Eighty-one years of editorial freedom
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
circus maximus
Biggest egg vs. biggest ego
by in dsay chancy
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Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers
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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1971
NIGHT EDITOR: GERI SPRUNG
Replacing VP Knauss
NEXT TERM the University will once
N again have an opening for a vice
president. And the question is not 'who
will fill the gap?' but 'how will it be
filled?'
When Robert Knauss, vice president for
student services, announced his resigna-
tion to become dean of Vanderbilt Uni-
versity's law school, many minds in the
University community jumped back to
the events surrounding his appointment
a year ago.
Knauss was appointed by President
Robben Fleming over the heads of a stu-
dent-faculty search committee which had
submitted five names. And many stu-
dents are expressing concern that it may
happen again.
When Richard Cutler left the Office
of Student Services (OSS) in the winter
of 1968, Fleming, newly appointed, nam-
ed Barbara Newell as acting vice pres-
ident. Newell served for a full two years.
MEANWHILE, Fleming went through the
motions of setting up a half-stu-
dent, half-faculty search committee to
determine who would direct OSS.
At the same time, students, faculty and
administrators painfully struggled to re-
vise the Regents bylaws which determin-
ed the authority structure in OSS. In the
end, the Regents' established a student-
controlled policy board for OSS, but did
not require the vice president to follow
its advice.
To circumvent this problem, the s t u-
dent-faculty search committee sought
only candidates who would promise in
advance to be bound by the will of the
policy board.
By the beginning of 1970, the search
committee had presented Fleming a list
of five such persons for consideration.
One candidate was disqualified by Flem-
ing for refusing to hold an interview un-
less there was a Daily reporter present.
The other four withdrew from considera-
tion, three of them severely criticizing
Fleming's attitude concerning the vice-
presidential post.
Finally, during the summer of 1970,
Fleming named Knauss to the position,
without checking with either the search
committee or the Student Government
Council. Students and faculty members
expressed strong disapproval of Fleming's
blatant disregard for the existence of his
search committee.
Despite this, the University 'lucked
out.' For Knauss, though not the student
advocate many had hoped for, did agree
Editorial Staff
ROBERT KRAFTOWITZ
Editor
to abide by the will of the policy board
and in the past year has completely re-
organized OSS.
BUT WE MAY not be so lucky the next
time Fleming disregards the com-
munity he is supposed to represent and
unilaterally appoints a high official.
When Knauss took the vice presiden-
tial post, he warned that he would leave
within two years. Fleming, knowing this,
should have designed a search procedure
long ago to avoid the two-year-long fiasco
that occurred last time a OSS v i c e
president was appointed. But he didn't.
The still-infant policy board, says one
person who served during its first year,
may not be able to stand the trauma and
disorganization that another interim vice
presidential appointment would b r i n g.
More importantly, the new vice president
must be willing to insure the policy
board's authority.
During the last two years, F 1 e m i n g
proved his incompetence to choose a vice
president efficiently and justly. In con-
trast, the policy board during the past
year has proved its competence by work-
ing with Knauss to reorganize OSS and
by dealing wisely with such important is-
sues as on-campus recruiting.
SINCE THE policy board has no OSS
staff members on it, and since it does
not have the time to painstakingly inter-
view and search for candidates, it should
probably not be burdened with the selec-
tion process.
However, since the policy board will
have to work more closely with the vice
president than will Fleming, it should
have ultimate veto power over Fleming's
determination.
Since Knauss is leaving early n e x t
term, a replacement should be chosen by
December to assure a smooth transfer of
power. And since the Office of Student
Services exists to serve students, the can-
didates should be chosen by a committee
composed by a majority of students.
Perhaps a manageable size would be
five students, chosen by SGC, two facul-
ty members, chosen by Senate Assembly,
the faculty representative body, and two
elected OSS staff members.
The group should submit a list of three
to five names to Fleming by Dec. 1, and
should previously have expected a writ-
ten promise from Fleming to select one
of the search committee's nominees.
ACCORDING TO OSS sources, Fleming
himself has suggested a similar plan,
whereby four students, two faculty mem-
bers and two staff members will consti-
tute the committee. However, he suggests
that SGC, Senate Assembly, and the OSS
staff submit "boards" of candidates for
the committee. He would choose t h e
members from the suggested "boards."
This is unnecessary and unacceptable.
Democratic representation would only be
undermined by Fleming having the final
say in who sits on the committee. If
Fleming agrees, for example, that stu-
dents should be represented, he should
let students select their own people to
represent them.
A carefully formulated search commit-
tee, representing the constituencies most
involved in OSS, is desperately needed,
and there is potential to set up such a
structure. Given this potential, any such
circus, as went on the last time the Uni-
versity needed an OSS vice president,
would be intolerable.
-TAMMY JACOBS
ONE OF THE most keenly com-
petitive events at the annual
Michigan State Fair is the Biggest
Egg competition. Farmers from
all over the state enter their larg-
est eggs in hopes of obtaining re-
cognition as the Biggest Egg
Champion.
