Newspapers / University of North Carolina … / March 27, 1968, edition 1 / Page 6
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w Page 6 The Carolina Journal Wednesday, March 27, 1968 Student Court Still Exists A Guest Editorial By Feature Editor Rodney Smith How many students on this cam pus are informed as to just what the powers of the Student Court are? How many, in fact, even know that- such an agency is in existence on this campus? Very few, I dare say. There is a perfectly reasonable explanation for this truly sad state of affairs, l.e., the UNC-Char- lotte Student Court has not tried a single case this entire aca demic year. There mustbeacause for this, and I doubt that the ex planation lies in the infallability of UNC-C students. The explanation does, in feet, seem to lie in the most trouble some problem presently plague- ing our campus—^lack of communi cation. There are scores of facul ty members and administrators who are willing to delegate autho rity to a competent student agency and share the responsibility of disciplinary action. There are, however, still many others who continue to see students as in capable of dealing with these pro blems. A study is presently being con ducted by the Student Court and the standinf faculty committee for academic disciplinary action. We can alt hope that this study will result in the alteration rf the present system to such an ex tent that each student will be able to realize his right to “trial by his peers”. TRAFFIC COURT ALWAYS BUSY Concerning the question of “what can the Student Court do to you”, there lies another less obvious question: “What can the Student Court do for you?”. One must be extremely unaware of campus life in order to plead ignorance con cerning the myriads of parking tickets that have been awarded this semester to students who have their own original ideas about how and where an automobile should be parked on campus. To tell the truth, those who have escaped these “citations of merit” are the exception rather than the rule. Only the Student Court has the authority to uphold an appeal. The traffic committee has been one of the most overworked agen cies since the new parking “tax” was levied and Mr. Young was given “the power of the pencil”. Perry Moser, traffic committee chairman, can often be seen in the back of the Union with a dis traught look on his face and a thick folder filled with pink slips on the table before him. Many tickets are awarded to undeserving ladies and gentlemen, some are passed out for non existent violations, still others are switched from one car to another by amiable gremlins, and others, the majority of the tic kets written, are presented to drivers who value their own ideas over the existing rules. Court Has Many Verdicts To Choose From If one were to be tried by the court for a violation of the Honor Code or the Constitution of the Student Government of the Uni THE CAROLINA JOURNAL editor GAYLE W\TTS Editor's ^cial Consultant imson Clary, Jr. Rodney Smith Sports Editor / ,, Photo Editor John Lafferty carto^sL Art Gentile .Geraldine Ledford News Editor Ron Foster STAFF: Kay Watson, Rodney Smith, Carol Haywood, Iferry Bliss Monte Zepeda, Arthur GentUe, Sandy Griffin, Wendy Kelinfield’ Sonia Mizell, John Byrd, Homer Gaddis,Earieen Mabry Published weekly on Wednesdays by the students of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. 1 REPRESENTED FOR NATIONAL ADVERTISING BY National Educational Advertising Services A DIVISION OF RKADErt'S DIGEST SALES * SERVICES. INC. 360 Lexington Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017 j: Hawkins Represents Blaek People, Poor Whites, And Liberals in N.C. p- (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4) versity of North Carolina at Char lotte, just what are the possible verdicts that are renderable bythe Student Court? First of all, the verdict might be “Not Guilty”. If this be the case, then all records of the case, save one, would be destroyed. The defendant’s name would be striken from the text of the one remain ing copy, which would be placed in court files for use by the court as a precedent. The other alternative is, of course, “Guilty”. There are five types of guilty verdicts. They are as follows: 1. Suspended Sentence. This sentence carries no restrictiems and is not entered on the student’s record. 2. Official Reprimand. This sentence would be entered on the back of the student’s permanent record for a period of three months and then erased. Any transcript of the student’s record sent out during this time period will in clude this reprimand. 3. Practical Penalty. This sen tence carries with it the perfor mance of some task commensurate with the offense, and/or monetary fine between $5 and $20 or the cost of any university-owned pro perty damaged or destroyed. 4. Definite Disciplinary Pro bation. This penalty can extend for as many as three semesters and remains on the back of the permanent record and any trans cript for the duration of the sen tence. This is accompanied by forfeiture of ali extra-curricuiar priviieges and right to represent the University. 5. Definite and Indefinite Sus pension. The Chancellor may in flict these penalties for one or two semesters on recommendation of the Student Court. In the case of indefinite suspension, the con victed student can formally peti tion the court for reinstatement after a period of not less than one year after confirmation. Any sentence concerning suspension wiil remain on the permanent record of the offender. The accused aiways has the right of appeal to the Chancellor upon conviction. He also has the right to appeal to the appropriate State Court in cases of extreme depri vation of character or cases where due process of law is lacking. In the iight of these facts, it would seem that every student on this campus would have at least a passing interest in the Student Court and its activities. In the coming election, five students, one sophomore, three juniors, and one senior; will be elected by the entire student body. The other two positions on the court will be filled by seniors appointed by the Student Body President. As you can easily see, these positions are in no way subordi nate to the executive offices. We, therefore urge all students to take an active interest in next week’s election. Perhaps those of you with some legal knowledge will even consider running against incum bent for one of these offices. It could happen! of aristocracy, which Is a con tinuation of the feudal system. We are still living under this same type of feudal system. I am a ftorn in the side of the power