THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Balloting for Council Positions
To
Bein
'I' esda
Questionnaire
The Daily submitted six questions to the Student Govern-
ment Council candidates. From these, the Council accepted
three, which were presented to the candidates, who had the
option of substituting a statement of their own.
The following questions were asked of the candidates:t
1) What important issues should SGC consider in the next
year?
2) What is the funtion of studsent government on the Uni-
versity campus, and what changes in the SGC plan would facili-
tate that function?
3) Is there a need for better communication between SGC,
the faculty and the administration?
t±;
Dave
W entworth
President of pledge class, Al-
pha Delta Phi fraternity.
The primary function of the
University is academic training
both direct and indirect, and I
believe that Student ,Government
Council has shown itself to be a
potent force in the latter area. By
encouraging student participation'
in - many outside activities and
through its own educational pro-
grams it gives students the impetus
and opportunity to broaden their
scope of knowledge.
SGC is not,.however, just a de-
bating ground where a few in-
terested participants discuss sub-
jects of either narrow interest or
of an intentionally radical nature.
Certainly controversial matters
can properly be expected to come
up for debate in.SGC from time
to time, but such issues should
neither be purposely dramatized
nor allowed to monopolize a great
portion of the council's time.
Concerning the Sigma Kappa
question: I believe the basic law
passed in 1949 has shown itself to
be insufficient. The issue is not
one which may be clearly stated
as good or bad, and the attempt
to make it so has resulted in an
unfair treatment of Sigma Kappa
local. SGC acted irresponsibly
when they ruled that a local chap-
ter of a sorority must be penalized
for actions which it cannot con-,
trol. Furthermore there is a ques-
tion in my mind whether SGC
should ever have jurisdiction in
this area. SGC should, if it is not
too late, re-evaluate its stand on
this issue. A more mature and
responsible attitude should be,
taken onthis and future matters
to avoid further injustices and
further censorship by the Board
in Review.
Deferred sorority rushing: This
is a matter which should be left
entirely up to the Panhellenic. In
the event that this is not done I
would go on record as firmly op-
posing deferred rushing for so-
rorities.
Fraternity rushing: This should
be left to the IFC to handle. I am
opposed to deferred fraternity
rushing.,
SGC control over IFC and Pan-
hellenic: IFC and Panhellenic
should not be responsible to SGC,
but should have a board which is
directly responsible to the Regents,
as do the Union and League. Per-
haps IHC and Assembly should as
well.
The other three organizations
represented on SGC, the "Daily,"
the Union, and the League all
have special boards which super-
vise their operations. This places
IFC, Panhel, iHC, and Assembly
in a distinctly inferior position to
these other organizations.
Communication . between SGC,
-faculty and administration: Com-
munication between SGC and fac-
ulty seems fairly good as has been
evidenced by the Faculty Senate's
stands which ofteri concur with
those taken by SGC.
A liaison agendf committee
which should be composed of both
faculty and SGC members which
would prepare copies of both
agendas to' be available to each
group 'before every meeting.
Whether or not an item on the
other group's agenda would be dis-
cussed at this time would be up
to the individual group.
Communication between the ad-
ministration and SGC is not all
that could be hoped for, but per-
haps the most important area of
communication is between SGC
and the students it is purported to
represeht.
SGC is not just another campus
activity. Rather it is an organiza-
tion vested with substantial power
and responsibility. -This power,
should properly be said to rest on
the students. To combat the fear
of an intellectual or fringe group
junta in SGC, all areas of the stu-
dent body should be represented.
Otherwise, SGC will continue to
lack the support of a large seg-
ment of the campus. Such is neces-
sary if SGC ever hopes to become
a really effective student govern-
ing body.
Bob
Garb
Secretary Inter-House Council,
SGC Student Activities Commit-
tee; SGC Campus Affairs Sub-
committee Executive Program
Advisory Board of Lane Hall.
If one thinks that we have a
weak federal government, he
should view all the trivia that
finds its way to the floor of the
Student Government C o u n c i'1.
