PAGE, FOUR
Editorial Opinion.,
USG
and Discipline
;The chief item of business for tonight's USG meeting
is the formation.of a committee to investigate and. make
recommendations on the men's and women's disciplinary
EZZEEM
:The importance of this committee cannot be over
stated, for its subject matter is of direct importance to
every undergraduate.
`But in addition; USG's initiative in 'Attempting .to
overhaul the discipline system may give student govern
ment some unificationamf governing power.
Inherent in the, committee's conside'ration, of Penn
State's judicial 'codes or lack thereof, is the goal of estab
lishing a series of common pleas courts, operating under
USG rather than under the area governments as is now
the case.
Revision and codification of the present rules is neces
sary and desirable, !since there are, at present, various
agencies making rules and dispensing discipline on , this
campus.
They are thit Senate Committee on Student Affairs,
-its subcommittee on discipline, the Dein of Men's office,
the Dean of Womeds office, the AWS Judicial, the MAC
Judicial and the off-campus tribunal. '
Too often, the regulations set up and interpreta
tions fostered_within some of these groups - prove to be
contrary to regulations and interpretations on - the same
subject in other judicial groups. Codification of common
offenses and standird penalties for such , offenses should
be first on the USG committee check list.
The system of courts which USG is attempting to
create would be ultimately responsible to the Senate Com
mittee on Student Affairs, which initially chartered USG.
In addition. the system we visualize would includt
an appellate structure, with the USG Supreme Court at
its top. This Supreme Court would not have to burden
itself hearing the case of every student who.feels unjustly
treated, but by discriminating attention, it could hear cases
which are representative.
The dean's offices have the right to circumvent the
present judicial structure. This could only be altered by
a change in the Senate regulations which we think
unlikely. But should a student feel that this right is
abused, he could bring it to the attention of the Suprerrie
Court which could hear the case and reach a decision.
The important point, benefitting the entire student
body is not whether this individual case is reversed, but
whether, for the record, the Supreme Court feels that
injustice has been committed. , -
- - -
In brief then, this is, on the lower levels, a codification
and unification of 'diverse Judicial powers land, on the
upper levels, an appellate structure. -
Above all, it would mean Wit the :USG really is a
governing body administering l justice and seeking to
protect and presenie student rights and dignity.
Although this is claimed by the USG constitution it
remains for the infnnt organization to prove it,
MR Patty Qinlirniatt
Successor to The Freu Lance, est. 1887
Published Treader threagic Saturday •ernlag during be linlyeridt3 Year. The
Linllo Callegian is • etailegit-eperateni newspaper. gatere4 as. sieread-class wetter
Maly I. 1034 al the dial* College. Pa. Pest ortiea ender the • of Mardi I, UT,
Pall B,allistriptlea Priest SILOS a feet
•lUllint Addresa Bea , 2111. Stal. Collets. Pa.
JOHN BLACK
Edit*,
Member of The Associated Pre's
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630 D GRIERF IT ~
15t17 ORE THING, -
ANOTHER!
THE'DAILY COLLEGIAN. UNIVERSITY PARK. PENNSYLVANIA
WAYNE HILINSICI
Business Munger
HE AS JOSTJEALCX6 OECALKE
I LOOKED SO DISTiNGOPSHEN
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Grad Questions Causes of Apathy
TO THE EDITOR: In your is
sues of Feb.: 1 and 3, I .have
read letters concerning the al
leged student. apathy toward
world and domestic affairs
which is supposed to be so per
vasive on this campus. ,
While I
,am personally not
in a position to comment on
the extensiveness of student
lethargy—l have taken:no sur
veys—l am interested , by the
causes assigned to it, namely,
Mr. Sprintzen's oversimplified
"we just don't care" syndrome,
and Mr. Mcliale's highly sub
jective notion that religious
malaise is at the root of the
trouble.
To say "we just don't care"
is not to give a cause, but
merely to identify a symptom.
Apathy is what is really under
attack here, and not noncom
mitment.
Mr. Sprintzen's charges do
not go deeper than the; obvious
symptom of , the condition and
therefore do not shed much
light on its causes.
Mr. McHale attempts to iso
late the causes with a little
more depth, but his conclusions
arouse some curiosity: He as
sumes that ' commitment is a
moral responsibility. No one,
think, will question that human
affairs, and problems of justice
in them, are moral, as well as
political issues.
However, it is not neces
sarily true 'that the kind of
morality involved here is the
kind which takes one to church
on Sunday.
• The two kinds may be. re
lated, but they are not always
Final Exam.
'Experience'
Unnecessary=
TO THE EDITOR: Last week•
in discussing a finals period
for next year, Dr. Bernreuter
said "students could make a
clear stand, on this' issue on•
what is good for them educa-'
tionally, and would proj3ably,
get a good hearing."
The student opinion should
be known to our stagrfant
bureaucracy by now regard
less of Dr., Bemreuter's "per
sonal opinion that final exam
inations were to. be de-empha
sized 'and all examinations
were to'be held in the regular
class periods."
To anyoni taking a realistic
attitude toward the problem of
finals, it becomes obvious that:
•Final examinations have
NOT be,rn de-emphasized in
the great majority of classes.
•A majority of professors;
dislike being forced to use their
class time to give finals. , c4. IL
• The student. body 'finiE the
present system of finals an
extreme hardship :certainly
not an , "educational' eimeri
ence. •
Penn State students would
gladly welcome the chance to
voice their opinions,! especial
ly if they thought that by doing
so the policy-rnakent of this
University would take heed.