structure because I am trying to stimulate and activate not only adults who have res ponsibility but also students such as you to your responsibility in the political process. I am not afraid of going to jail. Pm not afraid of dying fighting for America. I fou^ in World War II, I fought in the Korean War. If I have to die I’m gonna die right, here in North Carolina fighting for the rights of people who have full citizenship and to partici pate in the political process and economic process of this state. This is a pretty dangerous thing because in North Carolina they have used the courts for years to lynch black people and poor white people. If you go down to Raleigh and you look into the prison roles you won’t find any rich people in jail. Only ix>or whites and black people and a few red people that they can catch. So we’re really fighting the establishment—the same thing and the same problem that you got out at the University of North Carolina at Char lotte—which is the draft. Ifought the draft. I think that the draft is full of iniquities. I am speak ing on this March 27 at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. I am giving my higher education si>eech there. This state is bad. It has mis placed priorities. It cares noth ing about the youth, the black, and the low income people. I’m running to try to save the state. It might try to put me in jail but there are courts a little higher than this court and the double standard of jus tice that exists in this state will be exposed. This is what I’m doing. I do speak out, try to speak the truth. People know that these are dangerous things to do. The same thing they did to Jesus Christ. The decision to nail Jesus to the cross was a political decision, not a re ligious one. So I’m treading on dangerous grounds, and I feel I can win and I think we are getting through to the people about this. Journal: That brings up an other question 1 had. You say you feel that you can win. There is a great deal of speculation that you are running to gain a bargaining position such as has been related to L Beverly Lake. Is this a valid analc^ or are you definitely planning to win? Hawkins: The press has tried everything in the world to keep me out of this race. As I just mentioned, I am an anathema to the establishment. The Demo - cratic Party is built on the backs of black people and the poor white people in this state who haven’t got anything from the political process. They want to still talk in terms of bargaining. I want it known from now on in Pm not interested in sitting at the bargaining table. Too long have our people sat at the bar gaining table only to get the crumbs after the dinner is over. I am in this campaign to win and I think I can win. And if I don’t win, the decision as to what happens will ceom from the people in the state of North Carolina. Anybody who knows me from the civil rights program knows that I don’t go into anything to play around. I go to win, and to win big. From indications at Chapel Hill and other areas where they run polls on my can didacy I’m getting through strong and I’m winning. Journal: You have stated or have been quoted as stating that you believe that if eiected gover nor, you can deter race riots in North Carolina. How wouid you propose to do this? Hawkins: The first thing that I am interested in is getting at the causes of riots and racial disturbances. These distur bances grow out of a sense of human frustration and despera tion. I am associated with people who are in that state—I myself am oppressed because of my color. I have a keen empathy with the peopie who would riot and who would do any type of disturbance because of these human frustrations and despera tion. I am running as a candidate of hope and progress. I am in terested in rehabilitating our correctionai systems. I am interested in doing away with the double standard of jus tice that exists in our state. I am interested in upgrading our police departments — more money and better personnei who know how to deal with minority and poor people in the state of North Caroiina. This is the thing that will prevent the race riot. Not only because of my interest !■ in the cause, but because Pu'i; black. There, too, is a setisj’S of identification for people m,, J have lost hope. J; Journal: Do you feeel that ti* v Negroes in North Carolina wjj %■ vote for you in a bloc? 11 Hawkins: No, but I think the Negro peopie will vote for because of the fact that I an interested in the welfare of aii| people in the state of Nortt! Carolina and particularly in theit interests, the lower incomti people in this state, and the yoij^ people in this state. I hope that aU of these groups will votj for me in a bloc because thij is the winning combination. Journal: I gather from you, conversation that you do not fe«| that you are representing a spe. cial interest group at aU. I Hawkins: No sir. The onlj speciai interest that I represea, is the fact that I am a Negro,! This comes out of God-givej (rights. Negroes are going to vote for me because they kno» my history, they know that 1 have a keen awareness of wtat their problems are. The same thing is true of the iow income white man that I am trying to get through to. He has not had a Reg Hawkins-Martin Luther King to represent his cause. He has been more expioited than the black man in this state, in a way. There are more poor white jjeopie in this state than yoo have poor black people. We’re interested in their cause. I’m interested in the cause of the Uberal people in this state. I’m definitely interested in the cause of the youth. These are the interests that I’m certainly representing. I’m’not representing the interests of the conservatives in this state, I’m not representing the interests ol the Klu Klux Klan. Those ai^ the votes that I don’t think I’l] get, but I certainly think I’ll get the votes from the other groups. If you call those special in terests, then I’m certainly rep resenting that interest. But 1 think these are the majority ot the jreople of the state of North Carolina. Journal: Would you relate to us some of your particular stan ding on black militancy? (Ed. Note: The second pxirtion of Mr. Smith’s interview with Dr. Hawkins will appear in April 3 issue of the Journal. Dr. Haw kins talks about black militancy, the draft, and Elliot Schwartz.) “Heck, if Uncle Sam will guarantee our loans, why can’t he guarantee our grades'??” me Til
University of North Carolina at Charlotte Student Newspaper
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March 27, 1968, edition 1
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