Warning from Watts
Watts, the scene last summer of a widelypublicized and destructive riot, flared again last week. The outburst, this time involving only a few hundred teen-aged youths, was quickly quelled by a massive display of force by police after some looting and one death.
The warning should be clear. Another long, hot summer can be expected in the Negro ghettos of the nation's cities, despite the recent efforts to solve the potentially explosive problems of the urban poor.
UNFORTUNATELY THESE efforts have not been enough, as in Los Angeles, where even the modest suggestions of the McCone report into the causes of last summer's Watts' rioting have not been fully carried out.
The problems of Negro discontent can be met in two ways—by using force to keep the peace, or by aiding the Negro urban communities in
reaching acceptable living conditions. In Los Angeles, so far, the authorities have relied on the police "solution" rather than begin the long and costly correction, the social and economic injustices that are the root of the discontent.
Better riot control training for police is, at best, a temporary solution. But too often, rather than develop long term programs to meet the problems of urban discontent, city officials have adopted the cheaper, short-run, and less politically dangerous solution of a police force prepared for major riots.
Last week's Watts' incident demonstrates, above everything, that until the poverty programs that can eliminate the problems of the urban slums are established, future summers may be as dangerous as those of recent years.
By Justin Beck
opinion, fact and fancy
Hill leaves many memories
By Bill Robinson
What is this University? Is it a few buildings, disgusting to visiting architects unfamiliar with the financial situation of a state university? Is it a distinguished faculty member, who, through some outstanding contribution to his field has brought recognition to the University? Is it a tremendously active Alumni Association, one of the largest in the nation in terms of active memberships? Is it a school where academic excellence is so important that social endeavors are neglected? Is it a group of dissatisfied students who would see the Administration purged of all "conservative-thinkers" who do not favor or support every demand put before them?
To all these questions, absurd though they sound and be, the answer must be both yes and no. This University is indeed some part of everything and everyone concerned with it—to try to single out one element as the sole comprising factor would be ridiculous.
LAST SPRING we witnessed a furor concerning the destruction of a building—a building that had been known by many alums as "KU itself." The building is gone now—many miss it, and many don't even know what it looked like. The building—Old Fraser Hall—will not be remembered by the members of the class of 1970.
The distinguished professors, and we have a good many, are major elements of the University. Without them, our classrooms would not be what they are—whatever that may be. With them, the name of the University is enhanced a good deal, and we make sacrifices in order to keep them here.
The Alumni Association is one of the most crucial elements of any school, for it is through that organization that the spirit of the school is kept alive in the hearts and minds of over 60,000 KU alums and friends.
FOR OUR RHODES Scholars, Woodrow Wilson Fellows, Danforth Fellows, and the countless thousands of "serious students" who reap the fullest benefit of the academic challenges present on this campus, KU is the beginning of a long and eventful scholastic career.
For the dissatisfied student, KU is the subjection to a cause—perhaps the first really important issue in his life. It is just as unlikely that the protestor will forget KU as it is that the Rhodes Scholar will. The party-goer will remember the wild times, the students—the majority—will remember that it was a good place to be as long as you didn't mind a few knocks and bad times.
For everyone who enters and leaves, KU is a memory. Right now, for those who are here, it is a potential memory. For the class of 1925 it is still a very active memory, but one that is called up for review from time-to-time instead of lived from day-to-day. Regardless of who comes here, for whatever reasons, KU is very much alive and very much a memory. Good or bad, lingering or soon filed away, KU is a memory ... and one that will not be soon forgotten by most.
For those of us who are here at KU now, one question remains: If KU is to live for so long as a memory for so many of us, is it now the kind of memory that we will be proud of in thirty years? If it isn't, what needs to be done to make it a fond memory? What kind of memories would you have if you were to graduate and leave KU tomorrow?
Daily Kansan editorial page Tuesday, March 22, 1966
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
kansan
For 76 Years, KU's Official Student Newspaper
KANSAN TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Newsroom—UN 4-3646 — Business Office—UN 4-3198
I wish to take issue with the position stated by Bill Robinson in the Mar. 14 edition of the UDK.
