e £frit'iCn Duitu
Eighty-four years of editorial freedom
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
Tuesday, October 15, 1974
News Phone: 764-0552
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Mi. 48104
Last chance for SGC
IN RECENT YEARS, student govern-
ment on this campus has backed
itself into a lonely and unpleasant
corner. Student Government Coun-
cil's (SGC) past major officials have
been accused of rigging elections and
mishandling thousands of dollars in
student money. The massive annual
funding that comes from 75-cent stu-
dent fee assessments has consistently
managed to disappear into expensive,
crooked elections, ineffective pro-
grams, and - allegedly - SGC of-
ficials' pockets. The negligible stu-
dent support has been a sensible and
accurate reflection of SGC's worth.
But most recently, Council's grim
condition has finally taken its toll:
under a directive from the Regents,
the Commission to Study Student
Governance (CSSG) may soon recom-
mend that SGC be overhauled or re-
placed by a different and theoretic-
ally more reliable body, a Michigan
Student Assembly (MSA.) While the
draft CSSG plan has drawn mixed
reaction from SGC members and
others, some commission members
privately admit that some of the Re-
gents may be looking for a way to
liquidate student government and its
problems altogether.
Meanwhile, the current Council has
had to concern itself with desperate-
ly-needed house-cleaning in the form
of lawsuits against former officers
and reorganization of battered fi-
nances.
Hence Council begins its fall all-
campus election today in the sha-
dow of past incompetency
real possibility that this is
SGC vote.
and the
the last
UGLI
By STEVE ROSS
MOST STUDENTS have only a one-
sided perception of the Undergradu-
ate Library's reserve desk. They write
a call number on a slip, hand it to a
person behind the desk, and wait for
their names to be called. This process
sometimes takes a long time, and some
students get impatient watching a few
people scurry around behind the desk
looking for books.
However, the recent slowdown in re-
serve service is a problem brought on
by rising business volume which has
not been accompanied by increases in
staffing, according to library personnel.
Kirk Nims, the man in charge of
UGLI reserve offers revealing insights
into what goes on behind the desk. Nims,
a young supervisor, quit a better paying
job in the business world to return to
the library staff. "I like students and I
like working at the library," he explains.
Often seen handling fines and assisting
students with special problems, Nims de-
scribes himself as "the crazy person
running around with a beard."
THE PROCESS of putting books on re-
serve starts long before the term be-
gins, Nims explains. Letters are sent out
to faculty members asking what books
they want on reserve for the next term.
The sooner the faculty gets its list in,
the quicker the books can be obtained.
A quota accounting for class size re-
rese rv,
stricts the number of books reserved
per course. The library system is check-
ed first for books. If the library doesn't
have a volume, private copies and photo-
copies are sought out.
"This year there are more lists in
now than last year," Nims says. "The
reserve system is caught up in its order-
ing system."
If a student checks out a book before
the library staff can remove it from the
stacks to put it on reserve, a call-in or-
der is sent out to the person who has the
book. Two years ago, this mix-up occur-
red with some 400 books per term, and
Nims predicts its frequency has probab-
ly increased.
The reserve office cannot crosslist
books listed for more than one course.
Such books will be listed only for the
first course that puts in the reserve re-
quest.
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS which has
caused an increased wait for reserve
desk patrons is the increased volume of
books on reserve. Last year, the School
of Nursing moved its reserve collection
from the Medical School library to the
UGLI. Nursing books had previously
been on open reserve and people were
hiding books, Nims says. In addition, the
UGLI picked up the education school's
reserve load when the education library
closed.
As reserve books are checked in and
THE DAILY urges students to quash
that possibility by voting during
the next three days. A ballot is not
an endorsement of SGC's admittedly
poor record; the vote now becomes an
expression of belief in student gov-
ernment as a necessary campus force.
By voting, we tell the Regents that
as bad as our government may get, it
is still our right to misuse or improve
it, and we insist upon that right.
Moreover, the recent lawsuits and
the reform-oriented rhetoric of the
SGC campaign are clear indications
that Council activists are aware of
their problems. A vote in this week-
end's election is a mandate for thatI
awareness, a notice to the adminis-
tration that students support their
own house-cleaning efforts and op-
pose Regental interference of any
kind.
The Daily chooses to specifically
endorse no candidates or party in
this election; the critical issue, as we
see it, is whether students will en-I
dorse to concept of student govern-
ment by voting at all.
SGC's fate may be the overhaul
suggested in CSSG's draft report, or
the Council may sufficiently repair
itself to survive. In either instance,
we insist that students be the deci-
sion-makers, for better or for worse.
The best way to insure our own deci-
sion-making role is to vote this week.
-THE DAILY STAFF j
lacks staff
out, they must be processed through one
of three IBM machines behind the desk.
