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Volume XI, Number 5
The Student Newspaper of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
September 16, 1975
Carolina Journal photos by Gene Russell
Indian Ambassador T. N. Kaul
Ambassador marsh-
mallowed in Rowe bldg.
By M. P. Agresta
On Tuesday Sept. 9. T. N. Kaul,
lAnibassador to India, spoke to a small
audience in tlie Rowe Arts Building. He
jwas met with booing and hissing I'rom a
iSniall group of protesters. One protester
threw a handiu! of marshmallows at tlie
jAmbassador. It was the first time in tlic
‘Ambassador s diplomatic career that lie
had met with a physical display of
opposition. Ambassador Kaul passed it
'oft as “y^^othlul exuberance.”
■ The Student Legislature, however,
[was appalled by tiie incident. “He came
heie to speak on the condition of India
[and some protest was expected. Nobody
iknew wlietlicr it was going to be
[placards, or just booing and hissing. Well,
Iheie weren’t no placards wlien we got
there and when the Ambassador was
intioduced everybody started booing and
hissing. Then this one guy stood up and
threw marsiimailows at him. That's really
^embarrassing to the school and the
|Sludents,” said Jamie Stemple, as lie
Idescribed the incident to the Student
|Legislature. Stemple also said. “As a
eili/.en of the United States that (the
niarshiuailow throwing)could have been
povoking an inlernalional incident. We’
do without that sort of thing on this
- 'Campus. Throw marshmallows at the
cliancellor. not the Ambassador."
The Legislature then moved that a
lormal letter of apology be sent to the
^iiibassador. Sam Wilson, chairman of
tlie executive committee, was the first to
speak against it. Wilson said. “It is the
M'iiht ot individuals to speak their mind.
Unfortunately, individuals go a little bit
out of their way, in this possibly a long
way out of their way. But I don't think
we as Legislature can speak for the entire
student body by sending a letter for the
entire student body on this matter. We
don't know h'ow much division there was
among the students.”
Wilson pointed out to the Legislature
that the motion, as it standed, sounded
Cl
Rst
Qdc
as it the Student Legislature was
apologizing for the demonstration as a
whole. He suggested the written apology
be revised before voting, in order to
make it clear that they regretted the
incident of marshmallow throwing and
not the demonstration.
The revised motion passed by a vote
of 14 for-o against" 1 abstention. The
revi.sed motion reads as follows: “We the
student representatives of UNCC. offer
our sincere apology on behalf of the
student body to the Ambassador of
India, for the rude behavior of throwing
objects of some of our students. These
incidents are always unfortunate and are
not representative of the UNCC
community.”
Ambassador Kaul here
By Ruth Townsend
Ambassador T. N. Kaul arrived to
speak at UNCC on Tuesday September
9th. In his short speech the Ambassador
said that the American press has
published “distorted, rumored reports”
of the situation in India. He said that the
present implementation of energency
powers (provided for by India’s
constitution) is temporary, hopefully
lasting “only a few months rather than
years.” He defined India’s main problem
as an attemp to find economic and social
content in our form of democracy--to
make it meaningful to large masses of
people. “Democracy...need not be a
rubberstamp copy of American, British,
or French democracy,” said the
Ambassador.
On June 26th of this year, Indian
officials declared an emergency situation,
which gave Prime Minister Indira Ghandi
dictatorial powers. This action, according
to Ambassador Kaul, was ratified by a
two-thirds vote of the public and is only
temporary. Since the emergency was
declared, inflation in India has dropped,
minimum wages have been set up, land
use planning and government housing
programs have been started. “There has
been much improvement over the chaos
which existed before [June 26thl,” said
Kaul.
Prior to the 26th of June, India was
controlled by five political parties
without a common nucleus. There was
massive civil disobedience, and massive
refusal to pay taxes.
Kaul blamed the American press,
both here and in India, for much of the
misunderstanding and many of the
misconceptions concerning the internal
problems of India. “Don’t jump to hasty
conclusions. The press in India and at
home has been opened to facts and held
views as sacred.”
When questioned as to the future of
the Indian government. Ambassador Kaul
said that Prime Minister Ghandi was in
favor of a multi-party system. “There is
no place for a single party system in
India. Government exists not for, by, and
of the elite; but for, by, and of the
people,” were Ambassador Kaul’s words.
In closing his speech, the
Ambassador called for an opened-mind
view from the American people. He said
not to jump to hasty conclusions, and
that we should place ourselves in the
“shoes of another country...Democracy
doesn’t mean that you can walk on the
wrong side of the road.”
The Ambassador’s speech was
marred by the actions of a few hecklers
who booed and threw marshmallows at
him both before and after his speech.
The Ambassador, undaunted by this
action, passed it off as “youthful
exuberance.”
Who's spending your money
The University Program Board brings
entertainment in various forms to the
campus. Providing this entertaiment
takes a great deal of student funding. For
the 1975-76 academic year the
University Program Board is to receive
45.2% of the Student Fees Commission
total allotted student activity fees.
The 45.2% represents a monetary
figure of $79,873.37 for the Board to
work with. Funding for four of the
Board’s areas comes directly off the top
of the budget. The four areas are the
Executive, Orientation, Summer School
and Jam-Up Homecoming.
Orientation and Summer School
speak for themselves. Instead of
including this entertainment under the
specialized committees, the money is
taken off the top to insure quality
programming. Jam-Up and Homecoming
just became the responsibility of the
University Program Board this year. In
the past, these events were funded by the
Student Legislature. The Executive
includes salaries and miscellaneous.
The following is the breakdown of
the University Program Board monies for
1975-76:
University Program Board - $79,873.37.
Executive - $5000.00
Orientation - $3000.00
Summer School - $5000.00
Jam-Up Homecoming - $4000.00
Social Committee - $25,652.33
Rathskeller Committee - $15,592.59
Lecture Committee - $7,796.29
Films Committee - $6,853.19
Fine Arts Committee - $4,149.64
Special Activity Committee - $2,829.30
The committee directors'
responsibilities as defined in the
University Program Board constitution
provide the student with a basic idea of
what each committee does.
The Social Committee is concerned
with current trends and taste in musical
entertainment. The professional
musicians which appear on campus or
often times at the Park Center are usually
set up by or cosponsored by this
committee.
The. Rathskeller Committee is
responsible for booking all of the
entertainment appearing in the
Rathskeller. The committee also manages
the Rathskeller and presents proposals
for improvements to it.
A diverse and appealing lecture
program is the task assigned to the
Lectures Committee. The committee is
to provide speakers which will interest
the greatest number of students
throughout the year. The Harry Golden
lecture committee, which brought
George McGovern here three years ago,
has representation from the Lectures
Committee.
The Films Committee considers
current trends in films. The Committee
then tries to bring the finest possible
films, within the trend, to campus.
Variety and diversity is also a goal of the
committee.
Drama, art, sculpture , dance, poetry
and classical music events are brought to
campus by the Fine Arts Committee. The
Committee is responsible for “developing
an integrated fine arts program from
these different fields.”
The Special Activities Committee
ties up tlie loose ends and takes care of
any miscellaneous entertainment not
delegated to any of the other
committees. It serves as a coordinator
between the Board and special campus
programs.
The Board received .3% less than last
year, but a slight increase in actual
money. The near $80,000 figure makes
them easily the highest paid student
organization. The Board’s task is to
provide quality entertainment in a
variety of areas for the students of
UNCC.
Michael Evans