PAGE FOUR Editorial Opinion Thanksgiving Recess: A Time For Adjustment Thanksgiving vacations have a tendency to make their presence or absence apparent to the student body at this time each year. The initiation of the four-term system has brought along a "hangover" in the form of the scheduled one-day Thanksgiving recess and the three extra days found in this fall's calendar. The chairman of the Senate Committee on Calendar and Class Schedule and the chief scheduling officer Tues day agreed that no plans had been decreed as to the use of these three days. The student body, it seems, may have a different view of these three, non-recurring, days of grace which fall just, ten days before final examinations. These days, we feel, could be most profitably used by the students for concentrated study. The arduous four term plan 'places an unprecedented premium on study hours. Things were rough at the end of a semester, and it is likely to suppose that the situation will not be improved by the attenutated term. Dr. Robert Bernreuter, special assistant to the presi dent for student affairs, adroitly pointed out recently that the first few terms of our new academic schedule will re quire many adjustments on the part of the faculty and students. One cf the hardest adjustments for students to make will be to adequately prepare for final examinations with out the benefit of the two-week exam period under the old semester schedule. This desire for a Thanksgiving recess is far from capricious or whimsical in nature, but would be extremely beneficial fo a student body trying to adapt to a new academic schedule. Therefore, we urge that a suitable plan be worked out for a Thanksgiving recess. This plan, we feel, should declare Friday and Satur day as part of the now one-day holiday, and should em phasize that students use this time for study for approach ing final examinations. We realize that it would be impossible to legislate the use of the time, but the new emphasis on achievement and the rising calibre of the student body lead us to believe that it would be used to scholastic benefit by most students. The head of the Food and Housing Department said yesterday that if the students do get a recess, his depart ment could work out the attendant problems of reformu lating food preparation in the dining halls. We urge its most serious consideration by members of the faculty and administration, with assurance that the student body is willing to work out a specific plan for presentation to Dr. Walker and the University Senate. A Student-Operated Newspaper 57 Years of Editorial Freedom Tollegiatt Successor to The Free Lance, est. 1887 Published Tuesday through Saturday morning during the llniversity year. Th• Minly Collegian is R sludent-operated newapaper. Entered as second-class matter July 5, 1931 at the State Coliege, Pa, Post Office under the act of Match 3. 1979. Mail Subscription Price: MOO a year Mailing Address Boa 261, State College, Pa: JOHN BLACK Editor ' THE DAILY COLLEGIAN. UNIVERSITY PARK. PENNSYLVANIA WAYNE HILINSKI Business Manager Interpreting 12 Countries Take Action In Conference By J. M. ROBERTS Associated Press News Analyst While 23 unaligned na tions and the Algerian reb els were waltzing around with major world issues in Belgrade last montli, criti cizing the Western powers at points but walking softly with regard to the Soviet Union, 12 newly independent nations were gathering at Tananarive on a different tack. They were 12 French-speak- ing nations of Africa Mauri tania, Senegal, Upper Volta, Niger, Chad, Ivory Coast, Da homey, Cameron, Central Afri can Republic, Gabon, Congo- Brazzaville and Malagasy, calling themselves the African and Malagasy Union. They adopted a diplomatic convention covering their for mal relations, and provided for regular consultation and a con certed foreign policy, especial ly in the United Nations. In a communique and a for mal statement of aims they criticized all colonialism, agreed to ask the United • Na tions for formal action against it and, as the Belgrade group did not, most specifically in cluded the Soviet Union with Portugal and South Africa among the colonial powers. The world was so busy try ing to evaluate the Tito-Nasser- Nehru-Sukarno show in Bel grade that the Tananarive con ference got almost no attention. Yet the 12 nations adopted the major Allied line regarding West Berlin and the all-Ger man question, calling for self determination on both points. They joined in "condemning the initiative of the Soviet Un ion" for resuming nuclear tests. They specifically commended France and Britain for their efforts to lead former depen dencies toward independence. They agreed to memorialize the United Nations for a great er economic aid program of its own—as suggested later by President Kennedy to make independence meaningful, and to help produce democratic re gimes. They sympathized with Tu nisia, but commended both De Gaulle and Bourguiba fo r moves to straighten out that conflict. They agreed to ask all U.N. members to break diplomatic relations with Portugal, and to deprive South Africa of the West African mandate. They went solidly on record against the Soviet "troika" proposal for the United Na tions. Letters Students Ask Longer Recess TO THE EDITOR: In reference to your article, Wednesday, Oct. 4, 1961, concerning the extra days added to the fall term, we have a suggestion. It seems to us that the term is set up to benefit the faculty only, since they are free to do as they please with the three extra days. We suggest that these days be used as a Thanksgiving vacation. Thanksgiving is one of the few times of the year that is considered a family oc casion. Many students, espe cially those who live out of state, will be unable to go home until this time and therefore this vacation is one which is eagerly anticipated. Due to