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Notes on administrative decadence

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Editorials printed in The Michigan Doily express the individual opinions of staff writers
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THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 1970

NIGHT EDITOR: RICK PERLOFF


SGC and student apathy

STUDENT GOVERNMENT C O U N C I L
elections are over.
.So what?
SGC is an organization which is sup-
posed to represent students and press for
their interests. But more accurately, it
serves as a club which gathers together
to discuss politics every Thursday night.
When an issue arises, SGC will pass a
resolution calling upon students to take
one form of action and the administra-
tion another. Yet the effects of such res-
olutions are generally minimal.
For as SGC members well know, the
most effective student actions that have
influenced the University's administra-
tion have not been organized by Council,
but by ad hoc groups instead.
Consider, for example, the dispute last
fall over the establishment of a discount
bookstore. It was only after the LSA Bldg.
sit-in - organized by scattered campus
radicals and not 'by SGC - (which was
divided on the issue) - that the Regents
agreed to create a student-controlled
bookstore.
More recently, the administration did
not act to increase black enrollment un-
til the Black Action Movement demon-
strated in support of its demands. And
the ad hoc coalition which has given
BAM its support does not include SGC
as-an active member.
CLEARLY, the administration will only
respond to student interests if it ap-
pears certain that a large portion of the
student body is behind them. The method
students have found most effective to
demonstrate these interests have been
militant protests - outside institutional
channels. But rarely have such actions
been led by SGC.
Thus, administrators have come to
know that SGC's inflammatory resolu-
tions mean little: Council can neither
speak for nor mobilize the student body.
If, however, enough students were be-
hind SGC to 'the extent that Council
could be said to represent the sentiment
of a large portion of the student body,
the administration would likely be forced
to acknowledge the credibility of Coun-
cil's threats to mobilize student support.
Administrators would then be more prone
to seek negotiations over a particular dis-
pute rather than face an undesirable con-
frontation.
Thus, the only way SGC will be able to
effectively press the administration in-
to acting in the interest of students is
through the active participation of its
constituency.
IN THIS CONTEXT, it is unfortunate
that most students seem concerned only
with using the University to advance
themselves, ands do not become involved
in campus issues. They fail to see that
their non-participation - and the re-
sultant failure to support SGC - runs
counter to the education they are trying
to further.

And there are issues which directly af-
fect every student on this campus:
-Whether faculty members are pro-
moted primarily because of their ability
to do government research, or their abil-
ity to teach;
- Whether the University responds
favorably to the demands of 10 n g-op-
pressed groups or remains part of the in-
stitutional framework which oppresses
them;
-Whether student fees are assessed
for the construction of lavish buildings
while more vital needs remain unmet;
and
-Whether curriculum is designed in a
way that enhances education or retards
it.
To name a few.
The only lasting way for students and
their representatives to have an effec-
tive voice in these matters is for the stu-
dent body to take an interest in ,SGC and
a more active role in campus issues.
This would add immeasurably to SGC's
ability to press the administration into
making reforms favored by the student
body.
WHILE THE BURDEN for this involve-
ment rests on t h e students them-
selves, SGC members should begin to at-
tract the student body's support and in-
crease their participation in University
affairs. If it succeeds in this effort, the
vast numbers of students who say they
support SGC members' ideas, but n o t
their tactics, might find a channel for
implementing their own political ideas.
To this end, SGC must commit itself to
reaching its constituents - by discussing
issues with students in dormitories and
apartments, discovering their concerns,
and attempting to make them aware of
the problems which face the University.
If SGC members also make an effort to
discuss these matters w i t h representa-
tives of departmental and college-wide
groups, Council could gain support, es-
tablishing greater legitimacy. In addition,
SGC should make wider use of referenda
to gauge student concern on issues.
THESE CHANGES in SGC - geared to-
ward making it a representative body
in fact as well as in name - should be-
gin at tonight's Council meeting.
But it is only with active student par-
ticipation in campus issues that the SGC
members who take office tonight c a n
move toward making the University's
student government an effective force
for change.
-THE NIGHT EDITORS
JIM BEATTIE
ROB BIER
DAVE CHUDWIN
STEVE KOPPMAN
ROBERT KRAFTOWITZ
RICK PERLOFF
LYNN WEINER
SHARON WEINER