SC is an autonomous body with
a lost mission. I feel that the only
way they could gain the respect
of former years would'be to re-
structure their present body. The
following is my viewpoint on a
number of issues that are ap-
pearing, before the Council.
I wholeheartedly support 13 of
the 15 recommendations of the
excellent study committee on the
revision of the Board of Review
Plan. My own changes would be
the addition of one more student,
two Senate faculty members and
the elimination of the Deans of
Men and Women from this seven
member board. The Vice-Presi-
dent of Student Affairs should be
the chairman of the proposed
board.
Before SGC makes any changes
they should first revise their own
structure. How can SGC tell the
Board of Review that they aren't
giving them enough responsibility,
when SGC can't even let their
own committees handle such
choice items as closing hours, ap-
proval of calendared events or!
even the publication of a news-1
letter? SGC should first give their'
committees under them some
m ore respect before they try to
dictate to other groups as this
Board and the Board of Control
of Inter-Collegiate Athletics. If
SGC can't work out a relation-
ship to their review board as The
Michigan Daily has to the Board
in Control of Student Publica-
tions, then we should probably
revert to the old Student Legisla-
ture Plan of one representative
for every 90 students. Wouldn't
an SGC decision be regarded as
truly expressing "student opinion"
in this case?
SGC's lack of power is due to
the fact that they. can't get to-
gether with the administration
and the faculty before they up
an issue as the Sigma Kappa af-
fair, which in my opinion, should
have never appeared before the
Council. If I was a member of
the Council at that time, I would
have and still will have the 1949
bias clause rescinded and turned
back to the Board of Regents, who
granted this power to the Coun-
cil. I would inform the Board of
Regents that it is the college com-
munity as a whole that should de-
cide which fraternity or sorority
shall be admitted or rejected from
this campus on the basis of hav-
ing written bias clauses.
It is obvious that SGC Is dis-
criminating when it states that
only those fraternities or sorori-
ties that entered the campus after
1949 should be affected by this
provision. If the Board of Re-
gents feels that they don't want
obvious discrimination on our
campus, they should turn over the
BALLOTING BEGINS - Voting for the seven open positions of Student Government Council begins
Tuesday and will continue through Wednesday. Although the weather is unpredictable and more poll
workers are needed to man the polls, this year's vote is expected to exceed last year when 6,172 stu-
dents went to the polls. Pictured is a scene' from last year's elections..
power to a revised Board in Re-
view the provision to recognize or
reject any living unit that has a
written bias clause. The Board in
Review should then /realize that
many fraternities or sororities,
have southern chapters and they
are forced by society to have these
clauses. Only a lenient time limit
on the nationals can remove bias
clauses from national 'constitu-
tions. Unwritten bias clauses are
perfectly feasible and must be re-
spected as a social problem.
In conclusion, I'd like to say
that I feel that SGC should take
it upon themselves to eliminate
some of their Regental powers so
that they could work closer with
the faculty in determining the
educational policy 'of this Uni-
versity SGC should also explore
the realm of students' demands
more closely. Students want
cheaper seats for a concert in
Lane Hall, right of a girl to vote
for tie student members of the
Board in Control of Inter-Colle-
giate Athletics and the elimina-
tion of such useless committees
as the all faculty committee on
Student Discipline that hasn't
met in 11 years. We, as students,
have an obligation on our part to,
show the faculty and administra-
tors that we are mature and won't
elect a Ted Bomb (a dog) to rep-
resent us as student leaders. I
hope each of you will find the
time to discuss this platform with
me and offer suggestions so that
I can truly become your SGC rep-
resentative.
Harry
C ummins
Slate of Nineteen
Seeks 7, Positions
Additional Polls Workers Needed
For Anticipated High Vote Turnout
By JEAN HART WIG
A record high total of 19 hopefuls are competing for the seven
open positions in the current Student Government Council elections.
The past record, set in the election last spring, listed 18 candidates
vying for the eight available posts. Only 14 names were on the ballot
for the five seats last fall.
Elections Director Richard Erbe, '61, predicted a voting record of
"around 6,000" for the current election. He said that student interest
in the balloting was "both high and low."
