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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 1953)
Page 2 THE BATTALION Friday, May 1, 19'53 FRANKLY SPEAKING Academic Freedom Aids I Everyone, Including You (Last in the series of three articles on Academic Fx*eedom — its meaning and concern to every American.) By FRANK N. MANITZAS Battalion Co-Editor A &M COLLEGE is no different from other state /V colleges and universities in the respect that the governing factor in the administration’s policy is the attitude of the people of Texas. However, the majority is not always correct and it is idiotic for one to assume that the Legislature can produce a better system of higher education through its latest venture: whether or not to ban or brand or list all subversive authors or literature in the state’s libraries. Because of such actions, one finds it impossible to limit Academic Freedom as a term which applies only to the professors in universities and colleges and the teachers in the public schools. One might say that Academic Freedom literally means liberation from restraint, and from imprison ment for those pertaining or belonging to a univer sity or college. Students, administrators, professors and even the owners—the people of Texas, are connected with the state colleges and universities. Consequently, Academic Freedom directly and indirectly affects everyone. Breaking it down, here’s what we feel it means: To professors and instructors, he can: Know he is “right, then go ahead,” and answer any question on Democracy, or Communism, or Fascism, whether he be in the mathematics, Eng lish, history or any other departments, and be safe from persecution. Give his opinions on any controversial subject and explain to the students that these are his views and encoruage the students to check other references to form their own opinions. Be with students after hours and speak inform ally, whether’ at a local beer hall, a fraternity or company party, or a church picnic, yet remember to act respectfully so as not to bring discredit to his profession or institution. Be more than an echoing “yes” for administra tive action which concerns him. To the administrator, he can: Execute his duties freely, abiding to the laws and regulations under which he took his position. Encourage speakers to his campus on controversial subjects, striving always to have informers from both sides to explain their views. Place responsible persons to positions and allow them to dictate policy within the original set limits. Run an open-book policy, and give the public, his instructors and professors and students the complete discourse on administrative matters. To the student, he can: Ask questions of anyone on anything and expect a respectful answer and if it is “no”, why so. Seek answers to problems, no matter their dis putatiousness and obtaining these through the guid ance of school officials. Conduct research freely and have access to any literature that he may judge for himself. Expect encouragement from the institution to in quire and fill* a promoted and continuous quest for knowledge. Know the operation of his institution, similar in stitutions; his church other churches; his govern ment, other governments with the help of his school. Opinionize truthfully and freely in all school pro blems. To The State and National Governments, They Can: Enter academic circles only for the purpose of supplying necessary funds to improve the educa tional abilities of institutions and to further re search. Promote better relations between the schools and public they each represent. See that freedom always exists to administrators, to instructors and to students in order that each can carry out his duties. Never seize or overpower an educational institu tion or initiate “witch hunts” without the consent of the institution. Encourage institutions to teach the advantages of free people and show comparisons with the people of other governments To the Public, it can: Learn how its educational institutions operate. Be informed on new methods of instruction being- used to further the intelligence of the nation. Told how their money is used in these educational institutions. Be treated with respect, both as parents of the students and as the owners of the schools. Summing it up, Academic Freedom means a free dom of ideas. Chancellor Albert C. Jacobs of the University of Denver expressed it effectively when he said: “The cornerstone of Academic Freedom is nothing more than the specific application of the freedoms in the American way of life. It must be preserved because the advancement of knowledge is possible only through the unrestricted questioning of old ideas and free inquiry into the validity and signi ficance of new ideas.” Faith in the preservance of Academic Freedom, in its promotion and assurance of its continuation through our heritage was shown by the then Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower and now President, who said: “All our freedoms are a single bundle; all must be secure if any is to be preserved.” Of all the freedoms, Academic Freedom, is, in deed, the cornerstone. