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Page 4 The Hed and Black. Wednesday. November :W, l#77
TAMES KITFIFLD
Lax methods
Finally, it seems the issue of
unconfirmed justices serving in
Student Judiciary has been
resolved. If the Student Senate
amends its records tonight as a
special committee suggests, the
books will be closed on this
embarassing incident.
The final report of the ad hoc
investigative committee indi
cates the three justices in
question were indeed confirmed
by the senate last spring. The
panel reached its conclusion by
talking with these three and two
members of Judiciary’s supreme
court, the Judicial Council.
Others who were asked to
testify before the committee-
including former Student Gov
ernment Association President J.
Tom Morgan—“either declined
or could not be located,” the
report says.
So based on this information
and “a complete lack of evidence
to the contrary,” the committee
recommends the senate amend
its minutes to •'how confirmation
of the three.
All things considered, it’s not
surprising that “evidence to the
contrary” was lacking. On the
other hand, there’s no reason to
suspect any sort of fraud on the
part of either the justices or the
committee.
The problem originally arose
because of lax methods of
keeping senate records. This has
plagued SGA for a long time. In
fact, one of the reasons Morgan
proposed rewriting the SGA
constitution over a year ago was
that there was no record of
amendments made to it in years
past.
In addition to causing the
senate some embarassment and
trying the patience of those
under examination, this whole
incident has diverted the atten
tion of those who could have
spent that time doing something
more profitable. By simply
keeping up with its own
activities, the senate can keep
such pointless controversies
from arising again.
JOHN HARRISON
The efficiency
of Christmas
A
4k
Now that department store Christmas
decorations have been gathering dust for
weeks and the shopping centers
desperately attempt to clear the shelves
of Christmas inventory before December,
it is time to hastily
accomplish my
Christmas shopping.
This was begun the
other day as I
ventured into down
town Atlanta
There, amid the
frantic crowd, were
shops and depart
ment stores filled with every conceivable
luxury. As 1 wandered though the aisles
and displays, a new exhibition caught my
attention Behind a long table laden with
neatly gift-wrapped boxes and colorful
catalogues stood a well-dressed man
busily trying to catch the eyes of passing
shoppers I browsed by his table and
when he saw that I paused momentarily
to inspect his display, he began to tell me
the details of some sort of easy shopping
kit
“You sir. tired of the hassle of crowds
and high-pressure salesmen'’ Want to get
Christmas over with as efficiently as
possible’’ Just take one second to look
over this new Jolly Season's Quick
Christmas Kit.’’ he started a rehearsed
spiel, and 1 started to slowly move on by.
"Wait, take a second to find out wnat
our exciting kit includes." the man
pleaded, and 1 finally stopped to be
polite “There is an easy-to-pitch
simulated Christmas tree with attached
John Harrison is a sophomore in the
College of Arts and Sciences
decorations, simpte-to-display lights with
a new no-tangle cord, tinsel garland,
spray snow, and Santa salt shakers.’’ I
looked away with disinterest as he tugged
on my sleeve and continued
“But wait, there's more We even
throw in a Ray Coniff and singers
fit THE RED AND BLACK
Steve Bills, Editor
Gregg Steinle, Ed Stamper,
Executive editor Business manager
Hope Dlugozima, copy editor; Matt Prichard, campus editor; Tom Barton, city
editor; Yvonne Williams, state editor; Ed Grisamore, feature editor; William
Haines, entertainment editor, David Westin, sports editor, David Croaby, photo
editor; Vincent Papsidero. Vali Braselton, assistant copy editors; Joel Burke,
Katheryn Hayes, Skip Hulett, assistant campus editors; Mike Roberta, assistant
city editor; Mike Virtanen, assistant state editor, Geraldine Romano, assistant
feature editor. Bob Ingram, assistant sports editor; John Qine, assistant photo
editor; Louise Lanier, wire editor, Tammy Savage, editorial assistant; Debbie
Osteen, graphics coordinator, Debbie Blevins, production manager
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Advice for the D.C. bound
To the aspiring politician or journalist,
Washington D C. is Hollywood Our
capitol traditionally stands at the head of
the country like a luminescent beacon,
irresistably luring any moth brave
enough to harbor a political pipe dream.
