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Too 5111 (Editor's Note: The following are excerp from a news story appearing on the froo page of The New York World-Telegram a Sun on April 30. The story is supposed based on the Block C initiation ceremor which took place at the University tv weeks ago, and is by-lined by Fred Spark The headline reads: "Death Often Lurl Amid Campus Fun.") We can be almost positive that with in the next six weeks-before schools close for summer holidays-these col umns will carry the names of young men, in the full richness of their lives, killed and injured at college or prep initiations, hazing or hell weeks. This insanity-which makes me won der why they call them "institutions of higher learning"-is a national disease comparable to the degrading savagery of Mau Mau tribal rites and American ized Russian roulette. They do not make pleasant reading, but a thorough appre ciation of the dangers attending such unfunny festivities might save the life of your friend, son or brother. The first seasonal, sordid episode came from the precisely manicured cam pus of the University of South Carolina at Columbia. Tommy Sayetta, a lanky, dark-haired, 20-year-old sophomore, a cross-country runner, whose wind and gifted legs have marked him Olympic material, was to be "honored" by Block C, a society of lettered athletes. There was a dinner and while booze was not necessarily featured there were some martinis and a private jug of cheap corn whiskey, which can make some strong men into bleary brutes. Then the lads to be initiated were first introduced in solemn oaths of double-talking gibberish, then made to run as fast as they could in all direc tions in a kind of scramble; simply hilarious. Two collided, head on; their scalps were opened as if slashed by straight razors, required painful stitch ing. Then came the moment of supreme delight when husky football players and muscular wrestlers and strong-armed BowI A college newspaper editor's career is al together a demanding, fascinating and con suming experience. Little problems, big problems . . . dilemmas of all sizes mark his tenure. But when the time comes to gather up the stubs of copy pencils and the well worn notebook from the office that has served as work place, dwelling and conference room, the problems, in retrospect don't seem quite so formidable and the dilemmas are redluced from crisis proportions. With this editorial I write finis to my editorship of The Gamecock. I feel that dur ing this semester, The Gamecock has en joyedl a comfortable measure of success, due primarily to the unselfishness, industry and cooperation of the paper's small, but vitally interested and highly efficient staff. Few tasks are more thankless than those (lone by college newspaper people. The Game cock staff recognizes this. But they also re alize that the caliber of the college news paper directly reflects the quality of the school it represents. The Gamecock staff is also cognizant of the paper's paramount duty: to turn out a creditable product of high quality for the student body. The Gamecock is a paper DIC K SMI TH What Then, Dot Culture in any human pack is reason behind simply the things people do af- immigrants: ti ter finding and hiding food, anew, the tick~ dIrink, and shelter. It is the corn- structing fron posite itch, the manifest pre- thing. . . . Bui scription for boredom. . . . It plenty, a cance caused the Cro-Magnon (in his the "mummy particular itch) to beat a hollow ancient breast. log with his enemy's leg, thus Within this creating percussion. tially all the in Culture, then, in its many make it the c forms (with the possible excep- the state. It c tion of human sacrifice) is a and be so many good thing. Institutional relig- of us follow ti ion attempts to control it, Hitler of sliding throi tried to burn it, and most of us mental action aren't the slightest bit inter- The presiden ested in it . . . but still It re- sity has spent mains, money bringin The University has physically grammes to the entered the Olympian arena. No are usually emi more collapsing classrooms, cel- tration has se lar canteens, dust path.. In tempted to inji many respects we are in a most meaning into enviable position, for in no other Idea. No respoi sphere can a person so enjoy How many o himself as in that of being part could identify of a visible creative process. that most magn This is the reason pioneers Ian poems? HIow braved the Western plain. the simply by metre For Words ts boxers formed two lines-like an Apache at gauntlet and took off their belts and the id newcomers were ordered to ruu through. ly A belt lashed Tommy Sayetta low, iy around his middle, and he was immedi ro ately in pain, but said nothing. Next day s. agony heightened and he requested med cs ication and his mother found out and in anger, r 'ar hysteria, called a local press man and said: "Tommy might be rendered sterile , a fine initiation !" (Tommy's doctor said after rest he will recover.) Violent Pranks Mr. Sayetta and a neighbor and a re cent University graduate told me that Block C's hazing often passes from pranks - where a boy stands under a second story window and tries to catch the