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University Daily Kansan Friday. October 27. 1961
Politics and Civil Rights
The University of Texas held its campus elections Wednesday.
The fact that a southern university has had a student body election isn't of great news value to KU students, nor is that simple statement worth comment—until the outcome of the election is examined.
A NEGRO WAS ELECTED, FOR THE FIRST time, to the student assembly.
Gwen Jordan, 22, was one of four representatives from the college of arts and sciences to be elected. She was second in a field of ten candidates.
What does the election mean now? Does it have any importance to KU?
First, Miss Jordan's victory in a campus election is also a moral victory for the Negro student, not only at her University, but for other Negro students on other campuses.
Perhaps it will be the beginning of a new trend in Negro student thought—interest on campus issues where he will be directly represented or will have a direct route to campus leaders through which he can voice his opinion.
OR MISS JORDAN'S ELECTION may encourage Negroes to participate in organized representative campus organizations where before they have been refused admittance.
It might suggest that the KU Negro become interested in campus political parties and affiliate with one and help to form the party's platform.
Could this one incident have bearing on KU?
THERE ARE RUMORS FLYING AROUND that neither party will take a firm stand on civil rights in this election; they would rather ignore the issue than face it.
If this is true, the KU Negro missed his chance for his voice, which could be very loud, to be heard on campus through campus politics.
No organized Negro living group is presently affiliated with either campus party. One Negro living group had expressed interest in learning more about the political structure of Vox Populi, but made no definite plans to do so.
It might also suggest that the KU Negro, after affiliating with a party, run a candidate for office.
Ridiculous? It would never work? The party would never allow a Negro to run for office? How can anyone be sure until it is tried?
Becoming active in campus politics takes time, but it is an effective means of voicing opinion. Vox Populi and University Party are designed to voice any and all student opinion, yet campus politics is a force the KU Negro has ignored.
Carrie Merryfield
Unrest in Trujillo's Nation
It is interesting to note the continuing foment in the Dominican Republic. The assassination of Gen. Rafael Trujillo last May ended his 30 year dictatorship and the government has allowed opposition parties to function—with a few exceptions. The national police have been rounding up and deporting Marxists and extreme socialists to prevent these parties from becoming strong.
OBVIOUSLY THE REASON BEHIND THIS suppression of Marxists and socialists is the fear among the ruling group of radical and perhaps violent change in the country's social and economic system.
The Dominican Republic's rulers will not be able to prevent change, however. The reasons for the unrest in that country must be dealt with positively if violent change is to be prevented, and any positive action will necessarily involve considerable peaceful change.
For it is not only the political repression that is the cause of the unrest. The poverty stricken, hungry and illiterate masses are beginning to stir. They are learning that their lot can be eased, that their suffering can be ended.
IT IS BECAUSE OF THE CLOSE INDENTIFICATION of Marxists and socialists with the masses and their traditional identification with violent methods in underdeveloped areas that the government has begun deporting members of these parties. It is an attempt to prevent any significant growth of power on their part that could mean trouble for the ruling group.
But the fundamental problem must be solved if the present government, or any future government, is to insure peace and stability. The condition of the great mass of poor must be improved, their demand for a decent life must be met.
—William H. Mullins
Editor Criticized
I somehow fail to comprehend the attitude of Mullins in his editorial on Soviet Nuclear Testing in the Oct. 25 UDK. How very narrow, complacent and I might add, apathetic. Isn't he interested? Doesn't he care? Or is he bitter? Regardless, I cannot understand. For do you not think that Russia's and Red China's outrageous crimes are remembered? Mullins seems to recall them, the Hungarians certainly do not forget and I feel certain that free nations do not forget; especially, the ransacked, rebellion-torn, Communist infiltrated nations do not forget. And perhaps all these crimes serve as a very real and horrifying reminder to all nations, showing the difference between Communism and freedom as we know it. And also as a reminder that the terrors of the two nations could be a substantial threat to them; that they might not be spared the horrors of Hungary, Tibet, Berlin, Korea.
NO. ACTIVE CONDEMNATION by those who are able, under freedom, to express themselves, lives. It is very much alive to all of us and this is better influence by each and every nation, in protest of tyranny, than any other type of world influence. Khrushchev is helping to defeat himself by opposing the world, but at the same time, succeeds, in accomplishing approval of his actions if the world remains silent and therefore, in acceptance.
