Penn State's By LEON J. POLLOM Collegian Staff Writer When the antiwar movement was at its peak, probably the most unpopular program on the nation’s campuses was the Reserved Officer Training Corps. But recently, ROTC has felt an upswingin popularity as an increasing number of students are enrolling in its programs. Attempts were made in the 60's to force ROTC from the campuses. Organized demonstrations accounted for most of the attempts, although some student activists tried to bum ROTC out. f Penn State students never burned down the Wagner Building, the campus ROTC program was far from popular. “The students saw us as the closest representative of the government," said Col. Clifford T. Kirkwood, director of Penn State's Army ROTC. ROTC’s only measure of student support came from those who joined the program to get a draft deferment, Kirkwood said. - Capt. Charles D. Bolan, commanding officer" of the Navy ROTC at Penn State, agreed that ROTC programs suffered from the campus unrest. 1 . "The quality of our Navy cadets was down in those days,” Bolan said. “We had fewer applicants and those who did apply were more interested in avoiding the draft than becoming good officers,” tie explained. But Col. -Alan J. Grill, director of the Air Force ROTC, denied that student antiwar sentiment had any dramatic effect upon the Air Force program. “We maintained the same strength level,” Grill said. “The only dramatic change occurred when the mandatory ROTC was dropped." he said. Prior to 1964 all male students were required to take two years of ROTC. When the requirement was dropped, ROTC programs experienced tremendous declined in enrollment. The Air Force, for example, had an enrollment of 2,354 students in 1963, but dropped to 159 ten years later. All that is history now and the popularity of ROTC programs appears to be improving. Army ROTC reported its national enrollment showed an increase last fall for the first time in eight years.lt reported 39,346 students on 291 campuses were enrolled in the program. creati jewel for imagina peop THE END RfESU 109 S. Allen Open daily 9- Mon. & Fri. t mi) iiiiii min iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiMiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiuaiijiiiuuiiimiiiiiinuHn ROTC marching back to popularity This number includes 6,354 women. • The Army ROTC program at Penn State experienced this year a 15 to 20 per cent enrollment increase over last year, Kirkwood said. “We’re not sure why, but our ability to retain cadets has also improved considerably,” Kirkwood said. “Last year at this time 164 cadets had left the program. This year only 85 have left. There are currently 393 Army ROTC cadets at Penn State. University Park hosts 180 cadets and the balance are located at Altoona, Ogontz, Delaware and Schuylkilf campuses. Kirkwood said the sagging economy probably has had some effect on the program’s growing popularity. “A cadet knows he has a job waiting for him in the Army when hegraduates,” Kirkwood said. He said one of the female Army ROTC cadets was told there were no job openings in her major, but she felt confident of a secure future in the Army, he said. Military moves back to HUB By DEANNA FINLEY Collegian Staff Writer After a long absence, military representatives will move back to the HUB to offer Career information and answer questions, according to Raymond O. Murphy, vice president for student affairs. „ . , ... , . . The military left the HUB during Sgt. James Washington, an Army the campus antiwar movement in thl late 60s, and have been providing military stayed out of the HUB these student services in Boucke. because it just wasn t appealing to Murphy said he was not sure when people at that time, the move would be made. “It could Washington said the Army would be even be as early as this spring,” lid'—there to answer questions and not to said. recruit. “We realize these kids are at Murphy said the Student-Advisory the University for an education, and Do it the easy way with a classified ad Board agreed unanimously to bring them back after the representatives had requested the move. Murphy said all branches of the armed forces would be represented and the ACTION program would be included. beer capital of die world For years we’ve been telling you that in Milwaukee, beer capital of the world, Pabst Blue Ribbon is the overwhelming favorite. CANS 1975 PABST 53% BRAND 2 12% BRAND 3 5% BRAND 4 5% SOURCE Milwaukee Journal Consumer Ai More beer is brewed in Milwaukee than any other city in the world. So to be the #1 selling beer in Milwaukee means you’ve got to be brewing the best beer