The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 29, 1967, Image 13
Editorials Commentary
Friday, September 29, 1967 mbIa, South Carolina
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 designed 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 will be
made up at the discretion of the instructor.
What is discretion of the instructor?
Additionally, some departments are ap)
parently not enforcing the rules for attend
ance even in lecture classes. When informed
that on~e department has issued a maximum
four cuts per semester ruling, a University
vice president told The Gamecock, "Appar
ently they haven't read the rules."
The faculty voted the rules.
~.AL-L MEN ARE Pop
No Longer A
lash
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, a,iy 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
ire given added attention.
The booklet is entitled GASP-Gas Con
sumption, Aching Feet, Starvation and
P~arking Problems-which the association
~onsidIers major irritations for all students,
ommuting or otherwise.
Any studlent who finds himself suir
-ounded by GASP can find some solution
iere. It is a project from which all students
nay benefit.
SO ROW'CuO NO
RE1PRE SENTA-rIOA1
US TO Eta'Art
-atAMPus Tude~4+,
Question
RUSH
lDear Miss Carroll:
Fraternity and sorority life
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-Rus
By J. M. I
Editorial
Once again the myth of fra
ternity intellectual prowess has
appeared in The Gamecock in de
fense of first-semester rush for
freshmen.
Btacchus certainly wasted no
time in dumping the dregs of his
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 occasion.
Seriously, let us examine the
system as it now stands.
Each freshman must choose to
go out for rush, but what are his
motives for making an affirma
tive choice.
Far too often he believes he
is entering the "good life" of
instant wine, women, and song.
lie 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 (961-1026) on his
college boards in order to
qualify for rush.
This shows that he has the ap
titude to do average work, but it
does not measure his will to
study, the single most important
factor influencing a successful
college career.
The all-fraternity average is
higher than the all men's aver
age, but the independents have to
absorb most of the flunkies while
the fraternities are selective.
Now let us consider a de
ferred rush program. Scholas
tically, a deferred rush would
a I I o w freshmen who had
proved themselves, i.e., fresh
iien with a 2.0 average, to
pledge.
The desire to attain the 2.0
minimum average would increase
the freshman overall average and
reduce the dropout percentage.
TIhus, fraternities woul Ibenefit
with higher ave-rages, andl fresh
men woubtl have solvedt, to a
large dlegree, the acadetmic- comn
plexit ies of the Unfiversity.
Freshmen wvouhd have a hetter
chance to observe fraterni t ies,
andi vice versa. Before rush, those
going out for. rush should 1be
reqtuiredl to attendl an asesmly
n wh ich tIhe respIonsibhilities of
fraternity life amnd the meaning
of brotherhiood arie e-xplai ned.
The opening dlays of the first
semester are hardly the time
for a freshman to perceive
which are the stere-otyp)ed fra
ternities andl hardly the time
for fraternities to make intelli
gent decisions concerning neo
phyte f r e s h m e n. Freshmen
should have time to pass judg
mntt on fraternities and to ad
just to their new-found inde
pendence.
.John Carbaugh in last week's
The' Gaecc states that "there
A'ouldl he semester-long rushing,
-ither openly or secretly,'' im
ilying that the fraternity sys
em here is incapable of ethical
-ondutc t.
Under a dlefer-redl rush plan,
reshmen could not attendl fra
ernity functions on or off of
-ampus, nor could a freshman
raternize wvith Gre-ks off cam
Open relations on camp)us
would, however, be allowed, in
cluding i n v i t i n g freshman
p)rospe(cts to eat with fratern
ity brothers in the cafeterias.
Fraternities would be honor
>oundI to conduct fair rushing t
>ractices, andI the IF'C shoul
mpose strict fines and/or cuts<
n the legal size of a pledge class
'or infr-act ions. If, indeed, the<
;reeks are not honest enouigh to
enork un,ne such a sstem, t.h.,n
etters To
Thus, any action which would
better both fraternities and so
rorities should be deemed highly
desirable.
