Opinion
Editorial
Unfunny Proposal
Undergraduate Student Government President
Jeff Long, speaking
on a local radio station near the
end of Fall Term, disclosed,that an investigation of
Froth, the campus humor magazine, might well be
one of the projects USG tackles this term.
The reason an investigation might be considered?
liccording to Long, the feeling is adrift that Froth is
not living up to its charter-stated purpose of being
a humor magazine. •
In other words, the USG executive thinks Froth
isn't funny and that USG should do something about
it. (He suggested that if Froth wanted to be funny it
should try its hand at spoofing student government
at Penn State.)
• It's not surprising that anyone should question
whether. Froth is funny. Froth's humor or lack of it
has been the 'subject of countless discussions ever
since the magazine began publishing.
What is surprising are the suggestion's implica
tions that USG should be the watchdog of Froth and,
presumably other campus publications, and that it
considers itself qualified to judge just how many
giggles, smirks and guffaws the magazine must elicit
from its readers before it can justly be termed a
humor magazine.
Whether Froth is funny is not a question to be
decided by any governing body.
Whether Froth is funny is a question for its
readers, and its readers alone, to decide. Their deci-
My County Right or Wrong?
TO THE EDITOR: Having served with a Marine Battalion
in Vietnam, I am deeply concerned, intellectually and
emotionally, with the questions surrounding the war and
its protesters. (I attended, incidentally, the demonstration
referred to by Mr. Dewar.)
President Eisenhower has recently made a statement
to the effect that he will oppose any Republican presi
dential candidate who is against the war because such a
candidate would be trying to take the meaning out of the
supreme sacrifice offered honorably by 16,000 American
young men.
The meaning of their sacrifice must derive from the
honorable motives of each individual soldier who has given
his life. This significance can never be taken away from
him or his family. Winning or losing the war in Vietnam
has 'tile to do wth the honor or integrity of those serving
there.
The ex-President's statement presumes that simple
duration in Vietnam, until the subjugation of the National
Liberation Front and the Army of the North is accom
plished, will give morality and honor to the over-all
American effort there. The cause for which we fight in
Vietnam must first be explained, examined and judged
moral or immoral, honorable or dishonorable, before value
can be attached to its espousal and defense. Only if this
war be judged a moral one can further honor be attached
to those who willingly served and died. If it is judged
not so, can or should the integrity of those who participated
in it, through invincible ignorance or sincere commitment,
be debated?
Certainly not. The question of honor that should and
Must be discussed is that of this nation. A nation that can
accept President Eisenhower's logic, ignore the question
of morality, and continue to commit its youth in a cause
which is largely unexplained and unexamined, is a nation
whose honor is in question. Future victory in a war which
is determined to be an immoral one, can bring no honor
to those who have died, but further sacrifice of American
lives will certainly impugn the integrity and honor of us all.
Capt. J. L. Reilly, USMCR
Successor . to The free Lance, est. 1887
ile Batig Tolirrtiatt
62 Years of Editorial Freedom
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PAGE TWO
The Daily Collegian accepts letters to the editor regarding Collegian news
coverage or editorial policy end campus or non•campus affairs. Letters must be
typewritten, no more than two pages in length, and should be brought to the office
Of The Daily Collegian In person so that identification of the writer can be
checked. If letters are received by mail, The Collegian will contact the signer
for verification. The Daily Collegian reserves the right to select which letters
VcV
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1968
..ETTLR POLICY
sions, expreSsed through the time-honored method
of the voice of the dollar, should be enough to let the
Froth staffers know whether Froth is living up to its
role as a humor magazine.
If USG does indeed launch an investigation of
Froth (thereby establishing a precedent for USG 'in
vestigations of all campus publications) campus pub
lications will be faced with a most demoralizing
result: the threat of control imposed by groups out
side the publication's organization. -
Most publications on this campus must answer
to a faculty adviser. Many are -also responsible to a
board of directors composed,- at least partially, of
adult members.
