KANSAN Comment
Kansas "hospitality"-which lasted the rest of the night, when the subject of blacks came up.
For whites only
To the editor:
Supposedly this University strives to give each of its students the opportunity to enrich and develop their intellectual abilities and talents. Recently, a University-sponsored tour made by the University Symphony Orchestra traveled to Clay Center, Kansas, to give a performance. It is customary for the orchestra members to stay at the homes of "humans" (persons who volunteer to house and feed the students overnight.) Unfortunately there are three black members in the orchestra and certain citizens of Clay Center do not tolerate blackness.
In the case of Marquita Cross, she was assigned to the household of a Mr. Buford Clark. Marquita sensed the Clarks' coldness toward her but tried to dismiss it by being friendly. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Clark invited to show her and her roommate, also a KU student, the town of Clay Center. After seeing parts of Clay Center, Mr. Clark decided it would be a treat to see what happens to a "Negro" in Clay Center. He started to drive to a place where a black man had been "hung" and cut into "five pieces." With this frightening invitation, Marquita demanded to be taken back to Clark's home. She was returned to the Clarks' home, where she was greeted, as before, by Mrs. Clark's iceberg shoulder and constant crying. After a brief discussion with Mr. Clark on Clay Center's black population, none, and on his views that "segregation will be here for a while," Marquita telephoned me in Kansas City to return her to Lawrence. When Alton Webb and I arrived at the Clarks' home, we started toward the front door, but we were ushered to the back door. As we left with Marquita, happiness was seen in the faces of the Clarks; especially Mrs. Clark, who stopped crying and laughed. It was reported later by Marquita's roommate, who stayed behind, that Clark's terminology of blacks was "nigger" and that Mrs. Clark started crying,
The two black men of the orchestra suffered a similar fate. When their "human" arrived, she declared that there must have been a mistake and refused to take them to her home. So they had to search for a person who would house them.
Is "our" University endorsing such a fate to black students? This question will remain unanswered until the University publicly announces what will be done about this incident and its policies to prevent this from occurring in any future University-sponsored activities.
If this is not done, I consider this University, the state of Kansas, the U.S.A., and anyone, including myself, who support this University in any manner, a representative of "racism against blacks." Therefore, unless the University appropriately responds, I think it essential for me and any others who despise racism to immediately revolutionize this University, and ideally, Kansas and the U.S.A., to respect the black man as a true man.
Cartrell Cross Many, La., junior
$$
**X X X**
$$
To the editor:
The School of Fine Arts deeply regrets certain unfortunate incidents which caused embarrassment to several of our talented students during the recent tour of the University Symphony Orchestra. The University arranged for housing to be provided in private homes. Specific lodging assignments were made locally by a committee of the community.
Naturally, we shall not return to that community nor tour musical groups to any other city in the future without assurance of equal treatment for all our student musicians.
Thomas Gorton Dean, School of Fine Arts
More light on campus
To the editor:
Whenever I happen to have occasion to traverse the KU campus during the evening, I usually drive. Nevertheless, for the most elemental protection of pedestrian traffic during the evening hours of darkness, the installation of some kind of mercury vapor (or similar system) of adequate lighting along at least the principal vehicular routes on campus is an immediate necessity.
As it is, even a motorist driving the legal speed is hard-pressed to see those on foot wearing dark-colored garb soon enough to make evasive maneuvers—especially when facing into oncoming vehicles' lights. Prompt attention to
this archaic and dangerous situation might avert needless tragedy.
C. G. Bryan Lawrence alumnus
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
An All-American college newspaper
Kansan Telephone Numbers
Kansan Telephone Numbers
Newsroom-UN 4-3464 Business Office-UN 4-4358
Public telephone in Kansas daily during the academic year except holidays and termination periods.
Mall subscription rates: $6 a semester, $10 a year. Second class postage paid at Lawrence, Kan. 60444. Accommodations, goods, services and employment advertised offer or promotion may not apply to origin. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of Kansas or the State Board of Regents.
'Welcome. Do take a program, else you can't tell the patients from the doctors.'
Social rulings
To the editor:
There is now a bill pending hearing before the Student Senate that vitally concerns all organized living groups on this campus. It is the bill concerning social regulations submitted by Dennis Embry of the Rights and Privileges committee.
This bill is ambiguous and invalid for two reasons: First of all, there is too much room left for the interpretation of what a "social affair" actually is, and the term is never defined in the present content of the bill. Secondly, the representation for Student Senate was academically founded, and we seriously doubt the fair representation of all types of living groups concerned, not only in Student Senate, but also on the Rights and Privileges committee.
"Social affairs" is never actually defined in the bill, as we said above. Therefore, it could be interpreted by some to result in the disbanding of a voluntary living group by action of the Student Senate, which would be in direct violation of that group's right to exist. Secondly, since living in any of the organized living groups is on a purely voluntary basis, any individual could withdraw himself from that group if the situation was intolerable. If such a student went to the Student Senate's proposed judiciary group and the case was decided against the living group, it would effectively mean tyranny on the part of that individual, which would further violate that group's rights to govern itself, rather than the majority rule policy of a democracy.
The way the bill is worded, any group could also break away from the Student Senate, which could drastically undermine the already dubious effectiveness of the Student Senate.
After talking to Embry, we think perhaps the basic ideas behind the bill are somewhat logical, but the way it is set up now, it could have drastic consequences for any organized living group on campus, including scholarship halls, residence halls, fraternities and sororities. In our opinion, the bill should be examined closely when it comes up for hearing, and if it gets past that stage, defeated on the Senate floor.
Susan Schroeter
Shawnee Mission junior
Clancey Maloney
Shawnee Mission junior
GRIFF AND THE UNICORN
MOON FOR THE NIGHT AND SUN FOR THE DAY,
JOY IS NOT CONSTANT AND SORROWS DON'T STAY.
THE SUN & THE BIRDS & THE CLOUDS HAVE THE SKY.
ASK THEM ABOUT IT AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHY
WHILE I HAVE THE FLOWERS, THE GRASS, & THE TREES
I'LL LET EVERY HOUR
GO BY AS I PLEASE.
by DAVE SOKOLOFF
Griff & the Unicorn, Copyright, 1969,
University Daily Kansan.