Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Drayt Aniq Drayton Hall is antiquated. That fact was forcibly brought to attention last week when sororities and fraternities presented their an nual stunt nights. People were packed into the auditorium "like sardines." And it was a mighty uncomfortable feeling. Fraternity stunt night played to a packed audience, sororities performed to an over flowing crowd. Estimates showed approxi mately 1000 at boys' stunt night and a larger crowd than that for the girls' event. Only 600 could be seated. What happened to the rest? They spilled over into the windows, stood in the orchestra pit, lined the walls, sat in the aisles, stood in the back, leaving no clear space in the entire building. Girls going backstage at Thursday's performance to get ready for their skits had to thread their way through the droves. There were at least 100 people back there during the whole performance. More important than the discomfort was the threat of fire. How many would have escaped if a fire had broken out? Possibly 100, possibly 200. There are only four doors leading from the main auditorium. Firemen were heard to say. "We're holding our breath." Other complaints, including bad acoustics, poor ventilation and dirt. could be listed. But the main concerns are the fire hazard and the insufficient size. When I)rayton Hall was built in 1931, the enrollment was 1,811. The auditorium was planned for the high school rather than the University, but it has been the only building for the University to use in some cases. Today, twenty-five years later, the enrojlment is 4,000. The auditorium still seats 600. At present, the Hall is the largest meeting place on campus, with the exception of the What Dii To Arts] What happened to the Fine Arts building? A student asked The Gamecock this question last week in a letter to the editor. We have ingiuired, as we have been inquiring since Septemb)er. We are still wondering. Administrative officials this week said that the plans for the building were dIropped as there seemed to be no needl at this time for such a building. Why were the plans drawn uip in the first place if there was no need ? An article in the May 20, 1955, issue of The Gamecock outlined plans for the building. A modlel drawing was included. That was the last heard of the Fine Arts buildling. The administration gave no concrete Letters to the Editor Directory mr D)ear Editor: ward ste'p that At the- beginning of the fall dlividual of his semester the personal privacy of This matter c the students of the University emphasized. was invaded upon when the Name Wi members of the Blue Key na- --- tional fraternity published their Favors (;ra revealing and confidential pam phlet commonly referred to as Negro Intel the Blue Key Directory. This Dear Editor: "campus diary" and overrated Much has telephone book challenges the segregation in individual's right of privacy thought that I which should be his own privi- say. Let's sta lege. The members of this fra- two wars. W ternity have absolutely no author- against Orient ity to publicize this information wholly against without the consent of the stu- second war. M dlents. fighting side( The listing of the campus box and Negro. numbers might be of necessity The war is for mailing purposes, but there shooting war. is no .justification for releasing partly forget. such information as private home going on in a addresses and telephone num- The point I a bers. Such gradual intrusion or is this. We ha encroachment of personal data same Oriental: should not be published without school. I have the approval of each student. this. I thinki Campus life and home life should gram. It is w be separated under all conditions. own American I am confident that the Blue the educationi Key fraternity did not realize badly that I< that such an unfortunate misde- the best educati mneanor was committed. I sin- vance. Are we cerely hope that this "nosey" him away ? 'I a o c 1 e t y of "curiosity-crazed" thing the Comm snoopers will consider the indi- up and throw vidual's opinion before they we speak of ot publish another "almanac of per- of life. sonal statistics." This invasion I am not a Ib of personal privacy is a back- do love our /i on Hull uated field house which is not suitable for many campus activities. The students need an ade quate meeting place. It does not need to have a seating capacity equal to the enrollment. Such would be folly. That many Carolina students do not turn out for events. But the seating capacity should equal at least one half the enrollment and the fact should be kept in mind that the student body will con tinue to increase. Stunt night has turned into a production, at least as far as the girls are concerned. Parents from out of town, Columbia resi dents, students, faculty attend. The crowds grow as the productions become better. The same is true of Songfest. Religious Emphasis Week convocations could never be held in Drayton Hall because