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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 25, 1970)
b ir a s Ins a mi K -; ' . fA'f ; if! ' $; If- an WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 251970 LINCOLN, NEBRASKA VOL 93, NO. 60 Slacks walk out on by Carol Anderson Nebratkan Staff Writer In an apparently pre-planned walk-out, about 20 black students left Tuesday's Council on Student Life meeting. They said they weren't in terested in charges of racial discrimination in fraternities and sororities made by the three black CSL members. About half way through the meeting which was supposed to inform the Council of prejudice at the University, John Eaves, president of the Afro-American Collegiate Society, led the walk-out. Before leaving, Eaves said the Council was proceeding on the faculty assumption that blacks want to be in fraternities and sororities. "We don't have time for this (discussing the Greek system)," he added. THE THREE BLACK CSL members, students V e r n Slaughter and Lee Harris and Walter L. Strong, co-ordinator for special programs in the of fice of student affairs, took turns leveling charges at Paul Crist, newly elected IFC presi dent. Few Greek houses have made positive steps toward implementing the Regents' 1965 Policy Statement since only one house has a black member, Strong charged. The Statement banned discrimination ac cording to race or color in the selection of members in University organizations. Crist emphasized that IFC is aware of the problem although he couldn't speak for IFC's of ficial position because that organization hasn't yet fully considered the issue. To be ef fective, a solution should not antagonize the Greeks, he emphasized. Kathleen Kokes, testifying as president of Panhellenic, re emphasized Crist's position. No sorority would lose its national charter by pledging a minority student, she said. "We aren't asking that the Greek system be destroyed. It should be amended," Strong said. Other University organiza tions that discriminate are Corn Cobs, Tassels, Kosmet OEM Page 2 I'ajje 4 Pace 6 Page 7 Editorials Joint Effort NSA ami NU Hunker B4all Klub and possibly co-ops and certain residence halls along with certain academic honoraries that exclude members on the basis of grades, he continued. STRONG SUBMITTED a resolution he had drafted call ing for the following measures: 1) That all fraternities and sororities which have organized houses on campus be placed on social probation for failure to comply with the Regents Policy Statement of June 18, 1965, which required all student organizations to indicate im mediately their ability and desire to select members on the basis of a reasonable "criteria which will not include race or color." 2) That all fraternities and sororities with organized houses on campus have their charters revoked by June 1, 1970, if a plan of affirmative action is not taken towards correcting the racial discrimination that exists in each house's membership. The plan must meet with the Coun cil's approval. 3) That an ad hoc Af firmative Committee on Discrimination in Organized Living Units be formed by the CSL chairman. The committee shall be charged with the responsibility of drawing up guidelines for a program of af firmative action and aid fraternities and sororities in complying with those guidelines by the June 1, 1970, date. NO ACTION was taken on the resolution Tuesday, but Chairman John Robinson said additional CSL meetings will be devoted to the issue. Strong said that for a Greek house to comply with the Regent's statement, it need not pledge a certain number of minority members, only demonstrate that the op portunity for membership ex ists. High school minority students must be informed that Greek houses traditionally closed to them are now open. "They (Greeks) need to commit themselves and realize that as University social organizations they can't exist as country clubs," Strong said. "We can't ask anything of the blacks," said Dr. Harry Canon, director of University Counsel ing Service. He said the University has reached the point where minority group members are not inclined to participate in predominately white organiza tions. It was Canon's letter to CSL in August expressing con cern about discrimination at the University that prompted CSL consideration. After listening to the sometimes heated discussion, Canon said he was worried about some "vague charges" being made. Since "everybody knows that most University organizations have practiced discrimination at some time," he said people should be con cerned with generating positive solutions rather than making charges. THE UNION has "begun to begin" to work toward in cluding more minority members on its 18 union com mittees, according to Allen Bennett, union director. Some committees are hurting for members, he said. He admitted that traditionally Greeks have been on these committees. Currently he said composition is about 30 per cent in dependent, 10 per cent minority and the remainder Greek. "We're prepared to deal with the ignorance of our staff," Bennett continued. The help and trust of minority students are needed, he said. Union committees such as foreign films, weekend films, union art displays, speaker series, and Talks and Topics are open to anyone signing up, according to Bennett. The committee sizes are not limited, he said. Four seniors named Wilson Fellows Four University of Nebraska seniors are winners of the Vl J.:1 bp u imir- ft V .1 six ' . I, I, -I I , - - , Mfg-rl ,Mr;iin , , . a. ' I -iis J LJ ' it The Alinders James, Mary and Jasmine, seat ed and their Family Triptych, one of the ex hibits in the faculty display at Sheldon Art Gal lery. The exhibition will run through March 22. Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Competition. Dave Buntain, Edward Flaherty Jr., Inta Jozeps and Arthur Bullock Jr., are among 1,153 winners, selected from 12.000 outstanding graduating seniors, according to Founda tion President Hans Rosenhaupt. Miss Jozeps, Buntain and Bullock are all from Lincoln. Flaherty is from Wahoo. "The program is our response to the plight of today's disaffected youth," Rosenhaupt said. "Taking scholarly ex cellence for granted in our nominees, we look further for those human qualities that make good, even great teachers." NU seniors were given honorable mention were: Bruce Ackerson, Randy Reeves, John Mahaffy, Linda Varvel and Susan Vosik. A list of the designates will be sent to all graduate school deans In the United States and Canada with recommendation that the schools provide win ners with graduate fellowships. it ft i I ! ! v :! ) b: r if i' 'a I