Page Two THE MICHIGAN DAILY Wednesday' August 27, 1969 Poge T w o T H E M IC HI G AN|D AILY|W ednesday. A ugust-27,-I-969 __._ _ _ ___ _ __ i' , ,, t .i"I si tc ACTIVITIES? But I want friends, diver- Student government battles local prices PRESIDENT MARTY McLAUJGHLIN A radical departure for SGC ty, action, and something o keep my interest too!" , ' ii ContiuUed from Page 1) In addition, Council members plan to stage more consumer boycotts which they hope will be as successful as the one against Stephan's. Meanwhile, Council will be saddled with the issues which have continued to crop up over the last few years. The faculty's Senate Assem- bly is presently considering the status of Reserve Officers Train- ing Corps and SGC members will likely push for elimination of the special privileges which the University presently gives to ROTC. These include free use of facilities and academic accredi- tation in some schools for RO- TC courses. Another continuing problem is the rewriting of Regental bylaws concerned with student conduct and the role of students in University decision-making. The bylaws have been in the drafting stage for almost three years because of constant dis- agreements between students and faculty members. SGC members have continu- ally warned they will not ac- cept bylaws which allow for the disciplining of students on non- academic grounds. And they have often demanded that stu- dents be given full power to maketdecisions which concern only themselves. But there is some possibility that the bylaw draft may go to the Regents without SGC ap- proval. Such an action would undoubtedly provoke consider- able controversy. In addition to these issues, there is always the unexpected. And with the impending install- ation of a new vice president for student affairs, the unex- pected is to be expected. BUSINESS STAFF is looking for YOU Look for us on Sept. 3rd at 1 and 3 p.m., Sept. 8th and 10th at 7:30 p.m. at 420 Maynard St. Icy MAR TIN HIR' CilIAN A middling bridge player and consistent winner at poker. around the card table Marts McLaughlin is just one of the guys. But beyond his curly black hair and sheepish grin, the pres- ident of Student Government Council is a serious ideologue and tactician of student power with a clear conception of the responsibilities of his office. A prominent member of Rad- ical Caucus, McLaughlin is part of the newest generation of New Left spokesmen. Like fellow cau- cus member Bruce Levine, Mc- Laughlin is committed to radi- cal action-but not merely for the sake of radicalism and cautious without the slightest suggestion of adherence to the status quo. Talking to McLaughlin there is the feeling that he has taken considerable time to develop hi: views on appropriate goals an d actions fr SGC. But, at the saime time, his rhetoric is casual, everyday. "I'm not going to use any tac- tic that is immoral," he says. '.But a building takeover is not immoral-it attacks a property right but doesn't harm anybody I titilerynl g-Iis tiewis on the (Ipprop*lutelless of disriiptioi is JlcLtmghlin's firm belief that 1 tiversity t politics is I g i>. riot of inrigiue a(( cal in jprsusion, but rather of conifro,. tationt between interest grouj)s. "If a majority of students feel a particular way, it is my re- sponsibility to get those feelings implemented," he says. Underlying his views on the appropriateness of disruption is McLaughlin's firm belief that and doesn't prevent them from exercising his civil liberties." And again there is the prag- matic tactician. "I wouldn't take a building with only 25 people, but with 2500 or even 500 I might.' University politics is a game, not of intrigue and calm per- suasion, but rather of confron- tation between interest groups. "The faculty knows that if it gives students power, we're going to make decisions they New staff needed in advertising, circulation, classified and billing. 3 Subscribe To Read and Use Daily Classifieds THE MICHIGAN DAILY Grad Assembly: Finis? I. One Wheel Cycling... An Exciting New Sport Schwifin aiSCHWINN saves y UNICYCLE STUDENT BIKE -SPECIA LS " 3 speed English Bikes-$46.95 " Schwinn 3, 5 & 10 speeds * Raleigh 3, 5 & 10 speeds " Complete service on all makes " We sell Quality Bicycles and everything in Cycling-Locks, Baskets, Horns, Generator Sets * The Friendly Store where students get their "Wheels" Campus B*ike& Toy By ERIKIA 10FF "Everyone who was ever any good on Grad- uate Assembly has quit and joined the Tenant-, Union,"' complains one GA member in p osses- -sion of the distinct impression that tihe gro dui - ate student government is in its death throes. Indeed, about the most exciting thing GA tid( last year was involve itself in a m ior contrO - versy with the graduate school executive coi- mittee over the propriety of certain conduct rules. And while the rules are abominable allowintg discipline for conduct which has little, if any- thing to do with the students' academic capa- bilities-they are also temporarily