Craig for president
Kyle Craig should be elected president of the KU student body.
He should be elected because he offers the most realistic, the most palatable and the most workable course of action for this University's students next year.
As a personality, he fits the mold of what must be a conscientious leader. Not a wild or straight-jacketed idealist, Craig recognizes the necessity for realism intermingled with purpose in a competent approach to student government. He knows the limitations of student government, and directs his campaign within the inevitable boundaries of such limitations.
WITH HIS ADMITTANCE that he does not have all the answers to the many problems of representing true student interests, he does admit that he needs and has access to knowledgeable advice from others who have held high student office. He appears, however, to be his own man.
His principal virtue—the one that impresses us—as a potential student body president is his flexibility. While his opponent, Ken North, seems unfortunately tied to an obligation—student power through student lobby—that precludes him from hearing a critical argument, Craig is not so strangled. His apparent willingness to hear all sides commits him to represent all students and not an iron-willed, special-interest lobby.
Kyle Craig's degree of political awareness makes him the most logical of this year's choices. His program to put All Student Council members on the important KU committees—like COSA—is a demonstration of workable politics. His program to place student "interns" in administrative offices is a demonstration of creative politics.
HIS OPPONENT, ON THE OTHER HAND, appears caught up in an over-simplification of the new concept of student revolt. He suggests attacking historically moot points such as voting age, the mechanics of the Kansas Legislature and the intricacies of the Lawrence city commission with large doses of student power and small doses of democratic astuteness.
But the real difference between Kyle Craig and his opponent lies not only in issues, but also in the realization of what the day-to-day job of KU student body president really is.
As executive officer for KU students, the president must work not only with a number of campus organizations, but also with the Strong Hall administration. He must be ready to stand up for the students before the Chancellor and his subordinates without fear of being laughed off or pushed away. He can do this only if he has the respect of those gentlemen.
KYLE CRAIG, WE BELIEVE, has that respect—both as a scholar and as a proven and mature leader. He will stand tall on the Chancellor's carpet, knowing the difference between cooperation and rebellion.
So the Daily Kansan executives endorse Kyle Craig for student body president. Without dwelling on the offered alternative, without reminding you of what happens when power—even student power—is used only for the sake of having power, we make our endorsement confidently.
- Joan McCabe
Managing Editor
Barbara Phillips
Editorial Editor
Dan Austin. Editorial Editor
Vote against Mickey Mouse
A new student body president and vicepresident will be elected in two days. The two men who will head student government for the next year will, in all probability, be chosen by a minority of the students on this campus.
Whether your party affiliation is UP, Vox, or apathetic, you should take this opportunity to determine your leaders.
YOU SHOULD VOTE because student government is now, as it has been in the past, "Mickey Mouse." It will continue to be foolishness until you, the student, decide it must be something more. If you do not care about KU,
about government, or about yourself, then do not bother to vote.
If, however, you feel that something should be done about the pitiful state of the All Student Council, and KU politics in general, then vote.
Anyone who is registered as a student at KU can mark his ballot at the polls in the Kansas Union, Murphy Hall and the Strong Hall rotunda. The polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. both Wednesday and Thursday.
If you would like to see the end of Mickey Mouse in student government, take off your mouske-cars and vote for the candidate of your choice. —The Editors
The people say...
Dear Sir:
The candidates for the offices of the senior class seem to be conducting lively campaigns. But, I was wondering the other day why my living group had not been visited by any candidates for the offices of sophomore and junior classes. I now understand that the coalitions aspiring to these positions are running unopposed.
Admittedly, a number of successful elections occur in all levels of government as the result of only one candidate having run. There may be good reasons. A candidate may be a particularly successful incumbent from a formidable party. Party splits may prevent any second person from running. However, it does not seem as if these situations apply at the University of Kansas, where
AT ELECTION TIME it seems redundant to begin speaking about apathy on the part of the voters. But what about apathy on the part of the candidates? Can it be that out of two classes, only eight people are concerned enough to run?
