University of Virginia Library

Letters To The Editor:

Changes In Attitudes Sought

The University needs a broad
restructuring of policy-making
bodies through a fundamental
change in the attitudes of
administrators and students alike
(not minuscule reforms of parietal
rules and automobile regulations).
The best way to achieve this change
is through mass action - not
necessarily violent action - but
simply a clear-cut expression of
student desires.

A University, pure and simple, is
a place where ideas can be
exchanged and knowledge explored
freely - not a collection of
"buildings and grounds" which
must be protected at any price. The
emphasis at the University of
Virginia has always been on the
latter, superficial aspect. Sad to say,
intellectual and academic freedom
have never been among our
cherished traditions. At Yale, on
the other hand, ideas have always
come before appearances. That's
why the traditional channels work
so well there - because they have a
long history of effectiveness behind
them. The situation is quite
different here, and Mr. Whitaker's
comparison might not prove
applicable.

Robert Rosen is right. Big
changes are needed and large
numbers of students are required to
effect these changes. No, Mr. Rosen
is not a "masochist." Rather, he is a
student who wants to make at least
some small contribution - to leave
the University a little better than he
found it. His honesty is refreshing
after years of meaningless talk
about "honor" and "gentlemen."
Let's hear some more of it soon.

Righteous Crusaders

I would like to express
concurrence with the attitude
expressed in the September 25th
issue of this newspaper in both Mr.
Ison and Mr. Worrall's letters and in
Mr. Whitaker's article. The defense
of reason, moderation, and
tolerance which all implied is a
welcome counterforce to those who
advocate extremism and force.
There is no doubt that the
"righteous crusaders" which our era
has produced are at least familiar
enough with the ideals most men
share to give their various
campaigns a highly moralistic and
idealistic note. But for whatever
reasons, whether from insincerity
or failure to connect the means
with the ends, those who most
vehemently preach brotherhood,
love, beauty, justice, etc., have only
seemed to place us farther from
these goals. Perhaps it is a problem
of method - it does seem true that
force usually breeds more force.
Ironically, those who most criticize
"police repression" or "lack of
freedom" may do most to bring
them about. The ultimate product
of the efforts of the flower children
and the campus radicals may be the
rise to power of someone like
George Wallace. In fact, as a
supposed opponent of "intellectual
rebels" and "anarchists," Wallace's
star seems to be rising now. Is it
really so hard to understand why?

Two-level Course

In an editorial in last Thursday's
edition of The Cavalier Daily, the
suggestion was made that two levels
of courses be set up in a science
department, one course designed
for premedical majors and another
for those fulfilling the science
requirement. The Chemistry
Department offers three first year
courses in chemistry, each designed
to meet different student needs. As
described on page 72 of the current
undergraduate school catalogue,
Chemistry 1t-2t has been designed
especially for non-science majors
and others intending no further
study of chemistry. This course is
taught by several faculty members
who have a special interest in the
teaching of chemistry as a general
science. Chemistry 1t-2t is not
necessarily easier than the other
first year chemistry courses, for it
provides a wider range of subject
matter coverage but in less detail.
One of our aims is to make it
possible for our students, ten years
after graduation, to read
knowledgeably science articles that
appear in the general press.

'Left Corner'

In reference to your Editorial
"The Lively Ones," on Wednesday,
25 September, you err in one basic
statement of fact. By no stretch of
the imagination could Sidney
Kellam be considered in the "left
corner" of Virginia's political
spectrum. Mr. Kellam has been a
stalwart member of Virginia's
Democratic Organization for more
than thirty years and has been an
ally of big business and conservative
politics throughout the entire time.
He is generally recognized as the
political "boss" of Virginia Beach.
His chairmanship of John
Kennedy's campaign in 1960 in
Virginia was an attempt by the
Byrd Machine to keep Governor J.
Lindsay Almond from gaining too
much power in the state. Mr.
Kellam's effort in this direction
were successful although Nixon
carried Virginia in 1960.

Average Argument

The compiler of your statistics
on GPA's seems to be a fraternity
man. At any rate, your article
contains one false statement and
several misleading comparisons.

The false statement is, "For the
third successive year, the All
Fraternity Men's Average topped
the All Men's Average." Only the
Fraternity Member Average tops
the All Men's Average. That is, the
average fraternity man, member or
pledge, did worse than the average
University student.

You give no averages for
independents alone, but since the
All Fraternity Average is below the
All Men's Average, the All
Independent Average must be
higher still. The same applies to
your first-year statistics. There is no
hiding the fact that fraternity
pledges do worse, on the average,
than all first-year men, but a
straight comparison of the
Fraternity Pledge Average with the
First Year Independent Average
would be even more embarrassing
to the fraternities.

Next semester, I suggest you
make three straightforward
comparisons that would give a
complete and unbiased picture: 1)
All Fraternity Average vs. All
Independent Average, 2) All
Fraternity Member vs. All
Upperclass Independent Average,
and 3) All Fraternity Pledge
Average vs. All First-year
Independent Average.

Mark Kidwell
College 3

Every year the Registrar's office
releases for general publication the
averages we printed. The
breakdown is theirs, not ours. -ed.