University of Virginia Library

Visitors Discuss
Student Affairs

had spoken to the Board asking for
an improvement in achieving equal
educational opportunities at the
University.

Mr. Ogle then said that he had
asked the Board or individuals of
the Board if they would sign a
letter urging alumni to recruit more
black students. Mr. Ogle stated that
the letter had come from a
suggestion of a Mr. Fisher, a
member of the University Alumni
Association of Memphis, Tennessee.

Mr. Ogle said that Mr. Fisher
had told a University student that
one of the reasons little black
recruiting was done in Memphis was
because many of the alumni just
didn't know if the University was
interested in black recruitment and
admissions.

The 'Bug'

Mr. Ogle also related a
discussion between Dr. Harrison of
the Board and himself. Mr. Ogle
explained that after he had spoken
on the need for better
communication between the
University community and the
Board. Dr. Harrison had asked him
if the listening device found in the
last Board meeting was an
indication of an effort for better
communication.

According to Mr. Ogle, Dr.
Harrison then asked if he knew who
had placed the 'bug' in the meeting.
He had replied that he did not
know.

A list of proposals was also given
to the Board by the Student
Council President. The list included
those topics that the Student
Council had recently recommended
that the Board think about as they
were items of discussion and
interest of many students.

Mr. Ogle stated that the Board
did not discuss the list with Mr.
Hurdle or him but broke for
lunch.

Earlier in the day, the Board had
met with Charles Hite, Publisher of
The Cavalier Daily and Robert
Cullen, Editor of the paper.

Mr. Cullen explained that the
meeting began with Frank Rogers,
Rector of the Board, asking both
him and Mr. Hite where they came
from and "what prep schools we
had come from." (Both are
graduates of public high schools.)

Mr. Rogers then questioned
both students about their
responsibilities on the paper and
how the editorial staff was selected.
(Editors are elected by a vote of the
staff.) Mr. Rogers also asked if the
manner of election was fair or if it
perpetuated a clique that an the
student subsidized paper.

Representative

He was told that, in general,
ability rather than ideology was the
major consideration in these
elections. The yearly changes in
editorial policy were offered as
proof of this contention.

According to Mr. Cullen, Mr.
Walker Johnson of the Board then
said that there had been numerous
complaints that The Cavalier Daily
was not "representative" in its news
coverage or in its editorial policy.
Mr. Cullen stated that Mr. Johnson
never defined what he meant by
"representative," nor did he specify
the origin or number of the
complaints.

Mr. Cullen then stated that Mr.
Rogers told Mr. Hite and himself
that the Board did not feel that The
Cavalier Daily was representative of
the "majority of student opinion."

Mr. Rogers then stated "You
understand that we don't want to
impose censorship upon you," but
he maintained that the Board has a
"legal liability" for what is printed
in the paper since it is subsidized by
funds collected and disbursed by
the Board.

Subsidies

Mr. Rogers was also reported to
have implied that the Board was
forming an opinion that the paper
should either give up the Student
Activities Fee subsidy or else it
should submit to some sort of
control.

Mr. Rogers indicated to Mr. Hite
and Mr. Cullen that the Board had
decided upon no policy as of yet.

The Cavalier Daily receives a
subsidy from the Student Activities
Fee of between $25,000 and
$30,000 and its budget runs
between $65,000 and $70,000.

Mr. Cullen also stated that Mr.
Rogers asked the two students
"What do you conceive as your
duty to the United States of
America? Do you think that to
refer to President Nixon as Tricky
Dick is consistent with that duty?"

This was the only specific
complaint about the paper that was
made to the two students. The
question was reportedly answered
with the comment that "all
presidents have been referred to by
epithets. Thomas Jefferson was
referred to as 'Mad Tom.' "

Mr. Cullen and Mr. Hite ended
their meeting with the Board by
telling the Board that a "newspaper
must speak for the people who
make it and that The Cavalier Daily
staff is open to any student.
Editorial positions are also open to
any student who wishes to do the
work necessary to attain the job."

Honor Committee

George Brown of the Judiciary
Committee and Whitt Clement.
Chairman of the Honor Committee
also met with the Board on Friday.

While Mr. Brown could not be
reached for comment, Mr. Clement

stated that he had told the Board of
the Honor Committee's efforts to
determine student opinion on the
Honor Code.

No Suggestions

Mr. Clement also said that the
Board of Visitors made no
suggest to him as to how the
committee could do this and that
the upcoming referendum on
whether faculty members and
administration officials should be
subject to the Honor System was
not brought up by either himself o
the Board.