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Pageant Flop, Not Sexy Shoiv Editors, The Battalion: Reference is made to your edi torial “Program Lessens Pageant Dignity” in The Battalion, Tues day, April 28. In editorials of the past you have. advocated that you be allow ed to print the facts and the truth, no matter how distasteful they may be. Then why don’t you ? In your editorial you are ob viously using the entertainment as a scapegoat for the “flop” of the Cotton Pageant. Why don’t you tall a spade a spade ? The Pageant was a flop because it was poorly planned from the be ginning, to the end. Mainly it was too long, boring, and just plain slow. Taking two and a half hours of paying public’s time by having them sit and watch an astronomical number of dressed up ordinary people parade across a poorly lighted gym floor is asking too much. In my opinion, this is why so many people left before the pro gram was complete. I think that I am qualified to express this opinion, for I was one of those who left. At 9 p. m., after seeing people parade in front of me for an hour and a half, I got up and left. Three quarters of an hour later I return ed and people were still parading across the floor. I grant you that the entertain ment was not exactly fitting for the attempted occasion. But let’s not blame them for it all. After a The Battalion Lawrence Sullivan Ross, Founder of Aggie Traditions “Soldier, Statesman, Knightly Gentleman” The Battalion, official newspaper of the Agricultural and Mechan ical College of Texas, is published by students four times a week, during the regular school year. During the summer terms, and examination and vacation periods. The Battalion is published twice a week. Days of publications are Tuesday through Friday for the regular school year, and Tuesday and Thursday during examination and vacation periods and the summer terms. Subscription rates $6.00 per year or $.50 per month. Advertising rates furnished on request. Entered as second - class matter at Post Office at College Station, Texas under the Act of Con gress of March 3, 1870. Member of The Associated Press Represented nationally by National Advertising Services, Inc., at New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Fran cisco. The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for republi cation of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in the paper and local news of spontaneous origin published herein. Rights of republication of all other matter herein are also reserved. News contributions may be made by telephone (4-5444 or 4-7604) or at the editorial office room, 202 Goodwin Hall. Classified ads may be placed by telephone (4-5324) or at the Student Activities Office, Room 209 Goodwin Hall. FRANK N. MANITZAS, JOEL AUSTIN Co-Editors Ed Holder, Jerry Bennett Managing Editors Harri Baker.. >_ City Editor Peggy Maddox Women’s News Editor Today’s Issue Ed Holder. — Managing Editor Frank N. Manitzas News Editor Bob Boriski Sports News Editor Bob Hendry, Joe Hipp, Chuck Neighbors /..News Editors Gus Becker, Bob Boriskie, Jerry Estes Sports News Editors Vernon Anderson, Frank Hines, Bob Alderdice,Al Leroy Bruton, Guy Dawson, W. P. Franklin, R. D. Gossett, Carl Hale, Donald Kemp, Alfred McAfee, Bill Rogers, Ray Smith, Jerry Sonnier, Edward Stern, Roy Sullivan, Jon Kinslow, Dick Moore, Lionel Garcia, John Moody, Bob Palmer, Bill Shepard Staff News Writers Jerry Wizig, Jerry Neighbors, Hugh Philippus, Bill Thomas Sports News Writers Jerry Bennett, Bob Hendry Amusements John Kinslow, Dick Porter, Calvin Pigg City News Writers Conrad Strejau Circulation Manager Lawrence Casbeer, Jewell Raymond, J. R. Shepard, Fred Her- nadez Circulation Staff Bob Godfrey, Vic Howell. Bill Young, Melvin Longhofer, Herman Meiners Photo Engravers Gene Rydell, Perry Shepard Advertising Representatives Dean Kennedy File Clerk 45 minute rest I really enjoyed the entertainment, except for being dis turbed by people leaving. But they had my sympathy, for I under stood the agony they must have been through. My main gripe promoting the writing of this letter is the tone in which your editorial was written and not the Pageant. It sounded like something from a so-called “yellowpress.” Typical phrases being: “Pro gram Lessens Pageant Dignity,” “Cheapening the program with supposedly sexy pei’formers . . “Agronomy Society could have used better taste in selecting per formers . . . ,” etc. In other words your editorial, rather than presenting the whole story, singled out the “sexy” en tertainers and attempted to smear them for the whole incident. From now on, how about pre senting all of the facts and not “cheapen” our school paper with such “undignified” editorials. In signing off, I realize that the vultures on the second floor of Goodwin Hall calling themselves editors, will surely pick my poor bones to pieces fox* criticizing them. They always do get in the last word. Teddy J. Hirsch ’52 EDITORS’ NOTE: In the edi torial you refex - to, we were point ing to the inadequacy of such a pi’ogram to fit into an occasion like the Cotton Pageant. At a less fox-mal affaix’, like Rue Pinalle, it might well have been in place. The Agronomy Society is faced with a x-athex’ perplexing px’oblem concerning the number* of duches ses in their pageant. We undex - - stand they issued approximately 150 invitations for representatives and had a x’esponse numbering over 220. It’s x’ather difficult for them