Editorial Opinion
Sorority Rush Needs Evaluation
Besides the objections of added costs and a
shorter Christmas vacation which were raised last
fall, some Greeks feel that the concentrated sched
ule did not allow the time necessary for registration
Having just completed the first new sorority
rush plan in three years, sororities now face the
serious—and vital—task of evaluating the program.
That a thorough and sober evaluation is neces
sary is evident. Many problems, unique to this
system, arose and mist be solved if sororities are
to maintain the healthy rush program necessary to
their existence.
First, and perhaps foremost, is that sororities
inadvertently pledged fewer girls than they need
to exist in the long run.
This resulted from the division of rush into a
fall session for upperclasswomen and a winter ses
sion for transfers. The majority of sororities gave
bids to fewer girls in fall rush than they had pre
viously given to upperclasswomen in the combined
rush presumably to save places for freshmen
rushing during the winter.
But during the winter session, no more fresh
men signed preferentials than did the year before,
and there were simply not enough girls to give each
sorority a full pledge class.
A sorority cannot survive without enough girls
paying dues to bring costs per girl down to a rea
sonable level.
Whether the bitter experience of so few pledges
this year will be lesson enough for the sororities, or
whether Panhel should reinstate the combined rush
period, should be a subject of rigid examination.
The winter rush schedule, which ended before
the term's classes began, raised a second problem
of major controversy.
The
Suicide is a morbid, though
rather fascinating subject.
The possible methods of self
destruction are infinitesmal,
ranging from wrist-slashing
to poison to a short shot-gun
blast at one's own temple.
Here at Pt
was the talk
the campus
various t i m
last year whi
dents,
driven to d
peration by
ow n perso
anguish and
bearable pr(
lems, took tht
own lives
For we e _
after each tra- miss 'WATSON
gic episode, shocked and ap
palled students queried each
other as to why any human
being, but especially one so
young, would prefer death to
life. Equally puzzling to many
was why anyone would kill
himself by jumping off an
eight-story dormitory rather
than take sleeping pills or run
a car in a closed garage.
You'd think that someone
bent on self-destruction
would at least make it as
painless for himself as pos
sible, wouldn't you?
It seems like a logical as
sumption, folks, but it's simp
ly not true! Just look around
you. The girl borrowing
matches from the boy beside
her—the professor smoking as
he lectures—the student head
ed for the cigaret machine—
your roommate lighting up
after a meal—you, bumming
cigarets from a friend—all
are blithely contributing to
their own premature deaths.
And cancer hardly ranks
among the more "pleasant"
ways of dying, does it?
The facts about smoking
have been all too clearly re
vealed in the recently re
leased report of the Surgeon
General's Committee on
Smoking and Health.
"Cigaret smoking," the pan
el reported, "contributes sub
stantially to mortality from
certain specific diseases and
to the overall death rate."
In addition, the report
stated that men who smoked
Boyle & Barry—Too Much for Berd
TO THE EDITOR: I was in
spired and enlightened by Miss
Boyle's recent column on Barry
Goldwater's fling for the pres
idency. Strange as it may
seem, I never realized how
this noble citizen has striven
to preserve my rights and to
give me such a grand opportu
nity to choose between political
ideologies.
Like an innocent babe I have
been under the impression that
the senator is a power-driven
politician with some slightly
outdated views. I thank Miss
Boyle for enlightening me.
It has always been my un
fortunate misconception that
Sen. Goldwater and not those
antipatriots who smirk at his
name are the ones who are
ignorant of his views and who
refuse to think rationally about
him.
PAGE TWO
Tile Batlll Tollertiatt
Successor to The Free Lance, est. 1887
Published Tuesdef through Saturday morning during the University year. The
Daily Collegian Is a student-operated newspaper, Entered as second-class matter
July 5, 1934 at tho State College, Pa. Post Office under the act of March 3, 11179.
Mail Subscription Price: $6.00 a year
Mailing Address Box 261, State College, Pa.
Editorial and Business Office Basement of Sackett (North End)
Member of The Associated Press
HERBERT WITMER
;diiorDAVID BOLBACH .teEpt,.‘ Business
City Editors, Tony Foglia and Mel Avlibund; News and World At. . - ..1,10r.
Steve Cimbate; News and Features Editor, Joan Hartman; Editorial Editors,
Winnie Boyle and Rochelle Michaels; Sports Editor, Jim Bukata; Assistant
Sports Editor, Ira Miller; Personnel Director, Penny Watson.
Local Advertising Manager, Jacqueline Russiano; Classified Advertising Manager,
Margaret Gettings; National Advertising Manager, Lynn Murphy. Credit Manager,
Dianne Nast; Assistant Cremt Manager. Robert Driver; Promotion Manager,
Patricia Skyria; Office Manager, Esther Kelly; Circulation Manager, Mark
Saltzman.