More times than
not, the dream
proves too weak or
the limelight too
strong, and the
moths make pretty x . - |
little balls of flame a'-'"
that can be seen like r’’
fireworks over the
capitol on a clear Tgk.
night.
Like those wonderful kids with thier
vague notions of success who flocked to
Hollywood via the yellow brick road, the
D.C. bound counterpart knows his
destination only through the mediums of
hearsay and the silver screen
The three wise men had a better road
map.
If I sound star struck over Washington,
it’s because I am Ever since my
pajamas came with padded feet, I’ve
caught glimpses of Washington through
magazines, documentaries, newscasts—
even aspirin commercials
In Washington a reigning air of
“officialdom permeates We re always
hearing about the guys in the "Ivory
Tower,’’ but by god, in D.C. you can see
the damn thing for miles around. It’s
even named after Washington.
In this part of the country, people are
beginning to feel a certain kinship to
Washington, and rightfully so. It’s about
time we had a President who knew that
“Jawja” is not some new African nation
but rather the correct pronunciation for
our home state.
However, as far as I’m concerned
having Jimmy Carter as our President no
more takes the shine off of Washington's
glow than it makes Plains or Billy Carter
the “can’t miss’’ tourist attractions
they’re hyped as being.
James Kitfield is a senior in the School of
Journalism
If any recent event has taken some of
the edge off our capitoI's sacred sword,
then Watergate definitely gets the nod.
Admittedly, like most people I know
there was a period when I got my jollies
sitting in front of the tube and watching
Nixon's Fourth Reich get skewered
(After hearing of the jail terms I was
somewhat disillusioned to find the long
< CatrCL yom “F • w of stfms+hin^ in
•fhat to i l mf jo4|oor
your pockmt on?
ootln-er than
to s R ar p e m
Christmas album, and a thermos of egg
nog, " I managed to pry loose his grip and
leave him there still listing the attributes
of the Jolly Season's Kit.
On the escalator down to the next
floor—the thought of the persistent
salesman erased—I remembered that I
had vowed to buy some Christmas cards
from the budget basement. After finding
the stationery area, I discovered large
tables of varied cards in disarray. Some
were of Santa and reindeer, others were
of holly wreaths and snow; but all were
jumbled about, and I couldn’t find what I
was looking for. At last I found a
saleslady hidden behind a pasteboard
bulkhead and proceded to enlist her keen
advice
"What I had in mind, ma’am, was
something along the line of an
old-fashioned Christmas card with a
nativity scene." I said after having
solicited her help
"Let's see," said the woman of
mid-forties with hornrimmed glasses
chained about her neck, "we have ones
with children carolling. Christmas trees
in the snow, and Santa's sleigh, but we
haven't had as many manger scenes this
year," she explained slowly as she began
opening (he storage drawers beneath the
large display tables.
"Oh, here we are,” she proclaimed,
pulling out a box of cards, "a manger
scene with Santa and reindeer circling
overhead " I bought the pack of cards
having little else from which to choose,
with a crisp five dollar bill (no change
made) and strode off in search of the
entrance nearest my car.
On the way out, I was startled to see
the former Jolly Season's Quick Kit
salesman promoting another new Christ
mas product This time the raving vendor
was hawking a video game which
features Santa in sleigh running down
recalcitrant elves (those who had not met
this year's work quota) who when caught
change with a jingle into holly Christmas
wreaths.
arm of the law shrunk considerably when
it was holding a hot potato).
But far from being alienated,
journalism enrollment proved that after
Watergate more kids than ever wanted to
become investigative reporters You can
bet that when these little snoopers
graduate, they'll be heading for D.C. Put
simply, nowhere else do so few hide so
much from so many.
The astute reader may have already
guessed that the author has joined the
flocks migrating north for the winter
Congressional session.
Always one to look and then leap
anyway, I've done some asking around
and have amassed a list of do’s and
don’ts for the uninitiated Georgia
journalist in Washington D C. Followers
take note.