As a result, Nims says, students cannot
be allowed to take out more than one
book at a time. "We've been on one book
only since the beginning of the term be-
cause of the volume," he explains. "I
can't forsee alleviating it."
The only way relative volume handled
by the reserve desk can be determined
is by comparison with figures from last
year. For the week of September 15 to
21 this year, 8,887 volumes were checked
out at the reserve desk, representing a
16.88 per cent increase since last year.
Yet staff has increased by only 10.08 per
cent over the same period.
LACK OF STAFF has been the main
reason for a processing slowdown this
year. The desk is allowed to hire stu-
dents to work for a total of 358 hours per
week. Reserve also employs a half-time
clerical to handle data processing, over-
due books and binding.
"I spend 20 hours per week helping
students; this totals 378 hours per week
of direct service," Nims emphasizes.
"This is the maximum amount the li-
brary budget allows us." When the desk
is really swamped, reserve can some-
times get a person from the general staff
to assist them.
The desk handles 47 books per hour,
on an average of 1.2 books per minute.
Machine time accounts for 30 seconds
of the total.
The handling volume for the first few
weeks of the term this year has equaled
midterms and finals levels in previous
years. This increase is partly due to
new use of the UGLI facility by nursing
students.
According to Nims, nursing students
are using the materials more because
they know they are available.
NIMS EMPHASIZES the desk's need
for more staff people. "At the busiest
times, I'd like to have four people call-
ing books, one person charging, one per-
son shelving and one discharging," he
says.
"The way I'd like to see it is to figure
out the busy times we can use more
staff, but we're right up against the
salary budget." The book bins fill every
15 minutes, he says. "It's so busy it's
hard to keep the shelves in order."
The reason for the delay at the UGLI
reserve desk is a shortage of personnel.
Volume has increased and staff has not
been increased enough to meet'the de-
mand. However, the slowdown is not as
bad now as it was a few weeks ago
because the expected midterm rush did
not materialize.
"In comparison to two years ago,
there has been a broader distribution of
Ilse." Nims says.
Steve Ross writes for The Daily's Edi-
torial Page.
ofP
Cyn icism
By SARA RIMER
in
the world
Econ survey: Nothing new
TT WAS REPORTED yesterday that
people are tighter with their
wads than they were eight years ago.
This bombshell revelation comes
from a survey research project put
together by two University econo-
mists.
The report not only does a bang-up
job of indexing how long which peo-
ple think "bad times" will last, but
also concludes folks are less apt to
splurge on a new set of wheels or
take out a mortgage now than be-
fore when there was more bite to the
buck.
No doubt this news sends Mr. and
rSpor Staff
MARC FELDMAN
Sports Editor
GEORGE HASTINGS
Executive Sports Editor
ROGER ROSSITER .... Managing Sports Editor
JOHN KAHLER ........ Associate Sports Editor
Photography Staff
KAREN KASMAUSKI
Chief Photographer
KEN FINK
Picture Editor
STUART HOL~LANDER......Staff Photographer
STEVE KAGAAN............Staff Photographer
PAULINE LUBENS...........Staff Photographer
Ms. average reader reeling back in
their chairs as they scan the morn-
ing paper. They read "Public Sees
Long Recession," fight for control,
but lose it all on 'the spot. The coffee
goes first -- right through the win-
dow, making that shiny new card-
board pane a mere memory - then
the American Family themselves
tumble backward from their sawdust
porridge and crash to the floor, cush-
ioned only by a stack of unpaid bills.
"My God, Elouise," murmurs Ed
Breadwinner to his wife, "it says here
we're headed for a depression."
CO WHAT ELSE is new?
We are tempted to tell the experts
at the Survey Research Center that
the money on this particular project
could have been better spent on bread
or gasoline.
After all, you could eat and drive
around for a week on that kind of
money.
-PAUL HASKINS and DAN BIDDLE
TODAY'S STAFF:
News: Don Biddle, Cindy Hill, Sara
Rimer, Judy Ruskin, Tim Schick
Editorial Page: Becky Warner, Sue
Wilhelm
Arts Page: Ken Fink, Doug Zernow
Photo Technician: Stuart Hollander
PUBLIC RELATIONS is a dirty word among jour-
nalists. The term has been soiled by the likes of
Richard Nixon and his smooth-talking press secretary
Ron Ziegler. Most reporters prefer to spit out a quick
I"PR" instead of dignifying the term with its full five
syllables.
So without the blessings of my friends, I hit New
York as an intern at a large, money-making PR firm
last summer in an effort to crack the public relations
code. I quickly learned that no one was going to give
me a slick definition of public relations (PR was a dirty
abbreviation among the professionals). Who could
swallow a line like the firm's, "Public relations is hav-
ing a story to tell and telling it effectively"?
