University of Virginia Library

Letters To The Editor

Pot Smokers Of The University, Unite!

Now is the time for all pot
smokers to stop looking
around at each other and
saying, "Well, what am I
supposed to do? Get myself
arrested, too?"

May I make a suggestion to
the campus community?
Suppose, just suppose that
every single pot smoker on
campus went down to the
police station, joint in hand (or
pocket, or whatever) and
turned himself or herself in.
The result would be mass
confusion and panic in the
police department and in the
University administration.

Where would the city get the
money to pay the lawyers to
represent us all, if we decided
to let them provide us with
representation? Not to
mention the money to
prosecute us all. And with over
half the students in jail (not
having the money to post bail)
the University and the
businesses of the city would (if
you'll pardon the expression)
go to pot.

Of course the real fun would
begin when the word got out
to other colleges (Why
shouldn't it? We're all allowed
one phone call, and if they're
all long distance...). Can't you
just imagine President Nixon
calling a special session of
Congress to make marijuana
laws unconstitutional so he
won't have a ten-zillion dollar
deficit in the judiciary
department budget?

And all of us that haven't
had the opportunity or the yen
to try pot could get in on it,
too, if we want. The law
doesn't demand that you
smoke it, just possess it. I'm
sure some friendly pot smoker
would gladly lend a joint for
such a good cause.

Do I have any volunteers?

Space 391

(The following is a letter to
John B. Gregg. Manager of
Traffic and Parking–Ed.)

I purchased a reserved space
for my car and was assigned
space number 391 which is
situated parallel to the front
steps of Memorial Gymnasium.
So far I have had more trouble
getting out of my space than
getting into it. Other cars park
along the steps behind my car
completely boxing it into the
space.

In addition, cars parked
along these steps present a real
hazard to anyone trying to
negotiate this small circular
drive. I should like to request
that the bottom step (except
for my space) be painted
yellow to make it definitely a
no parking zone. Failing that, I
should like to request a
transfer of my parking space to
some other location as close to
Alderman Library as possible.

As a specific complaint,
may I mention what happened
this morning. I pulled into the
area to find a Building and
Grounds dump truck (Virginia
license T109-384) parked along
the steps and actually in half of
my space. I asked the driver if
he would please move his
truck. He mumbled something
about "in a minute," and
proceeded to plod around the
whole area picking up trash
which he carefully loaded into
a box to be tossed on the truck
before he finally got in and
drove away. This was the last
straw. Surely Buildings and
Grounds personnel must have
been instructed not to block
reserved spaces unnecessarily,
particularly at 8:00 a.m. when
most faculty and staff
members are arriving to begin
their day.

In closing, I would like to
compliment the new University
bus system. It seems to run on
time, and the drivers are very
courteous. I realize that much,
if not all, of the money
collected for parking fees goes
to support this new bus
system. I only regret that my
$124.00 per year is being paid
for a space that is so difficult
to use.

Overlooked

Recently several letters have
been printed in the Cavalier
Daily concerning the
inadequate provision of
student services by various
University-controlled concerns.
I have, however, found that
one critical service has been
overlooked in this criticism and
deserves comment.

Since my entry into the
University, I have noticed one
service to be particularly
predictable and inevitably
disinteresting as a part of the
total academic environment.
This is the rain service. Under
current practices, the rain
service at the University can
best be described as poor.

Noticeable among the many
deficiencies of the rain
department is the consistent
delivery of rain on Thursdays.
Since this academic year
started, there has not gone by
one Thursday without the
usual drizzly rainfall. Surely
the rain administrators have
sufficient imagination to send
rain on different days of the
week!

While the distribution of
rainfall has been inferior, the
quality of rain delivered has
managed to be even worse.
Thus far, the rain service has
not seen fit to bestow upon us
anything more than a steady
drip. Where are the deluges of
yesterday? The only possible
exception to this complaint
came about two weeks ago, but
I am informed that the
downpour (which did not even
last long enough for most
people to appreciate it) was the
result of an error, and not the
intention of the head
rainmaker.

Such slipshod service merits
only condemnation and scorn
for the rain service. Surely
some of the rainwater
currently spent as dew could
be better used to provide one
good downpour. Certainly
variations in the delivery days
are feasible. If such
improvements are not
forthcoming, perhaps it would
be advisable for the University
to hire a new rain service, and
end the reign of those
currently in power.

Mainline

Why can't something be
done about Mr. Ralph Main –
who seems to rub everybody
the wrong way?

CD/David Ritchie

Ralph Main