Monday, November 21, 1977
University Daily Kansai
Comment
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Kansan editorial staff. Signed columns represent only the views of the writers.
The Student Senate acted sensibly last week when it went on record as favoring a change in the way that campus groups receive Senate funding.
Specifically, the Senate decided to oppose the current University policy that requires the administration to recognize campus groups before those groups can be eligible for Senate funding. A petition of opposition soon will be sent to KU administrators.
The petition makes sense because it would allow any registered student organization to apply for Senate funds. The Senate would be able to consider funding requests from groups substantially oriented toward religion, politics or expression of sexual preference—groups the administration will not recognize now.
Administrators ultimately have veto power over Senate funding. A controversial sexual-preference group—for example, one that worked for gay rights—still could be denied funding by administrators even before a change in the policies. But the trust between the groups matters to those student groups that feel the need to publicly state their case for receiving student money.
THE VOTE on the petition was close, 40-34, and reversed a previous rejection of it made at an earlier Senate meeting. Offences of the petition said at last week's
meeting that they did not see the value of dredging up an issue that supposedly had nothing to do with it.
But Regigie Robinson, chairman of the Senate rights committee, struck a true note when he said that several senators had not fully understood the issue at the previous meeting and that reconsideration was therefore necessary.
In addition, some senators' thinking seems to have cleared since the emotional charges that clouded the recognition debate last month. Those charges focused on the allegation that Steven Leben, student body president, was using the proposed policy as a smokescreen for trying to advance the cause of gay rights.
THE VOTE of reversal can be seen as a victory for the embattled Leben, who has had to fight accusations that his leadership inspires apathy. But more importantly, the Senate actually is capable of passing consistent legislation. Perhaps its recent apathy is declining.
All student groups, regardless of how controversial they are, deserve a chance to be heard. It will not do for administrators to say that Senate consideration of those should be a waste of time. The process of consideration is in itself constructive.
It may be hard to believe, but a year ago Panama wasn't a big issue. Even six months ago most Americans weren't particularly concerned about the future of the canal. Indeed, the average American probably hadn't given a lot of thought to Latin America since he studied a unit on Latin America in grammar school.
Panama Canal not worth a war
Then everything changed. The American and Panamanian negotiators who had been called in by the governor announced that they had come to agreement about the canal and that Panama would assume control of the area in the year that's when all hell broke loose.
People who may have had trouble remembering where Panama is suddenly cared passionately about retaining the United States control over the canal. And others, who may be been just as unconcerned, begin to argue for the other side.
SO NOW PANAMA has become a matter of grave concern for the politician and the proverbial man on the street. Almost everyone has his own point of view on Panama.
The pollsters have done their part to reinforce the 1977 epidemic of Panama fever. Every new survey tells us that so many Americans favor the treaty but such-and-such
No-smoking laws violated at $ K^{*} $
To the editor:
Letters
We feel there is an important issue that needs to be brought to the attention of KU students and faculty—the right of the non-smoker to breathe clean air in KU classrooms.
In an enclosed, poorly ventilated area where people are smoking cigarettes, pipes, and cigars, the nonsmoker can inhale the smoke of from one to four cigarettes an hour. The smoke given off at the burning end of a cigarette is called carbon monoxide. The smoke contains the same cancer causing agents and gases that smokers inhale while smoking. Actually, there are twice as many tars in sidestream smoke, three times
more carbon monoxide, 2-3 times more benzopyrene (considered to be the cancer causing agent), and 50 times more ammonia, as well as the irritation and smell.
There are few laws to protect nonsmokers, and many of the existing laws are ignored. Every classroom on the KU campus has a bright red "no smoking" sign posted however, and students in these signs and either smoke in the room or allow students to smoke. This is not conducive to an academic atmosphere.
Studies have found that non-smokers, when placed in a testing room, score significantly lower than smokers, but when tested separately score equally as well or slightly higher than smokers.
As a group of concerned students we would like to know how many KU instructors and students are ignoring the one rule we have that protects them from smoking. We class in which smoking is permitted, please call 844-4076 and report the instructor's
name, the class, the room and building, and the meeting time.
The purpose of this survey is not to jopardize the jobs of any instructors, but simply to find the percentage of those instructors who allow the nosmoking rule to be broken.
The Members of HPER598
Special Course of Study In Smoking and Health Elbert Glover, instructor
Spencer meant to be helpful
To the editor:
Lynn Kirkman
I was distressed to read the article criticizing the Spencer Research Library in the Kansan, especially those bead and found the librarians to be extraordinarily cooperative. Ann Hyde, the manuscript librarian, brought out very valuable materials from the students she examine. She lectured and answered questions on early medieval manuscripts with great good will; furthermore she set up a mini-exhibition for
Editorial Writer
I appreciate the helpfulness of the librarians, the quiet working conditions and the comfort of being at home. Assistance is always at hand. If students or faculty feel strange the first time they visit or work at Spencer, they need only enter their home for a feel at home. Spencer Research Library is, after all, precisely that—a research library. The excitement of discoveries made me feel as if I was an apparent to the casual visitor.