And the trend continues towards, complete staff
authority and responsibility in student publications.
Across the nation student publications are mov
ing off campus in increasing numbers in order to es
cape the limitations inevitably imposed by residence
on a college campus. ,
But it seems that here at Penn State student
publications may be in line for more, not less, outside
supervision.
The entrance of USG into the affairs of Froth or
any campus publication would be both a giant step
backwards for the fate of publications at Penn,State,
and a giant step backwards for USG in its campaign
for more student rights and responsibilities.
We hope this is a project USG won't tackle this
winter, or at all.
Letters To The Editor
Veterans Do Protest
TO THE EDITOR: I hate to shatter Mr. Dewar's illusions
but there are indeed veterans who oppose the war in
Vietnam. To my knowledge there are at least two separate
organizations composed of veterans working against the
war. One is called Veterans for Peace in Vietnam, the
other is simply Veterans Against the War.
With this letter I have enclosed an advertisement
which appeared in the Village Voice on November 9, 1967
announcing a peace rally at Union Square on Veteran's
Day. The rally was .sponsored and the ad paid for by the
Veterans for Peace in Vietnam, which should help sub
stantiate their existence in case you don't want to take
my word for it.
'Diseased Logic' •
TO THE EDITOR: This letter is in resppnse to the letter
by Mr. Robert Dewar, (sic), in which he criticized the
Vietnam Vigil which was held on the eve of Thanksgiving.
Behind the guise of flamboyant jingoism and diseased
logic, there was apparently some attempt by Mr. Dewar
to present a credible thesis.
Ai least one part of that thesis was that the Penn
State Vigil participants share a guilt by association with
every other expression of anti-war sentiment that has oc
curred during the Vietnam conflict. This type of argument
is so obviously unfair that the writer condemns his own
critique with his own phony gimmickry. But this is the
least of his abrogations of rationality, and good sense. He
has the audacity of speaking for the Vietnam dead, of
accusing three local ministers of perpetrating a mockery of
these dead, and. of heralding the righteousness of violence
in response to our "cherished freedom to dissent".
Mr. Dewar's intense reaction was especially surprising
considering that the event which he criticizes was quite
peaceful, orderly, prayerful, and informative.. We suggest
that Mr. Dewar divest himself of his glaring involutionary
menopausal fright, and that he stop looking for pictures
of Mao under every bed, and attempt to use some intelli
gent criteria for analyzing America's involvement in Viet
nam before he again prattles his ignorance before the
whole student body.
A, vs. C,
TO THE EDITOR: In the January 9 edition of The Daily
Collegian an ,editorial entitled "'Average' Students" was
published. We disagree with this editorial.
We quote from the editorial: "The logic of the C+
student eventually wins out when the .theories so well
memorized by the A+ student don't always suffice." This
statement is apparently incorrect. How one can assume
that .a C+ student is more logival than an A+ ,student is
beyond comprehension. Also, an A+ student does more
than memorize theories;, he learns them, since a good en
gineer, for example, cannot depend upon . a handbook at
all times as the C+ student is apt to do. Besides, it would
seem that the majority of theories are developed by for
mer, A+ students, and not C - students. . ,
The editorial states further: ". • . those students who
protest, who participate, who lead at this university, can
only boast a handful of the 'top students' in their ranks.
The majority doesn't have academic records as shining as
its extra-curricular records . , ." Apparently, the A+ stu
dents don't have time to waste on such activities; they are
too busy, or perhaps too intelligent, for this.
Again we quote: "And we are not attending the Uni
versity primarily to go to classes and pile up credits."
Maybe the editor does not believe in attending classes, but
we do. If we had been more concerned with socializing,
we would have joined the Country Club or the Boy Scouts.
Finally, the editorial states: "Use your ability and en
ergy profitably, even if you're a C+ student." At least,
we agree, for by using your ability and energy profitably,
you too may be an A+ student instead of a C+ student.
