PAGE FOUR Editorial Opinion For-A Better Encampment Encampment! is held each fall before the beginning *of the academic year to discuss pertinent: and pressing student problems. To accomplish this purpose the encamp ment is divided into workshops in which participants dis cuss these problems and recommend solutions. This year there were five workshops. They ( dealt with the four-term system, judicial problems, off-campus problems, on-campus problems and the Undergraduate Student Goveinment. This closely parallels last year's encampment program when there were workshops on student government, then called SGA, off-campus problems, on-campus problems, 'social and academic problems under the four-term system, public relations and communication. - and rules, regula tions and student welfare. - -The workshop structure seemed to create many prob lems this year. It held back discussion on such urgent and pressing problems as discrimination in downtown housing and the shameful condition of some rooming houses in State College. It stifled active discussion . on the problem created by a newly-imposed borough tax which some downtown men have been forced tapay even though they are not able to vote in the borough, or, in other words, taxation without representation, These problems were included in the agenda for the off-campus problems workshop. The official minutes of the workshop explain that these problems were not dis cussed because "mosfGreeks are not familar with housing or taxes- and they cannot help. They cannot contribute new ideas because they have not and/or cannot obtain information in this area." As a result of the cliffiCulty in finding any mayor problems which both fraternity arid town independent men could discuss, the workshop recommended to the en campment that next year the workshop 'on off-campus problems be eliminated unless there is a specific need for it. We agree. It seems that each workshop had some difficulty with its' agenda.. Both the on-campus and the Judicial , workshops dis cussed the problem of academic honesty. The judicial workshop had such wide and varied problems to discuss as the function of the Supreme Court, whose duties beyond settling constitutional questions have not been defined, and the particular =problems of the Women's judicials. The on-campus workshop did not have time to wade through- its extensive agenda which included - disCussions on community living, discriciinatory denies, the "state of the University" and campus- morals. The USG workshop agenda includeckmost of the basic problems which student government spent all of last year tying to solve. And the four-term .workshop instead of discussing problems created by the four-term system turned discus sion into a semester vs. term, system debate. In light of this year's "problems, we recommend that each spring the -USG Congress decide which are the major problems facing students at that time and then advise the encampinent chairman to arrange workshops on these problems. • This year the encampment could have had workshops on the tax problem of downtown men, the housing situa tion, the role of the Supreme Court, the future of the Na tional Student Association on campus, the advantages and disadvantages of the five-point grading system pro posed by USG President Dean Wharton during last spring's presidential campaign as compared with the prel ent: grading system, and the timing of the Float Parade, formerly held during Spring Week. This, we believe, -would make a more beneficial encampment. - A Student-Operated Newspaper SR Years of Zditorial.Freedoin MR Daily Tolintiatt SicceUor to The Prise Lame. at MI Pates Tvarday threeerit Ilatardas aorsiles demist Ole tlalvtraltr rear. The Da* •DeMalan I. a ataseat..mettelt emnrapapar. Estasitl ea seeead-riaet signer Mgr I. 11134 at the State Cana% Pa. Poet Mlles soder the set if Kari* S. ISM Ma thaosertaties Priest SIM s rear litalllns &Strew • Box M. Stets Wen. Ps. Member of The Associated Press ANN PALMER Editor '®" lisasTiag Mar. Card tairklastaa: City Me.. dear Medias tad David Danseitt Neva sad World Affairs Editor Kay DDSs: News sad Pastsras Editor. Sandra uses didibleisl Seam Joel k 7... sad David Kinissis Sports Zditar. Jana aletvias Pimiliarraphy Coeatera, Tara Browse sad Den Cadavaaar rimmast Illbecter. Saralee Orem. --- - Lead Ad Mgr.. Jean Itskat Andatant Lead Ad Ws. Jane Stlveretebig Wetless* wir.. Delbert Brim* g Credit Mar. Rah& Potethnnn Andadat Crain ?Cdr. Rosa 3 Presiirtiss Um. <Barry Levitt:. Claagfied Ad Mgi Catherine Masert Circelation Mgr. MAI Garet: Personnel and Office Mgr.. Liu Murphy. THE - DAILY COLLEGIAN, UNIVERSITY PARK, PENNSYLVANIA HERBERT WITMER Buds.