Deadly Habit
had a death rate 70 percent
higher than nonsmoker, and
that "cigaret smoking is caus
ally related to lung cancer in
men." .
If you smoke cigars of a
pipe, the risk of your getting
lung cancer is slightly less
than if you smoke cigarets.
According to the report, how
ever, pipesmoking may be
causally related to lip cancer
—certainly not a happy af
fliction.
What, then, is to become of
the millions of smokers across
the nation, the thousands of
smokers on this campus? Few
of them would purposely step
snowed
Severe Winters Become
Part of Weather Cycles
by joel myers
There's little doubt probably
even in Grandpa's mind that
the winters of the past four
years can compare with any in
history.
Yesterday's big storm boost
ed the total snow for the winter
to over 46 inches, which is 2
inches more than the normal
snow for an en
tire winter. r
This is the .. •
fourth consecu- •
tive winter in 7 •.,„
which snowfall
ha s exceeded •
the normal C . .. 11.0"
amount. In the
1960 -61 winter,
an extra or d
nary total of 93.4
inches made..
that season the
snowiest in his
tory
Fifty-two inches fell in 1961-
62 and 61 inches were meas
ured last year.
People want to know whether
the record cold and heavy
snows of recent years represent
a trend just as they wanted
to know back in the early 1950's
whether the trend toward
Astounded by the revelation
that the senator's "ideas have
been taken out of context . . .
making them sound little better
than ridiculous," I resolved to
personally investigate some of
these opinions. As a source of
reference I choose nothing less
than a campaign pamphlet
published by the national Youth
for Goldwater organiza t i o n.
Surely this magnanimous group
could not lead me wrong.
Well, Miss Boyle was certain
ly correct. While some deca
dent characters had warned me
that Sen. Goldwater was op
posed to allowing middle and
lower class Americans to share
in their nation's wealth, I
learned that to preserve
"man's right to the possession
and use of his property" he
believes that the "government
has a right to claim an equal
TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1964
Ml2=li=fl
procedures
Some women also feel that a constant schedule
of song practice, skit practices, rush parties and
selection meetings for five consecutive days was
too tiring and made rush a complete drudgery.
Others claim that the advantage of completing rush
before classes start is worth any sacrifice.
This is too big an issue for one person or small
group of persons, such as Panhellenic executive, to
decide. An informal meeting of rush chairmen and
representatives from each sorority should be held
during which these issues are debated without the
influence of a biased Panhel executive.
Other problems which should be discussed in
the comprehensive eveluation are: how many sorori
ties were hindered by sisters refusing to come back
early to rush; whether sororities were able to get
hometown recommendations for each ribbonee
within the short span of the winter rush schedule;
whether Greeks were given a fair amount of time
to observe prospective pledges in social and aca
demic situations other than suite parties; and
whether the early rush affected the number of
girls who decided to rush.
Too many opinions on the major controversies
remain unstated for a decision to be made now on
how to conduct next year's rush. But thorough and
thoughtful debate is needed to insure that the same
mnstakes will not occur.
by penny watson
in front of an oncoming car.
Illness and perhaps death
from cancer is surely slower
—but just as fatal once it
takes its deadly hold.
Sure, it's awfully difficult
to restrain yourself from
lighting a cigaret after din
ner. When you're sitting in
the Skellar with a beer or in
the HUB with a cup of coffee,
or perhaps studying for a
bluebook, it's even more tor
tuous not to reach for the
pack. But just think of the
years your will power will
add to your life!
Smokers, is it now or never
for you?
milder winters would continue.
The answer, of course, is
unknown, but it is likely that
winters of the future will swing
back toward the normals.
There are always cycles in
the weather. In fact, the weath
er is never normal but the
result of the superposition of
many cycles. At one extreme,
there are ice ages, with a
frequency of maybe tens of
thousands of years, and at the
other extreme showers or thun
derstorms with a lifetime of a
few minutes.
The severe winters of recent
years do not signify the coming
of an ice age or something of
that nature, because such an
event would probably come on
so gradually as to be 'imper
ceptible to humans.
Long range weather trends
are overshadowed by much
more dramatic but short lived
cycles.
Perhaps in a few years the
severe winters of, the early
1960's will become just "warm"
memories as did 'the mild
winters of the early 1950's and
the East Coast hurricanes of
the middle 1950'5.
percentage of each man's
wealth and no more."