The Government has moved to
place new restrictions on political
demonstrations near the White House.
The National Park Service, which
has jurisdiction over the broad side-
walk in front of the White House,
proposed regulations eight days ago
that would require protest groups to
disclose two weeks before a demon-
stration in front of the White House
any records of arrests, indictments,
convictions, and jail terms of those
due to take part.
The regulations would also require
the disclosure of any previous demon-#
strations in which a protester h a d
taken part, as well as the degree to
which he advocated the use of vio-
lence.
Organizations would h a v e to de-
scribe in minute detail the banners,
placards and signs that would be used.
--The New York Times, March 25
THE WHITE HOUSE stands in the cen-
ter of Washington as t h e ultimate
symbol of American government. So when
the White House moves to stop any pro-
tests against it, and to stretch Big Broth-
er's fingers into the lives of all citizens

who still insist on protest, the significance
spreads far beyond its own sidewalks.
If t h e National Park Service sounds
surprisingly innocuous to be handling a
regulation such as this, don't be fooled.
The National Park Service speaks for the
government like any other agency. Any-
way, reports the New York Times, the
regulation was drafted by the Justice De-
partment.
Attorneys for the Justice Department
have argued that demonstrations jeop-
ardize the safety of the President, inter-
fere with vehicular traffic - and not
least, damage adjacent shrubbery.,
BUT THE GOVERNMENT is less in-
terested in protecting its shrubs than in
keeping dissidents away from its gates -
and in knowing enough about their lives
to facilitate thwarting their criticism and
perhaps smearing their public and pri-
vate reputation.
It's no accident that a bill recently pass-
ed by the House - the Defense Indus-
trial Securities act of 1970 - would al-
low the government to investigate the
lives, associations, and behavior of any
employe of any major institution in the
nation, to check him out as a "potential
subversive."

Or that a recent proposal by Justice man
John Mitchell would authorize police to
haul anyone - anyone - off the street
for interrogation, fingerprinting, and oth-
er intelligence classification.
Merely a security check..
And right at home - - -
VOR WHOM do the Regents of the Uni-
versity govern? For the students?
All but one of the Regents have flatly
said the current strike for increased mi-
nority admissions won't change their
thinking,
"The students can strike until hell freez-
es over, as far as I'm concerned," declared
Lawrence Lindemer.
What the Regents a r e saying is: We
don't care what the students at the Uni-
versity say. We have made our decision on
the University policies, and that is final.
It's no surprise that the Regents don't
represent the interests of the students
who, in an educational institution, sup-
posedly represent its major constituency.
But it is surprising that people maintain
the illusion that elected officials govern
for them.
Almost none of the students at the Uni-
versity can vote for any of the Regents.
Few are 21 or over, and most of those

don't even meet voting requirements. The
ones who do get to vote get their shots at
a maximum of two while thy attend the
University - since the terms of Regents
are staggered.
The result: when more than 50 per cent
of the University strikes in flat opposition
of a University policy, and when it calls,
at the same time, for a concrete alter-
native policy - the University shuts its
ears and tells everyone to go to hell.
SINCE THE UNIVERSITY's students
have no say in the policies their institu-
tion imposes - both internally on them-
selves, and externally on the rest of so-
ciety - merely raising their voices does
nothing.
That is why striking or some form of
direct, forceful action, is the only way
students can have impact on the institu-
tion they live under. Force is not an evil
option which students choose to assert
themselves - it has become the only op-
tion.
The administration has only itself to
blame. Only it has made, and only it con-
trols, the rules of government here. If it
refuses to admit students to the govern-
ment of their University - then the stu-
dents must fight their way in.