Something to look forward to
Dwight S. Russell '6B
Al Di Bernardo
Bill Meyer
Graduate Students
Richard Ditch 10
Kenneth Simon '7O
•
,
•.tP
No previous experience necessary • Students of any major welcome
BEHEIrS WORLD
"Your biggest problem
I,
Vicious Circles
TO THE EDITOR: Tuesday=s editorial and column were
"outstanding": J. Robert Shore defended, advocated self
deception, and the editor wrote a paean of praise to aca
demic mediocrity, as though the latter were the con
comitant of social and political awareness. _
• One wonders which is cause and which is effect: Does
"C+" thinking result in Shore's defense. of self-deception
or is self-deception behind the defense of mediocrity? Per
haps it is a vicious circle.
The Ultimate Rationalization
TO THE EDITOR: Regarding Tuesday's editorial comment
"Self-Truth Baloney", I can only come to the conclusion
that Mr. Shore must think that life is really terrible if
he believes we must stop the search for self-honesty and
self-truth, and hide from reality behind a screen of lies.
If this is the case, then why doesn't he go one step
further and advocate the ultimate rationalization, suicide?
By his reasoning, then this would really save us from
wasting "all this unnecessary energy."
What About The Rest?
TO THE EDITOR: In one of the last editions of the Daily
Collegian for the Fall Term, an article appeared concern
ing the Douglas Association's request for an Afro-Ameri
can History course to be taught at the University.
I want to suggest that instead, a course be formulated
that will include all the recommendations of the Douglass
Association plus the difficulties faced by the Oriental-
Americans and the American Indian. It could be entitled
"History of Racial Minorities in the United States".
Such topics included could be:
e activities of American Indians prior to 1492
•the Indian Wars
•Teddy Roosevelt and the Oriental Exclusion Act
• life of an interned Japanese-American during World
War II
•FDR and the institution of relief
• how to celebrate Chinese New Year
•life on the reservation today
The White Man in America must not forget that the
Negroes are not the only racial minority that he has walked
all over during the last 475 years.
Ritenour: Health Center?
TO THE EDITOR: Within twenty-four hours I have been
involved in two emergency health cases. On each occasion
it took the Ritenour ambulance 20 minutes to travel the
one block distance to my dorm. Unfortunately, during this
20 minute period the girls involved were suffering greatly;
and when the ambulance finally arrived, the boys driving
it did not even know how to take the stretcher out of the
vehicle.
I feel that it is absolutely unforgivable that a uni
versity of this size should have such unorganized and in
adequate medical emergency facilities. Also, when students
finally are admitted to Ritenour the care they receive
seems to be highly lacking in efficiency.
If Penn State can afford to have new swimming pools,
a magnificent football stadium, new libraries, etc., they
should act immediately and install an equipped and effi
cient medical emergency staff. After all, what could pos
sibly be more important than one's health!!
Senior Class Says Thanks
TO THE EDITOR: The officers and members of the Senior
Class Advisory Board thank the Athletic Department, the
Department of Maintenance and Utilities, sophomore Barry
Levin, and all of those people who made our halftime
shows possible.
We would also like to thank Dr. Dunlop and the stu
dents who made the graves, and carried the coffin in the
skits.
Tilt
s Candidate School
Wednesday, Jan. 17
151 Willard Bldg.
7:00 P.M.
.0 1968 by NEA, 1nc:1 1 " 9114.4 r
this year could be a 'charisma
Douglass W. Cooper
Graduate
Paul Bilzi '7l
Joe Anthony, '69
West Point, Virginia
Judi Weinig
Senior Class Advisory Board
~ttily
; C,littrgtatt
CANDIDATE SCHOOLS
Ernest C. Pollard, professor and head of the depart
ment of biophysics, yesterday called for suspension of
demonstrators who "disrupt the operation of the Univer
sity" on the grounds that such action endangers "academic
freedom."
