The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 49, No. 1, Ed. 1 Friday, September 15, 1961 Page: 2 of 6
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■THE THRESHER EDITORIAL PAGE
Itoattvu Of Policy
The Rice Thresher is, and intends to remain,
primarily a service organization, dedicated to
upholding the standard of good journalism, not
to being a crusading gripe sheet.
Our purpose is to keep you, the student of the
University, informed not only as to what is hap-
pening on the campus, but also as to wh^pis
taking place beyond its ivy-covered gates. Ideal-
ly, we should not only report this information
to you, but we should also attempt to analyze
the effect of this news on you as a student. This
process of analyzing the news we sincerely hope
to carry through, while remaining consistently
accurate with our facts, honest in our reporting,
and fair in our criticism to all concerned.
Politically, The Thresher will be neither radi-
cal nor reactionary. Call us liberal conservatives
or conservative liberals, we should still wind up
as approximately middle of the roaders. But
this does not mean that we plan to be indifferent
fence-sitters; on the contrary, this newspaper
will commit itself to defending certain ideas
when circumstances warrant such commitments.
When we do not pick a subject upon which to
harp and to crusade, we will probably be called
wishy-washy. When we do feel a subject worth-
while and try to call the attention of others to
it, we will surely be accused of wasting our
time. When we take a stand in any controversy,
we will certainly be called biased. Yet in all of
these situations, even though The Thresher will
back up its convictions, it will remain open to
argument.
For we believe that a college newspaper,
through the use of a provocative editorial ap-
proach, can cause students to react to written
opinion and take a stand—aye or nay—thus
drawing them away from their usual apathy.
In the final analysis, then, The Thresher is
responsible to you, the student body of Rice
University, to accomplish this reaction.
7Veic*me
The Class of '65 has stepped in to fill the gap
left by the Class of '61, but we would caution
this new class to remember that its shoes were
pretty Jngi-and jts shadow mighty tall.
The legacies which those who were graduated
last June have bequeathed to you, the Class of
'65, were obtained through long hours of study,
planning, trial, and of course some error, but
thanks to their efforts, you now have experienced
what they would have hoped was a most enjoy-
able and profitable FreshmatPWeek—one which,
unlike previous freshman weeks, could never be
referred to later as your most hellish week at
the University.
The Class of '61 has left you a revised cur-
riculum—the result of painstaking research,
countless interviews with students and faculty
alike, and studies of the curricula at other uni-
versities. Being members of the first class to
spend its entire four years at Rice under the
college system, last year's seniors also made a
comprehensive evaluation of the system, point-
ing out where improvements could be made but
generally commending the program.
The Rice University of the academic year
'61-'62 may or may not frighten and bewilder
you at first, Class of '65, but we feel sure that
you will find its student body and faculty a most
friendly and helpful group. Perhaps even after
these two weeks you have felt a certain fellow-
ship with it, just as later your common gripes
and problems will bind you ever closer to each
other and to the University itself. University
life may be maddening, even frustrating at
times; no doubt you will find yourselves eagerly
looking forward to that balmy June evening in
1965 when you can step down from the gradua-
tion platform, degree in hand, to meet the world
outside the hedges.
But if you are interested in taking advantage
of the excellent speakers, exhibits, and programs
which your alma mater brings to the campus,
expressly for you, her students, we can guaran-
tee that your college days will be rich, reward-
ing you in the years to come with untold divi-
dends.
We can not help but wonder what you, the
Class of '65 will leave behind when you finish
your studies here and how you will be remem-
bered to the class which takes your place.
The traditional welcome to freshmen is ex-
tended this fall to include Rice's third president
—Dr. Kenneth Pitzer. There are a number of
parallels between the class of '65, Dr. Pitzer,
and Rice herself.
Education, not unlike a business corporation,
faces the problem of realizing potential. There
can be little doubt about the potential of this
year's incoming group; Rice has great "raw
material." The machines which must prevent the
loss of such excellent material are being in-
stalled. Unlike past years, the class of '65 faces
the academic year with a sense of genuine op-
timism thanks to a revamped freshman week.
These are students with much intellectual curi-
osity who now seek to whet their appetites.
They should be given every opportunity to do so.
Similarly, Rice is a school with an excellent
potential seeking top-notch output. Not unlike
these freshmen, she runs a risk of losing such
potential because of a curious, process by which
old problems become fused into the word "tra-
dition." «
Dr. Pitzer and Rice approach their semi-cen-
tennial year together. The two of them, like the
incoming class, realize that youth is no longer
an excuse for mediocrity. In a sense, Rice is
gripped by a "freshman," pioneer spirit. We wel-
come it with open arms.
5KURITY/J
IMMMPHI
IF VOO ONLY KNEIdMfltt) STUPID
YOU LOOK STANDING THERE
HOLWNeTHATBlANWTT
BUT I SUPPOSE YOU DON T
CARE HOll) STUPID YOU LOOK
AS LONSASYOOfee SECURE..
(THATfc RIGHT...I'M SECURE)
V^IN MY STUPIDITY.' J
KEN CARR
Conservative Manifesto:
Meaning Examined Here
I am a conservative. I am not
ashamed of this statement—al-
though it is hardly likely to
make one popular in academic
circles. But I propose to
examine briefly what it means
to call oneself a conservative
today.
I emphasize today because I
make no claims to an historic-
al linkage either with conser-
vatism or liberalism. Today's
conservatism is often linked
with the liberalism of the past
two centuries. On the other
hand, I recently heard an inter-
esting, and somewhat con-
vincing analysis (by a present-
day conservative), purporting
to show that the Founding
Fathers were the conservatives
of their day, as well as ours.
