The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 29, 1967, Image 12

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Editorials ometr Frkday, Sepember 29, 1967 " '' ''CPORI Cut A student is driving to campus to attend classes. He is in an auto accident and, though un injured, must wait for the police to arrive and report the accident. His car is damaged. He must remove it from city streets. The events following the accident tie up the student sufficiently for him to miss classes, one of which is a "lab" session. Another student has a religious holiday on which he is not allowed to attend classes or work. One of the classes is a "lab." Either hypothetical student could be cut out of his course for the one unexcused absence. That couldn't happen at Carolina? Two students in the same department have al ready been dropped from a course for miss ing a lab. New attendance regulations passed by the faculty last spring have been hailed as a progressive step-a step designtd to allow juniors and seniors more discretion without relaxing their obligations to complete course work. According to the now-in-effect regula tions, voluntary attendance is enforced in all classes above the 299 level. Below 299, freshman and sophomore courses. students are allowed absences equal to two times the number of weekly class meetings for courses which run the entire semester. Excuses may be granted for three reasons: Illness certified in writing by the attend ing physician. Official University business. Death in the immediate family. These new regulations and their intent are basically good--for "normal" courses that meet X number of times per week and whose students take X number of notes. But what about lab sessions? Art Depart ment classes are almost totally classified as laboratories. The rule of principal concern reads as fol lows : No unexecused absences will be per mitted for announced quizzes or for labora tory classes. Any such absences wi.l be made up at the discretion of the instructor. What is discretion of the instructor? AdditionaP".. some depart:ments are ap' parently not enforcir.g the ra:es for attend ance even in :ecture :asses. W\hen inf rmed that one department har- issued a maximum four cuts per seme~ster ruling. a Uiest v'ice president told T>' Ge.ock:. "'Appar ently' they haven't read the rules." The faculty voted the ru:es. A LL MGN ARE CE?AT ED EuALt. . No Longer Clash As we examine new regulations on at tendance a few things become very clear. On the positive side, the rules are designed to promote responsibility among students. They may also reduce to a minimum the mountain of paperwork required in sub mission of and handling of excuses. But the regulations are also very muddy, too strict in some areas to carry out the basic intent. University administrators have admitted the regulations are "stricter than intended," that changes must be made. But what of the student who observes a religious holiday, who finds he must cut a class for a reason not listed among the THREE? Immediate clarification is needed if both students and faculty are to be protected. But. The Gamecock was informed this week. immediate clarification is not possible. According to Vice President for Academic Affairs Ii. Willard Davis, any decision on attendance regulations must come through the faculty. Generally the Academic Advisory Com mittee (deans of schools) submits a recom mendation to the faculty who must then act upon it. The committee has not yet met this year. Total time from initiation of reforms to passage could take months by outlined pro cedures. We have one question: What happens to the student in the meantime? GASP A newly formed organization on the USC campus has published a bulletin long needed by Carolina students. The Town Men's Association's unofficial guide on places to eat in the University area is an almost-must for even the most oriented student. No eating or drinking establishments are banned. The guide simply gives what we consider an accurate analysis of places read ily accessible to the campus. A sample for one diner is "Food is good but service is slow." Specialties of the house are given added attention. The booklet is entitled GASP--Gas Con sumption. Aching Feet. Starvation and Parking Problems-which the association cnsiders major irritations for all students. comn'mut ing or otherwise. Any student who finds himself sur rounded by GASP can find some solution here. It is a project from which all students may benefit. S~O 4OW'CUM N~o 32EPRE SENTATIO?M A Question RUSH Dear Miss Carroll: b r Fraternity and sorority life d greatly enhance the moral, aca demic, social, psychological and cultural atmosphere of college life and should play an important role in the life of every indi vidual