of the small size. The hall is suitable only for University High School activities. The administration considered the building of an auditorium about two years ago. The idea was dropped after being considered ten tatively by the board of trustees. The ad ministration sees no urgent need for an audi torium. Few of the administrative staff, none of the trustees were at stunt night. They attend few, if any, of the other func tions. Can they say definitely there is no need for an auditorium? The University has the land available on which an up-to-date auditorium could be built. If the University continues its expan sion, which now seems certain, there will be more land. If the University can afford to build an athletic building, practice field and plane tarium, it can certainly obtain the money to build an auditorium. An auditorium is needed far more than many other buildings now in the planning stage. The Gamecock of 1914, disappointed be cause Gov. Cole Blease had vetoed a bill ap propriating $50,000 to build a new auditorium at the University said it would probably be 1965 before "we get a new chapel." Must that prophecy come true ?-penney i Happen Building? answer to the question. Possibly there are more important things to be built, such as the library. But the students have found no complaint with the library, other than it does not stay open on Sundays. They have com plained about the absence of the Fine Arts b)uilding. The Gamecock and the student body have asked for an answer. They have received none. What did happen? And why has the ground not been broken for the planetarium ev'en though equipment for the building has arrived ? The adminis tration did not answer that one either. penney iades Privacy deprives an in- way of life. I want it to be strong personal rights, enough to resist the Communists an not he over and make them eat their words. I think that in education 'ye have ~hheld by Request our greatest strength. The Corn muanist thrive on ignorance. rilual Therefore I am in favor of grad ual integration. Our entrance ratil exam would admit only the best qlualified Negroes. >een said about I am very much against the our schools. I NAACP and think that if this might have my organization was abolished that rt with the last much of the trouble would be e fought partly relieved. It and the KKK have als in one and been thorns in the side of the Orientals in the South for too many years. It's eare Americans time for them to be p)lucked out by side. Whites and cast away. It is up to our school to set the standiard for r>ver-that is the other colleges of the state and The first we can the South. it haA been said that ['he second is still ours is one of the most progres sense. sive schools of the South. I m trying to make should like for it to continue to ve some of these be so. attendIng our We have a great era ahead of no objection to us in the South and natIon. That t is a good pro- is if there is no war. We must hen we turn our prevent that war. We must b R4egro away from strong. I think that in integra hat he needs so tion of the schools, we are taking bject. He needs a big step toward breaking down on possible to ad- the Communist program. We to keep turning must be united to have strength. his is the very I always honor the opinions of unists like to take other people. I would like for n our face when my opinion to be likewise ir American way honored.- I welcome any criticism of this letter. I am a Southerner [egro lover, but I andt shall always be one. merica and our Sammie Owens LAI "Congratulations, Coach G HERB BRYANT Cold Fa 'No M Every seat was taken at Dray ton Hall during the two stunt nights. The isles were filled. Practically every inch of standing room was crowded with students. The windows were used as seat ing space. Everyone who went to either or both of the stunt nights knows this. Everyone knows that the conditions were bad. And every one knows we need a new audi torium. How soon will we get one? We probably will not get a new auditorium for a couple of years. The cold facts are that the University doesn't have the money at the present time to build one. THE UNIVERSITY PAYS for new buildings by pledging the tuition for bonds. There just isn't any money available now. A new auditorium would have to be built to accommodate about 2,000 persons. To build a modern auditorium this size would cost about one-half million dollars. But even though a new audi torium can't be built at the present time, some other arrange ment should be made for next year to accommodate the num her attending stunt nights. For example, Dreher High School nudlitorium seats about 1,000. That auditorium would be more suitable than the smaller Dray ton Hall. A little has been said about the juke box in Russell House W. E. LEE Are Our L Kidd The South is faced today with her most severe problem since the Civil War. The Supretne Court has decreed that our segregated school system is un constitutional. Therefore, we