The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 55, No. 7, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 26, 1967 Page: 1 of 12
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Student power advocates lambast'in loco parentis' plank
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By JACK MURRAY
Thresher Reporter
"The idea of subjugating the
student to a continuous parental
influence through the popular
university influence is artificial
and non-realistic, both in terms
of living in society and getting
an education," according to
Terry O'Toole, National Student
Association Vice President for
Student Affairs.
O'Toole was speaking in the
Student Power panel discussion
held at Wiess College Tuesday
evening. Other participants in-
cluded Rice president Charles
Shanor; Jim Evans, president
of the student body at U of H:
and representatives of Texas
Southern University and Saoreu
Heart Dominican College.
In his opening remarks,
O'Toole traced the evolution of
the "in loco parentis" system
of university organization from
its English origins in the mid-
nineteenth century. The system
in its present form character-
izes the university as a legal
guardian designed to control,
influence, and protect students.
However, O'Toole indicated
that this concept is beginning to
weaken in the face of the new
student activism of the sixties.
Unconcerned Students
Noting that the greatest prob-
lem faced in trying to break
down the traditional barriers of
"in loco parentis" is that stu-
dents themselves seem uncon-
cerned, O'Toole concluded that
"the rights of students must be
acknowledged, but first they
must be made aware of what
their rights really are."
Shanor continued the discus-
sion with an analysis of the
means of expressing student
power at Rice, citing several re-
cent examples.
He explained that while ac-
tivist means—protests and dem-
onstrations — are often neces-
sary and successful at large
universities, the qualitative dif-
ferences in power application
at large and small schools has
made arguments and petitioning
more successful at Rice.
Shanor stated that while Rice
has not achieved complete stu-
dent or joint student-faculty
autonomy in all of the areas
expressed in the NSA summer
conference statement (e.g.,
women's hours, visitation pol-
icy, admissions, grades), much
progress has been made
"through channels."
Committee Action
"At Rice," he said, "student
power has rarely been asserted
forcefully. We prefer to work
the rice thresher
through committees.'
He indicated that some areas
under administration control,
particularly local partiality and
nominal integration in admis-
sions, will soon come under fire
from the student body and could
develop into major issues.
O'Toole questioned the advis-
ability of passive tactics saying
that going through the tradi-
tional channels served mainly
to perpetuate the "in loco pa-
rentis" system.
Evans then considered student
apathy, citing the difficulties
which campus leaders have in
trying to organize their student
bodies to take a stand.
University of Michigan
"When an issue develops at
the U of H," he said, "it's easy
enough to say that we're going
to tie up the whole campus if
we have to in order to secure
what we think we are entitled
to. But what happens when we
try? We're lucky if we can get
enough students to tie up my
office!
ically accept the idea that the
university should function as
an extended parental influence,"
Evans continued, "how can they
be expected to suddenly become
good citizens when they finally
are on their own?"
Shanor noted that at Rice it
would be impossible to declare
the SA independent of the Uni-
versity structure. The smallness
of Rice makes financial inde-
pendence only a dream.
The Director of the NSA's
Student Services Committee,
who was also present at the dis-
cussion, stated that many stu-
dents are actually led to believe
that they do not want the rights
that others are striving for.
They feel either that they
lack the maturity needed to
make responsible decisions for
themselves, or that such deci-
sions are better left to others
who supposedly know what is
best for them.
Thus they gain little actual
practical training and experi-
ence in the artificial canipu.--
an all-student newspaper for 52 years
"An awareness that students world, and are at a loss when
vol.
ob, no. i
ric:1 university, Houston, texas
t hursuav. october 26, 1967
are citizens must be realized
and generated.
"If college students automat-
they get out into the real wori
This attitude, he concluded, ca
not survive.
A creature called Dust (Jack Egan) prods the Hermit (Michael
Stone), trying to unlock his all-encompassing puzzle. The conun-
drum, presented by the Rice Players, is available for unraveling
nightly through Saturday at Hamman Hafl. Gordon Braden's
review of this production may be found in the Fine Arts section,
page 9.
Self-scheduled exams to continue;
latecomers will forfeit privileges
Dean M. V. McEnany this
week announced several minor
modifications in the procedures
for self-scheduling of final ex-
aminations, a program which
was initiated for fall semester
exams last year.
Beginning with finals for this
semester, students in courses
with enrollment up to 100, rath-
er than 50 as in the past, will
be allowed to schedule their own
exams. However, all self-sched-
uled exams in courses with 51 to
100 students must be scheduled
during the first seven days of
the exam period.
Also, for the first time stu-
dents in 200 level courses of less
than 100 students will be al-
lowed to schedule their own
Sophomores injured in pole cfi
As in the past, all exams in
freshman courses will be sched-
uled by the Registrar's Office.
Speaking for the Faculty
Committee, Dean McEnany no-
ted that the only serious diffi-
culty that arose from self-sched-
uled exams last year was that
a rather large number of stu-
dents failed to turn in their
schedules by the required date.
To overcome this problem, the
Registrar's Office will in the
future prepare a complete ex-
amination schedule for all cours-
es. All students who fail to turn
in their schedules on time will
be required to take their exams
in accordance with this sched-
ule.
By JIM DENNEY
Thresher Editorial Staff
Two members of Wiess Col-
lege were seriously injured
Tuesday evening in the tradi-
tional greased-pole climb battle
between sophomores and fresh-
men.
