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Wednesday, February 10. 1971
University Daily Kansan
KANSAN comment
Voting Traumatized
We will be at it again in three weeks. The elections, I mean.
We'll be slouching away from our circle of friends and self-consciously stealing into the Kansas Union. We'll slither up to the guy or gal at the desk and half-heartedly stick a hand containing an I.D. above the level of the desk, and in turn receive a piece of paper.
"Huh? Aaah, no."
"You got a pencil?"
"Here's one."
Into the little cubicle. There's no screen, so your back tingles as you hurriedly put your X's in the columns and thank God you're not required to write your name. You come out, curse when the ballot does not drop into the box in one motion.
You try again, then dash into the Hawk's Nest for a soda and the respite the free chairs offer. It's over, and thank God that happened once a year.
The way the votes have been turning out in some of the recent student body elections at this school of ours, my opening paragraphs may well be a reasonably accurate account of how important the past elections were and how important the coming one will be.
There have to be several reasons for this discouraging disinterest in elections which are not only important but vital for the establishment of better relations among the University strata.
Is it the list of candidates?
Do students have too much to do during the day?
Is it the elections rhetoric? Pause.
Maybe it is the election rhetoric. Maybe the showy oratory of the candidates have become passe with the student body. Maybe it is no longer a question of what the guy on the podium says but how he says it, compared with the gentle persuasive approach of Bill the night before or the heavy, verbose style of Greg on Monday.
Everybody talked, nobody listened. Or at least they were busy talking to someone else as they listened to the inquirer. Granted that in these days of interlocking issues, delivery and personality are important considerations, but how well can one deliver if one does not know what is to be delivered?
Certainly not at the voting table. And then to the chagrin of conscientious participants in University life, many of the silent non-voters were the ones who turned around and tried to muscle their way into the already crumbling walls of the Student Senate, such deliberations, such decisions!
The small number of voters who turned out for the last student body elections placed severe doubts on the abilities of the elected officers to depend upon any major response in the event that a key issue should have arisen, and arise they
Nobody listens, not the candidates to their constituents, or the constituents to their candidates; not the candidates to their running mates or the running mates to their running mates. There was enough room for one person cross-eyed and cross-sared.
Nobody votes, at least not the majority of those who have the privilege and right to do so. But then everybody turns around and talks afterwards. Nobody helps to build or create, but everybody wants to tear down.
Ebert and Thomas won the last election because of the freshman vote, perhaps 70 per cent of the 1,940 they received. Where were the upper classmen and women? Where were the older and supposedly better informed students of this nationally rated University?
To talk conscientiously you have to vote, and if you want to criticize your candidate afterwards, you can do it with a punchline. You can't not a minority of others, voted him in.
—Duke Lambert
Put Up or Shut Up
Budget requests from 75 student organizations were submitted to the Student Senate last week and student body president Bill Ebert now has the task of drawing up a budget for fiscal year 1972.
The 75 organizations requesting funds range from the Black Veterans on Campus ($1,745) to the Jayhawk Sports Car Club ($1,138.35) to the Folk Dance Club ($52.04) to the Oliver College Advisory Board ($490).
The "pie" to be divided among the organizations totals $142,207.59 in student activity fee money. Student Senate treasurer David Miller has projected that school and department groups will get $6,296.58; intramural and extramural sports and sports clubs $11,019.03, and other organizations and the senate $124,891.98. The remainder of the fee money will go to the Kansan, the University Theatre and the Concert Course Series.
After Ebert draws up the budget. it will
be referred to the Senate Finance and
Legislative committees for hearings before
final senate approval.
In apportioning the fee money, the Senate will be using a system they rejected as unfair by their refusal to subsidize the Athletic department. Many senators recognize that some fairer way must be found so that student fee money will support only those organizations an individual student wishes his fee money for. The fact that students (it has been suggested that the activity fee just be abolished), everyone's fee money will be supporting some organizations they have no connection with or desire to support (with the exception of the Athletic department).
The upcoming budget hearings will be open to all students. They concern your money. Don't wait until the money is appropriated to vent your personal preferences. Attend the hearings and express your thoughts.
