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University Daily Kansan Tuesday, April 2. 1963
Kansan Backs Vox Populi Leaders
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Vox Interview
Reuben McCornack, Vox candidate for student body president, said defining the role of student government is the most important issue in the campaign.
He said student government has two basic obligations; to provide "student services" and to act as a "spokesman for the student body."
HE SAID BOTH these obligations definitely are within the jurisdiction of student government. He referred to the travel service, hospital service and the proposed opinion poll and paying fees by installment, as examples.
McCornack believes student government should act as "spokesman for the student body" in its relations with such groups as the Kansas Legislature and Lawrence city officials.
IN SITUATIONS affecting KU students, the student body indirectly can get the action it wants through the force of student opinion, even when direct action is out of the jurisdiction of student government.
John Underwood, Vox candidate for vicepresident, enlarged on the obligations of student government.
"THE FIRST OBLIGATION is to meet the present needs of the students," he said. And student government must also anticipate future needs. "And we are going to have to start working right now to plan for the time when KU is much larger."
Asked whether KU's student government should involve itself in non-local issues, McCornack said, "Anything that affects the students at KU should be considered, even if it is national."
He said the Mississippi integration crisis was not completely irrelevant to KU because there have been racial problems here, too. While this particular relationship was a bit remote, he said KU students were much more directly involved in the Wichita University controversy.
Referring to the action taken by KU student government on the WU issue, McCornack said, "I don't know how much effect we had, but at least we let people know what we were thinking about it here."
Underwood said that the danger in taking positions on national issues is that the members of the ASC may not be adequately informed.
ASKED ABOUT the adequacy and scope of the ASC committee system, McCornack said each of the committees is of a "different breed" and should not be combined with any other committee. He said that few committee meetings is not necessarily an indication of inactivity. Many committees are designed for specific limited functions, which may require only a few meetings to fulfill.
Giving his views on committee appointments, McCornack said, "I don't like the patronage or spoils system."
He said the present ratification system is a good check to guarantee that committee appointees are qualified. The ASC can question and reject any appointee that it feels is unqualified.
UNDERWOOD EMPHASIZED the need to interest qualified persons in committee positions.
"We have lost qualified people in my district, but we haven't had very many apply," Underwood said.
Asked about KU's participation in such groups as the Big Eight Student Government Conference, McCormack said, "We had a sort of Waterloo at the Big-8 Conference, but I don't think we can make any rapid conclusions from this. I think we ought to work through the Big Eight."
ASKED ABOUT the formation of a larger association of student governments, McCornack said such a group would be too unwieldy to accomplish much.
On the possibility for improvements in the current disciplinary system, McCornack said, "This is the part that I dislike — the secretiveness of the disciplinary committee."
The Kansan supports Reuben McCornack and John Underwood for the offices of student body president and vice-president in tomorrow's campus elections.
THIS EDITORIAL support is based on interviews (see adjacent articles), the campaigns and the past activities of the candidates.
All the candidates took generally tenable positions on the questions asked during the interviews and on other points that were brought up by the candidates themselves. The stories on the interviews show differences of opinion, but the opinions of both sides are generally reasonable.
A decisive factor was familiarity with the workings of student government and the ability to relate this familiarity in a clear, comprehensive manner.
ANOTHER DECISIVE factor in recommending McCornack and Underwood is the difference between the two presidential candidates' plans which they claim will be implemented if they are elected.
Both McCornack and Whitman have given attention to plans for the future, but McCornack impressed the editors as having better thought out exactly what he would do if elected.
WHITMAN might well have plans as good as those of McCornack, but he failed to convey them, in concrete terms, during the interview.
The difference between the qualifications of all four candidates is narrow. This is a good situation. It insures adequate leadership of student government whichever slate is elected. But the Kansan feels McCormack and Underwood are noticeably more qualified and thus they are recommended.
Interviews Explained
Sunday night the candidates for student body president and vice-president were interviewed for the purpose of determining the Kansan's editorial position in this week's campus elections.
The interviews were based on five questions:
- What are the most important issues in the campaign?
- To what degree should the ASC involve itself in national and international issues?
- Are the scope and committee system of KU's student government adequate?
- Should the ASC expend more of its efforts working through the Big 8, Big 10 or some other multi-school student government association or conference?
- Should the University publish a comprehensive, disciplinary code and apply it uniformly to all students? Should the University abolish the rule that any student accused of a felony is automatically suspended before he is tried and proved guilty or not guilty?
