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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 4, 1964)
mmi A, Page 2 VALUE AND WHY: Required HOTC It's odd how people will react when they have to do something and when they do not have the opportunity to do something. Students particularly.- Students and ROTC (that stands for Reserve Officer Training ' Corps) double particuarly. Recently in the DAILY NEBRASKAN editorial mail have been several letters from offended students protest ing compulsory ROTC. Probably, it's just the Continued reaction to the word 'compulsory'. Maybe not. Neverthe less, it is hard to imagine such a reaction just because a student has to take two years of ROTC. Almost two weeks ago the Welfare Committee of the Student Council randomly selected 150 male students to answer a questionnaire about ROTC. In it was the state ment, "We are not asking for a yes or no answer to the question: should we have elective basic ROTC? We feel that the answer to this question is NO! In other words, the committee expressed an opinion and answered a ques tion before the student even had a chance to outline his own thoughts. Yesterday, Lt. Col. George B. Haag, Jr., assistant pro fessor of Air Science, and Col. Elmer R. Powell, professor of Military Science, answered these two questions: What is your department's position on compulsory ROTC and What do you think of the "NO" answer provided by the Welfare Committee of the Student Council (detailed above). Lt. Col. Haag asked to look at the first question from the standpoint of the cadets themselves. If it is a feeling of the society in which we live, he said, that compulsory ROTC is not good, then perhaps we should not have it. But, he added, the University itself and the Board of Regents, in particular, have definite reasons for maintaining it, one of which perhaps is that it feels that ROTC is a part of the educational requirement and that students, as cadets, can be rounded out somewhat and thus made better citi zens. If the program accomplishes this, he said, there is a sound reason for its existence as it is. Col. Powell explained the first this way: Compulsory ROTC is one of the ways land grant colleges responded after they had accepted 'Federal land. They have, though, long since paid back their debt in terms of leadership ob ligation. Any school can apply for a change of the system. At Wisconsin authorities responded to left-wing pressure and changed and at Iowa State a decision of the Board of Regents changed it. He continued that Nebraska could charge the require ment. A new program could be set up similar to Iowa State where students are required to complete 5 hours of mathematics rather than ROTC. Col. Powell added that he had just finished a talk to a central Nebraska adult group. Most of them had taken ROTC in school and although only one had gone on to become an officer, most felt they had benefited from the basic program. He thought that this ' adult wisdom, in addition to that of the University ad ministration, should be considered. Col. Powell said with regard to the second question that such a questionnaire is a hard thing to achieve and the committee should be commended for not being a dis ci edit to the state and school. He explained that legislation is in Congress now that is designed to attract the kind of student ROTC wants and who will satisfy national leader ship requirements. The purpose of basic, he said, is to help a man to a level of decision where he can decide whether to enter advanced ROTC. Lt. Col. Haag responded similarly. He said ROTC is required to provide a number of officers yearly and the core that basic provides is vital to national security. What these men .have said should be seriously consid ered before romping off to abolish something one has to do. ROTC, in reality, offers the student many opportunities. What better way to become an officer than while still in school? Compulsory ROTC How can one decide to go ad vanced when just out of high school with no taste of the service whatsoever? But, probably, it is a sad truth that these are not even the issues. Look deeply before citicizing and define the ' real reasons. It will likely be found that the gripe is that the student has to attend class two hours a week and wear a uniform another hour a week. Are three hours a week really too big a price to pay for the opportunities pro vided? Isn't ROTC really an integral part of education? FIRETRUCK: What Does It Jake To Be Innocent Or Mortar Board? By Arnie Garson What does it take to be an Innocent or Mortar Board? I don't really know and I don't think anyone outside the sacred organiza tions could tell me. The Mortar Boards claim a 6.5 overall average re quirement. That's fine. But how about the Innocents? The rumors are that they . require a 6.0 overall. Ex cept they will drop the lowest semester from the records. Except a unani mous vote can overrule a low average. Except that they won't drop the first semester junior year grades. Well, those are the rum ors for what they're worth and theyre not worth much. Even the Innocents them selves will admit the Uni versity exists primarily for academic achievement. In view of this, two questions: , First, why won't the hooded gentlemen state exactly what their scholastic re quirement is? Second, is a weak 6.0 (as the require ments rumors seem to in- . dicale in required) really representative of superior academic achievement? In regard to the first question, an Innocent recen tly told me in defense of not nielli ttttiiill.il Wednesday, March 4, 1964 publicizing the admission requirements that the past record of men selected speaks for itself, scholastic ally. I don't think it does. Since I have been college I have known some Inno cents who carried low five averages. If the group really, wants their successors to be re spected on campus as lead ers, why are they afraid to set standards for them selves and their successors? In regard to the second question, opponents of rais ing the average