Students Unite to Fight Financial Control: Regents Lift Freeze on Film Groups

Students Unite to Fight Financial Control
Regents Lift Freeze on Film Groups

Apparently the issue of censorship is now a non-existent one, but meanwhile the Regents are preparing to implement strict financial (read total) controls over all student organizations.

The rights of student organizations on the University campus received a few boosts last week as the Regents voted to lift the freeze on use of University facilities, while at the same time a new coalition was forming among student groups to attempt to fight University repression. However, the struggle still continues on all fronts as the Regents now await their vote on the financial control controversy, and Friends of Newsreel, now on probation, remain under suspicion for irresponsible behavior. The first move came last Friday when the Regents, under pressure from students and faculty, voted to remove the freeze on University facilities that they had slated for June 30 (initially postponed from May 31). The Regents specified, however, that while the five recognized campus film groups (Cinema Guild, Cinema II, A2 Film Coop, New World and Friends of Newsreel) and ethnic or nationality groups may continue to use 'U' facilities for film showings, one-shot candidate fund-raising groups (such as the Bullard-Bang group which started the whole debate several months ago) will not be permitted to use the facilities.

It was also made quite evident that the recently exploited issue of Regental censorship was a dead one. Film groups will still be allowed to show what they wish.

However, an important issue still faces the Regents, and that is the matter of University financial control of student group accounts. For the past 18 months, the University has been attempting to force student groups to keep their accounts in the University Auditing office, where the University would have the ultimate say as to where student groups could spend their own money. The University administrators have attempted to use the false issues of pornography on campus and facility usage to impress the Regents with the "need" for some type of control over student groups. The University of course is primarily interested in financial (read "political") control, and the Regents are playing right into their hands on this matter. The Regents were scheduled to vote upon this issue at their meeting last week, but were unable to, as the University discovered that their proposal had been incorrectly drafted (in a legal sense), and promptly withdrew it. It will be brought back up in front of the Regents next month, and at that time, it is likely that the Regents will pass it.

Elliot Chikofsky, chairperson of the Student Organization Board, has spoken with several of the Regents and told the SUN that, "I feel that some of the Regents had their minds made up a year and half ago that student funds be spent thru the office of student auditor."

Students to Fight Back

As a reaction to the continuing saga of University harassment and threatened control of student organizations, a new student group has formed on campus to attempt to fight such attacks on an organized level. Brought together by a call for unity from the Revolutionary Student Brigade (formerly Attica Brigade), representatives from more than sixteen student organizations came together last week in the first step towards what could be the formation of a truly effective student coalition.

Though no specific tactics for combatting University repression were agreed upon at the initial meeting, groundwork was laid in establishing common grounds of student organizational concerns, and for strengthening the possibility of groups working together as a body to maintain their interests against the encroaching Big U. The two central issues confronting the student coalition were established as being 1) the impending implementation of financial control of student groups, and 2) the right of student film groups to use University auditoriums and the right of other groups to use U property tor meetings and events without harassment or blockade.

It was made clear that the new coalition, though arising from problems basically film-group oriented, was hoping to represent and struggle for all student organizations, of which there are over 600 at the University. The attendance at the meeting reflected this hope, with representatives present from various groups including the Progressive People's League, the Gay Liberation Front, Lawyers for Rent Control, black student groups, and several film groups. The meeting was hastily called and in the future should attract even broader representation.

Through strength in numbers and unity, the new group hopes to help student organizations through information change, moral support, and joint pressure on the University administrators, with the help of both the student and non-student communities of Ann Arbor. Those organizations or individuals wishing to participate can obtain more information from the Secretary's office in Room 341, located on the third floor of the Union. Or call at the Advocate's switchboard, 763-1069. New World's Dallas Kenny at 761-9855 and Friends of Newsreel's Glenn Allvord at 761-7993 are also taking calls for information.

FRIENDS OF NEWSREEL PROBATION

SGC Student Organization's Board (SOB)'s probation of Friends of Newsreel came about following a month long investigation by the student board into complaints about Newsreel's outstanding debts continued on page 6