The key lay in a list of the firm's clients, which read
like "Who's Who in American Business." The firm de-
veloped polished, well-conceived programs that helped
big companies gild themselves richly in profits.
Seventy per cent of the firm's account executives and
officers were drawn from the media. The mystery be-
hind this statistic was illuminated in a single word-
money. The office roll call included the former cream
of the press corps, with former newspaper and maga-
zine editors kissing their bylines good-by for lucrative
salaries. They weren't content to let their former ca-
reers fade into oblivion, however. One executive, for-
merly editor of a leading New York newspaper and
weekly news magazine, prefaced most comments with,
"As former editor of , it is my opinion that . ."
His advice to writers churning out press releases was
an encouraging, "Write it like the New York Times."
One executive, whose past credits included a stint
as editor on a San Francisco paper and a professor's
post at the Columbia School of Journalism, laughed
when reminded of the scorn journalists level at PR
people. "Fifty per cent of Columbia's graduates end up
in public relations," he claimed, adding, "If you sug-
gested that would be their futures, they would be hor-
rified."
HE HIMSELF was not proud of having instructed
former Nixon speechwriters and strategist Patrick Bu-
chanan in the tricks of the trade.
One hotshot, who at 31 was already reaching for the
upper rungs of the corporate ladder, slipped into the
role of PR man for practical reasons. "Look," he ex-
plained, "I was making $125 a week at UPI when my
wife divorced me. I couldn't pay alimony on $125 a
week, so I took a chance in public relations."
It's a gamble he doesn't regret for a moment. He pro-
claims: "I love this work. I get to dress well, eat at
I love this work. I get to dress well,
eat at good restaurants, and on most
days I can get the- hell out of the
office by five. If I keep my nose
clean, I'll be on Executive Row in a,
few years.'
-a young reporter
turned PR man
good restaurants, and on most days I can get the hell
out of the office by five." He added confidently, "If I
keep my nose clean, I'll be up on Executive Row in a
few years." His prediction was accurate, since only
a few days later the higher-ups beckoned him to a
better job on the West Coast - heading up an office
there.
HE HAS REMARRIED - to his secretary.
Another man on the way up who had no previous
media experience said frankly, "I applied to 150 news-
papers when I graduated, and got exactly 150 rejec-
tions, so here I am."
Journalists as a class have long been known for high
alcoholism rates, and they clearly don't leave their
anxieties behind with their bylines when they switch
careers. One executive munched a bagel and cream
cheese during a coffee break, explaining, "I'm feeding
my ulcer." He warned, "Go knock on some doors
around here, and you'll find that everyone's either got
ulcers or is recovering from a heart attack."
He might have added that many were also picking
up the pieces of their personal lives after messy di-
vorces.
It seemed that all the executives were scuttling up
the corporate ladder without a backwards glance, carv-
ing out a piece of the American Dream glossed over
with fancy lunches, plenty of names to drop, and fat
expense accounts. The men were packaged as slickly
as the products they helped promote, and it was diffi-
cult to get through the wrapping to the real person
underneath.
ONE 27 YEAR OLD account executive, who had not
been able to swallow the public relations fishing line
without an occasional jab to his conscience, gave me
an honest appraisal of his .work. While attending a
graduate school of journalism in Boston, he had worked
on the Boston bureau of the New York Times. After
holding a magazine job in New York City, he was at-
tracted by the money in PR and decided to give it a
whirl. "Eighty per cent of the time I like it," he com-
mented, "but for the other 20 per cent I have serious
questions."
He then unfolded an ironic story about a colleague
from his journalism school days who had recently won
a Pulitzer Prize for some investigative reporting. With
more than a trace of bitterness he said, "I went to
school with this guy, and I know I write better than he
does. Meanwhile, he's winning Pulitzer Prizes and I'm
selling razor blades."
Then he pulled the punchline: "So, I met this guy on
the stree the other day and he wants to know if there's
anything here for him. Jesus, he likes the money too."
Sara Rimer is a staff reporter for The Daily,
Letters
to
The
rent control
To The Daily:
WHILE David Whiting's ac-
count of the informal meeting
between HRP activists was gen-
erally correct, a few statements
are quite incorrect. Council
member Thomas did not
"chide" the HRP proposal for
being one that would almost
"certainly be voided" by the
courts. Quite the contrary, both
he and the other Democrats pre-
sent stated that the new HRP
proposal was a big improvement
over our last one. What he and
everyone else did say (includ-
ing me) was that any rent con-
trol law would be challenged
in the courts and that we had all
better be prepared for it.
In fact, it was not the Demo-
crats who pointed out key legal
problems with the HRP propcs-
al but HRP and Democratic ac-
tivists alike that pointed out big
problems with the Democratic
proposal.
