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The Red and Black. Wednesday January 9. iftftt
McCommons concerned with UGA
By NELSON d. ROSS
Staff writer
Co-publisher of the Athens
Obaerser and former member of
the Athens Fight. Pete
McCommons. says he is still
concerned about the same
things he was concerned about
at the University in 1970.
"There is a fundamental lack
of an\ commitment to any
educational philosophy (at the
University). They mouth the
word excellence but practice
extreme pragmatism."
McCommons said in a recent
interview.
McCommons cited the con
troversies in the Center for
Applied Mathematics in 19 7 9
and in the history department in
I9 7 2 as examples that policy at
the University had not changed
in the decade. He also listed the
University library and Arts Ac
Sciences as being areas of
controversy in the decade.
McCommons became in
volved at a sit-in at ^resident
Fred Davison's office in the
Spring of 1972 when he was a
faculty member in the Uni
versity's Institute of Govern
ment .
"Some of the students in
volved in Coalition (a campus
political party) were friends of
mine and I heard them talking
about going to President
Davison's office and staying
there until they got an audience
with him. They had tried other
ways to see him about housing
(issues)," McCommons said.
"I knew Fred (Davison) and
Albert Jones, his assistant. I
was afraid they might act hastily
against a group of students. I
thought I would go over and
stand in support of their desire
to see the president."
McCommons said.
"I was standing there with
them and was arrested. So I be
came an instant radical."
McCommons said. "I thought I
was merely acting as a responsi
ble faculty member.
McCommons said.
McCommons and seven
students were convicted of
criminal trespass in Fcbruar\
I97J.
He does not regret his
participation in the sit-in. It
mrde me what I am today—a
conservative newspaper
publisher." McCommons said.
According to McCommons.
the Observer was founded be
cause he and another member of
the Athens Eight. Chuck
Searcy, needed jobs after their
conviction. Searcy had been
campaign manager for Max
Clcland’s lieutenant governor
campaign but agreed to drop
out because of his student
activist reputation.
McCommons* contract vs ith
the University was not renewed
after his conviction.
"Needing some way to sup
port ourselves, we decided to
start a weekly newspaper. In
that sense, von eould sa\ Fied
Davison is the founder of the
A t li e n s Observer."
Met ominous said.
McCommons has seen
student and faculty attitudes
change dramatically in his years
on campus and in Athens.
"When I was an under-
graduate here from I9SH-I962. I
encountered very little discus
sion of academic subjects out
side the clas.room."
McCommons said.
When McCommons joined
the faculty in the spring of I9f>8
things were different.
" At that time there was a real
ferment on campus; partly
political, partly intellectual. The
University had hired a lot of
bright young PhD's who had
attracted a lot of bright, young
scholars."
According to McCommons. as
the economy changed the poli
tical nature of the times
changed.
"In the early 1970s. the 60s
came to the University. There
was student activism on the war
and to some extent civil rights.
But the political situation that
generated radicalism. , .also
generated a boom economy.
Thai reversed in the late 1970s.
'll lose (faculty) who had jobs
became less w illing to speak out
against the administration;
people plavcd it safe. Students
were no longer threatened by
the draft so they were no longer
interested in politics. Lo and
behold, rock n'roll was here to
stay." McCommons said.
According lo McCommons
students were affected by the
same economic situation and
that tin) affected their political
activity.
"Jobs are scarcer so it
behooves students not to speak
out." McCommons said.
Some of the attitudes of the
early seventies have carried
over into the professional world
according to McCommons.
McCommons said those who
had "done what they eould to
change the system go on to
finish college and go into law.
medicine and business. Many
arc right here in Athens in
business making a capitalistic
buck.
"Some of that energy and
political conciousncss of the
seventies has carried over to
some extent in the way those
people practice law. medicine
and business." McCommons
said.
Coile is sworn in as mayor
Lauren Coile was sworn in as mayor of
Athens in a brief ceremony at city hall News
Years Day. Five members of the city council
were also sworn in during the ceremony,
including Nancy Denson, fifth ward democrat,
who became the first woman to officially hold
a seat on the council.
The B&L Warehouse is still facing a possible
30 day suspension of its liquor license following
a conviction in magistrate's court ot violating a
new city ordinance that prohibits the taking of
drinks from the premises. The B&L posted an
appeal bond following the conviction. The case
is now pending in the Clarke County superior
court.
In the regular meeting of the mayor and
council in December, the council voted to ask
the Georgia General Assembly to lengthen the
operating hours of bars on Saturday nights
from midnight to 1 a m Some view this as a
concession by the mayor and council after they
voted to raise liquor license fees 25 to 33
percent The general assembly will take the
matter up when the session convenes later
this month.
present*
JOE BARNES
on the piano
WED.
