KANSAN Comment
A matter of timing?
Was it a demand for liberal white middle class breast-beating coupled with "mea culpas" and/or the old "ask for a mile and get an inch" technique?
Regardless of the approach and/or technique, the latest demands of the Black Student Union are a cause for question and concern.
It is no astute observation to declare the demand for a black dean of students and a black dean of student affairs as well as the construction of a hall in memory of Malcolm X totally unfeasible.
The university cannot even fill the excavations at the site of Wescoe Hole, let alone plan for new buildings.
Even if we could plan new buildings, we
may as well add a Bishop Fulton J. Sheen Hall for the Catholics and a Che Guevara Hall for the more militant elements of the campus.
It is simply economically and administratively impossible to meet these demands at present. It takes no clairvoyant to realize this.
The structure of the university lacks in many respects for the university's minority groups. As an articulate spokesman for the "Black student" the BSU can and should work with the administration in changing the curriculum and establishing scholarship programs to meet the needs of the blacks.
The time for establishing more meaningful priorities for the black segment of the student population is here—where is the BSU?
"Turn, turn, turn . . ."
"
(Editor's note: This is a true story of a moratorium sidelight at KU)
By CHARLIE CAPE Kansan Staff Writer
A rebellious young man stormed into the school administrator's office. He hit the desk with his clenched fist and exclaimed, "I don't give a damn about what the administration's policy is, I'm going to participate in the moratorium march on Topeka."
The administrator who had been interrupted from his work, looked up and said, "okay." He then finished part of what he was doing.
The look of defiance on the young man's face had changed to a look of bewilderment and confusion. "You mean it's okay?" he asked when the administrator again looked back at him.
"Yes," came the answer, "we don't care." All of this was said with a smile.
All the young man could say was, "Gee, thanks." Then he turned and started for the door.
"By the way," called out the administrator. The young man stopped and faced him. "You do know when the march is, don't you?"
The young man replied, "Sure, it's Nov. 15."
"Okay," said the administrator, as he turned back to the work that still lay on his desk. "We don't really care what you do with your Saturdays. . ."
"I'D LIKE TO ENLIST IN THE GRAFT AND CORRUPTION DIVISIONS!"
Readers' write
To the editor:
Professor Howard Kahane was misquoted in your lead story of October 31. You reported that he moved to amend Professor Price's motion, subsequently passed by the University Senate, asking that "ROTC courses not be integrated into University departments and that their credit be dropped." Actually, Professor Kahane asked that ROTC courses not integrated into regular University departments not carry credit after September, 1971 except for those students currently enrolled in them.
The sense of his amendment was to effect by legislation what Professor Price's successful motion envisioned as desirable—the integration of most military science offerings into the course lists of academic departments. The justification for such integration, held by both Professor Price and Professor Kahane, is the establishing of full academic respectability for such courses. Right or wrong, ROTC courses lack such respectability because of the special way they are regarded and taught. Professor Kahane's view, as I understand it, is that assurance of substantial content and of academic freedom for teacher and student depends upon subjecting a course which carries Military Science credit to the same sort of academic review and discipline as any other course, and that this is best accomplished by integrating it into a regular academic department. His motion removes credit, but not the course itself, from those not so integrated after a certain date.
I was one of those who regretted Professor Oldfather's ruling that the amendment was out of order. I understand Professor Oldfather's concern that the autonomy of the College and the schools be safeguarded on matters of granting or not granting course credit. Still, in the special case of ROTC courses I feel that the appropriate body to decide on credit standards is the University Senate. Though technically offered in the College, ROTC courses are taken University-wide. By their nature they are a matter of common concern. It is clear that the Senate may set credit maximums for degree programs, so, in this case, it is arguable the Senate has the power to limit the credit the various schools may allow for a program which is special, sui generis, and University wide. I doubt very much that had Professor Oldfather allowed Kahane's motion it would have opened the door to Senate meddling in the special affairs of the College and the Schools. I say this with all respect for Professor Oldfather, whose contribution to the University and to the liberalization of University government cannot be said.
I hope that Professor Kahane chooses to introduce his proposal to the College faculty, for I support it and would like to vote for it. As one who tried to keep freedom from the unfortunate passion and polemic which has surrounded the ROTC issue, it seems to me that regularization of credit standards for ROTC courses can be supported by any of us, whether we are "pro" or "anti" ROTC. After all, by voting the establishment of a committee charged with achieving exactly this end, the University Senate has endorsed just such regulaization. All Professor Kahane's proposal adds, is a tool for this committee to use in actually achieving this goal.
Richard Cole Professor of Philosophy
Off the wire
Quotes From The News By United Press International
CLEVELAND—Mayer Carl B. Stokes, who won re-election Tuesday night, in a statement at his headquarters;
"Black people and white people, Catholic and Protestant, Christian and Jew, everybody had a part in this night.
"Many thousands of people voted against me, but that's not only their right, but it's their duty in a democracy."
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