University of Virginia Library

"Kangaroo Court" Held

The Executive Committee
of Counselors (composed of all
senior residents) recently held a
"kangaroo court" for him,
which resulted in their
recommendation that he not
be fired. The executive
committee also sent a
requested letter to Assoc. Dean
of Students Chester R. Titus
justifying why the senior
resident should remain in the
program. He will be able to
keep his position.

Several RA's criticized this
burden that the Housing Office
places on senior residents as
overseers. "Don't they think
we're at all responsible?" one
queried. "The senior residents
shouldn't be made to look over
our shoulders all the time and
be penalized for some detail we
are accused of missing.

"There is far too much
emphasis on the 'big brother is
watching you' idea in this
program, with someone just a
little higher and a little more
powerful than each
person...there are too many
'yes-men'," he continued.

"The Resident Staff program
needs some of this hierarchy
cut out and more casual and
individual responsibility. I
think everyone has the
ability... it's just a matter of
Housing putting trust in us.
Right now we are friends to
students first and are
policemen second. But I think
Housing would like it to be the
other way around," he adds.

The problem facing the
Resident Staff seems to be one
not as much of drawing the
line between being a friend and
a disciplinarian, but between a