Numerous slanderers ha d
poisoned me with the notion
that the senator was uninter
ested in the Negro and his free
dom, yet I found he firmly
believes that "unenforceable
government edicts benefit no
one" and that "continued pub
lic attention a n d moral per
suasion" are of greater value.
Although countless villains
had whispered that this leader
cared nothing for our nation's
educational improvement, I
discovered that the state gov
ernments fail to provide ade
quate facilities because "the
federal taxing power has pre
empted state and local sources
of revenue," and that the
proper solution is to restore "a
portion of the tax resources
which it has taken away."
I must admit that I am still
disconcerted about arguments
that Sen. Goldwater's economic
views are accepted by very few
economists, that many of his
concepts were discredited by
the events ,of 1929 and there
after, and that he has a tenden
cy to change his mind frequent
ly on basic issues.
But who am Ito doubt a man
so proficient in aviation and
landscape photography?
—David Berd, '66
WDFM Schedule
TUESDAY, JAN. le, 1964
4:15 The Philadelphia (Sanford Hinkel)
5:00 Symphony Hall (Charles Oryel)
6:10 Dinner Date (Ann Lander and
Tom Groff)
7:30 USG Reports (Don Morabito)
7:40 Questions for 15 (Tom Nutt)
(1:00 Ports of Call (Andy Lipchak)
9:00 Show Stoppers (Jeff Moss)
9:55 Cempus News Report (Bill Mel ,
nem)
10.00 Symphonic Notebook (Bob Solosk0)
WNW DON'T c/OU
TAKE A PILL?
T (7 Th • ~,.
. .p
m ,
--d r
~......,
.1 1 a ..... .
......... 7..--_,_-4!,,,,,
(.1./Hq DON'T 400 TAKE A PILL
FOR RELIEF OF NAUSEA CAUSED.
BY SIGHT OF LITTLE BROTHER
CLUTCHING BLANKET?
Letters
Soph Backs
Academics of
Term System
TO THE EDITOR: I must
take issue with Ira Miller's
sports column on academic
sanity. I shall neither exten
sively defend the term sys
tem, which has been well de
fended in the past, nor shall
I deny that probation lists
are damaging to many extra
curricular activities, includ
nthleti' But thr
ing athletics. But .nere are
statements that deserve a
reply.
I am sure that even Mr.
Miller will agree that the
small percentage of students
participating in intercollegiate
sports does not, alone, war
rant the elimination of the
term system. Also, if he would
observe th e calendar, he
would see that, more or less,
there is little overlapping of
a sports season into another
term. This could not be said
of the semester system.
Second, a more liberal pro
bation policy was called for
and the policies of other'
schools were cited. Such a
policy might result in a ten
dency by our athletes to be
academically lax.
I also question whether our
probation system should be
altered to resemble those of
other schools. I would prefer'
an examination of the situa
tion by the University.
"Our athletes must be stu
dents first, even on the road"
—Miller. Our athletes are giv
en permission by the Univer
sity to be away from campus
—legal absences from classes.
Mr. Miller seems to think
that they should be free from
studying also.
I might remind him that
this is a university and, as
such, the improvement of the
individual should be its basic
aim with an emphasis on
higher learning.
Finally. I seriously doubt
that we will "witness the de
generation of our athletic pro
gram to powder-puff Ivy
League-type schedules."
This is, of course, based on
the premise that excellent
coaches will be retained and
secured, academically sound
athletes will be recruited, and
such football powers as Kent
State and Ohio U. are re-1
moved from future schedules. l
—Marvin Peebles. '66
•Letter Cut
Once upon a time, not so long ago and hardly very far away, a rooster named
Cheese stumbled into the yard of a village photographer. Upon introducing one
to the other, the photographer said, "Say, Cheese, how would you like to work
for me as a trademark?" Cheese took the job, became the best-dressed rooster
in town and perched upon the highest shingle. The photographer was so proud
of his partner that he always thought of him when at work and would proudly
call out to him as he pressed the plunger—" Say, Cheese!"
"I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE IT"
MAYNARD
ERGUSO
WILL BE HERE IN 5 DAYS
THAT'S SUNDAY NIGHT
January 19
TICKETS ON SALE ALL WEEK
AT JAZZ CLUB BOOTH, HUB DESK & NITTANY NEWS
MEMBERS - SOPHOMORES $1.25 NON-MEMBERS $1.75
S p onsored b y PENN STATE JAZZ CLUB
AND SOPHOMORE CLASS
Say Cheese & Bill Coleman have just moved
into their elegant new quarters at 117
Heister St. next to the. new Nittany Lodge
restaurant & a few doors from the Pennsyl-
vania Book Shop
NEW PHONE TOO!
238-8495
: V; r 4
‘; 7,5 V ) t ,
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