Western Front - 1972 April 28

              THE WESTERN FRONT
Vol. 64 No. 42 WESTERN WASHINGTON STATE COLLEGE Friday, April 28, 1972
AS referendum
causes concern
by STEVE JOHNSTON
A referendum going before
the students in two weeks which
would redefine Associated
Students as a corporation having
control over student activities,
services, publications and
facilities, has caused concern
over the haste in which its
by-laws were drawn up.
An o u t l i n e for the
c o r p o r a t i o n ' s by-laws was
drafted April 6 and calls for a
chairman to replace the AS
president and a vice-chairman to
replace the AS vice-president
and a board of directors to
replace the AS legislature.
A final draft of the by-laws is
being drawn up by a lawyer and
will be presented on the May 6
primary ballot for student
approval.
If the referendum is defeated,
chairman and vice-chairman
candidates will run for president
and vice-president under the
present system. Candidates for
the four board of director
p o s i t i o n s would run as
legislators.
Craig Cole, AS Housing
Commissioner and one of the
corporation backers, said AS has
actually been a corporation since
1933 and all the referendum
would do is redefine its roles.
But in a meeting with the
Western Front staff (which
would fall under the corporation
along with Jeopardy and
Klipsun), it was pointed out that
no one knew about the
corporation idea until two weeks
ago and that most students did
not have any idea what it was all
about.
Student publications asked
for more time to consider the
idea and to get the students
informed about its make-up.
Besides outtine student
activities, services, publications
and facilities under student
c o n t r o l , Cole pointed out
"There's a plan to rent the
Viking Union from the college
for a certain amount per
y e a r - w h a t e v e r that might
be—and also hire the staff of the
V U " to work for the
corporation.
Cole said the college now
received $6 or $7 per student
per quarter for financing student
a c t i v i t i e s . Should the
corporation take over these
activities from the college, this
money plus $5 more per student
would be given to the
corporation for running them.
The corporation would then
receive around $330,000 a year
to run the VU and its various
activities. It would also receive
money from the bookstore and
the Lakewood property on Lake
Whatcom.
Part of the concern expressed
by student publications
members was that there are no
clear definitions in the by-laws
spelling out what powers the
various councils would have over
student activities or how the
councils would be picked. The
only certain position filled
would be by a member of the
corporation's board who would
automatically sit on a council.
News at a glance
Muskie withdraws from race
WASHINGTON-Sen. Edmund S. Muskie, considered almost
unbeatable four months ago, withdrew from the remaining
Democratic presidential primaries yesterday but announced he was
still available for the nomination at the convention in July.
McGovern and Humphrey fight in California
SACRAMENTO-Sens. Hubert H. Humphrey and George S.
McGovern have launched a new campaign in California-this one to
win over Sen. Edmund S. Muskie's impressive list of supporters.
They had a large field on which to concentrate, including U.S.
Sen. John V. Tunney, Assembly Speaker Bob Moretti, Senate leader '
James R. Mills, Secretary of State Edmund G. Brown Jr.,
Democratic national committeeman Stephen Reinhardt and a
high-powered array of wealthy fundraisers.
V.C. claim Nixon speech 'nothing new'
PARIS-The Viet Cong today denounced President Nixon's latest
speech on Vietnam as a sign he intends to keep the United States in
the war and said Nixon "again is plunging deeper into crime and
military adventures."
A spokesman for the Viet Cong delegation to the Vietnam peace
conference said Nixon's Wednesday night announcement on
withdrawal of 20,000 more U.S. troops was "absolutely nothing
new."
Ten more American dead
SAIGON-Ten Americans were killed in action last week in the
third week of the North Vietnamese offensive, and 78 others were
wounded, the U.S. Command announced.
South Vietnamese casualties increased sharply, while the
estimated number of Viet Cong and North Vietnamese casualties
dropped, spokesmen said.
Army Secretary wants no amnesty for right now
SEATTLE-Robert F. Froehlke, secretary of the Army says he is
against granting amnesty to draft evaders at this time.
He told a news conference Wednesday that such persons are
"selfish" because they did not serve their government.
Tax reform committee to meet mondav
OLYMPIA-House Speaker Thomas Swayze said Wednesday the
first meeting of the ad hoc legislative committee to work on tax
reform will be next Monday.
Alioto trial set for Tacoma
BOISE, IDAHO-U.S. District Judge Raymond McNichols has
ordered that the bribery-conspiracy trial of Mayor Joseph Alioto of
San Francisco and two former Washington state officials begin May
15 in Tacoma, Wash.
They were indicted last year by a federal grand jury in Seattle
after an investigation into Alioto's sharing of legal fees with
O'Connell and Faler.
