Monday, December 11, 1967
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
3
Appointed to House
Velsir represents 18,000
By John Marshall Kansan Staff Reporter
A KU student is now a state representative.
Bob Velsir, Independence senior, now represents 18,000 people from Montgomery County and the cities of Independence, Elk City and Dearing. His representational district excludes Coffeyville, Cherrvale and Chaneye.
Velsir was appointed last Friday to the Kansas House of Representatives by Gov. Robert B. Docking after his Dec. 1 nomination to the post by Democratic precinct committee members of the Eighth Representational District.
Students have problems
Velsir, now an appointed state representative for four days, said there seemed to be a problem concerning KU students and state politics.
"Most KU students don't seem to care one way or another about state politics," Velsir said. "What they do care about is the war in Vietnam and the draft."
The 21-year-old political science major said he thought many KU students "appear" to approve of Gov. Docking's state policies, but at the same time disapprove of the policies of the Johnson administration.
Velsir's main concern, however, is with problems in state politics.
Want better services
"As I see it," Velsir said, "the consistent overriding dilemma in state politics is the fact that most people want better state services (better roads, educational facilities, highways, etc.) but don't want the tax increases which would result if these services are to be implemented.
The idea of KU and other state educational systems' desire for more funds is a vital issue—the
problems of which spring from this same dispute.
Velsir said it is a "tragedy" when student and "people" are concerned with these and other issues only when the issues directly effect them.
"Be concerned"
"Everyone should be concerned with the best government possible —at all levels," Velsir said. "from national down to the local level."
Velsir considered running for state representative when he learned last January of the pending resignation of the Eighth District representative, Lee Cain, also from Independence.
Spurred by an interest in politics, and a desire to "get a very good start in politics." Velsir "considered" the position.
Decided to study
He later learned another man was seeking the governor's appointment and decided to concentrate on school work—refusing an active part in the contest.
At the Kansas Young Democrat dinner and reception for Sen. Edward Kennedy in Topeka Oct. 17, Montgomery County Democratic Chairman Milton Brown approached Velsir and asked him how old he was.
"Twenty-one," Velsir replied.
Interested?
Brown then asked Velsir if he were interested in campaigning for the office and serving in the legislature.
Velsir's answer is evident.
Velsir then began the long series of weekend trips to Independence—conducting an intense campaign to introduce himself to all precinct committeemen and committeewomen in the Eighth District. By Thanksgiving, Velsir had more than 20 of 28 eligible votes pledged to his support.
(At a precinct committee convention of a representational district, only a simple majority is required to elect.)
"There weren't too many people at the convention," Velir said.
Won easily
At the convention, Velsir was the only man nominated, and by secret ballot he won. 13-0.
Velsir said many friends were surprised at the outcome. When Gov. Docking's appointment was announced Friday disbelief was nearly a consistent reaction from close friends.
Velsir was first officially connected with state politics when he served as president of the Montgomery County Young Democrats in May '65 for a year. In the fall and winter a year ago, he worked at the Democratic State Headquarters in Topeka.
Carry a light load
Because of "political" commitments, Velsir will have to carry a reduced load academically next semester.
"I'll have to take 7:30s and 4:30s, since the legislature convenes at 10 every morning—and I will have committee meetings in the early afternoon. Summer school looks like a must this year."
But Velsir the state representative returned to KU from Topcella Friday to become Velsir the student—before going to Independence this weekend for political talks with some constituents.
Math vs. elections
"I had to make up a math test I missed last Saturday because of the election," he quipped.
The math instructor had no objections to Velsir's missing the test, but when he learned his reason for absence the instructor said, "Oh, you're going to be one of the men who walks up and down the aisles distributing notes?"
GSA fizzles out; 'It's not feasible'
The Graduate Student Association (GSA) no longer exists.
"Things have come to a quet halt. We've sort of proven that an over-all graduate student organization isn't feasible right now," said Jack Casey, Stillwell graduate student and GSA chairman pro tem.
He said he still feels an organization of this kind would be valuable if more of the University's 50 graduate departments would organize and unite for some common cause. He said most of the needs of the graduate students were departmental.
Casey said "activity" is going on in about a dozen departmental organizations. Many of these were formed by GSA stimulation.
He said the GSA did "awaken the administration to some of our needs." A meeting has been set up between several graduate school deans and graduate students on a monthly basis.
"People already working in departments don't have time to also work with GSA. Most graduates don't have time and most aren't interested in campus politics. That's sort of what killed it," he said.
One of the main goals of GSA, to facilitate inter-departmental communication on common problems and interests, was not accomplished because most problems are departmental in nature.
Most active of the departmental organizations is Student Association of Graduates in English (SAGE).
SAGE has prepared a final memorandum to be presented to Chancellor W. Clarke Wescoe this week or early next outlining what they call a critical need for
higher pay for assistant instructors. Earlier they presented a temporary memorandum to Francis Heller, acting provost and dean of faculties.
Another SAGE project has been to prepare a course evaluation report to be published soon which will inform new graduate students of such things as course context, numbers of papers due, if a course is stimulating or not and the difficulty of the instructor's grading.
Library committee
SAGE's library committee, mainly concerned with Watson Library staff shortage, is working with Terrence Williams, assistant library director, to help eliminate mutilation of books. The committee is also working on a program to orient undergraduates on how to use the stacks, in an attempt to reduce the amount of work the existing library staff is responsible for.
"We can't all go in and see the department chairman," he said.
Dave Holden, Winona, Minn. graduate student and chairman of SAGE, said the English Department's organization has been successful because the department is larger than most, and students must organize.
SAGE is also publishing a newsletter to be out Tuesday.
Holden said SAGE has received permission to have one graduate student on the Faculty Advisory Committee as a full voting member.
This committee screens many of the English department's activities such as curriculum changes and matters concerning assistant instructors.