argue that good men might be elimin ated from consideration simply because they are enrolled in a more diificuu college. If this i s a valid objection (and I'm not yet sure it is), why not consid er men only in the upper third or quarter of 20 per cent of their class? Now I can see the de fense and even justification for a certain degree of mys ticism surrounding both groups, but I cannot see the justification for no in suring the campus that this group of men will al ways deserve the degree of (C'on't. on Page 3) niiTi,iniiti'iyiiiiiiiri -i in iirff- tit -i-t View horn The Right By Dick Recker This is the season for po litical prognosticating. Con sidering that this writer gave odds on Liston over Clay in the first round, per haps infallibility is not one of his credentials. However, on the basis of some expert advice, I shall venture some predictions. Recently this writer had the privilege of meeting Mr. Fulton Lewis III. This young man is a brillant and articulate champion of Con servatism. When we talked, he had just finished a ten day campaign swing through New Hampshire. He made fifty-seven speeches during this ten day period. Mr. Lewis, based on his first hand knowledge, gave this estimate of the New Hampshire Primary. The field is far too crowded for a decisive victory. Senator Goldwater's campaign had faltered at first but now is functioning smoothly. Bar ry will be the winner with nearly 40 of the vote. Rocky, with his lavish use of funds, has earned second, place. Lodge will be a strong third due, primarily, to his strength in Boston. A surprise will be Senator Margaret Chase Smith who will run better than Mr. Nixon whose campaign for write-in votes will fall far short of the 25,000 which he amassed as write-in candi date for vice-president in 1956. These views are quite differ ent from our press reports. The question, however, is whether the press is really giving us the facts. A na tional news magazine, for example had written: Gold water's campaign has all the zip of a snapped rubber band." This and other re ports are giving the Ameri can citizenry a false image of the campaign. One of the most cherished myths that our liberal press likes to preserve and pro mote is Goldwater's alleged ly poor appeal in the big in dustrial states. Let us look at the facts. In Illinois, Bar ry is virtually certain to win the primary over Senator Smith. By virtue of this vic tory alone he will have that state's 58 votes in his hip pocket. Governor John Rhodes has promised Ohio's 58 votes on the second bal lot in return for not running in the primary in that state. Governor Romney can hold his delegates for only the first ballot But what of the East which is often described as the heartland of Anti-Conservative sentiment. Senator Goldwater, in a daring move, is entering the June 2nd primary in New York. Publicly taking on a New York Governor for his own delegation is a move in po litical memory unparalclled for sheer audacity. The June 2nd primary is a con test to elect two delegates from each Congressional .IOHN MORRIS, editor,; ARNIE G ARSON, managing editor; SUSAN HMI1 HHKIlGKii. news editor; FRANK I'ARTSCH, MICK ROOD, senior staff writers; JKIiltl O'NEIC, MIKE KKKDY, Ah BRANDT, KAY ROOD, junior .stall writer! RICH ARD IIAI.I1HKT, DAI.i; IIA.IKK, CAY LEITSCHUCK, copy editors; OHNNIS llrl'RAIN, photographer; CHUCK SAI-FIM, sports editor; I'liG GY KI'KKCK, assistant spoils editor; 1'KKSTON I.OVE. circulation man fttier; JIM DICK, subscription man ager; JOHN ZKILINGKR. biuitien manager; B'M, OIINL1CKM, BOB CUNNINGHAM. FETE LAUE, busi ness assistants. Subscription rates $3 per semester or $5 per year. Entered as second class matter at the post office In Lincoln, Nebraska, under the act of August 4, 1912, The Daily Nebraskan is published at room fil, Student Union, on Mon day. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday by University of Nebraska students under the jurisdiction ol the I-'aculty Subcommittee on Student Publication, Publications shall be tree from cen sorship by the Subcommittee or any person outsido Hie University. Mem bers of the Nebraskan aie responsible lor what the.v cause to be printed. "m iit"ii,i"iTii'riiiiiiniri'r,rii' i District. The Goldwater for ces intend to battle for thir ty to fourty delegates of the ninety-six man delegation. Further, they intend to cam paign in that center of right wing extremism known as New York City. Never in history has an avowed Presidential candidate from New York State been at tacked on his home ground. This is a remarkable sign of the latent conservative strength of the Republican Party. Pennsylvania's Governor Scranton has run into a sim ilar grass roots revolt. At a convention in Allegheny County (Pittsburgh) five Goldwater delegates were endorsed. The most signifi cant point was that Paul Hugus, Allegheny County Chairman, was included among those endorsees, chairman Hugus is one of the Goldwater conserva tives whom Governor Scran ton has been trying, unsuc cessfully, to purge. The old adage that you can't beat somebody with nobody is holding true. The Liberal Establishment with in the Republican Party has yet to come , up with something to stop Barry Goldwater. Walter Lippmann can huff and puff but Big Bad Barry won't go away. Stone & Webster seeks engineers for & careers in heavy industrial construction. Graduates in civil, mechanical and electrical engineering can find excellent opportunities with Stone & Webster. Our heavy industrial construction projects include steam, hydro and nuclear power sta- lesgA 1964 75th ANNIVERSARY New York -.Boston Chicago Houston San Francisco Los Aneele; wn u- r Stone & Webster Engineering Limited-London. Stone &Webster Engineering S A-Paris St w WaSn,n6ton' O.C . Stone & Webster Canada Limited-Toronto . Associated Nucleonics IncG t I Engineerln N.V,Amsterdartl i inty --'iTrTFifr n ririiiiiiiiiriniiijiiiwri'- 'i ni " in 1 i ROTC Dear Editor: Arnie Garson's article in last Thursday's DAILY NE BRASKAN concerning ROTC should be read and