Newspaper Page Text
Page 4
The Red and Black, Tuesday, April 6, 1971
Editorials
4
We endorse
ft
Sullivan, Avery, Ruppersburg
Student government at the Univer
sity has been in the cradle much too
long now Over the years it has been
growing and it is becoming to large
lor the playpen The many changes it
has effected this year under the Bob
llurlev-Mike Willoughby admimstra
tion has done more to plate its roles
outside the playhouse than in any pie-
vious administration
But the SGA continues to hold the toys
the;/ were given to play with The time
is long overdue that SGA stepped out
of the cradle, and threw away the pa
cifier It is time it looked in the mir
ror and marveled at its own heigth
and potentiality
A student government that is re
sponsible and representative isn't
criticized bv its student body as being
a farce
Therefore. The Bed and Black
makes its endorsements on the basis
of what the editorial staff sees as the
needs of SGA For president we rec
ommend Terry Sullivan, for vice
president. Hugh Ruppershurg; and
for secretary. I’am Avery.
A word of caution is needed though
— we are not so deceived as to think
these changes will come if Sullivan.
Ruppersburg and Miss Avery are
elected an act which can prove to be
as minor as a diaper change unless
the Student Senate, and morever the
student body, is willing to take the
steps necessary to formulate a strong
governing bodv Our endorsement is
not based on an agreement with the
Non-Partisan Ticket' concept as it
has evolved here, as we feel it has
become merely an "lln-Party Party
But. in reviewing this year's candi
dates on the basis of issues and
stands, we feel these people will serve
most competently and efficiently
Sullivan has been pruned and
sheared for this position ever since he
was a freshman, but (in considering
this position and what it has been in
the past i we do not hold that against
him We feel he will do all in his power
to make necessary changes for a suc
cessful student government He has
demonstrated his willingness to work
and ability to lead as a Student Sena
tor. Minister to Student Affairs, the
Academic Affairs and Rules Revision
Committees, the Faculty Committee
on Student Affairs and the University
Community Relations f 'ommittee.
Student Senator Ruppersburg has
served in the Student .Judiciary as a
member of the Housing Committee
and as chairman of the Senate com
mittee to obtain student membersip on
the Board of Regents Both he and
Sullivan have the knowledge and the
ability to work to solve student prob
lems within the existing system's
framework
Miss Avery has exhibited an ability
to lead and direct action in her posi
tion as student senator She has prov
en she can find solutions to problems
through her work Serving on the
Academic Affairs Committee and the
Public Safety Committee, she has
shown her interest and willingness to
work in student government We feel
she will give the position of secretary,
the identity it needs as a second vice-
president office
The above endorsements represent
the consensus opinion of The Red and
Black's editorial staff The recom
mendations are not personal slights,
but a fulfillment of our responsibility
to tap the best candidates as we see
them The continuing improvement of
SGA is a concern of the paper and its
editorial staff We urge election of
these people, as we (eel they will best
serve to make student government a
more respectable and worthwhile
bodv
\mm
1 teW
READER REACTION
All promises and platforms same
None of the above
There is hardlv a student body elec
tion conducted that the relevance of
the Student Government Association
to the University is not questioned
The lad that 75 per rent of the slu
dent bodv dcx'sn t even vote I45H5 stu
dents voted last spring i seems to say
something about SGA s relevance to
students
In reviewing student government's
role on campus many students have
pondered the often-asked question
Why does SGA continue to exist'’
Five chances al Because Student
Senators need the title lor their re
sumes bi Because it is fun to laugl,
at ct Because SGA is the only group
to use the l.iw Auditorium di So that
absurd elections can be conducted each
spring el Because the administration
must have some organization to eo-
opt
You might think this is a tricky
question and argue that all answers
have elements of truth in them The
correct answer is hi because' it is tun
to laugh at Consider tin' fact that only
25 per cent ol the students vote and
SGA actually considers itself repre
sentative of the student BODY That s
quite hilarious
By voting tomorrow students can
add D none' of the above to the list of
answers Student government at the
University is a farce only because the
student body is. since SGA is ulti
mutch what the students make it
Some contend that unless a majori
Reapportioning
Tomorrow students will vote on a
constitutional amendment that would
reapportion the Student Senate
The amendment substituting Arti
cle I Section B Paragraph 1 reads
Each school or college shall elect
one representative to the Senate lor
every three hundred iJOO. students
regularly enrolled Any remainder of
one hundred fifty-one il5D enrol lees
or more shall be counted tor one rep
resentative
II passed the proposal would change
the size of the Senate from 8t# to 63
members making it more efficient
and more representative to students
We encourage students to vote lor this
imendnHiit
ty of the students back SGA by voting
in the election it can have little influ
ence with administrators, regents and
state legislators since it is unrepre
sentative of the vast majority of stu
dents
But we disagree Not choosing is
also a choice. If so few students do
choose to vote tomorrow, SGA has no
recourse but to view itself as a legiti
mate representative of student inter
ests Those who cry so loudly that stu
dent government does not represent
them might be heeded more were
they to vote.