the fact that the Pitt game falls on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, this will enable many students to attend it without cutting classes. This time also could be used to study. for final examinations. —Judy Danzer, '62 —Mary Ann Weaver, '62 —Helen Oakes, '62 —Jackie Hatters, '63 —Gail Farreti. '63 Blackboard Responsible Hat For the past few years most hat societies on this campus have spent a goodly portion of their meeting time trying to determine just what their little rain-shedder stands for. Unwilling to accept a lot solely as recognition societies, and unable to find many serv ice projects to perform for the University, the organizations floundered around in a nebu lous sort of twilight.zone in an atmosphere which has become increasingly more academic This situation seemed to in duce a revere psycholo g i c effect. To we, one's hat apps; en tly became considered a egocentric di play of one desire for si cial state rather than symbol of tl further respon- - sibßi ties im- BLACK posed by the recognition leadership. Recognition societies, of all types abound on every campus. But recognition is warranted only if it ,brings with it the realization of continued and in creased responsibility. The presidents of the existing World at Berlin Fight May Influence Soviet Talks WASHINGTON (AP) —The echo of the gunfight between East " and West Berlin police reverberated in Washington yesterday on the eve of the conference between President Kennedy and Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei A. Gromyko. Washington officials, making last-minute preparations for the White House talks, were seriously concerned over the shots exchanged Wednesday and yesterday on the border of East and West Berlin. The State Department termed the shooting "a dra matic and tragic story which speaks for itself and requires no embellishment." The statement urged the So viet Union to prevent such in cidents which it said "serious ly jeopardize peace and public order in Berlin." The department made it clear the United States is con vinced the West Berlin police defended themselves against Communist East German prov ocation. Cancer Revealed In Rayburn Test DALLAS, Tex., VP) Sam Rayburn, veteran speaker of the House of Representatives and "Mr. Democrat" to millions of Americans, is suffering from cancer, Baylor Hospital offi cials revealed yesterday. An aide of the 79-year-old Texas congressman said the cancer is incurable. "It may be just a matter of a few days," the aide said when asked how much time. Doctors later said, "This thing could last for several weeks." In Washington, President Kennedy voiced deep sorrow over the medical verdict and urged the nation "to join with me and Mrs. Kennedy in prayer for Speaker Rayburn, who has served his nation so well and so faithfully for so many years." TODAY Folklore Society Registrations, 5 p.m., across from HUB Assembly Hall Graduate Student Mixer, 9 p.m., HUB ballroom interlendia Folk Dance for beginners, ;30 p.m.. 301 Engineering A FRIDAY. OCTOBER 6. 1961 by Johnny Black hat societies this week made one small effort towards re storing this responsibility—be it by planning activities to re place potentially dangerous spontaneous actions or just to maintain a personality and in. dividualness in this IBM-card society which is becoming cold and impersonal as the student enrollment mushrooms. They formed Hat Society Council. This did not give them an other shingle to cover the holes in their walls. It did not add to their stockpile of rainy day headware. It did obligate them to at least one more meeting per term. It did obligate them to a serious attempt to restore re sponsibility to their undirected organizations. . . Under democratic principles this is better done by the de cision of the group than by the dictates of one man. And by experience, it has been seen that more can be accomplished through a council than a one man "coordinator." a Glance Auto Strikers Stay Jobless DETROIT (AP) The na tion's first full-scale auto strike in a decade moved through its third day at Ford Motor Co. yesterday with no signs of im mediate progress toward set tlement. Since 10 a.m. Tuesday 120,- 000 production workers who belong to the United Auto Workers Union have been idle. Ford says their wages, when working, run $2.6 million daily. Negotiators were attempting to iron out differences at 47 local bargaining units, 17 of them at the huge Rouge com plex in suburban Dearborn. For the first time federal mediators appeared at the downtown hotel where nego tiations have been going on and talked with both sides. There was no indication of federal intervention, Agreements were reached with 26 locals prior to the strike and 12 other locals had no demands. Elderly Groom Admits Real Age at Wedding LONDON (AP) There was only one thing wrong with 102- year-old Sidney Thain's wed ding he was not 102. "I'm sorry I hoaxed the na tion," he said yesterday. "There has been a . mistake." Advertised on television as .the wedding of the oldest bride groom in Britain, the cere mony was attended by 5,000 persons. TV cameras recorded the arrival of the bridegroom and widow Maud Franklin, 73. Sidney turned up in a chaf fe u r-driven limousine, the bride in a carriage drawn by two gray horses, all paid for by well-wishers. The British public heaped presents on the man they thought was starting a new life at the age of 102. Then a doubting newspaper reporter handed him a repro duction of his birth certifi cate, After an embarrassing pause, Sidney said, "I seem to have made a slight mistake. I'm not 102. I'm just 79." Gazette In teryarsity Christian Fellowship, 7:30 p.m., 111 Roucke Pa. Sociological Society, 7 p.m., HUB assembly hall Penn State Bible p.m., 212 HUB Philosophy Club, 7:80 p.m., 212-213 HUB . Fellowship,
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