University of Virginia Library

Letters To The Editor

Anti-Strike Group Hails Wisdom Of Referendum Result

Last night the University was
well supported by its students, who
gave a majority of an extremely
large total vote-a record, in
fact-against the holding of a
moratorium this spring. The
University Anti strike Alliance
wishes to thank all of those
students who voted against an
unjustified holiday and for the
good of the University, and helped
us to send the moratorium idea
down to defeat. Together we have
accomplished a great thing for Mr.
Jefferson's School.

For the first time in many years
a majority of students voted in a
regular election. The moratorium
issue received the largest total vote
of all the issues on the ballot. 63%
of those balloting voted against a
moratorium this spring. The
question was directly phrased:
Should we or should we not have a
moratorium this spring?' The answer
was clearly "NO!"

This vote is a clear mandate
against a class-stoppage-call it a
'strike', a 'moratorium', or what
you will-this spring. We students
of the University have made our
will clear-let no man lightly
gainsay it.

And now a word or two about
the U.A.A.: We were a genuinely
ideologically neutral group. Our
membership stretched from
predictably anti strike groups and
individuals to a member of
Veterans for Peace, and included a
man who was at Kent State last
spring. We did our best to state
reasons why people at various
points along the political spectrum
should vote against the
moratorium, and to speak as much
of the truth as the limitations of
the poster format and the
30-second radio spot and the
one-page letter would allow. At
times oversimplification was starkly
necessary; we're sorry, but we did
do our best. And it was good
enough...

We wish particularly to thank
Professor A.K.Davis, who gave
generously of his time and counsel
at our organization meeting, and all
the others who helped out with
resources and advice. We very
deeply appreciate it; it helped to
insure our victory

Students of the University, we
salute you! This time there was no
apathy; you displayed a most
gratifying degree of wisdom,
maturity, and motivation. You did
the proper thing, and the problems
that a moratorium would have
subjected us to were averted. We
thank you again for hearing us out
and deciding as you did. We believe
that you will find it to have been a
wise decision. For those of you in
the U.S. who argued that a
moratorium would free more
people to go to Washington, we
thank you for your forbearance as
regards taking down our posters;
this has been the cleanest
University political campaign I've
ever participated in on that point.
We extend the same thanks to our
other opponents, who generally
behaved every bit as well as the
former.

For those who are curious, the
total cash outlay for our campaign
was less than $200.00 (radio spots
are amazingly cheap.) "Fascist Fat
Cat Money" was neither necessary
nor involved.

Anti. . .

"E.J., what do you think of the
Honor System as it presently
exists?"

"Ugh!" replied E.J. Being a law
student, E.J. naturally is renowned
for his lengthy rhetorical response
to inquiries.

"That bad, huh"? I pushed on.

"Yup," said E.J.

"Do you think we should take
action to amend the Code, replace
it, or eliminate it?"

"Yup," he said

Trying to avoid a lengthy debate
that was obviously in the making as
evidenced by E.J.'s committal
position, I attempted to buffer the
conversation by submitting a
generalized inquest, "Well E.J., just
exactly what action do you feel
should be taken?"

"Can it," he replied.

Doubting its marketable value in
today's society and anticipating
unfavorable vibes from the FDA, I
pushed E.J. on to clarify his
proposition by asking, "Wha da ya
mean?"

"Its function has obviously
expired," renounced E.J., "as
evidenced by the Code's inadequacy
to perform as it was initially
designed."

"Kinda like J. Edgar Hoover,
huh?"

"Yup." said E.J.

Happy

I am writing this letter while still
under the influence of the
University's first Happy Day. It is
the influence of peoples' sharing
with one another-of community-that
made this day the
unforgettable experience that it has
been for so many of us.

My whole-hearted appreciation
and love go out to all the persons
who made this day a really happy
one; Father Stickle, who saw
everything through from its
embryonicy in February; President
Shannon, who once again proved
his intimate unity with the people
of the University (anyone who
doubts it should have witnessed his
drenching in the pool); and all of
the people who supported Happy
Day in any way-most of all those
who simply came for fun and
community, and shared in it
through their happiness.

The fact that it is no longer the
first day of May-that another
school week has begun-that exams
are projecting their frightening
shadows upon us-is no reason,
really, to disregard the happiness
that this day gave to us all, as
though it was never a part of
reality; I say that the spirit of
freedom and sharing that it stirred
up is reality-the reality that
everyone has been afraid to express
in day-to-day life.

Please-Let's all go on in this
spirit and continue to share our
happiness with one another, always;
and let's make our next Happy Day
more than just an anniversary.

No Dime

I found Mr. Bardenwerper's
comment on Tuesday (CD, April
27) especially interesting because of
a contrary attitude taken by the
staff of Anderson Brothers'
bookstore when I asked (begged?) to
borrow a dime.

It was a very hot afternoon early
this month, when I had left my
pocketbook in Student Health
while I scurried to get a Coke for
my Doctor and me. The nearest
can-or-bottle-dispensing machine is
that located on the sidewalk near
Anderson Brothers'. The Cokes
were 20cents instead of 15cents as I
had anticipated. And, since I have
been here three years and traded
regularly at Anderson Bros., I felt
no qualms about going in and
asking to borrow a dime.

I was a familiar face to the
salesman and manager to whom I
made my request. (The salesman
claimed to have only 8 cents in his
pocket and promptly sent me to
the manager. The manager hemmed
and hawed, and finally said that
they just "had no policy on
loans".) I was furious, to say the
least. I had even explained where
my pocketbook was, that I could
return within the hour, that I
would be willing to sign a written
pledge as a U.Va. student to return
the 10cents, etc.

Needless to say, I got quite a
different response than did Mr.
Bardenwerper when he requested a
quarter from a stranger behind him
in the movie line. It certainly seems
very strange that people who
should be concerned with public
relations would respond as they did
to me. Or are they concerned? I do
not plan to return to find out.