The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 37, No. 3, Ed. 1 Friday, October 7, 1949 Page: 2 of 8
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Two
THE THRESHER
Parking
On page four of this issue, there is a list of the parking rules
which everyone received upon registering this fall. Those rules are
being violated regularly.
Last year, faced with the same problem, namely, how to get
trucks to and from the construction areas, Dean Cameron solved it
simply, but rather brutally. He levied fines, two dollars for a second
offense, ten for a third. It is rather surprising to note that several
people contracted and paid the ten dollar fines. How can Rice, with
its supposedly high standards of intelligence, contain students stupid
enough to commit the same error not twice, but three times, knowing
full well the consequences?
Dean Cameron does not want to fine students. He does not
get to keep the money. He wants to cooperate and to receive
cooperation in return. *
J hus, this matter, like so many others, is in the hands of the
individual students. It can be settled without undue harshness, but
only by the students themselves. Experience in past years with this
type of problem leaves small hope that the student body will go
unfined all year, no matter how high the fine, or how close the
parking lots. It would be gratifying to be pleasantly surprised for
a change.
7HEK/CE m 7MSSMX
Entered as second class matter, October 17, 1916, at the Post Office,
Houston, Texas, under the act of March 3, 1879.
Subsc ription Rate $1.00 Per Year
Represented by National Advertising Service, Inc., 420 Madison Ave., New York City,
f ublished every l riday of the regular school year except during holiday and
examination periods by the students of the Rice Institute. Editorial and
Advertising offices are in the Fondren Library on the campus.
Temporary Editor Emmett McGeever
Business Manager Tom Smith
Assistant Business Manager Ernest Voss
Associate Editor Werner Grunbaum
News Editor Ruey Boone
Editorial Advisors Bob Mcllhenny, Finis Cowan
Sports Editor Howard Martin
Assistant Sports Editor Ted Lockhart
Society Editor Marty Gibson
Make-up Staff Allyce Tinsley and Harold Melnick
Reporters Betty McGeever, Ted Cornelia, Pat Byrne,
George Hink, Dewey Gonsulin, Lee Mary Parker, and Will-
iam Hobby.
Campbell Maintains Freshmen Need
Assistance In Getting Acquainted
To The Editor:
Allow me to congratulate you on
your fine editorial concerning the
hazing of freshmen at the Rice In-
stitute; however, I think that you,
either by accident or intent, neglect-
ed to discuss a few points of the
Guidance Program that are more
important to the freshmen than the
"degradation of being beaten and
performing menial tasks."
Look at the freshman; he comes
to Rice directly from high school.
He is probably away from home
for the first time in his life. "He
has few or no close friends <*i the
campus. A stranger in a strange
town and he can't help but feel a
little bit lost.
Now comes along the "mentally
undeveloped and cowardly" Guid-
ance Committee. They herd the "free
born, spirited American" into
groups, shout instructions at them,
and then apply the business end of
a broom to their posteriors.
These instructions they shout at
the freshmen. What are they? Get
the names .of three hundred other
freshmen—the high school 'boy now
has some acquaintances, if not per-
sonal friends. Wear your slime cap
all of the time—the freshman is
identified so that other freshmen
and upper-classmen can get to know
him. Shine shoes, make beds, sweep
rooms, carry matches—one year in-
vestment of extra time (at a period
when Rice students have the most
spare time) returns three years of
saved time. Not bad at all, the banks
can't do it.
Let's discuss this matter of
"brooming." To do this perhaps we
had better review a little history.
The beating and coercion of fresh-
justfiy its existence here at Rice.
Before the war physical humilia-
tion and beatings were treated as a
competitive £ame between the fresh-
men. The reward for excellence in
the art of deep knee bends, duck-
walking, hitting the crucible with
a moth ball, etc., was the honor of
carrying Sammy to the football
games, sitting on the sidelines and
being able to see the gamfe from the
best vantage point. You will prob-
ably snort at my usage of the word
"honor" in conjunction with carry-
ing 100 pounds of stuffed owl, but
I still recall the pride I felt as I
staggered along under Sammy that
I was the best freshman in East
Hall for that particular week. You
consider it an honor to work on the
Thresher staff, yet your job takes
considerably more effort.
The broom was the freshman's
weapon of defense. At the first
prayer meeting, the freshman was
introduced to the broom and its
double usefulness. From that time
on, an upperclassman could hit a
freshman only when challenged by
that freshman to "swap licks." In-
cidentally if you have ever been hit
by a broom, you will know that
it merely stings a little, and that
the sensation soon goes away. A
lick that was laid on in a manner
that could be bruising received two
in return from the bruised man.
