University of Virginia Library

Constitutional Right

Tom Gardner began his argument by
accusing the University of not allowing an
exchange of ideas and thus violating his
constitutional right of free speech. He argued
that The Cavalier Daily and other publications
funded by the University were presenting only
one view, that of a capitalistic society, and were
biased in their own way. Mr. Gardner
maintained that it was the University's
obligation to allow opposing views to be heard.

Mike Cohen contended that the Virginia
Weekly does not report the news objectively.
He said, "One cannot discern where facts begin,
and analysis begins."

Mr. Cohen defended the O&P's action of
refusing to allocate the newspaper the $7,130 it
requested on the grounds that the committee
had to follow guidelines established by the
Board of Visitors. Mr. Cohen produced a
clarification of the guidelines on the allocation
of student activities fees adopted by the
Student Activities Committee in June 1970.

A section of the revised statement reads.
"Propagandizing shall include any activity
whose purpose is to procure, or prevent, the
acceptance of any social, economic or political
theory as an operating principle of polity."