P-T-P Foreign Travel Plans Hit
Action last night blasted the University People-to-People "Student Ambassador" travel program, charging it is "fraternalized" and set up "to send a bunch of kids abroad."
The thirty-two persons at the parliament gathering unanimously resolved:
"WHEREAS the ideal in student travel plans is to provide travel with a minimum of supervision, transportation to and from Europe, or elsewhere, which we feel to be the only effective means of FREE contact between people; and WHEREAS the present travel plan at KU has strayed from this ideal;
"Resolved: That Action urges People-to-People, which it supports in its platform, to restore the original travel plan."
THE ACTION came on the heels of protests of persons who signed up for the old P-t-P travel program called "American Students Abroad" and received information concerning a new travel program which restricts the students in their freedom abroad.
Under the new program, the students must undergo a two-day orientation in Washington, must spend a week in Berlin, and must check regularly with the Brussels office and send it postcards indicating their whereabouts.
FOR OVER AN HOUR, students at the meeting charged that the P-t-P program is sending the students abroad to "spread American propaganda" instead of to find out about various countries visited.
A deep blue blazer, "with the University People-to-People emblem on the breast pocket, will be required dress for orientation meetings in Washington, at Berlin meetings, and at various other times during the trip. In addition, it will prove a useful means of identifying you to people in the countries you visit," says an application sheet.
DENIS KENNEDY, Lawrence resident and a German resident for two years. said, "They (the European people) will be very resentful of American students who run around with blue blazers on and People-to-People inscribed all over them. I've talked with several students from other countries in the last couple of days and they think the new program is ridiculous.
"They say that only free travel by American students is successful in making the contacts necessary to understand the people. They're so fraternalized in their travel now they tell them that it is not necessary to bring their own toilet paper."
Mike McCabe, Topeka junior who recently switched to Action from the University Party, said. "To me it sounds like they think they're sending a bunch of kids over."
Denis Kennedy
"... program is ridiculous"
Harold Johnson, Leavenworth senior, added, "All this goes down to one of our planks on NSA (National Student Association)."
ARTHUR MILLER, Pittsburg junior, said, "Maybe it would be better to wait and set up some sort of travel program ourselves. At least..."
"People-to-People is getting completely the wrong the idea of selling America instead of showing them America and finding out what their countries are like," said Mike Dunlop, St. Louis, Mo., senior.
"A BOY FROM Greece said that he hadn't even heard of People-to-People until a month ago and that it wasn't doing a thing to pull the foreign and American students together—and practically everyone at the grievance hearing agreed with him. I just saw about 30 of them over at the Union (before the People-to-People hearing) who agreed with him."
Miller said, "People-to-People, as it was originally introduced onto the campus, was an organization to allow American and foreign students to get together. The program has now changed. People-to-People started off with a lot of good publicity and not once has it had any bad publicity. It's become some sort of a 'sacred cow' in a sense.
Brought under strong criticism at the meeting were statements in the new program outline which:
- Schedule the students' trips, not allowing them freedom to go how and where they please.
- Make mandatory attendance at "conferences and seminars on world problems as they travel." Kennedy suggested that these were but meetings to inform the students on how to answer questions correctly.
- Make it necessary for the student to be interviewed "by the American Student Abroad Committee and satisfy this committee that he or she ... is capable of meeting students and portraying the American student as a serious morally sound person."
AN UNIDENTIFIED member in the back said, in answer to the reading of this part of the program outline, "Just who do they think they have who can decide what student can best represent the United States?"
Daily Hansan
Weather
59th Year, No. 117
Fair eastern Kansas, partly cloudy western Kansas, warmer this afternoon and tonight. Widely scattered showers likely southwest this afternoon and evening. Tomorrow partly cloudy and warmer with scattered showers or thunderstorms west and central Kansas. Lows tonight in the upper 30s northeast to the middle 40s southwest. Highs tomorrow 65 to 75.
Vox Populi Hits UP's Platform
By Mike Miller
Last night it was Vox Populi's turn to wield the political knife and slash the policies and platform of the opposing party.
After charges were made by the University Party earlier this week about the quality of the Vox party, Vox last night struck out at UP as being lax, apathetic and lacking understanding about campus situations by criticizing all six of the UP's platform planks.
TED CHILDERS, Wamego senior and president of Vox, charged UP with apathy because of the number of UP representatives to the ASC which have been replaced. UP has replaced nine of the 22 ASC representatives. Childers said that five of these replacements were made because of "personal reasons" which "shows that these representatives did not have the interest to continue on the ASC."
Friday, April 13, 1962
In his charge of UP laxity, Childers said that UP had made a "very poor showing" by introducing only about one-fifth of the measures brought up in the ASC. He said that this could be attributed partially by the turnover of UP representatives.