—Bob Womack
Election Letters Will Be Screened
We hope the students understand our policy concerning the upcoming student elections. For those of you who missed it, the Kansan will not endorse any single candidate or any party. We will concern ourselves with issues only.
The staff believes that the students are the publishers of the Kansan, and so we really have no right to tell you who to vote for. We will attempt to cover the elections, but I hope we will hope you will take the time to educate yourself so you can vote intelligently.
We have also decided not to accept letters to the editor dealing with specific candidates or parties. Regardless of the candidate, the editor should be directly to a particular candidate or
However, we will gladly print any letter that concerns general campaign issues. We want this page to be a forum for ideas on issues, not on candidates.
group of candidates, we will not accept the letter.
Letters concerning issues may be submitted typed, double spaced and no longer than 500 words. We must assert our right to edit any letter submitted for attempt, but we will make every attempt to leave a letter in its original form.
Students should identify themselves by their name, home town, and class only. Faculty should sign with their name, rank and department.
No unsigned letters will be accepted.
—Ted Huff
A Question of Liberation
EDITOR'S COLUMN
There was slavery in the South before the war, and the North was a land of milk and honey to the slave. Before the first American Civil War a network was established to runaway slaves in their flight to this land of milk and honey.
By GALEN BLAND
About the same time there was great debate about the prudence of abolition. Moderate men from the North argued that it would only alienate the South, but wild-eyed whites called Garrison called slavery an evil and wanted it harmed.
They didn't know why they decided to go. Maybe they liked this country enough to not run away from it; maybe they thought it wouldn't be too bad to be one of Uncle Sam's boys. Anwaw, they went.
- Soon the big war was fought and Lincoln ordered the slaves freed.
Nat and Steve were drafted into the U.S. Army in 1968. They had known it was just a matter of time because they had not gone to college after they graduated from high school. They knew all along it was just a matter of time.
They didn't like the idea of serving Uscam Lee. It meant they would lose some things. No more shoulder-length hair, no more motorcycle riding when ever they were in Canada. Or they couldn't go, run away to Canada or something. But they didn't.
It was not so bad, either. A different way of life, but it was sometimes exciting. And besides, it was only for two days.
They both went. I heard about it later, second-hand.
I saw Mike once when he was home on leave after boot camp and he knew then he was going to Vietnam. "It doesn't scare me much. I know they won't get me," he said.
One day Mike was on the point for his patrol. That meant he had to be watching for Viv Cong. Flooding through the jungle he heard he heard something, then he saw Charlie jump from behind the bushes. He fired at him and cut him down. But from the other side a rifle fired and Mike was hit in the chest. He died a few minutes later.
****
They had a ceremony for him on the local basketball court. Senator Dale came and said great words about him and gave Mike's medals to his parents and the whole family in the hall. They wrote flowers of word flew around. Nast was there on leave. He still had
three months left, but at least he was through with Vietnam.
*****
A couple of weeks later I heard Nat had gone AWOL. On two days in northern California and one night took off of Haiti. He said he was
Mike Iaker told me later Nat had been by, and then an BI manager, asking for Nat. Nat had said he just plumbed into the system.
This kept up for some time. Then three FBI men caught Nat eating up at his house. They didn't let him finish.
They put him in a camp for those who had gone AWOL, but before they even had a chance to cut his hair he was gone again. And the whole deal started again, FBI men did it long time. I haven't heard anything about him in a long time.
I saw a long-lost friend the other day and we started talking about things like this. He said a friend of his who was AWOL had stayed at a house at his house and then went back to work and was staying in Wichita with someone now, he thought.
Bureaucrat Tries, Fails To Convince Students
By CARLA RUPP
Kansan Staff Writer
Boudreau failed to allay an intense frustration on the part of students that they have no part in influencing foreign policy.
Was the visit of a U.S. State Department official to the University of Kansas the past two days just a big public relations job? Or will the communication effort byington really affect foreign policy?