student. De-Rusi By J. M. 1111 Editorial As Once again the myth of fra- it ternity intellectual prowess has e appeared in The Gonnecock in de- ti fense of first-semester rush for freshmen. d Bacchus certainly wasted no h time in dumping the dregs of his u fraternal cup upon the idea of a deferred rush. The dancing eyes of euphoric freshman pledges sparkle with glee seeing their god rise to the ocasion. Seriously, let us examine the h system as it now stands. n Each freshman must choose to e: go out for rush, but what are his h motives for making an affirma- ir tive choice. Far too often he believes he n is entering the "good life" of r" instant wine, women, and song. i He finds the study halls helpful in some instances. but learning all the required pledge material and performing numerous "fav ors" for the brothers detracts from his study time. A freshman must have a rank of five (964-1026) on his college boards in order to a qualify for rush. n This shows that he has the an- n titude to do average work. but it y does not measure his will to t study, the single most important nt factor influencing a successful college career. The all-fraternity average is _ higher than the all men's aver age. hut the independents have to :oh.rh n,,'st of the flunkies while the fratern:ties are selective. Now let us consider a de ferred rush program. Scholas tically, a deferred rush would a I l o w freshmen who had proved themselves. i.e.. fresh men w ith a 2.0 average. to pledge. The .ies:r. t. attain the 2.' minimum as rare would increase the freshr...an ' rall a\trage and TVhus. frate-rn::- wo'.U. be.nefit ith hiih'r ..-'-an:r me.n wvu ::a.e-..: t a u. '. have a b--tttr e> ar.e'e to :bserve f ratern.t.eS. an..: v:ce versa. Before rush. those * co.ng out f r rush :-hould b requi red to atten.i an a,sndmily fratern.ty .f and the meani ng -f r.therh. i are *xplne. The opening da.ys of the first semester are hardly the time for a freshman to perceive which are the stereotyped fra ternities and hardly the time for fraternities to make intelli gent decisions concerning neo phyte f r e s h m e n . Freshmen n' should have time to pass judg ment on fraternities and to ad just to the-ir new- found inde pen de nce. John Car.augh :n last w'e' T ''ee c states that "there -hl e seme-ter-long rushing. ply. ng that the fraternity sys :em* here :s .ncapable of eth:ca! nduct. Un<ier a *i"ferred rush plan. freshmen e -u:,i not attend fra tern.ty funet. .ns on or off of :ampus. nor e..uld a freshman rraternze n t(;reeks off camr pus. Open relations on campus would, howeier, be allowed, in. cluding in v i t i n g freshmain S prospects to eat with fratern ity brothers in the cafeterias. Fratern.es would he honor A Mounsi to cr.uet fa,r rush:ng i pract.ces. and the IFC sh>u!.i opose str et f.v.s arn.i' cuts ;n the >gal s:ee a p:'sig.' class r .nfract.orns I". .r.:.-d.,r r;r..ds are nt h nest .rnough t. itters Jo Thus, any action which would etter both fraternities and so )rities should be deemed highly esirable. M Because I feel that a system a Af deferred rushing could and ti would accomplish this goal, I c was greatly disturbed by the o remarks of Editorial Assistant h John Carbaugh in his column, s h tl i Rush : i: TCIIMAN h sistant 0 is a sad commentary on the hical stature of USC fraterni es. I challenge the IFC to try a ,ferred rush on a trial basis in ,pes that the organization itself ill benefit. Each fraternliy stands to oose fall pledge dues, but each tands to gain a better brother- t' iood. Each freshman w\ouh,i he al Awed extra valuable time to ake a choice which has an h ctremely imlpo'rtant hearing on s academic and social w-ell-he- t< g in his futur' at USC. lc A level-heade,i freshman will "t )t he pr.ssured into making a sh decisi,n on a matter .-f such lportance. Remember, freshmen, those 11 miling, hand-shaking Greeks ill be your brothers-look V. hem over well. Chances are here is a fraternity w hich st neets your needs, but be sure ( ou pick the right one. ti In the rush of rush. don't make mistake which c uld make your 'xt three and one-half years iserabl"'. If a fraternity wants I iu that badly now, they cer .nl- won't turn you away four onths from n,,\w. )ur Man Hoppe Sir Ron OUR M\AN IIOPPE a, Hy Arthur Hoppe e All right. ch:ildiren. elimb: :p on knee and he'll t-ll ya t1ther fa:ry tae abiout Sir Ron d,iH lrf. .ts,e How :ut S.I Renabi's aw lb. m hat w\ ith the fru'i:n.,as uludget. <.e'ssary: T'rv ntl, t shri,-k 4.addy' l ea,r. WV. a 'y'u remember. Si. 41 -nad ha vanuished1 the F\.:1 . wen..fre'd the (;.4bien gtate 1 '.i 'anilhe the WVickedj W\,izar b" ,m the Catle 4f Cal. , An<.i - :t wa that he buckled his fat.i Swinging Sword. .-ute his white charger and tI toff *n the most diangerous fet al!