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UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Tuesday, December 5, 1967
Cease student evaluations
A Kansan reporter's recent interviews with the dean of women, dean of men and the acting provost indicate that residence hall counselor reports on students are no longer filed.
But, while asserting that counselors no longer turn in these subjective evaluations of the student's mental and emotional health, the deans admit that those reports filed prior to this year are still kept in a student's folder. In other words, they are still available for reference. And, while the administrators say exact contents of the files are kept confidential, they reveal files are used to give "interpretations" of the student to inquirers—be they the student, parents, prospective employers, or the FBI.
Even if one completely ignores the important question of how much right the University has to pass judgment upon a student's personal life, the gross inequities of the present system would in themselves call for all present non-academic files on students to be trashed.
The greatest inequity of the present system is that not all students are covered by counselor reports. This year's incoming students, for instance, should ostensibly escape the scourge of subjective counselor evaluations. Also those men who have lived only in apartments or fraternities during their college years should not be too covered.
When huge segments of the student population supposedly lack this personal comment in their records, it negates any claims that files are kept because of the University's great responsibility.
In order to halt these inequities, all present non-academic files should be destroyed and the practice of administrative "interpretations" ceased. Administrative claims that parents want to know about their students seem rebuted by the fact that the University actually knows very little about very many students.
Any other groups who expect the University to supply them with personal evaluations of students could be informed in a friendly manner that such University-gleaned evaluations are none of their business.
Betsy Wright Editorial Editor
Paperbacks
THE VIRGIN SOLDIERS, by Leslie Thomas (Crest, 60 cents)
—War and sex, the unbeatable formula. The book is slight and somewhat trashy, its setting the Malayan jungle. What makes it especially interesting is that the vast number of such books in recent years makes it seem almost ordinary.
SIX GREAT MODERN SHORT NOVELS (Dell, 75 cents)—What is meant by "modern" in the title is a bit puzzling, two of these going back to the 19th century. But it's a volume the student of literature should enjoy owning. Faulkner's "The Bear," from "Go Down, Moses," is here. So are Joyce's "The Dead." Katherine Ann Porter's "Noon Wine" and Glenway Wescott's "The Pilgrim Hawk." The older novels are Melville's "Billy Budd" and Gogol's "The Overcoat."
MORE STORIES FOR LATE AT NIGHT, edited by Alfred Hitchcock (dwell, 50 cents)—Another in a series that is beginning to seem somewhat lengthy, and tedious. Writers on hand include Roald Dahl, Brett Halliday and Ruth Chatterton. Aficionados of the Gothic might recognize the other names and titles.
BOON ISLAND, by Kenneth Roberts (Crest, 75 cents)—A reprint of a shocking historical novel of more than 10 years ago, and the last of Kenneth Roberts' fictional works to appear in paperback. It is a slight volume in comparison with most of his other books, which were titans, and the tale is simple, dealing with 18 men who are shipwrecked on a small island and the savagery and cannibalism that result.
Letter to the Chancellor
Wescoe urged to oppose draft order
To the Chancellor:
One must realize that the past history of the Justice Department is lack of rapid action concerning similar breaches of justice involving civil rights workers in the
It has become apparent that since Gen. Lewis Hershey's Oct. 28 directive to all local draft boards concerning the reclassification for induction of those persons "illegally" interfering with military recruiters or the present draft law, or "illegally" protesting the war in Vietnam, no official body has taken any action to countermand this obviously anti-democratic and unconstitutional, yet binding, order. There has been no Presidential directive to local boards to advise them to ignore the General's directive, and in spite of a previous court ruling (U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit) that reclassification because of participation in anti-war or anti-draft demonstrations is unconstitutional, the Justice Department has only taken Gen. Hershey's action "under advisement."
South indicates that those who wish to express their disapproval of the status quo had better prepare themselves for a long and difficult battle against a secure and powerful foe.
It is now quite obvious that every draft age male's right to hold and express political beliefs other than those of the present administration is at the mercy of his local board. This action is nothing less than an attempt at totalitarian thought control. This attempted thought control does not involve only those who physically interfere with the recruiters of military personnel, rather it encompasses all those who publicly disagree with the war (witness the reclassification of an Oklahoma University student because of h's anti-war activities) or the draft system.
But obviously more important than these immediate injustices is the fact that Hershey's action establishes the first giant step toward a revival of the insanity of the McCarthy era, when even hinted non-conformity or dissent
were punishable by social humiliation and ostracism or physical imprisonment.
If this nation is to retain the political freedom and relevance now afforded by our system of "free" speech, Gen. Hershey and the ideas he represents must be dealt with, and the university must take the lead in building a system in which critical analysis and discussion (i.e. dissent) are fostered as the true life-blood of democracy.
It is evident that the university, this university, has a very large vested interest in the maintenance of freedom of thought and discussion in this country. Is it not the university which demands critical analysis of all ideas? Is it not the university which thrives on the challenges of free and imaginative thinking? Is it not the purpose of the university to give the individual a broader opportunity for exploration into the essence of himself and the world?
If these are the functions of the university then it is the obligation of the university to take all action necessary to oppose and
resist any action which limits freedom of thought and expression in the United States. If the purpose of the university is only to act as a "service station" to provide parts and help maintain the mechanism of society then the university will remain silent and inactive.
We cannot accept the role of the university as a "service station" and we hope that you cannot either. Therefore, we urge you to use the power and prestige of the University of Kansas against such anti-democratic tactics as Gen. Hershey proposes. We urge you to follow the lead of Columbia University and resolutely express protect against Gen. Hershey's action by banning military recruiters from this campus until Gen. Hershey's action has been officially and publicly rescinded.
Rick Atkinson Belleville senior
Bob Witsell Uniontown senior
Liz Atkinson Lawrence junior
Charles de Gaulle, President of France, refuting reports that he wanted England "stripped nude": "Nudity, for a beautiful creature, is rather natural and rather satisfying for those nearby."
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