Explains Interest
Calling interest in this spring's race "high in spots," he explainecl
that current concern with the rushing issue may have added to student
enthusiasm in the elections. The me
all-time high vote for SGC elec-
tions was recorded in the Nov.
1955 election, when 7,120 students oger
went to the polls. In that contest
only 12 candidates were compet-
ing for five seats. The relatively l n m r c p t s w e
low number of competitors was re-
ported to have increased enthusi-
asm in the election.
Last spring 6,172 ballots were
cast at the polls, but a number of
ballots were found invalid during
count night. Because the mistakes
were attributed to the large num-
ber, 19, of poll locations, the num-
ber has been decreased, in subse-
quent elections.
Plan Six Polls
This year only six polling places
have been planned by the Elec-
tions Committee, Erbe said. They
will be manned by student workers
and supervised by Council mem-
bers. He also noted that more
workers are needed to assist both
in manning the polls and in work-
ing during Wednesday's countr
night.
Included in the list of candidates Honors Council Student Steer-
are three incumbents. Jo Hardee, ing Committee, Sigma Alpha Mu
'60, Administrative Vice-President, fraternity; University Counsel-
seeking, her third term on the ing Study Committee; advisor,
Council, Roger Seasonwein, '61, SGC National and International
running for his second term and Committee; co-chairman SGC
David Kessel, Grad., also compet- Reading and Discussion Com-
ing for the second time. mittee; SGC Interviewing and
Phil Zook, '60, is making his Nominating Committee; Student
third attempt at winning a seat. elations Board '49 Ruling
The other candidates have had no Evaluation Committee.
previous experience with the 1) SGC should consider the fol-
Council. lowing campus problems in the
Student Government Council
stands as your student representa-
tive assembly. Every student should
realize his responsibility of pre-
venting such a democratic system
from degenerating or assuming too
much authority by voting in each
SGC election.
Presently many issues, such as
the jurisdiction of SGC, deferred
rush, and driving regulations are
being studied by competent boards,
ad if alri fn d f'r GC rmld of
Kenneth
Hudson
Social chairman, Winchell
House; transfer student from
University of Illinois.
13abs
John
Quinn
improvement of SGC should be
to discover what the students
really. want from their Student
Government Council. There is
only one way this can be done,
and that is to ask the students.
The feelings of the students can-
not be discerned by theory, inter-
views with small groups, or the
dpinions of "experts," as has been
tried in the past. The simple truth
is that past committees.and cam-
paigns have failed to ascertain
what the students really want.
2) With the full co-operation of
the governments of sorority
houses, fraternity houses, and all
dorms, the feelings of the stu-
dents as to the function of SGC
can be determined accurately and
efficiently. The fact that the stu-
dents express their opinions
through their housing government
is of the ,utmost importance, for
the opinions must come from stu-
dents as students, not as members
of different organizations. When
the results have been taken into
account, the SGC should proceed
to function in the manner, and
for the purpose decided by the
student majority. This mkit be
the foremost issue of SGC ir the
coming year.
3) The blame for the inadequa-
cy in SGC has at times been
claimed to be poor communication
between the SOC and the faculty
and administration. The SGC has
seemed to have adequate com-
munication with the administra-
tion in the past, and if they have
been delinquent in this depart-
ment with the faculty, it is the
fault of the representatives. The
relation of SGC to the faculty and
administration does and will con-
tinue to depend on the'initiative
of the members of SGC.
Miller
Transfer student from Cedar
Crest College.
Education is a growing and ma-
turing process in many spheres of
the student's development. It is
important to realize that Univer-
sity students are more than eager,
bright-eyed school children. What
we need is a strong, mature, re-
sponsible Student Government
Council to act as a liaison group to
represent the idea of the students
to the faculty and administration.
With increased authority comes an
increased responsibility both to the
administration and the student
body-particularly the student
body. I feel that SGC should try
to regain the "S" fstudent) in
SGC.