The latter supposition is highly unlikely, and it's evident the official's visit failed to restore Mr. Obama's government. They're as skeptical as ever about what one student termed "a Richard Nixon in the skies." Yet to some it was a bit embarrassing that there has been anybody here at all.
Here again he charged to answer angry charges the news blackout against a company in escalation. The opposition to government policy on Vietnam has been a key issue.
'How can I affect the federal
William J. Boudreau, special assistant to Michael Collins, a professor of public affairs, fleded questions posed by everyone from KU's faculty and staff. However, his dissertation was mostly to listen and compile a report on campus sentiment to be forwards to the rest remarked, lunches periodically with Secretary of State Rogers and is interested in what students
An example of his failure to address the comments on Indo-China. He said there are no U.S. ground troops in Laos. He said the news media did not mention "political play" to allow the buildup of Vietnamese forces on the Laotian coast.
bureaucracy at all"* student
after student queried, with a tone
of helplessness. And Bouleur,
while seeming sincere in ex-
perience, was also working within the system, failed to convince many listeners.
"How can you even speak of the criminal policy of the government as so are so coordinated," an angry student shouted to the student in his visit.
In questioning at a meeting with Student Senate leaders, Boucher regarded for his immediate astronaut Collins, but he was enthusiastic about President Obama's attitude towards this (Nixon's decisions). "But it hasn't gotten that bad that you might go to walk
Boudreau answered, "The President makes the policy after listening to each agency."
Boudreau, when asked "why just a little, tight band, such as Ehrlichman, Kissinger and perhaps Kansas" own Sen. Bob Murray can get to the President, replied that he doesn't think it that light.
"But sir, when have you personally last spoken with the President?"
After a little laughter, the official answered, "in 1967, when I was a kid," and Ony he (Nixon) wasn't President but But Boudureau assured his skeptical listeners, "I think he really means well." More information.
Now that the friendly face from Washington has come and gone, students are left with much the same doubts and cynicism, but a are hopeful it won't part of the administration's PR program.
'Pardon me, sir, but I'd like my gavel back.'
SALEM, Ore. (UPI)—The manager of a salem cemetery has written the state Liqurator Control Commission urging the college to inform in the hope of reducing fatalities caused by drunk drivers.
"We well know this can only hurt our business, but we are very willing to wait," he said.
The trouble is that inhabitants
UN Could Help 'Unplug' U.S.
In an underdeveloped area, power shortages can be overcome by expanding the generating capacity. But in an overdeveloped area, there is little or no space for expansion. So the alternative is to use less electricity. Which doesn't work either.
Rv DICK WEST
The Lighter Side
WASHINGTON (UPF)—For years the United Nations has sponsored programs of technical training for underprivileged and dwell developed areas of the world. Let us hope it now will do something to help the over-aged.
Unfortunately, those two seasons happen to comprise a substantial part of the year.
The worsening plight of overloaded areas on upstairs to the power shortages that occurred throughout the brief section that states
Citrus experts from the Malay Archipelago undoubtedly would volunteer to give instructions in
As is typical of an overdo-
ded team, America has a splendid power
network that meets all of its
electrical needs—except in the
winter.
Idealistic young bongo players from Guatemala could be brought to the Northeast showing home owners and apartment dwellers how to rap on doors, thus enabling them to connect their electric door chimes.
of the region are totally dependent on electric appliances. Without such implementas as electric carving knives, shavers, knives and scissors, blenders and eyebrow pencils, they couldn't survive 24 hours.
For example, a team of skilled rug-beaters from Afghanistan might be sent to New York City to teach housewives how to dust carpets without an electric vacuum cleaner.
What I have in mind is a U.N. program under which technical advisers from underdeveloped areas would be sent into over-land areas to help the natives learn to make do with less electricity.
This is where the United Nations could perform an important role.
squeezing oranges by hand, thereby reducing reliance on electric incuters.
Opportunities for delectrification assistance of this sort are virtually unlimited. And I feel certain that those who appreciate in the program will find experience deep rewarding.
