Democratic Dabble

Freshmen may wonder next month just why they should buy tickets to the freshman Smoker. If this year's affair is anything like former Smokers, it will be a brawling stag party, where one has to ram his way to the beer keg or the soft drink table.

In the tradition of former Smokers the entertainment will not be spectacular. It may be unbearable. As in years gone by, freshmen may well leave Mem Hall wondering why there has to be a Smoker. What's the point?

The Smoker would serve a definite purpose if it were held in October or early November. In March the freshman class is about as closely knit as it ever becomes, and there is no need for a "get acquainted" party. It's in the early fall that freshmen need such an affair.

But apparently involved with the Smoker is the Smoker committee and the flashy election that goes with it. The traditional long campaign would seem to preclude an early Smoker.

A possible answer is an appointed committee. During the earliest years of Smoker elections the Union Committee was appointed, and the Smoker election was the only freshman election. Now freshmen cast votes to choose the Union Committee, the Jubilee Committee, and the Student Council. Smoker elections have lost their importance.

There are, already, three other chances for the freshmen to dabble in democratic politics. But the Smoker will only be a worthwhile affair if it is scheduled early in the fall term. A swiftly and efficiently-formed committee seems far more valuable than one more opportunity to dabble.