I will readily admit that the
freshman guidance of today is not
ai I have shown it was before the
war. However, you must realize that
the system just described was evolv-
ed over a period of years, and de-
signed (though I am sure you won't
believe this) for the benefit of the
freshmen. As you so ably pointed
men is as old as the institutions of | out in your editorial, the salve for
learning, but this, I grant, does not | (Continued on page 3)
Letters , To Editor
Writer States Why
Ellis'Broomed' Him
To the Editor:
While reading the last issue of
The Thresher, I came across a ref-
erence to an incident in which Mr.
Jim Ellis, Chairman of the Honor
Council, administered two broom
licks to a Freshnian student during
one of the Monday night section
meetings. I was the other person
mentioned and the impression which
the article leaves does not seem to
be entirely accurate. Jim Ellis knew
exactly what the offense was and
he knew that I had done it. In my
opinion I received only what I des-
erved and certainly I was not trick-
ed into anything. I have the highest
respect for the Chairman of the
Honor Council and the way in which
he conducts his business. I think that
this statement should certainly re-
move the inaccuracies of the origin-
al Thresher article.
Sincerely,
EVANS WALKER
0
Writer Exposes Plot
To Mistreat Frosh .
To the Editor:
A brutal, un-christian plot to in-
flict physical punishment and, if
possible, humiliation on a certain
group of freshmen is being planned.
The plotters are not only cowards,
but are prejudiced against this
group. A great number of these con-
niving plotters are seniors, grown
men who should be ashamed.
Within a short period of time,
the varsity will take eleven of the
freshmen football players to the
practice field and proceed to knock,
maul, and generally mistreat them.
As a member of the Rice Alumni
Association, I demand that this be
prevented.
Respectfully yours.
JOHN BLAKEMORE
0
Jim Ellis Clarifies
Guidance Position
To the Editor:
I have always had the greatest re-
spect for the opponents of the poli-
cies of the Freshman Guidance Com-
mittee. This is because everyone has
a right to voice the way in which he
thinks freshmen should be indoc-
trinated.
If all of the approved points of
the Freshman Guidance Program
can be successfully carried under
the new student association law, I
wish to offer its exponents my
heartiest congratulations. Congrat-
ulations to all except Raylnond
Lankford who, in order to further
his cause, stooped to the point of at-
tacking my character and exagerat-
ing freshman Guidance meetings.
I believe that Mr. Lankford should
occupy the residential halls for more
than one hour or two of one night to
see all the activities and benefits
of Freshman Guidance. Two or three
years would be more like the time
required to get over-all view of its
program.
It seems that Mr. Lankford was
too anxious in his visit to a Prayer
Meeting to pin an overt act on a per-
son. Such must have been the case
when he came to the dorms on Sept-
tember 26, because fully one half of
his speech concerning me contained
untruths or a misrepresentation of
circumstances. Lankford simply did
not bother to investigate the case
closely enough nor did he give close
enough scrutiny to all that was said
that night. I can't think that Lank-
ford would do such a thing intention-
ally. My conduct may not have been
above reproach, but that does not ex-
£
Politics Primer; Writer Guarantees
Full Understanding After Short Course
by Emmett McGeever
Students, entering college fresh out of high school, are
confronted with many new attitudes and conceptions. Not
the least of these is the stress laid upon national and inter-
national politics.
Most students, upon matriculation, have only vague, half-
formed impressions based upon
gossip, home conversation, and
the election-night fervor of
their parents. In college, however,
they will be expected to enter into
political conversations with interest
and information. A concise definition
of the more common terms is neces-
sary, and follows.
First, a politician. Politicians fall
fall naturally into two classes: Big-
Little Politicians and Little-Big
Politicians. Big-Ldttle Politicians are
portly men (big), who smoke
and kiss babies. They are the ones
who make the speeches, and the ap-
pointments. They invariably drink
large quantities of beer and per-
spire freely on the grandstand at
parades. The Big-Little Politicians
hold most of the public offices.
There are less of the Little-Bigs,
but they control more power. They
are small men (little), with modest
tastes, who live in large but riot
flamboyant homes, send their chil-
dren to private schools, and are nev-
er seen at public gatherings. They
usually have private incomes, and
so do not hold public offices. Most'
of their work is "behind the scenes"
or in the "smoke-filled rooms" where
they name the Big-Littles whom the
people are going to sweep into office
on the next election day. They are
mainly interested in power, not
money. They are the only people in
this country who know anything
about practical politics.
Secondly, we have local parties.
