University of Virginia Library

Letters To The Editor

Reader Cites Tri-Mistake

I feel it is necessary to respond
to three remarks in Peter H.
Goldman's letter (April 17).

The first remark refers to the
"rude comments and applause
during President Shannon's
call for all to follow the paths of
reason." The only comment that I
heard from the audience which was
generally audible came during Esmond
Wright's speech, and I admit
that it was rude.

Mr. Wright, however, was able to
produce an immediate rejoinder to
the comment, and the entire
audience showed its appreciation of
the put-down with applause. How
Mr. Goldman could interpret the
applause which followed Mr.
Shannon's initial remarks as sarcastic
is beyond my comprehension.

Mr. Goldman's next comment
referred to the walkout, or "withdrawal."
The walkout was a symbolic
manifestation of sorrow and
distress concerning the conditions
which exist here, and, more specifically,
a protest of the Seven
Society's hypocritical presentation
of racial harmony award (not a
protest against the choice of the
recipient, as many have said).

Finally, Mr. Goldman has adopted
what can be seen as either an
absurd or a paranoid notion that
the demonstrators were protesting
his commendable academic achievements.
Members of the Coalition
also marched in the procession, and
I am sure that they did not feel that
their Dean's List status, or anybody's,
was the raison d'etre of the
protest. If Mr. Goldman has been
able to spend the past year here and
still not realize at whom the protest
was aimed, and against what practices
it was aimed, he must truly be
a very insulated character.

The Happy Fable

When a community relies upon
the happy fable that an honorable
code ensures honesty, that community
is shaken when principle
succumbs to power. Student Council
elections have been conducted
on the theory that correct procedures
flow automatically from an
unwritten law, a belief which leaves
no room for administrative incompetence
or partisan election committees.
Today that theory lies
shattered. To say that tradition
broke down this once and we must
take appropriate measures to prevent
future mishaps is to endorse all
the irregularities in the recent
graduate school Student Council
elections.

We can no longer merely "say a
prayer and appoint a committee."
At a time when progressive members
of the Council call for reform
from the University administration
- call for the redress of existing
grievances instead of the simple
promise to try to do better in the
future - it would be hypocritical
for those same. Student Council
members to refuse to correct the
existing malfunctioning of their
own organization.

A detailed election code for the
conduct of future elections must be
written. But before that distant day
arrives, the Council should move
first, to replace the current election
committee with competent and
impartial administrators; and secondly,
to reschedule the graduate
school election in order that a
well-publicized, fair election be
held.

Goldman Again

How can Peter H. Goldman
believe that the Coalition's concern
for constructive reform at the
University suggests that "academic
probation is more of a virtue?" As
fellow candidates for intermediate
honors, we too attended the
Founder's Day Ceremonies.

But our agreement with the
Coalition's hopes of correcting the
current racial imbalance here and
raising the deplorable wage conditions
of many University employees
caused us to stand aside from the
procession. With such goals as
these, what better time to voice
active disapproval of the administration's
formerly placid acceptance
of these injustices than at
a Sesquicentennial celebration,
where Mr. Jefferson's ideology is
constantly reiterated, "for here we
are not afraid to follow the truth?"

We grant you that, in our
opinions, hissing Mr. Shannon was
childish and rude and that the
walkout was unfortunately poorly
timed. But certainly there was more
to this protest than your acknowledged
citation of it as an attempt
to interfere with the reception of
individual awards.