University of Virginia Library

Letters To The Editor

Board Of Visitors Unworthy Of Our Respect

It might have been a joke to the
Cavalier Daily when the issue of the
code of conduct was brought up,
but it is no longer funny. To
continue our metaphor, the Board
has refused our humblest
pet. And what does the CD say?
"In the resulting referendum when
only a meager number of students
voted (perhaps hoping that the
issue would vanish from
inaction) . . . . ." It was the CD that
hoped the issue would die. These
hopes were rejected before, they
are rejected today. The assertion
that only a meager number of
students voted (when all the niceties
are finished) is a lie, no more, no
less.

"The philosophic
rationalization" was only an
explanation of the code that was
drawn up. The Board could very
easily have acted upon the code if
they had chosen to do so. The
resulting code was heavily based on
their former code. The most
notable difference is the absence of
interim suspension. It is clear that
this is why the code was not
accepted.

It was not a very radical code.
Many times the "radicals" were
voted down. Their main "victory"
was a restatement of what Father
Hesburgh had said at Notre Dame
and what Nixon had applauded.
Ironic? I know because I sat
through all the meetings. It is too
bad the Board of Visitors are
unwilling to work with the
students. Their actions label them
unworthy of our respect.

Biased

Perhaps it is quite presumptuous
of me to even attempt to comment
on Mr. Grimwood's article in the
February 17 edition of The Cavalier
Daily.

However, the degree to which
the article was biased forces me to
write.

First, in what capacity does the
reporter expect an undercover
narcotics agent to act (assuming, of
course, that the CD does not
conform to accepted journalistic
practices, and that it allows
reporters to make editorial
comment in news articles.)?

I would suppose that one could
expect a narc to be involved in drug
cases, that 28 convictions is a fairly
decent track record, and that
further, if indeed the agent in
question is undercover, the
performance of his duties would be
necessarily hampered by undue
publicity.

In short, the article was too long
by half, it introduced extraneous
material, the reporter, afforded
himself of the opportunity of
editorial comment, and
unfortunately, it was quite in
keeping with the usual standards of
The Cavalier Daily.

Richard Brownfield
College 4

Ed.)

Our Sea Of Mud

While I will agree that the
University of Virginia has some of
the most appealing architecture of
any campus I have seen, the
grounds themselves have to be
among the worst. I think they were
designed for spawning trout rather
than students. When it rains, the
campus undergoes an amazing
change.

The McCormick Road dorms are
instantly surrounded by one large
reflecting pool. Each step has been
constructed with the peculiar
ability to transform itself into a
trough, and eventually join with
others to create a frolicking
cascade. Sidewalks rapidly become
surging spillways.

The Alderman Road dorms were
constructed in such a manner that
all the rain that falls on Dobie and
Balz flows down the hill, goes
between Maupin and Lile, and
unites with runoff from the rest of
the dorms to form the most
dangerous rapids south of the
Rappahannock. And all this goes on
right outside the side entrance to
thy Glass Hat, making for exciting
dining conditions. And it seems the
grounds crew must still be mad at
students who wore away the grass
they planted fifty years ago,
because they have yet to plant any
more.

However, this provides us with
many wonderful examples of
erosion at work, notably behind the
McCormick Road dorms and
around the now defunct
amphitheater. (Of course all the
grounds' crew trucks that use the
too narrow sidewalks and the bike
riders that don't have nothing to do
with this.) Gee but its great to have
such a versatile campus.

Freedom Of Speech

I understand that a certain
organization has been trying to
recruit University students in order
to travel to Cuba as an expression
of solidarity with the oppressors of
the Cuban people. As a Cuban and
as an anti-Communist I wish to take
advantage of a privilege taken for
granted in the United States but
non-existent in my country today:
a privilege that I can fully
appreciate because I know what it
is to live without it: freedom of
speech.

The regime for which such an
expression of solidarity is organized
has been in power for more than
twelve years without ever bothering
to hold a single election, not even a
fake one as in other Communist
tyrannies.

This is the regime that murders
with or without trial, that
imprisons anyone at will, that has
taken over every single form of
news media, closed it to all voices
of dissent and turned it into an
instrument of propaganda. This is
the regime that has effectively cut
all political and economic ties
between Cuba and the United
States. Only to turn the country
into an absolute economic and
military dependency of the Soviet
Union.

