I SI
mm
S 1 I
4
Section B
Tuesday, August 31, 1971
voice
praise
"In general, my reaction to the conference was one of
extreme enthusiasm, because this group of individually
diverse student leaders found areas of common
concern'
These are the words of L'NC Student Body President
Joe Stallings as he considered the recent
accomplishments of the Student Action Conference.
More than 300 college and high school students from
around the state converged in Chapel Hill to take part in
the three-day conference, which began Aug. 13.
The purpose of the conference, according to Stallings,
was "to discuss mutual political and educational
problems and plan action to solve them."
"We fully expected the conference to come up with
concrete plans, which we together can now implement,"
Stallings said.
Charles Jeffress, one of the student organizers, felt
the meetings had accomplished these goals.
"Everybody there seemed to have a specific reason
for being there, which was good," Jeffress said. "People
were there to make something happen, so it was a
working conference, not a talking conference."
The first day of meetings was devoted to exchanging
information and identifying issues on which action could
then be planned.
Hie major focus of the conference was in the area of
voter registration. The group of students that elected to
work in this area decided there was a need for a
state-wide coalition to organize the effort.
After compiling information on how a voter
registration drive could best be handled, the students
decided to meet again in September to organize the
coalition.
Bruce Wine, a representative from the Washington
Youth Citizenship Fund, was quite pleased with these
results.
"We now have a mandate that will allow uw to go out
and bring in all the groups which would have a vested
interest in a voter registration drive." Wine said. "This is
a good chance to involve people and -t-rt some
communtiy action organizations."
Joe Stallings felt it was a necessity that the students
organize in this fashion.
"After my recent work in legislature, I have iojud it
impossible to separate campus activities from politics."
Stallings said. "Our voice in voting won't be heard unless
we act in a united way. Only through united action are
we going to accomplish substantive change.
"With 139,000 college students and over 65,000 high
school seniors eligible to vote in the 1072 primaries and
elections, we are willing and ready to use the established
system to achieve our goals," Stallings added.
The second major issue to which the students
addressed themselves was in the area of educational
reform.
The students recommended the establishment of an
Advisory Committee of Students to the State planning
and co-ordinating agency for higher education, and
endorsed Gov. Scott's call for the establishment of a
Center for the Continuing Reform of Higher Education.
The Student Conference also called on the
administrators of all institutions of higher education in
North Carolina to cooperate with students in declaring
primary and general election days class holidays.
The students endorsed the present study being made
by the N.C. Board of Higher Education on student fees
and charges, but requested an opportunity for student
representatives from each campus to participate in the
study.
Copies of these resolutions were sent to Gov. Bob
Scott, the Chairman of the House and Senate Higher
Education Committees, and the director of the Board of
Higher Education. The students then formed a
committee which would follow up on these proposals.
On the second day of the conference, 20 college
student body presidents joined with five high school
leaders to release a statement directed at all potential
presidential candidates.
The statement asked S. candidate
:!ront
squarely the young population and respond specific.:!!)
to the questions young voters ask."
"Students are not to be considered jv tools m the
hands of any campaign staff or candidate, but a definite
political force to be reckoned uith." the statement
continued. "It will not be the cause cdebre or theheio
we will follow this time, but the issues. The people who
have been obstacles in the paths of progress for the last
decade will be removed from office by a new generation
of voters. We will be part of that generation."
Stallings felt the ultimate worth of the statement was
contingent on two things: "First, we must register a
significant portion of the students who are eligible to
ote; and secondly, once the voters are registered, the
people who signed this statement need to get together
again to evaluate the response from the various
candidates to the statement, and then to decide if any
candidates merit our support."
Stallings further pointed out that both the conterence
and the statement were non-partisan in nature.
"We built this conference on a politically
non-partisan basis." Stallings said, "in my opinion, it
accomplished this goal, because no party was raised
above another, and no one political candidate was
chosen for our support."
According to Jeffress. the original idea for the
conference was suggested by Allard K. Lowenstein, the
ex-Congressman from New York, and one of the guest
speakers at the conference.
"Last spring, Al Lowenstein got together and talked
with a few student leaders about what politically needed
to be done in North Carolina." Jeffress said. "From that
session came the idea for this conference."
The conference was sponsored by 1 1 universities
from across the state. These included UNC-CH. UNC-G.
UNC-C, N.C. State, Appalachian State, ECU, Davidson.
Duke, Queens, Winston Salem State and Fayetteville
State.
i r
.4 - r
A
n
' 1
J
e a w
" U -r
N'U f ) V A '
, : V - I ; j
Al Lowenstein talks to Student Action Conference organizers Rod Fonda (left ) and
Charles Jeffress. Lowenstein gave the students the idea la-4 spring to hold the
conference, which brought together student leaders from all over the state to Chapel
Hill.
Stories by Norman Black
L
owemsteimc, McCloshej attack Nixon
A former New Yoik Congressman and a
California Republican with presidential aspirations
were the featured speakers at the recent Student
Action Conference.
