University of Virginia Library

Editorial Refuted

Although not a member of the
University Party, I was somewhat
surprised and mystified by the
editorial in Wednesday's Cavalier
Daily regarding the University
Party's recently released Progress
Report. It seems the editorial completely
misses the point in two
ways.

First, it was made quite clear
by the University Party candidates
last semester when they were
campaigning that they realized
that several of the planks on their
platform advocated change in areas
where neither they, if elected, nor
the Student Council as a whole,
had any real power or authority.
As I understood it, their aim was
dual with respect to these planks:
(1) to get a strong showing of
student support for these proposals
in the election, in order to let
University administrators see the
student sentiment on these issues
and (2) to seek to have the proper
bodies implement the desired
courses of action by presenting
studies and making recommendations
through the Student Council.
The editorial seems to imply that
in areas where the Student Council
has no immediate power or
authority, it should simply avoid
issues altogether. I certainly can't
agree with this philosophy.

Second, I never heard the University
Party or its Councilmen
claim that they would be able to
do, by themselves, all the work
necessary to implement their platform.
It was made very clear to
me in the Progress Report exactly
what planks the University Party
and its Councilmen have been
working on and those which other
Councilmen have been pursuing.

The University Party Progress
Report indicates to me that the
University Party Councilmen have
been very active in pursuing and
in having others pursue the planks
of the platform they ran on. I, for
one, am very appreciative, both of
the work which they have done
on the Council, and for the high
degree of responsibility they have
shown in reporting to the student
body the progress that has been
made on their platform.

This is the first such follow-up
on campaign proposals and promises
which I have seen since coming
to the University. And I find
it quite regrettable that the C.D.
would choose to criticize, what
I believe is a much needed step
in the direction of making our
Councilmen more responsible to
us, as students, AFTER they
are elected.