University of Virginia Library

First-Yearmen
Question Hazing

The First Year Council Monday night
adopted a resolution calling for the
Inter-Fraternity Council to publish the
rules governing hazing of pledges and
established a committee, chaired by Al
Gibson, to handle complaints anonymously.

Mr. Gibson said that the rules should
be distributed so that pledges will know if
they are harassed excessively. He also
pointed out that pledges would be much more
likely to voice complaints to a committee of
first-year men than directly to the IFC. There
were no specific complaints against any
fraternities.

First-Year Council President Beat Steiner
told the Council of the progress in the struggle
to get the First-Year Constitution ratified.
Although the present constitution was overwhelmingly
supported in a referendum earlier
this year, it did not go into effect because D.
Alan Williams, Dean of Student Affairs,
disapproved of one section which would have
given the council the power to make laws
concerning such things as electrical appliances
in first-year dormitories, subject to approval of
the Director of Housing.

Mr. Steiner said that the officers of the
Council are to meet with Mr. Williams Thursday
to discuss a rewritten version of the constitution
which demotes the council to the position
of an advisory board with the possible
exception of control of some social rules. If the
officers and Dean Williams work out an
agreement, the new constitution will be
presented to the Council at their next meeting.

In other business, a committee chaired by
Kip Thompton was appointed to study the
proposed new curriculum. Committees on Food
Service and Laundry Service were also formed
to look for ways to improve these areas of
student life.