Page 2 Editorial Comment: We’ve tried to be easy on the SGA this year. We’ve tried to understand their petty mistakes and failings in the light of their lack of help and cramped schedules. But recent developments in the Student Government have come to our attention and they can be categorized as nothing less than complete ineptitutde. First, a list of students to fill voting seats on faculty committees was composed by president Bill Coonan single handedly, while the agreement was that volunteers were to be sought and a careful search for interested students be made. The list was made up unilaterally and the same old requlars now hold important seats on here-to-fore predominantly faculty committees. The power was used decisively and unilaterally by the SGA president. ' But, on September 23, a vote to allocate S494.80 to the proposed UNC-A radio station came up before the Student Senate. And in a feat of brilliant decisive buck-passing, they recommended a student referendum to decide the allocation for the radio station. This time, the power wasn’t executed at all. The elected representatives were afraid to use their responsibility to make decisions in their “government”. Well, if that’s the game, why not have referendums to decide the allocations for the Social Commission (a whopping $2,000. this term.) or the Special Programs Committee (S706.50 this term), the RIDGERUNNER, Images, The Summit, or perhaps the scholarships for the SGA leaders? If the idea is to take the issue back to the people, let’s be consistent at least. This administrative bungling in the SGA must cease; there’s too much important work to be done! -F.M. Dear Editor; Concerning your editorial “The Draft”; your heart was in the right place, but unfortunately your facts were not. If you had examined a SS Form 150 (special form for Conscientious Objectors) you would have found that it does not ask if you believe in a “Supreme Being”. You also stated“ ... for to change your mind doesn’t work’”, on the conrrary, I am proof that it can and does work. Although more difficult and more rigorous than filing early. Another point, status, classifications for persons who refuse all military service is I-O. A Conscientious Objector recieves a I-W only while or having already completed his alternate civilian duty. Finally your local board cannot give you any written information on being a Conscientious Objector and most likely will not discuss the necessary requirements for being a Conscientious Objector. Hopefully I have helped in some way and I will be gald to help again, thank you for your time. Peace, The following is the approved budget of the SGA for first term, 1970-71. Activity Fees: $5101.90 Social Commission $2000.00 Special Programs $ 706.50 Athletic Commission $ 60.00 Office Expenses $ 331.70 Cheerleaders $ 100.00 Presidential Expenses S 60.00 Coffee House S 445.00* Robert H. Davis 38-42-51-137(1-0) Ed: When my husband applied for C.O. the “Supreme Being” clause was there; you may be correct today. Also I know three people who left the country when unable to change to C.O. status after their origiani registration — boards vary. Otherwise, right on! P.S. •This does not include a figure to be specified later in the term pgar Editor: The Radio Committee request for $494.80 is still undecided, presently slated for student referendum some time in the near future. STUDENT POWER: How valid is an opinion about an entire nation which is based on a few farmers who happened to be nice or one cop who snarled? Now I haven’t been to England or met an English truck driver who was satisfied with driving a truck because of a superior educational system (??) Come on, Suki, how much do we have to swallow? I’m sure there’s at least one truck driver here in Pig Nation who’s happy with his job. Just as there has to “at least one” grouchy farmer England and “at least one” be in V-fiippin’ cop in New York City and “at least one” club-heavy bobby who paid a few (“at least one”) English bystander to testify that the magical 5 occurred before he clubbed that “at least one” harangued English hippie to death somewhere in the “only” dirty alley in Liverpool. All right, you did go to England before you passed your judgement and the article was well written and very appealing to anyone who wants to down the Amerikan, educational system and/or call all the cops— “pigs.” You write nicely. The epic peom “Song of Roland” was written nicely too but when compared with the history it comes up as factually waay off base. So you write nicely. And I’m not objecting to the fact that you have an opinion and wish to voice it. I mean, that’s exactly what I’m doing isnt’t it? But I would like to ask a few questions about that opinion. Do you really think that All English truck drivers are satisfied? Do you really think that all Amerikan cops are snide and snotty? Do you really want to say that there is not one cranky, narrow-minded farmer in all of- the English countryside? Because that is exactly what you are saying when you make assertions about some truck driver being happy due to England’s superior educational system or when you imply that one bastard cop made you realize you were back in Amerika and in that case you’re “pig”-headed as the Amerika you are condemning for the same narrow-minded, “pig”-headedness. Do you want to back away from the bad that you see or do you want to stamp it out? Answer this question before you read any further. If you want to stamp it out then you’re a victim of that sick society which keeps all the Blacks down becasue they’re Black. You’re no better than the head who turns narc because of 1 bummer. You’re just as wrong as the employer who won’t hire longhairs because he “tried it once and the kid only stayed two or three days.!! To wit - The “Rednecks”. A typical sterotype “redneck” wears white socks and greases his hair. He hates the niggers and rides around in his pick-up truck looking for freaks with his shot-gun. But an opinion like this loses its legitimacy when you heckle every white socker or turn yourself off from every dude with greasy hair. You mkke the same mistake when you greet every Black with open (whick often means patronizing) arms. There are going to be a hell of a lot who don’t want your help and will bite the cracker. People are individual personalities, not sterotypes. So Suki, I want to make a suggestion to you and to all of us who act towards one person according to an opinion which was formed about someone else in an entirely different situation. Treat each new face as something, someone new. Be able to accept the worst when it comes. That way you won’t get hurt with your defenses down. But treat each new face as though it deserves the best, as though you’ve never met the stereotype” before, as though you don’t expect the worst. You know what happens? You discover the real fallacy of stereotypes. There really aren’t any. Dear friends! What is happening in the library? As this article is being written I watch students being hustled out one door and hustled in another while still another student has become subject to the “stop and frisk” law. I was wondering when the inevitable day would come when books would be considered more important than students and alas, the day has come to pass!! All through grammar schools, junior hi^, and high schools librarians have tried to beat into our heads that books are holy things, not to be mistreated, to be upheld in our minds as the keys of knowledge. And even now this university has built a multi-million dollar Ziggurat (named“Ramsey”) to further emphasize and keep their sacredness. True, I cannot deny the usefulness of books; I cannot say they are unimportant for they do offer better understandings to say the least. But these books exist for the students. The students do not exist for the books. The students are first and the books are second, maybe even fifth H) SAC lettrm p ? TT- Much of the violence on student campuses in the past few years has been directed at effecting changes in university policies. Here at U.N.C.-A we were just GIVEN voting membership on University Instutional Committees. Here we are also being urged to aid in the 10-year evaluation of the school for accreditation. Although a minority vote, we can voice our opinions and have them directly presented to the faculty, administration, and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The challenge facing this campus is to use this participation by having active, concerned, responsible students on these committees. They will have a large responsibility - to report student majority and minority views to the faculty, and to report faculty views to the students. During the height of colonialism, colonial powers gave partial vote to their exploited population to silence demands. If the student members on committees become an elite group representing minority viewpoints, whether liberal, conservative or radical, demands can be ignored, or silenced. Let us hope that all viewpoints are expressed and allowed, and that student members on these committees can represent all factions of the student body. And let us also hope that the student body has the political awarness to voice their demands to their representatives. P.S. fred myers. the ridgerunner [dee grier| jaula schmidtl butch oshsenreiter' Vol. 6 No, 3 Thursday Oct. 13 gracelyn roach 4 ^^^oxford balderson i michaei meagher aileen shatterly balderson ► ' bill hollandsworth giregn^ pat anderson iris bartlettj celia anderson ed hannair sharon connelyj f I Charles james - John daviesj peggy schlicher