Marilyn Stokstad
professor of art history
percent oppose its ratification.
A person who didn't have an opinion would probably be forced to hold up his head in public.
If the truth were known, most people would probably agree with Alice Roosevelt Longworth, whose father, Theodore Roosevelt, instigated the construction of the Panama Canal. Mrs. Longworth said that the wore by bored all the camera and would just as soon not hear any more about it.
And a few might even concur with Billy Carter, whose
brother has the responsibility of "selling" the idea of the treaty of the American public. Billy has proposed closing both ends of the canal and stocking it with catfish.
IF ONE hasn't been interviewed by a polling organization, it's tough to know exactly how the question is being asked. I suspect, however, that you phrased this. Do you favor or oppose the Panama Canal treaty?
And there's a problem with that type of phraseology. It leaves the respondent only three choices—"yes," "no" or the fence-sitting "no opinion" for qualified answers, or for qualified answers, which is unfortunate in an issue without a clear-cut solution.
response might be that one is opposed to the canal treaty but favors getting out of Panama and not into the Amazon. The response isn't as peculiar as it might seem at first glance. It would allow the opinion that the U.S. shouldn't be maintaining a naval base in the Western Hemisphere. And, at the same time, this answer would recognize the inherent problems involved in the canal treaty as it has been proposed.
frontation, regrettable but inevitable, would surely be the result of this conflict of interests.
ONLY A TRULY naive person can assume that a withdrawal of U.S. forces would be possible in the United States at any time. There could be instances when allowing our ships to use the canal would be far apart from our independent Panama. Con-
An entirely reasonable
And one doesn't have to speculate a great deal to determine the consequences of such a conflict. A recent CBS survey showed that a majority of the people polled not only opposed U.S. withdrawal from the occasion warranted, also favored military intervention to protect U.S. access to the canal.
This, then, is the gravest threat posed by an agreement that would give the United States a foothold finger on the trigger—and that is a potentially dangerous situation. The Panama Canal is not worth another American life, and it can sorely realm of jungle warfare.
K-State, our band has pride, too
The K-State Pride of Wildcat Land Marching Band recently was chosen to be featured in a high school talent showcase at High Conference highlights film.
Although the film's band sequence is a noble effort by the conference officials to boost support for music in the Big Apple, some "marching musicians may feel smug about the choice.
The film will contain a section on football highlights and a two-and-one-half minute segment on Big Eight marching bands. The segment will concentrate on the K-State Band. The KU Band, among others, will receive a 10-second glimpse.
CHARLES NEINAS, Big Eight commissioner, said the features, which have been shown for nearly 10 years, are spread among the Big Eight carriers. This year was K-State's turn to receive notoriety and its band was designated as an asset to K-
Rick
Tbaemert
Editorial Writer
State and the Big Eight Conference.
Feature films, which must relate to football, are nominated by football-related persons and the decision is made eventually by Big Eight officials.
Previous features have been on coaches, press box activities, and game day preparations.
This is the first feature to concentrate on bands. Some may argue that such a landmark band in the Big Eight, under the facade of "our band is better than your band," most musicians will agree that K-13 is the best band in the Big Eight.
Some audiences will agree, too. The Pride of Wildeat Land's efforts at the annual KU-
K-State rivalry were weak.
Company fronts were squiggly.
Trumpets lacked punch and at times were downright meek.
PERHAPS THEY should've filmed the band in the early 70's, when its pride seemed to be at a peak. Coupled with the excitement of quarterback Nick Fitzpatrick, Gonna Win" salesman techniques of Vince Gibson, the band indeed got people fired up. Their K-State spin was refreshing, their run-ons exciting, even the audience member like myself had marched several years.
magic, the film will show only good points, and the film will be good.
Steve Hatchell, service bureau director of the Big Eight Conference, said the K-State Band was representative of the Big Eight bands. Music departments in the conference may argue differently. Not all are so fond of flashy performances as scatterings. Some are concerned with musical adeptness.
AND, THE FILM should be good it will be shown on Big Eight campuses, on airlines, on special programs and on national TV from Miami to San Francisco.
Big Eight music departments can only hope that the film, which stars a cast of representative of excellence, not mediocrity. They can only hope, also, that the film serves departments, not just K-State's.
UNFORTUNATELY, not until the film is shown around will musicians and fans know whether the choice of K-State's band was justified and fair, or an off-the-should spurt by a cultural athlete who don't know much about bands.
Let's hope it was an even break. After all, the Pride of Wildcat Land isn't the only band who has pride.
Spain's transition to democracy political miracle
By JULIAN MARIAS
N. Y. Times Features
MADRID—Less than two years ago, Spain was still a dictatorship where for four decades not a single office had been filled by means of elections, where only one political party was authorized and where the rights of free expression, association, demonstration and unionization were nonexistent.
