University of South Carolina Libraries
Editorials Commentary Frday, April 14, 1967 ColumbIa, South Carolin Freedom The Michigan State legislature is treading the sacred ground of education again, comments the Wayne State Uni versity Daily Collegian - "A year ago, when the legislature tried to interfere with the academic process by passing a resolution barring com munists from speaking on the campuses of Michigan's state supported schools, University President William R. Keast answered with these words: "'A University has no higher duty than to encour age and protect the free and open discussion of ideas, however controversial they may be. "'The principles of freedom are especially precious when they are needed most. They are needed most when the temptation to abandon them is strongest in those who would substitute passion for reason and conformity for controversy. "'This appears to be such a time.' "The latest example of possible interference is the pro posal to investigate alleged 'antics' on the campuses of Michigan's three large institutions - Wayne, Michigan State and Michigan. Presumably, this action was spurred by the alleged preponderence of narcotics and so-called ob scene movies on the University of Michigan campus and the narcotics raid in the area surrounding Wayne. The legislature is treading on dangerous ground. The recent firing of the University of California's President Clark Kerr shows what results when politics and education are mixed. Any right of investigating that the legislature might have should be tempered by the fact that institutions of higher learning should be free from political involvement. And just as institutions should be free from political interference in their operation, so should the individual be free from the institution in regard to his personal or moral activities, and the school should not be accountable for those activities. "If the legislature decides to go ahead with its investiga tion, we hope President Keast again takes the stand that the university is an autonomous institution and as such should be free from political pressures." A Vote For Long Hair Dear Mr. Elliott: and appearance smacks of I would remind the individual Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany who so appropriately hides behind and is the reason the Amei the cloak of anonymity in the can Civil Liberties Union is recent letter ostracizing boys' hard at work today. long hair that it is an individual's I the land of the free and the inherent right as a "free" Ameri- home of the brave I would offer can to dress and groom his or her self as one sees fit. The cry that all must con- adage: Live and let live. form to a set code of dress MARSHAL S. SWANSON Founded January 30A 1908 with Robert Elioft ozales as the first editor, Gansecuck is published by and for the students of the University of South Carolina we.ekly during the college year except during hoidays and examinations. Offices of lne Gamecock are in Roo(n 308 o the Rlusd house on the University 7 us. Phones are 765-4249 (rdltor), 7ti5-4220 (Hlushneos and Adv ertslng) and 76.18(Newss'ooms). EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ......... DICK ELLIOTI' R1Ug1NESS MNANAGE...........ATR CREWEs AssstntangigtEitr s paricuarovil theuld Assitan Nes EitorBetBrwn,Grdage Liveand Mary lieso Founded Afaiury Edi0. 198wt oetE ozLidas the firtnditr,mh aculty Edubiorb nfrtesudnsoh UnivristiefSot Crlina EkcydurngthoegeEo yerecp.uighldyn exaninatohns n OfficetofheGanelc arCiarom38ofoheRunisHoset Riw Uniesy Advethsngs 7M5-2ag Edtor).765-4220.(.usinesMary Adeiing)snd Csicltin Manageng Editorerl News EditorI...... .... Spors Edtor/ AssitantNewsEdior Bth Bown Soia ffir2dio Exchangeegra Edihitofrecano pAdvertising MnaeryTercaprmn.Ths iidthaarn' Is anlmprEeinUt- on he ouDide.Caughmantt STODENT ELECTtONS BALLOT BOX "How are a few more here and there going to hurt :nyone?" A Downward Trend? Pear Ar. Elliott: tion in college and university Current thought suggests that teaching are: (1) overemphasis he general level of college and upon research, (2) graduate-stu mniversity teaching is extremely (lent teachers, (3) lack of teacher >oor. It is apparent to many, training and/or teaching experi wen to some on the USC cam- ence, (4) lack of concern for the pus, that teaching at the uni- individual student, and (5) large versity level is not what it classes. ;hould or ought to be. In this regard, Cecil Alex However, as one begins to Mace, E m e r it u a Professor evaluate the teacher it be of Psychology of the Uni- comes apparent that one must versity of London, appropri- aloelutths woar ately notes that "In passing bit agt was h from high school to college poeso erigi o the