Show c o 1 Eternal Progression J I I- I I a. a One ne of the pot delusions of the mild-eyed mild lovers of peace and perfect harmony is that a government a society or an institution gains group spirit and indissoluble unity only through tho the complete agreement and harmonious thinking and doing of the individual members Such a theory implies that contest is a disorganizing element which creeps in to disrupt and finally force the organization into oblivion When the theory is applied to politics it conclusively con con- conI I cl ively proves that tho the heated arguments the spirited antagonism and the consuming all idea H of winning which go to make up a campaign are are ro j evils to be religiously shunned That we wo have i proponents of the theory on th the University 1 campus was proved last year when the first active campaign for student students body offices was 2 Considerable criticism was voiced against the tho methods then used and most of the tho objections objections to political campaigns were made on the 5 ground that in the heat of contest the students 2 became partisan either because of friendships or frat fraternal affiliations thereby causing the school spirit to suffer The objectors were no doubt conscientious but they failed to recognize the funda fundamental principle principle prin prin- I ciple of democratic government involved To h have all the students thinking the same samo thoughts and striving for the same goal by the use uso of the same methods is a beautiful dream but it has the fatal fault of being impossible The next best condition is iB to have the students working for the tho I school by whatever methods they ther see fit and before it is humanly possible to ro do this it is necessary sa Gary sary that the students have some sort of interest Yo n i. i in the thc sh student body government This interest is exactly what the campaign for student offices supplies and if it can cnn arouse a n desire in 90 per percent percent percent cent of the students be they divided in two three or four groups to take toke an on active inter interest st still in ill dictating the policies of the st student body hody body it it has accomplished something which no group differences differences differences dif dif- dif dif- can cnn undo I The Tho student body is not a frail child th that must be petted and pampered It can stand a afew afew afew few harsh words between its members or even afew afew a afew few injured feelings among the tho rival candid candidates t s sand and still live The Tho thing it cannot stand however however however how how- ever is total neglect for a year jear or two Not only has the active campaigning for offices offices of of- flees aroused aroused an interest in sh strident len affairs on the part of the students put it has also en- en armoured these positions with new values which make them desirable to every good aggressive student on the campus The election to nn au office no longer means a mere merc acknowledgment nt of l un unusual unusual un- un n- n usual scholastic ability or a pleasing personality on the part of the victor it means in addition in-addition an aggressive spirit a desire rather than a mere mero willingness to accept the tho responsibility and most important of all an un interest in the student government government gov gov- which is not content to lie dormant and let happen what hilt will Under the old system half the tho students knew nothing of an election until it was over oyer and some wo would ld conic como back the following year in ignorance of who hO held the position positions of student body president What wonder that un under tinder er such conditions the thc highest honor that the student body could bestow should become a mere acknowledgment acknowledgment ac ac- ac- ac of popularity popular to be bo accepted by bj bythe bythe I the recipient with an apologetic air of There I are others more worth worthy than I I. I Unless he happened happened happened hap hap- to be an nn exceptional man he lie discharged the duties of his office in the same spirit in which he ho accepted the position and und drowsed through year leaving off exactly where he began Under the present system of campaigning the theoffice theoffice theoffice office of student body president is something to strive for and fight light for and thc theman man who because of his qualifications and because of the efforts of himself and f friends finally emerges with victory vie vic tory will have at least gained gamed by his experience some notion of the tho importance of the position and he will execute his office not as an in award for a wide acquaintance but as a position of responsibility tj |