= Manages HUBbing WhY( A quarter of a century . ago, in the fall of the year, the Penn State campus was in quite a frenzy. What was the ',reason? Freshman Customs, of course. Those were the days when upper . classmen truly enforced ustoms to the hilt. But, as usual, thr time has caused attitude and - cedure. No lm do we have inter-class scr: the prof e s s graveyard or once cherisl panty raid. S dents are mi mature and arr treated. The Cusi _ program, too, changed drastically`since the old en days. The program has been streamlined and shortened. The purpose of Customs is more in line with that of the University— * learning process. These changes have been beneficial. But what has happened to that vital upper class support which wt . ys so evi dent in the past? Some upperclassmen nowadays fier the record "Is-Penn State THE date uni versity?" "we asked , Richardson Dilworth and William Scranton at a news conference last Satur day. And just like appropriation time in the spring of .the year s an argument over the answer to this question arose as the leaves began to fall. Dilworth, Demo cratic candidr for governor Pennsylvania, sa, Penn State is •1 only state univl sity and quid pointed out to reporter that that past ei g years under Democratic admin. Astration in Harris burg allocations to NUNICLEMAN the UniversitY have almost , doubled. Scranton, the Reptthlican can didate, hedged a bit More on the question. 1 1 10 advoCated. an ironing out of the "legal teditnicalities" which prevent the University from receiving its due recomition and monetary aid. While both of the 'candidates were certainly correct • in their answers, the question now arises in reference to the previously posed question. Did they answer it? The answer is ,an unequivocal NO. The Wry word in Dilirorth's an! swer is "only." True, we are' the sole university in the Common' wealth which claims the word "state" ha its title, hat we still don't know U the states claims tie. .The fact that Scrant.an wants to "iron out" legal technicalities proves in Itself that he did not want to commit himtself with .a direct answer. A good, down-to-earth word for all these setnantical manipulators to add to• their glib vocabularies is "pussyfooting." It's a plain, old fashioned ,term meaning proceed • - ing verbally with caution in order to avoid public disfavor. _ These men, as era it' good per cantage of the men- in:our capital; are well-educated. St}rely' solos where in studying their Pennsyl vania history, they him* learned that Penn Stahl whit officially created by the Mortillland Grant Act of 1862 Since the creation of the Uni versity at- that time Penn State has been- expanding its physical facilities in order to accommodate the mushrooming student popula tion of the state. We have also been expanding our academic fa cilities by string for a more and more qualified faculty. Only on the part of the state colleges, formerly .called state teachers' . colleges. hcs the state seemed to be perfectly clear on the' question of status. 'These schools too have continued to ex ffave 'Custohl? say that Customs is a waste of . time. I ask, how can a learning process be a waste of time? It is necessary for freshmen to learn the location of buildings on cam pus. We have visitors everyday who ask directions. Freshmen will - have to attend 'classes in . these buildings. The sooner they learn, the better off they will be. School spirit is not a necessity but it is certarnly desirable. When s schOol spirit needed more and enjoyed more than during foot bell season? 4, 1 Penn State has Many fasci nating traditions. I. would wager that many upperclassmen lack :even ' a passing knowledge of them.? Although knowing Penn State 'traditions is not necessary, it is an enjoyable experience to !delve; into them. Give the fresh- men this chance by startirig‘them in the. right direction through Customs. When thinking of Customs and freshpien, one often overlooks the fact ;that these newcomers are probably away from home for the first time. Some wall be overly shy. Some will-be, overly "cocky.' H . , .. • ere We G o A, ; • , by carol ktitc tklema f pand as rapidly as possible and of our syltem; but • it's contra • to improve their _education pro.; action that's going to accomplis , cesses, but with unquestioned co- their•frisli of educating. operation on the part of the Com- Before they embark on another monwealth. - plan of fatilitating