mentally digested by every person on our campus, for indeed, ROTC is a matter that concerns all of us who are interested in the im provement of our university. Ask yourself these ques tions. What does the current ROTC program contribute to me as a student, as a teacher, as an administra tor? Does a course in mili tary tactics (?) really be long in a university curricu lum? How is ROTC benefi cial to our goals of higher education? When I first entered this university I listened in awe of what was expected of me as a student of higher learn ing. I would now need to budget my time intelligent ly such that I would re ceive a maximum of bene fits from a limited amount of time. I set up my budget only to discover that al ready I had an unwarrented amount of time, allocated needlessly, to military train ing. In the business, an un necessary part of a valuable budget is soon cut out. Since times have changed and this unnecessary part of the budget no longer contributes to the attainment of univer sity goals, I feel it too should be cut out of the budget. I submit another observa tion. No other department or college on this campus can draw upon over 60 of the students enrolled. With this potential, why can't ROTC command a greater return for its efforts? It is my opinion that we students do not wish to integrate two distinct and separate factors of our lives. Higher educa tion and military training should be separate. They are separate entitys. They should not be integrated un less the individual student feels that he wishes to do so. I have been subjected to two years of ROTC and I have made an honest at tempt to make a qualitative appraisal of the benefits I have received from these two years. Taking all fac tors into consideration, I a Gob 033$ CONTACT YOUR PLACEMENT OFFICE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION A STONE & WEBSTER REPRESENTATIVE WILL BE ON Umpik aJ if 11.. . ST0PJE 6 WEBSTER , Needs These Changes found that my assets had not increased. This was a sad conslusion wnen viewed the time and energy that I expended. But, when the Cuban invasion broKe, I ran for my gun. J. knew -1 could help. In ROTC I had learned that you need bul lets for a gun. Not only that, but you point the fun so that the bullets go away from you. I knew I could help. Any criticism that is to be of any value at all must be constructive in nature or it is self-defeating. It is with this thought in, mind that I respecfully submit the fol lowing changes to be made in the ROTC program: 1.) Make ROTC an Elective-let the individual de cide for himself whether he wishes to integrate his mili tary training into his higher educational efforts or keep them separate. This ap proach will raise the stand ards and effectiveness of a ROTC program. Those stu dents who then elect to take ROTC will be motivated by personal goals, not by help less submission. 2.) Modern ize the Objectives while the past is important in planning the future, the real goal should be to familiarize one's self with the present techniques of modern war fare. The next war we have could very well be decided in a matter of hours. We will not be concerned as much with "holding a posi tion" as we will be with to tal destruction, nuclear de fense, and nuclear fall-out. These are the enemies of the future. 3.) Take Advantage of the Opportunities Ex tended by the Other Col leges in the University courses in mechanical, elec trical and civil engineering; courses in math and the sci encescourses that Mill give a realm to the ROTC program. Courses that will give substance to its new objectives and meaning to its new goals. With this, of course, will be courses of real value in military train ing, tactics, and procedures. 4.) Professional Instructors -filter out "spoils jobs" and replace these people with professional, sincerely interested, and adequately trained specialists in the flk litk'iWrwtl tions, EHV transmission, chemical and petro chemical plants, pulp and paper mills, as well as a broad variety of general Industrial work around the world. A formal on-the-job con struction training program is offered to newly graauarea engineers. ' v, mfimi q mi wy)wii. im,,,, field of military Science When the student feels that the Instructor is sincerely concerned and familiar with what he is teaching, the stu dent will become more lert to its importance. There are many other suggestions that could be made but I feel that these four could great ly benefit the University of Nebraska ROTC program. ROTC could then become a meaningful and proud part of our university. A major objection to im proving ROTC by making it an Elective is that this will reduce the supply of of ficers. This is a Vity poor argument for these four rea sons: 1.) Advanced ROTC is not compulsory and this is the training ground for officer personnel. Compul sory ROTC does not in fact increase the supply of ma terial, but it decreases it. When the students on cam pus are subjected to the firsV two years of ROTC it is here that the advanced material is lost. 2.) I do not feel that it is the uni versity's responsibility to recruit material for the mil itary service. The univer sity's function is to "ed ucate", not to "recruit and train". We have the respon sibility of the military serv ice (SS) to recruit officer material. This can be ac complished by improved methods and increased ef forts on their part; but not by compulsory ROTC in our university. 4) College stu dents, males, must serve in the armed service, under our present laws, as must all other male citizens of the U.S., age 18-26, etc, etc. The point here is that col lege graduates will seek our officer training and use their education rather than let it lay idle for two or three years. They provide good material for officers, benefit the service, and themselves. This brings us to the prob lem at hand. Should we be subjected to compulsory ROTC in our university? For the above stated reasons, I submit that we should not and that a positive change is long over due! Thomas E. James