—Don’t carry a tape recorder.
Although a staple tool for many
journalists, recorders have become
mysteriously unpopular in D.C. Rumor
has it that many tape recorders are being
“accidentally” dropped into paper
shredders, with the reporters still
attached. »
—Don't refer to the President as,
"Good ole Jimmy ”
—Don’t keep Kleenex in your inside
coat pocket. Persons who, feeling a
sneeze coming on. turn away from the
crowd and quickly dart a hand inside
their coat are notorious for flushing out
all Secret Service men within eye-shot—
usually at the expense of a right arm.
—Don't make any note of the fact that
your Congressman's secretary types like
a four-year-old playing "Chop Sticks."
—Don’t exclaim, while eating in a
public restaurant. “This is on me.
Senator .’’ Politicians being sensitive
people, you’re liable to find out that so is
his foot.
—Don’t be seen talking to reporters.
—Don’t refer to "Deep Throat’’ unless
you mean Linda Lovelace. Around
Washington she’s much more popular
than "that other sucker.”
—Don’t embellish about how good the
food is at “Burt’s Place.” Being
unfamiliar with Atlanta restaurants,
some politicians may misconstrue and
suddenly start treating you like a leper
with Herpes 2
—Do wear suits of three or more
pieces.
—Do subscribe to both the Washington
Post and the New York Times Reading
them, however, is optional
—Do refer to the capitol and
surrounding area as simply "The Hill.”
—Do open all conversations concerning
the president with "Back home Jimmy
always...”
When 1 leave for Washington D C it
will probably be with a lot of
misconceptions and an mnticence border
ing on naivete. 1 am. however, willing to
be set straight, and if disillusionment is
the price then I’ll pay it
Until proven wrong, though. I have to
believe that the events and people which
ultimately shape this country's future are
special, in balance, my biggest fear is
that when I look behind the closed doors
of Washington I’ll find only an ordinary
room with ordinary men
LETTERS
‘How can problems be solved?’
TO THE EDITOR;
After hearing E Howard Hunt speak
here a few nights ago. I am again
dismayed at the buck-passing mentality
which apparently pervades some of our
government’s most powerful agencies.
Mr Hunt stated that questions of ethics
or morality should be laid at the door of
the elected officials who issue dubious
orders to such organizations as the CIA,
rather than directed at the individuals
whose duty it is to carry out those orders
I have a profound disagreement with this
attitude Whether such orders involve
assassination of the head of a foreign
government or a burglary of the offices
of a domestic political party, surely there
is a point of conscience at which
subordinates must refuse to obey, must
refuse to perform a criminal action
There is a crucial distinction between
soldiers who are compelled to obey
commands instantly, precisely and
automatically in order to survive in
battle, and intelligence agents who
operate within grey boundaries, neither
governed by the rules of war nor entirely
by the laws of peacetime Mr Hunt
seems to think that this distinction is
naive at best and idiotic at worst
The refusal to accept such a distinction
results in denial of personal responsibi
lity for obeying any order fom a superior,
especially a direct one from the
Commander-in-Chief The refusal evi
dently follows from an authoritarian or
military attitude This position is plainly
in conflict with decision making from an
ethical frame of reference Further, as a
legal defense, it failed (he Nazis tried at
Nuremberg, it failed Mr Calley in a
military court, and it assuredly failed the
Watergate participants Yet Mr Hunt
still invokes it as justification for clear
violations of moral as well as civil law
However I would emphasize that I do
consider those superiors who give
unlawful orders lo be as much at fault as
those who carry out their orders My
opinion is that their legal responsibility is
at least equivalent to that of the actual
offenders, while their moral responsibi
lity is even greater My concern with
regard to the denial of personal
responsibility is heightened in view of the
feet that most of the people involved in
Watergate communicated that they
believed their actions were justified
because they were following orders
“from the highest level.” Several of
them, like Mr Hunt, are apparently
espousing that belief to this day They,
like Mr Nixon, still admit no guilt, no
conviction of genuine personal wrong
doing
I wonder, therefore, how many others
presently in government service also
would deny personal responsibility. I
wonder further what role our educational
system plays in producing such attitudes
I wonder, in short, how rotten things still
are in the state of America
MARIAN MOSELEY
‘Print list
of salaries’
TO THE EDITOR:
I would like to announce the success of
the SGA workshop and thank Steve
Newton and the other senate leaders who
endured the journalistic flak and worked
to make the affair a reality. I feel that I
speak for the majority of those in
attendance when I note that I myself
received much more than a free lunch,
and that reciprocal feelings of credibility
were generated between those students
and administrators present I suspect
that each person in attendance will use at
least a slightly different perspective now
when dealing with problems and issues
concerning students and the administra
tion.