FRED BURGER
TO THE EDITOR:
While reading the election forum in
Thursday s Red and Black. 1 came to the
conclusion that all the presidential candi
dates were essentially offering the stu
dents the same promises and platform
Whether they pledge action or plan to
work solely for the benefit of every indi
vidual on campus or promises to get
things done or even to give students a
decisive role in policy-making decisions,
it all boils down to one simple concept —
politicking
Vote Rat Swindalls Action party and
receive results Vote lor (ilen Goodman s
Apathetic party and wait for the change
Vote lor Roger Cox and a lot of things will
lx* done Vote for the non-partisan Terry
Sullivan-Hugh Kuppersburg-Pam Avery
coalition and foundations will soon be laid
for success Apparently, the students have
a choice among lour equally effective par
ties However, after further reading it
becomes apparent the choice rests rather
between the parties and a non-partisan
slate which 'according to the candidates!
is not a party
It seems then that this group is not a
group ol persons organized for the pur
pose of di reeling the policies of govern
ment since they refuse to accept the
term parts and it is thus that Webster's
dictionary detines the word If it is not the
case, what purpose do the multitudinous
posters displayed all over campus serve'*
Whv bother to publish a platform if not lor
defining policies'* Why. for heaven s sake,
broadcast announcements on the radio
urging students to vote lor people — not
parties if not to secure offices lor di
recting the policies ol government’"
By definition these candidates are
a temporary alliance of distinct per
sons joined together lor joint action who
will not take the part ol another What is
tlu;° A group of politicians pledged even
before the election, not to work together ’
Hopefully, at least tor the students ol
Georgia. Uus is not the case
•nyhow. it the purpose of this name
was to verbally pull the wool" over the
voter s eyes, whv not go one step lurther
and label themselves The Latiludinanan
l untesseration ’
Elections are contusing enough with
their mass of politicians, mud slingers
and bullshiters. the students would be bet
ter able to decide on April 7 lor whom to
vote without having to play this tiresome
gameol verbal gymnastics
Everyone agrees that it is time for
some action on our campus All the voter
can do is hope that whoever is elected will
at least try to remember his platform as
he accepts the responsibility of his new
° ,,IC< ' RANDY MAZUR
Lack of dedication
TO THE EDITOR:
The Intramural Department has done it
again' Not only have they demonstrated
that they do not care about anyone other
than the Greeks, but their lack of dedica
tion to the job and the students has now
incensed even the Greeks
A case in point is last week's Intramur
al meeting, which I learned about purely
by chance two hours beforehand The lirst
order of business was to vote lor either
fast-pitch softball or slow-pitch softball
After limited debate, during which the
coaclies expressed support of a change to
siow-pitch. a vote was taken The majori
ty ruled. 43-35. lor slow-pitch <43 1 2. offi
cially. since either one or neither of the
coaches can count accurately! After pro
tests from partisan fast-pitch people
(Greeks and Independents alikei. the
coaches said no last-pitch would be played
and no attempt to form a last-pitch league
would lx* made At that time, representa
tives from would-be fast-pitch teams got
up. en masse, and walked out ol the meet
ing
This may seem a petty grievance to
you and slow-pitch supporters as well
The fact is that I voted lor slow-pitch
(nobody on our team can hit fastballs). but
there s a principle involved The Intra
mural Department exists to provide whol
esome athletic recreation for the students
at this University regardless of race, reli-
gion. or speed of pitch Such blatant neg
ligence bv the Intramural Department
and lack ol concern for the 45 per cent
that obviously wanted to play fast-pitch
should be considered bv students and lac-
ultv as gru»i» incompetence on the part of
the coaches involved Why these coaches
aren't willing to spend the time to organ
ize a last-p.tch league as well as slow-pitch
is beyond comprehension' While these
men are willing to lean over backwards to
give KA a bye the day ol their Old South
Ball they haven't the time or devotion to
set up a last-pitch league to allow the
maximum number ol students an oppor
tunity to play Bv depriving so many stu
dents the right to participate in Intramur
als for the convenience of scheduling,
these coaches have demonstrated that
they are no longer worthy of the positions
thev hold
If our students, especially non-Greeks,
are going to be continually treated like
stool specimens for the convenience of the
men in charge, maybe we ll be better off
altogether without any Intramural pro
gram at all.
