University of Virginia Library

Letters To The Editor

Concerned Deans Request Additional Time

interested citizens of the
University community, we
foresee a program too
confining for the needs of our
undergraduates.

We would hope that the
discussion could take place and
a modified program be
formulated by February 1 of
next year. That length of time
would give us all an
opportunity to be heard, to
learn what the program really
intends, and to guide us into a
confident participation in it.

I.B. Cauthen, Jr.

Wayne A. Wallace

Fred A. Diehl

Harry Y. Gamble

Charles Vandersee

William S. Willis

Thomas G. Hurley

John Stewart

Kenneth G. Elzinga

Crypto-Coach

What has happened to the
Amazin' Cavaliers? Since their
loss to North Carolina, they
have had many close games and
a pair of inexcusable losses to
Penn State and Duke.

This is the same team that
demolished Maryland and was
untouched for its first twelve
games. Why have the Wahoos
had such a terrible slump?
There are several reasons for
the poor play of the team.

First of all, there is the
constant pressure of being
ranked sixth in the nation. The
opposing teams always give an
extra effort to pull off the big
upset. Both Penn State and
Duke played excellent games
against us. In doing so they
eased the pressure by knocking
us out of the Top Ten. From
now on, we will not have to
keep such a high emotional
peak for every game.

Secondly, the schedule has
become very unfavorable. On
two occasions, we have played
four games in eight days.
Besides being emotionally
strenuous, it is physically
exhausting. Fortunately, we
have enough talent on the
bench to allow for frequent
substitutions.

From a strategic viewpoint,
the 'Hoos have shown a glaring
inability to blow a tight game
open. The offense is a
shambles. Very seldom does
the team move well without
the ball. Also, there is not
effort to set up shots for Jim
Hobgood, who has been
burning the nets at a 53% clip.
Finally, Mr. BP would be even
more valuable if he would look
for the assist and forget about
protecting his ACC scoring
lead. He would be able to set
up some easy baskets and
therefore decrease the
defensive pressure on himself.

On defense, the full-court
press has given up as many easy
layups as it has produced. I
question its value. The brief
appearance of a zone defense
against Clemson was long
overdue. It needs a little
practice, but it definitely can
clog up the middle. In
addition, it insures the
rebounding position needed to
ignite the fast break. The
running game has been
conspicuously absent in the
past few weeks.

In summary, I believe that
the Wahoos should return to
their early season go-for-broke
running offense, and settle
back into tight and hustling
zone defense.

These changes, along with a
fair shake from the referees,
will hopefully bring an ACC
title to Coach Gibson and his
Cavaliers.

Rip Off

The recent articles
concerning the University's
Department of Food Services
show the strong ties between
that department and the
University. Most of us would
probably agree that Food
Services offers a valuable
service because of its
availability and employment
policies. Likewise, most of us
would agree that we are being
systematically "ripped-off" by
Food Services.

Consider for example the
long struggle for the use of
refrigerators in the dorms.
Arguments against the various
refrigerator proposals varied
from electrical overload,
sanitation requirements, the
need for increased maid
service, and the threat of
pestilence, among others.

But one of the most telling
reasons given for not allowing
refrigerators was that Food
Services would experience
losses on its machines and in
the various snack bars near the
dorms. Students were expected
to protect its investments by
their continued patronage.

So when finally permitted,
refrigerators had to be
registered and a $10.00
registration fee was required to
cover administrative costs,
increased maid service, and
plastic trash can liners. Those
who have lived in University
Housing for several years know
that the maid service has
actually decreased.

As for plastic trash can
liners, they should have been
provided anyway. And I would
further suggest that the
administrative costs are a result
of the registration procedure
and the collecting of the fee
and not the converse as we
have been told.

But rather than pondering
where our $10.00 fee actually
goes let's consider the
$70,000.00 surplus Food
Services experienced last year.
The surplus is to be used for
expanding the department's
services as well as building new
facilities.

Most students are here for
only four years and will never
be able to enjoy the increased
services and new facilities. It
would seem more equitable for
Food Services to run a deficit,
borrowing as needed for new
facilities, letting the students
who are around to use those
facilities pay higher prices to
finance them.

But how can prices get
much higher? Food Services
does not have to be
competitive and its prices show
it. If the quality of the food
items were to improve the
prices now charged could be
defended.

But I've eaten too many
regrilled hamburgers slapped
on cold buns; drunk too many
cups of warmed-over coffee;
and been served scrambled eggs
that made a puddle instead of a
pile on my plate, salads with
frozen, see-through lettuce,
bowls of unstrained rice, and
dishes of Jello that grit the
teeth too often to believe that
any improvement in quality is
forthcoming.