must either integrate or find some means to circumvent the court order. The politicians of this state have elected to circumvent the court order. It is amazing when we examine some of their means. First, they passed a meaningless interposition resolution. Recently they worked on- the allocations bill, which incltuded a permanent provision that says: "All ap propriations for colleges and institutions of higher learning being made on the basis of racial segregation, the board of trustees or other governing bodies of the University of South Carolina, The Citadel, Clemson- College, Winthrop College, State Medical College, and South Carolina State College are each hereby directed to close its said institutions upon any p)upil being ordered admitted to it by the order of any court, and( to keep It closed while the pupil presents himself or herself for admittance or until the court order is revoked." ARE OUR LEGISLATORS kidding ? Do they actually be lieve that anything can be gained from such a provision? They are saying that the thousands of stu denta in the state must forfeit DEW JAMES Man--Eart Regimente Man, with all his supposed superiority based on his ability to think, seems to be also the earth's most regimented animal. 1 remember a four-roomed cross-roads elementary school. When a bell (rope-yanking model) rang, that was the signal to form four lines in front of the steps. With a "shhh" and a finger against their lips the teachers brought tousled-headed kids to a sudden deathly silence. A BECKONED HAND was the signal to march and the four lines filed into four rooms. With similar regularity, we were seated and George Washington looked pleased from the rear wall. High school was crowded. The halls were laned into two flowing arteries of traffic. Junior traffic cops attempted to maintain regular flow. Here, too, there was a bell that meant "get into line." There was punishment for those who did not "like lines." CAROLYN McCLUNG Universit New Auci The University Needs a New Auditorium. The University needs a new auditorium. The Univer sity needs a new auditorium. Gamecock editors have said it. Gamecock columnists have said it. Students at random have said it. And the administration may have unofficially said it. But so far, ground is being broken for no new auditorium and the need stands out like the proverbial sore thumb. Stunt nights gave all the proof that should be necessary. I went to fraternity and soror ity stunt nights this year. Last year and the year before, because of working on the Gamecock, I was unable to attend both nights, and had to leave before which ever one I went to was over. So, last week for the first time, I was able to attend both events and stay until the winners were announced. I SHOULDN'T HAVE both ered. By the end of the second night my head ached, my eyes were strained, my back hurt, and my feet, from standing around on them for quite a few hours, felt several sizes bigger than my shoes. The subject matter of several of the fraternity stunts didn't help things, either, although a few of them were really enter taining and well done. The stunt entitled, "The Firing of the Dean" wvas in extremely bad taste, and could even be called slanderous. It was, at any rate, no credit to the performing fra ternity. The stunt called, "Satire 1956," which was discontinued because of obscene language, should have been stopped before it was ever started. The boys would have spent better use of their practicing time had they started early for Song Fest and forgotten stunt night. To get back to the problem of CROWING FOR UNIVERSITY OF SO Member of Associated Fuunded January 30, 1908, wIth Ro editor, "Th Gamecock" Is publishedJ University of South Carolina weekly year except on holidays and during e The opinions expressed by columnists sarily those of "The Gamecock." P endorsement. The right to edIt Ia re EDITOR MANAGING ED)ITOR BUSINESS MANAGER ASSISTANT MANAG;lNG El) NEWS EDITOR CAMPUS EDITOR SP~ORTS EDITOR SOCIETY EDITOR FEATURE EDITOR CIRCULATION MANAGER ASSiSTANT BUSINESS MAN P'HOTOGRA PH1ERS CARTOONIST STAFF REI Lewis Cromer, Marsha Wiseh< Fischer, Jerry Sanders, HIarr, Melba Corley, Bill Askinson, Ib Ronnie Bern, Mac Hill, Norman COLUMb Billy Mellette, Pat Treacy, Dev Scott, W. E. Lee. BUSiNESS Jimmy Turner, Windy Mullinax luc, Bil Kay, Juno Hre or h's Most d Animal College maintained the bells, but erased some of the lines. Here it was thought that came in for regimentation. Here, too, thought first rebelled. THE MISTAKE HAD been made before in the school where reading was learned. There was some attempt to channel reading to the classics and perhaps. a few others that had intrigued the mind of the professor. But, once having learned read ing, other writings were dis covered and the mind was ex posed to new idealogies and phi losophies, and out of these the 'a mind started searching for a "better." Some people refer to it as searching for the ideal, but that is too futile; it's better