Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Let Fral Build The There has been a consistent effort by fra ternities to obtain fraternity houses of their own for the past decade. They have continued to live in the rather dilapidated tenements that serve as dormitories and fraternity houses. It has been affirmed and re-affirmed by the administration that the fraternities couldn't build houses off the campus. During this same period the dormitory shortage has grown more acute. The build ings have decreased in livability and have become overcrowded with the increase in en rollment. Right now the dormitories are housing almost 40% more men than they were intended for when built. Study and living are impossible in these conditions. We'd like to propose a plan that would solve both problems at the same time. It has been discussed by the Inter-Fraternity Coun cil but no official move has been made to see it through. This plan would allow the fraternities to build their own houses BUT on University property. The University would have to buy quite a bit of additional land, which is badly needed anyway. The various fraternities, and any other groups for that matter which could raise the money, would build their houses on the property and pay at least a token rent to the University. The fraternities would be under Univer sity discipline and would have to retain a housemother, approved by the University, at all times. There's No I This week, February 15-22 is national Brotherhood Week. As an appropriate and timely editorial we offer the words of Carl M. Saunders, Editor of THE CITiZEN PATRIOT of Jackson, Michigan. A colored lad, coming home from an Army camp, was carried from the wreckage of the "sleigh ride" plane in which he was a hitch hiker. At the hospital the doctors ordered immediate blood transfusions. The nurses didn't go to a special refrigerated cabinet marked "Negro blood." They just gave that boy type "0" blood in a big hurry, and no questions asked. And down at the Red Cross blood collecting station a Negro woman waits in line between two White men. Her blood, freely contributed to a common cause, goes in the blood bank along with the White blood. And some day it may save the life of a White man or woman somewhere in the world. There is no White blood or Black blood, no Letters To Dear Edlor: ought to have ( After reading your editorial not to do it. I a reply on the AROTC, I would like officers of the r to point out to you my opinion that are in charg< and quite a few others' opinions that no one woul on the subject. of the poor little To me, it is not a duty nor was I consider this co forced to buy a ticket to the Air honor and a grea Force Dance. I consider It an You say that honor to be able to go. I and the cadet corps a others, I know for a fact, have finish there and still are looking forward to through the def this event, well make that '7 I am a Freshman and what do not have just would classify as a "Buck Private" being in it. I kn and no one ordered me to buy a who have the si ticket. I know that there was some would you like kidding about the buying of tic- names ? keta from the cadet officers and I know that othera, but anyone who is in the Force officers, tl AROTC Is not ordered to do any- and the cadets a thing out of the military line of for their unit, th duty. If they are, they surely the UnIversity, a %i6 GAA . co< CROWING FOR A GREATER UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CARO[ Member of Associated Collegiate Pre F ded .ar SO.108, with Roew ifon Co a Uav,yo ot Calna dweekly, on Friday., durin1 EDITOR .... ... RALP] MANAGING EDITOR TOMMIE BUSINESS MANAGER .JOHI NEWS EDITOR....... CAMPUS EDJTOR. SPORTS EDITOR SOCIETY EDITOR FEATURE EDITOR COPY EDITOR. CIRCULATION MANAGER ASST. BUSINESS MANAGER STAFF REPORTERS Betty Jean Nicholson, Jack Bass, Mark Bus Timmons, Delight Tlemann, Kenneth Flynn, Arthur Coutras, James Covington, Jr., Sara Jane COLUMNISTS John Duffy, Hunter Rents, Terrell Glenn, Bill No Persky, BUSINESS STAFF L. Buffln,ton, Dan Donovan, Wee Sanders NIBS.. Bob Cameron, Stanley Papajobl OORAPRER8 Gus Man ernatzs ir Houases This would solve much of the dormitory shortage by removing the fraternity men from the present dormitories. Instead of launching a bond issue the University could close off part of the dormitories at a time and renovate them. At the same time the fraternities would be getting the houses they wanted. Approximately 28% of the male stu dents are fraternity members so that would take quite a strain off the overcrowded dormitories. Fraternity houses would beautify the campus a great deal, too. The most striking section of most any college campus is the "fraternity row." The only problem that arises from such a proposal is whether or not it would promote ill feeling between non-fraternity men and the fraternities and/or between the individual fraternities themselves. That's a question that can only be answered when the plan is put into effect. However, the immediate problem of dormi tories could be solved and badly needed houses for the fraternities could be built, both without undue expense to the Univer sity. This proposal we make to the students, both independent and fraternity, as well as to the administration. It's a questign that requires the consideration of everyone since everyone will either gain or lose by the plan. -RNG Ohite Blood Protestant blood