University of Virginia Library

Letters To The Editor

Murdock Corrects
Probation Rumor

A rumor has been circulated,
four days before the election of
president of the College, that I am
on academic probation. The rumor
is absolutely untrue (my academic
average is 2.8) and is the result of a
mistake in the Dean's office.

No Other Choice

Many people committed to the
Honor System and the University
can and will rationally elect Charles
Murdock President of the College.
The attempt by Mr. Kean to
present Mr. Murdock as irrational,
half-baked, anarchist, etc. is ill
founded. Surely Mr. Kean doesn't
expect us to believe that Mr.
Murdock is running as a lark, just to
destroy the Honor System.

First, just how radical and
anarchistic are Mr. Murdock's
views? The most radical thing he
could have done would have been
to run on a "Kill the Honor
System" platform. Or he could
have run on a platform. Or he could
have run on a platform to lighten
the penalty. He has done neither.
What he has offered us are intelligent
moderate proposals to save our
Honor System.

For too many years we have
been treated to the prospect of
Twiddledee and Twiddledum running
against each other. Each year
we hear how much our system is in
trouble; each year we hear the same
mishmash from the year before.
This year would have been the same
if Mr. Murdock hadn't run. Already
his entrance has forced one of the
candidates to really say something
instead of the trite generalities one
so often hears. For the first time
the merits of the Honor System can
be discussed during a campaign.

What are Mr. Murdock's proposals?
Two are important. First of
all, he seeks to limit the Honor
system to the University and to
specifically academic affairs in
cheating. It would seem that this
adequately reflects the views of the
majority of the students here. And
the Honor System is for the
students - or is it that the students
are here for the Honor System?
Already there have been various
forays in this direction. As I have
always understood it, the Honor
System doesn't hold one responsible
for his lying to the various
women at the neighboring schools
or elsewhere. Why is this, unless the
Honor System has already become
limited in scope?

Secondly, Mr. Murdock seeks to
involve the president in university
political affairs. Gentlemen, while
we may hesitate to admit it, there
are other important considerations
at this institution besides the Honor
System. And if we choose a
candidate for his political views,
will the system suffer? No. For
they are all honorable men, aren't
they?

Reject Twiddledee and Twiddledum.
Vote for Charles Murdock for
President of the College. There can
be no other choice, rationally or
else wise.

Error

Your story in the April 9 issue
of The Cavalier Daily about the
Tuesday meeting of the Student
Council contains an error which I
would like you to correct, in
fairness to the individual concerned.

The editor of the banned Lane
High School anti-establishment
paper (Blast!) was identified as
"Kenny Cogland." I believe this is
an error. Having read the Blast!
carefully, having spoken to its
editor several times both before and
after the paper appeared on the
streets (in fact having had breakfast,
some lunches, and many
dinners with him), having intervened
with the Principal of Lane
High School on his behalf, and
indeed having carefully checked
this particular individual's unique
identity shortly after his birth, I am
of the opinion that his last name
was misspelled in your article.

Salient Naivete

Joel Gardner, in his latest
Cavalier Daily political column
"And Along Came Murdock,"
shows his salient government
naivete. In idealistically saying that
the President of the College should
be above politics, he blatantly fails
to recognize that the position is
filled by election in which the
candidates "go around politicking"
in order to win. Even if the
presidency is to be solely filled by a
personality contest, a candidate's
constituency necessarily is acquainted
with many of his political
views of the Honor System, the
University and the Nation. However,
if the election is to be wholly
taken out of the political arena, the
President would be elected arbitrarily,
blindly and therefore, wrongly.
Most importantly, it should be
noted that putting either substantive
or procedural aspects of the
Honor System to "vote" unequivocally
makes our most cherished
tradition a "political" question.

I fear that Mr. Gardner's concern
is not legitimately with the
Honor System, but with Mr. Murdock's
progressive stand on University
issues. He gets only a second or
third-hand analysis of Mr. Murdock,
for he attends neither Student
Council nor Human Relation Council
meetings. Mr. Gardner is saying
the position of College President is
analogous to Honor Committee
Chairman is dishearteningly correct.
The individual who fills the position
is little more than an administrative
technician with no mind of
his own. The hard-core conservative
New Yorker should have praised
Mr. Murdock, not criticized him,
for wanting to vest general presidential
duties of leadership and
spokesmanship in the President of
the College of Arts and Sciences.
The College, with more than a
dozen elected officers, does not
have a unique leader.

Yes, we are blessed by Mr.
Murdock's candidacy, not because
he is a hirsute radical member of the
dynamic duo (like Batman and
Robin) as depicted by Mr. Gardner,
but rather because Mr. Murdock has
demonstrated considerable prowess
while serving on the Student
Council. He has worked uncompromisingly
for fundamental rights and
to elevate University community
standards.