Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / April 1, 1975, edition 1 / Page 3
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Th CxT Ter Bl Gerry Cohen Miryival The Survival Symposium has done and will do much to focus the attention of the University community on what Ralph Nader described as one of the fundamental questions in society, the question of our survival Symposium programming, however, is only one of the ways students and staff may demonstrate their active concern for the problems of survival. The Sixth Annual Chapel HiU Walk for Humanity, set for Saturday, April 5, and the Second Annual ECOS Bike-A-Thon, scheduled for Sunday, April 13, are oriented toward programs to alleviate human suffering and plan toward survival. They help teach solutions. Both revolve around a two-step fund raising method. Active participants walk up 1 am seeking the office of speaker of CGC, the most powerful of the many obscure positions in student government. Many students do not know that the speaker is Vice-President of the student body, and serves as Acting President, with full Presidential powers, in the event of the absence or incapacity of the President. The immediate importance of the Speakership is that the Speaker is the official leader of the legislative branch of student government. I believe that as such the Speaker is morally obligated to interpret the collective will of the CGC membership in dealings with authorities inside or outside of Student Government. The Speaker does not have a mandate as an individual to speak for the student body as the President does, but CGC as a body does have such a mandate. Because the CGC membership is generally less remote from the individual students' opinions than the President, its majority opinion should reflect student desires at least, as well as the President's on a given issue. When the CGC members are faithfully representing those who elected them, and the Speaker is accurately interpreting the views of the members, his or her voice may be the most authoritative student voice on campus. . At this point there is probably some question as to what CGC I am talking about. Certainly not the one the Tar Heel has used for a whipping boy all this year. Nevertheless, CGC has powers and resources most student governments would envy. The body has several hundred thousand dollars at its disposal. It can call a referendum of the student body on any issue it wants, and present the results to any authority as proof of student desires. CGC doesn't need more potential: it needs to make use of what it has. The Speaker's foremost responsibility is simply to get it together: to kick or cajole CGC members into attending meetings regularly, bringing forth ideas to meet student needs, and making hard compromises to get the Council behind good ideas. I would like to see the CGC emulate the unified spirit of the student government of Public Health, the Student Union Board. One member of the Union Board brought up the idea of a classroom ban on smoking in Public Health. When it became clear that the majority of students wanted the ban, every member of the Union Board, from anti smoker to addict, got behind it. The end result was 350 out of 550 students in Public Health voting their opinion on the ban, which has now been implemented. With the same collective spirit the CGC OUSTS Open 24 Hou WIGHTS Hassle-Free! No Coupon Required! Estes Drive 6 p.m.-11 p m: MONDAY 5 p.m. -11 p.m. TUESDAY (4-1-75) rn r-riBottieof Z C Premium '.with any. WINEtiST EXTRA SPECIAL TOP SIRLOIN complete dinner $3.50 (3-31-75) FREEi jBottlttof Premium WINE .'with any" Dinner for EXTRA SPECIAL MAVERICK STEAK complete dinner. $2.75 J) OLD EWDDJLARS FU $ Rags Jeans r- $ Western Shirts $ Indian Tops $ Halter Tops fJCNB Plaza above J imo4 fa to 22 miles in the Walk for Humanity, or bicycle up to 22 miles in the Bike-A-Thon.1 The participant, before the event, seeks out sponsors, who pledge to contribute a certaia amount for each mile the participant completes. In this way, people can participate with time or money. Pledges) could vary from five cents a mile to amounts; like five dollars a mile. What will the money be used for? 60 per cent of the Walk for Humanity money will be used for projects in the Chapel Hill community. The Inter-Church Council will get 40 per cent. The ICC provides social services, the INFO program, a clothing co op for the poor, and a loan and grant fund for emergency aid. It also has an individual development fund to enable individuals to train for jobs or careers. Jolhe Sawyer; must be able to determine goals which really interest the majority of students. It can no longer afford to be a junior legislature where those who enjoy playing government bore those who have better things to do. Likewise, a Speaker who sees his or her role as no more than pounding a gavel, setting agendas, and always following the lead of the President in matters of policy is wasting the greater potential of a useful office. As Speaker I would do my best to accurately synthesize the collective, and hopefully representative, views of CGC members and focus their moral force in whatever direction is most useful to bring about worthwhile student desires. The imagination of CGC members and their Laura EDickereoe Speaker of the CGC has a potential for being a powerful office, depending upon what the actual office holder makes it. There are basically three ways to handle the responsibility to let the meeting flow and only intervene when things get out of hand, to run the meeting reasonably and not let it run on and on in circles, or try to manipulate Student advocacy the articulation of students' ideas and complaints is the primary role of student government. ' Unfortunately, this vital funtion has been long neglected. . The Campus Governing Council (CGC), student government's legislative branch, has been especially guilty of this neglect. In most matters of importance, it has merely reacted to pressure from the student body president or other student groups. It is now time for the CGC to begin taking initiatives of its own in confronting the real problems and opportunities facing students. " This is the conviction which has led me to run for CGC speaker. In this article 1 will; attempt to briefly elaborate on that idea, outlining the kind of problems I am referring to, why CGC should work with them, and some starting places for this work. As 1 have written in an earlier Tar Heel column, I contend that the attitude labeled "student apathy" is disillusionment with organizations which do not appear to be dealing with concerns that closely affect students. Such everyday issues include the problem of returning to university housing or finding a suitable off-campus home; finding and registering for attractive and TOPEOT 5 p.m.