University of Virginia Library

Letters To The Editor

U Party Head Endorses VPP

Due to a certain amount of confusion
concerning the status of the University
Party I feel obliged to explain precisely why
the Party endorsed the candidates of the
Virginia Progressive Party for this election.

Our Party has constantly been given the
stigma of being merely an independent
caucus, but, in fact, the members of the
Party have always conceived of it as a
political party dedicated to effecting progress
here at the University. At the last
meeting the members were faced with a
serious question.

Were we to endorse the liberal candidates
of the new party, thus hoping to ensure a
victory for progress, or were we to nominate
a state of our own, an action which could
divide liberals here and spell defeat. We
hope that our endorsement of the Virginia
Progressive Party will be rewarded with the
solidification of all progressive students
behind the new party, with the result being
a forward-looking and active Student
Council.

Academic Fabulizing

Tom Gardner's "editorial" on Messrs.
Ross and England was the best piece of
academic Fabulizing I have seen in years! He
should take the Nobel Prize for fiction -
just enough synergism, synthesis and
one-sidedness to create an undergraduate
legend - with the administration and the
rest of the faculty cast as a maleficent and
baneful enemy!

VPP Is First Step

We are applauding the formation of the
Virginia Progressive Party as the first step
toward a truly integrated University: integrated
not only racially and economically,
but also socially as a student body
recognizing its potential for responsible and
effective self-government.

In the past we have sadly observed the
internecine nature of University politics: a
conglomeration of Bourbonist politicos who
have been allowed reign over student
government largely through apathy and
general alienation from the system. This
apathy was to be expected in view of the
non-issue oriented character of former
elections and the paternalistic attitude of
the administration which has allied itself
with the ultra-conservative elements of the
student body

This system has led to an undesirable
polarization of student opinion. It is well
past the time for independents to be
classifying fraternity men as drunken
fascists and for fraternity men to be
pigeonholing independents as faggots.

We look forward to the Virginia
Progressive Party as the vehicle for constructive
change at the University.

Mannix Not First

Re: your page one Graduate Arts and
Sciences election story in the May 6 edition:

Although I may have complained the
loudest, I cannot claim credit for having
"revealed that the failure of some of the
candidates to hand in their petitions before
the deadline made the entire election
unconstitutional." Mr. James Rocbuck,
Student Council Vice-President, was the
first to make this point, and he deserves
credit for making this revelation in light of
the fact that he had won re-election in that
election.

I would appreciate your clearing up this
error.

Awaken, Students

The recent "coat and tie" demonstrations
and actions taken by the student
coalition have pointed out the obvious -
the University is a living, breathing and
flourishing anachronism in today's society.
When I first came to the University I was
imbued with the 'spirit' of traditionalism
and the honor code.

It was only after becoming a member of
the First-Year Committee and working with
the Student Council and the administration
that I came to realize that the University
and its ideals were completely fallacious.

I must admit, though, that I value the
education I am attaining here and have
come to have a rapport with several
professors. I was very surprised recently
upon hearing from one of my professors
that he felt he had no chance of getting
tenure or promoted in his department. He is
a "publishing" professor so I questioned
him as to why he felt this way. He replied
that his ideas in teaching and politics were
not commensurate with the full professors
in the department. I expect that he will
resign within the next two years because he
cannot compromise his principles and
beliefs. And he should not be required to do
that, either.

Power politics have no place in an
academic community. The fact that two
qualified and well liked teachers at the
University have obviously been forced to
resign by the administration serves as
evidence to this assumption of power
politics. Professors, as well as students,
should have no bans on what they are able
to think or say. For too long the
administration has acted on the principle of
in loco parentis and this prevention of
personal expression, as exemplified by these
two men, as well as Dean Canevari's notice
about demonstrations, ably served to the
demonstrators by members of the athletic
department, cannot and should not be
tolerated. I am personally against the use of
violence at any time, but I feel that the
student body should take some action to
save our rights to dissent. Sitting back at
this time can only serve, as Dr. England
stated, to "destroy the University."

Students, remove the blindfold the
University and the administration has
wrapped around you, and see what is really
happening here.

Deeply Moved

Mr. Gardner's running account of the
persecution of Professors Ross and England
in Monday's Cavalier Daily was capable of
making even the most hard-hearted cry.
These men were popular, respected, enlightened,
concerned, skillful, willing to act on
their beliefs, strongly supported, progressive,
talented, active...One shudders to
think - perhaps they were prophets, for not
a single fault was even hinted at.

For some this will be a cause to make
plans to storm the Rotunda. For others it
will serve to conjure up nightmares of what
the University would be like if every faculty
member was a practically perfect man. In
either case, we are all deeply moved.