.
Eighty-Seven Years of Editorial Freedom
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Ml 48109
WATERMAN /BARBOUR
A
potential
s tudent
cen ter
Tuesday, January 25,1977
News Phone: 764-0552
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
Carter's pardon falls short
AS PRESIDENT Jimmy Carter's
first official act - a pardon of
Vietnam draft resisters - a bold, in-
cisive stroke, or was' it just another
example of Carter moderation on an
issue that can bear no moderate
stance?
The pardon is commendable, as
far as it goes, but it falls patheti-
cally short of\ the blanket amnesty
that we have cried out for for years.
Under Carter's plan, only those
young men who "peaceably" protest-
ed the war by evading the draft are
covered by the pardon. Anyone who
deserted after being inducted into the
armed forces or resisted forced induc-
tion "violently" must still face a re-
view board to be considered for a
pardon.
Although many have hailed the
pardon as a "radical move," it is
actually regressive. There were broad-
er amnesties granted after both World
War II and the Korean War. Those
two plans extended to everyone, re-
sisters and deserters, except those
who had committed felonies. These
were reasonable programs, and we
asked nothing more from Carter than
to emmulate them - grant a blank-
et amnesty, excluding only felons.
But he refused us. Not only did he
refuse to extend it to deserters, bt
anyone who participated in an anti-
war rally that ended in violence is
also excluded, whether the person
took part in the violence or not.
That Carter has the audacity to'
parade this regressive move as a com-
passionate answer to the thousands
of young Americans who can't return
to their country simply because they
recognized the absurdity of the Viet-
nam War years before Washington is
an insult to the intelligence of Am-
erica. That the new president has not
seen fit to even admit that the war
was wrong - amnesty we think you
were right, pardon says we forgive
you, right or wrong -is an even
greater tragedy.
Carter had a chance to end the
Vietnam war once and for all, and
this. pardon falls disappointingly
short. So far, the man from Georgia
who gave us a big smile and prom-
ised a new era of government looks
very much like the leaders of old.
'7
r '
Indira Gandhi's about-face:
Trade-off for respectability?
By SCOTT KELLMAN
rHE RICH MAN'S table scraps are often the beggars
feast. Such is the situation with the Waterman/'
Barbour Gymnasium complex.
Rejected for use by all academic units and consider-
ed inappropriate for renovation and re-use by the Ath-
letic Department Waterman/Barbour appears doomed
to destruction.
As in the case bf the rich man who thinks only of
his own immediate personal needs and scarcely knows
of the beggar's existence, so the University once again
moves toward a major decision without the slightest
consideration of its most insignificant and meaningless
of concerns: The students.
In March of 1976 the Regents approved a recom-
mendation to raze the Waterman/Barbour Gymnasium
complex. Soon after several interested groups raised
serious questions about the present approach of the
University in evaluating the uses, potentials, and his-
torical value of older buildings on campus. Specifically
members of the University community brought pres-
sure on the Regents to study possible alternative uses
for the building.
WILLIAM STURGIS, Assistant to the Vice President
and Chief Financial Officer was then empowered to
review the Waterman/Barbour question. The result was
the Sturgis Report - a superficial seven page type-
written document which was prepared by a single Uni-
versity official. This report was described by the
committee for the Re-use of the Barbour/Waterman
Buildings as follows:
"The 'Review' gives the impression that it was pre-
pared to justify the Administration's previous position
and not to sincerely 'study' the numerous issues in-
volved. If the purpose had been to describe the issues
objectively or to research new facts about the situa-
tion, the committee would have had at least several
members who had come from different but pertinent
backgrounds. It would also have had people more ex,
pert in the engineering, economic, historic and archi-
tectural issues."
Most of the arguments presented by those supporting
the demolition of the Waterman/Barbour rest on the
assertion that it would be economically unfeasible to
renovate the complex for alternative uses.
THIS ASSERTION has yet to be supported by any-
thing even resembling facts. Several reports have been
presented by various Physical Properties Officials ar-
guing that the buildings are "obsolete" and attempting
to rebutt various claims of historical significance.
Yet each of these reports and all estimates of costs
has been based on faulty assumptions. The first of these
assumptions is that the plant expansion of the Univer-
sity is to be based on the Central Campus Planning
Study.
This study, which was completed in 1963, was made
at a time when the student population was expand-
ing at a much more rapid rate than at present. The
enrollment of the University was projected to even-
tually reach some 70,000 students. Considering the
current population trends this enrollment figure can't
possibly be reached in the forseeable future.
Not only is this master plan hopelessly outdated and
flawed by inaccurate growth projections, but it has also
been largely ignored in past University construction
decisions.
Typically, the Central Campus Planning Study is only
used when it supports a decision already made for other
reasons.
