University of Southern California - El Rodeo Yearbook (Los Angeles, CA)

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denied that they are valuable to the University. The fraternity system faced more pressing problems. Delta Tail Delta temporarily closed its chapter house and Dean of Men Tom Hull said, The house was closed not so much because of any one thing, but because we all felt it was necessary for the members to re-evaluate the emphasis of the fraternity and the picture it was pre- senting. [Daily Trojan, April 5) FVaternity performance in a Row water balloon incident provoked controversy. The Row men raised their pledging grade point requirement to a 2.2, however, to conclude a year of IFC pressure for a higher fraternity grade point average. In the eyes of many the ASSC Senate could do nothing right. Its problems began early in October when senators refused to accept ASSC President Bart Leddel ' s student government budget. The Senate had not been allocated any funds. The Daily Trojan led the attacks with a Feb- ruary 20 editorial entitled Heal Thyself. It concluded, Ours is a do-nothing Senate peopled with make-believe representatives. While this condition persists, our senators would be wise to refrain from pretending to be judges of the value of other student organizations. Perhaps one of the major problems of student government was indicated by an amendment to the ASSC constitution passed on March 1, which changed the grade point average require- ment from a 2.63 (the all-University average) to a 2.5 for those running for ASSC offices. The Senate problem seemed to be one of a lack of effective leaders. The prob- lems seemed to begin with the inherent inability of the Senate to take effective and meaningful action. The Daily Trojan, editorially, indicated these problems: The reasons for this governmental impotence are complex. But one of them surely is the failure ... of the student government to attract persons of leadership caliber. . . . We will not have an effective student government, with or without flaws, until the persons who really make the decisions are returned to the seat of decision making. (March 20) Newly elected ASSC President Ken Del Conte, a write-in candidate, felt he could help solve the Senate problem. The Daily Trojan quoted him as saying, I ' m going to redefine the functions of the Senate and set down definite functions, even if I have to talk with each senator person- ally. In the past they haven ' t been told what to do. This has to be changed. (March 29) It was protested that constitutionally Del Conte had no right to interfere in the affairs of the Senate, no matter what state that body might be in. Student rights and student obligations became matters of concern; the former, specifically in the student chal- lenge to President Topping ' s decision not to allow Com- munist speakers on campus. This issue was and will con- tinue to be one of controversy. The failure to collect a sufficient number of votes on the student union referendum was called a sign of student apathy. It seemed to reflect the general lack of student interest in campus elections, although the turn-out to vote for student body president was fairly impressive. The International Students House opened in Septem- ber and staged its official welcome with an open house in February. Ricardo Manuel Gonzales of the Philippines said, The T House is a great start. Foreign students who go to it almost always come back ... [Daily Trojan, April 4) These were the fermenting, or the developing intel- lectual currents; the achievements and causes for concern. The year presented these aspects to those willing to grasp them. 1962-1963 was even more than this. It was a time for fun and friendship, for parties and entertainment — the Christy Minstrels, the Limelighters and the campus productions. Homecoming and Songfest. It was a good year. Some doors to the past were being quietly closed while some old controversies continued to rage; but the door to the future was open wide. — M. F.

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