How was it possible for a dictatorship to be dissolved without its having been destroyed or overthrown by anyone, for it to have blended back into the same time as the country took on new whale?
Today, it is a democratic monarchy with any number of parties—too many, without a doubt; with a Congress and a Senate in absolutely free and peaceful elections, and in a high degree of accessibility and inclusiveness and indeed has permitted an increasing number of strikes demonstrations and debates.
EVERYTHING IS CHANGING, rapidly and rather smoothly; almost everything has already changed; but there has been no discontinuity or power vacuum or revolution or anarchy.
The Franco years seem incredibly distant; almost everything that seemed impossible already has taken place. The forbidden is most in the forefront: political parties, including the Communists; elections, strikes, regional autonomy; the Generaliatt, Catalonia's autonomous governing body, has already been authorized; the flags of several regions wave, and the French government programs in minority languages that coexist with Spanish in some region.
Two years' back it was impossible to criticize the government, but now criticism is constant. It is no longer possible to criticize the government.
The Franco years seem incredibly distant; almost everything that seemed impossible has already taken place.
IS THIS NOT a political miracle? Has Spain changed that much? or were they once held about her mistaken? What has happened since then? Have we come closer to understanding. There has been a beginning of resolution for reality.
uttered a word of insult, disadventure or threat to any individual, group or party. King Juan Carlos has proclaimed the legitimacy of all political institutions and backed the government and backed by the votes of the electorate.
The second word was used by those who seemed to believe in what had not happened: the destruction or defeat of the previous regime. They wanted to break the continuity of power, beginning at point zero, to replace the established government, and would not have been legitimate or democratic.
The two words repeated most often by political groups since the death of Generalissimo Francisco Madero were "liberty" and "freedom."
The first was used by those who wanted to maintain the previous regime as much as possible, not wishing to see it ended once and for all. It is a way of realizing that realizing it could no longer exist without France).
THERE WAS NETHER reform nor rupture. Power was not abandoned for single day; the effective legality had not been broken, even though it may not have been truly legitimate; and it might not be preserved or reformed but not to preserve or reform the Franco regime. It has functioned to transform it in its so that roots
another regime, new and quite different, could be born.
Crown and government realized that their legitimacy would not be complete until it was endorsed by free elections. They have brought forth a liberation of Spain before its collapse, the rejection of opinions, parties, freedom of expression, association and discussion of real problems. Then they gave the country back its sovereignty through free elections, the first in a democratic way of life. The only bad elections for a country were those, those after which no one is ever elected again.
THIS HAS BEEN possible because the Spanish people are alive, they have not been crushed by dictatorship. They have not lost their capacity for opinion and decision. There had been a lack of political freedom, which is quite serious, but not a fundamental freedom, which would have been much worse.
The past decades have seen a deep, silent change in Spanish society, maturation, relative prosperity, an access to education, the development of the methods and the middle-class possibilities of a European country. Private life had predominance over public life.
Spaniards are peaceful today, they want to live together, they do not feel themselves each other's enemies. A slicing up of Spanish society is not Concord is stronger than the spirit of discord.
Spanish political parties are weak; they have few members, deep divisions, ambiguities. They draw their strength from their voters, who, in the majority, are not party members and might become disaffected. The social society today stands above its parties, the mere "receivers" of votes according to preference.
THE "SOCIALIST" VOTE, by and large, was not socialist. In its election campaign, the Socialist Party did not use any of its specific principles: Marxism, republicanism, class struggle, but ruban a vague appeal to the "people" and for "social justice" (in which all parties coincided).
The Union of the Democratic Center, which won the election with the largest minority vote and is now in the government, is not really a party. That might be where its greatest strength lies. Its platform, personified in Prime Minister Adofo Suarez, has raised concerns about the power, an innovative transformation of the country and the continuity of administration and governmental instruments.
THERE WILL BE economic difficulties—a lack of investment, stock-market manipulations, strikes that are destructive to national wealth—there will be attempts to impede the autonomy of regions within a firmly united Spain; there will be attempts to undermine the prestige of the King, an
The problems are great. The new Spain has begun in a period of general economic crisis that began in 1973; there are minority forces seeking to impose a fundamental transformation. Some do not want transformation and other do not want it to be peaceful. They are the ones who are sure that they will never win in a democratic system.
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obviously decisive factor in the fabulous change, or to reduce him to a decorative figurehead.
Nevertheless, if the Spanish people will continue to be offered intelligent proposals, I think that after some hesitation they will support them with enthusiasm and will complete this march toward freedom and towards a creative and original Spain that began almost two years ago.
THE eitho
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Julian Marias is a disciple of the political and social thinker Jose Ortega Gasset and the author of many philosophical works. He has taught in Oxford, Cambridge, and London and was appointed to the Spanish Senate by King Juan Carlos.
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