yolk of an egg in his mouth-to near violence... . Let us hope that Tommy Sayetta will run again and wear our colors at the next Olympics. He is depressed about the wide publicity attending his injury, but if it can stir others to stop such nonsense, beyond the forced consump tion of gold fish or midnight blanket tossings, Tommy will really deserve a letter of honor. What you have just read cannot be called journalism. It is not a reporting of facts, but a fantastic series of conjectures. The simple fact that a college youth was accidentally injured and not seriously at that (as borne out by his own physician's statement) has been ignored by the writer of the article whom we assume, brazenly calls himself a journalist. The references made to cruelty, drinking and skull-slashing in the story are quite evidently "facts" created in the mind of Mr. Sparks. So far astray did the writer's imagination lead him that he even injected the presence of brawny wrestlers and boxers at the initiation, a somewhat comic fabrica tion since Carolina has no wrestling or box ing teams. We wonder about the source of Mr. Sparks' journalistic training. Newspaper folks around our way base their stories on the facts, simple, unadulterated, ungarnished facts. ng Out wholly for and by the students, not the ad ministration, nor the trustees. It is not a house organ of the University. It IS the eyes, ears and voice of the students. With these principles in mind, the spring staff has worked hard. The awards won by the paper have, wve feel, given an indication that the paper is fulfilling its function. Producing a good newvspaper takes more than an editor. It requires the combined ef forts of the entire staff. The Gamecock has had such a staff this semester. On the news sidle, Roy Williams, Melba Corley, Jerry Mc Guir'e, Scott Cain, Sylvia Hlanna, Barbara Hawthorne, Carol Watson and Mac Hill have (lone more than their share. Photographers Walt IIorton and Ken Sturgeon have turned out excellent pictures to supply the paper with art. On the business end. Ed ith Ha llock,- Leila Stuckey andl Jim Herring have kept the fi niances in tip top shape. No more capable nor more conscientious group exists on cam pus. Next wveek's paper, the last of the year, will be put out by the new staff', a group which promises to have The Gamecock "Crowing for a Greater Carolina" in stronger vo'ice thain ever before. s Culture Mean? America's first inoma lehkspreno ~e joy of creating ne? ling itch of con- Ilwnnycnietf he Inothing, some- hsicly pni,casek ;, in the midst of funl ftogetatos r seems to form, cudietf ~ofoesb cloths expose an clsicton lwmycod school lies poten- settin whotbng ol aterial needled to wa.t rieadwa ocn ultural center of (en ould do and say Ido'evnros tetu, things. Yet most ytitiemarsigodscs e familiar ritual teBbewt ocle hit gh with as little iasbcueothrigrae s possible. Why? fasc ibiasyblman t of our univer- cotn,adteribltyo large sums of gaptesgiiac frlg Scultural pro- inbyn t ul-lasn school. The halls poete.Te alt ope ity. The admninis- hn vnterms ai ti veral times at- cliple eCt some cultural Rtwyee eto hs the University sotoig?N n sitr ~se. Why?('tdNooecrsThipa f our Christians thtcltlruofeevsnad "Paradise Lost," rpoatnpouigismc ficent of Christ- tofomdbetbal.Evni many could tell, itwsvohbatigntefrt and feelinan,dethefplahe. CARL M. REYNO Ar In Congress, according to the most accurate sources, there is a Bill, which, when made into law, will cut the appropriation for the GI Bill in half. Simply, veterans attending school under this provision, would receive exactly half of their present training allowances. We do not intend, now to wax chauvenistic, salute colors at sunrise and walk about campus in step. That took place 5ome time ago. A JUST STEP It is our serious contention, however, that the Federal Gov ernment was performing a just and a necessary step when the lawmakers established the Vet erans Administration, and thus complicated the budget with transfer payments earmarked for what is called the GI Bill. Equally as serious, our con tention is that it would be un Professor Smurdley is too lazy finals. . . . Ile just changes the 1 ROY WILLIAMS Traveling Is "Genius is ten per cent inspir ation and 90 per cent perspira tion" runs the old saying. Fig ures don't tell the complete story, for with a little inspira tion the job's half done. 1 Not only does the family 1 breadwinner need to be given a lift but we students must have i a cup)ful of inspiration on Mon day mornings and other eventful days-not only on the night b)e fore. This past weekend more than 50 journalism students and fac ulty members made a field trip to Myrtle Beach. In adldition to an ocean cruise, buffet dlinner at the luxurious Ocean Forest Ho t(el, top notch accommodations, and Myrtle Beach thrown in as an appetizer, students had an opportuniity' to observe how a re sort city hiandles4 its newvs and1 publicity. D)urinig the latter part of April for a wveek 32 phar:nacy students and theiri chaperones toured the Upjohn and E. I. Lilly plants as their guests in Michigan and ; Indiana. Pharmacy students 01) servedl the testing andl manufac ture of pharmaceuticals, visited < biological