Tuesday, August 27, 1968 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Tuesday, August 27, 1968 THE MICHIGAN DAILY ... . ua( By NADINE COHODAS It was a dismal eight months for Inter House Assembly (IHA) last year. They not only lost a. significant segment of their mem- bership, but the two most impprt- ant housing changes, student- determined visitation privileges tnd hours, were accomplished r more through SGC and UAC than IHA. Starting in November East Quad Council withdrew from IHA after IHA refused the Quad's motion to "get IHA out of politics." Pres- life ently, IHA executive officers serve as the student representatives on, the Residence Hall Board of Gov- ernors, a student-faculty admin- istrative and advisory body. Throughout the year more dif- ficulty developed over the ques- tion of mandatory membership and the accompanying fee for all dormitory houses. Finally in April IHA, three of them refused to pay their dues. President of Bursley, Wallace Long, '71E, who led the move to withdraw, explains IHA performs just "'no real functions" for the resi- dence halls. "There are enough organizations on campus with enough activities or ways to handle grievances making tine or money spent on IHA a waste," he adds. The, resigning houses proposed voluntary rather than mandatory membership to the organization. The Board of Governors has given IHA power to act against these individual houses by with- holding academic credits of al. isn't residents whose houses refuse to pay due. Steve Brown, '69, IHA president, had threatened to exercise this, power, but administrative vice president Matt Keefe, '69, says IHA will not carry through with the threat this fall. Keefe admints IHA is "in a state of flux." Hie says the past diffi- culties demonstrate a need for change. IHA, Keefe says, should be "a coordinating body between the houses in the residence hall sys- what tem." The organization "is not a governing body," he adds, but should be one where "ideas are taken from the bottom up." In happier times-IHA considered itself more of a regulatory organ- ization. Brown had commented that IHA hopes "to be making its own rules (without administra- tive interference) in as many areas of 'dorm life as possible." The presidents council of IHA (made up, of residence: hall pres- idents and IHA executives),was to aid greatly in achieving this goal. It was set up as the "legis- lative branch" of IHA where. "all new policies are originated and coordinated." Keefe says he thinks member- ship will "definitely be voluntary" in the fall. "We want people in IRIA who are there because they want to be, not because they have to be," he adds. "We have plenty of files to help houses with their programs," Keefe says. "We think we can exist on these resources and on the unique ideas any house may suggest." No permanent changes in IHA policy will be made before fall, however. Keefe says the only it used functioning part of IHA during the summer is the executive board which "does not determine" rules and regulations. The representatives of the in- dividual houses who make up IRA will decide on any major changes, Keefe says. He admits that in' the past communication between the houses "has been a problem" but he says IRA hopes to "reach all of the houses early in the semes- ter." Keefe says it is difficult to be either pessimistic or optimistic about IRA's future since the or- ganization is only about two years old. During orientation, however, IHA is making an effort to talk to orientees about the importance of the residence hall system. "We try to tell them that their most important and most fre- quent identity during the first year ,is to theyhouse they live in, Keefe says. "We stress that their loyalties to their respective houses are the most important." With a stormy year behind them and with ideas for change and the realization of the need to change, IHA will have to wait un- til September for a clearer defini- tion of its future. Ppularity swamps ICC Cooperative living units, run by the Inter - Cooperative Council (ICC) are designated on campus by a sign showing two pine trees with a circle around them. According to ICC, this sign sym- bolizes endurance, fecundity, and immortality. These are the quali- ties that we see in co-operation." Just,like other University hous- ing .organizations, Inter-House Assembly, Panhellenic, Inter- Fraternity Council--these ideals tend to out-run the real. Perhaps, however, more of the ideal re- mains in ICC since students move there to live cheaply by working together. The Utopian background of co- operative units must live on to some extent in the ten co-ops at the University. A large number of people move into them volun- tarily-an unusual trend for Uni- tVersity housing. In fact co-op living is popular enough for the University to ob- tain a $1,242,000 loan for con- struction of a new co-op behind Baits Housing. ICC has been working toward a federal loan for 12 years, ac- cording to Luther Buchele, ICC head. The new co-op will house 210' residents, 72 women and 138 men. Construction is scheduled to begin in October. ICC hopes the build- ing will be ready for occupancy in fall, 1969, The loan will be repaid over the next 50 years from ICC revenues. Buchele said the loan also is the first federal grant made to any student cooperative; as well as the first awarded to a student group not directly connected with a university. ICC, it is true, is not directly connected with the Universitly. It was incorporated with a view to having a central organization for holding deeds, mortgages, and to negotiate real estate deals. Each of the member houses elects one ICC delegate for every 20 mmbers. The delegates meet twice a month and have final say about maintenance, expan- sion, and policy matters in general. The apparent popularity of co- ops cannot, however, be explain- ed by their organization. All members are expected to put in four to six hours work a week, but the living costs are much lower than other University housing. As semi - independent University housing co-ops would logically be most popular with sophomore women who are tired 'of living in the dorms yet must remain in University housing un- til their junior year. Neither the legal or financial advantages, however, appear to be the co-ops main selling point. There are, of course, the miscel- laneous benefits, dorms-and as f o r that matter -- apartments cannot offer such as extra living space and snacking privileges for those living and eating in the co-ops. The real attraction of co-op living, however, is probably best explained by one coed who re- cently moved in after six months on a waiting list. "Co-ops leave me some privacy, yet provide opportunities to meet new people I didn't used to have. Last week we played volleyball with anothei house and this week we're going berry, picking along the railroad tracks." 'a t ... - - SLATER'S Lots of Paperbacks. 336 SOUTH STATE 662-4543 Architects' design for new North Campus co-op L -- - ____ _ - ~ - ___ _____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____ ____ ____ ____-__---__- -__-__--- -- --r 2 - E I I The ONLY STORE that- has them ALL 4t;N (ole, ) ! ". .L* TI@ j *** K h ..w. .'r C~o... On, .o4.s_ N GN .7 'I 7 a And the only store devoted exclusively to These Big Leaders -Giving You the Largest Choice- Anywhere 5 4. " /2 e BAGIP11IPIE K it o;: . r ,i