-l 1 p.m. WEDNESDAY (4-2-75) FRE iE&ottle of Premium EXTRA SPECIAL FRONTIER STEAK complete dinner. $2.75 - 0my7.99 -5. 99-8.99 - 5.99-7.99 2.99-3.99 Ifu U ltu Is Lri ttwo week The Chapel Hill Day Care Coalition, provides service and financial assistance to Chapel HiiTs non-profit day care centers, many of which are in financial difficulty. They will get 20 per cent Foreign projects will receive 40 per cent. An American Friends Service Committee' project to give aid to well rebuilding, housing, and food programs in Bangladesh will get 15 per cent. A World University Service project to give relief to refugees, and help increase food production, as well as nutrition and family planning programs in Ethiopia and India will receive IS percent, while Africare, a group helping with water resource development for farmers in the African nations of Niger, Mali, and Chad will get the last 10 per cent. Sixty percent of the ECOS Bike-A-Thon constituents must produce the goals around which members can coalesce. The goal for which I will work, in or out of the Speakership, is to see CGC spending minimal time on the trivialities which now consume its energies and maximal time working to bring about a far greater student voice in the University's decisions which affect our lives. University policies on academics, housing, food services, fees and similar matters are the things with which all students are concerned. Until CGC stands up, firmly renounces the doctrine of in loco parentis, and demands a major and legalized say for students in University policymaking, it will remain the best publicized and richest laughingstock of student organizations. the proceedings towards the speakers own interest. I personally favor maintanance of order that would be as objective as possible. The speaker has as much right as any other elected representative to express hisher opinion, but not to sway the discussion by means of the parliamentary power of speaker. Dae Besse useful' courses; receiving adequate preventative health care information, as well as prompt medical attention when needed; and many others. Improvements are needed and can be made in these and other areas. Why is student government needed for work in such areas? It possesses the power of legitimacy. As the official, university sanctioned voice of the students, it cannot be as blatantly ignored as can ad hoc groups. For example, in the present controversy in Durham, Duke University President Terry Sanford prefers to deal with the Associated Students of Duke University (the official student government), rather than the unofficial Movement for Shared Authority. Additionally, sustained input requires funds (the CGC controls over $300,000) and widespread student support. CGC actions are news to the Tar Heel, which informs students and broadens support for improvements. Finally, the CGC in particular is the branch of student government closest to the students, with each member representing a defined constituency and responsible for communicating with them. How, then, can the CGC start to assume its full proper role? First, it must educate Just in time ior Sun and Fun The great selection of swim suits thaiShrunksn Head Just in The Slide BllSt-Ollt and The String all bikinis, of course. By Daffney of California. Reg. $18 to $21, SPECDAL PRDCE $H each. D owntown Franklin St. $ en U off U off I i J i i nn V mm ml . coimeere money will be used to support ECOS, Inc., a North Carolina environmental organization. Formed in 1 969, ECOS has led the way in opposing damaging nuclear power plants, useless highways, and dams which threaten to destroy our environment and truly threaten survival. ECOS also is pushing for programs like pollution control, mass transit, and recycling. Twenty per cent will go to the Eno River Project, which is acquiring land for the Eno River Park, just northeast of Chapel Hill. This valuable natural resource may be lost forever without money to buy land. The last 20 per cent will go to the North Carolina Heart Association, which is working toward the elimination of heart diseases, and conducts valuable screening programs. How does one participate in either or both programs? Cards for the Walk can be picked up from the Campus YM-YWCA. or at tables around campus. ECOS cards are available from the ECOS office in Suite B of ' the Student Union. When the Survival Symposium is over, the money raised from these two events will help through the year in people's lives all over the world. In the past, most participants have found it easy to pick up five or 10 sponsors from among friends. The Walk itself is not hard. Having made the complete walk three times, I can say that while it is tiring, it gives a new view of the community, and a good chance for several hours of talking with old and new friends. The Walk route travels through most of the residential neighborhoods of Chapel Hill, and cars will pick up persons who can't finish the route. The Bike-A-Thon route covers areas in both Chapel Hill and Durham, and the back roads between the two towns. Attending the Survival Symposium' teaches you about the problems. Activities like the Walk and Bike-A-Thon teach about the solutions. While neither activity is a part 'of the symposium, they should be seen as a part of the survival process. Gerry Cohen is a law student and a 'member oj the Chapel Hill Board of Aldermen. itself on these problems affecting the student body and what work on them has been done and is now underway. It can then, through its Administration committee, begin to aid in the coordination of the efforts of student groups already working on such problems. To return to my earlier examples, it can work with the Residence Hall Association and Student Consumer Action Union on housing; the Student Academic Affairs Committee, academic honorary group Phi Eta Sigma, and the course review organizations on academics; and the Association of Women Students, Human Sexuality Counseling and Information Service, and Student Health Alliance on student health care. It can also provide extra push to these groups' efforts, with financial aid, publicity, and personal communication between CGC members and administrators and faculty. All of this work can be coordinated to complement, rather than interfere with, efforts of the student body president. 