JAN. 9TH
No cmer. just great
IIIIIMI
mi its i \\ in
Tllltoi t.ll
S AT. .1 \V 12
in their Xtlinis debut
UNCLE ERNIE
with Buddv Greene
and Itov Finch
f or inlorniation and
reservations rail
:.li.-77i:t
PASS ADMITS
TWO
Till ItS .1 \\ 10
«»nl\ to hear
I'M'LE I It\If.
Neil Williamson
Fridays
Gallery
■ --7
Georgia Students for Kennedy
YOU CAN
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Attend the Conference of Georgia Students
to learn how you a can help elect
EDWARD KENNEDY
Saturday, January 12th 10:00 am-4:00 pm
Room 347, Equitable Bldg.
100 Peachtree Street, Atlanta
Studies Abroad art in Memorial
A show of art works by University students who participated in
the lt»7‘» Studies Abroad Program will open at the Visual Arts
Building Gallery Jan. 13
A reception honoring the students will begin at 2 p.m. in the
Visual Arts Building The show will remain in the gallery
throughout Januarv.
The show will feature works indicating the influence of
contemporary Italy For the past decade University students
have taken advantage of the Studies Abroad Program and
traveled to Cortona. Italy to live, work and study art,
environmental design and theatre The show will feature works
indicating the influence of contemporary Italy
by JOHN KUKLA
HALLOWEEN NIGHT EVENT
WUOG case goes to state court
By CIIITK REECE
Assistant campus editor
The case involving the
alleged Halloween night take
over of WOUG was hound over
to the State Court in Athens at
a hearing held in the Clarke
County Magistrate Court Dec-
17
Pete Lamb, a former WUOG
general manager, and Don
Whittemore. a former WUOG
announcer, the two defendants,
must appear in the State Court
Feb. 6 for arraignment on
criminal trespass charges,
according to a spokeswoman
for the Clarke County Magis
Fill out and return to
Steven Haworth
Department of Political Science
Agnes Scott College
Decatur. GA 3O030
■ 404» 373*2571. ext 357
YES I support Kennedy and plan to attend Januarv 12. Plra>r *end me info
> ES I support Kennedy hut cannot attend. Tell me how I can help
Nan
ante.
Xddres*^
Zip-
Phone
I Paid for by the Kennedy for PrrtidltoTbaiiritTtc*
NEED SOME HELP
NOW THAT YOU’RE
LOOKING FOR A JOB?
January 15th..
The Red and Black is distributing the Winter Quarter
edition of the UGA Career Guide. Filled with recruitment
information from major companies, the guide has special feature
articles of interest to students entering the job market.
Next Tuesday, 10,000 cupies of the Career Guide will be
distributed on campus where you pick up your issues the Rrel
and Black. Also, 4,000 copies will remain available at the Red
and Black office and Career Planning and Placement office in Clark
Howell Mall thrrutfiDUt the quarter.
m
uga Career Guide
irate Court
The Magistrate Court stated
no reason for binding the case
over to the State Court, said
Andrew Whalen III, attorney
for Lamb and Whittemore.
Lamb and Whittemore al
legedly went to WUOG Hal
loween night to do one hour of
programming with the perm
ission of Rob Gibson. WUQG's
program director. WUOG filed
no charges against the two
The charges were filed bv
Mary Anglin, the disc jockey
who was on the air at the time
l*amb and Whittemore arrived
at the station, because "sup
posedly, they were obnoxious
and boisterous and supposedly,
one of the guys had a gun.”
Gibson said
I^amb, then a deputy with
the Spaulding County Sheriff's
Department, had his gun on
hut not dressed in his deputy's
uniform. according lo
Spaulding County Sheriff
Robert Aaron
“Mr Lamb doesn’t work
with us anymore. That’s
permanent." Aaron said Mon
day. Aaron had temporarily
suspended Lamb immediately
after the incident.
The Federal Communi
cations Commission has
taken no action against WUOG
in the matter, Gibson said
At the December hearing.
Anglin was the only person to
appear in her behalf "She
appeared to he her own
lawyer,” Gibson said.
“I’m still not commenting on
the matter," Whittemore said
Tuesday. Lamb’s telephone
had been disconnected and he
could not be reached for
comment.
Anglin also could not be
reached for comment.
20%
off
Everything Sale
135 Uniy#f*ify Covrt
Nnf io OgltrtKKp* Houm
Afhoni. Georyio 30*05
Advanced
hairstyles
for men and women
Through
January 31,1980
ItADL
p Phone
t, 549-7777
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