I would like to propose a pro-
gram of reciprocity:
a) SGC would try to make the
students more fully aware of its
functions and policies by the re-
vival of the SGC Newsletter, the
provision of more SGC speakers
when requested, and the encour-
agement of student attendance at
controversial open meetings.,
b) SGC' would try to find out
more accurately what constitutes
student opinion on important cam-
pus issues. A plan could be insti-
tuted with the representative ad-
vantages of the old Student Legis-
lature, yet without the cumber-
some disadvantages which a group,
of that size must necessarily en-
tail Each living group on campus
would elect a congressman, acting
as spokesman to voice the opinions
of its members, who would in turn
be responsible to one of the elected
SGC members There would be no
organized meetings as such; how-
ever, the "congressman" would
feel free to contact the SGC mem-
ber when he felt the necessity. The
independent apartment, dwellers
and international, students would
have a means of expression. An-
other method of tapping student
opinion might be the encourage-
ment of more Hyde Park Forums.
Perhaps SGC has concentrated
too heavily on its role as "little"
to the administration and not
enough on its role as an organ of
student opinion. Students should
be placed on more faculty com-
mittees which are concerned pri-
marily- with students. At present
there are students on both the
Housing and Lecture Committees.
I would like to see a student on
the Curriculum Committee and
others. The project whereby pro-
minent scholars will be invited to
the campus to participate in un-
dergraduate classes, with informal
discussions to follow in the eve-
nings, should be expanded. The
educative function of University
living should be paramount.
I would like to emphasize stu-
dent autonomy in every sphere of
action possible. This will take ma-
ture consideration and responsible
planning. The establishment of a
course evaluation file, instead of1
the proposed booklet, at the Un-
dergraduate Library, the signing
of election cards by upperclassmen
and the establishment of a Junior
Year Abroad Program are pro-
genitors of further aspects for de-
velopment in SGC. We must em-
phasize the positive aspects of
student government. (The reason
that I feel as strongly as I do is
that I transferred here last- fall
from a school where the student
government did play the role of
the mature, responsible organ it
should be.) Our first important
step is to rescind the ambiguous
relegation of power in the area of
administration brought to the fore
by the Sigma Kappa issue. We
must establish a tenor of fair
play and a precise definition of
the legal authority of SGC.
an i eiecta toL .wouUi, Uz Student government on the{
course, weigh the conclusions of campus at the University is pres-
these studies before making a defi- ently composed of a group of rep-
nite stand. resentatives who discuss and vote)
However, in my present status on matters in a fashion that theyt
as only a candidate, I am of the believe is to the best interests oft
opinion that: the entire campus. Under the
a) The jurisdiction of SGC present system, however, there is,
should pertain only to the student no way for SGC to come into di-
body at large; not to the internal rect contact with the students in
workings of specific organizations. general, and therefore to find out
SGC has recently displayed an just what it is that the students{
urge to administrate in a- capacity really want. Without this direct
not unlike that of the administra- contact with the students, SGCt
tion which is paid by the Uni- becomes another "high school-ish"
versity for that purpose. student council, where each mem-
The concept of student governT ber is selected on his own popu-
ment has much in its favor, and I larity, or on the work of his pub-
believe the man-hours expended in licity agent. -
attempting to control campus SGC must represent the stu-t
groups should be put to the more dents!!I
useful purpose of coordinating and Since under the present systemt
stimulating interest in student ac- this is virtually impossible, I pro-
tivities. pose the division of the campus
b) As for deferred rush, I be- into geographical districts. Each
lieve its demerits outweigh its SGC member will be elected from(
merits. For this reason deferred a district, and will be required to
women's rush should be replaced hold weekly meetings with repre-
by another system-to be enacted sentatives of each house in his
next fall. Along the same line of district. At these meetings he will
thought, in my estimation, the report to his constituents the ac-
present men's rushing system does tions of SGC, explain the issues
not present sufficient maladjust- involved and, what is most im-
ment to warrant someone's chang- portant, find out the students'1
ing it to a deferred status, opinions concerning the activity<
c) Lastly, I propose that the pos- in SGC.
sibility of enacting more liberal This proposal would open a vir-
drivigg regulations should be stud- tually direct line of communica-
ied. Such a change would certain- tion between the students and
ly enable more qualified students SGC. It would also give lobbying
to exercise their state-given right power to any house or interestR
to drive automobiles. group who should choose to use
this power.'