to reject an entry after the girl has already been notified. The Goodwin Hall “vultures” will be glad to hear from you again if there is futher rebuttal. Alton Fuchs to Head Poultry Science Club Alton Fuchs of Camex’on was elected recently president of the Poultry Science Club. Charles Kamindiener was named vice president; Geox’ge Luquette, treasurer and executive secx’etax’y of the Texas Chick, Poult and Egg Show; Gene Rozacky, seci’etary. David Taylor was named to the Agricultux’al Couxxcil. FOR BETTER EDUCATION- ■5 Children Main Z uni wait, ElIWwiM First in Math Point in Saturday Bond Issue Vote (Last in a series of articles dealing with the building' of a new high school for College Station.) By HARRI BAKER Battalion City Editor A LL the facts and figures for tomorrow’s $385,000 bond issue election have been presented time and time again. The A&M Consolidated School Board of Trustees, architects, bond agents, education authorities and friends of the school have said that the plan will give Consolidated the facilities it needs. Robert Elliot Zumwalt won a 17- jewel watch Tuesday night when he took first place in the sopho more division of the annual Math contest. A sophomoi’e from Hallettsville, La., Zumwalt is majoring in chem ical engineering. Fix'st place in the freshman di vision was Herman Hoyle Keller, mechanical engineering student from Sherman. He xilso was awarded a 17-jewel watch. Second place winner in the soph- omore division was Travis Gerald Wunderlick, civil engineering stu dent from Houston. He was award ed $15 cash. Hax’old Gene Fox, science major from Slaton, took thixd place hon ors and a $10 cash prize. Wii® freBhlT:; Cloy 51. cal land is: Donali engines: won tliin man dr Thee, entries ■ scholaiv “ of the etc would li instead o sion. The a -j winners : Convoca:! But maybe one factor has been forgotten or slighted; the children of the community. It’s easy to get lost in the maze of figures and forget about the prime purpose of education. AZ Installation This building plan is not a goal; it’s a means to a goal. A school needs good and adequate buildings to produce top- quality students. Banquet Planned Klipple, (lepartnw; Prizes; vided by Kobert f. and thejj tics Arrij In the past, the people of College Station have been proud of their children, and justly so. Consolidated graduates have done above average work in most of the nation’s best schools. The people of College Station are all directly or indirectly connected with education work. Almost all of them have re ceived good educations themselves. It would be ironic for a college icommunity to fail to provide the means to give their children a better education. Vote Yes — For Bond Issue Hex-e’s a summary of the issue to be voted on tomorrow: Lincoln School for Negroes. If a majority of the voters say yes, the school hoax'd will issue $385,000 in 30 year bonds. Rausc- her, Pierce and Company has sign ed a contract to buy the bonds, at a little over 3 percent interest rate. The money will be used to pay for a 14 loom high school, a 600- seat auditorium, 13 acres of the Dobrovolny - Holick tract immedi ately east of the present campus and a general purpose room for The buildings will be designed by architect William Caudill, of Caudill, Rowlett, and Scott. The Texas Alpha Chapter of the Fraternity of Alpha Zota, agri culture honor society, will hold its installation banquet Monday, May 4, in Maggie Parker’s Din ing Room in Bryan. Dr. Carl Moore, agricultural economist for the Federal Reseive Bank of Dallas, will be the guest speaker. New officers of the chapter are Jake Landers, chancellor; Mel Ho- lubek, censor; Wesley Gross, scribe; Mike Sliman, treasurer and Roy Sullivan, chronicler. Outgoing officers are Gene Earl Steed, chancellor; Bobby Rags dale, censor; Charles Slone, scribe; Bill Huffman, chronicler and Dick Miller, treasurer. Three: are exp- J udging 2, said E- cultura! The p will be: Plaques five tear, individus 10 boys. The *. test will contests. ber. The buildings probably would be ready for use by September 1954, if contracts can be let soon after the election. By rearranging the grades in the new buildings, the school admini stration says that this program will take care the needs for the next four years. Tax Raise Will Pay For Bonds A x’aise in taxes has been made to pay for the bond issue. The tax raise is not an issue in to morrow’s election—the taxes have already been inci'eased. Most tax payers were notified of their new rate in the mail this week. The tax raise is costing the average tax payer ($2,000 evalua tion) only one dollar a month, ox - about a 30 per cent increase. Because a centi’alized campus is cheaper and easier to maintain, the school hoax'd decided against build ing a new elementary school. They plan to expand the bus system in both the rural and city areas, get students to school quick er and better. And that’s it. The voters of the community will decide tomorrow: Yes or no; better education, or worse education because of crowd ing. Remember the children when you Vote. The school belongs to the community, but the children be long to the future. The Texas Aggie Band and T H F TEXAS AGGIE Freshman Band PRESENT The Spring Concert GUION HALL May 5 7:45 P. M. 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