-to penet rat e The b irny Thicket f! L.egislature. in Y' .se tangled depths dlwelled f ie Unruh. feared by one and all. I know yo will follow me. men. aI Sir Ronald confi n 1y o i fithful squire, San N Nfz ger. "For you have rity, decency and righteous Isin your heart." "Ad. mattered Sancho with .1h a he cl.a ') ered aboa rd nky rc.s in my heai." HarI 'y had the :vwo coampan raniithe first hend in hb'r"y Th eke'. than a huge. nihae ~ed up in ne sprhen .e fae 'ho V.' - n u K n an ea t. i:n g ra hat anne af ran t er The Edit "Rush, One More Time" in last week's The Gamecock. Mr. Carhaugh discussed first 'hat he felt to be four positive pects of the present rush sys 'm. First, each student must 9oose to go out for rush. Obvi usly, this same "positive aspect" lds true for any deferred rush sten since a student can ardly be forced to participate. Secondly, Mr. Carhaugh feels tat under the present system ich freshman or upperclassman ust dmonstrate that he or she academically mature and capa e of participation by making a ink of five on the entrance am or by achieving a 2.00 or 25 (;PR. llowever, under a deferred rush system, a student must iot demonstrate, but prove, his >r her academic maturity and rapability after a full semester >f college work, thus a highly lesirable plus for the deferred ush system. Thirdly. MIr. (':arhaugh con nds that the present system ds the' phl4'dge' in adjusting to 'lb-"ge life', for exapllple', by re iring part ic i)at io en in study llls. 1n the other hand, a de red rush allows the student make the adjustment to col Kv life first, befor venturing to the deman,Iing fraternity or rority life. As for the stuldv halls, study old he in diviiual in nature, it force'd, and if a pledge re lire,s study halls to pass, how n NI r. C'arhaugh state' that the edge must truly have denoln rated acad,emic maturity and pahility---anl obvious contralic >n. Fourthly. Mr. ('arbaugh feels hat the present system aids he a c a d e m i c at mosphere, sing as proof the fact that raternity and sorority men nd women have better aver ges than non-fraternity and aid Of H( Sanch,o coveore' his ears and w'ee. "I have not st ruck a w. yet already we are knee ale in beloode ande teat's. I) tee - leve the l'lulget ,o'?" " ih, no, Sire ,' said Sancho. Ii abh r it. Iait e\'ryone loves me palt ef it. A each fears >u will w,itilnie th, e' he love,." ''w wchat :ct'0 ytt e'r\ ing feet' beiren 2'l'c Th e ieadget ''leFt' geetee sake>. eiien't worr'ty aboeut the Ideiet. It'- a sery miagical e' o 'hat c after the aw'~ful Wh lat dee youe mce'an \ yu dont thin fair tales. 'I r' Mane H e' .e'ee yndeated. GA4 The G~amecock The Gamaec,cc Ginny ASSO)('I ATI D)on ('at HI SINESS MANAG,ER T.s'l'. N ; l:l''lS ton T. t'<lt l ~ ':pi1.llTli \)1 F:TV'l ll T i llt 1 sorority men and women. Since Mr. Carbaugh doesn' realize that these two facts are totally unrelated, thus eliminat ing any causal connection, and since Mr. Carbaugh forgets that to join a fraternity or sorority a student must have already dem onstrated some sort of academic maturity and capability, and since Mr. Carbaugh forgets that average statistics are meaning less when one realizes the ratio of Greeks to Independents, I am forced to disregard his line of reasoning and, thus, his argu ment. ' Mr. Carbaugh's negative as pects of deferred rush with which I haven't dealt are twofold. First, a deferred rush would overbur den second semester rush, but a deferred rush would only delay first semester rush, hence revers ing the light second semester rush with the heavy first semes ter rush. It would be no more over. burdened than is the present rush system. Secondly, Mr. Carbaugh asserts that a de ferred rush would produce se. mester long rushing both in secret and in the open. Since Mr. Carbaugh is defend. ing the status quo and the fra ternities and sororities of Caro lina, I must assume that he feels that to these Greek organiza tions the words "honesty" and "intrgrity" mean something. Even if Mr. Carbaugh does not, I am willing to trust the honesty and integrity of our Greeks. Even if semester long rush ing were to ensue, Mr. Car baugh has never demonstrated any undesirable aspects of this phenomena. In conclusion, I can only voice my opinion, that deferred rush would he mutually advantageous to the University, the Greeks and I the student body. BOB SAL.\NE )Iyrood t on .ste a' the firt e<t olor The GEm - t .tre $1,i r .t-t 'a rroll ' ED)ITOR gh man MANAGING EDITOR Carol Mullinax .... ....Sally 7.alkinl Mary Jane llenstonl *...............Carl Stepp John Carbaugh, Margaret Niceley G;auli. l.yni Johnson, Greta Medlin leyward Addy. Jay liender . Jimmy Wannamiaker Mike KrochmlanY Sherry lBrownl Chip G;alloway ...........D[iannie WilaOl" ..... .......... John RIoc 0