their If the object of the Comtnon and get insyolved in more "pussy wealth is to provide its citizens footing," they ought to think, . and 'their children with the best we ; studer#s are • supposed to do education possible, why do its • about what education means administrators worry about such them (with no grammatical string trivialities as the status of the UM- attached)i l then no matter whethe 'versify when the question was the Democrats or the Republican decided .lor them over 100 years dominate our legislature, money ago? : can be given to us now to hel It's' fine to have master plans the job this University was in for education and study commit- tended to do educate potenti: tee.s.to delve into the fine points voters. It was announced yesterday that 29 East 'Germans escaped to Western freedom through a tun nel built under the menacing con crete wall which divides.the most unfortunate of cities—Berlin--- into him parts—. Since I re' Berlin this asked many "Why do th German p e continue t their lives lives of hiends.and lies to escape the Eastern tar?" My only and my 4ee) victim is these esca net risking Jives, they are saving therm - One takes a risk only, when he has something to lose! People living under the stifling police control dominant in East Berlin have nothing but oppression and de; pression to lose—they have the world to gain. 'nit Eastern, sector of Berlin is a world in itself—a world that cannot be adequately described or imagined by he who has clever visited the city. It can't be de scribed because it is not the ruins, not the empty streets. not the rally stadium bearing the symbol of the hammer and sickle that set it apart from every other city in the world. It is the atmosphere that prevades every building._ . every street and' every Commu nal; memorial in the city that makes it horribly unique. • The atmosphere is evident in theAP . . " • East . Berltn s / • • Oxygen uppty by' an In palmer - • the faces -1 of thi people living In East Berlin as !they walk slowly through the quiet. and - deathly empty streets let their . city, as they stied for hours on She Eastj ern corners ofFriedrichstrasse, the- only American ontry point into the Eastern sector, as they , watch with blank eyes every per son That minim from West to East Through Checkpoint Charlis. l The sickened spirit of the East ern sector is seen in the somber faces of men, women and children who spend their days watching their families 'and friends' ascend the old wooden watch tower on the western side. of the wall to watch and wave. It is seen -in the face of a' son who watches his mother ascend the tower and weep. lie can do nothing. He is forbidden to wave back or talk _to - her Lnder penalty of death. It was felt in the tremor of hor ror that shook the world when, a *short while ago. an East German youth was. shot and' left to die by East Gernian border guards. In th i s Watiern sector, the at irkossit4re -of ilEact Berlin ha a ton the Spirits of American Sabi's= stationed fn the city. They are strong, courageous and very much afraid at the same time. East Eierlinl is much more than a geographical feature. It is a spirit—a spirit which has been made so foul, so sickly and so foreign, to the nature of man that it cannot long last. It cannot last long. because the flame 41 which keeps lit - alive is fast being snuffed out. A fire cannot burn in an atmos phere Whichi refuses to admit oxygen. 1 SEPTEMBER 19. 1962 by herb witrrier It is , the purpose of Customs to' begin preparing these freshmen for their pro Per place in the Penn State, community.' The faculty can't do IhiS job, nor can the ad ministrators! This is one for the upperclassmen. ' - Customs is a tinie for fun, too. "Hotsy totsy, I loge ROTC" and "Button.. Frosh" are essential to the relaxed,atmOsphere which should surrund the Customs period. And what better time Is. there to meet girls and guys? I An important p oint to remem-. ber for thel coming week is that the freshmen of today will be re placing you tomorrow. I want the, person I replacing me to be aware of his surroundings, to be a responsible member of the Penn State community not just a vegetable taking up space: Customs is not a waste of time. It is an essential tradition which has a direct bearing on a student's University life in the future. Upperclassmen If you care at `all about Penn State; if you be lieve in "a better Penn State," par ticipate actively in Its Customs 'with .an appri.ciation of the goals set forth. •
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers