High Hopes at Manila
The hopes of-the world go with the delegates to
the Manila peace conference, which begins Monday.
But it is likely that little will come out of the confer
ence to reinforce these hopes. The series of meetings
has the potential to be one of the most ineffectual
high-level peace conferences in history.
This is not to deny the good intentions of the
representatives of the seven governments involved.
And this is not to write off the conference as futile;
indeed, at this point, any efforts, any international
discussions, any search for answers, is most welcome.
But consider what awaits the ’delegates of the
seven nations in their Homelands.
In the United Stales, the Vietnam sore is fester
ing. It is less popular than ever and is certainly more
lacking in public support than any other war in our
history. Unfortunately, however, there are two com
monly conceived ways of ending the thing: the vast,
oversimplification of overt Withdrawal,' and the
equally oversimplified escalation of the war. And,
more dismaying, proponents of the latter course far
outweigh those of the former.
It is election time and many candidates have all
but abandoned local issues to run on Vietnam. Those
who oppose our present policy and would like to see
us get out as quickly and effectively as possible will
almost certainly be voted down. Those who support
the gradual escalation of the Johnson administration
(and a few retired air force generals who are run
ning on platforms of all out attack in Vietnam) will
no doubt win.
This will no doubt buoy our President, who has
conveniently absented himself from the last minute
acrobatics of the campaign. And it will not bring us
any closer to peace.
Consider some of the other participants in the
Manila conference# ' .
South Vietnam's representatives almost didn't
lt to the meetings at all, since a good portion of
Premier Ky s government, with a remarkable sense
of liming, saw fit. to resign a few days ago. Some
Johnsonian arm-twisting quickly got the dissident
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PAGE TWO
EDITORIAL OPINION
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1966
Acacia
Alpha Chi Sigma
Alpha Epsilon Pi
Alpha Gamma Rho
Alpha Kappa Lambda
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Delta
generals back in line and the crisis'has been patched
up, at least until after the conference. After all, Ky
must have told them, we have to look good for
The Leader.
Australia is busying itself for an election, too,
and its government, which has reluctantly supported
the war effort, is under concentrated and effective
attack for this. The anti-war faction in Australia has
to be much larger— proportionately—than that in the
United States. And then yesterday they threw paint
at the President’s limousine. ,
Thailand is commonly regarded as the next Viet
nam and is enjoying rich profits from U.S. military
presence there. It is a convenient springboard for
Veitnam bombing, although our government in efffect
denies that it knows anything about Thailand.
And the Philippines is no doubt the closest to
President Johnson’s heart, considering President
Marco’s eloquent homage to the valiant United States
during his visit here a few weeks ago. Although
Marcos’ eloquent homage to the valiant United States
representative of- Southeast Asia (read: representa
tive of the thoughts of all the citizens-of that area),
said just what President Johnson wanted to hear, he
does appear seriously interested in achieving peace
in Vietnam: -
So-.this much-touted conference should at least
be interesting. But. the chances of producing a con
crete, workable and immediate solution to the Viet
nam bloodshed are remote.
We could be wrong about' 1 this. And in this case,
we sincerely hope we are.
BERRY’S
© 1966 by NEA, lac,
" It's going to be another one of those days! The button
on the bach of the collar is broken."
ATTENTION ALL
I st TERM MEN
Tonight will be Open-House For You
All Houses (except Acacia)
Tomorrow the Following Fraternities Will Be Open
WORLD
ess :
%\ . '
TO THE EDITOR: Yesterday’s Collegian editorial was titled
“Time for Action.” It certainly is.
But there will be no action if the editorial’s suggestions
are followed. We sense from the tone of the editorial that
SDS’s rationale and purposes have been misinterpreted.
We wish to clarify our position.
One basic assumption of tire editorial was: The Admin
istration has the right to control student lives in the class- <
room. We reject this assumption. The Administration has
ASSUMED the power to control students, but this is no
justification. Students alone should legislate, adjudicate
and decide student policy. Regulation of privates lives of
students is ho proper function' of the University.. Admini
stration. ' • • '
USG CANNOT effectively represent students because
it is structured as an integral part of the Administration. As
the editorial remarked, USG is NOT a government. It is a
lobby for students, and a hopelessly ineifective one at that.
THERE IS NO ADEQUATE SUBSTITUTE PoR TRUE
DEMOCRACY. ' ,
' Another basic assumption of the editorial was: We
should work withiri the system. This has given us only
delays, broken promises and watered-down cbmpromises.
Why should anyone waste his time trying again?
Is this negative? Is this the folly of Quixote? If any
thing, it is a realistic view of the situation at Penn State.
Moreover, what we advocate is a positive rather than a
destructive solution: students must organize THEMSELVES
ON THEIR OWN TERMS AND AROUND ISSUES THEY
THINK ARE IMPORTANT.
What has been labeled negative is our attempt to show
students exactly what USG is, exactly what USG does and
exactly what it will not and cannot do.
USG has no effective base of student support. As the
recent USG elections clearly Indicate, the great majority of
students recognize the fufliiy of a vote for an ineffective,
powerless group of so-called "student leaders" who must
pander to the Administration.
We know working within the structure of the Uni
versity yields only wasted effort.
,We believe students should decide their own lives.
Let the people decide.
Students for a Democratic Society
Political Evaluation and Action
Committee
TO THE EDITOR: The, USG elections have once again
come and gone with all the significance of a flea breaking
wind, and with about as much excitement. In my own area,
Pollock, a fever pitch was reached as two blah candidates
ran for two seats.