—Compiled from United Press International —
An Editorial
|Time is of the essence;
vote 'no' on corporation
Students take heed. The annual all-campus student-body elections are up and
coming. Not much has changed this year-candidates have registered for AS
President, Vice President and a myriad of governmental chairmanships.
Not much has changed-except that this year the proverbial wool is apparently
being pulled over our apathetic and ignorant eyes. A proposal for an associated
student corporation is on the ballot. Students running for top positions in
government are also running for board positions in the corporation.
What does the proposal for a corporate structure mean to the average student?
We are not denying that the proposal's basic premise is sound. True, it involves
implications beyond comprehension at this point. It also places a great burden of
authority and power on the students who may win the spot of AS President
(Chairman of the Board under the corporation).
We, as the student newspaper, have been asked to join forces with the new
corporation. We are, as of this printing, uncommitted.
Our dilemma hinges on two factors. The first is the aforementioned
implications of plugging in with a corporate structure designed solely of students.
The second, and most important, is the decisive time factor.
What possible comprehension of a plan that encompasses our entire
governmental and financial structure can be attained between this printing and
the upcoming election? We feel we have not had the time to evaluate the new
structure; to delve into possible repercussions from its initiation, and to mull over
all implications that may arise from its becoming a reality.
We cannot deny that the corporate structure on the ballot is one of
far-reaching political advancement on this campus. That we are objecting most
strongly to are the "ramrod" tactics being employed to verify the corporation.
Students should be extremely cautious when considering the proposal. Better
yet, students should either demand more time to consider what their vote might
entail, or vote against the corporation on the ballot to achieve this much needed
time.
We are asking for a delay on placing the corporate proposal on the ballot. We
feel the student body deserves the right to question, discuss and ponder before
being placed in a corporation whose actions could conceivably prove detrimental
to all; whether or not votes are cast. 1
Flora blocks campus Jeopardy printing
by JACK BROOM
College President Charles J.
Flora has directed the college
print shop not to print the 1972
issue of Jeopardy.
In a memo to the college
community, Flora said that
"portions of the manuscript are
so lacking in literary merit as to
degrade the remainder of the
publication and the college."
Flora's action comes in spite
of the fact that the Student
Publications Council last week
r e c o m m e n d e d that the
administration "take no further
action" in the Jeopardy matter.
"We feel sort of helpless
now," Council Chairman Tim
Hoyt said. "It seems that Flora
has ignored our recommen­dation."
Flora's memo said that for
his office to prevent publication
of Jeopardy would violate
college policy. It also said that
to remove portions of the
manuscript would violate
freedom of the press.
Flora said this would be
"unthinkable."
However, he urged Jeopardy
Editor Tim Kyle to remove
signature 13, "out of regard for
the magazine and the college."
Kyle was in Seattle
Wednesday taking bids for the
magazine to be published off
campus. He said earlier that he
will try to purchase from the
print shop the special colored
paper which has been ordered
for Jeopardy.
Jeopardy found not erotic
by JACK BROOM
The 1972 Jeopardy will not
be X-rated, according to
Whatcom County Prosecutor
Jane Mason.
At the request of the Student
Publications Council, College
President Charles J. Flora sought
Mason's opinion as to whether
the Jeopardy magazine can be
legally defined as erotic material.
Under Washington State Law,
if the magazine is erotic it would
have to say "adults only" in a
prominent position on the cover
and could not be distributed to
anyone under 18.
" I n my opinion, the
publication does not call for the
use of that statute (RCW
9.68.060)," Mason said.
The legal definition of erotic
material is "printed material,
photographs, pictures, motion
pictures and other matter, the
dominant theme of which (taken
as a whole,) appeals to the
prurient interests of minors in
sex; which is patently offensive
because it offends contemporary
community standards relating to
the description or representation
of sexual m a t t e r s or
sadomasochistic abuse and is
utterly without redeeming social
value."
The council also criticized
the fact that Flora had not
consulted them first, and that he
failed to consult the editor
before getting advance copies of
the manuscript from the print
shop.
Regarding Flora's new action,
Hoyt said, "I didn't expect him
to do this. I expected him to.
follow our advice and leave it
alone."
The memo, which Flora
issued Tuesday, is the latest in a
series of steps Flora has taken
since he was warned by
Jeopardy advisors during spring
break that the issue contains a
story that might be considered
objectionable.
Flora immediately set up an
ad hoc committee to study the
issue, and when the committee
reported that certain portions
were lacking in literary merit,
Flora sent the matter to the
English and Art departments and
the Student Publications
Council.
Last Wednesday the
Publications Council said that in
light of the fact that the
Attorney General's office
determined that the issue
violates no obscenity laws, Flora
should take no further action in
the matter.
The entire text of Flora's
memo is printed on page 12.