University of Virginia Library

Letters To The Editor

UP Secretary Speaks Out

I would like to comment on the
article entitled "University Party
Purpose Questioned" which appeared
in Wednesday's Cavalier
Daily. The University Party, in
its nominations meeting, did encounter
two problems with which
it had not been previously confronted:
the presence of a large
number of proxies, and the first
real test of its unique nominating
procedure. It is my personal feeling
that the University Party will
want to eliminate or at least severely
limit proxy voting and modify
its nominating procedure at the
next general meeting; motions will
be submitted in order to remedy
these two problems and ensure
that the University Party remains
true to its original ideals. It is
now experiencing the growing
pains which any organization open
to membership from the entire University
must necessarily go
through.

I feel, however, that the problems
are not as serious as one
would be led to believe from reading
the article mentioned above.
For instance, rather than defeating
"the wishes of the majority" on
"many occasions," the proxies of
those who weren't "interested
enough to attend the meeting"
actually swung the vote their way
only once—on the decision to allow
proxies. While the proxies increased
the tendency to vote in
blocs, they did not alter the outcome
of the meeting, and the platform
was not "rent by the left-right
warfare" until it was "near-dishwater;"
the platform was
passed with only one significant
amendment and two additions
from the floor.

The nominating procedure used
was that adopted by the membership
last spring, and provided
for a yes-no primary ballot. This
primary resulted in the elimination
of all but three candidates, each
of whom were nominated by more
than a two-thirds majority of the
vote cast; as I said, this procedure
will probably be altered
soon to ensure a full slate of candidates.
The primary vote had been
expected only to narrow the field,
and the final selection of candidates
was to have been after the final
adoption of a platform. Things
turned out otherwise, so that the
platform was adopted after the
candidates; but it had been drafted
in consultation with prospective
candidates, was discussed and
adopted by the general membership,
and is supported fully by
our candidates.

The University Party is uniquely
dedicated to bringing a better form
of student government to the University.
Within the University
Party the conventional liberal-conservative
labels are largely meaningless;
rather the Party as a
whole represents a constructive
and progressive outlook, seeking
improvement and formulating
ideas for change.

Marginal Marijuana

Your front page article on marijuana
at U. Va. (November 28
issue) has a somewhat phoney
ring to it. If the use and sale of
pot is prohibited by university
policy and if our honor system is
so fine (which is restated ad
nauseum in every issue of the CD),
then logically a university administrator
could ask Mr. Larsen the
name of his mysterious "Jim" and
he would be honor bound to
respond or else subject himself
to administrative procedures. Isn't
that correct?

At any rate, it strikes me funny
that a newspaper which prides all
the students here on their maturity
should make such a big cause
out of legalized marijuana. After
being in Europe for three years
and seeing people who would give
anything to live like Americans,
it seems strange that we should
need such escapes from our "hard
lives" as either marijuana or
booze. But if we do, then we have
plenty of alcohol around. Now
really, isn't marijuana an awfully
marginal issue?

David P. Miller
2nd year graduate

Perhaps The Cavalier Daily hasn't
said enough about the Honor System,
for you apparently have yet to understand
it. The system applies to specific
incidences of lying, cheating or stealing
and cannot be used by any administrator
to force information from
a student. We are happy to report
that in our four years here we have
heard of no attempts by administrators
to abuse the system in the way
you charge.

As for your second question, we
feel that marijuana is far from being
a marginal issue, at least for the
majority of students at the University
and at every other college save the
most backwater. Despite the sophistication
you doubtless picked up in
your three years in Europe, you seem
remarkably out of touch with the
times. —Ed.