John Hays had three tendons
severed in his foot when he
stepped onto a piece of glass in
the slimey pit. Hayes was
treated and released from Meth-
odist Hospital; his foot will be
immobilized in a cast for about
six weeks, according to Wiess
president Tom Bertrand.
Bertrand stated that "Wiess
sophomores combed the pit
before the event searching for
objects that might injure the
participants. However, the piece
of glass near the edge of the
pit was apparently missed.
Ambulance
Hays returned to his college
after leaving the hospital Tues-
day night.
Greg Stock, whose father is
the South African consul in
New Orleans, remains hospital-
ized at the Methodist Hospital.
Witnesses at the scene Tuesday
said that Stock was unable to
move when the ambulance took
him away from the pit. Bertrand
said that Stock had been tac-
kled during the rough-housing
that took place.
The Thresher learned from
authorities at Methodist Hospi-
tal that Stock was feeling some-
what better Wednesday after-
noon.
Nothing Broken
Dr. Page Nelson, physician in
charge of the case, said last
evening that Stock appears to
have extensive bruising of the
rib cage and a sprained back.
There are no broken bones.
X-rays for possible damage
to spine were taken Wednesday,
but the doctor had not yet seen
them when this reporter talked
to him.
Nelson said he did not know
when Stock will be released
from the hospital.
According to Bertrand, the
Wiess Court has determined
that Stock's injury was an ac-
cident. At the same time, how-
ever, the incident indicates "an
unfortunate tendency of recent
Fun and Games sessions to
serve as outlets for personal an-
tagonism."
Because of this situation,
Wiess plans a thorough inves-
tigation of the present forms of
freshman initiation activities.
As for the greased-pole climb
itself, Bertrand goes on to say
that "the intensity of the ani-
mosity seems to be inversely
proportional to the viscosity of
the mud."
Hanszen Postpones
Hanszen College president
Julius Sensat told the Thresher
that that college's greased-pole
climb has been postponed at
least "until all glass is removed
fi'om the pit."
Speaking for Baker, Sandy
Mueller said that there will be
no greased-pole climb this year
in his college "because people
are getting hurt (in initiation
rites) both at Rice and at Bay-
lor."
Fun and Games
Mueller said that a decision
whether or not to go ahead with
the "polar-bear races" will be
made either Thursday or Fri-
day.
"Polar-bear races," part of
the so-called "Fun and Games"
revolving around freshman ini-
tiation in three of the four
men's colleges, see entering stu-
dents in undershorts being push-
ed around on blocks of ice.
When told of the Wiess inci-
dent, Will Rice president Chip
Novotny said that the injuries
point out clearly what can hap-
pen in such initiation activities.
Novotny feels that personal
safety is too much to pay for
college unity." According to
present Will Rice policy, no
freshm^ji is "required to earn
his position in the college."
A person is a full member of
WRC when he receives the letter
of selection. "The Will Rice tra-
dition," continued Novotny,
"says that such activities as
pole climbs are not an integral
part of a university education."
PBKtaps 26 seniors
Twenty-six seniors have been tapped for membership in the
Rice Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, Dr. Sanford W. Higginbot-
ham, Chapter Secretary, has announced.
Hanszen leads the Rice contingent with eight members
elected; Jones follows closely with seven. Nine of the students
are math majors. Four are majoring in English, and 11 others
are majoring in a scientific discipline.
Those elected to Phi Beta Kappa are:
George Walter Bright, Will Rice, Math
James Samuel Cohen, Will Rice, Physics
Kenneth Earl Dahlberg, Hanszen, Math
George Logan Farrington, Will Rice, Chemistry
Albert Lewis Ford, Will Rice, Chemistry
Patricia Ann Genre, Jones, Chemical Physics and Math
Robert Douglas Gillette, Baker, Chemical Engineering
Clark Red Gregg, Hanszen, Biology
Margaret Mary Hartzel, Jones, Math
Leslie Ann Helfrich, Brown, Biochemistry
Lynette Henry, Jones, French
Patrick Henry Hollifield, Hanszen, German and Classics
Henry Grady Hughes, Hanszen, Physics and Math
John Allan James, Baker, Economics
Mary Susan Jatzlau, Jones, English
Kendra Lee Jensen, Jones, English
Patricia Marie Lesko, Jones, Chemistry
John Willard Morgan, Hanszen, Math
Joseph Lyle Stanhope St. Amant, Will Rice, Biology
James Ralph Schreiber, Wiess, Biology
Julius Odon Sensat, Hanszen, Philosophy and Math
James Carl Thorpe, Hanszen, Math
Stephen Wallace, Hanszen, German
Mark Scott Webb, Baker, English
Max Alan Webb, Baker, English
Carol Virginia White, Jones, Math
Only students who have taken a minimum of 90 hour of
liberal arts courses and 12 hours of language are considered
for membership. Students not majoring in the liberal arts are
eligible if they meet this requirement. t
Selection is based primarily on the student's cumulative
grade-point average. Character is also considered, "though
usually only in a negative sense," said Higginbotham. The Rice
chapter has limited itself to electing a maximum of 10 percent
of the B. A. graduating class to Phi Beta Kappa each year.
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Hancock, Darrell. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 55, No. 7, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 26, 1967, newspaper, October 26, 1967; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245011/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.