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University Daily Kansan Monday, April 13, 1959
KU Is Undemocratic
Democracy is not practiced in the University's student government. But when the polls open at 8 a.m. tomorrow, conscientious students will have the opportunity to cast their votes for democracy.
In addition to candidates for the All Student Council and class offices, an ASC constitutional amendment will be on the ballot. This amendment will give smaller schools an equal opportunity for representation on the Council, but it needs your support.
As the constitution now reads no school is represented unless a minimum total of 75 ballots is cast by the students of that school in the general election. If the enrollment is less than 75, two-thirds of the enrollment of the school is necessary.
According to the amendment "no school shall be represented unless there is a minimum total of 75 ballots cast by the students of that school in the general elections, or the total ballots cast by the students in that school shall equal or exceed
Our campus government cannot operate in the spirit of a representative, democratic government if two or three of the nine schools do not have voting representatives on the ASC.
50 per cent of the total enrollment of that school in that general election, whichever is least."
That these schools have no representatives does not indicate a lack of interest. Enrollment in these schools is so small that the requisite of a minimum 75 ballots cast is unequal in relation to the larger schools.
The smaller number of students enrolled does not minimize these students' need for a voting representative on the Council. Although these same students are represented on ASC in their living districts, they deserve representation in their professional field where they have specialized interests.
Give your support to the constitutional amendment. Give every University student his voice and vote in campus government. -The Editors
By George DeBord
Jolliffe's upperclassmen cannot be considered as an organized house and therefore their grade
With election time almost at hand. I have a belated nomination. It is for Stupid-Statement-of-the-Year (SSY). It is a direct quote and goes like this:
the fall semester but they do indicate that Pearson did have the highest average.
I feel that your article titled "Jollife and Douthart Have Top Grades" is misleading to your readers and unfair to Pearson Hall. You state, "Jollife and Douthart scholarship halls have the highest grade point averages for men's and women's organized houses during the fall semester."
In fact, if you would look further into the facts, I think that you would find that Pearson Scholarship Hall had not only the highest grade point average among the men's scholarship halls but also among all of the men's organized houses on the campus including all fraternities and dormitories.
It Looks This Way...
These averages indicate that Jollife did not even have the highest grade point average for the men's scholarship halls during
Kansas City, Kan., sophomore
Bob McLean
"Our sorority is an AGI house."
Understand. I'm not knocking the party. Far be it from me. The only political organization I ever belonged to was a party called TGIF at a college south of here.
Pearson ... 1.882
Jolliffe ... 1.826
Battenfeld ... 1.793
Foster ... 1.761
Stephenson ... 1.728
Pearson Really Top
It's this sorority girl's statement that doesn't set right with me. The girl addressed her remark to a member of the opposition who smashed back with an equally ignorant reply:
So here we are at election time, with the voting forces in this great American tradition represented not by clear-thinking individuals, but by a couple of houses. Just what would a house vote for? Better sewage facilities so its plumbing wouldn't rot; a new coat of paint?
"Oh, really?" (A great line in itself.) "Well, I belong to a Vox house."
average must be computed along with that of their new man. When this is done, the grade point averages for the five men's scholarship halls are:
...Letters...
Then it dawned on me that the word "house" also meant social organization. Well, to my way of thinking, this is getting pretty darned social when a person doesn't vote for the best candidate, but for the party his or her house decides to back.
What has happened to the old American idea of playing politics apart from private organizations?
These two group-thinkers attempted to compare the qualifications of the two top candidates in their respective parties. They couldn't remember their candidates names, but the AGI girl said her man was the best dancer. The Vox backer smashed back with the fact that his house was backing the taller candidate.
Well, this political bickering could have gone on all afternoon if it hadn't been for the arrival of a second fraternity man.
The two would-be Carmine De Sapios asked him how his house was going to vote. He threw a damper on things by saying that his house voted to go AGI but some persons still insisted on voting Vox.
But I'm still wondering about these houses voting straight tickets. It just doesn't seem to be the kind of thing of which old Abe Lincoln would approve.
Presidential Candidates Comment on Issues Jim Austin, Vox, Says: Daily Kansan Issues Dick Lewis, AGI, Says:
1. Parking should be eliminated during class hours to help alleviate traffic congestion. But, do we want an "all-visitor" campus? This is a sure answer of such a move. We must keep in mind that student transportation needs should have first consideration.
2. There is no parking violation on the campus serious enough to warrant an $8 fine, as suggested by the Daily Kansan. Charges for traffic violators are presently out of line, and should be reduced.
3. Library hours should be extended to at least midnight during final week. The Kansas Room or the smoking room should be left open at all times to provide adequate study facilities at the library for any student 24 hours per day.
5. The extension of library hours would help solve the problem of an insufficient undergraduate library. If more copies of the required reading materials were made available, students would not suffer the effects of tight circulation.