student must prepare him self for the fact that he may molgu btrahrad be going to a pla5ce in which lgebtve h ec' n he will receive the best educa- tesuet hsdaou s tion in the world by the* smsta hetahrfel world's worst teachers."enesit th prcsad A mong the reasons often sug gested to exp)lain this dleteriora- pte. )nathe othehehefbyl,aitemas hesougeyasitmatlothaththerstaden eton int thlee andocuniversta ta hae: in(1)c ovrmpaiy adn teheri i s, wel aso thecher trinin andor ilteiathingt exper Staene,s (4) rtc of ther o e ifedfordthe student and that hare must e assum e oibility fo tealu e.etahri e - i~ 'comese% apresinct thte u s as o evae heacutabe whe must peress ofsilearnd 5i inenotso ~~4i tmontloge dilouei rataia-( Inorer btweenom)s th istea he n tstudent. hist civeloegae ai hime t attn itelchera freer enters~ve itote aprocess ander fet tahing prns siuato the jo r hapnsiit li st alh e sumed that the tenter an h blityE as welJstheIi n tan eispartmn of eaograph Andforunathe Diealioto -life for t e rntu entht ei Osm.e~ het by stlw munar assue ofesponsiiifor erefoe, sinc thpe suenti ntehart thedaoue of mthedo. lie, uglIn order to taccompainshithishthe stdntms atveyegaei English St EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is a reply to a GAMECOCK inquiry on the opinions 1 a s t semester's exchange students f r o m the University of War wick, England, formed of the USC campus d u r i n g their stay here. Dear Mr. Elliott: I received your letter request ing our views on USC and Amer ica on the day that the last term ended, so I was unable to show it to the other students who were at USC in the winter. My criticisms of USC (I haven't the space to comment on the States) revolve around the principles for which a University exists. In the first place, a British university attempts to incul cate in the student the idea of self - discipline. Therefore we have a great deal of time and freedom to do our work, some times, admittedly, too much time. However, you feel the need to be continually kept up to the mark with quizzes and tests. In addition your system as sumes a "well-rounded" man to be more beneficial to society than one who, ns in nritain, has spent three years at college specializing in his chosen field. Your system, I believe, fails to produce the scholar, the genuine article as it were. Student attitudes at USC, I thought, were passive to all but local and immediate topics; I rarely heard or participated in discussions on national events. This I put down to the conser vatism and provincialism of South Carolina. I disliked the fraternity sys tem because I felt it throws too many people of the same background and interests to gether when the principle of a university is to encourage the mixing of many people from all walks of life and back grounds. But if the fraternity - system, like football, satisfies your char acteristic craving for "together ness" then good luck to it! On the social side, I felt there were too many unneces sarily strict rules. Surely learning how to use freedom must be a principle of a uni versity, for, theoretically, re sponsibility follows from the use of freedom. This is true anyway for the Verbiage, Pomp Dear Mr,. Elliott : Surely I am not alone in finding the verbiage and pomnp surrounding the recent presen tation of the U'niversity mace both embarrassing and discon certing. In fact, the students and professors with~ whom I dliscussed the matter have with unanimity exp)ressed their in credulity at the scope of non sense involved with this ex penisive toy. liecause our poverty here in South C'arolina is so obvious, why can not concerned donors to the l'niversity set up, say, scholarships for ni e e d y stu-t dents rather than indulge in our present larmecide feast of revolving skyscraper re's taur-ants and golden nmaces. Sincerely, Heat Evokes ( Dear Mr. Elliott : We are two girls on the thind floor oif Wadle Ilampton dlormti tory who are trying to studly in the stifling heat of our room. We realize that many others must endure the same circum stances because they (do not have the luxury of airi-conditioning, but we consider it grossly unfair to the 18t0 residents (of this dlormitory not to be able to enjoy a luxury that is readily avail abde by suc-h a simple pirocess as ad justing a few dials. We have been t6ld that the air-conlditioning in (our build ing has not been t urnedl on be cause it is "too much trouble" and because, despite tempera .etter To The Edito, ident Evalu majority of students in England, but the petty restrictions on the USC campus destroyed the idea of freedom. In sum then, the people of South Carolina are among the friendliest I have met, but USC unfortunately doesn't in still in