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Opinions
Editorials •
Class Attendance
Class attendance has fallen off as usual at
this time of year. It is becoming more alarm
ing to professors every day, and most students
still don’t understand just what is expected
of them rin the matter.
The University has no set policy concerning
numbers of free cuts a student can have in
each class Sometimes each school of the Uni
versity will have a policy, but generally it is
left up to (hi- individual professor. Many of
the professors either don't have any set re
quirements or do not inform students if they
rlo. At any rate they vary considerably from
one professor to tile next.
We feel that it would be much better for
students and professors if some definite policy
on class attendance could be set up for the
University
Koine schools around the country allow stu
dents the same number of unexcused absences
as tin* amount of credit hours the course car
ries In most eases this does not help solve the
problem of frequent cuts. Other schools did
away with compulsory class attendance. The
professors were instructed to put more lecture
material on exams and class attendance show
ed a remarkable increase.
We feel that the latter method would be
good at this University if applied to juniors
ami seniors, and the former would be a good
policy for freshmen and sophomores. Of course,
unlimited unexcused absences would eliminate
roll-calling and professors would not hnve a
good chance to get to know their students.
A definite University policy would definitely
be better than the confusion that now exists
on this important matter.
Capable Candidates
Tin* candidates have been selected, the
posters are up, ami the general election for
class officers is on the way. Students will go
to the polls Wednesday to select those who
will lead each class for the coming year.
All the candidates seeking office are capable
of serving the students well, and all the cam
paign promises sound appealing. It is the job
of the students to wade through the smoke of
campaign pledges and promises and decide who
will make the best officers.
Elections should not be decided simply on
the personalities of the candidates or on the
affiliations each can boast, but on the candi
dates who will do the best job and give the
students what they demand in a class leder.
We wish to remind each student of his pri
vilege to vote, and we ask that you consider the
political aspirants carefully and express vour
opinion at the polls on Wednesday.
Letters to the Editor
Editor:
As lenders of Independent Men, we feel
called upon to reply to questions posed by our
present class officers in their letter of last
week.
We are quite interested in seeing class offi
cers have responsibilities, but feel that respon
sible people will acquire responsibility rather
than complain about their lack thereof. How
ever, we hnve never, nor will we ever advocate
any “authority,” or “power,” as such, to be
placed in one student’s hand over another.
We. the Independent leaders, proposed, ami
got passed, in Student Council, the reinstalla
tion of gripe sessions. We proposed, and got
passed, a resolution that class officers admin
ister these sessions. We also recommend that
class officers help reinstall a ratting program,
and various other things which would, wc feel,
benefit the student body.
As to a voting seat on the council, we op
posed them because we don’t feel that “admin
istrators should sit as “legislators.” We can't
conceive of the President of The United States
asking for a seat in Congress, nor the Governor
requesting a seat in the General Assembly.
In conclusion, let ns say that wc are proud
to see this sudden spurt of interest and feel
ing of responsibility on behalf of our “present"
class officers, but we wonder why they waited
until election time to feel this great inspiration.
Bobby Ralev, Campus Leader
Independent Men
We Wonder . . .
When Georgia will begin giving enough
scholarships to the spring sports teams so that
we can compete on an equal basis with other
SEC sehools *
W ho will be elected in the class elections and
what those elected will do for the students?
Why so few students care enough to send
“letters to the editor” when they are given the
right to do so?
How big a success “Greek Week" will be?
When will the proposed coliseum be built?
tBhe Belt anb IBlacft
“You forgot to yield!
Joe Zellner
What’s Wrong?
The last ten years have seen the
United States become involved in
several ticklish and embarassing
situations. The policy used during
these critical moments has been
good at times but far from good at
other times.
The Korean conflict was the first
of a series of clashes with anti-Ameri
can forces. After the Korean issue
was settled, trou
bles began in Indo-
China, India, and
Berlin. Then came
the Israeli-Egyp-
tian feud, followed
by more trouble in
Berlin.
During this
period Communist
China was still bat
tling Chiang Kai-
Shek's small force on Formosa.
Other troubles arose such as the re
volution in Algeria, revolution in
.Cuba, trouble with demonstrators in
I’annmu, and now the most recent—
the embarassing tactics of Synginan
Rhee in South Korea.
Plus these numerous crises, the
Soviet Union issued a strong new
challenge with the first man-made
satellite to orbit and earth. This
challenge Jolted the U. S. and Its
people along with the rest of the
world. But has this awakening been
*nough to Jar the citizens of the
U. S. into facing the world situation
und leaving their air of complacency?
Many times the U. S. has backed
dictatorships in an effort to stop the
spread of communism, only to have
these same countries embarass this
country with unethical and disdainful
policies or practices afterward. Are
these countries showing ingratitude
or have we failed to get across the
fundamental ideals which we try to
protect, or is this Just another com
munist practice to humiliate the
United States?