laboratories where < smallpox, polio and other vac cines are made and saw phar- r miacy nc:t as a classroom lecture < RONALD L. BERN A Study OfThe~ Since time immemorial, man- t kind has provedl time and time t again that it is far easier to criticize than to laud, that it is t much easier to cast a stone at a beaten man than to defend him, and that it is much easier to sit in judlgemnent andl condemn an institution than to help it im- 1 prove andl prosp)er. Recently, I entered into a dis-i cussion with a student who was d hitt erly complaining ablout Thee (Gamecock. lie seemed relatively i fluent and intelligent so I asked to him why he did not join the staff i andl through his own efforts help ni to improve the plaper. iIe imme-i dliately replied . . . "Why, I don't c have time to mless with the pa- y per." This brings me to the crux e of my column. ti At our University, about five d per cent of the students maintain o studlent organizations, publica- a tions and institutions. These stu- f< dents find time for many a(.nti- a [LDS Jote To All just and unwise for the Con gress to pass legislation at this time which would reduce or otherwise impair the provisions of the GI Bill. Numerous persons this week, when informed of the legislation currently pending Congressional action, seemed rather uncon cerned that the Bill has passed the first reading. ACT ABSURD They suggested that it would be absurd for Congress to pass such a bill, strictly from the po litical connotations. More often than not, we have seen that Congress has been guilty of do ing things which we have con sidered "absurd," thus one more will not likely penetrate the souls of these mortal politicos. Last year, Senate Bill 633, which would increase the GI Bill allowances for veterans in school was never given a hearing, or to change the questions on his mswers. nspirational mt as a profession. Much is being done in other lepartments and schools. The chool of Engineering takes fre luent field trips, Phi Delta Phi, :he law fraternity, has promi ent lawyers from various ba~ses of the law field to speak o their group and lecture series, unch as the Guignard, while not >ffered to any specific profes ~ional group, are offered stu lentLs. While the University could ntot afford to pay a famous person ility to reside on campus for a omiester there are many well <nowvn persons in the various )rofessional fields in South Car >lina who would merit students ittention. Perhaps the University could .p some of this talent and ar~ ange a program for the school >r department concerned that '.ould include people such as Ber iaird Baruch, James F. Byrnes, "rank Gilbert, author of the best eller, "Cheaper By The Dozen," iames G. Richards, Carol Glen, he musician, and others. )Vith the routine day-in-day 'ut agenda in so many students' urricula a program of inspira ion could he the shot in the arm eeded to produce the 90 per cent if work needed. Time Excuse ies, and they give freely of this ime. Incongruous as it may seem, hese people also have classes *nd assignments and personal ives. I direct my column to the 95 er cent of students who are too usy for studenba activities. If ou feel that things are being mproperly handled by the stu ents who participate in extra urricular activities, join them 'i their attempts toward a bet er* Carolina. Perhaps you can uprove the conditions which iany of you obviously feel qual ied to criticize. If you find that :mnditions prevail which prevent our participation, don't criti ize the people who mak% time >do the jobs which have to be oine. You can be sure that each f them is making an honest ttempt toward a better school >r you as well as their state nd themselves. Carolina Vetei reading on the floor. Perhaps, because there was not sufficient backing from the public . . . es pecially from the veterans, them selves, who were in support, pas sively, of the bill and certainly, in favor of the proposed provis ions. CVA SUPPORT Distinctly, the Carolina Veter ans A s s o c i a t i o n petitioned, fought for and encouraged sup port for the passage of Senate 533. But the masses of veterans who were most directly con cerned, did not even bother to express their opinions to their Congressmen. This, of course, is routine. For it has long been the cus tom to allow less than ten per cent of the people to do the work . . . to instigate . . . to perform . . . to be responsible . . . and then for the remaining 90 per cent to be discontent with the situation, to complain, to gripe and wonder why things aren't different. ANOTHER RALLY We dare suppose that again, the Carolina Veterans Associa tion will try to rally. That group will write letters, sign petitions and make an honest effort to represent the veterans. Also, we dare suppose that many of the veterans-about 90 per cent-will talk about the bill . .. condemn the cutting of any veterans' appropriation, and ex ROBERT TALBE Weddings, A Qu The Wedding Season: There is something about the air that breathes on this campus that makes this the wedding season . . . maybe it's not the air but rather--year, month, and day that catches the heart in three four time. 