4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Growing support expressed for IAM deTmands

To the Editor:
THE BLACK FACULTY and
staff of the School of Education
issue this statement to express
their support of the demands of
the Black Action Movement.
We believe the demands to be
legitimate, and reasonable. We
further believe that the University
has not responded adequately or
appropriately to these demands.
A sound pledge on the part of
the University must be made to
guarantee the necessary funding
for the number of black students
on this campus to reach not less
than ten percent of the total stu-
dent body by 1973 - 1974.
A STRONG c o m p r e h e n s i v e
supportive s e r v i c e s program
with adequate funding is ne-
cessaryto .itn s u r e black stu-
dents the opportunity to suc-
ceed at this University according
to their abilities. A program to in-
crease the number of black stu-
dentsswithout adequate funding
and supportive services would be
phoney and misleading.
We believe that a black study
center is central to attracting
black students to the University
and will provide a better under-
standing of black Americans. Such
a program would be beneficial for
the entire university community.
The University should immed-
iately appoint a joint committee
of black students and facultyto
implement the black studies cen-
ter.
We further believe that a broad-
ly-based board consisting of stu-
dents, faculty, administration and
Regents be established to monitor.
implement and report to the uni-
versity community on the pro-
gress and development of the total
program.
THUS FAR, many of the de-
mands of BAM have been re-
sponded to in a vague, and insuf-
ficient manner. Because we feel
that the University has not made
a reasonable and substantial com-
mittment to BAM, we are honor-
ing the strike by not participating
in University activities until such
time that the University agrees to
respond to each of the demands
of BAM in a manner that demon-
strates good faith and sound com-
mittment.
We therefore ask the support
of the faculty of the School of
Education in honoring the strike
of University activities called by
BAM.
Al Loving Percy Bates
Evelyn Moore Otis Nelson
John McAdoo Harriet McAdoo
Florida Andrews Georgia Williams
Earlene Sullivan Leslie Moore
March 25
Fusfeld
To the Editor:
AS A FACULTY member deep-
ly concerned about the issues rais-
ed by the Black Action Movement,
and by what I consider to be an
inadequate response by the Uni-
versity administration and Re-
gents, I have decided to join the
strike. This may be our last op-
portunity to gain peacefully and
without violence a reconsideration
of the Regents' decisions on the
BAM program.
I URGE that all of us who sup-
port reasoned solutions to poten-
tially explosive problems join in
urging such a reconsideration.
-Daniel Fusfeld
Professor of Economics
March 24
ISR

our great concern that the efforts
on the campus to reach an under-
standing, together with theneces-
sary, mutual confidence and as-
surances, may fail. To this end we
urge a reopening of negotiations
between BAM and the- University
administration for the purposeof
achieving mutually agreeable ac-
tibn propos'als, as well as proce-
dures for .implementing them. We
believe the situation justifies the
convening of a special meeting of
the Regents when such negoti-
ations are completed, with the ex-
pectation that the Regents will
support the agreed proposals and'
authorize affirmative action upon
them.
If it is determined during the
negotiations thatsthe ISR's re-
sources can be useful in arriving
at or for implementing these de-
cisions, we are prepared, to the
extent we can, to make then'i
available.
-James Wessel
-Warren S. Miller
-Donald N. Michael
-Alan E. Guskin
-Alvin F. Zander
-Stanley E. Seashore
March 25
ENACT
To the Editor:
THROUGH ITS TEACH-IN and
continuing action p r o g r a m s,
ENACT seeks to alert individuals
to the crisis of environmental sur-
vival and actions necessary to
meet that crisis. Our concern ,fcr
environmental survival clearly en-
compasses concern for people-for
the impacts people's environments
have upon their lives and oppor-
tunities.
It is crucial to understand the
necessity for broadening our con-
ception of the term "environ-
ment." When a major societal in-
stitution fails (whether deliber-
ately or otherwise) to give equal
standing and educational oppor-
tunity to a class or race of peo-
ple, it has done violence to their
environment and to them. And it
has. done violence to its own in-
stitutional environment, robbing
the rest of us of our opportunities
to interact with and grow together
with the underrepresented class or
race.
BECAUSE OF THIS connection,
we find it appropriate that ENACT
support without qualification the
demands for minority admissions
made upon the U of M by BAM.
We intend to do what we can,
through every means available to
us. to back up our rhetorical sup-
port with action.
We understand and share the
reaction BAM feels to the response
they received from the Regents.
To the human and moral demands
made by BAM, the Regents chose
to give a businessman's response,
cautious and restricted, devoid of
moral commitment and real prom-
ise of change.
ENACT THEREFORE joins in
supporting the response BAM has
been forced to take, seeking by
means of a strike, to call attention
to the unanswered letter and
spirit of the demands and to ob-
tainredress from the Regents by
the only channel remaining open
to them. We express solidarity
with.BAM and join their insistence
that this action be spirited ,in-
tense, and non-violent. We call
uponthose who share our concern
for "giving earth a chance" to
understand that this commitment
implies giving a fair chance to all
of the people of our threatened