or Jewish blood, no Catholic blood or Mohammedan blood. Laboratory scientists have made meticu lous checks. All human beings have the same blood types. You may find "A" in a Poly nesian whose ancestors happily peopled Pacific islands, and also the same type may trickle from a pin prick in the finger of a White housewife in Jackson, Michigan. The Army, the Navy, the Marines and the Air Force know this. They don't quarrel about ancestry or creed. If you've ever been in that huge American cemetery near Cambridge, England, or the great World War I burying ground at Chateau Thierry, France, here and there among the stone crosses which mark the graves of Christians you have seen the stars of David designating the sacrifices of Jewish lads. They fought and died and now sleep together. This country of ours was founded on the one basic concept that all men are equal be fore God and the law. The Editor nough backbone put your pride in your pocket and* m sure that the face the facts that you seem to egular air force try to overlook. 3 here would see I hope that this letter will not I take advantage offend you as much as your article boys who do not offended me rning dance an Irmm thn.Sincerely yours, the 800 boys in Dick Sojourner. re there only to :sic) education Dear Editor: erment offered; Your recent editorial and news 39, for I for one item of the 6th wvould lead the un that reasonnthe informed to believe that the ime feeling too, AFROTC is more than autocratic to know their anid ultra dictatorial. Such is not .the case although the purpose of the regular Air the organization Is to equip men he cadet officers, for the position of officers in the S dance, and for service. We wish Carolina to send how about you out officers as well equipped from every angle as any' college any where. To accomplish this, the service demands that an officer rifT,be well rounded mentally, phys ically, and socially. The latter quality, "socially," means his bearing and conduct [NA with his command, his contacts and me his ability to mingle and deal with as uio an others, which produces leadership. zdemotese Social contacts and assembly are important to such training. comstitute an Your editorial, and comment on I GREGORY Jim Bessenger's letter implies that HERBERT the members of the ROTC are PARASHO using it purely as a means of oh BillLegitt taining a draft deferment. This Johnny Ray could only be considered an insult 4a ry Murray to every patriotic rmember of the Gus Manos cadet corps. Neither is it fair to erry oRollns the men fighting in Korea. Its Bobby Smith purpose Is to select and train officers. If they are not coopera 'ck, Hannah tive then the AFROTC does not 3onny Gray, want them; they will not make Quinn. Iofficers. rIt, Mordecal Col. Sears stated that it is his desire that every cadet attend the coming military ball. For this rea 8ett Say soni every cadet should buy a tic os. Bill Ross ket, or if he is financially unable 4 I NGi NER I Working His Wa: TOMMIE HERBERT Of Sol And Ru Sorority rush week will soon descend upon the campus. Girls going through rush week will not be allowed to talk to men or talk except at the parties with sorority members unless two sororities are represented. The reasoning behind the rule about not speaking to men seems a little far-fetched. If the primary reason is so that the men will not influence the rushees, then why should the men wait until rush week to start using their in fluence? When women are old enough to be in college and have enough sense to pass the Univer sity entrance exams, they are capable of knowing their own minds. There Is no sense keeping this "eagle-eyed" watch over them like they were infants. This seems to be only the outward appearance of protection anyway. It rarely keeps the girls from conversing with men! The more mature in dividuals will acquiesce to the rules, leaving only the most easily swayed ones to be influenced. If one sees no sense in a rule, she finds it hard to follow. If she does ignore the rule, she feels guilty. The rushee agrees to abide by the rushing rules, so she com promises her honesty by breaking the ruler SororiLy members and rushees are no'., allowed to visit in each others rooms or homes for two weeks before rush week. For thirty days before rush week a rushee is not allowed to visit in a sorority room. During rush wveek they are not allowed to talk to each other except wvith another sorority rep)resented. If one does not know a rushee before rushing season, she can only judge the girl by meeting her with about fifteen other girls in a half-hour tea. Then she votes on whether or not to sendl an invitation to the parties to this person. What has she to go on ? She is not likely to have gotten a true impression of any one in the approximately two minutes she talked wvith her. A lot of girls are decided on because of appearance and their conversa tional ability. The rushees are usually so nervous at the teas that they have a hard time even remembering the names of their home towns. Alumnae are con tactedl for references, but a few girls that the sorority really wvants go unrecommended. A lot should be taken into consideration before pledging someone, so that she will be congenial with the group. The girl should make up her own mind without the confusion of varying opinicns. This is one reason for the "not talking to men" rule. There should be a question on the