world.
SGA must give students some cause for
interest. Why couldn't it take a stand—
based upon research and student opinion—
on racial discrimination in the South. It
should have taken a stand against local
housing discrimination long before it es
tablished its non-discriminatory list.
The only thing of national interest
that SGA took a stand on last year was the
non-communist affidavit in the National
Defense Education Act. But this was only
after President Eric A. Walker actively
gave support to the widespread (every
where but here) objections to it.
At the University of California at
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'llt Batty Toltrogian
Successor to The Free Lance, est 1887
Published Tuesday through Saturday morning during the University year. The
Dials' Collegian is a student-operated newspaper. Entered as second-class matter
July 6. 1934 at the State College Pa. Post Office ander the act of March 1. ISM
Mall Subscription Price: $3.00 per semester $5.00 per year
JOHN BLACK
Editor •f/iXfrz"
Member of The Associated Press
and The Intercollegiate Press
City Editor: Carol filakerJet; AAAlatest Editor, Gloria Woltords Sports Edits:,
Sandy Padws: Assistant. City Eeter and Personnel Director, Segall Linkrouter
Feature Editor and Assistant Copy Editor. Elaine Miele; Caps -Editor, Annabelle
Rosenthal: Photography Editor, Frederic Bower: Makeup Editor.t Joel Myers.-
Local Ad Mgr., Brad Davis: Assistant Local Ad. Mir— Hal neither; Natkmati
Ad Mgr., Bessie Burke; Credit Mgr., Mary , Ann Crane; Aes't Credit MIL; Nest
Belts: Cimilfied Ad. Mgr.. Constance , Riese; Co-Cl:epistlers Marx, Realign&
Ahem. Richard Promotion Mgr., Mains Mieltals Perunruel Mgr.
Becky , Kehodics Office Secretory; Joanne Iturett.
STAFF THIS ISSUE; Headline Editor, Joanne Mark; Wire Edi
tor, Barb - Yunk; Night Copy Editor, Carol Kunklernan; Assist
ants, Shellie Michaels, Dave Runkle, Craig Yerkes, Peggy Rush,
Tucker Merrill, Arlene Leintzman, Kitty Bassett, Lerrßutkiewiez,
Steve Monhenner.
, THE DAILY - COLLEGIAN. STATE COLLEGE. PENNSYLVANIA
Action
Berkeley we find the sttidaT - Committee
to Abolish the House Un-American Activi
ties Committee (SAC for short) and the
Fair Play for Cuba Committee. Here ..we.
ignore such issues.
This is not because all students at the
,Pennsylvania State University are un
aware of the world around them but be
cause our student leaders think they are.
DARE was a student organized re
sponse against discrimination and it pro
vided an outlet for opinions on the issue.
SGA did not provide any such outlet. It
spent all its time on its constitution and
parliamentary procedure.
Of course, these are easy things to deal
with and there is little likelihood that one
will think and/or be labeled a "leftist."
(Both presumably horrible fates in the eyes
of our student leaders.)
On the local level SGA could protest,
loudly and actively—compulsory ROTC,
the lack.of an auditorium, AM radio station
and many other things. To go pn record as
believing that the Pattee Library is in
adequate to fill the needs of 16,000 Penn
State students, does not mean SGA would.
have to find ways to make it adequate.
This is the job of the administration.
Infirmary committees and the like
should only be considered a minor part of
SGA's job; but, so far, these things have
taken up a major portion of its time.
No wonder apathy reign and our
"leaders" decry a lack of student support.
There is really nothing being done to in
terest the student.
Hence the serious students often have
a tendency to laugh off SGA as something
about which they "couldn't care less."
Political parties literally have to dig up
candidates when they ought to be com
peting for, the honor of responsibly repre
senting their fellow students.
The change in student government
(which might be stimulated by Darran's
resolution) might mean more student in
terest and student Interest might mean
better qualified leaders. The whole level
of discussion In the Assembly might
eventually be raised to the point where
it should be in any University.
The present Assembly "has done, little
to evoke this interest and the weak execu
tive branch has made a bad situation
worse. This resolution might be a turning
point in the present downhill trend.
CHESTER LUCIDO
Business Manage:
Gazette
TODAY
TIM, 8 p.m., 203 HUB
American Meteorology Society. 8 p.m.,
214 HUB
AWS, 7:45 p.m., 216 HMI
AWS Judicial, noon, 212 HUB
Chem-rhys Council, 6:46 p.m., 214
11U13
Chess Club. 13 p.m., HUB card room
Eng-Arch Council, 6:46 p.m., 219 EE
Finance Club, 8 p.m., 216 RUB
Forestry Convocation, II a.m., 121
Sparks
Israeli Folk Dancing, 7:8O p.m., Hillel
IV Christian Fellowship, 12:48 p.m.,
218 HUB
Modern Dance Workshop, 7 p.m., White
Hall
Pep Rally Dance, 7 pm., HUB ball
room
Psych Colloquium, noon, dining room
A, HUB
Sigma .Theta Epsilon, 7 p.m., Wesley
Foundation
Sports Car Club, 8 p.m., 212 HUB
TIM Movies, 12:30 p.m.. HUTS assem•
bly room
Women's Chorus, 6:30 p.m., HUH its-
sembly room
' , NAGA, 6:30 p.m., 203 RUA
Zoology Club. 7:30 p.m., 106 'Freer•
HOSPITAL
David Bair, Jamas...Black. Rosalyn
-
Bones, Eremite- Erunner, -Gail Beeehem
alb Carol Butler, Stanley• Christman)
`William Crawford,- Eugenia- •Csirann-
Nicholas - Falcone, Robert _Fisher, John
Olagola, Roma* Gleit, Judith Ann .