SUCH ISSUES as junior and senior closing necessitated little discussion as is demonstrated by the voting records of these measures (No closing hours for senior women: For—179, Against—6; No closing for junior women: For—168, Against—17.)
The Daily Kansan, student newspaper at The University of Kansas, is represented by National Advertising Service. 18 East 50 St., New York, N.Y. 10022. MallSUBSURFACE is published and second class postage paid at Lawrence, Kan., every afternoon during except Saturdays and Sundays. University holidays and examination periods, goods, services and employment advertised in the University Daily Kansan are offered to all students without regard to color, creed or national origin.
As I understand his article, his major disagreement with the convention arises from the lack of discussion and debate. I feel that the points both for and against most recommendations were well stated and that further discussion would not have been valid, but only repetitious.
To the editor:
The opinions expressed in the editorial column are those of the students whose names are signed to them. Guest editorial views are not necessarily the editor's. Any opinions expressed in the Daily Kansan are not necessarily those of The University of Kansas Administration or the State Board of Regents.
the people say... Robinson is mistaken in AWS views
As demonstrated, the convention was in fairly close agreement on many issues, and it seems unfair that we should be criticized because it did not follow the pattern of some student groups that feel each member must say something for the sake of discussion.
His other point of disagreement seems to be that the delegates came to the convention with definite opinions. By the nature of the convention, it was necessary that we came with the ideas of the members of our living groups, and that, within reason, we voted according to the opinions which they had expressed.
Rachel Hall
Parsons junior
AWS Convention delegate
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS
"OH, YEAH, BERT, BEFORE I FORGET IT WILL YOU TELL TH' TRACK COACH I SCHEDULED TH' ATHLETIC FIELD FOR THE ARCHERY TEAMS TO-DAY?"
voices from
from the wilde
69811
50853
wilderness
by mike miller and jim girard
To the editor:
This letter represents the last appearance of the authors of "Voices from the Wilderness" on page two of the UDK. Because of the quality of our last official column, which was poor, and because of the reasons for our departure from the page, we feel that some explanation is due our readers. We also feel that certain explanations are due ourselves and the general readers of the UDK.
Miss Jacke Thayer, one of the two editorial editors this semester, has asked editorially for criticisms of page two. This is such a criticism, as was the body of our last column, which was censored. The column, before being cut by Miss Thayer, offered an oblique satire of the intent of the editorial page, which was represented as a weekly contest between the regular columns (including our own) and the editorials. We humorously named the winner of the contest as being that entry which displayed the most banality and inanity. Our only direct references were to our own column and the editorials in general.
We have since satisfied ourselves that the column was in no way libelous—that the contents of page two, even specific columns, are subject to the right of open criticism. It is this right which made possible Tom Wolfe's famous essay concerning The New Yorker and which made possible the editorial use of the phrase "yellow journalism." In short, there was no legal rationale for the censorship of the column.
WE WERE TOLD, without explanation, that our column was "libelous." When we protested, we were bluntly told, "That is the end of the question!"
Abridged to meaninglessness, the column appeared on the same page with Bill Robinson's article concerning the AWS convention. Mr. Robinson's article was prefaced by Miss Thayer's remarks to the effect that she was in direct disagreement with Mr. Robinson's thesis, but that the printing of the article demonstrated her willingness to publish views adverse to her own. These remarks, obviously designed to cripple the effect of Mr. Robinson's statements, have been labeled by others as "reprehensible journalism." Within the week, Miss Thayer editorially requested criticisms of her page in the form of letters to the editor. Thus, we comply.
ALL THIS IS simple history. As with all such events, however, there are conclusions to be drawn and questions to be raised, some of them disturbing. How receptive to criticism is an editor who completely censors one weekly column and attempts to nullify the effect of another? How responsible can an editor be who will refuse to explain these actions, even to the parties involved?
The essential question to be raised, then, is, how useful to an enlightened campus community can an editorial page be which offers little more than the outpourings of a single ego?