University of Virginia Library

CD Fund Control
Sought By Council

By Tom Adams
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Last night the Student Council
passed a motion asking the Board
of Visitors to let "the Student
Council be empowered to deal with
the budgetary requests of The
Cavalier Daily in the same way it
reviews the budget of any other
student organization.

Under the present system,
budget requests of The Cavalier
Daily are considered only by the
Student Activities Committee, and
are considered prior to the budgets
of any other student organization.

Long Issue

The motion, which passed by an
11-7 vote, was introduced and
tabled at last week's meeting of the
Council. It was reintroduced by
Pieter Schenkkan, who said that
control over the budget of The
Cavalier Daily has been an issue at
the University as long as he has
attended it.

Mr. Schenkkan withdrew
another motion that asked for a
change in the Council's bylaws that
would have removed The Cavalier
Daily from the list of organizations
that are exempt from Student
Council control. He said, in
withdrawing that motion, that it
would have effects beyond the
budget question.

Absent Spokesman

Richard Gwathmey,
editor-in-chief of The Cavalier
Daily, was invited to attend last
night's meeting of the Council but
he sent a letter saying that neither
he nor any other member of The
Cavalier Daily staff would attend a
Student Council meeting to answer
questions about the budget of
the newspaper.

He suggested, in a letter that
was read to the Council by its
president, Rick Evans, that
representatives of the Student
Council come and see him if they
have any questions to ask.

"Silly and Pompous"

George McMillan called the
letter "silly and pompous." He did
not, however, vote for the motion,
explaining that he was satisfied
with the way the Student Activities
Committee has handled the
newspaper's budget.

Mr. Schenkkan, speaking in
favor of his motion, said "it only
seems fair to treat them [The
Cavalier Daily] the same way we
treat the Virginia Weekly. Rapier
and any other publication."

No Limitations

He said that his motion did not
pose any "serious limitations on the
freedom of the press. What we are
asking for," he said, "is not the
final control over The Cavalier
Daily's activities."

He said that under the new
procedure with the Council is
seeking to have implemented for all
budget requests, there is an "escape
clause" that allows any
organization dissatisfied with the
allocation granted by the Student
Council to appeal to the Student
Activities Committee. Mr.
Schenkkan said that the procedure
would insure that there is freedom
of the press.

Later on in the evening a
motion by Gene Angle to
reconsider Mr. Schenkkan's motion
failed. Jackson Lears, speaking for
the motion to reconsider, said "I
feel as insulted as anybody with Mr.
Gwathmey's letter, but ask that we
no retaliate in kind."

Mr. Schenkkan pointed out that
the motion was introduced last
week and said that Mr. Gwathmey's
letter was a retaliation to the
motion.

George McMillan voted for the
motion to reconsider, saying that
he was not sure whether or not The
Cavalier Daily should not be
allowed a certain priority over
requests from other student
organizations.

Constitutional Change

Ron Hickman, chairman of the
Organizations and Publications
Committee of the Council, noted
that for the Council to be able to
consider The Cavalier Daily's
budget, a change would have to be
made in the newspaper's
constitution, which would require
approval by the Board of Visitors.
As it is now, the Board of
Governors of The Cavalier Daily has
the responsibility of reviewing the
newspaper's budget before it is
submitted to the Student Activities
Committee.

In other business, a motion by
Bud Ogle asking that when the
Board of Visitors considers
increasing the Student Activities
Fee, it give priority to a $2.50 raise
for the purpose of establishing a
scholarship fund for
underprivileged students.

30 Scholarships

The money would be put into
the Martin Luther King Scholarship
fund. Mr. Ogle said that the fund
would provide funds to give
complete scholarships for about 30
underprivileged students and would
help increase the percentage of
Negro students enrolled in the
University.

Gene Angle objected to
"taxing" all students for something
some of them might not want. He
suggested a general fund drive as a
better method, saying that it would
"be more representative of student
thought."

Mr. Ogle pointed out that Deans
Ern, Toms and Williams were in
favor of the plan. He also said that
since the purpose of the Student
Activities Fee is to "create a better
University," he could see of no
better use for the money. The
Council did not see it that way, and
the motion was defeated.