4. There should be a curriculum committee in each school. Further, an intermediary board, similar to the one in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, should be set up in all the schools.
6. A Vox committee has been working on the student health program all year, and will make a complete report available in May.
7. I agree with the idea that All Student Council members should be dismissed from the Council after missing three meetings without an excuse. A bill of this nature will be introduced very soon.
8. The Group for the Improvement of Human Relations should be given proper consideration as long as it operates effectively. This year, the ASC appropriated funds to the GIHR. Next year, the group should be considered on this year's merits.
9. No student should be limited in the number of activities in which he may participate. Placing limitations on interested students would only tend to make this campus passive.
10. Most students are here to get an education and, thus, to attend class regularly. However, for many students, required attendance is not necessary. Interesting and well-prepared lectures will insure student participation. But the Faculty Senate can be approached on this matter.
11. Anyone can recommend a uniform grading system, but the accomplishments of one would destroy the matter of judgment by individual instructors. The system proposed by the Daily Kansan is
Jim Austin
13. Most national fraternities and sororites have removed, or are in the process of removing, restrictive clauses from their constitutions. A recent report by the National Inter-Fraternity Council indicates that this problem will soon be solved.
12. Seminars are not practical in many cases. This type of activity should be left up to the department heads and their students.
not feasible under the present situation.
14. I agree with the Vox platform and the Daily Kansan on the proposed constitutional amendment. I feel that all schools should have a voting representative on the ASC.
1. Cars should be banned from Jayhawk Boulevard during class hours.
2. No parking ticket should cost more than $8.
4. The schools' curriculum committee should investigate the work loads of professors and the amount of space and equipment allotted to them.
3. Library closing hours should be midnight.
5. The All Student Council should investigate library books purchased.
6. The Student Health Committee should investigate the Student Health Service.
7. The ASC should propose a constitutional amendment for replacement of any member who misses three unexcused meetings in one semester.
8. The ASC should direct the Group for the Improvement of Human Relations toward a program of equal rights regardless of race.
9. The ASC should limit the number of activities and offices in which a student can participate.
10. The ASC should investigate eliminating class attendance requirements for juniors and seniors.
13. The ASC should bring about elimination of racial and religious clauses in the national charters of all KU fraternities and sororites.
11. The ASC should recommend a uniform grading system.
12. The ASC should sponsor a system of student-faculty seminars.
Dailu Hansan
14. The proposed constitutional amendment to be voted on by the student body Tuesday and Wednesday should be passed.
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1. The problem is not deciding whether traffic should be banned on the campus, but deciding when such action should be taken.
2. Theoretically the purpose of the present parking fine system is to prevent persistent violation. The success of the proposed $8 fine could only be known by trying the idea.
3. A plan for extending library closing hours has been formulated and will go into effect, experimentally, during this semester's final examination period. We must consider not only the study needs
Dick Lewis
of students, but also the factors of staffing, finances and women's closing hours.
4. The very least that could come of investigations concerning work loads and facilities is a better understanding on the part of the students.
5. Perhaps by working with the curriculum committee, library officials, and faculty advisers, the All Student Council could make suggestions for books to be purchased in the future.
6. The Student Health Committee should definitely publicize information about the Student Health Service, especially the student privileges that do exist.
7. An attendance requirement would be valuable in obtaining quorum and eliminating uninterested council members—but to obtain a "more responsible Council" greater emphasis might be placed on a change in the attitude of parties concerning those whom they nominate. Those who seek glory and do not intend to work have no place on ASC.
8. By working cooperatively the ASC and GHIHR will be able to strive more effectively for equal rights. If the GHIHR is to receive funds from the ASC, it should report periodically.
9. Any scheme limiting a person's activities would be ineffective and might cause the loss of real leadership.
10. Ideally class work and home work should not duplicate each other very much. This is not the case. Since some classes are repetitious, a student should not be penalized for a poor attendance if his missing does not hurt his work in the course.
11. Grading is always relative to the objectivity of the course. For this reason the problems involved in a uniform grading system are tremendous. Before any suggestions can be formulated, the idea should be thoroughly investigated. I propose a joint student-faculty committee for this investigation.
12. The student-faculty seminar seems mutually advantageous. It would encourage thought and participation from students and professors.
13. The elimination of racial and religious clauses from national charters, is in itself only superficial and of little value. Education and a changed attitude are the only feasible solutions to the problem.
14. Representation should be based partially on interest and partially on population. The proposed amendment should be expanded to include living districts as well as school districts.
(Editor's Note: The 14 campus issues proposed by the Daily Kansan were drawn up by the managing editor, four assistant managing editors and the coeditorial editors, and approved by the editorial board. They first appeared in the April 9 issue.)