The U. S. gives millions every year
in foreign aid, but some of the same
countries who welcome this aid are
the ones who gve this country the
most trouble. Cuba, for example,
enjoyed a thriving tourist trade from
the U. S. before her revolution. Now
she is having critical budget problems
after denouncing the U. S. Panama,
a country which has enjoyed much
prosperity since the construction of
the Panama Canal, recently showed
some alienation toward the U. S.
Is the United States Department of
State falling down on its Job? Maybe
more emphasis should be put on
educating these countries who receive
our aid on the democratic system
and the position of the United States
in world affairs.
I think we should pay close at
tention to our neighbors in Latin
America and South America. These
countries seem to offer the best
breeding ground for the world's next
totally new great nation. They have
shown much progress and seem to
be eager to advance. It would be a
tragic thing if we allowed Com
munism to move in and become
firmly entrenched on our back door
step.
Z\)t &eb anb ?B lack
DAVID PARKMAN
Editor
JOE ZELLNER
Managing Editor
LOWELL KIRBY
Business Manager
RANDY JAY
News Editor
Chris Fostfr
Ionk DeU.INOER
Lnu Count
Cin Lvro
Terry Hazelwood .
Carol bm
Becky Nash
Alas Wkxlkr
Ken Barnes
I/ORAN S MIT It
Howard Saunders
Photographers: John Stephens, Dan Keever
Sports Editor
Women’s Editor
Society Editor
Feature Editor
Assistant News Editor
-Assistant News Editor
. Assistant News Editor
— Assistant News Editor
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Colwell. Georgia Dixon. Carolyn Welch. Carol Case, Charlotte
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Sports Staet: Alan Wexler. Doug Hawley. John Newsome, Cary Williams
Frank Bernhard, Tommy Johnson, Jenny Warllck RrenHa’
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Alan Wexler
The Marchers
All was quiet in Hahira Wednesday morning
but in Seoul, South Korea, the capital of the de
vastated Asian republic, the action seemed to be
just commencing.
In Hahira the parents of a
student at this small Georgia
town were asking the school
board to fire the teachers who
paddled their youngster. This
matter seemed to them to be the
biggest thing since thp last presi
dential eletetion. But in South
Korea they were arguing about
bigger things, things that could
mean the beginning of all-out
hostilities once again.
Students and local agitators
streets of Seoul protesting the
doings of Syngman Rhee’s government. Rhee has
told the world often enough that his government
is trying to give the South Korean populace the
best democratic system in Asia, but now he and
his cabinet seem to be failing.
American pressmen have been “asked” not to
go into the capital until the situation has been
met with satisfactory measures.
Meanwhile, in Washington the U. S. Secretary of
State, Christian Herter, has told the Koreans and
Rhee to put down the disorders which are, in his
words, “unsuited to a free democracy.”
What the explosive street fighting can lead to
is the big question, but an even bigger one is what
we would do if we were those students in Seoul
or Hahira.
Do you think we'd be strong enough to pick up
guns and fight for what we believe in—democracy.
Or would we just be. content to sit back and let
nature take its course.
The sudents in Hahira seemed to think that the
former approach would be the right thing; there
fore, when their teachers quit because the school
board and parents were rebuking the paddling,
they began marching to protest this grievlous fault.
I don’t know if the students around the world
are just getting tired and seem to be wanting ex
ercise, but I think they all think alike. I think
all are truly interested in doing what’s right for
democracy whether it be a simple march in Hahira
to protest action by a school board or whether it
be a violation of election policies in South Korea.
Becky Nash
Pure Torture
Each time I see members of the "stronger sex”
attending classes in bermuda shorts, I wonder how
they have the nerve to tortue the unfortunate fe
males who are forced to wear the apparel “advised”
by University officials.
Many large universities throughout the country
allow coeds to wear bermudas to classes. Those
which do not approve of them for classroom wear
wearing on weekends.
I wonder how the men would
feel If they had to wear a rain
coat over their P. E. outfits.
And how about excursions to the
river now that it’s the right
time of the year for such out
ings? The University has become
slightly generous lately, though
many may not realize it. A re
cent release from "higher up”
states that coeds may wear ber-
muilas to the river "provided they conform to the
regulation requiring shorts to be covered with a
skirt traveling between the campus and the river.”
Why not just revert to the horse and buggy days
when girls covered themselves from head to foot,
winter and summer? Where’s the pleasure of going
anywhere in warm weather if a girl is faced with
the choice between a hot raincoat over what she
is wearing and an even warmer dress?
Bermudas are a fashionable and accepted article
of modern wear. They are neither a “fad” nor
a daring and provocative Innovation which must
be relegated to the obscurity of the dormitory or
sorority house.
I’m not advocating a major policy change, Just a
more lenient outlook on the situation. If bermudas
aie allowed at authorized costume parties, what’s
the difference between one of these functions and
ordinary campus social activities? I suggest a trial
period or something similar, with the responsibility
for adhering to the revised rule resting on the
coeds and doing away with the "raincoat checks”
by housemothers.
The only fair solution is to allow women stu
dents to wear bermudas on campus and off, even
if only on weekends, or to require boys to cover
themselves with a raincoat also.
Let s save the raincoats for the monsoon season!
marched on the
supposed wrong