That, however, is not the main purpose
of my letter Because the editorial staff
of The Red and Black is so concerned
about the use and possible misuse of
student funds, I would like to see a list of
all salaries paid to students from student
activities monies To print such a list in
The Red and Black might take a little
work, bul some investigative reporting
never nurt anyone As a matter of fact, it
might give the reporters a little practice,
Wixidward and-Bernstein style
This list should include but not be
limited to the following, with names,
titles and dollar amounts paid staffers
at The Red and Black. WUOG, executive
officers, senate officers, judicial council
members, and any other paid student
officers in organizations such as the
University Union.
I think that such a list will amaze the
"average" student, if such a student
exists, who most likely doesn't realize
that up to (25,000 a year is paid from
activities fees for student salaries
I realize that The Red and Black gets
only a small portion of its funds from
activities fees, but as long as any is
received, all University students should
have knowledge of matters such as
salaries Anyway, I doubt that K&B
staffers will mind disclosing the amounts
of their meager salaries By asking for
this list I'm not implying that some of
those receiving student funds are not
earning them I simply feel that the fact
of and amounts of should be common
knowledge for all students in order that
we can all be sure that our student
activities fees are being wisely spent
BARRY G. IRWIN
‘Interest can
only benefit’
TO THE EDITOR:
Fourteen-day withdrawal, prices for
prescriptions and overcrowded dorms
These are just a few of the problems that
have arisen this fall at the University.
Together with the lack of parking,
freshman residency requirement, exit
exam, one year meal contracts and the
other annual crises, students have had a
lot to complain about. What can be done
about these complaints? How can the
problems that students encounter be
solved?
A university should have a group that
represents students and serves their
needs The University has a Student
Government Association (SGA), which is
supposed to represent students SGA does
in some ways. However, SGA has
problems There have been feuds in the
executive branch, disinterest in the
senate and even a lack of faith in the
Student Body Constitution.
As bad as these may seem, they are
small compared to the lack of student
interest and lack of student support in
Student Government. A majority of
students do not know what SGA is, much
less who is in it and what its functions
art* 1 have questioned numerous people
who don’t even know the name of the
president of the student body (Rob
Hancock' Imagine the plight of our
nation if the electorate did not know our
own Jimmy (brother of Billy) Carter
Granted, SGA is not an actual
government In the words of a noted
student senator, “We (SGA) do not
declare war or levy taxes.” However,
SGA is the students representative. It is
capable of handling the students’
problems Perhaps the structure needs to
be changed or new people are needed
But in order for SGA to represent
students, the students have to show an
interest and level support. Instead of
adopting the old apathetic "who cares”
attitude, students need to get involved
This can include applying for a position
in SGA, attending the senate meetings, or
just going by SGA in Memorial and
expressing one’s views to a member of
SGA Perhaps a friend or classmate is in
student government Grab him or her one
day and demand action on an issue, but
show your concern
Students’ expression of interest in
University policy can only serve to
benefit the student and the University in
general. A growth of support from
students in SGA would make the student
voice louder than the faculty and
administration With student support, the
SGA can greater aid in changing the
withdrawal period and practice of triple
occupancy Who knows'*
If the student body really got interested
they might even have a say in the
allocation of their own activities fees
HAROLD MULHKRIN
Senator. Arts and Sciences
Letters policy
Letters to the editor should
Be typed, double spaced, on a
60-space line
Include name, address and phone
number of contributor.
Letters are subject to editing for
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