So what about price? Glazed
donuts that drip instead of
flake for 12 cents each are
no bargain. The profit per
donut must be over 100%.
Once again there is little hope
for better quality donuts. But
the price could be more
realistic. Food Services, if they
could not produce a cheaper
donut, could go over to the
Donut Man on Main Street and
buy fresh, flaky, glazed donuts
there at their retail price of 8
cents each and then turn
around and sell them to the
students for a dime which
would still be a tidy 25% profit
per donut.

The students would get a
better donut at a cheaper price.
Food Services would have
eliminated the costs of
producing the donuts and the
Donut Man could expand and
afford to reduce prices for an
even greater savings. Looked at
in this way the possibilities
seem endless.

Yes, there are many
possibilities but the outlook is
dim. Today's 12 cent glazed
donut will probably be
replaced with a 13 cent glazed
donut. Indeed, my experience
leads me to question whether
the Food Services is expanding
to meet the needs of a growing,
hungry University or the
University is expanding to
meet the needs of a growing,
money-grubbing Department
of Food Services.

No Honor

Concerning the
announcement in The Cavalier
Daily on February 11, 1972 I
am forced to write this letter.
As a foreign student (I am
from Germany) I consider the
activities in and around the
University very carefully and
critically.

Quite a lot time I got down
to the Honor Committee, to its
problems and its objects in
view. This was done mainly in
discussions with other
students, who come from USA
and foreign countries other
than mine.

From these discussions and
my experience at a German
University, I hoped students
would look for better
alternatives than keeping an
Honor Code which leans on
history and the memory of
Thomas Jefferson. According
to the specific attitude of the
American students this
remained a hope.

The dismissal of that
student from the Engineering
School, which you announced
a couple of days ago, provides
now enough arguments for my
being no longer silent, but
telling you what a German is
thinking about a system, which
is representing and keeping
honesty of an American
University.

But let's come to the facts.
It is a matter of fact that this
particular student from the
Engineering School did
something wrong, and there is
no doubt that he cheated in
the sense of the Honor Code.
So far I agree with you, but I
decline strictly that kind of
punishment you did.

What is that a penalty
considering the offense of the
student? You dismissed a
student, who plagiarized (that
happened last semester) and
now you dismiss a student,
who didn't solve only one
problem in the right way, but
turned in correctly. Where are
the distinctions in both
punishments since these two
offenses are so different
according to their seriousness?
Where do you take the right
from to judge of people like
you and me so
inexorably? Where do you take
the right from to use
punishments, which
contradicts every humanity
and justice? Does that fit into
the democratic image of an
American University?

Do you actually realize
what such a punishment means
to a student? Losing the money
for tuition and fees, getting rid
of his lease, leaving his friends,
and in particularly looking for
another University, losing
perhaps one semester of study?
Did you consider that under
specific circumstances you also
punish his roommate(s), who
has to look for another one?

This attitude which you
bring to light so undoubtedly is
another typical example of the
American complacency and
self-justice under the
anonymity of the Committee,
which unfortunately happens
so often to a foreign student.
By this the Honor Committee
compromises itself and shows
its evident incapacity. I only
regret that on the part of the
students who underlie this
self-righteous system of Honor
Codes, there is not protest, no
complaint, no reaction.

As far as this concerns me
(I am student of U.Va.), I try
to convince as many
students as possible of the
doubtfulness of this Honor
Code. Furthermore, I'll write
detailed reports to my German
University, to the Fulbright
Commission, and to the
Akademisches Auslandsamt der
Bundesrepublik Deutschland,
and to the International
Institute of Education, New
York, in order to inform
students, who intend to come
to U.Va, about the Honor
Committee and its real
activities.

This is my only and
democratic contribution for
the abolition of this Honor
Committee.

Bad Photo

I am not really certain as to
the purpose of the non-titled
photographs that have been
appearing in "The Cavalier
Daily." If they are scenes from
Charlottesville and vicinity,
that is an excellent idea, but
you should at least tell us
where they are so we can
appreciate their beauties in
their complete surroundings.
If, however, they are
representative of good
photography, your example of
Thursday, February 17, (p. 2)
certainly falls short of your
purpose.

The picture seems
senselessly confused by poor
contrasts and cluttered
architecture. If not for the
occasional glimpse of marble or
of grey highlights the sculpture
would be nothing but a dingy
blob. There are useless
contrasts of light and dark that
do nothing but draw our
attention from the main figure.

The columned rail may start
to lead us towards the figure
group, but this is broken by the
tower carrying us into
meaningless space. The sky acts
as a poor background making
the figures hazier than they
need be.

The figure on the right
suffers the most in this
composition. The area between
his face and the tower is poorly
defined and does nothing to
bring out his features or help
define his purpose. Then as if
enough has not been done to
him already, the photographer
has set it up so that he is
weighed down by the capping
of the tower.

Perhaps this time it is better
that you did not give the
photographer's name. I hope in
the future you will be able to,
willingly.

Shame

I think Mr. Jefferson would
be ashamed of some of the new
buildings around the
University.