1 am asking the Campus Governing Council to assume its advocate role. If it is to do so, it is necessary that the CGC speaker be willing to lead, without attempting to dominate, the effort. 1 am prepared to work for this goal. offer expires . 0 IodqO iteig Star 83rd Year Elliott Vmock Managing Editor Czmlt K. Dsy Projects Editor Susan Shackelford Sports Editor Mirths Stevens Head photographer The Daily Tar Heel, UNCs student newspaper since 1893, has its editorial, news and business offices in the Student Union on campus. All unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Daily Tar Heel, while signed columns represent the viewpoint of the individual contributors. CGC speaker si political force The Campus Governing Council at times seems to be little more than a bi weekly forum for infighting among, campus politicos. Many students know little about the CGC in general and less about their CGC representative in particular. If student government is ever to become democratic and responsive, such ignorance must end. The CGC can be a potentially powerful force on campus, if it will raise its collective voice on behalf of the student interest. The CGC is already powerful in that it controls approximately $320,000 in student fees. The allocation of that money affects the well-being of cultural organizations, extracurricular activities and student services. Tonight the Campus Governing Council will select from among its membership a speaker to chair CGC meetings. A speaker skilled in parliamentary procedure can use such skill to influence the decision-making process. As chairperson of the Agenda Committee, the speaker can influence what bills and resolutions are considered and , when. Because the committee does not always meet, the speaker may be the only person determining the agenda (and thus the Bill Strickland. Tonight, a new speaker will be elected from the body of the new Campus Governing Council. This is an election which bears more than nominal significance, since the speaker is responsible for the smooth operation of CGC both as spokesman and mediator. Further, he is also the vice president of the student body, so careful selection is a necessity. A speaker by and large should not represent any special interest since he needs to play a relatively impartial role from the chair during the meetings without a great deal of oration. His own policies and opinions will be more than evident in the legislation he introduces, the manner in which he conducts parliamentary procedure and the increased outside contact he has with the other members and student government LUNCHEON SPECIALS 11:45-2:30 Mon.-Fri. EACH ONLY $1.60 Without Soup & Salad, $1.27 Ttcssdav: iV Bar-D-Q Chicken . 2 vegetables, delicious homemade soup, fresh salad, hot rolls Wednesday': Country Style Steak 2 vegetables, delicious homemade soup, fresh salad, hot rolls Thuisdav: Deef Parmigan 2 vegetables, delicious homemade soup, fresh salad, hot rolls Friday: BEEF TIPS Friday, April 4th ru uu u Kyj ouu 18 P7 SUBTE IF Mb of Editorial Freedom Celt CCsntpSca Editor T..7i Grinulsy Associate Editor JUn Rebsrta News Editor Gent.Johnion Wire Editor Rilph J. irss Contributing Editor Aten Lturrsy Features Editor Joyct RUpsirU Graphic Arts Editor M erica MerrtSt Night Editor priorities) of the CGC. Finally, under the Student Constitution, the speaker of the CGC is the vice-president of the Student Body. He or she is a campus-wide political figure and can use the position to act as a power broker among various interests independently of the Student Body president. The speaker cannot automatically control CGC or Suite C. But he or she can exert a positive and a negative force within campus politics and policy making. To expose the selection process arid to increase the visibility of those CGC members interested in the office, the Daily Tar Heel has devoted most of today's editorial page to statements by candidates for speaker. We asked each to submit statements up to sixty lines in length. If you are interested in your slice of the $320,000 pie, consider the individuals who want to have a hand in serving it up to competing campus groups. If you are interested in seeing . any individual elected, contact your CGC representative and communicate your preference. In that way, maybe you can make representative democracy as embodied in the CGC both representative and democratic. in general. If you as students are truly concerned about student government, I highly urge you to attend the meeting tonight at 7:30 in the Union and see the candidates for yourselves. No better opportunity will exist to inform your representative of your feelings. If that is not possible, just call any of the old CGC representatives (student government Suite C can tell you who they are . . .933 5201) and see what their opinions are of the role of speaker and who they think is qualified (not necessarily whom they would support). Beyond that, feel free to contact me at home or in Suite C and say what's on your mind. Bill Strickland CGC representative 1827 Granville West 933-2674 'SPE COALS EARLY BIRD SPECIALS 4:45-7:00 p.m. Mon: 14 Fried Chicken, tossed salad, bread $1 .55 Tues: Spaghetti, tatad, bread $1.65. ALL THE SPAGHETTI YOU CAN EAT Wed: Vi BBQ Chicken, French fries, salad, bread $1.70 Thur: PIZZA 13 Off off ff D
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
April 1, 1975, edition 1
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