University of Virginia Library

Council To Debate
Effects Of Letter

By SAM BARNES

Investigation into the effects that the
Honor Committee letter may have on
Honor Committee elections will begin
tonight as Student Council reconvenes in a
special meeting at 6 p.m.

Student Council President Tom Collier
said yesterday the meeting is open to
anyone interested in expressing his view on
the potential effects of the letter.

"However, all personal attacks,
statements not applicable to the
immediate issue at hand, and highly
emotional pleas will immediately be
declared out of order by the chairman,"
Mr. Collier said.

The discussion will include how and
why the committee sent the letter and how
the letter was funded.

The effect that the letter may have on
the honor system referendum and on
Committee elections will also be
considered.

Letter Rectification

Council will also try to determine
whether a rectification of the letter is
necessary and if so, what action should be
taken.

A possible solution, according to Mr.
Collier, might be to fund letters written by
other groups with opposing views.

Mr. Collier said he hoped Student
Council could reschedule elections during
the meeting.

Regarding the elections' postponement
Mr. Collier said, Student Council thought
there was enough question as to the effect
of the letter to justify postponement.

"The members of Student Council
wanted to determine the extent of the
effect of the letter and decide whether
they felt it might be detrimental to any
groups involved in the elections," Mr.
Collier said.

"I have enough faith in the people on
Student Council to believe that they will
put aside all personal feelings and
hopefully reach a proper decision," he
added.

Honor Committee vice-chairman Pat
Whitlow said he thought postponement
unjustified.

"If the letter had included any political
support for single-sanction I could see the
justification in postponing the balloting.
As it is, I definitely don't think Student
Council's action is justifiable," Mr.
Whitlow said.

He also said the action "only will
further cloud" the overall situation.

"I definitely think there's a great
chance that students on both sides may
become polarized and thus lose much
interest in the elections" he concluded.

Postponement Questioned

College president candidate Gordon
Peerman also questioned the
postponement.

"Unless the balloting is held Monday
or Tuesday interest in the election and
referendum will have been considerably
compromised," he said.

Mr. Peerman also said he thought it
would be difficult for Council to
determine whether the letter has really had
a detrimental effect.

Leslie Joffa, another College president
candidate, released a statement on behalf
of "The People" supporting the Council's
postponement.

The statement contended that "to
think the Honor Committee letter would
not bias either the outcome of the election
or the referendum must come from a gross
lack of insight and naivete on the part of
the authors of the Honor Committee
letter."

College Presidential candidate Bob
Verklin said he was disappointed the
elections were not carried out on schedule.

Ballot Wind-up

"I was anxious to see us wind up the
balloting," he said. "I can, however,
sympathize with those people who felt
imposed upon by the Honor Committee's
letter."

Council members approved suspension
by a vote of 11-7.

Voting to suspend balloting were Pete
Gillespie, John Blankenship, Carl Biscoe,
Phil Chabot, Charlie Diggs, Mike Flock,
Bill Huyett, Chris Kerr, Maryann
McDermott, Rod Singleton and Barbara
Sugarman.

Voting against postponement were
Allen Barringer, Dave Horan, Joe Ranney,
Larry Sabato, Barb Savage, Jay Waldron
and Milton Whitfield.