money can buy. , r—~ i And Pabst must be doing just that. Look at the charts. Blue Ribbon accounts for more than half the beer sold in Milwaukee. It out sells the next brand nearly five to one. PABST Since 1844. The quality has always come through. min iiiiiiiimiimiiiiiiiiijjiiiiiHiiiiiiiiitimimiiiJifiiiminmitmifiiiiiftiimfiiiiifiifmiimicfimiimiiuiiiitiiiimmiimiiiiiiiiitimi When cadets receive their commission they are dKd a starting salary of $9,500 per year. “That’s not a bad incentive if you consider the tight job market”, Kirkwood said. ROTC scholarships are also available to qualified cadets. There are 76 Army cadets at Penn State who carry this scholarship of $lOO per month, tuition, books and fees. - Congress allows a maximum of 6,500 ROTC scholarships for each branch of the service, but the Army is asking for an in crease to 10,000. The Navy and Air Force are requesting smaller increases. Kirkwood said the primary difference with the Army is that the Army is looking for people in nearly all professional fields. There are 137 cadets enrolled in the Air Force ROTC program at Penn State, of which 60 are on scholarships. Grill said the Air Force’s two-year program seems to be gaining popularity. The two-year program allows students to join Air Force ROTC in their junior year provided they go to a six-week summer camp. *llll the v j PABST BREWING COMPANY Milwaukee. Wis . Peoria Heights, 111, Newark, N.J., Los Angeles. Calif.. Rabat. Georgia. we’re not here to yank them out of school, ” he said. • According to Washington, there are not as many openings in the Army as there were last year. Despite the increase in enlistment and the high retention rate, students still want information, he said. Sgt. George Rheam of the Air Force said, “Recruiting is up in ttje officer ranks,' but openings aren’t that many.” Rheam said he does not see any point in trying to increase student interest if there are insufficient openings to accomodate them, ' although he says he thinks the HUB exposure will be good. “We are looking for professionals with good leadership qualities,” he said.' Bolan said the enrollment of the Navy ROTC at Penn State did not increase this year, but the quality of the incoming cadets was better than previous years. “Unlike the Army, the Navy is very selective,” Bolan said. The offieer’s role in the Navy has become increasingly complex, requiring they be highly trained, he said. “We are the only service that offers practical training in nuclear propulsion plants." Because of its emphasis on nuclear power, Navy ROTC gives priority to engineering, chemistry, physics and math majors. Penn State’s Navy ROTC program has 80 per cent of its 194 cadets on ROTC scholarships. Guidelines established by the Secretary of the Navy permit only one per cent of the 6500 scholarships to be granted to female cadets. Bolan said-that this practice would change if the Equal Rights Amendment is passed. “The way it stands nowf, a girl has to be vastly superior academically if she is to get. a scholarship,” he said. There aVe c unaptly 12 females enrolled in Penn State’s Navy ROTC. ThnK of them are on ROTC scholarships. The Equal Rights Amendment would also permit stationing women on combajt ships and aircraft. Present Navy policy limits women to non-combat craft. According to Grill, women in the Air Force are not even permitted to fly non-combat craft. He explained that Air Force policy requires pilots to be “universally assignable,” that they must be able to fly combat and non-combat aircraft. “This automatically exludes women as pilots since they can’t fly combat aircraft,” Grill said. There are four women enrolled in the Air Force ROTC at Penn State this year. | “There has been a decided shift of emphasis in the Air Force from pilots and navigators! td'the technically skilled,” Grill said. , He said the Air Force HOTC is particularly interested in attracting engineers, meteorologists, computer scientists, mathematicians, physicists. Last year’s senior class of Air Force ROTC cadets was faced with an overabundance of pilots, he said. Grill blamed the situation on the sudden rise in fuel costs and the manpower ceiling imposed oh the military by Congress. That’s why we feel we’ve earned the . right |to challenge any beer. So here’s the Pabst challenge: Taste and compare the flavor of Blue Ribbjon with the beer you’re drinking'and learn what Pabst quality in beer is all abobt. But don’t take our word.for it. Taste our word for it. ' j 11l The Daily Collegian Thursday, April 10, 1975 1974 1975 46% 46% 1973 43% 11% 8% 10%
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