PAGE FOUR
Editorial Opinion
Academic Pro List
More than 2,000 students on this campus and 2,680
students studying for bachelor degrees on all Penn State
campuses are on academic probation this term.
This represents 15.7 per cent of the undergraduate
student body.
We find this an extremely disturbing and distressing
situation.
The probation figures this term represent a 1.3 per
cent increase over, that of one year ago. But it is two
per cent below the figure for the fall of 1959 and .4 per
cent below that for fall,-1960. During both of these years
the semester system was employed.
.Supposedly the entrance requirements of this Uni-
versity have lightened drastically in the past five years.
With a more select group of students, we naturally wonder
why so many students have been unable to make a 1.7
average.
The recurrent high probation figures despite more
rigorous admissions controls and the serious mental
strains suffered by a. number of students last year leads
us to wonder about the current academic structure of this
University.
There is no doubt that the term system has created
certain pressures which did not exist under the semester
plan. Students must grasp concepts in less time. Term
papers must be completed in seven or eight weeks instead
of in twelve or thirteen.
Also the end of the term fiasco which the administra
tion calls a finals period is definitely not conducive to
the achievement of good grades.
While many of the problems may siem from flaws
within University structure, we feel some of them come
from student attitude and inability to adapt to the term
system.
Flaws in the University can be corrected. We urge
that immediate action be taken on such evident problems
as the final exam period and that probing studies of the
term system be hastened so that its true value may be
evaluated.
, , Student contribution to the high probation figure,
however, remains solvable only with the individual.
Each freshman class offers an educational challenge
to the faculty and administration of this University.
Upperclass students must also meet this challenge.
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ANN PALMER
Editor
Member of The Associated Press
UTILE MAN ON CAMPUS
COMMA*! —RJT WHY CANT- YOU BLOW
YEfc HOKN LIKE TTI' OM&Z FELLOWS?"
HERBERT- WITMER
Businesi Manager.
m
w
THE DAILY COLLEGIAN; UNIVERSITY PARK. PENNSYLVANIA
I UIANT TO APOLOGIZE FOR
WHAT I SAID ABOUT YOUR 1
DRINKING THIRTY-TWO COPS
OF COFFEE
I STILL LIKE VOU, GRANDMA.,
itters
Williams'Views
On Katanga
Challenged
TO THE - EDITORi Gomer Wil
liams in Wednesday’s Collegian
said the United States was cross
ing up its own best interests by
supporting U.N. efforts at force
ably unifying the Congo. This
view-point is frequently offered
here by people who own, or think
they might own, shares,of Union
Haute- Miniere stock, but there
is no reason why Mi - . Williams,
whose interests are mainly mili
tary, should believe his best in
terests lie with Mr. Tshombe’s.
We may dismiss most of Mr.
Williams’ letter as a nonsensical
moral treatise, a sort of through
the-looking-glass in which bush
fighters adhere to Louis XIV-
West Point “military ethics” and
the U.N. troops have "diplomatic
immunity” from bullets.
Yes, lei us get 'down to the
cobalt and uranium which is "our
interest"—but not our only one
in the Congo. Rather than take
the short gain by supporting the
Belgians and British in maintain
ing Katanga autonomy, the Unit
ed States has included the Congo
in a broader policy' of wooing
developing lands away from com
munism.
Without the mineral wealth of
Katanga the central government
of Cyrille Adoula, a pro-Westem
er, would fail along with the
economy. The results’ of such a
failure would be constant civil
War in the bush, possible sabo
tage of Katanga capital and
mines, and loss of African good
will with concommitant ’ loss of
access to other„ African resources
such as Sierra "Leone’s. In order
to prevent heavy Communist in
filtration of dissident elements in
the Congo the United States would
have to spend millions on buoy
ing up the economy , with little
guarantee .of visible results.
,!l
Soon we will be faced with
nationalist take-overs in coun
tries equally as vital to our in
terests as the Congo: King Saud’s
days are numbered and Portugal
will not last forever in her Afri
can colonies. Our behavior in the
Congo will, I believe, go a long
way toward determining who
will get the oil and other goodies
from the new owners.
6RAf»MA.„\
:r wAnt.to
Apologize^/
llH
—Lawrence Cameron '64
viewpoint-
Constant Shadow
James H. Meredith’s recent an
nouncement that he will not re
turn to the University of Missis
sippi' for the spring semester
unless ..definite changes are made
to make his situation "more con
ducive to learning" raises an
interesting question.
Was his statement merely an
advance alibi for flunking out or
was it a tactic
employed by
impatient Mei
dith attempting
make progre
that hadn’t bei
made during '
three months
the campus?
For most of t)
students at O.'
Miss, the answ<
was obviou-
Meredith was te
flunking out. bolbach
When this reporter visited the
campus early in December, many
students were already certain
that - Meredith would flunk out.
For them, his departure wbuld
mean victory—victory for vio
lence and harassment as a solu
tion to the problem.
It was Inevitable, of course,
that with the extreme pressure
he has h*ad to endure constantly,
his schoolwork . would suffer.
Meredith himself admitted a 3
much in an interview in Decem
ber.- , -
Bui Meredith is an ' intelligent
person, and is aware of the con
sequences if he flunks out. Al-
Letters
Clean House Deserves Reward
Once upon a term, in a small
town in . central Pennsylvania,
there stood a meeting hall of some
repute. Each month a new show—
filled with' satire, humor and wit
and aimed at' some aspect of town
•life was given here; The shows
were very popular and always
drew a large crowd.
