70
t
The Caroliiva Joernai
Student Publication Of The University Of North Carolina At Charlotte -
Wednesday, April 15,1970
Flag
Desecration
Charged
Hickok, Norton To Lead SGA
By Joe H. McCorkle
By Joe H. McCorkle
Hank Parker, a 17-year-old high school
lunior, was arrested last Thursday on
campus for "desecration of the American
flag."
The flag, which was sewn on the back
of Parker's jacket, had the peace symbol
Written on it along with the words "Give
peace a chance."
UNCC Security Officer Lambert made
fhe initial investigation and turned the
boy over to Mecklenburg County Police
Who made the arrest.
Parker along with his brother and two
other companions were visiting UNCC to
attend a meeting sponsored by the
l‘•■ogressive Political Union, a campus
Organization.
After the meeting, they went into the
blnion T V lounge and were talking with
*Wo bus drivers when they were
approached by Officer Lambert.
According to Johney Locke, one of the
bus drivers, "We were just sitting around
hoiking. He came and looked at me first.
"J^en he asked to see one of the boy's hat
^cause it looked like a policeman's hat.
ble looked at the boy's brother and saw
Jbe flag on his back and said, 'Boy, you
know you're violating a federal law? Let
see some identification. We better go
’^eck this out.' He wasn't bothering
Anybody."
Parker was jailed for approximately
°ne hour but was released upon
•^ficognition by the court until his May 5
trial.
Parker was charged with a North
^rolina law which was inacted in 1917.
Federal statues concerning the flag
'nipose no penalties except in the District
Columbia.
In the closest election ever held on this
campus, junior Alan Hickok polled 4 per
cent majority to win the Student
Government Association presidential
race, while dark horse candidate Rick
Norton polled a similarly narrow majority
to win the vice presidential race.
Student Party nominee Hickok
received 404 votes to independent Don
Stone's 289. Norton, a transfer student
from Central Piedmont Community
College, received 414 votes to narrowly
edge Student Party vice presidential
candidate Ed Wayson. Wayson received
404 votes.
It s been a hard fight," commented
Hickok. "I'm glad we won. It's time to
ammend any hard feCelings that have
arisen- time to begin the work for next
year."
Norton said he too was surprised about
his victory.
Vote
Tally
Pres. Ballots
Vice Pres. Ballots
847
821
A. Hickok 404
E. Wayson 404
D. Stone 389
N. Norton 414
write-ins 48
write-ins 3
Exams: Should all
final comprehensive
exams be optional for a student?
Yes 753
No 88
Colors: Should gold be added as a third
school color?
Yes 414
No 385
"I would like to thank every person for
their trust and support of me, and I hope
that every student at UNCC will feel free
to come directly to me with questions.
This is what communication is all about,"
Norton said.
The outcome of the election is not
without question, however.
Sam McGriff, who filed for the
presidency, was found ineligible by the
Elections Committee because he did not
have the necessary grade point average.
McGriff questioned the interpretation
of the S.G.A. Constitution and took his
case to the Student Legislature. The
motion to accept his quality point
average as satisfactory was defeated by
one vote cast by the presiding officer to
break the legislative tie. (See McGriff
story below.)
Ptesident-elect Hckok
Talent Show May 7
Students overwhelmingly approved of
final exams being optional. The vote was
753 to 88 in favor of making all finals
optional to students.
If the faculty and administration bow
to the students' wishes as expressed in the
yes-no referendum, a student will not
have to take a final unless he feels it
would benefit him to do so.
Students also approved of adding gold
to the school colors.
The first UNCC talent award show will be held Thursday, May 7,
1970, in the Union Parquet room at 8:00 p.m.
Master of ceremonies for the event will be Dick Taylor, WBT disc
jockey. Judges for the event will be Dr. Daily, of the UNCC music
department; Mr. Delbert Bowles, of the CPCC music department; and
Miss Peggee Lee, local president of the National Talent and Beauty
Judges Association.
'be event will include cash awards of at least $60, $25, and
20 for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners respectively. Total cash and
merchandise awards total over $350. All prizes are donations from
Metrolina merchants.
Participation is open to any student or faculty member of UNCC.
he first rehearsal will be held on April 21 at 6:30 P.M. in room 209 of
ne Union building. Attendance at this rehearsal is mandantory for
Participation m the show. Accompanists should be provided by the
Participant. Any questions should be referred to Eddie Millis,
786-1868, Concord, or Jerry Hensley, 536-3950.
Admission is free. The program is open to the public.
The vote was 414 to 385 in favor of
making gold the third school color. Green
and white are presently UNCC colors.
Petition Pleads
Me Griffs Cause
Vice President-elect Norton
A petition bearing 789 names was presented to
Chancellor Colvard Friday. The petition was presented by
Sam McGriff, who was twice ruled as an ineligible
presidential candidate. It asked that the Chancellor nullify
the SGA presidential election and allow a student refendum
to clarify section 1-d of the SGA By-laws.
Earth Day is April 22
- see page 3 »
Coach Murphy says
'It's Been A Pleasure'
-■see page 8
By Susan Sutton
McGriff prefaced his appeal with the
3ct that he was 26, an economics major,
^nd that he works with IBM.
lo his speech, he gave statistics on the
•’lean scholastic average for UNCC
"udents which showed that his UNCC
®''erage was higher than that of the
^erage male junior student, and that
^adewise, he was more eligible to run
men the average student.
In closing, McGriff told the legislators,
your final word is law... I appeal to your
'Pund rational thinking."
A noticably tense legislature, with
^•^ry Hammond presiding for Alan
klickok, then set about making a decision.
James Cuthbertson moved that the
^islature rule McGriff's scholastic
?''®rage acceptable, considering the loose
'hterpretation of the by-laws. Barbara
Brenizer seconded.
When questioned about his average
McGriff stated that he felt he could
achieve a 2.0 average at the end of this
semester and maintain it. The question
was called, followed by a role call vote.
When the votes were tallied, a tie vote
was announced. Jerry Hammond, as
chairman announced he would cast the
tie-breaking ballot.
Hammond then stated that, as a
student here, McGriff is subject to the
rules of this school, and "this university
does not recognize him as having a 2.0,
therefore, I had to vote against him."
Sammie L. McGriff lost his second
battle for the right to run for the S.G.A.
presidency on Wednesday, when the
Student Legislature denied his request to
suspend the 2.0 scholastic average
requirement to reinterpret the S.G.A.
by-laws to make -im an eligible candidate
for S.G.A. office.
In the S.G.A. By-laws, Section 1-a.,
states that a candidate must have
completed 45 hours at any accredited
college or university at the time of his
election. Section 1-d. states that he must
have an overall scholastic average at the
time of election.
McGriff, a transfer student from S. C.
State, does not have a 2.0 average here'
however, he had a 2.55 at his former
school. When the two are averaged
together, he does have a 2.0 average. S C
State IS recognized as an accredited
college by UNCC.
He came before legislature with his
appeal, after Bud Stewart president of S.
G. A. for 1969-70, upheld the elections
committee ruling.
Joe Davidson, speaking for McGriff
^d the legislators, that if they denied
McGriff s candidacy on the grounds his
quality point average was too low, they
were discriminating against students who
transfer from outside the Consolidated
University. (When a student transfers here
from any college or university outside the
Consolidated University, he receives
credits for his hours, but not for his
quality points. Inside the system, hours
and averages are both transferred. On
criterion for determining
eligibility, McGriff told the legislators, ''
you have not been screening candidates
adequately."