The vast majority of students showed their true feel
ings by boycotting the elections as SDS had suggested; not
because we suggested it, but because there was really noth
ing offered tb them in the whole silly gala affair. Even if
Abe Lincoln were running for office it wouldn’t do much
good to vote for him: what power would he have ih USG?
Kalich comes up with some good ideasm a letter. Wowie
Zowie! USG is really going to pass that.legislation!
Except that it isn’t USG running the show, it’s Mama
University and Mama University is the one USG has to
go begging to.
USG is a bootlicking farce, and SDS has an important
message for that "apathetic" majority who tacitly agree
with us: it is lime, for students to decide what rules they
live under: not the adihinislration, not the faculty, but the
students themselves. SDS is coming out with a well-re
searched group of White Papers which will document the
whole anti-democratic mess here, and offer plans of action.
The 'first one: "The 'Powerful, The Powerless, The Con
trolled: The Administration - USG Coalition," will be dis
tributed on the Mall next week. Read it if you want to
get angry.
Si.
So, to the USG member who decries our apathy: It
ain’t apathy, buddy, you just haven’t got a single thing to
excite us. What do you suppose would happen if we were
given a chance to vote oh whether or not girls can, visit
boys’ dorms? (Something that schools much better than
Penn State have had for. years). Or if girls were given the
chance -to make dorm residence voluntary? You’d be
crushed by the “apathy” around the ballot box. ,
- -But 1 we’re organizing, and you -may even begin to
notice us in a short while. Every student has many things
from 2-SP.M.
Alpha Tau Omega
Beta Sigma Rho
Chi Plii
Delta Phi
Delta Theta Sigma
Delta Upsiion
Kappa Alpha Psi
lambda Chi Alpha
•y^/.-aaswwf
Letters to the Editor
Clarification from SDS
★ . ★ ★
I Silly Gala Affair 1
he doesn’t like about Penn State from the cost of medi
cine and football tickets to dorm regulations ,'but he
doesn t know what to do about it and so, relapses into
“apathy.” But somebody’s going to start coming out with
some very explicit plans of action for students who want
to live in a grown-up world where real people make real
decisions about things which really affect them. Laugh if
you want to . . .
While you’re giggling we’ll be starting a democracy,
not, continuing a farce.
Another Penn Experience
TO THE EDITOR: After reading Ed Munn’s article in the
Collegian, I fell to reminiscing about my own lengthier
experience in attempting to escape to another college
world.
Last" year I found myself rather steadily dating a
young man from University of Pennsylvania. I was con
siderably enthralled with the idea of departing from the
Penn State world of Weejuns, Villagers, and the perpetual
flocks of blue shirts for the true atmosphere of “studious”
students, deep conversations over a jovial beer, and a world
less devoted to my proud little pin. I was overjoyed to think
that I could sit and engage in a different, sort of fun and at
last put all my English major’s learning firmly in discus
sion of the world outside other than the “who’s-dating
whom,” “Let’s go upstairs and dance,” or “Let’s go down
stairs and drink” informal talks of the fraternity party
world.
Thus, for two terms I became a steady weekender at
Penn, which I thought would serve as a panacea for my
boredom with trivia. Slowly, my dream was shattered
when I came to the realisation that at Penn Weejuns had
been exchanged for Etienne Aigner, Villagers for similar
but costlier models, and the blue shirt was in everlasting
glory. Even though the Skellar was now Smokey Joe's, it
was the same plenum with only slight differences. Our
conversations were carefully elevated to "siaius-v" discus
sions of Op art, e. e. cummings, and Samuel Beckett.
The Young Republican was superseded by the anarch
ist, but curiously enough, everyone sounded alike. More
over, the WASP group had its greatest honors in Penn’s
Greek world. At last, the two groups of public school grad
uates and prepies appeared to form a unique merger in
slang, and though I no longer heard “Do you believe ..I
now heard “What a hairy situation,” or “Now for some
wry humor.” And so, I hadn’t escaped at all.
Though I couldn’t be sure if there is a different world
anywhere, just as I,can’t say if there is a Santa Claus, there
is a meager chance there is somewhere.
Barbara A. Ruto, ’67
See related story, Page 4
TO THE EDITOR: State College chain supermarkets ap
parently are unable to take a cue from changes occurring in
other cities. Boycotts in Detroit, Seattle and part of Colo
rado have caused amazing reductions in food prices, while
supermarkets in Chicago dropped prices without any pres
sure., Here, a reverse trend is in effect. -
Inevitably, the insular character of State College plays
a large role in the setting of prices. With no sizeable
nearby towns to provide competition, stores have no
impetus to reduce prices.
This is a concern of many students —apartment dwel
lers, graduate students' wives, etc.- as well as permanent
town people. Hence a letter of similar substance has been
cent to the Centre Daily Times,
It would do no harm to follow the example set for us
in other parts of the nation. I suggest that starting next
Monday, the 24th, the food buyers of this town should re
frain from patronizing the chain food stores and that they
use the independent markets instead. If two or three days
of boycott produce no result, perhaps this would indicate
that our merchants require greater stimulation of a longer
boycott.
Omega Psi Phi
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Epsilon Pi
Phi Kappa Tau
Pi Kappa Alpha
Sigma Phi Epsilon
Zeta Beta Tau
Max Molinaro, '69
Chairman
Students for a Democratic Society
* * *
★ ★ ★
The Boycott Strikes
Alice Meyer
Parf-lime student