entry blanks asking whether or not the girl planned to join a sorority, and what legacies she had. The sororities would then have a chance to get recommenda tions and meet the girl and like her before the mad scramble of rush week. There is no remedy for the many hurt feelings suffered dur to buy one, we will be glad to make it possible for him to attend. In closing I would like to re mind you that had you taken the trouble to investigate the methods used by the AFROTC, you would have found them to be a very mild form of the methods used through out the armed services for training of ficers. Very truly 'yours, Bright Stevenson. Dear Editor: It makes me sick to hear all of this talk about buying tickets to the A FROTC Ball. T personally Through College ,orit'ies sh Week ing this time, A sorority is allowed only forty-five members on this campus. Panhellenic set this num ber on the co-ed enrollment of a previous year. They feel that a group any larger would not be as close. The sororities work well together now, but if a larger num ber were had, one of the group might become all-powerful. Sororities on this campus are more democratic than at a lot of schools. Some have abolished the bl*k ball system and use the two thirds majority rule. None of the groups live apart in houses away from the other co-eds. This promotes friendship among the members of different sororities and non-sorority members. They are not the snobbish cliques that the movies and best-selling novels Imake money assuring the public on "proven facts" that they are. Sororities fill a social need of the University. They are a means of having a good time, and are also a means for learning to live with other people. They promote activities to help the campus. Often they have a project for helping groups outside of the University, such as underprivIleged families, orphans, cerebral palsy victims, etc. Sororities may pledge a girl because they feel that they can help her and she needs them. Some girls are timid and unhappy their first year away from home and find it hard to make friends in a strange place after having only lived in one neighborhood all of their lives. Usually all they need is a feeling of security that belonging to a group can give them. The sororities urge their mem bers to excel scholastically. They require a certain average before activation. Another mistaken idea about sororities is that of having pledges do menial tasks for the actives. This is just another fic tional money making brain storm of some uninformed author. Anne Carlisle, president of Pan hellenic, investigated other uni versity campuses this summer to see how we compare with them. She said that the comparison was favorable to this campus both in the attitudes of sororities toward each other and in the manner of rushing. We have the double list system wvhich gives a rushee twice as good a chance of making a sorority as when only one list is offered. The bids are given out as painlessly as possible with the rushee being required to be in private when she finds out her bids. She then goes to the sorority of her choice. No one comes screaming dlown the hall for her, while some poor kid is made ob vious by the fact that she has not been invitedi to join. The rushee is not penalized so severely for infractions of the rushing rules. She only must dlefer pledging for a semester. The sororities for not reporting a rushee for breaking a rule or for talking to a rushee could be fined up to $50, have their vote removed, or be required to withdraw from rush week. A committee made up of the president of each sorority judges each misdemeanor and decides the penalty. feel that it is our duty to co operate in everyway. No one i complaining about this matter except those who are not in the corps and the bunch of diraft dodgers who joined. In closing I wish to say that this talk Is a disgrace to the campus. Yours truly, Eddie Underwood. Dear EdJtor. It seems to me that there is a lot of "brass shining" via the Gamecock. No further comment. Yours truly, Ares Artee.. MORDECAI PERSKY (founding Scholastically, where does the University of South Carolina stand? That's the question we ask our selves when we're in the mood to brood. And it's a question to which we have gotten many an swers, some of which are at least partly correct. They'd have to be, because they range from the high est praise to the lowest disparage ment (not excluding a little in coherent cursing). None of us have come to Caro lina with the idea that it is the best of colleges, and it is doubtful that any can leave with the idea that it is the worst. It is evident that an overwhelmingly majority of the faculty is able to demon strate a superior knowledge of its respective subjects to an over whelmed majority of the student body. Still, the student body is aware that the school's general reputa tion is in a raging conflict with the amount of work to be put in and the number of things to be learned before a degree is forth coming. Somewnere between two extremes lies a correct evaluation of the university as a place of higher education. And the student knows he is not qualified to make that evaluation. Even those whose business it is to make such evaluations may make errors. Their comparative studies cannot be entirely accurate. But it is to them that we must turn for the most authentic answer to our problem: Not the problem of how much