awaiting the long-overdue rewriting of Regental bylaws deal- ing with student discipline and power in deci - sion-making. And these interim rules-adopte1 bt the exe cutive committee about a year a o--have not been used to penalize a single graduate student. But if the power and zest for action which once characterized Graduate Assembly is gone, vestiges of that vigor still remin. For example, faculty members ontinue ' look to Graduate Assembly as tlhe representative government for graduate students. This attitude is especially important when the faculty allokv s for token student representation on one of its important committees. And in this respect, GA maintains a unique position among student groups. Technically, Stu- dent Government Council is the only represto li- tative of all students. s But factulty members seem to feel that SGC has failed to adequately represent graduate stu- dents, and they have developed the habit of di- viding student committee posts between SGC and GA. In fact, there have been several gradu- ate students on Council over the past few years --bitt certainly nowhere near the 40 per cent re- presentation they would seem to merit on the basis of a breakdown of the student population. The minimal graduate student representation on Council however, seems to constitute more of a comment on the nature of graduate students themselves, than on the representatives of SGC. When graduate students have run for Council seats they have, in fact, been elected. But very few have run at all. While some graduate students have been ex- tremely active in University politics, most seem to lack interest in governing of the school. Thus, there is a serious question concerning their de- sire to participate in decision-makng and a con- sequent question of whether their influence should be so actively sought out. But even if graduate student opinion should be procured, there is serious doubt as to whether Graduate Assembly is the place to look. For while SGC members are chosen in at-large student elections, GA representatives are selected by groups as small as 25 in number. And with only abont 30 members, the assembly is certainly mal- proportioned. But despite the unique opportunity afforded by GA for influence over University affairs, the assembly drop-out rate has been steadily in- creasing. Many GA members have indeed switch- ed to the rent strike-or simply gone back to working full-time on their doctoral dissertations. don't like,' he says. "They know it and we know it." McLaughlin says SGC can "dicker with the faculty to make them believe that the interests of students and faculty are the same." But, at the same time, he calls this "Fleming's way" and says he is tired of it. "Its the way of working for goals and never getting there." Thus, he believes that sym- bolically "hitting the faculty over the head" is the most like- ly route to securing fundamental change in the University which he says is necessary for students to have a say in academic deci- sions, McLaughlin's immediate plans for SGC involvement in the aca- demic battle are based on his hopes of identifying the status of students in various schools and depaftments and offering SGC assistance where it is most badly needed. He expects to con- centrate especially on efforts to secure a greater voice for stu- dent curricular matters and in decisions on whether to grant faculty members tenured ap- pointments. The president is impatient with those he describes as con- servative members of SGC who are now "suddenly interested in attacking the language require- ment." McLaughlin seems to feel that the compromise actions taken by the literary college's faculty last year - creation of a Bach- elor in General Studies degree without specific course require- ments, and institution of a pass- fail grading option for language - has destroyed the political at- tractiveness of the issue. In addition, McLaughlin and other Radical Caucus members had always seen the drive against language and distribu- tion requirements as a rather minor issue around which sup- port could most easily be catal- yzed. After a year of fighting on the requirements issue, McLaughlin apparently feels the broad ques- tion of academic reform has gained sufficient credibility with students to comfortably allow for a massive extension of the controversy into the areas of tenure and curriculum. And with the energy and de- termination which McLaughlin has thus far evidenced as SGC president, his leadership in this area is likely to add at least a modicum of momentum to the drive for reform in every Uni- versity school, college and de- partment. 514 E. William 662-0035 4 ' _ _ _ r. F, - 1{ !I EE ,1 i , II The ONLY TORE that has hei i ALL S* * ;, . 1i . " f KY On . ,. ,s.. N G Nwa ft p &,A &A u AhLA 01 f I And the only store devoted exclusively to These Big Leaders -Giving You the Largest Choice - Anywhere I I I ! I I V M 1! 7 ;I ,, , Z , I e I , , , , , , I I . . NNPNRNNNNMM A THE BAGPIPER I il ii 11