Most legal problems that were
raised with HRP's proposal
were adequately and incisively
answered by Councilperson
Thomas, and by the end of the
meeting Councilperson K e n-
worthy stated (as it was report-
ed in Whiting's story) that all
his objections had been met, a!-
though he still wanted to see the
final draft.
WHILE I understand the space
limitations of a newspaoer, it is
unfortunate that Whiting could
not go into the key economic
problems discussed. The Demo-
cratic proposal, one about which
41 -. l '-'--- - .--.t 41- - --in l .:
they wil be "reduced" to only
mildly ridiculous levels;
-lets Board members serve
for four years without a n v ac-
countability to the electorate
-allows landlords to repre-
sent evidence in hearings for re-
ductions but not tenants.
-and a host of other loop-
holes.
To the Democrats' credit,
though, they did not seem wed-
ded to this proposal and seem
quite wililng to listen to our new
proposal which is far simpler
and easier to administer than
the one voted on last spring.
On the basis of the Wednesday
night meeting I would have to
conclude the Democrats are in
far greater agreement with our
rent control proposals tha Ithey
were last year. Everyone at trat
meeting is to be commended
for discussing things freely and
with an open mind.
-Frank Shoichet
come the first candidate for
Congress to lambast Ford's
conditional amnesty program
for draft dodgers. Well, as a
supporter of John Reuther for
Congress, I hope my candidate
sticks to his guns (no pun m-
tended) and continues to support
what has become the F o r d
plan.
I say "continues to support"
because he has refused to sup-
port unconditional amnesty dur-
ing the primary and I hope that
he does not change his mind to
get student votes. The only way
a Democrat can Meat Marvin
Esch this year is by being mod-
erate to conservative on some
key issues - busing, amnesty,
abortion, drug law reform. This
John Reuther has d ine intelli-
gently and shrewdly in order
that he may be elected.
Let the HRP have the luxury
of advocating "principled" posi-
tions. This year the job of Dem-
ocrats is to get elected.
-a Reuther supporter
legal rights
To The Daily:
THE CORE - of the relation-
ship between students and the
University should be seen in
this perspective. The Univer-
sity of Michigan is a non-profit
educational corporation, deriv-
ing its powers from the federal
Constitution through the Mtate
constitution. The Regents have
the highest authority to exer-
cise whatever powers the Uni-
versity has been granted from
the state constitution, which
powers derive from the federal
Constitution. The Regents may
'Daily
expressed by Unive.s:y-paid
lawyers who spout the .
that the Regents can do what-
ever they want to. The easy re-
ply to this stupid idiocy is that
the Regents obviously cannot
lawfully order the dleath of a
student. Moreover, the Regents
cannot do many other things in
the nature of a lesser infringe-
ment of personal rights as well.
And this comes to the heart of
the matter facing student organ-
izations. The Regents through
any of their agencies - vice
presidents, SGC, student-4ar.ulty
committees, etc. - cannot law-
fully restrict the right of citi-
zens to use public property in
a manner which violates basic
civil rights under the fed
eral and state constiuions.
Any proposed regularians of
student organizations should be
evaluated from this perspective.
FINANCIAL freedom is an in-
herent attribute of the right of
association under the federal
and state constitutions. Govern-
ment cannot lawfully exercise
day by day supervision of an
association's financial activities
unless it first shows gross il-
legality necessitating control in
a particular case. There is a
presumption of legality to the
activities of any citizen ,r asso-
ciation, unless a high degree of
proof is submitted showing il-
legality. It goes wirhoit say-
ing, a fortiori, that the Uiv-r-
sity has no business se -uring
the business transactions of or-
ganizations using University fa-
cilities to any other entity ,han
itself. To the ends of protect-
ing our rights of association
come from an all white subirb
and an all white high school to
this predominantly white college
containing animosity towards
minority groups. He implies
that the burden of ending race
discrimination rests on the
white person's shoulders, and
this is where he is wrong.
One look at society today and
anyone can see a remaining
flame of racism; however, when
looked at closely it can be seen
that the majority of this racism
is in reverse of the conventional
form. Now, it seems, it;s pop-
ular to believe that minority
groups should be looked at as
something special, more t n a n
just equal. Take the case of the
black growing up in a big city.
Throughout the last few years
society has been teaching that
person that the white race is
in great debt to him and must
repay his race for harms suf-
fered in the past. He is taught
to separate socitey into minor-
ity groups. This is, in the truest
sense, racism, for he will nev-
er be able to look at a white
person as a person; rather that
person will always be a white.
Just look at the University of
Michigan where minority groups
have formed their own social
circles separated entirey from
the rest of the society. How can
they ever expect to treat others
or have others treat them as
equals when they separate
themselves into a minority
group.
THIS LETTER may carry a
scent of prejucide in itself, and
intentially so, because I am
very prejudiced against anyone
/ AW1 I 'r/iAU .0