Opinion
r-age 4 University Daily Kansan, November 16 1982
Time to break up 'club' within Student Senate
The four candidates for KU student body president and vice president are in many ways typical of political candidates today.
One coalition seems to project the idea that just because its candidates have been in office before, they should be rubber-stamped into the highest offices in student government.
The other coalition is idealistic but inexperienced and really does not seem to know what the requirements and limitations of Student Senate are.
The choice given students, then, boils down to that of a palpable but nevertheless static status quo versus an inexperienced team that would like to shake things up a bit.
In the view of the Kansan, Student Senate needs to be shaken up a bit, to be made to recognize that it is responsible directly to the students of this University. On this basis, the Kansan endorses the Momentum coalition of Kevin Walker and David Teoorten.
Walker and Teopoorten have not moved through the hierarchy of Student Senate. They are not in awe of the Senate. "I pride myself on not having been a senator," Walker said.
Given that the No. 1 job of the Senate during the coming semester will be to clean up its own financial mess, which David Adkins's administration uncovered, this lack of a vested interest is vitally important.
The two Momentum candidates have said that they would arrange both an internal and an external audit of Student Senate within the first two weeks after election. They said they would ask the comptroller's office and an outside accounting firm to do the audits.
They acknowledged that bringing in an outside firm would be expensive.
"Yes, it's going to cost big bucks, but look at the bucks we've lost," Tepoorten said.
They also plan to introduce legislation to ensure that every organization receiving Senate funds is audited every six months.
"There should be no question of where the nickels and dimes of Student Senate are," Walker said. "You can't come before me with a request for a budget when you can't tell me where last year's budget went to."
The opposing coalition, Consensus, has not offered such a concrete plan.
has not offered such a concrete plan. Instead, Lisa Ashner, Consensus presidential candidate, and Jim Cramer, vice-presidential candidate, present a contradictory view of the issue.
As members of the present administration, they try to claim part of the responsibility for uncovering the
years-old trouble of missing equipment and disappearing funds. But neither is willing to admit to any culpability for letting the problem go for so long.
The Momentum coalition has many ideas that should be considered, although it lacks the planning to execute some of them. Consensus, however, has built its campaign around the successes of the past and offers few. if any. original ideas.
Ashner has said that the most important issue of the campaign for her coalition was whether students would be able to stay in school. Her single answer for this was a state work-study program crafted by the past administration and already out of Senate hands.
Momentum has proposed a deferred-payment plan for students who are unable to pay their tuition in one lump. The plan is not dependent on approval by the Kansas Legislature nor on massive funding. It is a relatively simple step that could make the difference for many students between staying in school or dropping out. It is also one of the few ideas proposed by anyone that could benefit middle-class students who fall between the cracks of traditional financial aid.
Controversies involving the Associated Students of Kansas and the steep charges for traffic permits and tickets levied by KU Parking Services have also become issues in the campaign. Neither coalition has come up with acceptable options. Consensus is satisfied with existing arrangements in both cases, and Momentum seeks drastic changes that are commendable. but perhaps naive.
Walker admits that he and his running mate are "wet behind the ears" when it comes to student government. But the Momentum coalition has recruited some experienced Senate candidates, and Walker has promised to put experienced people on his staff.
Of the two coalitions, Momentum has campaigned the hardest — at least Walker and Tepoorten seem to care more about reaching and involving all students. They have gone a long way to get their names before the average student.
Consensus, on the other hand, seems content to seek only the support of the traditional living group voting blocs.
Walker said that Senate members had tried to discourage him from running, telling him, "You can't break the club."
But "the club" should be broken. It is ludicrous to contend that Senate should be run by an exclusive membership whose ideas change little from year to year.
Third coalition overlooked
What Now?
Letters to the Editor
Leave counseling to advisers
are not considered major because we are the smallest coalition (two candidates) when compared with the other parties.
Three weeks before any hard campaigning began, Introspection contacted every organized living group on campus, not to solicit votes, but to solicit input from students. Follow-up, we have visited some 30 of these groups since November 2017. We are meeting since mid-September, something the "two major" candidates from one of the "two major coalitions" cannot claim.
But why, then, did KJHK choose to have Introspection participate in its "Call Me Up" program with the "two major coalitions"? We believe there are several reasons for this fact, and several reasons why the Kansas should have included Introspection in its guest editors.
"The whole thing has jumped ahead," Fred McElhenie, director of the office of residential programs, said Thursday. "It's a concept we were on. It has not been absolutely ruined down."
That's a relief.
The program was designed to help hall residents, freshmen in particular, who were having trouble with their studies. Under the program, RAs would be informed if students living on their floors were floundering academically. If they never, give RAs free rein to examine transcripts.