NAME WITHHELD
No doubt of guilt
TO THE EDITOR:
This letter is written in response to the
controversy that has arisen over the con
viction and sentencing of Lt. William Gal
ley The American public is speaking out
in force to try to have him pardoned
While the people ol this country are cer
tainly entitled to hold and express whatev
er opinions they desire, the American pub
lic was not sworn in as jurors in this case
He was convicted of the premeditated
murder of no less than 22 civilians — men.
women, children and babies — by a jury of
his peers How any nation, especially the
United States, whom we have all been led
to think ol as the good guys in white hats,
can condone atrocities like this, no matter
what the circumstances, is absurd Lt.
Galley. and probably several others who
will go unprosecuted, was guilty beyond
the shadow ol a reasonable doubt. The
basic question seems to be whether the
American soldier is a killing machine lim
ited only bv the range of his weaponry I
feel the army has done itself well by an
swering no to this question
KIRK MAYBERRY
W. F. TAFT
King
of love
In the midst of weekend protests about
the conviction of Army Lt William Gal
ley, much quieter demonstrations around
the country in memory of Rev Martin
Luther King. Jr . were unnoticed
Three vears ago last Sunday i April 4.
19ti8i. a sniper ended the life of America s
most outstanding
advocate of peace
and nonviolence
King sought to estab
lish a reign of justice
and a rule of love
across this nation of
ours — for that he
was hated by thou
sands
Deeply committed
to the philosophy of
nonviolence, he op
posed the war in Vietnam. It was for rea
sons such as our involvement in Vietnam
- where massacres of innocent civilians
could not only happen, but be condoned
also — that led him inexhorablv to the
conclusion that the U.S. is “the greatest
purveyor of violence in the world today.
We are challenged to face the interna
tional implications of nonviolence for we
know that there can be no justice in our
society unless there is peace in the
world, he said in accepting Ihe Nobel
Peace Prize in 1964
Before King became a leader in the civil
rights movement in 1956. the Negro pro
test for equality and justice had been a
voice crying in the wilderness. His people
have come a long way since the Montgo
mery Bus boycott, the 1960 sit-ins and the
Battle of Birmingham
His ideas and teachings were nothing
more than the American dream of democ
racy — "all men are created equal and
are endowned by their Creator with cer
tain inalienable rights, among those being
life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
The twentieth century prophet dreamed
that his children would one day live in a
nation where they would not be judged by
the color of their skin but by the content of
their character.
He dreamed that one day the state of
Alabama . will be transformed into a
situation where little black boys and black
girls will be able to join hands with little
white boys and white girls and walk to
gether as sisters and brothers
Sharp criticism
Unique candidate weird!