This question I must leave un-
resolved. Frankly, our use of
conservative and liberal is poor.
The preferable term for what
I believe is libertarian. But
everyday usage insists that I
stick to conservative.
TODAY'S CONSERVATIVE
is first and foremost dedicated
to the concept of individual
liberty. Those things which fur-
ther this ideal receive his en-
thusiastic endorsement; mea-
sures which seem to restrict
liberty are just as strongly
opposed. The conservative re-
It Out
The Thresher welcomes your letters, to be
published regularly on the editorial page in
"Threshing-It-Out", but we ask that you keep
the following points in mind:
Letters are to be typewritten, double-spaced,
on one side of the page only. We request that
the length be kept down to 200 words, but we
also reserve the right to edit each letter when
pressed for space.
The
Thresher
The Rice Thresher, the official student newspaper of Rice University,
is published weekly from September to June, except during holiday recesses
and examination periods, and when! unusual circumstances warrant a special
issue. The Opinions expressed are those of the student staff and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the Rice University administration.
News contributions may be submitted and advertising information pro-
cured at the Thresher offices on the second floor of the Rice Student
Memorial Center or by telephone at JAckson 8-4141, ext. 221. . i
Entered as second class matter, October 17, 1917, at the post office
in Houston, Texas, under the act of March 3, 1870.
EDITORIAL STAFF
EDITOR MARJORIE TRULAN
ASSOCIATE EDITOR GRIFFIN SMITH
Managing Editor Eugene Keilin Engineering and Science
News Editor Fryar Calhoun
Editorial Assistant Jan Gordon
Feature Editor Harvey Pollard
Sports Editors Dick Park,
Milton Nirken
Senate Larry Moore
Colleges Charles Kipple
Politics Ken Carr,
Syd Nathans, Bill Lieblich
BUSINESS STAFF
BUSINESS MANAGER CHARLES WILLIAMS
Local Advertising and Circulation Manager Burton Silverman
National Advertising Manager Dick Viebig
Steve McCleary
Religion Phil Strange
Fine Arts and Entertainment
Herbert Garon
Photography Scott Morris,
Bob Warren, John Reavis
Cartoons Charles Dent
Faculty Advisor Dr. Donald Mackenzie
Demanding Experiences
In The Months Ahead
The editors of. The Thresher have given me this
most welcome opportunity to say hello to both new and
returning- students.
In a university we are all interested in learning
from the treasure house of existing human knowledge
and in exploring the unknown. Just as I, your new
President, will be learning more about our university
and about my new responsibilities, likewise those of you
who are new students will be learning about the univer-
sity and will find many new and demanding experiences
in the months ahead.
You are all to be congratulated for the excellent
accomplishments which earned you admission to Rice.
In the future you will be given the opportunity to pro-
gress rapidly in your studies with the guidance of out-
standing teachers. The pace may seem very fast by
comparison with your previous experience but it must
be so if you are to reach the frontier of knowledge in a
reasonable time. There will be the camaraderie of col-
lege life and the great personal satisfaction which comes
from superior personal accomplishment and from asso-
ciation with a university which is not content with the
average but y{hich always strives for the very best. All
of us in the faculty extend you our best wishes for the
year ahead.
K. S. Pitzer
September 1, 1961
cognizes that organized govern-
ment is necessary for the pro-
tection of liberty. Indeed, as
Thomas Jefferson said, "to
secure these rights (Life,
Liberty, and the pursuit of
Happiness), Governments are
instituted among men . . ." But
while the conservative re-
cognizes that government is
necessary for the protection of
liberty, he also sees that gov-
ernment can easily destroy it.
The larger the government
grows, the more real this
danger becomes. Woodrow Wil-
son said it: "A concentration of
government power is what al-
ways precedes the death of
Human Liberty." The keystone
conservatism is the protection
of individual freedom. How is
this principle applied?
CONSERVATIVES ARE con-
vinced that the capitalist, free-
enterprise system is the most
efficient economic system de-
vised by man. They believe this
both on theoretical and empiri-
cal grounds. Human nature be-
ing what it is, man works hard-
er (i.e., produces more) if he
is to be rewarded in relation
to how well he produces. Amer-
ica, by far history's most
efficient producer, has had a
basically free-enterprise econo-
my since the days when James-
town and Plymouth colonies
experimented with communal
living; approached starvation;
and switched, in desperation, to
a reward economy. In the past
decade, since she*wisely reject-
ed the recommendations of
Prof. Walter Heller (now head
of Pres. Kennedy's Council of
Economic Advisers) and turned
to a freer society, West Ger-
many's economy has mush-
roomed unbelievably.
BUT, EVEN IF "the free-
enterprise system were not the
most efficient, conservatives
would still favor it. Sen. Barry
Goldwater (R.-Ariz.) has so
aptly explained the conserva-
tive viewpoint here in his book,
"The Conscience of a Conserva-
tive:"
. . . Conservatives take ac-
count of the whole man,
while the Liberals tend to
look only at the material side
of man's nature. The Con-
servative believes that man
is, in part, an economic, an
animal creature; but that he
is also a spiritual creature
with spiritual needs and
spiritural desires. What is
more, these needs and de-
sires reflect the superior aide
of man's nature, and thus
take precedence over his eco-
nomic wants . . . Liberals, on
the other hand . . . regard the
(Continued on Page 6)
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The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 49, No. 1, Ed. 1 Friday, September 15, 1961, newspaper, September 15, 1961; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth231183/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.