THE COLLEG \

9

Page ree

 

 

Changes in Constitution
Voted in Three Mass
Meetings

 

The revolutionary stir over Self-
Government, chief subject of con-
versation on the campus for some
weeks this winter, died down to a

/ murmur before spring vacation,

after three mass meetings and two
assemblies, three contested edi-
torials, innumerable opinion letters
in the News, and heated discus-
sions in. the Inn, on. Taylor. steps,
and in. every smoking room.
Whether the question of Self-Gov-
‘ernment has been finally settled re-
mains a moot point, but the: ma-
jority of this year’s undergradu-

ates have by their vote supported | j¥

the present system of student gov-
ernment, making several changes
where they felt they were needed.

Begun by an editorial in the| @

winter issue of the Lantern pro-
posing the abolishment of Self-
Government and _ suggesting in-
dividual keys and individual re-
sponsibility, the controversy
raged. The News responded with
a defense of Self-Government.

The Lantern editors spoke again,
saying they had “compiled and
destroyed a list of one hundred
and eighty-eight students whom
we know to have’ broken, con-
sciously and repeatedly one or
more ef the major rules of the
College.”

Meanwhile the Executive Board
of the Self-Government Associa-
tion presented a previously sched-
uled assembly designed to dem-

onstrate the workings and the
theories of the system.
Then came the change. The

Lantern editors made the unex-
pected statement that they had
written their editorial merely as
a criticism of the existing system
of Self-Government as defined by
its actual function on the campus.
They now proposed to remedy the
situation by means of a new con-
stitution. The adoption of a new
constitution, as opposed to the
amending of the present one, they
said, would be less difficult and
would lead to a more constructive
consideration of the problem.
In answer to this proposal and
to two petitions concerning smok-
ing, a mass meeting of the Asso-
ciation -was—held__on __ February
23rd. Begun by three speeches
clarifying the argument in favor
of a new constitution, the mass
meeting evolved into two hours of
hot and-~heavy- discussion on the

Varsity Tennis Team

Defeated by Cynwyd |

 

Cynwyd, May 15. Bryn Mawr’s
tennis team, although beaten in
the match with Cynwyd 6-0, did
not prove. a push-over for its op-
ponent.

The Cynwyd tennis club holds
second place in the. Philadelphia
Interclub League and has always
been a close contestor With Ger-
mantown Cricket Club for top po-
sition.

Ty Walker, Bryn Mawr’s num-
ber one player, bowed before
Cecile Bowes playing, 7-5, 6-0.
Miss Bowes is not only ceded first
among the Cynwyd players, but is
national squash champion and
number one Middle States tennis
player.

Sue Patterson won two love sets
from Pat Acheson, Julié Turner
lost to Mrs. E. J. Beatty, Jr., 8-6,
6-8, and Agnese Nelms was de-
feated 7-5, 6-4, by Mrs. William
Hawkes.

In the doubles matches, the Owls

found it just as difficult to score|’

against Cynwyd.

 

Revolutionary Editorial nm Lantern Starts
Heated Controversies Over Self-Gov Rules

 

Greatest joy in the revised
where on campus.

j
4
7

Fh

 

oe ieee

Self-Gov’t rules—smoking any-

 

pros and cons of  Self-Govern-
ment. The vote taken later in
the halls indicated a 346-98 vic-

‘tory for the present constitution.

With this question, at least,
definitely settled, Miss McBride
took the opportunity to clarify
a question that had been much
bandied about in the various dis-
cussions—the relationship of the
Self-Government Association to
the Board of Trustees and _ to
other groups, outside, as well as
inside, the College. :

This was not the end. An ap-
peal was made to the student body
to offer measures which would
help to perfect our present sys-
tem of Self-Government. The con-
structive suggestions were forth-
coming in the form of a revision
of the rules and resolutions of
the Association and of some parts
of the constitution. In the second
mass meeting on March ‘th,
notably calmer and more efficient
than the first, permission-giving
was abolished except for the three
o’clock permissions and for Fresh-
men and transfers during their
first semester; the one hour al-
lowed after College entertain-
ments was extended to an hour
and a half and was simplified; the
two. o’clock permissionif -escort-
ed was extended to apply to any

 

place of entertainment, and smok-
ing was extended to all campus
grounds and anywhere off campus.

With the passage of further
amendments concerning dress, bi-
cycling, and other minor points in
hall meetings, it appeared that the
once-violent controversy was to
die a natural death, but not so. A
petition was presented asking that
smoking be allowed in the rooms
and as a result a third mass meet-

Newly Established
Undergrad Council
Directs Activities

College Establishes Office
Of Common Treasurer
Permanently

 

7

In 1942-43 the Alliance ceased
to be a committee of the Under-
graduate Association and became
an independent organ. Several in-
stances..arose during the year
where there seemed to be an over-
lapping in the activities of the
Alliance, Undergrad, and the
League, particularly in various
drives and in the _ selettion of
speakers. Out of the wht to
clarify these boundaries grew\ the
idea of increasing coordination\of
all the student organizations by
the establishment of an Under-
graduate Council.