As 1 unobtrusively walked past Memo
rial Hall last Friday afternoon. I absent
mindedly glanced at the* splattered bulletin
buird ol student government campaign
posters I m really not sure why I looked
at the clutter of laces which were neatly
and professionally printed on cardboard
cards
All the posters were the same size, but
some did us** different colors
I guess mavbe I looked at the bulletin
board to sec il the girls running this year
measure up to the
past crop ol pretty
laces which have
traditionally sought
office and notoriety
I did notice there
were no pictures of
girls who looked ike
women liberation
ists but then one
>ht*uldn t Hwnlipt
Just as I was
about to resolve the problem of the myri
ad posters ami office seekers and proceed
to other matters. I noticed this campaign
poster which proclaimed the candidacv of
someone tamed W en d Harold
Obviously the kid is a real hockey
puck His poster read For a Real
Ctunge Vote lor Weird Harold tor stu
dent Senate Art and Sciencs
Naturallv I was curious to discover
who this Wend Harold is Is he really
weird How weird i% he I decided in the
interest of a more effective student gov
ernnnt that I should meet this fiarofd
tellow and see il he is worthy «it someone s
potentially decisive vole
The appointment to meet Weird Harold
was not easily made Although he had re
ceived a note left on his door Saturday
morning he was never at home when I
called in the afternoon Finally. I decided
if I was going to reach Weird Harold I
was going to have to call at a weird time
(' i” icctions were made Sunday morn
ing at I 31) a m . and an appointment was
made lor his campaign headquarters <his
dorm room»12 hours later
The hallway outside Weird Harold s
fourth floor Reed Hall room was conspicu
ouslv plastered with campaign posters but
noticebly lacking a sign of the candidate
-in -residence
I put up about 50 posters on campus
but only a few area still around said
Weird Harold alias Harold Miller, a soph
omore from Decatur A lot of people
took them down because thev just dug the
pasters I know I had gotten sick of those
blue and white ones
Despite his name Weird says he
doesn t really consider himself weird I
met this girl the first week I was up here
are! she started calling me Weird Harold
It just kind of stuck hi* said It's just a
name to me
Despite what some might think Harold
insists his candidaev is a serious effort
and not a joke
I got into the race because I disagree
with some of the University > official poll
cy he said I decided that until I tried
to change the University then I really
i-ouldn t complain about the way it is
I don t like the general attitude of the
University toward the student Improve
ment at Georgia means getting more
alumni contributions getting more equip
ment and improving the graduate pro
gram But I think all this improvement is
being done at the expense of the under
graduates
Weird Harold, a philosophy-anthropolo-
gy major thinks students and faculty
should have as much say in hiring and fir
ing of teachers as the administration He
also thinks students and faculty should
have a voice in awarding tenure
Another reason for Harold s candidacy
is to protest the tiring ol Assistant Profes
sor of Philosophy Waltraut Stein who was
recently denied tenure despite student
protest
I think the University should re-deline
what it means by learning Only a few
teachers I've had in the honors program
have really been interested in my learn
ing most ol them would rather lust lec
ture instead of guiding you and letting you
learn on your ow n
Weird Harold then went m'o a rambling
rap about individuality and the need for
institutionalized support of creativity, the
need for reconciling the aesthetic-tech
meal viewpoints of life
When I left Weird Harold in lus black
light postered room he was beginning
another chess game with a neighbor I
eouldn t help but wish I could change
school* tor a dav so I could vote for him
After seeing lour years <if campus polilio
which are traditionally dominated by suit
ed rhetoric. 1 consider Harold a unique
candidate worthy ol my vole
