Monday, October 28,1968
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
5
Letters to the Editor
Representation and various retorts
To the Editor:
The Student Senate as now proposed under the new Code will not be representative. True, each academic division will have its own representative, which is excellent theory but which fails absurdly when practical aspects are considered. This is why representatives must be chosen, at least partially, from living groups. To fail to do this, could mean an early death to the Student Senate.
I start with this premise. Representatives are called such because they "represent" various interests in the community. I contend that the interest of the living group is far more prevailing than the interest of a particular academic community. Does the average student think more of whether the student body president is an independent or a fraternity man, or on the other hand whether he is enrolled in the college or in business. Now, under the present system, do you care whether your particular living group gets a fair shake in the ASC, or the social committee, or whether your chosen field of study is properly represented. Think about this a moment.
This is the philosophical argument for living district representation. The practical aspects of this are even greater.
Perhaps the primary argument in this concern is that one running from the academic district will not be able to campaign effectively, as only the smaller Schools are compact enough for a candidate to explain his views to his particular constituents. A candidate for a seat from a living district can go to a residence hall or a fraternity house, knowing that each inhabitant therein will be able to vote for him and shares his general interest. Think about this for a moment.
Also, under the present system as proposed, it is possible that all representatives to the new Student Senate would be from only one living district. The way it is proposed, Student Senators shall be elected from only the academic division in
which they are enrolled. Assume then the obvious, that there is a Greek enrolled in each academic division of the University. The Greeks then could "organize," run only the minimum number of candidates to be elected, campaign in Greek houses for only those candidates and they would have a good chance of sweeping the Student Senate. This deserves thought.
Still further, representation solely by academic division would effectively disenfranchise most sophomores. The election will be held in April, and it is about this time that a great number of sophomore women are considering changing their status from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to the School of Education or some other. They could not run as a representative of the College, because this would mean that they would have to resign this seat in the fall. They could not run from the School of Education because they are not then enrolled. This argument would also hold for sophomore men who are thinking of going into the School of Business or some other School. Has anyone thought of this problem?
Open 6:30 Show At Dusk
Related to this are many other arguments against having representation solely from academic division. For instance, the influx and exflux from one School or major to another is very great. If such a student changing his academic division is a member of the Student Senate, he would have to resign his seat. Probably, however, he would still be living in the same living
group-I won't go on; to enumerate just the basic problems would take volumes.
Robert Van Cleve To the Editor:
So my proposal is that a formula be devised where approximately half of the "representatives" in the new Student Senate would be from academic divisions, half from living groups. Such a formula has been laid aside by the ASC "indefinitely," pushed there by council members who hadn't really given much thought to these matters.
To the Editor:
How does he do it? I sit at my desk and wonder out loud; How does he do it? Column after column-insight after insight-and Master John Hill continues to surge forward into journalistic history.
Wednesday is usually just another day for me, but today I was feeling especially low; the All Student Council had voted down 50 per cent student representation, Leonard Harrison had given a startingly realistic but depressing appraisal of black togetherness and white rascism and, in general, I was feeling down. I was walking down the street and lying there in the gutter was a copy of the University Daily Kansan. Feeling down
—feeling low—and desiring to find what was happening (really happening) in the world, nation, state, and campus, I stooped and picked it up and started reading. On page four of the paper was The Hill with It by John Hill.
Being a devoted reader of this column and a personal devotee of Master Hill and knowing that reading it would bring me happiness and out of the depths of despair in which I was floundering, I began to read. And read I did. And I was right. He had done it again. I was happy. I was no longer depressed. I was saved. He caught those wild-eyed new left pervert peoples voicers with their proverbial pants down. He discovered secrets that were too true to remain hidden. He cited contradiction after contradiction—lie after lie (contradictions and lies do characterize those new left pinko sympathizing queer commie dupe groups) and he pegged those voicers for the hypocritical hairy soothsayers that they are.
Master Hill has opened my eyes—eyes that had been closed too long to the goodness and neato-ness of this country. Finally I will be cleansed of the stench of radicalism and the evils of Peoples Voicers that now permeates my whole being. Master Hill-thank you. Thank you and may the Lord bless your blossoming journalistic career and heap many awards and prizes upon your perceptive understanding satirical pen. You truly have a gift and I hope you continue exposing those radical gook lovers while at the same time continue to uphold the values of the true America—the America of our parents and teachers—the America of our
friends and loved ones—the America of our childhood. Once again I thank you Master Hill and I fervently hope and pray that someday your expressed desire and goal will come true. That someday when you grow up you could be just like Bill Vaughn. I think you are well on your way.
Bill Berkowitz New York City senior
New York City senior
Official Bulletin
TODAY
Phi Beta Kappa - Lecture. 4 p.m.
Otis Please, U of Washington. "Re-
gionals and Politician in Reeent
American History. Forum Room.
Kansas Union."
Faculty Children's Bowling League 4 p.m. Jay Bowl.
Physics Colloquium. 4:30 p.m. Dr.
Robert J. Friauf. 238 Mantel.
Frau, Fräuf. 238 Malott.
Six Week Grades Due. 5 p. Regist.
West Side Academy.
KANU Highlights, 7 p.m. AEJ conven-
tion with the Radical
Press. KANU, 91.5 FM.
Concert Course. 8:20 p.m. Romanian Folk Ballet. Hoho Auditorium.
TOMORROW
WORKSHOP
Reading and Math Skills Clinic
Day 10. Day 12. Bailey.
Through Friday.
KANU Highlights. 7 p.m. Election '68; three KU economics professors express their views on political issues and candidates. KANU, 91.5 FM.
Film. 7 & 9 p.m. "Point of Order"
Joseph Killian. Dyche Auditorium.