Introspection has advertised extensively and campaigned hard. Our pantone green posters are all over campus, and our "Thinker" buttons adorn many. We have even published an issue sheet stating our views on ASK, beer in the stadium and parking tickets. Further, Introspection has proposed realistic solutions to these students needs, not merely statements of "We can change it" or "This is how we'd like to be." as the "two major coalfires" have done.
The outey received by the proposal alone should be enough to warn administrators that KU students will not easily tolerate peers' having access to their grades.
A policy that would give resident assistants access to students' grades is a prime example of University helpfulness gone awry.
This semester, RAs received a list from the dean of student life, Caryl Smith, of freshmen on their floors who were having problems after four weeks of classes in mathematics and English. Some residents, apparently appreciated the advice; others were not pleased.
RAS, according to the first reports of the proposal, would have access to the grades of all students on their floors. Whether this was a good idea or not will be decided by administrators, it met with heated outcry.
Do not mistake our intentions — we are not running an anti-anyone campaign. We believe that while we are not a multitude, the two of us collectively represent a multitude, and that we are a multitude seeking concerned, responsive representation in Student Senate. It may be difficult for the Kansan to hope that in the future the Kansan will not inadvertently overlook a "major coalition."
Kansas City, Kan., senior LA&S candidate for Student Senate
Charles D. Lawhorn
TO the Editor
The lead editorial Friday alluded to articles developed to appear in Monday's Kansas to be authored by the "two major coalition." We of Inspectionship wish to take issue with your definition of "major," for we do not believe that the possession of candidates for student body president and vice president should be the sole criteria.
Editor
Gene George
Manager Editor
Official Editor
Campus Editor
Associate Campus Editor
Sports Editor
Sports Editor
Entertainment Editor
Production Manager
Business Manager
Susan Cookey
Spencer Cookey
Kebebe Chuney
Mike Zeeman
Brian Zeeman
Colleen Cacy, Ann Loury
Gina Stripproth
Sports Editor
Sports Editor
Ann Wylie
Jillian Davis
Jordyn Davis
Retail Sales Manager
Campus Sales Manager
Campus Sales Manager
Matthew Lanagan
Channelfit Manager
Lammy Hanzer
Horner Hebring
Artist/Photographer
Keen John
Mike Hammery
George Manage and News Advisor
John Oberran
Advertising Advisor
james L. Jefsey
Kansas City, Kaup., sophomore
indicate for Student Senate
To the Editor;
Election '82 at KU has been a unique one thus far. There has been a multitude of publicity and a multitude of accusations, and there is a multitude of criticism. We Arts and Sciences and Nenakerer. Perhaps we
"It doesn't necessarily mean the RA would have the grades," McEihenie said. "It's not carte blanche to all RAs. There would have to be a good reason to see them, not just curiosity."
The University Daily Karnala USPS 605-640 is published at the University of Kansas, 118 First Hall, Lawrence, KAN. Subscription is free for Tuesday during the summer session, excluding Saturday, Sunday, holidays and final periods. Second-class postage paid atLawrence, KAN. 60044. Subscriptions by mail are at a minimum of one month or $25 a year outside the county. Student subscriptions are $1 a semester, paid through the student activity fee. Subscriptions are $10 a semester, paid through the student activity fee. The University Daily Karnala 118 First Hall, Lawrence, KAN. 60045.
Herein lies the problem. What would be a good reason? What lengths would an RA have to go to justify seeing the grades of residents on his floor?
The University Daily KANSAN
The signature of the student, a parent or guardian is now required under the Buckley Amendment in order, for all but University officials to receive a copy of a students' grades. Although this may seem like unnecessary bureaucracy to some, students should appreciate this as a protection of their right to privacy.
"If a faculty member needs to look at the records to help in the advising process, that would be legitimate." Dyck said. "I don't know how to have someone else to have a legitimate educational interest."
According to Gil Dyck, dean of educational services, any KU employee who can prove he has a legitimate educational interest in a student can gain access to that student's records without violating the Buckley Amendment, which guarantees privacy in certain areas to students.
McEllenie and Smith maintain that an RA is an informed peer who can steer a student to academic resources of which the student might not be aware.
The University Daily
TRACEE HAMILTON
say hello, but she never seemed to take much of an interest in whether we were alive or not. "I just didn't want to be a victim."
But how informed and interested are most RAs? Some may be very helpful, especially if they are in the student's field, but many will not. It is important for her to self-refer herself from her boyfriend from time to time to
"They (Ras) might not even get the grades." McElennie stressed. "They might get an answer. He's having difficulty in English or French. You're careful that people's rights aren't violated."
"If they are in difficulty we want to say, 'Here are some resources you might look in.' To you are all these," he said.
