University of Virginia Library

Rod MacDonald

College Elections - Down The Stretch

College elections for Student
Council are tomorrow and Wednesday,
and at this date a few
comments on both the election and
the issues should be useful. Most of
the candidates have had the time to
distribute their platforms, so their
stands should be clear. First,
however, two observations should
be discussed.

In past elections, one group or
another has passed around a
last-minute "hate sheet" the night
before the elections. This letter to
the students is usually directed
against someone, designed to lessen
their support so it will swing to
the distributor's side. Often these
letters plant charges that are only
true on face value; we hope no one
will have the bad taste to do this in
this election. We also hope the
students voting disregard them if
they do.

Nominating Societies

A second big issue has been the
political structure, especially regarding
the nominating parties. The
VPP has made this attack on the
entrenched caucuses a major
feature of its pitch, leading Al
Sinesky to claim party solidarity
for the VPP based on a "Compatibility
of ideas." Conversely, the
caucuses have made no such claim;
Don Martin of Skull & Keys said at
the forum that "The caucuses are
nominating societies, nothing
more.' In the campaign platform,
the Skull & Keys candidates endorse
a restructuring of the political
system here through the Council, to
this writer a tacit admission of the
caucuses weakness.

But party solidarity begs the
essential question — what will each
candidate do if elected? Here the
platforms and the campaign statements
should give some idea of the
programs each would support.

Attitude Difference

Transition Program — This program
has been supported by each
group of candidates. Nonetheless,
each party has taken an attitude
slightly at variance with the others.
Skull & Keys candidates have
endorsed "the concept and goals of
the Transition Program", while the
VPP supports "full funding and
expansion of the Program." Buzzy
Waitzkin of the VPP stated his
laudable efforts in recruiting money
for the Transition Fund in Wednesday's
forum, activity also undertaken
by Steve Hayes and Joel
Gardner during the major drive.

The major difference in attitude,
though, is Sceptre Society's,
notably Mr. Hayes' platform statement
that "The administration
should undertake the financial
support of the program with
voluntary student contributions."
The meaning of this plank is that
the University should not pass the
buck for its obligations to the
students. Mr. Hayes also noted in
the forum that he opposed raising
the students' Comprehensive Fee to
support the program for the same
reason.

Different Positions

University policies toward racial
questions — Here all three societies
have taken a different position
from each other. Sceptre Society
says "The Student Council must
take the lead in bringing about
meaningful equal opportunity in
admissions and a truly diverse
student body." The important part
in this phrase, "take the lead". In
contrast, Skull & Keys supports
"the early elimination of racial
discrimination," noting that it will
receive "high priority."

The VPP platform is much more
specific in recommending "active
recruitment of economically deprived
students" and a full-time
black dean of Admissions. This is a
useful pairing as both seem to go
together. The present "Black Recruiter"
is Fred Stokes, who is only
a part-time "assistant to the Dean
of Admissions." The VPP platform
also favors a "meaningful Black
Studies program".

Another viewpoint is Bill
Fryer's who noted in the forum
that the University must undertake
"reverse discrimination" to bring
about an end of the subtle discrimination
in university admissions.

Cut Restrictions

Academics — Most of the
candidates agree that cut restrictions
should be lessened, and comps
phased out. Chip Massey, for
example, advocates abolition of cut
restrictions, as does the VPP platform.
The VPP candidates also
endorse ending academic credit for
ROTC and open faculty meetings,
and abolition of required courses
(Sceptre urges increased flexibility
ans substitution).

More Responsibility

Student Council reform — Steve
Hayes, Bill Fryer, and the VPP have
all supported the idea of a popularly
elected Council president, a
position absent from the Skull &
Keys platform, Popular election
also received the endorsement of
this column earlier this week. The
VPP also urges an enlarged Council,
final control of Activities Funds,
and more frequent referendums.

Sceptre candidates and Skull &
Keys candidates all lean more
towards the individual's role on
Council; Ken Scott in particular
stresses "responsibility and tolerance.
Chip Massey has waged a
hard-hitting campaign against the
extraneous side of Council, such as
"Dixie" motions. Sceptre and the
VPP have also come out for a
student representative on the Board
of Visitors. All the candidates, but
especially those of Skull & Keys,
stress the fact that each Councilman
must show more responsibility
than in the past; Steve Hayes adds
that "Council members must work
harder outside the meetings and
better research their proposals to
aid their acceptance."

Important Choice

A few more observations are
necessary. The VPP may have made
a political mistake by endorsing too
many proposals (29 altogether), but
their campaign will succeed or fail
on these proposals and we admire
their frankness. The Skull & Keys
candidates circulated their platform
a bit late, but it should be available
for everyone to read. And that is
the important consideration tomorrow
anyway: that each voter take
the time to read the statements and
decide for himself who will best
lead the Student body for the next
year. It is an important choice, and
this is no time for any responsible
student to shirk his obligation to
himself and to his fellow students
by not voting, or by voting
irresponsibly.