The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 56, No. 19, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 6, 1969 Page: 1 of 14
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Youth groups begin active quest to lower the voting age
By JOHN ZEH
WASHINGTON (CPS)—The
history of efforts to lower the
voting age is full of frustration
and failure, dating back to 1942
when Sen. Arthur Vandenberg
introduced the first recent reso-
lution to extend the franchise. In
that session, Congress lowered
the draft-induction age to 18,
but refused to lower the voting
age.
Since then, more than a hun-
dred similar resolutions have
been bottled up by the nation's
lawmakers. Despite President
Eisenhower's support in 1954, a
proposed Constitutional amend-
ment lowering the voting age
failed by five votes. In the last
session of Congress, well-mean-
ing liberals let another bill ride
without a fight after President
Johnson spoke up favorably but
too late.
The 18-year old vote issue
has also been raised at least
once in each of the states, but
the voters have consistently
said no. Only in Kentucky and
Georgia have effoi'ts been suc-
cessful.
Ken Strauss
Can an aging conquering general, Emperor of the world, find happiness with a teeny-bop
Queen of the Nile? See the affair that brought the city of Alexandria up in arms. See what hap-
pens when a man has too much Gaul. See Father John Worrell as Caesar and Linda Todd as
Cleopatra in the Wiess Tabletop Production of "Caesar and Cleopatra." But first see Ralph Burdick's
review of the show on page t.
the rice thresher
vol. 56, no. 19
rice university houston, texas
thurs., feb. 6, 1969
Of programs, policies
SCEP asks for student analyses
By LAURA KAPLAN
SCEP Chairman Tom Hylden,
speaking--at the Senate meeting
Tuesday night, announced that
he does not plan to publish the
usual type of course review this
y.ear. Instead he will ask for
students who so wish to write
a "reasoned analysis" of various
departmental programs and
policies, which he feels will be
more effective than a statistical
sampling.
Some of the topics which lie
proposed might be subjects for
student essays are the liberal
arts at Rice, the quality of
graduate school preparation,
vocational training versus ed-
ucation in„the StE curriculum,
and the language requirements.
In addition Hylden proposes to
contact seniors, asking them to
evaluate their education at Kice,
especially in terms of their
major departments.
Hylden emphasized his con-
cept of SCEP as a student com-
mittee, and said that he hoped
that students in each depart-
ment would organize themselves
to contribute to the analysis.
He feels that students working
in the departments can exert
more influence for change than
standard course guide.
Gripes and preferences
Arthur Dana and &eorge
Kraft, representatives of a con-
sulting firm retained by the
University to study the Food
Service, spoke on their evalua-
tions of institutional food ser-
vices around the country.
Their major goals are to dis-
cover the gripes of the stu-
dents, as well as their prefer-
ences in terms of specific items
on the menu, and to increase
the effectiveness, quality, and
quantity of the offerings.
On their interview on station
KOWL earlier in the evening,
they had commented that the
food service operatidn at Pace
was generally similar to that at
other colleges. They added later,
however, that the college sys-
tem, which provides dining
facilities for only 200 residents
in each building, presents spe-
cial conditions which are not
faced at most tfther schools.
Good pay
When asked about the rela-
tive efficiency of cooking food
in a central kitchen and deliver-
ing it to the colleges, as oppos-
ed to cooking it separately at
each college, Dana replied that
the latter suggestion would re-
quire the employment of 14
skilled cooks, whereas using a
central kitchen requires only
perhaps two skilled cooks and
two semi-skilled cooks.
He went into further detail
concerning the levels of skill
(See SftNATK on pane
The long struggle for the
18-year-old vote has also been
marked by lack of organization
and resources. There has been
no nationwide movement at the
grass-roots level to demonstrate
youth's initiative and influence
like those when Negroes and
women sought the franchise.
"The nub of practical politics
it that without assurances from
organized college-aged groups
that 18-to-21 yeai--olds really
wafip the franchise, chances of
passage are dim," Sen. Jacob
Javits has said. Young people
have decided to take his advice
seriously.
In the last month two groups
have formed to start a nation-
wide push for passage of laws
lowering the voting age. One,
begun by students from the
University of the Pacific in Cal-
ifornia, and launched on a tele-
vision special with Joey Bishop,
is called LUV (Let Us Vote).
It claims chapters on more than
200 college campuses and 1,500
high schools.
Another handful of young
people from the student affili-
ate of the National Education
Association (NEA), have form-
ed a Youth Franchise Coalition.
With the support of other stu-
dent groups, they claim to be
the first national organization
working toward the 18-year-old
vote.
Strategy session
Sen. Javits and West Vir-
ginia's Sen. Jennings Randolph
(who has fought for the lower-
ed voting age since 1942) have
written their Congressional col-
leagues seeking support for the
new effort.
The Coalition invited, repre-
sentatives oL' some 200 organi-
zations and all members of Con-
gress to attend a strategy ses-
sion in Washington yesterday.
The Coalition's campaign to
lower the voting age will aim
at passage of a Constitutional
amendment and changes in
state statutes and charters.
Dirck Brown, an early Coalition
leader, explains-that an effort
at the state level will make rati-
fication of the new Constitu-
tional amendment easier.
(Three-fourths of the states
must ratify amendments to the
U. S. Constitution.)
One of the "hack issues" of
past campaigns that the stu-
dents hope to redefine is the
"old enough to fight, old enough
to vote" argument which has
had wide emotional appeal in
wartime.