istration can be persuaded to relin- There is much talk abbut "stu-
quish. These revisions in the Plan dent apathy" but few people have
are necessary: (a) a review of an come up with concrete ideas to
SGC decision should be based on counteract it. This plan has
"Regental policy as found in the worked very successfully on oth-1
By-Laws and Proceedings" instead er campuses. There is no reason
of "regental policy or administra- why it cannot- work here also.
tive practice"; (b) the nuisance of
nominating petitions should be 1
eliminated; (c) the Board in Re-
view should be composed of twoY
students, two faculty members,
and the Vice-President for Student
Affairs (chairman).
3) Communication between thee
Council and the administration is
'largely on a personal basis, and
coming year:
a) A re-examination of the 1949
"bias clause" ruling.
b) Increased student represen-
tation on the Board in Control of
Inter-Collegiate Athletics.
c) Implementation of counsel-
ing improvements in light of the
philosophy expressed in the Uni-
versity Counseling Study Report.
Examination of: (1) A four-year
counseling program designed to
give the student more freedom
and responsibility culminating
with juniors and seniors signing
their own election cards, (2) bet-
ter training for present counselors
and (3) the use of "peer counsel-
ors" and professional counselors.
d) Stimulation of intellectual
growth through: (1) continuation
of the Summer Reading and Dis-
cussion Program, (2) encourage-
ment of academic freedom by a
thorough rejection of loyalty
oaths, (3) bringing speakers to
campus, each of whom shall dis-
cuss topics of interest to several
academic areas and (4) continua-
tion and expansion, including co-
operation with such groups its the
Political Issues Club, of SOC for-
um programs. There should be a
"pooling of resources" of organi-
zations interested in this area.
e) A thorough reconsideration
of University driving regulations.
f) The institution of a Junior
Year Abroad Program.
g) The re-establishment of a
foreign exchange program.
2) SGC serves the student by
doing things which the individual
student alone cannot do. Essen-
tially its work falls into three
areas: representation, collection
and stimulation of student opin-
ion, coordination of student activ-
ities, and initiation of projects
(as described above).
It is a spirit balanced by a re-
alization of its goals rather than
changes in the SGC Plan which
will help the Council fulfill its
goals. However, I heartily endorse
the 15 recommendations which
were recently sent to the Tri-
Parte Plan Clarification Commit-
tee by the Council. Of special
note:
a) Substitution of the words
"Regental policy" wherever the
terms "administrative practice
and policy" appear.
b ) Re-composition of the Board
in Review so as to make it a more
impartial body.
3) What is needed is both more
and better communication. Devel-
opment of a further feeling of
mutual trust and confidence be-
1) The major problem of the
Student Government Council at
the University is neither obscure
nor unique; for any student fa-
miliar with SGC knows that its
specific functions are unclear, and
anyone familiar with student gov-
ernments elsewhere realizes that
this Is a popular problem.
The SGC is apparently not
what the students want it to be, as
indicated by the lack of interest
in it. The first step, then, in the
Candidates
To Tell Views
Phil Zook
1) SGC should take action in
these areas:
a) Leadership. Problem: not
enough candidates with experience
and ability. Causes: Council prac-
tice of apportioning "good experi-
ence" jobs among themselves; Ad-
ministrative Wing committee sys-
tem which "loses" peoples Action:
seek out non-SGC members for ap-
pointive jobs; replace Ad Wing
committees with system of indi-
vidual responsibility and clear
lines of control; find new fields
for student appointees, such 'as
work on boards which grant Uni-
vers'ity 1nans_
resulted in second-rate quality of
instruction. Action: (1) renew the
Course Evaluation plan, using in-
dividual course reviewers instead
of mass questionnaire distribution;
(2) award a substantial cash grant
to the faculty member doing thet
best teaching job-objective cri-
teria worked out with School of
Education. SGC should aim at in-
creasing student awareness of the
value and characteristics of .good
instruction.
d) Housing. SGC should protest
vigorously against the current cut
in apartment permissions for sen-
ior women, and oppose building
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