Administrators are trying to skirt this issue by saying that transcripts would not necessarily be involved, that the RA might simply be told of the students' general standing. But the end result is the same - a student's peers are given permission that they would be given only at that student's discretion.
They should sense when that right is threatened, and they should fight.
RAs go through a rigorous selection process, and I'm sure that most are very competent, enlightened people. But some RAs may themselves be struggling with grades. The grade requirement to be an RA is a 2.6 GPA. They may be under time constraints with their involvement in the RA program as well as hull hall assignments and skipper. Do we give hall directors the option to check their grades during the semester? Where does it all end?
Some residents might feel confident enough in their RAs to approach them for help. This would be the ideal situation. But for those students afraid or unwilling to ask for help, the relationship would only deteriorate if they were forced to access their academic stand-alone and had access to their academic stand-
Why not instead inform the student's adviser, who would then have an obligation to contact the school administrator?
This University has let the role of the faculty adviser slip into nothing more than an automatic signature at enrollment time.
Yes, the University often assigns freshmen to advisers who are totally unfamiliar with the intended field of study. My first adviser was a fine arts professor. Even so, the faculty adviser is the most appropriate channel for discussions of students' academic problems.
The student might still feel intimidated by being contacted by a professor about his failing grades, but the humiliation of contact by a peer, as he did on the floor might find out, would be eliminated.
Advisers already have access to a student's records under the Buckley Amendment, so this would seem to be the most viable method; a method that neither violates the law nor exposes the student to any additional stress. The stress of a failing grade should be punishment enough.
Death, the draft and 'All That Jazz'
President Ronald Reagan co The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Mr. President,
Back in 1980, I saw a movie at the theater and have been meant to tell you about it ever since.
The film, titled "All That Jazz," concerned a New York play director and his preoccupation with death. It seemed that the pressures of directing and dealing with people got the best of him, and the director accepted his death as the easy way out.
"All That Jazz" can be seen as a 20th-century interpretation of Shakespeare's famous folio.
Unfortunately, I find myself in a similar position. However, in this situation, Mr. President, you are the director, and the decisions you will make affect the lives of your supporting cast. I am just one of many millions of extra waiting to see who will receive a part.
If I may be of assistance in your decision, I do not wish to be in your production.
You see, I have this unyielding will to live, and if I become a part of your cast, I feel that my chances for being able to continue with this desire would greatly decrease.
Within a month of my 18th birthday, I went to the post office and filled out a form that made me eligible to be drafted for service in the U.S. Army. Even though the words did not appear on the form, I registered as a "conscientious objector."
Although my religious convictions are not strong enough to quality me for that status, my moral convictions certainly are. In fact, my conscience bothered me for filling out that form
On the campaign trail in 1980, you said that
registration "destroys the very values that our society is committed to defending." Yes, Mr. President, I believe that you, too, were once a conscientious objector of sorts.
Once in office, however, you reversed your position and remitted draft registration, then submitted it to the board.
Yes, I'll agree with that statement. War is dangerous as hell. The ad say "Be All You Can Be" in the Army. Well, I could be dead.
Like the director in "All That Jazz," you are the director of this production. Only this time,
About 50 years ago, a man named Herbert
HAL KLOPPER
Hooover sat in the office you not occupy and said,
"Older men declare war. It is youth that
demand peace."
US community hours versus military hours public services versus funeral services.
Albert Einstein once said, "Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding." Have there been any dramatic
It seems that some of us don't want to fight and die. Since the draft registration was reinstated two years ago, some 800,000 males have failed to register. Others are jailed or given community service hours.
And suppose I die in combat, Mr. President. The government helps out with the cost of the funeral, not to mention shipping and handling charges. That money comes from the taxpayers' pocketbooks. The cost of living is plenty these days. Do we have to add the cost of death?
gestures toward peaceful world of crisis lazily? No, but we seem to do fairly well with establishing sactions and boycots. We have escalated the number of death-dealing weapons instead of sitting down to talk about freezes and disarmament.
Propaganda and scare tactics have been used in place of negotiations and understanding. Our marvelous gift of communication is not being taken for granted, because that would probably benefit from it the most.
Please don't misunderstand me, Mr. President. I appreciate the freedoms and opportunities America has given me, but I believe that I can serve this nation in a safer, more constructive and humane manner than through the violence of war.
Would I be dying for my country, or would my country be taking my life from me? I only wish it
No, Mr. President, I'm not ready for all that jazz.
Letters Policy
The University Daily Kansan welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be typewritten, double-spaced and should not exceed 500 words. They should include the writer's name, address and phone number. If the writer is affiliated with the University, the letter should include his class and home town or faculty or staff position. The Kansan reserves the right to edit or reject letters.