Because I feel that a system
of deferred rushing could and
would accomplish this goal, I
was greatly disturbed by the
remarks of Editorial Assistant
John Carbaugh in his column,
h Rush
IITCHMAN
Assistanl
it is a sad commentary on the
ethical stature of USC fraterni
ties.
I challenge the IFC to try a
deferred rush on a trial basis in
hopes that the organization itself
will benefit.
Each fratern;y stands to
loose fall pledge dues, but each
stands to gain a better brother
hood.
Each freshman would be al
lowed e.tra valuable time to
make a choice which has an
extremely important bearing on
his academic and social well-be
ing in his future at USC.
A level-headed freshman will
not be pressured into making a
rash decision on a matter of such
importance.
Remember, freshmen, those
smiling, hand-shaking Greeks
will be your brothers-look
them over well. Chances are
there is a fraternity which
meets your needs, but be sure
you pick the right one.
In the rush of rush, don't make
a mistake which could make your
next three and one-half years
miserable. If a fraternity wants
you that badly now, they cer
tainly won't turn you away four
months from now.
Our Man Hoppe
Sir Ron
OUR MAN IOPPE
By Arthur Hoppe
All right, children, climb up on
daly's knee and he'll tell you
another fairy tale about Sir Ron
aId of Holyrood. Let's see. How
about Sir Ronald's awesome bat
tle with the fruminous Budget.
Ooo, it's scary! Try not to shriek
inl dIaddyI's ear.
Well, as you remtembenr, Sir
Rontaldl had vanquished the Evil
Governor, fr-eed the Golden State
andl banishedl the Wickedl Wizardl
fronm the Castle of Cal.
And so it was that he buckled
on his famed Swinging Sword,
mounted his white charger and(l
set off on the most dlangerous
(Iuest of all--to penetrate Tfhe
Thorny Tlhicket of Legislature, in .
whose tangled dlepths dwelled
T'he Unruh, feared by one andl
by all.
"I know you will follow me,
Sancho," said Sir Ronald confi
lently to his faithful squire, San
ho Nofziger. "For you have
)urity, decency and righteous
iess in your heart."
"And," muttered Sancho with
isigh as he clambered ab)oardl
uis donkey, ''rocks in my head."''
H ardly had the two compan
ons roundled the first b)endl in
l'he Thorny Thicket thain a huge,
nde4scrib)ale shape loomed up in
hei gloom.
"'Quick, Sire, flee.!'' cried( San
ho in alarm. ''We are face to
acre with a I tudget!'"
'"What, Sancho,'' saidl Sir Ron
Lid, bravely standing htis gr-oundl,
'is a ltiudge 4?"
"Oh, Sire," said Sancho, falling
o htis knees, ''the 1tudge't is a
-ast , incomplrehensib,le thing that
hrives in this turgid murk.''
"Hlola, liudget, yiel!'' criedl A.
ir Ronal. "'For to~ save' mty peo
dIe from be4'ing squashed by youlr S
oat hesome biulIk, I shall lopj off 1
t(tt h of your flabby fat andl A
rimt you dlown to size.'' A
No soone r had Sir Ro'naldl F.
Irawxun hiis Swtinging Swordl than S
he' air was filled with piteous l.
ries and he'artrending groans. (
'"What manner of strange crea- A
ure is this?" asedir Ro,.nal.d n
The Editc
"Rush, One More Time" in last
week's The Gamecock.
Mr. Carbaugh discussed first
what he felt to be four positive
aspects of the present rush sys
tem. First, each student must
choose to go out for rush. Obvi
ously, this same "positive aspect"
holds true for any deferred rush
system since a student can
hardly be forced to participate.
Secondly, Mr. Carbaugh feels
that under the present system
each freshman or upperclassman
must demonstrate that he or she
is academically mature and capa
ble of participation by making a
rank of five on the entrance
exam or by achieving a 2.00 or
2.25 GPR.
However, under a deferred
rush system, a student must
not demonstrate, but prove, his
or her academic maturity and
capability after a full semester
of college work, thus a highly
desirable plus for the deferred
rush system.