This , year, the tension was
heightened when the judging
panel became deadlocked as it
tried to choose between an entry
submitted by Merlin Haymaker of
Grass Lake and George Bellows of
Cedar Ridge.
Finally, the judging panel
turned the matter over to an inde-
pendent expert - an embryologist
from Michigan State University -
who would make the final deci-
sion based on oral arguments pre-
sented by both parties in the case.
Haymaker presented his argu-
ment first. "Your honor," he be-
gan, "for the past five years, I
have been the Biggest Egg Cham-
pion, so you may rest assured
that I have extensive experience
in the matter.
"Very commendable," said the
judge.
"MY EGG measures 6.7 inches
on its major axis, and 4.3 inches
on the minor axis," continued
Haymaker. "As you can see, this is
indeed a large egg," and he held
the egg up for the judge to see.
"You have stated your position
well," said the judge nodding his
approval. "Now, Mr. Bellows, you
may present your argument."
"Your honor, I , wish to make
my case very simply," said Bel-
lows. "My egg measures 45 inches
on its major axis, and 27.8 inches
on its minor axis.
"What kind of bird laid that
egg? A Peking duck?" scoffed
Haymaker.
"As a matter of fact, it was a
Shanghai chicken," replied Bel-
lows, thumbing his nose discreet-
ly.
AFTER EXAMINING the egg,
which Bellows had brought in a
padded pickup truck, the judge
agreed that "you seem to have the
largest egg."
"Just one minute," spoke up
Haymaker, "It would be a grie-
vous error for you to award the
Biggest Egg Championship to Mr.
Bellows, without hearing all the
evidence."
"Very 'well," said the judge.
"You may present additional evi-
dence."
"All right, said Haymaker, as he
cleared his throat and rubbed his
hands together. "Consider, if you
will, while every other farmer in
the state drives a yellow, green or
brown station wagon, Mr. Bellows
drives a red pick-up truck. Win-
ning the Biggest Egg Champion-
ship would only provide him with
a forum for his fanatical pickup
truck ideology."
"Hmm," said the judge.
"I WOULD not deny Mr. Bel-
lows his right to drive any vehicle
he desires" continued Mr. Hay-
maker, "but until he becomes
civilized, he has no business be-
ing Biggest Egg Champion."
"This information sheds new
light on the matter," intoned the
judge solemnly. "What say you,
Mr. Bellows."
"I say you're both crazy,"
shouted Bellows, jumping to his
feet. "Tle contest is for the big-
gest egg. It makes no difference
what kind of car I drive and I
disagree with the term 'fanati-
cal'."
"QUIET, ORDER in the hen-
house," said the judge as he
banged his gavel on a barrel,
"This is indeed a dilemma."
While the judge was contem-
plating thesituation, one of Hay-
maker's neighbor s and a good
friend of the family, came over
and put his hand on Haymaker's
shoulder.
"Merl," he said. "It looks like
this other fellow has got you beat.
Why don't you concede grace-
fully and avoid an embarrassing
situation."
"Fair - weather friend," snarled
Haymaker. "Get your hand off of
me. I don't ever want to see you
again. And if any of your cows
get into my cabbage patch, I'll
shoot them."
The neighbor backed off quick-
ly. At this point the judge be-
gan to speak.
"MY FRIENDS, I have reached
a decision',' he said. "I have de-
cided on a course of action which
will make everyone happy. I will
give the title of Biggest Egg
Champion to both Mr. Bellows
and Mr. Haymaker, which you
may call a two-egg policy."
$
4
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The Icemon Cometh
Letters to The Daily
Court Decision
To The Daily:
YOUR READERS may be in-
terested to know what Ann Ar-
bor City Councilman James Ste-
phenson, leader of Council Re-
publicans, had to say while stu-
dents were away, about the re-
cent Michigan Supreme Court
decision giving college students
the same voting rights as other
citizens, that is, the right to
vote where they actually live.
"At first blush, I think it will
mean bad government," he said,
explaining that students don't
pay taxes. Coining a new phrase,
Stephenson called it "represen-
tation without taxation."
He added that, "a lot of stu-
dents at the U-M who are mod-
erate and who are likely to vote
Republican are too -busy going
to school and don't have time
for politics."
Meantime, Washtenaw Coun-
ty Young Republicans were
searching for reasons to explain
disaffection with the GOP on
Stephenson
campus. They appeared to have
overlooked at least one reason.
-Walter Scheider
Sept. 9
New draft
bill: Curtaling deferments
JIM BEATTIE
-Executive Editor
DAVE CHUDWIN
Managing Editor
STEVE KOPPMAN .., . ditorial Page Editor
RICK PERLOFF. .. . Associate Editorial Page Editor
PAT MAHONEY ..... Assistant Editorial Page Editor
LYNN WEINER. ....Associate Managing Editor
LARRY LEMPERT Associate Managing Editor
ANITA CRONE ..... .. Arts Editor
ROBERT CONROW ..Books Editor
JIM JUDKIS .. ,......... Photography Editor
NIGHT EDITORS: Rose Sue Berstein, Mark Dillen,
Sara Fitzgerald, Tanmmy Jacobs, Alan Lenhoff,
Jonathan Miller, Hester Pulling, Carla Rapoport,
Robert Schreiner, W. E. Schrock, Geri Sprung.