'Tis a season of happy bliss for some . . . but for others it brings the shotgun unions of two unkindered souls . . . the court ing for them has come quick and fast . . . rushed into the final stages before the aisle-walk. There is really no love in most of these cases. The union is only sanctioned out of fear and hate. This fear and hate wrings all of the beauty from the soul and one enters the matrimony be cause of the unsure and cloudy future. It seems a shame that the courting wasn't longer or more enjoyab)le . . . something of bleauty and truth to long remem her forever . . . but it hasn't beent for mtost. Yes, the wvedding season is here . . . with senior students franttically wooing the coy mis tress - knowledge. For four yeats this has been a mere flir tation wvith the twvo parties not seenmig to care until now... the wedding season. Will the hurtried labor he0 lost in this at tenmpt at a final love? Will my mate be enough for me? Will she protect me? Will she help me always through life? . . . So wvonders the lover's heart. But this is love of sorts... and the wedding season . . . and it is here. * * * A Babe's Birth: Shortly the Sandllapper will make its third attetmpt to become a permanent part of the Carolina panorama of publications. It has faced sev eral hardships in this voyage and in fact, had to sail from a foreign port with a skeleton crewv. Is there no reward for this magazine? There will be if stu LETTERS TO TH Reader Wants No More l\ D)ear Editor: The article by. Dick Smith in the May 3rd edition was most enlightening. It is most gratifying to read an article by someone who has such a broad vocabulary. (Bal enciaga to red neck, etc.) His humility in describing the coun try p)eopie of South Carolina did CROWING FOR UNIVERSITY OF S Member of Associate F'ounded January 8o, 1908, with R edito', "The Camuecock" is publish< University of south Carolina weehl r es nhldy and durin1 ans press all sorts of concern over the matter ... and then not even register an official opinion with their duly elected Congressman. The bill to reduce, by half, the veterans schooling allowances, will soon be up for toting. Our latest report is that it has passed the first reading. The official lawmaking vote is taken after the third reading. The third reading, inciden tally, should-be within the next couple of weeks. TAKE UP PEN It would be well if every vet- 0 eran concerned with this legis lation would write to his Con gressman and Senator, urging the defeat of any bill which would reduce veteran allowances . . . and suggesting the re-intro duction of Senate 533, which , would adjust the allocations to meet the present standard of liv ing, certainly not reduce them. For, the GI Bill, indeed, is not a handout. It is a long-term in vestment. For, when the stand ards of living are increased through education, what greater return can come from an invest ment. Write your Congressman? It would be nice. But, then, we probably do not have the re motest idea who the dickens they are anyway. So, as in everything else, we may as well forget about this, too, and settle for half the training allowance. RT Births And estion dents and faculty alike give their honest Opinion of this, the third attempt. " " - A Skinny Note: With exams and all cotping up too quickly, here is a little thought for those who contemplate this type of skinny sheet. Don't, by all means, use the method of copying notes on your fingernails. I knew one nervous young man who did this and before he realized it, he had eaten the first six presidents, the preamble to the constitution and the dates of the revolutionary war. a i s A Campus Vignette: The paper boy hitched up his jeans which were bunched high around his waist and shifted the hand of his paper satchel from one shoul der? to the other. Ile stood in the room of his hero. A big healthy athlete wvhom he idiIzed. He had c111(ome to c(olleect for two weeks' pap)er delivery. The paper b)oy's hero was st retchedi in his bed, clothes dis arrayed and his head hanging Iimp11 over hiis pillow. "Paper boy . . ."' the lad's voice trembled as it did when he talked to his hero. A thick tongue rolled, "Whade ya w'ant." This was followed by a' profane sIlur and cough. The paper boy reacted in fear coupled with compassion. His timid voice cracked, "I . . . just w~ant to collect for the paper." "Getoutahere, ya little . . . the t irade came again from the herto. The p)aper~ boy backed slowly from the room andI closed the door with silence. He turned down the hall tode liver the rest of his papers. His mind wvas worried now, for this wvas his hero -the person he hoped to be like someday. And he woundered--do all heroes act like that? Sometimes, we wonder the same thing. E EDITOR lay Reflections express wveIl his regard for them. .No doubt Mr. Smith is an ob ject of their insp)ection. I am sure he failed that inspection, miserably. Let's have less of these ar ticles of self-glorification In the guise of "Reflections In the Warm Month of May" or any other month for that matter. Joe Donald Beard A GREATER OUTHI CAROLINA d Collegiate Press bbe Elliott Connaleg as the 1k 4 by and for the students of the !onFriay,during the ceflegs sltg and letter writer, are met Pml.Ing doe, not coagetite