SUCH IS THE case with Waterman/Barbour, accord-
ing to Edward Dougherty, Assistant to the Vice Presi-
dent for Academic Affairs and author of the latest
study, "the site will be used for a new Chemistry
Building". The SturgisbReport substantiates this view
with the statement, ". . . an expressed need for space
for the Chemistry Department had been on hand for
many years".
These statements raise many questions. What are the
needs of the Chemistry Department? What is the cost/
benefit ratio of a new structure for this purpose on that
specific site? When and to whom have these needs
been expressed? If these two buildings were to be
torn down specifically to satisfy the Chemistry De-
partments future needs then these questions would
have been asked and resolved long ago. If these
questions have been examined then Chemistry has an
obligations to make the answers known so as to be
judged in relation to the alternatives. If these questions
have not been reviewed then we can only assume ei-
ther gross incompetence on the part of the planning
committee or that the true reasons for demolition are
now being hidden and obscured.
CLOSE EXAMINATION of the University Reviews
to date reveals yet another major problem. These
studies assume that the only units with space needs
are those which are presently placed on the University
priority list. This list generally titled, "Projects Re-
cognized in State Legislation for Planning, or Under
Consideration for Non-State Funding" is not an inclus-
ive priority listing for space, but only for construction.
The existence of such a list infers that the Planning
Committee which drafts this list has solicited requests
from all units within the University which may have
space needs. Unfortunately, such is not the case.
Though no one seems to know exactly who sits on the
Planning Committee, it is obvious that the interests
and space needs of many units were unrepresented and
not even analyzed in drawing up the priority list. This
is particularly true of student needs. As in so many
areas of the University, student concerns are secondary
and student representation discouraged. Not only do
we have no input into the priority setting process but
future student activity facilities are not even on the
list. This has created a situation where the University
of Michigan has fallen far behind other comparable
midwestern universities in the quality of facilities pro-
vided for student activities.
SEVERAL DECADES AGO the U of M set the exam-
ple in this area by constructing the first University
building dedicated solely to Intramural Athletics, one of
the first Unions in the Midwest, the Michigan League,
and the Student Activities Building. It must be noted,
however, that even these buildings were supported
by special students assessments above and beyond
tuition.
Recently, this pacesetting trend has been completely
reversed. Northwestern University, a private institution
in dire financial straits, has just completed a new
central student activities center. Similarly, most other
Big Ten schools have not only student run unions lout
also student activities buildings housing student organ-
ization offices, workshops, and meeting spaces.
Conversely, Michigan's Union and League are bas-
ically conference centers dominated by hotel opera-
tions, faculty-staff restaurants, and University Admin-
istrative offices. The "Student Activities Building",
built to be "a center for student activities" is now a
University office building with WCBN - the only stu-
dent activity relegated to a corner of the basement.
STUDENT ORGANIZATION SPACE is limited to a
mere 15 per cent ofthe Union and five offices in the
league. Some groups have been forced to rent off
campus space to hold University based organizational
meetings. Still other student organizations are forced
for alternate uses is aptly expressed by Regent Thomas
Roach in the following, "Most of the architectural value
of the building is inside, - and (the hand-tooled wood-
work) would have to be mainly removed to adapt them
for any other use". Other reservations center on the
cost of remodeling the building for other uses. Herein
lies the beauty of transforming Waterman/Barbour
into a Student Activities Center. No new construction
or remodeling would be necessary. Because of the
unique combination of large open spaces and scattered
offices as well as a theater, Waterman/Barbour could
be used by all student groups. John Cook, Vice Presi[
dent of Public Relations of the University Activities
Center produced a list of 45 possible uses for the com-
plex. Some of these were; small concerts, office spade,
play rehearsals, productions, jam sessions, storage
space, information center, exhibitions, discos, and
many more. Chris Bachelder also pointed out that the
large gym floor would easily accommodate, the Fenc-
ing Club martial arts groups, Folk Dance and Sailing
clubs among others.
THIS IS BY no means an exhaus'ive listing. We
feel, however, that our point has been made. The
Waterman/Barbour complex is a valuable structure and
would facilitate extensive housing of student activities.
Therefore. we agree with the recommendations of the
Committee for Re-use of the Barbour-Waterman Build-
ings.
Specifically, we recommend that the Regen'ts (1) con-
tinue to hold demolition in abeyance indefinitely, (2)
authorize a feasibility study of the best alternative
short- and long-term uses of the buildings, (3) put that
o8
WETERPW4
GYMASIUM
FVRE SITE OF AN
EMPTYLOT
I A
*~*.**t~.*,* * * Al.
TN WHAT CAN ONLY be termed an
incredible about-face, for the mo-
ment at least, Indira Gandhi has,
restored the pretense of* democratic
government to India. She has sched-
uled a parliamentary election to be
held in March, had lifted the abso-
lute censorship of the Indian press,
and has begun releasing the thou-
sands of political prisoners that have
been arrested over the past nineteen
months.