to look for the "better." Some minds are so channeled that they never rebel. Some peo ple call it indoctrination, espe cially in propaganda. Indoctrina tion deadens the mind to think ing, and some people like it that way. y Needs litorium the auditorium, or lack of it. Let's face it. One of Carolina's greatest needs at the present is a new auditorium with a seating ^apacity large enough to accom modate the large numbers of stu Jents that turn out for such events. Even Dreher High School's auditorium with a seat ing capacity of approximately 3 1,000 barely took care of the Billy May concert audience last Friday night. DRAYTON HALL was, in the past, adequate to take care of ny gathering of University stu Jents. But at present the en rollment is increasing, with even more of an increase seen for the ruture. There were 940 paid admissions to boys' stunt night, while Drayton Hall ,holds, at most, 600. A number of people managed to get in free, raising the total to over 1,000. What happened to the over rlow? They sat in the windows, in the aisles, on the floor; they stood three and four deep around the walls and in- the pit; they rrowded around the stage. Had there been a fire, it would have resulted in a great catasstrophe. Interfraternity council has an niouniced that it is attempting to make arrangements for the use f Dreher High School ' audi torium for next year's stunt nights. That w uld solve the problem tempora;ily, at best. But as the University enrollment grows, there wll~ be both more 'Greeks" on the ampus as well as students wvho vwant to attend stunt nights. TI 's is only one of the many aspec ~sof the audi torium problem. Othaers are con vocations, R. E. week, and the like. The only real solution to the problem would be a new audi torium for the University. That is, unless wve eventually plan to move to the Township. 6 GREATER UTHI CAROLINA Collegiate Press bort Elliott Gonzales as the first by and for the studenta of the ,on Fridays, during the college laminations. and letter writers are not neces ublishing does not constitute am served. PATSY PENNEY HIE RERT BRYANT KAT ANTHONY TORt Roy Williams Nancy Fox Sylvia Hanna Sid Badger Barbara Hawthorne Mary Alice Carhart Billy Bruce AGER Carol Shockey 1Bob Finley, Wayne Patrick Richard Alpert art, Carol Watson, Marcia Taylor, Barbara Wright, [ed Borden, L.inda Cauthen, Spell, .Jerry McGuire. [ISTS James, Herb Bryant, Jack STAFF r v iese. It's a quarterback!" ets Are oney' Cafeteria. It might be of interest that the juke box in the cafeteria was put there at the request of stu dents. That the manager of Russsell House had nothing to do with putting it there. And that the bulk of the money that comes out of the juke box in the cafeteria goes into a Russell House fund used for free dances and movies. ORIGINALLY P L A N S for Russell House were designed to have a speaker system so that soft music could be played from a central location. The system wouldn't have the non-dinner type music but would have music more to the order that you hear ;n a bank or at one of the down town cafeterias. Funds ran short somewhere along the way and the speaker system hasn't been in stalled as. yet but probably will when funds become available. But, getting back to the juke box in Russell House cafeteria. The juke box will not play under normal conditions unless a stu dent deposits a coin in same first. * * * One big mistake in last week's Gamecock was found in the lead story headed "City Council Would Sell Units To USC." In that story a sentence read, "...they (the Carovet apart ments) are not antiquated." The sentence should have read, "...they are nowv antiquated." Anyone who has ever been by the Carovet apartments should agree with that. egislators ing? their educations if they are un fortunate enough to attend a school which a Negro enters by court order. Their objection to an inte grated school has been that inte gration will lower the educational standards of that institution. Surely they realize that nothing would lower a student's "educa tional standards" more than hav ing no school to attend. And look again at the wording of the provision and you will notice that it orders the schools to close if any pupil is ordered admitted by any court for any reason. Therefore, a white stu dent booted out of Carolina for cheating, who took his applica tion for readmittance to a state court and won his case would automatically close this school. OUR POLITICIANS are pass ing the buck. They are laying the ground work for pointing their finger at the first Negro to enter a white school, close the school and shout, "He did It." In so doing they are admitting defeat. Have they already forgotten their interposition resolutions? If the state of South Carolina has actually interposed its sovereign ity between the Supreme Court and our schools, how can any South Carolina School be forced to open Its doors to a Negro? Let's have some Intelligent legislation to remedy this grave situationn