—Ray M. Anderson. !63
Committee Offers 'Thank You'
TO THE EDITOR:. On behalf
of the Military,Balt Committee
I would like to publicly thank
the administration, particularly
Mr. George Donovan, Dean
• Frank Sirnes; and ViCe
dent Stanley Campbell. for
, - their help in negotiating for the
opening 'of the HUB park6g
lot for student use. j
The weeks of .zeirogaitions
showed that thazi are times
when the. administration will
not only listen to student re
quests, but will honoir then.
I also would like to 'plead with
Letters to the' Editor
Mutually 'dependent. An d
everyday morality does not
have tct. be ;dependent on! God:
The fact is,4that some of tis are
oriented toward a particular
God, and some of us_ are not.
The capacity for assuming
moral resixinsibility, is • not a
function of category.
• The popular notion that the
religious nonconforinist the
"honest doubter," skeptic, ag
nostic, or atheist is morally
degenerate and irresponsible,
is a myth.
A person who thinks nothing
of God whatever is capable of
humane, intellWent, and re•
sponsible behavior. "Likewise,
an individual with his eye firm
ly fixed on God is capable of
maltreating' his fellow men.
History bears this out.
I do not wish to imply here
that I think churches foster
civic irresponsibility Far from
it. But I do wish to point out
that moral responsibility is an
individual matter, a function of
an individual's capacity for
justice and humanitarian
thought and behavior.
Mr. McHale also cites
in the "natural law" as a neces
sity for revitalization. •As there
is no universal interpretation
of God in 20th century Ameri
ca, how cari`,there he universal
agreement on what this "na
tural law" stands for?
In the area of principle. Mr.
McHale's meaning gets even
more obscure. Any doctrinaire
concept, religious or political,
rests on principles of some
kind. Democracy, we: know. is
based- on principle, but so is
Marxism.
Fisher Interprets OSGA Vote
TO THE EDITOR: The most
recent turn of events in
the controversial . USG name
Change is one that necessitates
a closer loot, the implica
tions of the OSGA decision of
last weekend, when the body
voted against -recommending
that 'University Park's' USG
change its namebackto SGA.
Note that they Voted against
recommending a 'change,- and
not, as the Feb. 13, Daily Col
legian implied, against chang-,
ing the name ("OSGA Defeats
USG Name Change"). Just
what is• the. significance 'of this
decision of OSGA? •
The significance is siinply
this: OSGA , considered . among
other Things, The "political im
plications" and complexities
which a name change would
have at University Park: ac
cording to USG_President Den
nis Foianini, who., very skill
fully presented his side of the
story.
The organization felt that to
recommend a name change
would be• to place unfair pres-
Sure upon •one of its member
campuses, and its biggest mem
ber. as well. A year ago when
such a recommendation was
made, it was for all campuses
to comply—not apy specific
one. This year the case 'is dif
ferent.
No, "the bottom" has not
"fallen out of the principle
argument" for a USG name
change; on the other hand,
the students to respect this
privilege and to use it wisely.
Should the privilege be abused,
the lot will again be 'closed.
' —Gamer Wiliam '63
Mil Ball Committee
Valentine Heart
TO THE EDITOR: I wish to
commend the sisters of Phi
Sigma Sigma Sorority or
certainly -having their hearts
in the right place on Valen
tine's Day.
—24.a4 Solovonsky. 63*, . .
Our reactions to various
I • ' l_
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY ID, 1962,,
concepts depend solely on
whether or not we happen to
be . sympathetic with , the prin
ciples involved. Our rejection
of certain ones does not, Now
ever, eliminate them as ',mild.
principles.
, It is. true that commitment'
to principle has given rise to
the - development of great coun-=
tries like ours. But it has alsn•
been responsible, in the his
torical past, for much. intoler-;
ante, persecution, and gener-r :
ally inhumane behavior.
I do not feel that I am in a
position to cite causes for such
a widespread situation as stu
dent apathy is supposed to be
inf a or two•column letter;
But I think I would urge those
who cry commitment to be
cautious.
• Certainly, it is every stwr
dents moral obligation to know
what is , going on in the world '
,
to learn the meaning of "-isms,"
and to understand the princi
ples upon which they operate.
Commitment must only fol.
low such understanding, and
never precede it.
There is a considerable dan
ger that, in the, struggle be
tween' opposed principles,• the
person in the middle may be
caught and confused_ •
To commit oneself in mid=
confusion is irresponsible, and
it .is on such commitments that
mass movements thritre.
In other words, commitment
to no princple is better than
commitment to one that is not
understood. 4
- —=Donald Wineke,
: Graduate Student . 1
OSGA has distinguished itself
for not having put one of its
member campuses on the ,pro
verbial "spot," a decision
which even to the OSGA pres
ident appeared erroneous at
the time.
OSGA has said, in "essence,
- "lt's your problem at Univer
sity Park: we realize your
problems there and would
rather not get involved in
,them.
"We want you as a member
whatever you call yourselves;
we need you for the betterment
of the University as a whole.
We can see both sides of your
position at. University Park
and would rather not interfere;
we •cause any resentment
against OSGA. It's your -prob
lem; make your. own decision:"
This is the decision of OSGA,
yet ;I can't help feel the ma
jority\ of its members would be
happy to see the name changed
back to SGA. USG Congress
men, the decision is up to you.
• —Robert M. Fisher 'B3
President. OSGA
(Editor's Note: At the OSGA
convention lastweekend, the
organization voted down a mo
tion "which would have recotn
mended a name change for
USG. The vote wa:; six op
posed,• two' in favor, four ab
staining. The story in The
Daily Collegian noted that the
OSGA voted on recommenda-
Lion, not on legislation. OSGA
is an 'advisory liaison" and has
no legislative power.) • •
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