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UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Monday, November 6, 1967
Promises, promises...
This year's new campus political group, to be known as the Independent Student Party (ISP), begins with an impressive record. Although some doubt may be raised as to whether University administration quaked in fear when presented with the student library petitions, there is no doubt that these new politicians were the moving force that gave KU its library hours.
Issues appearing on the platform would warm the heart of many a campus liberal and probably many moderates. Some, like the right to choose where to live and the right to select one's own hours, would restore to the student the precious prerogative of self-determination. Others, such as the undiscriminate dispensation of birth control pills by Watkins Hospital, might go far to eliminate the attitude of pious judgment that some administrators seem to feel the issue allows them.
Now the new campus heroes have decided to take on other problems which plague some or all of the KU student body, and have initiated a platform of 15 reforms which they pledge to institute if they are elected. The party is to be one of student power.
But there is a serious flaw in the ISP platform; for the new party states only its promises, not how it plans to achieve them.
Here the party may be in for a little disl- lusionment. Although it took positive action to
get the library situation back to normal, the petition activists' only substantial opposition was fatalism. Students deplored the library's shortened hours, but so did the administration. To be against an open library on a serious campus would be comparable to being for dog-beating in the outside world.
But in the issues the ISP so blithely promises to solve through student power, the party will not find this universal and automatic agreement. On almost every issue the ISP is likely to run into pronounced and active dissent. The dissent will vary according to the issue, but it can be anticipated from every possible quarter—the legislature. Board of Regents, parents, administrators, faculty, and—surprise of surprises—the student. The ISP may find that there still rests within the KU student body a large number of persons who perhaps through fear of the very freedoms the ISP seeks to offer them, will not want the reforms of its platforms.
The ISP has made an outspoken challenge to student voters to change life at KU. Many long forgotten platforms of the past have promised the world and failed. Although the ISP's desire to bring activism to student government is admirable, it must now (1) define its terms and (2) provide its plan of implementation, before its platform can be considered seriously.
Betsy Wright Editorial Editor
By-the-drink referendum
Liquor-by-the-drink in Kansas has been a touchy subject since Carry Nation first wielded her hatchet more than 60 years ago. Legislators have shied away from the issue because it is believed to mean political suicide to become involved, and most governors have flatly refused to commit themselves.
The result is that Kansas is lagging far behind other states in liquor reform. The sunflower state is in an awkward position legally, since it allows sale of 3.2 per cent beer to persons 18 or older, but won't allow sale of liquor in saloons to anyone.
During nearly every legislative session, someone tries to make the law more consistent by abolishing 3.2 per cent beer, and making any sale of liquor to a person under 21 illegal. Very few legislators are willing even to talk about going the other way—allowing the sale of liquor-by-the-drink.
But the legislators may be amenable to putting the question before the voters. There are reports that a public relations firm has been engaged to conduct a survey to determine if Kansans want the issue placed on a general-election ballot, possibly as early as 1970. It is understeed that various organizations throughout the state are sponsoring the study.
The firm's report is expected to be made available to the legislature, in hopes of persuading the lawmakers to put the question on the ballot.
Talk of a liquor-by-the-drink referendum is being received much better than legislation talk. Two prominent legislators, Rep. Richard (Pete) Lous (D-Wichita), and Sen. Robert Bennett (R-Prairie Village) have already indicated that they would support a referendum.
Except for two unsuccessful attempts by a senate committee last year, little has been done towards liberalizing the law.
The sensible way to resolve this controversy is, of course, to put the issue before the people. This way, no legislator will risk his career, for one can argue against the use of this democratic process.—Paul Haney
Letters to the editor
ISP acts, but...
To the Editor:
The ISP platform, as stated in the Kansan on Nov. 1, is made appealing due to the glossing over or, in some cases, the ignoring of certain facts.
To begin with, however, the organizers of the ISP have shown their interest in student affairs by their library crusade. Their conduct was commendable, but like most protest groups the ISP has ignored the fact that government must of necessity be a combination of contemplation and action—contemplation in order to insure stability and action in order to prevent stagnation. The ISP platform reflects a great deal of action but little contemplation. The point is that presently, student government in its various forms is both contemplating and acting. This point is something which the ISP must not be aware of.
On the library issue the ISP shows immediate effects, but the efforts of Kyle Craig and Brian Barker, chairman of the Library Study Committee are largely known. Craig conferred with administration officials to great length on the matter of library hours. Beyond this, Barker's committee is now corresponding with libraries of other universities in order to gain ideas as to how present library facilities can be still further expanded.
The issue of the student right to choose houring overlooks the fact that the AWS in the last year threw out closing hours for all but freshman and first-semester sophomore women, as well as easing restrictions on women's housing. Men, of course, are free to choose where they will live.
As far as dorm hours go, men have no dorm hours and the individual women's groups set up their own "key" system. Junior and senior women have no closing, except as determined by the governing bodies of the different living groups.
Something which the ISP is also unaware of concerns the efforts being made by Emery Goad, McCollum president, Clif Conrad, AURH chairman, Allen Russell, ASC representative and myself to establish a more liberal open-house policy and to initiate a regular visitation policy. After their inception, these two programs would be determined according to individual hall needs.
The point on foreign student housing is well taken, but efforts by foreign students on the ASC and outside the ASC have been unsuccessful through many different channels. This problem is still being worked on by Craig and through the Foreign Student Office.
Unorganized student representation will be increased through the new elections bill passed by the ASC if unorganized students will turn out to vote. This district has always had the record of the lowest voter turn-out although it is the largest single voting bloc on campus.
Finally, the birth control controversy should be studied and acted upon. Talks with the Watkins staff indicate that the ISP program will meet strong administration and medical opposition. This does not mean an attempt should not be made, only that such a program probably will not be instituted this year.
The ISP interest is laudable, their initiative is admirable and their ignorance is deplorable.
Fred Krebs
Shawnee Mission senior
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY kansan
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