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t*' '.Mt.t C'IG S.


The 'U' administration
and institutional racism

IT HAS BEEN nearly a week since the
Black Action Movement called on the
University community to strike in sup-
port of their demands to increase black
enrollment, supportive services and fi-
nancial aid at the University. After sev-
eral days of intensive striking by stu-
dents, faculty, and staff, t h e Regents
still refuse to m e e t. President Robben
Fleming says getting further concessions
from the Regents will be "nearly impos-
sible."
This lackof response on the adminis-
tration's part puts it in a position similar
to that of the proverbial ostrich - it ex-
pects the problem will eventually go away
if it refuses to acknowledge and deal with
it.
But the problem won't disappear. In-
stitutional and personal racism, and re-
sulting inequality in t h e opportunities
open to minority group Americans - the
problems which underlie the enrollment
issue - are basic to both the operation
of the University and this society.
DY IGNORING THE PROBLEM and the

up too - with the administration's inac-
tion and apparent unconcern over their
five days of massive, yet largely peaceful
protest. The sporadic violence that began
today is likely to increase and spread un-
til the Regents and Fleming initiate a
substantial reordering of the University's
financial priorities to meet the blacks'
demands.
If dissent is unsuccessful this semester,
it will surely recur next semester, and all
semesters after that until blacks have
attained their rightful position at this
University. With rising black enrollment
and increased education of w h i t e s on
racial problems, future demonstrations
will likely be more massive, amore dis-
ruptive, and more violent.
BLACK ADMISSIONS is simply one
small part of the much larger race
problem facing our society. But improv-
ing the educational opportunities open to
blacks is of crucial importance in t h e
solving of this problem.
The Regents, by refusing to make a
0txrmrr nmmitment iward this end are

black personnel in all fields ond
particularly in health.
The Black Actiom Movement has
presented to the University twelve
demands which, if met by firm
commitment instead of as "goals",
will enable minority students to
contribute with more relevance, to
the solutions of these social crises.
Charles R. Kidd Theodis Thompson
Mary R. Johnson Wilma J. Franklin
Orene Roach Karen McCord
Homer Bowles Roscoe M. Moore, Jr.
Elsa Marshall C. R. McFarland
Era L. Hill Frances J. McGuire
Robert B. Johnson Nathaniel Wesley
Aretha Williams Marian Whiteside
Peter R. Dortch Bernice Ferguson
Thelma Walker Marian Shelton
Patricia Williams Joseph W. Fenwick
E. Frank Ellis Bernice Adams
Marcia L. Pinkett Dorotha Lemeh
valerie D. Robinson Yvonne Kirkpatric
Leonard E. McCain Lorine Harman
E. Robinson D~orothy Williams
Josiah Brown' -Tadele Mengesha
Igbo Egwu I. Ekpenyong
George Anderson George H. Nolan
Mary H. Rowry Mable Everette
Lois Murphy Etoile Holmes
Linda Walls B. J. Woods
Jean W. Dorsett Eliza M. Farrow
Christine Green C. A. Kaitell
James Henderson C. Augustus Dundas
D. R. Sebina Bernard Harrell,
Sandy M. Snedecor Edward T. Braye
March 25,
Support Regents
To the Editor:
I SUPPORT the goals of the
Black Action Movement and feel
strongly that it is desirable for
the University to increase the en-
rollment of black students. The
progress of our own school toward
such a goal makes'me feel that it
is attainable.
After reviewing the specific de-
mands of the Black Action Move-
ment and the University position.
I believe that the differences are
not great and that with mutual
effort a ten per cent black enroll-
ment figure can indeed be achiev-
ed by 1973.