The interviews were not limited specifically to these questions. The candidates were invited to bring up any important topics they felt were overlooked by the questions.
SINCE THE candidates are elected as a team, the editorial decision is based primarily on the presidential candidates. For this reason, the questions were directed initially at the presidential candidates, and the vice-presidential candidates were invited to make any additions they felt were relevant. Each team was interviewed separately, and neither had prior information on the questions to be asked.
McCORNACK AND Underwood have no grandiose plans to improve student government, but they do have specific refinements in mind and should be able to do a competent job within a framework basically the same as that of current student government at KU.
Experience and a firm, practical grasp of the situations at hand—these are characteristics McCornack and Underwood show now. Given the opportunity, the pair should be able to provide a competent and effective administrative branch of student government.
— Dennis Branstiter
Daily Hansan
University of Kansas student newspaper
Founded 1889, became biweekly 1904, triweekly 1908, daily Jan. 16, 1912 Telephone Vlking 3-2700
Extension 376 business office
Member Inland Daily Press Association, Associated Collegiate Press Represented by National Advertising Service, 18 East 50 St., New York 22, N.Y. News service: United Press International. Mail subscription rates: $3 a semester or $5 a year. Published in Lawrence, Kan., every afternoon during the University year except Saturdays and Sundays, University holidays, and examination periods. Second class postage paid at Lawrence, Kansas.
NEWS DEPARTMENT
Fred Zimmerman Managing Editor
Ben Marshall Bill Sheldon Mike Miller.
Ben Marshall, Bill Sheldon, Mike Miller,
Art Miller, Margaret Cathcart ... Assistant Managing Editors EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Dennis Branstiter ... Editorial Editor
Terry Murphy ... Assistant Editorial Editor
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT
Jack Cannon ... Business Manager
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UP Interview
Charles Whitman, UP candidate for student body president, described what he called the "good intentions philosophy" of student government, as a major campaign issue.
"What we really need here is not just a statement of good intentions," Whitman said. Performance is the only measure of success. Being elected is not in itself success.
WHITMAN CALLED for a more non-partisan attitude except during elections. He said committees are often bogged down by petty political bickering.
Whitman said a third major issue is the need for greater "student contact" with the elected members of student government. He said the president and vice-president should make a positive effort to inform students of the activities of their government. Speeches would not be necessary, he said, but informal discussions in the living groups should be participated in by the president and vice-president.
Doug Hall, UP candidate for vice-president, added a fourth major issue. He said student government should "start really doing something positive on the ground level."
HE SAID MANY programs in the jurisdiction of student government are inadequate. Citing orientation as an example, he said, "This is a place where I feel we're really failing." The machinery is there but it is not being used to the best advantage of the students.
Asked whether the ASC should involve itself in non-local issues, Whitman said, "I think in an intellectual there should be a place for this kind of expression." But the members of the ASC are not qualified to express opinions on everything. The ASC could put its time to better use administering positive actions.
Hall was more definite in his position. He said it is not the duty of the ASC to voice public opinion. The ASC is a legislative body and its efforts should be expended in this area.
ASKED ABOUT the scope of the ASC and the committees, Whitman said. "There is always room for something that can be administered." But the work of other campus groups should not be duplicated.
Doug Hall said the ASC has been "heading in the wrong direction since I've been on the Council." Too much time is spent on administrative details and not enough on more important matters.
"The ASC this year has spread itself too thin" he said.
Whitman contended that some ASC committees should be eliminated and others combined. He said the Travel Committee should be eliminated because it duplicates the work done by the SUA. And the Calendar Committee should be given enough to do to keep it busy all year.
"THE NUMBER of people really interested in doing something is very low," said Whitman. The number of committees should be reduced and the scope of the remaining committees should be broadened.
Hall said new committees are formed every time a new resolution or piece of legislation comes up in the ASC. Existing committees should handle this work.
ON JOINT student government activities with other schools, Whitman said, "Here again we get bogged down with politics." Much more diplomacy should be used when dealing with other schools.
Whitman said that although a cooperative arrangement among Midwestern universities would be a worthwhile project, it probably would be better for KU to work within the Big Eight.
Hall suggested that KU's student government should try to find other schools with similar needs and objectives to supplement the Big Eight as a source of cooperation in student government.
CONCERNING KU's disciplinary structure, Whitman said formal codification would eliminate leniency. But publication of the action taken by the Disciplinary Committee "would help codify in an informal sense."