Tfarria, Ronald lienneesiew Stephen Ja—
cobs; • Mary • Kissinger,- • Austin Laer
Edward London, Elizabeth -Lott, Alice
'Mosher, Jaines- Illtirphy, Judith -North
up, Judith. Prise, Arthur• Reynolds,-
Gertrude- Riedmars, Carolyn Ramie Wil
liam Simpson, Richard-Smith, Susan
Stoller; Marian Unman Carol WOW;
Martha Young.
WELL,
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Letters
Suspect Reason for Drill
TO THE EDITOR: The fire
drills held in the women's dor
mitories from 2:30 to 3 a.m.
Saturday have led us to ques
tion the reasons for after-hour
fire drills in general. First let
it be stated that fire drills are
an important safety measure as
well as a legal requirement.
The manner in which they are
held and the time at which
they are held do bear some ex
amination, however.
After-hours fire drills neces
sitate the use of extra campus
cops, extra hours of work by
senior residents. and loss of
sleep by students who have
classes in the morning. The os
tensible reason for holding
drills after sign-in time is `to
ensure that all residents of a
dorm participate.
Is this 100 per cent participaz
tion actually so desirable that
it overbalances the real disad
vantages and inconveniences
of after-hours fire drills? We
think not; a fire drill held at
7:30 p.m. for example, might
not "catch" all the people liv
ing in a dorm, but would cer
tainly be preferable from a
standpoint of efficiency and
economy.
Perhaps the word "catch" is
the crux of the whole matter.
Drill Exceeds Patience
TO THE EDITOR: Thro - ugh
the course of our college career
here, we have experienced
many changes. And most of
them we have accepted in our
stride.
For instance, we didn't mind
when freshmen were placed in
upperclass dormitories. This
was for a better Penn State.
Nor did we mind - the extension
of hours for freshmen women.
This was supposedly for a bet
ter Penn State. Nor do we mind
waiting in line for the cook to
prepare another "big batch" of
Western omelet.
We're even willing to fight
for one of the few copies of
The Daily Collegian, in circu
lation when we've legally paid
for a copy in our' student fees.
Commercials
TO THE EDITOR: This is a
matter which I thought would
right itself in time but which
seems to be getting worse.
_
- I refer to the "nifty 1450,"
"the right spot, the light spot,
spiced to the lisener's ear;" etc.
and its dollar über alles adver
tising policy.
When I have some free time
in the evening. I like to relax
by listening to music on the
radio. But instead of relaxing,
my mind is in constant turmoil
deciding which of three kinds
of beer is best or whether- a- ear
tain store's merchandise-is real
ly a little better than anything-.
I could find anywhere -elsee ,
I'm told to buy pizza •at. sev
eral stores_ and to. eat at• such
and such. a place. because it's
st Penn 'State tradition. And'
what - red-blooded-Penn Stater
wouldn't • patronize a - store
that's a ca-sponstir of the foot
ball games? -
These unbearably hackneyed
WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER 14; 1960
SOMEBODV'S BEEN ICKIN6 IT
ALL OVER THE NEI6I4IIIRHOOD,
AND uKE TO *10W...
(-- -)
111 4).
a d ri a 6
11 1 //.4 111 it i " " ; * it• fl./
a, $ ‘l* .1144,- .1 k • I
—5:-.*l_l!„._ I .
=:=l=
r THE "MAD
PUNTER"
HAS 6TROCK
AGAIN
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There is a strong feeling among
students, perhaps not without
basis in fact, that after-hours
fire drills are a disguised form
of bed check, since absence
from a fire drill is grounds for
disciplinary action. i
Since the official policy of
the dean of women's office is
"no bed checks," this perver
sion of the intent of fire drills
should come to the attention of
Dean Lipp. We are sure she
would not knowingly be a par
ty to such duplicity as -using
disguised bed checks (fire
drills) as a means for disciplin
ing students.
In addition, as a question
which affects dormitory living,
shouldn't policy on after-hours
fire drills be considered by
AWS?
As a closing remark, we
should like to state that fire
drills should be concerned with
"getting everybody out"..rath
er than "geting everybody
in."
—Rhoda Segur, '6l
Mary Ann Tripp, '6l
Pat Scott, '6l
Camilla Dunegan, '6l
Felicenne Houston, '6l
Mara Markova, 'B2
Patricia Akmal, '63
Karen Shallcross, '6l
However, when on the eve
ning of the Mil Ball at approxi
mately 3 a.m. some individual
decides to amuse himself by
having a fire drill, we've
reached the outer limits of our
patience. We tend to believe
that this opinion is held
throughout the campus.
Granted we legally must
have fire drills each month. Al
though they sometimes have
inconvenienced us, they were
not too unreasonable. But un
doubtedly last Friday night's
performance was nothing but
insane.
This isn't for a better Penn
State but only fora bitter one.
—L. J. Marshall, 'B2
Joan J. Brass, '62
Nancy Stewart' 82
Criticized
"and often misleading commer
cials become obnoxious to the
point of absurdity. Their psy
chological overkines, which are
as subtle as a kick in the head,
leave me groping for superla
tives.
Is this situation now prev
alent because the State College
merchants are just unimagin
ative money grubbers who are
n't capable of presenting de
cent commercials?
I rather think that the blame
is .to. be 'shared by our radio ,
station which is gracious
.enough to afford as much as
two minutes- for commercials
between the records , they play.
Since no discretion is used•
with regard to content_ or
length of commercials; it is not
surprising...that .the merchants
lack- -the: incentive - to. make ,
their commercials-concise and
informative.
—Nick Borst, 'l3