Show THE STUDENT LIFE PAGE TWO Letters The Board Say Resign To The Editor 5 Dear Editor: Despite the accusations brought against it in a fiery editorial last week the Student Council has yet it’s first time to “betray student trust” by breaking the School Constitution Surprising as it may seem it has been the editors of student publications who have been employing “slipshod methods” and have directly violated the Constitution as shown in Article 3 section 3 clause 17 which you quoted in your column last week Our fair editor speaks of “men who are dying for a democracy we cannot preserve in such a small part as our own campus” and then strikes out with vicious propaganda against student government with no facts whatever to substantiate her claims The Council did not “make a highhanded appointment of three new members to the publications board” as accused but the editor of Student Life did go over the heads of the present publication board and violated the Constitution when she made her appointment of assistant editor last week Yes students maybe you are being sold down the river but if so it is by uninformed editors and not your Student Council Sincerely yours Student Body Council 1943-4- 4 The editor regrets that lack of the complete set of facts concerning the addition of faculty members to the publications board resulted in the accusing statements appearing last week in Student Life However we do state in all sincerity that the facts presented as they were were believed to be true and were not written maliciously and with intent to deliberately deface the student council Rather we sought to call attention to the need of stricter employment of the Constitution and if necessary revision of certain parts In the letter to the editor the council points out that the editor also in violation of the Constitution appointed her own associate editor instead of leaving this up to the publications board As stated by the council the editor went “over the heads of the present publications board when she made her appointment of assistant editor” The editor wishes to refute this accusation admitting that she did make her own choice of an assistant but also at the same time reminding the council that upon the council’s recommendation to the board for appointment of editors and business managers they did not mention the appointment of an assistant editor leaving Student Life in the lurch as it were The truth of the matter is whether it has been brought to light or not that the editor did receive unofficial approval on choice of her assistant by a member of the board which is about as close as she could come to official sanction College Leader raised1 In view of the problem board of trusby the action of the desirtees it has been thought made able that a statement be to the principles by me relating is which I think are involved It necessary also I believe to define as clearly as possible the function under federal and state enactments of the Land Grant College in the American system of education The charter of the Utah State Agricultural College which is the Land Grant institution of this state is based upon the federal Morrill Act of 1862 and the Anthon H Lund Act of the Utah Territorial Legislature of 1888 Both of these acts prescribed that the College is founded “to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions of life” From the first these institutions in all the states Utah included have emphasized agriculture home economics and engineering and in addition the liberal courses specified in the acts establishing the colleges It is significant note that Utah State Agricultural College has emphasized strictly agricultural subjects to a greater degree in proportion to its total budget and the extent of its total operato tions otherwise than any other Land Grant College in western America It furthermore graduates more students in strictly agricultural subjects as of the last than any other normal years similar college in the nation Its emphasis upon Experiment Station and Extension work is well known These activities reach into the very homes of the people The farmers of our state know what the Extension Service is accomplishing and have refused in the past and refuse today to make this great educational agency the victim of political manipulation Expenditures for these two agencies research and extension directly of her act aiding the producers of our state will reach this year thhe total of The editor wishes to point out that during the past several years it has been up to the editor to seek out his $59100 A staff of 127 members as own assistant since this phase of appointment has been listed in the present catalog denote their full time to agricultural overlooked and left to the discretion of the editor Surely and home economic subjects a largit is up to the student council to see that such official er porportion of the total than in action as prescribed in the Constitution should take place any Land Grant College in Ameriabove-mention- ed Since the board did not make the appointment what then was left but for the editor to do it herself since this member of the staff is vital to publishment of Student Life Monday Assembly (Continued from Page 1) President Peterson been asked to resign? That is what we students would like to know” Peterson answered that he was not at liberty to divulge the board’s reason for the action but he did assert: “I like President Peterson but I recognize that he lege president and in his interest in the continual advancement of higher learning at this school do hereby pledge our wholehearted support of Dr E G Peterson” The resolution met with unanimous approval and was signed by the individual members of the student body following the assembly This document is to be presented to the board of trustees In an impromptu preface to a is not perfect” Concluding several minutes of reading of the petition Mr Crookheated discussion from students in ston declared “I did not relish the audience Burns B Crookston that statement that President junior student presented the fol- Peterson’s period of productivity lowing resolution to the student in ideals ideas and administrative capabilities is past I think body: “We the members of the associ- he is a great president unselfish ated student body of Utah State and efficient His past record of Agricultural college believing in development is a direct indication the personal integrity of our col of this” But-Answ- ers No who have helped to build this great college An intelligent and prosperous farm population is at the very foundation of strong and clean government and the basis of a sound economic life for the nation One of the great acts of statesmanship in the early history of Utah was the calling out of superior not the inferior people to settle on the lands of our own and nearby states It is the offspring of these people strong in who have mind and character come to the college in great numbers and from every county ih tne state They have taken honors here and in the greater graduate schools of the east and the coast Such people will never become a peasantry nor will they tolerate for their children an education of interior quality I desire to mention the important work the college is doing in related fields in addition to the program in agriculture home economics the basic arts and sciences and engineering We have been careful to incorporate in our work here these finer principles of democratic control which mark the better institutions in America I cannot emphasize too strongly I believe that where a board member presumes to carry on the details of administration of a college over the head of the president and the other administrative officers he is violating a fundamental law of good educational government and no self-respecti- ng institution can tolerate such conduct As long as I am president of an institution I shall protect established faculty members against insidious personal attacks Subversive forces thus operating can dangerously undermine any institution The college is doing its best to exemplify in its life the ideals of our people And we know that the people who support the college hold as even more precious than learning itself those attributes which we call cleanliness integrity and faith Without these men had better not be trained with them learning becomes an instrument for the accomplishment of ca great good These are not mere But let it be not forgotten that sentiments they are part of the the farmers of our state and the very body and soul of this colmothers in Utah farm homes lege In arriving at a decision regarddesire and will insist that their sons and daughters receive also ing the suggestion of the board of trustees that I resign I have consome of the refinements of civilizasulted with the faculty the fation which are the right of people everywhere) culty advisory council with board Utah farmers do not propose to members with prominent agriculraise a generation of peasants tural leaders of the state and who know only of the material many friends of the college from aspects of life The farm homes of throughout the state As a result Utah want music in those homes of these deliberations I propose and in the churches they attend to defend and sustain the program they have the right to know good and the fundamental principles literature and they must know which characterize this college the basic principles of economic and which should obtain in any law of political sscieiice and the American educational institution greater facts of history if they to combat without regard to my are to be worthy citizens in a personal interests or inclination democracy where power resides in what I must recognize as subverthe people and thus where the sive activities which if successful people must be enlightened if they will seriously jeopardize the fuare to wield their power wisely ture of the college I have thereThese have been vital considera- fore decided not to resign tions in the minds of all those President E G Peterson self-respecti- ng |