University of Virginia Library

Administration

It disturbed me more than a
little to hear the recent article by
Walker Chandler described as an
"extremely well though-out
presentation" and to have his and
Robert Rosen's articles praised as
an excellent program for the
University. Mr. Chandler's article
seemed to be basically and
obviously rubbish and wild-eyed
shoutings. I feel I must rise "to
dispute the cold fact" that Mr.
Chandler and his ilk shall run this
university.

For the real cold fact is that we
do have a responsibility to the
citizens of this state. It has
apparently been overlooked by Mr.
Chandler that they to an
overwhelming extent pay for our
education. We are being educated,
among other things, for positions of
leadership, but should some of us,
in the name of this leadership,
presumptuously seek to upset the
whole basic moral system of
society, they have the right to
withdraw support from them.

I have, of course, no objective
proof that the administration does
support whole-heartedly the
so-called (by Mr. Chandler, not I)
"antiquated moral reasons" for
visitation rules and so on, but I am
quite sure that they do. How does
Mr. Chandler support his claim that
they don't?

I could devote quite a bit of
space to an argument against the
statement that "everything is
relative" and that hence there is no
moral system. However, let me just
say that Mr. Chandler would almost
undoubtedly feel quite indignant if
people defrauded him, assaulted
him, and generally were unfair to
him, as they could if it were true, as
he says, that "everything" -
including the truth and moral
standards - "is relative." If anarchy
were a viable system, surely some
civilization in the world would have
adopted it; I've never heard one
that did. And survived . . . .

Having had the dubious privilege
of being a cadet at the Air Force
Academy, I know quite well the
oppression of rules. However, I also
know that rules are necessary for
the preservation of an orderly,
growing society. Our position here
at the University is that of
students: we came to learn, and to
learn a lot more than what is taught
in the classrooms. I don't know
about Mr. Chandler, but one thing
I've learned here is the
unfathomable extent of man's
ignorance. The administration of
course shares this ignorance, but
nevertheless, they do know more
than we do, especially about such
things as the discipline which is
necessary to learn. They were
students for a good while
themselves, and they are also now
in a position to see more and
farther than we can. I came to
learn, so I am willing to put myself
in their hands.

Of course, I would be a fool if I
were to do this blindly, and they
would be fools if they tried to run
our lives entirely. We are not
infants. On the other hand, we are
closer to being infants than they
are. Continued, concerned
communication is necessary
between the two segments for each
to understand the position of the
other, and act responsibly about it.
We should have a voice, but not the
final one.

It is very flattering to think that
we could run this school. We do
have a hand in many parts of it, but
with all due respect to our student
leaders, the school would collapse if
it were run by students.