These are also divided loosely into
two categories: The Machine and
The Reform Party (The People's
Party, The Popular Party, etc.).
The Machine is the party in office at
the moment, which has been there
for years, or at least it seems like
years. It stays in power by stuffing
ballot boxes, condoning and taking
graft from organized vice, and
HOODWINKING THE PUBLIC.
The Reform Party, on the other
hand, is composed, to a large part,
of malcontents who are tired of see-
ing the other fellows get all the
graft. The residue is made up of
well-meaning but confused Ladies'
Aid Societies. Reforpi Parties hold
open public meetings, at which lem-
onade is served, conduct scrupulous-
ly honest campaigns, and GIVE
THE PUBLIC A SQUARE DEAL.
In small and medium-sized cities,
both parties are usually controlled
by the same group of Little-Big
Politicians.
National -parties are sharply di-
vided, and subdivided. Texans will
find it hard to believe, but there
are national political parties entire-
ly distinct from the Democratic
(long may she rule!!) Party. The
important ones are: the Republican,
cuse Lankford for making such a
verbal attack. I hope that my friends
know me well enough that they do
not believe all of the statements,
made by Lankford. I will give none
of the involved details here, but will
be glad to discuss them privately
with anyone.
The Honor Council takes no stand
on the freshman program. The
Council as a body is neutral on the
matter, regardless of the opinions of
its members. Therefore, I request
that its name not be mentioned in
future discussion.
In regards to the short speech that
I made in Student Council meeting
on Thursday, September 29, I would
like to say that it was not technical-
ly relative to the motion at hand. It
(Continued on page 3)
Socialist, Prohibition, Progressive,
and Free Erin parties. The Free
Erin Party is made up mainly of
newly landed Irish immigrants.
The Democratic Party is split at
present into the Southern Demo-
crats, and the Damyankee Fools;
the Southern Dems are definitely
in the right, and the Damyankee
Fools are pitifully mistaken, but are,
we feel sure, slowly seeing the light.
Democrats are nice people, just like
your father, or the man next door—
real, honest - to - Pete Americans.
They are trying to do their best for
all of the PEOPLE in this great
land of ours. They are sincere.
Republicans are dangerous; they
are trying to turn the country over
to the control of the millionaires.
This is bad. The last time there was
a Republican President of the US,
we had the worst depression in the
history of the country. Would we
like that to happen again? Never,
never vote for a Republican.
The Socialist Party is con-
spicuous by the fact that it always
nominates the same man for the
presidency, leaving one wondering
whether there is more than one
member in the party. They seldom
if ever have radio coverage of their
national conventions, and besides,
they always do the same thing, so
why listen?
Members of the Prohibition Party
are hard to understand, but it is
quite possible that there is a large
number of bootleggers in there
somewhere, .who have never quite
gotten over what the Volstead act
meant to THEM. We suppose that
the others are sane. If they weren't,
they would probably be locked up.
The Progressive Party seems to be
progressing toward Russia. It is
very cold in Russia; no one wants to
go there. This makes the Progress-
ive Party almost as bad as the Re-
publican Party, but not quite as
dangerous. The conventions of this
party always receive full radio and
newsreel coverage because no one
is really sure what is going to hap-
pen there. The party is headed by
a former vice-president of the US
who is trying for sixty-four.
Another pair of axes divides the
political scene into- four more
groups : Reactionaries, Conserva-
tives, Liberals, and Radicals. Re-
actionaries are- persons who don't
believe in the New Deal, telephones,
indoor plumbing, and the atom
bomb. They spend their time sitting
on wooden stolls, smoking clay
pipes, and ruminating.
Conservatives don't believe in the
New Deal, either. Most Republicans
are Conservatives. Most Conserva-
tives are Republicans, except a lot
of Southerners, who are Democrats.
(This is confusing to the political
neophyte.)
Liberals believe in most of the in-
stitutions existing todSy, and are
looking forward to some more. They
form the bulk of the Democratic
Party (except the Southerners who
are confusing). They are usually
optimistic, in a quiet way. They
smoke cigarettes, but not in holders.
Radicals will believe anything.
They have long hair, orate in parks,
throw bombs, and cause riots. On
the whole, the/ are not very nice
people, but they are very interest-
ing. Conservative psychiatrists tell
us that they have neuroses. This is
quite possible, as who doesn't?
This article will be followed by
one or two more which will clear
up the entire question of domestic
politics.
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The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 37, No. 3, Ed. 1 Friday, October 7, 1949, newspaper, October 7, 1949; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth230817/m1/2/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.