Mike Harris, Shawnee Mission junior and executive vice-president of Vox, described this as "a game of musical chairs with the All Student Council seats."
WHEN ASKED ABOUT this charge, Tom Hardy, Hoisington junior and independent co-chairman of UP, said that UP had brought up close to half of the major bills in the ASC last year.
Childers said that UP's lack of understanding of campus affairs was demonstrated in its platform.
HE SAID THAT UP'S first plank on human rights "says a lot of glorious things, but leaves a question in the mind of anyone who reads the plank exactly what stand the party is taking on the issue."
Roger Wilson, Wichita junior and Greek vice-president of Vox, outlined the party's objection to the UP platform which he described as "containing a few errors."
He explained that the plank makes no suggestion where the ASC is to get the money and said that the freshman class did have a party which did not prove to be a success.
He said that the plank which is designed to get more money from the ASC to support class functions and therefore help promote student spirit shows "a lack of vision on the part of the party."
In discussing the direct primaries which the University Party endorses, Wilson said that UP wants to make the elections nothing but a popularity contest.
HE ALSO SAID that the UP plank for increased ASC funds was "rather nebulous" because it did not make any provision for where this money would come from.
Childers said that this was exemplified in last Fall's sorority living district primary when each of UP's five sororities put up a candidate. The election ended up with three of the five girls being eliminated. Childers said that these three girls had ASC experience while the two who won the primaries did not have any prior ASC experience.
(Continued from page 12)
LAWRENCE. KANSAS
(ACCORDING TO previous official election results one of the two
Pakistani Ambassador Says:
New Members Strengthen U.N.
By Walt Blackledge and Dennis Branstiter
Pakistan's permanent representative to the United Nations, Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan, said here today that expanding U.N. membership within the Afro-Asian bloc is an advance towards peace rather than a threat to U.N. strength.
The largest member group in the United Nations is the Afro-Asian bloc, with 51 of the 104 members, he said.
"The main concern of the group is the rapid advancement of the dependent and colonial territories towards complete self-government and independence and the economic development of the Afro-Asian states," he said.
THE AMBASSADOR SAID that in spite of the bitterness felt by the newer nations towards colonialism, they have shown a surprising capacity for responsible political action in the United Nations.
"When specific issues bring to light a conflict of views or approach they are ready to accept reasonable compromises and ultimately lean towards moderation with wider support rather than seeking to push through extreme measures with narrow margins."
"Once the emotional steam is let off in speeches, the way is open for the acceptance of compromise," he said. "The Afro-Asian states as a body . . . lend their weight to and cast their votes in support of all causes of freedom, justice and human dignity.
The ambassador traced the causes of Afro-Asian feeling towards colonialism:
"COLONIALISM IN ASIA and Africa . . . was stark and unmitigated domination and exploitation of vast sections of the peoples of Asia and Africa by certain European powers. Such a system practiced over a long period leaves deep scars on the minds and souls.
Related story on page 7.
"It is not surprising, therefore, that many of us from Asia and Africa should appear to be hyper-sensitive on this subject.
"The great significance of the expanded membership in the United
(Continued on page 12)
Sir Muhammed Khan "...cast their vote for freedom..."
People-to-People met last night to discuss the summer student ambassador program and restrictions placed on it by Civil Aeronautics Board regulations.
Tour Changes Forced By CAB, Jarvis Says
In order to meet CAB regulations covering charter flights for organizations, it has become necessary to change the original program.
Marianne Olson, secretary to the national travel chairman, helped to explain travel forms and some of the restrictions which have been placed on the original travel plans.
Tu Jarvis, Winfield junior and chairman of P-t-P said:
"THIS IS A YOUNG organization, and the student ambassador program is a pilot program. We hope what we learn this year can be used to improve future programs."
He emphasized that P-t-P is still a student organization run by students.
One of the changes in the concept of the original program is that some evidence must be presented by the flight members that they have a definite purpose in mind. In line with this, each student is required to fill out a student ambassador interview form which will be reviewed by the national P-t-P office.
"We want some evidence that you have put some thought in what you want to do in Europe, and that you are sincerely interested in working for P-t-P."
**IN ANSWER TO** a question from the audience as to what constitutes a serious purpose. Jarvis said:
IN THE PACKET of flight materials recently mailed to flight members by the national office, it was stated that flight members would be required to buy blue P-t-P blazers which would be required dress for the meetings in Washington and Berlin.
"If you want to buy them, fine. If not, that's okay too." Jarvis said.
In regard to the blazers, Jarvis said that they were optional.
Flight members will travel from Kansas City to Washington by bus. In Washington they will attend a two-day orientation by the Peace Corps, The United States Information Agency, and the State
(Continued on page 7)