University of Virginia Library

Council Rejects NROTC Plea
For Student Activities Funds

By SAM BARNES

Student Council refused to
allocate funds from the
Student Activities Fund to the
University Naval ROTC Honor
Guard Tuesday night.

In a 12-4 vote Council said
that ROTC, as a University
departmental function
organized to uphold the U.S.
Navy's purposes and naval
interests, is not eligible for
funding by the Council
Organizations and Publications
(O&P) Committee.

Unit Appealing Decision

The NROTC unit was
appealing the O&P
Committee's original decision
to refuse funding.

NROTC originally had
requested $848 from the
Student Activities Fund to pay
for equipment and office
supplies.

NROTC Representatives
argued that it is a student
organization receiving no funds
from the Navy and therefore is
eligible for funding.

According to an NROTC
spokesman, each member pays
a $10 annual fee which
supplies a large part of its
operating funds. Even so, the
unit needs additional funding,
he said.

Capabilities Developed

NROTC offers students a
chance to "enjoy the
opportunity to command men
and develop an individual's
capability," the spokesman
said.

The NROTC unit is
composed of 188 men in the
battalion division and 52 men
in the Honor Guard.

The Honor Guard is a
voluntary company within the
unit and carries no special credit
the spokesman added.

College representative Sam
Brown said NROTC is more
affiliated with the Navy than
the University and should
therefore not be funded by
Council.

Council Vice-President Larry
Sabato said the O&P
Committee has a policy of not
funding departmental
functions and therefore had
ruled out NROTC on this
count.

College representative Paul
Dipasquale, however, said the
unit, despite its affiliation with
a University department, is
precluded from departmental
funds and therefore should be
funded by the O&P
Committee.

According to Engineering
School representative Bill
Huyett, NROTC is not eligible
for O&P funding because "it is
definitely a military activity."