This is the regime that has
changed one of the most
prosperous countries of Latin
America into a hell of fear and
poverty, a hell from which already
has managed to escape
approximately one tenth of the
population. And several thousand
Cubans arrive every month to
Miami. Only a few thousands
because there is no room for more
in the airplanes provided by the
United States. These are the lucky
ones. These are the ones that
already have a relative in this
country that claims them, and that
the Communist tyranny allows to
leave. Others have to try something
else. Like crossing the sea in boats
and rafts, risking to be shot on sight
by their wardens or arrested
and sent to jail for thirty years.

The organizers of this
propaganda trip to Cuba may be
friends of Fidel Castro, the man
who promised freedom and brought
tyranny, who promised Democracy
and brought Communism, the
traitor to his people. But they are
no friends of Cuba and they are no
friends of freedom.

Symbol Of Obsession

In the deplorable history of
antisemitism Jews have always
been used as symbols of others'
obsessions. Jews were long a
symbol of the Anti-Christ for
Christians, a symbol of cupidity
and cunning for the bourgeoisie, of
dangerous cosmopolitanism for
nineteenth century nationalists, of
capitalism for certain nineteenth
century leftists, and in the
twentieth century Jews have been
despised as communists.

And, with a kind of
pro-Semitism that is actually
anti-Semitic, certain modern
fanatical Christians have appointed
the Jews of Israel as winning pawns
in God's cosmic chess game - a
rather dangerous game for the
Israelis.

After having attended a
Palestine Week workshop on
Wednesday, I wonder whether the
friends of Palestine are not also
using the Israelis as a symbol of
their own nationalist obsessions,
obsessions which have been
expressed for centuries in the form
of holy wars.

The Palestinian refugees,
expatriated from Israel and not
accepted by Arab governments are
in an almost hopeless dilemma but
their solution is unacceptable and
seems destructive of their own
aims, since armed struggle will
result, if not in their defeat, at least
in undermining the sense of human
dignity they struggle to achieve.

They would better serve their
aims, which they say include the
union of Arab peoples and
liberation from oppressive
governments, by persuading and
educating other Arabs to the
principles of humanitarianism and
religious tolerance they claim, and
then negotiating with Israel.

It is ironic that the friends of
Palestine find the "racist" state
Israel totally unacceptable, since
the nationalistic union of Arabs
they project would also he "racist"
in its basically homogeneous
character. The Palestinians desire
the right of self-determination, but
they deny Israelis this right.

Birth Of A Band

I am a first year student who is
very interested in music,
specifically stage band. On arrival
here last fall I was dismayed to hear
that the University of Virginia had
no stage band at all, although it had
a fine band, orchestra, and a great
pep band. After talking to the
musical director. Joel Lazar, and
the bands' Vice President. Steve
Mershon, I learned that there were
many students who, as I, wished
the emergence of a University Stage
band.

So, with Steve's and Mr.
help, a stage band has finally been
formed here recently, and I am
happy to announce that, along with
its addition of newly arranged
stage band music, the stage band
sounds great. Finally there is a stage
band at U. Va. for all jazz-oriented
musicians! I hope all interested
musicians will feel free to attend
any practice regularly scheduled
every Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. in
the band room at Old Cabell Hall.

If any additional news is needed.
I may be reached at 295-7642 and
will be glad to answer any
questions.

A Challenge

On February 7 the film His
Land was shown here at the
University. The main theme of this
film, besides dealing with the
fulfillment of Old Testament
prophecies regarding the land of
Palestine, concerns the literal return
of Jesus Christ to this earth. Just as
this One Life has had more
influence than any other upon the
world, so too will His return affect
not only individual lives but also
the destiny of nations.

God's concern and love for
every person is revealed through His
Son Jesus Christ who calls each of
us to enter into a personal
relationship with Him. Christ's
claims, confronted in an open,
honest and sincere manner, result in
changed lives. This completely new
attitude and purpose of life can
only take place as each individual is
willing to seek God's plan for his
life.

Today increasing numbers of
University students are discovering
exactly what it means to experience
the reality of the living Jesus Christ.
As part of the University
community, we challenge each
person to investigate further these
important claims upon his life.