II only some of our other campus politi
cal were as weud
TO THE EDITOR:
Randolph Holder of radio station
W'GAU recently leveled some sharp criti
cism at Nicholas Johnson ol the EGG
I think Nicholas Johnson is a kook I
am definitely opposed to anything he is
foi
That comment poses some interesting
problems lor Mr Holder For example, it
Mr Johnson wishes a long and happy life
iui radio station WCAU thin Mi HoMa
must, a priori, oppose* this and encourage
the- sudden and tragic demise of his liveli
hood Or. it Mr Johnson pleads lor the
validity of ad hominem arguments, then
Mr Holder, ever true to his own utter
ances. must again oppose the statement
and consequently forgo his present meth
od of thinking
Such a loss might very well benefit Mr
Holder In any case, it would benefit so
ciety. which has suffered too long from
men who avoid rational and fair consider
ation of important issues by angrily rais
ing such meaningless specters as ' kooki
ness Mr Holder s statement is not only
illogical it is irresponsible
CHRIS CALHOUN
He dreamed that we would be able to
transform the jangling discords of our
nation into a beautiful symphony of broth
erhood With this faith we will be able to
work together, to pray together, to strug
gle together, to go to jail together, to
stand up for freedom together, knowing
that we will be tree one day
The American Gandhi believed in his
dreams and he worked every day of his
life to make them a reality His death re
sounded the Biblican passage They said
one to another, behold here cometh the
dreamer Let us slay him and we shall see
what becomes of his dreams
Last January , marches and demonstra
tions across the globe marked the 42nd
birthday of Dr King Petitions with 3 mil
lion signatures urging Congress to declare
the civil rights leader's birthday a legal
national hojiday were presented at the
Capitol in W ashington
In Chicago, teachers picketed in protest
ol the school boards refusal to declare a
holiday in King s memory
In Atlanta about 100 blacks and whites
gathered at the Ebenezer Baptist Church
to commemorate his birthday and Gov
Jimmy Garter declared Friday Human
Relations Day in Georgia
In Saigon. GIs demonstrated in front of
U.S Army headquarters wearing fatigue
uniforms and carrying a black power
Hag and a three-foot wooden cross
In Washington. President Nixon issued
a statement saying King would remain
as an inspiration to the nation long after
his dream becomes a part of the reality of
American life
In Loganville. Ga fistfights between
white and Negro students erupted when a
group of Negro students came to school
weanng black armbands in memory of
King And in the mighty South, the Klu
Klux Kian declared the holiday White
Supremacy Dav
W ill Martin s dream ever become a
part of the reality of American life'* How
long oh Lord, how long’’
HIT
IK KKDANI) I5LACK
W.F. Taft, editor
lynne Pressley
Business manager
Nancy Hall
Managing editor
Sex Granum, copy editor, Patrice Walters, news editor; Carol Roberts
ond Ken Willis, associate news editors; Cee Howe, feature editor; Robert
Friedman, sports editor; Al Stephenson, photographic editor; Andrew
Hamilton, art editor
Th« 0*0 •"(3 B'«c« \*\.<j«rti n«*tp«p«r «t *n*
Un.«*rvt, of G*orgi« AtRtrsv or Ty*\
Mrt And Thwr mJO.s *K*pt fl«r,ng M»mn4t,«n *nc
*0*0*, p*r 'OC\ **0 \ ******O •* *h* Post OMic* *t
A**t*o\ G* . *5 m*.t m*tt*r o* th# v*tond clttt
OP'«'0M *ip f *tt*0 in Th* «*a *no B «c» *r*
•not* O* »h* *Oi*OT •' **M 0» Vjjn*d CO'sumrv or C*'
*00"'ttt ono *r* n«f n*c*tt*riiy »N>t* 0* th* unt«*r
tit, *0minit*f**.on or *h* Boo'd o* B*s**nt\
S»0*« n*t.O**i on* .nt*fn*t«n«i n, at „ Th* B«o
• r d B *c« it from m* »ir*t of U"**C Pr*tt 'nt*rn»
N«*\ con*.to* cn\ • 0* *CC*P**d 0, **t*pf*on«
S42 144 or S42 14'4 4* *h* *0.*or .*1 0**.C*t n I »
JOurr\*li\rr ftu.14.n9 or V Of«C*t m th* 4*h#- \ B«
n*' H*-* ODw.tO -<i**Y4*l*YfCt*,*onli
CO«C*rn.no *d«*r'A «fl thOw'd M "’*0* •* th* C'«,
*0« S*r**t off >C*V W MU
Th* 0*0 *nO B *c« y n*t.on*l |ijr*-'t"g '*p•»
v*"*•* »* y N*tion*i Education*! Ao«*'> \ % V*'.
•trine WO LtRtnflton A»* S*« ,or« H v X'1
VwBtcripf.on r*t* t‘. X C*' ,**■