Allard K. Lowenstein, the ex-congressman from
New York who led the "Dump Johnson"
campaign in 1967, and California Rep. Paul N.
McOoskey, a Republican challenger to Richard
Nixon, addressed the student leaders in Hill Hall
on Aug. 14 and 15, and agreed that the Nixon
administration was guilty of deceiving the
American public.
Speaking to a receptive audience including
about 250 college and high school students from
across the state, Lowenstein told the young voters
that they have the will and the means to elect a
new administration that would be more responsive
to the people.
Lowenstein alleged that Nixon has "lied" to the
American public, and further charged that Nixon
makes Lyndon Johnson look "retroactively rather
credible.
"There have been presidents in the past who
could be trusted, and there will be such presidents
again," he said.
Focusing on the war in Vietnam, Lowenstein
insisted that the war will still be an issue in 1972
"because there are millions of Americans who will
hold accountable those public officials who were
elected to office on the promise to end the war
and only extended it."
Lowenstein then quoted President Nixon as
having said in a recent speech "that only 14
soldiers had died in Vietnam during a given week."
"I don't know when I've heard so obscene an
adjective as only in front of the word 14,"
Lowenstein said.
"It is now too late for the President to save
himself, but it is not too late for him to save more
lives," he added.
Lowenstein noted that the credibility gap
created by the Vietnam situation has served to
complicate domestic problems.
He said the present administration has lied so
that the American people would not withdraw
their support of American involvement in
Southeast Asia.
"The present administration is now running this
country as if they can get on TV and talk about
anything and expect the American people to be so
stupid as to believe everything that is said." '
He felt the only possible good that might come
of such a credibility gap is that the American
public might have "peeled off the blinders" which
have causes misunderstanding over what is
happening w ithin the country.
"The weapons we have are here." Lowenstein
said. "Get the facts to al! those people who have
been confused by Nixon or the government."
Lowenstein reminded the young voters that
"the facts are with us; it's the other side that has
to lie."
"Nixon promised to bring us together, and he's
pretty well managed to do that." Lowenstein
added.
On the final afternoon of the conference, Rep.
Paul McCloskey addressed the student leaders, and
agreed with much of what Lowenstein had said.
Explaining that he had become a presidential
candidate because of the Vietnam war, McCloskey
felt it was time to get out of Vietnam.
"The President w3s elected on the basis that he
would end the war in Vietnam," McCloskey said.
"Yet three years later, half the troops are still
there. The South Vietnamese have about two
million armed forces as opposed to about 500,000
for the Viet Cong. With that numerical superiority,
surely the South Vietnamese can hold their own
against Communism."
Saying "most" of what Nixon did was for
political purposes. McCloskey told the students
that "governmental truthfulness is the main issue
of my campaign."
"There is a growing tendency for the
government leaders to lie," McCloskey continued.
"And they don't lie just to the enemy, they lie to
Americans. Nobody trusts the government
anymore.
"This administration has let out only half the
truth and then has die vice president stump
around the country telling the people the news
media has distorted the half of the truth the
administration has let out," he added.
McCloskey then pinpointed a third area of
concern: Nixon's latest busing position.
"I can't understand whv he wants minimal
compliance
with
one law and meticulous
i
compliance with some others." he sjid. "Our
President campaigned on law and order, vet fus
offered only minimal compliance to it "
The California Republican told the studenK
that "busing is an appropriate method to end the
dual school system."
Commenting on other domestic is,u-s
McCloskey said: "People do not demand
excellence in their government." arid termed the
structure of both parties "decadent." heca'j e o!
public apathy toward party politics.
McCloskey reported he would like very mueh to
campaign in North Carolina.
"I'm not in this thing to lose," he said. "I didn't
particularly want . to run tor president, but
somebody has to otfer the people ut u'ir
(Republican) party an alternative m the primaries
Nobody else came forward, so Fm in it
"We are at a peril in history." McCloskev !!
the student leaders who filled Hill HjII on the
UNC campus. He was running, he said, so v. iters
could have a choice other than politicians wh
appeal to the "hate, fear, and anger" of people.
et
t
j - V i I'x A
,v r m y
t,S ,i (a-
N V - ' rsj ' C r i
, i . .V' tU f ; ... A i
- .' i4 f-r A
y - V y i
" I 1 1 Id,
N.C. College Young Repblicans chairman Sam Cumn (1.)
answers a student's question during one of the Student
Action Conference seminars. Listening attentively are
Young Democrats chairman Chares Winebeny 9c.O and
UNC student leader Gerry Cohen (r.)
Rep Paul N. McCloskey speaks to more than 300 urged the students to use the power of the vote to turn the
students at the Student Action Conference. McCloskey present government out of office. (Staff photo by Johnny
charged the Nixon adminsitration with "deception" and' Lindahl)