Then, one day, a Sanitation
Committee composed of some of
the town’s leaders came to in
spect the meeting hall and speak
to the producers of its shows.
They were angry. "We’ve heard
reports,” they-said, “that you’ve
been neglecting your duty .and
have allowed this building to be
come quite dirty.”
They began to look around and
when they were done they de
cided that the meeting hall and its
shows would have to go.
“They are detrimental to the
good name of'our town, ’’ they said.
The appeals erf the producers did
no. good. The- Committee locked
the door, took the key and fore
closed the mortgage on the hall.
The people of the town were
shocked and unhappy, for tha
shows had come to mean a great
deal to them. They, did whaMhey
could to have the meeting hall
reopened. They wrote letters and
circulated petitions but it did
little good.
The directors of the hall, mean
while, were hard at work. They
. were determined to show the
Committee that they could rim
a respectible establishment. And
so, they undertook a massive
house-cleaning program.
■ They, met with leaders of the
peoples’ government’ association
and drew up a set of housekeeping
plans which would insure . the,
building being kept in tip-top
shipe.
Mayor Walker, tha town's high
est official would himself'appoint
two members to the Board of
Directors of the Hall. This board
would meet every month to watch
over the affairs of the hall. .
..The producers of the .Hall’s
monthly show would have to. be
approved by this Board, as .well.
Two advisors (instead of one
as before)"would be chosen, to
aid the staff of the hall. One
would be from the tqwn’s Journal
ism Department,’ the other from
the town’s English department.
FRIDAY.-JANUARY 18, 1963
by dave bolbaeh
though others would undoubtedly
follow in his footsteps at Ole
Miss, many segregationists would
consider it just another strike
against his race, which' Meredith
cafes about just as much, if not
morq, than himself.
Meredith is also impatient, to
see progress made -in the field
of integration. This may have
been the reason for his state
ment. As his lawyer, A. W. Wil
lis, ,wa3 . quoted in this week’s
Newsweek: “Meredith feels that
if he graduates at gunpoint, so
what? I guess he feels he hasn’t
really cracked the wall after .all.
so why continue to take all or
this pain and suffering?”
Meredith spoke of his resent
,ment of the U.S. military police
'men on campus during the inter
view. His resentment of the mar
shals, in fact, seems to equal that
of the entire student body.
His desire to see them removed
from the campus, however, seems
a bit naive. Every student this
reporter talked with at Ole Miss
seemed sure that if they were
removed, an attempt would be
made to kill Meredith. And al
though-he prohably, would sacri
fice himself if it would further
the..cause of the Negro, he’s in
telligent enough to realize that
such a situation would hot help
his cause. - ' - ■
Whatever the reasons for. his
statement, he will hopefully re
turn-to campus for-the spring
semester and, someday, be able
to walk across the campus with
out a . constant shadow.
They too would help to make the
h.all a credit to the town.
The leaders of the hall submit
ted their new plans to the Com
mittee. They had done what they
could to "clean house" and now
it was up to the town officials
to pass on their proposed improve
ments.
This decision.will be made Tues
day when the Committee on Stu
dent Organizations meets to con
sider authorization of a new
“Froth.” . "
Let us hope that they decide
to unlock the door, give back the
key,.and renew the mortgage, so
that once again Penn State f stu
dents have their “meeting hall”
and their “monthly show.”
—Joseph .Buchanan'64 '
LETTER POLICY
Letters , to the editor , must
carry the full name 'of the
author - and identification of
the author will be verified be
fore any letter is published. In
most’..cases, .letters over 400
words will not be published.
The Daily Collegian re
serves. the right to edit any
letter .if it is deemed necessary.
The decision to'publish or re
ject a letter lies solely. with
the editor;. letters containing
obvious misstatements or lack
ing in good taste, or fair play
will be rejected.
mrnmmammmmmmsmmm
WDFM Schedule
FRIDAY, JANUARY IS, ISSS
4:15 “The Philadelphia" with Steve Mon*
-/ - helmerse •- i
Bach: Chorale'Preludes
Houasorgsky: Bald Mountain -
Tchaikovsky :•> 1812 Overture
5:00 Dinner Dater relaxing dinner ptuale,
*',Bob Stegon announcing •>>
s’iOO Washington Reports: Congressional
reports- from the capitol*
s:ls'Weatherscope: Accurate - weather /
forecast by Joel. Myers
6:20 Ballet Theater: Delibes: Coppelia
Bartok: Miraculous'.Mandarin
. Dukas:. Da,Peri
7:60 Highlights: Sports: Jim Bukata
interviews rSnowy Simpson about the
Penn State 1 basketball team \
7:40 Album ,of, the Week: New album
reviewed: Movin'i
Mary- - V . ’ • ' ~
7:55 News -
6:00 Marquee Memories: Tonight: -How
to Succeed In - Business with Paid
Krow. y _
6:00-Send Off: Jazz,
men Hershberger " *”*
12:00 Night Sound : Cool sounds of the
' ‘ . night till 2:00 a.m. with Bob Junaft
pop, folk jtnd cum*