University of Virginia Library

New Party Offers Revised Constitution;
Criticizes Student Government Structure

By Ann Brown
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

The College has given birth to another party,
the New Constitution Party. Its objective is to
change the structure of student government at
the University.

"Being concerned with the increasing
growth of this University," the introduction to
its proposed document states, "discouraged by
the decreasing emphasis afforded individual
needs, and outraged by the consequent
impersonalization of the lowered quality of our
education, we feel that one of the most serious
areas for reform lies directly at the base of
student government."

Article II of their constitution calls for the
election of Student Council representatives "on
the basis of residential constituencies" in the
ratio of one representative to every thirty
students. This body of approximately three
hundred students would constitute the
Assembly which would in turn choose ten of its
members to serve as an 'executive Senate'.

This Senate would be "charged with the
duties of dealing with the day to day affairs of
the student body and empowered by a
two-thirds vote to call into extraordinary
session the Assemble of Representatives in
matters of great 'student concern'. Three
officers, Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer,
would be elected from the Senate.

Section 7 of Article II empowers the
Assemble to dissolve the Senate and to request,
a new election. The Assembly would meet
regularly once a month while the Senate would
meet weekly.

Robin Lind, a third-year student in the
College and one of the organizer of the new
party, stated that a petition is now being
circulated to place a referendum item calling
for the implementation of the new constitution
on the April Council election ballot.

He also said that the new party had
nominated five students to run for Council
representative. They are Bill Brinton and
Norvell Rose, first-year men; Chris Payne and
Kathleen Williams; second-year women; and
Rob Taylor, a third-year man.

According to Mr. Lind, the election posters
for the New Constitution party bear a drawing
of a phoenix rising from the ashes instead
of pictures of the candidates because "part of
the purpose of the party is to do away with
popularity contests and personality cults."

The party candidates are "only running to
give people a chance to voice their
disappointment with the present system," Mr.
Lind commented. "We believe that the apathy
at this school is fostered by the system," he
continued.

Kevin Mannix, Council President and a
principal author of the present constitution,
stated that the new party's objectives had merit
but that its approach was "idiotic." He said
that the proposed constitution had been poorly
researched, citing the inclusion of the Council
By-Laws within the Constitution as an example.