we learn, because that may be largely up to us. Our problem is more materialistic: What reputation does the univer JOHN DUFFY Why B A Tea A student once asked his Latin professor: "Why should one study Latin?" "Because one likes it," the old man answered. The boy went on to fail the course, because he didn't like Latin, but he never forgot that simple ration ale of education. In the years that followed the young man himself decided to teach. He tried to ra tionalize his vocation. All the theories presented themselves to him. He was to produce demo crats, good citizens, well adjusted individuals. All of these things seemed noble aims, but the young man could never convince himself that these wvere his aims.. Finally, he asked himself: "Why am I studying? Why am I pre paring myself to teach others? no generalizations, now. Be speci fic." When all the theorIes had been discarded, when all the clap trap, all the unnecessary intellec tual impedimenta had been left behind, he returned to that simple reason given to him by his past teacher: "Because I like to learn and I like to teach." In America today there are LOWELL W. ROSS Buildir ---For The University is now in the course of the largest building. program in the history of tho school. Under former President Smith's adlministration a program was formulated for the erection of a new science building, an engi neering building, an administra tion building, and a home for the presidlent on the campus. With these permanent improvements brought the dlestruction and re moval of temporary buildings. In addition a program was initiated for the general improvement of existing buildings and the beauti fication of the grounds. Along with the other Improve-. mente beautification of the groundsR has added a great deal to Carolina, but what changes have these much nee'ded improvoments brought about towvard furthering and improving the total educa tional system of the University? Has the new buildings improved the methods ot teaching? Have the newly added walk, improve ment of lawns, and the Aadon of sity deserve, and what is our corresponding reward in prestige? When the most nearly correct answer is unearthed, it should b% come the university's business to inform its students, the state, and as much .of the nation as may be interested. That is the only way we can make any impression on the cold realists of the workaday world, and just as important too us, it might be a first step in giving student life more purpose and meaning. Meanwhile, it is our hope that this will not be one of the many Gamecock suggestions that go down to death, ignored because its accusations are harmless. We know that the question we pose here is not the all-important ques tion in higher education. But do attach some significance to the fact that--despite our many scholars and provocative instruc tors, we are still known to our tax paying constituents as a "play school," and are accused of half a-dozen graver faults. And to the fact that we, ourselves, do not know how to answer these charges. Now that the University of South Carolina has a new ad ministration-one which we have every reason to believe- will be a more progressive one-some conscious effort should be made to chart its progress. It is no secret that South Carolina is a name that has been dragged through the dust time and again. It is not enough for us to simply drag it out. We must put South Carolina on display, and demon strate a willingness to look at and correct whatever faults we find. ecome cher? many more people who are in the same position as that young man. Educators and would-be educators are constantly asking themselves the same questions about the aims of education. In this utilitarian America, everyone seeks a use for everything. If It cannot be dem onstrated that History can give the answer to man's present prob lems, the historian is upset. If a particular experiment will not produce immediate practical re suIts, the scientist excuses him self. If a painting has no meaning for modern man, the artist is a dabbler. No one seems to be satis fied with doing something for the sheer pleasure of doing it. Perhaps, wve should return to that ideal which saw education as its own reason for existence, to the teacher who taught because ho enjoyed the pleasures of the mind and wished to convey those pleasures to others. Such a per son would be a real educator. More than that, he would be 4 real utilitarian contributing in his own wav to "the greatest good of the greatest number." What? shrubbery brought new knowledge to any department? Has the painting and improvement of the old1 buildings brought research pd development to our schools of science? I think the answer to all these questions Is no. The total educa tional -policies of our school has remained constant while the facil ities are on the rise. I am not saying that the added facilities and beautifications are not desir able and certainly needed; they provide a good beginning but we must go further. We need an im proved faculty, added curriculums, research, some changes in eduoa tional policies, improvement in methods of teachings, and a gen oral rise In standards. 'I'he groundwork has been laid, the pace has been set and the objectives have been determined. It is now up to the existing admiin Istration to bring the University of South Carolina into being one of the greater Universities of Amarkca.