For they will have the satisfaction of helping electric gadget addicts learn to live unplugged.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN An All-American college newspaper
Editor ... Galen Bland
Published at the University of Ganaas daily during the academic year. Mail subscription rates: $8 for a semester, $15 for a year, paid on a payable deposit at Lawrence. K6. 60442 accommodations, goods, services and students without regard to color. Unregistered students are not necessarily those he of University of Kansas or the State University of Kansas.
Kansan Telephone Numbers
Newsroom—UN 4-4810
Business Office—UN 4-4238
Member Associated Collegiate Press
LETTERS
He's No Nixon Fan
To the editor:
This is in reference to the editorial by Bob Womack entitled "NITON Progress Ignored" which appeared in the Wednesday, February 3, Kansas. It appears that the statements in the editorial are based on the facts of the invasion and the killing of the enemy, seemed entirely incongruous was: "If critics could begin to see beyond the Cambodia invasion and Spiro Agnew, part of the problem with this invasion is that it was taken from beyond Cambodia or Agnew. These two facets are an integral part of the administration and its policies. Mr. Womack encourages the readers to merely ignore the great moral injustices of the Cambodia invasion."
Suddenly during the 'progressive' administration, the penalty for rock throwers was to be called campus 'bums' have no impact on their lives and are removed.
Mr. Agnese's rhetoric has served to divide this country more than that of any other politician in modern times. The politics of this ad-hoc group, which is currently working on a new
One can also look at the administration's law and order stance. The support of the preventive detention system is still a crucial part of the first time in the history of this country, a man can be assumed guilty until proven innocent. The administration does want 'law and order', but many of us are won't.
Mr. Womack also implies a supposed reduction in defense spending. In reality, the defense budget was increased $1 billion for the new year, this despite a supposed winding down of the war in Southeast Asia.
Womack ask that Nixon "has doubled the number of needy people" who are too sick to work or care for themselves or stammer." In reality, Nixon never lent his support to this bill and it was only through the efforts of the Congressional Committee on Hunger that the bill never reached Nixon. Nixon signed the bill only after the committee approved the bill.
Womack also praises Nixon because: "School lunches were benefiting three million children in 1968; they are now going to 3.5 million. In fact, Nixon's new budget calls for the complete elimination ($2 billion worth) of the school milk program. As a direct result, many school children will not be able to buy milk at a school, which according to Nixon, only access to milk by those children from underprivileged homes."
Throughout Womack's editorial, an attempt was made to praise Nixon for the progress of the past two years. If one only researches the history of the war with Vietnam, it becomes clear and again a complete skirting of the issues and their significance. The achievements cited by Womack were almost all the work of either a warrior or an unfit individual. In addition to assertions and half-fruits concerning Nixon's so-called progress amount to nothing more than an evasion of the events and realities of the past two years.
Griff & the Unicorn
Alan Goering, McPherson junior
By Sokoloff
"Copyright 1971, University Dally Kansan
Those Were the Days
40 Years Age Today-1931
KU Fraternities agreed on a resolution condemning the use and possession of intoxicating
50 Years Ago Today—1921
Dean of women Corbin, after a visit to the hospital, said the sentiment in both houses favored dorms, but the big problems were.
The Kansan announced that Ignaz Friedman, a Polish pianist, would play in the University Concert Course. The Kansan described Friedman as "a real Pole."
liquor and calling for "extreme" punishment for violators. The resolution came after eight days, and was reinstated for possession of alcohol.
The Hicks Bill, a measure proposing that fraternities and sororites be taxed, passed the Senate and used us and was sent on to the Senate.
The Jayhawk yearbook contributed $500 to the student loan fund. The Jayhawk had exceeded its $2,000 maximum reserve fund and had to reduce the fund. The surplus was gained
when the 1929-30 Jayhawk netter $2,195 profit, at least quadrupling the profit made in any previous year.
The first cases of scarlet fever and mumps of the year were reported in 1976. Dr. R. I. Canuteon said there was no danger of an epidemic.
in years Age You!—1981
Marcus Lilien, a Marcus Lilien,
the Wichita Eagle-Beacon, was awarded the 1861
citation for journalistic merit from
the William Allen White
Foundation.