COPY EDITORS: Lindsay Chaney, Art Lerner, Debra
Thal.
DAY EDITORS: P.E. Bauer, Linda Dreeben, Jim
Irwin, Hannah Morrison, Chris Parks, Gene
Robinson, Zachary Schiller,
ASSISTANT NIGHT EDITORS: Kenneth Cohn, John
Mitchell, Beth Oberfelder, Kristin Ringstroin,
Kenneth Schulze, Tony Schwartz, Jay Sheye-
vitz, Gloria Jane Smith, Sue Stark, Ted Stein,
Paul Travis, Marcia Zoslaw.
By RICHARD H. POST
rJHE COMPROMISE bill worked
out in House-Senate confer-
ence (H.R. 6531) will, if passed,
contain unpleasant reading for
students and will augment the ad-
visability of applying early for
I-O (conscientious objector). The
bill authorizes the President to
order inductions until July 1, 1973,
and gives him discretionary power
over student deferments.
Until the bill is passed, any men
entering college are legally en-
titled to a II-S under the old law.
In addition, the bill provides spe-
cifically that men enrolled full-
time as undergraduates in college
during the "1970-71 regular aca-
demic school year" shall be al-
lowed deferments until graduation,
so long as they qualify under the
old II-S rules.
Under the bill as it presently
stands, however, the President
may, and probably will, eliminate
the II-S for those entering col-
lege in the summer of 1971 or
later.
Furthermore, the compromise
bill would abolish I-S(C) defer-
ments. Instead, the bill provides
that full-time graduates and un-
dergraduates who are sent induc-
tion notices be given postpone-
ment of the date of induction
"until the end of the semester or
term." For s e n i o r s the delay
would be until the end of the
year.
Thus, the right of personal ap-
pearance and/or appeal at the
expiration of the I-S(C) would be
lost, since, a simple postponement
of induction carries no such right.
Furthermore, it is possible that
men currently classified I-S (C)
would lose their deferment and
become draft eligible immediately
when the bill becomes law.
Also, the President has said he
will not defer graduate students,
although the new bill would give
him this authority. Presumably,
he will continue to grant the II-S
to students of medicine and allied
professions, however.
Divinity students and certain
undergraduates pre-enrolled in di-
vinity schools will probably also
be eligible for deferments of some
sort, but not the IV-D exemption
now given.
Finally, passage of the bill would
result in the elimination of the
I-S(H) deferment for high school
students. As a poor substitute, the
bill states that students ordered
for induction must be allowed
postponements of the date for
appearing for induction until they
graduate or become 20.
In several ways, then, the new
law is likely to produce large num-
bers of registrants with postponed
induction orders. Many postpone-
ments will last for months, some
for a year or more.
Thus, many more men than now
do so are likely to apply for CO
status after receiving induction
orders.
As a result of the U.S. Supreme
Court's Ehlert decision this past
spring, however,- this alternative
will be virtually impossible. For
u n d er the decision local draft
boards have been instructed not
to accept applications or claims
for CO after issuance of an in-
duction order.
Those who for any reasons de-
cide that they object to partici-
pating in a war after receiving an
induction order are thus simply
expected to submit to induction
and then argue it out with the
military.
But this seems a highly unreas-
onable procedure, for of course,
by virtue of his very submission
to the order a registrant appears
to be insincere in making his
claim. In spite of this draft board
instruction, indeed, even because
of it, late applicants for CO status
years and now exceeds six percent
of the current total of registrants.
Also, the rates of "no show" and
of refusals to accept induction
after making a "showing" have
risen sharply. For the last foul'
m o n t h s of inductions - March
through June - the number of
men actually submitting was only
about one third of the dumber of
men ordered.
But these things involve legal
difficulties for the registrants. So
it is vital that men who might
ever wish to apply for CO status
do so promptly - or at least prior
to receiving an induction order (as
well they might if the current bill
is passed).
With this in mind, it seems
reasonable that students ought to
wright to their Senators at once,
and perhaps to encourage their
friends and parents to write also
-to protest the unfairness and
injustices of the new bill and of
the draft itself.
This is of course .not an easy
question to, sway Senators on,
since voting against the draft in-
cludes the risk of losing support
at home. But it is hardly an in-
surmountable problem. For Sena-
tors may kill the bill by voting to
recommit it to the Armed Services
Committee. This would not be a
particularly risky venture since it
would involve voting neither for
nor against the bill.
In addition, those with problems
or questions related to the draft
should seek advice at the Draft
Counselling Center at 502 East
Huron Street. It is open from 3
p.m. to 5 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to
9 p.m. Monday through Friday.
and from 10 a.m. until noon on
Saturdays.
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