Perhaps I am too far removed from the situation, but it does not appear obvious to me why these freshmen and sophomores are so clearly entitled to these offices. They may be, but it becomes unnecessary for them to spend the time or money to tell anybody about it.
not only one but two classes have produced unopposed coalitions in elections which are supposedly not linked with parties.
This is one aspect of unopposed elections which is particularly
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY kansan
Mike Hurt, '67 Leawood junior
Serving KU for 77 of its 101 Years
The Daily Kansan, student newspaper at The University of Kansas, is represented by National Advertising Service. East 50 St., New York, N.Y. 10022. The Daily Kansan postage paid at Lawrence, Kan., every afternoon during the University year except Saturdays and Sundays. University holidays and examination periods, conditions, goods, services and employment advertised in the University Daily Kansan are offered to all students without regard to color, creed or national origin.
irksome. the candidates have no need to campaign or in any way justify their being elected. Also, the lack of a campaign provides a fine excuse for a poor job; the newly elected officer has no promises to fulfill. Why even write a platform?
It is unfortunate that write-in campaigns are usually so unsuccessful or even ignored. At least such a move might provide a stimulus to the complacent unopposed to do something. The voter might even pay attention.
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Daily Kansan
"They Can't Do This To Me!"
Tuesday, April 18, 1967
@WITHERBLOCK
THE WASHINGTON POST
People say: power already a reality
To the Editor:
I disagree with Dan Austin's editorial The Student Folly (April 14).
I don't think Mr. Austin understands the nature of politics in America today. His phrase, "a biased group of censors, the Kansas lawmakers," would seem to indicate that he thinks all groups of elected officials are "a biased group of censors." This, of course, is true. Any group of people does have biases of some sort. But Mr.Austin sees this as evil.
HE MENTIONS, "the most base political denominator, the special interest lobby." Does Mr. Austin realize that "the special interest lobby" is one of the major aspects of the American political process? Consider such lobbies as labor unions and political parties themselves. A lobby is not necessarily evil, but is necessarily of a different opinion than the majority opinion—else there would be no reason for having a lobby in the first place.
Now here is where a student lobby comes in. A bill to overrule the Regents by ordering the sale of cigarettes on this campus would set a wonderful precedent. It would involve the students in a give-and-take situation with the powerful legislature that could—if things went well—bring about a new era of political awareness on the part of admittedly apathetic KU students.
I can't think of anything I would like to see more than the entrance of KU students into the real world. There are already many "special interest lobbies" with "potentially evil power bases throughout the state." These groups are exerting their influence in Topeka, and I, for one, do not know whether their influence is infringing on my rights. I wish there were a student lobby to keep us informed and to fight for student interests alongside the farmers, businessmen, school teachers and other Kansans who daily strive to protect their own interests. Student power could introduce an age of enlightenment to free institutions in Kansas.
DAN AUSTIN APPEARS to be speaking as a member of The Establishment. The University Daily Kansan is a "test-tube newspaper" which does not have to fight for survival outside the university community. It would be nice if we could all stay here at KU and not worry about the world outside. However, it would be "the folly of students" to ignore the fact that there are many people throughout Kansas who do not care whether we choose "the speakers we wish to hear" or allow "our professors the right to teach as they see fit" or speak cut ourselves "without fear of majority muzzle." They are interested only in themselves.
If we ignore this fact, we may someday wake up to find that hundreds of special interest lobbies in Tepeka have unintentionally taken away, bit by bit, for their own interests, all of our freedoms. Then we'll be left with only the University Daily Kansan freely expressing its inherent isolationist policy.
As for campus politics. I am generally uninterested in the dull state of affairs. However, the Vox paper, "Student Power at Kansas University and the Kansas Student Federation have stirred my interest and will receive my support.
Frank Janzen Los Gatos, Calif. junior