... Letters ...
I take my freedom as a serious thing; it is of dire importance to me. And I am willing and ready to protect it. Since I am not a Communist, since I disagree with their directives, then I am opposed to their aggression and attempt to saturate the world with their power. I disagree with their motives
Daily Hansan
Member Inland Daily Press Association. Associated Collegiate Press. Represented by National Advertising Service. $3, 50 for 50 New York News-Voice magazines. United Press International. Mail subscription rates: $3 a semester or $3 a year. Published in Lawrence, Kan., every afternoon during the University year except Saturday afternoons. Examination periods. Second class postage paid at Lawrence, Kansas.
University of Kansas student newspaper
Telephone Viking 3-2700 Extension 711, news rooms Extension 276, business office
Founded 1889, became biweekly 1904,
triweekly 1908, daily Jan. 16. 1912.
NEWS DEPARTMENT
Tom Turner      Managing Editor
Linda Swander, Fred Zinnerman. Assistant Managing Editors; Kelly Smith. Assistant Editor; Barbara Howell. Society Editor.
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Ron Gallagher ... Editorial Editor
Bill Mullas and Carrie Merryfield,
Assistant Editorial Editors.
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT
Tom Brennan,
Don Gergick, Advertising Manager;
Bonnie McCullough, Circulation Manager;
David Wiens, National Advertiser;
Steve Machee, Machine
Classified Advertising Manager; Hail Smith, Promotion Manager;
and I disagree with their "I-ownthe - world - so - I - can - do-with-it-as-I-please" attitude.
THERLFORE, I FEEL THAT IT is my duty to speak up against them and in doing so. I feel that I am helping to protect this precious freedom. This is what other tree nations can and are doing. We can begin to protect freedom by opposing tyrannyw and "un-freedom" thereby adhering one with another. There is more power in numbers, you know. I shall be concerned with imperialism. I shall openly oppose it, with others I shall join for this great cause of freedom. Only in this way does our fight begin.
Fatsy Coutts El Dorado junior
EATON'S FRIDAY CARTOON
He'd make a perfect husband. If you care for husbands."
Campus Election
It Looks This Way...
Campus elections are coming up early in November. As in past years, you often hear the comments "so what." "All this political stuff means nothing." "It's probably good experience for the people who are in it, but it doesn't affect me."
These are samples of the opinions often expressed by KU students unacquainted with campus political organization.
THAT WORD "UNACQUAINTED" IS IMPORTANT. It is the students who are unacquainted with the system who are usually so hasty to condemn.
Let's take a look at campus politics in recent years and see what it has meant to KU;
To start, let's clarify the relationship between the All Student Council, which governs student affairs within the limits set by the administration and the two political parties, Vox Populi and the University Party.
The All Student Council members are students who have been selected by the parties to run for an ASC office from one of the living districts on campus.
It seems evident from this that ASC representation is fairly well divided. The number of representatives each group has is determined by how many votes that district casts in the general election. The more votes, the more representation.
These districts, for the fall elections, are broken down into campus living groups—fraternity, sorority, large men's dormitories, small men's dormitories, or scholarship halls; large women's dormitories, small women's dormitories, unmarried-unorganized and married.
OKAY, WEVE GOT THE STUDENTS ON THE ASC. THEN what happens? Despite the often heard sentiment "nothing," something can happen and usually does.
Last year the ASC established a reserved seating plan for football games and a student driver-rider co-ordinating center to aid students in finding rides during vacations. Also, the ASC investigated discriminatory clauses in the constitutions of social fraternities and sororities on campus. It established a committee on human rights to hear opinions concerning minority groups and advise the ASC in these matters.
The above actions are merely samples. There were many other programs and actions that could be cited.
THE ASC ALSO SERVES AS A SOUNDING board for campus opinion that could be achieved in no other way. It provided student leadership by bringing up issues, whether it solved these issues or not
What the ASC does in solving campus problems is not nearly so important as its function as a representative body of KU students, with its airing of campus opinion.
Only an apathetic or uninformed student could dismiss campus politics as "nothing," or hold the opinion "it doesn't affect me."
It would be a pretty dull place if we went our merry way with scholastics, and forgot that people still have problems and opinions that need to be brought into the open. Campus politics can fulfill this need.
-Karl Koch
HOW tine
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