University of Virginia Library

Crucial Point

The University is at a very
crucial point in its history, as is
often indicated. We can no longer
afford to divert our attention to
trivial issues or escape our
responsibilities here by only
focusing attention on external
events which we can not control.
Anyone who cares about the future
of the University, and has some
ideas that may help to alleviate
problems through new
interpretations should express them
now.

The above proposals for
communications through meetings
and lobbying are serious, and seem
to be needed. More importantly,
our duly elected and appointed
officials must start to become
leaders. Truly effective leaders are
rare, as Machiavelli realized. But he
also realized that they are essential
to seize the opportunity to create
better institutions out of bad
situations. The situation is
deteriorating here, and there mus
be some of these rare individuals in
this University.

Phrases such as "academical
village" and " 'community' of
scholars" can hardly apply to an
educational factory of 10,000
spread all over Charlottesville, living
in any shelter they can find, never
meeting each other except in traffic
jams and registration lines. It would
be nice if more people gave enough
of a damn to lead, or help those
who try to lead, us into logical
growth which preserves us as a
unique, maybe even a model
University.