Why she is doing this is very diffi-
cult to fathom. Is it a grandstand
play, designed to show the rest of the
world that India is indeed a demo-
cratic nation that needed temporary
martial measures to pass through a
period of crisis? India's relations with
the United States and other Western
European nations have been very bad.
Maybe the potential economic bene-
fits of Gandhi's moves outweigh the
possible risks of an election.
That is, if there are risks. While
removing some of the authoritarian
measures, it is essential to note that
the state of emergency that Gandhi
announced in June, 1975, to justify
the measures, has not been lifted.
The implication of this oversight is
ominous: just exactly how free will
the March elections be? Will the op-
position party be allowed to freely
assemble? The spiritual leader of the
opposition Jaya Prakash Narayan, in
a speech given on Sunday, expressed
his doubts. Referring to the restora-
tion of certain civil liberties and veil-
ed assurances by the Indian govern-
ment that they would not interfere
with political rallies, he said: "All
that has been done is to assure peo-
ple that these powers will be used
sparingly for the next eight weeks.
What will follow if the Congress wins
is all too clear."
If it is "all too clear" then why
is Gandhi taking the risk of holding
an election, where theoretically, she
and her party stand a chance of
losing?
Maybe, she doesn't feel it is much
of a risk. And based on the results
of other "free" elections in recent
history, Vietnam, South Korea to
name a few, it's possible that Indira
has shaved the dice before opening
the casino.
It is hoped that Gandhi's relax-
ing of the oppressive policies of the
past 19 months is a portent of bet-
ter things to come in India's future.
It doesn't however, erase the brutali-
ty and the tyranny of the past.
4
000
to pay rent for holding activitiesi
ings. Many organizations end up
professors or deans who provide
ganizational meetings.
in University build-
turning to friendly
classrooms for or-
Theater groups have been particularly hard pressed
with inadequate space for stage construction and re-
hearsals as well as prop and costume storage. Groups
such as Musket, Soph Show, Gilbert & Sullivan Society,
PTP, the School of Music Opera, UAC, the Dance De-
partment and the U of M Musical Society all com-
pete for the same limited theater space. This creates
massive scheduling and rehearsal problems. Other
student groups such as the Sailing Club which must
store boats and equipment are forced to rent space
for these purposes, thus placing a severe financial
strain on the membership.
THE LIST IS ENDLESS. Chris Bachelder, MSA Stu-
dent Organizations Coordinator has a list of over 150
student organizations which need office space. In short,
the current space allocation to student activities within
the University Community is totally insufficient to meet
the needs of these activities. Ironically, however, the
University is preparing to destroy a building perfectly
suited to meet these needs.
The major argurment against adapting the structure
study under the direction of a broadly-based committee
which has expert skills and which also is sympathetic
to continued use of the buildings, and provide for stu-
dent representation on this committee.
It must be noted that possible uses for the land on
which Waterman/Barbour presently stands could not
possibly be realized for a period ranging from five
to ten years.
FINALLY, HAD THE University provided for stu-
dent and faculty input into the planning process then
none of the current feelings of neglect and alienation
would have been generated. Moreover, the process
would have been enriched by the ideas and viewpoints
of the student represenatives. The students are the con-
sumers of the educational process. As such they have
an inherent right to provide input into this process.
Furthermore, as long as the University attempts to
restrict student representation within the college com-
munity, students will continue to fight for this basic
right. Hence, as in the original analogy of the wealthy
and the poor - as long as the powers that be persist
in eating alone then the students will be forced to con-
tinue to beg.
Scott Kellman is the president of the Michigan StuT
dent Assembly (MSA).
Capitalism and chapatis?
WHAT IS THE WORLD coming to?
For years, those of us who wanted
to feast on handgraspable meals,
without having to go the greasy fast
food route, have relied on Eden's to
provide us with good-tasting, hand-
prepared, moderately priced nourish-
ment. Going into Eden's used to be
like sitting on Santa's lap. You could
pick and number of titillating culina-
ry delights off of a constantly chang-
ing menu, and the folks at Edens
wnul stuff the gno s in a nnket
nard establishment. But now, all
that's changed.
Like a classless steak 'n eggs di-
ner, Eden's now gives its customers
their own list of six combinations.
And if you choose to stuff your
chapati with any varient, it will cost
you a painful 45 cents more per item.
So now, instead of hearing custom-
ers request a chapati with chick pea
spread, alfalfa sprouts and eggless
mayonnaise, you find people scream-.
ing orders for a "number two" or
Letters
to
the
Facility, who is in dire need of
a lot of postage stamps that
may help me get out of this
place.
Trotskyists
To The Daily:
I ATTENDED the Andrei
Amnalrik lecture on Januarv 17.
expression of views contrary to
mine ordinarily. It is only when
methods of expression deny oth-
ers their freedom that I become
can think of says anything about
forcefeeding rhetoric to people
being the basis of freedom.
If and when the Trotskyists
cern and all consideration ir
the above request.
P.S. Any and all amounts will
help.