Proponents of the 18-year-old
vote advance other arguments
now.
Rjesponsible citizenship
Sen. Mike Mansfield (I)-
Mont.) feels the lower voting
age is "more pertinent now than
ever before, because youth is
better equipped to exercise this
responsibility."
"The 18-year-old has emerg-
ed, in this world of learning
and information-gathering-, fat-
more ready for responsible cit-
izenship than the 21-year-old
was in my day," says Sen. Gale
McGee of Wyoming. "In fact,
I'd take my chances with the
18-year-olds in the political
saddle today instead of their
parents."
Eighteen- to-21-year-olds are
considered adults for many pur-
poses. More and more are get-
ting married earlier. Many of
the three million who are mar-
ried have children. Legally per-
mitted to undertake family re-
sponsibilities, they are denied
the right to vote. More than six
million young people are taxed
without representation. People
over IS are subject to the same
penal codes as those over 21.
Young people can enter the U.
S. Civil Service at 18.
Disorder lessened?
"This demand for youth pow-
er, or student power . , . stems
from a growing sophistication
among youth in. evaluating our
world, a growing realization
that politics has an enormous
impact, and a growing desire
to assume "adult" responsibili-
ties at an earlier age," former
NSA President Ed Schwartz,
testified, before Sen. Birch
i Si-e Is-YEAR-OLD ..n pnv:o 7j
Jones to produce one-act program
In a program called "Games
People Play," the Jones Theat-
er Committee will present three
one-act plays on, Feb. 14, 15,
and 16 at 8 pm in the Jones
Commons.
The Boor," by Anton Chek-
hov, concerns a young, attrac-
tive widow (Lots Kinchloe),
who lives in seclusion until
Smirnov, a boistrous creditor,
appears to collect at debt owed
by the widow'.* late husband.
Angel Silva appears as Smir-
nov, and Janet Hudson plays
Peace corps administrator to talk
about corps relevance to America
Seymour Greben, Director of
Public Affairs for the Peace
Corps, will give an informal
talk at a University-wide fo-
rum Thursday, Feb. 13, at 7:30
pm in the Chem Lecture Hall.
Greben will speak about "The
Relevance of the Peace Corps
to America." The forum is
sponsored by Lovett College.,.
Greben was appointed to his
Washington, D. C. post after
serving two years as the Peace
Corps Country Director of pro-
grams in Malaysia. He joined
the Peace Corps in 1963 as an
associate representative o f
Peace Corps pfSgrams in the
Philippines, and later served in
that country as Deputy Country
Director before moving to. Ma-
laysia.
His appearance at Rice will
be just one of Greben's activi-
ties while he is in Houston for
Houston Peace Corps Week,
Feb. 9-15. He will also appear
in a Student Union Forum at
U of H earlier in the day
Thursday, and before a group
of Texas State Legislators Fri-
day morning.
Suspension
By action of the Dean of
Students, a student has been
suspended for the spring se-
mester for an honor system
violation.
the widow's servant, Luka. The
play is directed by Nancy Vic-
kery.
In Tad Mosel's •'Impromptu,"
four performers have been sent
on stage to improvise a play.
The action centers around the
personalities of the characters,
and the conflicts which arise
among them. Scott Hill plays
Ernest, a self-confident, well-
known actor; Gail Griffen por-
trays Lora,- the ingenue; Keith
McGregor plays Tony, a young
man seeking meaning in his ac-
tions; and Hortense Jones ap-
pears as Winifred, an actress no-
torious for her sarcasm. "Im-
promptu" is directed by JoAnn
Weinberg.
. "The Wonder Hat" by Ken-
neth Sawyer Goodman and
Ben Heeht, is a fantasy set
i n 16th century Italy, i n
which sweet young Columbine
(Pain Halton) tries to en-
snare the affections of Har-
lequin (Chuck Sadler) by pur-
chasing a magic slipper from
an old peddler, Punchinello
(Mel Cohen). In order to
escape the material entangle-
ments of love, Harlequin ob-
tains from the same peddler a
wonder hat which makes him
invisible. Arrogant Pierrot
(Steve Evans) complicates the
affair by becoming infatuated
with Columbine, while Margot
(Barbara Johnson). Colum-
bine's bossy maid, sneers at ev-
eryone's childish antics. "The
Wonder Hat" is directed by Pat
Daniel.
Admission to the perform-
ances is $1.
Harper tutors, children may take
part in several weekend activities
Several weekend activities are
available for Harper Elemen-
tary School Tutors and their
tutees in the next few weeks.
The Jones College One-Acts
Feb. 14-16 at 8 pm in the
Jones Commons, will be free for
Harper students, though tutors
must buy their own $1 tickets
and provide transportation for
the children.
On Sunday, Feb. 23, a trip
down the ship channel on the
"Sam Houston" (the Port of
Houston's sightseeing boat) at
2 pm will be free to the first
fifty tutors and their tutees
who sign up with Mrs. Willis
at Harper. Bus ..transportation
will be provided from Rice and
Harper.
A tour of Memorial Park Bo-
tanical Gardens at 2:30 pm
Saturday, March 1 is open to
the first 25 tutors and their
tutees who sign up with Mrs.
Willis. Bus transportation will
be provided.
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Bahler, Dennis. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 56, No. 19, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 6, 1969, newspaper, February 6, 1969; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245048/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.