Social Work
To the Editor:.
THE UNDERSIGNED members
of the faculty of the School of
Social Work join their black col-
leagues in stating support of Black
Action Movement's intent to ob-
tain an unmistakable commitment
from the University to increase the
enrollment of black students and
to accompany that increase with
financial support and academic
supportive services.
The achievement of at least a
10 per cent proportion of the stu-
dent body who are black by no lat-
er than 1973-74 seems to us a real-
istic objective to which the Uni-
versity community should dedicate
itself and to which priority should
be given.
So that no doubt can persist
about priorities and performance
in the total program, we concur
in the recommendation of o u r
black colleagues that there should
be a committee to follow the pro-
gress of the entire effort and re-
port to the University community
on its implementation.
RECOGNIZING. with our black
colleagues, that this program will
require significant shift in Uni-
versity priorities and resources, we
call on administration and stnff,
BAM membership and lea dershi. 
studprta and faculties of the sm'-
era] schools and colle-s. and all
of us as individuals to commit our
joint effort to the success of this

Michael Knox
David Sindt
Sandy Forsyth
Steven Polederos,
Jane Carmody
Laura Taub
Michael Andes
Nancy Reder
Lynn Caraeff
Arthur Frankel
Virginia Rock
R. Paul McNeal
Mary Joy Won
Gail Stolow
Hugh Shirato
Jim Little
Thelma Klein
Charles E. Spence
Tony Sub
John Cooper
Paul Goldberg
Jane Barney
William Flynn, Jr.
Mike Fulton
Norma J. Anmuth

Jackie Gatz
Hedy Green
Ruth Rothschild
James A. Briegen
Erie Shragge
Nancy Dytman
Laura Valmer
Rick Friedman
B. Eureste Jr.
Laurie E. Lerner
Carol Steiner
Laura Derman
John P. Griffin
Diane Schwartz
Lawrence Friedman
Lynn Fulton
Linda Sweaney
Anne Parker
Justine A. Jarosz
James R. Grage
Dianne Baker
Davida Botwin
Leon Schmidt
Marty Puklin
Carol Austin
March 24

a'
I

ing Faculty in their meeting of
Tuesday March 24, 1970. We find
it particularly disheartening that
the Strike was never directly ad-
dressed by the faculty
While we realize that our school
has taken a leadership role in the
area of minority recruitment, we
also recognize that much remains
to be done here and in the larger
University. It is our hope that one
of the indirect results of the pre-
sent BAM action will not be an
unnecessary polarization of stu-
dents and faculty in our school.
The concerns expressed in the cur-
rent dispute should serve to unite,
rather than divide us.

I%

Norma Ravin
John Erlich
Ja~ck Rothman
Sydney E. Bernard
Tom A. Croxton
Edwin Thomas
Henry Meyer
JIesse Gordon
Lois Ferman
Donald Warren
Paul Glasser
Charles Wolfson
Roy W. Gaunt

S'alie Chlor'hill
Stanlev Kim
Robert Seal
Harvev Bertcher
Trw'n Epnstein
Katherine Reeli
Vel-eakel a'enreld
F"'"'nI, Male
WMa~ne Vasey
.lohn E. Tropman
Sheila Feld
Clarice Freud
Loraine Cook

Just demands
To the Editor:
WE, A PART OF the research
staff of the'Center for Human
Growth and Development, being
involved in an important Univer-
sity function, can no longer over-
look the rights of the blacks on
this campus. We not only agree
with the demands of the black stu-
dents, but also encourage their in-