The council consists of the presi-
dent of Undergrad, acting as
chairman; the president of Self-
Government, the president of the
League, the president of the Al-
liance, the president of the Ath-
letic Association, and the editor
of the News. The secretary of
Undergrad acts as secretary to
the Council, keeping the minutes
-of the weekly meetings.

The business which comes bé-
fore the Council varies from week
to week and is largely miscel-
laneous in nature, but as a body
it has several regular functions.
It must make out a budget for
four of its organizations (the A.A.

 

ing was held on March 18th, short-
er, but none the less marked by
distinct clashes in opinion than
the first. The petition was de-
feated by a 146-67 vote.

Now with the amendments ap-
proved by the Board of Trustees,
the question seems to have ‘come
to a close. Violent and_ -con-
troversial though it has been, the
whole matter has had distinct ad-
vantages. .It has brought, if
nothing else, a realization to the
undergraduates that they are ipse
facto members of—the—Self-Gov-
ernment Association/and as such
they can with sufficient support
change its rules rather than sit
in the smoking rooms and grumble
about them. There is a definite
consciousness of constructive par-
ticipation in something that was
before accepted with a shrug.and
with a complaint.

budget remains separate) for the
year to come. It must appoint
special. committees to direct the
United War Chest Drive in the
second semester, and it must deal
with scheduling problems.

In the fall of 1948, the College
voted the Undergraduate Council
the right to initiate legislation,
and at the same time, at the
recommendation of the Council,
voted to combine the treasuries of
Self-Government, Undergrad, and
the Alliance into-_a Common
Treasury for a_ trial period.
Jeanne Marie Lee ’45 was elected
as the first Common Treasurer,
the treasurers of the organizations
becoming first Sophomore mem-
bers. This..spring the Common
Treasurer was voted a permanent
office, with the aceounts of the

 

League to be_ included,

 

 

Wyndham

Activities Interest

Maids and Porters °

The important part played by
the Maids’ and Porters’ organiza-
tion in campus activity this year
was evident along many lines.
Their enthusiasm and cooperation

 

‘showed not only in choral and
dramatic productions, but in a
100% contribution to all War

Loans and to the Red Cross Drive.

In, addition to the traditional
Christmas caroling, highlighted
this year by exceptionally good

soloists, the Maids and _ Porters
musical comedy, Gems, Gowns and
Gals, was a smashing and original
success. Basically a detective
Story, it combined songs, dances
and..romance..with..a.,.magnificently
costumed mannequin parade in a
lively and effective show.

The Maids’ Bureau, in Taylor
basement, now an institution ‘of
long standing, is perhaps the best
known of all the Maids and Por-
ters’ roles on campus. In addi-
tion to mending and refurbishing
anything from chair springs to
prom dresses, it produces the pina-
fores and skirts of spring, and the
bedspreads and curtains “of fall,
made to your order.

Even more significant of the
cooperative spirit between the
organization and the students are
the Maids and Porters’ classes,
taught by undergraduates at the
request of~ various groups. The
most popular of the courses are
Negro History and _ Current
Events, with an enrollment of nine
each. Chemistry, English, Public
Speaking, French and _ Spahish,
typing and piano lessons are also~
being given this year.

Bond Drive Launched
To Secure Wyndham

Continued from Page 1

companied that little commercial
venture, we hate to think. A lit-
tle more and Bryn Mawr might
well have been called the campus
on the carline.

The Directors had an alterna-

tive. They could purchase Wynd-
ham with college funds which
would involve the sacrifice of

much-needed income to cover the
interest in the debt thereby in-
curred. Actually, there was no
choice. The first alternative was
inconceivable, so the Directors ad-
vanced the purchase money and
Wyndham became an integral part
of the college. Yet it became an
integral part of the colleg@ at the
price of a still existent $285,000
debt.

Since 1925, Wyndham has been
used as an undergraduate hall and
as -the.#rench House, with few
students or alumnae stopping to
realize the price that must be
paid for it each year, perhaps in
fewer books for the Library, less
_laboratory equipment, or antiquat-
ed plumbing. Now, to the alum-
nae and students of Bryn Mawr,
their friends and families, is offer-
ed a plan for helping to pay the
$285,000 debt on Wyndham, and
at the same time aiding the war
effort by the purchase of War
Bonds. If bonds to the value of
$210,900 are purchased and made
payable to the Trustees of Bryn
Mawr College, the amount in 1956
will be the necessary $285,000.

A “Bonds for Wyndham” drive
is to be opened in conjunction
with the Fifth War Loan drive
from June 12 to July 8. Special
committees of alumnae, faculty
and: students are being selected,
the student committee consisting
of Lydia Gifford, ’45, Mary Kay

| Snyder, ’46, Helen Reed, "46, and

Mary Camilla Williams, ’46.
Either F or G war bonds, the-only
type which an institution can hold,
may be bought from your, local
committee, or, if you prefer to
turn over a bond which you have
already purchased, and it is neither
an F or a G, it may be exchanged

 

~yT for one of these bonds.