University of Virginia Library

SDS Refused Recognition

Approval Withheld, 9-7,
In Student Council Vote

By Ed Nolde

In its last meeting of the year
Tuesday night, the Student Council
refused to recognize a University
chapter of Students for a
Democratic Society. The final
vote, 9-7 against recognition,
came on Alan Rudlin's reintroduction
of the motion after a
12-4 majority had already defeated
it.

Speaking for the organizations
and publications committee, Foster
Witt recommended a denial
of recognition to SDS on the
basis of its lack of organization.
He stated that the only two officers
of the six member group
were unsure of their own return
to school next fall.

From the audience Pete Gray
attacked the policies of the national
SDS as being outside the
accepted channels of action in
the University. In urging Council
to refuse recognition, he
quoted national SDS leaders' proposals
for mutilating school
IBM cards and holding mock
trials of the Dean for crimes
against humanity as ways to gain
student power.

SDS Replies

Henry Chase, speaking for
SDS, replied that local chapters
were not at all bound to the
national constitution or policy.

"It is implicit in applying for
approval," explained Frank
Homer, attending his last meeting
of a 3-year council career,
"that a group is thereby agreeing
to follow the established
rules of conduct."

By a 12-4 vote, approval was
then denied with Councilmen
Jenkins, Schenkkan, McMillan,
and Homer dissenting.

See SDS Reply, P. 4

"Council will rue this night,"
predicted Mr. Homer as he attempted
unsuccessfully to have
passed a motion which would
have allowed SDS to use University
facilities in organizing.

After other business, Alan
Rudlin reintroduced consideration
of SDS to allow the once
defeated minority to finish its
argument, which a calling of the
question had cut off on the first
vote.

Group Not Wanted

Mr. Homer pointed out that
rejection could be interpreted as
meaning that Council did not
want the group around even if
it did work within the rules.

Previously he had explained
that he was not a supporter of
SDS, itself, but was in favor of
accepting the chapter lest Council
seem like it was making a
value judgement on the group's
ideas.

Attacked Report

He attacked the report of the
O&P Committee, which mentioned
SDS's lack of sufficient
organization, by recalling that
the University Forum, and the
Humphrey and McCarthy campaign
committees had been approved
despite even less organization.

Richard Jenkins noted that
since there was no way of knowing
if SDS would actually break
rules, it should be given a
chance.

From the O & P committee
meeting, Gordon Calvert repeated
Mr. Chase's testimony
that he would work outside the
rules if necessary. Mr. Chase
then said there would be a SDS
chapter here next year regardless
of the decision that night.

"It is paradoxical," said Jeff
Gates, "that a student government
should recognize an organization
which advocates in its national
constitution the overthrow
of student governments."

Judge Locally

Pieter Schenkkan then argued
that the issue should be judged
on a local, not a national level.
Until the University chapter, itself,
violated a rule, it should be
recognized.

With Ron Hickman claiming
that Council was hurting itself
by blowing the issue to such enlarged
proportions, recognition
was denied by a 9-7 vote. Against
recognition were Councilmen
Brashares, Calvert, Fioravanti,
Gates, Hickman, Miles, Rudlin,
Wicks, and Witt, while Councilmen
Corcoran, Dewitt, Homer,
Jenkins, McMillan, Schenkkan,
and Wilson favored it.