He addressed his remarks to the University Senate.
The Senators applauded Dr. Pollard's speech loudly, but
icy silence reigned when he called for a voice vote in
support of his controversial proposal. Earlier one Senator
had protested that "we shouldn't tie ourselves to a policy
of suspension" because such policy would in some instances
necessitate suspending large numbers of students and would
also split the faculty.
Indeed, if we adhered to Dr. Pollard's rather broad
definition of "disruption," nearly anyone who opened his
mouth in opposition to the Vietnam war would be eligible
for suspension. Dr. Pollard should remember that demon
strations, by definition,' are meant to cause disruption.
They are organized for that purpose. He might have a better
case if he called for suspension of students who cause de
struction. But then, there are already rules which cover
that offense.
Apparently, Pollard's distaste for unruly demonstra-
tions grows out of his support for the Johnson Adminis
tration's ever-escalating course in Vietnam, his general
distrust and lack of respect for student demonstrators and
their supporters, and a misunderstanding of the protest
movement as a whole.
On Vietnam, Dr. Pollard asserted in an interview yes
terday that he "by and large supports the position of the
Administration's position in Vietnam." Though he is a
strong advocate of majority rule, the polls reveal that he
is in the minority on that issue. He is convinced that peace
will cone only if the combatants do not let "emotion" seep
into their negotiations.
Dr. Pollard has a unique opinion of the typical anti
war demonstrator. He is either a student "with a revolu
tionary point of view ... determined to overthrow the gov
ernment," or a student "who does not want to be drafted."
or a pacifist, against all war on principle. In truth, most of
the students in the protest movement are neither con
spirators nor pacifists.
They merely recognize the fact that we have, in a
moment of anticommunist fervor, interfered in someone
else's civil war. They recognized that to fight a land war
in Asia serves no purpose but to antagonize the Chinese
and thus bring the world closer to thermonuclear war.
They recognize that the war is not in our national interest;
that it is draining our economy and has alienated us from
all but a small part of the rest of the world. Rational de
bate and appeals for more peace, even at the risk of losing
some national prestige, have gone unheeded by the John
son Administration.
"There is a feeling that there is something noble and
worthy about such disruption," Dr. Pollard told the Senate
yesterday. If disruption on a small scale, such as the recent
demonstration at Harvard, which forced a short postpone
ment of classes, serves to stimulate debate and eventually
lead us off the path of self-destruction which we now seem
to be pursuing, then it is indeed 'noble and worthy."
Dr. Ernest Pollard is an eminent nuclear physicist, as
his long list of awards, commendations and published books
reveals. General Earle Wheeler is a superb military man,
as his long string of medals reveals. But neither has ever
received recognition for his political acumen, and both
should therefore stay out of politics.
TODAY ON CAMPUS
Association of Wom e '1 Stu- 7:30 p.m., 111 3oucke
dents, 6:30 p.m., 203 Hetzel Ranger Company, 7:30 p.m.,
Union Building Wagner
Chess Club, 7 p.m., HUB ball- Ranger Staff, 7 p.m., Wagner
room Science Student Council, 7:30
Penn State Sports Car club, p.m., 217-218 HUB
PEAIVU'kS,
1 10 U KNOW, 111 IT'S JUST 1 ' I THIS AND
YOU TALK ABOUT ?f t "I' THAT ALL THE TIME!
r=YCIURSEL F ALL II
THE TIME! Oil irk
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"I VAj
Ar-
Nil
. _
qOU MAY NOT REALIZE IT,
NT ALL ({OO EVER A? le,
"1" "I" "I" "I" "I" ;;
Editorial Candidate School
Tuesday, Jan. 16
151 Willard Bldg.
7:00 P.M.
Mike iSerrill
Pcilard: Suppression
Of Disruption
By MIKE SERRILL
Collegian News Editor