the student the kind of qualities that a British univer sity does-ones that I person ally feel are of more use in later life. It has many admirable at tributes, and perhaps my criti. Our Mai Whom should I bump in Richard Nixon. Which isn't o whole wide world these days major problems facing mankii nomination next year. Touring the world, of co image as the only Republican perience in foreign affairs. I town papers would kindly r world. And that's a problem. * * At least, it certainly was arrived and held an airport he said he was glad to be newsmen envisioned banner GLAI) TO BE IN RUSSIA.' grazing conditions in Afgha Mr. Nixon requested a face-to-face confrontation with Mr. Kosygin. Mr. Kosygin said he never spoke to tourists. Mr. Nixon held "an informal m eetin g" with us ace American n e w s m e n in which he said very inter esting things off the rec ord. He also said things on the record. And so it went. Ah, for the days of Khrushchev! Ah, Ah, for that glorious Kitchen De bate of 1959 which so en hanced Mr. Nixon's fame as an able champion of the American Way of Life. Ah, if he could only pick a fight. So for f i v e days Mr. Nixon went all o v e r Russia, button holing Soviet citizens with a friendly grin, a wari the impression, a large chit shoulder. "Hi, there, you w kitchen and go a couple of r you?" Well, you know how unco< be. "Peace and friendship," tU Nixon ?" The days passed. Mr. Nix< you could see him arriving ba wouldI say, "IIello, there, D)icl You been away ?" And then, on the very I Moscow, when all hope seen the American Exhibition of a few hundred feet from the his famed Kitchen D)ebate w would you believe it, a ga Soviet citizen named Mr. VTh on. Mr. Panov was dlelightful. ABC, NBC, UPI and AP~ wer What nostalgia! What a stor.v fewv paragraphs in the dailies 1 * * Indeedl, the event could mar can friendship. For instead o and embittered, Mr. Nixon wei And there's no doubt thi he will always have a warn1 Russian people. Or at least the man who did so much t( riticism Of D ture readlings, according to the calendar it is "not summer yet." We concedle that this may seem minor and und(eser~ving oif formal complaint, but it is our opinion that unnhecessary pihysi (al dliscomlfort inflicted by a housemother should be remedied. Since requests to our house mother have had no effect, we are rel yin g on the publ icat ion of our grievance to brin~g about the desired reaction. We realize that our specific prob,le,m affects onfly 180 people on this large' campus, but we also realize that eve.ry coed l iv ing in a dormitory and every man who communicme with.. ates USC cisms are unfair. I should like very much to hear any replies to, or defence of, these criticisms, and for this reason I would ask you to publish this letter in part or in toto, and invite replies. I should add that America intrigues me, and that I look forward very much to my re turn. Many thanks for the oppor tunity of unburdening myself. I hope you will find time and space for publication. PETER SHELLARD Hoppe By Arthur Hoppe to here in Moscow but Mr. dd. Mr. Nixon is touring the in order to help solve the id. Like how to win the GOP irse, reinforces Mr. Nixon's candidate with a whit of ex t does, that is, if the honme eport that he's touring the * here in Russia. Mr. Nixon press conference in which here. The local American headlines saying, "NIXON And they filed stories on nistan instead. HOPPE n handshake and, you got i hopefully perched on his ouldn't care to step in the Dunds for television, would perative these Russians can ey'd say. Or, worse, "Who's in kept smiling gamely. But ek in New York and friends . Ilaven't seen you aroundl. ast day of his Mission to ed lost, Mr. Nixon visited Indust rial D)esign -only very spot where he'd had ith Mr. Khrushchev. And, nerous, kind, cooperative dimir Panov, 59, took him Mr. Nixon was magnificent. te present. What a setting! I can only hope it rated a ack home. k a new era in Soviet-Ameri leaving Moscow frustrated t away happy as a clam. A if he's elected President spot in his heart for the for Mr. Vladimir Panov, make it all possible. orm Mothers co,ed( living in a dormitory is s.ubI ject to the occasional tyranny of a housemother. We say "tyranny" because we consider it lamentable that women who are considetred( mature enough to attend an institution of higher learning should be subjected to ridicil lous rules, unfair restrictio,t5 and the whims of impersonlh and insensitive housemot hers. Since our particular problemh is a result of this outdatedl system, we feel that it merits consideration as one mpre rea son to alter a system so ung mistakably prejudiced againist the women of Carolina. NAMES5 WITHHIEI,D HY noII QI T