Thirdly, Mr. Carbaugh con
tends that the present system
aids the pledge in adjusting to
college life, for example, by re
quiring participation in study
halls. On the other hand, a de
ferred rush allows the student
to make the adjustment to col
lege life first, before venturing t
into the demanding fraternity or
sorority life.
As for the study halls, study t
should be individual in nature,
not forced, and if a pledge re
quires study halls to pass, how 1
an Mr. Carbaugh state that the
pledge must truly have demon
,trated academic maturity and
-apability--an obvious contradic
Lion.
Fourthly, Mr. Carhauugh feels
that the present system aids
the a c a d e m i e atmosphere, r
using as proof the fact that
fraternity and sorority men t
and women have better aver- t
ages than non-fraternity and
aid Of Ho
is Sancho covered his ears and
owered. "I have not struck a
>low, yet already we are knee
leep in blood and tears. Do peo
>le love the Bludget so?"
"Oh, no, Sire," said Sancho.
'All abhor it. But everyone loves
ome part of it. And each fears
ou will wound the one he loves."
Now~ what are you crying for,
h ild ren ? Tlhe Bludget ? For good-q
ess sakes, dlon't wor abou01t the
~udget. It's a very magical
east. Andl the more' Sir Itonald
lices at it, thle b)igge'r it will
cr(Iw. So) that a fter the awful
at tIe it will he bigger and fat
er than ever. 1 lonest.
What do0 you me'an you do'n't
elieove dalddy ? TIhe trouble with
'o k ids is you dlon't have any
aith in fairy tales.
(Our Man IIloppef iS syndica ted
atlionally~ byI (Chron ice Featture's
yndl(icaite. San Fra ncisco, (Calif.)
ek Iis pu lf m T . a o he Ga eok i a tulents of il
ThiesrTe G amecock a r e ., to ato isit t
EDIITOIt-IN
Ginny Cai
ASSOCI ATE
D)on (Caugi
HUSINESS MANAG~EII
Mary WV. McMillan
S5'T. MIANAGING EDITOHt....
FW'tS l1-:DITOl. ...........
PO)IITS ED)ITlOlt..........
IT'OICIAI, ASSISTANTS ... J
SST. NElWS EDITOU(S . . Mlona Gal
551T. SP'OITS EDIITORts.....
ACUI.TV EDITOIt .......
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XClIANG;lE EDITOR.......
D)VITISING; AANAGEI .....
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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
er 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. Carhaugh is defend
ng the status quo and the fra
ernities and sororities of Caro
ina, I must assume that he feels
hat to these Greek organiza
ions the words "honesty" and
'integrity" mean something.
Even if Mr. Carbaugh does not,
am willing to trust the honesty
lnd 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
ny opinion, that deferred rush
vould he mutually advantageous
o the University, the Greeks and
he student body.
BOB SALANE
lyrood
HIOPPE.j
GGoCIf
on ale as t first erittor. The Game
ie I'nhersiy f Soiuthi ('aroilina w'eek ly
rily rifieit the views of the, ailministra -
le.
if the hiius'ell liouse iin the li', h raull.
. iV- - 220 ( Iitiess aunil A<iherf tiig
NatIional iiiuational At.he rhislig Sir
iiar $1 tier yeamr.
CIIEF
rroll
[SDITOIt
man
MANAGING EDITORt
Carol Mullinax
.. .. ..... ... Sally Zalkin
........... Mary Jane Benston
.................Carl Stepp
in C'arbaugh, Margaret Niceley
alt, l.yn Johnson, Greta Medlin
..leyward Addy, Jay Bender
.....Jimmy Wannamaker
-.-.-.-. .. .. .. Mike Krochmtalny
-...-.. ...Sherry Brown
.........Chip Galloway
...... ........ ianne Wilson
---.... ........John Roc'$:a