University of Virginia Library

Absent Legislators Frustrate
Student Forum Members

By PHIL KIMBALL

With only eight state
legislators participating, the
third annual Student-Legislator
Open Forum was a
disappointing failure for the
majority of approximately
140 students attending the
two-day meeting in Richmond.

Although nearly 50
assembly men had originally
indicated their intention to
speak at the Friday and
Saturday discussions, their
marked absence was attributed
to the weekend-long budget
hearings at the capital and a
hectic week with several night
sessions. Many had returned to
their respective districts for
meetings on pending
legislation.

Sincere Commitment Needed

At the close of Saturday's
session S. Wayne Kay, VPI
fourth-year man and forum
chairman, stated that the
steering committee should, "go
to the forum's Legislative
Advisory Council and lay it on
the line. We are going to have
to have an honest and sincere
commitment on the part of the
legislators."

"I would recommend that if
their dedication and input
cannot come near to equaling
that of the participating
students we should change the
direction and focus of the
meetings."

Commerce School President
Alan Botsford, vice-chairman
of the first forum two years
ago, claimed that the
conferences should be
discontinued unless substantial
changes in the program are
made.

Compared to past meetings,
"this year's lack of an issue
marked student enthusiasm.
They are now more
complacent and apathetic."

Begun two years ago, the
Open Forum was designed to
"facilitate a communication
and exchange of ideas between
college students and
legislators," not to pass student
resolutions. The annual
meetings have been funded by
grants from several major
businesses.

Two-Part Format

Discussion format was
divided into two parts. Student
problem groups discussed
student rights, academic
reform and Community
College problems, among other
topics.

The Equal Rights
Amendment, now in the House
Privileges and Elections
Committee, dominated
student-legislator discussion.
Sen. Joseph Gartlan
(D-Fairfax), a supporter of the
bill, claimed that, "it was
about time the law caught up
with reality."

Debate over the Stone
Commission for Higher
Education focused on the
autonomy of the state's
four-year institutions. Del.
Archie Campbell (D-Wythe),

member of the House
Education Subcommittee,
argued that the State Council
of Higher Education should be
able to force the larger colleges
to take a higher percentage of
two-year community college
transfer students.

"If the state has built 23
community colleges, don't you
think they (transfers) should
be able to get into their own
state four-year colleges? he
asked.

He said that currently the
Stone Commission is only a
study group with no delegated
authority. It will issue a report
on the status of state education
due Nov. 1.